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-   -   DVX100 -- various topics (https://www.dvinfo.net/forum/panasonic-dvx-dvc-assistant/10753-dvx100-various-topics.html)

Matthew DeJesus August 26th, 2003 09:40 PM

Panny brand Shotgun for DVX
 
Now that I have pretty much decided to get the DVX100 over the DVC80 ($700+ difference), budget is really tight. I was going to get the ME/66 shotgun for the DVC80, but don't think I can handle that for the DVX being that I have to get a wireless too.

Does anyone know if the Panasonic brand XLR shotgun that they list as an accessory for the DVX is any good? It runs for about $150 but is it worth it or would I have audio that was just as good as if I used the internal mic? The extra savings would help until I can afford a better one down the road, but don't want to bother if it's not worth it.

Mark Monciardini August 26th, 2003 11:22 PM

It's decent. You get about what you pay for. It doesn't zoom that well. But much better then the stereo mic that is on the cam.

I would get a much longer shot gun mic, like that really long sinhizer or azden. Get somthing longer for better pickup.

Jake McMurray August 29th, 2003 03:29 AM

what is with this time stamp?
 
Can anyone figure out why I have some intermitten time stamps in some of my footage I shot a while ago. Its weird. I don't have the dvx100 on me anymore so I can't tell if I accidently hit the button a couple of times. Funny thing is that I only see the time/date stamp when I watch on my tv through the external monitor. I never saw it on the computer screen or preview window. I am talking about the same exact shots here. Funny thing is that if I crop the image a touch, I mean not even enough to get rid of the it in actuality it disappears. Its bothersome because the image quality degrades when I pan and crop even a little bit. What should I do? The time/date is of the date that it all was shot. I'm using Vegas 4 if that makes any kind of difference. I think I might have to put 16x9 bars over those parts. Its not a movie or anything just a simple amatuer wedding video. Or maybe even that black feathered border it'll be like the Cabinet of Dr. Caligari.

Nathan Gifford August 29th, 2003 07:42 AM

Why the time.date stamp was popping on and off I am not sure. More than likely when it appears, it is appearing in the overscan area. Some TVs display more of the actual video than others.

If you want to learn more about this read up on safe areas in video. These refer to where the image and titles must appear so that they will be properly displayed on most TVs.

Bradley Thomas August 29th, 2003 12:41 PM

A short macro clip
 
http://www.roninweb.net/mpelp/misc/deathray/wiggle.mpg

Really short 16MB MPEG2 clip of a caterpillar that I shot a couple of weeks ago.

I had a hard time encoding this from the original raw video. There's something of a 30% loss in quality here thanks to some mistakes that I made in saving it in different formats. The raw footage is simply stunning looking on a television so I plan on going back and trying to do a better encode this weekend perhaps.

Randy Reyes August 31st, 2003 10:52 AM

Hello Bradley! Thanks for posting the cool macro clip. Could you please tell us what lense you used for the shot? What grade of macro is the lense (e.g. +2.5, +3.5, etc.)?

Right now I'm thinking of buying an Achromatic Diopter +3.5 from Century Optics, so your info would help a lot. Thanks!!

: ]

Jamison Olivieri September 1st, 2003 09:35 PM

Filter
 
I was reading about neutral density and was wondering if anyone can tell me the type of neutral density filter is good for my dvx.

Stephen van Vuuren September 1st, 2003 09:51 PM

The DVX100 has two ND filters built in (check your manual for more info). Additional ND filters would only be needed for very bright lighting.

James Leong September 2nd, 2003 10:16 AM

DVX 100 - Some Problems
 
I bought a PAL DVX-100 in Singapore last week and am generally happy with it, but I've been experiencing 2 problems:

1. The optical image stablizer (OIS). This seems to make the image "swim" when shot hand-held approaching max zoom, or on a moving shot. The sight of a drop of rain on my wide-angle lens actually moving independently of the movement of the camera was very odd. I have a feeling the OIS on this camera OVER-compensates in the opposite direction to any tremours arising from hand-held work, and overcompensates for too long.

2. The lighter areas of the frame seem to flicker with any moving shot, or even with movement of darker areas within the frame (such as an interviewee moving an arm abruptly)

Is anyone else experiencing similar problems? Are there some simple settings on the camera that can remedy them? Any feedback would be much appreciated.

James

Peter Jefferson September 2nd, 2003 12:25 PM

dude, check out the 2 responses in the "Issues with your DVX" thread

Greg Manzanera September 11th, 2003 10:03 AM

DVX100 Autofocus question
 
I have recently read that the DVX100 doesn´t have the autofocus function when set to 24p mode.

I am considering buying one of these cameras, but I intend to use it in motion related situation: sports, documentary, and even some film making.
I am a litte bit concerned about its operability if I get no autofocus in progressive mode.

Is it still operative, fast and easy to use?? For still images I can afford spending some time just to get the perfect lighting and focus...

I would like to get some feedback just to disipate my doubts.

Thank you in advance,
GREG

Peter Richardson September 11th, 2003 01:24 PM

Greg--What you have heard is correct--there is not auto focus in 24P modes. I am shooting a documentary right now as well and haven't found this to be a problem, you just have to be sure to get focus and use the LCD as the viewfinder doesn't have adequate resolution to find critical focus. If you are considering sports photography I would highly recommed getting the repeatable focus adapter from Century Optics. I haven't used this personally but imagine it might help. It will definitely be more difficult to use this camera b/c it doesn't have af in teh situations you describe, but it is worth the effort. Hope that helps,

Peter

Mike Zorger September 12th, 2003 12:47 PM

where to get
 
how much is it at zotz? i sent them an email address and it hasnt come back yet. so doesn anyone know off the top of their head?
So which one would you guys go for Zots, bh, or evsonline?

Stephen van Vuuren September 12th, 2003 02:43 PM

Call Brian at www.zotzdigital.com directly.

Dale Anthony Smith September 15th, 2003 09:17 PM

Filters - DVX Lens Hood "Mattebox"
 
I am trying to avoid buying either a mattebox or 3 of each filter to fit the standard (72mm), the Century .6WA (95mm), and the tele extender (105mm).
The tech at Century says that there is no fitting to put a filter on the .6WA without vignetting. He said to tape a filter to the front of the lens is the only way so far... and that they were "developing" something for that lens.
One solution could be to hold the square filter in place in front of the lens with flex arm clips. OR... I was looking at the lens hood... It measures 4"X 4.5". There are those four screws on the front to remove the plate... Has anyone thought about or tried to put a 4X4 filter into the lens hood? The open back of the lens hood could be covered with some douvatine or black velvet to keep the light from hitting the back of the filter. Might just work...

Barry Green September 15th, 2003 11:57 PM

Someone on 2-pop did something similar with the anamorphic adapter...

The anamorphic has a front that's 4.25 x 4.5. On 2-pop they mentioned clipping 4" filters into the front -- just slide the filter right up against the front element, and then they used those little office paperclips (the black triangle-looking ones) to clip to the anamorphic's lens hood and keep the filter from sliding around.

Dushan Horvat September 17th, 2003 08:39 AM

DVX shutter speeds
 
Hi all,

Quick question... how can I achieve the same look that was used in Saving Private Ryan (beginning of movie) and Gladiator and Black Hawk down?
I had assumed it was a 16shutter speed,but I am not certain.
Can I achieve the same look with my DVX100? If so, what are the actual adjustments?
Any help would be appreciated...thanks!

Peter Jefferson September 17th, 2003 10:20 AM

dude check out the film look with DV forum, there HEAPS of info in there...
but basically its a fast shutter (ms likely 1/150) which achieves that crisp, high detailed image on a fast moving camera

George Loch September 17th, 2003 07:21 PM

DVX100:Sports?
 
Is there any advantage or disadvantage to using a DVX100 in motorsports? It seems like fast-paced action doesn't mix well with progressive. That would then take away lot of the advantage of the DVX .

Anyone have experience/examples of sports and the DVX?

GL

Mathew Evan September 18th, 2003 01:52 AM

So shoot in 60i then. That's the beauty of the dvx.

Aaron Koolen September 23rd, 2003 08:10 PM

Does the DVX100 LCD and/or EVF underscan?
 
Can't find any information about whether it does it not. It's a feature I'd like to see, but then again, aiming at the filmmakers the probably assume we'll have an external underscanning monitor.

Cheers
Aaron

Barry Green September 23rd, 2003 11:14 PM

It does not.

However, as a cheesy in-the-field workaround, the camera does have a grooved rectangle on the LCD panel that happens to correspond exactly to what are the LCD would occupy if it were to display the full frame. So, when looking at the LCD, if you were to imagine the picture area stretching to fill in the gap between the edge of the LCD and that groove, you'll get an idea of what's being recorded in the underscan area.

Yang Wen September 25th, 2003 09:53 PM

Lens Focus issue.
 
Hey, try this, in 24P set your iris to OPEN and zoom all the way out Z00, Then play with the focus. On my DVX, in those settings, I have to be on M99 to get sharp focus, if I move from 99 to 98, there's a noticable loss of focus on the LCD. Can you guys duplicate this? It seems that this anomaly diminishes away as the Iris closes down. Could it be due to the fact that the DVX lense is extra wide? Thanks!

Jon Fordham September 26th, 2003 07:34 AM

I've not experienced that particular issue.

I can tell you that by closing the iris, you are giving yourself more room on the depth of field and that's why the problem dimishes. In other words, the more open the iris is, the shallower your depth of field. The more you stop down, the deeper your focus becomes.

The lens being extra wide actually contributes to exactly the opposite of what you're describing in terms of focal length. The wider the lens, the less noticable the depth of field becomes. Especially on a 1/3" CCD. The longer focal lengths is where you should notice a difference in focus changes.

However, due to the resolution of Standard Definition, most wide shots are going to tend to be a little on the soft side simply because of the resolving power of the lenses, CCD's, and standard.

I can tell you that in my experience, the DVX100 is worlds above others in its class when it comes to getting good wide shots. The resolving power of the lens, the higher pixel count of the CCD's, and the full 480P vertical resolution in progressive scan mode give the DVX100 a distinct and noticable advantage at capturing clear and sharp wide shots.

I've seen the DVX100 flip from normal focus to Macro focus going from 51 to 49. I can see that pretty easily. But you shouldn't be able to tell a difference in focus going from 99 to 98. Especially on a wide lens.

Juan Garcia September 26th, 2003 12:31 PM

AG-DVC80 pal
 
Hi, ist going to be released the panasonic AG-DVC80 camcorder in pal ???

Barry Green September 26th, 2003 05:04 PM

Yes, it's definitely coming in PAL, if it's not out already.

Matthew Kaplan October 2nd, 2003 12:34 AM

A bit Nervous, what with the normal settings get me?
 
I'm shooting a short film.

Nervous about setttings. Want to get the basics and then have fun later.

I want to shoot 24 normal, what does that give you?

What setting should i play with that will give me more of a film look.

I"m looking for a happy feel. It's a comedy piece.

I'm still unsure about how to use zebra (which one, 70 or 100)

Which shutter speed 1/50 is default I believe.

Stupid question, I just plug the mic into input 1 and make sure I'm getting soound in the headphones. It is as simple as that right?

coudl I hear sound in the headphones and it not record to tape?

Barry Green October 2nd, 2003 12:25 PM

Don't be nervous, it'll do fine.

24P Normal is fine, the stock settings are good.

You won't need to change the settings for more of a film look, it's already fairly optimized and film-looking. You might be able to tweak a percentage here or there, but it's pretty good out of the box.

The "happy feel" will be more dictated by your lighting style and art direction. Lots of high-key light, strong fill, avoid sharp contrast. And put colorful objects in your scene -- in wardrobe, in set dressings -- as long as you're photographing a happy-looking set, you'll get a happy-looking feel, much moreso than a tweak of camera settings will give you.

As for Zebra, the great thing about the DVX is that it gives you both, 70 and 100. Use 70 to set exposure for faces, the shiny bits (noses, foreheads) should just be showing some 70% zebra. Use 100% to make sure nothing is "blowing out" in your picture (i.e., you ideally shouldn't see ANY zebras in the 100% setting, but if you do, they should be isolated "hot spots", like a visible light in the frame or the sun or something).

Don't worry about shutter speed, leave it to "shutter off" and you'll get 1/48th or 1/50th.

As for the mic, use a good-quality microphone, and if you're using a mono mic (and no mixer) you might want to plug it into input 2 instead of input 1, that way you can record audio to both audio tracks. Make sure the line/mic input switch is set appropriately. And check your levels, average talking should hit at around -12db, with the loudest sounds coming in just below the peak 0db setting (i.e., loud talking will go into the red but shouldn't hit the rightmost red mark). -12db is denoted by the slight vertical line on the audio meters. And if you're recording the same audio on both channels, turn down the volume on one of the channels a bit, for clipping protection -- record one channel at normal volume, and the other a notch or two lower, so if something really loud happens, you'll have some headroom on channel two to hopefully prevent clipping and distortion.

Christopher Go October 6th, 2003 08:40 PM

New Underwater Housing for DVX100? (Photos)
 
Here are some pictures of an underwater housing for the Pansonic AG-DVX100. Not sure if these will make it over to the US or if they're already here but check out these photos from a Japanese site (helps out if you have the Japanese language font for your browser, otherwise the text will look garbled):

http://www.netwave.or.jp/~shioya/dvx100top.htm

http://www.netwave.or.jp/~shioya/sbp510.htm

http://www.netwave.or.jp/~shioya/dvx100a.htm

http://www.netwave.or.jp/~shioya/dvx100b.htm

Could our Japanses speaking members translate the info for us?

Alturo Nguyen October 7th, 2003 09:17 AM

that's just something someone made in cad...
looks great, but it's a pipedream
that's the one i was referring to in my post where i'm looking for reviews/footage from an underwater housing

Jarrett Towe October 7th, 2003 06:08 PM

Suggestions for cam setup, wedding this weekend 80 degrees...
 
And full sunshine in Atlanta! Any ideas on how to setup the camera? I am using a ag-dvc80 btw!
Thanks also to all those who helped me with my auto gain function today.

Peter Sieben October 8th, 2003 02:12 AM

PAL footage from DVX100 online?
 
I am considering to buy the PAL version of the DVX100. I will rent it for two days in a couple of weeks to test it myself. Until so far I only have seen pictures and info at the internet.

Has anyone some good quality MPEG2 clip online that I could download, which I can use to check the 25P quality on a big tv-screen?

Many thanks!!

Peter Sieben

Frank Granovski October 8th, 2003 02:50 AM

Before you rent one, go try one out at the shop. See if they can hook it up to a large screen TV. Whether you use 25P or PAL interlaced, I'm sure you'll find the video quality very good. This cam has received very high ratings in a number of reviews.

Peter Jefferson October 8th, 2003 05:57 AM

USE the ND filters, run a white balance against somethign BRIGHTER than the dress... (if its white...) ive almost lost some shots by doing white balances on a white card while indoors, and the dress (being textured) captures more light and you get alot of "see thru" light which can be brighter.

set your two user buttons for 18db gain and the other for backlight compensation.

apart from that, have fun...

Dale Anthony Smith October 10th, 2003 04:20 PM

Part II Lens Hood Filter Holder Plus Hood Ext
 
Once I had the filter holder working on the stock lens hood, I thougth about keeping the light a little more off of it.
I made this extension hood by placing a large card at the distance from the lens where I wanted the hood to end. (at the end of the Steadycam JR) Then zoomed all the way out and traced the edges onto the card where they were just out of frame (plus a little safe area). This gave me the outside dimension. The inside dimension is, of course the hood (plus the thickness of velcro around it. The hood is made of illustrator board and grey tape and painted with wrinkle black from an auto parts store. It looks pretty good and works great. The thickness of the board comes just flush with the filter... I was planning to add a velcro strip to hold the filter in at the top but it isn't necessary. The filter is much closer to the lens than the matteboxes put it (it just clears the mic).


http://www.2pff.com/cgi-bin/more.cgi?118

pics of original retrofit:

http://www.2pff.com/cgi-bin/more.cgi?110

http://www.2pff.com/cgi-bin/more.cgi?111

Rob Lohman October 12th, 2003 12:05 PM

Looking nice!

Neill Dela Llana October 14th, 2003 12:02 PM

Crystal Vision
 
Anyone have any experience or reviews on the Crystal Vision wide angle lens? Barrel distortion? good quality?

Rob Lohman October 15th, 2003 11:40 AM

Someone doesn't seem to be too happy about one here

Peter Sieben October 17th, 2003 01:57 PM

Testing DVX100/XM1 and buying DVX100
 
After renting a DVX100 (PAL) for a day to test it I've already ordered it. So hopefully I'll join you all in two weeks time when the camera arrives.

We did a head to head test between a Canon XM1 and DVX100, making outdoor and indoor shots. We both pointed the lenses to the same scenery using tripods and both camcorders where directly connected to a large tv.
In the video-mode of the DVX100 the image looked a little better than the XM1. Lesser contrast, more finer and details. But not a big world of difference.
Then we switched on the 25P (PAL!) modus and then we where shocked by the quality of the DVX100 footage. I was sold! On indoor shots with daylight coming from the window, we discovered that there were more details in the shadowside of objects in the room and also more details visible in the windowside of the same objects. More like a photocamera.

Ofcourse a couple of minor things that could be approved were found. Like the unhandy plastic power-switch and the distance for the thumb of your right hand to the recording button inside of it. And the big number of buttons on the bottom-leftside and front of the camcorder. Not always very handy, but that's just a matter of getting used to.
Comparing this with my current Sony TRV30 consumer camcorder I know that the practical side of the TRV30 (and it's reasonable quality of the image) make me keep the Sony for quick shots around the house etc.
The DVX100 will be used for projects and short movies. Can't wait to start the first new project with it!

Peter Sieben

Aaron Koolen October 17th, 2003 02:09 PM

Hey Peter, good to hear! Good luck with your new camera!

Cheers
Aaron


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