Something Not Talked About Much... HVX200 Optics.. at DVinfo.net

James Darren · April 28th, 2005, 07:02 AM

hi all,

a lot of *focus* (pun intended!) has been on the HVX200's tech specs but not much has been said of the optics of this camera.

other then telling me "its got a Leica lens" does anyone know more about the lens? is it too early to say anything or do we really have have to wait till its usuable before we can decide anything?

also is it a true Leica lens? i know my Leica's quite well as i work at a sales & service store which sells & services a lot of them & the optics are so great but is it an actual Leica lens or just Leica components?

Bob Costa · April 28th, 2005, 11:07 AM

I remember seeing it was 13x.

Barry Green · April 28th, 2005, 12:56 PM

It's an enhanced version of the same Leica lens currently employed on the DVX100.

Same 4.5mm wide-angle, but 13x zoom range, so longer 58.5mm telephoto.

Also the zoom is being substantially upgraded, it's still a true fully manual zoom but it's a new cam-driven design so it'll have a much better feel.

The focus gets an upgrade as well, instead of just reading out in distance scale 00-99, it'll now read out in ft. and inches, as well as in meters.

Filter diameter is 82mm.

Don't know what the maximum-wide-open f-stop is.

Matt Irwin · April 28th, 2005, 04:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Barry Green

...instead of just reading out in distance scale 00-99, it'll now read out in ft. and inches, as well as in meters.

RAD. I was worried when I didn't see any witness marks on the barrel. That is a big improvement over that arbitrary scale.

Peter Richardson · April 30th, 2005, 11:31 AM

Barry--Will the focus be repeatable, or is it going to be "free spinning" like the DVX100? Thanks,

Peter

Barry Green · April 30th, 2005, 12:20 PM

Both.

The DVX100 has a completely repeatable focus mechanism. Just because it doesn't stop at the ends of travel doesn't mean it's not repeatable, because it is.

I think there's confusion on this issue because people are associating it with other servo-driven focus rings, such as those found on the PD150 or Xl1. The DVX doesn't work like that. Its focus ring is precisely calibrated and 100% repeatable. That's why Century could make an add-on ring that clamps around it which adds hard stops, gear teeth, and a markable surface for marking focus points.

The HVX will be the same but better. It'll have better dampening and better feel, and it'll have distance markings reading out in the viewfinder in feet and inches as well as meters and the familiar MF00-MF99 scale.

Jan Crittenden Livingston · May 1st, 2005, 07:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Barry Green

The focus gets an upgrade as well, instead of just reading out in distance scale 00-99, it'll now read out in ft. and inches, as well as in meters.

Don't think the inches will be there Barry. Sorry.

Jan

John Jay · May 1st, 2005, 12:11 PM

Ergonomics aside; my vote goes for NO chromatic aberration please - this is one of the most difficult issues to correct in post

Peter Richardson · May 1st, 2005, 01:22 PM

Jan or Barry--Why can't we get focus that stops out at either end?

Peter

James Darren · May 2nd, 2005, 09:52 AM

like John Jay said, ergonomics aside, i'm more interested in the quality of the glass, how sharp it is, etc. It seems really difficult to find any decent info on fixed camera lenses.

To me its such an important thing. Think about it, you buy the camera & its only got the one fixed lens. You can't change it or adapt your fave piece of glass for it if you're not happy with what they give you which makes it even more important to have an excellent quality of glass in front....

Michael Pappas · May 2nd, 2005, 02:13 PM

Hi James and John!

Please read this article on the HVX200 and some future removable lens possibility. Enjoy!

http://www.pbase.com/aghvx200/do_hvx...ream_of_lenses

QUOTE=James Darren]like John Jay said, ergonomics aside, i'm more interested in the quality of the glass, how sharp it is, etc. It seems really difficult to find any decent info on fixed camera lenses.

To me its such an important thing. Think about it, you buy the camera & its only got the one fixed lens. You can't change it or adapt your fave piece of glass for it if you're not happy with what they give you which makes it even more important to have an excellent quality of glass in front....[/QUOTE]

Jeff Kilgroe · May 2nd, 2005, 09:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Michael Pappas

Hi James and John!

Please read this article on the HVX200 and some future removable lens possibility. Enjoy!

http://www.pbase.com/aghvx200/do_hvx...ream_of_lenses

Michael,

Just my opinion, but I think you should remove the all-caps disclaimer from the top of your article. It's sad you encountered issues at other sites by posting such a thing, and to think that you were banned over it is somewhat shocking. But I think that the presence of that text in front of your article detracts from what you are ultimately trying to say.

Anyway, I think that what we are seeing now from innovators like Reel Stream and other camera mod makers is only the beginning or the tip of the iceberg. It's a natural progression of the high tech industry, eventually the hacker hobbyists and do-it-yourself types are going to jump right in with this stuff. Anyone who thinks otherwise or if Panasonic (or any other such company) thinks they can keep it from happening, then they are being completely foolish. Just as we have also seen with the beginnings of home-built HD cameras in the form of the Drake, the days of elitist camera ownership are numbered. IMO, cameras will someday be just like PCs and the best camera available will be available for purchase from some manufacturer or will be available in some other form for the types who like to build it themselves.. Ultimately, I think what we will be paying for will be the selection and quality of lenses available and for various control and effects software options to manage the acquired image data from the cameras.

You can bet that the Reel Stream Andromeda guys are salivating over the HVX200 and what it may offer. I was planning to sell my DVX100 when the HVX arrives, but I may just keep it and do an Andromeda conversion and or tinker around with it myself.

And any site who thinks they need to sensor an article such as yours that contains logical predictions based on current events doesn't deserve to have any decent users anyway.

Peter Jefferson · May 2nd, 2005, 09:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by John Jay

Ergonomics aside; my vote goes for NO chromatic aberration please - this is one of the most difficult issues to correct in post

i have to say, of all teh handheld units ive come across in this class, the dvx would have to be the cleanest... hell, i ve deliberately shot INTO the light, and the flares are just so damn sexy... :)

April 28th, 2005, 07:02 AM	#1
James Darren Major Player Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: New York, NY Posts: 235	Something Not Talked About Much... HVX200 Optics.. hi all, a lot of focus (pun intended!) has been on the HVX200's tech specs but not much has been said of the optics of this camera. other then telling me "its got a Leica lens" does anyone know more about the lens? is it too early to say anything or do we really have have to wait till its usuable before we can decide anything? also is it a true Leica lens? i know my Leica's quite well as i work at a sales & service store which sells & services a lot of them & the optics are so great but is it an actual Leica lens or just Leica components?

May 1st, 2005, 12:11 PM	#8
John Jay Major Player Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: US & THEM Posts: 827	Ergonomics aside; my vote goes for NO chromatic aberration please - this is one of the most difficult issues to correct in post __________________ John Jay Beware *PLUGGER-BYTES*

April 28th, 2005, 11:07 AM	#2
Bob Costa Major Player Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Venice, FL Posts: 850	I remember seeing it was 13x.

April 28th, 2005, 12:56 PM	#3
Barry Green Barry Wan Kenobi Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: North Carolina Posts: 3,863	It's an enhanced version of the same Leica lens currently employed on the DVX100. Same 4.5mm wide-angle, but 13x zoom range, so longer 58.5mm telephoto. Also the zoom is being substantially upgraded, it's still a true fully manual zoom but it's a new cam-driven design so it'll have a much better feel. The focus gets an upgrade as well, instead of just reading out in distance scale 00-99, it'll now read out in ft. and inches, as well as in meters. Filter diameter is 82mm. Don't know what the maximum-wide-open f-stop is.

April 30th, 2005, 11:31 AM	#5
Peter Richardson Major Player Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Portland, Oregon Posts: 608	Barry--Will the focus be repeatable, or is it going to be "free spinning" like the DVX100? Thanks, Peter

April 30th, 2005, 12:20 PM	#6
Barry Green Barry Wan Kenobi Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: North Carolina Posts: 3,863	Both. The DVX100 has a completely repeatable focus mechanism. Just because it doesn't stop at the ends of travel doesn't mean it's not repeatable, because it is. I think there's confusion on this issue because people are associating it with other servo-driven focus rings, such as those found on the PD150 or Xl1. The DVX doesn't work like that. Its focus ring is precisely calibrated and 100% repeatable. That's why Century could make an add-on ring that clamps around it which adds hard stops, gear teeth, and a markable surface for marking focus points. The HVX will be the same but better. It'll have better dampening and better feel, and it'll have distance markings reading out in the viewfinder in feet and inches as well as meters and the familiar MF00-MF99 scale.

May 1st, 2005, 01:22 PM	#9
Peter Richardson Major Player Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Portland, Oregon Posts: 608	Jan or Barry--Why can't we get focus that stops out at either end? Peter

May 2nd, 2005, 09:52 AM	#10
James Darren Major Player Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: New York, NY Posts: 235	like John Jay said, ergonomics aside, i'm more interested in the quality of the glass, how sharp it is, etc. It seems really difficult to find any decent info on fixed camera lenses. To me its such an important thing. Think about it, you buy the camera & its only got the one fixed lens. You can't change it or adapt your fave piece of glass for it if you're not happy with what they give you which makes it even more important to have an excellent quality of glass in front....

May 2nd, 2005, 02:13 PM	#11
Michael Pappas Regular Crew Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: California Posts: 667	Hi James and John! Please read this article on the HVX200 and some future removable lens possibility. Enjoy! http://www.pbase.com/aghvx200/do_hvx...ream_of_lenses QUOTE=James Darren]like John Jay said, ergonomics aside, i'm more interested in the quality of the glass, how sharp it is, etc. It seems really difficult to find any decent info on fixed camera lenses. To me its such an important thing. Think about it, you buy the camera & its only got the one fixed lens. You can't change it or adapt your fave piece of glass for it if you're not happy with what they give you which makes it even more important to have an excellent quality of glass in front....[/QUOTE]