I visited the DVX-100 resource page (http://www.mycen.com.my/dv/dvx100specs.html) and see that under "optional accessories", a 16:9 conversion lens is listed, even a model number (AG-LA7200G), but I can find no reference anywhere on that site or elsewhere about it.

This is the last item I am waiting for before deciding to buy this camera. It is also the primary reason I won't buy an XL1-s, since there appears to be no way to get real 16:9 on that camera.

unfortunately it's not out yet. Panasonic has listed in the manual that there are several accessories that will be made available sometime next year, and the 16:9 lens is one of them.

Most likely this anamorphic adapter will fit the XL1/XL1S as well, as it's a 72mm diameter. As long as the threads are the same, shouldn't be a problem.

It is unclear (at this time) if the Panasonic anamorphic adapter is identical to the one reportedly under design by Century Precision. The actual lens diameter is apparently 58mm and the oversized 72mm filter thread allows the mounting of optical accessories with zoom-through and no vignetting.

<< The actual lens diameter is apparently 58mm >>

Quite correct -- my mistake; sorry.

Surfing around and I saw that ZGC is selling a (new?) 16:9 for the AG-DVX100 from Optex, or at least selling a model that is confirmed to work with the Panasonic. Does something like this work with one of those Cavision matte boxes?

At first I was unable to find it on their site, but here is a direct link should anyone need it:

http://www.zgc.com/html/anamorphic_attachment.html#xl1

(scroll up page for general information on adapter)

- Clayton

Clayton,
Have you been running any more test with the DVX-100? I recall your doing a great first review with a promise of a follow-up. I was just curious if you started the follow-up yet.

Thanks, Nick

Hi Nick,

Thanks for the nice feedback. I am still in the midst of pulling together said tests amidst using the camera currently on a short film.

Here is a link to some frame grabs (as native DV within quicktime movie) from this project:

ftp://ftp.globalartways.org/outgoing/dvx100_shoot_110902.mov
(ftp://ftp.globalartways.org/outgoing/dvx100_shoot_110902.mov)

In short, I have been *very* impressed with the capabilities of the camera when used thoughtfully. I think these frames are good examples of what it can do with some decent lighting. (As mentioned in the file, if at all possible view them out on a reasonably calibrated NTSC monitor to really see what they look like.)

I am currently touching base with Chris to post some clips of this footage. There is not a whole lot of motion but even so the results seem to do a very nice job of emulating film on a production or television monitor (haven't performed the step of converting footage to film and projecting yet...)

Hope this helps - I'd be interested in hearing anyone's feedback,
Clayton

(Also, I didn't intend to hijack this thread. If Chris, Stephen, or Terrence think that this post would be better moved somewhere else or under a different heading please feel free to do so...)

No problem Clayton. I think we're all waiting on solid information for this camcorder - I know I am. Looking forward to your further contributions, thanks for doing so.

(For those of you who were wondering, the Cavision matte box fitted for the DVX100 will work with the current Optex anamorphic adapter according to my friend who is buying one from them soon)

Thanks Clayton. Wonder if you would give you opinion on the following question. Although the DVX100's most unique feature is the film mode, how would you rate it as a camcorder for general amateur use?

In other words, if a consumer (not interested in making film-look movies) wanted a good, solid camcorder that delivered a good picture (more natural color as opposed to the blue side of the spectrum and a sharp detail as opposed to soft detail), would this be a camcorder to consider?

Thanks for continuing to share your experiences with the DVX100.

Nick

http://www.optexint.com/digivid/xlanam.htm

built for 72mm optics

around $2.5K

Yup. These adaptors aren't cheap. Perhaps just use the built-in 16:9 mode, or wait a few years for prosumer HD cams to come out.

and constrained. I'd wait for Pana to come out with something.

Century Optics showed a prototype 72mm anamorphic at DV Expo West; expect pricing around $1500 and availability hopefully before NAB.

Excuse my ignorance, but when is NAB 2003?

Jaime Valles

April 7 thru 10 in Las Vegas this year.

http://www.nab.org/conventions/nab2003/

Jeff

Panasonic has released this 16:9 Converter finally. Part number is AG-LA2700.

So is this the same thing as the anamorphic adapter everyone is talking about? It doesn't look like it will work with a matte box. Will it?

Yes this is the anamorphic adapter from Panasonic. I'm not sure about a matt box.

Anyone know how you could attach it to a camcorder with 58 mm threads? How well does it work? I'm kind of hoping this thing will drive down the price the Century and Optex adapters

DVX100 with 16:9 conversion lens , the focal lenght will be 3 meter.
Anything less then 3 meter from the camera will be off focus.
For PH150 it is 4 meters.

The 16:9 conversion lens "sequeeze" the left and right side of the picture
and fit into the 4:3 CCD of the DVX100. If this picture is playback to a
16:9 monitor it will be normal, if playback to 4:3 monitor picture will
look "thin & Tall" just like "sequeeze" from left and right.

The square hook infront of DVX100 can be taken off and fit in some light
weight matte box without support.

We have included the operation manual in our website.
http://www.biz-max.net/bizmax/ag-la2700.htm

PS: Sorry Guys, Made a mistake P/N = AG-LA7200G & not AG-LA2700.

16:9 adapter & tele lens??

Could a 2X tele lens be threaded onto a DVX or DVC then a 16:9 lens netting zoomed video at 16:9, or would stacking in this way not work?

I'm just about ready to get a PDX10 because of it's native 16:9 shooting, but if a DVC80 could be made to work as outlined above, we'd have a 16:9 (optical- not digital) image which can be perhaps zoomed.........would this work????

(I was thinking about the Century 16:9 lens- or whatever would be compatible)

You cannot stack lenses like that. But the DVC80's anamorphic adapter is zoom-through, you can zoom easily between Z10 and Z90 with no loss of sharpness or other factors. No additional telephoto is possible though.

Pardon my ignorance but what is the difference between using an anamorphic adaptor and switching the DVX to 16:9. Does the anamorphic adaptor simply give the DVX true 16:9?

Switching the DVX to 16:9 in camera just crops the top and bottom thus losing some vertical resolution. The adapter uses every bit of resolution to create a 16:9 frame.

The in-camera "letterbox" feature shoots 4:3 video with black bars on it.

The anamorphic adapter optically stretches the video so that it becomes widescreen-shaped.

If your destination is a 16:9-shaped device (like HDTV, film transfer, or widescreen NTSC) then the anamorphic is the way to go. If your destination is 4:3 (like VHS) but you want to present it in a letterbox format, use letterbox mode.

Please read my reply on the following thread. Anamorphic is not for everyone.

http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?s=&threadid=16655

i am about to order the 16:9 lens for my dvx100a and want to know the following:

1. what does the footage look like on a 4:3 tv - i use a 4:3 tv as a field monitor during shooting. will the footage look 16:9 on the 4:3 tv - ie. will it have black bars on the top and bottom of the screen? or will it looked horizontally squeezed? Also, when I make dubs of the footage to vhs, will it be a 16:9 image on the tape with black bars on the top and bottom for playback on a 4:3 tv?

2. if i edit the 16:9 footage in premiere, author a 16:9 dvd, then play the dvd on a 4:3 tv, what will the footage look like? will it play on the 4:3 tv with black bars on the top and bottom? or will it play horizontally squeezed?

the reason i am posting this question is because the guy at the camera store i asked about this said the footage would look like 16:9 on the 4:3 tv with black bars on the top and bottom, but from what i am reading online, it says it will play horizontally squeezed on a 4:3 tv...

i personally own a 16:9 tv, so it's not me i'm worried about. i'm worried about my dvd's playing on someone's 4:3 tv and looking horizontally stretched!!!

so the only way i am going to get a true answer to my question is from someone who uses this adapter with a 4:3 tv and a 16:9 tv...

thanks in advance.

During shooting it will be full-frame, squished.

During playback to a 4:3 TV, it will be full-frame, squished.

During playback to a 16:9 TV, it will look "right".

If you make a widescreen DVD, then play that DVD on a 4:3 TV, the DVD player will automatically letterbox it so that it looks "right".

If your goal is to make videos for 16:9 televisions, and to make 16:9 widescreen DVD's, then the anamorphic adapter is what you want.

1. using the anamorphic adapter and viewing the footage directly on a 4:3 tv will result in a squeezed picture.

2. i don't know about premiere specifically, but if you mark the MPEG stream as being anamorphic (check if premiere's MPEG encoder has that capability), then a standard DVD player will convert it to 4:3 by shrinking the image and putting black bars on the top and bottom. if the MPEG stream is not marked as being anamorphic, then it will apear squished on a 4:3 tv.

The adapter does not add black bars. All it does is optically squish the picture with a wider field of view.

The camera doesn't even know that the adapter is installed. There are no electronics or anything in the adapter so the camera doesn't know the difference.

i just got my dvx100 with 16:9 lens... i put the 16:9 lens on, and now it doesnt want to come off. i dont want to force it off, and it doesnt say in the instructions how to remove it. someone please help me out ASAP . thanks.

You might have screwed it on too tight and damaged the threads, or you just screwed it on too tight. Try using a little bit of force, but not too much, or try putting a cold pack on the adaptor for about 5 minutes, then try it. If those don't work, take the cam to a repair shop.

Erik, does it seem as though the lens is spinning on the threads? i had this happin to me in a camera store and even the guy behind the counter couldnt get it off. anyway, if thats what its doing, u need to tighten the screw just a bit, and twist the back threads off. the problem happines because the lens has 2 sets of threads one to attach to the camera and one to line it up. hope that helps some...

i know i tried all of that... tried tightening it, loosening it. i turn it counter clockwise and it just keeps going in a circle and it wont detatch. any other suggestions???

it just keeps going in a circle and it wont detatch. any other suggestions?Yes, you damaged the threads.You might have screwed it on too tight and damaged the threads.Suggestions?take the cam to a repair shop

any idea how much this is going to cost me? and also, when i try to record on my camera now it says "EXTERNAL DV DISCONNECT". It just flashes that text and wont record. any idea why its doing that?

i figured out how to fix the "external dv disconnect problem" so disreguard that last post. but i would still like to know how much you think it will be to repair the threading on the lens.

No idea. Why don't you call a repair shop and ask? That's what I would do.

Has anyone any experience with the widescreen adaptor AG-LA7200G with the DVX 100.? Does it cover complete zoom range.?

Many threads related this adapter (http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/search.php?s=&action=showresults&searchid=316730&sortby=lastpost&sortorder=descending), found using "Search".

Thanks Ken for your concern.

But no one seems to have used the 16:9 converter. There were lot of talk. But no real information about it. Atleast I could not even find out whether the converter covers the entire focal length range or not.

There's volumes written about it on this site and adamwilt.com. In short, yes it covers the full focal range, although it's tough to get it in focus at maximum zoom. It provides a much higher resolution picture, but only if you take care to administer it properly, meaning: bring along a high-res CRT field monitor, and keep the f-stop in line with the zoom setting to deliver maximum sharpness. Adam Wilt created a chart that shows what the maximum opening is, relative to the zoom setting, to insure maximum sharpness.