Confused about dvx100b and focus

[Ashley Cooper]

I'm looking to upgrade from my pd150 and apparently have until tuesday to make my decision to get the discount, so I was wondering if you can follow focus with the DVX100b, or does it have one of those continually spinning focus wheels like the pd150? Thought I read it was continuallt spinning but you could follow focuc, but that makes no sense to me.
Also, I wish I understood why places like B&H and Armartos list this sale as ending on Feb 28 when Panasonic lists it as March 31 (that would give me a lot more time to get up to speed!).

Thanks ahead of time for any help!

[Barry Green]

Originally Posted by Ashley Cooper

I'm looking to upgrade from my pd150 and apparently have until tuesday to make my decision to get the discount, so I was wondering if you can follow focus with the DVX100b, or does it have one of those continually spinning focus wheels like the pd150? Thought I read it was continuallt spinning but you could follow focuc, but that makes no sense to me.

You can absolutely track focus with a DVX. The ring doesn't have hard stops, but it's totally repeatable and precise. You can even get an add-on focus ring from Century Optics which adds hard stops and a markable ring. With the focus distance readout scale (MF00-MF99) that shows up in the viewfinder, you can totally do repeatable rack focus moves and hit your marks with the DVX.

Also, I wish I understood why places like B&H and Armartos list this sale as ending on Feb 28 when Panasonic lists it as March 31 (that would give me a lot more time to get up to speed!).

Don't know why B&H and Armatos have the wrong date on there. The only date that matters is the one on the Panasonic website, because that's where you go to file the rebate.

[Ashley Cooper]

Barry, thank you very much for that fast response! Just to clarify (having done a little research) without the Century Optics item you couldn't really have a seperate focus puller, could you? Or would you still be able to get away with the old school grease marks for focus points? Also, do the focus numbers start over again? For example, if you had focus points at say 75 and 25, would it work in such a way that if you accidentally went upwards from 75 you would start over again at 0 and would still hit you point at 25?
Weird about the discount. Armatos has mention of different kinds of discounts, most under $400, but they all end on Feb 28 I believe. I find that very strange.

[Barry Green]

Originally Posted by Ashley Cooper

without the Century Optics item you couldn't really have a seperate focus puller, could you?

Sure you could. Turn the LCD panel flat against the camera body, and let the focus puller use the MF00-MF99 readout in the LCD display to use for pulling focus while you use the viewfinder. Works fine.

Or would you still be able to get away with the old school grease marks for focus points?

You could if you wanted to, but it's easier and more precise to use the numbers.

Also, do the focus numbers start over again? For example, if you had focus points at say 75 and 25, would it work in such a way that if you accidentally went upwards from 75 you would start over again at 0 and would still hit you point at 25?

The numbers are absolute positions relative to the internal position of the lens focus elements. If you're using the numbers to track focus, they will always be accurate.

Grease marks may or may not be accurate depending on if you push the ring past the infinity point or lower than the M.O.D. point. But as far as the numbers go, each one is a definite position and will be always 100% repeatable.