Sony FDR-AX100

[Bruce Dempsey]

Have any of you very knowledgeable 4k shooters had a chance to objectively compare what the Lumix fz1000 will look like as compared to your current models , the ax100 in particular. I've been a Sony fan for many years and will continue because of the reliabilty factor for one thing
the fz1000 is in my budget range but I don't want inferior video so what's the deal? will lumix stand up to ax100?

[Ronan Fournier]

A pro version of the AX100 is coming?
Slashcam News : Sony shows XDCAM Pro version of the FDR-AX100

[Mark Rosenzweig]

"This utility updates the system firmware and provides the following benefits:

•Adds Direct Copy for XAVC S format support •Adds the following auto focus performance improvements: ◦Focusing accuracy for main subject ◦Focus tracking performance on a person

•Adds the 1/50 shutter speed •Improves zoom speed during movie recording"

Sony eSupport - FDR-AX100 - Support

How well does the focus tracking work on the AX100? Video test:

Sony FDR AX100 4K Video: Focus Tracking and Auto-focus Test on Vimeo

[Ken Ross]

Originally Posted by Ron Evans

Ken, one of the reasons the downscale looks better is that it effectively becomes a 422 file compared to the original 420.These new cameras are already 10bit 422 and may very well give the same results.

Ron Evans

Right, but it's also the resolution Ron. I've yet to use an HD camera that had the luminance detail that the down rez'd 4K>HD had.

[Ken Ross]

Originally Posted by Bruce Dempsey

Have any of you very knowledgeable 4k shooters had a chance to objectively compare what the Lumix fz1000 will look like as compared to your current models , the ax100 in particular. I've been a Sony fan for many years and will continue because of the reliabilty factor for one thing
the fz1000 is in my budget range but I don't want inferior video so what's the deal? will lumix stand up to ax100?

I can only go by the one demo video that was released by Panasonic thus far. When viewed in 4K, it's apparent the Lumix doesn't have the resolution or the dynamic range of the AX1000. But at its price point, it's not reasonable to expect it would.

[Ken Ross]

Originally Posted by Ronan Fournier

A pro version of the AX100 is coming?
Slashcam News : Sony shows XDCAM Pro version of the FDR-AX100

Guess you didn't read the page before this. Already discussed. No firm mention of 4K

[Bryce Comer]

Still nothing concrete, but those wanting some more info on the mystery cam i pointed to earlier in this thread, you might want to look at a certain red coloured toothy critter of a website.

[Ron Evans]

Originally Posted by Ken Ross

Right, but it's also the resolution Ron. I've yet to use an HD camera that had the luminance detail that the down rez'd 4K>HD had.

For a normal consumer 420 camera that may be true but the resolution difference comes from the extra colour information that 422 brings to the downconvert that is there in the original for expensive pro 422 10 bit cameras now. 1920x1080 cannot get more and lots of consumer cameras have a lot less. However for a consumer camera the colour information at 420 is 1/4 of this. So the downconvert from 4K looks to have more resolution because of the extra colour information clearly seen in faces etc. Pro 422 or 444 HD cameras already have this extra information which is the point I was making for these new cameras from Sony. The difference for a downconvert from the AX100 may not be different for these 422 10bit cameras.

Ron Evans

[Todd Stark]

re: the LANC... can you confirm the configuration you're using - I'm presuming the VMC-AVM1 adapter and RM-AV2 with the "D" A/V plug? I've got that combo and am trying to sort out using it with the RX series... it "should" work, but for some odd reason doesn't (see above!). The VPR1/VPR10 remotes use the MULTI, have the same chip that is in the AV2, which basically does the same thing in both units - allows remote control of zoom, on/off, shutter, record (the VPR "handle" I have adds a couple things). Glad to hear that it "should" work with the AX100 at least, as the camera is on the "acquire soon" list.

The instructions with the AVM1 show it for "Handycam", but strangely not for the Cybershots, even though the interface is definitely THERE on the MULTI interface to allow remote control!

So far I've got pinouts, and have the two controllers apart for "examination", just haven't figured out the "key" to unlock the function - Sony uses "trigger" resistors, and somehow the VPR's do something a little different from the AV2 LANC controls... I suspect it's just a resistor on one of the other pins....

It would help to know for sure that the AVM1/AV2 combo does work on the AX100, I'm presuming that the VPR's also work...

Sony comes up with these "new improved" interfaces, and it's "fun" to try to figure out how to make them do what you expect!! The MULTI seems to replace the A/V, which replaced the LANC and A/V.[/QUOTE]

I was wondering is you have gotten the LANC to work and what is the correct setup and parts?
Thanks in advance

[Jeff Harper]

Mark, thanks for link for update. It seems to me zoom speed is faster since I updated.

[Noa Put]

Originally Posted by Mark Rosenzweig

Improves zoom speed during movie recording

Wish they would come to their senses and improve this on the rx10 as well.

[Derek McCabe]

No issues with this firmware update?

I have a new AX-100 that I have been testing, nothing used for real production yet, guess I can take the leap.

UPDATE: Firmware 2.0 uploaded, no issues so far.

[Dave Blackhurst]

@ Todd -

Haven't yet figured out any way to make the AV2 work with the RX series - it does work fine using the AVM1 to the the AX100 I've picked up since that post.

Have been too busy to return to the reverse engineering process. Power is transmitted, but the LANC signal isn't, I'm fairly sure there is a trigger mechanism of some sort, but that's as far as I've gotten...

[Dave Blackhurst]

Got a chance to take the AX100 out for some "fun" shooting (so didn't matter if my camera work stunk as I fatigued while marching around a "theme park"!).

First thing I wanted to "test" was shutter speeds and the ND filters - I got more "pleasant" motion (and seemingly less RS) if I kept the shutter speeds down - nice slight motion blur, instead of stutter from individual sharp frames. 60, 90, 125 seemed to work well, where at first I saw the camera on auto picking 350, and it didn't look as good! Manual control was quite easy to use - I could lock in the shutter speed, and let the camera ride the rest, with exposure compensation on the "wheel" as needed...

I did find a little "shimmer" in some areas on a couple clips (a light metal fence in the distance against a darker background of people) - nothing major, and I suspect unavoidable IF you also want super sharp footage. I may also have been at the hgher end of the shutter - was experimenting through the day... learning the controls.

All in all, the camera did a stunningly fine job, though I should have brought a compact monopod... when I was reasonably steady, the camera did a great job, even at night (fireworks/light show). Mostly tried to use the VF, especially in bright sun, that helped!

I still found myself wishing the RX10 had 4K.... but the AX100 is proving to be an excellent camera in it's own right. Now I've got to "edit" some and see how that goes!

[Paul Rickford]

May I ask, has the firmware update addressed what I feel is a bug and not a feature, the inability of the camera to remember to stay in large 4x 3 (15m) in image size menu when in photo mode.
It drives me nuts having to reset the image size every time I switch to photo mode!