FX1000 has arrived

Jeff Harper · November 19th, 2008, 02:33 AM

My experience with Sony cams is with the VX & PD series cams mixed in with a short and unhappy stint with an FX7. If you are an FX1 owner you will view the new FX1000 from a different perspective than I. That being said...

My first impression when I removed the FX1000 from the box is that it looked like a professional camera and is impressive in its appearance. It is much heavier then the VX and PD series cams and seems front heavy when handheld, even with a 970 battery installed. I cant' imagine how it will balance with a light on it, that remains to be seen.

It has a very nice L-M-H gain control feature that is customizable in the menu.

The zoom rocker is close to perfect, best I've used since my old Panasonic AGDV30.

When placed next to a VX2100 and directed towards the same object, it appears superior in low light to the VX2100 in the viewfinder. Low light should not be an issue with this camera for an wedding/event shooter. Mind you the viewfinder is bright and superior to the viewfinder on the VX2100, so that may account for some of the seeming superiority in low light...only comparisons with actual footage will tell the truth, of course.

I went into a dark area and had someone aim the FX1000 at me and I said "Let's see how it does in the dark." Upon viewing me through the viewfinder she remarked "I can't tell you are in the dark". Images in relatively dark areas have a minimum of grain. I'm impressed.

After playing with it for a few minutes, I found the auto-focus and auto-gain to be exceptionally responsive.

The viewfinder is very nice. If it is truly a WYSIWYG viewfinder as it has been touted, then footage from this camera will be excellent.

I can see that the FX1000 and it's big brother will be very popular. I will be shooting some footage Saturday with it and will let you all know how it worked out.

I can see that the more expensive, professional version of this camera will be worth every penny.

Now for the bad: The menu scroll wheel is like a bad joke. If you've used the scroll wheel on the VX and PD series cams you have an idea of how the one on the FX1000 works. Unfortunately it is nearly impossible to scroll with the new one without pushing and accidentally selecting . It is hard to describe. I have to use my fingernail to scroll with. If you have fat fingers, may God help you. Normally one should not have to access the menu in the field very often. As a wedding and event videographer I do not have time to diddle with something so tedious...this is a huge disappointment. This may seem like a nibbling criticism, but it is something you have to experience to understand. If the pro version of this camera has better menu accessability, it would almost be worth saving your money and purchasing it.

Other first impressions: The white balance feature is confusing initially and the manual features are not intuitive, at least when coming from the VX & PD series camera. But I'm sure after some reading of the manual and experimentation all will be revealed.

Overall, for the money it seems nearly perfect, with menu accessability taking away half of a star.

Jeff Harper · November 19th, 2008, 07:29 AM

I have shot some footage around the house and studio...this camera can see in the dark. Images are excellent. As my first HD camera (I don't count the FX7 which cannot even compare) I am stunned by the breathtaking stills taken from clips in Vegas. This camera is starting to shape up to be a dreamcam, negatives aside.

I see why I was confused about the white balance...Sony does not allow you to toggle between indoor and outdoor WB settings. You only get one preset, and you have to choose it in the menu, indoor or outdoor. (why?) There are two customizable presets in addition, but these are WB settings which you calibrate yourself.

K.C. Luke · November 19th, 2008, 08:18 AM

Since is for Wedding shot out...how about CMOS Rolling shutter. Flash from photographer!!!

Jeff Harper · November 19th, 2008, 08:24 AM

I haven't done a wedding yet. We will see on Saturday.

Ethan Cooper · November 19th, 2008, 08:25 AM

I haven't hated my FX7's like you have, but I'm most likely selling one soon to offset the cost of the FX1000. Hopefully I'll pull the trigger soon. Thanks for posting your experience. I look forward to hearing more about the camera.

Ethan Cooper · November 19th, 2008, 08:27 AM

K.C. Luke - If it's a CMOS camera you'll have the rolling shutter effect with flashes. I personally don't mind them and I've never had a bride point one out. If you're shooting CMOS it's just something you'll have to deal with till they come out with a global shutter cam.

Paul Therrien · November 19th, 2008, 02:48 PM

Hi,

There has been a debate about the Z7 soft image that was focused on the Exmor chip being too low res and/or the Zeiss Z7 lens not being good enough to pull the best resolution from the chip.

I was wondering since the FX1000 is using the same Exmor chip but a whole new lens if you could give us an unedited screen grab. I am praying the image is sharper so I may not have to spend on the EX1.

This is my last attempt at getting a camera at this level to satisfy my want for detail at least matching my A1 or even surpassing it.
If the Z5/ FX1000 does not show some improvement in detail, among other things they need to improve like noise level, I have no choice but to move on/up to the EX 1.

Thanks so much for talking the time to post any images.

Paul

Jeff Harper · November 19th, 2008, 02:51 PM

I've not posted images before here, so let me figure out how to do so and I will.

The image from this camera is not soft, IMO.

Jamie Roberts · November 19th, 2008, 03:03 PM

Thanks for the run down Jeff.

Im definately going to look at updating from my FX1 to the Fx1000. They arent available in Australia until Mid December and as yet still unsure of what I may pay for it.

The low light performance sounds good and Im really looking forward to checking out the Progressive Scan capabilities of the cam. This will save me a bit of time as I always convert footage to PS in post.

Whats the difference between a CMOS chip and a CCD chip? Whats the 'rolling shutter' effect that has been referred to on here?

Cheers

Jamie

Paul Therrien · November 19th, 2008, 03:14 PM

Thanks Jeff,

The softness is not something you will see on the cam LCD. In-fact it does not really jump out at you on a monitor up to 24 inches unless you can compare camera's side-by-side.

But as the TV gets bigger it really starts to stand out as soft on the Z7, and the image also gets very muddy and dirty looking in the shadows.

I don't expect the shadow issue to go away since it may be using the same compression etc, but the sharpness of the image can clearly be improved if the lens is the real problem of the Z7.

Thanks in advance for the images!

Jeff Harper · November 19th, 2008, 03:27 PM

Actually guys, I cannot capture the footage I shot today. Vegas will no longer recognize the camera.

This morning it was spotty getting it hooked up to capture, and now no matter what order I turn things on etc., I cannot get it to work.

Just a tad frustrating.

K.C. Luke · November 19th, 2008, 06:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jamie Roberts

Whats the difference between a CMOS chip and a CCD chip? Whats the 'rolling shutter' effect that has been referred to on here?

Cheers

Jamie

Hi Jamie

You can read a bit more on this info CMOS Rolling Shutter hope you have understand more about CMOS Chip

Erik Phairas · November 19th, 2008, 06:44 PM

cool, post pictures of you holding the camera too.

Jeff Harper · November 20th, 2008, 07:05 AM

I have the capture feature working. I'm going to shoot something today that is worth posting and I'll post a still.

Jeff Harper · November 20th, 2008, 03:18 PM

The photos below appear soft, but are not at all that way prior to uploading. I personally hate soft images, so if they appeared that way at all to me I would have sent the camera back immediately.

Footage was shot under very cloudy conditions. The 20x zoom shots were taken while handheld and camera was shaking quite badly. I just haven't had time to play with camera as I would like. I spent enough time yesterday to learn controls enough so that I can use for job on Saturday, but that is all I've had time to do. Controls are a cinch.

http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/members/j...l-not-bad.html

I'll have decent stills after wedding on Saturday.

November 19th, 2008, 02:33 AM	#1
Jeff Harper Inner Circle Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Cincinnati, OH Posts: 8,425	FX1000 has arrived - first impressions My experience with Sony cams is with the VX & PD series cams mixed in with a short and unhappy stint with an FX7. If you are an FX1 owner you will view the new FX1000 from a different perspective than I. That being said... My first impression when I removed the FX1000 from the box is that it looked like a professional camera and is impressive in its appearance. It is much heavier then the VX and PD series cams and seems front heavy when handheld, even with a 970 battery installed. I cant' imagine how it will balance with a light on it, that remains to be seen. It has a very nice L-M-H gain control feature that is customizable in the menu. The zoom rocker is close to perfect, best I've used since my old Panasonic AGDV30. When placed next to a VX2100 and directed towards the same object, it appears superior in low light to the VX2100 in the viewfinder. Low light should not be an issue with this camera for an wedding/event shooter. Mind you the viewfinder is bright and superior to the viewfinder on the VX2100, so that may account for some of the seeming superiority in low light...only comparisons with actual footage will tell the truth, of course. I went into a dark area and had someone aim the FX1000 at me and I said "Let's see how it does in the dark." Upon viewing me through the viewfinder she remarked "I can't tell you are in the dark". Images in relatively dark areas have a minimum of grain. I'm impressed. After playing with it for a few minutes, I found the auto-focus and auto-gain to be exceptionally responsive. The viewfinder is very nice. If it is truly a WYSIWYG viewfinder as it has been touted, then footage from this camera will be excellent. I can see that the FX1000 and it's big brother will be very popular. I will be shooting some footage Saturday with it and will let you all know how it worked out. I can see that the more expensive, professional version of this camera will be worth every penny. Now for the bad: The menu scroll wheel is like a bad joke. If you've used the scroll wheel on the VX and PD series cams you have an idea of how the one on the FX1000 works. Unfortunately it is nearly impossible to scroll with the new one without pushing and accidentally selecting . It is hard to describe. I have to use my fingernail to scroll with. If you have fat fingers, may God help you. Normally one should not have to access the menu in the field very often. As a wedding and event videographer I do not have time to diddle with something so tedious...this is a huge disappointment. This may seem like a nibbling criticism, but it is something you have to experience to understand. If the pro version of this camera has better menu accessability, it would almost be worth saving your money and purchasing it. Other first impressions: The white balance feature is confusing initially and the manual features are not intuitive, at least when coming from the VX & PD series camera. But I'm sure after some reading of the manual and experimentation all will be revealed. Overall, for the money it seems nearly perfect, with menu accessability taking away half of a star. Last edited by Jeff Harper; November 19th, 2008 at 07:31 AM.

November 19th, 2008, 07:29 AM	#2
Jeff Harper Inner Circle Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Cincinnati, OH Posts: 8,425	FX1000 can see in the dark I have shot some footage around the house and studio...this camera can see in the dark. Images are excellent. As my first HD camera (I don't count the FX7 which cannot even compare) I am stunned by the breathtaking stills taken from clips in Vegas. This camera is starting to shape up to be a dreamcam, negatives aside. I see why I was confused about the white balance...Sony does not allow you to toggle between indoor and outdoor WB settings. You only get one preset, and you have to choose it in the menu, indoor or outdoor. (why?) There are two customizable presets in addition, but these are WB settings which you calibrate yourself.

November 19th, 2008, 08:18 AM	#3
K.C. Luke Regular Crew Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Singapore Posts: 173	Since is for Wedding shot out...how about CMOS Rolling shutter. Flash from photographer!!! __________________ Edit on Adobe Creative Suite Production Premium CS5 Mac 64BIT

November 19th, 2008, 08:25 AM	#5
Ethan Cooper Trustee Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Houma, La. Posts: 1,400 Images: 5	I haven't hated my FX7's like you have, but I'm most likely selling one soon to offset the cost of the FX1000. Hopefully I'll pull the trigger soon. Thanks for posting your experience. I look forward to hearing more about the camera. __________________ ∅ -Ethan Cooper

November 19th, 2008, 08:27 AM	#6
Ethan Cooper Trustee Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Houma, La. Posts: 1,400 Images: 5	K.C. Luke - If it's a CMOS camera you'll have the rolling shutter effect with flashes. I personally don't mind them and I've never had a bride point one out. If you're shooting CMOS it's just something you'll have to deal with till they come out with a global shutter cam. __________________ ∅ -Ethan Cooper

November 19th, 2008, 08:24 AM	#4
Jeff Harper Inner Circle Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Cincinnati, OH Posts: 8,425	I haven't done a wedding yet. We will see on Saturday.

November 19th, 2008, 02:48 PM	#7
Paul Therrien New Boot Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Manchester, NH Posts: 23	Hi, There has been a debate about the Z7 soft image that was focused on the Exmor chip being too low res and/or the Zeiss Z7 lens not being good enough to pull the best resolution from the chip. I was wondering since the FX1000 is using the same Exmor chip but a whole new lens if you could give us an unedited screen grab. I am praying the image is sharper so I may not have to spend on the EX1. This is my last attempt at getting a camera at this level to satisfy my want for detail at least matching my A1 or even surpassing it. If the Z5/ FX1000 does not show some improvement in detail, among other things they need to improve like noise level, I have no choice but to move on/up to the EX 1. Thanks so much for talking the time to post any images. Paul

November 19th, 2008, 02:51 PM	#8
Jeff Harper Inner Circle Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Cincinnati, OH Posts: 8,425	I've not posted images before here, so let me figure out how to do so and I will. The image from this camera is not soft, IMO.

November 19th, 2008, 03:03 PM	#9
Jamie Roberts Major Player Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: bendigo, australia Posts: 204	Thanks for the run down Jeff. Im definately going to look at updating from my FX1 to the Fx1000. They arent available in Australia until Mid December and as yet still unsure of what I may pay for it. The low light performance sounds good and Im really looking forward to checking out the Progressive Scan capabilities of the cam. This will save me a bit of time as I always convert footage to PS in post. Whats the difference between a CMOS chip and a CCD chip? Whats the 'rolling shutter' effect that has been referred to on here? Cheers Jamie

November 19th, 2008, 03:14 PM	#10
Paul Therrien New Boot Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Manchester, NH Posts: 23	Thanks Jeff, The softness is not something you will see on the cam LCD. In-fact it does not really jump out at you on a monitor up to 24 inches unless you can compare camera's side-by-side. But as the TV gets bigger it really starts to stand out as soft on the Z7, and the image also gets very muddy and dirty looking in the shadows. I don't expect the shadow issue to go away since it may be using the same compression etc, but the sharpness of the image can clearly be improved if the lens is the real problem of the Z7. Thanks in advance for the images!

November 19th, 2008, 03:27 PM	#11
Jeff Harper Inner Circle Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Cincinnati, OH Posts: 8,425	Actually guys, I cannot capture the footage I shot today. Vegas will no longer recognize the camera. This morning it was spotty getting it hooked up to capture, and now no matter what order I turn things on etc., I cannot get it to work. Just a tad frustrating.

November 19th, 2008, 06:44 PM	#13
Erik Phairas Major Player Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Las Vegas, NV Posts: 628	cool, post pictures of you holding the camera too.

November 20th, 2008, 07:05 AM	#14
Jeff Harper Inner Circle Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Cincinnati, OH Posts: 8,425	I have the capture feature working. I'm going to shoot something today that is worth posting and I'll post a still.

November 20th, 2008, 03:18 PM	#15
Jeff Harper Inner Circle Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Cincinnati, OH Posts: 8,425	Stills from FX1000 The photos below appear soft, but are not at all that way prior to uploading. I personally hate soft images, so if they appeared that way at all to me I would have sent the camera back immediately. Footage was shot under very cloudy conditions. The 20x zoom shots were taken while handheld and camera was shaking quite badly. I just haven't had time to play with camera as I would like. I spent enough time yesterday to learn controls enough so that I can use for job on Saturday, but that is all I've had time to do. Controls are a cinch. http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/members/j...l-not-bad.html I'll have decent stills after wedding on Saturday. Last edited by Jeff Harper; November 20th, 2008 at 04:22 PM.