Rating: 
Summary: The best prosumer cam for filmmaking
Review: Another reviewer here with his facts mixed up about this cam's preformance , said the Blair Witch was shot with the VX1000(almost same ability as vx2000)and that it has edge bleeding problems. Blair Witch was shot with a Hi-8 camcorder (with some 16mm shots). Not with the Sony vx1000 or with any DV camera.Some claim the VX2000 is dated (like sales people and others inexperienced types). While that may be partially true
for videographers, this is far from the truth for filmmakers. I own the newer Sony PDX10, the best widescreen resolution than any other cam under 10 grand. But the VX2000 is Fantastic for low-light shooting(2lux!) while the new trv950 and pdx10 have over 1 megapixel per chip (3 times more than the VX), VX2000's color performandce is virtually the same. The PDX10 and TRV950 are great for outdoor and well-lit shots. But neither come even close to the VX2000 for "low-light performance", which is the most important feature for moody, cinematography-style lighting. It get's down to VX's larger 1/3 chips. For serious indoor filmmaking and if you're set on using a 3ccd cam, then only consider a Canon XL1 or a VX2000 and nothing else. And forget the dvx100 in my opinion. It doesnt shoot widescreen at all. The DVX shoots in 24p for going out to film but with 25% less resolution than xl1 or vx2k because it does not pick up any extra pixels in widescreen mode. If you need an interchangeable lens unit, go with the XL1. But if not, you'll save $$$ with the vx2000. The VX2000 is still the best DV filmmaking prosumer machine out of the box.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful Camera, but realize this...
Review: Before buying this camera, think carefully about what you'll be using it for, and when. I also recommend playing with one at a store, to feel its size and weight. (Even if, like me, you'll ultimately buy it at Amazon.) I've owned the VX-2000 for over a year now, and I'm very happy with the results. Arguably, the picture quality is better than the Canon XL-1 (and the vx2000 is significantly -- thankfully -- smaller), it's rugged and reliable, and it's somewhat portable. I carry mine in a backpack that has a padded pocket designed for laptop computers. It was the best solution as most smaller camera bags don't fit this beast. Those that do aren't useful for toting other things as well. Anyway, I know a handful of other people with this camera. Some of them are *filmmakers* and these people use their VX-2000's to document events that they'd later like to make movies of. The filmmakers, as a whole, LOVE this camera. I also have a friend who does casting for television ads. Often, for his boss, he walks around with a VX2000 and shoots people on the street, later bringing the tape to the boss for evaluation. The other people I know own the VX-2000 because they *like electronics*. They *Like To Own The Best* and they like to play with gadgets. I advise, if you're one of these people, and really, I KNOW YOU ARE, get a different camera. Something smaller... granted the quality will be slightly less, but you're more likely to have it when you witness your kid's first words (or your best friend's wife in a rendevouz with a neighbor. you get the point) Furthermore, this camera is somewhat lacking in toy features. No night vision, no silly effects (save for a few wipes, swipes, fades, and sepia, etc.), no bluetooth transmitter, etc. It's just good, strong, somewhat rugged, and takes a great shot. I give this camera a 5 for quality (sharp, beautiful, accuracte colors, good in medium/low light, backlight compensation remarkable, optical steadyshot rad). Just keep in mind what you want... this camera is neither professional nor amateur, and therefore I believe it serves best a select, picky subset of the population. Last, if you do buy it, go for (1) a bigger battery, well worth the cost, and (2) a wide angle lens. Both are cool.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful Camera, but realize this...
Review: Before buying this camera, think carefully about what you'll be using it for, and when. I also recommend playing with one at a store, to feel its size and weight. (Even if, like me, you'll ultimately buy it at Amazon.) I've owned the VX-2000 for over a year now, and I'm very happy with the results. Arguably, the picture quality is better than the Canon XL-1 (and the vx2000 is significantly -- thankfully -- smaller), it's rugged and reliable, and it's somewhat portable. I carry mine in a backpack that has a padded pocket designed for laptop computers. It was the best solution as most smaller camera bags don't fit this beast. Those that do aren't useful for toting other things as well. Anyway, I know a handful of other people with this camera. Some of them are *filmmakers* and these people use their VX-2000's to document events that they'd later like to make movies of. The filmmakers, as a whole, LOVE this camera. I also have a friend who does casting for television ads. Often, for his boss, he walks around with a VX2000 and shoots people on the street, later bringing the tape to the boss for evaluation. The other people I know own the VX-2000 because they *like electronics*. They *Like To Own The Best* and they like to play with gadgets. I advise, if you're one of these people, and really, I KNOW YOU ARE, get a different camera. Something smaller... granted the quality will be slightly less, but you're more likely to have it when you witness your kid's first words (or your best friend's wife in a rendevouz with a neighbor. you get the point) Furthermore, this camera is somewhat lacking in toy features. No night vision, no silly effects (save for a few wipes, swipes, fades, and sepia, etc.), no bluetooth transmitter, etc. It's just good, strong, somewhat rugged, and takes a great shot. I give this camera a 5 for quality (sharp, beautiful, accuracte colors, good in medium/low light, backlight compensation remarkable, optical steadyshot rad). Just keep in mind what you want... this camera is neither professional nor amateur, and therefore I believe it serves best a select, picky subset of the population. Last, if you do buy it, go for (1) a bigger battery, well worth the cost, and (2) a wide angle lens. Both are cool.
Rating: 
Summary: Getting long in the tooth...
Review: For fans of electronics, particularly bleeding-edge, technologically packed gadgets, nothing is sadder than knowing your particularly product is past its prime. Such is the case with Sony's DCR-VX2000. This is not to say that Sony's 3-CCD "prosumer" Mini-DV digital camcorder isn't a good product. For those familiar with "The Blair Witch Project", that film was shot with the VX1000, the predecessor to this model. The VX2000 outdoes that previous model by adding digital snapshots that can be stored on Sony Memory Sticks, along with a 2.5" foldout LCD viewscreen. This is not your average consumer camcorder. Having three CCD imaging chips, each one dedicated to red, green, or blue light, puts this in a league with cameras that you'll see in TV studios. You'll find other pro features such as digital image stabilization, built-in digital effects, titling capability, timers, zebra, shutter speed choices, built-in manual and automatic mic leveling, focus locks, auto and manual focus on the 48x zoom, color viewfinder, neutral density filters, spotlighting and backlighting controls, fade in and out - the list goes on and on. Once you've captured the video, you have several ways of transferring it to other media via one of several ports: RCA, FireWire (IEEE 1394), and S-Video. Playback is via the unit and it sports a full complement of VCR-like controls. The unit also comes with a very powerful remote that can control virtually every capability of the camera in both playback and recording modes. It takes Mini-DV tapes in 60 minute lengths, but can record 90 minutes when selecting tape speeds. Tests have shown virtually no image degradation and only a slight loss in sound quality when recording at the slower 90 minutes speed. Few camcorders can touch the battery life (an astonishing 9 hours on a single charge with the optional NP-F960 battery) or the actual image on tape. I've never seen a consumer camera with such beautiful color rendition or sharpness. Everyone who sees recordings made by this camera is amazed. But as I mentioned before, while state of the art in 2001, changes in digital video technology are rendering the VX2000 old news. This unit cannot record video that takes advantage of HDTV as its resolution is not high enough for that new standard. JVC has recently released a model ...that has similar capability to the VX2000, but adds HDTV. Panasonic is also changing the game by eliminating the achilles heels of the VX2000 and all other camcorders: the tape transport mechanism. They've announced a completely solid state camera that records onto a series of compact memory media similar to the Memory Stick in the VX2000. (The Memory Stick on the VX2000 is only for snapshots, not video.) Since the most likely parts of any electronic device to fail are the mechanical ones, having no transport mechanism means a far more reliable unit. Such a system also does away with tapes, another weakness. With this in mind, the ideal customer for the VX2000 has a dilemma: with new technology on the market, but priced a bit higher for now, is it wise to buy the VX2000? There are other issues, too. The vast majority of people will be satisfied with the capability of single-CCD units. Some of Sony's single-CCD units are mind-blowingly tiny, far smaller than the very bulky VX2000. They also take higher resolution snapshots than the VX2000, something to keep in mind if you want a digital camera and a digital camcorder in one unit. Do I recommend the VX2000? Absolutely. It is a stunningly powerful and capable camcorder. However, it is getting long in the tooth and no longer is the unit of choice for consumers who want the cream of the crop and the latest technology.
Rating:
Summary: review
Review: I also have studied this camera and like it alot the only thing that I can find wrong with it is that it only takes 640 x 480 still images. where most of sony's cammcorder take at least 1600 x 1200. also it only comes with a 4mb memory stick, but i would assume that if they uped the res they would up the storage capacity of the memory stick.
Rating:
Summary: it is my favern camra
Review: i am a producer/camera operater and this is one of my favern cameras in the studio i would love to have one for my home. i felm sports, in studio tack shows movies and other things for tv brodcast it has great pixlization and i love it.
Rating:
Summary: The VX2000 Is a camera sent down from God Himself!
Review: I am currently a student in NJ, and I just wanted to let everyone know how great this camera is. This camera has all of the professional items you would expect in a camera of this calibur. This is a lot of camera. Did you know that most documentaries, and some T.V. shows are acctually filmed with this high quality camera? I am very entusiastic about film, and hope to some day be creating movies in hollywood(I will be making movies), and I am currently shooting small for my school. Now, here's the gripper... I don't acctually have this camera! (I know, I know). But I study it, and know every facite of its workings... this is a great camera, and it can do some amazing things. If I had the money for it, I would be doing some amazing things with it. I just want everyone to know what a great camera it is. If you are teeter tottering between this and cannon, go sony! Good luck with it.
Rating:
Summary: A joy to use and own!
Review: I have had the VX2000 for a couple of months now and I've shot countless hours of footage for a couple of low-to-no budget independent movies (and more in the making) and this camera is fantastic! It can be incredibly easy to use yet quite flexible if you need it to be. No, it's not a palm-sized recorder that you'll be toting casually to family get-togethers and if that's really your only need for a camcorder, go with something smaller, lighter, and less expensive. However, for those who want to play on the edge of prosumer recorders, this camera is a joy to have. Beyond picture quality there's also sound quality. The VX2000 records STEREO sound unlike most lower end camcorders and I can't imagine using anything else now. For the down-side of things, yes, it is rather hefty though I find the extra weight actually helps with smoother motion and the battery that comes with it is completely inadequate for any lengthy shooting "in the field". The optionally purchased bigger batteries do add to the weight but you won't run out of power in the middle of that important shot if you get the largest one. (I can shoot all weekend and never drain a single one of those big babies and I have two in my kit.) It doesn't come with a camera bag or case and you really need something to protect the investment. (I purchased the hard body aluminum case made for the VX2000 and though it's big and bulky, my camera can breeze through on-location shots without fear of injury. Another investment that you will want to consider with this camera is a tripod but when selecting a tripod make sure you take the camera's weight in consideration. And if you want to play further, check out the Sony gun/zoom mike that works great with this camera, the optional hotshoe light for casual shooting, the lens filters, the.... Well, you get the idea. Personally, I've played with one of the smaller, lighter consumer Sony camcorders and absolutely loved it but I wanted more beef, better quality recordings, and greater flexibility because of my involvement in independent movies. Is this camera overkill for the average consumer? Certainly! Is it great? You betcha'! Do I regret investing serious bucks in the VX2000? Heck no! I would gladly recommend this camera TO everyone but not FOR everyone. Judge what you really need and really want before purchasing a VX2000 because, for most people, it IS overkill and the purchase of the camera itself is just the first investment. You can easily double the price of the camera by the time you get done with a case, batteries, charger, filters, special mics, windscreen, camera cover, light, etc., etc. Obviously many of the optional accessories you can do without but once you have the camera it will be that much harder to resist getting that really neat camera stabilizer or that LANC zoom/focus controller or....
Rating: 
Summary: I like other Cameras Better
Review: I know this camera is a favorite of most people out there, but I have used this camera and was not super impressed. It is a pretty damn good camera, don't get me wrong, and for the price, it is very competitive. Price aside, I would recommend either the Canon XL1 or the Panasonic DVX-100 over this camera. I have been on set with all three cameras many times and have found that the DVX has produced the most pleasing results and has the most amount of useful features for true cinematography.
On the up side, this is the camera that has been used for some movies released that are a little lower budget. This camera has been around long enough now that it is beginning to become noticeably outdated, so unless the price is right, try something else.
Rating:
Summary: Good staff
Review: I think "Sony DCR-VX2000 Digital Camcorder" is a good camcoder. I like at most the feature 16:9 widescreen aspect ratio common to make movies.
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