Sony VX2100 or HCR1000???? Amateur needs help!

I have been going back and forth on this choice for weeks. The Sony VX2100 or HCR1000

(3ccd). Simply stated: I want high quality and a machine that I will not outgrow. Clearly

the VX2100 covers that, but it is also $1000 more than the HCR1000.

 

I will shoot all the time only for personal use - never pro. I cut my teeth on all manual

Leica gear, so I became accustomed to manual control. With video, white balance and

exposure are prob the most important. (Maybe spot exposure metering.)

 

My single fear, price aside, is that the VX2100 is so much bigger than the smaller

HCR1000 and my current Sony PC5, that I will eventually stop carrying it around. My fear

of the HCR100 is that it is too simple and that the quality of the video will be markedly

less than the VX - making me wish that I had bought the VX....

 

What a dilemma! Any help??

I shoot some test footage with a HC1000 and a GS400. I've also used the VX2000 and XL1. The HC1000 produces good 4:3 footage; probably sharper than the VX2100. Although the HC1000 is a solid cam, the VX2100 is designed/built a lot better. Plus with its bigger CCDs, you're going to get cleaner/fuller footage in lower light. If shooting in lower light isn't a concern, then go with the HC1000. But for great widescreen footage, consider the GS400 or PDX10, though only the PDX10 has XLRs. However, the external zoom/stereo mic for the GS400 is pretty darn good, from what I've read. All these cams have their strengths and weaknesses. Go with the one that best suits your needs (and pocket book).

Sounds like the dilemma I had when I was choosing between the TRV900, TRV950, and VX2000 back in mid-2002. The TRV950 is the predecessor of the HCR1000, and the VX2000 is the predecessor of the VX2100, so some of this may be relevant.

 

The TRV900 was sometimes said to chew tapes, TRV950 lacked the image quality of the TRV900, and the VX2000 blew away both in image quality. I had the extra money at the time, so I went for the VX2000.

 

Simply put, with the VX2000 image quality is no longer an issue for me. It blows away every consumer 1-chip out there, and arguably some prosumer 3-chips as well. It's the last standard-definition camcorder I will buy; there isn't much more I could want. (except for 16:9, sigh.)

 

For my uses, carrying it around isn't a problem. I wouldn't want to carry it around for a family vacation type of situation, however. (that's when I stick my Olympus Stylus Epic in my pocket instead -- amateur photographers/videographers deserve vacations too!)

 

The VX2000 does offer full manual control but it turns out that it's best to bias the automatic controls through a custom program instead. (and I grew up using a manual SLR, and still use a manual rangefinder) Manual white balance and manual focus are of course available, and very useful.

I have been using the VX2100 for almost a year now and it is an immense camera for what it is. You won't have any trouble with its size at all as it has a convenient carry handle and it isn't too heavy. It has manual WB, Zoom, Iris as well as Zebra function and 2 step ND filters. It has a crisp LCD monitor and a colour viewfinder. The only downside is lack of XLR mic inputs but what can you expect from a high-end consumer camera! DV in and out also.

 

However, only comes with a Sony NP-F330 battery which lasts about 40 minutes. I paid 100 pounds for a NP-F960 battery which lasts about 650 mins which the LCD closed and about 400 with it open.

 

Hope this helps.

Hi, This is not an answer, but I have a question regarding VX2100 my question is XLR mic inputs, I just recently purchase the Audio xlr adapter by studio1 its 3 xlr inputs. Im using a wireless mic by audiotechnica can someone give me feedback and reponse regarding my setup. thanks