I think the only time it does not work is when you are recording.

there is a picture of you and a quote in the latest issue of SYNC talking about the new fx1...

if this was already discussed my bad....

Oh, yeah, I forgot all about that! I've been hit from left and right by magazines, and I keep forgetting all that stuff! The interest they have in the FX1 is AMAZING!

Thanks for the head's up!

heath

Hi Guys,

I may be a bit late with this news, but incase you're still looking, there's a review with specs on the Sony Biz Europe site.

Go to: www.sonybiz.net

in the search field type OV HVR-Z1E and it will bring it up.

Enjoy,

EPK Ade

Hello all,

Has anyone tried shooting in either 50i or 60i mode with the Z1 & then tried slowing it down in post? If my theory is correct, you should be able to shoot in 50i or 60i HD mode then transfer the the frames to 50p or 60p in SD with good quality, am I right??

I've been thinking of buying a Z1 as an alternative to shooting action sports with my Bolex at 64fps if the Z1 can achieve good quality slow motion, although I guess the software plays a major part in this...

Look forward to hearing Z1 owners experiences wth this...

There was a recent thread that covered this.

www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?s=&threadid=38596&highlight=music+video

I know that the audio limiters cannot be switched off but if you use a mixer and select line level in on the camera does that bypass the in camera audio limiter?

The UPS guy just dropped off my Z1 and Varizoom Stealth. I'm so excited, but I have a meeting in an hour or so, and I'm waiting til I get home after that to really have fun. In the mean time, I'm reading the manual...I know....what a dork!

I'm sure the questions will start pouring in...so be ready guys!

I have a Z1 and if you want to check out how the various settings look (CF25, CF30, etc) then hit me up and I will bring my cam and a six pack over to your place to check it out.

I don't have a big HDTV so I would benefit just as much as you.

I am in Santa Monica and don't mind driving a ways.

Send me a mail to greggjacobson@gmail.com to set up a time.

I'm in LA working the Nissan Open for ABC. Staying at the Marina Del Rey Marriott. Would love to see the Z1. In fact, if you want, I'll trade you my FX-1 for your Z1. LOL.

Mike Tiffee

Check out Jan's FX1 review (http://www.emedialive.com/Articles/ReadArticle.aspx?ArticleID=9491) on Emedia.

I met Jan Ozer last fall... interesting guy... Emedia is a great magazine.

Except now it's called "Event" magazine.
You coulda knocked me over with chicken breath when I read that. I was stunned. Jan usually hates anything that has the Sony name on it. The fact that he picked it in DV/SD mode over the other three cameras still is a mind boggler. That was without considering the HDV aspects at all.

http://cgi.ebay.de/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=51541&item=5751220827

I assume, because this mattebox has a spinning filter, you can simply spin it to the side to insert/remove a 4x4 filter, out of the way of the mic.

- Shannon W. Rawls

I can't vouch for this site's validity but there are a couple of FX1 clips to download at the top of the page.

Click here (http://www.hd-channel.com/index.html?/programme.html)

Also another review of the FX1 to add to the list.

Click here (http://graphics.tomshardware.com/video/20050209/index.html)

I'm going to shoot some green screen sequences next week with a FX1 and want to know what's the best setting on the camera to get the best key. Final output will be on SD wide screen.

I read somewhere on here to set the camera at certain shutter speed but I couldn't find the post. Does anyone have any experience with this?

Thanks

Indeed. If someone has a shutterspeed that they've tested against something, I'd surely like to see it too.

I don't think this has been mentioned here yet...

Check out this in-depth FX1E review on Hexus.Net (http://www.hexus.net/content/reviews/review.php?dXJsX3Jldmlld19JRD05OTcmdXJsX3BhZ2U9MQ==) by James Morris and Bob Crabtree. They even worked in a page about our own Matteo Ricchetti's extreme Nikon lens modification. Hexus is a UK Technology News site. Enjoy,

Does anyone happen to know of a source for spare component cables with the correct plug to fit the FX1/Z1?

Sony?

If you flip the LCD screen around so the screen is now on top and lock it closed, both screen and viewfinder operate at the sme time.
It may help to know this for some shooting positions.

Chris refers to the FX1.

The Z1 already allows for the LCD & EVF to be on at the same time.

Thanks Chris,

Does anyone know whether the Z1U does interval recording or time lapse recording???

Strangely enough I didn't notice this feature in HDV mode or in DV mode. Am I missing something? All Sony video camera I know of have this feature including low end consumer models.

My VX2000 had it. I'm sure I'm missing something. Perhaps it's tucked away in some menu???

Thanks in advance,

- Nicholas

It only does it in DV mode. Check out the menu settings while the camera is in DV recording mode.

YES, the Z1U says the same thing.

Remember those batteries I bought that were LithInfo ready?

Well, I bought 2 more just so I could have 4 total (just in case I am shooting in the desert, lol)

The two new bateries came on Saturday and all four are IDENTICAL in design, size, labeling, color, plastic molding, etc...

Well, 1 of the 2 new ones was defective or someting because the charger wouldn't give any information on the battery.

So I popped it on the camera, and low&behold...that warning came up immediately. Needless to say, I returned to the company for a replacement.

So the moral of the story is....for the FX1 AND the Z1, you may use any battery type other then Sony, so long as it is LithiumInfo compatible. To test this, just pop it on your charger and if the charger gives you battery details in a few moments, you are all good. Or, pop it on the camera and hit the Battery Info button while the camera is off. if it gives you battery info, you're all good.

otherwise...sorry.

- ShannonRawls.com

I know this issue also came up with the PD-170. People reported that third party batteries which worked fine on the PD-150 generated an error message on the 170. However, I also read that the message was only displayed the first time you put the battery on the camera. Evidently if you shut the camera off after the error message, and left the battery in place, then the next time you powered up everything worked.

This is all anecdotal, I don't have personal experience....

Trying to do a dvcam downconvert to a PD150 via ilink and retain the timecode - without success. Has anyone tried this?

Hello,

I'm not going to steal Mike Curtis' thunder, but I don't know how many of you follow his excellent blog site www.hdforindies.com.

In a few days (or maybe even a week or more), Mike will be unveiling the results of our HD/SD shootout we had today at 501 Studios in Austin.

Basically, we shot a variety of sound-stage shots with a male and female cast, and then some outdoor stuff. This was all very controlled conditions, and each shooter set his camera to what he/she considered optimal for the conditions.

The cameras present were my Z1U, the Varicam, the HDW-F900, a Canon XL2, and a DVX100A. We all grouped tightly together, and each shot was slated so that we can do relatively frame-accurate comparisons. (I shot 50i for most of it...better compression, and better for 24p conversion.)

I had an indirect comparison with the F900 a week or so ago, and I was astonished at how close it actually did get, though Mike's eyes were apparently a bit more discerning than mine. :-) Or maybe it was just my zeal. (There's already a write-up about it on Mike's blog.)

Anyway, it looked really really good, and I think all you Z1/FX1 shooters will have your purchase decisions even further vindicated when Mike is finished putting it all together.

Just a heads-up...keep watching his site for the results to be posted.

-John

Sounds difficult to achieve with a PD150. I suppose you can't set it to EXT timecode for recording?
One way would propably be taking the material to a non-linear editor, and "black-out" your tape with the correct timecode with some tape recorder or camera that is capable of doing that, and then edit to tape from the right timecode.

Thanks John,

Mike's most excellent blog is permalinked (gotta love that blogospeak) from my Resources page at www.hdvinfo.net. See you at SXSW hopefully!

Pretty expensive for such a little piece! But, I thought I'd post the product here anyway:

http://www.vfgadgets.com/HDV-HDHandle.html

To me it looks like it's priced right. Thanks for sharing this Murph,

I'm just wondering if adding the Century Optics .6 adapter to the fx-1 means you can't use the lens shade with the camera. I'm planning to do some serious outdoor shooting and would like to have the lens shade and wide angle adapter if possible. Any thoughts would be helpful.

JD

With the wide-angle adapter attached, you could either add a clamp-on matte box or add a matte box with rails. Then you put an eyebrow on the matte box and you're all set. Another solution is to take the adapter to a photo retailer; they might have a hood that will fit.

I'm a racing freak and the F1 season started this weekend. After Juan Pablo Montoya finished his qualifying lap Friday night (Sat in Austrailia) Speed cut to a shot of the team in his garage. Walking in was a guy shooting with an FX1 (no shotgun clamp).

Damn, I wish I had that kind of access!

This is a very interesting testimonial.
http://www.cyndigreening.com/more/SonyHVRZ1-LG.mov

that is a recut of the BBC interview that DSE posted a while back, but it includes a PIP of the JAG episode. Thanks!

Here's another version of the interview:
http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?s=&threadid=38555

I bought a PD150 long before Sony came out with a wide-angle adaptor (without a lens shade!!!) and so purchased a Canon. I'm very pleased to now find that the Croziel matte box with the adaptor to fit this Canon lens now also fits my new Z1. It locks on to the bayonet section at the front of the Z1 lens (not further on as would be ideal) but seems reasonably secure. I have to insert the filters from the bottom as from the top the handles bang against the bottom of the mic.

On this URL you will find very interesting comments from one of the more active labs transferring video to film.

These are some first findings over tests they made using HDV:

http://www.swisseffects.ch/HDVto35mm_1.pdf

Quite enlightening and objective.

Puzzling when they say that the image has a "more videoish character" than pro HD formats.





Carlos

Sorry, these are newbie type questions but it is so easy to pass over the technical capabilities of a good tool instead of learning how to use it well.

What is the CineFrame setting actually doing and are there reasons for a preference of CF25 versus CF30 (the question is more directed to a visual preference rather than the technical)?

My eventual delivery will generally be by projector and HD DVD. How do these CineFrame settings fit for future HD DVD delivery? (Does the DVD player adjust to any given frame rate).

Similarly, are people finding the gamma settings 1 and 2 useful (I saw DSE's post on the PP setting thread)?

And then is the AE Shift setting in PP the same as AE Override with ASSIGN or are they doing different things?

Is there are way of doing an AE lock - so you point the camera somewhere, lock the AE and it holds the setting until released (like focus / recompose with a camera).

Andrew

i did some tests - when tested demo Z1 camera. and i cannot say that i agree on everything what is wroted on previously mentioned link.

- i did some transfer WITH CF mode. (i mean HDV-->35mm film)and it looked nice. i do not have waveform or similar instruments to judge somehow- how different two modes are, but to my eye - i do NOT think that CF mode is something difficult to transfer or "not correct". it looked nice, absolutelly no videoish look.

for me - the worst thing was GAIN - when over 3dB it looks very electronic, (not the picture but the noise). something what you will not exept from 35mm - it looks like someone puts electronic noise on normal film material. this is the only "electronic" atrefact visible (at least for me)

it's a pity that i cannot share this footage, but if someone wants to see it in poland - you are wellcome.

filip

I am still very new to this camera and I am learning it.

How do I properly change the mic input on the camera??

I have a new sennheiser shotgun mic...

I pull up the menu--- go to audio options... and hit external mic... Everything seems fine..

But it's still pulling sound from the on-camera Mic.... and when I do a status check.... the audio input is not External Mic...

Please advise


And thanks again for your time...

I believe you set the menu to Line.
It's not very logical.

Has anyone tried an SM 89 on the Sony HDV cam? I'm curious if it's too long for camera mount.

Thanks.

1) Has anyone heard about a seperate focus and/or zoom controller for this beast of a camera? Looking for something so we can use a steady cam and have all the functions in hand.

2) We are a Vancouver based filmmaking commune and are currently in pre-production of our second feature which is a scifi comedy/interactive project. Which will be shot in a Vancouver studio between April. 6~11 and April.14~19.
We are attempting to do some pretty interesting things with this project and are looking for anyone interested in helping out, while also learning at the same time.

What were looking for is anyone with the new SONY HD Camera. We are planning to have a couple ourselves but are looking for quite a few for atleast one day, when we are going to attempt an atleast 10 camera BulletTime sequence.

So... If you have one of these new cameras and are looking to test it out with a new and innovative project. Please send a general email to shane@1501films.com and in the meantime please check us out at www.1501films.com and 2 of our other cast/roomates pages at www.dustinladd.com and www.aubreytennant.com and then within the next week or so we should have the actual movie website up at www.labcoatunderground.com

Don't be shy about replying were a bunch of funny and interesting Vancouver residents. So if your interested in this project, please ask any questions you like.

And does anyone know of there being a zoom/focus controller for the SONY DV camera?

Cheers

Shane,
there are a number of options for focus and zoom.
They range from $150 for a Varizoom to much more (anyone remember the price) for a Chrosziel puller.

Do a search here for focus and you'll find lots of info.

I have an green screen effects shot I'm doing in our studio in the next month or so, and am wondering if anyone in Atlanta now owns a Fx-1 or Z-1?

I'd like to shoot in HDV, but will do the shot in BetaSP otherwise. I know you can rent from Showcase Video, but seeking a private owner.

Let me know...

Jeff Patnaude

If you watch during the interviews after practice/qualify they do digital zooms into the HD footage. It's so cool to use that extra resolution for something!

If you have the Z1 camera set to output (downconvert) standard DV from an HDV recorded tape, and you are capturing to a standard preset DV project in Premiere Pro, do the capture window, device control, transport buttons, scene detect, etc., etc. all work normally?
In other words, is the workflow just the same as capturing clips from a standard DV tape in a PD 150, DSR-11 deck, etc.
Bob

Hi folks...

read DSE's posts and if you look in editing forum, you'll see my link to frameserving to Vegas/Premiere Pro...

just wondering now if you can frameserve HDV into Vegas as an "avi" and then import it into 24p timeline to handle it the way you would a DVX100 24p - ie. apply 3:2 pulldown to the cf24 footage that's frameserved in...

would this work?

I won't be able to try till I get home in about 12 hrs...

Mark