Alister, good to know you are taking another look at it. As I have said all along, it is not up to EX1/3 standards, but it's a pretty nice camera for the money and a good value.

This illustrates why I NEVER comment on a camera until I have had a production model in my hands for a day or two to set it up properly and see what it can do. I think you rushed to judgement on this camera and unfairly damaged it's reputation. I'm glad you are taking another look.

Just returned form Infocomm 2012 in Vegas.

I spoke with the Sony guys there about the PMW 100 (it was not on display)

One of the things that appears odd when comparing the NX30 with the PMW 100 are the sensor types. The NX30 uses the 1/2.88 EXMOR "R" sensor and the PMW 100 uses a (slightly) smaller 1/2.9 EXMOR sensor.

What? Why didn't Sony at lease give the PMW 100 the EXMOR-R (back illuminated) sensor? Instead, they used an older sensor model? And....slightly smaller one at that?

They built the EXMOR-R sensor into the NX30 and it's clearly a superior sensor. (even by Sony's own admission)

What happened with this decision?

CT

Cliff, good questions. I don't have the answers.

The PMW 100 has a nice form factor and allot of other neat features.

However, the PMW 100 could be "theoretically" a very dangerous model in Sony's entire lineup. If given too much, the camera could easily eat too deeply into other XDCAM sales numbers. We all know that Sony is EXTREMELY careful and mindful about canalizing it's carefully placed product line. (as it should be)

It is possible that placing an older and smaller EXMOR sensor in the PMW 100 would be enough to keep it from hurting upper Sony models. (like the EX1r and others)

"IF" Alister's tests are correct and the NX30's EXMOR-R sensor is outperforming the PMW 100's smaller and older sensor, than I would certainly say that this happened by Sony design and is no accident.

Think about it. Does Sony "really" want an EXCELLENT performing, small and cheap 422 camera on the market with many great features? From their point of view, that might not be a smart thing to build. (especially because they make so many other models above the PMW 100)

Now,..an excellent NX30 performing offers no threat to Sony's upper market because it's manual control is crippled enough to keep it away from may pros and offers plenty of sales protection to higher models.(The NX30 is great bit is just too small and "fiddly" for real pros)

This is all very, very interesting indeed!

Alister,..I'm dying to see your assessment of three cams that Sony gave you. I would tend to suspect that your initial PMW 100 impressions could possibly be correct....just because of the EXMOR and EXMOR-R sensor types alone!

Just my $.02 on all this...

CT

Having shot some test footage with the PMW100 here in Singapore I am much happier with the image quality. I have been informed that the original camera I looked at was a very early prototype and the camera here is a "near production" unit with improved firmware. It's not an EX1, but then I never expected that, but it is very much closer to the NX30. Noise is very low for a small single sensor camera. Now it does appear to fit the price point much better. I think this is a camera worth taking a look at for yourself and judging the quality for yourself.

Based on you folks tests, does PMW100's sensor rating close to F10 @ 2000 Lux ?

It will be interesting to see how this stacks up with JVC's GY-HM650.

Just wondering about extra batteries for the PMW-100, would a SWIT S-8U62 fit?

Thanks.

Just wondering about extra batteries for the PMW-100, would a SWIT S-8U62 fit?.

See post #89: http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/digital-video-industry-news/506594-new-sony-xdcam-pmw-100-a-6.html#post1737951

The 8U62 would fit but according to Alister, wouldn't power the camcorder. Those batteries work for the other EX1/3 cameras because those cameras allow external power and the 8U62 has a tether for that. The battery compartment latch simply holds the battery in place. It's unclear if Sony changed things in the PMW-100. I'm interested in the definitive answer as well but I kinda doubt it.

Thanks Les, I missed that post.

Thank you.

I'm still trying to decide which camera to purchase. Would like to see some reviews of the PMW-100, but cannot find any. If anyone has a link to a newer review, please post. Also, I noticed B&H has a $500 rebate on the PMW-100, lowering overall price to around $3500. Is it unusual to see a rebate this soon after release? Does this mean anything, like potential issues with the camera?

It's unclear if Sony changed things in the PMW-100. I'm interested in the definitive answer as well but I kinda doubt it.

The PMW-100 uses the same power connector as the EX1/EX3, but that connector is buried inside the recessed area where the battery attaches. So there is no way to have an AC adapter connected to the camera while there is also a battery onboard.

And that creates a problem for most 3rd party EX1/3 batteries because thuse a short little dongle cable to feed power to the camera via the AC adapter connector and not through direct pin connections like the genuine Sony batteries. So, if you attach a 3rd party battery to the camera, you can't connect the dongle because the battery is then blocking the camera's connector.

I hope that makes sense.

Hi Rick,
I look forward to seeing some reviews on the PMW-100 as well.
All we can do for now is check out the nice footage posted by Doug Jensen (within this forum), and to view another clip I noticed on youtube.
Here's the link: Sony PMW-100. The Cercle de l'Union Interallie?e for your Event in Paris... - YouTube

That link and Doug's clips look good to me.

Thanks.

Magnifique!

Having spent more time with the PMW-100, I would say that the image quality is very slightly inferior to Sony's really rather amazing NX30. To me it looks like there is a lot of noise reduction going on and this gives the images a slightly smoothed almost glazed over look (you can see it in the video linked above). The lack of noise in the images is surprising given the small sensor size and as a result sensitivity is reasonable, but this is not a camera for me, I think Sony have overdone the noise reduction. Maybe if you are entirely committed to XDCAM HD422 there will be a place for it.

Not only does placing the external power connector inside the battery cavity prevent you from using the current crop of 3rd party batteries but it also stops you from hot swapping a battery by powering the camera externally while you change the battery. I have been told by DynaCore that they believe they will be able to produce a battery that will work with this new design and may end up being a more elegant solution than a flying cable.

I'm still shocked that Sony gave the NX30- PJ760 - CX760 the EXMOR-R sensor and only mounts a smaller and older sensor in a far more expensive camera with their premium codec.

It's the biggest electronic oxymoron that I have ever seen.

Bizarre.

I'm still shocked that Sony gave the NX30- PJ760 - CX760 the EXMOR-R sensor and only mounts a smaller and older sensor in a far more expensive camera with their premium codec.

It's the biggest electronic oxymoron that I have ever seen.

Bizarre.

Those familiar with product development wouldn't find it bizarre. There are always tradeoffs. Some possibilities that come to mind:
1) To get the cost down, below a particular number, a lower cost part is used and justified for any number of reasons like people will buy it whether it has an Exmor-R because it has a lens ring, SxS, 4:2;2 etc
2) The consumer divisions making the other 1/3" single chip products paid more for the chip development so they wield their internal political power and get priority on the fixed supply of chips
3) There is no technical superiority and the engineers win the argument because any Exmor-R superiority is a work of fiction by the marketing people who invented the term and consumers who were convinced it makes a difference.
4) The actress who will demo the NX30 has it in her contract that she will only moonwalk if there's an Exmor-R chip in it so she can act snobby around the stereotyped male camera guy with a camera that has a bigger lens, more knobs, 3 lens rings, SxS and no doubt bigger chips and more of them.

This may not be the first time Sony have done something bizarre. Just looking at about a dozen or so videos from the Sony's new 1" sensor pocketable still camera DSC-RX100 on YouTube and you'll be amazed. I have no ideas if the units used to film those videos were prototype or true production units but the IQ definitely looks very nice with no noticeable artifacts such as mushiness in fine detailed subjects or the glazed-over looks as Alister Chapman said about the PMW-100's footage. More surprisingly, the color profile as seen from all the YouTube clips looks different from the color from all Sony AVCHD camcorders and still cameras I have used. The skin tones are particularly impressive. IMHO the color looks more pleasing and closer to the color in the Sony FS700's footage I've also seen from the web.

If that's what Sony can do with a US$650 still camera and a hybrid sensor, why can't they do better with their US$3,500 video camera and a video-optimized sensor? So far I've seen only two videos from the PMW-100, one is the above Vimeo video and the other is Doug Jensen's. The compressions may have played a part in my preference for the RX100's IQ over the PMW-100's. The final judgement has to wait until we see the actual footage from production units in about a month's time.

2) The consumer divisions making the other 1/3" single chip products paid more for the chip development so they wield their internal political power and get priority on the fixed supply of chips


Sony's Atsugi and Shinagawa factories are now working together as a single unit as opposed to being distinct broadcast and pro video operations.

I understand the trade offs in getting to this camera's price point while offering 50mps / 422 color space and think some of the criticism has been pretty picky,

However if in fact the camera has no built in ND filters that is inexcusable. I am probably going to replace my Venerable Sony V1U's next year and felt like this might be the camera until I saw that.

Few questions from anyone who has used this camera:

1) On the display can you switch the current exposure position of "E99 - E0" to Iris f/stop readings?
2) What is the best record setting to match the EX3's.

I have two EX3's and am trying to match the quality with the PMW-100 on a multi cam shoot.

In lieu of no ND filters on the PMW-100, I would like to match exposures as best as I can on the three cameras.

I know this question was posed a while ago, but, I am wondering if it is possible.

On the display can you switch the current exposure position of "E99 - E0" to Iris f/stop readings?

I have the camera on my desk and haven't been able to find a way to do this. I would like to change it.

Just found the final answer.

There is no F-stop display selection.

The exposure can be set to Auto or Manual in the Camera Set Menu, in Auto mode, exposure area displays “Auto”, when selecting Manual in the menu, exposure can be further selected to be on/off through exposure dial middle button, In both on/off setting exposure display is E99 to E0, when set to on, the dial adjusts the brightness level.