Jan Crittenden

Hi all, Some of you may not be aware that we have Scene Files in a downloadable Form on the Panasonic website. Go to: http://catalog2.panasonic.com/webapp/wcs/s...eries%20Cameras Sorry for the long url, but that gets you to the SDX900's webpage and look at the bottom for the link to the Download area. Be aware that when you load these files in it will write over your current flare settings so make a note about the flare numbers and put them back in when you have finished. Also be careful about the naming of the little files so that the naming convention stands as it is on the website. You can change the SCENE_1 to SCENE_2 but it must read like this. You could store all of these on one 32MB card if you wanted, and just organize it so that only 8 show and the rest are in folders. The camera will ignore anything that is in a folder. Use your computer to rotate the ones you want to use out of the folders. Now we have tested these extensively on the Windows environment and they work. Panasonic is a PC company and so if you are saving these from a MAC, please make note that the .TXT has to be on the file when saved on the SD memory card. Additionally, before I started any of this tom-foolery, I would go through my camera and make a User Data File by first making the settings the way you would like to have them default, then go to FILE/INITIALIZE/WRITE USER DATA. Then to recall this go to FILE/SCENE/READ USER DATA. This will be like initializing to the Factory Data but instead your data. Note but these only work in the NTSC Cameras. Well I think that is all, just have fun. Best regards, Jan

Hi, I have only one contact in Australia and they are the distributor there, Rexel. Last year I asked them this very question and they suggested Andrew Timlin of Broadcam on Ph: 61-2-9460-0344. They are in Sydney. If you are esewhere, post where you are and I will ask them again. Best regards, Jan

Hello Everyone, I am hoping everyone has found there way here and we can construct a nice network of informed users of the SDX900. Tim has gratiously opened this space for us to commune and talk about our favorite camera and how it works, and perhaps share some of the work you are doing. Looking forward to posts from you all. I'll be here checking in, helping where I can. Best regards, Jan Jan Crittenden Panasonic Broadcast and TV Systems Product Manager for AJ-SDX900 and AG-DVX100/A

Erika asked: Maybe this is due to my untrained eye, as I'm not a professional videographer or engineer...but the whole point with prosumer cameras is that you don't need to be. Or maybe it's the crappy tv I'm using as a tap? Or the lack of detail in the camera EVF/LCD? Erika, The DVX100/A is the first camera of its size to be designed from the ground up by a broadcast company for a professional user. It is not a consumer camera slightly modified to be used by professional, it is a professional camera and in that, there are controls that the more experienced user can use. Your inability to see the differences are likely in your choice of monitor. The changes that you are looking for, as noted by your questions below would not be seen on the LCD it is not big enough and does not have enough resolution. Try a good production grade monitor with SMPTE phosphor, at least 13" and at least 750 lines of res and you should see the changes. >For example: Detail Coring (not seeing a change). When you add detail, you add noise, Detail Coring offers a Noise reduction to the detail areas and makes them less noisy. Subtle but effective. >Skin Tone Detail (diddly squat). This allow you to shoot people with many wrinkles to smooth those out so that they don't look so harsh on the video. Again, subtle, and it only affects those colors that are in the same value as skin tones. >Vertical Detail (thin, mid thick...they all look the same!). This setting is only for the progressive capture. If you were to shoot for film out, you would use the thin setting, thus providing your video with 480 lines of vertical resolution; this would upconvert to a film out best. The problem is that a TV monitor and anything for broadcast of video release cannot handle that much Vertical resolution and thus you need to back it off. The Mid setting backs it down to about 400 lines and I might use this for DVD authoring, and Thick which is about 360 lines; this would be perfect for a video release or broadcast. You really would not see these differences unless you recorded something that had a lot of detail and played it back to your monitor. Not using the right setting would cause a very busy detailed scene shot with the thin detail to be very annoying to look at on an NTSC monitor. It could turn into a field of aliasing and look very messy. Keep in mind this setting is only for the Progressive shooting settings, 30, or 24P, 24PA. >Knee/Auto Knee (I know I should be seeing some change in the highlight areas, right? But...nope). Again this is probably due to the monitor that you are using. If you are using a production monitor that is not on some auto control like most TV sets are, you should see a difference as long as the scene warrants the need. Until you are more familiar I would shoot in Auto Knee. >Also, what is the Marker function (linked to the Zebra bars function, but not sure how)? The marker looks at the litlle square to the left of the middle in the VF and identifies the luminance value of what is there. This can help you determine whether you are really on the edge of the response curve. To sum up, can you sue the camera in an auto mode. Sure. Will it really shine? Given the right conditions. The point of the camera is that if you are given a scene that is difficult, you can do something about it, so that you are not a victim to the scene, but given your background, experience and ability to control the camera you can take control of the shoot, thus be empowered to come back with video that is sterling. I hope this helps, Jan

Hi, Since I am not from the UK, I cannot say what London Panasonic is into even today. I will contact you via a private message about who in LA to toalk to about Film Out, but off hand here there are a number of facilities that do filmouts from these cameras all the time. Techincolor for one on both coasts, in NYC, add DuArt, In LA look at Sunset Digital Post, EFilms, and Laser Pacific. Short list as it is a long day and i have to think about this. hope this helps, Jan

The primary difference between these two cameras is that the DVX100 is a 10 bit DSP camera and the DVX100A is a 12 Bit DSP camera. This translates to the additional Cine Gamma settings that are available in the DVX100A, more control over the image. There is also now the auto assit focus and Color Bars in the progressive modes as well as gain. Overall there were 22 improvements that Panasonic engineering worked into the DVX100A. Doesn't make the DVX100 a wrong choice as the DVX100 is stll very much a wonderful little camera, it just makes the DVX100A a little better in some ways. Hope that helps, Jan Panasonic Broadcast DVCPRO50, AG-DVX100A Product Manager