Sony XDCAM HD -- various topics

[Rick L. Allen]

I've got an F330 with the F350 viewfinder and after the 1.93 update the viewfinder seems to be in an underscan mode - I have a black frame around all the edges of the picture in the viewfinder. I can't find anything in the menu that would scale the picture in the viewfinder back up to full screen. Any suggestions on how to get the full screen video back?

[Jon Essex]

I have an F355 which I bought at the end of last year. I have noticed there is a software update now available. I have printed off the instructions which I must be honest fill me with fear! Nothing ever works like they say it should and It would be a real pain to have my F355 out of action whilst I try to get it working.

Finally my question is, has anyone made this software upgrade and what are the benefits of doing so.

Many Thanks!!

Jon Essex
F355 - DSR570 - FCP - AVID

[Alister Chapman]

I have an F350 and there is (as with most Pro Camcorders) a very thin black edge around the display. May be this was a bug fix in the firmware that made the F350 VF work correctly on the F330.

[Greg Boston]

The file accompanying the firmware often details what bug fixes/feature updates are a part of the upgrade. That's where I'd start looking for answers.

If you carefully follow the instructions for doing the upgrade, you should be okay.

-gb-

[Eugene Kosarovich]

Is there anything else I should look out for that the All file doesn't actually save on the F335?

I was surprised that it doesn't save the scene files I have loaded in the camera's five memories when I save an All file. It doesn't save the title presets that I had loaded, either.

I realize I can just save the full block of 5 scene files at once to the stick, and the titles are already on the stick, but I was surprised that All isn't really "all".

[Dan Brazda]

Has anyone recorded directly to an uncompressed disk recorder from the HD-SDI port on the 350? How do your results compare to recording via the XDCam HD codecs to optical disk?

[Paul Chiu]

so far, in order to get that 422 color space some favors, it mostly requires a hard wired connection with a computer loaded with one of several black magic capture cards from the PMW-EX1 hd-sdi to the black magic card in a mac pro desktop.

if you want to use the macbook pro, then you'll need to get the aja iohd that sits between the ex1 and the mbp.

the top is the cheapest method and the aja cost over $3000

now, i understand there is a wireless solution where you can use any mac, desktop or mbp.

it's the CW-5HD from IDX.

http://www.idxtek.com/products/trans_sys.html

at a cost of around $6000 and you'll get full 422 and almost live broadcast functionality.

anyone already seen this work?

paul

[Ray Ellis]

I'm looking for feedback from those who have shot with either of the Zeiss Digizoom's (6-24mm or 17-112mm), 2/3" to 1/2" adapter on the F350 XDCam HD. I currently have a Fuji HS18x5.5 lens on my F350, which I love, but I have a documentary beginning in the fall which might benefit from a higher quality lens. Were you pleased with the images from the DigiZoom, especially compared to the DigiPrimes? Was light loss too much of a factor with this lens, especially when shooting in 24P? Lastly, does it perform well in the run and gun documentary style that follows the action as it happens or is it a bit too cumbersome and better suited for more controlled setups?

I appreciate your feedback.

Ray Ellis
Director
Footpath Pictures
www.footpathpictures.com
Raleigh, NC USA

[Steve Phillipps]

Anybody know if the Sony F350/F355 variable frame rates will work on the Flash XDR? I suppose it depends upon what comes out of the HDSDI, and if the VFR are made as they are laid to tape then maybe they won't?
Cheers,
Steve

[Dan Keaton]

Originally Posted by Steve Phillipps

I suppose it depends upon what comes out of the HDSDI

Dear Steve,

I agree with your assessment.

Since the Flash XDR will be able to do time-lapse recording (in I-Frame Only modes), it will be interesting to see if this will be useful to generate certain frame rates by dropping the undesired frames.

I have read the following in a review of the F350: "Variable frame rate settings above 30p halve the bitrate in HQ mode."

The above makes sense to me, in that if you have more frames of data that are being recorded to tape, and a fixed maximum variable bit rate for Long-GOP recordings, then something will have to give in order to capture the higher frame rate.

But, we will have to determine what is output on the HD-SDI port for frame rates above 30p.

Once we get a Flash XDR and a F350/F355 in the same room, we should be able to tell fairly quickly.

[Steve Phillipps]

Looked through the PDW700 manual and there doesn't seem to be any way to change the shooting mode from 1080 to 720 etc. I understood that it could shoot 1080 25/30P and 720 50P/60P. Any ideas?
Steve

[Ivan Snoeckx]

You have to wait for october. Then there will be a first firmware update for the PDW-700 that adds more shooting modes and the MPEG-HD420 codec. This firmware update is free.

[Perrone Ford]

I'll apologize in advance for asking this question here because it references the PMW-EX1, BUT, the nature of my question forces me here.

In browsing Sony's XDCam site, I noticed that they have released several Scene for the larger format XDCams. They are apparently intended for download and install via memory stick.

I was wondering if any of you who have the larger cams have parsed any of these scene files and also wondered their applicability to the baby of the family. Some of the scene files seem very interesting for my intended uses.

Anyone willing to download these and and offer a breakdown of their settings?

(Not sure of the forum rules about posting links, so Mods delete if it breaks the TOS)
http://pro.sony.com/bbsc/ssr/micro-x...enefiles.shtml

[Steve Phillipps]

I've shot some tests with the Sony F350 and must say that while the overcranking is smooth there is a definitely noticeable drop in resolution (as expected really). I assume that the camera is just doing a straightforward de-interlace as you would do in post - is this correct? If so, apart from saving time, would it be just as good to do it in post (maybe even better if there are programs with better algorythms than the camera's one)? In this way, would it then be just as good to have the cheaper F335, one of the main feature benefits of the F355 being over and undercranking.
Steve

[Clark Cooper]

Steve,

This post should give you the info you need:
http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?t=64638