OT: Panasonic AG-DVC80

FrigidNDEditing wrote on 3/6/2005, 10:18 PM

Hey, I'm looking into getting one of these as a second camera to my available arsenal, and I don't use the Progressive mode much in the 100 that I use. Any info on it. I can't seem to find it sold much, and it's not on Panasonics website, anyone know what the deal is with that?

Thanks.
Dave

Comments

FrigidNDEditing wrote on 3/6/2005, 10:52 PM

Well, scratch that, I found out that they discontinued it and are selling the DVC30 in it's stead (1/4" chips will not cut it in my book).

2 Questions now:
1- How does the image quality from DVC-30 compare?
2- Is anyone here using the Panny's for Wedding / Event recordings? - how do they do?

Dave

filmy wrote on 3/7/2005, 6:37 AM

>>>I can't seem to find it sold much, and it's not on Panasonics website, anyone know what the deal is with that?<<<

Samys Camera has it listed, don't know if they have any. You can also download and read the manual at the Panasonic site.

Full Compass does not have any of the AG-DVC80's but they have some AG-DVC30 in stock.

You might want to check out the AG-DVC60 if you want something a bit more "full size", and is for the most part, the same as the AG-DVC30. The DVC60 has a user defined "1394" TC (Which, as near as I can tell, is that you can set most everything but not Drop Frame/Non-Drop Frame) and allows for UB to be set as well. Internal Color bars, Zebra pattern, fields/frame shooting mode (based on 60i), manual modes, XLR inputs, and something called "movie-like" which I am really vauge on at this point but I think it is somewhat like the "cineswitch" mode on the DVX100, except without the 24p. Either way you can read the manual at the Panasonic site.

*EDIT* - I am behind in my reading, but there is a very good review/overview of the AG-DVC60 in the February issue of Videosystems. I recomend reading it. It does offer this bit of info which I found interesting:
The menu system, implemented far better than that of the AG-DVX100, offers access to two additional capabilities. You can assign one of 16 functions to the three User buttons. (Only User buttons 1 and 2 are really that accessible during shooting.) I set User button 1 to AF+ZOOM and set button 2 to AE Lock. Other functions I considered assigning to button 2 were: AWB Lock, Backlight, Spotlight, and EVF Detail. The other option is the Scene File setting capability where you can define two custom User Settings as well select one of two presets: Black Press (to increase contrast) and Movie Like.