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Re: AG-HVX200 vs. DVX100B upgrade path
I’m looking to get a new Panasonic small format camera. Either the new DVX100B or the AG-HVX200 HD camera.
I want to get into the HD format, but I don’t want to abandon so much of my investment in the original DVX100 system.
I shot only using the 24P Advanced setting, and use the Anamorphic lens for 16:9 widescreen framing.** My question is:
Would there be any production gains from the DVX100 to the DVX100B, working only with the 24P Advanced settings?
Or, would it be better to skip over the DVX100B and go straight to the AG-HVX200 for the HD format?
I ‘m sold on working in the 16:9 widescreen format, but I know very little about HD from a production stand point.
Thanks
James –
Create Something Wonderful
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10 Replies
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If you can afford the HVX get it- but that’s a pretty big jump in price vs. the DVX100B. With the B you get a lot of nice refinements but IMHO if your DVX100 serves you well now it’s not enough to upgrade. I’ve had mine for a few years and will probably go to the HVX when the time is right.
Noah
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Thanks for the info Noah. HD looks like the next leap. 🙂
James –
Create Something Wonderful
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If you get an HVX, you will indeed think you’ve died & gone to heaven.
Okay, perhaps a bit of an exaggeration (a BIT!) but seriously, the HVX is a better DVX than the DVX100B is. It’s true native 16:9 so you do away with the anamorphic adapter and all its restrictions; it has a longer zoom lens (which you can use in native 16:9 mode to get shallow-DOF 16:9), it has a wider wide-angle, and it has all the other DVX goodness, plus it has tapeless workflow, DVCPRO50 (which, once you use it, you may never go back to DV again), and then there’s two different flavors of HD and variable frame rates too.
But, it is a steep price increase over the DVX100B ($2,000).
The 100B is a very nice refinement to the 100. I never bothered to upgrade from my 100 to the 100A, but I did sell my 100 for a 100B. 100B is lower-noise, has 16:9 squeeze mode (with proper aspect ratio display on the viewfinder), fixed “echo”, all sorts of nice refinements and improvements. Either would be a good choice, especially if you’ve been using the anamorphic adapter.
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Get the most from your DVX camera. The DVX Book and DVX DVD are now available on ebay and at Amazon (https://www.fiftv.com/db) -
I like that the DVX100B has external timecode input as well. I asume the HVX200 would also have that?
Did you mean to say that the HVX200 is only about $2000 more than the DVX100B? That’s not too bad for what it seems to offer.
Thanks,
James –
Create Something Wonderful
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Not exactly. The camera itself is $6K plus you’ll be spending a few K more for P2 cards.
Noah
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Humm…
Well if I manage to sell all of my DVX100 kit for a avarage price, I should be able to afford at least one card. 🙂 That is a step price for media. Are those cards dependable? For $2000 a peice I sure hope so.
But when I think about it, I spent $2000 for the Panasonic DV player/rec. And I’m sure at least $1200 in tape so far. I guest it all balances out at some point.
James –
Create Something Wonderful
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They’re going for only about $1400 now.
Noah
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$1400 for a 16min record time .. wow! We’re going backwards in time now.
I think I’ll stick with my DVX100 for alittle while longer. Will have to save up a few more pennies. 🙂
James –
Create Something Wonderful
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[James Herring] “I like that the DVX100B has external timecode input as well. I asume the HVX200 would also have that?”
Yes, it has the same functionality.
[James Herring] “Did you mean to say that the HVX200 is only about $2000 more than the DVX100B? That’s not too bad for what it seems to offer.”
Yes, the HVX200 is $5995 MSRP, the DVX100B is $3995 MSRP (although, to be fair, the DVX has a $400 rebate on it, so the DVX will end up costing less than the MSRP difference would indicate).
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Get the most from your DVX camera. The DVX Book and DVX DVD are now available on ebay and at Amazon (https://www.fiftv.com/db) -
Thanks for the updated information Barry.
I’m thinking about selling my DVX100 and going with the HVX200 HD for sure.
It’s just a question of how much I could get for the DVX100 and all of the extra things I have that go with it
(ie. Anamorphic Lens, 16:9 Viewfinder, On Camera Microphone, Porta Brace Case, and more)
I’ll put something up in the Cow Classifieds and see what response I get. 🙂
Take Care,
James –
Create Something Wonderful
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