Does Panasonic AG-DVC62 have real or true 16:9 aspect ratio?

[nmeuncn]

This is what manual says:
NORMAL
Images are recorded with a standard 4:3 aspect ratio)

LETTER BOX
Images are recorded with 16:9 aspect ratio. Black bands are recorded at the top and the bottom of the screen.

SQUEEZE
The camera images are squeezed horizontally and recorded. When images recorded in this mode are played back on a TV monitor that supports wide screen format, they are displayed in16:9 aspect ratio. The image quality may deteriorate when images recorded at the squeeze setting are played back!!!
It is pretty obvious that this camcorder has two 16:9 aspect ratio. Letter box seems to be only 4:3 with recorded black bands but I am not raely sure that SQUEEZE is a true or real 16:9 also. Sentence :" The image quality may deteriorate when images recorded at the squeeze setting are played back!!!” is confusing me additionally.
So...
1. Does this camcorder have true or real 16:9 or not?
2. If not and I decide to shoot in one of these aspect ratio for example SQUEEZE will that damage, degrade or deteriorate quality of picture ( video ) I have captured from camcorder to computer (PC)?
3. If I capture video recorded with SQEEZE with premiere should I pick standard 48KHz or widescreen 48KHz from “load presets” when I am creating new project?
4. If I capture video recorded with LETTER BOX with premiere should I pick standard 48KHz or widescreen 48KHz from “load presets” when I am creating new project?

Grateful for eternity
nmeuncn


4x3.bmp


letter%20box.bmp


squeeze.bmp

[filmboss80]

I could be wrong, but it sounds like the squeeze feature of your camera simply zooms and manipulates the pixels for an electronic form of anamorphic recording. It does not sound like the native camera lens is set up for optical anamorphic recording, in which every pixel on the camera's CCD chips remain in use without electronic zooming or cropping.

Century Optics makes a 37mm anamorphic lens that can screw on most consumer minidv camcorders (especially Panasonics).* It will optically squeeze the image (making everything look skinny) while making use of every pixel in the camera's imaging chips. Then, once the footage is captured, you simply flag it to widescreen 16:9 (Premiere's DV widescreen preset).

The lens ain't cheap, though. I think you can get it at www.bhphotovideo.com

Ultimately, you will just have to shoot some sample footage on your camcorder in the squeeze mode and see how it looks on a widescreen monitor. But do not record letterbox, because it will just add black bars to a 4:3 recording, and Premeire's widescreen preset will stretch it further with the recorded black bars still in the picture.

*EDIT: I just did a search on your particular camcorder model, and I don't think it will permit an anamorphic lens to be mounted. Much of what I wrote above may not be all that helpful to you, although others reading this thread might find the info useful.

[minidv2dvd]

it seems like "sqeeze" mode is the normal miniDV widescreen mode found on most DVavi cams. it uses all the pixels but in non-square fashion. so the image is recorded at 720x576 but translated to 16/9 square pixels it's 1024/576.

most editors should have a project setting for DVavi widescreen (PAL).

in using that mode on other DVavi cams i've not run across any "deteriorated images".

here's all the manual i found for that cam says.

16:9 Wide Recording
The aspect ratio can be set to either 4:3 or
16:9 to accommodate wide-image recording.
In 16:9 recording, you can select either
letterbox or squeeze mode,
giving you more possibilities in
downstream editing
and playback.

[Pop's]

You might want to look at the Panasonic AG-HMC70.

http://www.adorama.com/PCAGHMC70.html

[minidv2dvd]

You might want to look at the Panasonic AG-HMC70.

http://www.adorama.com/PCAGHMC70.html

why?

there is a joke in the product description was that it? not sure the ad writer knows much about camcorders.

Panasonic AG-HMC70 3-CCD AVCHD Shoulder-Mount MiniDV Camcorder, 12x Optical Zoom, 3" LCD Monitor, SD/SDHC Memory Card Slot

[nmeuncn]

Thanks guys, I have not expected response in such short time.
I am sorry if I have not got it everything right that is understood in a right way but English is not primary language and I am not so good in terminology also .
So to conclude the topic it is electronic 16:9 not optical that is this camcorder is just imitating the 16:9 aspect ratio? I can use it but it will probably slightly degrade quality of picture? I have to try and record some video in SQUEEZE and see for myself if it is ok? I will probably have no problems but I have to record video and make sure? RIGHT?

[minidv2dvd]

right. it's the same as dvd widescreen. the mpeg-2 pixels on the dvd are 720x576 but it displays as 16/9.

[edDV]

The AG-DVC62 has 3x 470,000 pixel CCDs which could scale to ~816x576 which is close to 16:9. None of these cameras scale pixels 1:1. They process the 470k pixels to 720x576 either in 16:9 wide (H squashed) or 4X3 (less H squashed) DV pixel aspect. As said above this is the same as DVD. Other features of that camera look good. Competition would be the Sony PD-170 (3x 360,000 pixel CCD) which is not 16:9 native.
https://eww.pavc.panasonic.co.jp/pro-av/sales_o/02products/products/ag-dvc62/AG-DVC62E.pdf

[nmeuncn]

Thanks guys. I am practically for the firs time on this forum even I am member for two years, officially. I am more then pleased with the answers I got here and couldn’t got anywhere else I have tried.
I still think that sony PD-170 is better camcorder becaouse it have optical ND filter and not inegrated like my but I had no choice at the time.I thing that sony vx21000 got it too (optical nd filter).I do not know why they did not want to bother to do the same with ag-dvc62.
I will try to be more active in the future on this forum, I am just waiting for the telephone company to install me ADSL instead of dial up I have right now and they have promise me to do that by the end of the month after couple years of waiting .
Regards,
nmeuncn

[edDV]

Thanks guys. I am practically for the firs time on this forum even I am member for two years, officially. I am more then pleased with the answers I got here and couldn’t got anywhere else I have tried.
I still think that sony PD-170 is better camcorder becaouse it have optical ND filter and not inegrated like my but I had no choice at the time.I thing that sony vx21000 got it too (optical nd filter).I do not know why they did not want to bother to do the same with ag-dvc62.
I will try to be more active in the future on this forum, I am just waiting for the telephone company to install me ADSL instead of dial up I have right now and they have promise me to do that by the end of the month after couple years of waiting .
Regards,
nmeuncn

I've got a PD-150 and like it but it is only for 4:3 aspect. 16:9 gets heavy scaling and is not as horizontally sharp. Same with the VX2100 and PD-170.