Alternate method for downloading EX-1 test clips from Media Source

[joeinc]

Sorry about the issues some are experiencing in trying to download our EX-1 test clips from our FTP server. The T-1 line in our office is taking a huge bandwidth hit from so many people trying to download the clips simultaneously.

I've now also posted them on the FTP server for News Data Services, an international collaborative of broadcast news monitors, for which we are the Memphis affiliate. This server has a lot more bandwidth to it than ours; we use it daily to transfer large MPEG-2 files (in most cases, bigger than our EX-1 test clips) back and forth between affiliates.

Use this link in your Web browser:
http://65.38.4.136?AffiliateId=Media+Source&Location

In the "Enter Your ID and Password" area, enter sonyex1 as ID, sonyex1 as password.

The files are listed individually. The first four listed were shot in 24p; we put six other clips up that were shot in 60i, as well as some shots with our fog machine, and a couple of narratives about the camera.

There is a link on the download page with further download instructions.

Thanks for your patience, and merry Christmas!

Joe Incardona
President
Media Source
Memphis, TN USA
www.memphismediasource.com

[sinai]

it seem s you done quiet some ( test ) shooting with the ex sad i cant open the files on link . i ll try harder . but whats your feeling working with the ex .....

greetings merryx mas

[joeinc]

Sorry you're having difficulty with the EX-1 test clips. Using the alternate link I provided yesterday, you should be able to download the EX-1 test clips. These are not streaming files, they are full 1920x1080 resolution MOV files made using H.264 compression in Final Cut/Compressor. This is a Web-based FTP download system, so you should be able to use your Web browser to download the clips. There are some additional download instructions on the page once you enter the user ID sonyex1 and password sonyex1.

We are evaluating the EX-1 camera as a possible "B" camera to the new Panasonic HPX-3000, a much more expensive camera with a detachable 2/3 inch lens. We felt as if the EX-1 footage was a pretty good match to the test footage we shot with the HPX-3000, since both are native 1920x1080 resolution cameras.

The EX-1, though, doesn't perform as well in chromakeying situations, though, because it has 4:2:0 color sampling, as opposed to the 4:2:2 sampling in the Panasonic P2 HPX line of cameras. The inferior color sampling on the EX-1 isn't very apparent, though, if you're keying your footage over a darker-colored background. It was pronounced, though, when keying over a lighter-colored background, as we could see a dark line around the edges of the flower petals we captured in our test footage.

Thanks for your interest, and there may be a third alternative available soon for downloading the EX-1 and HPX-3000 test clips.

[mcgeedigital]

Thanks for the links.

In your opinion, did you have to really tweak the EX-1's submenus to get it to match the 3000?

[Stevet]

When trying to download, don't use the FTP link, just go to the bottom of the page and download from there.

[joeinc]

Unfortunately, Matt, we didn't have enough time to play with the EX-1's submenus. There are selectable gamma curves, which I imagine might be used to make the cameras match more closely. We didn't have either the HPX-3000 or the EX-1 hooked up to a vectorscope or waveform monitor. We did import clips from both cameras into Final Cut, and were able to drill down to the pixel level in an effort to discern differences in the image quality.
I think, though, that the EX-1, to the naked eye, matches better with the HPX-3000 than the other Panasonic P2 cameras such as the HPX-500.
We're trying to find a good choice for a "B" camera to use on multi-camera shoots with the HPX-3000.