Shot a rehearsal for a band the other week and noticed the wide shots (manual zoom out from an in focus close up) were a bit soft. Not the blown out of focus look you'd see with a severe mechanical misalignment, but soft nonetheless. I also saw more noise at +6 gain than normal.
Confirmed the focus issue the next morning with the Canon chart. Since I baby my camera (almost 5 years old & only 58 hours on it), I was a bit surprised. The problem seemed to be intermittent as well.
I took it into Digitronics here in LA (as I've said before: the only local Authorized repair facility I trust with my DVX 100A) for a "software alignent".
Fortunately, Simon noted the "intermittent" part of the problem and also cleaned the ribbon cable contacts (said it was not uncommon to have a poor connection because of this...cable itself was fine).
Bottom line: In focus from CU to wide angle, just like new. AND the noise level was way lower at the +6 setting, particularly in the red channel. I was very pleasantly surprised at that improvement. It appears that the computer controlled software alignment (accessed through the firewire port, I learned) adjusts many more camera functions than just lens tracking. Don't know how it got out of alignment in the first place (mystery of modern electronics?), but one adjustment in 5 years is OK with me. They also had a fast enough turnaround so that I could make my Thursday shoot (brought it in on Monday!)
For those of you who feel they have a focus problem or excessive noise on an older DVX, the software alignment might just resolve your issues.
Thanks Eric and Simon!
(No, I don't work for Digitronics...just a very satisfied customer).
Ken
Confirmed the focus issue the next morning with the Canon chart. Since I baby my camera (almost 5 years old & only 58 hours on it), I was a bit surprised. The problem seemed to be intermittent as well.
I took it into Digitronics here in LA (as I've said before: the only local Authorized repair facility I trust with my DVX 100A) for a "software alignent".
Fortunately, Simon noted the "intermittent" part of the problem and also cleaned the ribbon cable contacts (said it was not uncommon to have a poor connection because of this...cable itself was fine).
Bottom line: In focus from CU to wide angle, just like new. AND the noise level was way lower at the +6 setting, particularly in the red channel. I was very pleasantly surprised at that improvement. It appears that the computer controlled software alignment (accessed through the firewire port, I learned) adjusts many more camera functions than just lens tracking. Don't know how it got out of alignment in the first place (mystery of modern electronics?), but one adjustment in 5 years is OK with me. They also had a fast enough turnaround so that I could make my Thursday shoot (brought it in on Monday!)
For those of you who feel they have a focus problem or excessive noise on an older DVX, the software alignment might just resolve your issues.
Thanks Eric and Simon!
(No, I don't work for Digitronics...just a very satisfied customer).
Ken