Sony has a new 4K ½-inch 3-chip video camera - Sony PXW-Z300

[Christopher Young]

A Sony engineer told me once that the accuracy required in manufacturing the three sensor prism and the 1µm (1,000,000 mm) mounting accuracy of mounting the sensors to it is the most costly component of their camera manufacturing. That it costs more for that assembly than the entire cost of manufacturing most of their single sensor cameras. So I can understand the end prices they ask.

Like most three chippers with high density photosites,(4K) small sensor 1/2" cameras, you really do need to work wide open to F/4.0 to get the optimum optical performance out of them. That is purely down to the laws of optical physics.

Because of the sensor aesthetics, being smaller and not having the ability to control DOF as easily along with their higher retail prices, three chippers seem have fallen out of favour. But there is still an industry need for them for certain types of jobs.

Like Doug said, though. I bemoan the fact that these newer models don't have viewfinders. Regardless of how good a camera's AF is, I still want a VF. The first thing I did with the FX6 was to buy A Sony loupe and an after market VF support for it.

Doug. I use some flip ups like these. Quicker and avoids glasses on/off all the time. Variable mag strengths. 1.5, 2.0, 2.5, 3.0.

https://urli.info/1joyF

Chris Young

[W. Bill Magac]

Doug, I'm not sure if you are aware David Winters Cranky Cameraman YouTube channel. David is a
broadcast, documentary, corporate shooter who used to shoot with an ARRI Amira but these days shoots primarily with Sony cameras, FX6, FX9, Burano. In this video, David mentions he just bought a Z200 for a job and has some questions about the camera. Doug, I'm sure you can help David out.

https://youtu.be/lLb6DLMD9zs?si=t2nhLdw0YcpTlaH

Thanks.

[Doug Jensen]

Originally Posted by Christopher Young

Doug. I use some flip ups like these. Quicker and avoids glasses on/off all the time. Variable mag strengths. 1.5, 2.0, 2.5, 3.0.
Chris Young

Chris, thanks for the suggestion. I checked your eBay link and then found similar glasses on Amazon. Yup, they might do the trick. But I don't normally wear any glasses (except for readers) so I'll also need to find some glasses that just have clear lenses or remove the lenses from one of my other pairs of glasses to give the flip-ups something to use as a base. I'll be ordering some these as soon as I do some experimenting and decide what magnification will work best for me. I have different strengths for different tasks -- computer, reading, etc.

[Doug Jensen]

Originally Posted by W. Bill Magac

Doug, I'm not sure if you are aware David Winters Cranky Cameraman YouTube channel. David is a
broadcast, documentary, corporate shooter who used to shoot with an ARRI Amira but these days shoots primarily with Sony cameras, FX6, FX9, Burano. In this video, David mentions he just bought a Z200 for a job and has some questions about the camera. Doug, I'm sure you can help David out.

https://youtu.be/lLb6DLMD9zs?si=t2nhLdw0YcpTlaH

Thanks.

Hi Bill, no I have never heard of David but I'd be happy to answer his questions about the Z200 if he reaches out to me for advice, same as I would for anyone else that emails me direct or posts questions on one of my many Z200 Youtube videos.

[Doug Jensen]

Originally Posted by Christopher Young

Variable mag strengths. 1.5, 2.0, 2.5, 3.0.
Chris Young

After some testing with the camera, looks like I'll need 2.5 for tripod shooting and 3.0 for handheld.
Just for comparison, I normally use 1.5 for computers and 2.0 for books, newspaper, iPad, etc.

[Doug Jensen]

I found these glasses that have the flip-up built right into the frames, so there's no glass at all when you don't need magnification. They come four to a pack, but they are all the same strength, so I guess I’ll need two sets of four glasses because I need 2.5 for tripod and 3.0 for handheld.

One pack @ 3.0x
One pack @ 2.5x

I don't mind getting four each because I'm sure they are going to get broken pretty quickly -- just like all my other reading glasses. And won't I look stylish now!!!

Amazon

 

Amazon

[Doug Jensen]

Quote Pete: "Camcorders haven’t improved the last 8 yrs but the prices have remained the same."

I couldn't disagree more. If that's what you think, you're not paying very close attention to how camcorders have evolved. AF is absolutely amazing with the newest Sonys. Plus improved codecs, four channels of audio, MI-Shoes for audio, Clear Image Zoom, better color, Digital Extenders, 30+ seconds of picture cache, higher frame rates in 4K for slow-mo, noise-free images even at high ISOs, better servo zoom, better/cheaper memory card choices even with data-intensive codecs, better white balance, variable ND filters, auto-framing, 12G SDI and HDMI simultaneously, a ton of really advanced wireless and network features, brighter and sharper LCD panels, excellent OLED viewfinders (for those cameras that have a EVF), etc.

I'm sure I could think of even more advancements if I had more time. To say that camcorders "haven't improved the last 8 years" is totally wrong, and not even open to a difference of opinion. If those advancement don't matter to you, that is fine. But to those of us who prefer shooting with camcorders, the improvements are amazing.

[Christopher Young]

Originally Posted by Doug Jensen

I found these glasses that have the flip-up built right into the frames, so there's no glass at all when you don't need magnification. They come four to a pack, but they are all the same strength, so I guess I’ll need two sets of four glasses because I need 2.5 for tripod and 3.0 for handheld.

One pack @ 3.0x
One pack @ 2.5x

I don't mind getting four each because I'm sure they are going to get broken pretty quickly -- just like all my other reading glasses. And won't I look stylish now!!!

https://www.amazon.com/DUMOK-Blockin...c-20/din02c-20

Yup! They look the go, and look more like typical eyeglasses. Think I'll get some of them myself. 👍

Chris Young

[Andrew Smith]

Live streaming from inside the camcorder itself is also pretty awesome!

Having people able to remotely retrieve footage from the camera whilst you are out in the field is also super handy. You could theoretically be leaving the camera on and this would happen whilst you are driving to the next job. (Disclosure: Haven't done this myself but I've read about the Sony-whatever feature.) Time is money, as Doug says.

Andrew

[Pete Cofrancesco]

Originally Posted by Andrew Smith

Live streaming from inside the camcorder itself is also pretty awesome!

Having people able to remotely retrieve footage from the camera whilst you are out in the field is also super handy. You could theoretically be leaving the camera on and this would happen whilst you are driving to the next job. (Disclosure: Haven't done this myself but I've read about the Sony-whatever feature.) Time is money, as Doug says.

Andrew

In my experience, the built in streaming is complicated and bad. Far easier to plug an external adapter or streaming device. Many of the features you read about sound good on paper but difficult in practice.

[Andrew Smith]

When you say that the built in streaming is "bad" do you mean the quality of what is sent to the distribution system? It's always possible that camera manufacturers might have cut corners on the encoder for that, but it's not something I would have expected from Sony.

I guess my Matrox Monarch HDX encoder unit will still be an asset then?

Andrew

[Doug Jensen]

Originally Posted by Pete Cofrancesco

In my experience, the built in streaming is complicated and bad. Far easier to plug an external adapter or streaming device.\

I'll have to agree with you on that one. But live streaming isn't something I'd ever need or use. I think the best "networking" feature of the new generation of cameras is the ability to automatically transmit full-resolution clips or proxy files (and the proxies are almost indistinguishable from the full-res file) back to a TV station, network, client's server, or whatever as soon as you press the pause button. Again, not something most owner/operators would ever use, but still pretty cool technology for the right person.