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By every measure, the Panasonic DVX100 has brought a new, hitherto unseen level of performance to a camcorder in the $3,500 price range. Now, with the introduction of a second-generation model, the legend continues in a big way for the savvy DV shooter.
Thinking back to halcyon days of early 2003, there was a lot to appreciate in the first DVX100 model. Here was a DV camera that offered shooters the creative option of shooting progressive or traditional interlaced images at 24fps. Shooting 24p offered many advantages to the small-format cinematographer: better image resolution, elimination of most aliasing artifacts, and optimal workflow for output to DVD, which is itself, after all, a 24p-based technology.
The original DVX100 model featured a superior high-density, 410,000-pixel CCD that delivered vastly superior images in my side-by-side comparison tests with competing cameras. One major reason was the Leica Dicomar lens, which offered vastly improved performance over competing camera-lens combinations. The cheap, low-contrast lenses typically affixed to DV cameras have been a sore point with me for years. Here, finally, was a decent objective lens constructed of low-dispersion glass with real multiple coatings to reduce flare and improve contrast. The lens also featured an unusually adequate wide-angle equivalent to a focal length of 32.5mm in the 35mm format. This obviated the need for a supplemental (and heavy) wide-angle adapter lens. The non-interchangeable Leica-branded zoom also made use (albeit limited use) of aspheric elements, a key technology in lens design that helps maximize light transmission or speed - while also significantly reducing bulkiness and heft. The reduction in the number of lens elements contributed to the camera's well-balanced design, greatly facilitating smooth operation when shooting handheld.
Borrowing extensively from its high-end stable of professional and broadcast cameras, Panasonic endowed the original DVX100 with a range of Cine-Like settings that for the first time allowed DV shooters to deliver images with a sophisticated polish akin to that of images originated in Digital Betacam or DVCPRO50. It was this level of extraordinary image control in tandem with a very quiet audio section that ultimately transformed...