santoFILME Stainless Steel Baseplate for the Panasonic DVX-100

Panasonic packed a lot of functions and features into the DVX100, but as with any product, in order to hit a “prosumer” price point, not all pro features could be included on such a reasonably priced camera. The build quality of the DVX100 is excellent, but the DVX lacks some of the more robust features of its professional (and higher-priced) siblings.

If I had to point to one area where the DVX could use some extra protection, it would be the baseplate and tripod mount. While adequate for light to moderate camera use, the baseplate/tripod mount assembly has been known to experience some damage under extended heavy use and stress. The bottom plate of the DVX is made of thin plastic and while this is only an outer layer of protection, it also helps hold the tripod mount in place.

While it would be ideal to always have our cameras safely packed away in their hard shell or heavily padded production cases when not in use, the reality is that they’re going to receive some abuse in the field. Sometimes, you just want to be able to carry around your DVX mounted to a tripod in order to save precious setup time in the field. There are also other situations that can put a lot of stress on the tripod mount, like using a car mount. Sometimes it’s necessary to put the DVX down on less than ideal surfaces during field production. It would be nice to have some serious protection for the camera when it isn’t mounted to a camera platform or in its case.

After experiencing some problems with his DVX’s baseplate cracking and tripod mount pulling out during some hard field use, Ulisses Simonato of santoFILME (and longtime DVXuser) decided to develop a stainless steel baseplate to replace the DVX’s plastic baseplate.

There are two different models of the santoFILME DVX100 baseplate. The baseplate is available either as a flat plate with cutouts for the DVX100 tripod mount, similar to the plastic OEM version, but made out of stainless steel. A second version also includes a beefy tripod mount welded to the baseplate, that replaces the use of the DVX tripod mount. The added tripod mount accepts both ¼” and 3/8” tripod mounts. Both versions are available in either a natural stainless steel or black finish.

I had a chance to test out both baseplate versions on my DVX100 and found them to be well made and perfect fits for my DVX. The plates are constructed out of high quality laser cut stainless steel and the fit and finish of the baseplates is excellent.

Installation

Removing the stock DVX baseplate and installing the santoFILME baseplate is a simple operation and takes less than five minutes. It requires no technical expertise and the only tool required is a small Phillips-head screwdriver.

1. Remove the five small Phillips-head screws holding on the stock baseplate.
2. Remove the stock baseplate.
3. Attach the santoFILME baseplate with the same four screws. That’s it.

Use

The addition of the santoFILME baseplate doesn’t affect normal camera operation and I had no problems or issues with the plate or function of the camera. With the steel plate, I’d definitely feel more confident about using the DVX100 in situations that stress the tripod mount, such as on a car mount. I personally think the stainless steel finish looks great, but the plate is also available in black if you want to better match the color of the camera body.

Summary

The santoFILME stainless steel baseplate is a great upgrade for the DVX100 that helps protect both the camera internals and the stock tripod mount. With its high quality and very reasonable price, this is an upgrade I’d recommend for all DVX100 owners.

Pros: Well-made, reasonably priced, easy to install.

Cons: One minor note, the tripod mount on the B1 and B2 models protrudes below the flat surface of the bottom plate. If you plan on ordering the plate with additional tripod mount, make sure it will be compatible with your accessories.

Models Available

For DVX100 and DVX100a

BASIC PLATE
Model A1 - Stainless Steel: US$ 29.00 + S&H
Model A2 - Iron (black): US$ 34.00 + S&H

LATE WITH NEW TRIPOD MOUNT
Model B1 - Stainless Steel: US$ 44.00 + S&H
Model B2 - Iron (black): US$ 49.00 + S&H

For DVX100b (currently in production)

PLATE WITH NEW TRIPOD MOUNT
Model B1B - Stainless Steel: US$ 44.00 + S&H
Model B2B - Iron (black): US$ 49.00 + S&H

Ordering Information

santoFILME
ulisses@santofilme.com.br