Shoot PAL & NTSC on the same HVX200 / HD100

Dilema: I am working mainly in Europe but also some in the USA doing doc work. Currently I shoot DVCam and rent cameras depending on the job. I'm ready to buy now and have narrowed my choices down to either the HVX200 or HD100 (Sony makes a HDV camera that shoots both PAL & NTSC, but I've tried it and it's not for me- the deal breaker being the lack of pro style zoom & focus controls).

When comparing the HVX200 specs on the NTSC & PAL versions, it seems that the offered framerates in 720p are designed to merely inhibit this possibility. If the HVX200 can offer 12, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 30, 32, 36, 48, and 60 in the NTSC version, why not 25 & 50?

Question: Can Panasonic or a third party modify a HVX200 so that it can shoot both PAL & NTSC frame rates in both DV & HDV? Is there a hardware limitation?
 
This is one of my biggest problems with the HVX200....

The Sony Z1 & Canon XL-H1 can both deliver 24/25p-50/60i for use in both PAL & NTSC countries but so far i've heard of no upgrade available for the HVX200..

I think us people in PAL land should find out more about this as this is quite a major problem for us here as many of us shoot for NTSC markets....
 
downconversion of DVCPRO HD files to PAL

downconversion of DVCPRO HD files to PAL

From Hands-on HVX By Barry Braverman Jan 1, 2006

"The HVX200 also currently lacks a 50p capability that would facilitate downconversion of DVCPRO HD files to PAL. For European producers wishing to use a single camera for a wide range of productions around the world, this could be a major hassle. Perhaps this could be corrected in the first HVX200 revision."

http://www.videosystems.com/mag/video_handson_hvx/index.html
 
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