AG-DX100 mini-DV vs WS Betacam SP/SX and DVCAM

pb wrote on 4/21/2003, 11:17 PM
Was starting to fret about all the money we invested in DVCAM, here is the response from the Sony Broadcast dealer (who also sells Panasonic).

Panasonic has the AG-DX100 mini-DV Prosumer camcorder that can be set to 24P (actually records 60i on tape but uses processing to give the effect of 24P on playback and also supplies metadata for NLE ingest at 24fps. For the record the Sony HDCAM camcorder actually records 24 fps on tape). They also introduced a higher end camera (US$25K) that is DV25 / DV50 switchable, 16x9 /4x3 switchable, 60i / 30P / 24P switchable.

The low end one is no match for the 500WS imaging-wise. The only thing it has is the 24P mode which is strictly for esthetic/artistic quality (unless you are finishing on film where you want a ±0 frame accurate negative cut list. It adds 3:2 pulldown on playback so it has film transfer motion artifacts). This can be easily emulated with "Cinelook" type software nowadays. Another possible use for 24P is if you are planning to "Universally Master" your program for international release in PAL and NTSC.

If an end-user/client thinks they have to have 24P it's most likely because the cameraman/salesman has made them think it's a must have as most have no idea what it's about. The Film finish or Universal Master are valid advantages of 24P, but the motion artifact thing is (film-wannabe" stuff. It's suitable for drama, maybe docs, but not for news, sports etc. (I don't really think it's suitable for training, but you are a better judge than I in that area). It's definitely nice to have as option on your "palette" and right now Panasonic is all alone in the C$6K price range so they'll probably sell tons of them.

So, I guess I will investigate "Cinelook" plug ins. Anyone have a recommendation?

Peter

Comments

Nat wrote on 4/22/2003, 12:47 AM
I'm an independant film maker and the DVX is an incredible solution for the price.
60i on an a film looks pretty cheap in my opinion. 24p mode looks awesome on music videos, even interviews.
Also, Vegas will remove the puldown so there are no artifacts or such... Just render to DVD in 24p MPEG2...
sek0910 wrote on 4/22/2003, 7:22 AM
I would think that with all of the Video FX available on VV4 you could do enough tweaking with blur, softness, color correction, etc. to achieve something similar to what Cinelook does.

I'm a newbie, and perhaps some of the pros on here would have some presets or suggestions on how to do this. I believe there are alot of general articles on how to do this, but really nothing specific to VV4 and it's FX set.
pb wrote on 4/22/2003, 10:03 AM
Well, I have been able to achieve a "film like" look with BetaSX and DVCAM in 16:9 via using Tiffen contrast filters, Black Pro mist 1/4 in my matte box and a ND6 82mm screwed on to the lens itself (my 1980s vintage Petroff Matte Box holds only two filter squares). Also reduced the detail level, "dumbing down" the image to make it less video-like. Next I need to find something that adjusts the frames to simulate 24P, amybe the After Effects Cinelook plug in. It would be nice to buy that Sony 24P camera but then we'd have to invest in a new AVID etc. so it's just a dream.

Peter