Panasonic ag-dvx100b accessories?

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Michael_Fuglas

Wow, i'm astonished by the amount of technical knowlege some of the posters here have. I have a couple questions if anyone cares to help me. Please excuse their newbish nature.

I'm getting the Panasonic ag-dvx100b, body only. What accessories do I absolutly need to mimic the "film look, (lenses ect.?) What would just be nice to have?

The 100b shoots in 24p and 30p. Why would I shoot in 24p? It seems 30p would look slightly better.

When shooting in 16:9 letterbox with this camera does it shoot to the edge of the lcd screen or is there a slight border so I can make sure the mic isn't in the frame without looking away from the lcd?

What is an anamorphic lens and why would I use it?

Any help is appreciated. Thank you.
 
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24p will match the standard frame rate of film. You need an adapter to match depth of field (e.g. http://www.mediachance.com/dvdlab/dof/index.htm

I'm pretty sure the LCD does not show out to the very edge of the video. I believe the idea is to give you a little more, rather than a little less, than what you see in the viewfinder.

The anamorphic adapter scales the image horizontally to create a 16x9 view that fits the aspect ratio of your 4x3 CCD. By optically squeezing the image to make it fill the full CCD area, you get full resolution. By contrast, if you use the built in 16x9 mode, the camera uses only a section of the CCD (image sensor), thereby reducing the image quality. The only way to get full resolution, 16x9 video with a native 4:3 CCD (like the DVX-100), is to use an anamorphic adapter.

When I got my Panasonic anamorphic adapter, it was like getting a new camera. I love the look of the 16x9 video. It "feels" like it's higher resolution than the 4x3 video shot on the same camera.

However!!!!!! If you're thinking of going with the 35mm adapter for reduced depth of field, keep in mind that you cannot use both adapters at the same time.
 
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When you say "body only"? I have to ask if you got it for a "really good deal" online somewhere. As the panny DVX doesn't have anything other than body, and the reseller can't sell you the parts in the box separately according Panasonic, it should be camera, battery, strap and everything else for about the same price as everywhere else.

Unless you're buying it used, then all bets are off...but the "grey market" resellers will open the box and sell you all the separate things in the box for more money than they would be if you bought the whole box for the regular price.

So where are you getting this camera? It pays to be a little paranoid.
 
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Any new camera in box with manufacturer's warranty comes with a battery. It is technically illegal for them to open the box and sell the parts separately. If you have warranty issues, panasonic may consider the warranty voided. The resellers warranties will only cover repair, not replacement. It's cheaper, but you're exposing yourself to lots of risk:

from: http://sheddingsomelight.com/buy-cameras/cameras-taleoftwo.html

"ShopCartUSA LLC" and "ShopCartUSA.com, Inc", mentioned on DNS and website, are not listed in N.Y. corporate registry
Click to expand...

They have no ratings at all on www.resellerratings.com ( http://www.resellerratings.com/store/ShopCartUSA )

AND MOST IMPORTANTLY:
http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/0/305/RipOff0305760.htm

Caveat Emptor (buyer beware)!
 
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thank you for the information about this scam site Knightly. I called to confirm my order and a slick salesman tried to pressure me into buying accessories for the camera and impress me by claiming to have shot weddings in the hamptons. I canceled my order and changed my card number after I got off the phone. It looks like I can't see the 100b for less than $2000. Can anyone recomend the best camera in the next lower price bracket? Thanks again for looking out.
 
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Depending on how serious you are about filmmaking, it might be worth it to purchase the DVX (once you save up the money for it). Don't forget to also look at the Canon XL series, it is in the DVX price range. As NoahK says, you might be able to find it on Ebay.

Also, when you are buying your batteries, look for high mAh numbers. You can see it clearly on the battery link you posted. The text says that the battery will last 6-8 hours, but nooooo. The mAh says 3200. That only adds up to about 3 hours, maybe less. My "8-10" hour battery only lasts about 54000. But that means it lasts about 5 hours and 40 minutes.

I wish I could find the page where I learned this, but I do know how long my batteries will last now...

-- spinner :cool:
 
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5400 mAh stands for 5400 milliamp hours, which means the battery can hold enough current to service a 1 amp (1000 milliamp) load for 5.4 hours. It does not necessarily mean your camera will operate for 5.4 hours; that would depend on the camera drawing 1 amp of current consistently, and the battery actually being able to provide adequate voltage over it's ideal charge range.

Those numbers are good for comparing batteries, but depending on battery condition and how you are using your camera (e.g. with/without the flip-out LCD display on), the number of amp hours seldom equates to hours of useful operation. It may be that the Panasonic DVX-100 pulls a nominal 1 amp of power during normal operation ... probably less, because most batteries can only be discharged partially before their voltage drops too low.
 
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That's good to know. I haven't been able to find the info on this in months.

The only thing I really know is that my battery at 5400mAh, can shoot all evening. I just need that sucker not to run out of power in the middle of a shoot.

-- spinner :cool:
 
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I just bought a 100B and while my search was on, I ran into 2 different types of scams. I ran into the same bait and switch scam for $999 at two places and also the "European Model" scam. The Euro model is different from the USA model and they advertise the Euro price, which is around $1700 or so. When you go to place the order they tell you that the camera won't work properly. They get away with it by having you go back to their website search and putting in DVX100B USA. Then the camera is $3K. The website is a US site from NY.

I reported one of the Bait and Switch sites to the BBB of NY.
 
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NoahK said:
Look for a used DVX100 on ebay- they are built like tanks. Below this camera level you don't get 24p.

Noah
Click to expand...

Not true. The Canon HV20 does 24p, and it's currently below $1000. The price on it will continue to drop slowly as well, since the HV30 is now out. The added bonus, it's HDV. ;)

True, it doesn't have all the manual control the dvx does, but you can force it to comply to your wishes for framerate and exposure, and the focus can be manual or auto (and the auto focus is wicked fast)
 
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I disagree that an HV20 or any point-and-shoot camcorder can replace a prosumer or professional video camera.

There is a huge difference in control between the DVX-100x and the consumer cameras, including the HV20. Things like a focus ring, aperture and shutterspeed controls, XLR inputs for audio, built in ND filters, a better lens, etc. make a huge difference when shooting anything that requires manual control (everything I shoot). Just try manually focusing a camera without a focus ring; especially if the camera-to-subject distance is changing during the shot.

Comparing specifications is misleading, and things like the size of the focal plane and availability of important accessories is always overlooked in favor of pixel count. For example, I couldn't use an HV20 on a jib, because there is no way to attach a wired zoom controller to remotely control the camera's zoom and focus, or even start and stop recording. IR remotes do not work reliably in my experience.

Here is a quote from the article you referenced that helps make my point:
You have to re-do that dance every time you camera auto powers-down, or every time you return from checking playback. It's not fun. I'd been getting myself used to it leading up to the shoot, and then had the alarmingly refreshing experience of dusting off the old DVX100a for the first day's shoot. On the DVX, if you want to change the shutter, you change the shutter. If you want to change the aperture, you change the aperture. And you can run with any gain you like at any of these settings. The HV20 will always open up more shutter before allowing the gain to increase, which makes sense for consumers but not for filmmakers. A day with the HV20 after a day with the DVX was a stark reminder of the filmmaker-friendly features we were giving up in order to go 1080p for less than a G.
Click to expand...
 
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