DVX100B pros and cons

the pro's on this camera out way the cons. I probably wait a month and see what is come out etc,,,maybe try to decide before the rebate runs out. Or just take my chances. It might be a better rebate. Price drop. Who knows.

The Canon A1 is a choice, but if I can't get 24F support in Final Cut that could be a problem. I'm not one for looking for work arounds. I don't like dicking around with computers that much.
 
Whzkid said:
TheatreGuy

I have a Nikon Coolpix 8800 and it has that same capability and I'll bet yours does too.

Best,

Rob
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Hey Rob, I just looked in my manual... no mention of it. Then I googled it and found that I need a seperate timer to shoot time-lapse with the D70.

Does your Coolpix have that capability built into it?

Ted

PS - how is the Music City? I'll be down there again on New Year's Eve!
 
It is built in and still alot of construction going on (the roads) be glad when its over but oh wait it'll never be over.



Best,

Rob
 
Hey Rob, Yeah! Those highways were a mess when I was there last summer! Yikes! My brother-in-law talks about how bad they are all the time.

That is pretty cool that a point-n-shoot has that feature built into it. I wish they would have done that with the D70! You would think with a $1000 camera body they could have added that.

Cool. Best to you!

Ted
 
even a seperate timer would be worht it to get time lapses with that quality. Its so amazing!

I wonder which cameras do have that capability built in. I know that 599 uses a Canon 20D but I don't know if he uses a seperate timer or if its built in. Whats that feature called if it were to belabeled in a spec sheet?
 
Yeah, I won't disagree with you about the seperate timer. That is going on my shopping list... along with MANY, MANY other items! (a 503 on some nice sticks, a nice shotgun mic, a nice on-camera light... oh the list goes on!)

As far as cameras with built-in timers, while searching the web for info on my camera, I found that the Nikon D200 has it. Try checking it's spec sheet and see what comes up. I imagine it is something like INTERNAL INTERVAL TIMER or something.
 
I have shot with a Canon XL1 and XL2 and the DVX 100A. In my personal opinion the picture quality of the Canons was maybe a little better (but only a tiny little) but I don't like the handling of the Canons at all. With the DVX you're as close as it can get to professional camcorders in terms of manual controls and handling. For example try to focus manually with the Canon XL, it's almost impossible. I also don't like their presets for manual control - you got this "tv" and "av" but I couldn't find a setting that left everything manual. When the iris control was on manual then it would suddenly auto-control the shutter speed (help! Nothing worse than auto-shutter!). Maybe I should have read the manual of the Canon more closely, but I just like the DVX much better, it's just intuitive and very professional.
 
FBAS,
The canon offers full manual control under the setting M, I dont see how manual focus is hard with the canon considering it has a big ring on the end of the camera for focusing. TV and AV settings for either specific shutter control or iris control.
 
If timelapse is a huge issue and you do want to use your 100b, Bella is coming out with a product called "Catapult" late in 2006 that enables you to record directly to an Ipod or a USB harddrive. In addition it offers prerecord (a programable set time that will save 10 -20 seconds of footage PRIOR to when you hit the record button) and timelapse for cameras that don't already have it. Also you can record as long as you have space and power. . . not a huge issue for the filmmakers, but might be for wedding guys. Plus no transferring from the camera, just hook up your drive and put it on your harddrive.

I'm pretty sure it will work with any camera that has a firewire connection and it will only cost about $300.

Here's the link:

http://www.bella-usa.com/Catapult.htm

I've been waiting patiently. . . well not so patiently!
 
Lrdmora said:
If timelapse is a huge issue and you do want to use your 100b, Bella is coming out with a product called "Catapult" late in 2006 that enables you to record directly to an Ipod or a USB harddrive. In addition it offers prerecord (a programable set time that will save 10 -20 seconds of footage PRIOR to when you hit the record button) and timelapse for cameras that don't already have it. Also you can record as long as you have space and power. . . not a huge issue for the filmmakers, but might be for wedding guys. Plus no transferring from the camera, just hook up your drive and put it on your harddrive.

I'm pretty sure it will work with any camera that has a firewire connection and it will only cost about $300.

Here's the link:

http://www.bella-usa.com/Catapult.htm

I've been waiting patiently. . . well not so patiently!
Click to expand...

Whoa that looks pretty cool!
 
Pukki said:
Whats the advantage over dv tape? (if used with the dvx)
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Well there are a couple of advantages:

1. If you are doing a long shoot, for a wedding, there are no tape changes, that's nice, and the built in batteries last 3 hours according to the website. . . so if you have a big enough Ipod or harddrive you can record straight for 3 hours.

2. Less wear and tear on your tape heads. With a mini DV you record to the tape and then you have to play it back to get it on your harddrive, with this you just transfer it from your Ipod or USB drive, quicker and less wear on your expensive DVX.

3. It makes your camera a harddrive camera, plus you can still archive to tape later, so you have the best of both worlds.

4. Pre and Post recording. You can set your camera to record a 10 - 20 continous update and when you hit the record button it will automatically save the 20 seconds PREVIOUS to your hitting the record button, the post function will work with the REMOTE TRIGGER, which allows you to hook your camera up to a motion detector, that's pretty cool.

5. Time Lapse. This unit will allow you to do timelapse with your camera whether the camera does it or not.

That's a lot for something that costs $300 (supposedly) and will work with most cameras with firewire port.
 
Thats a really nifty device. I wonder if its possable for it to do teh opposite of time lapses though. And record more frames per second than usual to capture footage for super slow mo shots. I heard about this camera some guys used once the hooked it up to their laptop somehow and it pushed 500FPS and made an unbelievable slow-mo cam. Really cool footage too.

I wonder if thats possable with teh DVX or if you cant push it any faster than it was made to be.
 
Interesting post on that Catapult device. It sounds like it basically makes for tapeless capture, right? And the time-lapse feature is neat, but I guess would have to have your camera on and running the entire time while the device just pulls frames every now and then.

Is that how the dvx100 and 100a do it? I realize that they are turned on during time-lapse, but are they're not continuously running are they?

I realize that Lrdmora was just offering a possible solution and that Catapult device seems like a cool tool just for the tapeless capturing, but I don't think that I would want my 100b running non-stop for 3-4 hours just for time-lapse.

Just a bummer that the feature didn't make it to the 100b. I do like the talk of using a DSLR to do time-lapse.
 
Serious Magic is also about to release an updated of DV Rack with some interesting new features...
 
The moving parts on any item are the first things to wear out. In my experience. And it is my understanding that the 100b took the time lapse feature out because the constant starting and stopping promotes wear and tear on the camera. (I remember reading that somewhere) And it makes sense to me. I have 3 older cameras sitting here cuz of worn out parts. You are not using your recording heads with the catapult either right? Less wear and tear. Plus lets not forget Andromeda
 
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