lowlight question on 100b

[jimstamos]

Ive read where the lowlight on the 100b is improved over the 100a. ive been shooting with a pd150 where the lowlight is excellant. ive read on the forum that the 100b is close but not quite as good.
why is that?both have 3 1/3 in.chips. is it because sony uses the HAD chips?
barry care to respond to this?
thanks
jim

 

[translumination]

I own and use the 100a extensively and compared it to the pd150/170 some time ago. This was comparing the dvx in interlace for the lowlight stuff. The pd150 is less noisy. Not brighter or more sensitive but just less noise when you crank up the gain. Not just that but the picture quaility is just more pleasing with the pd150/170. I played with all the gamma settings, sharpness, white balance etc and just couldnt get the same punch as the sony. The dvx was just soft, mushy and the colors werent quite right. The sony had punch.

My caveat to this is that if you can get abit of light on your subject the dvx in progressive will give you a nicer picture any day. You know just bouncing a tota light of a wall so it doesnt blind anybody. But if you cant light well the sony wins. I'm sometimes torn to get the sony just for the lowlight. They havent really made any prosumer stuff thats better. YOu have to move onto the 2/3" stuff to get better.