Bob Ridge
March 23rd, 2008, 03:28 PM
I finally got my Z7U a little over a week ago and shot a wedding with it. Without going into the fancy terminology I keep reading here, I can give you my non-technical, general impressions.
The biggest issue for me (having used the FX7/V1U) was low-light performance, and I found its performance to be the best of any camera I've ever had, including my current DSR-250. Its white balance in such conditions isn't as far off as the 250 either, so it's easier to tweak in post.
It does occasionally have a mind of its own when it comes to auto focusing, but I'm used to overriding focus manually anyway, and this is much easier to override than the 250 or V1U, where I'd have to search for the button.
The CF card capability is AWESOME. I use two 32GB Transcend cards, and so far, no glitches or problems. Everything transfers to the PC much faster than live capturing (obviously), 23 minutes for 2.5 hours of footage per card. Sony Vegas works perfectly with the files.
Minor plus, but I like that the shoe adapter is further forward than the other cameras, so the shotgun mic doesn't cast a shadow from my Ultralight. I also like seeing in the viewfinder the recording status of both the CF and the tape.
The only negatives are what would be inherent with handhelds anyway. I never liked having to support the V1U up front, even with shoulder support, and this is a little heavier. I don't like having to power and operate my light separately from the camera, which the 250's powertap helps me avoid. I never got used to popping in a new tape every 45 minutes or so, even as a backup to the CF. I'll take the 250's 4.5 hours of recording anyday. And at the start and end of the day, it's just too many pieces to assemble, and it's hard to put down. All in all, too much to think about, and I never felt like I could just relax and focus on the shots.
So I've decided to list it on eBay (the B&H folks wouldn't let me return it because of the four hours of footage I shot) and upgrade to the S270, which has everything I love about this camera AND my 250, aside from a few extra pounds. Sits on the shoulder, powers everything with one battery, light comes on and off with the start/stop button, records backup video to the same 4.5 hour tapes I've been using, etc. When the 64GB CF cards come out, I'll have even less to keep track of!
Here's a sample clip from that wedding. ("Joanna & Louis.") Keep in mind it's SD, compressed for the web, with glow and vignetting effects added. So it's not exactly scientific, but hopefully it'll give you an idea:
http://www.indyvisual.com/blog.htm
The biggest issue for me (having used the FX7/V1U) was low-light performance, and I found its performance to be the best of any camera I've ever had, including my current DSR-250. Its white balance in such conditions isn't as far off as the 250 either, so it's easier to tweak in post.
It does occasionally have a mind of its own when it comes to auto focusing, but I'm used to overriding focus manually anyway, and this is much easier to override than the 250 or V1U, where I'd have to search for the button.
The CF card capability is AWESOME. I use two 32GB Transcend cards, and so far, no glitches or problems. Everything transfers to the PC much faster than live capturing (obviously), 23 minutes for 2.5 hours of footage per card. Sony Vegas works perfectly with the files.
Minor plus, but I like that the shoe adapter is further forward than the other cameras, so the shotgun mic doesn't cast a shadow from my Ultralight. I also like seeing in the viewfinder the recording status of both the CF and the tape.
The only negatives are what would be inherent with handhelds anyway. I never liked having to support the V1U up front, even with shoulder support, and this is a little heavier. I don't like having to power and operate my light separately from the camera, which the 250's powertap helps me avoid. I never got used to popping in a new tape every 45 minutes or so, even as a backup to the CF. I'll take the 250's 4.5 hours of recording anyday. And at the start and end of the day, it's just too many pieces to assemble, and it's hard to put down. All in all, too much to think about, and I never felt like I could just relax and focus on the shots.
So I've decided to list it on eBay (the B&H folks wouldn't let me return it because of the four hours of footage I shot) and upgrade to the S270, which has everything I love about this camera AND my 250, aside from a few extra pounds. Sits on the shoulder, powers everything with one battery, light comes on and off with the start/stop button, records backup video to the same 4.5 hour tapes I've been using, etc. When the 64GB CF cards come out, I'll have even less to keep track of!
Here's a sample clip from that wedding. ("Joanna & Louis.") Keep in mind it's SD, compressed for the web, with glow and vignetting effects added. So it's not exactly scientific, but hopefully it'll give you an idea:
http://www.indyvisual.com/blog.htm