Sony DCRVX2000 MiniDV Digital Camcorder with 2.5" LCD, Memory Stick & BuiltIn Digital Still Mode Product Description:
- MiniDV camcorder
- 12x optical, 48x digital, zoom with Super SteadyShot image stabilization
- 2.5 inch color LCD and color EVF
- 3 CCD camcorder
- Analog-to-digital conversion with pass-through port
Product Description
The near professional-level Sony DCR-VX2000 digital video camcorder uses three progressive scan CCDs (one for each primary color) to capture quality images and can record in the 16:9 widescreen aspect ratio common to movies. A 12x optical zoom and 48x digital zoom bring images closer, while the Sony SteadyShot optical image stabilization smoothes out hand-induced shakiness.
Like most digital camcorders, the DCR-VX2000 is equipped with an IEEE 1394 connection (also known as i.Link and Fire Wire) for digital image transfer, allowing video editing on a properly equipped home computer. Also included is an S-Video input, encouraging the conversion of already existing footage into the DV format.
The DCR-VX2000 also doubles as a digital still camera, recording photos onto an included Memory Stick at a resolution of 640 x 480. This resolution is fine for images you're e-mailing or viewing on a monitor, but most dedicated digital cameras today offer far more detail. The package includes PictureGear Lite 4.1 software for Windows, which lets you transfer stills to your computer and manipulate and catalog them once they're there.
The camera includes a number of manually adjustable settings for ultimate flexibility, including manual zoom, focus, shutter speed, and exposure. Microphone record level can also be adjusted for optimum sound quality. The Memory Mix feature works by superimposing a digital still stored on a Memory Stick over the video being recorded. A color-bar generator produces standard NTSC color bars to calibrate monitors, and four different white-balance settings help optimize color. The DCR-VX2000 includes a mic input, as well as an intelligent shoe for select Sony accessories, and has several digital effects built-in. Also included are a 4 MB Memory stick and reader, AC adapter, lithium ion battery, AV cable, remote, and lens cap.
Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
76 of 78 people found the following review helpful.
Wonderful Camera, but realize this...
By Christopher Coyne
Before buying this camera, think carefully about what you'll be using it for, and when. I also recommend playing with one at a store, to feel its size and weight. (Even if, like me, you'll ultimately buy it at Amazon.)
I've owned the VX-2000 for over a year now, and I'm very happy with the results. Arguably, the picture quality is better than the Canon XL-1 (and the vx2000 is significantly -- thankfully -- smaller), it's rugged and reliable, and it's somewhat portable. I carry mine in a backpack that has a padded pocket designed for laptop computers. It was the best solution as most smaller camera bags don't fit this beast. Those that do aren't useful for toting other things as well.
Anyway, I know a handful of other people with this camera. Some of them are *filmmakers* and these people use their VX-2000's to document events that they'd later like to make movies of. The filmmakers, as a whole, LOVE this camera. I also have a friend who does casting for television ads. Often, for his boss, he walks around with a VX2000 and shoots people on the street, later bringing the tape to the boss for evaluation.
The other people I know own the VX-2000 because they *like electronics*. They *Like To Own The Best* and they like to play with gadgets. I advise, if you're one of these people, and really, I KNOW YOU ARE, get a different camera. Something smaller... granted the quality will be slightly less, but you're more likely to have it when you witness your kid's first words (or your best friend's wife in a rendevouz with a neighbor. you get the point) Furthermore, this camera is somewhat lacking in toy features. No night vision, no silly effects (save for a few wipes, swipes, fades, and sepia, etc.), no bluetooth transmitter, etc. It's just good, strong, somewhat rugged, and takes a great shot.
I give this camera a 5 for quality (sharp, beautiful, accuracte colors, good in medium/low light, backlight compensation remarkable, optical steadyshot rad). Just keep in mind what you want... this camera is neither professional nor amateur, and therefore I believe it serves best a select, picky subset of the population.
Last, if you do buy it, go for (1) a bigger battery, well worth the cost, and (2) a wide angle lens. Both are cool.
118 of 134 people found the following review helpful.
neither here nor there
By A Customer
You can take one of two attitudes about the VX2000. Many folks (including Sony) prefer to believe this is the ultimate consumer camera, with professional features finally offered at a consumer price. Sure, it's the extreme high-end of consumer pricing, but rich technophiles ought to be able to afford it. In this view, this camcorder combines the best of both worlds... high quality video in an easy to use regular-joe/jane product. Truly a renaissance cam, if there ever was such a thing.
The other attitude is this camera is an awkward fit into either environment. Pros (i.e. people who get paid to deliver quality video) will probably object to the noisy audio. There's lots of discussion on other webpages, so I won't delve into it here. Yes, the noise is present. No, it probably won't bother consumers shooting their vacation in Hawaii. Yes, it stands a reasonable chance of annoying a client who paid for a corporate training video. No, it probably won't annoy a client who paid for a wedding or funeral video. So take either view, depending how much you enjoy living on the high-end.
If you want to make commercials or big dramatic productions, just pay the extra cash for truly professional gear that won't leave you shopping for a better camera after a few projects. Yes, there's a special case for documentary work. Don't take $5000 cameras into volcanoes, jungles, or skydiving. Use cheaper gear that'll still do the job, like this cam. Also, there's a reasonable case to be made for interviewing people with smaller, less intimidating, consumer cameras. So those particular applications might prefer the 'best darn consumer camera around'.
My best advice is to decide what you really want to do with a camcorder. If you want to take home vids of your kids AND brag to your neighbor (who last year outdid your VHS-C camera by getting a Digital 8), this is probably right up your alley. Get it and bask in the pure pleasure of it.
If you want to simply capture your personal world on tape, get something (much) cheaper and smaller. Cheaper and smaller means you're more likely to take it along. Remember, there are good shots and ok shots, but the only bad shots are the ones you missed cuz you left the camera at home. Don't let price and bulk mess with your creativity. That'd be a crying shame.
UPDATE: After receiving some email from readers, I thought I'd clarify my opinion. Yes, the VX2000 is a good camera. But does the average non-professional need one? I'm skeptical.
A home video enthusiast can do just as well with an $800 model, perhaps even better, since it's easier to carry a smaller consumer camera around. Web-movies to be shrunk by 75% and then MPEG compressed don't need a 3-CCD camera. And an independant filmmaker will probably find it cheaper to rent better gear on the shooting days.
Buy this camera if you are highly confident that you can get massive enjoyment or a monetary return on your investment. Don't get it if it's just going to sit inside its case.
26 of 26 people found the following review helpful.An enjoyable camera to use
By Piotr Azia
The VX 2000 is a good all round camera, it is easy to use and has many features which would encourage someone to use it. From the outside we see that the camera has a focusing ring and a zoom ring, both accesible at the same time unlike with other camera models. The focus ring is fairly easy to use although it takes a little bit of time to become fully proficient. The zoom can be controled by servo or manually at different speeds, when the zoom is controlled manually though the motor is taking feedback from your fingers for speed rather than being applied directly to the lens.
With the lens we find incorporated two neutral density filters giving us a choice between three options, first one is without filter letting all light fo through the lens to the three chips, second setting is a neutral density filter to take away some contrast. We then arrive at ND2 which is a stronger neutral density filter which is normaly used during full daylight. In order to control exposure there is a button on the left which needs to be pressed in order to go into manual iris, there is a wheel below where the aperture can be controlled.
There are three chips to capture the light information rather than a single chip thus improving the look of the image. If we find that we are in a dark room then we can boost the gain if we want but if someone does not want to use the gain then it is possible to take the shutter from 1/10 000 of a second to 1/3rd of a second . The shutter speed is controled from the back of the camera via pressing the shutter speed button on the back and turning the wheel below for the correct speed. This greatly increases the light coming into the lens. As an illustration I have shot scenes with light far too low for cameras such as the Canon XL-1 to cope with and the most spectacular part is how little noise shows up on screen afterwards.
For sound we have an onboard mic which is good for ambiance sound and it is possible to plug in a mic with a 3.5mm plug. We have two settings for the microphone, either as microphone (plug in power) or as line in. Once the microphone is selected we can check the sound levels through preswsing the audio level at the back which will display the sound. Through the menu it is possible to choose between automatic or manual. By selecting manual the level may be adjusted with the db meter in camera showing -30 -20 -12 -8 -4 0 etc. so that the sound engineer may get the correct level for recording.
Additional comments
The centre of gravity is well placed on the tripod so that it lies at the same place as the mounting plate making it easier to use on a tripod. The tape compartment is accesible at all times closing in two stages, firstly getting the mechanical part in place, tape winded and ready to shoot followed by shutting the door to avoid dust coming in. With there being two record buttons, one close tothe front right of the camera and the other in the normal position there is a greater variety of shots possible.
An interesting feature with this camera is the possibility of creating an edit decision list within the camera so that it can behave as an edit controler to dub scenes onto a second device. It is dv enabled thereby allowing to copy material from one dv tape to an other. Included with this is the possibility to play from any device directly into the camera for copying tapes etc. onto a dv tape.
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