DVX100A=fragile?

P

powerdog

Veteran
From reading this board, I can't tell if the 100A is particularly fragile, or if people with broken cameras just tend to post more. How many of you have NOT needed repairs for the 100/100A?

Also, is there something about videography that makes the camera especially prone to dropping? I've used still cameras for about 40 years, and (because I'm so paranoid/worried/compulsive about it) never dropped them.
 
Re: DVX100A=fragile?

I'd say that the majority of us have not needed repairs, but anyone on the board with a problem is going to post. The DVX100 has a very good build quality and I'd consider it a robust camera. I'm pretty careful myself, but don't see any major weak points. The most fragile part of the construction may be the tripod socket--be extra careful about not over-tightening. Otherwise, you should be fine.
 
Re: DVX100A=fragile?

powerdog - The last two topics you have posted have been:

DVX-100A a "sham"??!!
DVX100A=fragile?

Are you posting actual questions or just trying to bait people for a flame war?
 
Re: DVX100A=fragile?

HansK,

I am absolutely NOT trying to incite a flame war! I'm just mentioning possible concerns and being very careful about a big investment. (The answers I've gotten here have been great, and I'm sure I'll be ordering a 100A soon.)
 
Re: DVX100A=fragile?

... it has a very strong and lightwieght magnesium alloy frame, and has quites a few champion stories of how it still works great even after being abused badly. :)

..hansk is really just asking what alot of us are thinking.. simply because your asking these questions about the camera to an entire user group of people that have already made the same purchasing decision that you are now making.. if we thought the camera was a sham.. or breaks all the time.. or ANYTHING else that would make it a bad purchase.. we would not all own the camera. we all bought it because we know it is the best choice out there right now. ..so basically from our side of the fence what we hear is :

" say, ..isnt that camera that you all own a piece of junk?"

and honestly Im not really sure what sort of answers questions like this are expecting to get if they are not trolling, or trying to start somthing. .. does anyone really think us DVXusers/owners would answer.. "yes this camera is a total sham.. thats why i bought it.. or yes.. this camera breaks all the time, and is built like crap ,and super weak.. so i bought it and come to this user group to waste my time talking about the peice of junk."

im not grilling you or anything, but just enlightining you to the bigger picture here. if you want non partisan reviews on the product, you should look at independent reviews on the net. cause asking a community of owners these types of questions is a bit silly. :)

as far as dropping the cam more in videography .. well video cameras do tend to have alot of cables hanging off them that people like to trip on. but aside from that id say that more often than not they are dropped because of all the weird mounting devices that we stick the things on to "get the shot" balancing it on an eggcrate, on the tray of a baby stroller for a dolly and such.. or cause were running or moving with it in our hands to capture something in motion and we trip. so yes the cams do tend to drop more often.. people dont normally car mount a still camera. or run with a steadycam down stairs, or run alongside someone in a car. or push it on a dolly down a shakey pier. anyway its just the crazy things that filmmaking and videography get you into that put your cam in harms way.. not the design of any particular camera.. or the fact that its a video camera v a still one.. if you did all the same stuff with a still cam, it would have the same accident prone existance.
 
Re: DVX100A=fragile?

I'm very sorry if I've offended anyone or caused undue stress. Because I'm still learning, I have to take any possible negatives seriously and find out what rebuttal you (the experts!) would give. As I said, the replies have been helpful and reassuring. No, I wouldn't expect anyone here to agree with my stepson, but you did understand what he was trying to say and had good counterarguments to it.

I've read the reviews, but sometimes it helps to get a personal opinion about a specific question. If you were thinking of buying a certain car, and someone had told you about a possible problem with it, wouldn't you want to ask an enthusiast/owner for his view on the issue? That's all I've done here, but if that's not appropriate or welcome, I'm willing to leave the board.
 
Re: DVX100A=fragile?

The Sony PD150/170 which is built like a tank. It is as durable as one could possibly expect. I would give it a 10 for durability and would then give the DVX100A a 9 or 9.5...
Its as durable as can reasonably be expected. It is made of Magnesium and not plastic unlike other cameras.. You should buy with confidence ;)
My 2c
 
Re: DVX100A=fragile?

[quote author=powerdog link=board=Events;num=1092147525;start=0#4 date=08/10/04 at 11:08:32]I am absolutely NOT trying to incite a flame war! I'm just mentioning possible concerns and being very careful about a big investment. [/quote]
I can relate. I was tempted to ask the same questions you did, but decided to research on my own instead. I did some searches on this forum and uncovered the link that Aejaz mentioned above. And just from all of the clips posted on this forum, not to mention the affection that folks on this board exude towards their cameras, when I finally got the nerve to plunk down $3400 -- the biggest single purchase I've made since buying a new car back in '89 -- I felt good about it.

If you can afford it, go ahead, and try to feel good about it too.
:)
 
Re: DVX100A=fragile?

[quote author=powerdog link=board=Events;num=1092147525;start=0#4 date=08/10/04 at 11:08:32]I am absolutely NOT trying to incite a flame war![/quote]

Glad to know. Sorry to be defensive and checking. :-/ I hate the bandwidth a flame war eats up.

So, on another note... I highly recommend the camera. I've put it through some good knocks with lots of outdoor shooting and haven't (knock on wood) had a problem.

You will not be dissappointed if you purchase one.
 
Re: DVX100A=fragile?

Honestly, I started out looking at the DVX100A, the Canon XL1S (stepson's favorite) and GL2, and the Sony 2100, and by now I'm not even considering the others! The opinions I got on this board definitely helped me reach that conclusion.
 
Re: DVX100A=fragile?

..hey powerdog, I certainly wouldnt want you to leave the board, your probably the most respectful, and humbly honest person here. .. I was just letting you know why youll take grief over questions of that nature ;) . always best to word a question so that it doesnt sound or come acrossed as being loaded. :)
 
Re: DVX100A=fragile?

Exactly. Don't leave the board. Once you get the camera, you'll have questions about things. This is the best place I've found to get answers to questions such as:

-What's that rattling sound?

-Why does the LCD image look really jittery in 24p?

-Why does it hurt when I pee?

OK, maybe not that last one, but you'll have questions.
 
Re: DVX100A=fragile?

Well, I'm glad to be here!

And here's a very neutral question: roughly how many minutes of footage (best case/worst case) do you get from the battery that comes with the 100A?
 
Re: DVX100A=fragile?

I'll take a shot at this one since it's in my scope of limited experience. :)

Worst case: 1 hour. Best case: ~2.
 
Re: DVX100A=fragile?

[quote author=powerdog link=board=Events;num=1092147525;start=0#10 date=08/11/04 at 01:33:00]the Canon XL1S (stepson's favorite) [/quote]

That explains your stepson. XL1s aficionados (as in, those very, very, very fond of it, as opposed to the more casual user) often tend to be very down on the DVX, especially the 24p aspect (until the XL2 came along, and then it was all great! ;) ). At least in my observation.

(Note . . . this is not the same as someone posting our threads in another forum and saying that DVX users are a bunch of whiners over the XL2 . . . by and large, I think we respect that cam for what it is.)
 
Re: DVX100A=fragile?

That seems very reasonable to me. I suppose it partly depends on the weather? (cold=less) Any other predictable factors?
 
Re: DVX100A=fragile?

The LCD screen is probably the weak point, if you drop it. Fortunately, that only makes the camera less convenient, not less functional, if you break it off.
 
Re: DVX100A=fragile?

[quote author=powerdog link=board=Events;num=1092147525;start=0#0 date=08/10/04 at 07:18:45]From reading this board, I can't tell if the 100A is particularly fragile, or if people with broken cameras just tend to post more. How many of you have NOT needed repairs for the 100/100A?

Also, is there something about videography that makes the camera especially prone to dropping? I've used still cameras for about 40 years, and (because I'm so paranoid/worried/compulsive about it) never dropped them.[/quote]

First off, all cameras are a precision instrument, and should be treated with care (even large ones). I tell people to treat it like it's explosive.

I drag my two 100A's around on shoots, vans full of gear, without a single incident. I travelled to England and back without any problems. On the way back it had to be wrapped in a coat and set on the floor... ever seen a 747 touch down... at least none of my fillings fell out.

It's like the UPS store... they always ask whenever I ship ANYTHING "is it breakable"? I respond "everything is breakable with the possible exception of an anvil".
 
Re: DVX100A=fragile?

Ive taken my original DVX100 through hell and back,, its been dropped during a running handheld shot, covered in fake blood, exposed to a few dozen hours of that horrible Smoke, Been in very hot and very cold places, and never have had a problem, except for breaking the Firewire port which I did myself trying to use a faulty cable.
 
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