DVX100A problems

Paul Chato · February 9, 2005

I am looking into purchasing a camera in the DVX100A class. I rented a brand new 100A and spent a very frustrating week with it. Am I the only one who does not get this camera? I used official Panasonic tape but this thing was clicking and burping in standby constantly. The fast forward and rewind would just stop on its own. (I hate the direction arrows, they go the wrong way).

While trying to transfer footage to FCE the connection would cut out and I would get the New Tape message constantly.

I couldn't figure out the tape counter. It would constantly zero itself. I couldn't get other time code options to work either. The constatnly regenerating smte code was very confusing. This camera was way more confusing then even the Betacams I used to lug around.

Reading the manul over and over didn't help either. Perhaps we are not meant for each other. I guess my question is, why is everyone in love with this camera?

Phil Rhodes · February 9, 2005

Hi,

The constant clicking while in standby and "New Tape" messages sounds like a faulty camera. Get it looked at.

Often on these little cams the counter resets when you eject and reinsert the tape. Perhaps you were doing this to try and clear the tape fault, or perhaps the tape fault was causing a similar problem.

Or, you could have been seeing the timecode problem you get when you don't record conttinuously down the tape - leave gaps and it'll keep resetting to zero/

Phil

Demian Barba · February 9, 2005

hi,

i have used the dvx 100a very often lately. i found it very user friendly and i am very pleased with the results. i would not go as far as asying that i love it. i actually have some mix fellings about it, but those are the result of all those imbeciles who just because they have a crappy script, a dvx 100a and a couple thousand bucks they think they should make a movie...

but let's not blame the camera for that. so far the only, more or less constant, problem i had is with timecode, which sometimes regenarates and sometimes repeats itself. as for the stand by, if you go to the menu, under "other functions" you'll find "tape protection". there are two options: "power off" and "stand by". the first one is the annoying one that turns the camera off every five minutes.

i agree, that little knob/button for the menu and VCR controls can be very frustrating, but if FCP was giving you problems i doubt it is the camera's fault, specially if it is brand new. perhaps the cable, perhaps the firewire port in the cpu.

Preston Herrick · February 9, 2005

I've shot with and own full size pro cameras as well as the DVX. Although there are a few things that take getting used to, I like it a lot. Based on the problems you describe it sounds like you got a dud (which isn't common). A previous renter probably got a number of menu settings screwed up too.

nchopp · February 9, 2005

Agreed. The camera is quite straight-forward to operate, and I've worked with quite a few of them - haven't run into any problems like you've described. Granted, I also hate the stupid little menu control\tape control knobbie thing.