New Sony NEX-EA50EH Announcement

[Steven Digges]

B&H has had the Sony NEX-EA50 camera listed for Pre-Order for quite some time. For the last couple of weeks it was “in-stock”. Now it is back on pre-order again. They must have sold their initial allotment. Damn, by the time it is back in stock I may have my eye on something else with all of the new choices available. But I am a corporate event, run n gun, and interview guy. I really think the NEX-EA50 is my next acquisition. Like many of you on this board I am waiting for all the information I can get as there is not much available yet.

[Ron Little]

Does anyone think that the VG3O is the same camera without the XLRs and shoulder mount?

[Stephen Gradin]

The VG30 can only record 60i, 60p and 24p, not 30p and no overseas formats. The EA50 can record 30p, which is my preference for the web and for low light (using 30 shutter when needed, low light looks great). The EA50 can also record numerous international formats, plus it looks like a professional camcorder. The VG20 can actually record 30p, but in 60i wrapper. Why Sony dropped this from the VG30, maybe someone else can answer. You get shotgun mic with the EA50 as well as tubular eyepiece, which comes in handy when outside. By the time you outfit the VG30 to be like the EA50, not much difference in price and you wind up with a consumer looking camcorder with added XLR adapter and shotgun mic, along with stripped down recording formats and not an ideal camcorder for filming in bright outdoors.

[Randy Johnson]

one thing id like to know is: the low light performance that is on B&H's website says 1.7 lux at 1/24th and auto iris. Is that with the bundled lenses? Or is that camera only and the bundled lense will bring it more like 5 or 6 lux?

[Chris Harding]

Hi Randy

It only comes with the stock lens at this point in time so 1.75 lux is with autoiris AND autogain so to achieve that rating the gain could be 27db!!! Gosh I really expected it to be a lot more sensitive with such a big sensor!!! Most 1/3rd chip video cameras can easily achieve that with full gain at 1/50 or 1/60th shutter. My HMC82's are almost there with 1/4" chips if I run it at 1/24 or 1/25 and panning at that shutter is out of the question. I'm sure that it will be a wizard in low light with a manual F1.4 lens but with the stock lens you will struggle in low light I think!!

Bear in mind that the Panny AC-90 has clean gain almost up to 30db but a fast lens (F1.5) and is half the price of the Sony. Now if it came with the stock lens AND a second zoom at F1.4 that could autofocus then it might be worth over $4K .. B&H have reduced the pre-order price now to $4200 from $4800

I am at the point where I would still rather have two AC-90's and I would still have some change in my pocket!!

Chris

[Noa Put]

Bear in mind that the Panny AC-90 has clean gain almost up to 30db but a fast lens (F1.5) and is half the price of the Sony

The pana ac90 iso rating is 40, so 30db gain and a f1.5 lens don't make it a light sensitive camera, the big advantage the panasonic has is that you hardly see grain at these high gain values. The Sony cx 7xx series f.i. and also the Canon hf g10 type of camera's are a better choice if low light performance is what you are after.

Chris: A bit off topic but I thought you wanted to see a pana in action at a wedding? below I found what seems to be a wedding done with it.

"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3GWPGNJxPnU"

[Matt Davis]

Originally Posted by Stephen Gradin

HDMI output is 4:2:2 and if it is 8 bit or 10 bit.

I'll be able to get this info straight from the horse's mouth on Monday next week, but from what I know already the HDMI output is 4:2:2 at 8 bit just like NEX-FS series and VG series.

The Tap-to-focus system is limited to E-mount lenses. Alpha lenses do things in a different way with the LE-EA2.

[Chris Harding]

Hi Noa

Yep, I realise that the AC-90 has a lot lower rating than the EA-50 which will have a much higher iso even with the stock lens! I would love to know what sort of sensitivity one would get at a wedding reception dropping the stock lens and snapping on a Sony 50mm F1.8 ....You still have the facility of the internal 2X zoom so it might be quite manageable at a dim and dark wedding ??

Tim did a wedding on Saturday with the AC-90 so I'm eager to see how it coped at the reception.

Shucks!! I still really do like the EA50 form factor though cos I'm a shoulder mount person BUT I would still have to budget for a second fast lens for receptions I feel????

Thanks for the link ..it was a birthday 16th called a "quincerca" or something not a wedding!!

I would really love to see an EA-50 wedding though! It might just sway me!!

Chris

[Stephen Gradin]

Although I really like the direction Sony is heading with this camera, unless you need a new camera right now, it might be a good idea to wait until NAB in April to see if Sony updates FS100 with 2x rocker zoom or comes out with similar, but improved model. From what I am reading, FS100 is much better in low light and its sensor is designed more for cinema; the one on the EA50 has smaller pixels and is really a still photo sensor. (Of course, the same can be said for most DSLR's that shoot video; some are better in low light than others). If your primary concern is low light performance, but you want the form factor of NEX-EA50, why rush into a purchase for the winter months when something that may be perfect low light, shallow Dof, run and gun camcorder might be just around the corner? Of course, the EA50 is cheap right now for what it can do and no camera is perfect. What to do...what to do...

[Randy Johnson]

I think im going to drive to NY at the end of the month and get my hands on one. I want to put it up against my AG-150s. Specs can only tell you so much.

[Chris Harding]

Hi Guys

I was just looking at Sony Asia website and they are already listing two models of the EA50!! The EA50H comes with the stock lens (18-200) and then they also have the EA50K which says nothing about an "included 18-200 zoom lens" at all and it's image shows a fixed lens so I'm, wondering if the K just might be the "body only" version????

Global Media also lists both models with roughly the same wording too!!

Interesting?? A body only version would be a lot more flexible!

Chris

[Steven Digges]

I am a big fan of Adobe On Location, I have been using it since Digital Juice created it before they sold it to Adobe. I have always connected to it with fire wire. Does anyone use a mini USB output from a camera to On Location? First, I don't even know if On Location will find a signal incoming from USB. Second, the mini USB listed for the EA-50 is called an output (high speed on some specs), I don't even know what kind of video signal it will be sending? Any chance I will still be able to use my lap top with On Location? It is a great program.

Steve

[Ed Betz]

I've used the USB, it's just a way to read the memory card. In essence, your camera becomes a $3600 sd card reader. Nothing more. There is no video signal or anything like that...

[Steven Digges]

That's what I was afraid of.

[Steve Game]

Originally Posted by Steven Digges

I am a big fan of Adobe On Location, I have been using it since Digital Juice created it before they sold it to Adobe. I have always connected to it with fire wire. Does anyone use a mini USB output from a camera to On Location? First, I don't even know if On Location will find a signal incoming from USB. Second, the mini USB listed for the EA-50 is called an output (high speed on some specs), I don't even know what kind of video signal it will be sending? Any chance I will still be able to use my lap top with On Location? It is a great program.

Steve

The term 'output' means that it allows data out from the camera, as opposed to input, i.e. recordeing to the card from an outside source. USB never has been a viable video interface, (ignore trivial devices likle webcams) as it is not autonomous and does not have any guaranteed data rate. The EA50's digital video out interface is HDMI. If a more professional camera is released on the back of the success of the EA50 form factor concept, say based on the S35 chip of the FS100, then it should have an SDI output.
So the Adobe On Location tool is really at the end of its life.