Prosumer DV Cameras Under $2500: The Orville B DeMille Film Institute

Reviews: Panasonic DVX100B Dominates

CNET Reviews: Panasonic DVX100B

. . . The Panasonic AG-DVX100B may well be the last and best semipro DV camcorder ever built.
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DVXuser.com ::: 3 way shootout, DVX vs. XL2 vs. Sony HD

Exerpts:

IMAGES:
For film looks, the FX1 footage looks nothing whatsoever like film. It is a high-definition video-like picture all the way, with lower latitude, less shadow detail, and a razor-sharp image (on still shots). But it's nothing like film, and the CineFrame 24 mode is completely useless as a film emulation.

On the other hand, the DVX made its reputation on its 24P shooting capability and its filmlike CineGamma and CineMatrix settings. The DVX produces standard-def images that look exceptionally filmlike, the most filmlike images you can get from a prosumer camcorder. The 24P frame rate is a vital component to imitating the look of motion picture film (note, we're not worried about the "movie look" here, we're talking about imitating the look of celluloid film, which runs at 24 frames per second). Combined with the DVX's CineGamma and CineMatrix and deep latitude, the DVX's picture is the most filmlike of the bunch - but it's standard definition.

The XL2 follows on the heels of the DVX in being the only other prosumer camera to offer 24P. And it does it well. The XL2's image is nice and sharp, with filmlike motion, but the gamma and matrix curves don't look as filmish as the DVX.

An observer watching the footage from the three cameras might say:
FX1 (on high-def monitor): "Wow, that's sharp video!"
DVX: "That looks like a movie!"
XL2: "Did you shoot this on film? It looks like it might be film . . . "

LOW LIGHT/SENSITIVITY/LATITUDE:
As for sensitivity, it was no contest. The Panasonic is about one stop faster than the XL2 and usually two full stops faster than the FX1, sometimes more. That means that to get equivalent brightness to the Panasonic, you'd need twice as much light for the XL2, and four times as much for the FX1!

In side-by-side shooting at night, the images from the Panasonic were sharp and bright, and you could see well into the shadows. On the XL2, the shadows encroached quite a bit further into the picture, and on the FX1, more of the picture would be completely black, whereas the DVX was capable of resolving detail much further into the shadows and showing much more of the picture. The FX1 handles overexposed highlights a little smoother/cleaner than the DVX does, when transitioning from max exposure to overexposure. However, the DVX has more range.

In daylight settings, the XL2 and FX1 would frequently be set at f/1.8 and the Panasonic would be at f/3.4 to f/5.6! To deliver the same exposure the Panasonic requires half to ¼ as much light. This is a major advantage to the Panasonic.

AUDIO:
The DVX has the best audio system of any prosumer camera. The signal-to-noise ratio, pre-amps, connectors, line/mic switch, phantom power, it's all there. Audio is one of the best features of the DVX.
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List of productions using the Panasonic AG DVX-100 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is a list compiled on Wikipedia of feature films, documentaries, music videos and TV shows shot with a Panasonic AG DVX100. There is no such list compiled for any competing camcorder, including the Canon XLs.

Notable projects that use DVX100 models include

the feature films:
A Mighty Heart by Michael Winterbottom
Dance Party USA by Aaron Katz
Lonesome Jim by Steve Buscemi

the documentaries:
Iraq in Fragments (nominated for an Oscar)
Murderball (nominated for an Oscar)

the TV show:
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
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