Sony PXW-Z280 & PXW-Z190 4K cams

[Doug Jensen]

The 17x on the Z280 just won't be long enough.

If you're shooting in HD then the Digital Extender will give a 34x zoom at the touch of a button even while rolling. No loss of light. And the Z280 is one of the best cameras I have ever tested for low-light. ISO 2000 out of the box and IS0 2500 with some scene file tweaks. And with an f/1.9 lens thorughout almost all of the zoom range. Not too many cameras will beat that.

BTW, Clear Image Zoom is a consumer-style digital zoom that isn't even on the Z280. Forget about it.

 

[Duff TV]

Hi Doug

You've got me thinking, so you could assign one of the two buttons that is next to the right hand zoom rocker to "Digital Extender" so that way when filming say a sports event you just hit the button and get in and then hit it again and you are out and back in normal 17x?

I've done this in the past on the Canon 305 but that was in 720 and so digital zoom wasnt always great plus it was 1.5. The 2x option on the Z280 sounds better and I would think have more impact. It sort of minics a 2 camera shoot.

Doug in one of your other posts or videos you did say that you found the Digital Extender perfectly acceptable in quality. I just wish I could see some samples going between normal 17x and x34. This would give ne great confidence given the issues I have encountered with the digital zoom on the Canon XF705.

Also any samples out there showing a smooth slow creep from the Z280 for there is some guy having a real rant on another forum. Here's the link https://www.amazon.com/product-reviews/B07G4J7TY5?reviewerType=all_reviews

I remember the EX1's had real problems with doing a slow creep, that was one of the reasons I gave up and went Canon XF305's.

Thanks Doug


Martin

 

[wmptv]

OK thanks Brian - i guess will have to test it

Hi Asaf, apologies to all for bumping this thread but unable to PM Asaf directly.

Did you pursue getting this camera and did you have any IR problems? I ask as we're looking to finally upgrade out kit but having had an original EX3, which suffered greatly with this IR issue, we don't want to go down this road unless Sony has addressed this. Lost count of the number of 486 or T1 filters we've had to buy and replace lol!

Many thanks for your advice, or indeed anyone else who's got a Z280

 

[Duff TV]

Doug

Just like with Canons lie about the 705s Advanced Zoom having "Virtually no loss of quality" I'm beginning to have no faith in Sony's Extended Zoom feature. People are saying on the Z280 Facebook page that there are obvious artifacts and loss of quality yet Doug you say in one of your videos that its perfectly acceptable.

Have you or anyone at Sony fully tested this feature with a side by a de there abd then comparison to another camera?


I just can't believe the big lie Canon and Sony have told the world. I mean does a car manufacturer talk up a specific feature that in the real world doesn't really work. Obviously with my sports coverage I need to take the plunge and upgrade to a more expensive camera with a real lens. Truth is the Canon 705 and Sony z280 just won't cut it with digital zoom when the output and is going to Broadcast TV.

I have a job coming up in late March and both the 705 and 280 don't get the gig.

I'm guttered.

 

[Doug Jensen]

If someone would like to hire me to do testing and comparisons, I would be happy to do so. Otherwise, the information in my existing videos will have to suffice. I am not in the business of selling cameras or suggesting what cameras would be appropriate for other people. But if someone decides to buy a Z280, FS7, etc. I can teach them how to get the most out of it. That is what I do. If I spent my time disputing every stupid, ill-informed thing that people posted on Fecebook, Twatter, or Youtube, I'd have no time for anything else. Testing cameras or proving the performance or features of a camera to skeptics is not my bag, baby.

 

[High1ander]

I got the z190, for me filming sports the extra zoom and lower price was worth it over the z280 (you can't toggle the digital zoom without it being like a jump cut zoom). However z190 does suffer in low light, so in less pro-arenas (with less light) it struggles and I need to toggle 9-12 db boost, but in Full HD it is clean enough for being no problem in sports. Only real problem I have is that the auto-focus stopped working (i lent it to 2 colleagues on a gig, and after that it didn't work...). Haven't bothered fixing AF since for the work I do and rent it out for it isn't needed. Only thing I really would like from the z280 is the ability to have the SDI clean and the HDMI dirty with overlay or vice versa, the z190 gets the same feed to both outputs.