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Shoot Review—Panasonic AG-DVX100A

Mar 1, 2004 12:00 PM, By Barry Braverman

Revolutionary camcorder improves with its second generation.

The DVX100A outfitted with Panasonic's anamorphic lens adapter—which utilizes the full CCD for widescreen shooting—and Chrosziel's 4x4 matte box.

By every measure, the Panasonic DVX100 has brought a new, hitherto unseen level of performance to a camcorder in the $3,500 price range. Now, with the introduction of a second-generation model, the legend continues in a big way for the savvy DV shooter.

Thinking back to halcyon days of early 2003, there was a lot to appreciate in the first DVX100 model. Here was a DV camera that offered shooters the creative option of shooting progressive or traditional interlaced images at 24fps. Shooting 24p offered many advantages to the small-format cinematographer: better image resolution, elimination of most aliasing artifacts, and optimal workflow for output to DVD, which is itself, after all, a 24p-based technology.

The original DVX100 model featured a superior high-density, 410,000-pixel CCD that delivered vastly superior images in my side-by-side comparison tests with competing cameras. One major reason was the Leica Dicomar lens, which offered vastly improved performance over competing camera-lens combinations. The cheap, low-contrast lenses typically affixed to DV cameras have been a sore point with me for years. Here, finally, was a decent objective lens constructed of low-dispersion glass with real multiple coatings to reduce flare and improve contrast. The lens also featured an unusually adequate wide-angle equivalent to a focal length of 32.5mm in the 35mm format. This obviated the need for a supplemental (and heavy) wide-angle adapter lens. The non-interchangeable Leica-branded zoom also made use (albeit limited use) of aspheric elements, a key technology in lens design that helps maximize light transmission or speed — while also significantly reducing bulkiness and heft. The reduction in the number of lens elements contributed to the camera's well-balanced design, greatly facilitating smooth operation when shooting handheld.

Borrowing extensively from its high-end stable of professional and broadcast cameras, Panasonic endowed the original DVX100 with a range of Cine-Like settings that for the first time allowed DV shooters to deliver images with a sophisticated polish akin to that of images originated in Digital Betacam or DVCPRO50. It was this level of extraordinary image control in tandem with a very quiet audio section that ultimately transformed the original DVX100 into a phenomenon. The camera's native 24p capability, garnering most of the attention and accolades, was in my mind simply icing on the cassette.

The DVX100A continues on this revolutionary tear with a 12-bit DSP that enables substantially more precise sampling than the 10-bit version it replaces. The 12-bit DSP is capable of assigning one of 4,096 possible values to every sample as opposed to only 1,024 in the previous model. Eight-bit cameras can assign one of only 256 possible values — a limitation that may deleteriously impact the reproduction accuracy of our images. Of course, in NTSC only 8 bits can actually be recorded to tape, so there is room for differing opinions regarding the wisdom or usefulness of such oversampling. Suffice it to say that the improved sampling in the DVX100A is immediately evident on screen, especially in critical shadow detail. My DV Cinematography class at Abel Cine Tech in Burbank recently conducted testing that confirmed this.

Utilizing the same diffusion filters that worked so well on the original DVX, I found that the latest-generation camera required substantially less diffusion to achieve the same polished look. In the camera's former incarnation, Tiffen's Black Diffusion/FX and Gold Diffusion/FX filters performed beautifully, adding a nice professional finish to interior images at full (or nearly full) aperture.

In initial tests, the same filter treatment appeared a bit excessive in the DVX100A, thus raising the prospect of reducing the filter strength across the board in the new model. If you liked a Soft/FX 1 for exterior shooting with the 10-bit model, you might consider a Soft/FX 1/2 for the DVX100A. The improved sampling and retention of detail is just that much better in the updated camera.

The improved sampling goes hand-in-hand with the enhanced Cine-Like feature. In the DVX100A, shooters now have the option of selecting a gamma mode to emphasize dynamic (Cine-Like D) or contrast (Cine-Like V) ranges. An additional gamma curve is selectable; it permits the capture of images with even stronger black contrast (B. Press). In all, the DV shooter now has a total of seven gamma curves to work with — a remarkable capability given the camera's relatively modest $3,500 price tag!

The new DVX100A also features improved 24p functionality. Some of the new capabilities might have been intended at one time for the original DVX100 model but were never realized due to engineering and/or marketing considerations. A Focus Assist is now a feature in both 24p and 30p modes, although the function operates noticeably slower than it does in 60i. Panasonic has also added gain up to +12 dB, and the previous problem of missing color bars in 24p mode has been remedied. These improvements are particularly significant to feature shooters who work principally in the progressive format.

One of the few features of the Panasonic DVX100A that betrays a consumer-grade feel is its Menu Selection button.

The DVX100A supports slow shutter speeds down to an astonishing 1/4 second in 60i and 30p modes, a rare capability in DV cameras or videocameras in general. At 24p, the Slow Shutter feature allows for a 1/6 second minimum speed. I often utilized a similar strategy when shooting film with my Arri 35, undercranking the camera at 6fps, then transferring the footage to tape at the same frame rate. The result is a fashionable MTV-style streaking across the screen enabled by the very slow shutter speed. Remarkably, this once film-only effect now can be done in-camera in the DVX100A.

The lack of true 16:9 capability continues to be an issue with the new model. Like its predecessor, the DVX still shoots 16:9 video by cropping the 4:3 CCD chipset. This means almost a quarter of the CCD pixels go unused in 16:9 mode, a significant loss of resolution when shooting widescreen.

With the DVX100A, the shooter may address the 16:9 challenge in different ways: by shooting (as before) with the standard lens in letterbox mode or with the new Digital Squeeze function that fills the frame with an anamorphic image similar to that produced with a true 16:9 camera.

The drawback is that neither of these two options utilizes the full CCD, so maximum resolution can never really be achieved. In contrast, Panasonic's anamorphic lens adapter (sold separately) does cover the entire CCD, so this option would appear to be the preferred method. A specially designed matte box from Alfred Chrosziel distributed by 16x9 Inc. (www.16x9inc.com) can be mounted to the front of the camera and Panasonic adapter; this matte box provides the most viable solution for adding camera filters when shooting anamorphically with the DVX.

When evaluating the DVX100A, one must bear in mind that this camera, as amazing as it is, is only a relatively modest $3,500 investment. Certain low-cost aspects and a general lack of sturdiness are to be expected, and that is certainly the case with the DVX100A. Of particular note is the maddening Menu Selection button, a glitchy, multi-purpose affair with a distinctly consumer-grade feel. Shooters accessing the camera's menus and VCR section may be frustrated by the shoddiness of this vital control. It should definitely be redesigned for a future DVX100 model.

Another area of concern is the internal lens support around the front element, which may be inadequate to support some common clamp-on lens shades. In the case of larger and heavier production matte boxes like the Chrosziel anamorphic matte box, support rods are strongly recommended. Some very lightweight DV-model matte boxes in 3x3 and 4x4 configurations are specifically designed for use without supplemental rod support.

The original DVX100 ignited a revolution in the DV world that continues today with no sign of slowing. The updated model is a potent imaging machine, featuring a combination of intelligent gamma modes, exceptional optics (for the price), and dramatically improved 12-bit sampling. As I stated in my November 2002 review of the original DVX100, it is rare that a camcorder lives up to its hype. In the case of the DVX100 and the DVX100A, it did — and it does.

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