why 100a over 100

[John Semikian]

im going to buy one of these cameras. everyone keeps saying the 100a is the one to get. but how easy is it to convert it to ntsc so i can play it on my tv. i have final cut pro 4 though i have never tried importing pal footage and then exporting ntsc. so is it a pain or nothing at all? please somebody let me know soon because i will be buying a camera in the next 48 hours. oh and what other features does the 100a have that the 100 doesnt? ive read other posts and all i hear is "it looks better" well how? why? thanks oh and does anyone know where i can get a 100a for cheaper then $3200?

[Chris Hurd]

John,

The PVX100A is an NTSC camcorder. It will indeed "play on your TV" and since it is not PAL, you'll have no need to import PAL video.

The differences between the DVX100 and DVX100A can be learned through some simple research. Go to www.dv.com and click on the "Features" tab. Look for an article by Adam Wilt called "A Sneak Peak at the Panasonic DVX100A." There is a one-time, free registration process to see the article. To briefly quote Adam's extensive article, some of the improvements of the DVX100A are, in short:

Video:

In-camera 16:9 using 4:3 CCDs
More gamma and matrix settings
New color matrices and changes in color rendition
Minimum objective distance reduced to one-foot, eight-inches
New prism for improved color reproduction; less flare
Slow shutter speeds

Audio:

Perfect audio/video sync at 60i; much better than DVX100 at 24p

24p specific:

Gain boost and color bars in progressive shooting
Focus Assist in progressive (auto-focus, but slow!)
Instantaneous switching between progressive and interlaced modes

Operations:

Raised guards on audio pots and scene file dial
Slower power zoom speed
Three User buttons instead of two, and two additional options for those buttons
VF readout of zebra setting
Marker numerical readout extended from 90-percent to 99-percent
Color/Black and White mode for EVF
Improved lens cap

The only "where-to-buy" discussions we allow here are those that center around our Authorized DV Info Net Sponsors. They will give you the best possible value for your money. Hope this helps,

[Ken Tanaka]

John,
The DVX100 is discontinued, now superceded by the DVX100A. You'll probably still be able to find 100's in stock at dealers for a limited time, perhaps a very good prices.

There is no trick to playback on NTSC. Plug the camera into a television and press Play.

There is an enormous swell of enthusiasm for this camera; it's at the top of the prosumer hill right now. But whether or not it's the best choice for you is a separate matter altogether. In brief, this is really a camera designed from the ground up for digital video filmmakers. While it can be used for other purposes it would not be the best choice for, say, wildlife work, extreme sports, general event coverage, or just fooling around. It's also not necessarily the best choice for square-one beginners. To make the best of this camera you will need to have a bit of understanding of some advanced video imaging concepts, since the camera has features that are normally only found on much larger and more costly cameras. Not to say that a beginner can't make good with the camera, but the barriers to familiarity are a bit higher since the camera is designed for professional use (despite its daddy-cam appearance).

Bottom line: Select the camera that's best for your real needs, skills and budget.

[Ken Tanaka]

John,
Didn't you indicate that you already have a DVX100 in this thread? Did you actually mean to write here that you're getting the 100A (to replace your 100)? What's up?

[Stefan Scherperel]

let me just say that having that extra close focusing available for the 100a is a real good thing. I shot a short film, using almost entirely macro shots http://www.stefweb.net/tif.mov
It's a big file about 40 megs, so I just wanted to warn you before downloading it.
I am glad that I waited to get the 100a, but I think that if I had bought the 100 a while back, there wouldn't be any real reason to upgrade.

[Peter Nguyen, MD]

Stefan, beautiful picture in your movie with the DVX100A!
BTW- I don't get the ending, 12 years later...and what happened?

[Stefan Scherperel]

IT must have frozen on you. I have been having trouble with my hosting company for my website. I seem to have gone way over my download limit of 2GB a month so they started cutting off downloads and I had to upgrade my account. Anyways, after is shows 12 years later, it goes to a small office where a man is triddleing his fingers. In the background is dee dee's hand with a cell phone text messaging Tif. Right when tif gets the instant message the "boss" takes the phone away.
Sorry that it froze up on you.
Anybody now of a good web hosting site for under $10 bucks with at least 100megs of storage and a 5gig limit?

Thanks for your comments Peter

[Jean-Philippe Archibald]

You can try www.8-95.com

This place host my business's website for more than one year nad I never had to complain about their services.

8.95$ a month, 800 megs of space, 10 gbits of bandwidth/month.

or if you want something cheaper, 8.95 twice a year for 50 mb of space and 1 Gbits bandwidth a month.

[Stephen van Vuuren]

godaddy.com is one of the best - I have tried several cheaper and more expensive over the years, but their prices are low, toll-free 24/7 tech support and all services rolled into one. Reliable and friendly.

[John Semikian]

and yes i did already buy a 100 from over seas that my cousin had shipped to me but DHL lost the camera so i will be getting the insurance money soon. then i will probably buy the 100a

[Kaifoong Kok]

Stefan, remember to post the new link for your movie when it's available. I'm keen to see anything shot by 100A.

[Stefan Scherperel]

Ok, my site is up and running again, and now I have a gig of hd space and 10 gigs of bandwidth per month. So download away. I have also converted the file to a 20meg wmv so it looks better and is a smaller file. http://www.stefweb.net/tif.wmv