I've read the PD150 has significant hiss when using the Manual Audio mode. Is there any significant noise when using an external mic on the pd100a (whether it's hiss or machine noise)? Is there even a "gain control" (i.e. Manual Audio mode) on the pd100a? Also, I've read the on-board mic doesn't turn off even when an external mic is attached...this doesn't seem to make much sense, but is it true? Is the only real solution to get a XLR adapter from Beachtek or Studio 1?

-- Jose Nebres (jvn0210@hotmail.com), May 30, 2001

Answers

The Camcorder and Computer Video mag has a good article on the subject: "Audio Shoot Out". I can't find the exact issue though.

Hope that helps

Arseniy

-- Arseniy Vodopianov (arseniy3@hotmail.com), August 01, 2001.

To my knowlege, the DSR-PD150 is the only camcorder to have the hiss (lucky me, I've got one). I do not know, however, if the PD100A has what introduces the problem in the first place, a manual gain control (my guess is it doesn't since it is an awfully pared-down unit to begin with, and might not carry so many extras). As for beachtek, don't worry, the PD100A already comes with XLR audio (one channel only, I believe) so you won't need an adapter. This was all part of Sony's grand scheme to upconvert, so to speak, the TRV900 and the VX2000 into their entry-level pro counterparts, the PD100A and PD150. Hope this helps.

-- John Griffin (jgriffin3@nyc.rr.com), April 12, 2002.