Panasonic AG-DVX100

The Panasonic AG-DVX100B is a popular mid-range digital video camera.

The Panasonic AG-DVX100, first released in December 2002, was the first consumer-affordable digital progressive scan camcorder, able to record 576p SD video at 24 progressive frames per second (without interlacing).

The camera is popular among television studios and is popular with independent film makers because of its film-emulating features. Currently the latest and last revision is the DVX100B. The camera records to tape, but third party developers have modified DVX100 cameras to dump raw images to a tethered laptop. However, the company most known for doing this, Reel Stream, is no longer operational. The high definition successor to the AG-DVX100 is the AG-HMC150. The AG-HVX200 is considered to be the DVX100's "Big Brother".

Technical specs

Panasonic created a complete line of cameras that support recording in 24p, which is an analog of how film cameras record frames, for independent film production. 24p stands for 24 frames per second progressive: a frame rate which is commonly used in motion picture production, and progressive scan which avoids interlacing to give artifact free frames. These features give the recordings a film quality appearance. The original AG-DVX100 nor the later AG-DVX100A (announced on 2003.11.19) and B revisions cannot record in HD. The original Panasonic AG-DVX100 is a 4:3 aspect ratio SD camera only. Difference in original model and A revision are small. The B revision introduced the ability to properly monitor 16:9 aspect ratio, but still only in standard definition. The B revisions CCD sensors have a native aspect ratio of 4:3.

At the time, Progressive video was rare for cameras below the US$10,000 price point. The AG-DVX100 originally retailed around MSRP US$2,995 in 2002 (as of 2013, value was around US$600). At that time, the DVX100 was rivaled in standard definition video only by the Canon XL-1 which also records progressive video.

As HD video is becoming more popular among prosumers, Panasonic has meanwhile released the Panasonic AG-HVX200, a 24p camcorder that records 1080p HD video (1440x1080) or 720p (1280x720) on P2 cards (not tape), making it one of the first professional solid-state memory-based camcorders on the prosumer market. Panasonic has also introduced two tapeless versions of mid-price range HD cameras, the AG-HPX170, which is similar to the HVX200a but lacks a tape drive, and the HMC 150, a camera that looks very similar to the DVX100b, but shoots HD onto SDHC (Secure Digital High Capacity) cards in the popular AVCHD codec.

The DVX100 contains a 3-CCD image sensor system, with 410,000 (380,000 effective) pixels each. The camera can record 24p video in "telecined" fashion (2-3 pulldown for 24P and 2-3-3-2 pulldown for 24PA), 30p video in PsF fashion (25p in PAL version), and 60i standard (50i PAL) interlaced video onto MiniDV tape. The camera incorporates "CineGamma" functionality to approximate the characteristic curve of film.

The DVX100 also features two XLR audio inputs, another rare feature for cameras in its price range. It includes a 4-pin FireWire port, as well as S-Video and RCA in and out ports. It features manual and servo zoom, with a second zoom control and record button on top of the handle for recording from low angles.

Typical camera accessories are: spare batteries, lens adapters, matte boxes, optical filters, tripods, geared and fluid heads for smooth panning and tilting, follow focus systems, external microphone(s), and storage cases.

Films and Shows shot with Panasonic AG-DVX100

Many documentaries, independent shorts, and feature movies have been shot with the Panasonic AG-DVX100, including the Sundance Film Festival-winning feature November, The Puffy Chair by the Duplass Brothers, and the Oscar nominated documentary Murderball. A Scanner Darkly was also shot using the DVX100, but processed through Rotoshop to give it a more "animated" feel. The documentary "Iraq in Fragments" was also shot with this camera over a two-year period in Iraq. Seasons 1-5 of the popular TV show It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia is also shot with the DVX100. The Man From Earth was shot from only two DVX100 cameras.[1] Seasons 1-5 of The Angry Video Game Nerd were shot with the DVX100. Later seasons were shot with the Panasonic HVX200. The camera was also used for the first seven seasons of the hit internet series "Is It A Good Idea To Microwave This?" - later seasons were filmed using the Panasonic HMC-150. Season 1 of Red Letter Media's "Half in the Bag" were initially shot using the DVX100. This was abandoned in Season 2 on a preliminary move to High Definition recordings. [2]

References

  1. ↑ "The Man from Earth (2007) - Did You Know?". IMDb.bcom. Retrieved 2012-10-28.
  2. ↑ "PreviouslyRecorded_Live". Retrieved 2014-8-1. Check date values in: |access-date= (help)
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