A little disappointed with my new DVX...

B

bensonga

Member
Hi folks,

I had been wanting a DVX-100 for quite awhile and a few weeks ago I finally bought a new DVX-100B (thank you Panasonic, for the $250 rebate!). At about the same time, I picked up a little Canon HF-10 which records in AVCHD on SD cards...mostly for casual and travel videos etc.

Thus far, I'm sorry to say, I am REALLY disappointed with the quality of the SD video from the DVX-100B as compared with results from the little Canon HF-10. I know the DVX offers far more control over virtually every aspect of shooting video, but even so....that AVCHD video just blows away the results I'm getting from the DVX. My wife says....why did you buy that thing (meaning the much pricier DVX)? Ouch!

I bought the DVX because, by most accounts, it's one of the best SD prosumer camcorders ever made.....but in comparision with this little consumer grade AVCHD camcorder, maybe that's just not good enough anymore.

Yes, I thought about getting something like the Canon XH-A1 instead of the DVX, but I had read about premature failures of the A1 and I just haven't had good luck with Canon Mini-DV tape mechanisms in the past...so I stayed with my original plan to get a DVX.

Okay, okay....so what's the point of this post? Well, I'm wondering if I am judging the DVX prematurely. Maybe I just need to learm more about using it, with the hope that I'll eventually get MUCH better results. Alternatively, is there just such a HUGE gap between SD and HD video.....it's never going to look as good as what I'm getting from even a little Canon HF-10?

I hate to even think about this....but if the results I'm getting now are basically as good as it gets, maybe I should just sell the DVX (while it has less than 10 hours of recording time) and save my pennies for Panasonic's new AVCHD prosumer camera (the DVX replacement).

After looking forward to getting a DVX for almost a year....at the moment, I'm pretty disappointed. :(

I'm sure others out there are struggling with this....what are your thoughts?

Gary
Eagle River, Alaska
 
have u not looked around and seen the sample footage that people get out of their dvx's? im interested to see that kind of video the canon is getting that is supposedly so much better than your dvx. cuz i find it hard to believe. you probably just need to learn how to use all its manual controls. cuz if ur shooting it on auto or with very little adjusting, then yes, it will look average. post some example footage of each.
 
Most people buy the DVX100B for its ability to shoot in 24pN and 24pA progressive modes for videos with "the film look."

It all depends on what you're after. If what you want is the video look, then you don't need 24fps progressive and the Canon is one way to go. If you want something that looks more like it was shot on film, then 24p and the DVX100B is it.

All I can advise you to do is try out Scene Files #5 and #6 and see if you like them.

Personally, I prefer 24p and the film look and I love the DVX100B. I have never even shot anything with my DVX100B set on Scene File #1 and 60i. I have a Panasonic PV GS320 I muse for anything shot on 60i.

Also, like was said in the above post, you really have to play around with all the manual controls to get the best out of the DVX100B.
 
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dvx out of box sucks

dvx out of box sucks

you can't just take the dvx out of the box and start shooting with it, it looks horrible. i should know, our first shoot was all factory presets and auto functions, because we went directly from the panasonic dealer to the video shoot. luckily it was just a short little interview that didn't mean much... but over time i learned how important it is to know how to look into scene and file settings.

i had a chemistry teacher tell us students something i'll never forget: this calculator is stupid, you have to tell it what to do, but the only time it will make a mistake, is if you give it the wrong information...
 
tonydvcoste said:
i had a chemistry teacher tell us students something i'll never forget: this calculator is stupid, you have to tell it what to do, but the only time it will make a mistake, is if you give it the wrong information...
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So true.

Yes the dvx is capable of complete garbage. It's also capable of an image that blows away any consumer camera canon has ever made.......albeit fewer pixels.
 
bensonga said:
I had been wanting a DVX-100 for quite awhile and a few weeks ago I finally bought a new DVX-100B (thank you Panasonic, for the $250 rebate!). At about the same time, I picked up a little Canon HF-10 which records in AVCHD on SD cards...mostly for casual and travel videos etc.

Thus far, I'm sorry to say, I am REALLY disappointed with the quality of the SD video from the DVX-100B as compared with results from the little Canon HF-10.
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Uh... you're comaring SD to HD. Of course they'll be a big difference. It's hardly fair to the DVX.
 
Joshua Provost said:
Uh... you're comaring SD to HD. Of course they'll be a big difference. It's hardly fair to the DVX.
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Yes, I realize that.....and I guess that's the crux of my dilemma. This little HF-10 is the first HD camera I've used....I just wasn't expecting the resolution (and overall look of the footage) to be so good. As you said.....hardly fair to the DVX or any SD camcorder for that matter. The HF-10 also shoots in 24p and 30p....which is kind of amazing, for under $1,000.

I know the DVX is capable of great SD footage.....I've seen it. And I'm sure it's capable of MUCH more than I'm currently getting out of it (re Scene files, 24p all of that). I've got the book (thanks Barry Green!), which I've really just begun to tap....so I know I've got alot to learn still before I get the best out of the DVX. No question about it. And of course, there's always the better audio from something like the DVX vs the little camcorders (even HD ones).

I'm encouraged to hear others say that shooting using the "factory settings", right out of the box, may not look that great (fits with what I'm seeing). Time to really dig in, learn the camera settings etc and see what I can do.

Perhaps, when all is said and done.....there is no getting around the difference in resolution between SD and HD. I just wasn't expecting it to be THAT obvious when I was shooting the DVX and HF-10, virtually side by side. Duh.

I guess I'll just continue on, learn what the DVX can really do, improve my skills and view this as a learning experience which should serve me well when I upgrade to an HD version of the DVX in the future......which might just be sooner than I expected when I bought the DVX.

Thanks for bearing with me.....I'll try not to ask too many stupid questions as I get on with it!

Gary
Eagle River, Alaska
 
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My friend bought a z-1u? this sony hdv cam, is that right? It is the one with the flipout lcd on the handle...whatever. He thought he was a badass with his interlaced hd cam. The second I got my dvx he was asking to make shorts with me and wanted to use my camera. I of coarse acted like I was busy, because he's a wackyasshole. He tells me all the time he wishes that he got a dvx or xl2. His downrezd hd doesn't even touch my letterboxed 24pa sd.


Hd 60i is still nothing in my opinion compared to 24pa sd.
 
I love my !00b, the footage is fantastic and I prefer the 'film look' over the super high crisp HD for the time being, especially for films. True, you must experiment, especially with lighting, this is huge. Also, lately I have been shooting 'clean' and getting my preferred 'look' in post. After all, this is how the big boys do it, lol! Play with that baby...
 
Yeah, keeping everything clean is better than getting everything in camera unless it's necessary for a specific look or somethng. Depends. But anyway, back to the main discussion. Yes, the DVX does require a lot of know how to use to its fullest, as would the A1 if you bought it over the DVX. More resolution will make anything look better, look at the JVC HD1 for instance, people debated which to get, the DVX or HD1. But then you can't forget everything else that goes with the camera. Using consumer 24p cameras like the HV20/30, HG, and HF series shows us that much. Great image, not enough controls, but that's not necessarily a bad thing, just a different way of doing things.

If you've bought the DVX recently, why not return it and try the A1? Or sell it if it's passed 30 days, whatever. Maybe you'll be better served with more resolution combined with the same or greater image control.
 
One way in which the DVX's image quality beats the HF10s is sensitivity. I think the HF10 is rated at around 100asa. The DVX100 is around 640asa. You can get good images with the DVX with about a quarter of the amount of light you'd need with the HF10.

davide
 
Yes, but that's no revolutionary comment. Everyone knows that.

The DVX100b is a solid camera, end of story. It's been widely used and while it may have the resolution of an HD camera, it's great for the purpose of making short films and even getting paid work. I used it until HD was demanded and then switched over to the XH-A1.

Play around with the camera, as mentioned and you'll find you love it. If you really want HD, either buy an XH-A1 or wait for the HMC-150 to come out, as that will likely be closer to your price range than an HVX200 or EX-1.

-Kegan
 
Purpose

Purpose

Gawd, I don't even OWN a DVX and I'm weighing in on this. . . maybe electrons shouldn't be so cheap . . . .

HD footage (more pixels) will always trump SD in pure image "pop". When seen side by side the difference can be stunning.

This is not necessarily a good thing. If you're interest is landscape photography, travelogues or sporting events, there's very little argument - Dump the DVX. (Duck - flames inbound). :violent5:

If your purpose is to convey an emotion (art) or tell a story, its a very different animal. Cinematography is nothing about the prettiest picture, its all about crafting the image to convey that which you wish to communicate. The more control(s), the more options you have - and, at least in my case, the more opportunity to screw up. If you're trying to tell a story with people, all that extra definition can be a real detriment. HD is very unkind to talent - and therefor your story. That's not to say almost anything can't look better in HD - just that the craft required to get it there is exponentially higher, and yes, you'll need more controls and a much higher budget.

Both are excellent tools - each better suited to a different task. It's all about both where you want to go and how much you can afford for the ticket. :-Cry(DBG):

Best wishes.


Cameras don't make good films. You do.
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Amen.
 
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