Mechanical Humming Noise

Noise tests - 100B vs. Canon GL-1

Noise tests - 100B vs. Canon GL-1

Recently purchased a 100B to supplement my Canon GL-1. After reading all of the earlier posts in this thread, I decided to do a few noise tests while comparing both cameras. Testing was conducted in a dead quiet room, both cameras mounted on a tripod while using a Sennheiser ME66 shotgun mic in a Sennheiser shock mount placed on the camera hotshoes. Audio from the shotgun was fed to only one channel of each camera.

Audio level controls on the 100B were placed in the center or 12:00 o'clock position. Audio level on the GL-1 was controlled by a Studio 1 XLR Pro mixer mounted below the camera, with the level control for the shotgun channel set for "average" indoor/outdoor recording situations, based on my experience with the camera and mic.

Judgments were made by ear while standing beside the tripod and (more importantly) while listening to playback on studio monitors from a Final Cut Pro timeline.



Findings from the tripod:


In camera mode:

100B - easily discerned noise (I'll call it "motor noise"), audible while standing several feet away from the camera.

GL-1 - silent (unless you place your ear very close to the camera body, and then barely noticable.


Zooming lens using servo:

100B - noise from zoom, easily heard above motor noise, apparently coming from the mechanical linkage to the lens.

GL-1 - silent.


Auto Focus:

100B - definite sound during focus transition, lower frequency than camera's motor noise.

GL-1 - silent.


In VCR mode:

Both cameras silent.




Findings from the timeline:


"Motor Noise":

Both cameras very slight so as not to be a serious factor (I realize this is vague). Noise from the GL-1 exhibited more high frequency hiss, much of which could be removed by filtering out the 8000 - 16,000 Hz range. The 100B's audio exhibited very slight hiss, but more lower fequency noise around the 630 - 1000 Hz range.


Zoom Noise:

Both cameras exhibit definite noise, ie more than motor noise, and again at differing frequencies. The 100B added an especially bothersome "click" when starting and stopping the zoom.


Auto Focus Noise:

The 100B yielded slight noise (audible over motor noise, but less than when zooming. The GL-1 was essentially silent.



Sorry I can't provide more quantitative analysis. Perhaps someone else can help in this regard.
 
I have had my 100B for about a week now and did not notice the loud motor noise until now. It comes from the front (lens end) of the camera and is only present in camera mode. It goes away in VCR mode. The closest sound I can compare it to is an air compressor motor... I can distinctly hear it at arms length in a room that is by no means dead silent. It is not the OIS mechanism (which produces a very faint whirring sound), nor is it the zoom servo. I have the camera in manual focus, so I wouldn't think that would be it. I simply can't imagine why this motor is as loud as it is, why I'm only now noticing it, and why it does not turn off. My battery time seems rather poor as well--maybe an hour of recording. Nothing near the "300" minutes in the manual.

I'm a bit worried I have a defective camera. The picture quality and function is fine, but the noise is loud and bothersome and gets picked up on the audio. I ordered online from full compass since I have no local authorized dealer. Wondering what to do next...
 
too loud noise

too loud noise

too loud humming noise on 100b, much louder than on 100a.
zoom mechanizm noise also much louder. very dissapointing. looks like they try to cut angles and to profit more by making quality lower.:(
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Motor Noise Personal Conclusion

Motor Noise Personal Conclusion

Alright I to have been concerned with the noise of the dvx100b because I'm a real perfectionist; however, when I listen closely to the camera (with and without tape inserted) it is definitely noticeable. This being said, when I stand about 2-3 feet back it is very silent. Also the footage is not harmed and if you have someone talking in a scene the audio is perfect. Bottom line (concerning minidv camera)- All minidv cameras have some ambient noise ex. The tape transport; however, depending on the model and/or company, results may vary. So I guess what I'm saying is no camera is made to have footage damaged by bad audio. In other words, if you're camera has a very noticeable sound that is RECORDED then something is definitely wrong; however if your DVX's recorded audio is not harmed and the most you get is a little fuzzy static at the loudest volume then you will be fine. If you are really concerned with even a little static noise or small motor noises which are only audible at very high volumes then you should look into a shotgun mic or completely separate audio, say on a boom. But as I stated above, the recorded footage should be fine or else you have an issue. Or, if you are still worried then get a HDV camcorder or panasonic p2 or something that records to card or hard drive. Personally, aside from the audio, which SHOULD be a minor concern (unless heard quite vividly on footage) , the Panasonic DVX100b makes up for it with image quality. But I know how you all must feel, "I just spent $3000.00 on a camera that isn't completely silent like it was made out to be by panasonic..." All I can say is Panasonic better look into this or people that heard of this may be lost customers which is sad because the camera is very nice but people want perfection. Even the slightest thing like a very small sound can turn people off.

My score for DVX100B: /10

Image: 10
Audio: 6.5 (Good audio but for near $3000.00 I expect more and have seen better on a pvgs500 panasonic, so I know there capable of such thing.)
Design: 9
Appearance: 7 ( very nice look and design, but would have hoped for a little less plastic. lol.)

Very nice 24p feature and complex settings are availale which makes you wonder why then could they have messed up a noisy zoom and motor but achieved such professional features?
 
I thought I would chime in here. New to the forum.

I've only had the DVX100A for about two weeks, it was a bit noisy until I got the sand cleaned out of the tape transport and a new capstan motor, now it seems very quiet.

Anyway, previously I have used the canon xl1 and sony pd 170 and a vx2000.

One thing struck me straight away about the DVX, It's audio is far more sensitive than any of the other cameras by a long shot. Used with professional mikes off the camera, I found the quality to be way above the other cameras.

There is a sensitivity setting on the camera, I am wondering whether turning this down might make things better.

In similar situations of mike placement, the DVX required 2 - 4 less out of ten to achieve the same recording level and there was no hiss. The audio was as clean as I have ever heard from a video camera.

In addition, the middle frequency domination present in the other cameras was not present in the DVX, it seems to have a flatter frequency response.

This was verified in my graphic equalizer in soundforge. The DVX captures more program material at each end of the frequency spectrum.

It also seems to handle noise variations better, like there is an invisible limiter. Actors voice variations are easier to record without going to clipping. Don't know what that is.

I've taken the on board mic holder off. On a camera this sensitive, I cannot see how you could expect to get noisefree audio recordings from using either the inbuilt mike or an external one bolted on.

a rubber band shockmount attached to the top of the camera is heaps better than any brace attached to the bottom on this camera, or the standard mike mount. Unlike the others, tape running noise seems to travel through the bottom quite well.

Yes it's got a noisy zoom, but I don't notice noise from the camera when just recording. The pd170 makes more noise when recording. It was noisier before the capstan motor was replaced.

The bottom line. Sometimes I like to use it in run and gun so for that, I use the rubber shockmount on the camera hot shoe. Just the cheapo Rode SM5 I think it is, about $50.00 AUS.

Anyway, I much prefer the audio on this camera than the others for filmmaking. I can even use my expensive dynamic mikes to get great atmosphere recordings. I could not use those with the other cameras, the signal to noise ratio was unacceptable.

Perhaps the 100B is even more sensitive, I don't know.

My Score for the DVX100A

Image 10/10 the 25p mode handles contrast like a 1/2 inch chip camera and is just beautiful. Also able to radically change the image and it handles detail, mosquito noise much better than the other cameras. Have not tested interlaced mode.

Audio 9/10 Better for filmmaking if mikes are off camera, captures more program material at wider frequencies than the other cameras. Downgraded by one because run and gun with mike on camera can be problematic. I don't use autofocus (in 25p it does not work that well) or autozoom when filming so don't notice it.

Reliability/Durability 4/10 Oh dear! mine broke although it was secondhand but looking at the error warnings and problems on this forum is not good. Never had reliability problems with the sony cameras. I find myself holding on to the vx2000 for a while ... just in case. Main problem, tape transport door does not seal well leaving the inner electrics open to the elements. This leads to dust and dirt wreaking havoc with the tape transport system and finding it's way BEHIND the lens, premature corrosion of the PCB board, susceptability to moisture, humidity and temperature changes. A bit worried about this. Might see if I can make up some rubber strips to glue on the inside of the tape transport door like the sony cameras.
 
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I agree...

I agree...

Yes I do agree that the dvx100b produces a much clearer sound and picks up audio from great distances. However, all I wish is like other model camcorders, is that the motor noise wasn't as noisy and the zoom could be a litlle less as well.
 
Sorry to bump this thread but my DVX100A has been making this Whirling/Humming sound as well. The onboard mic didn't seem to pick up any of the whirling/humming sounds, but when i was filming in my room today with the mic levels nearly max they picked up the whirling/humming sounds. Is it time for me to take it in for repair? Or is it just because my mic levels were nearly max that they were able to pick up the mechanical hum?
 
DVX100B Humming & Rumbling in audio

DVX100B Humming & Rumbling in audio

Hi...you are absolutely correct. I just purchased a new 100B and received it a week ago. I have been testing all the image modes and took a lot of footage. I noticed on every take that I heard a rumbling in the audio. I have tried the onboard mic and a shockmounted shotgun mic and found that anything that touches the camera picks up both the zoom motor sound and especially the autofocus servo. If you turn autofocus off you will directly notice the hum from that disappear. If you watch the AF number change in the viewfinder and monitor the live audio with headphones, you will notice that the rumbling hum is active when the numbers are changing and it stops when the AF number settles to a stop. I have confirmed this also by shooting footage in my studio with no equipment running and then hearing the rumbling on playback as focus changed or I zoomed in and out. As a final test, I disconnected my shotgun from the camera mount and held it in my hand as I zoomed and turned the autofocus back on. The sound is pure and clean with no hum. I guess I'll call Panasonic to see if they are aware of this otherwise if using external mics not touching the camera...all is good. By the way, the hum in either camera mode or vcr mode appears to be the internals of the camera and do not affect recording audio on my unit. With your ear up to the LCD you can hear a slight noise that sounds like a small fan running. This is not the same as the sound it makes when autofocusing or zooming. PS...this occurs in either audio format selection.
 
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