NXCAM -- first look tomorrow via Sony virtual trade show

[Ben Hogan]

Any ideas on pricing? and will it come with the 128GB solid state drive or is that separate? kind of like they did with the Z5 making the mrc1 not part of the packaged price.

[Paulo Teixeira]

I have no inside knowledge at all but judging by the price of the Z5 being $4,100, I'd expect the street price of this NXCAM to be $4,500 unless Panasonic decides to release an update to the HMC150 with 1920x1080 MOS chips for $3,500.

[Giroud Francois]

seems they take the easy way.
Basically an EX1 with another codec and cheaper media.
I do not see the point. Are they trying to demonstrate AVCHD is better/cheaper or worse than XDCAM-EX ?

[Ron Evans]

Its a Z5 front end exactly as stated by Sony with an AVCHD codec and the viewfinder from the consumer XR500/520 series. They have moved the data rate to 24mbps to come in line with Panasonic HMC150 and HMC40. Which is clearly the competition. The UK site is also inferring that the price will be similar to the Z5, I am assuming without the flash drive, which is stated as an extra accessory. By having a HD-SDI interface they provide for an even higher quality recording at 4 2 2 10 bit. This camera will produce higher quality video than the HDV models and is a step toward the EX range at a lower price point. Excellent, just what I was waiting for and will be a better match for the SR11 and XR500 that are starting to make my FX1 look the cheaper camera!!!! I didn't want to get another tape camera after seeing the quality from the single chip SR11 and XR500. As I said in another post I am just sorry they didn't include the "R" sensor technology that is noticeably better. The XR500 is clearly better than the SR11.

Ron Evans

[Chris Hurd]

Originally Posted by Giroud Francois

I do not see the point. Are they trying to demonstrate AVCHD is better/cheaper or worse than XDCAM-EX ?

Ron has stated it above much better than I will here, but they demonstrating AVCHD as a replacement
(or as an alternative choice, at least) for HDV. And they've done a very good job of it, in my opinion.

[Chris Hurd]

Originally Posted by Tim Polster

The amazing strength. How does he do it?

I know how he does it. Heh.

Originally Posted by Barry Green

but is that still true, since they bought Konica/Minolta? I would imagine it is still true, but just sayin' that perhaps they roll their own now?

Sure they own K/M now, but I'd still want to call it a Konica / Minolta lens, since its their factory, their materials and their people that make it, despite the fact that Sony holds the company.

Originally Posted by Barry Green

In any case, this reminds me of all the hulabaloo when the Sony VX1000 was the top dog, and some folks who were enamored of the Canon XL1 would go around claiming that the VX1000 had a "plastic" lens.

I remember that era very well, Barry, as if it were only yesterday. That hullabaloo came from one guy on Usenet, a stringer from Oakland, who actually perpetuated that myth *before* the XL1 came out (it's true that he eventually bought an XL1, but he started the "Sony plastic lens" conspiracy theory long before that). So it wasn't really some folks; it was one folk -- a guy with whom I used to spar online regularly, who sadly passed away several years ago, which is probably why that myth died away. I couldn't believe it when I read that yesterday. I thought holy cow, somebody still perpetuates that nonsense? I felt like I was being haunted by Bill Conduit's ghost.

[Michael Liebergot]

Originally Posted by Ben Hogan

Any ideas on pricing? and will it come with the 128GB solid state drive or is that separate? kind of like they did with the Z5 making the mrc1 not part of the packaged price.

It was mentioned yesterday by Sony online that the price would be similar to the Z5U.
However they didn't say if that is the price with the MRC1K or without the MRC1K. The Z5 with the MRC1K comes in around the same price as the Z7.

I am guessing more in line with this, since Sony is also throwing in the new solid state recorder.

[Tim Polster]

Since Sony has gone to an all CMOS approach for its sub $30,000 cameras, it will be interesting to see if Canon or Panasonic offer CCD for something different or go to CMOS as well with their new offerings.

I like a lot about CMOS, but there are still instances where it falls down and a CCD gets the job done.

[Ethan Cooper]

The arms race never ends, wonder what it'll be next year? 3D? Hope not.

I'm just glad to see the old NP series batteries haven't been scrapped yet.

[Pietro Impagliazzo]

Originally Posted by Chris Hurd

From an AVCHD camcorder? I wasn't expecting it.

I mean, from the Market.

Someone's gotta step up besides RED, right? Or wrong?

But yeah, this is old strategies written all over, small sensor, overcompressed (not that I care of, gets you shooting with cheap media) and no overcranking.

Anyway, maybe I'm expecting this from the wrong company.

Just look at the trend and frenzy (starving customers) the VDSLRs caused, just by allowing halfway decent video with a large sensor.

Perhaps Canon should be more like it.

[Randy Panado]

Cmon Canon...balls in your court for an updated 1/3 chip. :)

[Boyd Ostroff]

Just stumbled across this on Sony's site: Sony | NXCAM

[Ron Evans]

Originally Posted by Michael Liebergot

It was mentioned yesterday by Sony online that the price would be similar to the Z5U.
However they didn't say if that is the price with the MRC1K or without the MRC1K. The Z5 with the MRC1K comes in around the same price as the Z7.

I am guessing more in line with this, since Sony is also throwing in the new solid state recorder.

I think the Flash Recorder is an extra. So the standard recording will be to the MemoryStick slots. My guess is the price will be close to the Z5.

Ron Evans

[Khoi Pham]

Grass Valley must have known something cuz they just came out with a AVCHD booster pack for Neo that can play 3 streams with 3D effects and output realtime full resolution full frame with a fast computer.

[Barry Green]

Originally Posted by Tim Polster

Since Sony has gone to an all CMOS approach for its sub $30,000 cameras,

They haven't. They've gone to all-CMOS on their XDCAM-EX lineup, but their XDCAM-HD lineup (and XDCAM-SD) is all still CCD. The 335, 355, 510, 530, they're all CCD.