EX-3: not quite dead yet.

C

captslomo

Well-known member
I ran the camera for a satellite uplink truck at a Presidential event yesterday. Because we were going to do some run and gun between events, I brought the rusty old EX-3. I also figured I'd need to be able to zoom during the live event, and my digital cinema cameras use primes and manual zooms.

Pretty funny how many shooters walked by, saw the camera up on the sticks in the "pool" location, did a double take and asked what camera that was. How soon they forget...

Picture looked great on the bird, BTW, even at the 720P the network demanded.
 
As one of the last midsize cameras with a swappable lens it is interesting indeed. (in fact 'usable lens' !)

I use my EX1 a lot, if I snagged a decent lensed EX3 that would be of interest and id check 10bit out recording.

S
 
I finally sold my original EX1 (circa 2007) two weeks ago and now it has a nice new home in South Africa with a very happy new owner. He couldn't believe how new it still looked.
My Z280 is my new favorite toy. If you think you liked the EX1 you will absolutely love the Z280. S-LOG, 4K 60P, 10-bit 4:2:2, XAVC-I, a beautiful OLED viewfinder, and a 17X zoom lens in a small package is a nice combo. It wouldn't surprise me if we see a quasi-shouldermount "EX3" version of the Z280 by next NAB. It seems the logical next step.
 
Doug Jensen said:
It wouldn't surprise me if we see a quasi-shouldermount "EX3" version of the Z280 by next NAB. It seems the logical next step.
Click to expand...

I hope so DJ as that would suit me down to the ground for quite a few job requirements where I'm still using an EX3 with an 18 x 2/3" B4 with an ACM21 hooked up to either a NanoFlash or Atomos if better than 50Mbps is required. Still find a lot of clients still like the old 50Mbps 422 XDCam codec which I see the Z280 carries. With a real viewfinder and interchangeable lenses a PXW-Z300 or whatever will indeed find some acceptance in the production world.

Chris Young
 
I still use Ex3 cameras for concert projections and conferences..cab't beat price/performance and lowlight also acceptable..
 
Doug: do you think the Z280 would fit the bill as a "climb into the crawlspace/clamber over rocks chasing the subject" kind of handheld camera? Or would something like the Z90 be a better fit? I played a bit with a Z90 this past week on a shoot and really liked it, although there's a lot to learn about the 3,230 auofocus combinations, it seems. ;}
 
The strong points of the Z90 are the tiny size and great AF. But the Z280 beats it hands down in every other way you want to compare them. Having XAVC-I 10-bit S-LOG @60 fps in 4K is huge. Footage from the Z280 grades out very nicely in Resolve. But that is just the tip of the iceberg of how the Z280 blows the doors off the Z90, Z150, and even the FS5. The FS7 is the least expensive camera that can give the Z280 a run for its money, but then of course you got the hassle/benefit of removable lenses and short zoom ranges. The closest cousin to the Z280 in terms of capabilities is actually the Z450, but then you are into a $60K camera after you add a lens, VF, batteries, etc.
 
DJ.. Do you think there is a possiblity of the EX3 Z280 style having a lens with 24mmFF, 76 degrees, 18 S35, 2/3-4.7mm or however you want to describe a 'proper wide' end of the zoom or an old EX3 lens bringing this?
 
morgan_moore said:
DJ.. Do you think there is a possiblity of the EX3 Z280 style having a lens with 24mmFF, 76 degrees, 18 S35, 2/3-4.7mm or however you want to describe a 'proper wide' end of the zoom or an old EX3 lens bringing this?
Click to expand...

Hmmm, I don't agree that all those focal lengths you have listed are equivalent fields of view. But ignoring that, S35 is the one that matters most to me so I'll address that one. The Z280 has an equivalent S35 zoom range of 18.2mm - 309mm. Only .2mm above what you want, so that ought to be close enough? If Sony releases a quasi-shoulder mount version of the Z280 that looks like an EX3 it will likely have the exact same lens.
 
Hmmm . . . the size is about right but there are no hinges for the clasp to attach to, and the eye piece doesn't fit flat against the VF frame because there is a bump on the right side of viewfinder where it connects to the camera. But with a little ingenuity it could be made to work. But why bother because the tube is going to extend almost as far back as the built-in OLED viewfinder anyway even if you get it to fit on. If the idea is to create a quasi shouldermount setup I'd recommend a 3rd party viewfinder on a noga arm that places it forward to about where the zoom ring sits.
 
Doug Jensen said:
I finally sold my original EX1 (circa 2007) two weeks ago and now it has a nice new home in South Africa with a very happy new owner. He couldn't believe how new it still looked.
My Z280 is my new favorite toy. If you think you liked the EX1 you will absolutely love the Z280. S-LOG, 4K 60P, 10-bit 4:2:2, XAVC-I, a beautiful OLED viewfinder, and a 17X zoom lens in a small package is a nice combo. It wouldn't surprise me if we see a quasi-shouldermount "EX3" version of the Z280 by next NAB. It seems the logical next step.
Click to expand...

Doug, Since you now own a Z280 I have a question regarding the Z280 lens ramping that has been raised on other threads and forums. I briefly played with the Z280 at NAB NY last fall. When I manually set the lens to f1.9 and zoomed throughout the lens range, the iris value displayed on the LCD did not change. This gave me the impression the lens is a constant aperture lens. Others have stated the lens does in fact does ramp as you zoom in. If so, how much? I would like to see the actual iris value displayed on the LCD as you change the focal length of the lens. As a side note, I had the opportunity to attend one of your Sony presentations at the old Camera Company video expo some years back. When it comes to Sony products, you know your stuff.
 
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Thanks for the compliment. Boy that was a few years ago at the Camera Company!

I can cofirm that the displayed iris value stays constant as the lens is zoomed in, but there is definately a dimming of the exposure. Its not very much, but it is there. it is plain to see as the zebras start to disappear as the lens zooms in and the light levels drop. I have been on the road teaching workshops since before I even got my camera so I have not had a chance to put it on scopes and charts to get an actual measurment. But I will do that when I get home late next week. But with all that said, I don't feel it is a big issue at all, especially when shooting S-LOG. I think it is less than a stop, but it is there. My Z190 will be waiting for me when I get home so I'm eager to test that camera as well.
 
When i was working for VER in Chicago as a camera tech, we had 2-4 EX3s going out a week. They were constantly working! :)
 
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