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-   -   Is the MX300 relevant? (https://www.dvinfo.net/forum/panasonic-dv-mx-gs-series-assistant/7668-mx300-relevant.html)

Frank Granovski March 12th, 2003 08:35 PM

Is the MX300 relevant?
 
With widescreen TVs all around, and HD coming soon, is the MX300 outdated when compared with the MX500's better 16:9? With JVC's MPEG2 HD cam, is the MX500 outdated? What do you think?


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No Bud for toil!

Steven Khong March 13th, 2003 09:16 PM

Yes, the MX300 & MX350 & MX500 still relevant - untill they come up with a HD cam etc. with a form factor as small as a MX300 / MX350 / MX500.

Size of the cam can be very very important depending on the application. Mountaineers, extreme sportsmen, spies ;) ;) and even experienced TV cameramen (like Terrence) bring their MX300, MX 350, MX500 to places where no shoulder mounted 3CCD cam can ever go.

Imagine if newsmen brought shoulder mount cams over to sensitive Cambodia or China or Russia etc. etc. - they'll be in big trouble. The MX300, MX350, MX500 would make you look like a tourist with a "harmless" cam - so they don't get suspicious & you will get more natural shots - while you're shooting REALLY GOOD 3CCD DV shots.

To answer Frank's question: YES.
JVC's MPEG2 HD cam may be something to watch really close - they have a good product, lots of promises & a good future. Now if they can shrink it down as small as a MX500.... that'll be cool.

The 16:9 on the MX300 / MX350 / MX500 will have to do, for the moment. The next step up being the MPEG2 HD cam which isn't released yet, and will be at such a high price that we can't afford - so we have to make do with what we can have, at the moment.

Yow Cheong Hoe March 14th, 2003 11:07 AM

However much I dislike Sony's consumer range of MiniDV cams, I'm still using the PC-100 (vertical format) camcorder in my office. That is a 5-year-old model, and I used that to film my own wedding more than 2 years ago.

The MX300/350/500 and their siblings will still be relevant in the next few years, and I dare venture to say next 5 years. It is not easy to give up heavy investments. Just look at VHS. Even when DVD and VCD are so readily available and affordable, VHS is still not irrelevant.

But we should also plan to move on, when the timing is right and teh technology is cheap enough. I intend to retaire from MiniDV in 3 years' time (at the most) and adopt the new popular standard then. As of now, MicroMV is CERTAINLY not making it (another Beta attempt by Sony, I'll say) and MPEG2, MPEG4 is too compressed for my taste.

But 'the best is yet to come'.

Frank Granovski March 27th, 2003 11:51 PM

I did a bit of shooting early this morning, and just played it back via one of my AIWA MX100 VCRs and JVC non-HD TVs. Looks good. I'm planning on Capalano River footage monday, if the weather permits.


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