need some advice

Natalie Saito · September 9, 2006

hey i've been looking into buying a prosumer dv camera for my projects. i've checked out the Panasonic DVX100A. If you know the camera well please tell me the pros and cons. it's more affordable than the xl2 but is it as good in terms of features and image quality? I hope to get a camera that's good for beginning filmmakers like myself. fresh in film school so still got plenty to learn. thanks!

Joshua Provost · September 15, 2006

It's a great camera and has been used to make many award winning features and shorts. Generally it's said to have a more "organic" film look than the Canon, which is super sharp and high-res, and I've found this to be true. It's got pretty much every feature you could want. It has better exposure latitude and low light than the Canon. The B model has the least noise of the whole line, while the A model has the most.

Cons are no interchangable lens and no true 16:9 CCD, but The DVX Squeeze mode is very good.

FWIW, you might get different answers in a Canon forum. :)

Stephen Williams · September 15, 2006

Cons are no interchangable lens and no true 16:9 CCD, but The DVX Squeeze mode is very good.

Hi,

FWIW the vario focal fixed lenses out perform interchangeable lenses by such a wide margin it's a bonus.

Unless you are going to spend $25000 on an HD zoom I don't see any advantage of interchangable lenses.

Stephen

Stuart Brereton · September 15, 2006

FWIW the vario focal fixed lenses out perform interchangeable lenses by such a wide margin it's a bonus.

Stephen, maybe I'm misunderstanding you, but are you saying the fixed lenses on the DVX are better than the Canon glass? If so, I have to disagree! The Canon lenses are far better than any fixed lens on a prosumer camera.

I've shot with both cameras and have always hated the DVX. I don't like the design, and I find the pictures vastly inferior to the XL2.

I'm not trying to start an argument here, these are just my opinions...

andybiz_2005 · October 26, 2006

The DVX100A is a good camera to use, but the newer DVX100B is even better at shooting better-quality low-light footage. Also, much of the hazardous chemicals that went into constructing the 100A has been fully taken out of the newer 100B, which makes the 100B more environmentally friendly.

If you want to shoot better low-light, I'll have to admit that Sony PD170, or FX1E does this best. If you want true progressive footage, then the DVX100A/100B is for you as the Canon XL2 doesn't record full progressive frames, only a simulated version of progressive. That's why they say 24f on the Canon XL2.

No doubt the DVX has a fixed lens, but it is a really wide lens. Panasonic chose a super wide lens compared to a telephoto lens (that the Canon XL2 excels at). It's a trade-off between wide angle lens versus zoom lens. Yes, the DVX has native 4:3 aspect ration CCDs, while the Canon XL2 has native 16:9 aspect ratio CCDs. I don't think the "squeeze" mode on the DVX100A/100B is that good, because some resolution is lost.