Content area
Full text
VideoGearHands On Reviews
Sony has just raised the bar with its new DSR-- 570WSL DVCAM camera. Not only is it a product with a name behind it, but it's also a camera that creates truly great images.
I had the opportunity to use the DSR-570 recently on three shoots, testing its capabilities as well as matching its performance with other cameras. A durable metal casing allows the 570 to compete and excel when comparing it with other cameras. Let's face it, this is a professional camera and it looks the part.
The 570 is a revised and more powerful version of the 500, which was the flagship of the DVCAM line (like the 1/2 CCD DSR-370, an upgrade of the 300). With three 2/3-inch chips and switchable 16:9/4:3 aspect ratios, this camera is comfortable in an ENG shoot, or studio configuration. Sporting a Canon 9-162mm, F 1.8 lens, and the user can feather zoom into an extreme close-up and with the doubler, you get down right close.
On my first shoot with the 570, I was alone in a massive warehouse shooting product barely illuminated through tiny skylights 25-ft. above. By color balancing to daylight, the fast lens and three-hour tape load allowed uninterrupted shooting. Being that the warehouse had no heat and I was slowly losing feeling in my fingers, I donned gloves that still kept me in control of my zooms. This is why I love December shoots.
The new BP-L60A lithium ion batteries are nothing short or miraculous. I shot an entire 180-- minute tape in 40-degree temperatures on one battery! I did have access to AC, but the 200-ft. extension line would have been a hassle. How often can you drain a three hour battery and have it fully charged in a little over 90 minutes?
The light weight of these slim battery packs is a relief from the older brick-type I am accustomed to using. With a push button LED meter on the side of the pack and a bar gauge in the viewfinder, I could constantly monitor the progress of my "charge" without worrying about it dying in the middle of a take. When the battery did reach its end, I was still able to get an additional three...