Wow, Comparing HVX/HPX monitor to EX1

kgb

kgb

Active member
Yesterday, I got a chance to look at the Sony EX1's on-camera monitor. I was utterly stunned. After looking at the HVX's monitor for the last year, the EX1 put it to shame. It's like the first time I saw the Tonight Show in HD. I may give the EX1 a test run on the next project I shoot. That was mighty impressive...plus, the EX1 is lighter than the HVX. I had read that the EX1 was somewhat heavier than it looks. Not true.

Also, I want to say that The Carrion monitor is very nice. I got to shoot with it this past weekend. Very solid, great looking display. I plan on picking one up at some point. My only concern is the battery consumption. It seemed to eat through battery time very quickly.
 
Yeah, the LCD monitor on the HVX is a nightmare, unuseable for focusing without focus assist. Based on my first shoot with the HVX, it's the single biggest drawback to the camera. That and the weight. But cable channels ask for it, so it will eventually pay of itself in rentals. Can't have it all.
 
A roockie question:

What type of FOCUS ASSIST? a human assistant? another external monitor?
what will be the better way to focus a shoot? im having trouble because now i got a adapter and got a monitor thats trash.
Mister Big said:
Yeah, the LCD monitor on the HVX is a nightmare, unuseable for focusing without focus assist. Based on my first shoot with the HVX, it's the single biggest drawback to the camera. That and the weight. But cable channels ask for it, so it will eventually pay of itself in rentals. Can't have it all.
Click to expand...
 
I think the feedback on the EX1 was that the ergonomics are horrible. So true on the HVX LCD being absymal. It's completely aweful and I saw it first hand when I got to use the A1 and that LCD is actually decent and able to tell if you are in focus. Panny needs to get this right on the next version as it's the single largest grievance I think that everyone has with the camera. It's also something that you have to appologize to clients about if you are forced to run and gun and showcase off the LCD..
 
Yeap, EX1 LCD is very nice, HVX is the worst LCD I worked on (poor resolution, poor color going to blue and poor angle of view).

Ulisses
 
nadalpiantini said:
A roockie question:

What type of FOCUS ASSIST? a human assistant? another external monitor?
what will be the better way to focus a shoot? im having trouble because now i got a adapter and got a monitor thats trash.
Click to expand...

I was referring to the button you push on the side to create that expanded focus box. It takes time to push and to push again to turn it off. Without that feature, the HVX would be useless in my opinion.

In a camera that is designed for professional use, this is unacceptable. Yes, I know it's a "prosumer" camera, but many cable networks use it as a second unit camera.
 
Justyn said:
I think the feedback on the EX1 was that the ergonomics are horrible. So true on the HVX LCD being absymal. It's completely aweful and I saw it first hand when I got to use the A1 and that LCD is actually decent and able to tell if you are in focus. Panny needs to get this right on the next version as it's the single largest grievance I think that everyone has with the camera. It's also something that you have to appologize to clients about if you are forced to run and gun and showcase off the LCD..
Click to expand...

What's amazing is that they have the same monitor/viewfinder on the HPX500, which is quite a bit more expensive. The first time I saw the HPX, I noticed right away that the monitor was identical to the HVX. I've seen the 3000, which is a 35,000 dollar camera, and the EX1's monitor seemed much sharper and more detailed than the 3000's 2.35 monitor! I love everything about the HVX but Panasonic really needs to get with it. Now if only they put 1/2" CMOS sensors like the EX1 and get that beautiful monitor, the HVX would rock for another 5 years.
 
If they start using CMOS sensors (without global shutter) a lot of people would probably turn away from the HVX. I would!
 
Thanks.!!

Mister Big said:
I was referring to the button you push on the side to create that expanded focus box. It takes time to push and to push again to turn it off. Without that feature, the HVX would be useless in my opinion.

In a camera that is designed for professional use, this is unacceptable. Yes, I know it's a "prosumer" camera, but many cable networks use it as a second unit camera.
Click to expand...
 
I think you are right for a lot of applications. I'm doing some aerial stuff from a helicopter and with the HVX it was impressive.. awesome.. no problems. But the vibrations really make the wobble from the CMOS cameras just plain suck. I think it would also be bad for motorcyle shots or tracking shots done from a camera car.. Turns the footage to jello...

Would be nice to get a better LCD for sure though.
 
kgb said:
Now if only they put 1/2" CMOS sensors like the EX1 and get that beautiful monitor, the HVX would rock for another 5 years.
Click to expand...

Oh god no!!!!

Nonononononononono!


CMOS = Devil.


Trust me guys, you would lose all your ENG ability with the Cmos move. you cant shoot Redcarpets, live events that have photogs anymore. Footage looks funny.
 
I recently spent three weeks deciding on whether to go with the RED or HVX for my next project. (Assuming I can get the funding, and get ahold of a red by the time we shoot, so more of a theoretical thing.)

I decided against the Red because of the CMOS. Don't get me wrong the RED is amazing. But I compared 4k footage from the red, and then blew up some HVX footage to 4k. Compared it on a calibrated graphics LCD (not ideal, but both clips were subject to the same LCD issues).

The RED was, needless to say, much better, BUT: Didn't blow the 200 away like I originally thought it would. It was better. Much better. But not a big enough improvement for the kinds of things I'll be shooting, and not good enough to justify the CMOS problems, and cumbersome workflow (in comparison to p2).

YET....

I bet the RED, within a year or two will only get better and better.

The EX1 sounds like a great camera with a lot of sharpness and sounds ideal for ENG work (Maybe). But It does not have the filmic look of the HVX, and 420 + long GOP, TO ME, is too much of a compromise in exchange for the sharpness.. which is gone during movement.

That said, if my work was videography only, destined for TV or WEB, the EX1 would make more sense than the HVX. But we'll see.

Sorry to get off topic, but timur struck a chord with me and I felt the need to opine.

Please don't flame. EX1 RULES! HVX RULES! different cams for different things.

I think we're all lucky we have a diverse selection of affordable tools that will not limit content that filmmakers can produce. It's very in vogue to mention that a good cam without a story is useless, which is true. But I think some people neglect to match the best tool to their project, and then the story CAN suffer. It's a matter of balance.

Pontification OVER! thanks!
 
cordvision said:
If they start using CMOS sensors (without global shutter) a lot of people would probably turn away from the HVX. I would!
Click to expand...

Hmm, interesting. I guess I'll have to read up on CMOS sensors. Is there so many issues with CMOS acquisition? Perhaps three 1/2" CCD's and an HD LCD 1.85 viewfinder would be a better option for the next HVX?
 
The HVX/HPX use the exact same display for the flip-out LCD, and while it's not nearly as nice as the Sony Z1 or EX1 it is completely usable even for focusing, you simply have to know how to use it.

And for those who say you can't use it for critical focus: Bogus rumor. Panny needs to address the lackluster resolution in the flip-out for both HVX/HPX, but using the built-in FOCUS ASSIST and simply being used to how the LCD looks, I was able to use the P+S Pro35 lens adapter on the HPX as my only monitor and was able to get critical manual focus on several commercial shoots (an external monitor was not available for the locations).

No doubt we'd all like to see a better LCD from Panny, maybe NAB will give us some hope.
 
arrestthisman said:
I recently spent three weeks deciding on whether to go with the RED or HVX for my next project. (Assuming I can get the funding, and get ahold of a red by the time we shoot, so more of a theoretical thing.)

I decided against the Red because of the CMOS. Don't get me wrong the RED is amazing. But I compared 4k footage from the red, and then blew up some HVX footage to 4k. Compared it on a calibrated graphics LCD (not ideal, but both clips were subject to the same LCD issues).

The RED was, needless to say, much better, BUT: Didn't blow the 200 away like I originally thought it would. It was better. Much better. But not a big enough improvement for the kinds of things I'll be shooting, and not good enough to justify the CMOS problems, and cumbersome workflow (in comparison to p2).

YET....

I bet the RED, within a year or two will only get better and better.

The EX1 sounds like a great camera with a lot of sharpness and sounds ideal for ENG work (Maybe). But It does not have the filmic look of the HVX, and 420 + long GOP, TO ME, is too much of a compromise in exchange for the sharpness.. which is gone during movement.

That said, if my work was videography only, destined for TV or WEB, the EX1 would make more sense than the HVX. But we'll see.

Sorry to get off topic, but timur struck a chord with me and I felt the need to opine.

Please don't flame. EX1 RULES! HVX RULES! different cams for different things.

I think we're all lucky we have a diverse selection of affordable tools that will not limit content that filmmakers can produce. It's very in vogue to mention that a good cam without a story is useless, which is true. But I think some people neglect to match the best tool to their project, and then the story CAN suffer. It's a matter of balance.

Pontification OVER! thanks!
Click to expand...


Nice post. Could you provide blow up stills comparing the two at 4k? Would be cool to see. I do also find it interesting that the holly grail of talking negatively against the Red is kind of lifted. From a friend's POV, he has grown to hate shooting with the RED because of the workflow and sometimes opts to pick up his HVX and shoot with that simply because of the ease of production. Since it's still in BETA and they are working on things, hopefully it'll get easier to deal with because if it doesn't... who wants that kind of headache everytime you shoot?
 
Is anyone aware of a off cam monitor that is 12 inches or small that can be used with the component out for studio shots with the HVX200?

The ones I've seen are either cheap Polaroid 15 inchers or something better but bigger.

I don't need a on cam and expensive LCD, but a decent component in HD monitor at about 12 inches or smaller would help.

thanks
 
Robert Lane said:
The HVX/HPX use the exact same display for the flip-out LCD, and while it's not nearly as nice as the Sony Z1 or EX1 it is completely usable even for focusing, you simply have to know how to use it.

And for those who say you can't use it for critical focus: Bogus rumor. Panny needs to address the lackluster resolution in the flip-out for both HVX/HPX, but using the built-in FOCUS ASSIST and simply being used to how the LCD looks, I was able to use the P+S Pro35 lens adapter on the HPX as my only monitor and was able to get critical manual focus on several commercial shoots (an external monitor was not available for the locations).

No doubt we'd all like to see a better LCD from Panny, maybe NAB will give us some hope.
Click to expand...

To say the low resolution LCD/ focus issue is a "bogus rumor" isn't a very thoughtful way to label an issue that MANY people who own and operate the HVX have experienced first hand since it's release. Yes, you can get focus with the HVX under many shooting circumstnaces, under others it's very slow an fairly difficult to achieve. I've seen a lot of soft footage from this camera for this very reason... and this is from experienced camera ops. It depends on what you're shooting.
It's not fair to label it a bogus rumor.
 
Last edited:
I got nailed on an interview shot on Monday.

It has to be reshot.

Not impressed with the LCD; hence the question of an external LCD
 
David,

There's a few people on here posting good results with some off the shelf monitors but they tend to be bigger than you are looking for. I'd say to check out Costco or something like that. They have some great prices on some 27 inch HD monitors and if you bring in your camera and find the right sales guy, they might let you hook it up and see how it goes.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top