DVX100 -- various topics

[Ray Saavedra]

Today was the first time I was playing around with the focus switch. Switching it from auto to manual and the auto push button. However, my question is. When I switch it down to the infinity. The switch doesn't lock. It doesn't stay down in the infinity position. Is this normal? Is there a setting somewhere?

Thanks,
JR

[Tom Hardwick]

Yes, it's normal. The infinity focus is locked but the switch position isn't.

[Philip Flower]

I just bought a PAL DVX100 and a Hoya Circular Polariser. I white balance with the polariser on and shots which exclude the sky are nicely contrasted and saturated. But include a portion of the sky and I get a very nasty magenta tint across both clouds and sky - particularly on the horizon and to such an extent that the shots are unusable. This happens both in the F3 Spark setting and the F6 25p Cine mode.

Now I have used Hoya polarisers on my Hassleblad and on my Sony digital stills camera and get perfect blue skies and white clouds - as one would expect. So is there something about the Panasonic that doesn't like polarisers? Or is there some tweak I should try in the scene files. I do remember some discussion about whether a circular polariser was necessary for the camera but even if a linear polariser is alright it surely should affect the colour balance?

Do I have a bum filter or has anyone else experienced anything like this?
Thanks

[Stephen van Vuuren]

There was a "pink fringe" issue that was discussed when the camera first cam out that turned out to be overexposed highlights when using the cine-gamma mode. Cine-gamma, unlike most gamma curves in DV cams, has flat response, so if you blow out a highlight, even just a little, it's totally overexpose and the cine-gamma processing seems to create pink/magenta. More info on the issue in NTSC cams (I assume PAL cams would behave somewhat similarly) at www.adamwilt.com

[Brian Cupini]

When I'm looking through the viewfinder or at the LCD, sometimes on certain light it will display black and white diagonal display lines in certain light/shadows.. Has anybody seen this before? It doesn't come out on the taped footage, only see it on the LCD or the viewfinder.. Did I toggle something that makes it display like this? Anybody familiar with this, or have I lost my mind? =] Thanks in advance for any help.

- Brian

[Alex Knappenberger]

Yeah, i'm pretty sure you turned on the zebra patterns. What the zebra patterns do is help you judge the exposure, they show you the overexposed areas and stuff. Look it up on google.

[Matthew Kaplan]

Hey. This camera is at the top of my short list for now, but I had questions.

I heard there is an audio drift problem, where the audio isn't in sync with the video. It's off by 2 frames or so.

Is this true?

I currenlty own Final Cut Pro 3, is it easy to fix in post or a pain?

I heard FCP 4, has a built in fix for this problem? Does that make it so when you import footage, it fixes the audio drift? Thus fixing the problem?

Any other issues that this camera has that should be know before purchasing?

Do you feel another camera gets the audio in sync without any work?

Thanks for your time.

[Stas Tagios]

The DVX audio is 2 frames ahead of the picture in the progressive modes, and while it's a minor annoyance, it's easily fixable in FCP 3 (by manually slipping the sync of your clips) and even more easily in FCP 4, which includes a plug-in script to automatically sync adjust the DVX clips (not sure if it does it upon capture or not, but I know you don't have to adjust the clips one by one; you can do them all at once. I've got the FCP 4 upgrade but haven't installed yet, so I can't be more specific.)

Honestly, don't let the sync issue turn you away from this great camera, which offers the most options and best performance, IMHO, of any camera in its price range. For example, it's got the best focusing mechanism of any camera with a non-interchangeable lens (very easy to finesse, very easy to do repeatable focus pulls, doesn't take a lot of turning to change focus, unlike on the various Sony mini-dv cams), and it has a true manual zoom (switchable to servo zoom, like a pro lens), which allows for crash zooms when needed.

And of course, the 24p and 24PA modes, which alone are worth the price of purchase. I can't say enough good things about this camera. The few minor annoyances (e.g., no auto-focus or gain up in progressive modes) aren't a big deal, since no other camera save for Panasonic and Sony high-end SD and HD cams offer 24p shooting, and at 60i, the camera does everything it's counterparts from Sony and Canon do. So you're not really missing out on any feature, and you'll have the advantage of 24p and 30p when needed.


Check out Adam Wilt's DVX page for more detailed info on the DVX and the DVX sync issue:

http://www.adamwilt.com/24p/index.html

And also see Apple's FCP 4 late-breaking news page (I've include the relevant info below):

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=93157

Audio Sync Tool for the Panasonic DVX-100
To address the way the Panasonic DVX-100 handles audio/video sync, the DVX-100 Audio Sync Tool plug-in is available in the DV Camera Tuner Scripts folder on the Final Cut Pro 4 installation DVD. If you're working with clips captured from the Panasonic DVX-100, you should move this plug-in to the following location:
Library/Application Support/Final Cut Pro System Support/Plugins

When the DVX-100 Audio Sync Tool plug-in is installed, a new menu item appears in the Tools menu, Offset Audio Sync.

To use the Offset Audio Sync tool:

1. In the Browser, select any clips you captured that were recorded with the DVX-100.
2. Choose Tools>Offset Audio Sync. The audio of all selected clips will be offset 2 frames later than the video to adjust their sync.
Note: Adjustments made to clips using the Offset Audio Sync command are only saved in the Final Cut Pro project file where the adjustment was made. The corresponding source media on disk is unaffected.

[Stephen van Vuuren]

I just spoke to Century Optics on behalf of this forum about the situation with the anamorphic adaptor and asked for an offical statement.

Basically, the first adaptor (3 element design) has been pulled due to vingetting and barrel distortion issues. They have gone back to the drawing board and are working on a design.

The earliest any new information will emerge is 4 months and no model will be ready for sale in 6 months, so 2004 looks like a good bet.

Zotz Digital can get the Panasonic for $675 for DV Info members, so I think I will swallow the telephoto focus and barrel issues and get one.

[Christopher Go]

Any word on a Century Optics matte box that can accomodate the Panasonic 16:9?

[Yang Wen]

are you the same stephen van vuuren who was quoted in a DV magazine lighting video ad?

[Craig Weinstein]

Hey,

Century Optics has a new repeatable follow focus attachment on their website. Part number is VS-MFSY-DVX. It's too new to be in stock anywhere.

Has anyone heard about this product?


-Craig

[Stephen van Vuuren]

http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthrea...threadid=11537

[Mark Monciardini]

While trying to print a rendered video with Premiere AND Vegas, I get the same thing happening.

I have a Panasonic DVX100. First time Printing to it! Before I used Hi8 and everything worked just fine. But this is strange and I'm wondering if it has to do with the 24p.

When print to the DVX100 the video recorded for about 7 seconds, then it goes to a blue screen for a few seconds, then back to the video again for a while and then repeat. Never had this problem before. Anyone know what's going on?

I'm about to Print to my TRV830 if this can't be resolved.

[Stephen van Vuuren]

Yes, from about 4 years ago. John Jackman lives just a few minutes away from me and showed me an early copy of the video after I had lunch with him one day.