Panasonic DVX100 released 20 years ago

[Brian Timmons]

I wish I could write a more elaborate post but I'm crazy busy.

Forget exactly which day it was but I do remember the camera being released in October 2002.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panasonic_AG-DVX100

This is the camera that was the 1st to bring both 24P and a version of log (Cinegamma) to the prosumer world.
This was considered a pretty bold move by Panasonic as many camera manufacturers were quite conservative
with such niche feature sets in the prosumer area.

Before this, people would either film using a slow shutter (1/30 shutter speed) to mimic film motion blur or use software like Magic Bullet to convert 60i video to 24P which was time consuming finicky, and gave somewhat mixed results.

Truly a step that helped democratize filmmaking.

It was the camera that I used to leave 9-5 work (which almost killed my spirit) and strike out into the world of freelance film/video production.

Granted, the DVX kind of killed the remaining 16mm shoots I had but it allowed me to shoot a few projects I'm proud of to this day.

It also inspired DVXuser created by the very person who would co-found and eventually lead RED, one Jarred Land.

The DVX100 was one of the early but critical steps to get digital filmmaking to where we are now.




A moment of silence and respect for what came before.


Brian Timmons
BRITIM/MEDIA

 

[James Falco]

I used to own one. It was one of a kind for its time.

 

[rand thompson]

Brian,

I was a "Canon Guy" back in those days and dreamed of having the Canon XH1S but eventually got the XH- A1 instead. I believe the " Sony Guys" had the VX1000 or 2000. I remember when the DVX -100 first came out on Dvxuser with 24P, that it was made to seem like the last Holy grail to true Feature film images had been attained and for under $4000. I remember when companies like E- Film, I think that was the name, was offering an expensive service to Transform your footage to 24P. Everyone were getting Pal 25P cameras to get closer to 24P with different programs and other third-party services.

I personally hated all of the Log and Capturing from DV tapes into Avid Media Composer, the NLE I was using at the time. I think Sony's DIGTAL MASTER DV tapes were considered to be some of the best DV tapes to use at the time. These cameras and their media all seem like something you would find in an Audio/ Video museum now but they were the latest and greatest in their day.


Canon XL1S

Canon XH- A1

 

[Phil Holland]

No question the DVX100 was a huge deal at the time. I was working with film already, but it was the sizzle of a drop of water in the pan that igniting a lot of things for people. Canon's XL1 and XL2 had some rockier starts due to frame rates and conforming to 24p, which was a pain back in the day. I remember some clock miss match crap.

I credit Panasonic further with the HVX200 as it was very much the roadmap to most modern digital cinema cameras and indeed was the first smaller camera like that being used on larger features in specific ways. That's not saying things like 28 Days Later didn't happen, but the HVX200 was/is a way bigger deal IMO. But much like Godfather 2, you don't get there without the first film.

I don't know if we identify camera generations by 5 or 10 years, but I underline in bold how far things have come in a very short amount of time. Right when film hit pretty much it's best stride digital tickled, touched, then tackled the market in nearly no time at all. These were the early thumps before the baby steps were even made.

 

[Zack Birlew]

I've recently gone back and purchased a DVX100B (got an as-is OG DVX100 and DVX100A as well for backup/parts too) and tracked down a decently priced Canon XL1S PAL model for 50i/25P to satisfy that itch of never owning either camera and also to be backup Mini-DV decks if nothing else.

It was a lot of fun toying with the DVX100B again which I used in my college film program extensively. I don't have any real practical use for SD 24P these days but I'm surprised how sharp it still looks and I'd love to track down a DVX Andromeda HD modified model if one ever pops up.

The PAL XL1S was a creative choice as I had started in high school with the Canon GL1 and used it in my college film program with its 30P "Frame Mode" until they got DVX100 cameras with 24P. I always wanted the XL1S though and the 35mm adapter market killed me at the time because my GL1 required more to get good results than if I had had the XL1S but I knew that image quality-wise, they weren't practically different at all so that made me feel better about it. These days with more cross-compatibility with frame rates, I figured that if I were going to get an XL1S, I should aim for the PAL model for 25P and that "28 Days Later" connection and it was a ton of fun to see what that looked like when I got it and it was also a relief to see that I didn't really miss out all that much compared to what I did with the GL1 and PAL back then wouldn't have been as easy to handle being a student with Adobe Premiere 6.5 and iMovie HD.

Eventually I would like to get an HVX200, Canon XLH1, and even a Sony EX3 but those are still being traded around for modern mirrorless camera prices so there will be a time yet for collecting the old toys I suppose. The one I don't ever expect to see again is the one HVX200 Hydra 2K modified demo unit that sold for, I think, $5,000 shortly after Reel-Stream got bought out and that would be for only the most niche of collectors as I remember someone close to the buyer posted that it turned out that the Hydra part didn't work at all so it was otherwise just a regular HVX200 with a dead BNC connector on the side.

 

[rand thompson]

I also was going to invest in one of those Spinning Ground Glass devices that everyone thought would give their camera's image that "FILM-LIKE" texture. I thought that the XH1s with it's removeable lens would allow the Ground Glass 35mm adapters to look more filmic as it would be closer to the sensor than with every other DV camera back in the day.

link
35mm Adapter Buyer's Guide - Videomaker

 

[Brian Timmons]

Brian,

I was a "Canon Guy" back in those days and dreamed of having the Canon XH1S but eventually got the XH- A1 instead. I believe the " Sony Guys" had the VX1000 or 2000. I remember when the DVX -100 first came out on Dvxuser with 24P, that it was made to seem like the last Holy grail to true Feature film images had been attained and for under $4000. I remember when companies like E- Film, I think that was the name, was offering an expensive service to Transform your footage to 24P. Everyone were getting Pal 25P cameras to get closer to 24P with different programs and other third-party services.

I personally hated all of the Log and Capturing from DV tapes into Avid Media Composer, the NLE I was using at the time. I think Sony's DIGTAL MASTER DV tapes were considered to be some of the best DV tapes to use at the time. These cameras and their media all seem like something you would find in an Audio/ Video museum now but they were the latest and greatest in their day.


Canon XL1S

Canon XH- A1

I forgot about the 25P PAL thing people were doing. I remember the sound mix had to be pulled down as well.
Definitely not nostalgic about that period of filmmaking when it came to those workarounds.
The 35mm adapters were another one. I remember seeing one of those rigs and feeling the air leave the room.

Yes Canon and Sony definitely made their contributions. I remember the 1st time seeing the picture from the VX1000 and
being amazed by how clean it was.
Came close to getting the original XL1 but decided on getting the Sony PD100 which I called my digital Bolex.

There's a doc project I'm doing some work on that requires me to digitize several mini DV tapes.
After years of sitting around, I found that my old DSR-11 deck no longer works (struggles to eject and eats tape).

I also had no idea just how hard it can be to get a DV deck repaired as all of the manufacturers stop making parts for them.

I bought a used deck off of eBay and even that deck is starting to give errors during digitizing.
Indeed shows just how fragile a format is once support dries up.

Brian Timmons
BRITIM/MEDIA

 

[Brian Timmons]

I don't know if we identify camera generations by 5 or 10 years, but I underline in bold how far things have come in a very short amount of time.

And this is where I truly credit RED. I remember NONE of the cameras being particularly interesting to me in the HD years from roughly 2003-2007.
2/3" 1080P sensors and 4:2:2 DCT Intraframe codecs were considered high end.
35mm sensors, RAW, higher bit depth codecs among other things were simply not on any camera company's road map except for the very high end.

In 2007, while working in Post Production at CBS, I remember reading the reports about this unknown company RED coming out of NAB and realizing that this unknown at the time camera company may be on to something. Once the footage from the "Crossing the Line" short came out ..... well what more needs to be said.

I do think the DVX100 helped sort of primed the market for the awareness and interest in a digital cinema camera that sat between the high end and the prosumer market.
A lane that RED perhaps saw as an opening.

Brian Timmons
BRITIM/MEDIA

 

[rand thompson]

I forgot about the 25P PAL thing people were doing. I remember the sound mix had to be pulled down as well.
Definitely not nostalgic about that period of filmmaking when it came to those workarounds.
The 35mm adapters were another one. I remember seeing one of those rigs and feeling the air leave the room.

Yes Canon and Sony definitely made their contributions. I remember the 1st time seeing the picture from the VX1000 and
being amazed by how clean it was.
Came close to getting the original XL1 but decided on getting the Sony PD100 which I called my digital Bolex.

There's a doc project I'm doing some work on that requires me to digitize several mini DV tapes.
After years of sitting around, I found that my old DSR-11 deck no longer works (struggles to eject and eats tape).

I also had no idea just how hard it can be to get a DV deck repaired as all of the manufacturers stop making parts for them.

I bought a used deck off of eBay and even that deck is starting to give errors during digitizing.
Indeed shows just how fragile a format is once support dries up.

Brian Timmons
BRITIM/MEDIA

Brian,

Yeah those were the times. I used a cheap JVC DV camcoder to do my Log and Capturing from to keep my XH-A1's transport motor from having to do very little to almost none of the work itself. When the JVC DV camcorder starting going out, I eventually sold the Canon XH-A1 and the Final Cut Studio Bundle I tried to replace Avid Media Composer with on EBAY for about $2700. The Next Camera I purchased was the Canon 7D.