New Sony full size shoulder mounted HDV camera

[Sean Lander]

Correct me if I'm wrong but is the lens fixed?
I would really have liked to see something a little more innovative.
Still the EX looks great and the new line up of XD-Cams is going to dominate the industry I reckon. With 2/3 inch chips and 50 Mbs there will be no need to buy Digi-Beta for doing most jobs.

Tape is now finally looking like it's dead a buried! HOOOORAAAYY!!

[Paulo Teixeira]

Originally Posted by Sean Lander

new line up of XD-Cams is going to dominate the industry I reckon. With 2/3 inch chips and 50 Mbs there will be no need to buy Digi-Beta for doing most jobs.

Sony’s 50mbps of MPEG2 will be no match to Panasonic’s 100mbps of H.264.
This camera has native 1920X1080 imagers as well.
http://shop.panasonic.com/webapp/wcs...32007031709949

[Ivan Snoeckx]

It is packed out in the HDV section of the Sony stand at NAB, with a lot of interest in our technology showcase of a shoulder-mounted HDV camcorder. This is something that we have been asked for by customers for quite a while now and is a natural extension of our HDV line-up.

There isn’t too much I can say about the camcorder just yet, which hasn’t even got a name. What’s on the stand is a showcase that provides an indication of what the product may look like. But, unlike some of the concept cars that are shown at car shows, this is far more than a concept, and we expect to be able to ship a shoulder-mounted camcorder in early 2008. So in less than 12 months time, we should have real product in the hands of users.

For now, there are a few key points that I can disclose. The first is that it will have HDV /DVCAM/ DV recording and playback, just like the rest of our line-up. This gives you the flexibility to record in either standard definition or high definition depending on your needs.

The camcorder will also feature three ClearVid CMOS sensors. The CMOS technology can also be found in our recently launched HVR-V1E camcorder and our most compact professional HDV camcorder – the HVR-A1E. It provides high sensitivity, low noise and a wide dynamic range, and also eradicates picture smear. The new camcorder will be able to handle the larger sized HDV cassettes, giving you something like four and a half hours of high definition recording. Although our HVR-M15E and HVR-M25E recorders both already handle these larger sized cassettes, the new product is the first camcorder that will have this capability. And we think the longer recording times is more than enough for most people’s needs.

The new camcorder will have HD-SDI output, allowing it to be connected to an external monitor in the field, for example, or to record to another HD format, such as HDCAM or XDCAM HD.

It will also be compatible with the HVR-DR60 hard disk recording unit, which gives you more flexibility in, for example, being able to move to a file based workflow when you choose.

We see the new camcorder as the natural replacement for the DSR-250P DVCAM camcorder, offering the added benefit of HDV recording and playback.

Judging by the reaction we are having on the stand, we’re looking forward to processing all the feedback and getting the real thing onto the market as quickly as possible.

Source: SonyBiz.net

[Simon Wyndham]

Sony’s 50mbps of MPEG2 will be no math to Panasonic’s 100mbps of H.264.

Consider this fact. the current 35 (yes 35)Mbps XDCAM HD footage is accepted UNRESTRICTED by Discovery HD and National Geographic. The codec was torture tested through the entire production chain and was graded to destruction to see just how far it could be pushed. It passed with flying colours. Those are two of the most fussy broadcasters on the planet and they don't just accept any old tat.

Now make that a 50Mbps codec, and you get the idea...

This camera has native 1920X1080 imagers as well.

So does the new 2/3" XDCAM HD camera. It also records that full raster 1920x1080 image to disc.

The F23 does 4:4:4, Red does 4k, my XDCAM does SD, my washing machine washes clothes, and my toaster makes toast. Lovely.

[Paulo Teixeira]

That’s exactly what I meant, meaning it has native 1920x1080 imagers just like Sony's new XDCAM.

[Greg Hartzell]

Ah, but DVCPro HD only records 1280x1080... Even if at 100mbps

[Paulo Teixeira]

Panasonic is now using AVC-Intra that goes up to 1920X1080. The AJ-HPX3000 uses the full raster.

The F23 and the Red is in a different class. I’m just talking about cameras that are built for field work such as News gathering.

[Stu Holmes]

Originally Posted by Paulo Teixeira

Sony’s 50mbps of MPEG2 will be no math to Panasonic’s 100mbps of H.264.

Originally Posted by Simon Wyndham

Consider this fact. the current 35 (yes 35)Mbps XDCAM HD footage is accepted UNRESTRICTED by Discovery HD and National Geographic. The codec was torture tested through the entire production chain and was graded to destruction to see just how far it could be pushed. It passed with flying colours. Those are two of the most fussy broadcasters on the planet and they don't just accept any old tat.

Now make that a 50Mbps codec, and you get the idea...

Exactly! Theres no real need to use 100Mbps when 35Mbps simply works well. 50Mbps will be more than enough.

Sometimes, Paulo, you have to look beyond the "more is better" mind-set and understand what works in the Real World, works.

[Wayne Morellini]

Originally Posted by Boyd Ostroff

Tyson, I think the shoulder mounted HDV camera is more of a concept than an actual product. To the best of my knowledge they haven't announced availability or price range. As you can see from the placard above, they haven't even decided what size sensors it will have.

I just attended Sony's presentation the XDCAM EX. They said it would be available "by the end of the year" and cost "less than $8,000."

At last, when I started with the digital cinema camera projects in 2004, I observed that 50mb/s 4:2:2 Mpeg2 would be a good minium for quality production and have been waiting for the low end XDCAM HD camera for over an year. Pity they could not keep the EX pricing to below $5K, but I think they eventually will have these cameras below $3K. I still prefer 100mb/s of AVC Intra though.

[Robert Ducon]

The point of using 1920x1080 imagers is great, but only *really* so if the codec supports a res up from 1440x1080 (4:3). Even XDCAM HD is 4:3 - it losses resolution if captured from a full square-pixel sensor at 1920x1080 -> becomes 1440x1080.

So, if this Panasonic AVCIntra stores it's video at full resolution after capturing with a comparable full sensor (at 1920x1080), the images *will* be sharper, absolutely no doubt if the codec stores that full 1920x1080 image!

A codec does have a lot to do with it.

I'd prefer a sharper codec to work with than XDCAM HD, which is basically a 10mbs increase on the HDV codec. If Sony wants to remain competitive and be desired for the guys having to do post work on the footage, then they need to increase the resolution. Regardless, it looks like Panasonic is on the right track – DVCPro HD wasn’t full 1920x1080 either.

[Simon Wyndham]

Originally Posted by Robert Ducon

The point of using 1920x1080 imagers is great, but only *really* so if the codec supports a res up from 1440x1080 (4:3).

The forthcoming 2/3" XDCAM HD is full raster 1920x1080 in the codec, not 1440x1080.

[Paulo Teixeira]

Panasonic claims that if you use the 100mbps AVC-Intra mode, the picture is very close to D5 HD. If I ever get the funds to produce a documentary, this would be a much better choice because 100mbps of H.264 is too big of a difference compared to 50mbps of Mpeg2.

Even when its time to transfer my documentary to Blu-Ray for mass production you would still easily notice a bid difference because Blu-Ray can have a bit rate of up to 50mbps of H.264.
http://shop.panasonic.com/webapp/wcs...32007031709949



Sorry that this is going a bit off topic.

[Boyd Ostroff]

This thread, "New Sony full size shoulder mounted HDV camera," was originally about a different product which Sony called a "future product preview" of a shoulder-mount HDV camera - see: http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showpost....3&postcount=13

The camera in the link you posted is the XDCAM EX, which is not an HDV camera - see the following: http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?t=91594

And see Chris' photos here: http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?t=91612

[Tyson Perkins]

Are we reffering to the new 'flagship' XDCAM 2/3 inch

or the PDW-355? 1/2? in the price range of 9000 dollars?

[Boyd Ostroff]

Tyson, this thread isn't about the XDCAM. It's about a mockup of a proposed shoulder mounted HDV camera. Jump back to the first page of this thread, specifically: http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showpost....3&postcount=13

XDCAM discussion is here: http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/forumdisplay.php?f=114