2 new Sony HDV cams with interchangeable lens

[Brian Standing]

Very exciting. Where's the USA NTSC version?

mmmmm.... tape AND flash..... DROOOLLLLL!

[Evan C. King]

Now this is interesting. I wonder if the exmor technology is good enough to put 1/3 cmos on par with 1/3 ccd as far as lowlight goes. I'm really satisfied with my canon A1 but if this is a really solid product I might use a z7 on my feature next summer. Gotta love options!

[Ethan Cooper]

Gotta love Sony though... I mean they announce the EX1 which has everyone talking/drooling but it takes SxS cards which aren't exactly a standard yet and it has a (pretty good by all accounts) fixed lens. Then they turn around and announce the Z7 that has the option of interchangeable lenses and the use of industry standard CF cards.
Why can't they combine the best of both worlds and make and EX2 with interchangeable lenses that uses CF cards? Are the SxS cards that much faster? Is there something about the XDCam codecs that make using CF cards impossible?

[Joel Chappell]

If anyone wants to take a look at the detailed specs...

use this link

http://64.233.179.104/translate_c?u=...&hl=en&ie=UTF8

It will open the Sony Japan page for these cameras and translate most of it. It even has shipping dates for somewhere.

[Jeff Kellam]

Originally Posted by Ethan Cooper

I just read this StudioDaily article about these cams.
http://studiodaily.com/main/news/8768.html

It's apears the full sized shoulder mounted one is the Sony HVR-S270U. It has 3 1/3-inch Clearvid CMOS chips with Exmor. It's slated to be priced around $10,500 (with 12x lens) and has an optional Compact Flash recorder that attaches to the side of the camera.

The smaller version is the Sony HVR-Z7U. It's the exact same chip set, but in a smaller form factor and it takes the same batteries as the Z1/V1. It's slated to come in around $6,850 with lens.

The article referenced at the top of this post goes into more detail.

Ethan:

Are those the guesstimated MSRPs?

[Ethan Cooper]

You'd have to ask StudioDaily, that's where I got this info.

[Heath McKnight]

Around $11,000 or so for the shoulder mount, $7,000 or so for the Z7u.

Heath

[David Parks]

http://www.sonybiz.net/biz/view/Show...=1193315635243

From Sony: (Obviously 24p for U.S.)

"The camcorders offer 1080/50i and 25p native progressive recording capabilities. The 3 ClearVid CMOS Sensor system and EIP technology create true 1080p images, which can then be recorded as progressive signals by the HVR-Z7E and HVR-S270E camcorders in the HDV format. The progressive HDV streams can be output from an i.LINK connector and used for progressive editing with compatible NLE software.


The HVR-Z7E and HVR-S270E can switch between 1080p, 1080i in the HDV format, DVCAM, and DV recording, and both can down-convert material from HD to SD, and output the video signals through its i.LINK interface and other SD output connectors"

So, this camera will record 1080p and 1080i to tape or CF??

That is very flexible. Although highly compressed. Since it is HDV2 it will be 1440x1080 not like 35mbit 1920x1080 from the EX.

All in all this is a format most people could use right out of the box.

[Brian Standing]

Originally Posted by David Parks

[
That is very flexible. Although highly compressed. Since it is HDV2 it will be 1440x1080 not like 35mbit 1920x1080 from the EX.

If the HDMI output works the way it does on the V1, you could also get uncompressed 1920 x 1080 video from the HDMI port. (Does anyone know if the audio over HDMI is likely to be compressed or uncompressed?)

Now if Convergent Designs would just make an HDMI version of their flash recorder, you could have a 1920x1080 flash master, and 2 HDV backups (one on CF, one on tape). Instantaneous triple redundancy!!!!!

[Heath McKnight]

It's like the V1u, DVX100, HVX200, etc.: it can record in both interlace and progressive. Keep in mind, with the exception of the HVX200, in the sub-$15,000 category, all 24p cameras are packaging that 24p signal in a 60i stream via the 2:3 pulldown.

The HVX200 will record in 720p 24pn (native), no pulldown. I did a short film recently in that setting on the HPX500.

Heath

[Robert Ducon]

Is the HDV on the card being recorded as full progressive frames?

Lets say you're recording 1080P to both card and tape at the same time (at 24 or 25 fps).. currently, recording HDV to tape in this manner will mean it'll be done with 3:2 pulldown (in a 60i or 50i stream). No surprise - same deal over HD-SDI.

However, if it's recording to flash cards as well at real time, well, would it/could it record as true progressive frames (a la HVX-200) so it wouldn't require that extra step of removing the pulldown once on the computer?

[Joel Chappell]

Originally Posted by Heath McKnight

It's like the V1u, DVX100, HVX200, etc.: it can record in both interlace and progressive. Keep in mind, with the exception of the HVX200, in the sub-$15,000 category, all 24p cameras are packaging that 24p signal in a 60i stream via the 2:3 pulldown.

The HVX200 will record in 720p 24pn (native), no pulldown. I did a short film recently in that setting on the HPX500.

Heath

That doen't seem an accurate statement. The HVX200 actually does the same thing. Here is the excerpt from the HVX200 documentaion from the panasonic website:

Originally Posted by Panasonic HVX200 Brochure

"HD/SD Multi-Format Recording
The AG-HVX200 is the world's first*1 compact camera to offer
1080/24p shooting*

2. It can record onto a P2 card in 1080/60i or
720/60p HD, and it's compatible with the SD (480i) format currently
used in TV broadcasting. The multi-codec system lets you record in
DVCPRO 50, DVCPRO and DV.*3

*1: As of November 2005, according to a Panasonic survey
*2: In 1080/24p, Images are recorded in 60i by 2:3 pull-down.
*3: The P2 card can be used for recording video in any codec. Mini DV tape can record video in the DV format. Both 16:9 and 4:3 aspect ratios are supported in SD, 16:9 only in HD."

Notice that note 2. Indicates that it actually captures at 60i and then performs pulldown.

Also, the JVC HD series cameras capture "natively" in 720p. Just for the sake of accuracy...

[Robert Ducon]

Heath, I've done 3:2 pulldown from 60i footage to get the 24P out of it. You're saying that the data off a P2 card, the pulldown has already been performed, and you're getting full-frame 24P off the cards?

This is what I'd hope the new HDV-to-solid state is like too..

[David Parks]

Originally Posted by Heath McKnight

It's like the V1u, DVX100, HVX200, etc.: it can record in both interlace and progressive. Keep in mind, with the exception of the HVX200, in the sub-$15,000 category, all 24p cameras are packaging that 24p signal in a 60i stream via the 2:3 pulldown.

Heath

I'm stilll curious why Sony made this statement.

"The HVR-Z7E and HVR-S270E can switch between 1080p, 1080i in the HDV format. The 3 ClearVid CMOS Sensor system and EIP technology create true 1080p images, which can then be recorded as progressive signals by the HVR-Z7E and HVR-S270E camcorders in the HDV format. The progressive HDV streams can be output from an i.LINK connector and used for progressive editing with compatible NLE software."

Reading this statement they clearly state 1080p recorded as progressive signals. 60p??? or is it 24p/30p over 60i?? And the progressive streams can be output and used for progressive editing?

Heath, you're probably right. The way they're wording it with "true 1080p" got me excited.

Thanks.

[Robert Ducon]

Originally Posted by David Parks

Reading this statement they clearly state 1080p recorded as progressive signals. 60p??? or is it 24p/30p over 60i?? And the progressive streams can be output and used for progressive editing?

It's gotta be 24P in a 60i stream on HDV tape.. this isn't new. However, what's the footage on the card .. could it be true 24P. By this I mean 24 full progressive frames per second rather than 60 interlaced frames per second with 24P footage within?

Tape = 60i with 24P 3:2 required (most likely)
Card = ?