BBC orders JVC cameras

[Zach Love]

I didn't realize the XF305 had a manual lens like the EX1. Is the iris manual too? It doesn't have any markings like the Sony.

From the looks of the Fujinon lens on the HM650, I was really hoping that the lens wasn't a servo beast, but you can't have everything.

I agree with you David, I don't know why no one else has come out with a 1/2" camera.

Or hell, even a single chip 2/3" camera like the original Red Scarlet. Everyone is so into shallow DOF, though often large chips are too shallow & you can't get a good zoom range. A $3-$6k single 2/3" chip I think is reasonable (although 3 chips at that price would be nicer) & could be a unique offering in the market.

[Glen Vandermolen]

Originally Posted by Zach Love

I didn't realize the XF305 had a manual lens like the EX1. Is the iris manual too? It doesn't have any markings like the Sony.

From the looks of the Fujinon lens on the HM650, I was really hoping that the lens wasn't a servo beast, but you can't have everything.

I agree with you David, I don't know why no one else has come out with a 1/2" camera.

Or hell, even a single chip 2/3" camera like the original Red Scarlet. Everyone is so into shallow DOF, though often large chips are too shallow & you can't get a good zoom range. A $3-$6k single 2/3" chip I think is reasonable (although 3 chips at that price would be nicer) & could be a unique offering in the market.

Well, Panasonic does have a single 2/3" CMOS cam in the new HPX600, but it's gonna cost you about $20,000 with lens, batteries and EVF. But it does have the really nice AVC/Intra 100 codec.

But I think a smaller, cheaper, single 2/3" cam like the original Scarlet is a nice idea.

[David Heath]

Originally Posted by Zach Love

Or hell, even a single chip 2/3" camera like the original Red Scarlet. ....... A $3-$6k single 2/3" chip I think is reasonable............

Two problems - firstly, bigger the chip size, the more difficult the lens issues become, at least in so far as cost, size, weight, zoom range etc. And the remarkable thing about the EX1/3, PMW200 is that Sony have got a 3 chip 1/2" package into the size and weight more normally associated with 1/3" chip - and for a comparable price. Go to 2/3" and expect a much bigger, heavier package - or a lens severely restricted in one or all of zoom range, max aperture, max w/a etc.

Secondly, for all else equal, a single chip design will have somewhat less native sensitivity than a 3 chip equivalent design with chips of half the area. That's inevitable, as the single chip design must lose around 50% of the incident light due to the filtration.

So in native sensitivity terms, a 3 chip 1/2" camera will be the equal of a 2/3" single chipper - yet the latter will give much greater issues for lens design. Technically, single chip 2/3" doesn't make engineering design sense. The ONLY way in which such may have an advantage over a comparable 2/3" design would be dof factors - but it would inevitably come at a cost/size/weight penalty that most would not think sensible.

Yes, such as s35 cameras are single chip, but now the engineering issues are such that 3 chip s35 isn't really feasible - yet the s35 chip size is desired for depth of field reasons.