New Z7 Review by Adam Wilt

[Luc De Wandel]

Very interesting test. I would also like to see it compared to the competion, however. Has anyone found a comparison test of the Z7 to the Canon XH-A1? I googled a lot, but can't find any...

[John Markert]

Time for a new mega shootout: Z7 vs. Xh-A1 vs. JVC 200 with improvements in chip performance (recording in 720 60p) vs. Panasonic's new 150 AVCHD @ 21 mbps.

Get out yer guns, hombres!

[Steve Mullen]

My answer from Sony -- "depends on how you count."

I've written back and said the problem is given the NYC pictures from Sony -- I can't find a way to count 1440x810.

However, I'm inclined to think Adam was correct as 1440x810 is a perfect 16:9 pixel ratio. It makes sense that a 16:9 chip would have this physical arrangement.

However, I can think of two ways the photosites could be placed.

1) in linear rows of 1440 photosite. 810 rows. Each photosite tilted 45-degrees. This is the way some Sony pix show things to be.

2) Every other row and column offset by 1/2 site. Now there are 405 rows of 720 pixels. Count in a zig-zag manner and you get 1440x810. Each photosite would NOT be tilted 45-degrees. It is the arrangement that creates diamonds. This is way other Sony pictures show things to be.

BUT:

From either arrangement, I can't see a way of COUNTING that gets 960x1080!!!!!

Clues MIGHT be that if every third site was dropped counting horizontally the result would be 960. And, if you somehow could increase the vertical count by 1/3 you would get 1080.

However, other than the factor 1/3 is involved in both -- the third that must be lost is not equal to the third that must be added. And, 1/3 seems like a "non video" number.

SO:

Who can count 1440x810 and get 960x1080?

OR:

Assuming I was correct and the chip has 960x1080 -- Who can count and get 1440x810?

My assumption was that the PIXEL-aspect was 1.33 so the layout fit a 16:9 chip. I explain the 1.33 as about 2/3 of each photosite contains transistors and 1/3 is photosensitive. Thus, the Sony chip's site would be .44 active and .90 inactive -- which is a 30% fill-ratio.