The Panasonic AG-DVX100BP is the first camcorder to offer a 24 frames-per-second feature.  It’s the first consumer camcorder to produce a film look.  This is a very good B roll cam or independent film cam.  People might think that you shoot the videos using a film camera.

However, independent filmmakers who wanted to go to film should also consider some problems.  People continue to pursue the film look but overlook convenience.  24p, 24pA, 30p and 60i are the main shooting modes.  Normally, you’d have to take your 30p or 60i shots and get it transferred to film via a pulldown process.  Pulldown is matching the frame rate of film and video to avoid flickering.

Your only other option is to shoot on expensive PAL equipment.  Videos in PAL format won’t play on NTSC TVs or monitors and vice versa.  Most NLE systems will edit but can’t view PAL.  To compensate this, some have both a PAL capable editing system and an NTSC editing system.  They do this because PAL is a higher quality video.

Advanced 24p will allow you to skip the pull-down process.  You only have to make a 24p and print it to the film, since the camera and the NLE have done it already.  Thus, you can trick people into seeing a film, instead of a video.  What’s more?  Panasonic goes beyond than that.  They give us CineGamma – it copies the gamma of film for video.

You can apply the AG-DVX100 as a B roll camera on set.  You can record a sequence of images with a cinematic look through independent film production or film school training.  It’s also a very economical way to shoot multiple camera coverage in 24 fps progressive modes, blowing away its competitors like Canon’s XL1S and Sony’s PD150.

All the important controls are on the left side of the camera.  What’s nice about this camcorder is that certain settings are self-explanatory and easily accessible.  Separate switches keep the commonly used controls easy to change.  A rear-mounted dial allows you to choose from six combinations of image settings for different shooting situations.  Panasonic also includes the frequently used presets.

This AG-DVX100BP delivers professional features suitable for low-budget producers in a MiniDV camcorder that provides both interlaced and 24 fps progressive mode.  Aside from those controls on the left side of the camera, its design includes an overhead handle supporting a microphone and a secondary zoom control, a primary zoom control and a cassette hatch on the right side, a rear battery, a flip-out color LCD, and a manual focus and zoom rings on a fixed lens with a removable hood.

This camera uses a 4.5-45 mm Leica Dicomar zoom lens – a wide-angle lens with 10x zoom.  You can’t take it off, but you can adjust it to capture the look you want.  The zoom control has three adjustable speeds but doesn’t have an interchangeable lens.

The LCD is large and sharp.  For a 3.5” size, it can display so much information, unlike the PD-150, which only has 2.5”.

White balance also adds to the advantage of this camera.  Most cameras in this range only offer presets for different situations then give a limited fine tuning option.

About the AG-DVX100BP audio features, it has an audio limiter, auto and manual audio control and a pair of XLR connectors in the front portion of the camera with 48v phantom power.  The LCD and the viewfinder both show audio levels.  The camcorder also contains a microphone mount for the external mic.  Another feature of this cam is the Synchro Scan.  This feature stops or limits the distortion when shooting a television or monitor in the footage.

Other hardware features include the two Neutral Density filters.  They allow you to adjust the lens to certain lighting conditions – over exposure and low exposure.  Another way to help expose properly is the Zebra feature, which places diagonal patterns on areas that are over exposed.

On the rear of the camera is the Scene File dial.  The camcorder saves presets of recording settings as scene files.  Here, you can select your recording mode and adjust the look of the picture with advanced controls.  There are also controls to manage the color levels, contrast, sharpness and skin tone details.

This camcorder looks good in natural light.  It comes to life in standard lighting setups – such an incredible imagery for its price.  Its ability to hold onto the highlights and to dig into the shadows is comparable to Sony’s HDW-F900.  In lighting, when you treat this camera like a film camera, it responds like one.  It seems to replace the “16 mm transferred to video” approach effectively for an affordable price.  You can play the tape in any MiniDV camcorder or stream it right into a computer for editing.

AG-DVX100BP is not a shoulder-mount camera but being a 4.4-pound device, it’s a nice size for its weight, and it allows stable shooting.

Meanwhile, the problem with this camera is the limited functions when in 24p mode and the close proximity of the XLR jacks.  There are no focus rings.  The onboard mic may pick up noise from the zoom and the mic is omni-directional.  It has no removable or upgradeable lenses; just a few frame rates.  Another major downfall is its inability to record in HD or even HDV.

This AG-DVX100BP is a great buy for enthusiasts and experienced videographers alike for a cost of $3800.  The most popular feature of this camera is its ability to tape in 24 frames per second.  It produces a film-like quality.  I recommend that you buy filters and sound equipment so you can make movies that look a lot better than just good-looking.

AG-DVX100 and AG-DVC80 are the same except for the absence of 24p mode in the AG-DVC80.  If you’re looking for a camera that doesn’t need the 24p then definitely, the AG-DVC80 is the best choice for you.

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