A1 XH vs DVX100b?

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ejdge

Well-known member
The price between the two is about only a $100 difference on B&H Photo (not including rebate prices).

I really like the idea of native 16:9 and HD, but I hear the 24F on the A1 isn't as good as the DVX's 24p. This would be my first camera as well.

Any thoughts? Thanks.
 
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ejdge said:
I hear the 24F on the A1 isn't as good as the DVX's 24p.
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I'm curious as to where you heard that? There are a lot of misconceptions about the A1 floating around the net, and a lot of inaccurate hearsay about the camera being bandied about.

There isn't a difference to the frame rate cadence. In my opinion the way the 24fps is laid to tape on the Canon is superior to using a pulldown the way the DVX does.

I'm not sure I even understand your question for sure. 24 frames per second is 24 frames per second no matter what camera is doing it.
 
Zim said:
but can FCP edit Canon's 24F? Or does it have to be upgraded?
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If you have updates to 5.1.2 (free updates) there is an easy preset for working with A1 footage. And I laugh at the fact that people would even consider the A1s 24f being inferior.

ejdge the point to consider is cost only here, there is about a 1k end price difference, that can buy you a solid tripod and a start to a sound set up, or a lighting start up package. All very important things.

If you just want to spend the $ to get the better cam then theres no competion here. A1 is leagues ahead.
 
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the XH A1 beats the DVX in all aspects except low-light performance and price.
it can be considered the HD version of the DVX.
 
"I'm curious as to where you heard that? There are a lot of misconceptions about the A1 floating around the net, and a lot of inaccurate hearsay about the camera being bandied about."

Ah I saw it here
"When shooting 30F and 24F, you’ll definitely notice a stutter in moving objects."
http://www.camcorderinfo.com/content/Canon-XH-A1-Camcorder-Review/Performance.htm

If Cannon's 24F and Panasonic's 24P are the same however, great! That was my major concern between the two.

As for pricing, the A1's from B&H photo are $3.4k vs a DVX at $3.3k. The A1 has a $250 rebate whereas the DVX has a $500. This makes the price difference $350 altogether. Am I missing something with a DVX price? Or do used ones go for less?
Thanks for the info, I'll go with the A1 if I can find a price not too much more expensive the the dvx!
 
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I've owned both cameras. I've also owned an XL2. The motion stutter is no different between the cameras. If the sharpness is higher on a camera the more you will notice a stutter. It's like that for every camera. The DVX certainly has a softer image out of the box, but if you up the sharpness you will notice the stutter more.

I'll say it again, 24fps is still 24fps. It doesn't matter what camera it is.
 
ejdge said:
The price between the two is about only a $100 difference on B&H Photo (not including rebate prices).

I really like the idea of native 16:9 and HD, but I hear the 24F on the A1 isn't as good as the DVX's 24p. This would be my first camera as well.

Any thoughts? Thanks.
Click to expand...

I'm a long time DVX owner, and I plan on selling it to upgrade (yes, Panny needs to drop the price of the DVX considerably at this point, as it is an upgrade) to the XHA1.
 
ejdge:

any camera set to 24p or 24f will produce "stuttery" footage if its panned two fast. That's true with film also. When shooting 24 frame mode you need to slow down you pan speed considerably.

BTW you would see the same effect if you shot 60i and then converted to 24 frames. 24 frame shooting does require you to handle the camera differently.

I owned the DVX 100b and bought the the A1 in addition. I use both in my work. But for you looking for the first acquisition the A1 is definitely the best choice.

S Cannon
 
scannon said:
ejdge:

any camera set to 24p or 24f will produce "stuttery" footage if its panned two fast. That's true with film also. When shooting 24 frame mode you need to slow down you pan speed considerably.

BTW you would see the same effect if you shot 60i and then converted to 24 frames. 24 frame shooting does require you to handle the camera differently.

I owned the DVX 100b and bought the the A1 in addition. I use both in my work. But for you looking for the first acquisition the A1 is definitely the best choice.

S Cannon
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There was someone who had a chart of rec'd pan speeds with 24P, at different shutter angles (it was from an old Bolex manual). I think the fastest rec'd pan from left to right, or vice versa, is eight seconds, meaning if you have an object at one end of the frame, the fastest amount of time, to minimize stuttering, that it should get to the other end of the frame is eight seconds. Think....

One Mississippi
Two Mississippi
Three Mississippi
Four Mississippi
Five Mississippi
Six Mississippi
Seven Mississippi
Eight Mississippi

....and that's a smooth end to end pan in 24P.
 
scannon said:
ejdge:
I owned the DVX 100b and bought the the A1 in addition. I use both in my work. But for you looking for the first acquisition the A1 is definitely the best choice.
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Which camera do you use for which purpose?
 
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