A Special Aloha greetings to our MX Owners @ the White House, CNN,
National Geographic, Camera Action Australia, DV Central, members of
SAG & NAFTY, Videography, MS, ESPN, ILM, Disney & Global DVC
members & Special Kudos to my Luis-meister.
http://www.supervideo.com
A Special Aloha
greetings to our MX Owners @ the White House, CNN,
National Geographic, Camera Action Australia, DV Central,
members of
SAG & NAFTY, Videography, MS, ESPN, ILM, Disney & Global DVC
members & Special Kudos to my Luis-meister.
THIS Will Be The
Last Posting Monday Jan
7th 2002
As I
have already mentioned many times before that
the MX production line has ceased and a new Series
that may be the GS 3CCD line would be my guess
will
arrive late next year probably around early fall or even
as early as 4th of July (August USA). It
WILL Finally
have top loading and the Mega
Pixel will be well over 3
million ! It'll have to have the
sharpest image in all of
'video-dom'
Please go to new Link at Image Below in 30 days.
However, it is looking like there will be a
Dual Format Cam with one of the Formats
35mm 24p
AG-DVX100 DV Cinema
When
first images arrive I will post here:
I am looking at a FALL 2002 USA Intro date
for around $3499 BTW...
NTSC MX3000 Japan/ PAL
MX300 Europe
This is your page...
here you will find e-mails, tips,
tricks,
new features, accessories, methods, experiences and
what
ever else you think is important or informative to your fellow
'Digicam' users. I will try to intersperse the items with a whole
wealth of materials I have picked up at the factory, the Osaka
show room floor, the InterBee Exposition (Japan's NAB) and
items that have been submitted by international dealers and
authorized retailers. I will try and post the latest letters on top
but reserve the right to keep certain documents that
I may deem important......
Aloha
Let the feeding frenzy begin
...
MX Audio Web Page
Here!
meister's Crystal Clear Housing
Digicam
ASK MEISTER ABOUT
MX
####################################
Holy Wow We... Meister!
MX300 is awesome...(thanks)...Pana wide angle awesome...
(thanks Especially)....
shot three commercials on it already (December 2001)-
as long as you use real time editing,
the final picture rocks. I owe this all to you...
Anymore in-depth DV (PAL or NTSC) reports?
Now, I Can't get enough of them man.....
ALL THE BEST FOR THE FESTIVE SEASON
TO THE MEISTER'S.PEACE. LOVE. RESPECT.
Thanks a million for your world-wide wisdom.
Till next year, from M.Barnes all the way down in SA.
####################################
Hi Meister Guy: I
am experiencing problems with my new
Laptop Vaio with my new Pana camcorder.... no picture!
Please help and am I alone?
No, you are not
alone and I get this from Apple and brand
new Windows XP computers. Please read this carefully....
The Sony VAIO uses the 'proprietary' Sony DVGate software
& drivers. This does work with the Panasonic MX300 as
the
FireWire port is the important thing .. and the Sony Codec
IS
Panasonic compatible. I used my Vaio F290 without
any
problems last year .. until the BIOS upgrade ... when it
now
shuts down after 10 seconds. The driver avc.sys sounds like
the controller software for the camera functions that
allows
the computer to access the things like the record / playback /
rewind / forward etc. So it's probably short for AV Control.
Premiere 6.0 is a fantastic piece of software; if you are
going
to 'upgrade' & offers playback to camera .. with
viewing off
computer on the MX300 viewfinder. Another thing, it actually
includes SPECIFIC MX300 drivers.
An upgrade from your Premiere 5 LE should
be cheaper than
the Panasonic edit software. The R505; is it the 750 Mhz PIII
version? If so you'll
be OK .. any faster will be better & Me is
not the best operating system
for video .. Win 2000 Pro is so
if you ever decide to
upgrade, I notice they're
shipping it now
with that or Windows XP which is proving Best for A/V!
I've now upgraded to a Dell Inspiron 8000 (933MHz) with 256
MB ram & with Premiere 6 it goes like lightning. I recently did
a $4000
contract for
a safety video to go on credit card CD's
ALL on the Inspiron with
the MX300! I used a FireWire 60GB
external drive which was 'looped'
(there's a FireWire IN and an
OUT on the back of the drive) with MX300
for capture purposes.
The deck controls in Premiere for capture of video work
perfectly with the
MX300 .. and it is specifically offered as an
option in the DV2.0 device
control menu in the program.
Another startlingly easy to use software is Video Factory 2.0
from Sonic Foundry, but that only
captures from 'OHCI
compliant' camcorders, (which the MX300 IS!). But it
sounds
like the Sony Vaio isn't. In which case .. I think that there's a
built in
set of drivers in Windows 2000 and actually THIS
may be the
main problem. Sony install of Windows ME hasn't
got the full set of
drivers installed. Connect your camera to the
Sony, switch on the camera & check under settings, Control
panel, System, Devices .. that there is an added 'DV Camera'
section in the Sound and Video devices section. It may have a
yellow question
mark symbol, in which case select it and then
'update drivers' .. it will
then give you the option to install the
avc.sys files, I think, which will
require your Win ME CD. If
not leave your computer connected to your 'phone line
via the
the modem, and tell it to go look at the Windows Update site.
There
is a later release of the FireWire support drivers for Win
2000, called
dx80bda which 'fixes' a few problems with video
capture.
That's about all I can think of .. incidentally the
'real time' video
FX, wipes etc in Video Factory 2.0 are awesome. Try the drivers
route to get your
capture working first before upgrading to
Premiere 6.0. Video Factory does NOT
allow preview to external
DV device ... but does automatically record to tape
... it does
allow full screen playback on the computer though..... albeit via
the computer screen does't look so sharp as on a monitor. The
playback
from being recorded to the MX300 looks every bit as
good as the original
though. Good luck .. and have fun .. .I'm
'on the road and 'plane' for the next
week or so ..
Best wishes for chuckmeister, this is his koormeister
####################################
True or False my
chuckmeister... Pana stripped the valuable
Skin Tone feature OFF the PAL version... Marcie France
Afraid
it's True! Skin Tone is Only found on the NTSC MX3000
However, there are those PAL owners that swear its passive.
####################################
Why do some images here seem grainy while others look
sharp and clear even if you blow them up to
print? Amy P.I.
Been asked that
many times... The purpose of the
frame mode
is to grab a full frame of video
verses the normal alternating fields.
You want to be in frame mode
if you actually want that flickery
look, which is like film transferred onto video.
I actually shoot
most of my video this way to get
that "documentry" look. If you
are concerned with the flicker, I suggest using the default
field
mode. The progressive mode is there
for you to grab stills. In
this mode the stills will be free of the jitter when you are
viewing
it as a still on your TV, due to the fact that TV displays in
field
mode. In any case the MX3000 is unique in that you have
the
option to be in 3 modes of capture:
field (ideal for standard video),
frame (looks like film), or progressive (ideal for stills).
FURTHER...
OK, the TRV900E & VX2000E are
undoubtedly good cameras ..
the PD150 MUCH more so that the TRV900. The still
photos
taken from each are based on capture from the video output
at
640x480 resolution .. processed by the input filters to the
video
record circuitry & as such these are essentially VGA by computer
standards. The color quality and depth is good and the clarity
of
picture is adequate .. however in terms of resolution there is a
limit
to how large these pictures can be printed without
seeing the artifacts
of blocky edges due to the 'VGA' only resolution. For
640x480
pictures an 'equivalent' 6"x 4" photographic size is
maximum.
The
MX300 (MX3000) has a unique 'processing' feature direct
from
the 3 CCD's, that enables an equivalent 'XGA' resolution by
using
some clever algorithm interpretation of pixel-shifted 3 CCD
info
This process, unfortunately involves pixel 'dither' by the
looks of it
which some interpret as 'noise' and others as 'grain'.
The benifits are
are, that you can enlarge and print to A4
horizontal (11"X8.5" photo
equivalent). Color depth and quality is still based on the
original
settings of the camera. The MX300 has adjustment
for color saturation
in the menu .. as does the Sony VX2000 .. for some reason
Sony
Cameras always come with a higher
'default' saturation setting than
Panasonic. IF you
record to tape from the MX300 .. then use the 'still
capture' to the SmartMedia card on playback .. then you will get no
grain. This is because the capture is NOT processed and just
goes
straight to the card at 640x480 resolution exactly as on the two
Sony
cameras. This is the real 'apples for apples' comparison test.
If, however, you use straight capture, even at 640x480; from
the
camera ... not off tape ... then for some reason (known only to
the
Panasonic design engineers) .. you will get the 'grain' on the picture.
Remember .. the original camera output resolution of the MX300 is
higher than the dv tape format of 520 lines.
The off-tape pictures have
passed through an anti-aliasing filter on their
way to the record process
to tape. The 'direct' shots have NOT been so processed
in an attempt
to get sharper and
more definition to memory .. but in doing so .. they
have experienced some 'aliasing' artifacts that appear as this noise
or
grain effect. This is
only 'educated' conjecture ... based on my experience
as a TV Broadcast
and design engineer .. and my interpretation of what
I see on the pictures.here is no doubt that
stills captured from tape using
the 'photo shot' button .. do NOT
show noise .. .although they obviously
are then at the same resolution levels as the compared Sony
pictures.
Also, they compare credibly
with the Sony pictures when used in that way.
As to color saturation and depth ..
yes the shots on the MX300 web page
do not represent the best I've taken by any means .. the wide
'stitched
together' shots were captured and processed using the MX300 ..
but
were originally taken to tape on a Sony PC110.
The Gibraltar pub shot was taken on an overcast day .. with
sun 'parasol'
over me .. and on total 'auto'
setting .. only 4 days after I got the MX300 ..
so was not ideal in any way. I have taken some superb 'colorful'
pictures
since then ... and was looking forward to showing them on the site
..
unfortunately .. they went along with my tapes to the thief who stole my
camera last week!
The overall value for money of the MX300 is astounding ... (well - at
chuckymeister prices!)
the compact size of the camera .. plus the
plethora of features, particularly the flesh tone and the amazing
manual / automatic on
screen audio level stuff really puts it way above
the TRV900 in use
ability. As far as the VX2000 .. well it is nearly
twice the price?? and MUCH bulkier
.. no 'flesh tone' ..AND it does
not have the excellent audio features
AND he excellent audio quality.
The only real benefit of the VX2000 is the excellent optical 'super
steady
shot' and the superb low light performance. However,
in
practice .. the MX300 does pretty well in low light even at standard
'shutter' speed
...
I would hazard that it does as well as the TRV900 ... which is of
course NOT as good as the older VX1000E that I have.
Best wishes your .. koormeister UK
Hope this will clarify things... my MX-meisters.
####################################
I heard a nasty
vicious rumor here on a Hollywood motion
picture set that you have a 'Movie' Special Edition Version
of this miniature miracle Digicam MX... true? R. Howard
TRUE!
NOW!
there's a 24fps NTSC version... but,
not that You should care Mr. Director Got Bucks
as it runs about 4 Grand & it's a Custom USA build.
####################################
Do your readers know you
have a clever wit and a
whole
lot of sarcasm? Peter from Iceland
No, I am banking on
the fact they will not read my ramblings THAT
close other wise the next thing you know they will discover that my
Stupid computer can't spell and has a heck of a time with grammar!
Here
is a small sample...
###################################
Dear chuckmeister, Is this MX3000 you have
here called PV-DV950
or the EZ30u in the USA? They look very similar in appearance! Isac
Aloha Isac... They say looks can be deceiving
and in this case that would be
the case as there is almost five years of Technology separating the
two
appearing look-alike Pana camcorders. The earlier model
was Electronically
stabilized and this unit is Optically stabilized, The
unit now has a German Leica
ground glass element for precision focusing and sharpness of
resolution that
makes it the best in its class. It is according to Pana promo ads
the world's
smallest 3CCD camcorder and the Only Mega Pixel 3CCD cam as
well. It can
now take larger batteries as they no longer fit inside a chamber. It
has four
different ways to connect to the
internet or a computer and it comes with software
for Both Microsoft Windows and Apple OS systems. Hope
that helps some?
###################################
I notice when I am
shooting in FRAME mode the image
looks awfully jumpy.... why? Denis
Hi mon chuckmeister .. interestingly
..
I have just finished playing with some frame mode stuff on my MX300 ...
testing the view-ability of it in both 4:3 and 16:9 'cinema' mode. Shot
some
live action .. and yes the viewfinder seems to show a VERY jerky
effect
on motion or panning. This doesn't show up the same on replay to
my
Widescreen Sony 32" TV though. I wonder if it is just a viewfinder
effect
caused by the refresh rate of the viewfinder itself?
Inevitably .. the 25 fps WILL reduce the ability to capture fast motion ..
AND the ability to pan quickly, for the same reason; the
picture information
has changed considerably in 1/25th of a second; twice as much as in
1/50th
of a second .. so the blurring effect is seen .. just as in film. One of
my pet
hates is the use of fast pans in film .... your eyes try to follow .. but
you get
bamboozled by lack of information.
The real way to get a nice film effect .. is using frame blur and
interpolation in a DV edit suite .. then you get a more film-like 'blend'
between frames. However .. that luxury is only an after processing gizmo.
Not available in ANY camera.
Anyway .. back to the problem .. I think it's mainly an
aliasing thing with
the viewfinder scan rate ... just check it on a TV screen and see if it
looks as problematic.
Best wishes
your koor-meisterUK
###################################
Aloha meister, can you
tell me if the MX can grab a
still
image from tape good enough to PRINT! Sandy Jerusalem
THE CHOIR....
from Tape TO Print!
Not only can the MX300/3000 take images from
video
tape that's good enough for print but it can do it from tape
that was shot on Another DV camcorder! Read about
it..
Lux rating and an on board camcorder light. A
new
'Feathered' 16X9 lens hood for a different profile.
Lower
pricing is not looking so good either as well.
More at the MX2500 Web Page...
HERE.
There is also a Side by Side comparison of the
MX2500 & MX3500 at the bottom of the new
MX2500 web page above...
Hi CM ... just a NEW MX feature that I discovered REALLY useful.My kid's school has just returned home from a choir tour of New England area.They Took video .. but none of the stills came out ... they gave me a DV tape and asked if I could do anything with it.Well ... I popped it into my MX300 .. watched the output .. and noticed a few pans of the choir singing ... AHA! ... still framed during the pan on playback at various points ... each time pressing the 'still photo' button on top of the camera .. that stores a non-interlaced, interpolated frame onto the SD card. Got about 50 shots onto the card. Downloaded that to my computer .. opened Photoshop 5.5 ... copied them one by one onto layers in Photoshop .. then blended the edges together ... saved as a jpg ... then 'enlarged' using S-Spline.
MAGIC!!! ... they cannot figure out how I did it .... here's a 'small' un-S-Splined version for you to see of that CHOIR trip.
MAAANNN this CAM is WOW! Sincerely your koor-meister!
###################################herr-meister, here in China Low Light conditions are the rule
rather than the exception... what do we have with the Digicam?
Several features come in to play with Lighting situations the Videographer
can find them self in. First we have a ZEBRA pattern for overexposure
situations like snow, bright sunlight or high glare whereby the MX will place
a stripped pattern over any excessive bright spots in the View Finder or the
View Screen, thus allowing the Videographer to adjust manually exposure
levels to bring about a pristine image. The MX offers a very practical 16 step
MANUAL IRIS control ranging all the way from OPEN to F16 and even CLOSED.
Like a professional cam the MX provides the ability to still shoot a scene that is
too dark at the F1.6 setting. The image can be enhanced by manually increasing
the GAIN UP settings in 5 steps (0, +3, +6, +9 & +12db). This does introduce
some grain to the image but unlike so called 1CCD Low Lux wonders that claim
1 Lux or lower, all bathed in green glow... In the Digicam this is kept in
check by the Pana Imaging Processing circuitry and the prism block qualities.
There is a Manual WHITE BALANCE function offering three different Manual
settings. INDOOR, OUTDOOR and MWBS in addition to the AUTO set function.
This makes it very easy to adapt to a wide range of lighting situations. Manual
adjustment is made through the white translucent lens cap and is extremely
accurate based on the information from the sophisticated 1/4" CCD's, the Iris
data and a special AWT (Auto White Tracing) sensor feature.
Two last items in this area would be the new COLOR BAR read out function.
This feature is designed to ensure that all the colors of the playback picture are
true to their color of the subject at the time of Recording. The color bar test
pattern can also be recorded on to the tape before starting any shoot and can
even be out putted to an external monitor for broadcast confirmation & setting.
The MX also offers BACK LIGHT COMPENSATION and also a MANUAL
SHUTTER SPEED function that allows the operator to set shutter speeds in
14 steps from 1/50 to 1/8000 of a second. The Pana flash VW-VLH3E
marries into the circuitry via the central processor for precise light doses.
####################################
Apple-meisters wanting to see what happens when Final Cut Pro
meets Two MX300 PAL's and a Fostex Audio mixer to make
Great Motion Pictures and image rendering; Just click onto
HERE.
####################################
Could you Chuckmeister please tell me what others are saying
about why they chose the MX over other 3CCD camcorders?
Jenny, Barb & Maria USC School of Motion Picture Arts
Hi girls and Aloha to all your classmates. The following is a series of
excerpts from e-mail from around the world this past week....
It's Gavin here with a little note to describe my experiences with the
brilliant Pana MX Digicam. I've been in the market to buy a 3CCD
DV for a while, as I plan to shoot a documentary in India next Year
on the British Raj. The cams under consideration were the Canon
XL-1, Sony PD-150, Pana 951 & JVC DV2000. . Let me emphasize
that prior to getting my hand on these Cams I had no favorites -
I was totally impartial, I just wanted the One that worked BEST !!
Each camcorder was assessed via it's image shown on each
monitor. This was done concurrently . I focused on objects in the
showroom , the skin tone of the sales staff, daylight traffic outside
the shop window , a bunch of colorful flowers. I then asked that each
camcorder output be changed to a different Monitor - to ensure that
the viewed difference was not due to variations in each particular
monitors setup .This whole process was repeated on 3 occasions
so each camcorder was viewed on each monitor and the images
could be compared. My results were as follows:
The Panasonic MX300 was just that little better than the Sony, it's
colors looked more natural, it's image crisp and sharper. Don't get
me wrong, the images from the DSR-PD150 were also impressive -
but the MX was better . In Frame Mode the MX300 blitz @ 25fps ,
the Sony & Canon chugged along in at a snails pace @ 12fps,
which is good if you want to film jerky motion like the old B&W films of
the 1910's -1930's ] . In Frame Mode the MX looks even sharper
especially with motion in the shot - it does look more film like than
the Sony in progressive scan . The MX can switch back & forth!
Maybe the better image in the Panasonic is due to it's 570k X3 pixel
CCD , whereas the Sony's have only a 450k X3 pixel CCD . The
articles I have since read show that the Panasonic is rated @ 540
lines of resolution and the Sony's rated @ 500 lines of resolution
(PAL) I'm sure the new German Leica Dicomar Lens by having newer
technology over the Carl Zeiss Sony Lens might also play a part in
giving the MX300 the edge.
Out of the two Sony's it was hard to pick a winner , both images
appeared identical . Honestly if it was a draw between the DSR-PD150.
I would probably go for the Sony as it's had a better reputation & value
for the buck I have since been able to have an MX for a few weekends
and find it a treat to use . My friends who have seen the images played
back on my S-Video TV are very impressed - they think it's Hi Definition TV !
I now shoot EVERYTHING in Frame Mode it just looks fantastic meister!
I've also done some tests in shooting in 16:9 mode and normal 4:3 mode .
The 16X9 looks great . The MX does not have a true 16X9 CCD . It does
t it does have Two settings one of which cheats its way by blocking out
the top and bottom bands of the image and then stretching vertically the
total image to fit the 4:3 frame before DV Codec compression .
To compare the 16X9 and 4by3 images I locked the MX down to my
tripod and shot the DVD Cover of " The Sound Of Music " in both modes .
I then exported a single frame of 16X9 and 4by3 shots via Panasonic's
"DV Studio 2 for Acquisition" into my PC and into Photoshop 5.02 . I
then horizontally stretched the 16X9 image (which is in a 4by3 frame but
vertically stretched)] into it's correct 16X:9 configuration and left the
4by3 image unaltered. It's true that after looking close up at Julie
Andrews face and hands the images in the 16X9 images were slightly
sharper than the 4by3 - even after throwing away 1/3 of the original image !
I have since learned the reason for this phenomena as noted from the
following web page:
http://members.macconnect.com/users/b/ben/widescreen/16x9truth.html
In both cases of 16X9 & 4by3 the CCD records the detail at the same
resolution in the first place, but by selecting the 16:9 mode and stretching
the image vertically before compression you are allowing for a more
efficient compression - with less loss of the original detail seen by the
CCD. So yes, it makes sense that the 16X9 mode would yield a better
resolution because by pre-stretching before compression you are
lowering the detail in each DCT block making it easier to compress &
allowing retention of more of the DCT coefficients = less loss of detail. It
would even enhance horizontal detail to some extent as well ............
On Parting all I can say is that for you NTSC folk the Panasonic MX3000
Japanese / Korea/ Taiwan /Singapore NTSC model would be a far
better camera than the crap that US Panasonic are trying to sell you .
. In summary , the Panasonic MX300 is now
my DV Camera of choice , its great image, manual focus , optical
stabilization and manual sound and a great price ($ 3,800 Australian -
so about $ 1,900 US) makes it a winner in my book at least. Good
Cam Hunting from your Gavin-meister from the land down under reporting
####################################
mein chuckmeister
I wants to know if the MX3k has progressive scan in both the
still and the video and if not what Does it have?
I would like to know why there are two different settings for
wide screen and what's the difference between the two?
While we are on that question, what will I see in the View Finder
and the View Screen in each setting?
Mahalo you pineapple... WB
The MX is Progressive @ 25fps in PAL 30fps NTSC
YES, in Both the View Finder & View Screen you will
see the 16X9 anamorphic wide screen effect and
when played back the picture will fill a 16X9 TV set.
The difference is the compression algorithm ratio. where
Letterbox places the black bars on top and bottom.
####################################
Can the meister tell me why I can use the LP speed setting
without all the hassles I had with analog like S-VHS- Pete W
The Digital format is basically a series of Ones and Zeros and since
the tape speed is a function of the protocol of mini DV there will be no
perceived difference to the customer's eyes on their TV screens of
which tape speed the original was shot in. Here is an example...
"meister, I had an incident I wish to relate to you with my new Digicam.
I was hired to record a concert in Seattle last month which I was told
would be no longer than 49 minutes total. Before I knew it and was
already to start shooting, I was tipped off that tonight would go over
due to a sudden passing of a famous previous conductor and a
couple of passages would be added in his honor. All my cams
were Sony DVCam and not capable of speed change except for my
new Pana MX3000. I immediately switched over to the LP setting
and held my breath. Amazingly, not only were you right about the
MX to color balance itself with other brands and models but there
was NO visible notice of any loss on playback even when placed
side by side on my DSR-1800 DVCam deck on one and the live
feed from the MX so I went direct from the camcorder to the dubbing
system with excellent results and a guarantee of many future jobs...
Thanks chuckmeister, your Digicam saved the day... PW"
####################################
####################################
Isaac A. here, I was told the PAL MX300 was inferior
to the NTSC version MX3000. Could you explain why?
That information is NOT correct and sounds like the person was
perhaps confused and understood the model to be the previous
Pana model known as the EZ30/DX100 in which case He then
would be right. Here are the facts...
PAL version NV-MX300e has all the same specs and features
as the Japan domestic version NTSC MX3000... except in the
TV system and Prism Block. PAL has Three 1/4 inch CCD's
each with 570,000 pixels which 360,000 are effective yielding
1,530 broad cast lines and a still image capture ratio of UXGA
of 1568 X 1152 And a Mega Pixel Rating of 1.8 million in still
picture mode.
The NTSC version MX3000 uses a smaller chip ratio due to
the fields in the TV system being only 525 lines instead of the
625 in PAL..
NTSC has Three 1/4 inch CCD's with 480,000 pixels each
with 310,000 being effective yielding 1,.320 broadcast lines
and still image capture is SXGA at 1360 by 968 with
Mega Pixel rating of 1.3 million in still picture mode.
Sample PAL MX300 UXGA Gibraltar Pub scene by TK
####################################
Meister guy... what's this about a guy last week flying to
Japan to save a couple of hundred on the MX and coming
back empty handed? your buddy El-Skeptical
You heard correctly, a customer for Ruben heard that he could buy
the MX3k in Japan at great savings... so he flew over only to find out
that as incredible as it may seem, there were absolutely no MX3000's
on the shelves in Akihabara (electronics city in Tokyo) to be found and
he had to return empty handed & now is back waiting in line! Amazing!
####################################
Ask the meister...
Does the MX-3000 have an inter-valometer (where I can take
video every so many seconds to produce time lapse imagery such
as flowers blooming in seconds, clouds racing across a changing sky)
and if so how does it work? Thanks in advance. Luis M.
There is a special port next to the FireWire port that is used to marry
the MX-3000/300 to the water tight crystal housing so all the electronic
controls operate from outside. This port will also connect to a special
tripod made by Pana to operate all these same controls and there will
soon be an announcement about a new pan/tilt and zoom control that
will also use this special port. An inter-valometer hooks up to this port.
####################################
My meister...
I am into EXTREME sports: sky diving, race cars, dirt bikes
and water jet skis. Can this MX3k take the heat, the cold and
the water with this Crystal housing? I need 3 chip quality for my
assignments for TLC, Discovery and ESPN. Thanks DD & Jim
It can and has done so for years with the EZ30u world variations and has
been featured on NBC with Artic rescues, Himalayan Climbs, Snake River
White Water, US military jungle environment, Green Peace whale watch, a
NOVA segment from MIR, Hinan Island capture of Navy P3 & NOAA weather
####################################
Hey Meister! Do you have any information on whether the All
Weather housing is serious enough for some real underwater
usage say to a Depth tolerance of 130ft? Peter M.
No Pete, the Crystal Clear housing works well in 35 feet or so of casual
snorkeling, reef viewing and marine life video taping. The serious
under water videographer is going to have to invest thousands to go
to the "bottom of the sea." It is an excellent container for storage
shipping, carrying and for dust & dirt, heat & humidity and from deserts
to the shore and on to wintry landscapes....
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Yo! meister-man.... you may want to post this....
The 'over' exposure problem is what I first noticed when my MX
was new .. all the stuff shot on my Spanish holiday was 'over'
by about a stop - the camera was a week old. ...so I went and
bought a polarizing filter .. to take down a stop on the light input.
This seemed to work brilliantly. Since then ... and before it was
stolen .. I had noticed a more normal exposure .. after about
6 months use. I wonder if this is something more noticeable on
NEW cameras.
Do the CCD's have a higher sensitivity when new? ... P/S just
now had a REAL chance to compare with the Sony VX1000
and MX300 on a wider range of material. The VX1000 shows
horizontal 'aliasing' on straight lines ...as they go off horizontal.
The MX300 has none of this ..and appears to show more detail.
I'm looking 'off tape' ... playing on my DHR1000 deck ....
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OK, I'm game... How come the MX-3000 beat a Sony VX-2000
and even a PD150 or even a $5,000 Canon XL-1... Splain it...
your ILM gaffer
As one Tokyo video magazine reviewer said, it came down to the play
back image on the TV screen. The MX3000 just produced a sharper,
clearer more saturated color image than the others. Not in the view finder
or the view screen or even a professional monitor... on the customer's TV
screen which in her words is where the Money is. Another reviewer from
Australia said it was the attention to detail in the audio section that convinced
him. In Europe still another reviewer said he could not remember when any
other manufacturer went down a critics list of what to Change, what needs to
be Improved or what Features needed to be Added, that impressed him the
most. Reviews of these 1st place Awards will be posted here very soon...
NAB & Global DVC LINK...
.
Me, DVLaptop's Kevin & Global DV founder Jan Hot Link
####################################
Uh... chuckmeister where's the Beef, I mean where's is
the European DV club that run by your friend... Jan?
Sorry Link is up now, however if you find his MX300 in depth
web page... Please let me know... so I can post it. here... Thanks
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Sandy here Mr. Meister about this MX-3000
I have a Sony TRV-900 which I use because of the Memory Stick
but I am stuck at 64MB, even though you say since February there's
a new 128MB... I can't find it... anywhere. But, you said this MX3k
also has a flash memory but with larger capacity. OK, what's it got?
512MB for $699 San Disk and 128MB for $159 MMC
256MB & 512MB Pana Flash Memory!
Large Capacity
Small size alone is not enough. Large capacity is essential for
adapting to a variety of digital content types. SD Memory Cards
are currently available in a 256MB size which can hold about
TWO hour of music. Capacity will expand to 356MB, folllowed by
512MB & 1GB to handle the greater data volume of other content
such as digital video.####################################
Meister... you said in the rumor page that you would not be surprised
if Pana stripped some features before bringing the MX3000 here to the
USA as the EZ50u... why would they do that and which features? Liz K.
Sometimes rights do not extend beyond a countries borders for proprietary
properties, licenses and intellectual rights. No less than 14 attributes were
taken off the DJ100 before it was able to be released as the EZ30u in the
states. It could very well apply in the MX-3000 case, it remains to be seen as
a final determination to release the MX here has not been made as of this time.
####################################
Meister, I heard there was a way one can make a
ton of money from the optical & digitalization of
images using the Leica Lens MX3000... TRUE?
This is a progressive scan of a detailed circuit board made
from the "Fine" setting of 1568 X 1152 UXGA video image
by a Leica Lens 3CCD MX300 in PAL format....
I usually capture at the highest possible resolution and then
Print from PhotoShop to fit perfectly on A4 horizontal glossy
paper which looks pretty sharp & very photographic. I recently
had a rush job to take a picture of a 6X12 Printed Circuit board.
I put the MX on a tripod, aimed straight down and went out into
the English sunshine (yes... sometimes it shines here) and put
a piece of black card down on the floor and took 4 shots static
as I moved the circuit board a couple of inches at a time. I then
opened them all up in PhotoShop and stitched the pictures together.
As you can see meister they came out stunning to say the least.
If I need to send it back home from a USA trip (that's where
all the money and business is for Press use... then I just resize
it back in PhotoShop and its gone in a flash even at the old 56k
and full resolution no less Cheerio from your koor-meister!
####################################
Mohammed here meister from Paris... could you please go into
detail on the AUDIO characteristics of the Pana MX Digicam?
The previous model EZ30/DX100 had a full compliment of Pro features, its
ability was limited in the manual over ride department. First we have a new
4-capsule stereophonic pick up system which combines Four all aspect and
omni directional ECM type mic's. There is a ZOOM mode where by the MX
mic will adjust automatically along with the zoom lens setting to bring audio
and images together for exceptional presence. The TELE mode has fixed
high directionality to pick clearly and distinctly sounds from distant subjects.
Lastly the WIDE mode records in stereophonic for 3D (three dimensional)
effect of space and depth. To ensure the audio quality remains unaffected in
high noise environment, there is a WIND CUT FILTER function which when
activated de-emphasize low frequency sound which effectively eliminates
most wind sounds and moving air noises against the mic screen.
To the Professional who can never get enough audio quality to match their
image capturing talents Pana has offered mic adjustment modes. There
are three different level adjustments. AUTO mode regulates peaks in the
sound level and are automatically cut off by the AGC Type II Pana technology.
This reduces sound distortion and provides well balanced recordings. MNL
is a novel approach to AGC with manual adjustments. There-by allowing
for manual adjustment of the desired microphone level while the AGC circuit
function remains active to suppress excessive peaks. Adjusting in this mode
results in a non-linear volume reduction starting with low volume sounds and
then gradually reaching mid level and finally higher level sounds while all the
time peaks are maintained relatively high at the AGC cut-off level. The MNL
(AGC Off) mode allows true professional audio recording in which lowering
of the input level results in a linear volume of all sound from low's to high's.
In this mode the AGC function is deactivated so the user can regulate for all
dynamic sounds and be creative during audio mixing on the fly.
Lastly, manual adjustment to the optimum microphone input level can be
made easily via a Level Meter indicator displayed on the LCD monitor or
the View Finder screen. This allows precise adjustments to the left and
right audio stereophonic channels in a series of no less than 14 steps!
The audio can be monitored both during recording and play back using
the built-in on board headphone socket which also has a volume control.
####################################
ROB M. here meister
Are there any issues with power requirements and using the
Japanese A/C adapters here in North America and what also
about warranties, service and support? Thanks in advance...
All electronic equipment now features world wide power supplies
so this and all other Japanese electronics will operate anywhere.
You will have an International Warranty good in any Pana country.
Accessories are also available but most are designed for use by
more than one model. The remote on the EZ30 and lens adapters
are same as the MX3000 for instance. Ask Ruben on accessories.
####################################
Can you put a LIVE Link up to Ruben's MX-3000 web
page with all the accessories? Theresa F.
Hit my IMAGE below Stratos, DVLaptop & QTech..
Q-Tech's Ruben's Waving Accessories Page
####################################
1st Owners Report MX300 PALMr. Meister-man had my MX300 PAL for a few months now, so I thought it might be useful to give you a brief 'report' on it to share.
I bought it from the very helpful chaps at Camera Action here .. Rik was
very patient, answering all my questions .. and the camera arrived just in
time. You are so right, there is SO much to this tiny little cam.
My first attempts were some what messy, but then I read YOUR FREE
manual and my quality then shot up, I'll read your manual from cover to
cover now and tell everyone that good advice.
About this wide screen feature, it's a little unusual, in that it anamorphic,
as well as letterbox, and I sort of assumed that anamorphic would give a
better quality picture on playback than letterbox .. but it seems to be the
opposite. My Sony 32" wide-screen TV is happier with the letterbox version (16X:9) than it is with the anamorphic version .. the pictures just look that slightly bit 'sharper' .... why?
I was delighted with the resolution .. much 'clearer' than my old Sony,
and certainly the white balance seemed a lot more accurate. The other
feature that the MX300 has .. which is not given much coverage .. is the
wonderful Skin Tone Setting. I shot some video in artificial lighting, you
know that awful orange sodium stuff. Now .. the Sony will do a white
balance.. and give reasonable pictures. I was rushed .. so left the MX300 on 'full-auto', the pictures were brilliant; PERFECT skin tones
something that the Sony would never do under those conditions.
My only misgiving was the much closer zoom than my previous Digicam this was done as they had now incorporated an optical anti-shake
mechanism .. which allows closer zooms with a steady picture. The older camera didn't have this, so a wider angle lens was fitted. I went to the Panasonic dealer and asked for a Pana wide angle lens .. expecting the same sort of vignetting that I had got on the Sony lens for my VX .. and a slight loss in quality. NOT SO .. the Panasonic wide angle lens is superb ...very clean pictures .. no vignetting on wide zoom .. and it doesn't upset the auto focus.
So .. first 'competitive' use .. New Year's Eve ... 10,000 people have a
fancy dress party along the waterfront in my town .. two guys with Canon 3CCD XL-1 go out and video tape .. could I offer some footage? So I took the MX300 .. with a light .. just in case.
Well, the Canon pictures look much less noisy in low light ... but they also look 'softer' and more film-like than the MX300. There is definitely more detail in the pictures from the MX300. In brighter light .. when I turned on the halogen lamp ... the pictures were brilliant .. plenty of natural color, lots of contrast, very detailed and of course: NO Noise!
Not bad ... but then I did a fashion show .. loads of odd lighting .. loud
music ... now that's where the sound control features of the MX300 really impressed me. I've always been annoyed by the uncontrolled compression offered by other cameras if you select 'auto' for record level. The MX300 has a really useful option that gives you a manual setting .. but adds a safe limiter (AGC) to it .. so if you get the odd peak of sound .. it doesn't over load ... BRILLIANT. Incidentally, the built in stereo mike is actually quite good. I use 16-bit record all the time & the sound quality is extremely good.
So .. I'm pretty impressed ... but that's not all ... there's the interpolated
'mega pixel' still picture ... which I've used a lot .. quick pix back to my
PC .. and nice stills printed out.
All the necessary kit is included .. the SD card reader just plugs into your USB port .. install the drivers .. and away it goes .. another hard drive appears on your PC .. which is full of the stills you've just taken.
And there's also the FULL A/V In /Out and DV in/out feature which comes in very useful if you want to edit your video onto your PC .. then record it back to tape.
It also has LP mode ... it works well .. but I wouldn't rely on it unless I
use a high quality DV tape like the new Pana & Sony Professional series. Oh .. and the anti-shake ... well it is NOT as good as the super steady shot on the new Sony's... but it is still a load better than the digital pixel shift stabilizers that I've seen ... and it doesn't degrade picture quality at all.
<Tony; Go into more detail on Audio, Editing & Still photography.>
OK, I have to admit that I haven't done much except use the 16-bit setting, mainly with on-board microphone ... and twice with a remote ECM999PR (Sony). The problem with a shortening eyesight (51 years now..) is that the viewfinder is my best option for shooting ... the real-time audio level control feature .. and its 'on-screen' display are brilliant ... something that you usually only find on the BIG cameras. I use it mainly in 'manual+AGC' mode .. as this enables a good 'as it is' recording ... with some judicious level limiting that is virtually un-noticed .... works a bit like our ears I think. I can also do careful level adjustment if need be ...whilst actually shooting .. not needing to look away from the viewfinder - GREAT!
I have a FAST DVMPro setup with 180GB of SCSI drives .. and use DAT recorded sound as my second source, then edit the results 'multi track' in Speed Razor 4.8 .. so I don't really use the on-board option of dual 12-bit audio and the features contained therein.
I have to admit .. that my real pleasure is the amount of fine detail that
this camera picks up in both audio and video. The sound quality is superb. The detail .. even with the wide angle attachment .. is very good .. and limited only by the DV format.
Still pictures taken on the memory chip will print A4 size and still look
'photographic' quality which is great for those that want some extra income. BTW, can you give me your source for the BIG SD chips for the MX300?
Incidentally .. there was mention of a neat piece of image 'improvement'
software on speed-razor list yesterday ... I down loaded it .. and it's
really very good for de-pixellating enlarged pictures off video or SD.
It's called S-Spline ... a Dutch company has it .. http://www.s-spline.com
Andy Stevens recommendation .. I think it's brilliant ... so quick and easy to use even for 'newbies' or 1st time 3CCD owners especially.
When I've tried a few of the tricks and other features .. I'll send you some more thoughts.
Overall .. extremely impressed .. a BIG improvement over the EZ30u ... the earlier 3 chip Pana offering ... and absolutely amazing value for money. And it is SO small and oh sooo light! GOSH!
Best wishes my meister & Thanks for all your connections, you're #1
Tony K. your Australian-meister
###########################################################
Found MX300 here in Singapore & it's JUST Like you said ole meister!
Local price tag on the MX is RM9600 (USD $2526), but was quickly
negotiated down to RM8300 (USD $2184). I had not seen the MX-300 in Kuala Lumpur anywhere else and I was so stoked about finding it that I didn't quibble over the final price. I know, you have it $1700 & change... so shoot me, I saw it, I touched it...
I HAD TO HAVE IT. Then & There!
It's called here: NV-MX300EN (PAL). Don't know if that helps except
that it has a manual in a gazillion languages... uh, could you send me
yours as every one here swears by your 128 page totally English
Translation for FREE yet! You could make a small bundle selling that meister, but Thanks.
The kit came with: 8Mb Multi Media Card, Panasonic USB reader/writer, software (HotShots, NetCard), battery, charger, 2 power cords, remote w/battery, AV cable, S-video cable, Edit terminal conversion adapter,
strap, lens cap and a Head Cleaner tape.
The salesman wanted me to take special notice of the sticker that said "DV In/Out". Apparently some PAL MX's only do DV Out (?). The sticker also said Analog In/Out and there was another sticker "PC Link Ready!" Some PAL units had these as extra cost items... OPTIONS.
Audio out is excellent: Sounds true-to-life. I was very surprised. I had a
PD150 & MX was better on my Sony XBR TV, so the sound reproduction capability of the MX-300 really comes through nicely. (Even the internal speaker is pass able). I listened with headphones, thru the jack and the quality was also excellent and I personally recommend that use them ALWAYS as there is so much distraction at shoots and looks pro as well. I have not experimented with anything other than standard recording and playback features. But I will tell you this, the visual read outs are excellent.
Wide screen: Cinema "On" apparently inserts a black bar over the top and bottom of the image. This looks same on the LCD monitor & view finder. 16X9 seems to stretch the picture to fit. My Plasma TV can do all sorts of tricks, so if you want me to tape in a certain mode and then feed it to my TV while it is in a certain mode just let me know meister
My software needs are that I want to edit and store still shots as well as
make them e-mail friendly. The Hot-Shots software apparently puts images in its own proprietary format and will only store them in other formats when asked to do so by some as of yet undetermined procedure. I also want to be able to edit video so I can reduce total archive volume. CNET recommends "MS Picture It" for stills and "Pinnacle Studio DV" for video. Some there said the meister has an all-in-one better product for less!
Let me know if I you need more answers as I am ready to use this puppy on any excuse I can give my family to get out and away...
Warmest Regards, your Malaysian-meister William C. Thanks
####################################################
my chuckmeister...
I was one of the first lucky ones to get the MX3000,
back in November 2000, and I just love it. The picture
quality is absolutely the best. I use to have a Sony
TRV20, and what a difference. One of the things I like
the most is how easy it is to use because it is so compact,
to get great looking video and still pictures. I got great results
using just the auto settings, and as I got familiar with the camera
I'm using more of the manual settings and I'm getting even
better more true and saturated color video. The size of the
camera is just right for me to carry around everywhere, in my
tote bag or even in my purse, like my old Sony PC1. I also got
the under water housing and that is one of the best things you
can have, if you have children and they are always wanting to play
around water like mine seem to do. The other day my friend's
husband, who has a SonyVX2000, was comparing my camera
with his, on his home entertainment system and we were both
very surprised to find that the MX3000 had better-looking video.
your female-meister Mayte
####################################################
Chiao! from your meister Italian fan club
Many greetings from sunny Italy! Hope you are doing well and here is that report I promised.
I'm very happy to have our new Panasonic MX300 finally here, works great! Still learning all the details. Big improvement over JVC DV2000. Also has beautiful zoom, and it's so silent one doesn't hear it at all while using the built in mic. Mostly I'm using external mics, though. Very good manual audio level control, essential for us. The USB reader for the photocard works fine even without a driver for my Mac computer (OS 9.0.4). Kriya-mesiter
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Next... Please Be Advised
There Will Be NO MX3000 or MX4000 For USA!
That is a Quote from President Pana USA!
#######################################
A Supreme Union > Panasonic's 3CCD Digital Video & Leica's Optics
The MX300A represents Panasonic's pursuit of the highest standards. We set out to create a 3CCD digital video camera that would thrill even the most demanding video fan, while also giving professionals a powerful tool that would allow new forms of expression.
These goals led us to Leica, the renowned lens maker – and to the Leica Dicomar lens. Then we added Panasonic's most advanced 3CCD video technology with features such as our Optical Image Stabiliser and 1.8 MEGA PIXEL still image recording.
This fusion of leading-edge optics and electronics helped us achieve an entirely new level of picture quality. You've never seen anything like the MX300A.
the Leica Dicomar lens
A Legend Is Born
Panasonic's Digital Video Technology* Combines with Leica's Optical Technology in the World's Smallest and Lightest 3CCD Digital Video Camera.**
There is a level of colour and image reproduction that every video professional strives to attain in order to create visual expressions with absolute, universal appeal. Leica's optical know-how and Panasonic's digital video technology combine to reach this level in the Panasonic MX300A, the ultimate digital video camera.
The "eye" of the MX300A is the new Leica Dicomar lens, which incorporates the advanced optical technology that makes Leica such a legend in the camera world. To this the MX300A adds Panasonic's high-resolution 3CCD camera system and ultra-precise DV mechanism, which together ensure that the images from this superb lens are faithfully recorded.
The result is absolutely superb picture performance. The MX300A delivers a wide dynamic range, brilliant colour reproduction, high S/N ratio, and 520 lines of horizontal resolution. And it adds a host of manual functions for extra video-shooting creativity, plus full compatibility with the next-generation SD Memory Card for greater expandability. If you're serious about video quality, you'll want to share in the excitement of this new legend in the making.
* Leica is a registered trademark of Leica Microsystems IR GmbH and Dicomar is a registered trademark of Leica Camera AG.
** As of September 1st, 2000.
Because the camera lens is the "eye" through which each image passes, we wanted to use the very highest-quality lens possible. Enter Leica. Panasonic joined hands with this leading lens specialist, and the result is the Leica Dicomar lens.
Specially crafted for the digital video camera, the Leica Dicomar lens features the optical technology that puts Leica in a class of its own. With the MX300A, you'll see fine picture characteristics never before available in a video camera – sharp rendering, gentle image obscuring, delicate nuances, superb shading. Leica lenses help many professionals capture memorable shots of the world around us. Now, with the MX300A, the Leica Dicomar lens can help you capture your own personal video world.
There has never been a video camera lens as sophisticated as the Leica Dicomar lens. This advanced lens system actually incorporates 13 individual lenses, which are arranged in nine groups and work together to deliver images of breathtaking beauty. Four lens surfaces on three aspherical lenses combine to render ultra-precise images with minimal chromatic aberration.
A special multi-coating is applied to the critical parts of six lens surfaces on five lenses to minimise flaring, allowing uniformly high picture quality under even difficult shooting conditions. The results are extraordinary.
The Leica Dicomar lens provides horizontal resolution equivalent to 1,530 lines with a 1/2" CCD broadcast camera – even more than the capacity of HDTV. And this superb performance comes in an extremely compact package. The Leica Dicomar lens is only 76-mm long, which helped us design the world's smallest and lightest body for a 3CCD digital video camera*. In line with Panasonic's uncompromising approach to quality, each Leica Dicomar lens for the MX300A is subjected to rigorous inspection in which careful attention is paid to resolution and contrast.
* As of September 1st, 2000.
A lens this fine deserves the finest video technology. For the CCD – the key image-processing component – we used the same type of 3CCD camera system used in Panasonic's professional broadcasting equipment.
By using separate 1/4-inch (570,000-pixel) CCDs for the red, green and blue colours that compose an image, this system greatly improves colour reproduction and resolution. Delicate tones are reproduced faithfully. Images enjoy greater depth and presence. Overall, the picture is rich, vivid, and remarkably true-to-life. And for exceptionally high horizontal resolution, we used a professional video technology called super-density pixel distribution.
These technologies accurately convert the dense optical data from the Leica Dicomar lens into electronic data. We also boosted signal processing precision by integrating blocks that require several ICs into single LSIs. These picture-enhancing technologies help unleash the full potential of the Leica Dicomar lens. The result is a picture more beautiful than you ever imagined possible.
Panasonic's advanced Optical Image Stabiliser (OIS) gives you clear, beautiful images even when shooting from a moving vehicle or using the zoom lens.
The MX300A features an OIS with two gyro sensors that operate 500 times per second to detect even slight shaking and two linear motors that instantly shift the lens to compensate. With two movable lenses and two fixed lenses, it also has more lenses than conventional systems. And unlike electronic compensation systems, the MX300A's optical compensation system is free of picture degradation. You get clear, sharp pictures even when the OIS is on.
Naturally, Panasonic also found ways to make this advanced system extremely compact. The high-performance MX300A represents the world's smallest and lightest 3CCD digital video camera system* with OIS.
* As of September 1st, 2000.
The MX300A provides superb results not only with moving pictures, but with still shots as well. The exquisite image rendering of the Leica Dicomar lens, the vivid colouring made possible by direct use of the 3CCD's spectral data, the wide dynamic range – these all combine to give the MX300A breathtaking pictures. Picture quality is further enhanced by the use of vertical and horizontal pixel shifting, a highly advanced technology developed for broadcast cameras. Shifting in both vertical and horizontal directions is rare even among professional equipment, and the MX300A represents its first application at the consumer level. Helping to make this possible was our development of an advanced dichronic prism that aligns the R, G and B prisms of the 3CCD camera system with a precision of 0.5 micron or less – about twice the precision of conventional prisms (Panasonic comparison).
You'll find a number of ways to use the MX300A's remarkably beautiful still picture capability. Output photo-quality prints from your video printer, or display crisp, high-resolution images on your PC. Approaching full UXGA level, these pictures represent the industry's highest quality video camera stills.*
* As of September 1st, 2000.
Note: 1,586 horizontal pixels x 1,152 vertical pixels = 1,806,000 pixels. MEGA PIXEL still images can be recorded only onto an SD Memory Card (optional) or MultiMediaCard (8MB included with MX300A).
Vertical & Horizontal Pixel Shifting
570,000 pixels in each CCD
In a still image, the green CCD chip is offset horizontally by one-half pixel and vertically by one-half pixel. (1,152 x 1,236 = 1,424,000 pixels)
The pixels are then converted from a rectangular shape to a square shape (1,568 x 1,152 = 1,806,000 pixels) to match the pixel shape required for PC processing
The MX300A eliminates blurring in still images by employing a mechanical shutter and two field memories. The instant you press the Photoshot button, the shutter closes and prevents the subsequent image from being sent from the lens, so the same image data is recorded into the two field memories. Because both fields are captured at precisely the same moment, there is high resolution and no blurring.
*Stills can be recorded onto a SD Memory Card (optional), MultiMediaCard (8MB included with MX300A) or DV tape (VGA format only).
The MX300A's PCM digital stereo recording system can record in either of two modes: 16-bit, 2-channel stereo with 48-kHz sampling, or 12-bit, 4-channel stereo with 32-kHz sampling. In 12-bit, 4-channel mode, you can add two channels of background music or narration without erasing the two originally recorded channels. In playback, you can select the original recorded channels, the dubbed channels, or all four channels mixed.
* Leica Dicomar products are manufactured by using Leica-certified measuring instruments and quality assurance systems based on rigorous quality standards approved by Leica Camera AG.
Go to top
The MX300A features a headphone jack with volume control for professional-level sound monitoring during playback.
ideal expandability
The MX300A not only achieves new heights in video recording performance, it also opens your door to exciting entertainment possibilities. The MX300A is compatible with the SD Memory Card, and it comes with extensive input and output terminals, such as for inputting analogue images. It also has a media converter function that lets you connect and network with other video devices.
The MX300A's memory card slot lets you record still images onto an SD (Secure Digital) Memory Card, a next-generation memory device that offers advanced copyright protection. About the size of a postage stamp, a single SD Memory Card can store up to 260 MEGA-PIXEL still images or 1,760 VGA still images.* Data on an SD Memory Card can be exported to a PC easily, without bothersome cable connection. This makes it even simpler to use your own images on a Web site or in e-mail messages. You can also plug a MultiMediaCard into the same card slot.
File Lock function: Still images recorded onto SD Memory Cards and MultiMediaCards can be file-locked to prevent accidental deletion or over-writing.
DPOF: The MX300A is compatible with DPOF (Digital Print Order Format), the standard format for digital still cameras. DPOF includes a marking function that lets you write printing information directly onto SD Memory Cards and MultiMediaCards, such as which shots you want to print and how many copies you want. This makes it easier when printing at home or when having prints made by a photo laboratory with a DPOF-supporting service.
* Using a 64MB card.
The MX300A's media convert function converts analogue video signals from a VCR or TV to digital signals. Simply connect an external analogue unit to the MX300A's analogue input terminal, and you're ready to record in digital. This gives you new ways to use your old analogue video tapes and can minimise image degradation during long-term storage. Also, the DV format provides a TBC (Time Base Corrector) effect that actually improves the image quality of the digital copy compared with the original analogue version. The MX300A is also equipped with an A/D convert function. When an analogue video device is connected to the MX300A's DV terminal, the MX300A can convert the signals to digital and output them to other digital video equipment.
A host of built-in input and output terminals allows quick, convenient editing and other operations, without the need for a separately attached terminal box. The terminals include DV In/Out, digital still picture (RS232C), analogue input, and 5-pin Edit terminal for analogue editing. The MX300A can be directly connected to a VCR, TV, PC, printer, editing controller, and other equipment.
A MultiMediaCard (8MB), USB Reader Writer for SD Memory Card/MultiMediaCard, and application software (HotShots, NetCard) are enclosed with the MX300A. Still images recorded onto an SD Memory Card or MultiMediaCard can be uploaded to your PC quickly and easily with the USB Reader Writer, and processed in a variety of ways with the application software.
Using the digital still picture terminal, a single cable is all it takes to send still image data to other equipment.* Also, the PC Connection Kit (optional) makes it easy to export still images to a PC and produce your own high-quality prints.
* VGA only. MEGA-PIXEL still pictures are automatically exported in VGA size.
SD Memory Card
Where the Future Begins
The SD Memory Card is expected to play a critical role in next-generation networks. In the near future, this versatile card is expected to see many new applications in video and to serve as a media for linking audio, computer, communications and other networks. You can use the MX300A to record not only new still images onto an SD Memory Card, but also images previously recorded on tape or images input from other devices.
Next-Generation Media Supported by 105 Leading Companies*
The "SD World" is growing. Some 105 companies around the world now participate in the SD Association, including Panasonic, SanDisk, Toshiba, content providers, and makers of home appliances, telecommunications equipment, cameras, and PCs.
*As of June 26th, 2000.High Transfer Rate The SD Memory Card makes it easy to upload data to a PC, giving you a great way to take advantage of the super-high-quality, MEGA-PIXEL still images you shoot with the MX300A. When transferring still images that take up a lot of memory, the media's data transfer capacity is critical – and here the SD Memory Card gives you a big advantage. Its speedy 2-MB/second transfer rate handles even large-volume data with ease.
Small Size, Huge Memory The SD Memory Card is only 32x24x2.1mm, yet it holds 64MB of information. Development is also under way of cards that hold 256MB, 512MB, and even 1GB. Small, light and totally portable, the SD Memory Card is expected to serve as a key memory device for storage and transfer of music and moving image data.
DV STUDIO 2
PC Connection Kit > Easy Export of Still Images
With the optional DV STUDIO 2 image transferring software, a single cable connected to the RS232C port is all you need to upload images to a PC. This software lets you see lists of your images for editing, perform video assemble editing, create images to attach e-mail messages, and process images with special effects.
Software included in the PC Connection Kit VW-DTA10A VW-DTA9E DV STUDIO 2 for Acquisition
DV STUDIO 2 for Editing
NetCard
HotshotsDV STUDIO 2 for Acquisition Acquisition: Makes it easy to transfer your DV still images as JPEG images.
Editing: Makes programmed assemble editing easy for everyone.
Applications
NetCard: Create and send your own messages with pictures and sound.
Hotshots: Touch-up your still images so they're just the way you want them.
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ideal user interface
The MX300A is designed as a powerful creative tool that lets you capture the exact image you see in your mind's eye. Information from the camera is conveyed directly to you, and your intentions are conveyed directly to the camera. Like a fine musical instrument, the MX300A gives you instant response and total creative freedom.
The MX300A's viewfinder lets you quickly frame even fast-moving subjects for sure, accurate shooting. The 180,000-pixel Super Colour LCD Viewfinder shows even the fine image details clearly and in vivid colour, and it has a tilt-up mechanism for rotating up to 90 degrees. You'll find this advanced colour viewfinder easy-to-see in virtually every situation
The MX300A is also equipped with a 200,000-pixel polycrystalline silicon 2.5" LCD colour monitor. This advanced unit provides the high resolution, sharp detail, and fine colour you need for enjoyable, high-quality shooting. Thanks to its extremely wide viewing angle – 120 degrees vertical and 110 degrees horizontal – you get more freedom while you're shooting, and more people can enjoy watching the playback with you. Also, Panasonic's 270-degree Smart-Turn hinge system gives you greater freedom with low-angle and high-angle shots.
The MX300A's new Colour Bar Monitor helps you capture accurate, professional-level shots. By displaying a seven-colour test pattern, it lets you make fine colour adjustments between the MX300A and an external monitor. For example, the pattern can be recorded at the beginning of a tape and later used to adjust the colour of the external monitor.
Panasonic designed the MX300A so you would find its many functions easy to access and use. The Multifunction Push-Dial on the unit's side gives you quick, comfortable menu selection. Simply twist and push the dial to access a wide variety of controls and operations, including shutter speed, iris and gain, volume, and jog/variable speed search during playback. A shortcut key makes operation even faster, and for convenience you can visually check these operations on the LCD.
Smart Accessory Shoe: You can use the optional Video Flash (VW-FLH3E) to take great Photoshot or still images in dim lighting. The Smart Accessory Shoe automatically adjusts the light intensity to match the F-number and shutter speed. Red Eye Reduction minimises the eye-reddening effect that occurs when using the flash.
- Illustration Frame: Using the 12 preset titles on the enclosed MultiMediaCard, you can combine your images with illustrations to create original pictures.
Use the luminance key to create your own original titles. Simply record the text or illustration for your title, then use the title function to produce colourful title screens.
You can also use Title Studio*, a special title-making software. Title Studio lets you arrange the existing preset frames, create original titles or frames, or list the titles or frames that you saved onto an SD Memory Card or MultiMediaCard.
* Included in the optional SD Art Studio (VW-SWA1E).
- Quick Start: With Quick Start the MX300A is always ready to shoot, so you don't miss out on a sudden shooting opportunity. The MX300A is ready to roll just 3.5 seconds after you turn it on.
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Sony 2002 DCR-TRV50BT 1 CCD Mega Pixel Above
DCR-PC120BT
Please meister... return me to the NEWS section!
Most of you would guess the above symbol means
this page is under construction... most of you would
be wrong.... it's Osama looking for his new home!
enjoy
more creative freedom
