Sony dsr 250 or Panasonic dvx 100a

[Bouncing Account needs new email address]

[kefar] “So if I shoot a wedding or long event I’ll have to make a tape change in the middle. I’d really prefer the Panasonic but I’d hate to run out of tape in the middle of a ceremony…does that make sense?”

Using a FireStore (or similar) FireWire HD (“tapeless aquisition”) record unit would allow you to record up to the limits of the drive in the unit you chose to purchase.
https://www.focusinfo.com/products/firestore/fs-4.htm

Or, there’s always the technique of connecting a second camcorder via FW to the FW output of the first camcorder.
At approx. the 1-hour mark, you’d just put the second camcorder into the record mode and it would continue on the second tape for another hour.
This method will work with ANY FW camcorder, even an inexpensive “home video” 1-CCD type.
Since all you are using the second camera for is its “tape deck” section, the CCD quality does not come into play… the quality of the DV tape recording it makes will be identical (image-wise) to your main camcorder.
I have bought many of these “back-up” DV camcorders, used, for around $175 each (Pawn shops, eBay).

There’s also the use of 80 minute DV tapes.
I have used these “thinner” tapes many times and had no problems, but there is always the risk of having a failure due to the more fragile nature of a thinner tape.

On the IMAGE side, the PD250 (basically a PD150 which only records on the large-size DV tapes) will have a much better image in low-light situations than the Panny. If you shoot in “natural light” for many events, this might be a serious consideration.

[Jeff Carpenter]

The 250 is a great shoulder-mounted cam since it’s a bit lighter than others of that size. I think that should be your biggest choice here…do you WANT to use a shoulder-mounted cam or not? They can really go a long way towards better hand-held footage. I ended up getting VX-2000s because I decided the advantages of a smaller camera (less obtrusive, easier to get high and low angles, etc.) outweighed the advantages of a large one (very steady hand-held footage, easier-to-use external camera controls).

So they both have advantages, it’s up to you to decide which features are more important to you. Once you figure that out, you’ll know what camera you want. Everything else can be worked out.

[Daniel Serrano]

I would go with the Sony DSR-250 because of the low light…. in weddings its the atmosphere that counts and it usually means low light, also In my case I use the vx-2100 that has the same ccds of the pd170 and the 250, and because I like to be in all the cool dance moves I have a pdx10 that usually dances all night with the guests….