Hello Jimmy(posted 9298 days ago)I have just come across your message concerning mini DV and Betacam. I own both a Sony VX1000 mini DV camera and a Betacam SP camera (broadcast version), so I thought I would pass on my own views to you.
I'm a freelance cameraman based in the North of Scotland on the Isle of Lewis and I'm working 95% of the time for the BBC shooting PAL video. I started off on "Video 8" (pre hi 8) in 1987 and changed to S-VHS in 1988 using one of the bulky JVC dockable models (KY 15/ BRS 410). I hated both of them. In 1990 I landed a contract with the BBC and bought a used Betacam camera (three tube model BVP 3 docked to a standard Betacam (oxide) recorder (BVV 1). This was superb after using the earlier cameras. In 1982 I upgraded to Betacam SP buying a 3 CCD Sony BVP 7 / BVV 5 combination. This was excellent picture quality.
The weather and climate where I work is very harsh and equipment gets a real pasting. My Beta SP camera has survived not only the weather but also several attempts buy thugs to smash it up! It has also survived bad winter conditions in a war zone when I was filming out in Bosnia (despite even more attempts to smash it up!).
The point I'm making is the broadcast version of Betacam SP is sheer class, great pictures and very robust. Operating a Beta SP camera is simply a joy. The controls are easy to use and not at all fiddly (like the VX1000). The lens are great to use, I use a Canon J14 x 8.5 (x2) zoom and occasionally a Canon J6 x 8 wide angle zoom. The viewfinders are sharp and judging exposure and focus is spot on(compared to the VX1000 viewfinder which to me is so poor only Stevie Wonder could like it). The batteries will run the camera for hours, I use PAG 14.4v 5ah superpack LOK-ON batteries which give me about two hours continuos recording (nearly all day in the real world) and can also power up the on board camera light (no messy extra cables), this reduces battery run time by about 50% but makes my working day a lot easier.
Betacam SP cameras come in two versions, the pro models and the broadcast models. The pro version is deliberately under engineered and fails to meet broadcast spec. The cameras offer very little engineering line up which is the key to good pictures. The broadcast models offer engineers access to the whole camera set up. Unfortunately many TV stations buy Betacam cameras and use them straight from the box and the pictures are really a big disappointment. Over here in the UK every station has a broadcast line up spec and each camera is adjusted to meet the spec. The result is the colours, contrast and sharpness are so much better than the "straight out of the box" untouched camera.
When you here comments that the mini DV looked as good, if not better, than Betacam it usually the pro version or misaligned cameras that have been used.
I have done extensive side by side comparisons between my own Beta SP camera and my Sony VX1000. The VX1000 is an impressive piece of equipment and the video recordings can be superb. They are often let down buy poor camerawork and crap sound. If care is taken the results are easily good enough for broadcast. The gap between expensive Betacam and affordable consumer video has closed massively. There are many shots that the VX1000 cannot achieve mainly on account of its cheap optics. The zoom is very limiting and the digital zoom just makes me shudder, but once its limitations are known it easy to work around this. Another bad point is the VX1000 has limited white balance values in its memory. The range of white balances is too limited. On overcast days and towards twilight or in late dawn it often fails to white balance, it has no options available! My Beta SP camera has loads of white balance values and easily copes even in badly fading daylight, low level tungsten lighting, and in many mixed lighting situations. Overcast days, of which there are many in Scotland, present problems for the VX1000. The pictures are soft with low contrast (washed out looking) with pale colours. The Betacam camera pictures on the same days are excellent, they are sharp, contrast is great and colours are good. On sunny days and well-lit locations, the differences are smaller. The results are great on both cameras.
The VX1000 is not easy to operate the focus is difficult due to the poor viewfinder and when the focus ring is turned there is an off putting small delay between the lens response and your turning the ring. The viewfinder also makes it difficult to adjust exposure (despite using zebra stripes) and all the switches are in fiddly locations. The batteries are annoying as they hardly last any time (40 minutes on a good day) so plenty of spares are required for a normal days work (I reckon a minimum of four).
Another major problem that has come to light in Europe is head life on the VX1000. The Beta SP heads are estimated to last for about 1000 hours, but in practice they last for much longer often between two and three thousand hours. The VX 1000 heads appear only to last for about 50 hours!!!! That is not just bad it is appalling. A VX1000 head replacement costs about #800 UK pounds (Nearly $1000 US dollars). Sony in Europe have made a vague admission about this problem, I wonder what the situation is in North America? A new head for the Betacam SP camera is also expensive costing nearly $2000 US Dollars.
On the plus side, the VX1000 scores over Beta SP when it comes to tape dropout and noise. The DV recordings are very clean with hardly any dropout (fortunately digital dropout is rare but horrendous when it happens). Also when camera gain is required to be used the VX1000 is less noisy than my own Beta SP camera. The VX1000 is nice and small and is affordable and certainly very easy to carry around. It can take shots the big Betacam could never achieve due to the physical differences in overall size. Accessories are a lot cheaper (one contributor mentioned the new lightweight steadicams) and I have been using mine in a low cost underwater housing for filming wild salmon in a river - this would have cost a fortune to do on Betacam.
As mentioned by others, the biggest plus is its cost. The VX1000 and mini DV along with new NLE editing systems are now affordable. They offer performance which a few years ago required an investment of over $100,000 US dollars. The whole scene is now very exciting, hopefully new talent will emerge as they can now afford to get into video production and realise their own ideas and business goals.
Betacam is superb, and is more affordable with good used kit now on the market. Unfortunately to playback Betacam you will also have to purchase a separate player. For editing purposes the player will also require to be a version incorparting a TBC (time base corrector) as the signal is quite unstable without one. These players are good value these days but still expensive. The VX1000 can output rock solid stable analogue video from the camera!! Also, it has digital output via firewire requiring no conversion if your NLE edit system has this interface. Betacam SP as a format will be around for a few years but it is in its final stages of life. Digital is developing all the time and in the video world digital is most definitely the future.
Personally I prefer using my Beta SP camera due to the lens/camera combination but I'm seriously impressed with the VX1000 (despite my gripes) and do not regret buying it.
Despite the differences and limitations as well as some of the problems, my own advice to you is buy the VX1000, and a good NLE computer edit system, they results do represent value for money, I'm sure you won't be disappointed.
Ged Yeates, TV Cameraman / Editor, Mangersta, Isle of Lewis, Scotland)