pd150 to DSR570
 

I am a pd150 user and have never used a camera higher up the chain.

How would the handling of a bigger camera like the DSR570 be for me?
How steep is the learning curve? Is the interface, menus, ergos and usability similar to the pd150 with just added features? (size/weight is an obvious difference) If i were to rent one of these, how much time do i have to factor in for adjusting from the very comfortable pd150 to the DSR570? a few hours,days or week?

Thks.

That's hard to answer. If you use the 150 in an all manual mode, the 570 will handle faster when you get used to where the controls are.

It is a massively larger camera and you won't be able to run and gun with the freedome of the 150.

But it delivers a great picture.

Transition time is really an individual thing. It will take you maybe a day to play with every main control and learn to set what is important. OTOH, you can probablyhave it up and working 5 minutes after you slap in the tape and a battery assuming the previous user didn't leave it with 'wierd' setup.

Everyone is different but there are so many differences. It could be a few days or a few weeks to get comfortable, it depends on you and how fast you can absorb the new info and what you consider a comfortable level.

BTW, don't overlook the weight issue. One reason I no longer use full size cameras for anything but corporate stuff and then only when I HAVE to is the weight. I'll guess that a 570 with a wireless reciever, on camera light and a decent battery (ie; IDX or AB Hytron type) with a 1/2 decent piece of glass is every bit of 18-22 pounds. I don't know about you but I'm too old and out of shape to be totin' that much weight around on my shoulder for a night of say a wedding reception. Of course, a lot depends on the type of work you 're doing.
Back to the learning curve, like anything else with some real concerted effort you can pick up the control layout fairly easily as for the rest...up to you. I love my 150's but in comparison to the 570 image... well, 1/3 vs. 2/3 -glass aside. The 570 offers so many things to adjust the image to near perfection.
One other thing, MONEY! The 570 with power and glass can be as much as 4 or 5 150's-I don't know your business but can you justify the expense? Again, your choice.
Just some food for thought,
Good Luck,
Don

Thanks guys.

I'm in the design business. We do all types of graphic/visual/ad work (pretty good too, i hope).

I own a pd150 (recently purchased). Love it and will be using it for a shoot in 2 weeks time. This will be the first video we'll be shooting ourselves. We normally outsource our production (film/video) but this job has a tight budget. However, it did pay for the pd.

If the rates were reasonable, I was looking into possibly renting a bigger cam like the DSR570 for the bigger glass and 16:9 - for a short i'm planning to produce come year's end. (A personal project) No, I can't afford to and won't be buying it. The PD150 is a good enuff toy to own. I trust my own tech-saviness so i'm assuming the interface and the controls might be fine. What i'm unsure of is handling the glass that this cam uses. Unfortunately, my own personal experience is with 3-chip cam lens adaptors only like on the 150. The weight i might not see as too much of a problem as i see using this camera locked down on a tripod. How much would these cams go for at the rental shop?

Hi Kevin,

I recently went from a VX2000 to a DSR-390 which is funtionally the same as the 570 in terms of features and menus. Take it from me, there is a learning curve, It took about 2 weeks of playing around to really understand what did what and to be comfortable using it, it also took a while getting used to the manual lens, although it's a joy to use it took some getting used to being in manual focus all the time, but as time went on I got more and more comfortable. I've had the camera now for 4 months and am still experimenting with things, there's just so much that you can change but it was a worthwhile upgrade the picture is brilliant. I've still got the VX2000 and if the conditions are right they mix quite well so overall it was a good buy. I know you're only talking about renting, but once you use it :)

John.

Thanks John.
That was certainly helpful. I'm trying to get hold of some rental rates in my neck of the woods.

Would love to see some footage from that 390 cam of yours.

Cheers.

Kevin,
it will be a really hard step. I was forced to use a DSR-370 cam to shoot 1hr continous shot for live event onto big screen. First, i used EZ mode of cam, so the only things i had to look at were good framing and good focus (these cams usually do'nt have autofocus), but after a hour of shooting i sat down for a ten minutes and tried to get my heartbeat down to normal. And two days later i still felt pain in my right hand. If you want to switch over to pro camera, it would be very good to find some professional operator to teach you tips and tricks. It's quite different comparing to PD150. But the final quality is usually worth it.
Margus