Over the years, sites such as this have been exceptionally helpful to me in making purchasing decisions and obtaining answers to issues not directly covered in the user guides. So in the spirit of "giving back", below are my crew's notes from our first shoot with our three new AJ-PX270s, purchased to replace our three AG-AC160s, which were purchased to replace our three DVX-100Bs, which were purchased to replace our Sony TRV900s....but that was a long time ago.
Yesterday's shoot was a daytime indoor/outdoor wedding. Ceremony outdoors, reception indoors. We started at 7:30AM, and wrapped at 5:30pm.
We were shooting at 1080/24PN at AVCi100 (not because we wanted to....see "One other thing", below)
Let's start with the positives:
1) Without question, huge step up in picture quality over the AC-160.
2) The servo zoom is outstanding. Been waiting a long time to be able to do a slow push-pull without fear that the slightest twitch of my finger would hit a dead zone in the rocker.
3) Having an extra 10db of pad on the audio inputs (as compared to the AC-160) meant not having to put an inline pad on our shotgun mics...less weight, less stuff sticking out....it's a good thing.
4) Over the course of a long day, the PX-270 being lighter than the AC160 was very welcome.
Negatives:
1) I won't reiterate what is already in another thread regarding OIS issues (see: PX270 OIS problem?), other than to say that if my three units are representative of the entire production run, then this camera is currently unsuitable for handheld work...unless, of course, the operator is as stable as a jib and can run with OIS off.
2) Though I knew this going in (thanks to other user reports), it must be restated that THIS CAMERA EATS BATTERIES. With all the things to think about in a 3 camera (4, if you count the GoPro) shoot, I couldn't believe that my overriding concern was: Would we run out of battery power? The day was a seemingly never-ending cycle of battery swapping/charging.
If anyone from Panasonic (or an aftermarket competitor) is monitoring this site: Please come up with a battery that can last at least 2 hours. I don't care if it sticks out the back of the camera!
Happily, we never did run out of power, but looking ahead to my religious service work (where swapping batteries is not an option), I will clearly have to retrofit my setups for AC power, as a typical religious service outruns a fully charged battery by at least 15 minutes.
3) Due to #2, above, we were constantly trying to maximize battery life by powering-down the cameras between shots. Big problem with that: With two 64GB microP2 cards it can take 10-15 seconds for the camera to fully initialize on power-up. Missed the beginning of a few shots impatiently waiting for the camera to be ready.
4) All that power cycling/battery swapping takes a toll on timecode synchronization....and if you believe the user guide, you're supposed to do a black balance after every power cycle/battery swap. REALLY?
5) Not being able to quickly jump in/out of VFR mode is a real killer (functionality is tied to a scene file). This was so easy on the AC160...gotta believe the same methodology can be employed here.
6) In bright scenes, the text on the LCD screen is barely visible. The viewfinder, however, is great, as it has black banners at the top and bottom of the image. It would be great to have the option to place translucent banners over the top and bottom of the LCD screen's image...or anything else to make the text pop.
7) The REC indication should be more obvious. Again, in bright scenes it's hard to see the thin red type.
8) As noted by others: With an accessory mounted on the cold shoe, opening/closing the LCD is a challenge, if not impossible. Obviously the hardware is what it is...but thought it was worth mentioning.
9) With so many setup items buried in menus, it would be great to have the option to jump to the last menu item, as opposed to starting over from the top of the tree each time (and if this already exists, I apologize...only had the cameras a few weeks!)
10) Every time I open the audio control door, I think it's going to break. Maybe it's stronger than I think, but boy does the latch feel flimsy.
11) I miss the solidity of the AC-160's handle...just felt right....and the post by another dvxuser member showing his cracked handle (from his first shoot) gives me pause. Let's just say I was VERY careful when mounting our SmalHD monitors on their NOGA arms this weekend...never was concerned with the AC-160.
12) And though I know it would have added significantly to the cost, a faster lens in the telephoto range would have been so welcome...going in tight in an already dark scene is a killer. Not sure what a faster lens would have added to the street price of the camera, but I would have gladly (?) paid more for a better lens.
Close, but no cigar:
During my research I was so excited to see that zebras could be enabled on the video output. This has been a wish list item of mine for years. But alas, the zebras are only on the downconverted analog output, which is not suitable for our use. Here are two setups that would benefit from Zebras on the SDI/HDMI outputs:
For theatrical work I am often the cover shot/director, with the other cameras getting entrances/exits, close-ups, etc. I monitor the other cameras at my camera position via an SDI feed from each. Often I am instructing the cameramen to either "iris up" or "iris down" based on what I see on the monitor. This, as most people know, is entirely subjective. Zebras don't lie.
And during yesterday's ceremony shoot (outdoors), where we had our heads buried in the hoods of our smallHD monitors, not having to constantly glance between the camera's LCD and the smallHD monitor to verify exposure would have been a MAJOR benefit.
While probably locked in hardware, let me just say:
• Optional zebras on the SDI/HDMI out would be a game changer...and
• Having the ability to enable/disable the overlays independently on the HDMI and SDI outputs would be a little slice of heaven. Really.
One other thing:
Though I thought I did a pretty thorough job of researching all the latest offerings before choosing this camera, one thing escaped me (and was not helped by the sales person at my dealer): I was led to believe that we could forgo P2 cards in favor of fast SD Cards for Long GOP work and that Long GOP actually looked better than AVC i100, which requires P2 cards!
Only problem: Currently, the camera doesn't shoot VFR in Long GOP, and Long GOP50 is not currently supported for 24P, which is what we shot yesterday. My bank account is now much lighter, having purchased 9 64GB microP2 cards (3 per camera) and the AJ-MPD1.
Conclusion:
From a picture quality standpoint, this was a great purchase. And though I hadn't budgeted for all those P2 cards, I think that in the long run a P2 workflow will be more efficient, as offloading from the AJ-MPD1 is lightning fast.
But Negative Item #1 is a show stopper, and may result in an awful large return to the dealer based solely on a true manufacturing defect. REALLY HOPING IT DOESN'T COME TO THAT, as based on all my research for the type/frequency/budget range of the event work that we do, on paper this is the best choice out there.
HTH
Yesterday's shoot was a daytime indoor/outdoor wedding. Ceremony outdoors, reception indoors. We started at 7:30AM, and wrapped at 5:30pm.
We were shooting at 1080/24PN at AVCi100 (not because we wanted to....see "One other thing", below)
Let's start with the positives:
1) Without question, huge step up in picture quality over the AC-160.
2) The servo zoom is outstanding. Been waiting a long time to be able to do a slow push-pull without fear that the slightest twitch of my finger would hit a dead zone in the rocker.
3) Having an extra 10db of pad on the audio inputs (as compared to the AC-160) meant not having to put an inline pad on our shotgun mics...less weight, less stuff sticking out....it's a good thing.
4) Over the course of a long day, the PX-270 being lighter than the AC160 was very welcome.
Negatives:
1) I won't reiterate what is already in another thread regarding OIS issues (see: PX270 OIS problem?), other than to say that if my three units are representative of the entire production run, then this camera is currently unsuitable for handheld work...unless, of course, the operator is as stable as a jib and can run with OIS off.
2) Though I knew this going in (thanks to other user reports), it must be restated that THIS CAMERA EATS BATTERIES. With all the things to think about in a 3 camera (4, if you count the GoPro) shoot, I couldn't believe that my overriding concern was: Would we run out of battery power? The day was a seemingly never-ending cycle of battery swapping/charging.
If anyone from Panasonic (or an aftermarket competitor) is monitoring this site: Please come up with a battery that can last at least 2 hours. I don't care if it sticks out the back of the camera!
Happily, we never did run out of power, but looking ahead to my religious service work (where swapping batteries is not an option), I will clearly have to retrofit my setups for AC power, as a typical religious service outruns a fully charged battery by at least 15 minutes.
3) Due to #2, above, we were constantly trying to maximize battery life by powering-down the cameras between shots. Big problem with that: With two 64GB microP2 cards it can take 10-15 seconds for the camera to fully initialize on power-up. Missed the beginning of a few shots impatiently waiting for the camera to be ready.
4) All that power cycling/battery swapping takes a toll on timecode synchronization....and if you believe the user guide, you're supposed to do a black balance after every power cycle/battery swap. REALLY?
5) Not being able to quickly jump in/out of VFR mode is a real killer (functionality is tied to a scene file). This was so easy on the AC160...gotta believe the same methodology can be employed here.
6) In bright scenes, the text on the LCD screen is barely visible. The viewfinder, however, is great, as it has black banners at the top and bottom of the image. It would be great to have the option to place translucent banners over the top and bottom of the LCD screen's image...or anything else to make the text pop.
7) The REC indication should be more obvious. Again, in bright scenes it's hard to see the thin red type.
8) As noted by others: With an accessory mounted on the cold shoe, opening/closing the LCD is a challenge, if not impossible. Obviously the hardware is what it is...but thought it was worth mentioning.
9) With so many setup items buried in menus, it would be great to have the option to jump to the last menu item, as opposed to starting over from the top of the tree each time (and if this already exists, I apologize...only had the cameras a few weeks!)
10) Every time I open the audio control door, I think it's going to break. Maybe it's stronger than I think, but boy does the latch feel flimsy.
11) I miss the solidity of the AC-160's handle...just felt right....and the post by another dvxuser member showing his cracked handle (from his first shoot) gives me pause. Let's just say I was VERY careful when mounting our SmalHD monitors on their NOGA arms this weekend...never was concerned with the AC-160.
12) And though I know it would have added significantly to the cost, a faster lens in the telephoto range would have been so welcome...going in tight in an already dark scene is a killer. Not sure what a faster lens would have added to the street price of the camera, but I would have gladly (?) paid more for a better lens.
Close, but no cigar:
During my research I was so excited to see that zebras could be enabled on the video output. This has been a wish list item of mine for years. But alas, the zebras are only on the downconverted analog output, which is not suitable for our use. Here are two setups that would benefit from Zebras on the SDI/HDMI outputs:
For theatrical work I am often the cover shot/director, with the other cameras getting entrances/exits, close-ups, etc. I monitor the other cameras at my camera position via an SDI feed from each. Often I am instructing the cameramen to either "iris up" or "iris down" based on what I see on the monitor. This, as most people know, is entirely subjective. Zebras don't lie.
And during yesterday's ceremony shoot (outdoors), where we had our heads buried in the hoods of our smallHD monitors, not having to constantly glance between the camera's LCD and the smallHD monitor to verify exposure would have been a MAJOR benefit.
While probably locked in hardware, let me just say:
• Optional zebras on the SDI/HDMI out would be a game changer...and
• Having the ability to enable/disable the overlays independently on the HDMI and SDI outputs would be a little slice of heaven. Really.
One other thing:
Though I thought I did a pretty thorough job of researching all the latest offerings before choosing this camera, one thing escaped me (and was not helped by the sales person at my dealer): I was led to believe that we could forgo P2 cards in favor of fast SD Cards for Long GOP work and that Long GOP actually looked better than AVC i100, which requires P2 cards!
Only problem: Currently, the camera doesn't shoot VFR in Long GOP, and Long GOP50 is not currently supported for 24P, which is what we shot yesterday. My bank account is now much lighter, having purchased 9 64GB microP2 cards (3 per camera) and the AJ-MPD1.
Conclusion:
From a picture quality standpoint, this was a great purchase. And though I hadn't budgeted for all those P2 cards, I think that in the long run a P2 workflow will be more efficient, as offloading from the AJ-MPD1 is lightning fast.
But Negative Item #1 is a show stopper, and may result in an awful large return to the dealer based solely on a true manufacturing defect. REALLY HOPING IT DOESN'T COME TO THAT, as based on all my research for the type/frequency/budget range of the event work that we do, on paper this is the best choice out there.
HTH