Shooting like a pro. (viewpoint DV).(camcorders)

It wasn't that many years ago that you needed a video camera costing upwards of $25,000 to shoot professional-quality footage. In fact, cameras costing $40,000 or even $100,000 were standard pieces of equipment for video pros and production facilities. But with the advent of the digital video (DV) format in the late '90s, that all began to change.

Feature film producers and those shooting for high-end broadcasting applications still have a need for cameras that cost tens of thousands of dollars. But today, many video pros are getting by just fine with cameras priced in the $3000 to $6000 range. In truth, even consumer-grade cameras that use the miniDV format and cost less than $2000 can produce video that has a resolution equal to that of BetaSP, the analog video format that once ruled the roost in the broadcast world. But it's only when you get up into the $3000 to $6000 price range that you find the cameras with the kind of professional feature sets and imaging capabilities needed to make most video pros happy.

At the moment, two of the most popular cameras in this category are Canon's XL1S, priced at $4699, and Sony's DSR-PD150, priced at $4400. The Canon XL1S is by far the strangest looking camera on the market--not quite a handheld and not quite a shoulder mount--but its versatility and professional features have made it a favorite of many video pros and even some film directors. It's the only camera in this category, for example, to offer interchangeable lenses and viewfinders, and it has even attracted third-party developers offering such optional accessories as matte boxes and follow-focus knobs.

This ability to customize the camera for different types of shoots, along with some of its other professional-grade features, such as the ability to generate 16:9 aspect ratio guidelines and manually control four audio channels, was the reason Hollywood heavyweight Steven Soderbergh chose this particular camera to shoot his recent movie Full Frontal. Soderbergh's use of the XL1S has been proudly promoted not only by Canon but also by all the makers of DV cameras as proof positive that these low-cost units have what it takes to produce professional-quality work.

Meanwhile, Sony's two-year-old DSR-PD150 has enjoyed its own moments of glory. For example, it was the camera of choice for the directors of Personal Velocity and Tadpole, two award-winning films at this year's Sundance Film Festival. Unlike the XL1S, the PD150 is true handheld camera. This not only makes it easier to maneuver, but also provides shooters with a less intimidating piece of equipment when a shoot requires a discreet approach. Though it's not as customizable as the Canon XL1S, the Sony PD150 does offer other advantages. For example, in addition to supporting the miniDV format supported by the XL1S, it also supports the more robust DVCAM format, which is better suited to the rigors of professional post-production.

The New Competitors

The success of the Canon XL1S and the Sony PD150 has made it clear that professional-quality video is now affordable to everyone from the event videographer to the independent filmmaker. But even more significant for digital content creators of all stripes is the fact that the camera choices available in the $3000 to $6000 product range are continuing to grow.