Panasonic HVX 200 Picture Jitters

[Noah Kadner]

It’s kind of hard to tell with terms like Jitters and Strobe because those are quite subjective. It could be you are simply not used to the way this camera renders motion. A few seconds of “the problem” posted as an H264 somewhere would certainly help the rest of us who can’t see your camera from here.

Noah

[Jeremy Garchow]

like Noah says, can you please post something? Are you watching these shots in camera, in quicktime, in FCP?

[Accountneedsrealnameupdate]

Yes, I have seen this. From my experience, it only happens on slow speed zooms, including the ‘slow’ setting on the handle zoom. I first noticed it during a real slow zoom using a vari-zoom controller on a locked down tripod shot. I have since tested both of our cameras plus a rental and they all do it. Just set the handle zoom to the slow setting and rest your finger on the zoom ring while running it. You can feel the motor stutter and jerk, it’s not smooth. My other BIG complaint about these lenses is they do not seem to be centered on the CCD block. If you zoom in all the way on an object, then zoom out, the object moves in the frame as you zoom. Our two cameras both do this but in different directions. I have tried this with OIS on and off and it seems to have no effect.

Jan, do you know if this is a result of how the OIS centers and if it can be calibrated?

[Mitch Ives]

[Pipito] “Still i am noticing stroby kind of movement in the picture while slowly zooming in or out.”

1) Is this on the LCD when shooting or on an HD monitor?
2) Is it in the video when you play it back in your NLE with an HD monitor?

One of the things I had to adjust to was seeing this phenomenon when shooting, only to discover it’s not in the video when we’re editing it. I’m guessing that the display circuitry is subordinate to the recording circuits (as it should be) so occassionally the display output will show some strobing that isn’t really there…

Mitch Ives
Insight Productions Corp.
mitch@insightproductions.com

Apple Certified Trainer: Final Cut Pro 5

[Pipito]

Thank you Rumpy, i am glad i am not the only one seeing this problem. I think everyone should do this test with their camera. Set the OIS off. Put your cam on a tripod and slowly zoom in and out. I am playing it back on a HD TV Monitor (Sony Bravia) I have tried it on another Panasonic hvx 200 and noticed the same problem. Call the guys at Panasonic and of course they have not noticed this. Also, When using OIS i have noticed small jumps in the picture while handheld. I own 2 panasonic 100A and never noticed this and i have been using them for 2 years shooting weekly TV shows. By the way, Panasonic tech person Alex Cruces never returns calls. Left him 3 messages and finally he returned my calls. Then i talked to him for a while explaning the problem and said that he was going to call me back…never did! Do they know something that we don’t? I loved the picture quality of the camera but i think this issue should be taking care immediately.

i am using FCP 5
HD Monitor

Felipe Marrou
VTM productions, Inc.
Miami Beach , Florida
http://www.vtmproductions.com

[Jan Crittenden livingston]

Hi,

I am not sure what you are seeing here, sounds odd. But here is my suggestion. Call the Panasonic Service Center in Secaucus. (201) 348-7975. Tell them that you have this problem and you would like to have your camera fixed. Record the problem onto a DV tape. I am assuming that the camera will do it in any mode. If not and only in HD, then record it and downconvert to a DV tape. Send the recording and the camera to Panasonic to have it looked at.

Best,

Jan

Jan Crittenden Livingston
Product Manager, DVCPRO, DVCPRO50, AG-DVX100
Panasonic Broadcast & TV Systems

[Pipito]

Hi Jan,

Have you tried contacting Panasonic about this issue? If so what did they say?

[Pipito]

I think this is an issue that Panasonic should fix. It seems to me that the problem is with the servo. I understand that for the price we bought that not all can be that perfect (compared to a $50,000 cam), but a slow zoom is a basic function and it should work better than that. Again in my videos i don’t use much zooming, but again maybe a client requests one and there might be a problem.

I will call them today again. I got a call from Alex Cruce (Panasonic Tech) I don’t mean to be hard on him, but we all need answers to a problem right away. Most of us make a living producing videos. Hopefully Panasonic will do something to fix this problem.

Felipe Marrou Jr.
VTM Productions, Inc.
Miami Beach, FL 33139
http://www.vtmproductions.com