DVX100 ANDROMEDA

[ryan knight]

Does anybody think, at this point in acquisition technology, its worth buying a (well-priced) used DVX100 Andromeda?

 

RK.

[Aaron Solomon]

Depends on what your shooting, but I would go with something at 1280 x 720 at least at this point, like the HVX-200, which can also reach 1080.

[Adrian Sierkowski]

Be careful on the HVX, it's not "really" 1080. It does some interesting things with pixel shifting, but it doesn't have a "full" hd sensor block. If memory serves, it's somewhere around 960x520, or some strange number there'bouts.

[Saul Rodgar]

The DVX Andromeda is an aftermarket mod to DVX100s where they tap into the sensor, bypassing the limitations of the DV compression and colorspace:

 

"The Andromeda system allows recording of 4:4:4 (Full RGB) Uncompressed digital video from your Panasonic DVX-100P/AP/B. Bypassing the in-camera processing, the Andromeda system utilizes the full 12-bit color precision available inside the camera, and yields additional dynamic range, particularly on the highlights. The dynamic range gains have been measured to yield a total of approximately 9.5 stops latitude, which is about a 2.5 stop improvement over the standard DV output. "

 

http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/alternative-im...-available.html

 

They seem to have gone out of business since I last heard about them. They had plans to modify the HVX200 as well. Dunno what came of that. The DVX Andromeda shot HD in some configuration, can't quite remember now. Here is some more info:

 

http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/panasonic-p2hd...our-hvx200.html

 

If the price was fantastic, I'd consider buying one, taking into account that the folks who modified it seem to have vanished and that support is probably out of the question at this point in time. ;)

[Aaron Solomon]

Be careful on the HVX, it's not "really" 1080. It does some interesting things with pixel shifting, but it doesn't have a "full" hd sensor block. If memory serves, it's somewhere around 960x520, or some strange number there'bouts.

 

Thanks Adrian. Just wondering I was shooting some stuff on the HVX a week or two ago and I noticed a ton of chromatic abberation that was probably from the new wide angle lens this guy had just bought but I was wondering if you'd had any trouble with that and if it was a prism alignment problem? Can the prisms slip out of alightment and create chromatic abberation like that?

[Gary Lemson]

...it's somewhere around 960x520, or some strange number there'bouts.

 

960x720

[Gary Lemson]

...it's somewhere around 960x520, or some strange number there'bouts.

 

960x720

[Gary Lemson]

...it's somewhere around 960x520, or some strange number there'bouts.

 

960x720

[Gary Lemson]

960x720

 

 

Whoa! I apologize for the repeat posts…not sure what happened.

[Gary Lemson]

Thanks Adrian. Just wondering I was shooting some stuff on the HVX a week or two ago and I noticed a ton of chromatic abberation that was probably from the new wide angle lens this guy had just bought but I was wondering if you'd had any trouble with that and if it was a prism alignment problem? Can the prisms slip out of alightment and create chromatic abberation like that?

 

Could you elaborate on "chromatic abberation"? I've been running with HVX since they can out, an have noticed "interesting" characteristics.

[Aaron Solomon]

Could you elaborate on "chromatic abberation"? I've been running with HVX since they can out, an have noticed "interesting" characteristics.

 

 

Chromatic abberation is when different wavelengths of light are focused at different points because of the different wavelengths at which light travels, resulting in the final image looking as though there are replica images of a slightly different color around it. Normally its caused by different wavelengths of light passing through the lens but I was wondering if having prisms out of alignment could also do it.

[Gary Lemson]

Chromatic abberation is ...

 

 

Yes, understood. I’ve heard some folks refer to this as dispersion or distortion. With regards to your question, I will check with optics experts that I work with.

[Anthony Wike]

Thanks Adrian. Just wondering I was shooting some stuff on the HVX a week or two ago and I noticed a ton of chromatic abberation that was probably from the new wide angle lens this guy had just bought but I was wondering if you'd had any trouble with that and if it was a prism alignment problem? Can the prisms slip out of alightment and create chromatic abberation like that?

 

Could be wrong to an extent, but I am sure that the problem is when you installed the wide angle extension, the additional glass elements on the extension caused the light to bend and slow down way more than what the cameras triple sensor prizm split is calibrated for. This is one of the things that a single sensor has on the triple sensor set up, the chroma sampling is WAY better than any bayer could ever be, BUT, the calibrations and measurements for the lense elements are MUCH more sensative. And yes, they can be thrown off, just a single drop to the ground from waste height can ruin a prizm set up, or any other camera's sensor alignment for that matter.