A few years back when Auscam first started and our forums had just been launched, a new member asked a question that I will never forget. He was obviously a youngster – keen certainly, but also not overly experienced which showed when he asked “I want to buy a new camera. What is one that makes me look professional?”.

Now clearly what he was alluding to was the fact that most “professionals” as the public saw them, hauled around a bulky shoulder mounted camcorder with a massive lens on the front. This was to obviously distinguish them from a “non-professional” who carried a dinky little digital camcorder - that probably took better footage! But he who has the bigger gun …

The times, as His Bobness once said, are a-changing, but perhaps not fast enough considering Sony has just released the HXR-MC1500P, an AVCHD hi-def camcorder that sells for under $2000 but is a fully fledged shoulder mount beastie with most of the bells and whistles. To say this goes against the trend is a understatement!

Up front is a Sony “G” lens with a 12x optical zoom. Focal length is 29.8mm to 357mm in 16:9 mode with video data being crunched via a ¼” Exmor R CMOS processor using Sony’s proprietary ClearVid system. The maximum still image size is 3072 x 2304 pixels and 7 megapixels.

You don’t get any balanced XLR inputs; there is a built in shotgun mic and an extra input for a second stereo mic and of course headphones (to complete look!) Video output is HDMI, component and composite and for video capture, being AVCHD, a single USB port.

As well as the left mounted viewfinder (which is very close to the body of the MC-1500 and therefore difficult to use for left eye dominant people such as myself), above it is a pop-up 2.7” LCD monitor. It is adequate, but with the on-board information displayed as well as the image, I would prefer it to be a tad bigger.

Storage is to 32GB internal memory and there is a combination SD / Memory Stick slot under a sliding panel at the front right, behind which is another panel with the output ports. It is worth noting that in the manual, up front, it is very definite and clear about this camera not being either dust or water resistant so apart from normal care, checking these panels frequently would be wise I’d suggest.

Compared to its broadcast brethren the MC-1500 is light at 2.7Kg, but even then after a 10 minute period on your shoulder, you know about it with being a little front heavy, the lens starts to drop and extra wrist is power needed to keep it level. I’d assume you’d get used to it, but my normal stamina test of 15 minutes shooting (and keeping in frame at all times) a stunt aircraft would definitely fail - at first attempt anyway.

Due to the nature of this camera, here at Auscam we are having two bites of this particular cherry; as well as this first look review, Steve Turner, noted Adelaidian Channel 7 cameraman and producer, is going to give it a thorough going over from his perspective. It will be interesting to see whether as well as filling the hole of ‘looking the part’ for someone who would otherwise be forced to use a much smaller camcorder, it also has appeal for the pro that prefers the shoulder mount, but also needs a far less expensive camcorder than they would otherwise have to buy.

By David Hague

David is the owner and publisher of AusCam Online. He has a background in media dating back to 1979 when he first got involved with photojournalism in motorsport, and went from there into technology via a 5 year stint with Tandy Computers. Following that, he ran a software distribution company on the Gold Coast and was one of the first to recognise the potential of Microsoft Windows.

Moving back to WA, David wrote scripts for Computer Television for video training for the just released Windows and Office 95 among others, and was then lured to Sydney to create web sites for the newly commercial Internet in 1995, building hundreds of sites under contract to OzEmail including Coates Hire, Hertz Queensland, John Williamson, the NSW Board of Studies and many, many more.

He went back into full time journalism as the Managing Editor for Channel 7's 'Gadget Guy', Peter Blasina's publications VideoCamera and Pixelmag, before starting Australasian Camcorder magazine when these publications were shelved. He lives at Sydney's Avalon Beaches nearly on the ocean front with dog Budweiser and in his spare time is a nut for motor sport, road safety, fishing, science fiction - especially Dr Who - and technology.

David can be contacted via david@auscamonline.com