What country is "DVM Magazine" from?

seem to be from Thailand

DVC-30 Questions
 

Hi,

I was just wondering what accessories are available for what looks to be a great little camera. Are there any filters (UV, polarised) made for the lens?

My other option for a new camera was the GL2. How does the image quality between the two compare?

One more question, I noticed in the other thread the first post said that the ND filter kicks in automatically, but there seemed to be a bit of confusion or debate. Is this true, or can you enable/disable the ND filter when you want to?

Thanks in advance.

Matt,

I purchased 43mm filters, UV haze, polarizer and an ND filter (for use at the beach) and all work just fine. You should be able to get them from any camera supplier. I got mine from B&H and picked the higher grade ones for about $67.00.

The GL-2 is a good cam. I have used one several times and owned a GL-1 for 3 years. In my opinion the DVC30 is built much sturdier and is the better overall value. Image quality in my opinion is slightly better on the DVC30 but it is so close others may say they are about the same. I like the default vibrant colors on the GLs better but I think I can get close to the same look tweaking the DVC30's settings.

The ND filter on mine kicks in automatically thus my purchase of a ND filter. If any other owners know how to activate it off/on manually without manipulating the shutter speed or iris, please let me know.

Regards,

Getting a DVC30!!
 

...or at least i am pretty set on that. Here is what i am looking at for a package, all from B&H.

Camera with XLR: 2299.95
Davis & Sanford ProVista Video Tripod (Black) with F12 Fluid Head: 149.95
AGMC100 Mic: 164.95
Power-2000 3600mAh Bat: 59.95
B+H UV filter: 19.95
AG-YUSC100 Soft case: 149.95
Tape rewinder (SRW-62): 34.95

Is there anything i really need and am missing? Anything that is not really needed. Anything that i should replace? I would like to keep the price down as this is already approaching $3000.

It will be used for documentary/interview styles stuff as well as dramatic shorts.

Thanks!

Erik- I just ordered the same package (minus the tripod & battery) from B&H, expecting it Monday. You might want to check out the batteries at DVXuser.com, they were recommended highly (and $45), the dvc30 uses the same battery as the DVX100A.

Good luck with your new cam!

Mark/Eric

I have had the DVC 30 for about 6 weeks now and really like it. The key to getting it to look the way you want is the scene settings. The default setting are only passable in my opinion. For me it was +1 sharpness and +1 saturation to come closer to matching video shot on my old Canon GL-1 which is the look that I like. If you get better settings for outdoor scenes please post and I will try them out. Also, you may want to get a polarizer and ND filter latter on. I use them both a lot. Another word of advice...take care of the lens cap. It does not have a cord to keep it attached to the cam. You can rig one up though. I lost mine and had to pay $18 OUCH! from Panasonic for a new one. Now its tied on.

Regards,

Mark

Thanks! Yeah, it seems like a good camera that will suit our needs.

I guess with the filter i can just wait to see what i need. I am new to higher end video stuff (to me high end, at least) so i will have a lot to learn.

Good choice Erik, the DVC30 is a great camera. Seems like it is either underated by many, or untested by most. People seem to go with another camera in this price range instead, like a tried and tested vx2100 or a GL2.

I've kept meaning to post some frame grabs to promote what this cam is capable of, but as with most things I haven't got round to it yet ;)

I like the features this camera has, and find myself adjusting various settings to get different looks.

Good look with your new camera.

VariZoom's for DVC30
 

Will the DVX100 varizoom work on the 30? The one specifically for the dvc30 is quite a bit more expensive than the one for the dvx100.....I wonder if they're interchangeable.

Call VariZoom toll free at (888) 826 - 3399, ask for Tom Smith and find out!

Thanks Chris! I'll post what I find out.

The panny vz-dvc30 is a rebadged version of the VZ-Rock for the dvx......essentially the same product. The VZ badged version is cheaper and operates exactly the same.

dvc-30 crystal engine
 

Does the dvc-30 have the crystal engine like the gs-400 and which has better video quality in 4to3 aspect ratio since i own the the dvc-30 thinking of getting gs-400 for back up

DVC30's used on Nickelodeon show
 

Sorry if this is something that was already posted last year but as a new owner of a DVC30 I found this article intriguing. I know the a lot of the cable networks are using dv cams these days to shoot these "no budget" shows but this is the first one I've heard of that was using all DVC30's.

http://www.editopia.com/news/2173?

Four of them, to be exact! Thanks for the link,

welcome another dvc30 user
 

hey guys!! i got a dvc 30 recently and here is my quick review.

When I opened the box I was stunned at how small it was. I mean when I was looking at the pictures on BH I thought this camera was going to be pretty big. Anyways I am satisfied with it size.

Now I got this camera for taping this show in a theater that I am asked to every year and I was also pondering about taping weddings here and there. So about a week later after I bought the camera , I had to go and tape that show... Boy was I mess , I sat on the balcony while reading the manual.... Anyways thats a different story. The camera performed beautifully. The camera has a spotlight mode that lets you see inside a spotlight on stage but not at the stuff around it. So what I would do was first film in manual and then switch to spotlight, it worked admirably. Since the show was about 3 hours I had to go through about 3 tapes and I have to say that this camera ejects the tapes quickly. The white balance must be set up manually in order to achieve real whites and not a yellowish tint however. I love the zoom rocker and there are also three settings for speed of the zoom. The only thing that bothered me about this camera was that the jog wheel around the lens (or whatever its called) has too many uses (iris,zoom, focus). All in all I think this is a great camera , I just have to figure out how to use it.

Congratulations on the DVC30 and welcome to DVinfo!

I didn't know the DVC30's focus ring was multi-function like on the GS400. Thats good to know.

I can't recall if the DVC30 has the crystal engine. Wouldn't the DVC30 be a tad better in lower light than the GS400? (If that's important for you.) Also, do you use an external XLR'd mic? That would be another concern unless you're will to go with GS400's after-market external mic; which isn't too bad from what I was told.

DVC30 and scene file settings
 

I've been playing around with different file settings on my DVC30 lately and I noticed that even if the settings between two different modes are exactly the same, the resulting picture's are not.

I've got my "scene 2" setting as follows:

DETAIL LEVEL: -3
CHROMA LEVEL: +4
CHROMA PHASE: 0
COLOR TEMP: 0
MASTER PED: -11
AE SHIFT: -3
SKIN TONE DTL: ON
REC MODE: FRAME

Now my "movie-like" settings are exactly the same, but the picture is darker and almost feels fuller.

Is this because the "movie-like" setting has the Cine-like D gamma curve like the DVX, and the "scene 2" setting does not have the same gamma curve?

I don't have the camera, Bo (but I want one pretty bad), but I do believe that you are seeing the differences in the gamma curves there.

DVC30 & the GS400
 

Hi people,

I'm moving out of DJing this year and into Videography for weddings, events, etc.

I was originally going to get a GL2 and an Optura Xi and considered the PD170 but then twigged to Panasonic.

I've been doing a ton of research and I've narrowed down my choices to, well, the DVC30. However I have a bit of a quandry (sp?)

My budget will be about $4000 CDN for cameras. I'd like to get two. I'm already set for audio, lighting and a computer.

I like the DVC30 and the price as well. My second camera was going to be a GS200 to keep the 3 CCD quality. Now I'm reading that the GS400 has better 16x9 than the 30 albeit without the XLR but that's what Beachtek is for. ;-)

Should I consider 2 GS400's instead of the 30 and 200? Will I obtain solid footage or is the camera overpriced. I ask because so many know so much on this board.

Note: In Canada the retail on the GS400 is about $1800 USD and that's a good price. The DVC30 though comes out to about $2376 USD and again, that's a good price w' the XLR attachment.

Thanks,

ian

I don't know the DVC30 but my nephew had the Panasonic GS400 and I think for it's money it's very good cam.
Just wanted to let you know this.
(PS: Although I think the mic on the cam is unlucky placed, you can hear a lot of tape noise, but you'll have that with many cams I think)

Good luck.

Best settings on dvc30 for short film?
 

Hey can anyone tell me what the best settings are for my short film. I mean in the way of constrast, gamma, sharpness, and whatever else you pro guys change about your picture to get the best results. I only recently got my dvc30 and have yet to figure out what settings, frame speed etc. are best to create a short film and I'm short on time. If someone could give me a heads up that'd be great.

Century Precision Optics DS-1609-37 16:9 Adapter for dvc30
 

if were to use a stepdown ring to go from 43mm-37mm and then use the Century Precision Optics DS-1609-37 16:9 Widescreen Adapter Lens - 37mm seen here ( http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=242460&is=REG )would i get true widescreen without the image looking screwed up because i went down to 37 from 43? i ask this because i want good widescreen on my dvc30 and the 37mm centry 16:9 adapter is a little less than half the price of its 58mm version, if someone could educated me that'd be great.

I'll bet you would get vignetting (cutting off the corners of the image) by stepping down to 37mm; usually not a good idea to step down. However maybe someone else has actually tried and can give you a definitive answer.

Dvc30 & Firestore FS4
 

I'm at the point where I can purchase the Firestore FS4 to connect to my DVC30. In the pany manual page 79 it states that in camera setup you can set DV control to External and the backup unit (FS4) is controlled by the pany's start/stop button. So far so good.

But it then goes on to say that the images shot using the camcorder are recorded using the backup unit and the camercorder does not perform the recording operation.

So here is the $million question.... Does this mean you can record to the FS4 without having a tape in the camcorder?

Any thoughts?

Regards,

Mark

Evan-
Try looking at the posts on dvxuser.com, I found a few suggestions for the custom settings on the dvc30 and am in the process of trying them out. Good luck!

Depends on what look you are trying to achieve. I have found the following looks the most natural and pleasing to me for outdoor, daylight scenes.

Detail +1
Chroma +1
Phase +1
Temp +0
Pedestal 0

Regards,

Mark

no the DVC/DVX both require a tape as the recording mechanism will not trigger without a tape.

In the menu, u must set the camera to trigger BOTH

i dont have an FS4 yet (theyre not available), and by the time ill really have a use for it, DVCProHD will be available so the P2 cards will make the Firestore obsolete.

Post pics and write about your dvc30 setup!
 

While people on other camera boards love their cameras and openly converse about them, it seems like there is no love for dvc30, which is an excellent reliable cam that deserves just as much paise. After owning mine for a bit of bit and getting used to it i think i'm ready to begin tricking it out to get the most of out my cam, but because of the lack of convorsation about the dvc30 compared to other cams i have no idea what people do to theirs. So in an effort to unify dvc30 owners everywhere post pics and write descriptions of your dvc30 setup in this tread so we can find out how our fellow dvc30 owners are living. I'm talking mics, lenses, filters, stabilizers, tripods, the whole shibang! Show and tell it all here.

Matte Box for AG-DVC-30
 

Hello

I am confused as to what matte box / filter holder to get for my Pana AG DVC-30.

I am new to video but have started to use it as I travel extensivelly doing nature/art stills photography in my country.

It's a waste not to acumulate footage of the places I go.

Any sugestions as to the matte box...?
Anyone else using this camera for nature documentaries..?


Thanks to all

Leo
www.leosalazar.com

Welcome aboard DVInfo.net Leo!

Is there anyone who can help Leo out?

the DVC-30 is great !
 

Hi Evan,

I agree with you on that it's very cold on the threads and conversations front regarding this camera...

I wonder why.

I am a newby in moving pictures and so the DVC-30, along with some friends and you people in this forum, are my tutor and teachers.

Being an active nature/art photographer, I extensivelly travel the Dominican Republic (where I currently reside) growing my stock photo portfolio for my showings, direct sales or other of my ongoing projects.

I am now taking footage of the locations I work.

As expected, my travels take me off the beaten path and I am fairly happy with having added video to my photography endeavour.

My DVC-30 sits on a Cartoni ActionProDV tripod and is usually fitted with the Panasonic AGLW4307 Wide Angle Attachment, which I find of very good quality due to the low image distortion.

As I am just a newby, my opinions regarding the camera are not of much more value, at this pont at least, so I will point out my impressions.

The camera is light, easy to use and uderstand, image quality is very acceptable and is making my learning experience a very nice experience.

I think of my camera as a she so I think she is very forgiving with the focus and exposure as it's very easy to see when you are off.

The buttons with the dual functions are very intuitive and easy, but I would like to see even more explicitly if one is in camera or vcr mode.

I have nearly erased portions of a tape not figuring out fast enough that no image is being shown on the monitor due to the camera being in "camera mode".

I don't like that the ND filter is automatic and so use a .06 on the lens sometimes to reduce DoF.

Coming from photography, I really miss an optical viewfinder...

I also have tried to elicit more conversation regarding this camera by asking about matte boxes for it's 43mm lens or the wide attachment and have gotten no answer so far.

Maybe -and hopefully- your thread will prosper !

How does one post screenshots..?

Many thanks,

Leo

I'd love to see some video or at least screenshots of the IR recording mode.

I have one of the earliest production models of the DVC30 (ser no B4TC00045 is February 2004 mfg, seq no 45). It took me a few weeks to adapt to it, and a few more to understand the manual controls, but since then I have been in heaven. Better picture quality than I could reasonably expect.

I use a Cokin A filter holder on the 43mm lens and I have a wide angle adapter with a 72mm thread. For that I use the Cokin P system. By using various adapters i get to use the same filters on my photo cameras.

I agree that the unmanaged ND filter is a terrible idea and one of my frequently used filters in each set is ND, as well as the circular polarizer to handle reflections.

I have a flare-buster (www.flarebuster.com) with some additional attachment hardware from the same firm to help control lens/filter flare.

My favorite (i.e. latest) toy is a copy of DVRack (www.seriousmagic.com) and an external hard drive for my laptop. Using this I can record direct to disk while also perfecting the camera settings (really, look up the calibration and Sure-Shot functions of DVRack) and monitoring dynamic range and color matching in real time. Awe inspiring! Then I move the external 2.5" hard drive from my laptop to my edit system and go. Very nice.

My cam batteries are from DVXuser.com - excellent quality (i.e. holds charge well and lasts as long as it is supposed to) and very very cheap.

Love the cam. Love the thread. Keep it up.

Cokin makes a "Bellows hood" very similar to a matte box, but cheaper and designed to use their filters. It is available in both A system and P system formates. The 43mm DVC30 lens would use the A system. One source is

http://www.2filter.com/prices/products/cokina.html

I do not have one, so cannot tell you strengths and weaknesses.

Chris,

That is a very early model. Mine is a C4TC00510. I would echo your statement about not having a managed ND filter as a weak point. But a screw on filter solves that. I use my DVC30 on Manfrotto 3221 legs and a 501 head.

If you have used other cams it takes a little while to get aclimated to the DVC30 but when once you get the hang of it, it is very intuitive. I hope to have mine mated to a firestore FS-4 soon. I am working on acquiring an attachment that should be more functional and cheaper than the $129.00 that Focus wants. As soon as I get it all together I will post a pic.

Regards,

Mark

ok ok,
here the shots, very 1s day work, cinegamma everything(except 1 IR shot and a couple closet grabs hehe) manual WB, i think i also reduced the chroma, not sure bout detail - most likely its 0 (or deafult -2).

www.angelfire.com/indie/tomapete


I have a question thou for the xperienced users: in scene file 4, does changing Master Pedestal do anything?

Not sure if i wanna keep the camera. I hoped it would do better in low lite ((

Leo

<< I agree with you on that it\'s very cold on the threads and conversations front regarding this camera... >>

We\'re working on getting the heat turned up around here.

The more you guys post, the warmer it gets!