The DVX100A
outfitted with Panasonic's anamorphic lens
adapter--which utilizes the full CCD for
widescreen shooting--and Chrosziel's 4x4 matte
box. By every measure, the Panasonic DVX100 has
brought a new, hitherto unseen level of
performance to a camcorder in the $3,500 price
range. Now, with the introduction of a
second-generation model, the legend continues in
a big way for the savvy DV shooter.
Thinking back to
halcyon days of early 2003, there was a lot to
appreciate in the first DVX100 model. Here was a
DV camera that offered shooters the creative
option of shooting progressive or traditional
interlaced images at 24fps. Shooting 24p offered
many advantages to the small-format
cinematographer: better image resolution,
elimination of most aliasing artifacts, and
optimal workflow for output to DVD, which is
itself, after all, a 24p-based technology.
The
original DVX100 model featured a superior
high-density, 410,000-pixel CCD that delivered
vastly superior images in my side-by-side
comparison tests with competing cameras. One
major reason was the Leica Dicomar lens, which
offered vastly improved performance over
competing camera-lens combinations. The cheap,
low-contrast lenses typically affixed to DV
cameras have been a sore point with me for
years. Here, finally, was a decent objective
lens constructed of low-dispersion glass with
real multiple coatings to reduce flare and
improve contrast. The lens also featured an
unusually adequate wide-angle equivalent to a
focal length of 32.5mm in the 35mm format. This
obviated the need for a supplemental (and heavy)
wide-angle adapter lens. The non-interchangeable
Leica-branded zoom also made use (albeit limited
use) of aspheric elements, a key technology in
lens design that helps maximize light
transmission or speed &emdash; while also
significantly reducing bulkiness and heft. The
reduction in the number of lens elements
contributed to the camera's well-balanced
design, greatly facilitating smooth operation
when shooting handheld.
Borrowing extensively
from its high-end stable of professional and
broadcast cameras, Panasonic endowed the
original DVX100 with a range of Cine-Like
settings that for the first time allowed DV
shooters to deliver images with a sophisticated
polish akin to that of images originated in
Digital Betacam or DVCPRO50. It was this level
of extraordinary image control in tandem with a
very quiet audio section that ultimately
transformed the original DVX100 into a
phenomenon. The camera's native 24p capability,
garnering most of the attention and accolades,
was in my mind simply icing on the cassette.
The DVX100A continues
on this revolutionary tear with a 12-bit DSP
that enables substantially more precise sampling
than the 10-bit version it replaces. The 12-bit
DSP is capable of assigning one of 4,096
possible values to every sample as opposed to
only 1,024 in the previous model. Eight-bit
cameras can assign one of only 256 possible
values &emdash; a limitation that may
deleteriously impact the reproduction accuracy
of our images. Of course, in NTSC only 8 bits
can actually be recorded to tape, so there is
room for differing opinions regarding the wisdom
or usefulness of such oversampling. Suffice it
to say that the improved sampling in the DVX100A
is immediately evident on screen, especially in
critical shadow detail. My DV Cinematography
class at Abel Cine Tech in Burbank recently
conducted testing that confirmed this.
Utilizing the same
diffusion filters that worked so well on the
original DVX, I found that the latest-generation
camera required substantially less diffusion to
achieve the same polished look. In the camera's
former incarnation, Tiffen's Black Diffusion/FX
and Gold Diffusion/FX filters performed
beautifully, adding a nice professional finish
to interior images at full (or nearly full)
aperture.
In initial tests, the
same filter treatment appeared a bit excessive
in the DVX100A, thus raising the prospect of
reducing the filter strength across the board in
the new model. If you liked a Soft/FX 1 for
exterior shooting with the 10-bit model, you
might consider a Soft/FX 1/2 for the DVX100A.
The improved sampling and retention of detail is
just that much better in the updated camera.
The improved sampling
goes hand-in-hand with the enhanced Cine-Like
feature. In the DVX100A, shooters now have the
option of selecting a gamma mode to emphasize
dynamic (Cine-Like D) or contrast (Cine-Like V)
ranges. An additional gamma curve is selectable;
it permits the capture of images with even
stronger black contrast (B. Press). In all, the
DV shooter now has a total of seven gamma curves
to work with &emdash; a remarkable capability
given the camera's relatively modest $3,500
price tag!
The new DVX100A also
features improved 24p functionality. Some of the
new capabilities might have been intended at one
time for the original DVX100 model but were
never realized due to engineering and/or
marketing considerations. A Focus Assist is now
a feature in both 24p and 30p modes, although
the function operates noticeably slower than it
does in 60i. Panasonic has also added gain up to
+12 dB, and the previous problem of missing
color bars in 24p mode has been remedied. These
improvements are particularly significant to
feature shooters who work principally in the
progressive format.
One of the few
features of the Panasonic DVX100A that betrays a
consumer-grade feel is its Menu Selection
button. The DVX100A supports slow shutter speeds
down to an astonishing 1/4 second in 60i and 30p
modes, a rare capability in DV cameras or
videocameras in general. At 24p, the Slow
Shutter feature allows for a 1/6 second minimum
speed. I often utilized a similar strategy when
shooting film with my Arri 35, undercranking the
camera at 6fps, then transferring the footage to
tape at the same frame rate. The result is a
fashionable MTV-style streaking across the
screen enabled by the very slow shutter speed.
Remarkably, this once film-only effect now can
be done in-camera in the DVX100A.
The lack of true 16:9
capability continues to be an issue with the new
model. Like its predecessor, the DVX still
shoots 16:9 video by cropping the 4:3 CCD
chipset. This means almost a quarter of the CCD
pixels go unused in 16:9 mode, a significant
loss of resolution when shooting widescreen.
With the DVX100A, the
shooter may address the 16:9 challenge in
different ways: by shooting (as before) with the
standard lens in letterbox mode or with the new
Digital Squeeze function that fills the frame
with an anamorphic image similar to that
produced with a true 16:9 camera.
The drawback is that
neither of these two options utilizes the full
CCD, so maximum resolution can never really be
achieved. In contrast, Panasonic's anamorphic
lens adapter (sold separately) does cover the
entire CCD, so this option would appear to be
the preferred method. A specially designed matte
box from Alfred Chrosziel distributed by 16x9
Inc. ( www.16x9inc.com ) can be mounted to the
front of the camera and Panasonic adapter; this
matte box provides the most viable solution for
adding camera filters when shooting
anamorphically with the DVX.
When evaluating the
DVX100A, one must bear in mind that this camera,
as amazing as it is, is only a relatively modest
$3,500 investment. Certain low-cost aspects and
a general lack of sturdiness are to be expected,
and that is certainly the case with the DVX100A.
Of particular note is the maddening Menu
Selection button, a glitchy, multi-purpose
affair with a distinctly consumer-grade feel.
Shooters accessing the camera's menus and VCR
section may be frustrated by the shoddiness of
this vital control. It should definitely be
redesigned for a future DVX100 model.
Another area of
concern is the internal lens support around the
front element, which may be inadequate to
support some common clamp-on lens shades. In the
case of larger and heavier production matte
boxes like the Chrosziel anamorphic matte box,
support rods are strongly recommended. Some very
lightweight DV-model matte boxes in 3x3 and 4x4
configurations are specifically designed for use
without supplemental rod support.
The original DVX100
ignited a revolution in the DV world that
continues today with no sign of slowing. The
updated model is a potent imaging machine,
featuring a combination of intelligent gamma
modes, exceptional optics (for the price), and
dramatically improved 12-bit sampling. As I
stated in my November 2002 review of the
original DVX100, it is rare that a camcorder
lives up to its hype. In the case of the DVX100
and the DVX100A, it did &emdash; and it
does.
Shoot
Review:
Panasonic
AG-DVX100A