Sony DSR-PD170 3-CCD Mini DVCAM

[2 of 2 customers found this review helpful]

Sony DSR-PD170 3-CCD Mini DVCAM Review

BY ACCIDENT ? THANX B&H AND SONY

"I AM A DIRECTOR & EDITOR OF 3 LOCAL & 2 WORLD WIDE

PUBLIC ACCESS TV SHOWS. AFTER LOOKING AT MANY DIFERENT VIDEO CAMERAS IN A TIGHT BUGET. I GOT THIS CAMERA BY ACCIDENT. A COUPLE OF FRIENDS IN THE INDUSTRY OWN THE VX-2100, BUT WHEN I WENT TO B&H I WANTED TO LOOK AT ONE ON DISPLAY BUT THEY DID NOT HAVE ONE. SO B&H ASKED ME TO CHECK OUT THE OTHER MODEL. THE OTHER MODEL I ASKED? THE PD-170 B&H SAID. BOY WHAT A DEAL !!! THE DIFERENCE ??

(VX-2100 TO THE PD-170) EVERYTHING !!! DVCAM, XLR INPUTS AND IT IS NOT CONSUMER OR PROSUMER. THIS IS THE REAL DEAL "SONY PROFESSIONAL BUISSNESS AND BROADCASTING" SO WHAT DOES THAT MEAN ?? AGAIN, EVERYTHING ! TECH SUPPORT FROM SONY IS AMAZING !!

AND FREE !!!

YOU ARE IN A DIFFERENT CLASS. IT'S NOT JUST SONY, LIKE "SONY" OR "SONY STYLE" (WHICH THEY DO NOT HAVE INFO ON THIS CAMERA) ONLY "SONY BUSINESS AND BROADCASTING SOLUTIONS" MY FRIENDS WERE SO UPSET

WHEN THEY FOUND THIS OUT..BECAUSE FOR ONE, IT DID NOT SHOOT IN DVCAM, ALSO THEY NEED ADAPTERS, LIKE A BREAK-OUT BOX TO GO FROM A MINI-JACK TO XLR. DO NOT GET ME WRONG, THE VX-2100 IS GREAT ! AND I WENT TO B&H TO BUY IT...BUT FOUND THE PD-170.

SURE THERE'S HD..BUT NOT EVERY ONE HAS MADE THAT QUANTUM LEAP. PLUS EVERTHING UP CONVERTS ANY WAYS.

3 CCD'S 1/3 EACH.(NEXT JUMP 3 CCD'S 2/3 @ $ 10,000

1 LUX (ONE CANDLE LIGHT AND I CAN SHOOT VIDEO)

SHOOT FOR 10 HOURS ON ON BATTERY (WITH A BIGGER BATTERY)

EVEN ON A TIGHTER BUGET..YOU CAN USE STANDARD MINI-DV TAPES AND SHOOT IN DVCAM MODE (BUT NOT RECOMENDED, BUT I USE THEM)

THE MAIN THING WAS LIGHTING FOR ME..THIS TOPS IT OFF !!

OK NOW FOR THE CONS..BUILT IN HEAD-PHONE AMP HISS

BUT DOES NOT COME OUT ON THE RECORDING. CHECK OUT YOUR BACKGROUND NOISE.

HARD TO FIND MEMORY STICK. THE CAMERA ONLY TAKES A 128MB.(BUT YOU DON'T REALLY NEED IT)

THE WEIGHT OF THE CAMERA IS NOT PROPERLY DISTRIBUTED. (USE A TRIPOD OR A MONOPOD)

AND THAT'S IT...THAT I CAN FIND WRONG...

AND DON'T WORRY IF YOUR THE KIND OF PERSON WHO LIKES GADGETS...THE ACCESSORIES ARE NEARLY END LESS."

Sony DSR-PD170 3-CCD Mini DVCAM Review

Still a great camera!

"I just picked this camera up in early August 2008 as my low budget instructional DVD business is expanding, and I was getting tired of borrowing cameras from other people and not always having them when I needed.



I have owned a TRV900 for several years now, and have used that as the second camera when I was able to borrow a VX2100 or other nicer camera.



I was a bit torn as to whether or not to still buy into this "outdated" technology. However, I'm not ready for the HD workflow yet, and my market is not even asking for HD yet. Real widescreen would be nice, but it's not necessary yet for what I do.



I seriously considered the Panasonic 100b camera, but decided to stick with the Sony PD170 so that the video would better match up with my TRV900, which I still use as a second camera (or third when I'm able to borrow the VX2100).



My decision finally came down to the VX2100 or the PD170, but since the difference in price right now is much less than the cost of a wide angle conversion lens and an XLR adapter box, it was a no-brainer to spend the extra money for the PD170.



I've already shot several tapes with it so far as I'm in the middle of two instructional video products now. Haven't edited or anything yet, but the camera works great, and the image quality is very good. Since I've already used the TRV900 for several years, and have borrowed the VX2100 several times, I really didn't even need to read the manual... very easy to operate.



The only negative thing I found so far is that its really easy to overload and distort the audio inputs. I have a wireless lav microphone setup and with the default settings, the output of the receiver was clipping/distorting the audio input, even with it set to the attenuated position (not a hot enough signal to use the line input setting, though). So, I had to drop the output of the receiver by 12dB to get to where there was no distortion. Good thing I played around with it and got it all set before the talent showed up!"

Sony DSR-PD170 3-CCD Mini DVCAM Review

Excellent low light capture, quality

"My other camera is the VX-2100 and I needed a 2nd camera as a backup to video high school dance performances. Lighting typically is not the best but I managed excellent video. The image quality seems to be a tad better than the 2100. I did set it to manual exposure so that the spots would not be overexposed. The PD-170 is very similar to the 2100 so I didn't have any problems getting used to it. The color is excellent at normal exposures but even at +9db gain it's very good. I've not gotten to use the audio inputs yet but hope to soon. The included wide angle adapter seems to be just wide enough for my needs. I bought the longer life battery since I prefer to not connect to AC power during shoots.

If the 170 lives up to the 2100 in durablity, then I won't need to use the extended warranty I purchased but that's OK in my book. To satisfy my own curiosty I need to use the DVCAM mode soon to see if there is any difference in quality between it and MINIDVD. I do wish the screen was larger since I don't use the viewfinder much. I do use a monitor (DVD Player with Video inputs) which does help overcome this. The iris control wheel is behind the screen (when open) and presents a problem in accessing it especially in the dark. The image stabilization works very well. Highly recommend this model."

[2 of 2 customers found this review helpful]

Sony DSR-PD170 3-CCD Mini DVCAM Review

A solid camera

"I am a professional videographer/editor and I

love the SONY PD 170 camera. Its video quality is outstanding and it is quite easy to operate.

The camera has XLR inputs which makes it easy to add my audio-technica microphone for improved sound.

I would recommend this to anyone who wants to

produce high quality recordings of a variety of events ranging from sports and concerts to weddings.

B&H's staff made the process of purchasing the camera painless and it arrived very promptly.

I have always had good luck with SONY equipment

and with B&H.

A definite winner!"

[2 of 2 customers found this review helpful]

Sony DSR-PD170 3-CCD Mini DVCAM Review

An outstanding performer.

"Have been using this camera for weddings and the low-light ability of the PD170 is simply amazing, I find myself trusting in my camera to produce results and it never fails. As far as picture quality goes its outstanding, picture is sharp and colorful even in the worst conditions. Not HD, however the 1Lux rating of this camera has made it more of a assets for me, which allows me to cover a wedding without making the reception look like a studio setup. Sound quality is professional and the camera is packed with features. I am in the process of buying another one."