Hi Pals,

As you may know in Sony's full size, and studio heads run by remote control units, PPs are termed "Scenes". Typically you can store up to 20 scenes and recall at the touch of a button. Most of the traditional paint parameters I've seen in these cameras are available in the EX menu system, which is quite amazing.

Since there is so much of a craze for PPs, and deservedly so, how about one of you aftermarket EX product gurus come up with an instructional package that picks apart every piece of the PPs and takes all the mystery out of it. Granted it is a large task. To fully understand the capabilities one has to understand each paint parameter not only in theory but in practice and definitely be experienced in it's use for practical applications. Otherwise this product will be a miss. I can easily see it taking 2 maybe 3 DVDs. I once had a discussion with a Sony engineer on EX PP system from top to bottom for 2 or 3 hours. We didn't get to the bottom. One thing is for sure, I think you will make a lot of money with this product! Actually if done properly, after someone is fully comfortable with such a program they should be able to perform rudimentary camera engineering because all the parameters carry over to Sony's high end full size cameras. Include clip samples for every paint function with color charts and scope frame grabs, separate image frame grabs of every parameter effect maybe linked from a big thumbnail chart column referenced to each parameter, oodles of PPs, gamma curve plots etc. and... what will make this product shine and set it apart.. include PPs for matching EX to popular cameras, SDX/HDX-900, Digibeta, F900, PDW700, HPX3000 etc. Suddenly the EX becomes a suitable, matched B-camera for all these cameras with the push of a button.

Definitely a market for it and I for one would buy it as long as I know someone qualified, preferably a camera engineer, conducted the instruction. I would do this myself but the task doesn't motivate me. Just an idea I had. I'm sure I'm not the first to have it.

if you're taking votes, i vote for Bill Ravens, Alister Chapman, and/or Doug Jensen to perform the task. maybe the three of them can collaborate on the project. that would be ideal. i'd pay full retail for that dvd. i wouldn't even try to pirate it.

i wouldn't even try to pirate it.

lol, me neither! I think I'd easily pay $200 for a 3 DVD set. It'd take a lot of work and whoever would undertake it will deserve it.

I agree a collaboration would probably produce the best result. Come to think of it I haven't heard of any analytical project like this for the bigger video cameras either. The process would be the same. But that's one reason DITs get gigs. That and the realm of subjective painting which can never be taught. And skillful matrix manipulation is nothing to laugh at but it would be handy to have on a DVD with say, an alternating PIP between scope, chart, image and RGB controls, in different lighting temperatures and for creating looks.

Perhaps a regular series of small PAID FOR online tutorials would be easier to accomplish for what you suggest and wouldn't be so time consuming. You pay a membership fee perhaps or pay-per view and it can be modified and added to as solutions and ideas develop for these cameras. Easier for everyone, especially the contributors I would think.

John

Maybe Philip Bloom and his new project, The F-Stop Academy could produce such a tutorial.