Sony DCR-VX1000

DCR-VX1000 · 1995–2000 · camera

Specifications

Lens: 10x power zoom, 4.1 to 20mm equivalent, f/1.6, 52mm filter thread, plus 20x digital zoom. The aftermarket Century Optics MK1 ultra-fisheye adapter (released 1998) became the near-universal skate-video pairing; some later listings mislabel this the 'MK2', but Century Optics' own naming and period coverage call it the MK1.
Ports: i.LINK (FireWire) DV · S-Video out · Composite audio/video out · 3.5mm mic in · 3.5mm headphone out · LANC (Control-L) remote
Sensor: Three 1/3" CCDs, 410,000 pixels each, dichroic prism color separation. DV recording, over 500 lines of horizontal resolution (some sources cite 530+ lines).
Battery: NP-F330/NP-F530 series InfoLithium pack, 6V, or 7.5V AC adaptor
Display: 180,000-pixel color electronic viewfinder. No flip-out LCD screen.
Storage: MiniDV cassette, up to 60 minutes per tape in SP mode
Connectivity: IEEE 1394 (i.LINK/FireWire) DV output, the first consumer camcorder able to transfer footage directly to a Windows or Mac computer this way
Release Price: Reported figures vary by source: Wikipedia and contemporary coverage cite an MSRP around $3,000 to $3,500, while at least one period spec sheet lists $4,199 suggested retail. Released in Japan in July 1995 and in the US that November.

Upgrade paths

other

Century Optics MK1 ultra-fisheye adapter lens (0.3x), released 1998 · The VX1000 paired with the MK1, nicknamed the 'death lens', became skateboarding's default filming rig from the late 1990s through the early 2000s, used on nearly every tentpole skate video of that era. Its round, uncorrected fisheye distortion kept the skater centered in frame in a way filmers preferred over the rectilinear fisheyes built for later HD cameras, which is one reason the VX1000 stayed the standard well after HD camcorders existed. When Sony's 1999 successor, the VX2000, would not mount the MK1, filmer demand pushed Century Optics to run a limited reissue of 300 units. Filmers including Ty Evans and Fred Mortagne have credited the VX1000/MK1 combination with skate video's 'golden era', and some still keep a library of the camera's distinctive audio to layer over footage shot on newer gear.

Aftermarket accessory, several hundred dollars new; now a sought-after collectible

EASY