V1U vs EX1

L

lahoozaa

Member
I've been working in the film business for about 2 years now, mainly in the art department, and I've decided to try to take a different route with my career and start working with cameras.

I really wanted the red one, but that seemed like an unrealistic option for my first camera, so after months of slow research, and giving up the last 3 days of my life for some heavy duty reading on what's current, I decided on either the V1U or EX1.

Just looking for some input.. Basically my plan was to get the camera, film some shorts and skits that my friends and I have written, and in the meanwhile possibly rent the camera out hopefully with me included to get myself some exposure.

I've now done four or five shoots in the last year where the V1U was used as the B cam, so I know for sure that people are using this camera on a regular basis at the moment.

I figure the V1U is a sure bet, but maybe I'm wrong. The EX1 seems REALLY good but maybe a bit much for my first camera. Just seeing if someone can convince me that spending an extra 4000 on some 8x8 cards and the EX1 is worth it to me.


I'm based out of LA if that helps anything.
 
Two very different cameras. V1 is a lightweight record-to-tape HDV with 1/4-inch chips... EX1 is a heavier cam, records solid state only with nice, fat 1/2-inch chips. I think the V1 is rumored to suffer in low light performance due to the small chips. But if you are doing a lot of handheld work, it would probably be the better choice.

Consider also the new Sony Z7U -- here you get 1/3-inch chips (larger than the V1) plus the ability to simultaneously record HDV to either tape and Compact Flash cards. Improved lowlight performance over the V1U, yet the solid state cards cost much less than the cards utilized by the EX1. The Z7 seems like a bridge between these two cameras.


CAVEAT: I haven't really used either. :)
 
I feel ya dandobi, the 4k price difference is a huge thing to get over.. Anyone else have input?. If this unit could record to tape and SxS I'd probably be sold for sure.. I dunno, big investments are never easy.
 
why not wait for NAB 2008 to wrap? maybe the AVCHD dvx100 replacement? or even the canon XH-A1? i own the sony ex1 and it is AWESOME! but if you can't afford it i think that there are better solitions than the V1U. is there a reason it has to be sony? i love my EX1 but i would NEVER get the V1U. just better options IMHO.
 
Indeed, Alan is right. I was about to pull the trigger on an EX1 / Letus. I am waiting for NAB to start before making my final decision. If there is nothing new though, I am going for the EX1.

Thanks, Scott K.
 
my budget is about $7k, so I do have the money to get the ex1 if that's what I decide on.. I decided on the v1u because of 24p, possibility of tapeless recording with the HD attachment, and I guess I had the idea that the general consensus was that in other than low light situation, the v1u had the best picture quality for the price range. Plus there's a $400 rebate for it right now bringing the price under 3k.

The low light thing is what really started to make me second guess my decision, cause I'm sure I'll be kicking myself in the ass for that as soon as it causes me problems.

I guess I'm trying to decide now if it's more worth it to me to have the v1u + the option of more accessories, or just a bare bones ex1 package, because my budget wouldn't leave a lot of room for anything other than the camera itself.




On another note, if I were to get the EX1, anyone have any ideas on what I should buy with it in order to get the most bang for my buck? Like I said, budget is pretty firm at around 7k, going much higher than that isn't really an option (still open to suggestions though). I was thinking something like EX1, 16gb SxS, an external HD for my laptop, and maybe an extra battery if possible too..


any suggestions / more feedback is much appreciated
 
get the ex, no doubt. spend whatever it's going to cost. Someone just said the v1u or w.e has a 1/4 incher? HELLO?
 
I own two V1Us and an EX1. There is no comparison. Both in audio AND video.
The V1U suffers from a severely crippled audio frequency response. It's not full raster 1080P. In fact, it's not really true progressive. Getting a clean 24P out of it is nearly impossible without special pulldown software, otherwise you get a really annoyance cadence on pan shots.
V1U's light performance and CODEC really suffer. Available indoor light will be marginal with this camera. Well-lit performance halls are not so much a problem. You CAN get decent video, but not great video out of the V1U. It's look is muddy and harsh on highlights, with jaggies evident, when compared to the EX1. The latter looks like a non electronic format that was transferred to digital and is very smooth, yet detailed, with superb highlights handling.
The audio on the EX1 is terrific. Put a Rode NT4 X-Y stereo mic on this camera and you can sit in the 3rd row of a concert and make recordings that sound as good as most commercial recordings, with a picture that's photographic-quality.

The V1U appeals if you need instant archive to tape, shoot standard def content a lot, and are on a cheap budget. The EX1 appeals if you're shooting in dim lighting, don't want to deal with second audio recorders and the attendant synch issues and want something that's going to look great on a big screen.

The EX1 has a more difficult learning curve and it will take weeks to get comfortable with it. The V1U is easier to operate.
 
aye, I'm pretty sold on the EX1 at this point.. for the extra 3000 it seems like the way to go. I guess I'll wait on NAB, even though I don't want to. It's taken me so long to make this decision and actually be ready to buy that I don't want anything else holding me back! Oh well, only 2 weeks away.


btw, any input on what sort of EX1 package I should get with a 7k budget?
 
lahoozaa said:
aye, I'm pretty sold on the EX1 at this point.. for the extra 3000 it seems like the way to go. I guess I'll wait on NAB, even though I don't want to. It's taken me so long to make this decision and actually be ready to buy that I don't want anything else holding me back! Oh well, only 2 weeks away.


btw, any input on what sort of EX1 package I should get with a 7k budget?
Click to expand...

Camera + shipping will probably come close to eating your budget. The next thing I would get is an extra battery or two. Then the El Cheapo shoulder support (talked about elsewhere on these boards).

That's about 7K.
 
Don't forget $875 for an extra 8GB SxS card. That brings you to 57 minutes plus 27 minutes of total record time for two slots. Battery is good for 140 minutes after about 20 charge cycles. SxS first, battery, if you can afford it, later. You can always rig up a 12VDC battery and plug into the camera, but you can't jury rig an SxS equivalent. :)
 
Why haven't you considered the Canon A1 or a used HVX200. The A1 is pretty sweet and would save you some serious dough. Also used HVX200 has dropped in price now that everyone seems to switching to the EX. I just think that a sweet Canon A1 7K setup would do you better than a 7k camera with no accessories.
 
I agree that the A1 is worthy of consideration. If you want to imitate film, the A1 image is very tweakable., and the A1 arguably gives you the best bang for the buck too.
 
I decided on the A1 Cause I REALLY like the image it produces and the features. Plus, that combined with how good it fares in low light plus having real decent audio, it doesn't seem like the 3k price different is that big considering that camera is so much better.

Also, on the accessories side, this is my first camera. I know what I've researched and what people have told me, but until I actually get the camera in my hands and do some heavy duty self training with it, I feel like I won't even know exactly what accessories to get.. So, even if I were to go with the A1 I'd still get the accessories over time. With the EX1 I feel like not only will I have a great camera that is in no way outdated, I can just get the accessories over time as the need / desire for them arises.

On a side note, I think I have decided on waiting till NAB is over to make my final decision, I might even make it an end of the month type deal. SxS cards are pricey as hell as everyone knows, hopefully they'll go down. Maybe the price of the camera will even go down.


Cheapest legit place I've seen the camera is $6449 with free shipping and no tax, anyone see a better price?
 
no, i think $6499 is about as good a legit price as you'll get. i might be wrong but that seems right on. i bought mine from an authorized sony cinealta dealer here in sacramento and it was from the second batch. i've had no vignetting issues and the camera is much more than i could have ever expected.

now, i am in no way trying to persuade you one way or the other, only puttng another thought in. i once owned the canon XH-A1 and if it were not for the EX1 i would still have that canon. the camera was awesome, AND FOR THAT PRICE, unbeatable IMO. you've said that you will acquire the accessories as you go if you get the EX1. you have to think about this. you WILL need a very good tripod. i'd say libec ls38 minimum. that's $650. you cannot scrimp on the tripod or your footage will suffer. no BS. another sony bp-u60 battery is around $230. this is also a necessity as the supplied battery (sony bp-u30) is crap at best. a bag/case will run you from $100-$400, depending on your needs/desires. pretty important also. i got the free extra 8gb SxS card but i think that promotion is over. so realistically you'll need another 8gb card at least. that's another $400. you'll get one hour of time on 16gb of card. AUDIO- yes the ex1's audio system is very nice and quite capable of getting pro sound....with another external mic. shotgun, hyper whatever you choose, you will need another mic to get good dialogue, sound, etc. we're talking $250-$1500, once again, depending on your needs. Rode NTG-1 is $200, sennheiser-sanken-neumann, is $1200. we're not even going into the cables, wind protection and mounting options you'll need to pull off "good" sound.

last but certainly not least is what NLE are you going to use? I have Final Cut Pro 6.02 and it is rock solid with EX1 footage. $100 Best Buy programs will not cut it with XDCAM full raster images. Vegas is also pretty awesome. Add another $700-$1200 for the NLE of your liking.

i am only telling you all this because frankly there is alot to take into account with this purchase. $7000 will get you one $3500 camera (XH-A1, HMC-150, used HVX200...etc), one $1200 killer tripod (Bogen 519, Sachtler dv6sb, miller 20, cartoni focus), one $1200 complete audio kit (audio technica at4073a, AKG blue line hyper, shockmount, softie, cables, pole, etc), Final Cut Pro or Vegas, batteries, SxS card, bag, etc.....or $7000 will get you one EX1 and either an extra battery or an extra 8GB SxS card. no tripod. no NLE. no bag. crap audio.

i've been there. i thought about putting it all together as i went. only i couldn't wait and went further into my bank account. good luck.
 
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if I were to wait it out another couple weeks, I could spend the extra money to get any necessities.. Even if I were to get the A1 + accessories and have a nice 7k package, if I had the budget for it, would you say getting a 10k EX1 package would be a better bet? The EX1 is only 3k more roughly.

Also, I wouldn't mind so much getting all the accessories used. The camera itself is the only thing I'd require to be brand new I would think.. maybe I'm wrong
 
sure it's your money. if you have it, then yes, the EX1 is in a different league than the canon XH-A1. just calculate the ledge before you leap.
 
basspig said:
Don't forget $875 for an extra 8GB SxS card. That brings you to 57 minutes plus 27 minutes of total record time for two slots. Battery is good for 140 minutes after about 20 charge cycles. SxS first, battery, if you can afford it, later. You can always rig up a 12VDC battery and plug into the camera, but you can't jury rig an SxS equivalent. :)
Click to expand...

On a side note. What do you mean after 20 charge cycles? Is that mean after charging 20 times, the battery is no good anymore? Should I leave the battery charged all the time or should I take it out as soon as it's been charged?
 
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