AG-DVX100 Panasonic MiniDV Camera
The AG-DVX100 24P DV camera is taking MiniDV to a place it's never been before. This new "Cinema Camera" from Panasonic will let you capture at 24 frames a second on a normal MiniDV tape, input it into your computer through firewire and edit on your favorite NLE. In addition to this feature, many of the cameraÕs functions can be manually operated, making it very attractive to professionals.
The camera offers 4 shooting modes.
1. "60i" Traditional 29.97fps interlaced video.
2. "30P" 30 frames a second non-interlaced, or progressive scanned video.
3. "24P" 24 frames a second progressive scanned.
4. "24P Advanced" 24 frames a second progressive scanned.
The trick for the 24P mode, is that the camera captures at 24 frames a second, but still records 60 fields interlaced on the tape. In order to accomplish this the camera does a 3:2 pulldown as the video is recorded to tape. When set at the normal "24P" mode the camera converts the 24 captured frames into 30 frames using a 2:3:2:3 pattern. In the "24P Advanced" mode the camera converts the 24 captured frames into 30 frames using a 2:3:3:2 pattern. These numbers represent fields of video, so the "24P" normal mode is putting the first frame of 24fps video on 2 fields of 29.97 video, and then the next frame of 24fps video on the next 3 fields of 29.97fps video, and the next 24fps frame on the next 2 fields of 29.97fps video etc. In the "24P Advanced" mode the camera uses the first 2 fields of 29.97fps video and then the next 3 fields, then the next 3 fields again, and finally the next two fields etc.
Since every 29.97fps video frame is made up two fields, some 29.97fps video frames represent one 24fps video frame, and some 29.97fps video frame represents two 24fps video frames, one on each field. When a 29.97 video frame is made up of two different 24fps frames the image "jitters" when viewed on an NTSC monitor. When shot in the "24P" normal mode the video will have 3 solid frames followed by 2 "jittery" frames, then 3 solid frames and then 2 "jittery" frames etc. When shot in the "24P Advanced" mode the video will have 4 solid frames then 1 "jittery" frame, then 4 solid frames etc. Therefore the "24P Advanced" mode will have half as many "jittery" frames as the "24P" normal mode. Currently After Effects and Cinema Tools can remove the 3:2 pulldown of video shot in the "24P" normal mode but cannot do the same for video shot in the "24P Advanced" mode. Panasonic and other companies are working to make the "24P Advanced" mode more compatible. For now if you plan to remove the 3:2 pulldown and edit your project at true 24 frames per second, it's probably a better idea to use the "24P" normal mode.
In addition to having "film-like" motion, the camera also provides "Cine-Like" Gamma curve setting that can further provide a film-look to your miniDV video. These "film" settings promises to make this camera a favorite with professionals videographers, and independant filmmakers. Look to see a lot more 24P worksflows in the future.
