Why I decided for the Sony PDX10p?
normal 4:3 and 16:9 widescreen video in broadcast quality.
The sony PDX10p is a camcorder from the professional line of Sony.
Important to me was:
- Real superior 16:9 widescreen video; Widescreen is becoming the more and more important/popular.
- This cam is tuned and optimalized for professional use. A difference *) with the TRV950 can be observed.
- XLR adapters for audio give noticeable less audio noise and provide for optimal connection to professional microphones and audio equipment.
- DVCAM recording yields better video and audio quality, audiolock and time code management.
- Satisfying manual control possibilities.
- Variable Zoom.
- Zebra pattern switchable between 100%, 70% and OFF: very comfortable for manual exposure setting.
Some additional judgements:
- The lowlight performance is very good: with the gain up to 18 db one can shoot in very dim light,
even candle light and with very little noise.
See the video samples.
- The default automatic settings are good in most cases also in artificial light.
- Whitebalancing is very good in automatic mode and in 'hold' mode.
- Recorded colors show very faithful.
- The picture is very detailled especially in coloured scenes and in shadows. I prefer the picture here above the VX2000/ PDX150.
- The steady shot is very steady.
- The sound off the build-in microphones is above my expectations and will do in most situations for voices and environmental sounds.
- The delivered additional mono uni-direction mic has a bit more extended frequency range (70hz-16Khz) and to my opinon a bit less presence and is very silent (low noise pick up).
*) I found a website with comparisson pictures of the the PDX10, PD150, TRV950 and the VX2000.
I observed the pictures well and I can not see any difference in resolution between the PDX10p and the PD150 in 3:4 mode, not horizontally, not vertically.
The VX2000 and the TRV950 seem to have a little minor resolution.
The PAL versions of the PDX10p and PD150p have the advantage of 576 vertical lines instead of the NTSC 480 vertical lines. The horizontal resolution for PAl and NTSC is the same.
The sensitivity of the PD150(p) appears to be no more better as one stop.
In 16:9 mode the PDX10(p) is in all cases superior as can be seen here.
I was not intending to give a full review, but wanted to point on the reasons that did me decide for this cam, but...
I made a comparison with the TRV950 and the VX2100/PD170.