Question about the Panasonic DVX-100b 24P camera
by Thomas Rupp
on
Apr 2, 2008 at 5:56:06 am
Hello all, and thanks in advance for any input you may offer! I just joined this forum, though I've been studying Creative Cow tutorials for a little while. Anyway, here's my question.
My background is in design, not video production or film making. I am, however, getting into that area for museum exhibits, which I design. I hope to expand my capabilities for my clients by adding video production.
I am doing a modest project right now on a borrowed GL-2, and learning the limitations of that camera first hand. I'm doing mostly documentary style interviews, and I'm looking to step up next time. I have found a nice Panasonic DVX-100b for rent locally at a good rate. My question is, is this camera capable of producing images sharp enough for broadcast? I'd like to get my feet wet via rental before I plunge into a HD camera in the next six months to a year.
Re: Question about the Panasonic DVX-100b 24P camera by Tim Scarpino on Apr 3, 2008 at 12:51:16 pm
I'm sure you'll get different opinions, but I've used the DVX for "broadcast" television. That is, a bonafide broadcaster who's initial transmission is "over-the-air".
I continue to use the DVX for television production.
What you need to be careful of is what you do with the DVX content after you're done shooting. There are LOTS of way to take good quality DVX content and mess it up before it hits air.
Re: Question about the Panasonic DVX-100b 24P camera by Dave LaRonde on Apr 3, 2008 at 3:39:54 pm
Another mistake you can easily make is to assume that the DVX is a fine camera for chroma-key (bule screen, green screen) effects work. It's not a shortcoming of the camera's imaging capabilities, it's a shortcoming of the DV codec that encodes the images. DV uses 4-1-1 color sampling, aka color resolution, which is about as bad as it gets. Oh, it's good enough to fool the human eye, but computers are a lot more discriminating.
If you've never tried keying DV video before, I recommend watching a podcast by Alex Lindsay, the founder of DV Garage and Pixel Corps, called "The Road to 1080p Part 2".
In it you will find an excellent description of the differences between 4-4-4, 4-2-2 and 4-1-1 color resolution, and you will come to understand the challenges of keying DV. It's WELL worth the 15 minutes it takes to watch.
As you watch if, keep in mind that Alex Lindsay runs a company that makes DV chroma keying plugins, and he STILL doesn't do handsprings if called upon to key DV.
Re: Question about the Panasonic DVX-100b 24P camera by Thomas Rupp on Apr 3, 2008 at 4:13:54 pm
I am doing green screen right work now with footage shot on a Canon GL-2. Believe me, I've learned a lot about the subject in the last few weeks! I will check out that tutorial though, thanks. I think I'll come out okay for what I'm doing. It will be shown only on a single monitor in a museum, and I'm working on a miniscule budget so the client will be more than happy with the result, I think.
However, my next shoot will be an interview in a person's backyard. I want to be able to use that, combined with stills and stock footage, for a short piece and I need to come out with a good enough image quality to be shown on TV. Thus the nature of my inquiry.
