EX1 Low light performance vs pd170 & HVX200

[Hint]

I really I need a camera with low light performance. On the net I've seen some tests that compare the EX1 with the PD170 & HVX200 but wasn't impressed with the low light performance of the EX1 - maybe they weren't done in the same exact conditions etc.

Many of you own the EX1! What is your call? Does it come close the the PD170 as far as sensitivity is concerned?

[Stevet]

There's been plenty who own the PD170 & 150 that have mentioned the EX1 is a bit more sensitive. The original HVX200 is not as sensitive in low light as the EX1. I've witnessed this myself and have seen post regarding low light sensitivity.

One thing for sure, the EX1 is very clean in low light, the original HVX200 is not.

Now the new HVX200A, may very well be a different story. The HVX200A is a lot cleaner and more sensitive over the original HVX200.
http://www.twistedlincoln.com/reviews/hvx200-vs-hvx200a

[Carl Marxx]

:Drogar-Mark-04(DBG)Hey SteveT, I had a PD-170, the earlier version of the PD-150, and it was the King of low light. I tested it in dark shadows and saw things I could not see with my own eyes and with out noticable ( to the consumer eye) video noise. I have an EX-1 and they say it goes deep in the dark, but I have had strange things (outer space experiences) with it. Examples: in very dark conditions it has truned red on me (filtering problem I know,) and lately bad compression noise on rather simple low exposures. If you are looking for the "Sure Thing," and need only SD video, Sony PD-170 is the way to go! As far as the 200 or 200a, I have no personal experience but have herd the 200a is quite an improvement over the 200 model in low light conditions among other things. PS: did you ever check-out that "i-connect" 18-1 Express card adaptor? Carl

[Stevet]

Well, I've never owned the PD-150, but I've owned the VX2000 many years ago... I never really cared that much for that camera.

The info I remember was the Creative Cow low light comparison on the PD170 vs EX1 (out of the box, not adjustments).
http://library.creativecow.net/articles/greening_don/ex1-pd170.php
If they turned off EX1 sharpening, the EX1 would of been even cleaner.

Hmm.
I'm not seeing the red thing in real low light.... Maybe a setting? or white balance is changing.


Hey, oddly, I don't see a link to that iconnect expresscard on the net anywhere, even Fry's...
But, I could of swore I pulled it out of the plastic yesterday at Frys and checked to see if it had the spring type clip.
It does not. SD cards will stick out to far to have to EX1 compartment close. You need the spring type where the SDHC
cards will sit deeper into the adaptor. Also, I could not determine if it had SDHC support. It only listed SD.
SD caps off at 2GB.

[Hint]

thanks for your tips guys.... I should see a big difference from my HVX (series 1) then!

Stevet, I'm following your tests on SDHC cards with a lot of interest - keep up the good work! Having a cheaper alternative to original SxS cards is great. Let's hope the new Sandisk 32Gb will work like the 16Gb!

[Stevet]

Thanks Hint.

Yes, I'm hoping the 32GB works like the 16GB... Fingers crossed..

[adamr316]

HVX200 low light is a joke. HVX200A low light is a lot better/less noisey but not as good or as clean as the EX1.

The PD170 was the SD prosumer king and right now the EX1/EX3 are the prosumer HD lowlight kings. That is...if you're shooting 1080/60i. In the 24p modes the sensitivity is decreased. So in 1080/24p (the EX1's worst mode for lowlight) the EX1 and HVX200A are about the same sensitivity. Here's the breakdown:

1080/60i = ISO 800

720/24p and 720/60p = ISO 500

1080/24p = ISO 400

The HVX200 is about ISO 320 in all recording modes.

Bear in mind the 24p modes if shot in native shutter is 1/48 (compared to 60i's 1/60) so you do gain a little light sensitivity there. The EX1/EX3 can shoot at 1/32 too if you absolutely need the light (it also makes strobing a little less at the expense of camera blur).

The concert footage I shot earlier tonight at +12dB...gorgeous! Clean blacks, the CMOS chip had the lighting smear-free. The musicians/organization are going to love this stuff (the internal mic's audio wasn't too shabby either). I was also shooting some seminars under ambient lighting and that stuff looked as good as the human eye under those conditions.

[basilisk]

maximum aperture is also a factor with a fixed lens camera. The hvx200a is rated at 1.6 - 2.8, which is fine at wide, but you lose a stop or two at full zoom over the EX1's 1.9 which is consistent over the whole range (correct me if I am wrong!).

[moldcad]

maximum aperture is also a factor with a fixed lens camera. The hvx200a is rated at 1.6 - 2.8, which is fine at wide, but you lose a stop or two at full zoom over the EX1's 1.9 which is consistent over the whole range (correct me if I am wrong!).

You ARE wrong - the EX1 ramps from 1.9 at wide, to some 2.8 at Tele - event though it still displays 1.9.

[Stevet]

Moldcad is right, the EX1 does ramp a bit.

[JVR]

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