PXW-Z150 first impressions

[Paul Anderegg]

Here is a copy of the Z150 user manual, in English, from the CD. If you need an alternate language, please let me know.

https://onedrive.live.com/redir?resi...int=file%2cpdf

[Jack Zhang]

Originally Posted by Paul Anderegg

Here is a copy of the Z150 user manual, in English, from the CD. If you need an alternate language, please let me know.

https://onedrive.live.com/redir?resi...int=file%2cpdf

Private link. Requires a OneDrive login.

[Antony Tsioukas]

Paul thanks for the manual, will be useful for a lot of people to decide about this model.

I think that for persons that they need to read manual before buy, English is enough. Personally I always read manuals in English (otherwise I don't understand the terms ;) )

[Ron Evans]

Originally Posted by Jack Zhang

Private link. Requires a OneDrive login.

Worked fine for me.

Thanks

Ron Evans

[Andy B. Turner]

Paul, are you keeping the z150? If you had to choose the z150 or the x180 for event /conferences which would you choose?

Originally Posted by Paul Anderegg

Don't wait for any test footage, there is absolutely no point, just look at any X70 footage and that is what this camera does. I will most likely return it though, as it is ergonomically not well suited for handheld use with my farsightedness.

Paul

[Paul Anderegg]

Yes, keeping the Z150 100%........I have "adjusted" to the controls now, and find myself much more proficient at adjusting exposure while rolling than my X70. The X70 is staying on board, as my grab from the seat OMG a plane is crashing in front of my camera solution. :-)

A Z150 story I shot, the one I posted some RAW 4K clips, has already gotten like 5 million Facebook hits in a day, so obviously, the viewing public has given the camera the thumbs up! :-D

https://www.facebook.com/ABC10News/v...6167322759082/

[Jim Stamos]

Paul I loved handling the 150 at nab.my main thing was to see how easy I could focus,plus the iris ring was very smooth.coming from an ex1r,that was important for me to make the switch.I plan on renting it first and put it through some real shoots.3200.00 is a steal considering what u get.I'll make that back on one wedding.

[Antony Tsioukas]

Originally Posted by Paul Anderegg

... the one I posted some RAW 4K clips...

Paul, you mean the videos that you posted in YouTube, not the RAW recorded files.

But if you have space on OneDrive it will be interesting to see some small records (few seconds) in these formats, XAVC Long (4:2:0/ 8bit 100 Mbps) & HD XAVC Long (4:2:2/ 10bit 50 Mbps) to see real records because in YouTube you can understand only the color and light performance.

I am keep reading the manual, for now I don't like 2 things that I found.

First on Streaming mode, it disables Simulations and Relay Recording (with some other minor features). So for long events if you want to stream it on internet will be problem. I am not sure if the same happens also when “Content Browser Mobile” used in mobile.

The second thing that I didn't understand, maybe Paul you can help me on that, is if SDI and HDMI can output signal at the same time (of course with same resolution). I am not sure about it.

[Paul Anderegg]

SDI OR HDMI, never both at the same time. Also, you loose every custom button when streaming mode is enabled.....that means no Steadyshot on/off, no push to set white balance, no punch in focus assist, basically, all those side buttons stop functioning, just like the X70.

Paul

[Jack Zhang]

Originally Posted by Ron Evans

Worked fine for me.

Thanks

Ron Evans

I think the permissions changed right after I said it was private.

[Chris Clifton]

Paul, glad to hear you have come around to the z150 being a keeper. I have too. Took a chance and grabbed two for a one week travel gig instead of taking two FS7's (I have one) and I do not regret it at all. Footage looks fantastic using Cinetone#1 pic profile. Shooting mostly interviews in UHD 30p and vignettes in HD 60i in tight spaces was a snap with these low profile cameras and a couple of SmallHD702 Lite monitors for the director. This is a great flypack combo. The lens is really quite amazing and how fun is it to have macro to clear scan telephoto in one small package? Every camera has pluses and minuses, but hard to find many issues with these cameras. I hear lots of complaints on the boards about no UHD 60p, but since almost all shows are output in 30p, UHD 30p is just NOT an issue, in fact, it saves media space. Thanks for the setting suggestions, btw. The first thing I read about doing was knocking down the detail level--it's just too crispy, due in part to that sharp,very fast focusing G lens. Will post screen grabs if the client allows. Would love to know how these cams are rated since 3db and even 6db shows no grain. And DR was quite good in highly backlit situations. Mind boggling! Happy shooting.

QUOTE=Paul Anderegg;1913868]Yes, keeping the Z150 100%........I have "adjusted" to the controls now, and find myself much more proficient at adjusting exposure while rolling than my X70. The X70 is staying on board, as my grab from the seat OMG a plane is crashing in front of my camera solution. :-)

A Z150 story I shot, the one I posted some RAW 4K clips, has already gotten like 5 million Facebook hits in a day, so obviously, the viewing public has given the camera the thumbs up! :-D

https://www.facebook.com/ABC10News/v...6167322759082/[/QUOTE]

[James R. Wilson Sr.]

Hi Chris,

Nice to read your post re: the Z150, my sentiments exactly. The 150 certainly doesn't replace the FS/7, but as you noted, there are a number of scenarios where it fills in admirably. The X/70 is a good little camera, but the Z-150 far and away is a better tool.

[Cliff Totten]

I have the X70, which I love, and the Z150 which I love even more.

I originally thought I was just buying an X70 inside a bigger body. I figured they would perform almost the same. However!,...I did a job two weeks ago that makes me think this is wrong.

Without doing any real lab testing yet, it "SEEMS" that the Z150's newer stacked sensor is either cleaner or the noise reduction on the Z150 is significantly improved.

I was absolutely forced to run some shots at +18- 21db on the Z150 and I was really expecting pretty noisy, nasty stuff. But for some reason, the Z150 handled it much better than I ever expected.

Again without, doing a real test yet, I "think" the Z150 is maybe 3 or 6 db cleaner than the X70?? So the Z150 has about the same amount of noise at 18db and the X70 does at 12db??

Has anybody else noticed this? Again, I'm not sure yet, it's sorta hard to believe but in the next week I'll get the two together in a side by side shootout to get the real answer.

What do you guys think?

CT

[Paul Anderegg]

I have found that the Z150 provides the same noise levels of the X70, at 6db MORE setting. So the X70 at 27db will look the same (noise) as the Z150 at 33db. It really is noticeable when you start using high black gamma settings, which is basically low IRE gain amplification. :-)

Also, the Z150 doesn't have green hue in shadows that turns on and off.....very irritating.

Paul

[Jeremy Cole]

Doug Jenson just posted some footage he took with the camera up in Camden, Maine:

Sony PXW-Z150 4K Test Footage on Vimeo