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Opinions on Panasonic AG-DVX100A
I’m planning to start production later this summer on a low-budget nature-type documentary that will air on a regional network of PBS stations. I’m entertaining the notion of using the Panasonic AG-DVX100A as my principle field aquisition tool and cutting this on a Media 100 system at 3 to 1 compression.
I’m just curious as to what you all think of this camera and DV format for a relatively inexpensive production that will be seen on broadcast television.
Will this provide a satifactory image for 30 minutes?
Would I be pushing it if shot in the 24p mode?
Any other thoughts based on your experience?
Thanks all, and have a great weekend,
Tim
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6 Replies
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I have the DVX100A and I am very happy with it. I shoot a lot of interview in 24p mode but haven’t done many high action shots with it. I usually digitiize into the Media100 at 200 kb and haven’t had any problems. There is a forum on this site specifically for the 100A – you can probably get more useful info there.
Nick Lammers
Media Mill, Inc.
St. Louis, MOMedia 100i XS 8.2.1
Dual 1Ghz G4 -
[Nick L.] “I have the DVX100A and I am very happy with it. I shoot a lot of interview in 24p mode but haven’t done many high action shots with it. I usually digitiize into the Media100 at 200 kb and haven’t had any problems. There is a forum on this site specifically for the 100A – you can probably get more useful info there.”
Nick, at 200 kb, this would be about 2 to 1 compression, correct? I’ve got an older Media 100 (ver 6) running with a couple of SCSI arrays for a total of about 32 gigs of storage space. My footage will be all tripod and not alot of zooms or pans. What am I looking at (roughly) for total minutes available for storage with these 32 Gigs? 35 minutes? 40? 50?
Thanks for your consideration,
Tim
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Tim, I used to know the time/kb ratios but they’ve been “deleted from my hard drive” a long time ago. There may be a chart on the Media100 website, or maybe someone on the forum has the breakdown. I can say that I was previously digitizing at 100-150 kb and never noticed any artifacts in the video. I did, however, notice some “jaggies” on more complex graphics so I bumped up to 200 kb. Bottom line, the 100A shoots great video, in my opinion. I think the digitizing rate is a separate issue, whether you’re using the Media 100, another NLE, or another camera.
Nick Lammers
Media Mill, Inc.
St. Louis, MOMedia 100i XS 8.2.1
Dual 1Ghz G4 -
[Nick L.] “Bottom line, the 100A shoots great video, in my opinion. I think the digitizing rate is a separate issue, whether you’re using the Media 100, another NLE, or another camera.”
Nick, thanks. And I do hope it shoots “great” video. Having done this for 20 years, cutting my technical teeth by setting up 2″ RCA Quad VTR’s, I’ve seen a lot and hope the 100A, for the price, gives me an image I can work with. I’ve got a unit coming for demo next week, so we’ll see what happens.
Thanks again for your time….
Tim
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Good luck. I think you’ll like it. Wow – 2″ VTRs! The largest I can claim is 1″ – I can’t say that I miss threading tapes.
Nick Lammers
Media Mill, Inc.
St. Louis, MOMedia 100i XS 8.2.1
Dual 1Ghz G4 -
[Nick L.] “Wow – 2″ VTRs! The largest I can claim is 1″ – I can’t say that I miss threading tapes.”
Well, the Sony BVH-3100 with auto threading was a real hoot. Imagine, a VTR that acted like a vacuum cleaner. Who’da thunk it?
Cheers,
Tim
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