- Panasonic AG-DVX100
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The Panasonic AG-DVX100B is a popular mid-range digital video camera.
The Panasonic AG-DVX100 was the first affordable digital progressive scan camcorder.
The camera is popular among television studios and is popular with independent film makers because of its many film-emulating features and has a large following. Currently the latest and last revision is the DVX102B. The camera records to tape, but third party developers have modified DVX100 cameras to dump raw high definition images to a tethered laptop. However, the company most known for doing this, Reel Stream, is no longer operational. The high definition successor to the AG-DVX100 is the AG-HMC150. The AG-HVX200 is considered to be the DVX100's "Big Brother".
Contents
Technical specs
Panasonic has created a complete line of cameras that support recording in 24p, which is an analog of how film cameras record frames, for independent film production.
Progressive video is rare on cameras at this price point (MSRP 2,995 USD, though the camera can be had for around 2,600 USD street price) and is different from other consumer and prosumer cameras, which typically record in interlaced video. The DVX100 is rivalled in the range of standard definition video only by the Canon XL-2 which also records progressive video.
As HD video is becoming more popular among prosumers, Panasonic has meanwhile released the Panasonic AG-HVX200, a 24p camcorder that records 1080p HD video (1920x1080) or 720p (1280x720) on P2 cards (not tape), making it one of the first professional solid-state memory-based camcorders on the prosumer market. Panasonic has also introduced two tapeless versions of mid-price range HD cameras, the AG-HPX170, which is similar to the HVX200a but lacks a tape drive, and the HMC 150, a camera that looks very similar to the DVX100b, but shoots HD onto SDHC (Secure Digital High Capacity) cards in the popular AVCHD codec.
The DVX100 contains a 3-CCD image sensor system, with 410,000 (380,000 effective) pixels each. The camera can record 24p video in "telecined" fashion (2-3 pulldown for 24P and 2-3-3-2 pulldown for 24PA), 30p video in PsF fashion (25p in PAL version), and 60i standard (50i PAL) interlaced video onto MiniDV tape. The camera incorporates "CineGamma" functionality to approximate the characteristic curve of film. [1][2]
The DVX100 also features two XLR audio inputs, another rare feature for cameras in its price range. It includes a 4-pin FireWire port, as well as S-Video and RCA in and out ports. It features manual and servo zoom, with a second zoom control and record button on top of the handle for recording from low angles.
Typical camera accessories are: spare batteries, lens adapters, matte boxes, optical filters, tripods, geared and fluid heads for smooth panning and tilting, follow focus systems, external microphone(s), and storage cases.
Films and Shows shot with Panasonic AG-DVX100
Main article: List of productions using the Panasonic AG DVX-100Many documentaries, independent shorts, and feature films have been shot with the Panasonic AG-DVX100, including the Sundance Film Festival-winning feature November and the recent Oscar nominated documentary Murderball. A Scanner Darkly was also shot using the DVX100, but processed through Rotoshop to give it a more "animated" feel. The documentary "Iraq in Fragments" was also shot with this camera over a two year period in Iraq. The popular TV show It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia is also filmed with the DVX100.
References
- ^ http://www.dvxuser.com/articles/HVX200/
- ^ http://dvxuser.com/articles/shoot3/
- ^ http://photography.about.com/library/glossary/bldef_characteristic.htm
- ^ http://www.iraqinfragments.com/background/index.html
External links
- AdamWilt.com - List of differences between the AG-DVX100 and AG-DVX100a revision.
- Videos Made using the Panasonic AG-DVX100
- New York Times and C/Net Reviews of DVX100B - Article written by Aimee Baldridge
- DVX100 settings and information links
- DVX100 Manual (PDF)
- DVX100A Manual (PDF)
- DVX100B Manual (PDF)
- DVX100B to HVX200 Technical Differences (PDF)
Categories:- Camcorders
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