My PXW-Z90 mini review

[Lou Bruno]

| Help Guide for Creators | Top
Picture Profile link. S-Log etc.

[Paul Anderegg]

Clips shot in HLG/BT2020 show REC709 in FCPX 10.4, and throw an error triangle if you try to set color to BT2020.

Paul

[Craig Seeman]

Originally Posted by Lou Bruno

I have never owned a camera with so many grayed-out menus. One has to go to the on-line manual and actually observe what has to be turned OFF or what other feature should not to be used in order to work with a designated grayed-out function, For example, if one uses extended zoom, it shuts off THIS AND THAT or if you use a certain Codec, it shuts and grays out THAT AND THIS.


FDR-AX700 | Help Guide | Top

The manual seems to be quite a bit when it comes to what combinations of settings enable/disable certain options. It's taken me a fair amount of experimentation to see what's enabled when. Some features only work in HD, some require certain function to be in Auto mode and others require some to be in Manual.

It almost calls for a flow chart to show you what's what when.

[Paul Anderegg]

New job opening for DPP...director of picture profiling :-P

Paul

[Craig Seeman]

With all the autofocus options I wish you could save autofocus profiles.

Wide (most of the screen) green focus squares can be displayed in this mode

Zone (select one of nine areas) green focus squares can be displayed in this mode

Center (focus on whatever is in the center) green focus frame displayed

Flexible Spot (pick a small zone) green focus frame displayed

AutoFocus Drive Speed speed of focusing
1-7 (slow to fast)

Subject Tracking
AutoFocus Tracking Depth range of depth when tracking subject
1-5 (Narrow to Wide)
Wide would be for fast moving subjects. Narrow would be for slow moving subjects that might have things pass in front of it.

AutoFocus Subject Switch Sensitivity time it takes to focus on new subject
1-5 (Locked to Responsive)
Faster response allows you to switch subjects quickly. Locked slower allows you to maintain focus if the subjects moves out of the focus area briefly.
Based on the above two "Sonyesque descriptionese" is that Depth is control speed of change on Focal Plane Changes whereas Subject Switch is speed of change on the same focal plane. Basically Z axis vs X,Y axis.

Lock-On Auto Focus locks onto subject selected by touching the screen

Face Detection (can select a priority face if more than one which will show double frame)

Phase Detect AutoFocus Frames turns on/off the green focus squares

Phase Detect AutoFocus Area turns on/off the AutoFocus area selected

[Paul Anderegg]

I find the AF on this camera perfectly usable, and better, than manual focus for the majority of scenes I am shooting. If you have ever had to juggle constant gain changes, shutter manipulations, and things moving all over constantly, one less dial to simultaneously deal with is a big deal.

YouTube (Short URL)

[Craig Seeman]

How are you setting it up?
I noticed that at 0:55 it momentarily changes focus from the "victim" to the "medic" and back. You can slow the responsiveness if you anticipate such things happening.

[Robert Young]

Paul
Your shots are amazingly stable
Are you using some sort of rig, or just simple handheld??

[Paul Anderegg]

Nope, just running around holding the little guy out in mid-air on active steadyshot. After 3+ years of operating X70 cameras, i guess I have gotten the hang of them. I use a pretty large iKan MB4 LED panel on top, which tends to stabilize the "rig" a bit.

Paul

[Anthony McErlean]

Great review Paul, thanks.

I was wondering if there was an attachment available so I could use some of my Vlock batteries and again somehow attach an external recorder.

Thanks in advance.

[Paul Anderegg]

They typically do not make attachments for 1Kg cameras to mount 1.5Kg batteries onto them, or were you looking for just the cabling to do so? :-P

Paul

[Anthony McErlean]

Hi Paul, I was just thinking of not having to change battery power as often and make use of my v-mount batteries. One vlock battery would last me most of the day on my PMW-320.

Also, I would like if possible, to attach an external recorder, for additional back-up, while recording weddings.

I feel a bit more content knowing its also recording to another device :)

Thanks.

[Craig Seeman]

Although not quite the same as recording to an external device, you can record to two SD cards simultaneously which would give you backup if one card should fail. Even an external recorder involves some risk because the connections are possible points of failure. Also outputting to an external device may impact available recording modes/features although I haven't investigated that fully comparing the X70 to the Z90.

[Bill Ackerman]

If I understand what I am seeing with QFHD on my Z90, if you have an external recorder, you would also need an external monitor since the LCD/viewfinder can't display video when REC OUTPUT is set to EXTERNAL OUTPUT during recording. So I guess you'd need an integrated recorder/monitor or daisy chain or split the signal. Lots of points of failure.

For my first assignment yesterday I recorded simultaneously to both cards and used a field monitor. Really loving the Z90 so far.

[Anthony McErlean]

Originally Posted by Craig Seeman

Although not quite the same as recording to an external device, you can record to two SD cards simultaneously which would give you backup if one card should fail. Even an external recorder involves some risk because the connections are possible points of failure. Also outputting to an external device may impact available recording modes/features although I haven't investigated that fully comparing the X70 to the Z90.

Thanks Craig, I just got so used to backup recording from my PMW-320 to NFlash I would think it very odd not having this option.