[Sawtooth2000]

Does anyone have experience with regards to the lowest priced video camera with a 16:9 mode and Firewire?

Thanks,
-'tooth

[Steve SpotOn]

Many DV cameras claim to shoot 16:9 but when you read the small print what they in fact do is crop the 4:3 image - this is not good as you loose pixels and hence picture quality. To shoot proper 16:9 you need a camera that anamrphically compresses the picture. Pro cameras that do this start at around £10K. An option I'm exploring is the use of a lens adaptor to fit on a DV Camera... in my case the cameras a Sony PD150. The lens adaptor is from Century Optics and retails here in the UK for around £700. This isn't perfect as I believe it doesn't work properly over the full zoom length. Hope this helps.

[fisherKing]

i found a 16:9 adaptor here:
<a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com" target="_blank">www.bhphotovideo.com</a>

it's $750 U.S., not cheap...and i haven't tried it.
but worth checking out.

[CIA]

The sony PD-150 can shoot 16:9, it's not too much.

[Steve SpotOn]

Yes the PD 150 can shoot 16:9 but only by cropping the 4:3 image. The picture quality is therefore reduced. See Century Optics web site:
<a href="http://www.centuryoptics.com/products/dv/2/16x9_adapter/index.htm" target="_blank">http://www.centuryoptics.com/products/dv/2/16x9_adapter/index.htm</a>