Mechanical Humming Noise

The humming aside [which I hope can be dealt with] mounting a mic on the camera unless you have to is usually a bad idea. It will pick up the operator too easily. Sucks when editing to notice a rustling sound on tape....
 
Hmm

Hmm

Thanx for great forum!
Ive got a 100be and it humms more than previous dvx we have used, it also stops humming when turned to vcr mode... The internal mic pics up noise an so does also a shotgun mounted on camera-thou less noise on that one.
It seems to be two sounds, one stable "hmmm" an one more like"rerrerrere"
Does anyone have a 100b that doesnt make that much sound?
Is this a standard fault or reclamation issue? Anyone got a reply from panasonic?
sorry for bad english:)
 
I notice that there is a slight motor noice on the camera but I have to put my ear to the camera to hear it. I should not be present in your recording. Send it back for a new one.

Sorry to late coming in on this one.

Best,

Jan
 
I concur with GONG and others above : the humming/whirring stops when I switch the camera to VCR mode. It is completely silent then.

I listened to that noise again more carefully and my findings are as follows :

1. It is definitely what I'd call "whirring".

2. When listening through headphones (Sony brand-new MDR 7506), the on-board mic picks it up as well as the AT897 shotgun when mounted on-camera.

3. The type of the noise strongly suggests some mechanical parts in movement, which makes me almost sure it's got something to do with the tape transport system.

4. Whatever causes the noise also induces very slight vibrations of the camera body, more easily perceivable with left hand holding camera from underneath (around tripod socket).

:smiley_up ==> ATTN Jan <== :smiley_up

Thank you very much for chiming in. I bought my 100B from H Preston in the UK 10 days ago, it only has 1 hour on the meter. Even though you're not Panasonic Europe, would you rather advise me to send it back ?

Thanks very much in advance for your counsel.
 
Hi guys,

We just did a comparison test here and found that there is camorder noise recorded to a very small extent with the on camera mic. This was true of the DVX100A and the DVX100, all cameras have a bit of noise recorded by the on camera mic. Once we went to a separate microphone and put that near the incident of sound, the sound was clean and gorgeous as we would expect it to be.

The whirring sound in the camera itself is the Lens mechanism/optical stabilizer/autofocus and the tape drive itself, The only way to get past most of this noise is to go to a P2 sort of operation.

Okay, all that said, if you feel that your camera is excessive, go back to the dealer and have them evaluate it. We did that here with a DVX100, a 100A and the 100B, they all sounded about equal.

Keep in mind that certain laws of physics cannot be denied and that is why the camera "hears" itself, it has no option not to record the sound closest to the microphone. Nothing is closer than the camera to the on camera microphone.

I hope this helps,

Jan
 
Going to VCR mode should not make a difference if the noises were from the transport, so like Jan said: it's the lens & company.
 
I want to thank everyone for checking this out.

As I said in the original post, I am new to Panasonic cameras, so I just may not be used to the sounds they make. Although this (according to the posts) seems to be normal operation, I am still of the opinion that my 100B is excessively noisy. I'm still looking for another 100B to do a side by side comparison test. Once I find one here in Dallas, I will post my findings.

Thanks again,
Hector
 
Great idea, Hector. I can't do the same thing here but I'll be very interested to read about your findings, because my 100 B definitely seems noisier than my previous 100 A.

I have a friend with a 100 A here in Lyon, I'll check with him at the earliest opportunity and post about it here as well.
 
I have the DVX100B and i was hearing a niose so i searched the forum and found this so yes mine does it too, you can really hear it in a silent room.
 
haha yea same here, im about to sell my DSLR for some extra cash for new mic. its well worth it.
 
The humming noise is a new well known Panasonic problem. It is the video heads which is consumer stock - it is not a true professional unit like the DVCPRO cameras have. They have started using these heads when they've launched the DVC30 camera - we had huge problems with head noise on those, up to -46dB humming. The noise goes away in VCR mode simply because heads stop spinning in STOP mode. As I said before, Panasonic is in the business of making money and one way is to use a $150 part instead of a $700 one. Use the camera (which is great BTW) with an external microphone if live sound is so vital.
 
The Engineer said:
The humming noise is a new well known Panasonic problem. It is the video heads which is consumer stock - it is not a true professional unit like the DVCPRO cameras have. They have started using these heads when they've launched the DVC30 camera - we had huge problems with head noise on those, up to -46dB humming. The noise goes away in VCR mode simply because heads stop spinning in STOP mode. As I said before, Panasonic is in the business of making money and one way is to use a $150 part instead of a $700 one. Use the camera (which is great BTW) with an external microphone if live sound is so vital.
Click to expand...

Hi,

It is a different mechanism from the AG-DVX100A, and it is the same as the AG-DVC30, but in testing it side by side with the DVX100A and the non A along with other DV cameras it is totally comparable. The on camera mic is only there as a convenient tool. As I said before if you want good audio put your microphones near the incident of sound. The reality is that the DVX100 did not use an DVCPRO mechanism either, and while its noise was different it was no less transparent.

There is no way that you should even begin to compare the transport on a DVCPRO camcorder with the DV mechanism, it is not a fair test. Different league of camera and expenditure.

Place your microphones where it is appropriate and you will have wonderful audio recording with this camera, or any of the DVX cameras for that matter.

Best,

Jan
 
Jan_Crittenden said:
There is no way that you should even begin to compare the transport on a DVCPRO camcorder with the DV mechanism, it is not a fair test.
Click to expand...
Jan, your position is very legitimate indeed. However, I assume that so-called "non professional" (read "non-DVCPro") parts were used in the 100A as well, and my 100A seemed (I repeat seemed) less noisy than my current 100B.

I'll try and do a side-by-side test this weekend with a friend's 100A and I'll post my findings here ASAP.
 
What I said about the consumer parts stands - the heads used in the DVX100 and DVC30 are consumer grade - this is where the noise is coming from. It's like putting new tyres on your car without doing a wheel balance because it's too expensive and then you discover that at 50 mph your car rattles.
 
I think your point was well taken the first time, Engineer.

My point is, the "consumer grade" heads in my 100A were almost noise-free, or at least quite less noisy than my current 100B. Was I lucky enough to hit uopon a super-duper 100A ? This is what I'm seeking to verify with a side-by-side test of my 100B with another 100A.
 
I did that test today in a very quiet room and I must say that things are not what they seemed to me :

. the 100B does generate a faint but distinct humming/whirring noise that stops when switching to VCR mode ;

. the 100A does generate the same kind of noise on the same (approximate) frequency ;

. the 100B's noise is about the same as the 100A's : sometimes the B seems louder, sometimes quieter, depending on how you orient the camera vis-à-vis the ear : nothing conclusive here, as far as I'm concerned ;

. the thing the 100B does and the 100A doesn't is vibrate : when you place the 100B on a relatively large and thin slab of wood (the topof a modern, teenager-type desk), that vibration (and the noise it creates when the vibration is transmitted to the desktop) is very perceptible. Put down the 100A on the same desktop, and you hear nothing : no vibration, no noise.

Considering that the two cameras are so similar, the only thing that can cause this, IMO, is the new heavy-duty tripod socket. It looks like steel (versus magnesium alloy on the 100A) and is a bit recessed where the 100A's is flush. The camera has little "feet" but two of them (the front ones) are just molded plastic (versus rubber for the larger, rear one).

The feet, and the fact that the tripod socket is recessed, should dampen or eliminate any vibrations the tape transport or head movement may cause, but the vibration *is* there (I can even feel it when holding the camera from underneath in my left hand).

Anyway, that is what I have found. I'd like other DVXUsers to tell us what they think, and if Jan wants to chime in, she is most welcome, as always. :laugh:
 
Monglane, the 100A has "better" (read sorted) heads. That's why they vibrate less because they are better balanced. Vibration stops in VCR mode if you don't play the tape, because heads stop spinning in VCR STOP mode. And it can be very loud on some of the cameras.
 
Thanks everyone for the posts. I am also new to Panasonic cameras, been with an XL for a long time. Am very disappointed at the noise level. I agree it has to be the auto focus motors, and its noisy. Makes for big troubles in post. Was in a quite room and the subject noticed the sound, the camera picked it up off a lavalier.

Jan its not that easy to return a camera, especially if purchased online. There is power in numbers if we approach Panasonic about this there might be something we can do. This is afterall a DVX user group. Definitely a disappointment (after dropping $3.5K).
 
I have the 100b. I have been using it for 3 months. I even tested it today. I do not have any noise whatsoever. During filming i use an external and sometimes the on mic and there is no noise as well. Sad to say i even droped my camera once when it fell off one of my trypods that gave out (Funny I know but sad). The cam was built to last. I have no humming whatsoever maybee its a issue to take up with the manufacturer or the place you bought it from. I just tested it now and nothing.
 
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