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MillimeterShoot Review — Sony DSR-PDX10 DV Camcorder
May 1, 2003 12:00 PM, By Steve Mullen
Finally, a lightweight camera that delivers broadcast quality video.
 Sony’s DSR-PDX10 DV camcorder is the lighter weight version of the popular DSR-PD150. |
When I was traveling throughout Asia 15 years ago, I was constantly searching for a small, lightweight camcorder that could deliver broadcast quality video. Not only was my search futile, but it left a bitter taste. Why? Because repeatedly I was told professionals would never use a lightweight camera, so there was no market for a tiny camcorder that delivered high-quality images.
Well that was then. And this is now. With foreign newsgathering of vital importance, pros seem quite happy to work with a lightweight camcorder. Sony's DSR-PDX10 is the smaller brother of the very popular DSR-PD150. Weighing about 2.4lbs. with a lithium-ion battery and tape, the Sony DSR-PDX10's can shoot either DV or DVCAM. The PDX10 has an MSRP of $2,395.
The 12x optical, (24x or 48x digital) zoom range is from f=3.6mm (F1.6) to 43.2mm (F2.8) with a variable-speed, motorized zoom but no manual control. (The lens is equivalent to a 49mm to 580mm lens on a 35mm camera.) The PDX10 accepts 37mm diameter filters and converters. The DSR-PDX10's camera section features three 0.21in. 1,070,000-pixel Advanced HAD CCD chips that Sony specs at providing 530 lines of horizontal luminance resolution. The camera has a 14-bit A/D converter and employs 14-bit digital signal processing.
The PDX10 is rated at 7 lux, which is poorer than the 2-lux rated PD150. The lower sensitivity is to be expected because the PD150 has three 0.33in. CCDs, each with only 380,000 elements. I found that with 500W of illumination the PDX10 captured images with excellent color fidelity and no noise with +9dB gain. In a less well-lit room, the required gain increased to +18dB with very little noise. I did note that as illumination decreased, chroma level decreased. Conversely, under stronger illumination the chroma level often seemed too high.
Thankfully, the PDX10 has a Custom Picture function that allows you to preset five aspects of the image prior to recording. Color Level: Adjusts chroma saturation thereby allowing you to create a special look or to match the saturation of another camcorder. Sharpness: Increases or decreases apparent sharpness. WB Shift: Lets you bias all the white balance modes so that flesh is recorded with the tone you prefer. AE Shift: Enables you to bias the AE system so that you can shift the grayscale either darker or lighter. AGC Limit: Limits gain to +6dB, +12dB, or +18dB. I could detect no increase in image noise up to +12dB.
Unlike the PD150, the PDX10 does not have a built-in Neutral Density (ND) filter. Nevertheless, even in bright sunlight the exposure ranged from F4 to F5.6. I did note that vertical smear could be provoked when bright light sources were encountered. The PDX10 also does not use optical stabilization. Motion sensors control the movement of a 690,000-pixel window within the 1,070,000-pixel CCD.
Although the PDX10's CCD has a 4:3 aspect ratio, the video window can be resized from a 4:3 window to a 16:9 window. This window generates an anamorphic image with full vertical resolution. Moreover, the angle-of-view becomes appropriately wider. The viewfinder and LCD correctly show a letterboxed image.
When in 16:9 mode you may want to use the PDX10's unique spot focus function. Once enabled, you simply touch a spot on the LCD to indicate where focus should be made. (More easily accomplished when the camera is on a tripod.) I found 16:9 material looked good when projected on a 6-foot screen.
The auto-focus ability of the DSR-PDX10 is very good, even in low light. With auto-focus there is always the danger of the focus being disturbed by focus “hunting.” You can eliminate this danger by setting the Focus slider to the Manual position. Use the zoom control to compose your shot and then establish focus for the shot using the One-Press button.
The DSR-PDX10 features a built-in omni-directional stereo microphone. A hot shoe accepts a Sony supplied dual XLR adaptor with a holder for a Sony supplied directional mic with an XLR plug. The input level can be selected from Mic/Line/Mic Attenuator positions. Both channels offer low-cut filter On/Off selection as well as +48V DC mic power. Input 1 audio can be recorded on either CH1, or both CH1 and CH2 audio tracks. The recording level of CH1 and CH2 can be controlled independently when the XLR adaptor is used. Both automatic and manual control of audio recording level is possible. I found automatic mode to work very well, which is good, as I did not like the display of the VU meters on a large semi-transparent rectangle because it obscures the image.
The DSR-PDX10's flip-out 3.5in. diagonal 246,400-pixel (1120×220) LCD panel accurately represents color balance and exposure. The monitor provides touch-panel control to allow you to adjust frequently used camera functions by simply touching the appropriate area of the image on the LCD. The camcorder's B&W viewfinder has a 180,000-pixel LCD, but displays a very small (.44-inch) image.
Most DSR-PDX10 functions are under the control of the Auto Lock switch. In Auto Lock mode (which should be simply labeled Auto) all functions, except focusing, are under automatic control. To initiate manual control, slide the switch to Manual. Then no matter which mode you were in, before each shot slide the switch to Hold (which should be labeled Lock). By following this procedure, exposure and focus fluctuations during the shot will be avoided.
There are five identical, tiny buttons arranged vertically that allow you to enable manual control of these functions: Programmed AE, Shutter-speed, White Balance, Audio Level, and Exposure. I have always found this button arrangement to be a pain because they fall under my left eye. Moreover, the associated roller control is at mouth level. I would much prefer the exposure and audio level controls be given their own rollers and be placed on the camcorder's side, just under the flip-out LCD.
The DSR-PDX10 supports Manual (one-push) white-balance, preset (3200 K or 5600 K), and automatic white balance. The manual setting delivered perfectly accurate color. Under interior lighting, automatic was very slightly warmer and might be preferred for some shots.
When shooting under artificial illumination powered by 50Hz electric current (Europe, Asia, and eastern Japan) set a 1/100-second shutter speed to eliminate image flicker. The manual shutter-speed option allows this as well as enables shutter speeds from 1/4 second to 1/10000 second to be selected.
You can adjust the iris from F28 to full open (F1.6 to F2.8). When the iris is fully open, gain begins to increase up to +18dB. Unfortunately, no onscreen display of these values is possible. You may find little need to manually adjust exposure because the PDX10 does an excellent job in automatic mode. It seems to do a very good job of preventing highlights from losing all detail in very high-contrast situations. If shooting on a tripod, you may want to take advantage of the PDX10's unique spot-exposure function. Once enabled, you simply touch a spot on the LCD to indicate where exposure will be calculated.
The PDX10 offers five programmed Auto Exposure (AE) modes: Portrait, Sport, Beach & Ski, Sunset & Moon (limits gain to +6dB), and Landscape. The camcorder also has a spotlight button (reduces exposure by one stop) and a back-light button (increases exposure by one stop).
The DSR-PDX10 incorporates a digital still camera function. Still pictures can be recorded to the Memory Stick at 640×480 — or 1152×864 — pixels.
Picture quality can be selected from Superfine, Fine, or Standard modes. Up to 608 images at 1152×864 size can be recorded on an optional 128MB Memory Stick in Standard mode. Alternately, 640×480 images can also be recorded to DVCAM/DV tape.
Moving pictures and audio can be recorded on the Memory Stick in the MPEG-1 format in either 320×240 or 160×112 pixels. Up to 21 minutes of 320×240 recording is possible on a 128MB Stick. You can use the PDX10's built-in edit controller to create an assemble edit to the Memory Stick. This feature, however, would be more valuable if MPEG-4 compression were used so the edited program could be full-screen video.
Many other features are more valuable. These include a switch selectable Zebra pattern (100% or 70%); the ability to chroma-key or luma-key images (a logo, for example) stored on a Memory Stick with camera input; DF and NDF timecode; timecode with User Bits preset capability; color bars; an hour meter; and the ability to MPEG stream video (with audio) via its USB port from either the camera, Memory Stick, or VCR. The USB port can also be used to access images on a Memory Stick.
Many, many features, high video quality, and a lightweight, small package add up to a very capable camcorder at a moderate price.
Contributing editor Steve Mullen is owner of Digital Video Consulting, which provides consulting and conducts seminars on digital video technology. Mullen can be reached at d-v-c@mindspring.com. His website is www.mindspring.com/~d-v-c.
BOTTOM LINE
Company: Sony Park Ridge, New Jersey; (877) 865-SONY www.sonystyle.com
Product: DSR-PDX10 DV Camcorder
Assets: A lightweight camera that captures images with excellent color fidelity.
Caveats: With a 7 lux rating, the PDX10 does not offer great low-light sensitivity.
Demographic: Professionals in need of a lightweight camera with many features that delivers broadcast quality video at a moderate price.
Price: $2,395 MSRP
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