VG10 / VG20 Various Topics

[Steve Mullen]

You want the magnification to remain on? yes it can.But you'll be framing without seeing the whole image. that of course is the advantage of peaking. One needs both options.

[Piotr Wozniacki]

What is the crop factor of those lenses when using one of those many FD->NEX adapters available, on the APS-C sensor NEX cameras?

In other words: what focal lenth would e.g. my 50mm/F1.4 be equivalent to?

[Steve Mullen]

When you shooting video the Crop Factor (multiplier) is 1.8.

[Colin Rowe]

I have a Nex-5, a collection of Olympus Zuiko OM lenses and a Fotodiox Nex to OM adaptor. Am I correct in thinking that there is no full manual control of exposure when using these lenses on my Nex-5 ? I can shoot exactly what I see on the LCD when in P mode, but of course the shutter speed varies as I adjust exposure. In manual mode I set the exposure, and shutter speed to 50, but when recording starts the image dims, and as I understand it, I can only adjust the exposure compensation after recording has begun. With the 550D I record exactly what I see on the LCD, not so with the Nex-5

[Henry Williams]

Some interesting developments, firstly three new e-mount lenses including a zoom and two primes:

Sony Alpha NEX Cameras and E Mount Lenses: NEX 24mm 50mm 55-210mm Zoom Lens

An EVF for the new version of the NEX-5 that might be backwards compatible:

Sony Alpha NEX Cameras and E Mount Lenses: Sony NEX-5N with Electronic Viewfinder

And a 50mm f0.95 e-mount
NOKTOR - Ultra Fast Lenses - Products

[Steve Mullen]

"An EVF for the new version of the NEX-5 that might be backwards compatible:"

Claimed NOT to be.

[Chris Hurd]

...to include the new VG20. Be sure to update your bookmarks!

[Steve Mullen]

I learned earlier this summer that JVC was not going release a camera at IBC as I expected. But this video shows only one of the 4K2K camcorders -- the HD100 looking version.

Interesting comment on editing with FCP.

Dailymotion - IFA 2011: JVC's 4K2K Video System - GeekBeat.TV - a Tech & Science video

[Steve Mullen]

I just earned something I want to pass on.

As you may know many GH@ users are modifying the camera's firmware. Typically the 1080p24 bitrate is pushed up to 45Mbps.

But someone has set GOP size from 12 to 3 -- which forces them to set the bitrate so it peaks up to 70Mbps!

Why 3 frame GOPs?

He says that he sees 24p AVCHD does not reproduce the look of 24fps film because although MOTION looks right, often the background remains unnaturally still.

Someone else claimed -- as I always have -- that because each Predicted frame is compared with the Actual next frame and differences sent along with encoded data -- upon playback the output frame is always corrected.

But, I think I'm wrong for two reasons.

1) When the encoder looks for pixels that have moved by a certain amount, by definition, it is ignoring pixels that have only moved a small amount. (The encoder assumes the eye can't see this.) So indeed, the predicted frame may well have areas that are the same as the previous frame even though in reality a film frame would show subtle changes.

2) In theory when error information in generated these errors would be detected. But, since I have no idea exactly HOW the error information is created, it is very possible no correction is made.

By dropping the GOP to IBB AVCHD comes closer to AVC-Intra.

This also forces me to see the value of recording ProRes or DNxHD when shooting 24p.

But what about 720p60 or 1080p60? First, remember that JVC has used a 6 frame GOP for 720p30 which may be why it always looked so good. Second, the faster the frame rate -- the less time there areas that have little motion to change much. Thus, frame to frame background differences are minimized. At the same time, fast motion differences a minimized because the time between captures is so short.

[Glen Vandermolen]

I don't know why you posted this in the VG10 section, since it has nothing to do with the VG10/20, and belongs in the general industry news section, but...

Cari Lewis is HOT!
And I really like the 4K2K JVC concept. I guess there's no purpose in releasing it, as no one has a monitor that can correctly see what it shoots.

[Chris Barcellos]

Sound can be recorded on the VG20 using the camera's decent mike system. Options with the onboard mic include recording in 5.1 surround.

I typically record off camera, so I was interested how camera would sound with a mic fed into it.

Attached is an .mp3 file recorded with the camera, while I was hand holding a Rode NTG2, fed to the camera with the DXA-4 XLR adapter from Beachtek. Sounds pretty good to me.

[Chris Barcellos]

Forgot to attach to original post.

[Jeff Hinson]

deleted...review too biased.

[Steve Mullen]

Looks like the NEX-7 may be a great, but more expensive, alternative. It has the 5n settings missing from the VG20.

Creative Style:

Parameter selection (sharpness, contrast, saturation)

Parameter adjustment (+/- 3 steps)

Creative Style settings: Standard, Vivid, Neutral, Clear, Deep, Light, Portrait, Landscape, Sunset, Night Scene, Autumn leaves, B/W, Sepia with +/- 3 steps of contrast, saturation and sharpness adjustments

White balance: Auto, Daylight, Shade, Cloudy, Incandescent, Fluorescent, Flash, C. Temp 2500 to 9900K, C Filter G7 to M7 A7 to B7, 15-step, Custom

It has a stereo microphone jack for Sony's ECM-CG50 Shotgun and ECM-ALST1 stereo microphones.

Assume it likely has an audio level control.

[Jeff Hinson]

YEP....may be just the ticket.

still thinking,
Jeff