Mike -- sorry the delay; I, too, have had a lot going on. Hope your wedding goes well!

Thanks for checking out my videos - I'm glad you liked them. In fact, the Secret Machines interview was helped in a way by some of the people here at dvinfo.net. As I worked on segments, I posted them here for feedback. The feedback for two previous segments helped me in editing the Secret Machines one.

Speaking of feedback, I actually first read your post a few weeks ago and visited your site at that time; I've checked it out again tonight. I see that you've added a Flash video on your splash page. Personally, I'm not a huge fan of video or animated content being thrown at a visitor, especially if there is audio, but that's just my opinion. I would suggest at least adding a very visible "Skip" button -- at my screen resolution I could barely make out the nav menu bar at the top of the page. If I were just a casual visitor, I would have just closed the window once the video started and skipped the site altogether. Making it easy for the user to just enter the site means you get fewer "drive-offs."

That said, I think you've got some good work on there. The 8 Kount video/ad looks good and fits the song. I think you've got some good advertising concepts as well, such as the In-Store Display and Media Coupons. The Dub Dash 3 piece is really good, as well -- the pacing and your choice of shots and editing work very well.

My only other suggestion would probably be that you need to use a consistent video file format for your Samples page. Instead of each video being offered in random formats (some are wmv, some are mp4, one is mpeg), pick at least two formats - probably wmv and mp4 or mov - and stick to them for all your videos.

But your stuff looks good -- I'm glad there's another DVC80 user out there doing good work with this great camera. Good luck!

Thanks for the comments. It's very helpful advise that I am going to take.

I'm trying to encode everything to wmv files. It seems that 90% of my clients have only windows. I still need to find the time to re-encode the other clips.

I don't like the splash screen anymore either. I'm going back to putting the promo on the front page with a play/pause button.

Thanks again for the taking the time to help me out. Please shoot me an e-mail from time to time and let me know if I'm driving off the road.

Have a great week!

Best camcorder device for playback for my dvc80
 

I just recently got a dvc80. I love this camcorder alot cause of the cool features that saves me lots of time. The prob I have is I'm capturing video through my optura 20. The optura 20 will not play the sound off my tape recorded by my dvc80. It plays the tape perfectly recorder by my pd150 just not the dvc80. Both tapes are the same brand. I play it through the dvc80 and it plays just fine. Is there another camcorder I could purchase very cheap to play the dvc80 footage I record onto tape and play the sound as well? I know it's a very similar camcorder to dvx100 minus 24p. What do you guys use? I want to save on the threads.

Thanks
Monday

Ive been using a canon zr-80 for a couple of years with no problems at all with my DVX footage.

Many thanks. I'll look into that model.

Monday

i dont think the ZR-80 is in production still but im sure they have a replacement model.

Thanks Matt. I was looking at a zr300 relatively cheap, you gave me a good lead with the zr models.

Monday

It may not be the camera you are using for playback that is the problem. What I have noticed with the ag-dvc30 is that the normal panasonic tapes will not play correctly in other cameras. I now use panasonic ay-dvm63mq professional tapes and other camera's have no problems with sound or drop outs playing them back. I cannot tell you the reason for this, but that has been my experience. I also only use the panasonic brand tapes because there are some issues with switching brands due to different lubricants on the different tape brands and panasonic is what I started with. I don't know though if there are differences in the different grades of tapes within the same brand. Perhaps someone else knows this.

So using professional quality tapes seems to get better results when shooting with these pro cameras and playing back on other devices. Good luck.

DVC80 White balance issue
 

Hi, I have this great camera but I'm not so sure about this white balance business.. When I try to set it manually like a good boy with the white card and all that, the resulting picture looks pale, the people look dead! So I've been using the 5600 preset, this makes them a bit too red/tan/hot, but it's better than the dead look of course - is there a way to get a good in between type setting? I feel like I'm half-assing it as of now.

Well, there could be a number of variables here, from the type of lighting to your aperture setting. You may also want to try warm cards, which may help with the problem -- giving you a sort of "in between" solution like you mentioned (search "warm cards" here and you'll find a number of threads about it, which will probably explain them better than I can)

I don't recall having this bad of a problem with the DVC 80, but I do tend to tweak my footage during editing. If possible, post a frame or two (or a whole clip), and someone might be able to point out any other variables that might be in play, as well.

Well the shoot had to be put on hold due to sound problems, but I rendered a frame in Vegas under the uncompressed setting for AVI (attached). This looks like what it looks like on the timeline. I noticed that if I render to NTSC DV avi it's a LOT darker for some reason so I figured uncompressed is what I should post so you can see what I'm seeing. Also here is a picture of the halogen shop lights I'm using. I have two of them, one on each side of the subject shooting straight up at the white ceiling and this is what I got. I didn't have any warm cards but I looked at the site and looked around the place and found light light blue paper that looked similar to the warm card so I went with that to get the white balance. How does this look? What can I do to improve the shot?

http://82.165.178.48/de/catimg/small/L-850.JPG

That's nowhere near as bad as I was expecting! The skin tones look relatively natural given the shooting conditions -- unless this guy is a lot tanner in person, I guess. I'd say this is on par with what I'd get out of my DVC80 in similar circumstances. In my amateur, layman's optinion, I'd say that's close to what most DV cameras (similar to the DVC80) would look like, given the lighting and set conditions.

The main problem I can see offhand with the image, though, is the wide range of contrast going on. Black shirt/black background with white skin and a light-colored guitar body is probably a greater range than you want. This may be causing you to use a wider aperture than is necessary for his skin, making his skin look lighter. Add in the limitations of your lighting and your video is going to look much like, well, video.

Again, this is all amateur, armchair opinion on my part. Perhaps a good question to ask would be, what did you want/expect your footage to look like?

well that's good to hear that I didn't do too bad! I guess I was just hoping for the subject to look more tan and less pale. But I'm not using pro lights so I guess these halogens are also what are causing the pale look.. The black shirt is intentional for the next part of the video where all that is shown is the left hand on the guitar neck, so there's no distraction for the student.

Here's a thread from 2005, about how I found 3200K bulbs that fit Home Depot halogen worklights:

http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?t=37169

Combined with an inexpensive 3200K photoflood blub w/ reflector, this gives you an inexpensive lighting setup with a known color temp for you to work with. Note the caveats from other members, though. The site I used is mentioned in that link; they may have bulbs for your lights, as well.

I think it's also a matter of how you're lighting the area. As you'll read in the above link, I pretty much throw light around the same way you do. I think a more controlled lighting set up (be it 3-point or whatever) might also help -- even if your subject looks pale, he won't look flat and pale.

And if it's not too late, you still might want to consider a different shirt. Perhaps a solid blue or green (I'm sure someone here could tell you what colors would look best). That would still give you that solid background you need for the fretboard and hand, but without soaking up all the light. At the very least, a different colored background behind the guitarist might help ease the problem.

And don't forget your color-correction options when you are editing. That can really help bring out some of those skin tones.

And just for comparison's sake, here's a link to an interview I shot with the DVC80:

http://karatemedia.com/secretmachines/

The interview was lit mostly by exisiting room light (it may have been augmented by one of my lights, but it was basically similar in set-up to your video) and the shots are a mix of untouched DVC80 footage and footaged tweaked in After Effects -- but all the color footage was shot on the DVC80. I think the untouched footage looks much like yours, while the "tweaked" footage has some interesting tones that I would not have gotten naturally in that setting. It's nothing mind-blowing, but I think it shows the DVC80 in a couple of different environments.

That's pretty cool =) What is After Effects?

Also, is there a way to tell what the color temperature of the bulbs that are in my lights now are? I don't evne have the box or anything that came with the lights a long time ago when I bought them..

Thanks!

Adobe After Effects is a compositing software that can be used in a variety of ways, from color-correction to animation.

As for what temp your current lights are, I don't know of any offhand way to check that - I doubt it's mentioned on the box. If they were just the stock bulbs that come with halogen lamps, my guess is that the temps might vary from bulb to bulb, since they are not specifically being manufactured for photographic purposes. But someone in the lighting forum might know a better answer.

DVC80 shooting advice for video for web
 

Hi, I'm going to be shooting some video that will be viewed only on the web (no televisions) on my DVC80. Can anyone give me any recommendations for shooting as well as editing (I use Vegas) and have On2 Flix Pro (for creating FLV) so that I end up with very high quality video for web?

For example, I know that video on a CRT computer screen is always a lot darker than on a TV, so is there some way to have good bright video on the CRT computer screen, is there a higher black level for video on the computer?

I guess you can see what I'm trying to determine?

Glad to see you're still enjoying the DVC80.

Your best bet is to review the Video for Web section: http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/forumdisplay.php?f=37

There's nothing particularly unique about the DVC80 w/r/t shooting for the web. Search the above forum and you'll find that pretty much anybody's experience with any typical prosumer SD camera will be about the same.

Head Count of DVC80 Owners!!
 

just wanted to see how popular this camera is. i got one and love it so.
did not really need the 24p so i got a real good camera for less.
just let me know how you feel about this great camera

I have one that I bought from another member a few years ago. I also really like this camera. I don't really care for 24p, but I am starting to want native 16x9.

I've had a DVC80 for a couple of years now and I'm still happy with it. Admittedly, had I had the extra money to afford the DVX100 (and the foresight to realize how popular it would be), I may have considered it, but for my purposes at the time, 60i was all I needed.

I also know that the University of Georgia's Broadcast Journalism department bought up a few of these a few years back, as well.

And, as I always do in these forums, here's a link to some of my work, shot with the DVC80: http://karatemedia.com/video/ -- not the greatest stuff in the world, but I think it shows that the DVC80 produces footage comparible to similar 60i cams, like the PD150.

Hey Nate,
I also have a dvc80. I really like this cam a lot. I love the ability to have program settings. I can have two white balance settings one for outside and one for indoors. Once I finish a Ceremony and we head out of the church I only have to flick the switch to the next WB setting I programed earlier and I'm ready to go. I don't have to set the WB as they are greeting people. I also really love the audio dials on the side! I don't have to go through the menus to lower or increase the levels. Only thing which would be so sweat is if it had native 16X9. Since it doesn't my next cam is the XHA1, it has similar controls to dvc80 (being more on cam than in menu). The dvc80 is a sweet cam, use it a whole lot more than my PD150.

I have 2
 

I liked the DVC80 so much I bought a second one as a 2nd camera/backup. I did a lot of research before buying the first one an keyed in on the 80 as if fit my needs perfectly and then discovered they had been discontinued. I lucked into my first one on e-bay and bought my second one through this site. If anyone's in the market some guy has a pair on e-bay for sale.

good camera
 

I have DVC80, too. Reliable camera, great image, very durable.

At the time I bought the camera i didn't need progressive, but today I wish I had progressive shooting capability.

The money I saved by buying the DVC80 allowed me to get a decent Miller tripod and a Panasonic carrying case for the DVC80 and accessories.

I have one and it's been a great camera for me. Starting to get the itch for something new though.

me too
 

I've been an AG-DVC80 owner since December 2003. I've had the Panasonic 16:9 adapter for about a year, and the camera meets my clients' needs just fine. I find it funny how all the gadget guys approach me at events and ask if it shoots hi-def.

If not for its large size and bulky case, the DVC80 would be an awesome camcorder for personal use. Even my technically-challenged wife can press the AUTO button and shoot with pretty good results, as its weight helps her get steadier shots than with our little GS120. However, because of its compactness, the GS120 sees all the action unless lighting is tricky (such as a dance recital). I also mount my GS120 to the roof of my Jeep for taping offroad excursions. I take a lot more risks with the "toy" camcorder. A Zip-Lock bag and rubber band go a long way in protecting it from dust, sand, and rain.

T.J.

I've Got One- DVC 80
 

Awesome Camera. Great quality images and very reliable. I have shot quite a few money making events with it and it has never let me down. What other 1/3 chip camera can you compare it too? I really like the wide angle lens...good Leica glass. I also like all of the controls at your finger tips, XLR on camera inputs etc. Fortunately I purchased this camera just a month before Panasonic discontinued it.

White Balance
 

I think John he quite right. The lighting may be the biggest reason there is such a washed out look. Check out Walter Graff on the web. He has good lighting video's and tips.

eh, I gave up on trying to make it look pretty via the lighting and just increase the saturation in Vegas, then I can make it look just the way I want...

Have you considered the camera setup? Tint = green to red, color saturation, black level, sharpness, color matrix, etc. are adjustable for each of the camera's six scene files. The best way to set these up are shoot a subject under controlled lighting (I did this with 3200K incandescant bulbs in my basement at night, so daylight didn't mix with electric light). With the camera on and your subject exposed to taste, connect the video out to a properly calibrated monitor or TV. (You can calibrate it using the color bars on the DVC80.) Then play with the scene file settings to create your own preferred look(s). For example, I have scene files for factory defaults, filmic, soft edges, boosted contrast, boosted color saturation, and office/fluorescent lighting, all named accordingly.

As for lighting, try diffusing the light with diffusion paper. You can also use tracing/tissue paper (far from the lamps to avoid a fire!), or white bed sheets witha low thread-count white.

I hope this helps.

Thanks for the reply. I found a way to get the picture perfect actually. I just use two of those halogen worklights and attach them on the left and right side of the subject, about 3 feet or so in front of him and point them straight up and slightly away from the subject. The ceiling is white so I guess it reflects the light down or whatever. Then, I found a button on the side of the camera near the autofocus button that says "AUTO" When I push it, it saturates the picture better and everything looks perfect. Not only that, but the video looks good on both the computer monitor as well as the TV screen. So I'm not going to mess with it anymore, wish I had this quality of picture on some of the other videos I shot, as some of them looked washed out (I shoot against a black background)

So for anyone reading this with similar problems, if you can shoot your video in a say, 12'x12' room or so, and shoot halogen lights directly up and a white ceiling, it will look good, don't forget to use that AUTO button too!

As far as diffusing light goes, I tried that using those flexible plastic cutting boards, they diffuse light well, but it's really not necessary if you have a white ceiling in a small enough room so that the halogens fill the room with light.

Well... reflected light is the most diffuse light you can get. Pointing some 800 or 1000 Watt tungsten light to the ceiling or the corner of a ceiling is probably the most used quick and dirty lighting technique in the tv business. The downside is the light is boring because it's just soft and nice and it's the same everywhere.

As for the white balance issues - try holding a 1/4 CTB (color temperature blue) gel in front of the lens when white balancing - the pictures will be a few hundred Kelvin warmer and look great. However, DV camcorders other than pro shoulder mounts often white balance in steps - that means balancing with or without the 1/4 CTB will just look the same (even the DVX 100A doesn't seem to make a difference between 1/4 CTB and no CTB.
If that's the case with your camcorder as well (it doesn't balance exactly in 100K steps) then you could always just use 1/4 CTO (color temperature orange) gels in front of your lights after white balancing - same effect, only it won't affect light sources which are not gelled.

Another gel I sometimes like for skin tones is called "cosmetic rouge" from Lee filters. It's some reddish skin tone with a little diffusion (however not much diffusion). Though I only like it for the keylight - as soon as it hits a white wall or something the color looks a little odd.

DVC80 for 1,100 dollars( US) |Worth the Price?
 

I'v just bought a second hand DVC80 with 391 hours on the taphead. My question, Is it worth the price?

Frankly, you are the only one who can answer that question. If it does the job for you, i guess it's worth it no ?

It's not a bad price.


Have fun

Philippe

Thanks Phillippe, Yes it does the job for me. But what I mean is it worth the price the fact that it is a 2003 model and it' was face-out for a long time, and second the hours meter on the tapehead.

Again thank you.

Jade

I had mine and sold it with 390 hrs on head for $900 on ebay as nobody wanted a SD camera at the time it was a year ago. I'd say it's a good deal. You'll get it between $900-$1100.

DVC80 Chroma Level/phase
 

It's my first time to use a prof. camcorder. I have a GS500 in which I learn some basic manual settings. Now that I owned a DVC80 there are some features that I'm not sure what it will do to the image if i play around it. There are two features that i want your input how to use it and when to use it. It's the chroma level and chroma phase. Please help the new babe in the field of videography.

Chroma level is the amount of color in the picture. You can adjust how much intensity the colors will have. Chroma phase is adjusting the color spectrum. So you can make the overall picture more blue or more red. These are definitely cool things to work with, but remember that whatever you set it to is what is recorded on the tape. Usually it is better to do any kind of color correction in your editing program. That way you can tweak it and change it more easily. If for some reason you don't plan on editing and just putting it out to another media for distribution, then that is where you might want to adjust at the camera. Another reason would to use it as a test bed to make sure the lighting or clothing, etc. will look the way that you want with that particular color look. But it would be better to do the actual recording in standard mode and then tweak in post. Hope this helps.

Thanks David. I think what you say is right. It's better to do color correction in post. Now, I know what Chroma Level and Phase mean. Thanks, this is such a woderful forum where the experts help the newbabes.