Panasonic AG-DVX200PJ Tech Brief - Volume 2 - Page 5

ting footage between them might create issues that wouldn't have existed if you'd used just one brand or family of lenses. Of course, those issues also won't exist in a fixed lens camera since it's optimized to deliver consistent sharpness, color, contrast and clarity across its full zoom range. When working with interchangeable lenses, you may have to pick and choose which lenses to bring with you, and have some way to carry them (especially, for example, when filming wildlife or nature). This can mean additional baggage, additional weight, and -- hopefully, you won't have forgotten a particular lens when you need it most. With the fixed-lens camera, you don't ever worry about any of that; the camera just does what it does, each and every time you pull it out of the bag. Provided that its fixed lens has a suitable zoom range for your intended purpose, it's really ready for most every common scenario. Changing lenses in the field can lead to dust or contamination in the sensor, and using different lenses may mean complications in attaching filters if the various lenses you're using have different-sized filter rings. Those are, of course, non-issues with the fixed lens design. Disadvantages Of The Fixed Lens If you have a shot that requires an extraordinarily long telephoto lens or an extremely wide-angle lens, it's definitely easier to accomodate those shots with an interchangeable-lens camera and the appropriate specialty lenses. However, it's possible the fixed lens camera could be adapted to serve those purposes by the use of add-on teleconverter and wide-angle adapter lenses too. Another time when the fixed lens might not be ideal is if you need an extremely open iris for low-light purposes or to create an extremely shallow depth of field. On an interchangeable-lens camera you could perhaps use a specialty fast-iris prime lens, and that wouldn't really be an option on the fixed-lens camera. The fixed-lens system is not necessarily the best for every possible scenario; but it is a good choice for many conceivable shooting scenarios. No one camera can be the overall "best" for every possible shooting scenario, and there may be instances where an interchangeable-lens camera may perform a certain job better than a fixed-lens camera would, and vice versa. Summary: The advantages of a fixed lens design include the ability to use a longer zoom range on a large sensor with a reasonable physical size and weight for the lens; consistency of images at all focal lengths; a practical zoom range; video-centric features such as smooth motorized servo zoom, autofocus, and optical image stabilization; and the convenience of an all-in-one solution, all at a cost much lower than traditional large-sensor lenses alone. Because of its fixed lens, the DVX200 can do many of the jobs that were traditionally the domain of the 1/3" fixed-lens camcorder, and because of its large sensor the DVX200 can also do many of the jobs that have traditionally been the domain of the large-sensor interchangeable-lens camera. 5