Ex Picture Profile Thread

This is a shame that Sony has not released full Picture Profile information

This is a shame that Sony has not released full Picture Profile information

I agree totally. This is a shame that Sony has not released full Picture Profile information for the Sony XDCAM EX PMW-EX1 and EX3.
They sell a camera as "CineAlta" for pro and semi-pros, but refrain to communicate the necessary information needed to paint a high quality picture with the tools supplied as if it were a state secret.
This does not make sense. Hey, Sony, wake up, give us your customers the precise info !
 
Please someone, post some footage of this ex1 with colors that match panny. I've searched all over the web and couldn't find anything. everything looks like sharp video, even when using magic bullett and other filters. I want so bad to love this camera but know one has posted footage that will allow me to do that.

I love the resoluton on the ex, but if you just take a look at jay rodgriguez music video on here, sorry if i butchered the name, you'll see the skin tones of his subjects are the closest to film out of all the sub $10,000 cams.

I tried to talk myself into buying the ex, but the colors and the 24p motion on the panasonic has hipmotized me.
 
Hello, I am in the process of producing a film that is intended to be screened digitally in a local cinema/theatre and so I have been in search for the best picture profile for me, which in effect is one that will give me as much of a filmic look as possible in camera yet at the same time give me the maximum head room for colour manipulation in post. (The intended look for the end piece will be similar to Bourne Ultimatum/88 Minutes)

So in my search I have had meetings with several successful DOP's and camera operators of whom all gave me similar advice, which was; if you are shooting on HD give yourself as much room as possible for post production, so unlike many picture profiles that have become popular it could limit the grading process if the blacks are already recorded as dark as they can be before crushing etc.

This leads me on to ask the advice of anyone that has had the opportunity to experiment with different picture profiles and see the results on a big screen. What profile has given you the most headroom in post and how has the footage held up to vigorous color grading? Also I notice there isn’t much talk of the matrix settings in comparison to the amount of posts on this subject and so I would like to ask peoples thoughts on HISAT VS CINEMA and why people would choose one other the other when shooting drama based work. On initial inspection it would seem CINEMA would give me the most headroom in post but there must be a trade off between using this and HISAT seeing as it would appear to be so un-common with ex1 users.

Would love to hear your thoughts/examples?
 
Not to be a downer here... and it may come as a surprise but the documentation for even the highest end cameras is just as vague. Pick up any manual for a F900R or HPX3000 or PDW700 and you'll see that same descriptions. The number values for Matrix, Detail level, Saturation, etc, etc. in all these cameras can seem fairly arbitrary. They are generally numbers on a scale with a listed range, but you won't be able to define what that range actually is without the right scopes. On the higher end cameras you just find more of these options... even worse is the fact that the values won't match between similar cameras.. a +5 detail on one Sony camera won't be the same on another model.... painful isn't it.

Of course I would love to see these values defined in a practical way, but if we are using the "CineAlta" logo as a standard to determine how much documentation should be released with a camera then they might take some away.

I really enjoy the fact that Sony has included so many really high end painting features in the camera. You don't get these options on anything else at this price range. I'll post a couple different looks that I have created in the near future.

Andy
 
I woult dbe carefule as not to dial in enough color on there hdv cams, as the more intense your post coloring becomes the more strain on an already extended codec.

Has anyone came up with a panny match yet?
 
Here is a link to my Panny HVX200 looks for the EX1. They are designed to be used at 0 db gain, NOT -3 db because the EX clips the whites at around 100% when set to -3. Anyway you will recognize some of the names from the HVX. There is two varieties of CINE V and CINE D that were made for specific clients. Otherwise you have a CINE V, CINE D, HD NORM (HVX Scene file 1), and FLUO. matches. I wouldn't say that they are perfect but pretty close for cameras that are very different.

Check them out and let me know what you think.

http://www.shipsides.com/download/HVXonEX1.zip
 
That's awesome that you took the time to do that, but loading that setup file will overwrite all of everyone's settings, not just picture profiles. If you could type them up in a spreadsheet or something that would be awesome!
 
Here are print outs of my settings. All the other settings are set to default. I noted that the detail adjustment is subjective because I just eyeballed the difference. The EX1 is notably sharper even at the lowest level.

HVX Matches for EX1

PP1: Cine V
Matrix –
- Select: High Sat
- Level 0
- Phase +2
- R-G -11
- R-B -23
- G-R +38
- G-B 0
- B-R +17
- B-G -23
Detail –
- Level – 30 (subjective)

Gamma –
- Level -1
- Select: Cine 1

Black – -2
Black Gamma - -99

PP2: Cine D
Matrix –
- Select: High Sat
- Level 0
- Phase +6
- R-G +22
- R-B -36
- G-R +19
- G-B 0
- B-R +14
- B-G -16
Detail –
- Level – 30 (subjective)

Gamma –
- Level -1
- Select: Cine 1

Black – -2
Black Gamma - -96

PP3: HD NORM
Matrix –
- Select: Standard
- Level -5
- Phase +1
- R-G +8
- R-B -30
- G-R +15
- G-B -24
- B-R 0
- B-G +10
Detail –
- Level – 30 (subjective)

Gamma –
- Level +11
- Select: STD4

Black – -1
Black Gamma - -52

PP4: FLUO
Matrix –
- Select: FL Light
- Level -8
- Phase -5
- R-G -64
- R-B -24
- G-R +64
- G-B -18
- B-R +24
- B-G -23
Detail –
- Level – 30 (subjective)

Gamma –
- Level +11
- Select: STD4

Black – -1
Black Gamma - -52
 
Egads! Look at those black gamma values.. crush blacks city!

I've a shoot coming up in a few hours, but after that's done, I'll be curious to play with these as well.............
 
How do I load the picture profiles file from my computer

How do I load the picture profiles file from my computer

I got the file with all the profiles that make the EX1 look and feel like the HVX, but I don't know how to load them into the camera. Any idea?
 
Hi, does anyone know of a good film like profile that is good for outdoors (sunny) and indoors (but not too dark)? Thanks
 
To load the files that I posted do the following:

1. Unzip the folder - This should create a SONY folder.
2. Insert a SxS card into your computer.
3. Copy the SONY folder to the base directory of the card (don't put it in the BPAV folder, just drag it directly to the card).
4. Insert the SxS card into your camera.
5. Load the settings in the camera by going to the "OTHERS" menu. There you will find a "Camera Data" menu. Choose "Recall" and then "Execute" and this will load the setting into your camera (note that it will override any other setting you have in your camera).

Hope that helps.
 
Does anyone know what Doug Jensen's recommended profile settings are? They are supposed to be really good?
 
I believe they are:

DOUG'S PRESET

MATRIX:

SETTING: ON
SELECT: HIGH SAT
LEVEL: 0
PHASE: 0
R-G: 0
R-B: 0
G-R: 0
G-B: 0
B-R: 0
B-G: 0

COLOR CORRECTION:

SETTING: OFF
AREA DETECTION
AREA INDICATION: OFF
TARGET PHASE: 130
TARGET WIDTH: 40
LEVEL: 0

WHITE:

OFFSET WHITE: OFF
OFFSET: 0
OFFSET: 0
OFFSET: 0
PRESET WHITE: 5600

DETAIL:

SETTING: ON
LEVEL: 0
FREQUENCY: 0
CRISPENING: 0
H/V RATIO: 0
WHITE LIMITER: 0
BLACK LIMITER: 0
V DTL CREATION: Y
KNEE APT LEVEL: 0

SKIN TONE DETAIL:

SETTING: OFF
LEVE: 0
AREA DETECTION
AREA INDICATION: OFF
SATURATION: 0
PHASE: 130
WIDTH: 40

KNEE:

NOTHING

GAMMA:

LEVEL: 0
SELECT: CINE4

BLACK: -3
BLACK GAMMA: -2
LOW KEY SAT: 0
 
Hi, anybody gave Andy Shipsides HVX picture profile settings a try? Im curious to see how this compares to the warm filmic look im used to seeing from the HVX cam and also if everyone is happy with the blacks being crushed to such low level
 
My current favourite:
detail: off
matrix: off
gamma: cine2
gamma-level: 0
black-gamma: 0
black-level: 0

cine2 became my new favourite, because its clipping-point is exactly at 100%, so it gives me just gorgeous highlights without the need of annoying manual fixing.
 
My HVX settings do have very low Black Gamma levels - this adjusts the low end of the gamma curve so that it more closely resembles how the HVX falls off. This is not like adjusting the 'Black' setting, it will not Crush your blacks completely.
 
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