Sony EX1R vs Sony NX5U vs FS-100

S

sandersaar

Member
Hi!
I started with film several years years ago (still new), using small mobiles and later handheld consumer camcoders etc.
Now been doing several corporate videos, live streams, event videos, TV clips and have a need for my own camera (no more renting). So far been using EX3 and EX1 most of the time. The purpose still is most of the time web video.
Therefore I am considering three options and would like a little bit of help from experienced people. I am choosing between:
1) Sony EX1R
2) Sony NEX-FS100
3) Sony NX5U

What do you think which one would be the best for my purposes?

PS! What do you think about this review. Is it adequate http://www.dvuser.co.uk/content.php?CID=268 ?
 
I would say the EX1R is the best for owning but I've yet to use an FS-100 which might be better if you want that shallow DOF look and feel like investing a lot of money in lenses.
I'm not too big on AVCHD though, sounds like you have to do a lot of transcoding to ProRes so if it were me I would go with the EX1R.
 
Craig W. Bickerstaff said:
I would say the EX1R is the best for owning but I've yet to use an FS-100 which might be better if you want that shallow DOF look and feel like investing a lot of money in lenses.
I'm not too big on AVCHD though, sounds like you have to do a lot of transcoding to ProRes so if it were me I would go with the EX1R.
Click to expand...

Thanks a lot for your help! Thats what it seems to me now as well: looking at most of the videoprofessionals' gear, then they tend to have one Sony EX1R, EX3 or even F350. And then additional gear of DSLR cameras (such as 5D mark II or 7D). I already own a Canon 60D with 24-105mm L lens.
 
i was shooting dvcam for years/dsr300 and just went into hd. just got my ex1r last week and love everything about it. compared to what i had, this is like holding a feather. very easy to shoot with handheld or i just use my sony tripod plate from my 300 and snap it right on.
the lowlight and pic quality is unbelievable. was shooting a wedding reception in dallas and it was very dimly lit, i was using a small led light that i turned up 1/3 and shot at 3db. i have no complaints
manual settings are a breeze to use and fortunately my servo gets me a nice slow zoom in/out. i iknow some have had issues with the zoom being jerky. i guess i got a good one that doesnt do that at all.
i was going to get the sxs adaptors for less but ended up getting some 16gb sxs cards at 325 each. the 64's are alittle over 1200.00 and the 32's are 750 but i cant find them anywhere.
you cant go wrong with the ex1r at a very reasonable price for what you get.
good luck
 
One of each offers some solutions

One of each offers some solutions

I have a Sony NX5U, a Sony EX1r, and a Canon 60D. I like them all, and find some disappointments in each one. I am a professional videographer, and have been for 14 years. The problem is that I don't do a lot of sexy things with these machines that would probably interest you. I personally shoot about 20-25 events per month, and almost exclusively shoot in SD. I bought the Sony EX1r to replace a Sony DSR250 that was stolen from me in early 2010. Investing in SxS cards was rough; but now I want to do nothing but solid state. (I have a 2nd DSR250 that now is only used by people I hire to back me up when I'm double booked.) The ergonomics of the Ex1r are excellent. I think it has problems, however, with white balance. I sometimes have difficulty with a tendancy toward a green overcast in the picture. With it's 1/2-inch chip, the EX1r does a noticably better job with detail in cluttered wide shots. It also has better low light capabiity. I like the 20x optical zoom capability of the NX5U, but it is actually a very slow (dark) lens at full zoom or anywhere near that. The EX1r's 14x lens has more practical brightness though its entire range.

I definitely appreciate the capacity and relatively low cost of the NX5U's SDHC cards for SD video. A 16g card will hold almost 4 hours of SD video. SD video on the NX5U is MP2. SD video on the EX1r is AVI, so a 32g card holds less than 3 hours of video, and the card costs about $600. If not for that, I would grab the EX1r for every job (except legal depositions). Instead, the high capacity and low cost of the NX5U's media have pushed that camcorder into full fledged workhorse duty. I especially like it for videotaping legal depositions, because it is capable of displaying the required time/date while recording. The auto exposure in the NX5U, however, is flukey in many situations and does not seem willing to use anywhere near the full range of iris opening available. Possibly the NX5U's greatest design flaw is that it cannot have a battery installed when under AC power.

I'll wrap up quickly, because I know I'm boring you with all this SD make-a-buck stuff. Suffice it to say that these are both very good camcorders with shortcomings. I had hoped to use the 60D for elegant cutaway video with great bokeh capabilites (deliberate background blur via short depth of field). However, the footage I've taken suffers from too much aliasing (moire), and I find it generally unacceptible so far. I ran into similar issues with the Canon 7D footage until I stepped up to a 60MB/sec Compact Flash card. That seemed to solve the problem. I can't find SDHC cards that fast, and probably couldn't afford them. I have the moire problems even with 45MB/sec SDHC cards. The 60D is still a darn good DSLR.

I'll stop. Hope you choose the right camcorder for you.

ShooterSam
 
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nx5u for legal depositions

nx5u for legal depositions

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If not for that, I would grab the EX1r for every job (except legal depositions). Instead, the high capacity and low cost of the NX5U's media have pushed that camcorder into full fledged workhorse duty. I especially like it for videotaping legal depositions, because it is capable of displaying the required time/date while recording.

I am curious about the date/time capabilities of the nx5u. I am looking for a companion camera for my ex3 for shooting event videos and weddings. However it must be a camera good for legal depositions and be capable of burning a date/time stamp into the image (not just display it back or record it in metadata). I was not able to confirm this capability from looking thru the camera manual. Sounds like you have used it for depositions and if you could give me any advice as to how you accomplish putting the date/time stamp on the image of the delivered deposition file I would be most appreciative. Thanks much.
 
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