Sony's DSRPD150P camcorder is a great example of consumer technology that has migrated up to the professional level.
In most ways, this matte gray, pro camera is identical to its silver consumer counterpart, the VX2000 (successor to Sony's groundbreaking VX1000, introduced in the mid-1990's). These two Sony cameras have identical imaging mechanisms, including fixed lens, manual and power zoom, two levels of neutral density filter, razor sharp 2.5-inch LCD screen, and the same three, 1/3-inch progressive scan CCDs. The DSRPD150P includes some important features, however, to set it apart from the VX2000 in ways that will insure that many pros will be using this camera instead of their heavy BetaCams whenever they can get away with it.
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To begin with, the picture quality of this camera is remarkable. The colour palette is well saturated without an annoying red-weighted colour space common to many lower-end DV cameras. The lens is very sharp, which can actually lead to an aliasing problem with some subjects with lots of thin, straight lines (but you can tone down (soften) the sharpness of the signal in the custom mode menu). The camera captures well balanced images even in low light, with very little noise.
The first important distinction between the DSRPD150P and the VX2000 is the DSRPD150P has black and white viewfinder. Though not as large as a big pro camera's, the black and white image gives you more contrast information than a colour viewfinder, which helps you achieve critical focus.
The second crucial difference is the DSRPD150P's ability to shoot in both miniDV and miniDVCAM. DVCAM (and its counterpart in Panasonic's world, DVCPRO) is preferred in professional environments such as ENG (electronic news gathering) work because it is more robust and tends to be less subject to dropouts than miniDV tape. DVCAM runs 30 percent faster and has a wider track recording pitch, which means the camera can impart more data onto the tape.
When comparing the quality between DV and DVCAM recording, pros feel there is no discernable difference between the two. Sony has published a slightly higher signal to noise ratio reading for DVCAM, but it might only make a difference in a low light situation. DVCAM also has the advantage of providing "locked" audio, which means the sound track is locked to the video track on the tape. This is only really significant if you are editing tape to tape using tape decks as opposed to a non-linear editing system, which most people who use this camera will be doing. Perhaps the most important difference is that time code data is more consistently reliable with DVCAM media.
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