Bob's Notes On the Sony EX-1 From DV Expo

[BobDiaz]

There's a great deal of interest in the video community regarding the new Sony PMW EX-1 HD Camera. The big questions from many is, should I get this camera rather than the Panasonic HVX-200? Forums like this one are an ideal place to share information. While I'm no expert on this camera, I'll tell you what I do know and address areas that I'm unsure about.

My 3 basic guidelines are:

(1) The perfect video camera does NOT exist. Every camera is a tradeoff between different things.

(2) Paper specification can only tell you so much; the real test is in a side by side comparison.

(3) Everyone has different views as to that is critical to them. Thus, what may be seen as minor to one person, may be major to another.

DATA RATES:

The Panasonic HVX-200 records at up to 100Mb/second in 1080,60i/30p and in 720,60p. For other modes, like 720,24P, the data rate is lower. I'm unaware of anyone reporting problems with compression noise with the HVX-200 data rates.

It is possible that someone might have a gripe that the HDPRO100 format does sub-sample the HD image. That is, 1920h x 1080v is recorded as 1280h x 1080v and 1280h x 720v is recorded as 960h x 720v. The key advantage to the HDPRO100 format is that every frame of video sits on its own and is not compressed with the other frames in an MPEG format.

The Sony EX-1 has lower data rates of 25Mb/s and 35 Mb/s. It does record the full HD resolutions of 1920h x 1080v and 1280h x 720v at the higher data rate of 35Mb/s. However, in order to do so at 35Mb/s, it must use MPEG-2, Long GOP compression.

This turns out to be both a blessing and a curse at the same time. Users of the Sony Z1 discovered that a very fast pan could overload the CODEC with too much data and generate compression noise blocks. The Z1 recorded a sub-sampled HD image (1440h x 1080v) to tape at 25Mb/s and while MPEG-2 does very well when the number of changes in the image aren't too great, it does fall apart when the number of changes are excessive.

Not all CODECs are equal, so some do a better job of compressing the data than others. The higher the recorded data rate, the less likely that compression noise could appear; even if you do a rapid pan and try to overload the CODEC.

You might assume that with a HQ mode of 35Mb/s, this is an increase of 1.4x the number of bits per second compared to 25Mb/s found on the Sony Z1. However, the horizontal recorded resolution also increases between the Z1 (and any other 1080 HDV camera) from 1440h at 25Mb/s to 1920h at 35Mb/s. This means that the horizontal data increases by a factor of 1.3333...x.

When we take into account the increased horizontal resolution of the HQ, 35Mb/s mode, the data rate only increases by 1.05x. While we do increase the recorded horizontal resolution in the HQ mode on the EX-1, we are not lowering the compression ratio very much compared to the 25Mb/s SP mode.

Does this matter? It all depends on what you are shooting and how good is the CODEC inside the EX-1. Unfortunately, I can't say if this is a big issue or not. We'll have to wait for feedback from users to know if the EX-1 has a problem with excessive motion or not.

The good news is that if your shoot at 1080, 24P, the amount of data you generate is about 80% that of 1080, 60i/30p. Also, if you shoot at 720, 60p, the amount of data generated is 89% of the 1080, 60i/30p mode. The higher progressive frame rate would be better for motion anyway. If you drop the frame rate to 720, 24P, the data rate would be only 36% of the highest mode.

The lower resolutions and frame rates are less likely to encounter compression noise due to overloading the CODEC with too much data. One interesting factor is that at 35Mb/s, the camera records in VBR (Variable Bit Rate) mode. Thus, if it needs the higher data rate, to avoid compression noise, the camera will take it, BUT if the higher data compression rate isn't needed, the camera will record at a lower data rate. Thus, with some shots, you may find you time is longer than 50 minutes per 16GB in HQ mode.


IMAGE QUALITY:

To me the images from the Sony Ex-1 looked very good. Of interest is the following WEB page:

http://www.genkosha.co.jp/vs/sp/200712/

I took parts from each image and placed them in an 800x600 image for you to see the differences. In the first image below, we see the Panasonic HVX-200 on top and the Sony EX-1 below. Both look good, but the Sony seems to be sharper, just look at the print on the bottle on the left of the image. However, when I look at the colors, the HVX-200's colors just looks richer.

EDIT ADDED; IMPORTANT: When I wrote this I failed to point out that the images for the HVX looked a bit off. Because I pulled someone else's work, I really don't know how much effort they took, if any, to make the HVX look proper. In retrospect, to me it looks like whoever generated the original images, did a poor job. So take the following images with a grain of salt

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f103/KQ6WQ/HVX-X1_1080p.jpg

In the 720, 30p mode, the sharpness difference is not as much as the 1080p mode. However, the colors on the HVX are still richer than the EX-1.

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f103/KQ6WQ/HVX-X1_720p.jpg


LOW LIGHT PERFORMANCE:

The specification sheet for the EX-1 says, 0.14 lux. However most people miss the fact that the long shutter must be used or an exposure time of 1.07 seconds. OK, for a still shot, but not OK for anything with movement.

If we take into account an exposure like 1/24 of a second, the minimum illumination would be, 3.6 lux. This is slightly above the HVX's specification of 3 lux. However, this is where a paper specification can be misleading.

To me the EX-1's image noise seems less at +18dB of gain than the HXV appeared at +12dB of gain. I could be wrong about this, because I was not able to do a side by side comparison. Until someone does a side by side test, my best guess is that the EX-1 may do slightly better in very low lighting conditions.

In trying to point the camera to a dark area in the booth, the image still looked OK at +18dB of gain. It had a lot of noise, but was still useable; still some may limit the gain to +12 or even +6 dB gain.


IN CLOSING:

There's so much more I could say about the camera, but it's getting late and I've written almost 3 pares of comments on my word processor.

Let me just close by saying, that the EX-1 camera appears to be very interesting in terms of what it has to offer. Should someone get it instead of the Panasonic HVX-200? That's not so easy to answer, we already know the weak and strong point of the HVX, but the EX-1 is yet to be fully tested in the field. So, for now, the jury is out on that issue...


Bob Diaz

[harddrive]

Both look good, but the Sony seems to be sharper, just look at the print on the bottle on the left of the image. However, when I look at the colors, the HVX-200's colors just looks richer.
My own feeling is that they are remarkably consistent in terms of colour rendition, but the HVX is just a bit more saturated. (And with more obvious noise.) I suspect the saturation difference could be easily changed to make them more similar. From what I've seen so far, if I was choosing between the two on the basis of still images, it's a one-horse race, to the extent that these comparisons remind me of the HD v SD comparisons when the Z1 first emerged. That's before we even start to compare low light performance, and I've seen first hand how vastly better the Ex is here.

But OK - we're not buying still cameras, add movement and a lot of other factors come into play, and I'm keeping an open mind over those at the moment.

[Stevet]

LOL, Wow... Bob, you're joking, even the "untrained eye" knows the HVX200 comparison shot you posted (we've all seen these images) shows the HVX200 images were way over saturated.

LOL... On top of that, just look at the noise an compression artifacts on the HVX200 1080P shot.

I can't believe you posted these samples. This makes the HVX200 look horrible.
I would of liked to of seen a comparison example from the HVX200 that doesn't look this bad, this over saturated with blown out highlights.
Also, look how nasty the artificial sharpening looks. Take a look at the HVX200's yellow and white ball.

[BobDiaz]

One of the problems with the photos is that I'm taking someone else's work without knowing what they did. Did they bother to properly adjust the cameras OR did they just shoot at default settings? I really don't know for sure. Given that I've seen better images from the HVX, I tend to think that maybe the photos are at default settings or at least not adjusted properly. I forgot to point that out when I wrote up the comments on the photos.

One other thing, people are looking at the images about 2 feet from the monitor. To be the equivalent of watching an HDTV, one should sit back about 3 or 4 feet from their computer monitor.

It is a fact that the Sony EX-1 has the full 1920x1080 image sensor, roughly 2MP. However the HVX-200 has 0.5MP image sensors, but because of the offset, it's like having a 1MP image sensor. When the HVX-200 was compared to the Canon H1 (1440x1080i image sensor), the Canon was sharper. However, sharpness is NOT the only parameter that makes for a good image.


To me the strong point for the HVX-200 is the 720p mode. While the HVX lacks the sharpness for a true 1080 resolution, it appears good enough for 720 and given that over cranking and under cranking are only possible in 720 mode, there's a lot of incentive for picking 720 mode.


I have to go to work now, but after work, I'll post some of the better photos I'm found taken from the HVX-200.


Bob Diaz

[Stevet]

One of the problems with the photos is that I'm taking someone else's work without knowing what they did. Did they bother to properly adjust the cameras OR did they just shoot at default settings?
Bob Diaz

Bob sorry about my hasty post.
You are absolutely correct!

That's why I mentioned I would not of used this comparison.

We've all seen the HVX200 produce some nice footage.
It's possible that there was to much sharpening that actually made the image to harsh and enhance the noise.

The reviewer should of just "thrown in the towel" for detail and sharpness and just rendered out a smoother HVX200 image. We all know the HVX200 does not offer high rez, but a lot of users are sure capable of making cinematic stuff.

[harddrive]

One of the problems with the photos is that I'm taking someone else's work without knowing what they did. Did they bother to properly adjust the cameras OR did they just shoot at default settings? I really don't know for sure. Given that I've seen better images from the HVX, I tend to think that maybe the photos are at default settings or at least not adjusted properly.
But they seem to show that relative to the EX the HVX is not only much softer, but has more edge enhancement added as well! Even if we accept that the HVX may be better off with less detail, surely that is only going to make it even softer looking by comparison?

From various aspects of the comparison photos it looks to me as if someone has taken a lot of trouble to provide as accurate a comparison as possible, and to then look at the images, note that the EX looks far better than the HVX, and then to draw the conclusion that "In retrospect, to me it looks like whoever generated the original images, did a poor job. So take the following images with a grain of salt" seems very presumptive, and likely downright unfair.

It comes across that you have already decided that the HVX image MUST be better, and because it undeniably isn't, the messenger must be blamed - they can't have done the tests very well. That could be true, but until there is evidence to support it, it seems an unfair assumption.

[Stevet]

I agree with harddrive.

We all know that the HVX200 can produce nice footage. That's quite obvious by just looking at all the great work that's been displayed here.

Also, I believe everyone knows where the HVX200 excels and where it comes short. In fact, this knowledge is what makes the skilled users get
the best from their cameras.

Unfortunately, image detail and noise have been less than adequate. What the HVX200 brought to the table is its feature list as a mini varicam.
It really was the break through in sub $10K technology.

Let's face it, things are going to get real hot in the next three years.
First the HVX200, and now the EX1 have pushed the innovations even quicker.

[3xm]

competition is good! It forces both companies to give us better products. While I stopped being a fan of Sony Camcorders long ago, I am still glad that they appear to finally come up with something worth competing with the HVX/XL-H1.

[BobDiaz]

Harddrive,

First, there's no way that the HVX's three 920x540 1/3" CCDs can match the sharpness of the the EX's three 1920x1080 1/2" CMOS sensors. So as for sharpness, I believe we all agree that the EX wins that round.

The issue was was bringing up was not related to sharpness, but to the image noise in the HVX. If you look at the red in the toy car on the 1080 HVX image, the noise level is higher than what I'd expect for the HVX.

The photos, shown below are cropped from a 1080, 24P shot, while you can see they could be sharper (a limitation of the HVX) but, the colors are very good and there's no noise in the image.

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f103/KQ6WQ/HVX_1080-24p_WMV_still_05_Crop.jpg

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f103/KQ6WQ/HVX_1080-24p_WMV_still_02_Crop.jpg


My guess is that whoever shot the comparison photos, may have tried to sharpen up the HVX a bit too much and got the noise in the image.

As far as image quality, IF THE HVX IS SET CORRECTLY, it can produce beautiful images. I've seen enough images and there are enough people on the forum to back up that statement.

In the case of the Sony EX-1, everything I've seen so far looks very good also. It may well be that the EX-1 is a bit more forgiving than the HVX when it comes to settings. However, that remains to be tested under controlled conditions.


Bob Diaz

[Barry_Green]

Besides, we've been down this road before. When the XL2 came out it was sharper than the DVX; DVX still made what a lot of people thought was a better-looking picture overall and it was less expensive and much more widely adopted; probably outsold the XL2 by a factor of at least 20 to 1.

Then the XLH1 came out and it was sharper (in 60i mode, at least) than the HVX, and certain people jumped on it. But the HVX still produced lovely-enough pictures and at a lower price point, and the HVX outsold the XLH1 by an order of maybe 50 to 1.

Now we have the EX1, which looks to do more of the same -- sharper clearer pictures at a higher price tag. And I predict that everyone who was tempted by the XL2, and everyone who was tempted by the XLH1, will also be falling in love with the EX1 for all the same reasons that they chose the XLH1 and XL2 before. And they'll still be mystified as to why the mass market continues to buy the HVX and puts up with (what they consider) softer, grainier pictures... :) But they will. The HVX makes lovely filmlike footage, is less expensive, and has an established workflow. The parallels to the prior camera introductions are strikingly similar. Whether the EX1 outsells the HVX, or the HVX outsells the EX1, should be irrelevant; the question is whether the product you buy does what you want, and if someone else buys something else that should be okay.

So NOBODY IS SAYING that the HVX is sharper than an EX1. Not gonna argue that for a moment. But just like with the prior examples, there are redeeming factors to each unit that are going to appeal to specific buyers. That should be okay with everyone. Those who clamor for the EX1 to be "an HVX killer" are just likely to be disappointed. As to WHY they'd want a particular product to be killed off, I guess that's the real question.

[ESTEBEVERDE]

I want it all!

Great images at Great prices!

[Barry_Green]

You can have that. It just depends on your definition of "great". Some people think the Red One represents great images at a great price. Others think the HV20 meets that mark. So... how great is great? :P

[David Jimerson]

First the HVX200, and now the EX1 have pushed the innovations even quicker.

Now, come on. Let's be fair here.

The EX1 has a sharper image, as you would expect. Some people are going to love it, no question. Might even be a dream come true camera for some.

But other than the interesting focus ring, what's "innovative" about the EX1? It looks, feature-wise, to be a straight-up copy of the HVX, just with Sony codec and memory implementation and a minor variation here and there.

[ESTEBEVERDE]

You can have that. It just depends on your definition of "great". Some people think the Red One represents great images at a great price. Others think the HV20 meets that mark. So... how great is great? :P

Exactly! :beer:

[Digigenic]

Now, come on. Let's be fair here.

.... other than the interesting focus ring, what's "innovative" about the EX1? It looks, feature-wise, to be a straight-up copy of the HVX, just with Sony codec and memory implementation and a minor variation here and there.

Well, there are more differences to note.
One in particular is the sensor design in the EX1, IMHO, it is noticably more advanced.
But of course, when fully explored it too can have its disadvantages.

At any rate, copying/sharing applies across the line for all cameras in a competing class.
Which is why I sometimes refer to the big four (Sony, Panasonic, JVC, Canon) as an oligarchy. Being responsive, yet considerate of eachother, it appears as if they market their video cameras in complete collusion with one another.
Sometimes it's fun to speculate what _______(insert any of those four camera manufacturer's name) will announce or release to 'defeat' their competitor, but you only need to see it all cycle around so many times before the pattern of a manufactured echo becomes apparent.

I'm not trying to discredit the unique value and functionality an owner may feel for their camera systems, because I have my preferences too.
But, in reality I think it's unreasonable for people to seek out an 'end-all' solution to surface among these particular manufacturers at this time.
They have much more to gain working with one another than against one another.
It's debatable whether or not consumers stand to gain anything signficant in this relationship.

[Tim Le]

Now, come on. Let's be fair here.

But other than the interesting focus ring, what's "innovative" about the EX1? It looks, feature-wise, to be a straight-up copy of the HVX, just with Sony codec and memory implementation and a minor variation here and there.

I disagree. I don't see how it can be a copy. If would be unfair to call it a copy. The only unique things in common are the overcrank/undercrank ability, sideways battery mount and a form of solid state recording. In terms of being a camera (that is, ignoring the recording and storage formats), it improves on the HVX200 in almost every way:

Fully manual focus ring with hard stops, with AF and optical image stabilization (AFAIK, until now, no fully manual lens had AF and OIS).
Iris ring like an ENG lens
14X lens instead of 13X and by all accounts a very good lens with minimal CA and breathing
Larger 1/2" chips for more sensitivity and shallower DOF WRT 1/3"
High-resolution 640x480 LCD for critical focus
LCD placed forward for better viewing
Variable Frames Rates, but adjustable in 1 frame increments over the entire range
Histogram Display
Depth-of-Field Indicator
Brightness-Level Display (in addition to two-levels of Zebras)
Expanded focus check while recording
Slow shutter function
Rotary Grip
HD-SDI outAgain, I didn't mention anything about image quality, CODEC, or recording media which is always up for debate. I'm just talking about it being a camera and the operator interfaces. So in that regard, the EX1 arguably has many innovations over the HVX200, which is understandable since the HVX200 is a two-year old camera.

And to be fair to the HVX200, it was a very innovative camera for its time and no doubt it pushed Sony to included some of the same features while at the same time improving them. If Panasonic comes out with another camera that includes some of EX1's good features while also improving them too, then I wouldn't call them copying Sony either. They're all just trying to make better cameras for us to use. So we should be encouraging these competitive developments instead of denigrating them as copies.

[David Jimerson]

I disagree. I don't see how it can be a copy. If would be unfair to call it a copy. The only unique things in common are the sideways battery mount and a form of solid state recording.

I wasn't talking about copying the physical form.

And yes, there are slight improvements here and there (I did mention the focus ring specifically, and "variations") as well . . .

But slight "improvements" do not "innovations" make, especially if you're just talking about 14x vs. 13x zoom. And the HVX does indeed have some of the things you mention in your list, and a number of things the EX1 doesn't do. They're both very full-featured cameras.

An "innovation" breaks new ground. Yes, yes; half-inch chips; nifty focus ring. Cool things for the sub-$10K market which haven't been seen before.

But the list of the HVX's firsts in that market is quite lengthy. The EX1, not so much. For a company whose slogan is "where others imitate, Sony innovates," the EX1 sure looks like a rather specific imitation to me.

Which, on the whole, doesn't even mean that it can't be an objectively "better" camera, if there were such a thing, and obviously, some people find it preferable. But also, objectively speaking, to try to compare its level of innovation with the HVX's is like starting on third and thinking you hit a triple.

That's all I'm saying.

Now, what the EX1 DOES do is add another camera to the sub-$10K market with a similar feature set to the HVX, which did not exist until the EX1 -- and it drives forward competition, which can only be a good thing,

[Stevet]

I hear where you're coming form David, I guess it depends on the individual.

I'm considering 1/2" more than slight, but you are right, regardless, the additons to the EX1 is going to make everyone step up further.

We're all thinking Panasonic, but let's not forget JVC. I would not be surprised if they "threw out a hand of aces"

I know a lot of people may say, wait, what about their HD250 and so on, well, I believe things have now changed in this sub-10K market (Which you just mentioned).

Even companies such as Cineform are "lighting the spark" with talk of their
sub $2K portable Cineform recorder. Speaking of which, I wish Sony or Panasonic would "bite the bullet" and offer this codec as an internal capture solution.

Sorry for the run of corny cliches. ;) LOL

[harddrive]

Now, come on. Let's be fair here.

But other than the interesting focus ring, what's "innovative" about the EX1? It looks, feature-wise, to be a straight-up copy of the HVX, just with Sony codec and memory implementation and a minor variation here and there.
Minor variation!? Totally ignoring any image considerations, it's unique (AFAIK) in bringing true manual features to a non-interchangeable lens, which now seems so obvious that you wonder why it wasn't done before. Why has the choice had to be manual interchangeable lenses OR servo fixed?

Implementing 1/2" chips in a form factor that has hitherto been associated with 1/3" or smaller I would also call highly innovative.

I don't think anyone is saying the HVX is bad, just that at least still frames from the EX are very much better, and I don't think any amount of tweaking is going to change that. I was struck by how good *both* seemed in the colourimetry sense in Bobs first pictures, and indeed how similar in that respect. The big difference was the better sharpness of the EX, and especially that it seemed achieved with LESS edginess!

But what will JVC do indeed. Until the HD100 came out, I rated them as a poor also ran to Panasonic and Sony - but the HD100 redefined what ergonomics people could expect in a camera of this price (an area the EX can easily be criticised in), and the 200 series (with 50/60fps support, etc) consolidated the range. If they keep up the pace, the next generation could be very interesting indeed.

[Tim Le]

I also understand what you are saying David and I definitely agree that the HVX200 introduced unheard of features for its price point at its time. Panasonic was no doubt "Slightly Ahead of It's Time" with that camera. The DVX100 was also a big game changer with 24P, a wide lens and things like zoom and focus scales in the VF.

I guess I have a different opinion as to what's important in a camera. What you consider "nifty" and "slight improvements," I consider huge leaps in my ability to operate these prosumer cameras. In my opinion (and I think most people agree), all of these cameras from Sony, Panasonic, Canon and JVC shoot VERY good pictures 95% of the time. So then what should matter is how the camera allows me to operate it quickly and efficiently and any extra specialized features needed to shoot that last remaining 5%.

To a camera operator, the three most important things they need to get right are focus, exposure and white balance. The EX1 addresses the first two in major ways with repeatable manual focus, a very high resolution LCD to check focus, and numerous exposure indicators. It also has specialized features like slow shutter that enables you to do specialized things like time-lapse at night. These little features may not generate big headlines, but they are precisely what is needed by operators to get the shots.

I guess my problem is with political statements about companies like who is more "innovative" than the other or like whether one product is a straight-up a copy of another. These statements tend to be inflammatory because they put one product down based on political reasons. All this does is further brand wars on internet forums instead of constructive discussions about the practical merits or weaknesses of the equipment. Since you're a moderator of this forum, I would think you would want to avoid such inflammatory comments.

[Barry_Green]

it's unique (AFAIK) in bringing true manual features to a non-interchangeable lens, which now seems so obvious that you wonder why it wasn't done before. Why has the choice had to be manual interchangeable lenses OR servo fixed?
Ever seen a six-year-old DVX100? It has every bit as manual a zoom as the EX1 has. Focus is different, but at least it's completely repeatable and, apart from not having end stops, functions as a mechanical manual focus ring would. I think that's the innovation you were looking for?


But what will JVC do indeed. Until the HD100 came out, I rated them as a poor also ran to Panasonic and Sony - but the HD100 redefined what ergonomics people could expect in a camera of this price (an area the EX can easily be criticised in), and the 200 series (with 50/60fps support, etc) consolidated the range. If they keep up the pace, the next generation could be very interesting indeed.
Will JVC respond at all even? That's the big question. JVC just got sold, and there's no longer a clear path as to what their future will even be. Will they even stay in the broadcast market? Or will they get a huge infusion of cash to become a serious competitor in the broadcast market? I think more question marks surround JVC than any of the other manufacturers. Professional Video and Broadcast has only accounted for about 8% of JVC's revenues, but it was also one of the few divisions of JVC that actually showed a profit. I don't expect much from them in the near future though because in their annual report they say that their strategy for the professional video division is


Concentrate on security products and professional audio equipment; strengthen collaboration between the professional camcorder and consumer camcorder businesses." So it doesn't sound like there's much groundbreaking to be done in the near term, but we'll see.

[Tim Le]

Ever seen a six-year-old DVX100? It has every bit as manual a zoom as the EX1 has. Focus is different, but at least it's completely repeatable and, apart from not having end stops, functions as a mechanical manual focus ring would. I think that's the innovation you were looking for?

I agree when i first saw the DVX100, it was a very sweet camera. The lens rings were better than anything else out there at the time. They were nice, but I wouldn't call it the exact same feel as a fully manual cam-driven focus ring with end stops.

The EX1 just takes it to the next level, which is an ENG style lens. It has the same three focus-zoom-iris rings in the same spots. It also does the JVC one step better with AF, manual focus assist and OIS. That's pretty innovative to me.

[Barry_Green]

It also does the JVC two and three better, with minimal breathing and no massive purple/green fringing!

I guess what David's talking about is that modest upgrades shouldn't be hailed as innovation. 1/2" 1920x1080 CMOS 3-chip sensors in a handheld form factor? Innovation. A usable LCD screen with decent res? Evolution, bordering on innovation. Incorporating the focus assist from a 30-month-old HD100? Imitation. Making hot-swappable recording on solid state memory cards? Imitation. HD-SDI? Imitation -- the G1 had it over a year ago.

Sony pulling their head out of their rectum and designing a camcorder that people appear to actually want to buy, and pricing it competitively? THAT'S the EX1's biggest innovation! :)

[Tim Le]

I guess what David's talking about is that modest upgrades shouldn't be hailed as innovation. 1/2" 1920x1080 CMOS 3-chip sensors in a handheld form factor? Innovation. A usable LCD screen with decent res? Evolution, bordering on innovation. Incorporating the focus assist from a 30-month-old HD100? Imitation. Making hot-swappable recording on solid state memory cards? Imitation. HD-SDI? Imitation -- the G1 had it over a year ago.

Sony pulling their head out of their rectum and designing a camcorder that people appear to actually want to buy, and pricing it competitively? THAT'S the EX1's biggest innovation! :)

See, once again all this political stuff. Inflammatory comments from moderators like "Sony pulling their head out of their rectum and designing a camcorder that people appear to actually want to buy, and pricing it competitively? THAT'S the EX1's biggest innovation!" And you guys say you want DVXUser to move beyond brand wars and focus on filmmaking. How hypocritical is this? Don't hide this as a smiley either. We all know how you really feel.

And what's with all this imitation denigration again? Did everyone else imitate Sony because they had the first 3CCD consumer camera? Or the first CMOS consumer camera? And what defines a feature as an imitation? If HD-SDI, an industry standard, is an imitation then I guess having a hot shoe is too? See how ridiculous this is and you moderators keep feeding this.

Btw, Sony has has the colored peaking similar to the HD100 since the Z1, which was announced 6 months before the HD100 was out. Barry, it would be wise to check your facts before making accusations.

[Stevet]

Btw, Sony has had the colored peaking similar to the HD100 since the Z1, which was announced 6 months before the HD100 was even out. It would be wise to check your facts before making accusations.

And,
As an owner of the HD100, the EX1 somehow even improved on the peaking function. I set it to HIGH (Blue). I thought it worked great on the HD100, it really works WELL on the EX1.
We were racking shots in low to moderate light just using the LCD and it was spot on when we played it back!
They definately got that right!

[Barry_Green]

We all know how you really feel.

That is how I really feel. I think they haven't made a product since the original VX2000/PD150 that was a compelling product designed around what the customer wants. Them doing so with the EX1 is a good sign. I do believe that they've had their product-design heads stuck in unpleasant places and have lost their way. And I say this as someone who used *only* Sony gear up until the original DVX came out. They've lost their way, they've lost their lead, they've lost truckloads of money, they've lost market share, they've lost their integrity. They need to get it back. Producing a good product would be a good first step, and it looks like they may have taken it. Good for them.

As for the rest of it -- if you don't recognize the irony of Sony's "Where Sony Innovates, Others Imitate" ad campaign being applied to the "P2 MeToo", well, I guess there's not a whole lot else to discuss.

As for:

Btw, Sony has had the colored peaking similar to the HD100 since the Z1, which was announced 6 months before the HD100 was even out. It would be wise to check your facts before making accusations.
Oops. Blew that one. I didn't remember the Z1 as having colored peaking.

[Stevet]

I've always liked Sony. My only issue is I worry about them being a team player.
I don't need to go into the ol' Beta, mini disk, memory stick, Bluray ......etc..

I do feel a lot of times they come up with the superior product, but fall short on negotiations with other leading manufactures. For some reason, I truly believe that state of mind has changed with them.

I believe the EX1 is a good deal. It's a great comeback camera for Sony.
They are going to sell big time.

In fact, as we all know, you can't even get one right now.

[Tim Le]

As for the rest of it -- if you don't recognize the irony of Sony's "Where Sony Innovates, Others Imitate" ad campaign being applied to the "P2 MeToo", well, I guess there's not a whole lot else to discuss.

Look, all of these companies have BS marketing department. All marketing departments are full of BS. You just learn to tune them out. And I agree I haven't been excited about a camera after the first 3CCD until the DVX100 camera around.

But all that I'm saying is that we need to quit all this political crap and mine is better than yours or one company is evil, etc. that goes on in these forums.

[Barry_Green]

An end to posturing and "mine is better than yours" would be most welcome, absolutely.

[J.R. Hudson]

I'll be the final judge on the EX1

I have the magical 24p Gamma Cadence Thingyvision going on.

[Stevet]

I'll be the final judge on the EX1

I have the magical 24p Gamma Cadence Thingyvision going on.

LOL... Thank you!

[J.R. Hudson]

............ :cheesy:

[David Jimerson]

Minor variation!? Totally ignoring any image considerations, it's unique (AFAIK) in bringing true manual features to a non-interchangeable lens, which now seems so obvious that you wonder why it wasn't done before. Why has the choice had to be manual interchangeable lenses OR servo fixed?

Implementing 1/2" chips in a form factor that has hitherto been associated with 1/3" or smaller I would also call highly innovative.

Yeah, I gave full credit for that.

[David Jimerson]

See, once again all this political stuff. Inflammatory comments from moderators like "Sony pulling their head out of their rectum and designing a camcorder that people appear to actually want to buy, and pricing it competitively? THAT'S the EX1's biggest innovation!" And you guys say you want DVXUser to move beyond brand wars and focus on filmmaking. How hypocritical is this? Don't hide this as a smiley either. We all know how you really feel.

And what's with all this imitation denigration again? Did everyone else imitate Sony because they had the first 3CCD consumer camera? Or the first CMOS consumer camera? And what defines a feature as an imitation? If HD-SDI, an industry standard, is an imitation then I guess having a hot shoe is too? See how ridiculous this is and you moderators keep feeding this.

Btw, Sony has has the colored peaking similar to the HD100 since the Z1, which was announced 6 months before the HD100 was out. Barry, it would be wise to check your facts before making accusations.

I'm pretty sure that I said it's possible that the EX1 is a better camera than the HVX.

But it is my opinion that its features were chosen specifically to imitate the feature set of the HVX. In fact, I think that's plain as day. So no, other than the 1/2" chips and the focus mechanism, I don't think it's particularly "innovative," which is all I said about it.

I don't give a rat's patootie who makes what camera. I only care what the cameras do.

None of this even matters all that much to me, though, beyond an academic discussion (which is what I consider this), because the entire sub-$10K set isn't even what I'm looking at anymore . . .

[marques]

Call me morally misguided but not at all sentimental or monoganous. Would I trade my old wife in for a prettier picture with much better figures?
Sure I would, that old HVX is obsolete. To those of us with less sentiment and of course can afford a superior model.

[J.R. Hudson]

See, once again all this political stuff. Inflammatory comments from moderators like "Sony pulling their head out of their rectum and designing a camcorder that people appear to actually want to buy, and pricing it competitively? THAT'S the EX1's biggest innovation!" And you guys say you want DVXUser to move beyond brand wars and focus on filmmaking. How hypocritical is this? Don't hide this as a smiley either. We all know how you really feel.


Truth hurts Tim

[Tim Le]

I don't want to hijack this thread any further so I'll try to steer it back to center.

Getting back to my original point, all of these cameras shoot very good pictures, with some slight image quality advantages going to one camera or another. What camera manufacturers should focus on now is designing a truly great camera for the camera operator. Something with solid tools that allows a camera operator to hit focus, exposure and white balance quickly, precisely and efficiently. The EX1 is a step in the right direction because of the ENG style lens, super high resolution LCD monitor and numerous exposure indicators.

But even the EX1 can still be improved. I'd like to see an even higher resolution (720P) LCD monitor (but still keep it sunlight readable quality), same high-rez in the VF, a slightly wider lens going to 28mm, some extra WB controls, lower power draw and 1080/60P. That last one isn't even a standard but we need it. The biggest thing of all would be to somehow go to a 2/3" sensor. The lens will be bigger so they'd probably have to shorten the zoom ratio to make a handheld camera manageable. But with a 2/3" optical system, the operator will have even more DOF control--not yet 35mm, but now approaching 16mm.

[Stevet]

Tim,
sign me up.

If that camera was priced in this range, I'd buy this camera today!

[Cees Mutsaers]

What will be panasonics next step as an answer to the EX1 ??????????????
That is a more interesting queastion.

[harddrive]

What will be panasonics next step as an answer to the EX1 ??????????????
That is a more interesting queastion.
It breaks down into what is technically easy, and what isn't!

The one respect in which the EX has attracted a lot of criticism is ergonomics, with many feeling it should be shouldermount in form - there is no technical reason the next gen HVX couldn't be styled in such a way, and gain an advantage over the EX by so doing.

Whilst Panasonic may wish to keep using P2 for higher end cameras, there is now no reason to keep using it for cameras in this price range - Compact Flash is the obvious possibility. Whilst the EX currently needs SxS cards (not much cheaper than P2) Sony have apparently announced that a firmware upgrade will soon allow it to use some of the cheaper ExpressCard memory cards with a slight drop in functionality. A move away from P2 would allow Panasonic to at least keep parity with the EX in this respect.

Now it gets difficult. There are no big underlying technical reasons for not doing either of the above two suggestions, but higher resolution and more sensitive chips aren't so easy. I do see a move to 1920x1080 though, probably driven by the ever increasing number of screens at affordable prices which have that resolution. People can now see differences that they couldn't before.

[walnutcrunch]

You know, below 50-60 inches, there is probably close to zero chance someone can tell the difference between a 720p signal and a 1080p signal. I think it is more marketing that will make people believe 1080p is the FULL HD experience they can't possibly miss out on.

[moldcad]

You know, below 50-60 inches, there is probably close to zero chance someone can tell the difference between a 720p signal and a 1080p signal. I think it is more marketing that will make people believe 1080p is the FULL HD experience they can't possibly miss out on.
It all depends on the actual viewing distance - even with 50", to see the difference between full HD and 720p, it cannot exceed 2-3 meters! For smaller displays, it gets even shorter...

[nsoltz]

I will be getting an EX-1 from Sony to field test for an article and should know shortly when I'll get my camera.

I start my test with an inherent prejudice against any long-GOP format, but I also must maintain as much journalistic objectivity as humanly possible. Head to head comparisons of specific features of different products can be useful but again, they don't tell the whole story. And I certainly do not like to like to envision the battle of the Japanese cameras as the battles of Japanese monster films, with Godzilla out to kill his rival. I just don't like the term "x-y-z Killer."

Do I love my HVX for what it does? Yes. Will I buy an EX? Very possibly.

But again, different buyers will need different products. I am anxious to test EX-1 in green screen situation. I'm willing to bet here that with the 4:2:2 color space of the HVX, I can pull a much cleaner key.

I had some hands on time with the EX1 at DV Expo. I found it (as did my colleague DV writer Adam Wilt) a very uncomfortable camera to hold. I loved the focus, zoom and aperture rings. There were some great bells and whistles on the super-sharp but way too small LCD screen.

My field test should hopefully speak volumes. Since my articles are lilmited to 1200 words or so, I'll be blogging test progress and will post a URL when I get started.

Ned Soltz

[kplo]

Ned,
I, too, played with the camera at DV Expo, and can second your observations regarding it's ergonomics.
The real problem in usabilty for me is the extremely poor peaking function.
No matter what color peakinf display you choose, the level is just way too low and really only works if focused on a high contrast object (like the printed labels in the display at the booth). It's virtually useless on faces, say in a run & gun situation.
Worse, when you enable focus assist to magnify the viewfinder image, peaking is disabled entirely...just when you need it most! What were they thinking?
When another visitor and I mentioned this to the Sony engineer, even he couldn't get it any better by adjusting the menu functions. Hopefully, this can be fixed with a firmware upgrade before negative reactions to this flaw become widespread.
Unfortunately, no matter how nice the picture may be, not being able to reliably obtain sharp focus, is a deal breaker for me.
Ken
the Screen Skins guy

[Stevet]

I start my test with an inherent prejudice against any long-GOP format, but I also must maintain as much journalistic objectivity as humanly possible.

Hmmm.... Somehow this info just rendered any possibility of a fair review. That's for sure.
BTW, I'd say everyone is not a real fan with some compression formats, unfortunately, we just have to live wth them, or find other solutions.

Which brings up...
Also, keep in mind the upcoming 4:2:2 portable capture solutions such as Cineforms, and convergent design.

This will be one real large benefit for the EX1, since it does offer SDI.
The main concern for users that buy into the additional recorders will be if you can live with the rolling shutter.
Apparently , RED users are willing to take this chance.

Having owned many other 1/3" cameras, I believe a lot of these reviews will weigh the EX1 pros and cons:
PROS:

* Excellent sensitivity due to 1/2" sensors
The ability of tighter DOF due to 1/2" sensors (Of course, NO where near 35mm adatpers)
* Pro Fujinon lens that offers full manual control
* Native 1080P resolution (with the ability to render near 1000 lines of horizontal resolution.)
* SDI out 4:2:2
* High rez LCD (very sharp)
* AF Peaking function (Works VERY well)
* Low CA

CONS:
* Buttons are a tad small
* Can be akward to hold
* Long GOP 4:2:0 internal codec
* CMOS with Rolling shutter design.



I believe most know this information rigt now, it's just a matter of what you are willing to live with.
If you do not like the rolling shutter concept, you may not want to consider the EX1.
On the other hand, if you want a camera that perform extremely well with low noise with excellent detail (1080), the EX1 should at least be given a try.

[J.R. Hudson]

Blah blah blah (Not you Steve)

Event coverage notwithstanding; weddings, corporate, et al, and purely from this filmmakers perspective:

It is going to come down to one thing; the image.

Not ergonomics, not buttons, not low light sensitivity and latitude information or resolution

It'll come down to the magic Mojo; the inherent mystery gamma and 24 cadence.

The XL2 didn't have it, the JVC didn't have it and I wonder if the Sony will.


The DVX and HVX does have it and neither of them are perfect cameras in regards to those tangibles.

[Barry_Green]

Hmmm.... Somehow this info just rendered any possibility of a fair review. That's for sure.
Actually, this info rendered a very valuable piece of information that someone should know before going into Ned's review. If he doesn't like long-GOP, he should say so up front. I hate HDV, and I try to say so up front. People should know those things when they go into a review.


I believe most know this information rigt now, it's just a matter of what you are willing to live with.
"most" meaning -- most regular visitors to the forums in the last couple of months? Yes, probably. Most customers? Not by a million miles. The percentage of buyers who regularly visit forums? Probably very small. People will google for a review, but trawling through all the threads? I think the number of people who have any idea what a "rolling shutter" even is, is extremely small.


If you do not like the rolling shutter concept, you may not want to consider the EX1.
On the other hand, if you want a camera that perform extremely well with low noise with excellent detail (1080), the EX1 should at least be given a try.
Exactly! That's exactly the kind of thing that people should be being told. What the product does, and what it doesn't do. What it excels at, and what it doesn't quite pull off. Let the individual users decide the relative merit of each element.

[nsoltz]

Exactly! I do intend to say upfront that I prefer I frame compression to long GOP's. Then, having said that, I am able to let my readers know that I might be looking for very specific pieces of the pie when reviewing the camera. I could very well find that for certain shooting situations, it matters little. I could find that in action settings, my inherent prejudice is either substantiated or refuted. No reviewer should either be a partisan cheering squad (that was my objection to the post-IBC review of the product) or one in which the reviewer has no experience with similar products.

Ned

[dvInsight]

I can't wait for Ned's review. I want to read something from someone who is "sold" on the Panasonic DVCPro Codec.

Heck, get Barry, Jarrod, Evin and Noah in a room with the EX-1 and let them do their worst to the little guy. If they can come away impressed, then I am sold.

From what little footage that I have seen from it (Philip Blooms stuff), I am impressed.

I already know that the buttons are too small and awkwardly placed. I can live with that, just like I live with my HVX's lousy LCD, I bought a Marshal!

So Ned, bring on the review!

Thanks,
Rob

[Stevet]

It'll come down to the magic Mojo; the inherent mystery gamma and 24 cadence.



Well put !
There's is something magical when you see it, but sometimes it's hard to label.

[Stevet]

Actually, this info rendered a very valuable piece of information that someone should know before going into Ned's review.



True, but I would not announce it before the review. There will be many that may not of seen this message, but will have seen just the review.

Also Again, some things are a given, such as compression formats. We all hate them, but we know we're forced into using some variation of it, even DVCPRO100.

[Stevet]

I can't wait for Ned's review. I want to read something from someone who is "sold" on the Panasonic DVCPro Codec.

Heck, get Barry, Jarrod, Evin and Noah in a room with the EX-1 and let them do their worst to the little guy. If they can come away impressed, then I am sold.

From what little footage that I have seen from it (Philip Blooms stuff), I am impressed.

I already know that the buttons are too small and awkwardly placed. I can live with that, just like I live with my HVX's lousy LCD, I bought a Marshal!

So Ned, bring on the review!

Thanks,
Rob

LOL....
That was a touge-in-cheek remark right ?;)
Actually, I would believe they'd give a fair review.

[Oynk]

I would love to see a test where they actually show the compression 'failing' if that is indeed what it does.

It is one thing when someone says they don't like something in theory, but I always hope the experts can push the cameras to the failing point to show the tangible visual consequences, not just preference based on theory. It really helps user make more informed decisions.

When Barry did the A1, HVX comparison (http://www.dvxuser.com/articles/xha1/) there were tons of 'A vs B' shots. That helps. Barry, you should do a "Why I hate HDV Shootout" with clips and grabs that show everyone why. When I hear people say they 'hate HDV' it's like hearing someone say they 'hate Macs' or 'hate Windows'. I am always interested in 'why?', specifically. Because we are talking about cameras here, we have the added benefit of being able to show what we are talking about.

I have seen side by side examples of differences in color space, resolution, lens adapters, but not compression.

When HDV came out, I read how horrible the GOP compression was. I was absolutely sure I would never buy any camera that used it. When it came time to buy, I could not find any 'smoking gun' footage of of GOP compression falling apart where another compression (in a camera at a similar price point) breezed through. If there is footage out there, I would still genuinely love to see it. I am not attached to any brand (even the one I own), I would just like to feel informed on this issue.

I did however see an example of rolling shutter failing on a HV20 (posted by Barry I think) and I found this test (http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showpost.php?p=986456&postcount=20) where the Sony V1U HDV compression fell apart and the A1 held up better (http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showpost.php?p=987279&postcount=26) in a similar circumstance. Those things are just fun to look at!

With so many reviews coming out about the EX there is another opportunity to revisit this issue. If people start saying they don't like the EX based on GOP, I just hope they show why.

[BobDiaz]

I will be getting an EX-1 from Sony to field test for an article and should know shortly when I'll get my camera.

I start my test with an inherent prejudice against any long-GOP format, but I also must maintain as much journalistic objectivity as humanly possible. Head to head comparisons of specific features of different products can be useful but again, they don't tell the whole story. And I certainly do not like to like to envision the battle of the Japanese cameras as the battles of Japanese monster films, with Godzilla out to kill his rival. I just don't like the term "x-y-z Killer."

Do I love my HVX for what it does? Yes. Will I buy an EX? Very possibly.

But again, different buyers will need different products. I am anxious to test EX-1 in green screen situation. I'm willing to bet here that with the 4:2:2 color space of the HVX, I can pull a much cleaner key.

I had some hands on time with the EX1 at DV Expo. I found it (as did my colleague DV writer Adam Wilt) a very uncomfortable camera to hold. I loved the focus, zoom and aperture rings. There were some great bells and whistles on the super-sharp but way too small LCD screen.

My field test should hopefully speak volumes. Since my articles are lilmited to 1200 words or so, I'll be blogging test progress and will post a URL when I get started.

Ned Soltz


Ned,

I can't wait to see your review. The point at which the video starts to show micro blocks is going to vary depending on the resolution and frame rate. That would be 6 different modes at 35Mb/s: 1080@ 60i, 30p, & 24p and 720@ 60p, 30p, & 24p. Assume you try different tests like; slow pan, medium pan, fast pan, and violent shaking. That would come to 6 x 4 = 24 tests! I know that's a lot of tests, but it would give us some insight about how far one can push the camera.

I also had some hands on time with the camera at DV Expo and found that my left hand didn't have a good resting place. The right hand was OK, but I felt the need to an extra bracket for the left hand. Maybe some sort of screw in mount would solve that...

It's always a laugh when someone says, "<insert name of camera> is the better camera!", because depending on what one choses as the parameters, you can always pick several things where one camera does something better than another. I wish they'd say, "For my needs/usage, because of <item>, <item>, ... , <insert name of camera> is the better camera!"

I guess that we'll be hearing another endless MAC vs. PC debate with the HVX-200 vs. EX-1.

Bob Diaz

[Barry_Green]

I would love to see a test where they actually show the compression 'failing' if that is indeed what it does.
Agreed. You should know the limits of a unit so you don't get past what it's capable of.


It is one thing when someone says they don't like something in theory, but I always hope the experts can push the cameras to the failing point to show the tangible visual consequences, not just preference based on theory. It really helps user make more informed decisions.
Exactly my perspective. Just because something can be made to fail doesn't make it "bad" but it does let us know what the limits are.

What makes something "bad" is when people just mindlessly say "oh, I heard that's not a problem so just shoot and you'll be fine" when, in fact, they won't be. That does a huge disservice to the user. What they should be given is factual information showing exactly what can happen, and under what kind of circumstances.



Barry, you should do a "Why I hate HDV Shootout" with clips and grabs that show everyone why.
I probably should. I sort of did that with the HD100 and FX1 when I showed how they fell apart in my Las Vegas Strip comparison, but a comprehensive article that outlines exactly what does and doesn't cause the problems would be a good thing.

I just grit my teeth when I hear people say "you can't pan with HDV" because that's not what does it at all. (and yes, sometimes pans fall apart too, but it depends on what you're panning past!)


When HDV came out, I read how horrible the GOP compression was. I was absolutely sure I would never buy any camera that used it. When it came time to buy, I could not find any 'smoking gun' footage of of GOP compression falling apart where another compression (in a camera at a similar price point) breezed through. If there is footage out there, I would still genuinely love to see it.
Look for the "Sirens" footage from the HVX/FX1/Z1, that's the worst I've seen HDV compression fail on.


If people start saying they don't like the EX based on GOP, I just hope they show why.
Fair point. I'll do up such an article, hopefully I can get ahold of an EX1 to demonstrate how it performs as well.

(and, to be fair, it's not long-GOP that's the problem: it's low-bandwidth long-GOP. Long-GOP could be incredible if they'd just allocate enough bandwidth to it. 19 megabits is woefully inadequate, 25 megabits is tragically inadequate, and 35 megabits is inadequate. It'll be interesting to try Sony's upcoming 50-megabit version to see if it finally crosses the threshold to adequacy!) :thumbsup:

[Oynk]

Look for the "Sirens" footage from the HVX/FX1/Z1, that's the worst I've seen HDV compression fail on.

You know, I am beginning to wonder if it was Sony's early implementation of HDV earned it a particularly bad reputation. I know that HDV has its limitations but Canon seemed to refine it just a bit more, as shown in the NCJE's examples I linked to above.

I look forward to your tests on the EX.

[Stevet]

Well, I think you may be in for a surprise with the 35mb XDCAM codec.
I've been hard panning and blowing the stuff up 400% just for this test.

Also, one thing for sure, the 720 24P 35mb stuff looks VERY good. I see absolutely no macro blocking. Believe me, I agree with all here regarding HDV1 and HDV2. I've seen what it does myself under fast motion where threre's a lot of detail, grass,water,etc.., it's not pretty.

I was very happy to see this is not an issue with the 35 XDCAM, especially at 720.
Does the XDCAM 25mb stuff have an issue, I don't know. I don't plan on using it. I will check it out for giggles and .....
It may have issues.

[BobDiaz]

Notes From The LAFCPUG Meeting

Last night I went to the LAFCPUG (Los Angeles Final Cut Pro User Group) meeting, where one of the presentations was the Sony EX-1. At the meeting were representations from Promax, Sony, as well as Cameraman Doug Jensen of Vortex Media who has worked with the camera quite a bit. I'm guessing that he helped do real world testing for Sony, but I'm not 100% sure.

http://lafcpug.org/
http://www.lafcpug.org/user_schedule.html

I'll summarize the key things I remember from the meeting:

The camera is going to have a firmware upgrade when the 32GB memory cards come out. The upgrade will enable the camera to support the 32GB cards. There is a very likely chance that new features will be added, like buffering the video. That is, the camera records the video while in standby to RAM. Once you press the record button, several seconds of video that were buffered BEFORE you pressed the record button will also be saved to the card. This might be anywhere from 3 to 12 seconds.


Some of the key things that Doug Jensen liked about the camera:

The lens is more like the 3/4" camera lenses with a real focus scale, a real zoom ring, and a seamless aperture ring (that does NOT have STEPS).

The image sensors are 1/2", unlike the other under $10,000 cameras that use 1/3" and 1/4" sensors.

The image sensor is a true 1920x1080 progressive.

The camera can record a true 1920x1080 without sub-sampling.

The delete last shot is a VERY handy feature. If you know that the last shot is worthless, you can just delete it right away and free up the memory space on the card. This is better than keeping it and having to sort through all the shots at the edit bay to get rid of all the junk.

The time lapse recording and slow shutter makes for a better looking time lapse video.

Over crank and under crank; plus a wide range of resolutions and frame rates.

External 12 volt input for adding an external battery pack.

When questioned about the Long GOP MPEG and possible micro blocking, Doug said that he never noticed a problem with it.

When working with the SxS cards, you can copy the clips subdirectory to another storage system as a backup and later copy the files back to the card. Every clip has its own subdirectory. It's best to copy the WHOLE subdirectory of the clip, because this is where all the key information on the clip is stored in several files.

We were also shown how to import the clips into Final Cut Pro. The software to do this is easy to work with. One interesting feature is that you can make a sub-clip from any clip. Thus, if you intend to use only part of a clip, you can import only just that part.

Doug is currently producing a 3 hour, 2 DVD video tutorial on the Sony EX-1. It should come out in January (maybe February???) and sells for $99.

Vortex Media; Mastering the Sony PMW-EX1: $99
http://www2.promax.com/Vortex-Media-Mastering-the-Sony-PMW-EX1


Sincerely,

Bob Diaz