saw a review on the net, search google

Here's a review of a pre-production DVX100A.

Looks good, does anyone know if the image previews correctly on the LCS/Viewfinder if the optional 16:9 lense is used.

Regards, PAW

From :http://www.dv.com/features/features_item.jhtml?category=Archive&LookupId=/xml/feature/2003/wilt1203&_requestid=197557

"The EVF and LCD show a squished image. They don't have a 16:9 mode to show squeezed images in their corrected forms."

I'd suggest if shooting in this mode an external native 16:9 monitor is essential for any critical work. That applies to any camera shooting 16:9 ana.

So would a monitor like this one:

http://www.ggvideo.com/jvc_tmh1375su.htm

that has switchable aspect ratios of 4:3 and 16:9 be okay? (Assuming of course that you get an AC/DC converter for models like this one.)

Looks pretty good. If you had the money something with a 16:9 tube to start with might be better. Just that when you switch into 16:9 you're masking off a fair bit of the tube. Also consider that it's a color monitor which makes it harder to judge focus as well.

I do believe there is a set of readout to distance tables available for the camera. To use those you probably need to run a tape measure between the camera and the subject. May seem dorky but it's cheaper than a monitor!

In the brochure there is a section on 16:9 modes.

Anyone understand the squeeze mode? I am trying to understand the trade off in resolution in PAL

Seems odd to me that there isn't a switch to say you are using the 16:9 ana lens to get the correct aspect ratio on the LCD or am I expecting too much.

Regards, PAW

Guess I'm still a newbie b/c I'm lost when you said,

"I do believe there is a set of readout to distance tables available for the camera. To use those you probably need to run a tape measure between the camera and the subject. May seem dorky but it's cheaper than a monitor!"

From my last shoot I learned that the 2.5" lcd is not good enough to judge what you're shooting. We ended up with scenes with the gain running and that became hard to deal with in post. I thought with real crt monitor (and possibly a light meter) I'd have a much better idea of what I'm going to end up with. Is there something I'm missing here, because what you said does sound interesting.
By the way PAW, I'm with you, that does sound like a nice feature to have.

If you get the chance have a look at pro video camera or even a 35mm still camera. On the lens you'll see distance markings against the focus ring. You'll also see merking giving focal length if it's a zoom lens and also f or t stops on the iris. Even prosummer video cameras rarely have any of these.

Apart from all sorts of dumb marketing reasons one of the reasons they don't have distance on the focus rings (assuming they even have one) is becuase they're fixed lens, as in you cannot change the lens. If you screw an adaptor on the front all the graduations are wrong. So Panasonic who were at least having a half decent go at building a real camera give you a readout in the viewfinder of relative position of focus. You can I believe reliably translate those numbers into distance for the standard lens and I guess you could workout the same when you fit teleconverters or whatever.

So the idea is this. Using a tape measure you measure the distance from the focal plane (the back of the lens would do) to teh subject you want in focus. Look up your conversion table to get a number, say 59 and turn the focus ring until you've got that number in the viewfinder and it'll be spot on focus.

Advantage of this is it doesn't have any margin for error, works at zero light, through fog and rain etc. Where it really comes into play is long dolly shots. You move the camera along the track, measure the distance from the camera to subject at a number of points and write the distance (or numbers) onto tape alongside the track. Then as you dolly along the focus puller moves the focus according to the numbers. If you've got a focus follow unit you put marks on the dial to make it easier.

Sounds like a lot of work, but that's why big productions have so much gear and so many people!

BTW, if setting focus, aim for the closest thing you need in focus as the field of focus extends about one third in front of absolute focus and two thrids behind.

If you want to know more I'm sure there's heaps on the web or even look at books on still photography. Just becuase we work with moving images doesn't mean that the same set of rules don't apply. In fact you should try to take into account all the rules of still photography and then add the ones that apply when the thing moves.