AG-DVX200 4K Large-Sensor Handheld Camcorder

Hi Xoomtell,

this is really a crushing conclusion, especially statement 5., 6., 7. and 8..

Yes, sorry - but that was what I experienced. May be a a fault in the camera, may be my own fault and my skills are not good enough. The camera is very complex and not an easy run-and-gun camera. All what I have experienced may be due to something that is possible to fix - I don't know. So if you need a camera, that you can control, if you are skilled enough, this might be what you want. I just want an relatively simple camera - like the GH4 - that has some options, but not too many for my needs, and that shoots good footage almost out of the box. Hope I have not offended any one here. Best of luck with the DVX200 - I hope it will turn out as a good reliable camera in the end ;-)
 
That said... it strikes me as funny (and a more than a little sad) that we are all thrilled by the fact that our $4,200 camera is getting close to looking as good as a $1,300 digital SLR.
:-?
As I've said before, you can make it look like just about anything you want, the image controls and paintability are in there. People wanted it to look like a GH4, so I made it look like a GH4. Obviously it won't look like an F65, but it should be able to be painted to look like just about anything at its technology level or below.
 
As I've said before, you can make it look like just about anything you want, the image controls and paintability are in there. People wanted it to look like a GH4, so I made it look like a GH4. Obviously it won't look like an F65, but it should be able to be painted to look like just about anything at its technology level or below.

You are probably absolutely right , Barry. But this camera has been sold on false premises IMHO. People (at least some of us) have obviously got the impression, that here was a camera that worked out of the box. A professional camera, but also a camera that could be used by virtually anyone with little previous knowledge. Non-prof users for making corporate video inhouse or for schools etc. But it does not. It is obviously a very advanced and complex camera, with a steep learning curve that you almost need to be an engineer to master to perfection. Maybe I'm wrong, but I have tried it twice, with bad results. I have 8 years of experience with HMC151, GH3 etc. So I know how to make a proper whitebalance. I'm not a complete novice or an amateur, so I like to think I am the perfect DVX200 customer/user...but apparently I am not...unfortunately. Thx for all your effort in trying to get us all calmed down. I look forward to receive my new GH4R tomorrow. Hope that will be a more pleasant acquaintance ;-)
 
I think I'm in it for the long haul knowing anything is possible. I found out that I can actually return the camera up until Feb 1 but I don't think that will happen. I'm seeing some promising results with Barry's scene files and that's even before anyone else has posted scene files. There has to be more to come and who knows, I might find something that I like even better than what Barry just put together. That won't be anthing against Barry's abilities, it will be about a look that I see and like regardless of who put it together. Like Barry said earlier, his were to replicate the GH4.

I've had my Sony FX-1 for about 10 years and I already feel like I'm getting to know the DVX200 more intimately in the month that I've had it than the first few years of shooting with the FX-1. The DVX200 is a more complex animal than the Sony but my abilities in some aspects have also progressed since I bought the FX-1 so I'm not afraid to tinker with it. I got an acceptable image with the Sony right out of the box but in my quest to get something that was more acceptable out of the DVX200 prior to Barry's scenes made me push more buttons and adjust more settings. Just because I couldn't get a better look out of it didn't mean that it couldn't be done.

I kind of feel like I can relax a little more now that I feel the camera is usable for me. I really think better things are coming in scene files, firmware and hopefully my abilities. There are a lot of people scrutinizing DVX200 footage without having one in their hands or at least having one in their hands long enough. I shoot a lot of stuff with a Nikon D800 and I really wanted to get away from an audio adapter, no time code and manually adding ND filters just to name a few things when using a DSLR. Sure it's mostly about image quality but at this point in time, I think I'm okay with sacrificing a little bit with image quality until things (myself & camera) get up to speed while not having to lug all of that other stuff around for the D800. I guess it will really depend on the shoot which one I grab.

About a week ago I looked at Sony's options again and I was amazed at all of the yapping online about how Sony left people in the dust with their concerns about image quality and the promise of additional firmware updates to change some things. The firmware still hasn't been updated in over a year from what I can tell. So would I really be in a better situation spending another $800 to ditch the DVX200 and getting the Sony? That's anyone's guess.
 
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I hope your dreams come true mapper65 :-)
I think you actually are more the rght customer for this camera. So maybe Panasonic should just change their mareketing strategi toward people who has the time and skills to develop this cameras full potential :-)
I agree that Panasonic has been quick to release a fw update. Good luck with the DVX200.
 
Yup, sorry Barry.... I wasn't going after you with that statement. It just struck me as a funny thing to see the excitement about the 200 looking more like the Gh4. Maybe I shouldn't have fanned the flames? Anyway... I think it is SO cool that you have the ability to dig in and make the camera emulate another camera. Pretty sweet actually. I do not (currently) have that ability or the time to go to school to learn (or weeks to months for experimenting). I thought I was buying a reasonable run-n-gun camera, which is a pro-version of a point-n-shoot. I am holding onto my 200 with the sincere hope that I can get more out of it than I was able to get with my PX270. And that maybe someday the footage will be nearly as clean as my Canon 5D MKIII. I look forward to any and all offerings you graciously present to this forum Barry. Thanks again... your efforts are supremely appreciated by those of us that are feeling a bit cheated by the out-of-box experience for this camera.
 
Here's an example again:(I did not do it)
https://vimeo.com/137220122
watch the noise from the right side
ISO 500/ 0db!!!!!!!
shocking that a prototype of Panasonic on the market
Now what?

Cash back
Keep in mind that video was posted 3 months ago with a prototype camera and that prototype camera also would not have been running the latest version firmware. That test is no longer valid at this point in time.
 
Here's an example again:(I did not do it)
https://vimeo.com/137220122
watch the noise from the right side
There's very little observable at all in most shots. There's one shot where there was some noticeable noise. And I'd wager that would be exactly the scenario where the new firmware would fix that.


Now what?

Cash back
You're clearly unhappy. And you've answered your own question in every post you've made. If you want "cash back", then just either return the camera or sell it to someone else, and move on with your life. Why continue to be upset?
 
You're clearly unhappy. And you've answered your own question in every post you've made. If you want "cash back", then just either return the camera or sell it to someone else, and move on with your life. Why continue to be upset?

At this point, after all the suggestions you, Harddrive, and I gave him, and your new scene files, it's either something in his NLE/computer (like you suggested), he has a defective unit, or it's simply user error. I know that sounds harsh, but when several people are looking at his footage and saying they are not getting the same results as him, then it's clearly not the DVX200 (beyond his particular unit). Return the camera for an exchange, as it could be defective... he's clearly entitled to that. But several of us are posting possible solutions to his problems, and it sounds like he isn't wanting to use them because he already made his mind up.

I mean, when you're downloading his footage, and not seeing the noise that he is seeing, and posting those results... then the he needs to be open to the possibility that the issue lies elsewhere other than the camera.
 
Sorry!
I do not want to offend anyone!
I'm upset because I feel cheated
I look forward to the response of Service
 
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