NEX-VG20 vs 5DMK2

[Tariq Peter]

In pure videography terms does the MK2 have any advantages over the NEX-VG20 ? I used a 5DMK2 last night for a wedding reception in very low light and I have to say I was remarkably impressed, but I was constantly changing the ISO and fiddling with the focus rings while trying to keep the camera on the shoulder rig as stable as possible and can't think of any way to make it simple apart from spending a tiny some on a rig with a follow focus. The most awkward part of the whole event was when I moved around the hall with some sections brighter than others, the amount of times you need to focus and set the iso was annoying. I am considering waiting for the NEX-VG20 is it worth the wait considering they are roughly the same price? I spoke to a few of the guys who own the 5DMK2 about this and they said it does not support Prime Lens and thats what really sets the 5DMK2 apart from this.

[Chris Barcellos]

I am a 5 D owner, and I am considering the VG-20. I do primarily narrative stuff, but on occasions that I have done the shoulder mount thing, I know exactly what you are talking about.

Now as far as changing ISO continuously when doing an event shoot, you can shoot the 5D in manual mode, setting your fstop and shutter speed, but then setting ISO to "auto" and you will have the camera continually adjust for changing situations.

As far as focus, in event shooting, I found simple is best. I mount my 5D on a simple DIY gunstock mount I made, use one of the cheap lcd viewfinder magnifiers , keep a rubber hood on the lens to keem my fingers out of in front of the lens, and adjust manually as I shoot. I use old nikon lens mostly, that I can do a decent job of keeping in focus that way.

[Les Wilson]

Does anyone else find it ironic that there's a camera on the scene priced such that you can pick up two of them for the price of one 5DM2?

As far as the question goes, somehow I think the VG-20 won't stop recording after 12 minutes. Of course, image quality and control of moire is yet to be seen on the VG-20. Hmmm I wonder if they'll shoot an episode of House with one. :-)

[Paul Cook]

The VG-20 is an e-mount camera same as the NEX-5N and even the FS100 so it supports prime lenses from sony or any nikon or canon prime via an e-mount adaptor.

Personally I would wait if you can as there are many rumours that canon will be introducing a new 5DmkIII and possibly even their own version of the FS100 later this year.

If I had to buy something tomorrow it would definitely be the FS100 but Im waiting as long as I can :-)

[Tariq Peter]

My mind has been made up, use my XHA1 and buy a 60D with light panel as I mainly shoot indoors with poor lighting. I will wait till the Sony is released and see how good that really is. Why pay so much for a camera which is surely due for an update for the use of video when something like the Sony can arguably do the same job and is only 4 months away.

Does anybody know if the NEX-VG20 would be able to handle prime lenses?

[Chris Hurd]

Originally Posted by Paul Cook

... there are many rumours that canon will be introducing a new 5DmkIII and possibly even their own version of the FS100 later this year.

They are indeed introducing something later this year, but it's no longer a rumor:

http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/digital-...n-nov-3rd.html

[Paul Cook]

Originally Posted by Chris Hurd

They are indeed introducing something later this year, but it's no longer a rumor:

http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/digital-...n-nov-3rd.html

Wow...that does look very tantalising doesn't it.

Sometimes the waiting game can pay off..I hope this is one of those times :-)

[Glen Vandermolen]

Originally Posted by Tariq Peter

My mind has been made up, use my XHA1 and buy a 60D with light panel as I mainly shoot indoors with poor lighting. I will wait till the Sony is released and see how good that really is. Why pay so much for a camera which is surely due for an update for the use of video when something like the Sony can arguably do the same job and is only 4 months away.

Does anybody know if the NEX-VG20 would be able to handle prime lenses?

Yes, it can handle prime lenses, just like any DSLR. It has the E-mount, but there are adapters for the Sony Alpha-mount lenses. Plus, there are - or will be - other lens adapters for the camera.

[Glen Vandermolen]

Originally Posted by Paul Cook

Wow...that does look very tantalising doesn't it.

Sometimes the waiting game can pay off..I hope this is one of those times :-)

There's absolutely no indication that this announcement is for a large sensor Canon video camera. Unless someone knows a lot more than they're letting on. Chris, perhaps you have some inside info?

[Chris Hurd]

If I had any inside info, then I would be under NDA and therefore not permitted to discuss it. But I haven't been NDA'ed (yet), so my own speculation carries no more weight than anyone else's.

They're billing it as an "historic" event, which I interpret as unprecedented for them, in that they're saying they're going to be "making history" with whatever it is, as in something they haven't done before. It's worth noting that the terms historic and historical have separate meanings. Read into it what you will. I really don't think it's going to be another D-SLR or another 1/3rd-inch chip camcorder.

[Jon Fairhurst]

Originally Posted by Chris Hurd

I really don't think it's going to be another D-SLR or another 1/3rd-inch chip camcorder.

Agreed - unless it's a DSLR or small sensor camcorder with some earthshaking, new, game-changing technology. It won't be an extension of an existing Canon product with incremental improvement.

[Buba Kastorski]

Originally Posted by Tariq Peter

In pure videography terms does the MK2 have any advantages over the NEX-VG20 ?

I am not replacing my DSLRs with VG10/20, or FS100, or AF100 mostly because of the codec, 21Mbs is just not enough to get all details I want, if VG20 would have 50Mbs and even better 422, I would let 1D and 60D go, but that's not going to happen, 5D will stay for ever, well, at least until I'll get 5DmkIII - I need FF for very wide shots

[John Wiley]

You can't compare bitrate alone. The 24mbps from the AF100, and probably from the Sony's too, is much nicer than the ~40mbps from the Canon DSLR's. The encoding hardware on the Canon's is severely undergunned, hence the need for a higher bitrate - the camera simply cannot do the math and crunch all the numbers required to compress the image further while still maintaining a decent image.

The higher bitrate on the Canon's is not a positive; it is a negative, because it is a compensation for poor encoding quality.

[Chris Barcellos]

Re: BIt rate, and compression. I am hoping that John Wiley's analysis is the case. Aren't we able to compare that already with FS 100 footage ??

[Jon Fairhurst]

Originally Posted by John Wiley

The higher bitrate on the Canon's is not a positive; it is a negative, because it is a compensation for poor encoding quality.

I'd phrase it differently. The Canon codec is a simple encoder, so it needs to record at a high rate - and it does. With a more full featured encoder, you can get similar or better result with fewer bits. Bit rate alone does not tell the tale.

Anyway, Canon's high bit rate isn't a negative. It's a valid design decision. It just doesn't tell the whole story.

Low bit rate and a simple encoder? Now that would be a negative! And that's why I avoided the Nikon D90 when it first came out. Man, I wanted that to be my camera (before the 5D2 came out), but the encoding package (low complexity + low bit rate) just wasn't up to the task.

BTW, I hear that uncompressed (highest bit rate + zero encoding features) is pretty good. ;)

All that said, I haven't looked closely at NEX-VG20 footage. I have no opinion of how it compares to DSLR video.