future of the dvx100...

R

richblend

Active member
Im considering buying a 2nd hand DVX for about GBP 1000, as my first serious camera.

I'll probably upgrade to HD (like the HPX 170) in about a years time.

I want to know though, will the DVX be kinda worthless in a year? Will it have a much lower re-sale value? Im thinking as everyone makes the switch to HD, SD cameras might end up a bit like film still cameras - no-one uses them essentially...

Predictions? I dont want to spend £1000, only for that investment to be worth hardly anything when I sell it on..

Thanks,
Rich
 
the resale value will probably decrease drastically since its being replaced by the HMC150, and really at this point its not a good decision to spend any large amounts of money for something that shoots and records in standard definition.
 
It all depends on what your intended usage is. DVXs are widely used in cable TV production, for example. Cable's not planning on going HD any time soon. But there's no question that the manufacturers are all pushing HD over SD. The DVX's days are numbered, but it remains a valid tool for 4:3 SD production and if that's what you're doing, it does that job just as well today as it did five years ago when it was the hottest cam on the market.

So, again, it all depends on what you plan on using it for. And, furthermore, can you make more than a thousand pounds with it over the course of this year? If you can, it becomes "free" to you, so where's the risk?
 
well really I'm only a hobbyist, just upgrading from a consumer 3CCD camera, but not serious enough to warrant a HVX200 right now... I'm only really interested in shooting music videos - for small bands (most wont make it to TV, the ones that do won't be HD). SO HD is not important to me - but at the same time, I dont want to invest in something that will depreciate very very quickly.

If i could sell it for £500 in a years time, that would be ok with me... does anyone think that sounds realistic?
 
richblend said:
well really I'm only a hobbyist, just upgrading from a consumer 3CCD camera, but not serious enough to warrant a HVX200 right now... I'm only really interested in shooting music videos - for small bands (most wont make it to TV, the ones that do won't be HD). SO HD is not important to me - but at the same time, I dont want to invest in something that will depreciate very very quickly.

If i could sell it for £500 in a years time, that would be ok with me... does anyone think that sounds realistic?
Click to expand...

Even when you did upgrade to an hvx you could just keep you dvx as a b camera...wouldnt hurt. Im in the same boat, gonna buy a new cam sometime this summer and HD looks so appealing, but i think im just gonna sit back and let the whole HD war going on settle out a lil. I also wanna wait till computers are a little more capable of handling the heavy workflow...so im pretty sure its the dvx for me this summer.
 
Being relatively new to the whole HD/SD-what's-the-next-best-thing discussion, I've not much to say other than this:

I love the particular signature image of the DVX, or rather the vast range of images possible that are part of a DVX look. I'm certainly not alone. Equally, there are large numbers of people (I recently learned) who love the little Russian LOMO camera look. And there are those who love the 16 mm look and the 8mm look. Come to think of it, each camera can capture intriguing, compelling images with the right eye behind the viewfinder.

In a few years I may move to HD because I'll come to appreciate its own particular look, whether it comes from an HVX or whatever, and I may purchase an HD camera. But I think I'll keep my DVX because I will still like its own particular imaging characteristics, its look.

Go with what your eyes tell you; the rest is just details.

Bon chance!
 
I'd say get it.

You'll learn your way around the panasonic menus that will likely translate to the 170 and you'll have a good camera to shoot with in the mean time. Plus whatever filters and lenses you get will fit the 72mm threads on the 170. Since getting a dvx fairly recently (January), I've played around with some other manufacturer's HD cameras. I'll take my dvx over most of them. Like flim flam says^ these cameras have an incredible amount of range in the image you can produce.......even if it has fewer pixels.

I see a 170 in my future as well but only because of how happy I've been with what I've gotten from a dvx. Meanwhile, I'll be happily shooting all summer in standard definition. That will always beat shooting with nothing :D.
 
I'm really not so sure why there is so much talk about the HD cameras. I bought my DVX100B about a month ago and I've done a good bit of experimenting with it. I love the image quality I get from it. I shoot everything in 16:9 squeeeze mode and 24p. Now, I don't have an HD TV so I took some of my stuff over to my next door neighbor's and we watched it on his big widescreen HD TV and I have to say that I was impressed with the image quality. It looked really good! That big screen really brought out the best of the DVX100B's abilities. Personally, I am perfectly satisfied with the DVX100B and feel no need to go to HD. But, then, the camera I was using before was a Bell & Howell Filmo 70DR 16mm and the only reason I switched to digital was because the price of film and processing has gotten out of my reach financially. For the cost of film and processing for a short film, I bought my DVX100B new! To my pleasant surprise, I find the images made with the DVX are very close to those I used to get with the Filmo. So I'm absolutely satisfied and happy with my DVX100B and have no plans to "upgrade".
 
I think the dvx will be cool for a while because youtube isn't 480p yet, so i'm to too worried. when the video window on youtube is 480 (its 240 now) then the dvx will still be a cool cam.
 
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