See my post:

http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/sony-hvr-z1-hdr-fx1/138038-fx1000-has-arrived-first-impressions.html

It's almost hilarious how much you hate the FX7.

Need to realize that not everyone needs the low-light and doesn't need to spend the extra money just to have it...

And I think everyone who read reviews knew the FX7 was terrible in low-light, but it was at the right price-point for the features it did have... and the images in daylight are awesome...

Considering that's all I shoot, it's perfect.

http://lousyhero.com/videos/epicprevhd.wmv
http://lousyhero.com/videos/epicprevhd2.wmv

All that has some post processing/editing...

Josh, the slow motion looks fantastic. What settings did you shoot with. I just got my FX7 Thangsgiving week, so I'm still tweaking settings.

If you don't mind sharing, what NLE and settings did you use in post?

Joe, hate may be too strong a word...but yes I had issues with it that I didn't expect. It was worse in low light than I expected.

1/4" chips just don't can't cut when my competitors are using much better cams. I thought it would work for me, and I was wrong. As a spare cam for specific well-lit situations it would be fine. As a hobby camera it would be just fine. If this were only a hobby I would have a 1/2 consumer cam like the HV-30 and I would be in heaven. I love shooting with small cameras.

But why would you get a camera that has been reviewed as being terrible in low-light... for low-light situations... It's like believing MPG ratings on cars, saying "well this one says it gets decent MPG... " then being disappointed when it gets less then what was cited...

The slow-motion is possible with Vegas 7/8

Set your project settings to

Field Order - Progressive
De-interlace Method - Interpolate fields
Right click the clips you want to be slow-motion, set the playback rate on clips to .500 instead of 1.000

Render out as 30p... Wallah, perfect 60p-esq slowmotion with 60i footage.

Joe, hate may be too strong a word....

Jeff, I am not trying to pick a fight here, but I don't think hate is too strong for your feelings concerning the FX7. Seriously, think about it for a second. It is like you are on a one man mission to keep any one in the world from buying a FX7 or V1. If anyone asks about a FX7, you jump in with both feet almost as soon as the thread is posted. And you just spew one negative after another. Not to mention that you immediatly disregard anyone elses opinion if they don't bash it also.

As you probably already know, I have a V1. I can get fantastic images with it. I was on a shoot where we used three cameras. 2 - V1's and an EX1. Now personally, I would love to have an EX1 but when we did that shoot the producer (he owned the EX1) was extremely complimantary and excited about the images from the 2 V1's. His original plan was to use the EX1 as the primary camera and do pick-ups from the V1's. In the final production, he wound up using about 95% of the footage from the V1's and about 5% from the EX1. The camera can produce good footage under a variety of conditions. Unfortunately, for some reason, you and the camera didn't manage to get it done. Now recently, I have noticed that you also posted some negative comments on your new FX1000. Another great camera.

I sold my FX7 months ago. Why Joe directed a comment toward me and my opinion of the camera over a month after the last post on this thread doesn't even make sense to me.

Just today in another thread I stated to someone that they could do worse than to buy an FX7. But since they were going to be shooting next to an A1, it wouldn't make sense. This was someone looking at the FX1, the A1, and the FX7. Does that sound like I was spewing hateful comments about the camera?

I don't for the life of me understand your guys putting the focus on me in this discussion, or even bringing my opinions into it.

Do you want me to say I'm sorry for comments I made months ago? Did I hurt your feelings? What is the deal?

After Joe resurrected this discussion I said that I thought the camera would work for me AND THAT I WAS WRONG. What more do you want me to say?

You guys are spoiling for an argument or this wouldn't even have been brought up. I have not in any way asked to continue in this ridiculous debate.

Yes, if someone is asking for a recommendation for a camera am I going to recommend the FX7? Probably not. Why would I recommend a camera I didn't like? In another thread recently I DID recommend the FX7 to someone because it seemed to fit their budget and needs.

Greg, I value your experience and great comments on this board, but on this topic I must ask you to leave me out of it. Same to you Joe. Continue in this discussion amongst yourselves if you have nothing better to talk about, but don't direct any more comments toward me on this specific issue.

Heh, well I like my FX7...

You disliked the FX7, we got that, but you took it a little far, a little too often... it got to the point of being annoying and didn't really add to the discussion.

I think people need to understand that it's not perfect in every situation...

Greg, in my comments about my FX1000 which you you referred to:

I am going through a process. Initially in my post I stated I was disappointed. SO WHAT? i admitted I have not learned to work the camera. I admitted, for example I had not learned how to use the Iris ring yet.

I also said as time goes on I will learn to like the camera.

I will say again I hate the menu scroll wheel on the FX1000. I also hate that the white balance settings don't offer indoor and outdoor settings without going through the menu.

(Oh I'm sorry, I made a "negative comment" about a camera. I hope I didn't offend anyone.)

I am getting ready to order a second one, BTW.

Helpful tips and guidance were offered in the thread you refer to and I have taken those to heart and listened. If I had not expressed my feelings in that thread I would never have received the great support that I did. And I did receive some great supportive help in that thread.

You are picking and choosing parts of specific threads and leaving out the context of the discussion. I can and will make a remark about any camera I want to. I will at times be wrong. But you guys are acting like I'm talking about your girlfriends or wives. It is just plain weird.

Joe, did I take it a bit too far? If you say so.

So why do you bring it up now anyway? I'm on my way to purchasing a second FX1000 and see I now see FX7 experience as a valuable lesson, nothing more.

Go ahead and enjoy your FX7, no one is stopping you. I have said the following about the camera before but you guys conveniently forgot it. I have said if the camera works for someone, I'm happy for them. I also said if I were not making a living with video I would be happy to have one as well.

You can make a good living with the FX7, but as always, you have to know what you are doing.

You can make a good living with the FX7, but as always, you have to know what you are doing.

Hans
I am also making a very good living with the FX7 camera as well.

Stelios

> Oh I'm sorry, I made a "negative comment" about a camera. I hope I didn't offend anyone

Well maybe it was just "a" comment, but you've made it over and over again ... after the first few times of others responding to say "Well, that's not been our experience", I think some of us started to feel exhausted.

Zoom in to manually focus and zoom out to the shot doesn't work with macro focus on, apparently macro changes the backfocus.


can anyone confirm this is correct? my camera is out for the next week and i'd like to tell the cam op about this.

(can't say i've noticed any problem, though i rarely 'zoom through')

leslie

can anyone confirm this is correct? my camera is out for the next week and i'd like to tell the cam op about this.

When I had my first backfocus problem and sent my camera back for repair the technician tried to tell me Macro Focus was the issue. It wasn't. My V1U had a back focus problem that had to be fixed twice (thankfully under warranty).

After seeing your post I decided to test the Macro Focus again. I connected up to an external monitor and engaged Macro Focus. I zoomed fully into a target, focused, and zoomed out. At all points through the zoom the image stayed in focus.

I hope this is helpful.

Hans
I am also making a very good living with the FX7 camera as well.

Stelios

Stelios, I looked at your blogspot and I am wondering if the film with Stefanos & Polina wedding was filmed with the FX7?
It looked really nice.

Cheers

Hans

Turning on peaking and using the assisted focus capability that is somewhat unique to the FX7 (manual focus ring works, but the camera auto-focus is still engaged to "assist") works fairly well in most situations. That's how I set mine up, best of both worlds for me, focus control, but a second brain working the job too...


Jeff, your comments on the FX7 have been somewhat strident... and that's rubbed a few people the wrong way. I've found the comments to be overly negative myself, and as another poster put it, "not adding to the discussion".

I can understand, I hate EVERY camera I own(ed) <wink>. Seriously... I think we'd get along well in that respect! SO not trying to pick a fight, just pointing out that some of us (that's me at least, maybe you too) tend to have high expectations that exceed the current limits of technology (and we must hope the engineers do too if we want better cameras!!!). Consider what I'm saying... I am sorry the FX7 didn't work for you or some people you know, but bashing it over and over isn't necessary. I disliked the HV20 rather violently <duck, run, "insulting really popular camera" shields up>, but I tried to keep perspective - others found it to be the best thing since sliced bread, and for some purposes, I'd recommend it wholeheartedly, with caveats, expressed with balance... I wouldn't personally own one, or the really pretty black version which followed.

Among the FEW cameras I've really enjoyed shooting a lot, the FX7 stands out, big time. It has its limitations, and I'd redesign/upgrade a few things if I were the engineer... your comments have made it sound like a paperweight, which it isn't, and the people here who have one know it to be a nice camera.

I think the FX7/V1U has a bit of an underdog reputaion - from being slammed by that famous camcorder review site (that IMO hits only about 70% correct when reviewing Sony product and slobbers all over themselves if the manufacturer starts with "C"...), being completely overshadowed by "the competition" when it came out, and just gennerally being the Rodney Dangerfield of the camera world... Thus I suppose those who know and do like the camera feel we have a bit of responsibility to "set the record straight"...

The FX7 (and V1U) isn't "perfect", and may not be the best camera in the known universe, but the "bang for the $$$" ratio is pretty tough to argue with (as admitted). That Sony chose to bring it back to market and at a more affordable price point (where there ISN'T any competition IMO) is truly a unique situation... And THAT, if you read the topic of this thread, is the question at hand. Peace out...

When I had my first backfocus problem and sent my camera back for repair the technician tried to tell me Macro Focus was the issue. It wasn't. My V1U had a back focus problem that had to be fixed twice (thankfully under warranty).

After seeing your post I decided to test the Macro Focus again. I connected up to an external monitor and engaged Macro Focus. I zoomed fully into a target, focused, and zoomed out. At all points through the zoom the image stayed in focus.

I hope this is helpful.

many thanks lee, appreciated. i won't say anything to the op - he's probably got enough to worry about anyway ;-)

have a good humbug,

leslie

If I may jump in here. My opinion of the FX7 is that it is a very good camcorder. It is not great, but is more than good enough for me. I shoot a lot of outdoor stuff at various times of the day, in a variety of weather conditions. My locations vary from inner city to the wild backcountry of the American West. I shoot static scenes, as well as "active" scenes with alot of motion envolved. Other than shooting in the dead of night, the FX7 does a good job. The PQ produced looks great on my plasma, with wonderful colors and great detail. When compared to my other cam, an SR11, the FX7 holds its own and even looks slightly better IMO.
Are there things that I would like better with the FX7? Of course. And some of those things are addressed with the FX1000, but not all (ability to use cards, flashdrives, or whatever rather than just tape).
So bottom line; the FX7 does what I demand of it quite well.

Respectfully,
Mike

Stelios, I looked at your blogspot and I am wondering if the film with Stefanos & Polina wedding was filmed with the FX7?
It looked really nice.

Cheers

Hans

Hans
Yes the wedding of Stefanos & Polina was filmed with the FX7 and the wedding couple were thrilled with the final video.

Stelios

I can really understand that.

Cheers

Hans

I've posted a short review on my experiences with the FX7. It's not real technical or exhaustive, and focuses on nature and wildlife work, but it may be of interest. As you can see in the review, I think the FX7 has some very strong features (price, portability).

Sony HDR-FX7 Review for Wildlife and Nature Filming (http://www.pronghornproductions.com/Review%20Sony%20HDR-FX7.html)

Nice review Dan - I was going to point out your price was a bit high but I see you caught that at the end.

As a wildlife biologist, one FX7 feature I've really appreciated is having the extra record button and extra slow-zoom toggle on the top of the handle ... makes ground-level shooting (ticks, mice, etc. etc.) very workable.

Your AWESOME Stelios!!!!