Sony Dsr-250 Dvcam Manual
Fast FactsApplications: ENG, cable TV, corporate, governmentKey features: DVCAM and DV formats; traditional camcorder form factorPrice: $5,900Contact:Sony Broadcast800-222-7669Recently while shooting a U.S. Department of Labor hearing in San Antonio, Texas, with my school’s Sony DSR-300, I found myself wishing I had a tilt-out LCD monitor like the one on my Sony DSR-PD100. I travel solo on these stints, and it’s quite enough to haul camera, tripod and accessories on an airplane without having to haul a monitor. When you’re shooting hours of testimony, you’re not likely to spend the whole day with your eye screwed up to the viewfinder.I made do with the eyepiece raised up, but a few times I asked myself whether I’d have been wiser to bring along the Sony DSR-250 I had for this review. It has a tilt-out LCD, albeit a smaller one than the one on my PD100. But the much pricier DSR-300 is better in available light, so I’d opted for it.Performance or features – that seems to be the choice when considering the DSR-250.FEATURESThe DSR-250 is Sony’s new in-between camera that tries to claim the part of the digital video camera market that the JVC GY-DV500 has recently moved into.
The JVC camera, less expensive but roughly the same price range, is a more fair comparison than the DSR-300.First, what are some of the features that make the DSR-250 stand out? There’s the already mentioned foldout LCD screen, which is unique, as far as I know, on a camera of this professional size and design. This is in addition to a good monochrome eyepiece viewfinder.Then there is the fact that this camcorder plays and records in both the DV and the DVCAM formats (mini and regular size). This means you can have the economy of DV or the durability, data indexing and longer times (up to 184 minutes) of DVCAM. The JVC GY-DV500 records only on DV mini cassettes, which limits you to 60 minutes.Then there’s the DSR-250’s autofocus capability, which worked well in my limited testing. Unlike the PD100, this camera’s lens functions well for manual focusing; the focus ring has a good feel and the amount of turn required to rack focus is short.
It does lack external calibration though, so if you want an assistant to pull focus, you’re out of luck.Finally, unusual on a camera in this class is the ability to record noninterlaced stills onto a memory stick for transfer to a computer. When I first got my PD100 I thought I’d never use this feature, but I use it quite a bit. At the hearing in San Antonio I kept the PD100 pointed at a computer projection screen and clicked off a memory stick still every time the witnesses changed the graphic of their Power Point presentations.Most of these features are shared with the PD100 palmcorder (which records only in mini DVCAM format). If it sounds like the DSR-250 is a kind of hybrid between the PD100 and the DSR-300, that is my impression also. Besides the LCD foldout monitor, the autofocus and the memory chip stills shared with the PD100, the menus work in much the same way, so it was easy for me to use the menu on this camera.On the other hand, in size and general design, the 250 is more like the 300. Sony has wisely decided to create external switches or potentiometers for some of the functions that are menu functions on the PD100. Audio levels, zebra, audio monitor switching, white-balance and many more are right there where you would expect them to be on any professional camcorder.I especially like the end search function that finds the end of your recorded video so you don’t record over shots or leave a gap in your timecode.The audio inputs are XLR.
One thing I found useful at the San Antonio shoot was plugging two wirelesses into the rear audio inputs and a simultaneous translation feed into the front mic input. I could switch one of the audio tracks between the rear and front input as needed. This was on the DSR-300, but is equally possible on the DSR-250.The only function that I think they should have made external, but which they left as a menu item, is the color bar display. The menu is extensive and gives you a lot of control over setting up the camera for your preferences or to match the situation.
Among things you can menu-set are shutter speeds, gain levels for the three-position external switch, setup (black level), Steadyshot image stabilization and 16:9 aspect ratio.IN USEWhat about performance? The DSR-250 uses three 1/3-inch CCDs for image pickup. This compares to the 1/4-inch CCDs on my PD100 and the 1/2-inch CCDs on the DSR-300 and on the JVC GY-DV500.The DSR-300 has a clear edge in terms of low-light performance and lack of visual noise, as one would expect of a camera in a much higher price category. If you compare the DSR-250 to the more comparably priced GY-DV500 on a waveform monitor with the gain set to low and the lens capped, you can see a slightly wider band of noise on the flat black video portion of the DSR-250’s waveform, but I found any difference hard to detect in actual images. The two cameras are very comparable in terms of low-light performance.
The DSR-250 does show more pronounced aliasing on high contrast diagonal edges, especially when there is movement.On the issue of lenses the JVC camcorder offers interchangeability, and therefore more choices of models and zoom ranges. The Sony’s built-in 12x 6mm to 72mm optical zoom lens offers autofocus, if that is a useful feature for you. Its wide-angle coverage was about the same as that of the 14x 7.3mm to 102mm lens on the JVC that I had access to, but the JVC had an edge on the telephoto end.For on-the-shoulder use I found the DSR-250 initially a little bit clunky, but I think I could get used to it.
The zoom ring is very close to the focus ring, and I used the wrong one a couple times before I got the feel of it. The rocker switch for the servo zoom has good action, and the manual/auto switch is where you’d expect it to be. The zoom and iris rings, like the focus ring, are not externally calibrated, but you get a readout in the viewfinder for aperture and zoom, as well as shutter and many other things, if you want to leave them all displayed.I liked the lithium batteries, which are the same as those used on the DSR-300. It’s nice not having to worry about fully discharging before recharging and the built-in charge level indicators are useful. The JVC camera uses NP1 nicad or nickel metal hydride batteries, but can be fitted for Anton/Bauer packs.SUMMARYTo reiterate then, your choice between the DSR-250 and another camera may come down to weighing the price, features and performance.In the same price range, the JVC GY-DV500 with 1/2-inch CCDs and lens interchangeability may have an edge in terms of handling and image quality. But if features like a foldout LCD monitor, multitape formats (with longer record times) and the memory stick still image capacity are important to your projects, this may tilt the balance in favor of the DSR-250.
Product HighlightsProfessional Camcorder1/3' DVCAM FormatWithout Tripod PlateThree 1/3' 380,000-Pixel CCDsWith the stability of its shoulder mount design, light weight, and long list of innovative and convenience features, it is no wonder the Sony DSR-250 Camcorder has become the prototypical event-video production camera for shooters big and small. The DSR-250 can record in the professional DVCAM format or the consumer DV format, and it accepts both large and small cassettes for a maximum recording time greater than 3 hours.Sony's equipped the DSR-250 with three 1/3' 380,000-pixel CCD sensors, which give it great bright and low light quality. They're also somewhat adjustable by the user for camera-to-camera repeatability and better control. The DSR-250's 12x zoom lens has Sony's Super SteadyShot that accepts 58mm filters, and there's many adapters on the market to mount directly to it for wider angle or telephoto work.The DSR-250 accepts analog composite (RCA) and S-Video for input and output, allowing operators to use standard home-type VCRs for source material, but also uses the digital Firewire (IEEE-1394, I-Link) for the modern age. The professional-quality DXF-801 viewfinder has 600 lines of horizontal resolution, and a 200,000-pixel LCD monitor to allows you to compose shots without your eye upon the viewfinder.Other great functions of the DSR-250 include time/date stamp, built-in transition modes, still image capture, 2 channels of built-in balanced audio, and a PowerTap DC output for on-camera lighting.CCDs and DSPSony has equipped the DSR-250 with 3 1/3 inch CCDs containing 380,000 pixels each. The chips' high technology result in low smear levels giving the camera great bright scene image quality. And a high signal to noise ratio means that the camera will operate effectively in low light conditions also.The DSR-250 allows you to set custom picture looks by adjusting the different parameters within the Digital Signal Processor.
Now you can match multiple cameras for various color requirements. The custom settings may be recalled at a later time.12 x Optical Zoom Lens with Super SteadyShotThe DSR-250 has a dedicated, non-detachable zoom lens that has a 6mm wide angle. Conveniently, the lens accepts 58 mm screw on filters and accessories. There are a number of lens adapters that will mount directly onto the lens.With the stability of shoulder mounting the camera, all but the most accomplished camera operator will generate a certain amount of subtle hand-shake. Image stabilization comes from the optical system Super SteadyShot. The SteadyShot system checks for horizontal and vertical movements and corrects them with a small motor hundreds of times per second.
All this is accomplished without digitally degrading the image.DVCAM Professional Recording FormatUsing a steeper track pitch, the DVCAM format lays down more information onto the tape frame for frame than the DV consumer format. And DVCAM locks audio to video for drift-free long duration recording. The technical numbers speak volumes: 8-bit component recording, 5:1 intra-frame compression and 4:1:1 color sampling.
The DVCAM format offers realistic color and contrast quality, multi-generation dubbing capacity, and worldwide compatibility. The DSR-250 accepts large and small cassettes and will even record in the consumer format DV.
Maximum tape length is over 3 hours.SMPTE Standard Time-CodeThe DSR-250's professional features include striping SMPTE time-code. Set hours, minutes, seconds and frames to best identify individual tapes. You also chose from FREE-RUN and REC-RUN and DF (drop-frame) and NDF (non-drop-frame) for consistency throughout your production. User-bits, alphanumeric coding, can be set to give additional information to the editor or producer.Analog and Digital Ins and OutsThe DSR-250 will accept both analog Composite (RCA) and S-Video for input and output. This allows the operator to use standard home-type VCRs for source material and most standard televisions to playback the video. The digital Firewire (IEEE-1394, I-Link) interface is both input and output (as always).Sophisticated Titling FunctionsUsing the more expensive IC chip cassettes gives you some interesting features including saving titles to the cassette's memory. These titles are not super-imposed on top of the video, but are displayed during playback.
Use this function as an indexing function. In addition, the DSR-250 also has a tape title function that displays a title on the tape during the first 5 seconds of the recording.Professional Quality ViewfinderA DXF-801 viewfinder with 600 lines of horizontal resolution is standard with the DSR-250. The CRT is a 1.5 inch B/W, very similar to the DXC-D35 standard viewfinder.
Sony Dsr-250 Dvcam Manual 2017
The viewfinder has a lens light to illuminate the rear of the lens in conditions with poor ambient light.LCD MonitorWith 200,000 pixels and great picture quality, the LCD screen allows you to compose the shots while your eye is off the eyepiece. It also allows the producer to see what the operator sees in the viewfinder. The LCD monitor makes setting menu selections easier also. Now carrying a heavy field monitor from location to location is probably not required.Time and Date StampAs required by legal deposition videographers, the DSR-250 has a time/date stamp.
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This feature gives you the ability to insert (super-impose) time and date onto the lower third of the frame.Built-in Transition SelectionsFive fader modes are built into the DSR-250 for professional looking in-camera effects.Black Fade- In and OutMonotone Fade- From black and white to colorOverlap- Last image becomes still and overlaps into new sceneWipe-From left to right or right to leftDot- Picture breaks into dots and dissipatesCapture Still Images in JPEGIn a pinch, the DSR-250 will record still images in 640 x 480 (VGA) resolution on a Memory Stick media card. The 4mb card will hold a approximately 60 images.
Once the images are stored, you can download the data to a computer and manipulate the images with software. Furthermore, you have the ability to e-mail these images for review at another location or at another time.Audio SectionThe DSR-250 records onto 2 channels of balanced audio built right into the camera. XLR connectors on the front and rear of the camera allow you to connect almost any professional microphone, wired or wireless. In addition, you may chose to record line-level audio (the type that comes from a CD player, audio cassette deck, or from cable or broadcast TV). You may also choose to supply 48-volt power (Phantom power) to special microphones that require such power.PowerTap DC Output for On-Camera LightsNo longer do you have to wear a heavy battery belt to power an on-camera sun-gun.
Sony Dsr-250 Dvcam Manual Pdf
The DSR-250 has a special 2-pin DC PowerTap output specifically for powering camera-mounted lights. PowerTap was first available only on Anton Bauer lights but now a good selection of companies produce units that will plug directly into the camera.