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CNN ao Vivo

2011-09-13T07:51:00.001-03:00

Watch live video from CNN (US) // rentadrone.org on pt-br.justin.tv

Sportv

2011-09-13T07:46:00.003-03:00

Watch live video from www.mastertv.biz on pt-br.justin.tv

Record News

2011-09-13T07:44:00.000-03:00

Watch live video from recordnewsnordeste on pt-br.justin.tv

2011-09-13T07:41:00.000-03:00

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Globo news - Ao vivo

2011-01-01T16:43:00.002-03:00

Canon 550D

2010-12-27T11:40:00.000-03:00

Canon 550D

2010-12-22T00:24:00.000-03:00

The camera is a massive step up from the previous model and really challenges the 7D, certainly in movie mode. Be very interesting to do a side by side of these cameras! You don’t have a number of features of the 7D, like dual processor, faster still FPS, weatherproofing and many of the top notch still features that the 7D offers but for video users, especially students, hobbyists and people dipping a tentative toe into the HD-DSLR market this looks to be sure bet. The key thing is it has full manual exposure control from the get go. This is from the official press release in the video section… I love the way Canon still calls people who buy this camera all photographers, there needs to be a new word for the hybrid users! “Photographers can also take manual control over exposure settings, changing the depth of field and degree of motion blur to shoot more creatively”

It’s funny to hear people complain about the release of this camera. From 5dmkII owners who are waiting to the firmware (it’s coming!) but more from new 7D owners. Guys/ gals you will be able to afford a B camera so cheaply soon and every pro should have two bodies. Suddenly the idea of a second body for many is much more affordable!

Here are the main features including it’s still capture capabilities:
18 Megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor
DIGIC 4 processor with ISO 100-6400 (Expansion to 12800)
Continuous shooting at 3.7fps
Full HD movie recording with manual control and selectable frame rates
7.7cm (3.0”) 3:2 Clear View LCD with 1,040k dots
iFCL metering System with 63-zone Dual-layer Metering Sensor
Quick Control screen to change shooting settings
Exposure compensation +/-5 stops.
Select maximum value for Auto ISO
External Microphone socket
Movie crop function
Oh and for a bit of a fun here is my third and final Downfall parody about Hitler always buying the wrong camera!

Hitler not happy about the 550d... from oliver walker on Vimeo.

Sony HXR-NX5E Camcorder review by Nigel Cooper

2010-12-20T08:52:00.001-03:00

Back on 10th November 2009 Sony Professional UK invited me over to their HQ to see their new prototype of the first NXCAM branded solid-state camcorder. They allowed me to take the only prototype in the UK away with me so I could evaluate it and try it out for a few days.

Since then I’ve spent a few more weeks with the HXR-NX5E NXCAM camcorder. Actually I’ve been in the USA for 3 months so Sony were kind enough to FedEx an NX5 over to me in Hays, Kansas, where I have been shooting with the camera. After spending more time using the NX5, I’m now in the position to give you a more comprehensive review in full; so here goes.

WHAT IS NXCAM?

NXCAM is brand new so I’m going to give you a brief low-down on what it is. NXCAM is Sony’s all-new product name for their entirely new Sony digital video production system. It’s not DV or HDV, it’s not XDCAM EX, it’s something else entirely. NXCAM is Sony’s AVCHD (Advanced Video Codec High Definition) camcorder system, but there’s a difference: this is Sony’s ‘Professional’ AVCHD camcorder system. Until now Sony haven’t had any serious-level AVCHD products; quite surprising considering Sony jointly invented the AVCHD codec with Panasonic. But all that is about to change with their first professional hand-held AVCHD camcorder; the HXR-NX5E, under the all-new NXCAM brand.

WHAT IS AVCHD?
If you’re not familiar with the new AVCHD codec I’ve outlined some of its technologies with some direct comparisons to the HDV codec.

Announced in 2006 by Sony and Panasonic, this new industry-standard format is now supported by more than 30 companies and implemented in numerous camcorders, NLE systems, and consumer HD playback devices. The AVCHD codec is considerably more modern than the older HDV codec. It uses a variety of techniques to achieve greater efficiency than MPEG-2, especially at low bitrates and when dealing with difficult material. AVCHD should be capable of delivering really amazing results but we’ll get into real world performance later on.

What’s beyond debate is that HDV has a resolution of 1440x1080 and uses the MPEG-2 compression codec, while NXCAM on the other hand uses full 1920x1080 HD with the more modern MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 codec (H.264 is what Blu-ray and Sky HD broadcasts use). And of course AVCHD’s efficiency makes it ideal for tapeless operation: it uses SD (Secure Digital) and SD/HC (High Capacity) cards, Sony Memory Sticks and other solid-state flash drives such as Sony’s dedicated HXR-FMU128 128GB flash drive.

AVCHD has twice the compression efficiency and considerably improved video performance, especially at lower bitrates, over the older MPEG-2 compression algorithm used in the HDV codec. HDV uses a “constant” bit rate of 25 Mb/s whereas AVCHD camcorders such as the NX5 use a more efficient “variable” bit rate, with a maximum quality setting of 24 Mb/s.

In contrast with MPEG-2 (HDV), in which inter-frame compression based on the correlation between adjacent frames uses fixed blocks of 16x16 pixels, AVCHD divides the blocks into multi-sizes as small as 4x4 pixels along with 4x8, 8x8 and 8x16 also, and every variation in-between using these block structures. With this method, it is able to use large blocks to process images that show only slight changes on the screen, and smaller blocks to process images that have considerable change. This raises the accuracy of motion compensation, which in turn, boosts the quality of fast-motion images while increasing compression efficiency.

The recording capacity using the Sony HXR-NX5E onto a single 32GB Memory Stick or SD/HC card is as follows:

HD/FX (24Mbps) 1920x1080 HD = 170 minutes.
HD/FH (17Mbps) 1920x1080 HD = 255 minutes.
HD/HQ (9Mbps) 1920x1080 HD = 385 minutes.
HD/LP (5Mbps) 1920x1080 HD = 605 minutes.

WHO IS NXCAM FOR?
So who is NXCAM aimed at and where will it fit into the current marketplace? Having got up to speed with NXCAM and the new NX5 camcorder I would say that it is aimed at a somewhat varied marketplace including those who are currently using cameras such as Sony’s own Z5 or Canon’s XH G1s for example, but who want to move over from tape to an affordable solid-state system, DVCAM users looking to move over to HD, those stepping up from consumer camcorders, event and wedding videographers, corporate video producers, SIV (Special Interest Videos) producers, independent low-budget filmmakers, and even TV ENG work and various documentary productions. With regard to image quality, the new NX5 has a very high quality Sony G-lens, superb Exmor ClearVid CMOS sensors, and of course the more advanced AVCHD codec, this trio of factors adds up to a very impressive image at this price range; more on this later.

HXR-NX5E CAMCORDER:
In a nutshell the NX5 is basically a Z5, but solid-state only. The cost is similar too; the NX5 cost £3,450 inc. There are three key differences. The body is slightly shorter and stockier at the back end due to the fact that the NX5 has no tape-drive mechanism. On the back of the NX5 there are two card slots for Memory Stick cards (these slots also accept SD/HC cards too: nice). Also, on the side of the NX5 there is an area that accepts the bolt-on HXR-FMU128 flash drive. The FMU28 is a solid-state flash drive with a capacity of 128GB. This drive is an optional extra. Without it, the camcorder simply comes with a heavy-duty plastic cover that locks securely into place neatly covering the socketry from the elements.

Other differences include an HD/SDI output and a GPS (Global Positioning System). From what I can gather, all the little buttons and dials are slightly larger and less fiddly than on the tape-based Z5. I suspect this is because there is no tape mechanism so there is more room on the body for a ‘neater’ and more ‘logical’ layout of switches. I’m glad to see that Sony has used slightly larger switches and buttons on the NX5. Low-light shooters will be glad to know that the NX5 is approximately 1.5 stops better (minimum illumination 1.5-lux) than the older tape-based Z1. Even though the physical ‘form-factor’ of the NX5 is only slightly different from the Z5, overall, the lines of the NX5 just look sexier with sleeker lines and nicer curves; she’s a modern girl; oh baby!

The NX5 is the very latest in camcorder technology; it’s bang up to date with some superb state-of-the-art technologies and features.

Depending on who you speak to, different people have different views on what makes a decent image. Some will say it’s all about the bit-rate, others say it’s all in the glass, while some might even tell you it’s all in the sensors. Well, they are all wrong. It’s actually an amalgamation of all three - and other things. Sony recognises this fact and this is why the NX5 is so darn good; especially at this price range. It has a brand new lens, Sony’s own in-house designed G-lens. This lens first hit the market with the Z5. Then it has the very latest Exmor CMOS Sensors with ClearVid technology. Then finally the very latest AVCHD MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 codec, which has the job of processing the images taken from the G-lens and onto the Exmor sensors. Add to this Sony’s fastidious circuitry and it all adds up to a great image that is simply untouchable by the competition at this price level.

Just to clear up the confusion with the two models on the Sony web site. There is an NX5E and an NX5M; the latter need not concern you as it is not available in the UK or USA. The only difference is that the NX5M has no ‘GPS’ system built in. The reason is simple, in certain countries like Syria and North Korea any device with GPS built in is banned; after all it is used in the military; think about it!

BUILD QUALITY:
The HXR-NX5 is ok with regard to build quality. Overall it feels lightweight – possibly because it doesn’t have the bulk factor of a tape transport mechanism - and a bit on the ‘plastic’ side. I’ve always said if I’m spending £3,500 on a camcorder I expect it to feel a bit more substantial than this. I feel that JVC are slightly ahead of Sony in build quality with their more budget priced camcorders. However, I feel that the NX5 is marginally tougher than the EX series; even though it is actually cheaper. But don’t worry; I’m just a fussy bugger when it comes to build quality. The NX5 won’t fall apart anytime soon and the plastics it is made out of are the tough polycarbonate type, which is designed to ‘flex’ as apposed to ‘crack’ when it takes a knock. It is in fact slightly better built than the Z1 and its replacement, the Z5; in my opinion. If you are used to using a Z1/Z5 you won’t be disappointed. As a comparison, the NX5 is far superior in build quality over Panasonic’s HMC151. Just to inspire confidence, I personally would buy an NX5 tomorrow and have no serious concerns with its build quality. Oh, the NX5 is ‘Made in Japan’; so expect reliability to be of the highest order.

THE SENSORS:
The NX5 features the very latest 1/3rd inch Exmor CMOS sensors with ClearVid technology. What is ClearVid I hear you ask? The ClearVid system optimises both resolution and low light sensitivity versus more traditional pixel-shift CCD’s. It does this by interpolating additional resolution from diagonally-set pixels, on each individual R, G and B sensor, rather than interpolating horizontally and vertically across the three sensors. This ensures maximum resolution, in a smaller sensor, whilst the larger rotated pixels give you that all-important sensitivity. The NX5 also utilises the revolutionary Exmor noise reduction processing, which is a highly advanced noise reduction system that gives a much cleaner image.

THE LENS:
The new NX5 has the same Sony G-lens 20x Zoom, offering an amazing wide angle of view from 29.5mm (great for filming in tight spots) right through to a whopping 590mm (great for wildlife filming). The 20x zoom G-lens is a recently developed piece of glass coming from the Sony-acquired Minolta lens division; so it is developed and built in the house of Sony; and what a cracking lens it is too. The optics are super sharp with amazing colour reproduction. This new G-lens boasts not only a focus and zoom ring, but an aperture ring too. However, all three are of the ‘servo’ type, which have no end stops. They feel a bit vague when focusing and zooming. I found it easier to focus by hitting the ‘PUSH AUTO’ focus button. This lets the camera automatically focus as long as you hold the button down (though the camera is rather slow to do this), then when you release it, it retains that focus spot. The servo aperture ring is slightly more accurate in its ‘feel’ and I found it to be perfectly usable in full manual mode, which is the only mode to work with for any serious applications. If you want the camera to take a ‘best guess’ at the exposure for you, simply hit the ‘IRIS’ button and let the camera set the exposure, then hit it again to revert to manual and tweak with the aperture ring and the use of zebras (I set zebras at 95% and watch for blown-out highlights). The zoom ring (again, vague) works well enough for setting a new focal length, which (again in my opinion) is all it should be used for. I tend to treat a zoom lens as a set of primes and not for horrible nauseating so-called zoom shots.

The lens hood is Sony’s usual nice design with built in lens cap that is opened and closed via a little lever on the side of the hood. This is far better than the competition’s affairs that have to be physically removed from the camera and stuck in your back pocket. I also particularly like the fancy ‘Gold’ line painted around the lens, but then I do go a lot by nifty appearances like this. That’s about it for the lens, apart from it’s superb built-in optical image stabiliser; more on that later.

THE CODEC:
The NX5 uses the AVCHD codec, which is an efficient long-GOP codec using the MPEG-4 H.264 compression algorithm (as used on Blu-ray HD DVDs and Sky HD broadcasts), albeit at a much higher maximum bit rate of 24 Mb/s (variable) with Linear PCM audio ensuring great images and sound.

This AVCHD compression does end up offering better all-round picture performance over the older HDV codec, although there is an impact in the editing process as it requires a higher level of processing power and therefore you may need to upgrade your editing system! Also, as the AVCHD codec is so new, some editing systems don’t yet support it so we will have to wait for the software companies to catch up with the AVCHD technology. So far Sony’s Vegas Pro 9, Adobe Premiere Pro CS4 (for Mac and PC) and Edius Pro all support AVCHD natively. Apple’s Final Cut Pro and AVID MC do not. Final Cut Pro uses, don’t despair. Simply import using the log and transfer and transcode into Apple ProRes 422. Hopefully Apple will support AVCHD natively with a future upgrade.

RECORDING MODES:
The NX5 has more recording modes than you can shake a stick at. There’s plenty for everyone in both HD and SD; those shooting in the past, the present and the future, those who are hanging onto ‘interlace’ like grim death and those who are shooting their way ‘progressively’ into the future; that would be me then.

Recording options and frame-rates include:
AVCHD FX (24Mbps) 1920x1080/50i, AVCHD FH (17Mbps) 1920x1080/50i, AVCHD HQ (9Mbps) 1440x1080/50i, AVCHD LP (5Mbps) 1440x1080/50i, AVCHD FX (24Mbps) 1920x1080/25p, AVCHD FH (17Mbps) 1920x1080/25p, AVCHD FX (24Mbps) 1280x720/50p, AVCHD FH (17Mbps) 1280x720/50p, MPEG SD HQ (9Mbps) 720x576/50i, MPEG SD HQ (9Mbps) 720x576/50i (25p Scan)

So there you have it, virtually every recording mode and frame-rate you could wish for.

ADVANCED ACTIVE STEADY SHOT IMAGE STABILISATION SYSTEM:
The NX5 uses a brand new ‘Active Steady Shot’ system. This offers an extremely stable picture without blur. More powerful stabilisation is made possible by increased coverage of the optical lens and the improved motion detection with state of the art compensation algorithms. The new Super Steady Shot takes it to the next level. Sony claims that this new system removes the need for a body-mounted stabilizing system; I don’t know if I’d go that far, but it is pretty darn good and way better than anything else up to this point in technology.

Sony seems to have increased the coverage of the floating optical lens, which gives better hand-held stabilization; the optically damped lens compensates for hand movements. However, there is more. When you switch the feature in via the menus you also have the option to improve things further by switching in even more settings. With the second option switched in at the same time you’ll notice that the image on the LCD screen zooms in ever so slightly (by aprox. 5% or 6% as per my best guess). It then uses these spare pixels outside the recorded frame area to allow the system’s software to cleverly hold the central pixels still. It then ‘trims’ the wobbly bits off the edges. A very simple idea, but one that works very effectively with virtually zero loss of detail or image quality. Ok, if I have to nit-pick, this system might lose you 5% or 6% of picture quality; on paper at least, as I could not see any notable difference whatsoever. Having tried the Active Steady Shot system, I found it to be more effective than the lens damped version alone, but this isn’t going to be putting Steadicam operators out of a job anytime soon. You still need to hold the camera steady because it will only compensate for minor nudges and knocks and general wavy hand-held work. Any more than that and it will still show up on in your footage. It’s designed as an aid, not a replacement for a body harness stabilising system; a good move by Sony in the right direction none-the-less and one that produces far superior results to any other system built into any other camcorder currently on the market.

AUDIO:
Being a classical pianist at heart and a very keen audiophile I’m kind of fussy about audio. In fact I prioritise audio over the images. To me quality sound is more beneficial than quality images. Your eyes are a lot more forgiving than your ears. The NX5 uses Linear PCM 2 channel, 16bit, 48kHz top quality audio recording as well as Dolby Digital 2 channel, 16bit, 48kHz. This is superior to the HDV audio standard, which uses the heavily compressed MPEG 1 Audio layer II and has a bitrate of just 384 Kbps, not ideal for postproduction sound editing such as EQ adjustments and the like. The NXCAM’s audio format of Linear PCM 16bit, 48kHz is the equivalent in quality to DAT, which is what professionals are accustomed to. Recording rock or classical concerts no longer require a dedicated DAT recorder; yeah!

The NX5 has the usual small built-in stereo mic, which is only good for picking up iffy ‘wild track’, but the included ECM-XM1 XLR mic is another story. Don’t underestimate this mic. Sometimes videographers are all too keen to rush out and buy a Sennheiser K6/ME66 combo as it has the reputation as being the weapon of choice for low-budget filmmakers. But before you do, try the included Sony ECM-XM1 mic, it’s a budget mic for sure, but it packs a punch for the money. Personally, I think you will have to spend more than £350 for any serious worthwhile upgrade. I always find with mics like this, and the aforementioned Sennheiser that I always have to do post work on the sound using Apple’s Logic or Soundtrack Pro anyway; with the ECM-XM1 it’s possible to tweak and modify the sound in post resulting in excellent sound; considering the cost.

GPS (GLOBAL POSSITIONING SYSTEM):
The NX5 is the first camcorder in its class to bring to market the all-new GPS (Global Positioning System). That’s right, I’m talking the same GPS as that you use in your cars Sat-Nav system. Why would you want this in a camcorder you might ask? I’m sure people will be discussing the endless possibilities on the forums, but to name a few, you could for example be shooting documentary footage all over Europe or the USA, or just plain England perhaps, with the exact geographical location being essential to the programme. With the NX5’s built-in GPS system you will have extra metadata within the file that you can simply convert into Google Earth KML format, then type into Google maps; this will find the exact location to within approximately 25 feet of where you are standing with the camcorder at the time you shot the clip. This feature can be switched on/off via the switch at the back of the camera. The GPS system records time, latitude and longitude in local time or UTC (universal time coordinated) time. This data is recorded directly to the AVCHD stream for approx. 0.5 seconds. Other great benefits to this all-new built-in GPS system include: Location reconnaissance, Estimate travel time after reconnaissance, Identify location easily for re-shoots, Natural History shoots - animal sightings, Police & Intelligence Gathering - reconnaissance etc. I feel like nicknaming the NX5 the ‘CSI Camcorder’.

SLS FRAME ACCUMULATION:
It also has Sony’s superb SLS (slow shutter) function, like that found on the higher end XDCAM HD camcorders. Frame accumulation is also known as Slow-Shutter, or SLS. SLS is a variable setting on the NX5 that lets you decide how many frames worth of light you want to accumulate before it is laid down to the disc. 1/4, 1/8, 1/15, 1/25 sec. can be accumulated using the SLS function. What effect will this have and what advantages are there? When shooting in low-light levels, SLS produces sharp and clear images with no picture noise whatsoever. For scenes with minimum movement this is a great alternative to switching in the gain. When shooting video with any sort of motion it provides a very artsy and out of this world ghostlike image that simply has to be seen to be believed. This is an amazing effect for music videos or haunting images. It’s quite hard to explain, and is easier to understand if you see it in action, but once you’ve used it and seen it you will find yourself looking for scenes or even writing scenes just for this effect. SLS at 1/4 produces the most dramatic effect. If you know anything about stills photography, think of a photo of a waterfall taken at ½ a second exposure from a tripod. The water has a neat soft blur to it. Well this effect is also produced with the SLS function when shooting waterfalls.

SOLID-STATE RECORDING:
We’ve established that the NX5 is a solid-state HD camcorder, but what are the options? The answer to that is “many”. You can record to a wide range of media. On the back of the NX5 you will find two card slots: A and B. In these slots you can put Sony’s own Memory Stick Pro Duo, Pro-HG Duo, Pro-HG Duo HX, any brand of SD/HC (Secure Digital High Definition) - class 4 or 6 are recommended, or even Sony’s dedicated 128GB flash drive (HXR-FMU128). This has been made specifically for the NX5, fitting flush to the side of the camera perfectly with no dangling FireWire cables either. This 128GB unit is about the size/weight of a compact mobile phone. It has two female sockets on the side, one to connect it to the camera, the other, a small USB receptacle, is to connect to a computer. Both are bus-powered so no battery is required.

If you chose to use SD/HC cards, I’d recommend the Class 6 type. They come in class 2, 4 or 6, which simply stands for MB/s per second transfer speed. Class 2 (i.e. 2 MB/s) simply can’t keep up with the camcorders data stream to the card. As class 6 are the same price as class 4, you might as well buy class 6 SD/HC cards as they will perform best and I’ve even heard that they don’t get warm as they have so much headroom in the data-stream capacity.

If you want full-on gigabyte capacity then Sony’s own HXR-FMU128 dedicated flash drive will give you a whopping 700 minutes in full FX 24Mbs 1920x1080 HD quality. The HXR-FMU128 costs £750 inc VAT.

A 32GB card on the other hand will give you 170 minutes recording time in full FX 24Mbs 1920x1080 HD quality and as there are two card slots on the NX5 two 32GB cards, this equates to 340 minutes of continuous recording time.

Cards are hot-swappable and when one card fills up, recording continues un-interrupted on the second card. However, once the second card is full you will need to change cards; the camera won’t go back to card slot A and start recording over your footage again. Remaining recording time is ever-present on the LCD screen and in the viewfinder.

There are some clever recording options on the NX5. For example, the camera has the capability of recording to both card and the Sony Flash Drive simultaneously; this means you can give your client the low cost memory cards at the end of the day’s shoot, then return to your edit suite with the flash drive to get on with your edit.

Another great option is that you can set the camera up to record to one or the other storage formats in numerous ways. For example, pressing the record button on the side grip will record to the card slots, while pressing the record button on the top handle will record to the flash drive: great! And you can set it up to record HD to one and SD to the other. I love it!

OTHER FEATURES:
The NX5 has a few other tricks up its sleeve. Unlike other similarly priced AVCHD camcorders the NX5 has an ‘Slow Motion’ feature; admittedly, it’s limited to 12 seconds maximum in any one take, but a slow-mo feature none-the-less. It shoots 200 fields per second with improved Smooth Slow Record (picture resolution is reduced during slow-mo recording). You can select 3, 6 or 12 seconds for slow-motion recording. During slow-motion recording the camera automatically sets the shutter speed to 1/215th of a second. The final footage is stretched 4 times. As for a Time-Lapse feature; there isn’t one, disappointingly, as this is something I personally use a lot.

There are the usual Sony Picture Profiles settings, which can be selected in the menus after pressing the ‘PICTURE PROFILE’ button on the side of the camera. There are six customizable settings with seven preset Gammas including STANDARD, CINEMA TONE1, CINEMA TONE2 etc. In each setting you can customize the GAMMA, BLACK GAMMA, KNEE, COLOUR MODE, COLOUR LEVEL, COLOUR PHASE, COLOUR DEPTH, WB SHIFT, DETAILS, and SKINTONE DETAIL. There are lots of options. If you are not happy with one of the six presets, simply go into any one and modify the various parameters; either way it should be easy to achieve the ‘look’ you want from the NX5.

The addition of a HD/SDI output can only mean that Sony is aiming the NX5 at professionals as well as prosumers. The HD/SDI outputs 4:2:2 colour space so if you wanted you could potentially attached a separate recording device like the Flash-Nano for example, and record 4:2:2 at 50Mbps variable bitrate for even more possibilities. The NX5 also has a HDMI output, which means you can buy any regular HDMI LCD monitor or TV and use that for low-cost monitoring options. Great!

The built-in LCD screen is nice and sharp and is certainly good enough for composition purposes and checking white-balance. It is ok for focusing with the aid of the ‘EXPANDED FOCUS’ option, which is a pre-set assign button (assign button 7) next to the zoom rocker on the side grip. The LCD is also a touch screen for making selections and changes. But don’t worry; if, like me, you don’t like getting greasy fingerprints all over the LCD, simply use the menu select buttons instead, which are neatly laid out under the LCD screen.

The HXR-NX5E is equipped with three built-in ND (Neutral Density) filters – 1/4, 1/16, 1/64 – which help to vary the depth of field with iris control as well as achieving perfect exposure in bright sunlight.

Now for a bad bit; a very bad bit. The NX5 cannot be set up to use one of its ‘Assign’ buttons to ‘last clip delete’ like you can on the EX1/3 and XDCAM HD cameras. This is a major pain in the butt as it really slows up productions, and the whole point of solid-state is to make things faster. People often think that solid-state only speeds things up in post. Not true. I shoot lots of corporate and SIV videos where the presenters are often not professionals and they often need several takes. With an EX1 I can set up one of the assign buttons to ‘delete last clip’. This means when the said presenter screws up his/her lines I can simply hit that button and the bad take is gone. Then when it comes to editing, I simply import ‘every’ clip, knowing that they are all good; no marking in/out points for hours on end like with tape. But as the NX5 does not do this, to delete a last clip you have to change ‘modes’ and go into the menus and mess about with several clicks of the menu wheel/button etc. This takes approximately 1 minute out of your production shooting time. If this has to be done 100 times during the course of a days shoot, well, you work out the maths: very slow and time-consuming and annoying. Sony seriously needs to fix this with a ‘fast’ firmware update.

PICTURE QUALITY:
Having now spent a good few weeks with the NX5 I can report my findings: they are everything that I expected. I did some brief filming in England, then some more in the USA. Overall, the image quality is pretty much identical to the tape-based Z5, only the NX5 shows ever so slightly better control over compression artifacts, which is due to the more advanced AVCHD codec I suspect. Moving shots over foliage also looked slightly smoother; but the difference is very small and you have to look really hard to see it.

With regular shooting i.e. on the streets, inside museums, in the park and in varying lighting conditions, the NX5 produces beautifully sharp (yet smooth) images with plenty of deep saturation in the colours. It’s a pleasing image and one that I am more than happy with at this price range. I did some brief filming of some Amateur Dramatics rehearsals in what can only be described as ‘just adequate’ lighting conditions hence I had to switch the gain in to 9db, even then I was working at full aperture. However, the final results were surprisingly smooth and virtually noise-free. Anyone looking to shoot event or wedding videography will be thrilled with the low-light capabilities of the NX5.

Shooting in low light with the gain switched in at 9db produced perfectly usable images with little noticeable noise. Even at 18db the noise was acceptable; not as smooth as 9db, but it could certainly be cut in with regular footage.

Overall the image quality produced by the NX5 is a ‘trifle’ better than the tape-based Z5, but it is not quite at EX series image quality; the latter producing nearly 1000 lines of resolution. The NX5 produces just over 800 lines: outstanding at this price.

Comparing the NX5 to the competition. It is way ahead of the Panasonic HMC151, which produces around 600 lines, and the JVC GY-HM 700, which produces around 700 lines. The NX5 also beats the Canon XL H1 in the resolution stakes, though only just. Image ‘feel’ is a personal thing. I personally like the ‘look’ of higher end Panasonic models such as the AJ-HPX3700 for example, as well as Sony’s own DigiBeta and HDCAM range. However, with more modestly priced cameras I have mixed feelings. Years ago I preferred the look of JVCs over Canons and Sonys, but these days Sony have really come into there own with their ‘PICTURE PROFILE’ settings. Sony has not only caught up with the competition with regard to picture ‘feel’, but they have overtaken. Considering the price of the NX5, it is incredible how you can fine-tune the ‘feel’ of the picture, and even the preset picture profiles are absolutely outstanding. Comparing the NX5 to the Panasonic HMC151 is chalk and cheese. I owned a 151 for a few years and I had some clips I shot from outside my house. I shot the same clips on the NX5. I know they were both shot at different times, but nonetheless, the difference is obvious. The said shot was a ‘wide’ landscape shot with a small cottage in the distance with some surrounding treas. On the 151 you cannot even see that the small window in the cottage has a large cross pattern as part of the frame. This cross is clear as daylight when viewing the NX5 footage. Also, the surrounding trees in the distance look like the entire trees were dabbed on with a thick paintbrush with the 151, whereas with the NX5 you can make out the leaves and individual branches. Overall, the 151 is soft, with no definition or detail at all. The NX5 on the other hand is sharp with plenty of punch and resolution.

Comparing the NX5 to the JVC GY-HM700 (though the JVC does have interchangeable lenses), the difference is not quite as obvious, but it is clear. The JVC suffers from lots of noise and serious compression artefacts. The JVC’s resolution is also notable with the same ‘landscape’ shot. The trees have no detail via the JVC and the foliage has way too much artefacting and ‘marching ants’. The NX5 is by no way free of artefacts, but it is way ahead of anything else at this price range.

There is also something else about the picture quality and ‘feel’ of the image of the NX5 that I can’t quite put my finger on. I just appears to have that extra “Je ne sais quoi”. Somehow, the images produced by the NX5 don’t appear to be quite so ‘digital’ in ‘look’, which I really prefer. Independent low-budget filmmakers will love this.

PLAYING BACK CLIPS DIRECT FROM CARDS:
For simple playback on many consumer devices and players (from computers and video game consoles like the Sony PS3 to Blu-ray players and flat panel displays with SD card slots), with AVCHD it is easier and quicker to view your footage on other devices without having to edit, burn, or plug your camcorder into the HDMI socket of your TV. Sony’s PS3 for example has a USB slot right on the front. Simply remove the card from your camcorder and pop it into a USB card reader, then into the PS3. Once the card is in the USB slot via USB/SD card reader on the PS3, you simply select ‘USB Slot’ from the PS3’s menu and hit play. You can then flick through clips and play them as you would a DVD. In this instance, the PS3 is acting like a regular solid-state playback deck. You can play back AVCHD footage off SD/HC cards or Memory Sticks on many other regular games consoles and domestic Blu-Ray players that have the SD or MS card slot.

EDITING:
I’m an Apple Final Cut Pro user, which means it is time to complain. Really complain. Apple’s Final Cut Pro does not support the NX5’s native AVCHD codec. FCP has to transcode the AVCHD codec into Apple’s own ProRres format, which takes a long time. Did I say a long time? Sorry, I meant to say a bloody long time. It’s long. Painfully long.

I took the opportunity to shoot my latest SIV (Special Interest Video) with two cameras; one NX5 and an EX3. Importing the AVCHD clips from the NX5 involves using FCPs Log & Transfer window. I had 76 minutes of clips, 30 clips in total ranging from 20 seconds to 14 minutes and everything in-between. Well, 6 hours later FCP was still importing clip 11; Hmm. It took over 12 hours to import just 76 minutes worth of clips. That’s about 10 times slower than real time tape. 20 years ago I could have got 8mm Cine Film sent off and processed and delivered back to me via courier bike in less time than that. This is a backward step, a very backward one indeed - and it is for this reason that I personally would not buy an NX5. It’s not Sony’s fault of course - this is an Apple issue, but I edit with Apple, which means the NX5 is out of the question for me as I refuse to pay ‘Adobe’ prices for the Mac version of Premiere Pro, which does support AVCHD on the Mac. Sony’s Vegas and Canopos Edius also supports AVCHD natively, but as I don’t have any of these Windows-based editors I could not comment on how long importing would take.

FINAL VERDICT:
I have to admit I’m quite enthused by this new NXCAM hand-held camcorder: it’s the hand-held camcorder that I’ve been waiting for! (Apple FCP update support for AVCHD permitting) Reasonably priced at £3,450 inc., with low-cost media cards, and outstanding picture quality for the money. It’s a real world-beater!

On a final note, the NX5 is not a replacement for the HDV tape-based Z5, it’s an entirely new system (the NXCAM System) designed to fit into a solid-state marketplace. There are still thousands of videographers out there who are committed to tape for various reasons and Sony fully intend to support the HDV tape-based system for as long as there is a market for it, as well as augmenting it with the new Hybrid system for recording to tape and/or CompactFlash. Having said that, I personally think, wait, let me rephrase, I personally ‘know’ that tape is dead. Once you’ve worked in a tapeless environment you’ll never turn back.

I believe that this is the best camcorder available for under £4,000. Nothing else compares. Sony has produced the perfect balance with the NX5. It has a superb G-lens, great ClearVid CMOS Exmor sensors, and the cracking AVCHD codec. These three ingredients all add up to one amazing piece of kit. The quality of the NX5’s images suggest a more expensive camcorder. Add to that the multitude of recording formats and options and the low-cost solid-state recording media and we have a real world-beater for just £3,500 inc.

I’d like to give the cute little NX5 top marks, but the lack of ‘last clip delete’ as an assignable button and poor native support for AVCHD from the likes of Apple (although this is no really fault of Sony’s) I’ll give the NX5 8 out of 10.

©2010 Nigel Cooper

Panasonic AG-AF101 HD Camcorder - Full Review

2010-12-20T08:47:00.000-03:00

Please note that this review is based on a pre-production Panasonic AG-AF101, that was only 75% finished. I make reference to this on occasion throughout this review.

After spending four days shooting with this camera, I've decided that the Panasonic AG-AF101 film-like HD camcorder is absolutely, unequivocally the all-new independent low-budget filmmakers weapon of choice; it’s the camcorder filmmakers have been waiting on for 20 years. In fact it’s the camcorder we’ve ALL been waiting for; read on and I’ll explain why everyone including independent filmmakers, video production companies, music video producers, corporate video producers, wedding videographers and freelance lighting cameraman, can benefit from using this amazing new film-like HD camcorder from Panasonic.

For years now independent low-budget filmmakers have been forced to shoot their movies on VHS, Hi8, MiniDV, DVCAM, HDV and the like, with a few favorites such as Panasonic’s own DVX100b because of it’s 25p progressive shooting mode. However, all these camcorders have one thing in common, tiny little sensors, which made achieving narrow depth of field next door to impossible, crippling any attempt at getting artistic shots; until now! Enter Panasonic’s all-new AG-AF101 film-like HD camcorder.

Panasonic’s AG-AF101 is revolutionary, is the first ever portable HD camcorder in the world to feature a large film-size sensor, so for the first time in digital history filmmakers, video producers and lighting cameraman alike can now achieve a shallow depth of field, throwing that background out of focus.

But what about the Canon EOS 5D MK2 DSLR? I hear you shout. As Samuel L Jackson said in the movie Pulp Fiction “well, allow me to retort!” Please read the following three paragraphs.

WHY DSLR's ARE NO GOOD FOR HD VIDEO:
Many of you will know that I am one of the few people in the world of video who has not had anything good to say about the so-called Digital SLR revolution for HD video. I’ve used and tried some of them, including Canon’s EOS 5D MK2 and for video, it is next door to useless. It would appear that the world jumped on the 5D MK2 for video for one reason and one reason only; shallow depth-of-field; that’s it.

Although not strictly a digital video format, digital SLRs have made serious in-roads into the world of video since the launch of the EOS 5D MK2 in 2008. However, there are no DSLRs currently on the market that can produce the quality of video that could be considered for any serious applications. Due to the 'line-skipping' down-converting methods of cameras like Canon's EOS 5D MK2 where the method of downscaling to get a HD video picture size of 1920x1080 is achieved by simply deleting (skipping) lines on the large sensor. This, and other limitations such as a lack of decent low-pass video filtering, means that DSLRs like the 5D MK2 suffer from chronic aliasing, compression artifacts, bayer-type patterning, stepping and other retarded picture degrading phenomena. However, for soft rounded objects such as people's faces, with hard backgrounds thrown way out-of-focus by use of narrow depth-of-field, and little (or preferably no) movement in the picture, it is possible to achieve some interestingly artsy results. Hopefully, in the future, DSLR manufacturers will strive to fix the serious gremlins that the current first crop of DSLRs are riddled with. But even if they do, we will still be stuck with a tiny impossible to use form-factor digital SLR that is designed to be gripped in the palm of ones hand to enable taking of stills pictures, as for video work; forget it, even if you spend thousands of pounds more on clumsy rail systems and ridiculous add-ons and other expensive, unrealistic and unusual paraphernalia, DSLRs are simply useless for serious HD video work.

The world has gone shallow depth-of-field mad, everyone wants to throw that background right out of focus, in fact, people want to throw it so far out of focus that it positively knocks it back in time a few hundred years to a time before that background was even there. We all know that throwing the background out of focus will make the main subject stand out, there is more definition between subject and background. Using a shallow depth-of-field can also yield some very artsy shots. But more importantly, controlling the depth-of-field allows you to work cinematically by directing the viewer’s eye with clever use of depth-of-field. A camcorder with a large sensor also makes pull-focus shots more obvious and easier to achieve. We have wanted a camcorder that can do this for 20 years or so, but because there is no such camcorder (unless you can afford to hire a Panavision 35mm film camera), we have been forced to use camcorders with tiny sensors, or more recently and worse still, DSLRS; until now that is!

ENTER THE PANASONIC AG-AF101:
Enter Panasonic’s all-new AG-AF101 film-like digital camcorder. The AG-AF101 is a serious digital SLR killer. It is a PROPER HD camcorder. The big deal (and this is a very big deal) is that the AG-AF101 uses a full size 35mm MOS sensor, well almost 35mm size. It is in fact a 4/3” sensor, which is virtually the same size as a 35mm Hollywood film camera. Unlike Digital SLRs, Panasonic have put all the right technology into the AG-AF101camcorder to utilize this large sensor and the amazing shallow depth-of-field that can be achieved from it by using correct optical low-pass video filtering and proper downscaling technology, eliminating any aliasing and other nasty gremlins that DSLRs are riddled with.

The result, a proper HD video camcorder that works like a proper video camcorder with all the usual camcorder features like white-balance, zebra stripes, cine-gamma settings, time code recording, balanced XLR inputs with Phantom Power, 48-kHz/16-bit two-channel audio recording, HD-SDI out, HDMI out, headphone out for monitoring your audio, a Built in optical ND (natural density) filter wheel with 2, 4 and 6 stop so you don’t have to mess around dropping ND filters into a matte box anymore. You can shoot in bright conditions and use these ND filters to get the lens open for depth of field control with no need to change the shutter speed. You also have all the other usual video socketry and features, but on top of all that, you can achieve very shallow depth-of-field because of the large sensor. If you haven’t figured it out yet, the Panasonic AG-AF101 takes interchangeable lenses, in fact just about any interchangeable lens. Simply buy the adaptor you require and stick on your Canon EOS EF-S series lens, your Nikon AIS lens, your Olympus lens, your PL-mount lens, 35mm prime lenses; pretty much anything you like. Then go on out there and shoot proper HD video with none of the digital SLR gremlins or form-factor issues, but with all of the depth-of-field control you require, be it shallow or deep. That’s right, remember you don’t always have to open up that aperture to F1.4 to get a shallow depth-of-field of just a few inches. Sometimes (just like in Hollywood movies) the shot might require a deeper depth-of-field with much more of a shot in focus. You can still shoot regular video with a reasonable amount of depth-of-field by shooting at F8 or F16 for example; you don’t always want or need to throw everything out of focus, but at least we now have the choice; for the first time in the history of digital HD camcorders.

The nice people at Panasonic UK were kind enough to send me one of two preproduction prototypes of the all-new AG-AF101 HD camcorder. I’ve spent four solid days shooting with this camera and seeing what it is capable of.

To say I’m impressed by the AG-AF101 would be a gross understatement; the AG-AF101 is quite simply one of the best HD camcorders I’ve seen in many years. Everything this camcorder stands for is incredible; it is totally revolutionary, the large sensor, the HD viewfinder and LCD screen, uncompressed audio recording, interchangeable lenses, solid-state recording to low-cost SD/HC and SD/XC media, over-crank and under-crank at full 1920x1080p up to 60 fps, time-lapse, the list is endless; and all for £4,295 plus vat; it is expected that the AG-AF101 will ship with a budget lens, this remains to be seen. What is there not to like; this camcorder is totally freaking awesome. Oh, and the picture quality, well that certainly has the ‘wow’ factor too!

OPENING THE BOXES:
I eagerly unpacked the two boxes that arrived from Panasonic UK. One contained the AG-AF101 camcorder itself, while the other contained two lenses, an Olympus lens and a Panasonic lens, a lens adapter, batteries, charger, and various leads etc. My first impressions of the camcorder body itself were very good, it felt tough enough and all the switches, dials and controls are logically laid out, easy to get to and chunky enough to be able to operate while wearing gloves. I instantly fell in love with the oversized handle on top and the chunky handgrip to the side; both of which are removable via two large screws, allowing you to strip the camera down to a small body size. Once the two handles have been removed they reveal hot shoes underneath, which not only aid in holding the handle and side grip in place, but you can also add accessories to them.

The HD viewfinder is also reassuringly large and chunky, making for easier viewing. To the side of the viewfinder at the top are the two balanced audio XLR inputs with LINE/MIC select switches. The only other functions on the right side of the camcorder is a START/STOP record button and a USER-3 button. On the other side of the viewfinder you’ll find the MENU button, another START/STOP record button, controls for AUDIO volume monitoring and playback controls for when you want to preview the thumbnail video clips.

On the other side of the camcorder is a fold-out HD LCD screen, again, with a reassuringly solid feel to it. Located behind the LCD screen and buttons for: BARS, ZEBRA, OIS (optical image stabilizer), EVF DTL (electronic viewfinder detail), WFM (waveform monitor), COUNTER, TC SET, and audio controls for CH1 SEL, CH2 SEL, INPUT 1 and INPUT 2. Below the LCD screen you’ll find the usual controls for PUSH AUTO-FOCUS, a FUNCTION mini joystick, USER 1, DISP/MODE CHECK, POWER ON/OFF, CAMERA/MEDIA MODE, IRIS with a dial wheel, GAIN, WHITE BALANCE, USER 2, AUDIO CH1 and CH2 level wheels.

Around the back of the camera is where the removable battery is housed, just above this you’ll find two slots for SD/HC or SD/XC solid-state cards with a neat cover. To the left of the battery is a SLOT SELECT button, a DIAL SELECT button and a SHUTR/F.RATE dial allowing you to change the frame-rate, shutter speed for over/undercrank right on the camera without having to dig around in the menus; nice one Panasonic. To the right side of the battery are inputs/outputs for AV OUT, USB 2.0, HDMI, INDEX, CAMERA REMOTE, HEADPHONES, HD/SDI.

On the front of the camera just below the lens you will find a button for setting the white balance, and just above this there is a button for releasing the lens, and above this an ND filter wheel with four strengths.

Just above the ND wheel on top of the camera is a very ingenious feature indeed; independent filmmakers who employ a focus puller will love this. At first glance it looks like a metal hook to attach a camcorder strap, but no, it is in fact a hook for focus pullers to attach their tape measures to; this is further indicated by the small ‘sensor is here’ icon next to it.

In the second box there were two lenses, one Olympus F2.8 zoom lens with an adaptor and one Panasonic Lumix zoom lens, which needed no adaptor as the AG-AF101 has the same 4/3rd micro lens mount. So with battery charged, camcorder and two lenses in hand, and obligatory tripod, it was time to go out and put the AG-AF101 to the test.

IN USE:
Using the AG-AF101 was an absolute pleasure. Although I spent four days shooting in various locations with this camera, I instantly felt at one with it. Although the camera is brand-new and it was the first time I picked one up, it somehow felt familiar; kind of like a long lost brother. All the knobs, levers, and dials are all logically laid out, easily identified with commonly used video terms in bald white lettering next to the dials. They were also surprisingly chunky with all the switches having a reassuring and positive feel to them; up to a point they can even be operated with gloves on. Handholding the camera using the side grip is somewhat tiresome due to the physical dimensions and weight; though this is no more awkward than other similar size/weight camcorders from other makers. However, with heavier and longer lenses it would become very front-heavy. For lower shots, holding the camera by the top handle is much easier, with a nice balance and feel to it. However, I would imagine this camera would spend most of its time mounted on a tripod. Balancing the camera on the Vinton Vision Blue tripod required the tripod plate to be mounted towards the front of the camera, with the camera then set quite far back in the tripod head; this was due to the heavy glass lens I had mounted on the front, but perfect balance was still easily achievable.

The foldout LCD screen is a relatively standard affair, giving good visibility outdoors in bright light. The 3.45-inch LCD screen has very good definition with vibrant colours making it easy for setting white balance and other basic colour adjustments. The foldout HD LCD screen also displays a very cool waveform monitor for exposure tools with the usual two levels of zebras, coloured peaking focus assist with red/blue outline, and if that isn’t enough, there is also a spot meter, and a vector-scope. This makes achieving perfect focus and exposure a breeze. The waveform and vectorscopes are absolutely fantastic, this makes judging exposure so much easier; and it still has zebras too. The 1,1cm (0,45") viewfinder was not that great, but it is still in the pre-production stage and it will be considerably improved by the time it is released in December; it will certainly come in useful for those days when the sun is just too bright to clearly view the LCD screen.

The AG-AF101 has a whole string of very cool tricks up its sleeve, many of which have never been seen before on a digital HD camcorder. One such feature is the automatic focus tracking. The AG-AF101 can automatically track somebody’s face and constantly adjust the focus on them as that person moves around the scene or moves towards the camera. This is achieved by setting the camera to recognize the subjects face using the small joystick on the side of the camera (or should I say thumb-pad-stick as it is quite small), then shifting the small spot meter box on the LCD screen and positioning it over the subject’s face; one set, simply hit the record button and step back in amazement as the camera tracks focus on the person’s face as they walked towards the camera. Of course it goes without saying that you have to have an autofocus lens for this feature to work. I never got to test the Facial tracking system as that is part of the 25% that is missing, so too is white balance so I was stuck with auto-white-trace.

While I’m on the subject of focus, focus pullers or DoPs who hire them will totally love the AG-AF101 for many reasons, but one such reason is the nifty little hook that Panasonic have positioned on top of the camera for focus-pullers to attach their tape measures to; this focus-pullers hook has a ‘sensor here’ icon next to it, confirming this is what it is for.

Independent filmmakers will also love the fact that this camera has under-crank and over-crank, and unlike pretty much every other camcorder out there, the AG-AF101 does over-crank (slow-motion) in full 1920x1080p from 12fps up to 60fps in NTSC or 50fps in PAL, with most other camcorders out there the resolution drops to 720p. From what I can gather this is a first! I could record 1080p 25p at 50FPS or 60FPS in 24p mode! Wonderful, no more limited to 720p mode here!

The AG-AF101 also has a time-lapse function, however it can only record single frames at preset intervals as opposed to multiple frames. For me personally this doesn’t create a problem, as when I shoot time-lapse I only ever record single frames at preset intervals anyway as I’ve never found a use for recording several frames together at predefined intervals.

I particularly like the SHUTTER/FRAME-RATE wheel on the back of the camera, this allows you to change your shutter speed and frame rate, and other functions, right there on the camera using the dial and the DIAL SELECT button, as opposed to having to dig around in the menus.

If that’s not enough, the AG-AF101 also has a pre-record cache function of 3-seconds. This means that when this function is turned on, the camera is always recording a 3-second loop, then when you press the record button (either by hand or using the included remote control) the AF101 will put the 3-seconds preceding the moment you pressed the record button at the head of the clip that is being recorded post pressing the record button; how cool is that!

Overall, I found using the Panasonic AG-AF101 very easy, I felt at home with this camera straight away. Is comfortable in the hand, especially using the large handle on top, and all the buttons, knobs, and dials are logically laid out and feel good to the touch. All the various inputs and outputs on the back of the camera are easily accessible and clearly marked.

The Natural Density filter wheel on the front of the camera is a necessity considering the large sensor and interchangeable lenses. That ND filter wheel is a big help when it comes to controlling depth-of-field i.e. if you want a shallow depth-of-field with a wide aperture, you can prevent overexposure by dialing in one of the four ND filters on the wheel.

The menus are logically written and it is easy to navigate around them to find the various options and settings. There is a multitude of settings for adjusting picture parameters, including Panasonic’s famous Cine-like gamma curves. In the menu is where you assign various functions to the assign buttons on the camcorder body. Setting the recording quality, format and all the usual zebra, pre-set white balance and the many other options are self-explanatory. But there is another really cool menu option that digital filmmakers from a celluloid background will absolutely love. In the menu you can switch from VIDEO CAM mode to FILM CAM mode. In VIDEO CAM mode your gain is viewed in the usual db i.e. 16db gain, and shutter speeds are laid out in the usual 1/50th for example. But switch over into FILM CAM mode and the entire menu system turns to film, so your shutter speed is now displayed in degrees and your gain is now displayed in ISO i.e. 200 ISO for example; how cool is that. Another advantage of this is in FILM CAM mode you an set the shutter to 180 degrees, which will give you perfect film motion, and even if you change the frame rate, the shutter remains at 180 degrees regardless; nice!

IMAGE QUALITY:
The AG-AF101 has a beautiful large 4/3rd MOS sensor that is virtually the same size as a 35mm film camera; this should mean the picture quality produced by it should be absolutely breathtaking, however, we’ve all seen the images produced by the Canon EOS 5D MK2 complete with aliasing, artifacts, and other gremlins due to its nasty line skipping and other hideous attempts at downscaling to a 1920x1080 HD image. But the Panasonic does no such thing, instead the AG-AF101 implements the correct optical low-pass video filtering that eliminates alienating, as well as proper built-in software implementation and other hardware electronics; all of which add up to a superb 1920x1080 HD image that is free of aliasing, artifacts and other gremlins.

During the four days I had the AG-AF101, I shot numerous objects including buildings, swarms on a pond, landscapes and foliage, cars, and various mid-shots and close-up shots of general objects indoors; All of which I shot both locked-off on a tripod, as well as moving shots with a combination of pans and tilts. I also filmed the obligatory Chroma Du Monde CamAlign res-chart. Although Panasonic UK made it clear to me that the camera I had was in fact a preproduction unit and it was not 100% complete i.e. there are still a few tweaks to be made. I told Panasonic UK that I would not publish my technical findings from the Chroma Du Monde CamAlign res-chart. However, the results are so good I’m going to share them with you now.

For reference, Panasonic’s own HMC151 produces 600 lines resolution with moderate signs of aliasing. Sony’s EX1 produces 800 lines with breakup showing in the 1000 lines area with very little visible aliasing. Sony’s NX5 produces 800 lines with breakup showing in the 1000 lines area with obvious signs of aliasing. Panasonic’s 301 produces 600 lines with breakup showing in the 800 lines area with no visible signs of aliasing. JVC’s 700 produces 600 lines with breakup showing in the 800 lines area with obvious signs of aliasing. Canon’s EOS 5D MK2 DSLR produces a very retarded 600 and 800 line area, with a nightmare of rainbow moiré at 1000 lines with so much aliasing it is difficult to even see that there is a resolution chart there at all; it is hideous. Now for the good bit. Panasonic’s all-new AG-AF101 film-like HD camcorder with it’s 4/3rd MOS sensor produced 800 lines of resolution with a little breakup in the 1000 line area with little signs of aliasing and absolutely zero rainbow moiré effects. Considering this is a pre-production prototype that is still being worked on, this is quite incredible for a HD camcorder of this price range with such a large sensor. If Panasonic are still tweaking and working on the AG-AF101 I can’t wait to see the improvements as I’m totally blown away with these results as the camcorder stands in it’s current state. It is also worth noting that these results varied considerably depending on whether I had the Panasonic Lumix zoom, or the Olympus zoom, and at which aperture and focal range; neither of these lenses are what I would call high quality. I know for a fact that better quality prime lenses will resolve 1000 lines of clear resolution and improve other areas also.

In the real world, all the footage I shot indoors and outdoors looked very vibrant with punchy colours, yet very smooth and film-like images with beautiful tonal ranges with a huge dynamic range of about 10 stops.

It’s possible to totally customize the picture with Panasonic’s famous Cine-like gamma curves. There are various pre-sets that you can chose, and once chosen, you can dig into the menu and tweak and customize them even further as you see fit.

For those interested in the AG-AF101's low-light capabilities, I shot some stuff with the ISO (gain) cranked right up to 3200. The ISO ranges from 200 to 3200. Footage shot at 3200 ISO looked incredible with hardly any noise at all. Panasonic UK told me that the 3200 setting was in fact 2000 as it is a pre-production unit; 3200 will be working on the final product. When in FILM CAM mode, the gain switch on the camera switches to have LOW GAIN ISO200, MID GAIN ISO800 and HIGH GAIN ISO3200. This would be 0db, 8db, 32db of gain in VIDEO CAM mode; these settings can be customised to different ISO/db values.

Another thing worth noting is that the AG-AF101 has a 'black & white' shooting mode. If you shoot in this mode the picture quality is increased as all that data that is been saved from the colour channels is pushed into the black & white. The codec doesn't have to work or be so aggressive as there is no colour for it to churn through. So if you are shooting an artsy black & white movie, or intend to do some post-production sepia toning work, shoot in the AG-AF101's black & white mode to get even better picture quality.

AUDIO:
The AG-AF101 just gets better and better. Instead of using the nasty 348Mbps compressed-to-hell audio codec that HDV uses, the AG-AF101 uses uncompressed linear PCM 16-bit audio, which is the same quality as DAT (digital audio tape) and CD. Independent filmmakers will love this as there sound recordists can now go straight into the camera via their monitoring mixer, instead of to a separate DAT machine, which leads to tiresome syncing up issues in post-production. Being something of an audiophile myself, I put audio quality higher than the video images, so the AG-AF101 with it’s uncompressed audio gets a massive thumbs up from me. The great thing about the Linear PCM uncompressed 16-bit audio is that it does not interfere with the quality of the video when it is set to AVCHD 24Mbps variable maximum data-rate. The PCM audio has it's own track, thus it is separate to the video.

INPUTS/OUTPUTS:
The AG-AF101 has all the inputs and outputs you are ever likely to need on a camcorder like this. Apart from the usual A/V in/outs, twin balanced XLR inputs, headphone input, lanc remote input, USB 2 socket, the AG-AF101 has two other outputs that will get you very excited. One of which is a HDMI output, this is superb as it means you can pop out and buy a low-cost HDMI monitor (or TV) of any size you want (personally a nice 18-inch is good) and use it for monitoring. No longer to you have to spend a £995 on a tiny little 7-inch Marshall or Teletest. Instead, think big, and spend £150 on a 18-inch LCD HDMI TV from Argos. Your Director can now view your production from the touchline on a big monitor. Or you could even buy an 8-inch or so and mount it on the handle of the AG-AF101 and use the camera TV pedestal style.

The next big deal is the HD/SDI BNC-socket output. If you are one of those cameramen/women who are constantly ‘pixel-peeping’ screen grabs from your footage in Photoshop and wondering how you can improve the image quality slightly over the standard AVCHD codec, well now you can. Simply attach an external recording device like the NanoFlash (£2,700) and plug it into the HD/SDI output on the AG-AF101 and record at a superior 50 or 100Mbps codec in 4:2:2 colour space. Or use Panasonic’s own AG-HPG20 and record AVC-Intra. For your information, you can record out of the HD-SDI, HDMI digital outputs simultaneously. The SDI outputs 1080/60i, 1080/50i, 1080/30p, 1080//24p, 1080/25p, 720/60p, 720/50p and even 1080/24pSF (Segmented Frame).

Although the HD/SDI only outputs 8-bit, who cares. You can only see the difference between 8-bit and 10-bit if you put your production through several (3 or more) ‘digital washes’ i.e. transcode into a different codec during import, then transcode again, then again before authoring to DVD. Most of us will simply import and keep the same codec from camcorder-to-computer, then the only digital wash we will do is when we down-convert to standard-definition and MPEG for DVD; that’s it. So 8-bit is just fine for me thank you. If you are a very serious filmmaker you might want to invest in a NanoFlash as it will improve the image over the standard AVCHD codec used when recording to SD/HC cards in-camera. Most people wont’ see much difference between the AG-AF101’s built in superb AVCHD codec when compared to recording to a better codec via an add-on recorder, especially if you only do 1 digital washes with minimal post-production grading. AVCHD falls down when it comes to colour grading and pushing and pulling the picture all over the place. For me, good quality glass on the front and good lighting and camerawork are much more important than trying to faff around fine tuning a mediocre picture shot under mediocre lighting conditions by a mediocre cameraman; and it’s usually these guys who spend all day pixel-peeping; professionals don’t concern themselves too much.

THE SENSOR (IT’S BIG):
The sensor in the Panasonic AG-AF101 is a very big deal; in fact the sensor is what this camcorder is all about. There is a massive 4/3rd inch MOS sensor inside the AG-AF101, and it is this massive sensor that will allow you to control your depth-of-field like never before. It’s four times bigger than a 2/3rd inch sensor. Independent low-budget filmmakers will know what I’m talking about here. In the past filmmakers have had to suffer the tiny little 1/4th, 1/3rd, ½ and 2/3rd imagers of yesterdays camcorders such as High-8, Mini-DV, DVCAM, HDV and the like. Achieving depth-of-field can be done with a little thought on the larger 2/3rd inch cameras, such as DigiBeta, but it was next door to impossible to achieve a shallow depth-of-field with Mini-DV and HDV, with the latter pretty much everything from 3 metres to infinity was sharper than Johnny Depp; well, maybe not quite that sharp, but sharp. A few years ago Canon started the shallow depth-of-field revolution with their infamous EOS 5D MK2 digital SLR. This essentially a stills camera, had a last minute thought HD video recording capability, which means with that massive 35mm sensor, video makers could achieve a shallow depth-of-field if they liked; and they liked. But, the image quality was/is absolutely hideous, full of aliasing, artefacts and other retarded gremlins due to the line-skipping technology (and a bloody crude technology it is too) and lack of optical video low-pass filtering. Did I mention the unusable ‘form factor’ of DSLRs yet? Hmmm. Hardly shoulder-mount camcorders are they. But now, thanks to Panasonic’s amazing AG-AF101 HD ‘CAMCORDER!!!’ the days of DSLRs are well and truly over as the AG-AF101 is not riddled with those DSLR gremlins. The AG-AF101 has proper optical low-pass video filtering and decent down-conversion software and electronics, all of which do the massive 4/3rd inch sensor total and beautifully glorious HD video justice. But don’t worry, if you where one of those who bought a Canon EOS 5D MK2, you can still use it as it does take a lovely stills photograph.

From the footage I shot I found the Panasonic MOS sensor (CMOS technology basically, as apposed to CCD) performed incredibly with no visible artefacts, rainbow moiré or stepping. The images where very clean and film-like in quality. On pans, both gentle and vigorous there was minimal ‘jelly wobble’ off the MOS sensor, nothing worth mentioning anyway and no worse than anything produced by Sony with CMOS sensors. Unfortunately any MOS/CMOS sensor suffers from jelly-wobble; it is just a case of how much or how little. This baby inside the AG-AF101 is as minimal as I have seen and about as good as you will get. I don’t hear people complaining about Sony’s superb EX1R and EX3 so I don’t expect anyone to complain in the Panasonic Pub either. I’m not sure what the heat situation is from this MOS sensor, but the AG-AF101 is so quiet I don’t even know if it has a fan inside; I couldn’t hear anything anyway. Either way, the technology inside the AG-AF101 is incredibly innovative and state-of-the-art. This large 4/3rd MOS sensor is what gives us this new depth-of-field control and a field of view reminiscent to that of a 35mm film camera like those used to shoot Hollywood movies i.e. Panavision.

Some people think that the 4/3rd imager in the AG-AF101 is exactly the same imager as the one in Panasonic's stills camera the GH1, fact is, it is not; it is a bran new sensor. Although the AG-AF101 uses a CMOS sensor (MOS), there is no 'skew' (jelly wobble effect/rolling shutter) as it scans the chip incredibly fast. I tried really hard to get the AG-AF101 to skew with various pans, both fast and slow and I found it virtually impossible to get it to skew. Although there is still flash-banding (all CMOS sensors suffer from this no matter who makes them), as usual, it can be fixed in post. But if you are a filmmaker, you will be in control of that anyway so it doesn't really matter; simply don’t allow anyone to fire off a flash-gun on set. Wedding guys will have to fix those frames in post, no big deal.

Just to visually clarify any confusion over the size of the AG-AF101's sensor and that of a 35mm movie frame, or stills photographic sensor, see the three diagrams below.

LENSES:
If you don’t know by now, the Panasonic AG-AF101 has a 4/3rd Bayonet Micro Mount for interchangeable lenses. This is a digital photographic stills camera standard lens mount established by Panasonic and Olympus. This 4/3rd mount is the same one found on digital SLR stills cameras such as Panasonic’s own Lumix models. This means that you can attach virtually any lens to the AG-AF101 you like. Chose from any of Panasonic’s Lumix 4/3rd mount lenses; they just bayonet right on. Or if you have a stack of Nikon AIS or Canon FD lenses from the 1980s, just buy an adaptor (literally a mechanical adaptor with no optics so no loss in quality) and use those. Or any modern digital SLR auto-focus lens from Nikon, Leica, Olympus, Pentax or Canon and buy the appropriate adapter and away you go. Canon EOS users with a bunch of EOS EF-S lenses will be happy as you can buy an adaptor that retains all electronics from the lens, the aperture is controlled using the scroll wheel just to the bottom/front of the AG-AF101’s body, and get this, the focal length and aperture appear on the AG-AF101’s fold-out LCD screen and in the viewfinder; how cool is that for knowing where you stand.

35mm filmmakers will be glad to know that you can also fit C-mount Cinema lenses and Professional PL mount lenses and other 35mm primes to the AG-AF101; again, with the use of an optic-free adaptor. So as you can see, the world is your oyster when it comes to lenses and the AG-AF101. Just imagine the possibilities. Sure, independent feature filmmakers will love the depth-of-field control, but so can everybody else. Corporate video producers can simply attach a 1980’s Nikon AIS 105mm F2.8 and film that interview of the CEO at there desk and achieve beautiful portrait-style footage with that background thrown nicely out of focus.

There is no doubt that to take full advantage of the super shallow depth-of-field that the AG-AF101 has to offer, you will have to buy some fast prime lenses or a very fast zoom, as regular zooms along the lines of a 70-210 F4.5 won't give you a shallower depth-of-field over a regular 2/3rd inch sensor camcorder. Something along the lines of a 105mm F2.5 prime or a 50mm F1.4 prime would be much better. The Canon EF-S or Nikon AF 70-210 F2.8 will be great as they are F2.8 throughout the focal range i.e. fast at 70mm and still F2.8 at 210mm also; these latter two lenses cost just under £1,000 each, but remember the crop factor so the focal length will become 140-420mm.

If you use stills photographic lens that have full auto-focus, you will have full auto-focus and auto-iris when using them on the AG-AF101; all auto features are retained as the adaptors and the AG-AF101 have all the recognized electronic contacts.

One issue I found with photographic lenses in auto-aperture mode is that the on-board microphone pics up the mechanical/electronic noise made by the aperture as it opens up and closes down. Unlike professional video lenses, photographic lenses open up and stop down in half-stop or one-stop increments so there is a definitive click between each stop. Because of this you can hear the iris continuously clicking in auto-iris mode. This could be a problem if you are using the built in microphone, or an on-camera microphone. Personally I rarely if ever use auto iris so it would not be an issue for me, or others who work in manual iris mode all the time.

The AG-AF101 also does face detection auto-focus; the camera will track somebody’s face as they walk towards the camera, maintaining and automatically pulling focus at all times.

The 4/3rd sensor size means that 35mm lens are a bit on the telephoto size; with a 2x crop from a full frame 35mm sensor. So a regular 50mm lens will give you a field of view of 100mm. On the other hand if you are a wildlife videographer, that 300mm F2.8 will become a 600mm lens. For regular wide work, simply buy a standard 4/3rd lens like one of Panasonic's Lumix lenses for example.

SOLID-STATE RECORDING:
The Panasonic AG-AF101 is a solid-state HD camcorder, recording to solid-state memory cards. On the back of the camcorder are two card slots for SD/HC or the newer SD/XC cards. SD/HC cards are available in capacities up to 32GB, which currently cost around £50. 16GB cost around £30.

The recording capacity of the AG-AF101 in full 1920x1080 HD resolution at the highest recording quality mode (PH mode) of 24Mbps variable is 90 minutes onto a single 16GB SD/HC card, or 3 hours onto a single 32GB SD/HC card. So you can achieve 6 hours of continuous recording with two 32GB SD/HC cards in the camcorder (they are also hot-swappable).

The latest SD/XC cards are available in 32GB and 64GB, with1TB and 2TB (terabyte) becoming available in the future. A 64GB SD/XC card currently cost around £195 for a Sandisk Ultra, on which you can record 6 hours, that’s 12 hours continuous onto two 64GB SD/XC cards. As for the 2TB cards that will become available; I’ll let you do the math, but I suspect if you have two 2TB (that’s 2000GB in total) SD/XC cards in the AG-AF101 you will be able to lock your camcorder off on a tripod, point it at a suitable subject, then hit the record button and hop on a plane to Bayreuth to enjoy Wagner’s Ring Cycle, fly back and still have time to spare to read Gone With The Wind out of the 94 hours recording time that you would have. For all you wedding videographers, you need never worry about those boring best man speeches running over 60 minutes of tape again.

RECORDING FORMATS:
Here is the low-down on the recording formats that the AG-AF101 supports: 1080/50i, 1080/25p, 1080/60i, 1080/30p, 1080/24p, 720/50p, 720/25p, 720/60p, 720/30p, 720//24p AVCHD recording options: PH (21 Mbps - Max. 24Mbps), HA (17Mbps), HE (6Mbps), HA, HE only for 1080/60i and 1080/50i

Be aware that you an only shoot one format on any one card. If you switch between say 50 and 59.97 Htz, you will need to use one card for 50 and another card for 59.97.

SUMMING UP:
The Panasonic AG-AF101 is quite simply revolutionary. It is unequivocally and without a doubt the new and first kid on the block with such incredible capabilities at such an incredibly low price. It is the HD camcorder that independent filmmakers, as well as every other video producer and lighting cameraman has been waiting on for 20 odd years or so. At £4,295 plus vat, what is there not to like. The AG-AF101 takes all goodness of DSLRs i.e. depth-of-field and light sensitivity, but gets rid of all the bad stuff such as aliasing, rainbow moiré and other workflow issues, and all encapsulated in a perfectly formed professional video camcorder.

There is nothing like the Panaasonic AG-AF101; it is a brand new concept. Those who have got used to shooting HD video on DSLRs and having to piece together clumsy workarounds, been forced to use a Zacuto Z-finder because DSLRs don’t have a viewfinder need not worry anymore as the AG-AF101 has a HD viewfinder built in, as well as a fold-out HD LCD screen. Or if you had to use a separate sound recorder because you could not get good audio from your EOS 5D MK2, worry no more as the AG-AF101 has two built in professional balanced XLR inputs with uncompressed Linear PCM 16-bit audio.

The Panasonic AG-AF101 is the most promising camcorder to arrive in over twenty years. It is very exciting times for cinema shooters and independent filmmakers.

In a nutshell the Panasonic AG-AF101 is a professional HD video camcorder just like many others such as Panasonic’s own HPX171 or Sony’s EX1R, but the AG-AF101 now gives us that last missing piece of the jigsaw; total depth-of-field control combined with interchangeable lenses, with that cinematic look that we have all been waiting for.

With the price in mind I simply have to give the AG-AF101 a massive recommendation with 5 out of 5 stars.

©2010 Nigel Cooper

Sony announces the PMW F3K! By Philip Bloom

2010-12-20T08:41:00.000-03:00

We have seen prototypes of this camera this year but today Sony officially revealed the name and the full specs and it’s pretty damn good!

It’s essentially an ex1 mated with a 35mm cinema camera, having features from both.

Key things are a super 35mm CMOS image sensor (close to APS-C), it comes either body only with PL lens mount or with 3 T2 lenses, 35mm, 50mm and 85mm. They plan on introducing lenses specifically for this new F3 mount…details to follow…

It records in 23.98, 25p and 29.97p in full HD ad 50/ 60p in 720p mode. It records on SxS media like and EX1/ EX3 and offers the same overcrank as the EX1. So you can overcrank from 1 to 60fps in 720p mode and up to 30fps in full HD. It records in the same 35mb/s XDCAM long gop format. I am assuming it’s the same 4:2:0. You can record uncompressed 10bit 4:2:2 out of the SDi socket.

It’s good news for EX owners like myself who already have stacks of media!

Looks awesome to be honest. The key questions is price…how much?

Tentative pricing from Sony Europe is €20,700 (US$28,850) for F3K (with lenses) or €14,500 (US$20,195) for the F3L (without lenses) model – no where near as cheap as the AF100. Estimated shipping date is January 2011. So not cheap am afraid! Which will price it out of most people’s pockets… Cheap in the old days but in today’s aggressive market is it too expensive?

I am very curious about the whole including the PL lens mount as standard, this alone is positioning at the much higher end of the market as very few of us can afford PL lenses. I am certain we will be able to use other lenses with adaptors, whether made by Sony or not. XDCAM 35mbs is pretty damn good. Certainly better than 5Dmk2 54mbs H264 as it’s much better encoding and more video orientated despite the lower number. It’s certainly not going to be appeal to the low budget DSLR indie crowd at that price but it will to the higher end…

I will try and get my hands on one as soon as I can to see just what this camera is capable of. This is a serious camera and definitely aimed at the cinema/ higher end broadcast market despite the lowish bit rate in camera which with Nanoflash type gear can be unlocked into VERY high bit rates. It’s not going to be a consideration for the indie 5Dmk2/ 7D owners as the price point is way way higher and much higher too than the AF-101…Let’s see where all this goes…exciting times..

Review da JVC GY-HM100

2009-09-16T11:50:00.005-03:00

Fonte: Philip Bloom
I first saw this camera at BVE at Earl’s Court earlier this year and thought it was very tasty. Small form factor, a little larger than the Sony A1e but lighter, shoots at XDCAM EX compatible 35mbps full HD on nice and cheap SDHC cards in native FCP quicktime, a nice feature. Downers were the slightly fiddly controls and only 1/4″ ccd chips. But I still was itching to get my hands on it.
I emailed JVC before I even saw it at BVE saying I would love to review it, as an owner of a JVC HD201 and a fan of it, was really keen to try out the new 700 and 100.
Eventually when there was one available I did a review of the 700 which you can see here and when I met with JVC I said would love to review the 100 as well. To be honest I was more excited about the 100 than the 700 as I already own a Sony EX3 and EX1 and the 700 wouldn’t be something I would really need. But the 100 looked bloody interesting. A really small camera with broadcast quality images totally compatible with my EX3.
Yesterday I finally got my hand on it and guess what? I love it! This was a pre-production model so maybe the production one will be even better?

My gear reviews have been evolving somewhat over that past year since I did my first one almost a year ago for NAB, that was the EX3. Since then I have tried to make them more interesting and less static. The last one I did, for the JVC 700, had two other people helping me. Dennis Lennie shot the Letus Elite PTCs and Mark Dawson shot the behind the scenes stuff of my in Battersea Park. This time it was just me, well almost just me, my friend Joe Shaw, him of “The Echo” popped over for 20 minutes to help, you will understand once you have seen the video!
I recently did a blog about filming in public places so I thought I would try and take the JVC to some places where permission was needed and see if I could look like a tourist but film like a professional…So I took two 16gb cards, one lone little battery as it was all JVC had, a small camera bag, a baby cinesaddle (the large Cinesaddle is the single most useful piece of camera gear I can recommend to anyone!) and my Macbook Pro in case I overshot and needed to dump down. No tripod, no car, no 35mm adaptor, no lenses. Basically travelling really light! Image stabiliser was good once zoomed in a little.
It was a lot of fun, all done guerilla style, I got away with filming everywhere I wanted to and wasn’t looked at or questioned once. Such a pleasure and the camera is so light…the only heavy thing was my laptop! I had to stop halfway through the day and popped into Soho House to recharge the battery for an hour, bit of a pain, but the Hendricks and Tonic went down a treat.
Two other cameras were used to shoot this review. 90% was shot on the JVC HM100, a very small section was shot on the HVX200 and the stuff in my edit suite was shot on the EX3. As you can see the JVC stood up pretty well compared to them and was certainly sharper than the HVX, sorry Joe (and thanks SO much for helping out!)
Likes…the picture quality is superb. The recording to SDHC is cheap and super reliable. Tapeless recording is quite wonderful. I actually seemed to find the image slightly less noisy than the HM700. So light and the full auto function and auto focus worked really well. I almost never use this feature but wanted to review it as I am sure many people will use it. It was quite subtle, especially the auto iris. There is no overcrank or undercrank but you can shoot in 720p 50/60p then use compressor to convert to 25p slow motion really easily and the results are excellent. The LCD and viewfinder were good. HDMI out is nice. Proper separate gain controls just like a full size pro camera, same with the WB. Nice menu options. Loved the ability to take handle off making camera VERY small.
Dislikes…The iris control should at least be at the front of the camera even if it can’t be a wheel. Having it at the back is a pain. Same with shutter. But at least you have full manual control over focus, iris, shutter and gain. 1/4″ chips do kind of suck in low light compared to 1/3″ but surprisingly it still performed OK, especially as I tweaked the gamma when it got dark to compensate meaning I didn’t have to use so much gain. No timelapse or interval recording. Shame. Needs a separate zoom wheel independent of the focus wheel which is switchable between zoom and focus. servo zooms are just horrible and I never use the. I wish I had shot with detail off, I normally always do. I found some of the edges to be too sharp. Don’t use details guys!
But mostly the camera is really really good. Whether you want it as an B camera for you 700 or your EX cameras or to be honest any camera. It has a terrific full auto mode so you can give it to producers to shoot with (oh dear) but you can control it fully yourself and get some cracking images out of it.
You won’t be surprised to know I want one. What a great little camera to take around!
No laws were broken during the making of this video and PLEASE don’t try what I did halfway through or you will be shot . I cheated on that one a little!! Obviously the parts where it says ungraded are the ungraded pics raw out of the camera. The rest are graded with Magic Bullet Looks.
Thanks so much to the band “Davito” for their kind permission to use their track “Disconnect”. Please visit their website here

JVC GY-HM700 solid-state HD camcorder review

2009-09-16T10:48:00.010-03:00

Yes I know that this new JVC GY-HM700 camcorder cost just £5,500 with a standard Canon or Fujinon 1/3rd inch lens, and that many might consider it not a true broadcast camera. However, most of you will be well aware that Sony’s EX1 and EX3 camcorders are making serious inroads into broadcast waters and many professional broadcast cameramen are being forced to work with these new smaller camcorders. The GY-HM700 is JVCs latest offering and it is in the same price range as Sony’s EX3. Both JVC’s GY-HM700 and Sony’s EX3 are solid-state camcorders with interchangeable lenses, but the JVC has one big advantage over the Sony; IT ACTUALLY LOOKS, FEELS AND WORKS LIKE A ‘PROPER’ CAMERA, that is, it is shoulder mounted, it has a proper manual focus lens and all the knobs and switches are exactly where you would expect to find them. Most of you will be used to shooting on camcorders such as Digibeta, HDCAM, Varicam and even 35mm. Those of you who do, and have been unfortunate enough to have been placed in the position that you have had to use a Sony EX1 or EX3, will know and understand just how frustrating these cameras are to operate. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not bashing these Sony camcorders, they produce amazing picture quality for the money; but boy is it difficult achieving those pictures in the field. You will find yourself cursing your way through the shoot as you fiddle with those impossible to find miniscule buttons, or worse still, faff around in the menus as you try to find a setting that should be available via a dial or lever on the camera body itself; logically placed of course. Enter the JVC GY-HM700. This little beauty from JVC physically looks just like a professional full-size broadcast camera, albeit a baby one. It takes professional style1/3rd inch lenses and the White Balance presets, Gain presets, Zebra and Skin detail levers, User buttons, Zoom, Focus and Iris controls etc, are all exactly where you would expect to find them. As for the menus, they look slick, professional, and are incredibly easy to navigate, and written in the language that we all understand; and I haven’t even got to the best yet. The GY-HM700 is not only solid-state, but it uses the very affordable SD/HC card media (costing around £12 for a 16GB card), yet it records to the same (higher) 35Mbps variable bit-rate that Sony’s EX series do; JVC have also made an optional bolt-on SxS card recorder (more on this later). The GY-HM700 also takes regular V-loc (Sony type) batteries and a regular V-plate for tripod mount; fixing at both the front and the back for a nicely locked-down and secure fixing. So, now that I’ve whetted your appetite, what kind of image quality does this new JVC produce?

IMAGE QUALITY & USABILITY
Well let me tell you straight off that this new JVC is definitely not up there with professional formats such as HDCAM or Varicam, or even Digibeta, but it doesn’t pretend to be; it only costs £5,500 including a lens. What I’m aiming to do throughout this review is to establish the usability and image quality of this camera, with a little side-by-side comparison with Sony’s EX3, the latter already established in low-budget broadcast productions. I think it is totally fair to compare this new JVC with the Sony EX3, as both use interchangeable lenses and are of similar price, but most importantly, because Sony’s EX3 (and EX1) is the budget boy that everybody is talking about. So, can this new JVC knock the Sony EX3 off its perch?

JVC were kind enough to lend me a brand-new GY-HM700 along with three 1/3rd inch lenses; a Fujinon 16x5.5, a Fujinon 16.5 and a Canon KT20; the latter being the flagship £6,500 model, whereas the two Fujinon’s are around the £1,000 mark.
The GY-HM700 camcorder itself feels pretty robust and much more substantial in build quality than Sony’s somewhat plasticy EX series. The GY-HM700 smacks of a solid die-cast aluminium body with rugged plastic over the top. The metal levers for White balance and Gain feel just as they do on high-end broadcast cameras, the same can be said for the Zebra lever and various other controls such as VF Peaking, VF Brightness, Auto-White trace, User buttons, Monitor, Audio levels etc. As for the various sockets, most of these are professional BNC-type and they too feel just as rugged as those on cameras costing eight times the price. As for the lens, the Zoom ring, Focus ring and Aperture ring, these all feel just like those on professional 2/3rd inch lenses; perhaps slicker and obviously slightly smaller in size. The lens’s Zoom rocker lever, Record start/stop button, Auto/Manual iris switch, Rec preview button, Iris button and Macro and Flange-back levers all feel and function just as they do on professional 2/3rd inch lenses. On the whole, I found this camera to be beautifully crafted, cute and endearing. It’s almost like a high-end full-size professional broadcast camera gave birth to a baby one; I can’t get enough of the superb form-factor of this JVC camcorder.

The attention to detail on this camera is phenomenal. Little details such as the Gain lever having a square end while the White Balance preset lever next to it has a rounded end, make them easy to ‘feel’ your way around.

As I’ve already mentioned this JVC camcorder records to solid-state SD/HC cards. These little cards are available in capacities up to 32GB. I buy 16GB Transcend cards for just £10 each, on which I can fit 90 minutes of full HD 1920x1080 footage. Recording to these cheap SD/HC cards have a huge financial benefit compared to the solid-state offerings from Sony and Panasonic; SxS and P2. I haven’t even got to the best bit yet, this JVC camcorder records to the native QuickTime .mov file format at 35Mbps. This is great news if you edit in Final Cut Pro, as you can simply drag your files straight into your clip bin with no transcoding.

The GY-HM 700 still uses a 720 block just like the older ProHD HDV series such as the GY-HD101, but this time it uses ‘Spatial Offset’ to bring it up to full HD resolution. This helps somewhat and works ok, but it is never going to be as good as native 1920x1080. It is more half-way between SD and HD in terms of real resolved resolution. But, there’s more to life than resolution guys. I took the liberty of filming my Chroma-du-monde resolution charts and the JVC happily resolves approximately 800 lines; compared to the 940 or so lines that I could get out of Sony’s EX3 shooting the same chart. I guess what the big question is, will you notice this 140-line difference between these two camcorders in real world shooting?

Overall I was very happy with the quality and ‘look’ of the footage I got from the JVC. After some tweaking around in the menus adjusting black levels and colour gammas etc and setting the outdoor white-balance to 4300K as apposed to the default 5600K standard. For some reason only known to JVC, the default 5600K outdoor setting appears to have a horrible green spike in the colour spectrum; I mean ‘vomit green’ like that of fluorescent lighting. By reducing the setting to 4300K gives the picture a somewhat warmer and more neutral look, and it loses the ‘green’ tint. This default factory setting definitely needs fixing by JVC in the future firmware update. I shot everything in progressive 25P HQ mode. Overall I found the footage to look pleasing with decent colour, good detail, with some ‘filmic’ qualities. Compared to the Sony EX3 there are noticeable differences. The EX3’s images have more detail, richer colours, with virtually no colour fringing. The JVC (or at least the lenses on it) suffer from Green fringing; especially the Canon KT20 when zoomed in; it’s hideous. The cheaper Fujinon lenses didn’t suffer quite as much. In low light shooting situations, the Sony EX3 also beats the JVC, but this is to be expected as the Sony uses CMOS sensors, whilst the JVC uses CCD chips. CCD is not as good in low light as CMOS and the blacks in low light can be a bit noisy. However, CMOS chips suffer from the rolling shutter (jelly) effect and flash photography makes CMOS chips suffer too. Pro’s and Cons to both.

The JVC GY-HM700 is far superior in image quality to camcorders like the Sony Z1, Panasonic HMC151, Canon XLH1, and even JVC’s own ProHD tape-based HDV camcorders. But it is not quite as good as Sony’s EX range due to its 1/3rd CCD 720 block with special offset. But the JVC is a superb camera, and even though its image quality is not quite there with the Sony EX series, it simply wipes the floor with the latter in terms of build quality and usability. I have had extensive experience with Sony’s EX series, and I have to admit, although they produce nice images, they are an absolute nightmare to use and if you don’t treat them tentatively with kid gloves they will break; viewfinders, mic holders etc all have a tendency to break if not treated carefully. These are issues that you simply won’t have with the JVC. Also the JVC’s form factor is more like that of the larger Digibeta style camera; it is a breeze/privilege to work with. Personally, I would rather take the slight hit in image quality, and use the beautifully built and ergonomically friendly JVC any day. The button positioning on the JVC is sublime; especially the nice shutter select button. All are buttons and controls are primarily external and logically laid out, as opposed to the horrible menu-driven systems found on your usual handycams. The LCD is much larger and higher definition than before, though still hard to see in sunlight.
The viewfinder is a totally redesigned affair compared to JVC’s previous ProHD camcorders, where it had a tendency to crack on the corner if knocked. This new viewfinder is a lot tougher. However, if you are use to larger viewfinders on full-size broadcast cameras you won’t like this one as it is smaller in comparison. But focusing is still incredibly easy via the viewfinder due to JVC’s very neat focus-assist button, which turns the viewfinder and LCD black-and-white, and a blue (or red, selectable in menus) outline appears on high contrast areas when they are bang in focus; this works really well. Whilst on the viewfinder, this one is totally removable; great when travelling as there will be less chance of breakage and it allows the camera to fit into a smaller case; we all know what airport baggage handlers can be like.

There is a variable Frame-rate function, but in large step increments. But there is no ‘Time-Lapse’ feature on this camera, which is a shame; this is a feature I’d really miss if I were using this camera all the time.
Unlike the Canon XLH1, which is something of a ‘half-shoulder-mount’ design. The JVC GY-HM700 is a ‘proper’ shoulder-mount design, although not full size, it sits on your shoulder in the correct way just like a full-size camera would. Although the JVC is light, it has a reassuring weight to it and it balances perfectly on the shoulder, the ergonomics are superb. The JVC also takes professional V-lock batteries; just like full-size professional Sony shoulder-mount camcorders.

The GY-HM700 has two professional balanced XLR audio microphone inputs, HD/SDI, Remote and Component BNC sockets as well as FireWire and USB outputs. The DC input is a professional 4-pin affair; thank god. There are two headphone sockets on the back, one for the built in/removable earpiece and a spare just above it. There is a professional D-tap max 50W output on the back of the camera for use with on-camera lights etc as well as bracket adaptor for wireless mic receivers and the like. There are two SD/HC card slots so you can have two 32GB cards in there for over 360 minutes of continuous HD recording at max HQ quality setting. There is also an audio RCA output.
On the other side of the camera you’ll find the Focus assist button, VF peaking, VF bright, audio monitor volume, User 1, 2 and 3 buttons, all of which are assignable in the menus. ND filter switch for ¼ and 1/16, Gain L, M and H, White balance Preset and A/B, Audio record level for right and left channels, display mode for LCD, which switches to the largest ‘time-code’ readout you have ever seen. On the front under the lens there is a white-balance button and a Zebra on/off select, which doubles as a Skin area detect or Spot meter; nice.
The camera mounts to a tripod by way of a professional Sony style V-plate, which locks the camera at both the front and the back for a solid fixing to the tripod.
I totally love this camera, especially the ‘form factor’, sure the image quality is not quite there with Sony’s EX series, but as I’ve already mentioned the build quality and form factor of this JVC camera is simply light years ahead of the EX1/EX3 camcorders. I like the secure feeling I get from the JVC, trust me on this one, I’ve manhandled this camera and given the viewfinder, microphone holder, and various other parts of the body some moderate bashing with the palm of my hand in an attempt to crack or break something, but the camera withstood my moderate punishment; and I’m glad it did otherwise I would have had to have blamed the couriers.
The GY-HM700 costs just £4,250 plus vat for the body only so don’t expect a full-on broadcast picture. If you want broadcast spend £30,000 plus, or hire something. This JVC has a market - corporate, weddings, SIVs, event work, and to be perfectly honest, certain types of broadcast work for certain Sky channels or news, factual. But not big-budget blue-chip stuff.
On a final note (JVC, if you are reading), I’d like to see JVC bring out a GY-HM700 version 2 model that uses the same CMOS 1/3rd native 1920 chips that Panasonic use in their 301 camcorder. If JVC did this and ditched the somewhat Jurassic period low-res CCD ones that they currently use with all their pixels-shifting, lack of resolution and noisy images in low-light, they would have a winner; a real winner. This camera is ‘good’, but with decent chips it could be ‘amazing’. For me personally, I’d rather use a camera like this JVC that is well-built and works like a proper camera and take a small hit in image quality, as opposed to working with a non-form-factor nightmare that produces slightly better images. Horses for courses.
Fonte: DVUSER

The Art of Shooting Progressive

2009-06-21T11:49:00.002-03:00

I get so many e-mails from cameramen complaining about the poor results they get when shooting in progressive scan mode with their camcorders, that I thought it was about time I wrote a tutorial on the subject. The usual complaints are about flickering or strobe-like footage, or images that look blurred and un-sharp when compared to interlaced shot footage.

First, let me give you a little bit of background information as well as a few other snippets that might surprise you.

Interlace is a technique for transmitting signals to our television sets that has been around since 1936. For the record, the progressive scan system has also been around for the same amount of time in the form of John Logie Baird’s 240-line mechanical progressive scan system. At the time there wasn’t enough bandwidth to broadcast and transmit progressively, so the interlaced system had to be used. In a nutshell, an interlaced frame is basically a progressive frame that has been sliced up into lots of lines, and each set of alternating lines are transmitted at different times, but so fast it gives the illusion of one frame. Interlaced technology was designed for CRT (cathode ray tube) televisions, not LCD HD TVs or LCD computer displays. Interlacing causes problems on modern LCD TVs and computer displays. Although a lot of modern programmes are shot progressively, there is an even balance of progressive and interlaced footage being shot these days.

Interlaced footage introduces all kinds of issues including ‘ line twitter’ and ‘interlace tearing’. These picture defects show up in certain circumstances more than others, for instance, somebody on TV wearing a shirt with fine dark and light stripes, on TV these stripes would appear to be ‘twittering’.

Basically, interlaced technology is a very old and dated way of transmitting signals to our television sets, and it will soon be dead. These days, most of us own modern LCD HD television sets (all of which are progressive by their very nature), and most modern programming is shot on progressive scan HD camcorders. Progressive scan HD footage and progressive scan broadcasting is the future. If you want to ‘future-proof’ (whatever that means) your footage, it must be shot in HD and in progressive mode. However, the future will be 1080p progressive scan at higher frame-rates such as 48p and 50 and 60p. Footage cannot be truly future-proofed. You could shoot 720p at 50 or 60fps, and it will be good. But 1080p at 25p would not be good future-proofing. Whether to use 24, 25, or 50 and 60p or 50 and 60i is currently an artistic decision.

This short tutorial is to re-educate those who are used to shooting on interlace formats. Those who are used to brandishing a Sony PD170 around like they are on their last line of cocaine are going to have to seriously re-think their shooting techniques. Flitting a progressive scan camcorder around handheld with aggressive and jerky movements simply won’t cut it.

You’re probably aware that most Hollywood movies that you see at the cinema as shot in either 24p or 25p as in 25 frames of film per second. So you’re probably wondering why all those movies look great at the cinema and don’t have the so-called ‘judder’ or ‘flicker/strobe’ effects that your progressive scan camcorder appears to be riddled with. The simple answer is because Hollywood production companies hire in a professional DoP (Director of Photography) and pay him/her a colossal amount of money to get it right. The DoP knows exactly how to ‘Block and Stage’ every shot in such a way that prevents any judder or flicker in the final footage.

You have to shoot more like a professional DoP, as opposed to a testosterone-driven teenager on a mission. This means smooth, slow, and very steady shots.

Having said that, things do not have to be steady. Witness Bourne Identity, Saving Private Ryan, Band of Brothers for example, and many other shots in big movies. Munich, Minority Report and 24 are other major examples, Spooks is yet another. The fact of the matter is that once the eye starts watching progressive footage it will fill in the blanks; this is persistence of vision. The problem of judder usually happens with medium speed objects. Slow movement and faster movement don’t suffer. If you go with the usual idea of an object taking five seconds to cross the screen during a pan for example, you will see judder. This may be why some TV guys had trouble with it.

I think one of the problems may be that people who are shooting in progressive scan mode aren’t doing enough ‘camera movement’. They may be locking the camera off on the tripod and letting objects pass through as opposed to actually moving the camera into and around the scene.

A few years ago somebody asked me what was the best camcorder shooting techniques course they could go on, I told him that he should get in touch with the NFTS (National Film & Television School) in Beaconsfield and do one of their Super16mm film camera short courses. He told me that he shoots on a digital tape formats and that he had no interest in film and couldn’t understand why I would recommend such a thing. I explained to him that if you have to pay for film stock and then pay for the developing and processing of it, you tend to think long and hard before pressing that record button. Just this one factor alone will improve the quality of your footage no end. Of course the other thing about learning to use a film camera is that you are disciplined in the art of incredibly steady and smooth shots, you have to, because at 24 or 25 frames-per-second your footage would suffer from judder and flicker; that’s right, it happens in the film world too.

So here goes. When shooting in progressive mode with your camcorder it’s important to ‘follow the action’. Here’s an example. If you were to ‘lock’ your camcorder off on a tripod and set the zoom to medium/wide in a street scene and film a car as it drove past, in progressive mode the car would enter the frame from the right (depending on which way the car was heading), then ‘judder’ or ‘flicker’ its way across the frame, and finally leave the frame from the left. There’s a better way to shoot this car in progressive mode. Instead of locking the camera off on a tripod, you would carry out a panning shot instead; panning the car as it drives past. This way the car won’t ‘judder’ its way through the frame because you are ‘following the motion’ of the car. But, the shops and buildings behind the car would now be moving across the frame, and they would start to ‘judder’ across the frame instead. So to alleviate this problem of background-building-judder, you would adjust the camcorder’s aperture by opening it up to make the depth-of-field shallower hence knocking the background out of focus slightly. Making the shops and buildings slightly out of focus will hide the fact that they are ‘juddering’ across the frame and the end result will be beautifully crafted footage that is crisp, sharp and luscious with that superb progressive look. However, at the distance you would need to be to follow the camera with a pan, the background will most probably be moving too fast to have any noticeable judder. Furthermore, the human eye will ignore the judder because it will be focusing on the object of interest; in this case, the car. And that is one of the main reasons why programmes like 24 and Spooks can do lots of handheld work without any issues. They compose the shot and follow the object of interest. Wide shots are steady; people do not walk across the frame, but into and out of it. Speaking of which, Steadicam shots should be a judder nightmare when shooting in progressive mode, but they aren’t because they use parallax. Movies will use jibs and dollies which use parallax. They NEVER EVER pan, and they rarely ever tilt. BBC documentaries do panning and tilting, but only very slowly or very quickly; nothing in between.

Of course, the above is just one small example of how to eliminate the so-called progressive ‘judder’ look; there is a whole school on the subject.

Basically, if you think ‘Hollywood’ you won’t go far wrong. By this I mean ‘follow the action’ and ‘move into a scene’ with tracks, dollies, Steadicams, jibs and other grip equipment, don’t just zoom in. Work out each individual shot carefully before carrying it out. Think about how you can avoid pans, zooms and erratic hand-held shots, all of which are ‘judder’ magnets. It is possible to hand-hold your camcorder in progressive mode, just don’t ‘flit’ the camcorder around like a lunatic. Be steady, smooth, stable and follow the action. Pans can be done slowly or quickly (nothing in-between), same for tilts. Handheld can be done, I do it all the time, and purposefully move it around erratically sometimes with no issues. Follow the action, manage the movement. With handheld you need to keep it smoother on the wides than you do at the telephoto end.

How about this, remember doing the ‘egg and spoon’ race at school? Well gaffer-tape two desert spoons to the underside of your camcorder with one spoon sticking out either side. Then place your camcorder down on a table (or other flat surface) and take two eggs out of the fridge and place them on the two spoons. Now hit the record button, pick your camcorder up and go for a walk around your house, up and down the stairs and then around the garden. Film a 2 or 3 minute shot both with and without the eggs, and then compare the footage. Be sure to do the first take with no eggs, and then do the second take with the eggs. You’ll be surprised at the results. Then in future, just pretend that your camcorder not only has two eggs balanced on spoons, but also pretend that there is a reel of 32mm film bolted on the back and you are paying for the film stock and developing and printing, and the whole process of this is costing you around £65 per minute. This combination of thoughts will leave all your progressively shot footage totally judder and flicker free and above all, professional.

When shooting in progressive mode don’t forget to turn the shutter on and set it to 1/50th. This is the equivalent of a ‘double gate’ effect of a projector i.e. sharpening up the look of the footage. With no shutter the footage will have a slight ‘blur’ about it.

Shooting in progressive mode will also give you more of a ‘film look’, which is ideal for creative productions such as music videos and films, either short or feature. Overall shooting in progressive has a more ‘expressive’ look about it. A woman walking along the beach with a long flowing dress will make her movements (arms, flowing dress etc) look much more expressive, this will totally transform and bring the scene to life distinguishing it from that horrible ‘news look’ of interlaced footage. However, this also depends on the project. I find that pop concerts for example look weird in progressive scan 25p but look outsounding in 1080i and 720/50p

Shooting progressively is all about re-educating yourself, you have to go back to school and learn to shoot all over again.

As a progressively shot frame is one complete/whole frame (just like a picture taken on a digital stills SLR camera) it is easy to take a frame grab off the timeline and import it into a photo manipulation programme like Photoshop, Lightroom or Aperture for example, and re-scale it to 300dpi (from it’s default 72dpi) and print it out or publish it as a still photo on the web. Because the still is free of interlacing lines it will be crisp and clear with zero interlace ‘tearing’. You could see a progressive scan camcorder as a digital stills SLR camera taking 25 photographs per second; only lower resolution of course. Years ago I was a stills photographer and I owned many stills film cameras, one of which was a Nikon F3. At the time you could buy a high-speed motor-drive for this camera that was capable of shooting 13.5 fps (frames-per-second), there were other high-speed stills cameras that could do 25 fps, which is the same as film. Of course you had to attach a ‘bulk film’ back onto your camera and buy your film stock on rolls as opposed to a 24 or 36 exposure cartridge.

The advantages of shooting progressive are endless. For example, if you are a low-budget independent filmmaker it’s much easier to do a digital transfer to film if the footage was shot progressively to start with. Shooting progressive is also a good way to ‘future-proof’ your footage; there is no place for interlace in the future. As I’ve already mentioned, taking still frames off the timeline and using them as still pictures is easy.

Other advantages are that progressive scan compresses much more efficiently for DVD etc. You can pan, zoom, and crop progressive scan footage far more easily than interlace. For example if you have progressive footage and want to intercut old 4:3 interlace footage, but you want to zoom into the 4:3 stuff to make it 16:9 anamorphic to match the rest of the programme; interlace shot footage will cause havoc.

Interlacing also causes issues for watching DVDs on computer monitors. LCD televisions have all sorts of jiggery pokery to cope well with interlaced footage, but computer LCD’s do not.

©2009 Nigel Cooper

Fonte: DVUSER

New Sony HDR-FX1000 & HVR-Z5 HD camcorders

2009-01-02T08:18:00.009-03:00

Fonte: DVUSER

It looks like those not willing to give up on DV tape for their HD recording needs now have a pair of new options to consider from Sony, which has just introduced its HDR-FX1000 and HVR-Z5 camcorders at IBC. The HDR-FX1000 (pictured) is the slightly more consumer-minded of the two, with it boasting a not-outrageous price of £2,200, and some impressive specs all around, including a 20x optical zoom, both 24p and 30p modes, and Sony's G-series lens, which promises to deliver some top-notch images. The HVR-Z5E, on the other hand, offers some more specialized features like XLR audio inputs, PAL and NTSC compatibility, and support for the DVCAM format in addition to usual DV/HDV option. Look for it to set you back £2,995 when it lands in December, with the HDR-FX1000 set to slip out ahead of it early November.

Even if our new FX1000 keeps the same look as the previous generation FX, Sony decided improve their camera with some nice improvements like a new G Lens that provides better quality images also tuned by the Exmor image processor and the '3 Clear Bit CMOS sensor', and a 20x optical zoom, and the possibility to have a 24p and 30p mode.

It looks like these two camcorders will replace the aging Z1 and FX1 HDV models.

Sony Official Press Release Sep 10, 2008

New HDV Camcorder Offers Fixed 'G Lens' Native Progressive Recording and HYBRID Media Flexibility with a new optional Memory Recording Unit.

The HVR-Z5E offers excellent low-light performance
Sony today announced the latest generation of HDV production technology with a new compact camcorder, the HVR-Z5E and memory recording unit, the HVR-MRC1K. The camcorder features a new fixed “G Lens” system, native progressive recording capabilities, increased sensitivity for low-light conditions and an array of other features designed for general TV production, videographers, budget movie-makers and corporate video production professionals. The memory recording unit offers a CompactFlash™ recording option, not only for the new camcorder, but for all existing Sony professional HDV camcorders.

“Creating a product to rival the phenomenal success of the HVR-Z1E was always going to be tricky, but the fantastic feedback we got from our existing users has helped us do that with this new camcorder,” said Bill Drummond, European Product Marketing Manager. “Our engineers met target European customer groups, to understand where they could improve on the Z1E and today’s launch sees us deliver a product based on that feedback."

A natural upgrade for DSR-PD170P owners
The new camcorder uses Sony’s new 1/3-inch 3 ClearVid CMOS Sensor system enhanced by the technology of Exmor. With its 45-degree rotated pixel layout, the 3 ClearVid CMOS Sensor system offers sufficient pixel surface area while it keeps high resolution. The technology of Exmor features a unique column-parallel analogue-to-digital conversion technique and dual noise canceling, resulting in high quality digital signals with extremely low noise, similar to the imaging technology used in the PMW-EX1 camcorder. The integration of the two new technologies allows the new camcorder to perform significantly better in low-light environments with sensitivity of 1.5 lux (at 1/25 shutter, auto iris and auto gain).

Sony's all-new 'G Lens' increases shooting flexibility
The camcorder’s shooting flexibility is further increased through the addition of a brand new fixed 'G Lens'. This sophisticated lens incorporates Sony's unique optical design and quality control and has been optimised to complement the camcorder’s advanced image sensor and image-processing technology. This lens offers a wide 29.5mm angle lens and brand new 20x optical zoom, as well as three ND filters (1/4, 1/16, 1/64) and independent focus, zoom and iris rings.

The HVR-Z5E also offers 1080/25p Native progressive recording along with the usual flexibility to switch between HDV/DVCAM and DV recording (1080/50i, 576/50i). 60Hz operation will also be available via an optional service upgrade. The camcorder can down-convert material from HD to SD, and output the video signals through its i.LINK interface and other SD output connectors. HDMI output is also available.

The HVR-Z5E is equipped with the same new XtraFine™ LCD and XtraFine EVF as seen on the HVR-Z7E and HVR-S270E, which offers high-resolution and high-contrast images with remarkable colour reproduction. It can deliver more than 60 minutes of recording time on miniDV videotapes, and approximate recording times of 63 minutes (in HDV format) with Sony’s DigitalMaster cassettes (PHDVM-63DM).

The HVR-MRC1K will be available to buy in October
In addition at this year’s IBC, Sony will also launch the new HYBRID memory recorder, the HVR-MRC1K. Previously, it was supplied as an accessory with the HVR-Z7E and HVR-S270E, but strong customer feedback sees it launch as a product in its own right.

The HVR-MRC1K demonstrates Sony’s commitment to offering 'HYBRID’ recording options. The choice of media (Tape or CompactFlash), format recorded (HD&HD, HD&SD, SD&SD) and workflow (direct archive with tape or high speed NLE ingest with CompactFlash) can now be realised by all existing professional HDV users.

This unit captures the HDV1080i, DVCAM, or DV stream output from the camcorder and allows users to record HDV/DVCAM/DV files to a standard CompactFlash solid-state memory card, while users are simultaneously recording to tape. The recording times on an 8 and 16 GB CompactFlash card in HDV, DVCAM and DV format are approximately 36 and 72 minutes, respectively.

The HVR-MRC1K docked at the rear of the HVR-Z5E
The new HVR-Z5E has been designed specially for the HVR-MRC1K memory recording unit offering direct attachment to the rear of the camcorder, eliminating the need for cables. The unit automatically synchronises with the recording action of the camcorder and a special shoe connector inputs and outputs an HDV/DVCAM/DV stream and supplies power to the unit. For all other existing professional HDV and DVCAM users, the HVR-MRC1K comes supplied with a mounting bracket to mount the unit on the cold shoe of the camcorder. Connecting through the i.LINK connector couldn’t be easier with power being supplied via the readily available infoLITHIUM L series battery slot.

“The ongoing development of the HYBRID concept really excites me," added Drummond. "The ability to use any Sony professional HDV or DVCAM camcorder automatically gives customers the choice to move to tapeless on their terms. Backwards compatibility has always been a design goal for Sony, plus protecting customer’s investment in products. This product is a great demonstration that we are listening.”

The new HVR-MRC1K is planned to be available in October whilst the HVR-Z5E is planned for December. Further information on the HDV range and new accessories can be found at www.sonybiz.net/hdv

End of Press Release

More on the HDR-FX1000, HVR-Z5 & HVR-MRC1K
With the HDR-FX1000 camcorder, more adept consumer videographers gain access to cinematic features, including 24P scanning and advanced color settings for around £2,200. With the HVR-Z5E camcorder, professionals will appreciate its native 24P recording and other professional features—all for less than £2,995 as well as tapeless recording capability through an optional CompactFlash adapter.

“The HDR-FX1000 is appealing to the amateur videographer shooting weddings or the aspiring cinematographer,” said Kelly Davis, director of camcorder marketing at Sony Electronics. “The combination of film-like movie quality and advanced color settings makes it possible for prosumers to achieve the deep cinematic look they crave at a reasonable price.”

The HVR-Z5U camcorder offers a “step-up” solution for professionals who desire a more advanced set of features.

“Professionals need features like balanced audio, XLR inputs, timecode and more,” said Bob Ott, vice president of professional audio and video products at Sony Electronics. “They also need access to technical resources to help them with issues like integrating with non-linear editing systems. This is where a professional solution like the HVR-Z5U is an appropriate choice.”

Enhanced Image Capture
Both models use three of Sony’s ClearVid 1/3-inch CMOS sensor chips, which are designed to provide high sensitivity, deep resolution, high-speed reading, low noise and a wider dynamic range. The CMOS sensors capture full HD 1920x1080 resolution, resulting in better picture quality when recorded onto miniDV tape in the HDV format (1440 pixelsx1080 lines). Each of the three sensors is dedicated to one color—red, blue and green—for natural, more accurate color reproduction.

With a 45-degree rotated pixel layout, the ClearVid CMOS sensor system offers outstanding pixel surface area while maintaining high resolution. The Exmor technology features a unique column-parallel analog-to-digital conversion technique and dual noise canceling, resulting in digital signals with extremely low noise. The technologies combine to allow the new camcorders to perform significantly better in low-light environments with sensitivity of 1.5 lux.

Both cameras use Sony’s XtraFine LCD (3.2-inch, 921,000 dots) and XtraFine electronic viewfinder (0.45-inch, 1,227,000 dots) for high-resolution and high-contrast images with remarkable color reproduction.

Ideal For Aspiring Cinematographers
The HDR-FX1000 is Sony’s first Handycam camcorder to feature progressive scan at 1080/24p and 30p, giving video productions a film-like look. Using a two to three pull down, the 24P scanned image is converted to 60i for easy editing with user’s existing software applications. CinemaTone Gamma and CinemaTone Color settings complement the 24P capabilities to create a rich dreamlike picture processing while three built-in neural density filters provide exceptional light control even in extremely bright environments.

Equipped with a refined level of optical performance, the HDR-FX1000 and the HVR-Z5E models are the first camcorders to have a Sony G lens with a 29.5mm wide-end viewing angle, extra-low dispersion glass and 20x optical zoom. The fixed lens is optimized to perfectly complement the cameras’ advanced image sensor and image-processing technology.

The HDR-FX1000 model enables prosumers to define their own manual settings for iris, gain, white balance, shutter speed and focus for increased creativity and control. Use of any of the three manual rings for adjustments to zoom, focus and iris provides even more flexibility.

Professional Video Production
The HVR-Z5E camcorder offers the addition of several features specifically designed for professional video production, such as progressive scan shooting at 1080/24P and 30P, DVCAM recording, timecode support and two XLR balanced audio inputs.

Professionals can record the native 24P/30P signal on to the videotape used in the camcorder or to CompactFlash cards – simultaneously or separately – with the optional HVR-MRC1K recording unit. This unit attaches directly to the back of the camcorder, eliminates the need for cables and automatically synchronizes with the recording action of the camcorder.

The recording unit can be directly attached to the new HVR-Z5E camera, as well as to Sony’s HVR-Z7E and HVR-S270E models. It will also work with other HDV camcorders using a supplied iLINK (IEEE-1394) cable and shoe adapter.

The camcorder, and the HVR-MRC1K adapter will be compatible with Sony’s Professional 306x CompactFlash card. The recording times on an 8 and 16 GB CompactFlash card in HDV, DVCAM and DV format are approximately 36 and 72 minutes, respectively.

Sony will also launch the new HYBRID memory recorder, the HVR-MRC1K for a suggested retail price of £600. Previously, it was supplied as an accessory with the HVR-Z7E and HVR-S270E, but strong customer feedback sees it launch as a product in its own right.

This unit captures the HDV1080i, DVCAM, or DV stream output from the camcorder and allows users to record HDV/DVCAM/DV files to a standard CompactFlash solid-state memory card, while users are simultaneously recording to tape. The recording times on an 8 and 16 GB CompactFlash card in HDV, DVCAM and DV format are approximately 36 and 72 minutes, respectively.

The HVR-MRC1K docked at the rear of the HVR-Z5E. The new HVR-Z5E has been designed specially for the HVR-MRC1K memory recording unit offering direct attachment to the rear of the camcorder, eliminating the need for cables. The unit automatically synchronises with the recording action of the camcorder and a special shoe connector inputs and outputs an HDV/DVCAM/DV stream and supplies power to the unit. For all other existing professional HDV and DVCAM users, the HVR-MRC1K comes supplied with a mounting bracket to mount the unit on the cold shoe of the camcorder.

The new HVR-MRC1K is planned to be available in October.

Availability
The HDR-FX1000 camcorder will be available in early November at authorized dealers nationwide, Sony Style® retail stores and online through www.sonystyle.com.

The HVR-Z5E professional camera is expected to be available in December for a suggested list price of £2,995. The HVR-MRC1K recording unit should be out in October for a suggested list price of £600.
In addition to switchable NSTC and PAL modes, the HVR Z5E can also be used with Sony’s CF card recorder unit, similar to how the Z7E works. It’s worth noting that the Z7E’s CF recorder can be used with just about ANY firewire-equipped camcorder, though I imagine the Z5E will be sporting a mount point for it’s solid-state unit to simplify things. The Z5 can also be configured to output multiple formats, like HDV to tape while also outputting DV to CF media.

UPDATE: A few differences between these models and the FX1/Z1E include a vastly upgraded LCD with 921K pixels vs 250K pixels, and the addition of a 3rd ND filter built into the lens. Options now include ND 1/4, 1/16, and 1/64 much like the Z7U offers. The lens is not a fixed aperture throughout, with a range from f/1.6 at full wide to f/3.4 at the telephoto end. That is just over two full stops of light transmission difference from wide to tele, and it shows some of the compromises made to get 20x range out of the glass.

HDR-FX1000 (preliminary) features:
3-CMOS image sensors (Exmor processing)
24p/30p/60i
Sony G-series lens
20X optical zoom
NTSC DV/HDV (1440×1080)

HVR-Z5E (preliminary) features:
3-CMOS image sensors (Exmor processing)
24p/25p/30p/50i/60i
Sony G-series lens
20X optical zoom
NTSC/PAL DV/HDV/DVCAM (1440×1080)
XLR Audio

Date: 09-09-2008

JVC Alliance with Sony to Support XDCAM EX

2008-10-11T20:58:00.005-03:00

Fonte: Dvuser

JVC Announces Alliance with Sony to Support XDCAM EX
Professional Video File Format which Records on SxS Memory Cards. JVC SxS MEMORY CARD DOCKING RECORDER KA-MR100G to be the first product; out March 2009.

JVC Professional has announced it will support Sony’s XDCAM EX format that uses MPEG-2 video and SxS flash memory cards for storing high-definition video. JVC’s first XDCAM EX product will be the KA-MR100G docking media recorder, that will attach to current JVC Pro Camcorders. It is not sure exactly what models the KA-MR100G will work with, but it will work with the ProHD GY-HD200/250 series camcorders. This will allow the tape based cameras to record directly to SxS media. 100 series ProHD owners will have to upgrade if they want to take advantage of the KA-MR100G, which would be uneconomical and unrealistic in my opinion.

The KA-MR100G will be available to buy in March 2009, can a native XDCAM EX camcorder made by JVC be far behind?

This is good news for both Sony and JVC. Sony's SxS format will continue to grow and with any luck the very expensive SxS cards should start to come down in price as more camcorders and devices from JVC appear on the market.

While hopefully JVC will bring out more up-to-date ProHD camcorders with full raster 1920x1080 chips, larger ones than the current ProHD series with any luck. Personally I think bolting a KA-MR100G on the back of a current ProHD HDV tape-camcorder is a bit of a cop out and it won't match the image quality of Sony's EX camcorders which have larger and superior quality chips. JVC will have to bring out native SxS only ProHD series camcorders with larger chips to compete with Sony's EX1 and EX3 and give more choice to the buying customer; no tape-drives please.

Another reason that I think it is very important that JVC bring out dedicated SxS only camcorders is because there is already a better option to the KA-MR100G made by another company; though this other option does require your camcorder to have a HD/SDI output. Convergent Design already have the 'nanoFLASH' and the 'Flash XDR'. The nanoFLASH records using the same MPEG Long-GOP structure to Sony's SxS, only at much faster bitrates and a superior colour space. The nanoFLASH records at 50 and 100Mbps in 4:2:2 colour space, as opposed to Sony's SxS EX camcorders, which record at 35Mbps and 4:2:0 colour space in comparison. The flashNANO dosn't use expensive SxS cards either, it records directly to cheap CF cards. nanoFLASH has two CF card slots and cost £2,500. However, these two Convergent Design units don't work via FireWire or USB, they feed from the camcorders HD/SID BNC-type output. So if your camcorder has a HD/SDI output (like Sony's own EX1 and EX3) that outputs 50Mbps and 4:2:2 colour space, you should look very hard at the nanoFLASH and Flash XDR.

Details of flashNANO and Flash XDR at: www.convergent-design.com

I'm sure that JVC will recognize that there are products like the nanoFLASH and even more consumer oriented products like the FireStore already out there, including JVC's own version of the FireStore the DR-HD100E. A simple KA-MR100G will not be enough to kickstart an SxS range or products. If JVC don't launch a native SxS camcorder around the same time (or very soon after) the whole exercise of the KA-MR100G will be somewhat futile.

I'm not being negative here. I'm pleased that Sony have licensed their SxS technology to JVC. It will do great things for both JVC and Sony. Anyone who reads my reviews/articles on DVuser will know that I'm a massive fan of JVC's ProHD range. But, sales of these cameras are thin on the ground these days and JVC desperately need to bring the ProHD right up to date. I see the SxS technology as being the right vehicle for JVC.

Adding SxS technology to JVC's superbly built ProHD series of camcorders would be a serious force to be reckoned with. If JVC do go down this road and it actually happens, I personally would be right there at the front of the queue. JVC have a loyal following with their ProHD series. Current owner/users will be thrilled at the news of better versions of these camcorders coming out in the future, with superior image sensors and faster/higher quality bitrates over the aging HDV format. I am sure it will even hit sales of Sony's current EX range. Canon will almost certainly have to do something about their superb, but aging HDV XL series or they will be out of the market.

The future is now looking very bright and very good for JVC indeed!!

JVC's website is: www.jvcpro.co.uk

©2008 Nigel Cooper

Official JVC Press Release:

JVC Announces Alliance with Sony to Support XDCAM EX Professional Video File Format which Records on SxS Memory Cards.

KA-MR100G Media Recorder to be First JVC Native XDCAM EX File Based Device.

IBC, Amsterdam (September 12, 2008) - Victor Company of Japan, Ltd. (JVC) announced today its alliance with Sony Corporation to support the XDCAM EX MPEG-2 professional video file format *1 and SxS (S-By-S) solid state flash memory cards *2. JVC is committed to develop products based on the XDCAM EX file format utilizing SxS memory cards to bring this high quality, high bit rate recording option to JVC professional video product customers *3. The compact SxS memory card provides high speed data transfer capability designed especially for professional video camera applications.

“JVC is committed to collaborating with world-class partners to provide the best solutions and the widest range of options for our professional video customers,” stated Hiroyuki Takekura, Managing Director, Professional Systems Business, Victor Company of Japan. “Our goal is to offer a variety of recording options including major video file formats and field-proven media. We are extremely pleased with our alliance with Sony Corporation to support the XDCAM EX file format and the SxS memory card and thereby expand our professional application capabilities.”

“Sony is very pleased to license the XDCAM EX file format to JVC. Sony and JVC are both well-established companies in the professional video market and Sony has enjoyed a strong relationship with JVC over an extended period of time,” said Yoshinori Onoue, Corporate Executive, SVP of Sony Corporation. “We see this announcement as a natural evolution of this relationship, which will help ensure the continued success of XDCAM EX."

JVC will launch the KA-MR100G docking media recorder as its first product featuring native XDCAM EX file recording and an SxS memory card slot. This device will record and playback XDCAM EX files on an SxS memory card. The KAMR100G will also attach to current JVC ProHD GY-HD200/250 series professional high definition camcorders via a specially designed adapter. Future products from JVC will attach directly to the KA-MR100G.

The KA-MR100G will be available in March 2009 with a suggested retail price of approximately £1,995.

*1: XDCAM EX
This is Sony Corporation’s brand name for its professional video camera series incorporating the SxS memory card as a recording medium and features an MPEG-2 Long GOP compression method.

*2: SxS memory card
SxS is a flash memory card designed for professional video cameras with a high-speed PCI Express interface. It conforms to the Express Card standard, and has a maximum recording capacity of approximately 70 minutes of High Definition (HD) video with a 16GB SxS memory card.

*3: Sony License
The development of file format compatible with XDCAM EX series is conducted under license from Sony Corporation.

HVR-Z5E Reviewed

2008-10-06T16:50:00.007-03:00

HVR-Z5E Reviewed by IoV's Kevin Cook

The replacement for the Z1?
To me, it just didn’t seem logical. When they told me that this was going to be the replacement for the HVR-Z1E I thought it was even more bizarre. I mean, what was wrong with the Z1? And surely that's only been on the market of a couple of years itself? Are things really changing that rapidly? I guess age must be creeping up on me. On checking back I was a little surprised to discover that I first reviewed a pre-production Z1 in December 2004. Even though the Z1 won’t quite reach its 4th birthday, when you consider how other technologies have changed over that period then maybe it is time for a change. Having said that, I’ve never been one for changing things for the sake of change alone. There has to be good reason to replace what has become one of the most popular Sony cameras of all time. I was even more intrigued when it was revealed that the Z5 would also be pitched as a suitable replacement for the even older standard definition DSR-PD170 DVCAM camera. This camcorder has continued to be used by many videographers, as one of the biggest downfalls of all the early HD cameras was their underperformance in low light conditions. So, to replace both the Z1 and the PD170 with this new pretender it must be able to tick a lot of boxes at a price point to match.

The Z5E's lens is one of the biggest changes over the Z1E

What was wrong with the Z1?
Before the Z5 arrived I started to think about all that was wrong with my trusty old Z1. Sure, low light performance wasn’t the best in town – even though it performed better than some of the much higher priced HD cameras. It had a pretty extensive menu system, but there is the odd control here and there which are a pain in the backside to have to go into menus in order to change. And the other bugbear with the Z1 was the iris control wheel under the lens. The Z1 lens itself wasn’t too bad, though I’ve never been a fan of focus rings which spin endlessly making it difficult to judge physically where you were. Then there’s the weight of the Z1, which does not feel too bad when first picked up but after a short while of handheld operation soon starts to strain on the old muscles. Could the Z5 really address all the issues?

Open the box...
Having been sworn to secrecy pending its launch at IBC, Sony delivered the pre-production Z5 only a few weeks before its big reveal in Amsterdam. As is usual in these pre-market review situations, the usual words of caution were given about this being a pre-production model and that the actual market model may vary slightly. You also need to keep in mind that you are never left these review cameras for very long, so it was dropped off on the Friday before the end of August bank holiday and it had to be ready for collection first thing on the following Tuesday. I point this out because I never got to put the camera to any real-world tests, but I did get to measure it up against my Z1 as far as the shortcomings mentioned above. One of the first things to strike you is its similarity with the Z1. It’s pretty much the same size and shape on first inspection. The top viewfinder, though ever so slightly smaller, is in the same position covering various controls for the VTR section when folded away. I liked this when it first featured on the Z1 so was glad to see it had not been changed.

Significantly more comfortable to operate than the Z1E

On picking up the camera I had my one and only real disappointment. It’s pretty much the same weight as the Z1. Unlike its predecessor, the Z5’s main casing seems to be made from a plastic material as opposed to the cast alloy body of the Z1. I’m not saying it felt flimsy, but it did make me wonder where Sony had managed to pack out the Z5 to bring it equal to the Z1 in weight. This is when I started to get a bid nerdy. Picking one camera up and then the next, the Z5 definitely felt more comfortable to handle. The lens (which I’ll come on to next) was about the same size; the XLR mic connection block, though positioned underneath the LCD panel (as opposed to the Z1 where it sits on the side of the lens) was roughly in the same forward position; the on-board mic, though slightly smaller, did not seem to be enough to make the difference. It had me scratching my head for quite a while, but I eventually twigged it. The grip on the Z5 is ever so slightly further forward than the Z1, but more importantly the camera’s centre of gravity is a good couple of centimetres further to the back of the camera making it less front heavy (one of the common grumbles amongst Z1 users).

The Front End
The Z1’s lens was one of those from the Carl Zeiss stable, and whilst there were a few critics of it when it was hailed as being one of the first HD lenses on a camera of its size, it was undeniably one of the stronger points of the camera. The Z5 lens is significant as it’s the first lens to come about through Sony’s acquisition of Konica Minolta’s Digital SLR business – and from what I’ve seen it represents another step forward for Sony. Called the ‘G’ series, the Z5’s fixed lens boasts a 20x optical zoom – compared to 12x optical on the Z1. It’s also a lot quicker than the Z1 lens in going from fully wide (at 29.5mm) to fully zoomed. There are also three wheels on the lens giving you accurate control of focal length, focus and (hip, hip hooray!) exposure. Though these rings are all still the endless spinning variety, the iris control is so much better than the Z1. And, with the addition of three neutral density settings, from my limited tests it seems to offer far greater control of exposure.

Low-light performance
Whereas the Z1 had 3 x 1/3” CCDs, the Z5 utilises the same 3 x 1/3-inch ClearVid Exmor Technology Sensors as seen in the recently introduced HVR-Z7E and HVR-S270E cameras. The Z1 was quoted as being a 3-lux camera, which was a somewhat backward step when compared to the likes of the PD170 at 1-lux. Though the Z5 has not quite reached the heady heights achievable by the PD170, it is rated at a much improved 1.5-lux. On my very rudimentary comparisons between my Z1 and the Z5, the difference is quite noticeable. With the cameras side by side, both set to completely auto everything, I turned the office lights off with only a small amount of daylight coming through the blinds. I think the pictures below speak for themselves, and it’s probably why Sony feel confident enough to say this is a suitable camera for PD170 users to make the move to HD with no loss of sensitivity. Sure, there’s gain being added to the Z5, but its generally a lot more sensitive to light than its predecessor.

Audio Features
The new directional microphone bracket which will hold the supplied ECM-XM1 directional mic has a simple quick release system. This is unlike the Z1 which you had to unscrew to release its grip on the mic. I had initially thought the mic bracket was not connected properly as it has a fair bit of play in it, but this was before I realised it has far greater rubber isolation mount between it and the camera body. I did say this was a pre-production model, so perhaps this floppiness is something that will not be apparent on the model released to market. Besides being able to record with both the on-board mic and external XLR input simultaneously, further improvements to the sound include the movement of the level control wheels from the back to the operator side of the camera. You no longer have to delve into menus to assign channels for XLR and internal mic – and between line-level, mic or phantom power - as they are controlled by nice little switches under a protective flap by the level control wheels and another by the mic bracket. Though I’ve never found this a problem on my Z1, apparently some users reported inadvertently switching the Z1s phantom power buttons so these protective flaps will be seen as another advantage with the Z5.

The HVR-Z5E with optional HVR-MRCK1 fitted at rear
Recording Modes
As with the HVR-Z1E, you have the option to record in either DV, DVCAM or HDV – but unlike the Z1 the camera can also give you 25p native progressive recording. However, the major difference with the Z5 will come with the addition of the optional HVR-MRCK1 CF Memory Recorder (as found on the HVR-Z7E and HVR-S270E) – making it a truly hybrid camera capable of simultaneously recording to tape and solid state media. With an anticipated price of around €725 when it comes out in October, I think the MRCK1 will be one of those ‘must-have’ accessories each time one of these cameras is purchased. It will attach directly on the back of the Z5 which explains why the battery connection point sits well into the body of the camera – enabling the CF memory recorder to sit flush with the camera body.

The same – but different
Getting back to what is similar to the Z1, I’m pretty confident that an existing Z1 user will pretty much instantly pick this up and start creating pictures. The buttons and knobs, white balance presets, trigger/zoom controls and menu configuration and navigation are all pretty much the same. The only thing you’ll need to worry about is what function you are going to assign the additional assignable button. There are now 7 in total! Other slight changes between the two are the addition of a second cold shoe which is suitable for attaching the likes of wireless mic receivers or other accessories. Though I’ve never had a problem with this, there is also an additional tripod pin-boss hole for additional rigidity when used on a tripod.

One feature which Z1 users will find odd is that the Z5 (along with the recently introduced Z7) will only be able to record in both PAL and NTSC unless you pay for an upgrade. I’ve got no idea what this will cost, but there are quite a few videographers out there who will shoot and edit in NTSC if they think there is a possibility that the client will want NTSC copies.

Conclusion
To answer my first nagging question of whether this really is a change for the sake of change, the simple answer is no! There are significant improvements which make the Z5 a natural choice for all those Z1 users whose cameras are coming to the end of their natural life – as is mine! Add the optional MRCK1 CF recorder, or even Sony’s HVR-DR60 portable hard disk recorder, and you’ll have a truly hybrid camera solution enabling you to shoot SD or HD - to tape, hard drive or solid state (or any combination of these), and always be able to adopt the best possible workflow for any given project. You’ll get the benefits of file-based ingest and access which comes with solid state; the peace of mind of additional hard disk archiving; and the familiarity, wide media availability and low cost of tape.

Sony have upped the ante once again
Other accessories en route include a 0.8x wide angle converter combined with a single 4x5.6” filter matte box. This will come along a couple of months after the camera, and it will be interesting to see how this compares to other third-party wide angle converters and matte box systems. The ‘G’ series lens is a great improvement over the Carl Zeiss in operation, speed and optical length - and that all important third control ring changes it from being a pseudo-pro lens into something that is much more akin to industrial and broadcast lens systems. I’m sure that Sony’s competitive manufacturers will hate me for saying this, but Sony seemed to have upped the ante once again. I’m also sure that when the HVR-Z5E gets its first UK airing at IOV2008 on 15th & 16th October, there will be more than one or two Z1 owners thinking about how they can justify the upgrade.

SONY FX1000 - REVIEW

2008-09-10T10:34:00.007-03:00

An Exclusive Hands-on Preview
By David Speranza

Reaffirming its commitment to the HDV format, Sony has announced its newest top-of-the-line prosumer camcorder, the HDR-FX1000. This model replaces the HDR-FX1 and adds a substantial number of improvements, including three Exmor-enhanced 1/3" CMOS sensors, a wide-angle 20x G-Series lens, and—in a welcome first from Sony's consumer division—24p/30p progressive scan recording. Other new features include increased low-light sensitivity (down to 1.5 lux), dedicated zoom, focus and iris rings, 3 built-in ND filters, and a 3.2" Xtra Fine LCD with an impressive 921K-pixel screen.
Having just laid our hands on a preproduction model, it seems safe to say that this camera delivers on more than specs alone. About half an inch shorter than the FX1, the FX1000 feels exceptionally solid and balanced, with a more professional and robust build than its predecessor in just about every respect. Any part of the FX1 that felt plastic-y or hollow seems to have been ruggedized, from the internal lens cover, which feels less toy-like, to the grooved top handle, the focus ring, the inset control buttons, and even the eyepiece hinge—it all just says "professional." For a camcorder that's technically a "consumer" model, that's pretty remarkable.
And while the lack of XLR inputs keeps this fixed-lens camera from full professional status, its street price of $3,199 is $500 less than the FX1 and less than half the price of the pro-level HVR-Z7U (which adds an interchangeable lens to an otherwise similar feature set). This makes the FX1000 an amazing package for independent videographers and filmmakers seeking broadcast-quality, 24p film-like imagery.
Along with introducing the FX1000 and discontinuing the FX1, Sony also plans to reintroduce its previously discontinued HDR-FX7, drastically cutting its price from $3,500 to $1,999. While an unusual move, this effectively diversifies the company's prosumer line by positioning the FX7 as a credible bridge between the more consumer-oriented HDR-HC9 and the now-flagship FX1000. At the same time it gives Canon's and Panasonic's comparable products more price-to-price and feature-to-feature competition. Aside from the XH-A1's XLR inputs, the FX1000 provides far more bang for the buck, its new specs giving it a substantial edge over arguably any sub-$4,000 camcorder out there.
With only a preproduction model at our disposal, we were unable to properly test the quality of video output, but let's see exactly what all those new specs mean.
Image Quality
In switching from the FX1's three 1/3" CCD imagers to new 1/3" ClearVid CMOS sensors, Sony included the Exmor technology used in their more recent flash memory and pro XDCAM EX cameras. Adding this on-sensor analog/digital conversion to three CMOS chips—each dedicated to its own color in the red/green/blue spectrum—provides several important benefits. First and foremost are sharper, more detailed images (along with an extended battery life due to the CMOS chips using less power). But even more significant for HD shooters, many of whom still miss the great low-light capabilities of standard-def workhorses like the VX2100 and PD170, is the FX1000's ability to accurately capture images down to 1.5 lux. This is twice the ability of the FX1, Z1U or Panasonic's HVX200 (all at 3 lux), and compares even more favorably to the FX7, VIU, and Canon's XH-A1 and GL2—rated at 4 lux. This greater light sensitivity seems mostly the result of the improved noise reduction afforded by Exmor processing, along with what Sony claims to be a 30% increase in dynamic range (bringing greater detail to the image's dark and light areas).

At the same time, the FX1000 is the first camcorder to come with Sony's new G-series 20x zoom lens, replacing the previously standard Carl Zeiss lenses. These high-performance lenses, originally made for Minolta/Sony D-SLR professional still cameras, offer improved optics (aspheric elements, a circular aperture, internal focus, extra-low dispersion glass) and were designed to match the camera's sensor and image processor more precisely.
This particular lens also brings something else to the table: a wider angle. Its 35mm-equivalent 29.5mm–590mm zoom range makes it easily the widest lens in the Sony line—topped only by the 28mm on Panasonic's new AG-HPX170 and AG-HMC150 (but wider than the Canon XH-A1's 32.5mm). This is a real boon to filmmakers needing to shoot in tight spaces, as it avoids the inconvenience, expense, and reduced image quality that comes with wide-angle converter lenses. Sony also seems to have carried over the digital extender from its FX7, which further magnifies the zoom by 1.5x with minimal quality loss.
x.v.Color technology is the final element in Sony's bag of improved imaging. This provides the images with a widened color range—nearly double that of standard RGB—and offers more natural color reproduction when displayed on an x.v.Color HDTV or monitor.
Film-Like 24p Progressive Scan
Unlike Canon and Panasonic, the cameras from Sony's consumer division have historically offered either HD or 24p, never both. The FX1000 breaks that mold, dropping the FX1's CineFrame mode for true progressive-scan 1080/24p and 30p—allowing budget-minded filmmakers and videographers to achieve the much-coveted "film" look. Two CinemaTone Gamma and CinemaTone Color settings are also available, which together enhance the 24p's film-like motion by creating deeper blacks and colors while maintaining detail in the middle tones and highlights. Although the FX1000 does not offer native progressive recording, its 24p/30p progressive modes (along with standard 1080/60i) go a long way toward giving Sony's HD customers the widened image palette that Canon and Panasonic users have taken for granted. For anyone who was on the fence about whether they could sacrifice 24p for the sake of brand loyalty, that decision no longer has to be made.
Improved Control
Both the FX1 and FX7 offered a healthy amount of control over the image coming through the lens. But the FX1000 ups the ante on the degree of professional control in camcorders at this price point. The most obvious change is the new iris ring, which joins the focus and zoom controls where it rightfully belongs—on the lens. This brings a more reliable, intuitive feel to image adjustment, especially for shooters used to working with higher-end cameras and lenses. Also added is a third built-in neutral density filter, making the FX1000 the first prosumer camera to offer 1/4, 1/16 and 1/64 ND settings, giving greater versatility when compensating for excess light. Retained from the FX1 are color bars (for professional color alignment) and zebra display (highlighting overexposed areas), now joined by a live histogram display—an exposure tool that measures the distribution of light and dark within an image.
But it's the FX1000's Xtra Fine LCD that redefines monitoring and playback at the prosumer level. At a resolution of 921K pixels—versus the norm of 250K—the new display is a real eye-opener. The image clarity and sharpness this resolution is capable of brings a dramatic improvement to the critical focusing needed for hi-def capture. At 3.2" it's a tad smaller than the FX1's 3.5", but what it loses in size it more than makes up for in clarity and viewing angles. The accompanying .45" Xtra Fine viewfinder is likewise a significant step up, from 252K pixels to 1,226K, while the very useful peaking function—which broadens edges in the viewfinder to assist in focusing—has also been retained.
The standard complement of manual controls also remains in place—gain, shutter and white balance adjustments—along with settings for color (mode/level/phase/depth), sharpening and knee point levels, all of which are especially useful in fine-tuning cinematic looks. Other notable features include Minus Auto Gain, 2:3 pull-down to 60i for editing, a Memory Stick slot for 1.2MP still image capture, Smooth Slow Record, and HDV/DV switchability. An improved button layout repositions several functions to better advantage, including a more prominent and easily accessed audio control and recessed placement beneath the tape mechanism.
The only thing missing, it seems, are the fixed end points and lens barrel markings found on the FX1's zoom ring—an unusual and seemingly unnecessary downgrade on a camera that's otherwise all about one-upmanship. But given the FX1000's added iris ring and the impressive responsiveness of all three servo-controlled rings, it's hardly a deal-breaker. Assuming the image quality is up to Sony's usual high standards, this camera—and its forthcoming professional counterpart—is going to make a lot of shooters very, very happy.
Bundling Vegas
In a related announcement, Sony is now bundling a special version of its Vegas Pro 8 editing software, specifically for its photo channel retailers, with its two most popular consumer HD camcorders, the HDV-format HDR-HC9VBDL and the hybrid 120GB HDD/Memory Stick HDR-SR12VBDL—providing a $500 value to filmmakers looking to take advantage of Vegas' intuitive and extremely robust interface. For those who have never used Vegas, this is definitely a smart way to spread the word on a great piece of software that deserves to find its way into more professional environments.
The HDR-FX1000 and newly priced FX7 are scheduled to ship in November, with the pro version of the FX1000, the HVR-Z5U, soon to follow. It will be interesting to see how video makers—and the competition—respond.

Fonte: B&H PHOTO VIDEO PRO AUDIO

Panasonic AG-HMC150

2008-09-09T15:05:00.004-03:00

Panasonic has announced the tapeless AG-HMC150 handheld camera, a competitively priced addition to the company's growing professional AVCHD product line that builds on the success of its popular DV-based AG-DVX100.

The AG-HMC150 provides enhanced HD production capabilities for budget-conscious operators desiring professional features, extended recording capability, and the fast, simple, and highly reliable workflow offered by tapeless, solid-state recording. The AG-HMC150 features three native 16:9 progressive 1/3-inch CCD imagers with an optical image stabilisation (OIS) function to ensure stable shooting and a 28mm Leica Dicomar wide-angle zoom lens (35mm equivalent). The AG-HMC150 handheld offers 1080i and 720p recording at 13 Mbps, comparable to current HDV compression formats with bit rates of 25Mbps. An additional, higher bit rate mode is incorporated for higher-level use. The AG-HMC150 supports a full range of HD formats including 1080/60i, 1080/50i, 1080/30p, 1080/25p, 1080/24p native, 720/60p, 720/50p, 720/30p, 720/25p, and 720/24p native and is 50Hz / 59.94Hz switchable.

The advanced handheld utilises the second-generation long GOP HD standard - AVCHD. Based on MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 high-profile encoding, AVCHD provides a near doubling of bandwidth efficiency and considerably improved video performance over the older MPEG-2 compression used in HDV formats. Announced by Panasonic and Sony, this industry-standard format is now supported by more than 30 companies and implemented in numerous camcorders, NLE systems, and consumer HD playback devices.

The AG-HMC150 offers professional HD performance with the simplicity of a digital still camera. And because the solid-state handheld camcorder records onto SD and SDHC memory cards, users can benefit from the reliability and random access of tapeless recording and capitalise on the cost advantages, widespread availability, and growing capacity of standard SD consumer cards. With the newly announced 32GB SDHC memory card and the camcorder's 6-Mbps recording mode, users can record up to 12-hours of HD video and audio on a single SD card.

"The AG-HMC150 is an exceptional camera combining leading-edge tapeless operation with a professional feature set at a very attractive price," said Carmen Mendoza, marketing general manager of Panasonic PBITS. "With the introduction of the AG-HMC151, Panasonic is making the enormous advantages of tapeless operation available to an even wider range of users."

Additional features of the AG-HMC150 include: professional XLR audio input connections; a wide range of data and signal interfaces including HDMI out, USB 2.0, component out (D-terminal), composite out and RCA audio out jacks; a 3.5-inch LCD monitor to display thumbnail images for quick viewing and playback; and a time code/user bits menu. The camera also has remote jacks for focus, iris and start/stop functions; a prerecord feature that allows the camera to capture footage occurring immediately before real-time recording begins; and a time/date stamp menu option for documentation purposes.

Panasonic's AVCHD camera line brings the benefits of solid-state recording to budget-conscious professionals. As with digital still photography, recording video onto SD/SDHC cards offers a fast and simple IT-compatible workflow with ultra-reliable performance and is resistance to shock, vibration, extreme temperatures, and weather. SD and SDHC memory cards are inexpensive, widely available, and can be reused repeatedly. As AVCHD records video as digital data files, content can be transferred and stored on affordable, high-capacity hard disk drives (HDD) and optical storage media - and transferred to future storage media as technology advances.

The AG-HMC150 will be available in the third quarter of 2008 at a price to be announced. More information is available at www.panasonic-broadcast.com

Features:
Extra-long record times - one 32GB SDHC card can hold up to 3 hours in the PH mode mode, 4 hours HA, 5.3 hours at HG mode and 12 hours in the HE mode.
Records in a full range of HD formats including 1080/60i, 1080/30p, 1080/24p; 720/60p, 720/30p, 720/24p.
1/3" 3-CCD progressive image system with excellent sensitivity, superb colour reproduction and resolution.
Optical Image Stabilization (O.I.S.) that ensures stable images, critical to high definition video display.
13X 28mm to 368mm (35mm equivalent) Leica Dicomar™ wide-angle zoom lens.
Superb Manual & Auto focus.
In camera Waveform Monitor, Vectorscope and two Focus assist displays.
A host of advanced video functions like Cinelike Gamma and Dynamic Range Stretch (DRS).
Professional level connections including HDMI out, Component Out (D Terminal), Composite Out and RCA Audio out jacks, XLR audio inputs, USB 2.0 for file transfer, remote control for Zoom, Iris, Focus, Start/Stop.
Features three neutral density filters and three user sets.
Two locking XLR inputs with switches for mic/line, +48V Phantom Power, Auto/Manual level, and internal/external assignment.
Useful time/date stamp feature for applications like legal depositions or surveillance.
Includes professional level assist functions like waveform monitor, vectorscope and two focus displays.
Variety of editing solutions (Render files to almost any format or media).
Free downloadable AVCHD Transcoder for conversion to DVCPRO HD available at www.panasonic.com/avccam
Built with a durable, die-cast magnesium chassis frame for reliable performance in tough environments.
Lightweight (under 6lbs.), handheld design similar to the popular AG-DVX100.
Three-year warranty program (One year + two year extension upon registration).

Extra-Long Solid-State Recording
Forget minutes! With AVCHD technology and high-capacity SD memory cards, the HMC151 provides hours of beautiful high definition recordings at professional bitrates up to 21Mbps. And it's as easy to use as a digital still camera, with simple playback on many consumer devices and players, from computers and video game consoles to Blu-ray players and flat panel displays with SD card slots.

AVCHD is currently supported by variety of editing solutions including: Grass Valley Edius PRO v4.5, Apple iMovie, Apple Final Cut Pro 6.0.1, Pinnacle Studio Plus 11, Nero7 Premium Reloaded, Ulead Video Studio 11 plus and DVD Movie Factory 6 Plus.

Stunning, full pixel HD resolution with these professional bitrate recording modes:

PH - 21 Mpbs (1920x1080) -- Highest Quality Setting
HA - 17 Mpbs (1920x1080)
HG - 13 Mpbs (1920x1080)
HE - 6 Mpbs (1440x1280) - Perfect for Long-form Recording

Fonte: Dvuser

HPX170 Review

2008-09-02T08:41:00.006-03:00

by Barry Green
The first functional HPX170 is now in the States, being prepped for its debut to the world at Chicago's HD Expo. I previously posted a "First Look" article that described all the physical/hardware changes that we could identify. Recently, I got a chance to spend a little time with the HPX170, next to the HVX200A. This is the first chance we've had to dig inside the menus and see what new goodies are offered or are in store.

DISCLAIMER: Just because it's talked about here, that doesn't mean it'll be in the production version! All camera manufacturers always say "features and specifications subject to change" and that applies here too. This is a preview of what we MAY get in the final version of the HPX170.

So, first, to revisit a few physical things: it's hard to describe just how ergonomically superior the HPX170 is, over the HVX200 (and embarrassingly superior for handheld work as compared to the reigning ergonomics nightmare, the EX1). The HPX170 really is about the size and weight of the DVX100; I even pulled out a DVX100 to compare. The HPX170 prototype is maybe half an inch longer, and half an inch taller, than the DVX100. And about the same weight. It's such a night-and-day experience, using an HPX170 handheld, vs. the HVX200 or EX1. There are subtle touches throughout, such as that you can open the LCD with one finger instead of as on the HVX200 where it takes pushing in a button and then manually pulling the LCD open. The power switch is a lot nicer, the buttons and switches have been a little re-organized to make things easier to find and more logically grouped, and the FOCUS-IRIS switch is probably the most pleasant surprise. (I'm on record as ragging on the silly FOCUS RING user-button feature of the HVX200, so I thought I'd think the FOCUS-IRIS switch on the HPX170 would be equally silly, but – I gotta tell you, you're gonna like it. More on that later.)

The HPX170 has the same absolute precision and repeatability to the focus ring as the HVX200 (thank you!) and the same manual zoom, it's got much better balance, it's thinner, it's way lighter, and its wide-angle field of view is significantly wider than the 200, and even somewhat wider than the 200A. And – oh, did I mention the LCD? Man, have they improved that! Now, it may be technically the same LCD panel, but it's so much improved that it's hard to describe. The image processing and EVF DTL are so enhanced that it's now very, very easy to know exactly when you're in focus. The HVX200A received some of this improvement but not as much as the HPX170. The HPX170 is so much better than the HVX200 in this regard that I say you really have to see it to believe it. Now, I didn't get a chance to take it outside to see how it performs in bright sunlight, but if it's a problem, that's what I've got a Hoodman for. Overall, I don't see the LCD as even being a problem anymore. It's seriously improved over the HVX200!

Other Physical Changes:

As mentioned in the First Look article, there's no s-video port, instead it has HD-SDI; the firewire port has been upgraded to a locking six-pin connector, and the SD card slot has moved to inside the P2 card compartment. In addition to HD-SDI there's a component video port, which uses a different connector; it uses a mini-D connector instead of the D-4. It's similar to, but not the same as, the connector used on the Sony EX1. It looks like the same basic design, but the Panasonic connector is bigger. Another change is that there's a new Slot Select button; instead of accessing SLOT SEL through a user button, it now has its own dedicated button on the back. The joystick from the DVX series is back, replacing the button pad of the HVX line. The thumbnail button is now called just "thumbnail" instead of audio dub/thumbnail. Obviously this is a change warranted by the disappearance of the tape deck; the "audio dub" function was only used for dubbing additional audio tracks onto the tape. Since the HPX170 has no tape deck, it has no need for the "audio dub" function. The HPX170 also doesn't have the gray and red VCR REC buttons. Instead, it repurposes the ZEBRA and OIS buttons to serve the same purpose. If you want to record an incoming firewire stream, you press and hold the ZEBRA and OIS buttons together (there's a text word and graphic saying "REC" over them to remind you). Or, you can use the remote control to trigger recording.

The RCA jacks, component video port, and SDI port are all output-only, no analog video input is possible. If you need to dub from external analog video devices, you'd need the HVX200A; the HPX170 can't do that. It can only input through the firewire (or the lens, of course).

The P2 eject buttons now are styled like those found on the HPX500 and the other larger P2 cameras, meaning that the buttons now fold over instead of just sticking out. The inside of the compartment basically looks like the inside of a P2 Gear's P2 compartment.
Okay, now, about that FOCUS/IRIS switch: the HVX200 had a similar kind of function, which was "FOCUS RING" that you could assign to a user button. This would determine whether the focus ring on the lens controlled focus OR iris. You could use that big ring on the lens to control your iris, but the drawback (and, dare I say it, the fatal flaw) of that arrangement is that it required you to be in autofocus mode. So that was of extremely limited value. Well, they fixed that on the HPX170: if you put that switch in IRIS mode, the ring works regardless of whether you're in autofocus or manual focus mode. After playing with it for a minute, I realized just how useful that is: if you put the camera in manual focus mode, and you put the switch in IRIS position, then you've done two things: you've DISABLED the focus ring, and you've gained a huge iris ring. Very useful for 35mm adapter users! Now you can forcibly lock the focus at one set position, and instead get a big huge iris ring. I bet this one feature alone is going to prove quite popular with 35mm adapter users.

The lens has a new focal length range, 3.9 to 51mm. In practical terms, the HVX200A is wider than the HVX200, and the HPX170 is wider than both of them. As for telephoto, the opposite is true: the HVX200 has the most reach, the HVX200A a little less, and the HPX170 a little less than both. The difference in wide angle is a lot more noticeable than the difference in telephoto though.

Wide Angle Comparison

Tele Comparison

PERFORMANCE TESTING

My performance testing was limited because ... well, it's almost pointless, really. This is a development mule, not a finished product, so anything is subject to change between now and final production. It could be more sensitive or less sensitive, cleaner or noiser, more or less dynamic range, anything could happen. So I plinked around a tad and I'll report what I found, but understand that these findings are ONLY related to this pre-production model and may have no bearing on the final production models due in September.

Sensitivity: I tested it for general sensitivity as compared to the HVX200A. We already know that the HVX200A is about 500 ISO with very clean noise performance. The HPX170 uses the same chipset, so the assumption has been that it will have comparable performance, and my brief testing confirmed that yes, they are approximately the same. Which means that they're both a huge improvement over the HVX200 (when factoring in both more sensitivity and less noise).

Dynamic Range Testing: I used a top-of-the-line DSC DX1-72dB 13-step grayscale calibration chart. This chart is a backlit chart with 13 shades of gray, each designed to be precisely one stop brighter than the next. This type of chart is far more accurate than a front-lit chart and you can really tell whether you're seeing a difference in terms of each f-stop without any complications arising from reflections or improper lighting of the chart. It's not exactly a Stouffer 42-step chart (which shows you 14 stops in 1/3-stop increments) but it is a precisely calibrated 13-step backlit chart, definitely in the same class as the Stouffer.

I used Cinelike-D gamma, which affords the widest dynamic range. I also turned DRS (Dynamic Range Stretching) to OFF. DRS doesn't do much for a grayscale step chart, it's much more useful for real-world scenes. For chart purposes I stepped through the options and decided that turning DRS to OFF gave me the most realistic and useful readings for purposes of chart testing.

With this chart, the HPX170 could clearly distinguish 10, maybe 10 and a half stops of dynamic range. You can count the steps on a waveform monitor, and you can even more clearly see the stops being resolved on an actual HD monitor. What looks like potential crushed dark tones are actually easily distinguishable on the HD display. And while it's normal to see extra stops down in the dark zone that aren't really usable because they're noise-limited, on the 170 that really isn't much of a problem. The 170's noise is really low and quite clean, so you're not having to "rule out" stops because of too much noise.

But how much of an improvement is this, and how does a chart test translate to real-world performance? The 200A has this same sensitivity and same dynamic range, and represents an increase from the HVX200 mainly in terms of cleaner distinction between stops in the darker tones. But is this a real-world 10+ stops? That seems optimistic. As far as real-world: consider that while the RED ONE has been tested at 11 1/3 stops on a Stouffer, many real-world tests place its actual latitude at maybe 9 to 10 stops. Using that same model, while the HPX170 tests at 10+ stops, it probably delivers a real-world 8.5. I'll have to wait for a production unit and a chance to test it in real-world circumstances with my spotmeter to know what can be discerned outside of chart testing. As it is, I'm seeing maybe a half-stop to one-stop increase in usable dynamic range, mainly due to the lower noise allowing us to see into the shadows better. That's without DRS though – wait until you read about that little surprise...

SOFTWARE CHANGES

Most of the physical changes were reported previously in the First Look article, so the rest of this article is about the changes "under the hood", the new software changes. And frankly, as far as this article is concerned, that's where the party's at.

First, check out this little nicety: the thumbnail data display can be set to show clips by user clip name! How cool is that?
Of course, that's not all that cool unless you have user clip names assigned to your clips, right? On the HVX200/200A, that meant having to set the names in P2 Viewer and loading in through the SD card. Well, not anymore: on the HPX170, you have a software keyboard for entering metadata.
You can enter in-camera metadata, or you can enter per-clip metadata. That means you can set the metadata that will be automatically attached to all clips, or you can go into each clip and set the metadata for that particular clip. You can now basically change all the metadata, right in camera. (Of course, you can still load in metadata via the SD card too.)

All the buttons inside the LCD on an HVX200 are there on the HVX200A, but there are three new buttons: EVF DTL, WFM, and LCD. The EVF DTL button may have moved from the back of the HVX200, but that's not the big change: the big change is that it's now much stronger. The peaking is just wonderful. It's now incredibly easy to tell when something pops into sharp focus. On the HVX200/200A, the EVF DTL was tuned to be very mild, and it was one of those functions that you'd turn on and never disengage. But on the HPX170 the difference between on/off is huge. The improvement in EVF DTL alone should go a long way towards silencing critics who complain about the quality of the LCD panel. The LCD may be unchanged, but with the improvements in the focus assists and the EVF DTL, it's now much, much more usable. The HVX200A looks to have improved EVF DTL as well, but somehow it doesn't appear to be quite as strong as the HPX170's. Whatever they did, it works – the HPX170's LCD looks noticeably sharper than the HVX200A's and significantly better than the HVX200's. I would buy one just for the improvements in focus alone.

The WFM monitor button has already been talked about, as has the Vectorscope; we talked about those in the First Look article. The Waveform Monitor and Vectorscope only show up on the flip-out LCD, not on the viewfinder, which is very nice indeed: you can monitor the full frame on the VF, and monitor exposure/waveform on the flip-out LCD. That's exactly how we'd hoped it'd be done.

The LCD button is a programmable button, with three options: LCD REV, OVERSCAN, and LCD BL (backlight).

1) In LCD BL configuration, pressing the LCD button results in it cycling through three levels of brightness, so as you press it the LCD goes brightest-medium-darkest and then back to brightest.

2) In LCD REV mode, pressing the LCD button toggles between normal, and 180-degree rotated (for 35mm adapters). When in flipped mode all menu items are hidden, as are the waveform and vectorscope and, sadly, the focus assists too (at least, in this pre-release preproduction version). Only the LCD flips, the EVF does not, which is great: the menus are all displayed on the EVF regardless of the flip status. You do get the focus bar and the EVF DTL in the viewfinder, but nothing on the LCD.

3) OVERSCAN toggles between showing you the full frame, and showing you an overscanned image (such as is likely to be shown by most HDTV sets). On the HVX200 we had the option of displaying a 90% safe zone, with the idea being that anything outside that safe zone would probably be cut off on an HDTV. With the HPX170 you still have that option of using a 90% safe zone, but you also have the much more useful ability to actually toggle between underscan and overscan. The camera shows a slightly zoomed-in display, with a white frame outlining it, to show you exactly what's going to appear within the overscan area.

You can exit out of most of the thumbnail menus by pressing the "menu" button, you don't always have to go down to "exit". You can also go into or out of the clip properties window by pressing the DISP/MODE CHK button, which I found to be very, very useful. You can now get into a clip's properties with one button press, instead of having to go through the menu system to PROPERTY->CLIP PROPERTY.

For Focus Assist, there are four total ways to get assistance with focusing: there's the magnified window (which now stays on as long as you want; it doesn't time out anymore); there's the "peaking" (aka EVF DTL); there's the Histogram/Frequency Distribution graph that first debuted on the HPX500/HPX2000 cameras, and there's a new Focus Bar.
The Focus Bar is probably the simplest focus assist to use: as the shot becomes more in focus, the bar gets longer; the more out-of-focus you are, the bar grows shorter. Pretty simple, and works surprisingly well. You can individually control which focus assists show up in any combination.

Oh, and three of the four Focus Assists now work in Standard Def! You don't get the magnified window, but the histogram, the EVF DTL, and the focus bar all work even in standard def.

The Color Bars feature now also optionally outputs a -12dB audio test tone, for calibrating with an external mixer or audio recorder.

The HPX170 also has the ability to burn the time and/or date of the recording right into the footage. This opens up a whole new market, legal videography.
Oh, another nice little update is the CLIP COUNTER mode. On the HVX you can choose to see the timecode or a counter (which counts the # of seconds you've been shooting). On the HVX it counts the total # of seconds since the last time you re-set the counter. But on the HPX170, it can do that as well as automatically resetting to zero every time you start a new recording (your choice, you can have it either way).

There's also a one-stop MENU INIT button that resets all menu items and scene files back to factory default.

And, the LCD has a few selectable "safe zones" for 4:3, 13:9, 14:9, and 15:9. If you have to shoot for European television and protect for 14:9, well, now there's a cage generator. No 1.85:1 though, at least not on this preproduction unit.

Perhaps my favorite software/hardware change is when you're in P2 thumbnail mode, and you want to play back a clip, but the icon's number is in red (meaning, it was shot in a different format than the camera's currently set to). On the HVX200, that meant having to jump back to camera mode, going into the RECORDING SETUP mode, changing the recording format, then going back to the thumbnail mode. A little bit of a hassle. Well, I quickly found that on the HPX170 you don't have to do that, you can just turn the thumbnails off, bring up the menu, and change the recording mode there. What used to be a six or eight second process is now down to maybe two seconds, right? So I thought that was pretty cool until it was pointed out to me that you don't have to do that at all: you can change the playback mode right from the thumbnail screen. Just put the cursor over the clip you want to play, and hold the joystick down for a second, and it'll automatically swap to the right mode. This, my friends, is heavenly. You've got to see it to realize just how user-friendly it is. They've been listening! We thought this function was added at NAB but couldn't figure out how to make it work, but it's definitely functional now, and using it is just so addictive.

For image controls, all the same scene file settings are there, but there's a little bit more control in three areas:

1) MASTER PEDESTAL. On the HVX200/200A, you get a range of -15 to +15. On the HPX170 you get a range of -100 to +100. This means that not only do you get a tremendous amount more precision in your adjustability, but it also extends the range (i.e., -100 on the HPX170 is noticeably more crushed than -15 on an HVX, and +100 on the HPX170 is more raised than +15 on the HVX).

2) A.IRIS LEVEL: on the HVX you get a range of -4 to +4, on the HPX170 it ranges from -10 to +10. My quick evaluation shows that the HVX gave you control over about 1/3-stop increments, the HPX170 gives you control in about 1/6-stop increments.

3) COLOR TEMP is now split for Ach and Bch. That means you can set a different COLOR TEMP setting for each of your manual white balance channels; very cool.

Oh, and more frame rates! Did I forget to mention frame rates? There are now 20 frame rates instead of 11 as found on the HVX series. It still starts at 12, and ends at 60, but there are a lot more steps in-between. I don't know if the final list is set in stone so I'm not printing them here. I do know the question that many of you are asking though, and the answer is: I tested it, and yes, it worked. Heh.

Okay, and now for the biggie: the other image control they've added is DRS (Dynamic Range Stretching). This is basically an in-camera way to get High Dynamic Range images. It's a feature imported from the AJ-series HPX2000/HPX3000. This one feature greatly expands the appearance of dynamic range across the scene. I could attempt to describe what it does, but it's complex. Let me sum it up by saying that your shadows will be less harsh and your highlights won't blow out as easily, and then let me show you a few pictures:

DRS is very, very neat. It really appears to extend the dynamic range, compressing more tonal information into the scene. Unfortunately, it appears to be limited to 1080/60i mode only; I sure wish it was available in the 24P modes but something about the processing makes it limited to 1080/60i.

New user buttons:

1) D.ZOOM: Yes, this is a digital zoom feature. Don't know why we wanted that, but we got it. It magnifies the center of the image and ranges in steps from 2x to 5x to 10x. This feature is only available in 1080/60i mode, and also was inherited from the HPX2000. A digital zoom may not be all that useful for filmmaking purposes, but perhaps for newsgathering it would be handy (especially since it doesn't impact sensitivity, the way an optical doubler would; but it does degrade resolution).

2)LVL METER: This toggles the audio meter display between showing Channels 1 & 2, and showing Channels 3 & 4, so you can actually monitor the audio levels on 3 & 4 now!

3) LAST CLIP: This is the last-clip-delete function, and I figure I'll permanently glue this function onto one of my HPX170's user buttons. If you've just shot a clip you know you'll never use, pressing this button lets you delete it instantly.

4) PRE REC: This turns on (or turns off) pre-record mode. You can still do that in the menus, or you can now assign it to a user button.

5) F. RATE +, F. RATE -: these buttons let you change the frame rate you're shooting at. Can't change 'em during a take, but you can now change them inbetween takes without having to go into the SCENE FILE menus.

We lost the SLOT SEL user button, but that's no big loss since we now have a dedicated SLOT SEL button on the back of the camera.
The display has one more function to talk about: DOWNCON MODE. This function changes the way the downconverted SDTV display gets rendered. On the HVX200, when shooting high-def 16:9, the only way to see the downconverted video output was as a 16:9 squeezed image. On the HPX170 you now have the choice of sending out a 16:9 squeezed image, or an unsqueezed letterboxed 4:3 image, or as a center-extraction side cropped 4:3 image.
Oh, I also found a few new menu options in the thumbnail display:

1) EXCH. THUMBNAIL allows you to set a new thumbnail for a clip, right in-camera.

2) PLAYBACK RESUME (on/off): this is a choice as to how you want your clips to play back once you've stopped playback. In other words, if you're playing a clip and you stop playback, then when go to play that clip again it'll start over from the beginning. On the HPX170 you have the option of having it pick up where you left off and play back from there.

3) P2 CARD REMAIN lets you choose to show the available recording time as either ONE-CARD or TOTAL (both cards added together).

SUMMARY

I went back to Luis Caffesse's wishlist thread, where he was tracking all the requests that users had made for changes to be incorporated into the HVX's eventual successor. Most all of the changes that Panasonic implemented look to be direct responses to user requests. The HPX170 is now smaller, lighter, sleeker, wider-angle, cleaner noise, with more dynamic range, it's more sensitive, way better in low light, has more professional connectors (including SDI and a locking firewire port), more options (you can turn the built-in microphone off, and you can monitor the audio on channels 3 & 4, you have almost twice as many frame rates), more usable (much better ergonomics and greatly improved focusing off the LCD, software keyboard for metadata, shortcuts for deleting last clip and changing frame rate and pre-record mode, getting into and out of clip properties, and so many other nice little improvements.) In short, there are dozens of improvements across the board, in four main categories: ergonomics, connectivity, video performance, and ease of use. I look forward to testing the final version in September to see what else might have changed, but as it stands now, I will definitely be upgrading my HVX200 to an HPX170.
Fonte: DVUSER

Fluxo de trabalho da Sony HVR-Z1

2008-09-01T22:48:00.003-03:00

A guide to the various shooting formats, workflows and other Z1 shooting tips.
by Nigel Cooper

Shooting in the Past, the Present and the Future
This short tutorial is aimed at those who are used to shooting in standard definition DV or DVCAM on the Sony VX2100 and PD170 camcorders; but who have recently bought a Sony HVR-Z1E HDV camcorder. This guide is designed to introduce newcomers to the Z1, how to use the camera in standard DV, DVCAM and HDV modes and how your SD and HDV workflow will be affected - now and in the future. At the end I’ve added some shooting tips and other things to watch out for.

There is a very good reason that Sony has three shooting modes on the Z1. I suspect the most relevant one is that at the time of writing this tutorial, Blu-ray DVD players and HD TV sets are rare amongst general UK households. It is going to be a good few years before we start seeing HD DVD players in domestic households that can actually play back DVDs that have been authored from a native HDV 1080i project. In fact, I don’t think the first HD DVD player has even landed in the shops yet. So, what you have to decide is how you are going to use your Sony Z1 as a shooting acquisition format in the immediate future. Lucky for us the Z1 is backward compatible as well as future proof.

There are three options open to you with the Z1.

Option 1 - Shoot, Edit & Author DVD in Standard Def:
This first workflow involves shooting in standard def (DV or DVCAM), editing in standard def and authoring your DVD in standard def; this could be in either DV or DVCAM shooting mode. The advantage with this workflow is that you are used to it and everybody can watch your finished DVD on their current standard definition DVD players and TV sets. However, the disadvantage is that you will be stuck with a standard definition project as your original footage was shot in SD mode, hence it will not be future proof.

Option 2 - Shoot HDV, Edit & Author DVD in Standard Def:
The second workflow involves shooting in HDV, then down-converting to standard def from the Z1 as you import the footage into your NLE computer system, then editing in standard def and authoring your DVD in standard def; this could be either DV or DVCAM. The advantage with this workflow is that you can edit in a way that you are used to and everybody can watch your DVD on their current standard def DVD players and TV sets. Although your finished DVD will be standard def, you will have the option of re-importing your HDV footage in the future when more people own HD DVD players and HD TV sets. When that time comes, you will import your native HDV footage with no down-conversion from the Z1. You can then edit in native HDV, providing you have a NLE computer system and software package that can handle HDV. Then finally you can author your DVD in native HDV and burn a HD DVD ready for playback on domestic HD equipment.

Another advantage to shooting in HDV and then down-converting to SD from the Z1 and editing and authoring an SD DVD is that the picture quality is said to be an improvement over shooting in standard def to start with; why is this? By shooting in HDV you are effectively recording a lot more information; 1440x1080 pixels as opposed to the 720x576 pixels of standard def. Because you have more information on tape to start with, when you carry out the down-conversion to SD from the Z1 you end up with more information in your final standard def edited programme. DVD's that have been created from HDV footage are superior in image quality than DVD's originating from standard definition video as HDV provides more pixel data to work with, so there is less reduction in quality in the MPEG-3 transcoding process. You will find that DVD's produced from HDV originated footage look stunning.

Option 3 - Shoot, Edit & Author DVD in HDV:
The third workflow involves shooting in HDV, editing in HDV and authoring your DVD in HDV. This option has the advantage of maintaining the highest possible image quality throughout the entire production process from shooting, through editing and finally authoring and burning off your DVD. It is an easy workflow to get used to and is not much different from what you are used to in a standard def environment. Some advantages include: taking still images from the timeline of your HDV productions during editing to use as photos on say the DVD cover will be superior due to the larger pixel count, and if you have a high def computer monitor there is nothing quite like editing in HDV – the quality is simply stunning. However, you will need to upgrade your NLE computer editing system to accommodate HDV, this will mean a lot more RAM, faster processing power and possibly new or updated software. The only major concern with the total HDV workflow is that your client and the viewing public will not be able to view your HDV-made DVDs until HD DVD players and HD TV sets are more commonplace; unless of course they own an Apple Macintosh computer with a DVD drive, in which case they can view your HD DVD using Apples built in DVD player software.
Setting up the various shooting modes on the Z1

Shooting in the Past, the Present and the Future

1: Standard Def 720x576 PAL 50i DV shooting mode.
The first option we will look at is for shooting in standard definition 720x576 PAL in regular DV mode. This is relatively straightforward and your workflow won’t be any different to what you are used to with your Sony VX2100 (or other Mini-DV camcorder).

To shoot in standard DV mode on the Z1 press the ‘MENU’ button on the rear of the camera, then scroll down to the ‘IN/OUT REC’ menu and press the ‘SEL/PUSH EXEC’ button to select it. With ‘REC FORMAT’ highlighted press the ‘SEL/PUSH EXEC’ button to enter its sub-menu, then using the scroll wheel select ‘DV’ and press the ‘SEL/PUSH EXEC’ button to enter that setting. You will now be returned to the previous screen. Scroll down to ‘REC MODE’, select it and choose ‘DV SP’ from the menu then press the SEL/PUSH EXEC’ button again to enter the setting. Then exit the menu.

2: Standard Def 720x576 PAL 50i DVCAM shooting mode.
The second shooting option is standard def DVCAM mode. The advantage of DVCAM over standard DV is basically down to tape speed and ‘track pitch’. It’s worth noting that if you use a standard 60-minute Mini-DV cassette in DVCAM mode, it will only give you 40 minutes of recording time, this is because the tape transport speed of the DVCAM format is 1/3rd faster than Mini-DV, which brings us to the next major difference between Mini-DV and DVCAM, ‘track pitch’. The DVCAM format has a track pitch of 15 microns whilst Mini-DV has a track pitch of just 10 microns. To give you an idea of how wide a micron is, a human hair is approximately 60 microns thick, so as you can imagine these tracks on the tape are incredibly small.

Basically track pitch is the width of recorded information on the tape. Because the tape transport speed is faster DVCAM mode the track pitch is wider, this yields a more durable tape system, for example in the edit suite footage shot in DVCAM mode will be able to withstand being thrashed back and forth in a deck as you shuttle around looking for specific clips on your tapes or whilst you mark all the in and out points ready for a batch capture, there’s also less chance of dropped frames, 50% fewer visual dropouts and artefacts. If you are used to using a Sony PD170 (or other Sony DVCAM camcorder) then your workflow will be no different.

To shoot in DVCAM mode on the Z1 press the ‘MENU’ button on the rear of the camera, then scroll down to the ‘IN/OUT REC’ menu and press the ‘SEL/PUSH EXEC’ button to select it. With ‘REC FORMAT’ highlighted press the ‘SEL/PUSH EXEC’ button to enter its sub-menu, then scroll down to ‘DVCAM’ and press the ‘SEL/PUSH EXEC’ to enter that setting. You will now be returned to the previous screen. Now scroll down to ‘REC MODE’, select it and choose ‘DVCAM’ from the menu then press the ‘SEL/PUSH EXEC’ button again to enter the setting. Then exit the menu.

3: High Def 1440x1080 PAL 1080i HDV shooting mode.
The third shooting option is the high def HDV 1080i shooting mode. If you are used to using a standard Mini-DV camcorder such as the VX2100 or any Sony DVCAM camcorder then your workflow is about to change slightly.

To shoot in HDV mode on the Z1 press the ‘MENU’ button on the rear of the camera, then scroll down to the ‘IN/OUT REC’ menu and press the ‘SEL/PUSH EXEC’ button to select it. With ‘REC FORMAT’ highlighted press the ‘SEL/PUSH EXEC’ button to enter its sub-menu, then scroll to ‘HDV1080i and press the ‘SEL/PUSH EXEC’ to enter that setting. Then exit the menu.

To shoot in HDV 1080i mode it’s not actually that much more complicated; well not at the shooting stage anyway. When it comes to editing, things are a little different; you will have to refer to your NLE software instructions for this part and you might have to upgrade your hardware and/or software to a later version that can handle native HDV 1080i footage.

Down-converting to SD from HDV:
If you have shot footage in HDV mode and intend editing in standard def then you will need to down-convert your HDV footage to standard def as you import it into your NLE computer system. To do this you will have to make a few tiny adjustments in the Z1’s menu.

Press the ‘MENU’ button on the rear of your Z1, scroll down to the ‘IN/OUT REC’ option and select it by pressing the ‘SEL/PUSH EXEC’. Then scroll down to ‘i LINK CONV’ and press the ‘SEL/PUSH EXEC’ button to enter into the menu. With ‘HDV-DV CONV’ selected press the ‘SEL/PUSH EXEC’ to enter the menu and select the ‘ON’ option then press the ‘SEL/PUSH EXEC’ again to save this setting. You will now be returned to the previous menu. Scroll down to the ‘DOWN CONVERT’ option and press the ‘SEL/PUSH EXEC’ button to enter the menu and choose ‘SQUEEZE’ if you want to down-convert for editing in native 16:9 widescreen mode for final viewing on a widescreen TV set. Choose ‘LETTER BOX’ for editing for final output to 4:3 TV sets with letter-boxing appearing at the top and bottom of your 4:3 TV screen, but retaining the 16:9 widescreen format across the central part of the screen. Choose ‘EDGE CROP’ for editing for final output to 4:3 TV sets, but with the right and left hand edges cut off to fit 4:3 TV screens.

Z1 shooting tips and things to watch out for!

There are a few things that you will need to be aware of with the Z1. If you are new to the Z1 and are not aware of them your footage might not be as good as it could be; read on.

Zebra Setting:
The first thing I would recommend doing is going into the Z1’s menus and changing the ‘Zebra’ setting from its default 100, otherwise it will be difficult to spot ‘burn’ on the Z1’s LCD screen when trying to judge exposure. This needs to be set to something more workable and realistic. I would recommend setting this to 70, or 85 if you are used to a Sony DSR500/570/400 camcorder.

Date Record:
In the menu there is a setting called ‘DATE REC’. By default it should be set to the ‘OFF’ position, but you should check to make sure it is ‘OFF’. If this menu setting gets inadvertently changed to the ‘ON’ position the time and date will be permanently burnt into your footage, rendering it unusable for anything more serious than holiday footage.

Auto Mode:
Use this mode only when image quality is not important, such as the recce of a potential shooting location or covert shooting. Otherwise, for the best quality footage set the ‘AUTO LOCK’ switch on the left-side of the Z1 to the middle position. Which brings me nicely onto the next VERY IMPORTANT part, ‘Exposure’. Read on.

Exposure:
The Z1’s exposure system causes a great deal of confusion for many. In very bright or very dark shooting environments it can adversely affect the quality of the footage. The camera will not allow you to adjust the exposure manually by adjusting the chrome iris control dial on the front-left of the camera; instead it will fight against you by using the electronic shutter, or worse still, the electronic gain.

Here is how you prevent this from happening and maintain superior quality footage. First, you must manually set the Z1’s gain to 0dB and the shutter speed to 50. To do this, press the ‘GAIN’ button on the left-side of the camera to switch the gain into manual mode, then move the little chrome gain lever to the ‘low’ (L) position. 0dB will be displayed on the LCD screen. Next press the ‘SHUTTER SPEED’ button on the left-side of the camera and set it to 50 (the default for UK PAL) using the scroll wheel on the back of the camera. The shutter speed of 50 and the gain of 0dB will be displayed on the LCD screen. It is very important to keep both these settings displayed on the LCD screen AT ALL TIMES. If you don’t, you won’t be able to make any manual adjustments to the exposure using the chrome iris wheel. If you try to make any manual iris adjustments when the shutter and gain are not displayed on the LCD screen the camera will simply compensate for your so-called manual adjustments by changing the shutter speed and/or increasing the gain electronically, which will lead to either unsightly grainy images or an annoying strobe-like flickering effect.

Focus:
For the best results it is ALWAYS best to set the ‘FOCUS’ control on the left-side of the camera to ‘MAN’ (manual), then when you need to focus press the ‘PUSH AUTO’ button just underneath it. This will totally eliminate any ‘focus hunt’ problems as the camera tries to automatically focus on a moving object that is in the same frame as your actual subject.

Expanded Focus:
To further aid you with focusing you can also use the ‘EXPANDED FOCUS’ button next to the zoom rocker switch on the lens. When you press this button the central part of the image will be greatly enlarged on the LCD screen for 5 seconds, before the camera returns the display to normal; this is more than enough time to check your focus.

White Balance:
A quick tip for the white balance settings on the Z1 is to set the A and B memories for the indoor and outdoor environment of your particular shooting location. Doing this will speed up your daily shooting schedule as you switch from A to B as you move from indoors to outdoors or vice versa. But remember, when shooting outdoors the colour temperature will change as the sun gets lower in the sky so you might need to take another white balance reading every couple of hours or so.

Fonte: DVUSER

Sony PMW-EX3 Review

2008-09-01T22:04:00.006-03:00

Sony go after the low-budget independent filmmaker and wildlife filmmaker markets with the all-new PMW-EX3 solid-state interchangeable lens camcorder. Nigel Cooper spends the day with one in Belgium.

INTRO
It is no secret that I’m a massive fan of Sony’s XDCAM HD Optical Disc System and the SxS system. I personally own an F350 and have spent 4 months using an EX1 solid-state camcorder too. This review is not going to be incredibly long or extensive, simply because I’ve already done a very extensive review on the PMW-EX1 (see under the camcorder reviews section). The PMW-EX3 is the latest addition to the EX family, and it is basically an EX1, only in a new semi-shoulder mount design and with ‘EX-Mount’ half-inch interchangeable lenses. So for this review I’m basically going to concentrate on the differences between the smaller EX1 and this new EX3.

The PMW-EX3 uses all the same components as the PMW-EX1; same 1920x1080 half-inch CMOS chips, same circuitry, same 35mbps codec, same features. So the picture quality from the PMW-EX3 is identical in every way to pictures taken using the PMW-EX1. If you want to read more about the image quality of these EX series camcorders, read my comprehensive review on the EX1.

NEW SHAPE
The first thing you will notice about the PMW-EX3 is its shape. People (myself included) are comparing the shape to that of Canon’s famous XL series camcorders, with the wedge/chainsaw ergonomics at the back end. Sony has designed the camera in this way to help make shooting more comfortable. Due to the extra weight of this camera, as well as the extra weight of larger lenses, it has been designed and shaped as a ‘semi-shoulder’ mount camcorder, just like Canon’s XL H1. The EX3’s extendable shoulder rest sits at the front/top of your shoulder. This makes holding the camera much easier than the ‘out front’ method you would use with a Z1 or EX1. It takes away a bit of the weight, though you still have to firmly support the camcorder with your right hand. It also aids in stabilizing the camcorder too as it is not being held in mid-air. The shoulder rest/pad can be extended away from the EX3’s body by about 1.5”, this is done by pushing in a small metal device on the base of the camera toward the back. Once out, it locks in place. To push back in, simply push the metal device in again on the base of the camera.

Overall I found the semi-shoulder mount system of the EX3 to be much better than the Z1, EX1 ‘out in front’ design. Weight is better distributed and stabilization is greatly improved. However, I found my right forearm to be angled back at an angle so my hand was almost touching my shoulder. This felt a bit uncomfortable for me, but this is probably because I’m used to a full-size shoulder-mount camcorder were your forearm is more vertical. It’s been a while since I owned a Canon XL1 so I can’t comment on how they compare. But from my vague memories I think they are roughly the same.

UP YOUR NOSE
If you have never heard of the ‘up the nose’ look, you are about to be educated. We’ve all seen the 6-oclock news on the box. How many times have you seen a pack of journalists and cameramen flock towards the exterior courtroom steps on the street to get an interview with some famous, or infamous… probably hundreds. The camcorders used for these ENG events vary, Sony’s DSR570 and DSR450 are favourites, and at the low-end of the spectrum Sony’s HDV Z1 camcorder is even being used on occasion. When watching these news stories, it is blatantly obvious which shots were done on a Z1 (or other similar ‘out in front’ style hand-held camcorder). This is because most Z1 type shots suffer from what is known as an ‘up-the-nose’ look, when used in ENG shooting situations. Because the Z1 is a hand-held camcorder, cameramen often make the mistake of holding it at chest height when doing reporting jobs hand-held, this results in the up-the-nose look due to the camcorder not being on the ‘eye-level’ of the person being filmed, instead, because of the slightly lower shooting angle, the lens is looking slightly up the subjects nose, which looks amateurish, and just plain bad from a compositional point of view.

The reason for this short lecture in ENG journalism, is simply to let you know that the new PMW-EX3 does not suffer from ‘up-the-nose’ compositions, due to the fact that it is not held at chest height, instead, it is at the same level as full-size professional shoulder-mount camcorders so you are on the same eye-line when filming people in a standing position. So not only is the EX3’s image quality good enough for ENG broadcast, but the compositions are too.

INTERCHANGEABLE LENSES
We all know that the EX1 has fixed built in lens like the PD170 and Z1 models. The EX3 is the first EX series camcorder to feature an interchangeable lens system. Sony is calling this new half-inch mount the ‘EX-Mount’. Although it is half-inch, it is not the same half-inch mount that Sony’s full-size XDCAM camcorders use; however, Sony are including a half-inch B4 mount adaptor with the EX3 so you can still use professional half-inch lenses from full size half inch XDCAM camcorders if you choose. The EX3 comes with a standard lens, this is basically the same as the lens that is built into the EX1, only with the new EX-Mount on the back so it is interchangeable.

Sony has informed me that Fujinon are going to be manufacturing a wide-angle zoom lens in the dedicated EX-Mount specifically for the EX3. This will be good for corporate videographers and wedding videographers who often need to film in confined spaces.

35mm lens adaptor manufacturer Letus, are also making an adaptor to allow their Letus Extreme 35mm lens adaptor to be fitted directly onto the EX3 bypassing the lens altogether. This means the picture quality will be superior, as it will only be using the 35mm lens fitted to the front of the Letus Extreme.

So why would you need a camcorder with interchangeable lenses, as opposed to a built in lens like the EX1?

The chances are if you are a corporate or wedding videographer, or just a keen hobbyist, the chances are that you will be happy with the built in zoom lens of the EX1. However, if you are an independent feature filmmaker, or a wildlife videographer, or even a corporate or event videographer who wants variation, the interchangeable lens system will be indispensable. Independent feature filmmakers will need to use 35mm lenses for depth-of-field purposes, whilst wildlife filmmakers will need long telephoto lenses.

You will need to ask yourself what kind of productions you do and if you need extra wide-angle or extreme telephoto lenses, or 35mm lenses. If the answer is no and you are happy with a standard zoom lens, then save yourself £1,500 and buy an EX1 with a tripod and some lighting equipment instead. Or perhaps you will like some of the other features that the EX3 has over the EX1. There is a little bit more to the EX3 than just the interchangeable lens system; read on.

VIEWFINDER
Apart from the interchangeable lenses, the second most important thing you will notice about the EX3 is the viewfinder. Sony has decided to ditch the somewhat questionable quality viewfinder from the EX1 and do an incredible Monocular viewfinder conversion job to the LCD screen instead. The LCD screen on the EX3 is identical to the superb LCD screen on the EX1, only this one has a special coating on it to improve the viewing image quality even further when it is being viewed through the monocular lens. This design is what Canon use on their famous XL series, only Canon’s screen is microscopic in comparison and the resolution on the XL viewfinder is nowhere near that of the EX3, in fact the EX3 viewfinder is in a different league altogether. Sony has done what Canon should have done many moons ago.

When you flip the monocular lens out of the way the EX3’s LCD viewfinder can be viewed just like the fold-out LCD screen on the smaller EX1. The quality is just as superb and unlike most other fold-out LCD screens, this one CAN be used to adjust focus and even exposure. I found that viewing the LCD screen directly (not through monocular lens) it is good enough for focusing purposes, and you can press the ‘expanded focus’ button on the handgrip to aid further. The expanded focus option zooms in on the image on the LCD screen and stays zoomed for 5 seconds to allow critical focusing. It only zooms on the LCD, and does not affect the recorded image. After 5 seconds the LCD image reverts back to normal automatically, or you can press the button again before the 5 seconds are up to revert to normal beforehand. For the record, the monocular can be totally removed, as well as being flipped up and out of the way. You can even get a good idea of ‘white balance’ using the LCD also, not for critical white balance, but for a general check it is fine.

vWhen you flip the monocular lens down in front of the LCD you can then put your eye up to it just like a regular viewfinder. Viewing this way has to be seen to be believed, it is incredibly sharp and seriously high-definition. If you think the LCD screen looks great when viewed naked, the monocular takes it one step further, if that is possible, adding that extra ‘je ne sais quoi’.

Checking exposure on this new LCD/Viewfinder is also very possible indeed, something that was not really possible (not for serious applications anyway) in the past with LCD screens. The EX3’s LCD screen can be viewed from various angles with little change in contrast and brightness, making it ideal for setting/adjusting exposure. The EX3 (like the EX1) also has an exposure histogram that can be turned on/off. It shows up at the bottom/right corner of the LCD screen and can be used to aid when adjusting the exposure. The histogram works incredibly well. You aim to get the spike in the exposure to the general middle position as a rule of thumb, depending on the light. You will get used to how the histogram works after a few hours of shooting.

Another great feature of this newly designed viewfinder on the EX3 is that it has dials on the front for Peaking, Contrast and Brightness, as well as a Mirror Image switch, Display Batt Info and a Zebra switch. This design is more in keeping with that of a full-size professional viewfinder. Because of this, setting up and calibrating the viewfinder to ‘Bars’ is easy.

FRAME-RATE DIAL
We all know that the EX1 has an overcrank/undercrank variable frame-rate feature for slow and quick motion, but it has to be accessed via the menus, which can be time-consuming, and a bit of a pain if (like me) you use it all the time. The new EX3 has moved this feature out of the menus, and directly onto the body by means of a push button dial. Now all you have to do to change the frame-rate is simply push and hold the Frame dial in for 3 seconds (the 3-second system is done for safety reasons, in case you press it accidently), it will then light up with a funky blue ring light around it to inform you that you are now in variable frame-rate mode. Then it is simply a case of turning the dial and setting the frame-rate as desired, the frame-rate is displayed and can be checked via the LCD screen display. Like the EX1, the EX3’s variable frame-rate can be set from 1 frame to 60 frames per second in 720p mode, or from 1 to 30 frames per second in 1080p mode. The Frame dial cannot do ‘frame cranking’ like a proper film camera, that would be asking just a little too much, and it would probably put Super16mm film camera manufacturers out of business too.

OTHER DIFFERENCES
Apart from the semi-shoulder shape design, interchangeable lenses, new superb viewfinder design and variable frame-rate dial on the outside, there are a few other little differences also.

The audio dials have a plastic door cover, which prevents accidental change in audio levels. Other features over the EX1 include professional BNC connectors for timecode in/out and genlock in, as well as the usual HD/SDI out. There is also an 8-pin connector for studio operation camera contro. You can adjust shutter for instance, but no focus or zoom control (lens control is undertaken on the Fujinon lens connector as per the EX1). This 8-pin studio connector is meant for camera engineers to use in conjunction with a camera op, it does not have 'VTR' control though. this controls many features of the lens such as exposure and white balance etc. The rear end of the EX3 looks much more professional due to all these BNC connectors, as opposed to the rather bland rear end of the EX1. Other connectors have been moved to the side of the camera. The SEL/SET push/dial and the CANCEL button have been moved from the back and put in a more convenient place on the left side. The PICTURE PROFILE and CAMERA/OFF/MEDIA buttons have also been moved from the rear end of the camera to the left side. With the STATUS and MENU button also along this same row on the left side, all related buttons/dials are now on the same side of the camera making operation less fiddly than the EX1.

On the right side of the EX3 we now have a BNC MONITOR OUT, an S-video output connector and phono outputs for AUDIO OUT CH-1 and CH-2, as well as a COMPONENT OUT and USB; the latter is now very easy to get to, unlike the EX1, which requires some rather awkward fiddling around under the hand grip. The audio select inputs and audio level dials on the side of the camera also gives the EX3 a more professional feel. This makes the EX3 the most versatile HD camcorder in its class.

There is also an additional hotshoe mount to the rear of the handle of the EX3, as well as the one on top of the built in stereo mic. The rear one is designed for the PHU-60K SxS Professional 60GB HardDisc Recorder. While I’m talking about the PHU-60K hard disc recorder, I’ll also mention that the SxS card door works in a slightly different way to the one on the EX1. To open it you have to push it up a few millimeters, then open it out like a door on hinges; as opposed to the slide-only door on the EX1. This has been designed with the PHU-60K in mind, as the PHU-60K hard drive plugs directly into the rear card slot B.

BUILD QUALITY

I was surprised at how light the EX3 actually is. I thought it would be considerably heavier than the EX1, but it is only slightly heavier. The overall build quality of the EX3 is identical to the EX1. It is not as robust as the Canon XL H1, which for me is one of the better-built prosumer camcorders out there. The EX3 also doesn’t feel as solid and chunky as JVC’s ProHD camcorders such as the GY-HD111E. Both the Canon and JVC models are more ‘metal’ in build and feel, you can clearly see and feel the metal construction. The EX1 and EX3 on the other hand look and feel plasticky in comparison with no metal (externally at least, internally is a di-cast aluminum chassis) in sight. If the Canon XL H1 and JVC GY-HD111E produced the same image quality of the EX1 and EX3 I’d recommend them over the Sony’s any day, but sadly they don’t.

Having said that, it is no worse than Sony’s own Z1 or Panasonic’s HVX200. But if Canon and JVC can do it, why can’t Sony and Panasonic; after all, Sony and Panasonic are the leaders in the Broadcast sector. Considering that the EX3 comes out of the same factory as Sony’s professional DigiBeta models, I would have expected a little bit more in the way of external metal parts and overall build quality. That said, you don’t hear of that many broken Z1’s, so I’m sure there won’t be any issues with the EX1 or EX3 models in years to come. Like the EX1, the EX3 is built around a tough di-cast aluminum chassis so there should be no real problems using it in the field. I must confess to being the fussiest guy on the planet when it comes to build quality. If I pay £6,000 for a camcorder, I expect it to feel just a little bit more substantial than a Fisher-Price toy (though as any parent will know, Fisher-Price toys are indestructible and are made out of very good quality tough plastic; they just don't break). This is one reason I prefer my F350 XDCAM camcorder. Although the picture quality of the F350 and the EX3 are identical, at least when you pick up an F350 it feels like a serious piece of kit and you are inspired to get down to some serious shooting. Whenever I pick up a ‘Z1-type-Plasticam’ camcorder, it all feels very lack-lustre to me and I’d rather go back to bed.

If you own a PD170, VX2100, Z1 or a HVX200, you will feel right at home with the build quality of the EX1 and EX3, like I said, I’m just a fussy bugger.

NOT SO GOOD BITS
Although Sony has informed me that the Camera/Off/Media switch has been redesigned, it is still just as fiddly to use as on the smaller EX1 i.e it is too easy to turn the camera into Media mode when you think you have turned the camera off. The same applies to the ND switch on the camera body. Trying to set it to position 1 is a nightmare, it flicks straight past the 1 position into position 2, you have to grip it with your fingernails and try and ‘nurse’ it into the middle position. My tip here is to not cut your thumb and index fingernails for two weeks before a shoot; you’ll need them. The SEL/SET wheel is still way too small and sunk back into the camcorder’s body, making it difficult/fiddly to scroll through the menus; I’d much prefer to see a dial more like the ones Canon use on their EOS 40D and EOS 5D digital stills cameras. Most of the controls (with the FRAME dial being the exception) are too small and tricky to use; the words ‘Magnifying Glass’ and ‘Tweezers’ spring to mind with regard to some of the tiny switches; AUDIO SELECT switches for example. As for the BARS/CAM and PICTURE PROFILE buttons, you almost need a pen or pencil tip to push these buttons; that is how tiny they are. The ASSIGN 4 button is still impossible to find and use by touch, you have to flip the camera upside-down with the base towards you and lens pointing skywards; very awkward indeed, especially when there is in fact enough room to put this button next to the other 3, where it would make more sense. Finally, the buttons for ejecting the SxS cards are just too small and they don’t pop out enough. Again, you almost need the tip of a pen to eject the cards. Even when the SxS card does partially eject, it’s only by about 4mm, so you almost need a pare of tweezers to grab the tiny bit of card that is sticking out to be able to remove it, I often found that when trying to grab the SxS cards, I accidently pushed them back in by mistake.

SUMMING UP
At £5,995 inc vat the PMW-EX3 represents incredible value for money in terms of the superb image quality it produces, the same can’t really be said of the overall plasticky feel to the camera. When you pick it up, it doesn’t feel like you are holding a piece of kit that cost £6,000. If superb image quality for ‘full’ broadcast applications is what you are after, the EX3 makes the grade with ease. In fact the EX1 and EX3 are the only camcorders in their class (compact non-shoulder) that actually meet full broadcast requirements. Unlike the HDV format which can only be used for ‘no more than 30% of the total programme length using approved HDV camcorders, maximum 1 minute contiguous footage’ with Discovery HD (Silver Level) for example, the EX1 and EX3 can be used for 100% of the coverage of the programme (after some acceptance trials for Discovery the EX1 is accepted as Silver). This is a first for a camcorder of this small size and price.

Fonte: DVUSER

Sony amplia linha XDCAM EX

2008-04-17T14:34:00.013-03:00

PMW-EX3 Solid-State Interchangeable Lens HD Camcorder

Well it would appear that there is simply no stopping Sony. Just a few short months ago they launched themselves into the solid-state HD camcorder market with the PMW- EX1. The EX1 has proved to be a formidable smash hit, so much so that Sony’s production line is struggling to keep up with demand.

Sony have just announced (NAB April 2008) something even more spectacular; say hello to the all-new PMW-EX3. The EX3 is basically an EX1, but with the option of interchangeable lenses. There are of course a few other slight differences, which I will come to later.

You’ll notice by the pictures that the EX3 is notably larger than the EX1; it is in fact what Sony refer to as a “semi shoulder-mounted” camcorder. At first glance the EX3 has a vague resemblance to Canon’s famous XL series camcorder, namely the XL H1; but that’s where the similarity ends. The EX3 takes half-inch interchangeable lenses, but with a different mount to that found on Sony’s professional half-inch shoulder-mount XDCAM HD camcorders. Having said that, the EX3 will ship with an included adapter to allow use of standard half-inch lenses (such as those currently used on Sony’s XDCAM HD full size camcorders such as the F330, F350, F335, and F355) to be used; standard B4 mount. And better still, this adapter incorporates the hot shoe contacts like those found on the dedicated Fujinon half-inch XDCAM HD lenses. This will allow information to be passed from the camcorder to the lens, e.g. exposure control. For use in a studio configuration the RM-B150/B750 remote controllers will adjust basic camera parameters such as gain, iris, white balance, pedestal, and gamma through the 8-pin remote connector on the PMW-EX3 camcorder. Why use a different half-inch mount, you might ask. In a nutshell it’s down to ergonomics and rigidity/strength. Due to the size and shape of the camcorder body, the lens mount had to be designed somewhat differently. Because the chips in the EX3 are half-inch there will be no change in focal length when using any other standard half-inch B4 mount lens from Canon and Fujinon. However, there will be a small increase in focal length when using standard 35mm film lenses.

To open a high-resolution 1920 pixel version of the photo below in a separate window, simply click on it.

The EX3 will ship with the same lens that is built into the EX1, with the main obvious difference being an interchangeable version. Sony have also decided to add an optical image stabilizer button on the lens, as opposed to in the menus like that of the EX1.

Another small difference (though to me, personally, this is a very big deal indeed) between the new EX3 and its smaller sibling the EX1, is the addition of a framerate dial set on the side of the EX3’s body. Before all you Super-16mm filmmakers start asking “Can I now do Varicam-style frame-ramping during a shot?” I’m afraid the answer is no, it only works when out of record mode. Sony have simply moved the over/under-cranking feature out of the menus and onto the body itself by means of manual push/dial; right where it should be. This new external Framerate button lights up with a cool blue ring-light around the outside when pushed in for 3 seconds, so you know you are in Framerate mode. Push again and hold in for a further 3 seconds to turn off. For me personally, this is the best thing Sony could have done. If you use over/under-cranking as often as I do you will appreciate the convenience of being able to push this button and dial in the framerate without having to scroll through the menus; thank you Mr Sony!

Like the EX1, the new EX3 records to exactly the same format i.e. three half-inch 1920x1080 CMOS HD chips at a variable bit rate of 35mbps. Similarly the EX3 also has two SxS card slots.

The next thing you’ll notice about the EX3 is what appears to be the biggest viewfinder you ever saw; allow me to explain. What you are seeing is basically the same fold-out LCD screen found on the EX1, only Sony have stuck a huge magnified eye piece on the front of it. Personally, I think this is a great idea as the LCD screen on the EX1 is quite simply the best on the planet. The same can’t be said of the viewfinder found on the EX1, with its rather questionable image quality; and that’s putting it nicely. Sony have decided to throw this viewfinder away (good choice) and turn the LCD screen into the ultimate high-definition viewfinder; eat your heart out Canon XL H1.

To open a high-resolution 1920 pixel version of the photo below in a separate window, simply click on it.

The EX3 also sports an ingenious fold-out shoulder-mount system. Though this does not balance the camera on the shoulder like a conventional full size shoulder-mounted camcorder, it is more akin to that of a shoulder support system hence the EX3 is somewhat front-heavy during hand-held/shoulder use. Not too dissimilar to that of Canon’s XL H1.

The EX3 is not available body only, it comes with a standard lens similar to that found on the EX1. However, Fujinon are also bringing out a dedicated EX3 wide-angle lens.

It could be argued that the EX3 is what the EX1 should have been, but this is not the case. The EX3 is aimed at a different market altogether. Corporate video producers and wedding videographers will be more than happy with the built in lens of the EX1, and its focal range capabilities. Hence they could put that money they save to buying a tripod and lighting kit etc. Independent filmmakers and wildlife videographers will prefer the EX3 and its interchangeable lens options, especially with 35mm adapters from the likes of Letus for example (whom I’ve been informed are making an adapter to fit directly into the EX3’s body), allowing the use of 35mm stills lenses for that film depth-of-field film-look. Wildlife videographers, on the other hand, will appreciate being able to fit telephoto lenses to film that far away leopard for example. EX1 is not redundant or deleted, far from it. EX3 is a different camcorder altogether, not a replacement. Think BMW 3-series and BMW 5-series, different size cars for different people's requirements. The EX3 is an addition to the EX family; expect a smaller (A1 size) camcorder to appear too. And finally, why EX3 and not EX2? simple, Sony don't do even numbers.

Other features over the EX1 include BNC timecode in/out, Genlock and remote lens socket for studio operation as it controls many features of the lens such as exposure and white balance etc. The rear end of the EX3 looks much more professional than the rather flat/bland back end of the EX1. The EX3 now has some new professional BNC type connectors, while other connectors have been moved to the side of the camera. On the right side of the EX3 we now have a composite BNC output, a phono out, and an S-video connector. This makes the EX3 the most versatile HD camcorder in its class.

The on/off switch is the same as on the, still very fiddly and it is hard to nock it into media mode when turning the camera off, but you do get used to it. Same for the ND filter switch, which is just as imprecise as before making it difficult to select NDs number 1 (middle position). Shame they weren’t improved upon for the EX3.

The SxS card slot is slightly different now as it opens in a slightly different way, there is also a 'gutter' at the top to allow the cable to run out when using the new PHU-60K 60GB hard drive, which attaches to the camera via the back (slot B) SxS slot instead of the unreliable FireWire method. EX1 owners will know there is no gutter for the cable, so I'd recommend putting the lead into the back slot (slot B) and closing the sliding door back until it buts up against it, at least this will leave majority of the internals protected from the elements as slot A will be protected by the sliding door, and slot B will be protected by the inserted card/end of the lead. Finally, a small plastic cover now covers the audio pots so you won't accidently move them anymore.

The recommended retail price of the EX3 will be £5995 inc. vat. This is approximately £1500 more than the EX1.

The PMW-EX3 is due to ship in July at a retail price of £5995.

PMW-EX30 XDCAM EX SxS Card Deck

Sony have also added a professional deck to the XDCAM EX family of products. The PHU-60K is a full size professional deck with two slots on the front for SxS cards. Unlike the EX1 and EX3 camcorders, the PHU-60K deck has a built-in DV down-convert feature. This means your high-definition footage can be converted to standard-definition directly from the deck and into your edit suite via FireWire. When using USB2 the deck acts as a card reader/writer.

In operation mode the EX30 is not too dissimilar to the EX1 or EX3 camcorders in the way it works e.g. thumbnail menu system. This deck also has an input so it can also record, from an HD/SDI source camera for example or Edicast HD recording. You can also dump clips from one card to another. The LCD display is 3.5 inches. Power is by means of DC operation, which means that it can be powered using V-lock batteries using a Hawk-Woods adapter. Other features include a HD/SDI input, which will be useful for in-car or helicopter recording. This can also be used to feed a non-linear system. The deck also has an HDMI output, useful for hooking up directly to your HD LCD television set.

To open a high-resolution 1920 pixel version of the photo below in a separate window, simply click on it.

The PMW-EX30 is due to ship in July priced at £3000

PHU-60K SxS Professional 60GB HardDisc Recorder
Although Sony has 8 and 16GB SxS cards, and the new 32GB card, there is still a need for a device that allows longer, continuous recording times. Sony has recognised this fact, so they are adding yet another device to the XDCAM EX family of products, by means of a new professional hard-disc recorder. This hard-drive recording device can also be used to back up your SxS cards in the field without the need for a laptop. The capacity of the PHU-60K is 60GB; hence the name. The key difference between this device and other similar hard-drive recorders is that PHU-60K connects directly to the EX1 or EX3 camcorders via an SxS lead i.e. the lead comes directly out of the PHU-60K and directly into one of the SxS slots on the camcorder. This is far superior to the somewhat unreliable FireWire method (the FireWire lead can easily be pulled out accidentally during recording. FireWire is an IT connection method and in my opinion is not suitable for use in the field when connected to camcorders) used on other similar devices. The recording capacity of the PHU-60K is 200 minutes at full 1920x1080 HD 35mbps quality, or 260 minutes at 25mbps. These long recording times now put professional HD solid-state broadcast quality recording into the hands of even wedding videographers; not that anyone would want to broadcast a wedding. Long recording durations will also come in handy for those long drawn-out corporate speeches; yawn. Having said that, the hard drive should have been much bigger in my opinion i.e. 500GB as two 32GB cards will give you 64GB anyway, which is bigger; come on Sony.

When attached to a camcorder, the hard-disk unit functions just like an SxS PRO™ card, with thumbnail views available on the LCD panel of the PMW-EX1 or PMW-EX3 camcorders or PMW-EX30 deck. A new “dumping” system is being used to protect the HDD from a 1.5m height drop, and buffer memory is being used to allow recording immediately after powering on. Also, a salvage function enables restoration of content damaged by battery/cable disconnection or accidental powering down during recording.

A 3-D G sensor and the buffer memory allow for stable recording. When the G sensor detects that the unit is being dropped, the head of the HDD is immediately parked to protect the HDD. The content is temporarily stored in the buffer memory and then restored in the HDD when it is operating again.

Another useful feature is the ability to transfer footage directly from SxS cards to the PHU-60K. This is done by simply inserting a card into one slot and the PHU-60K into the other slot and doing an internal copy from A to B. Again, this makes fieldwork a breeze when it comes to archiving as there is no need for a laptop.

To open a high-resolution 1920 pixel version of the photo below in a separate window, simply click on it.

The PHU-60K can also be used as a stand alone hard-drive with your laptop or other computer editing system via the USB 2.0 interface. So it is possible to edit your productions directly from the PHU-60K. Also, when using the U30 (smallest battery) you can achieve 10 hours of operation. The PHU-60K mounts directly onto the back of the camera using the included bracketery.

The PHU-60K is due to ship in July for £750

SPB-32 32GB SxS card
Sony have also announced a 32GB SxS card to complement the currently available 8GB and 16GB cards. The 32GB card will store 100 minutes of full 1920x1080 high-definition footage recorded at the highest quality of 35mbps and 140 minutes of 1440x1080 video at 25Mbps. Two 32 GB SxS cards will give you a constant recording time of 4 hours in full 1920x1080 35mbps high quality HD mode. This is more than what most of us will ever need for an entire day’s shooting.

The SPB-32 is due to ship in September. Price to be announced.

Clip Browser version 2
The current version of Clip Browser (1.1) does a perfectly good job, but the new version 2 has some phenomenal new features. The Clip Browser software will allow you to bring clips in to your edit system directly from the EX1 and EX3 camcorders, the PMW-EX30 deck, the PHU-60K hard-disc recorder, and of course Sony’s USB SxS card reader. You can also add meta-data in abundance. The new version 2 also has the ability to down-convert to standard definition within the software; a useful feature for those who don’t want to buy the PMW-EX30 deck. You can also “right click” and choose export to MXF, or export to DV. Version 2 of the Clip Browser software is available for both Mac and PC and will be available as a free download from the Sonybiz.net website when it becomes available later in 2008.

Clip Browser version 2 also allows direct import into AVID systems at full 35mbps in MXF format, something currently not available natively with AVID systems. Sony are also working with software plug-in company Main Concept, who are building some additional functionality for Clip Browser version 2. One such function will be the ability to take your 35mbps HD footage and using the Main Concept option you will be able to up-convert it to 50mbps in 4:2:2 colour space directly onto XDCAM HD Professional Optical Disc using the PDW-U1 USB Disc reader/writer. This is kind of a ‘transcoding’ process.

Another function of the Main Concept plug-in will allow you to take any clip from the Clip Browser and to export it as Windows Media, Apple QuickTime, PSP file, iPod file, and even YouTube files. This is a great way of saving video files for multi-media web purposes. No more need to learn the art of compression for the web; nice!

So, native SxS HD footage, DV out, AVID out, Transcode out, and a bunch of web/internet output options too.

Clip Browser version 2 will be available in June as a free download from the Sonybiz.net website. Also the additional option modules from Main Concept will be available at the same time, but they will not be available from the Sony website, they will be a purchasable option from the Main Concept website.

Blu-Ray

Using Blu-Ray discs, it is easy to archive/back up the SxS MP4 files. In Clip Browser version 2, it is simply a case of dragging the native MP4 HD video files directly onto a Blu-Ray disc. Or if you are using Adobe Premiere, you can author a native HD DVD using Encore, then export it directly to Blu-Ray DVD for a native HD Blu-Ray DVD disc in full 35mbps.

XDCAM HD Professional Optical Disc
If you own a PDW-U1 USB Optical Disc reader/writer, you will soon have some really super cool, and I do mean ‘SUPERCOOL’ writing options; Panasonic P2 users and Digital Stills Photographers read on. When the write capability is added to the U1 (imminently) it will be for standard XDCAM HD formats only i.e. 1440x1080 35mbps 4:2:0 and 1920x1080 50mbps 4:2:2. However, get ready for the supercool bit, later in 2008 Sony are going to release a further free firmware update for the U1 Optical Disc reader/writer that will allow you to back up and archive absolutely any type of file or folder your heart desires i.e. just like a conventional hard-drive or blank Blu-Ray disc. This is brilliant news not only for Sony XDCAM owner/users, who can store their native XDCAM HD and XDCAM EX MP4 files, but it is also brilliant news for Panasonic P2 owner/users, or anyone else who needs a cheap and reliable long-term back-up/archive solution. P2 owners for example can buy a PDW-U1 for £1595 and a bunch of blank 23GB or 50GB XDCAM HD Optical Discs from either Sony, TDK, Fuji or Maxell for approximately £15 each for the 23GB discs or £35 for the 50GB discs. You can then go ahead and drag/drop your P2 MXF HD video files directly onto Professional Optical Disc for safe future archiving (Sony’s Professional Optical Disc has a 50 year shelf life). Digital stills photographers can also use this method for archiving their digital photos, RAW, JPEG, or otherwise. This is a superior (and much safer) archiving solution than the somewhat questionable and risky use of standard computer hard-drives, which we all know can give up the ghost and die without notice.

Current XDCAM HD owner/users will already know that blank XDCAM discs have an allocated file space of 500MB. This 500MB (as you know) can be used for relevant production files such as Word scripts, photos, Photoshop files and other relevant files. Sony are basically bringing out a firmware update that will allow the entire disc to be mapped this way; as opposed to just 500MB, which is currently the case. To format the disc this way simply insert it into the U1 and it will be formatted automatically in a few seconds, just like the current formatting method when inserting a blank disc into an XDCAM HD camcorder.

So there it is, Sony has well and truly hit the professional solid-state HD market with a vengeance, making more noise than a Rhino in a glass Green House. The XDCAM EX range is now a true family of products consisting of two camcorders, a deck, an SxS USB card reader, 3 different capacity SxS cards in 8, 16 and 32GB, an SxS Hard Disc recording unit, superb free Clip Browser/Transfer software, and the U1 Optical Disc reader/writer for archiving. And it will only grow and get bigger from here.

JVC INTRODUCES NEW GY-HD200UB ProHD CAMCORDER PROVIDES DUAL LIVE 720p AND 1080i IEEE 1394 STREAMS

2008-04-17T14:16:00.001-03:00

Las Vegas, NV (April 14, 2008) – JVC Professional Products Company further expands its reach in the professional HD marketplace by introducing the new 720p and 1080i signal selectable GY-HD200UB ProHD camcorder. Since the introduction of the ProHD professional high definition system at NAB in 2004, JVC has continued to provide advancements in product technology and production efficiency.

The new GYHD200UB ProHD Professional HD camcorder provides selectable live transport stream output capability of either 1080 60i and 50i signals or 720 24p, 25p, 30p, 50p and 60p through the IEEE 1394 connection. The selected IEEE 1394 output signal can also be recorded into the ProHD DR-HD100 Hard Disk Recorder as either .m2t or .mov QuickTime™ files.

“The dual 720p and 1080i live transport stream capability of the new GY-HD200UB provides unmatched flexibility and efficiency in a professional shoulder mount HD camcorder,” states Craig Yanagi, National Marketing Manager, Creation Products, JVC Professional Products Company. “Combined with the DR-HD100 Hard Disk Recorder with Native File Recording capability, the GY-HD200UB camera system becomes the fastest and most efficient ‘shoot-to-edit’ professional HD camera system in the industry.”

The GY-HD200UB also offers full-frame 1280 x 720 progressive imaging and 720p recording as well as a 14bit A/D converter and a 14.4v power system standard. The selectable 60p and 60i acquisition capability of the GY-HD200UB is ideal for HD news and sports acquisition, while filmmakers and HD dramatic productions will appreciate the native progressive image capture and the “overcranked” recording for superb slow motion images during 24p final output.

JVC’s renowned line of ProHD cameras have been used in many television and film productions including America’s Most Wanted, 24, and The Inconvenient Truth, and by organizations such as The Miami Dolphins, Raycom Media, Scripps Television Station Group, and Waterman Broadcasting.

The GY-HD200UB is immediately available with a suggested list price of $5,995, including 16:1 Fujinon lens and Anton-Bauer battery system. A camcorder head only version, the GY-HD200CHUB is available for $5,695. For more information about JVC’s GY-HD200UB and other ProHD cameras, please visit JVC’s Web site at http://pro.jvc.com.

RED SCARLET

2008-04-17T14:05:00.005-03:00

The Red Scarlet with some handles,
a mount, and an LCD attached.

Today at NAB, Red Digital Cinema showcased the long-awaited Scarlet, a compact model capable of shooting 3K video for under $3,000. Film and video enthusiasts flooded the show floor, clawing to catch a glimpse of the Scarlet's rectangular upright body and unconventional architecture. The Scarlet is equipped with a new 2/3-inch Mysterium sensor and supports 1-120fps with a 180fps burst mode. The Scarlet can capture video up to 100Mbps in REDCODE Raw format and RGB recording to dual compact flash.

"Considering the performance and the price of Scarlet, it's going to have a huge range of customers, from the soccer moms to the indie filmmakers," stated Ted Schilowitz, Leader of the Rebellion at Red Digital Cinema.

Red's latest compact addition has a 4.8-inch LCD screen, 8x optical zoom lens, and full Auto or Manual shooting modes. The Scarlet's connectivity includes HDMI, HD-SDI, FireWire 800, and USB 2.0. Many of the accessories from the Red One are compatible with the Scarlet.

On the higher end, Red also debuted the Epic camera (estimated at $40,000), capable of shooting in 5K video and equipped with a full frame S35mm new Mysterium X sensor. The Epic can shoot in 1-100fps and can support up to 100Mbps transfer in REDCODE RAW and RGB recording. The Epic has a full-size dual link HD-SDI interface, 2 XLR jacks, HDMI, Wi-Fi control, FireWire 800, and USB2. The Epic features a fully upgradable sensor, body, boards, and mount. The machined aluminum body weighs 6 pounds and is compatible with most Red One accessories.
The new Epic camera is significantly more expensive than the original Red One. The Red One debuted at NAB 2006, making waves with its 24.4mm x 13.7mm (Super35mm) 12-Megapixel Mysterium Image sensor with a gross pixel count of 4900 x 2580. The Red One shoots in 4K RGB (4:4:4), 3K RGB, 2K RGB, 1920 x 1080 progressive (RGB or 4:2:2), and 1280 x 720 (RGB or 4:2:2). The Red One is can also shoot in the following frame rates: 23.98, 25, 29.97, and 30fps (4K), 50, 59.94, and 60fps (3K, windowed), and 75 and 120fps (2K, windowed). Video preview can be attained via HD-SDI and HDMI at 1280 x 720 progressive with a 4:2:2 color space. The Red One utilizes the REDCODE codec and stores files as 12 bit 4K, 3K, and 2K RAW files. Connectivity on the Red One includes of FireWire 800/400, USB-2, e-SATA, and 2 XLR channels.

Interview with Ted Schilowitz, Leader of the Rebellion
Shooters can customize the Red One to whatever size, media, lens, and power options they want, whether shooting a feature film with full Rail system or stripping the features down for a more compact, handheld approach. The Red One ships as a bare bones camera unit, allowing shooters to add lenses, media, monitors, and housing systems. The $6,500 Red T3 Zoom lens can be added to the Red One, in addition to the Red-Rail system, designed to house the Red One using a series of steel rods and cradles. Red also offers an EVF and LCD for onboard monitoring. A number of Red storage solutions are available, including the 320GB HDD Red Drive, The 64GB Red Ram solid state Flash drive, which holds between 30 and 40 minutes of 4K video, and the Red CompactFlash drive, compatible with CF cards.

The Red Scarlet, stripped to its bare essentials

By contrast, the Red Scarlet is a complete camcorder system, with lens, processor, and recording medium (CF card). For more capacity, shooters can mount a hard disk drive or connect directly to a computer. Red Digital Cinema was not able to answer every question about the Scarlet. For instance, Schilowitz could provide no information on the battery. The workflow for video from the Scarlet could be similar to Red One's files, but that could not be verified. As with the Red One at NAB 2006, there was no working model of the Scarlet - merely a mock-up in a glass case.

The Red Scarlet is scheduled for a release early next year. The price point could only be confirmed as under $3000. And just so would-be owners of the Scarlet receive fair warning, the brochure handed out at the Red Digital Cinema booth states: "Sepcifications, delivery dates and design are subject to change... count on it."

Canon renova série XL

2008-04-17T13:57:00.004-03:00

UPDATE: We had a chance to sit down with Mike Zorich, Marketing Director of the Video Division of Consumer Imaging Group at Canon USA. We asked him some of our questions, as well as some your questions. In the interview Canon hints at its own HD codec in the future.

Commenter Mark Williams asked why the new Canon XL H1S and XL H1A did not offer an HDMI jack. Zorich responded, “The answer is pretty simple. [The new camcorders] are just a spin off of the XL H1. To include an HDMI would have meant a complete overhaul of the circuit control in the camera. Canon was not able to make a change of this magnitude…. I think you’ll see that in future products from Canon.”

The second comment came from Blairness, who liked the new lens, but would have liked to see a non-perpetual zoom ring with a “little knob” like the Sony HVR-Z1. Zorich: “He’s absolutely right. What Canon is working to do is make advancements in the servo lens. That’s why all the [development] has been on the inside and not the outside. It’s not to say that we won’t have a mechanical lens in the future, but we’re working to make refinements to the [servo] lens.”

In regards to Canon releasing yet another tape-based series of camcorders, Zorich responded that more than fifty percent of acquisition is currently done on tape. Canon is very aware of the trend in tapeless media, but is taking the time to research the market carefully.

When we asked if Canon’s use of AVCHD in the consumer range would be a factor in its development of pro platforms, the responses became very interesting. Zorich confirmed that that would be a factor, but did not go as far to say that Canon would definitely be pursuing the AVCHD path. He continued, “Red [Digital Cinema] created their own codec. No one took them seriously two years ago, and now they’re competing in the marketplace.”

The possibility of a new HD codec from Canon is indeed tantalizing, though no further details were discussed. The competition between Panasonic’s AVC variants and Sony’s XDCAM EX recently intensified with several products announcements at this year’s NAB. A third option in this market (sub-$20K camcorder systems) could have interesting repercussions.

When asked what the challenges of developing a new codec, Zorich responded that, “It has to work out of the gate. The professional community would never accept a camcorder coming to market that does not have an immediate editing solution.”

Given that fact that NLE developers require at least a year’s lead time in order to develop compatibility, it’s possible that Canon is underway with such a development at this moment.

~
April 10, 1008 - Canon announced two new professional camcorders today, just days before the start of the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) show in Las Vegas, NV. The XL H1S and XL H1A will replace the original XL H1 (review), released in 2005. These shoulder-mounted camcorders work as a two-tiered set of options. The XL H1S retails for $8999 and includes a “pro jack pack” of HD-SDI, Time Code, and Genlock ports. The XL H1A retails for $5999 and omits the jack pack. While the sensors and processor have remained the same since the original XL H1, the new camcorders include significant software upgrades and a new 20x lens. (View photo gallery and comparison chart)

While Panasonic and Sony have been aggressively pursuing non-tape workflows for the sub-$10K range of camcorders, Canon is sticking with tape and with the HDV format for the time being. “There is still a very large market for tape… wedding and event shooters, specifically, are still requiring tape. Film schools are typically still requiring tape,” stated Mitch Glick, Product Marketing Manager Consumer Division at Canon U.S.A. "Not to say that we won't be there [in non-tape] in the future."

Physically, there is very little difference between the original XL H1 and the new XL H1A and XL H1S. Most of the changes are internal and software based. For instance, the white balance adjustment has been extended from 2800K – 12000K to a new range of 2000K – 15000K. The gain range has been increased from +18dB to a new high of +36dB, and the increments have been refined to 1/2dB in the 0db-18dB range. The color parameter options have increased their range of settings from +/-9 to a finer scale of +/-50.

“These two products represent a lot of feedback that we received from pro consumers,” stated Glick. “What we tried to do here is take the XL H1 and refine it to give them an enhanced level over the control and the operation.”

If these upgrades sound familiar to Canon fans, they should. Much of the new functionality has been carried over from the Canon XH A1 (Specs, Recent News, $3094.99) and XH G1, the hand-held camcorders that were released about nine months after the XL H1. Though the A1 and G1 were smaller and cheaper than the H1, the degree to which a shooter could control image quality from within the camcorder was far more advanced.

Though this expanded set of parameters is useful, the new camcorders are clearly not a major upgrade from the older XL H1. Rather, it seems that Canon is taking a popular but expensive product and broadening it out reach a wider user base. “Many users expressed a desire for a lower cost version of the XL H1, one that did not have HD-SDI, SMPTE Time Code, and Genlock because they weren’t doing multi-camera.” It may be added, presumably, that said users also require a shoulder-mounted camera and are not content with the handheld XH A1.

In the simplest terms, the XL H1S is the true replacement for the XL H1, and the XL H1A is a cheaper offshoot. The H1S includes an HD-SDI/SD-SDI output (with embedded audio and time code), individual SMPTE Time Code in and out ports, and a Genlock output port. This same feature differentiation separates the handheld XH G1 (includes pro jack pack) from the XH A1 (does not include pro jack pack). The money saved by not choosing the pro jack pack in either the XL or the XH series is about $3000.

The new 20x HD lens has an added iris ring

The most significant addition to the new camcorders is the 20x HD lens. The zoom power has not changed since its previous incarnation, but there is some increase in functionality. In addition to the zoom, focus, and ND filter rings, a new iris ring has been added. The rings are further apart and each is textured differently to aid in on-the-go shooting. The responsiveness and rotation angle of the focus and zoom rings can be adjusted in the menu. You can manually focus while you zoom at the same time, which you could not do with the older lens. The fastest zoom speed has been increased to 1.5 seconds and the slowest has been decreased to 5 minutes, (originally 3.5 seconds to 1 minute). The iris ring can be controlled in 1/16th stop increments (up from 1/4 stops). The new lens will not be available for separate purchase. It will fit and work with older XH H1’s, but the enhanced software interface will not be accessible.

The upgraded models incorporated several small changes that might not be as obvious upon first glance. The FireWire port has been changed from a 4-pin to a 6-pin type and the headphone jack was changed from plastic to metal, both to increase durability. The black & white viewfinder terminal can now double as an external monitor-out port (via an included proprietary cable). The hand strap was made larger. The tripod base is larger to accommodate bigger screws. The positions of the settings on the mode dial have changed – the first setting after “Off “ is Manual mode rather than Auto mode.

The audio feature set has undergone some serious changes, for better or for worse. The biggest alteration is the reduction from 4-channel to 2-channel recording. “For most users, four-channel audio wasn’t something they were able to utilize through their edit suites, so it didn’t make sense to keep that,” Glick explained. The new camcorders do, however, now allow the ability to simultaneously record from the front microphone and the XLR terminal. The sensitivity settings of the XLR inputs have changed. The range of reference tones has been increased, as well.

The XL H1S retails for $8999 (MSRP) and is expected to ship in early June. The XL H1A sells for $5999 (MSRP) and will ship in mid-July. Older XL H1’s will continue to be sold for the next several months, and Canon will continue to offer operational support

HVR-HD1000U - Minhas Primeiras Impressões

2008-01-28T16:02:00.000-03:00

São 2,7 quilos. Deu pra perceber só pelo peso que o comentário de que ela é uma HC7 encorpada não cola. Ela pesa mais que a DVC7 ou a DVC20. A câmara acomoda bem no ombro e não fiquei com a cabeça torta com o olho encaixado no viewfinder (buraco dos zóio), como aconteceu com a DVC7, aliás o viewfinder não é tão pequeno quanto alardeado. Não chega a ser o da Z1, mas é melhor que o da DVC7 e DVC20. O encaixe do ombro vem ajustado na posição mais atrás e pode ser mudado ao gosto do freguês. Ela grava MINI DV e HDV e ao contrário do anunciado na B&H, nada de DVCAM . Amanhã eu posto vídeo

Conectores analógicos

Vídeos feitos com a HD1000u

Vídeos disponíveis pra download

http://rapidshare.com/files/87579680/Untitled_Clip_02_93.avi
http://rapidshare.com/files/88119119/Praia.avi
http://rapidshare.com/files/87959111/HD1000U.mpg
http://rapidshare.com/files/87533622/Untitled_Clip_02_40.avi
http://rapidshare.com/files/87550171/Untitled_Clip_02_91.avi
http://rapidshare.com/files/87598546/Untitled_Clip_02_77.avi

Sony HVR-Z1 Camcorder Review

2008-01-12T19:28:00.000-03:00

by Kevin Cook of the IOV

I’m going to try and temper my excitement about this new camera – but it is going to be very hard. It’s been a long time since I was actually excited by a video product – it may be even as far back as when I first started playing with non-linear editing. Back then I knew I was using something that was going to be ‘BIG’ – and I think the HDV format is going to have the same kind of impact. It will change the way we work.
We’ve already seen and heard a lot about the consumer variant HDR-FX1 camera, but very quick on its heals Sony has announced that its professional version – HVR-Z1E – will be shipping in February next year. Early last month I was fortunate enough to get to see both of these cameras – courtesy of OpTex for the FX1 and Sony for the Z1E.
HDV

Both cameras record HDV or DV – and in the case of the Z1E, also in DVCAM. Putting aside the differences for a moment, the common thread is HDV. HDV records High Definition pictures using MPEG-2 compression on standard DV or DVCAM tape (though there is a new HDV Digital Master tape now available).
Original HDV pictures displayed on a Hi-Def monitor look stunning, but what’s the point in a world where only a few have access to this? Is there any point in shooting in HDV when no one can see the true quality? I think there are several points.
Both these cameras and Sony’s HDV VCRs have built-in down-converters which seem to harmlessly convert the HDV images into Standard Definition (SD). You simply shoot everything in HDV – and leave the menu set to down-convert the output. There is a growing feeling that shooting everything in HDV mode, and then downconverting to SD produces better pictures than if the material was shot in SD in the first place. I was dying to try this out and have to say that, without the benefit of measuring the output, to the naked eye the downconverted images do look richer and more detailed. I don't see the need to shoot anything in SD anymore.
Using it this way, the camera or VCR (HVR-M10E) will talk to your NLE system via IEEE1394 (FireWire/I-Link), and to all intents and purposes you would think you are using a normal DV or DVCAM unit. The main difference is the content on your camera master tape will remain in full HDV resolution.
For those creating material for future archiving, or those that see a commercial edge in being able to offer this facility, this alone might be the reason enough to go HDV. We’ve already heard many of the NLE manufacturers announcing Hi-Def compliant solutions. In this situation the camera or VCRs connect via component output. This will allow you to maintain HDV quality through to the edited master for archive – which can then be down-converted to SD for delivery.
We are, of course, going to have to wait for the next phase of Hi-Def DVD players before there is a logical delivery format, but you’ll already find the Hi-Def compliant screens in the high street stores today. I don’t think the DVD players will be far behind – and I also don’t think Europe will wait for its broadcasters to start broadcasting Hi-Def before they adopt the technology.
Sony’s HDV consumer camera is here now – but the big question is – “Should I hold on for another couple of months and wait for the HVR-Z1E, or should I buy the HDR-FX1 now?”
The Z1EPutting the HDV format to one side for a moment, my first impressions of the Z1E is that it’s a great camera. A true 16:9/4:3 switchable solution at this level would be a good enough news, but the added benefit of being able to record everything in stunning HD quality – and the ability to easily down-convert this to SD out of the back of the camera or VTR is going to be a winner amongst the pro-video community.
The variations between the FX1 and Z1E cameras are such that it really is worth waiting the few extra months – and paying a premium (if only for Sony’s Silver Support package).
Features such as DVCAM and DV recording, Hyper Gain, XLR audio connections and individual audio channel control might have been enough to differentiate them. But, the additions of PAL or NTSC recording mode, filmic effects settings, audio limiter and noise reduction – plus a more varied choice of component outputs (for when you are working totalling in HDV) – are what will make this camera a firm favourite in the pro-video community.
Available from February next year, the Z1E will be priced at around £4000 (€5,500). Quite what price it will hit the streets at I’m not sure, but it will be a fair chunk more than the street price of the FX1 (which is somewhere around the £2.5K mark). Then again, Sony list 40 additional benefits over the consumer model – which itself lists various improvements over their nearest comparative SD camera, the DSR-PD170.

The Things I Liked

The things I really liked were the true 16:9 facility – and shooting using the 16:9 flip-out panel or viewfinder (which can be set to mono or colour on the pro version – and used simultaneously with the LCD panel). Positioning the LCD panel on the top of the carry arm seems, well – just natural. I can’t quite put my finger on why I like it there, it just seems to fit – especially when operating the camera from the hip.
The 6 preset buttons were also a revelation for me. These allow you to assign functions or camera settings to each button – so those things you often find yourself having to delve into menus to alter can be assigned to one of the 6 buttons. Without referring to the manual (because they didn’t give me one) I soon assigned different functions to each of the buttons – things such as Steadyshot on/off, white balance settings, filmic effects, Hyper Gain – and so on. Very handy if you have time to preempt filming conditions and have the settings fixed for a shoot.
Having proper turning dials to set audio levels (both channels independently on the pro version), plus proper XLR connectors for feeding external mics or line feeds – are both key features that give the Z1E the edge. The Audio Limiter (which should see off those situations where overloading causes holes in your digital soundtrack) and Audio Noise Reduction are also going to appeal to those wanting to get the most out of HDV.
On the operational side I really liked the zoom read out in the viewfinder – which should make matching shots a whole lot easier. In the FX1 it only displays a bar – but on the Z1E it gives you a number value. I also liked the quick-focus facility – which by a touch of a button takes the zoom from fully wide to full zoom to enable manual focus. Press the button again and the zoom pops back out to its previous setting.

The Things I Didn’t Like

Not much really. The only criticism would be that, like all cameras of this design, they are incredibly uncomfortable to operate. Holding the camera in front of you for more than a few minutes will start the muscles aching. Sony obviously recognise this and in the not too distant future we will see a bespoke camera mount system from them.
I’ve never been a fan of small cameras – but the Z1E might just have changed my mind.

Catálogo da HVR-Z1 em PDF

Manual da HVR-Z1 em PDF

Outras informações

Sony HVR-V1 Review completo

2007-12-08T10:15:00.000-03:00

Sony HVR-V1E - A verdade, somente a verdade, nada mais que a verdade.
There have been many rumors going around the net with regard to Sony's HVR-V1E camcorder and it's progressive shooting mode issues, most of which are based on nothing more than wild speculation and assumption. The below introduction to this review is the actual truth; period.

It is public knowledge that the new Sony V1 progressive scan HDV camcorder had an issue with image quality when in progressive mode. This issue is now fixed.

It turned out there was a slight lack of resolution in progressive mode with PAL versions of the V1 (NTSC versions never had an issue). This has since been fixed by sony via a modification to the cameras software system.

This was sorted in early January and all V1E models now coming into the UK are the latest ones that don't have any resolution loss issues in progressive mode.

However, it is worth noting that the V1's 'Sharpness' setting is set to +7 by default when they leave the factory. Most professional camera operators will feel this is too high; I agree. With the Sharpness set to +7 there is visible 'line twitter' in the image. This is brought on by the high default setting of Sharpness in the V1's menus.

Many consumers will like this look. However, if you are a professional cameraman used to the likes of Digital Betacam, XDCAM HD and HDCAM, you will probably hate the artifacts and line-twitter that high Sharpness settings can (and usually do) introduce.

So for the professionals using the V1 as a B-Camera to something more high end, or to the more discerning amateur, there is a way you can rid the image of this 'junk'.

Here is what to do:
Press the picture profile button on the side of the camera.
Select profile 5 or 6 using the jog dial.
Select Sharpness.
Set to +3 (default is +7, range is 0 to 15)

You can save this profile on a memory stick if required.
There are several other adjustments that you may wish to adjust as part of your picture profile.

The above sharpness setting of +3 is the official recommended one by Sony UK. I spent the morning at the Sony offices in Basingstoke viewing the various settings that Sony technical guru Neil Thompson came up with. These settings were viewed via the V1 onto a grade-A CRT HD monitor, the kind that cost as much as a 2-bed terraced house in Bolton; and almost as heavy.

After viewing a recording from the V1 on this grade-A monitor with the +3 sharpness setting, I'm totally satisfied with the quality this camera now produces in progressive mode and I will be recommending it highly to anyone who is in the market for a budget priced progressive scan HDV camcorder

Sony will not be making any more changes to the V1, it is fixed and final. They will however be recommending that people reduce the default sharpness from it's current +7 down to +3.

I've also re-written the review below to reflect the latest V1 camera with sharpness set to +3.

The all-new Sony HVR-V1E is here!
Sony has just launched the all-new HVR-V1E professional HDV camcorder in the UK; early November 2006. The new V1 was shown for the very first time at IBC in September. On Friday 22nd September 2006 I took delivery of the first V1 to arrive on UK shores, in fact I was the first person in the UK to actually get my hands on one to review; and it wasn’t easy. The particular V1 I took delivery of is in fact a pre-production model, as they haven’t started dropping off the production line as yet. However, the pre-production model I have is the final version and is identical to the ones that will be sold here in the UK. I had all weekend to go out shooting with it before having to promptly return it to Sony UK first thing Monday morning.

Why the V1 when Sony already have Z1?
This is a question that many people will want answering right from the start. After all, it would appear that the new V1 does virtually everything the Z1 does, with a few exceptions including 60Hz, larger image sensors, composite video input and a 3-position gain switch. The V1 uses three CMOS chips as opposed to CCDs and it has a proper progressive scan shooting mode too; oh, did I mention that the V1 is also £500 cheaper than the current Z1! So why have Sony done this? Why are they competing against their own product i.e. the Z1? Surely they are going to be doing themselves out of Z1 sales as people buy the new V1 instead? This is almost certainly going to be the case, but does Sony care? I think not; here’s why.

Sony are going after a new target market with the V1, they are going after the independent low-budget filmmaker market, the Panasonic DVX100 and HVX200 market. This is why the V1 has a native progressive HDV 1080p (that’s P for Progressive) shooting mode as well as a 1080i (interlaced) mode, more on that later.

Panasonic have had the low-budget progressive camcorder market all to themselves for the past 4 years since the launch of the DVX100 in October 2002 and more recently the HVX200. Of course JVC came onto the scene with a bang with their ProHD GY-HD100 series progressive scan camcorders that use 1/3rd inch interchangeable lenses. If you were an independent low-budget filmmaker who needed a budget-priced native progressive scan tape-based camcorder the only options were Panasonic’s DVX100 and more recently JVCs ProHD GY-HD100 and 200 series models, though the latter use proper interchangeable lenses with no auto-focus-hocus-pocus hence they are aimed at a more discerning professional who is used to shooting with manual focus lenses and/or even film cameras.

More recently Panasonic launched the DVX100 replacement, the new P2 based HVX200. Like the DVX100, the latest HVX200 also records to tape, but only in standard definition mode, if you want HD you have to record to the expensive P2 cards (currently around £1,150 for an 8GB card). Of course the massive expense of the P2 cards put off many independent low-budget filmmakers, who instead decided to stick with their older DVX100 SD camcorders or buy one of the more recent JVC ProHD models. But now everything is about to change with the launch of Sony’s brand new HVR-V1E native progressive scan HDV camcorder. Now independent low-budget filmmakers looking for a budget-priced native progressive scan HD capable camcorder has a bit more choice. The new Sony V1 has various record options for both SD and HDV, the latter has options for both 1080i as well as native 1080p, and better still, whatever format you choose, like the JVC ProHD cameras, they record to cheap Mini-DV tapes; great news for the low-budget independent filmmaker who doesn’t even own a house, let alone take out a re-mortgage on one to buy some P2 cards and P2 stores…

You see, as far as Sony are concerned if existing Sony fans are going to buy a V1 over a Z1 this is okay, why? Because it also means that many potential HVX200 purchasers will also be looking long and hard at a Sony V1. As far as Sony are concerned it is better that people buy a Sony instead of a Sony, as opposed to a Panasonic instead of a Sony. I think Sony know exactly what they are doing with the V1, be under no illusions.

Who is the new V1 aimed at?
There is absolutely no doubt that the new V1 is aimed at low-budget independent filmmakers who want a native progressive scan High-Definition Tape-Based camcorder. The V1 is also aimed at event and wedding videographers as it has the usual 1080i HDV shooting capabilities as well as standard definition DVCAM and DV 720x576 shooting modes that we are familiar with on the Z1. The V1 will also work well for low-budget documentary filmmakers too as it has the option for both interlaced and progressive shooting modes in HDV1080i and HDV1080p. In fact it can be used in all the same situations as the PD170 and Z1. There is no doubt that the likes of the BBC will adopt this camera as a PD170 replacement too. Yes I know, but haven’t they already done that with the Z1 I hear you ask. Perhaps, but the new V1 closer resembles a PD170 than it does a Z1, which means it is a little bit smaller than a Z1, the LCD screen is mounted on the side, as opposed to on top like the Z1. And because of its PD170 size it is better balanced when holding it out in front of you hence you won’t get back ache quiet as fast. The PD170 was/is a classic, this new V1 is set to take up the rains of where the PD170 left off, only with an abundance more shooting capabilities for both SD and HDV.

A bit about HDVs compression codec
This is just a quick lesson on HDV for those who are still thinking of jumping into HD waters for the first time. There are many variants of HD out there including: HDV, HDCAM, XDCAM HD, DVCProHD, uncompressed 8 bit and 10 bit HD etc. HDV has been labelled the consumer version of HD, but don’t let this fool you. HDV is being used by professional production companies and TV stations all over the world. HDV uses an Interframe GoP (Group of Pictures) compression algorithm which compresses the differences between adjacent frames, unlike HD which uses I (Intraframes) which are encoded without reference to another frame.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with the way HDV compresses the images. It is based on the MPEG2 codec, which is what you see every time you watch a Hollywood move on DVD, or a digital HD Sky broadcast on a HD television set.

Basically the HDV MPEG2 compression codec uses I-frames for reference and throws away any information that is repeated i.e. you wouldn’t see it with the naked eye anyway so you don’t need it, hence it is thrown out to save bandwidth. A quick and crude description I know, but that is basically how it works so the quality is right up there. After all, Sony’s professional XDCAM HD professional disc camcorders work on this same codec principle and if you ever saw footage from an XDCAM HD camcorder, well you would be blown away, it is that good.

Any post-production editing gremlins that HDV once had in its infancy are now history. All the top editing packages including the likes of Apple’s Final Cut Pro HD and Avids Xpress Pro HD can now handle HDV with its GoPs just as well as DV, DVCAM and Digibeta formats, providing your hardware is up to date and powerful enough. So you can mix footage seamlessly between higher end formats such as HDCAM and XDCAM HD with HDV footage all on the same timeline with no problems at all. So concern yourself no more, HDV has been adopted by professionals and broadcast companies and it can even be used for up to 15% of the programme time for BBC and Discovery HD broadcasts were larger cameras could not possibly get the shot. To me this means HDV is a professional working format; period. Don’t ever let anyone tell you that the image quality from HDV is inferior to higher end HD formats, this is only the case if you actually see any compression artifacts and in all my time shooting on HDV camcorders like the Z1 I’ve yet to see any. Of course higher end HD camcorders will produce better images, but mostly because they use 1/2-inch or 2/3-inch chips with interchangeable lenses and a full-size shoulder mounted camera with much more expensive circuitry etc and they cost a whole lot more. Sure, HD as opposed to HDV does have a part to play in quality, but it is not as big as you think; see Sony’s XDCAM HD for proof, basically XDCAM HD is HDV only it uses higher and variable bit rates of up to 35Mbps instead of HDVs constant 25Mbps, but basically XDCAM HD produces better images due to it’s 1/2-inch professional interchangeable lenses, larger chip blocks and professional circuitry in the full-size camera; oh and an F350 XDCAM HD with lens cost around £18,000.

First impressions of the HVR-V1E
I took delivery of the V1 Friday lunchtime so I had all weekend to shoot and play with it before it had to go back to Sony UK first thing Monday. It came in the genuine new Sony case (optional), and what a great case it is too. The V1, batteries, charger, mic and other accessories were snugly packed inside. I dove straight to the bottom of the bag and grabbed the V1; well I wasn’t going to mess around with the batteries and mic for 2 hours was I? After all I am the first person in the UK to actually get my hands on the V1 (after Neil Thompson at Sony, who had it for all of 20 minutes or so before they shipped it to me), so I was going to make the most of it.

The first thing I did was go over the camera to check the overall build quality. For this I look for flimsy levers and buttons etc and check if they would snap off. I don’t go mad here, its not like I deliberately try and break things, I just slam levers up and down and hit buttons a lot harder than I would if I had forked out my hard-earned money for it; kind of how a student would treat a loan camcorder from the college. Anyway, I’m pleased to announce that the V1 is up to Sony’s usual high standards in build quality; I’d go as far as saying that the V1 is a tough little camera that should stand up to most shooting conditions and student abuse.

The new V1 is not too dissimilar to the older PD170, in fact it’s almost identical, but the V1 is finished in a nicer black with that lovely HDV logo on the side. I am pleased that the new V1 is of a similar shape/size to the older PD170, although I used to own two Z1s and never had a problem with them, a few people have told me that they can get a mild back ache after holding the Z1 out in front of them for a long period; I suspect these same people won’t suffer this problem with the smaller/lighter V1.

As this particular V1 was a pre-production model there was no instruction manual, but as I’m familiar with the Z1 I figured I would not need one. Anyone who has used a VX2100, PD170 or Z1 will know that Sony has one of the best and easiest menus to navigate, the V1 is no different so the manual can stay in the box; it really is that easy.

The fold-out LCD panel appears to be a sturdier design to the PD170 and VX2100 and it is nice and clear just like the Z1s screen. When it comes to fold-out LCD screens Sony are in a different league to everyone else. None of the other camcorder manufacturers come close, not even remotely. JVC’s GY-HD111 screen is dark in comparison and if you get a fingerprint on it and attempt to wipe it off, you can’t, you end up with a horrible silver sheen permanently etched into the LCD, which screws up viewing from that day on. Panasonic’s HVX200 screen is no better in terms of image quality over the JVC, and the Panasonic HVX200 screen feels like it could fall off if you look at it too long. Canon, oh yes Canon, they have given up trying to develop an LCD screen as good as Sony’s, so much so that they don’t even bother fitting an LCD screen with their XL series (including the HDV XL H1); Sony kill the opposition in the LCD department. All the other various knobs, levers and dials found on the V1 are logically placed around its body and all feel very durable and study.

Recording formats
The V1 records in the usual standard definition DV and DVCAM formats at 720x576 as well as in HDV 1080i, but the V1 is an entirely different beast to the Z1 in that it also has a true progressive 1080p/25p shooting mode; this is how it works. The V1 can scan to the CMOS chips with native progressive capabilities. The progressive scanned image is divided into two segments (odd & even field) and recorded onto tape as HDV1080/25PsF(compressed in 1440x1080/50i/4:2:0).

The V1 uses an SF (Segmented Frame) mechanism for creating the progressively scanned images. This is a clever mechanism for transferring frames of data around by splitting the progressively scanned frame into two chunks that look like fields. The difference is that interlaced images were shot at different moments in time i.e. the second field is filmed 1/50th of a second after the first field is filmed. With the SF method, the frame is shot as a progressive one all at the same moment in time, but this progressive frame is shot in a way that it is split up into separate fields to enable it to be moved around easier between camcorder, edit system, monitor output etc. When it is played back on a TV set, be it CRT interlace monitor or LCD progressive monitor the two fields are stitched together and presented as one single progressive frame. Independent filmmakers need not concern themselves with tape-to-film transfers either as a progressive SF frame transfers to film in exactly the same way any other progressive frame would.

So there you have it, this method of producing a progressive frame is not cheating and is not an in-camera effect, it is simply a different way of producing progressively scanned images in an interlaced world i.e. playback on CRT interlaced TV sets. If you own a HD LCD or Plasma TV (which are Progressive by their very nature) then HVR-V1E progressively shot footage will have both separate fields stitched together so they are presented as perfect progressive frames on these new TVs.

The CMOS chips
The V1 boasts a brand new chip block set made up of 3 ClearVid CMOS sensors. This is the first HDV camcorder in the world to incorporate 3 CMOS sensors, until now there has only been the Sony A1 that uses just 1 CMOS sensor. Together with these new CMOS sensors, the Sony V1 also uses Sony’s EIP (Enhanced Imaging Processor), which is used to process the recorded signals at 1920x1080p 4:2:2. Sony claim that these CMOS sensors coupled with their EIP processor provide high sensitivity, low noise and a wide dynamic range to achieve breathtakingly high quality images. From the two short days I’ve been shooting on this camera and playing back the footage; I’m inclined to agree with them. Another advantage of the CMOS sensors is that they eradicate picture smear and they are less demanding on power consumption, which means battery record times are extended. It is thanks to the 3 CMOS sensors that the V1 can record in 25p progressive scan modes in addition to 50i. Without 3 CMOS sensors, progressive shooting would not have been possible.

The lens
The V1 has a built in Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T-star lens that features extra-low dispersion (ED) glass. The lens is a 20x zoom with a widest aperture setting of F2.8 at the telephoto end, which is great for throwing the background out of focus or for extra light sensitivity. There is a built in digital zoom that allows the focal length to be extended by around 1.5 times, but I personally am not a big fan of digital zooms as they sap image quality like it was going out of fashion, besides if you want digital zoom you can do it in post. After all, the digital zoom feature simply zooms in on the existing pixels. I feel digital zoom features are a gimmick, but camcorder manufacturers always seem to feel obliged to stick it in there; somebody must want this feature, why I don’t know. From my experience with Z1 cameras, this lens appears to be every bit as sharp with similar colour and contrast reproduction.

Other features
In keeping with the older Z1, the new V1 retains the built-in format down-conversion from HDV to DV or DVCAM. The V1 also has a timecode preset function, 2 balanced XLR microphone inputs with both phantom and battery powered mic capabilities. There is also a camera profile, TC Link, Last scene review and a HDMI output. The battery time with an NP-F970 is quoted by Sony as a massive 8 hours, although I’m not geeky enough to fully charge a battery and test this so have no real way of knowing just how accurate this figure of 8 hours is. But from the way the battery remain time in the viewfinder was not moving from one hour to the next I’d be inclined to suspect that it is a very accurate figure indeed.

Sony have also developed a great slow-motion feature called Smooth Slow Record. Once you've selected the mode the V1 will record 4x the normal number of frames to an internal buffer system, after which it will dump it down to tape at 25 fps (frames-per-second) to give you ultra-smooth slow motion. Although this is a useful feature, the recorded images is compressed so the quality won't be up to native HDV footage. There are different settings for the smooth slow record function of 3, 6 or 12 seconds.

Apart from the usual features such as those above the V1 is (I believe) the very first HDV camcorder to sport an HDMI output, this is just brilliant and I’d be shocked if other camcorder manufacturers did not follow suit. It makes perfect sense being that all (well all so-called HD-Ready) LCD TVs have an HDMI input. So if you are lucky enough to own an LCD or Plasma High Definition TV with HDMI input you will be in for a treat when it comes to playing back your footage direct from the V1 though your television set. Other outputs on the V1 include: component out, A/V out, HDV/DV out and a headphone out.

The V1 has 6 Camera Assign buttons; 3 on the camera and another 3 behind the LCD screen. You can assign various settings to these 6 buttons including: colour bars, digital zoom, colour peak focus assist, return playback and a whole bunch of others. The usual Sony Memory Stick slot is there for picture profiles and the like as is the usual ND filter switch for two levels of built in ND.

Picture quality
I believe there is a strong argument for testing HD camcorders on both standard definition television sets as well as HD monitors, why? because for some time to come (probably until around the year 2010) majority of people will still be watching a regular SD CRT television set of around 28 to 32 inches. So it is vital that we know how these cameras perform when down-converted and played back on such equipment. After all we don't all have £15,000 grade 1 CRT broadcast grading monitors in our edit suits, let alone two large strong men to lift it up onto the desk for us; that's right, they weigh a ton. So my reviewing of footage is realistic, I use a standard Sony SD 28" CRT widescreen television set and a 19" HD LCD monitor; going beyond these monitors into very expensive CRT grading monitors would be pointless as only the top Soho post houses use such monitors. Chances are if you own one of these expensive grading monitors you would not be looking to buy a camera like this, you would be reading a review on HDCAM instead.

Anyone used to the PD170 or Z1 won’t be disappointed with the new V1. From somebody who has been using Z1s for about 10 months now I can confirm that the image quality of the V1 is right there. I was a touch concerned to learn of the CMOS chips in the V1, but after playing back the 45 minutes of footage that I shot down by my local river, I shouldn’t have been concerned for a second. Sony has taken CMOS technology way further than the competition has been able to. I have a bunch of favourite shots that I like to get that is more likely to trip up the HDV codec and show up any weaknesses in the lens, compression etc. I’m quite lucky as there is a very picturesque river about half a mile from my house and there are swans in abundance as well as plenty of large boats cruising by. The shots I filmed with the V1 were of white swans walking along short green grass, large powered boats sailing by, people walking along and the odd panning shot of skateboarders zipping by. I shot all this footage in both 1080i and 1080p shooting modes.

Playing the footage back straight from the V1 using both a professional Sony high-def monitor and my standard Sony 28-inch CRT television set so I could see standard SD results; I was pleasantly surprised. The 1080i footage is about as close to the Z1 as you will ever get. I did some A/B monitor switching between Z1 footage of the same kind of subjects in the same location at the same time of year, last year, and the new V1 footage shot on Sunday (working on a Sunday, I know…). There really was nothing in it, they are characteristically identical with similar detail preservation, definition and overall sharpness. Playing back the 1080p (Progressive) footage looked a little different. The colour saturation and contrast were about the same and it handles highlights superbly, only there is some 'line-twitter' evident in the images, especially on horizontal edges. I filmed some books stacked horizontally and there was slight line-twitter along the book edges in places. However, I was able to fix this by changing the Sharpness setting in the menu. By default the sharpness is set to +7, by dropping it to a more realistic +3 the line-twitter vanishes. Nobody in their right mind would really want the sharpness set so high; +7 is a bit overkill. I can only assume that Sony set it so high from the factory because they assume most purchasers of the camera will be hobbyists who think this look is really great. Personally, whenever I look at an image that has sharpness and detail levels cranked up, I don't see a sharp stunning picture, I see a picture full of junk and garbage that should not be there so I always lower these settings; usually quite drastically. Now if you lower the sharpness settings you could be forgiven for thinking that the image looks soft, it doesn't, it simply looks natural. Try it for a few weeks, then crank the sharpness up again and you'll see just how horrible too much sharpness actually is. Overall I liked the progressive look a lot. I’ve been leaning towards progressive for about 6 months now, which is the only reason I sold my two Z1s.

Independent low-budget filmmakers will not be disappointed with the new V1 if you ride in the progressive vehicle, for the £3,190 asking price it is as good as anything else out there around this price range. It is much more modern, sleeker and sexier than Panasonic’s long-in-the-tooth DVX100, and if you don’t fancy an expensive and destructive P2 card workflow that you are tied into with the Panasonic HVX200 then the tape-based V1 will fit the bill very nicely indeed Mr Bank Manager ;) Which brings me nicely onto the HVR-DR60, the what? The DR60 is Sony’s brand new portable external hard drive. Okay, think Firestore FS4 and you’ll know where I’m coming from. The DR60 is rough, tough and it don’t take no s**t from the competition. It has a 60GB internal hard drive, a built in buffer, and it cost just a little more than a single 8GB Panasonic P2 card, £1,395 inc VAT to be exact.

I’ve already mentioned the image quality of the V1 in 1080i mode is pretty much a replica of the Z1 so the usual corporate and wedding guys will be happy with it, and you can even pop off during the week to shoot a short film in progressive too; nice!

In use the V1 feels nicely balanced when hand-held and it is small (like the PD170) enough to be inconspicuous when filming in public places. I had the larger Sony battery attached to the back and it really did feel like that battery was never going to die, it just goes on and on and on… this could be something to do with the CMOS chips as they drain less power than the Z1s LCD chip blocks. The V1’s fold out LCD screen is incredibly easy to see in direct sunlight, well as far as LCD technology goes anyway. However, for those with ultra sensitive eyes, Sony has included in the package a very neat LCD sunshade, this simply clips over the LCD and has a flag to the top and each side that protrude about 2 inches, more than enough to stop the sun hitting the screen.

One area that I felt the V1 was slightly better than the Z1 was in the purple-fringing department. Although most reports attribute the purple fringing phenomena to chromatic aberration in the lens, it appears to be more apparent with HDV formats. This could simply be coincidence or perhaps the HDV compression codec brings out the worst in lenses and shows up these flaws. However most people will never notice this and there are only certain shooting situations where it is evident. One such situation is around the edges of a white swan against a green grass background. With my test footage there was virtually no purple fringing evident in either progressive or interlaced shooting modes. It could be that if you took a screen grab, opened it in Photoshop and zoomed right in you might see something, but again, I’m not that geeky, if it is not there at full-res when played back on a HD monitor, I don’t really care what could or could not be there when you put screen grabs under a Photoshop microscope; I’m too busy actually making programmes to spend time carrying out futile experiments like this so I’ll leave that sort of test to the grey and pale-faced techies who spend all day in the basement surrounded by gazillions of pounds worth of equipment, but who don’t actually complete any productions. I only witnessed a small and insignificant amount of purple fringing on some distant railings in one of my shots, but this was negligible and was nowhere near as bad as the green fringing I've experiences with my JVC GY-HD111E. I also carried out a slow pan of a large family boat as it cruzed past me on the river. At the point where it passed there are long metal railings along the far bank, these railing usually have an ever so slight tinge of purple fringing with HDV camcorders, but again, it was simply not there with the V1. I’m not sure why, could be the CMOS chips, or possibly a slightly updated compression/processing system onboard, or different electronics perhaps; who knows. This is a big improvement to the point that I did not notice any purple fringing in any of the footage I shot.

So far I've only really compared the new V1 to Sony's existing Z1, so what is the image quality like compared to other camcorders? Well I used to own two Sony Z1 cameras and a Panasonic HVX200 so I'm more than familiar with their image quality capabilities. For those who are interested in why I sold them, the two Z1 camcorders went because I shoot everything in progressive these days. The Panasonic HVX200 went because I feel the P2 card workflow is just too expensive, but mostly because I didn't like the destructive nature of a P2 workflow. These days I on a JVC GY-HD111E which I use for none-broadcast work such as corporates, SIVs and training videos. I've been using the JVC a lot recently for the production of a wildlife training DVD so I know its capabilities inside-out. I think it is human nature to compare any new camcorders image quality with the most recent camcorder you are used to using. So I will give you my take on the Sony V1 when compared directly with the JVC GY-HD111E.

For the last 3 months I've been shooting on almost a daily basis with the GY-HD111E and almost every day I've been checking the daily rushes on my 29-inch Sony CRT television set or my 19-inch HD monitor in my edit suite so I know every single characteristic of the JVCs images. When comparing the Sony V1 1080p/25p footage to the JVCs 720p/25p footage on a regular 29-inch SD television set it's immediately apparent that the JVC images look nicer with greater detail. The V1 lacks a little detail in comparison, especially on wide shots. However, when switching to the 19-inch HD monitor all this changes. Suddenly the V1's true colours start to shine. The overall look is nicer and the detail is improved, however, the JVC still appeared to have a slight edge in the distant detail department on wide shots, but it is ever so slight and you really have to look hard. The V1 had the edge over the JVC when it came to fringing. I shot about 40 minutes of footage on the V1 and there was only one very brief moment where I witnessed a tad of purple fringing, this was on some distant metal railings, but it was only slight. The JVC GY-HD111 produces green fringing that is much worse, and on a more regular basis too. When viewed on a HD monitor the V1 appeared to retain detail in the highlight areas incredibly well, this was surprising considering the HDV codec.

Having said all that, I did not go into the V1 menus and tweak anything, with the JVC I have tweaked around in the menu to get good images. Also I find it a lot easier getting decent images from the JVC simply because it has a proper lens that can be focused, a proper aperture ring and the camera is just built like a proper camera hence all the knobs and switches are in the right places. This for me makes achieving good images much easier, with the V1/Z1 you have to try a lot harder with servo rings and aperture dial wheels and menu-driven features. Had I had the V1 for a few days longer and gone through the trouble of tweaking in the menus, using a matte box and setting up each shot to perfection I'm sure I could have achieved amazing images form the V1. Amazing images for the price that is, remember the V1 cost just £3,190 inc vat.

Comparing the Sony V1 with the Panasonic HVX200, they both measured up pretty much equal when I compared some of my HVX200 1080p footage to the Sony V1 1080p footage, this surprised me a little considering the HVX200 uses Panasonic's DVCPRO HD compression codec and the V1 uses MPEG2 HDV compression. The overall sharpness and image detail looked about the same. The V1 footage also handled high contrast areas better than the HVX200, which again surprised me.

As I’ve already mentioned, the particular V1 I had on loan from Sony UK was a pre-production model, which is basically the same as what is dropping off the production line as I write this so I doubt if there will be any differences in image quality from the unit I had to any unit that will be sold here in the UK when they become available in November.

Accessories
Also available for the V1 is an optional wide-conversion lens, which uses a bayonet joint for easy attachment; useful for independent filmmakers shooting in tight indoor spaces. Sony also make a neat LCD on-camera light with built in dimmer; just as well because I found it to be pretty bright on full power. Sony also makes a padded canvas case for the V1 (fits Z1 also), which is just as good (if not better) than any of the usual suspects out there i.e. Portabrace, Kata, Petrol and the like. If you like the Sony logo you won’t be disappointed with their case. Last but never the least Sony is also launching alongside the V1 the all new HVR-DR60 portable hard disc recording unit. the DR60 is similar to a Firestore, it has a 60GB hard drive and retails for around £1395 inc VAT.

Interesting times
These certainly are interesting times, Sony bringing out a budget-priced native progressive 1080p camcorder. It’s cheap, the image quality is right there with the Z1 in both 1080i and 1080p modes, it uses a cheap tape-based workflow that we are all used to, it’s sexy as hell, it’s tough and durable, it’s small enough to be inconspicuous. The list goes on, but unfortunately I don’t. One thing is for sure, I’d love to see Panasonic’s official sales figures for the HVX200 in the first quarter of 2007 now the Sony V1 is here; time will tell.

©2006 Nigel Cooper

Avid Liquid Edition PRO

2007-11-29T09:38:00.000-03:00

Avid Liquid Pro. The ease of Avid Liquid with SD analog video I/O.
Avid Liquid Pro combines a powerful video editor with a versatile breakout box to provide editors and videographers with all the connectivity they need using just a simple USB2 computer connection. Avid Liquid software provides video editing integrated with DVD authoring; surround sound audio; and amazing visual effects. The breakout box adds analog SD video and analog and digital audio I/O, as well as the ability to capture in uncompressed SD and MPEG formats.
Avid Liquid Family product brief
Editing. Audio. DVD. Effects. One application.
Avid Liquid combines powerful video editing with integrated DVD authoring from the timeline; Dolby Digital 5.1 surround-sound audio processing; and a wide range of powerful visual effects. Editors only have to learn a single interface to create high-quality video productions with sophisticated effects and audio—and quickly output to tape, disc, or streaming media.

I/O flexibility
Choose the video and audio connection that suits your footage and equipment: IEEE-1394, composite, component, or S-video standard-definition (SD) video. Avid Liquid Pro hardware adds uncompressed video capture for the highest-quality footage as well as MPEG IBP codec support at DVD-compliant bit rates for streamlined DVD production. It provides analog and digital (S/PDIF and ADAT) audio I/O as well as discrete surround sound outputs.
Complete HDV workflow
Avid Liquid Pro supports native capture and frame-accurate editing of 720p and 1080i HDV content. It features a powerful real-time effects engine that provides multiple streams of HDV in real time; video monitoring either in full-screen on the VGA monitor or down-converted to an SD monitor in real time; and, most important, a smooth workflow for output to SD or back to HDV tape.

Format flexibility
Avid Liquid Pro supports the Avid Open Timeline: mix content from a variety of sources without having to transcode between formats. Videographers can edit DV, MPEG I-frame, MPEG IBP, HDV and DVCPRO-HD, uncompressed SD, as well as Windows Media, DIVX, and MPEG-4, in the same timeline. With such a broad palette of native codecs, editors can spend more time creatively editing instead of re-rendering from format to format.

Smooth DVD production
As they edit their projects, editors can use a full-featured, integrated DVD authoring toolset right in the timeline to define the interactivity; create and customize menus and navigation; preview and modify the DVD from the timeline; add a Dolby Digital 5.1 surround mix; and then intelligently render out to a finished DVD. Using Avid Liquid Pro, editors can capture footage directly to a DVD-compliant MPEG IBP codec, saving time by avoiding the transcoding process.

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Adobe Premiere CS3

2007-11-29T09:34:00.001-03:00

Capture, edite e apresente vídeos em disco, para a web e dispositivos móveis
Conte suas histórias com máximo de impacto usando o software Adobe Premiere Pro CS3, a solução completa para produção eficiente de vídeo que agora inclui os softwares Adobe Encore® CS3 e OnLocation™ CS3* (apenas para Windows® only). Poupe tempo para capturar usando o Adobe OnLocation para saída, aumente suas opções de criação pela integração com os softwares Adobe After Effects® CS3 Professional e Photoshop® CS3 e apresente seu conteúdo em DVD, Blu-ray, web e dispositivos móveis.

Requisitos de sistema
Windows
Processador Intel Pentium 4 (processador de 2GHz para DV e de 3,4 GHz para HDV), Intel Centrino, Intel Xeon (processadores de núcleo duplo de 2,8 GHz para HD) ou Intel Core™ Duo (ou compatível); processador compatível com SSE2 para sistemas AMD
Microsoft Windows XP Professional ou Home Edition com Service Pack 2 ou Windows Vista™ Home Premium, Business, Ultimate ou Enterprise (certificado para edições de 32 bits)
1GB de RAM para DV; 2 GB de RAM para HDV e HD
10GB de espaço disponível em disco (é necessário um espaço adicional durante a instalação)
Disco rígido com 7.200 RPM dedicados para edição de DV e HDV; armazenamento em matriz de discos distribuídos (RAID 0) para HD; sub-sistema de disco SCSI preferido
Resolução de monitor de 1.280x1.024 com cartão de vídeo 32-bit; a Adobe recomenda cartões gráficos para reprodução GPU acelerada
Cartão de som compatível Microsoft DirectX ou ASIO
Para fluxos de trabalho SD/HD, um cartão certificado da Adobe para capturar e exportar para fita
Unidade de DVD-ROM
Gravador de Blu-ray necessário para criação de Blu-ray Disc
Gravador de DVD+-R necessário para a criação de DVDs
Porta IEEE 1394 compatível com OHCI para captura, exportação para fita e transmissão de DV e HDV para dispositivo DV
Software QuickTime 7 necessário para usar os recursos do QuickTime
Conexão por Internet ou telefone necessária para ativação do produto
Conexão de Internet de banda larga necessária para o Adobe Stock Photos e serviços adicionais

Macintosh
Processador Intel Multicore (o Adobe OnLocation CS3 é um aplicativo Windows e pode ser usado com o Boot Camp sendo executado no Windows, vendido separadamente)
Mac OS X v.10.4.9
1GB de RAM para DV; 2 GB de RAM para HDV e HD
10GB de espaço disponível em disco (é necessário um espaço adicional durante a instalação)
Disco rígido com 7.200 RPM dedicados para edição de DV e HDV; armazenamento em matriz de discos distribuídos (RAID 0) para HD; sub-sistema de disco SCSI preferido
Resolução de monitor de 1.280x1.024 com cartão de vídeo 32-bit; a Adobe recomenda cartões gráficos para reprodução GPU acelerada
Cartão de som compatível com Core Audio
Unidade de DVD-ROM
Gravador de Blu-ray necessário para criação de Blu-ray Disc
SuperDrive necessário para gravar DVD
O QuickTime 7 é necessário para usar recursos do QuickTime
Conexão por Internet ou telefone necessária para ativação do produto
Conexão de Internet de banda larga necessária para o Adobe Stock Photos e serviços adicionais
**Serviços online, incluindo, mas não limitado ao, Adobe Stock Photos e Acrobat Connect, podem não estar disponíveis em todos os países, idiomas e moedas. A disponibilidade de serviços está sujeita a alterações. O uso dos serviços on-line é regido por termos e condições de um contrato separado e pode estar sujeito a taxas adicionais.

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JVC GY-HD101E HDV Camcorder Review

2007-11-27T12:45:00.000-03:00

by Nigel Cooper

I’ve heard so many things about these two new HDV camcorders from JVC, so, when I took delivery of a GY-HD101E last week I was pretty excited to say the least.
If anyone is slightly confused by my opening sentence; let me clarify. Yes, there are two models, they are the GY-HD100E, which only has FireWire output, and the GY-HD101E, which has both FireWire output and input. Don’t ask me why this is the case, all I can tell you is that the latter cost £300 more. I can only assume it is designed to give those who already own a separate HDV deck the chance to save £300, or perhaps to encourage people to put that £300 towards the price of a new JVC HDV deck. Of course, it could be that old government TAX issue, which gets stamped onto imported recording devices, who knows. Anyway, the fact is, there are two models and the FireWire in/out or FireWire out only is the only difference between the two, so choose what you will.
This loaner from JVC turned up in a massive box (not the original one) with padding in abundance and even then the camcorder was snugly tucked inside a Portabrace bag. After covering my living room floor with polystyrene bits I eventually saw the familiar blue canvas of the Portabrace bag.
Once I unzipped the bag and took the HD101 out my first impressions were excellent to say the least; this is one really well built camcorder, in fact camcorder seems too mainstream a word for it. What I had in my hands was a totally professional piece of digital video shooting equipment.

So what exactly do I mean by that, well, first off let’s take a look at the lens. Okay, so it’s only a 1/3” lens and not a 2/3” one, nonetheless, it is still a professional bayonet type broadcast design lens and you better believe that it works like one. The lens is one of the primary factors that make the GY-HD101E and 100E stand out from everything else out there that currently cost under £4,300, and before all you Canon XL2 fans shout “but my camcorder has interchangeable lenses”, I’m afraid they are not quite the same. I know it has interchangeable lenses, but they don't really function like professional lenses as they don't have a focusing barrel that stops at infinity. Don’t get me wrong, the XL2 is a super camera, but the lenses are a little difficult to function in certain professional applications. They use servo-motor assisted focus systems that even when in manual focus mode, the barrel just keeps on turning and has no infinity point, this is not a proper focusing barrel. I’m afraid that any lens that does not have a proper focusing barrel that stops at infinity and macro end can be seriously limiting in many shooting situations. How are you supposed to carry out any kind of smooth and accurate “Pull Focus” shot, or “Trombone” (Spielberg) shot with a servo lens that just keeps on turning, not to mention focus pulling racks. With the lenses that are available for the JVC GY-HD101E you won't have any problems in these instances as it is designed just like any other high-end ENG type professional lens.
The Lens

So, back to the HD101E’s lens. As I’ve already mentioned, this is by far the best feature of the GY-HD101E for the following reasons: it has a professional 1/3” bayonet design, which is exactly the same as you will find on the larger 2/3” professional ENG and other higher end broadcast lenses. Everything about this lens works just as it does on the larger size pro broadcast lenses i.e. a professional focusing barrel that physically stops at infinity and physically stops at the short end, it also has a professional macro function lever for those extreme close ups, I’m talking about filling the frame with a one pound coin here. It has a professional flange back (back focus) adjuster.
For those who are new to professional interchangeable lenses here is how flange back works. Firstly, it is only necessary to perform this task when the lens is attached for the very first time, or when focusing is not correct in both the telephoto and wide-angle positions. You also have to carry out a new flange back setting if you change the lens for a different focal length lens. This is the only true way to ensure your images are in pin sharp focus at both ends of the lenses focal length and it is how the professionals have been doing it for years.
What else, are yes, you can turn off the servo zoom and switch to manual, this enables you to use the chrome lever, or zoom barrel to carry out zooming. This is incredibly smooth and not to be confused with consumer servo zoom lenses when they are in manual zoom mode. Switching into manual zoom on this lens has advantages in abundance, one that springs to mind is those “Crash Zoom” shots or ultra fast establishing shots; these can be executed with 100% accuracy.
Then there is the Aperture Ring. When you switch the camera into manual exposure mode you simply turn the aperture ring to adjust the exposure, again, this is the professional way of doing things, no little aperture scroll wheel stuck on the side of the camcorder body here, or worse still, a menu based aperture system; the latter being next door to useless.
You will find yourself shooting in manual exposure mode more and more because of this method. It’s how broadcast ENG professionals have been doing it for years, and with very good reason indeed. The GY-HD101E has a broadcast standard “Zebra Stripe” function to aid you with the exposure when in manual mode. If you are not familiar with the zebra assist function, it is just like the name suggests. Any area of the viewfinder that is overexposed has diagonal stripes over that area; you simply turn the aperture ring down a few stops until the stripes disappear, easy! Once you get used to this it can be carried out manually in a split second, in less time than it takes the best man to get the ring out of his pocket; if you’re into the whole wedding videography thing anyway.
The lens has the usual professional “Zoom Rocker” for smooth zooming with the aid of a totally silent zoom motor. In front of the zoom rocker is a manual/auto exposure switch, which is positioned in the perfect place for use without having to take your eye from the viewfinder. If you switch this to manual exposure mode there is still a button just in front of it, pressing this button kicks in the auto exposure mode while your finger keeps it depressed so if you want the camera to give you an estimation of what the exposure should be you can depress this button for a second, then let go and the camera will hold that exposure, even if you recompose your shot into different light.
Underneath the lens you have a standard professional Lanc socket for attaching remote zoom/record start/stop controllers, also on the bottom of the lens is the switch to turn the zoom from motorized to manual via the zoom barrel on the lens.
Okay, so why haven’t I mentioned “Auto Focus” yet? Well, that’s because there is no auto focus on this lens, we are now grown ups and we can think for ourselves, we don’t need mummy-camcorder to do it for us now do we. You are now in “Professional Land”. But don’t despair, if you are used to a camcorder with an auto focus mechanism you will soon loose your bad habits of relying on this somewhat risky method of focusing your camera. It’s simply a question of getting into the habit, and with the JVC camera you won’t have a choice, you are suddenly forced into learning the professional ways of doing things; welcome to the whole new world of “Your footage is about to take on a whole new PROFESSIONAL look”.
Personally, I can focus my shoulder-mounted cameras with pro lenses quicker and more intelligently than any auto focus camcorder on the market today, and so will you. Once you have owned a GY-HD101E for a few months you will wonder how you ever managed without such a lens; think about it, when was the last time you actually thought about the fact that you now have to change from 2nd to 3rd gear and looked down at the shifter when you were out driving your car? Exactly. It’s actually quite ironic how some auto functions are a big hindrance. You will learn to appreciate the manual system that professional lenses employ and after all, if you can learn how to use a professional manual lens system like this, then you can use any high end broadcast professional lens too as they all use the very same system.
While on the manual focus bit, the HD101E has a very need “Focus Assist” button. When depressed the viewfinder turns to black and white and any outline areas of focus suddenly light up blue (or red or green, depending on which you choose in the menus), this makes it very easy to focus accurately and quickly.
Just take a look at the close up picture of the end of the lens barrel, it reads “FUJINON TV ZOOM LENS”, that’s because it is manufactured to the very same production line standards as all other Fujinon broadcast lenses. If you were to physically pick up a £9,000 high end Fujinon 2/3” professional ENG lens, then pick up this one that comes as standard with the JVC, you will notice that the only difference in the way they feel is the physical size, one is a smaller 1/3” lens and the other is a larger 2/3” lens. Apart from that they both have the same quality feel, the barrel, the aperture ring, the flange back lever, the macro lever and all the other functions including (and most importantly) the actual glass elements, they too are manufactured to Fujinon’s high quality control standards.
So why does the JVC GY-HD101E come with a Fujinon lens and not a JVC lens, well for the very same reason that any professional camcorder, such as Sony or Panasonic don’t come with Sony or Panasonic lenses, and that is because JVC, Sony and Panasonic don’t make professional lenses, they make professional cameras so they leave the lens/optic business to the professional lens makers.
The standard lens that comes with the GY-HD101E is the 1/3” Fujinon Th16 x 5.5 BRME. Other Fujinon and Canon lenses can be bought for this camera and they include: S14 X 7.3B12U (Fujinon), S17 x 6.6BRM (Fujinon), S20 x 6.4B12U (Fujinon), YH16 x 712U (Canon) and the YH19 x 6.7K12U (Canon).

The Camera Body

Right, so let’s move onto the camera body, the main part that is made by JVC. As I mentioned at the beginning of this review, when I fist took the GY-HD101E out of the bag I was really impressed with the build quality and after playing around with it indoors for an hour I was quite simply blown away by the overall feel and built quality. The HD101E feels every bit as solid as a £25,000 broadcast ENG shoulder-mounted camera, only this is packed into a much smaller space. Everything on this camera feels solid; I got the impression that these cameras will last a very long time and take some serious documentary location shoot punishment. All the levers, buttons, XLR sockets and various switches felt like they will withstand been switched and pulled thousand of times without any hint of wearing or breaking off.
All the various controls on this camera are very logically laid out. In fact they are laid out in pretty much the same places as you would expect to find them on high-end cameras such as industry standard DigiBeta or D9 for example. The zoom rocker, auto/manual iris controls, record start/stop and RET buttons all fall very nicely under the right hand fingers with absolutely no need whatsoever to take your eye from the viewfinder.
The very same can be said about all the left hand controls such as the AWB (Auto White Balance) button, Zebra on/off button, Skin Area detail button, Gain button, ND filters, User modes, Shutter speed wheel etc. They are all so perfectly and ergonomically placed that they can all be controlled without removing your eye from the viewfinder.
Here is a great example of the fastidious thought and design that JVC have put into this. Look at the picture with the “GAIN” and “WHT.BAL” buttons, what do you notice about them? Well, the Gain switch is rectangle in shape and the White Balance switch is perfectly round, why? So you know which one your finger is on by feel, hence you can stay focused and concentrated on your viewfinder composing and exposure and not worry about things like this. It’s careful thought like this that will lead to you getting better shots and overall more professional looking footage; well done JVC!

In use

So how does the GY-HD101E handle in the field? Pretty good actually, well I’d say better than that, it handles amazingly well. Just looking at it you could be forgiven for thinking that it is not going to balance on the shoulder that well. On the contrary, the GY-HD101E is perfectly balanced on the shoulder, better than anything else in this price range that I have ever tried, in fact it betters many shoulder-mounted cameras that I have tried costing twice this price. Most full size shoulder mounted camcorders, including models like JVC’s own GY-DV5100E weigh closer to 6 kg. The GY-HD101E weighs just 3.1 kg (6.9 Ibs) including lens, viewfinder, battery pack, microphone and tape. Now, although this is not the lightest camera in the world (well you can’t have professional cast-iron build quality and ultra light weight in the same package), it is still light enough for you to carry it around on your shoulder all day without getting back ache.
Which brings me to another point that will be very relevant to wedding videographers. Because of the lovely balance of the GY-HD1001 and the fact that it is about half the weight of the GY-DV5100E or similar camcorders like Sony’s DSR range of shoulder mounted camcorders, this makes it one of the best camcorders a wedding videographer could currently buy. You could walk around all day with this camera on your shoulder and not feel a single twinge in your back, it really is that well balanced.
You can even slide the shoulder pad back and forth to enable you to get your eye in a nice comfortable position against the viewfinder, this is achieved by depressing a button by the shoulder pad, then sliding it into the position you want, then release the button.
Personally I think progressive looks much nicer than interlaced footage. This is especially true of wedding videos, simply because it looks more film-like, kind of smoother and more romantic, which is what weddings are supposed to be about anyway. However, if you have a client (bride/groom) who insists it be shot in interlace, as opposed to 720p HDV mode, fear not, simply switch into standard DV 576/50i mode, which is probably what you are doing at the moment. The GY-HD101E still has a big enough presence to give you an air of professionalism, especially with that lens sticking out front and with the IDX battery adaptor you can run this thing all day and not have to worry about your batteries expiring.
It is very easy to adjust the camera to your own bodily ergonomics. The viewfinder can be pulled out a long way; this is very handy if you are a one-man camera operator who wears headphones for monitoring the sound. I had on a chunky pair of Sennheiser HD25’s and there was still half an inch more that the viewfinder could have come out. The shoulder pad can also be slid back and forth to find a comfy position.
So, what else does it have? Well there are two broadcast standard balanced XLR audio microphone sockets, a nice clear 3.5 inch flip-out LCD screen, which I found to be very easy to view even in direct sunlight, in fact it is one of the best flip-out LCD screens I have ever seen. There are two ND filters built into the body at the lens mount end, these are a 1/4ND and a 1/16ND, very useful for those extra sunny days, or when you need to control depth of field; the latter I might add is quite easy to achieve with this camcorder. Usually with DV camcorders it is quite difficult achieving a nice shallow depth of field where the background is thrown out of focus. Although the HD101E has 3 x 1/3 inch CCD chips it is still pretty easy to pull off “Pull Focus” shots and achieve shallow depth of field; I put this down to the professional lens. The CCD chips have 1,110,000 effective pixels for reproduction of HDV and DV high quality footage.
The HD101E has 3 User Mode buttons, which can be preset in the menus, White Balance settings of A, B and Preset, manual audio level control wheels for both channels, LCD brightness control, viewfinder brightness control, viefinder peaking and focus assist, audio input 1 & 2 for Line, Mic and Mic 48V, variable scan shutter so there is no flicker when shooting computer screens and other non-PAL format screens, professional Timecode Free, Rec & Regen settings, Cimema mode, which sets the gamma characteristics and colour matrix close to the characteristics of a movie screen. Gamma and Skin colour adjust features; the latter Skin Area detail for better and more natural looking skin when shooting people, a very useful “HEADER REC” Function: When the REC/VTR trigger button is pressed while the STOP button is pressed, this function first records the colour bar video and test tone of the built-in signal generator at the beginning of the tape. Then it records the black video signal and the mute audio signal for the duration specified in advance. When the recording is completed, the unit enters the Record-Standby mode. The time code value at the Record-Standby position becomes the time code specified in advance.

Battery run/charge times

Operating times: BNV-428 = 40 minutes. BNV-438 = 60 minutes.Charge times: BNV-428 = 3 hr. 20 min. BN-V438 = 4 hr. 20 min.
Now, if this doesn’t sound long enough for you, don’t despair, as you can see by the pictures, it is very easy to buy an IDX battery adaptor, which will then enable you to use professional IDX batteries, which will give running times of almost 4 hours on a single IDX Endura 10S or 10 V-Loc battery.
For transferring your DV and HDV footage to your computer the JVC chooses to use the larger 6 pin FireWire connector, I approve very much as it is a lot less fiddly than the smaller FireWire variety.
As with any high-end professional camera, the HD101E has a “Drum Hour” display, which displays the drum/head usage time and Fan Hour time, the latter displays the fan motor usage time. These are very useful to estimate for regular maintenance and servicing, or second hand value grading years down the line.
The camera also has the usual playback functions and buttons i.e. Stop, Play/Still, Fast Forward and Rewind, which brings me to a tiny gremlin. These playback controls are a little hard to see, this is because the earpiece, which is mounted on the back of the handle obscures the view of them slightly, which makes seeing the first three buttons (Stop, Play, Rew)a little difficult to see. However, this could be seen as nit-picking and personally I wouldn’t use these controls anyway. If I were to use the camera as a device for transferring footage to my NLE editing computer I would use the device controls via the computer. Also, I got the impression that you would soon get used to where these four buttons are and wouldn’t even have to look anyway, see, I told you it was nit-picking. The only other gremlin I found was the lack of 1080i recording in HDV format, more on this in the next section.
Basically the GY-HD101E has everything a professional cameraman needs and no gimmicky features that he doesn’t; this camera just works and is built for the job of capturing professional footage in either DV or HDV formats in Interlace or Progressive shooting modes.

Shooting formats

So what about the shooting modes? Well the GY-HD101E has a few tricks up its sleeve here. The camera will shoot in standard DV mode at either 576/50i (interlace) or 576/25P (progressive) and it will also shoot at 720/25P in HDV mode. There is no mode for shooting in 1080i in HDV, but remember there are two versions of HDV i.e. HDV1 and HDV2; they are not competing formats, one is progressive and the other is interlace, simple. Television broadcast companies tend to prefer the 'interlace' look for television programmes, whilst the 'progressive look' is prefered by filmmakers and is even preferable in certain other programme making applications.
If you want to shoot anything for TV applications using the GY-HD101E then shoot in the standard DV 576/50i mode and if you want to make an independent low budget feature film, shoot in either 576/25P DV or 720/25P HDV modes, the choice is yours. If you want a camcorder that will do both 720p and 1080i both in HD, then the closest you will get is Panasonic's AG-HVX200 DVCPRO HD P2 camcorder, which provides 1080i and 720p recording with the production-proven image quality of 100 Mbps DVCPRO HD (not HDV, DVCPRO HD is far less compressed and is 100Mbps). The AG-HVX200 shoots on a P2 card in 1080/50i, 25p, in 720/50p, 25p; and in DVCPRO50 or DVCPRO or DV. However, you will have to wait for the Panasonic AG-HVX200 to become available in the UK, this is predicted around February 2006. The Panasonic AG-HVX200 does not have the professional bayonet type interchangeable lens system like the JVC does, instead it is a built in affair like the current DVX100B. For now, the best choice by far for 1080i HDV footage is the Sony HVR-Z1E, but again this model has no interchangeable lenses. As I've pointed out already, this is not a format war, 1080i and 720P are two different beasts for different shooting applications.

However, it could be argued that Progressive is the way forward. The EBU (European Broadcast Union) quite like the progressive scan mode. The JVC GY-HD101E will output 720p/50, however, when recorded onto tape, it converts it to 720p/25 hence it cannot record at 720p/50.
The 25 progressive frames that you end up with are what give that film look as it is so close to 24fps (frames-per-second), which is what film cameras record at. Remember, this is not a format war, progressive and interlace will continue to co-exist for years to come. Set top boxes and HDV displays will have inputs for 1080i or 720P either 25 or 50.
Okay, some people might say “but I don’t like the electronic flickering look that 25P gives”. My answer to that is, learn to shoot like a cinematic film cameraman, adapt your shooting technique for 25P, get some 25P shooting techniques training from someone who is used to shooting on film. Progressive shooting is a different sport to intelace shooting, you can’t just grab a 25P camera and go off shooting in the Mini DV/DVCAM/Digibeta style that you are used to, or yes, you will get flickering images. Just ask any 35mm film cameraman. Each shot has to be planned and worked out in advance to prevent the flicker phenomena, that is just as present in film shooting as it is in progressive shooting, in fact, more so.
A skilled camera operator who is used to shooting on film format cameras will get top-notch results shooting in 25P with no flicker in sight. However, the flip side to that coin is that any locked off shots with say fast passing vehicles will result in a slight flickering on the moving vehicle. JVC have built in a 'Smoothing' feature, which basically (from what I could tell) looks like it simply overlays the previous frame at what looks like approximately 50% opacity, no clever algorithms here.
Although this smoothing effect kind of works, it isn’t great so if you really want interlace images I would recommend shooting in standard DV 576/50i mode. Personally I would not use this function in HDV mode; instead I would carry out this effect in post-production. I know there will be a bit of rendering time, but this is better than ruining any chance of being able to use stills from the footage or achieve a decent slow motion at the editing stage.
If you shoot in Progressive mode you can’t just flit the camera around like you do in DV mode. Progressive 25P shooting is a whole new ball game. You have to shoot like you would with a Cine Super 16 or 35mm film camera i.e. be smoother with those panning shots and follow the motion in the viewfinder. I would strongly recommend getting some training in either 25P or proper film camera shooting techniques. Once you have mastered this shooting style and adapted your shooting style for 25P you will get smooth professional cinematic looking footage, especially if you also switch in JVC’s Cine/Gamma mode.

Picture quality

For this review I could not test the camera to its full potential with a HD screen, as I would have liked, so my viewing was on standard definition monitors. However, the footage I shot both indoors and outdoors looked very impressive indeed, even on the standard def monitors.
At the editing stage, viewing the footage on my large Apple LCD computer display the footage looked quite stunning and even more stunning on my JVC CRT production monitor that I use in my edit suite for colour grading etc.
Once I edited a short five-minute sequence and ran it off to tape I then played it back on my large Sony CRT widescreen TV, here it also looked impressive. Colours were punchy, blacks were nice and crushed and there appeared to be a fairly decent contrast range too. Overall, the clarity and sharpness of the footage was excellent and just what I was expecting of a camera of this quality and price range. There was just a tad of purple fringing in places, but nothing too noticeable and certainly no worse than any other HDV camcorder I have used. I can only imagine that the footage would be even more impressive on a decent HD monitor. In hindsight I should have asked JVC to loan me one of those too.
On paper the Sony Z1 has better resolution than the HD101E, which means the Sony could have a slight advantage for certain specialized shooting applications such as green screen chromakey shoots. Although both the JVC and Sony both use 4:2:0 sampling, the Sony’s bigger resolution of 1080 lines should give you an edge for chromakey shoots; 1080 gives better chroma resolution, which in turn gives better chromakey results.
However, there of course many other factors to take into consideration, resolution also comes from the lens and as I’ve already mentioned, the JVC GY-HD101E has a cracking Fujinon piece of glass on the front. Then there are the electronics and circuitry and onboard processing scientifics… all of which add to the final resolution and image quality. So I would not like to say which between the JVC and Sony would produce the best image quality. If you prefer interlace shooting then it would appear that it boils down to two things; Sony Z1 1080i HDV footage with it’s built in optics vs JVC’s 576/50i footage with its Fujinon lens, I’ll let you loose sleep over which one could come out on top.
I shot some footage in standard DV 576/50i mode on the HD101E and edited a short 5-minute sequence together and played it back on my large widescreen TV. Just as the HDV 720p footage looked impressive, so did the DV 576/50i footage. It had lots of the HDV 720p footage characteristics i.e. crushed blacks, clarity and overall sharpness, nice punchy colour saturation and a wide range of contrast. There was a touch of purple fringing, especially when zoomed right in close. However, I wouldn't let this put you off. HDV is the consumer version of HD and slight purple fringing is simply a characteristic of pretty much all HDV camcorders, I've also seen this on phenomena on other makes of HDV camcorder. There were also signs of chromatic aberration
The camera I had was an early sample so there were signs of the 'Split Screen Effect'. The ‘split screen’ effect is down to the fact that the 3 tiny CCD chips are packed into such a small space and have such a lot to do, they overheat. The chips require a lot of energy to capture the footage. To achieve progressive capture, the chip collects the data from each individual pixel in one sweep. It then drops that captured data down and channels it to the MPEG2 encoder to perform compression for final delivery to MiniDV tape. To deal with this overheating issue, JVC engineered two separate circuits to cut the workload on the chips in half. JVC decided to split ht chips down the centre. However, two circuits could not sustain exactly the same performance as each other, which resulted in a line where the two halves met. Since I wrote this review, JVC have released firmware updates to reduce the problem. People are now reporting that it is only visible if you really look for it, or you can’t see it at all.
Finally I would recommend using the JVC M-DV63HD and M-DV63PROHD tapes when shooting in HDV 720P mode. As you might know, the HDV format uses the same MPEG-2 compression codec as standard commercial DVDs, so like all HDV camcorders, a drop-out might effect several frames and not just one like in DV mode, this is because of the GOP (Group of Pictures) algorithm. When shooting in standard DV mode I would still recommend using JVC’s own brand Mini DV tapes as they are scientifically matched to JVC’s camera heads and will give the best performance.
©2005 Nigel Cooper

HD-110 Alta definição review

2007-11-27T10:32:00.000-03:00

By David Basulto

As I prepared to make my second feature film, Fiesta Grand, I knew I wanted to step up the look and feel of the film. This film (or movie I should say as I no longer use film!) was a follow up to my horror feature, Death Clique, which I made for next to nothing on my Panasonic DVX100a and received a distribution deal to Blockbuster. My insiders suggested I make the next film in High Definition even though the distributors hadn’t asked for it. Why I said? They want the best resolution possible for future distribution platforms such as ipods, cell phones, HDTV etc. Having the content in HD will bring the price tag up at selling time! Sounds good to me!

After producing many features and TV with 35mm film cameras and seeing the costs involved, I welcomed the digital world with open arms when I made my first mini dv film. Now I was moving on to HD. So off I went to find the perfect camera for my run and gun style of shooting. I wanted something light weight, fast, and powerful.

After looking at many different cameras and checking my budget (my wallet actually!) I fell in love with the JVC HD110. This bad boy can shoot 24p (film rate) and 720p (progressive versus interlaced). You can program your settings ie: blacks, whites, gain etc on a standard SD card. This was the one for me!

Features include:
16:9 CCD, 1280x720 res
Mini DV records 60i, 50i, 30p, 25P, 24P, record resolution is 720x480
records 30P, 24P, 25P record resolution is 1280x720 (no scaling at all)
SD60P is also available but support is very limited in post. 720x480 60 Progressive
Full High Definition (HD) progressive recording at 24 frames per second
Compact shoulder style for stability, comfort and mobility
Three newly developed 1/3-inch CCDs with 1280 x 720 (square) pixels
Interchangeable lenses with standard 1/3-inch bayonet mount
Rugged die-cast body
16X Fujinon newly developed ProHD lens included
User adjustable HD Focus Assist makes focusing faster and more precise
Live 720/60P analog component output (4:2:2 equivalent)
Dual Media option (record to disk and tape simultaneously)
XLR Audio inputs (x2)
Extensive user adjustable parameters can be stored on SD memory card
Spectacular standard definition performance, too! — records on MiniDV tape

I knew after using the DVX100a it was important to continue with a camera that had 24p capability. Although there were other choices I fell in love with the beautiful imagery of the JVC HD 110. Done deal! Ok with camera in hand I was off to make my next master piece! But. something was missing…
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Sony GV-HD700 HDV Video Walkman first review

2007-11-22T21:47:00.000-03:00

Principais características

• x.v.Color Technology: Capable of passing the x.v.Color signal recorded by your Sony HD camcorder to your compatible HDTV. With the ability to reproduce nearly twice as many (1.8x) viewable colors.
• Video: DV format offers up to 500 lines of horizontal resolution and significantly higher S/N ratio to provide stunning video performance. It offers up to 60 minutes of digital (SP) recording, or up to 90 minutes (LP), on one MiniDV cassette.
• i.LINK: DV In/Out (IEEE 1394) enables editing or dubbing between another Digital camcorder, VCR or computer equipped with DV Capture Card, with virtually no generation loss.
• Digital Program Editing: Built in assemble editor lets you mark cut-in and cut-out points for up to 20 separate scenes. Use the walkman as your source while controlling via infrared, almost any remote-capable camcorder or VCR as your recorder.
• Audio: Records PCM digital audio in two modes: 16-bit mode for CD-quality stereo sound on one track, while the 12-bit mode records stereo on two tracks so you can add background music or voice-overs.
• LCD: Incorporates a 7" color (1152k pixel) LCD screen with Active Matrix technology to provide clear, accurate colors for on-the-spot playback of recordings.
• Analog In/Out: Increasing your creative possibilities, analog in/out makes it possible to connect your video walkman to a range of analog devices. Once connected you're able to edit sounds and images between the two and produce original films with a personal touch. Also lets you preserve your analog library by copying it onto a digital format.
• Playback Zoom: While playing back your images on this unit, it allows you to edit your images by zooming in (up to 2 times) and cropping your picture (up, down, left, right). You can save the new image as a separate file. Resize lets you save a copy of an image to a smaller or larger file size.
• USB Terminal: USB (Universal Serial Bus) is a computer industry standard that is designed to simplify interconnection between digital equipment such as A/V devices and computers. It makes quality, higher-volume data transfer possible between your video walkman and PC, printer or other equipped devise via a simple, one cable connection. USB Image Capture function lets you stream live and recorded moving images to PC via USB port.
• Memory Stick Duo Media Slot: Capture digital still images up to 1440 x 810 resolution from video-tapes, analog inputs or digital video i.LINK input, directly onto Memory Stick media (sold separately). The images can be easily transferred to PCs for emailing, printing or sharing with other compatible Memory Stick devices (sold separately).
• L and M Series InfoLITHIUM Battery Compatibility: Compatible with both L and M series InfoLITHIUM batteries. It offers the ability to charge the battery at anytime, because unlike NiCad (Nickel Cadium) batteries, Sony's rechargeable Lithium Ion batteries are not subject to a life shortening "memory effect". Sony's exclusive AccuPower meter displays the battery time remaining in minutes, on the LCD screen

HVR-M35U playback and recording deck - First Review

2007-11-16T23:59:00.000-03:00

The HVR-M35U playback and recording deck

The HVR-Z7U can deliver more than 60 minutes of recording time on miniDV videotapes, and approximate recording times of 63 minutes with Sony’s DigitalMaster cassettes (PHDVM-63DM). The HVR-S270U also accepts standard-size cassettes to provide more than 4.5 hours of continuous recording, with approximate recording times of 4 hours, 36 minutes on Sony PHDV-276DM videotapes.

The new HVR-M35U record and playback deck is compatible with HDV native progressive recording modes and supports HD/SD-SDI output with embedded audio and timecode data. It has a 60i/50i switchable function, and supports HDV1080i (60i/50i/24p/30p/25p) and DVCAM/DV (60i/50i).

According to Sony, the deck supports standard- and mini-size cassette, and accepts standard cassettes shot on the HVR-S270U or other shoulder-mount DVCAM camcorders; it can play back four-channel audio data in HDV1080i format recorded by the HVR-S270U and can also play back four-channel audio data in the DVCAM format. The deck also includes a 2.7-inch wide screen, monaural speaker, edge crop adjust and a Duplicate Plus function for copying video and audio from another VTR.

The HVR-Z7U can deliver more than 60 minutes of recording time on miniDV videotapes, and approximate recording times of 63 minutes with Sony’s DigitalMaster cassettes (PHDVM-63DM). The HVR-S270U also accepts standard-size cassettes to provide more than 4.5 hours of continuous recording, with approximate recording times of 4 hours, 36 minutes on Sony PHDV-276DM videotapes.

The new HVR-M35U record and playback deck is compatible with HDV native progressive recording modes and supports HD/SD-SDI output with embedded audio and timecode data. It has a 60i/50i switchable function, and supports HDV1080i (60i/50i/24p/30p/25p) and DVCAM/DV (60i/50i).

According to Sony, the deck supports standard- and mini-size cassette, and accepts standard cassettes shot on the HVR-S270U or other shoulder-mount DVCAM camcorders; it can play back four-channel audio data in HDV1080i format recorded by the HVR-S270U and can also play back four-channel audio data in the DVCAM format. The deck also includes a 2.7-inch wide screen, monaural speaker, edge crop adjust and a Duplicate Plus function for copying video and audio from another VTR.

Fonte: MacNN

Sony lança 2 novas câmaras HDV pra lisa de desejos do profissionais

2007-11-16T08:57:00.000-03:00

Fonte: Camcorderinfo

November 15, 2007 – Late yesterday, Sony unveiled two new professional HDV camcorders, the HVR-Z7U ($6,850 MSRP) and the HVR-S270U ($10,500 MSRP). Both models offer interchangeable lenses, and the option to dual-record HDV/DVCAM/DV files to tape and CompactFlash cards (with the additional purchase of memory-recording unit). The camcorders are expected to ship in February 2008.
The new camcorders will feature three 1/3-inch ClearVID CMOS sensors, enhanced by Sony’s “Exmor technology,” which reportedly uses a unique analog-to-digital conversion technique for reduced noise and improved low light performance. By comparison, the HVR-Z1U employs three 1/3-inch CCDs, and the HVR-V1U uses three smaller 1/4-inch ClearVID CMOS chips.
Other key features shared between the HVR-Z7U and the HVR-S270U include a 12x zoom, optical image stabilization, a 1/3-inch bayonet mount for additional lenses. They also offers an adapter for the use of Sony’s α –series of SLR cameras. Recording modes include native progressive 1080p, 24p, 30p in HDV recording, as well as 1080i. The camcorders can automatically down-convert from HD to SD through FireWire or SD outputs.

There are some key differences between models that (at least partially) justifies the near-$4000 price gap. The lower-priced HVR-Z7U is a smaller body, and not shoulder-mounted. As such, the EVF is located on the rear of the body. The HVR-Z7U includes an HDMI output for full-HD digital display.

The HVR-S270U has a much larger, shoulder-mounted body, leaving room for more external controls. The left side features a monochrome LCD display of recording time, audio levels, and battery life. In addition to MiniDV cassettes, the HVR-S270U accepts standard-size cassettes, extending recording time from 63 minutes to 4.5 hours. While the HVR-S270U has no HDMI, it does offer the more pro-friendly SD/HD-SDI connection, supporting embedded audio and timecode.
The new camcorders are expected to start shipping in February. The HVR-Z7U retails for $6,850 and the HVR-S270U retails for $10,500.

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Sony HD1000

2007-11-08T09:27:00.000-03:00

Sony today announced a new professional HDV camcorder, the HVR-HD1000U. Priced at a mere $1900 MSRP, the camcorder is clearly gunning to undercut Canon’s XL H1, at least on looks. It features a shoulder-mounted design, a single 1/2.9” ClearVID CMOS sensor, 10x optical zoom, and a new EVF/LCD design. The HVR-HD1000U is expected to ship in December.
The body design is remarkably similar to Canon’s highest-end HDV camcorder, the XL H1, which retails for five to six times the price. The difference in manual controls, internal imaging, and output options is vast, but the intent is clearly there: look like a pro, spend like a consumer.
The CMOS chip in the HVR-HD1000U is the same found on Sony’s top-end consumer HDV camcorder, the HDR-HC7. CamcorderInfo.com’s extensive testing of the HC7, including the complete review and an HD Camcorder Shootout, showed the imaging system was good, but failed to stand up to the Canon HV20 in most respects. The most crucial difference was in video quality, where the Sony HDR-HC7 displayed more artifacting and weaker colors. Once adapted into a professional model, the colors are likely to be processed under a different gamma curve, toward a less saturated tone. The question remains, however, as to whether the basic quality of the video will stand up to professional scrutiny.
Bob Ott, vice president of marketing for professional video products, stated that consumer camcorder and professional camcorders are run off of two different production lines, with much higher standards for the pro models. This entails everything from construction to performance, including signal-to-noise ratio and colorimetry. While consumer and pro lines can share certain parts, it’s the implementation and integration of those components that sets them apart.
The HVR-HD1000U is targeted at a very specific audience, those who need “maximum revenue-generating opportunities at a modest investment,” stated Ott in the press release. The likeliest candidates in the market are wedding and event videographers. Many sources have cited that the adult video market is also a likely candidate. The shoulder-mounted design conveys a level of professionalism impossible with a compact point-and-shoot. The “modest investment” is made possible by the inclusion of a consumer imaging system.
The are some pro-level features that raise the HVR-HD1000U well above the level of the HDR-HC7. Videographers are likely to appreciate the full-sized multifunction ring on the lens barrel, which can control focus, zoom, brightness, shutter speed, auto exposure shift, and white balance shift. It is unknown what the exact depth of the manual control suite will be. The consumer division of Sony is known for restricting certain controls, such as aperture. The HVR-HD1000U is, however, a release from Sony’s Professional division, leaving several questions unanswered.
The camcorder allows for shooting in both HDV and standard definition DV modes. It is also capable of down-converting within the camcorder from HD to SD for output to NLES and playback devices. This feature may prove very useful for those ready to begin the costly shift to HD production, but who can’t yet commit to an entire overhaul of their systems.

Super SteadyShot optical image stabilization is included, along with the infrared Super NightShot mode. Output options include Firewire, HDMI, USB, and a MemoryStick Duo slot. An external microphone is included, the ECM-PS1, which mounts to the upper-right of the body. It appears to be replaceable, though the connection type is not specified. The NP-F970 battery is included.
Still photo captures of up to 6.1 megapixels are possible when in Still mode. While shooting video, stills can be captured in resolutions up to 4.6 megapixels. The camcorder also appears to have photo capture during video Playback mode, which allows for low-res images of 1.2 megapixels.

The HVR-HD1000U retails for $1900 (MSRP) and is expected to ship in December. Final specs still have not been released.

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Vídeo gravado com a HVR-HD1000U

Test footage taken with the Sony HVR-HD1000u from Greg Toope on Vimeo.

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Nova câmara de vídeo da Panasonic

2007-11-08T09:11:00.000-03:00

Panasonic has announced a new AVCHD camcorder for their professional line, the AG-HMC70. In the tradition of their consumer-to-pro adaptations, the AG-HMC70 is akin to an HDC-SD1 with a shoulder-mounted design and upgraded audio options. It records 1440 x 1080 interlaced AVCHD-encoded video to SD/SDHC cards.
The AG-HMC70 comes equipped with three 1/4-inch CCDs. Though the press release does not specify, this is almost certainly the same chip set as the consumer HDC-SD1 and HDC-DX1, and the pro-line AG-HSC1U. The CCDs in each of those has a gross pixel count of 560,000 (effective pixel count of 520,000). Other key features on the AG-HMC70 include optical image stabilization, a 12x zoom 38.5 – 462mm (35mm equiv.) lens.
While the AVCHD codec has found increasing compatibility with higher-end NLEs like including Final Cut 6.0.1 and EDIUS 4.5, many professionals remain skeptical. AVCHD is a promising format for the future, but does not currently live up to its potential. The codec is spec’d for bit rates up to 24Mbps. The AG-HMC70 is typical of AVCHD camcorders in their current state, in that it only records up to 13Mbps. Other quality settings include 9Mbps and 6Mbps.
On the other hand, the SD/SDHC recording media is wise choice. 16GB cards will become available in November 2007, and the price of smaller capacity cards is consistently falling. A 16GB card can store up to 160 minutes of video at the 13Mbps bit rate. Unlike optical media, memory cards are durable and scratch-resistant; unlike internal disk drives, cards are easily removed and replaced.

Audio features have been significantly increased. The AG-HMC70 includes two XLR Mic/Line jacks, +48V phantom power, a headphone jack, and external dials in the LCD cavity for level control.
Connectivity includes USB 2.0, HD/SD component and composite (BNCs), HDMI, and composite audio jacks. Rather than the joystick interface on the smaller AVCHD camcorders, the AG-HMC70 uses four directional arrows on the left side of the body, located just under the 3-inch LCD.
No price has been set for the AG-HMC70, but it's slated to ship in April 2008. The scaled-down AG-HSC1U retails for $2099.
UPDATE:Panasonic has confirmed that the AG-HMC70 uses the same chip set as the HDC-SD1, HDC-DX1, and AG-HSC1U: three 1/4-inch CCDs with a gross pixel count of 560,000 and an effective pixel count of 520,000. Also, the company stated that it expects to sell the camcorder for less than $2000.

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