Update to the DVC30?

F

Flux

Member
I'm planning a project in which a small tough camera with a long zoom reach is called for. The DVC30 looks promising, but hasn't received an update for some time. Does anyone have any ideas if/when Panasonic might update this camera?

I also wondered how expensive the P2 element of the HVX camcorder (not the card) is? A tough, tapeless, camcorder in the same mould as the DVC30 would be interesting.
 
Would you be looking for standard-def or high-def? If you want high-def, there should be some new models out sometime next year based on the new AVC-HD format. Don't know if they'll do anything like the DVC30 in that format or not (I would hope they would!) Sony's first AVC-HD announcements are for decidedly consumerish models, but I would hope Panasonic would aim higher.

For standard-def? No way to tell. Companies typically don't pre-announce new versions of existing models so if there was a replacement or update coming, they wouldn't likely tell us ahead of time (although they did leak the DVX100B months before it was released, so you never know...)
 
Standard def. is fine, but native 16:9 would be good. I'm planning to make a film about a local nature reserve, and a small robust cam with long range is called for. Many of the shots would be on a tripod, but I expect some of them to be handheld.

So far I've considered:
* DVX100 - great picture quality and supports 25p, but not enough range (teleconvertor is very expensive and still gives less focal length than DVC30), not 16:9, not that small
* HVR-A1 - small HD and 16:9, but low light poor, bottom tape-loading, poor zoom control, lens only 10x (though a 2x teleconvertor is available, and affordable)
* DVC30 - small and robust, 16x lens, nightshot, but 4:3 interlaced SD

None of them are quite what I'm after. The DVC30 seems closest, but if a P2-based cam in the same factor was in the offing that would be ideal, especially if it could do native 16:9.
 
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Before buying my dvc30 I looked at the gl2 also. The only + I could see with the gl2 was the 20x zoom. I decided with the 30 due to price and I felt the build quality was better, its very lite and the picture quality is great.
 
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