Tips and Tricks for the
Sony VX 1000
Using The VX 1000 For The First Time?
- 1. The color viewfinder makes it difficult to check focus especially in low light situations. Even a small monitor is quite helpful for checking focus.
- 2. The focus barrel has no distance markings or even detent stops for near or far focus. So it's harder for an assistant to "follow focus" like on a professional camera. The autofocus was not perfect, but passable.
- 3. While the iris is a mechanical diaphram, it is controlled electronically using an electronic "exposure" button and menu.
- 4. The control menus visible in the viewfinder take some time to use and learn. No, I didn't want a digitized still, automatic white balance or a hundred other options.
- 5. The only audio input is a 1/8" mini-stereo input near the on-camera mike so you'll have to adapt professional mikes and mixers from XLR to mini. Elite and others sell an XLR adaptor with cable. (See below.)
- 6. Color Bars are available, but not obvious. Sony doesn't even mention this in their manual, but here's how to generate color bars. Turn the power switch to camera mode, set the start/stop switch to the lock position. Then press and hold the black photo button and at the same time the small red record button that is on the top of the camcorder near the edit search. Then switch the start/stop switch to standby mode, color bars appear and you can record them. To turn the bars off, switch to lock mode, then to standby mode.
- 7. Sony's wide angle converter vignettes slightly at the extreme wide angle and this is not apparent in the viewfinder. Check your monitor and zoom in a bit. (There's also a telephoto converter.)
- 8. To eliminate or minimize the zoom motor noise, use a bracket to lift the shotgun mike away from the zoom. The bracket model no. 59111 is available from NRG, - Call (541) 479-7433.
- 9. And finally, as with any camera that is more consumer than "broadcast," careful lighting can make all the difference. Don't expect quite the same contrast range you'd get from Betacam SP.
The bottom line: CBS, NBC and Video News International (owned by the NY Times) are now buying into the DV formats. Or as my client asked when he saw the DV footage compared to Beta, "What the big deal about Betacam, anyway?" Indeed!
If you're a freelance camera person and you're about to shoot with this camera for the first time, get hold of the camera and manual the day before the shoot. It's worth renting it out of your own pocket if you must.
For more information on using this camera, read Steve Mullen's excellent article.
To learn more about the DV cameras and formats
Read Roger Jenning's fascinating White Paper on the subject.
For the adventurous, check out Robert Lamm's "Hacking the Sony DCR-VX-1000 Camcorder"
Accesories for the VX 1000
XLR Adapters
DUAL XLR ADAPTOR This allows you to use professional audio gear with this camcorder. Several companies sell these. One such is ELITE VIDEO $249.95 plus $9 shipping For more information, contact elite@netm.com
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