Thanks, Mark. I think there is a web site on GA waterfalls, too. Or, waterfalls of N. America...something like that. Haven't looked at it in some time. Do you have any of your wildlife shots up on the web?

I appreciate all the information that DVinfo forums provide. I have before and will now throw my two cents in.

I have been trying to get into DV from still since last Summer. I hve tried a plethora of cameras and found them all to be lacking. I walk a delicate line between ability and capability. The latter to come with experience. Anyway the DVC30 may be the camera that gets me to open my wallet. Sure I like the DVX100's, but I'm no cinematogropher, nor am I paid! I tried the Canon ZR65 - not for me. I then upgraded to the DV953. While I really tried to like this camera it just wasn't meant to be.

Then I tried a PDX10 - way too many smeer problems, terrible balance... OK, try a GL2. Good video, good controls, but the viewfinder was the pits. (Its OK if you shoot from the LCD but remember I'm comming from the SLR stills realm.)

So In my mind there are two candidates. I was all set to buy the DVC80 when I followed the rumors and later confirmation of the DVC30. Smaller size, bigger zoom, better processing (?). I can't wait to get my hands on this baby!

Guy,

I don't have anything posted yet. All my stuff so far has been in the print media and have been slowly making the shift to dv. I am working on a commercial web site that should be up in about 6 months to showcase 2 videos that I have been working on for the past two years. I will also have a photo gallery on the site.

Regards,

Mark W.

Earlier in this thread I had indicated that I'd find out the lens filter thread diameter on the DVC30. The product manager informs me it is 43mm. Sorry for the delay,

Thanks, Allan. So it has a 3-blade iris.built-in ND filter; and the threads are 43mm (thanks, Chris). The same threads mean everything should fit from the MX and GS cams, but most professional filters will be unavailable since pro filters usually start at the 49mm thread size (and up).

Tom, could you give us "your take" on 3-blade iris's?

Chris,

Thanks for the info. B&H has a cannon 43mm 1.7x lens but I don't know if it is and good. See it here....

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=233580&is=REG

Do you think the Sony 2x lens with a 58mm to 43mm step down ring would be a better choice?

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=NavBar&A=getItemDetail&Q=&sku=200953&is=REG&si=feat#goto_itemInfo


Regards,

Mark

43mm? Frank, any chance this lessens the possibility of the gs400 appearing in NTSC format? (Okay, my mind works in ways mysterious even to me, but as you mention, 43mm is not the normal "pro" lens.)

I was just at the B&H site and they have some spec posted. I don't know if they are a mish-mash possibly of the dvx100 specs or not, but they're sayin 1/4" ccds and 72mm filter diameter. Actually makes more sense, given the way the cam is being pitched. So could Chris' Panasonic contact have inadvertantly let the cat out of the bag about the successor to the 953 being in the works?

This is crazy. I've been trying for 4 weeks to simply find out the filter thread size and keep getting diffenent opinions even from the Panasonic folks. The reason this is important to me is I need maximum telephoto capability for wildlife topics and it is an economic issue.

DVC-30 with 72mm threads means century optics 1.7x tel at $850.00 or total package price around $3,100. If its DVC-30 with 43mm threads means 1.7x sony or 2x century with step down ring at in the $250 - $350 range or package price about $2,500

Also if its 72mm then that opens up the option for the PD170 at around $3,250 with tel lens.

I guess the right answer may come only when someone finally gets one in their hands and give us a report for sure.

Arrg!!!!!

If it makes any difference, the dvc-30 is being advertised as coming with built-in wide angle capability. That would seem to suggest that 72mm is correct. There is a small brochure you can download from the Panasonic site. I don't recall it mentioning 43 or 72 mm, but I think it did mention the wide angle aspect. If you take a look at the B&H site, even though it's possible they could have mixed up some info from the dvx100, the specs they are showing for the cam are consistent with the brochure - at least from what I recall (sorry, I dumped the brochure from my computer sometime ago). And awhile back there were no specs listed on the B&H site, so...

This 10 page brochure (PDF format) from the Japanese Panasonic site refers to 43mm.

http://panasonic.co.jp/bsd/sales_o/02products/products/ag-dvc30/ag-dvc30-p1.pdf

Originally posted on page 3 of this thread by Anthony Williams.

Kim wrote about the GS400:43mm? Frank, any chance this lessens the possibility of the gs400 appearing in NTSC format?Some North American dealers (NTSC) are already taking orders, as one of our members pointed out with links. :-))

Thanks for the PDF link, Tommy.

Great brochure for the dvc30, Tommy. And all in real English, not babeled. I noted the wide angle conversion lens listed among the accessories, which explains the 72mm filter size (exactly like the Panasonic current WA for the gs100) shown on the b&h site, I think (though with Panasonic's track record of producing unthreaded conversion lenses, b&h may be in for a surprise). Sure looks like a great cam. Can't wait for one of you to get your hands on it and let us peons know how it handles.

Tommy will never be interesed in the DVC30. (No decent widescreen.) :-))

Well, that's a good reason. Lots more professional than mine: can't afford it!

And neither can Pokey!

Or me. :-((

Who knows, the GS100 may be the better cam, and you just happen to own one! Mind you, my MX3 is still good enough for me, and I don't see a whole lot of difference between the MX3 and DVC30---could it be that the DVC30 is the North American version of the MX3000? And 5 years too late? After all, all that is missing with the DVC30 is a couple of "0's," or one zero from the PAL version.

If only Panasonic would release a Special Edition DVC30 with native 16:9 CCDs so we could have both low light performance and quality widescreen. Tell me it wouldn't sell..

Until then the GS100 will occupy the spot in my new Lowepro Micro Trekker 200 backpack (red of course).

But how much better is the DVC30's "low light," compared with the GS100 (or MX3000)? I haven't read any tests. :-))

Good point. I guess they could hose up low light performance but my bet is that it'll be GL2'ish

unless of course you count the 0 lux infra-red mode.

unless of course you count the 0 lux infra-red mode.

I'm rather confused by the infrared mode on this cam. Will it be B&W or will it have the Sony Nightshot/Military look? The 10p brochure I listed has an impressive shot supposedly from the infrared mode.

Here is a pic of the DVC30 with the IR booster installed.

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2002-12/74415/DVC30_IR.jpg

...unless of course you count the 0 lux infra-red mode.Yes, that's a great feature for solving the low light conditions of event videography. Perhaps if I'm fast enough, I can capture lost souls wondering the funeral parlor.

Haha, I see dead people!


I get the impression that the IR mode is B&W from all the literature i've seen.