I was wondering what you all think of sony dsr pdx10. I doubt I'll be able to get one anytime soon (I'm young...), but I have been looking at one and we use them at school for a TV show and I personally love them... Just wondering what you think.

Thanks,
Alex

well, if u've used a camcorder and r thinking about buying it, i think it's a matter of wat ur looking for in ur camcorder. if u like it and think it can do wat u need it to do, go for it!

btw, it looks like a really nice camcorder.

the pdx10 is an awesome compact machine. Ive hired one before and is definitly good

The PDX is a fantastic camera. Definitely get it if you can afford it.

The PDX-10 has some unusual strengths but also weaknesses. When I was looking for a camera early last year the choice was between the PDX-10 and the GL2. I didn't make up my mind for a few weeks and did plenty of research. I eventually went with the GL2.

At the time, they were nearly the same price. Now that the $250 rebate on the GL2 is no longer valid (at least, I don't think it is, correct me if I'm wrong), the GL2 will cost around $2050 and the PDX-10 around $1900.

Similar prices, but what do you get with each in terms of features and capabilities?

GL2
Strengths

Excellent fluorite-coated lens with 20x optical zoom
Optical image stabilization that supposedly works very well (I don't depend on it, rarely use handheld shots)
Good ergonomics and complete manual controls
Durable, reliable, thoroughly tested camera, nearly ubiquitous for low budget and student films

PDX-10
Strengths

Ability to record native 16:9
Can record in DVCAM, although the merits of this are debatable; you get a more robust recording due to higher tape speed, and around 40 minutes per cassette. The sound is also locked to the image.
Comes standard with separate shotgun mic and XLR adapter. If you are really into high quality sound this is a major boon, although you can get a Beachtek or make your own adapter for the GL2.
Compact and also durable

Remember also that the PDX-10 is essentially the TRV-950 with a black case and shotgun mic + XLR adapter. Sony does this with other prosumer models: the VX2100 is upgraded with an XLR adapter and sold as the PD150, for example.

The PDX-10 has slightly smaller CCDs than the GL2, and lower sensitivity in poor lighting. It also suffers from smear on bright lighting if the camera is moved quickly. It has some interesting features in terms of the touch screen and "touch focus," where you can touch a portion of the image on the LCD and it will autofocus to that point. I believe it also has a focus lock when you're using autofocus.

It's been about a year since I did this research, and I don't remember everything. Basically, what I discovered was that the PDX-10 has specific strengths but is a far less common camera than the GL2. If you're a documentarian or work with wildlife, the PDX is a good choice due to its existing sound setup and native 16:9. For other types of work, the GL2 might be better due to superior ergonomics, a more versatile lens, larger CCDs, and a more "professionally focused" feature set. The PDX-10 also does not have a "frame more" or "cinema mode," which I wanted to have.