Documentary Question

B

birdaconda

Member
I realize this a site about the DVX, but I thought I would ask anyway. I am a graduate student at Emory University. I have come into a little grant money to get a better camera for a documentary project I am working on. The project is mainly observational cinema (MacDougall, some Kopple, Blank are some examples). I am shooting on 1CCD now, because I had nothing else. However, to cut to the chase, I am torn between the DVX 100B and the Sony PD170. I like the low light capabilities of the Sony, and while some say it seems like a better bet for documentary, I can not get past the quality of image in the DVX 100. I will be intergating my current footage with the new using FCP, so I do not know if that makes a difference. Also, I know HD is all the rage, but I need to keep an archive of footage on MiniDV and I do not have enough budget, with the sound equipment included, to go to HD. Thanks for your time.
 
DVX, hands-down. You get much better image and camera control, plus 24p capabilities. And the audio on the PD-170 is sub-par (there are aftermarket mods available), while the DVX's audio tops the market in this price-range of cameras.
 
I like the dvx much better than the pd170. It is a much better camera. hands down However, keep in mind that if you are trying to match 60i footage shot on a 1ccd camera you may not want to shoot 24p. The low light on the sony is better BUT, where are you shooting that you need such a difference in lowlight capabilities. Good luck with the project.
 
I actually like both camera's. they are both good so you can't go wrong which ever you choose.
but still, this is DVXuser.com
we all love the DVX so I'll vote another on the DVX:)
 
I used to have the VX2000 which is the consumer version of the PD-170. If you go with the PD-170, the progressive is actually meant for extracting images. I like the DVX and VX2000 very much but I would definitely go for the DVX100! There are some better features and the audio is cleaner, even though the PD-170 has better low light sensitivity.
 
I shot on both, and the PD150 looks... well... not so good. I would definitely recommend the DVX over any other SD camera (even the XL2).
 
Before you rule out HD as an option, I would seriously consider something like the Canon XH-A1s.
With HDV you could still keep a tape archive, and future proof your work to a certain extent as far as resolution goes.

Just a thought.
The price difference is not huge - and you could probably find a used one for the same price as a DVX.

If there are other reasons why you want to stick with SD - then I would probably lean towards the DVX.
The low light capability on the Sony is great, but in so many other ways the DVX wins out overall (in my opinion).
 
Just remember that 16:9 on the DVX still looks pretty good, and I have used the A1 before and it's not my favorite either so maybe I wouldn't go for that particular camera. Another thing. The PD-170 is one of the very few prosumer cameras that can shoot to DVCAM tapes or MiniDV. DVCAM is more professional and is less prone to droppouts and all the other bad things about MiniDV... The tapes are a little more expensive, but you could use them only for your big projects... Another camera you could look at is the Sony FX1... A very nice camera. THe only downside: no XLR inputs. You would need a Beachtek or another XLR to mini jack adapter.
 
Gentlemen,

Thanks for all your responses. I have indeed gone with the DVX100, received it in the mail today, and look forward to learning the proper way to use it. Your collective enthusiasm made it an easy choice. I look forward to asking more newbie questions.

Thanks, birdaconda
 
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