VG10 / VG20 Various Topics

[Buba Kastorski]

beautiful place!
maybe couple non fixed shots, i know thre is no IS, and sliders been largely abused by a majority of shooters, but couple slowly moving shots would be nice,
thanks for sharing;

[Terry Cummings]

The manual specifies the Type V. Type H from an older camera looks identical. Both can be charged with the Type H dual charger and both read the same battery status. Both are Actiforce product line and both have the same capacity and voltage on the lable. Type H will not engage properly in the NEX VG 20. The center index tab on each side is 50% too long. Simple effort with a knife, chisel or Dremel tool would cure that. My question is, has any one done this or does anyone know why it won't work. My guess is the guts are identical, but Sony Marketing needs a change every couple of years to get us to throw out the older gear.

[Terry Cummings]

I'm getting ready for a major foreign trip. Baggage weight is a serious problem. Here are some of my gear findings.

The LowePro Top Loader Zoom 55 case is a perfect fit if the lens hood is stowed or left off. It weighs 0.8 pounds. The LowePro TZL AW is a bit larger and will take the VG20 with the lens hood in shooting position. It weighs 1.6 pounds.

I found the Sony VCT-80AV tripod works well. It has a remote on the handle which turns the camera on and off and starts/stops the video and triggers the still image when in that mode. It weighs 3.44 pounds with bag. This is about a pound less that my previous traveling tripod. The fluid head is okay. Seems like a good fit for this camcorder. Its rated load capacity is 8 lbs 13 oz.

In the process of searching for this tripod, I came across an adapter cable to convert my older tripod LANC plug to the plug this camcorder needs. Is this change still another Sony Marketing driven design decision?

At home I use other more robust tripods. They don't come with a LANC remote on the handle. Sony I think sells an add on remote, but a trick from years ago comes to mind. We just bought Sony's cheapest remote tripods, transferred the handles to the Gitzos or equivalent and threw the Sony legs away.

[Terry Cummings]

I'm getting ready for a major foreign trip. Baggage weight is a serious problem. Here are some of my gear findings.

The LowePro Top Loader Zoom 55 is a perfect fit if the lens hood is stowed or left off. It weighs 0.8 pounds. The LowePro TZL AW is a bit larger and will take the VG20 with the lens hood in shooting position. It weighs 1.6 pounds.

I found the Sony VCT-80AV tripod works well. It has a remote on the handle which turns the camera on and off and starts/stops the video and triggers the still image when in that mode. It weighs 3.44 pounds with bag. This is about a pound less that my previous traveling tripod. The fluid head is okay. Seems like a good fit for this camcorder.

In the process of searching for this tripod, I came across an adapter cable to convert my older tripod LANC plug to the plug this camcorder needs. Is this still another Sony Marketing driven design decision?

At home I use other more robust tripods. They don't come with a LANC remote on the handle. Sony I think sells an add on remote, but a trick from years ago comes to mind. We just bought Sony's cheapest remote tripod, transferred the handle to the Gitzo or equivalent and threw the Sony legs away.

[Dave Blackhurst]

Sony switched the LANC interface to the AV jack MANY moons ago... the RM-AV2 is the smaller separate controller that goes direct into the AV jack if memory serves... I've got a couple "extras" around here that I'll double check the model # when I get to 'em to sell 'em!

[John Vincent]

Just got a lightly used 16mm lens from a guy in NY for a good price and I'm glad I did.

It's my only "native" lens I own for the VG20 - meaning it's the only lens I own that has auto-focus. And boy howdy does it focus - far and away better then some of the lens I've used on the Canon. The NEX lens use a different method to focus and it allows for far quicker focus pulls.

That said, Canon lenses are all over the place in terms of focus speed, so I'm not condemning the whole lot, but it sure is a nice surprise to have a lens so snappy. It works perfectly in photo mode, really making the VG20 a true hybrid camera.

Other nice features:

- it's nice and wide without producing the "fisheye" effect that bad wide angle lenses sometimes do.

- It's tiny (it's one of the so-called "pan cake" lenses). Weighs maybe an once. Normally I like a big heavy lens, but for wide angles it's nice to have small. Why? B/C stedi-cam type shots benefit from wide angle lenses, and stedi-cams benefit from small, balanced lenses. Two checks for that here.

- And because the VG20 is so small, it should be very easy to "fly" the camera on my stedi-cam.

- It's (relatively) fast at F 2.8. Wide angle lens tend towards being slow, so 2.8 is considered pretty fast for this focal length.

- It was cheap. I got it used for $150; new they go for as little as $250 (although supplies are limited, so some retailers have jacked up the price to $400). For reference, a new model Canon 14mm 2.8 lens is going for $2,200, while the Samyang 14mm is going for $430 (with no auto focus). So quite a bargain all things considered.

- Sony sells a E-Mount Wide Angle Conversion Lens for $110 which makes the 16mm lens even wider - essentially making the same focal length as a 14mm lens on a full frame camera. Which is very wide indeed.

- You can also get a fish-eye conversion lens for the same price.

- It looks cool. All silver, very sleek.

Negatives:

- No hard stops on the focus rings - it will spin all the away around. In fact, no markings either. Now this isn't such a big deal on a wide angle lens, because everything tends to be in focus, but it is something to consider.

- It's plastic. Prolly wouldn't break if you dropped b/c it's so light, but this lens would never be confused with a hammer.

- No manual aperture. Now, most new lens have electronic aps, so it's not a flaw per se, but I like manual, actual physical, control over the F stop.

- E mount lens can only be used on E mount cameras, or micro 4/3s mounts (via an adapter). So don't plan on porting any E lens over to Canon or Nikon cameras.

Sample stills:
View image: DSC02472
View image: DSC02480
View image: DSC02445
View image: DSC02483

Sample video:
storm footage - YouTube

[John Vincent]

Short video test of the Flycam Nano with a VG-20 mounted. This is where the small size of the camera and the 16mm NEX lens really comes into play:

Short test of the Flycam Nano using the Sony VG-20 - YouTube

Overall, easier to balance (and therefore use properly) then a Canon DSLR. All settings were full auto as it was only a test.

For those who don't know what a Flycam Nano is, here's a nice review of the unit (note that prices have gone up since he made this video - it goes for about $190 now):

Flycam Nano Review - YouTube

[James Clarke]

I found this battery on Ebay, has anyone ever used it or will it work on the VG20

4500mAh Battery NP-FV100 FV50 FV70 For SONY HDR-CX110, HDR-CX130/B, HDR-CX160/B | eBay

or this they say it will work with the VG10

NP-FV100 Battery w/Charger for Sony Handycam NEW | eBay

[John Vincent]

I have a "Power 2000" NP-VF70 knock-off, and it works fine (although it doesn't last as long as the Sony counter part). That said, I have heard other VG20 users say that other brands of 3rd party batteries don't work.

Seems like a heluva deal if it works anywhere near as well as the actual Sony. Let us know how it works if you end up getting it....

john

[Les Wilson]

I asked in the XDCAM EX forum about this as well as the AF-100 but wanted to look closer at the VG-20. Is anyone using the VG-20 as a b-camera with an XDCAM EX camera?

I understand the filmic difference with the sharp XDCAM but what about color matching and sensitivity? I had a TM700 b-camera but in studio lighting, the TM700 (understandably) wasn't sensitive enough to use with the EX1R. I now use a 5DM2 which is about equal at ISO 400 and f2.8. So I wonder if the larger sensor VG-20 would be sensitive enough to produce a good image as an EX1R in the same lighting.

Anyone using these two together?

[Chris Barcellos]

Thing about the VG20 is that it only has one real picture style. So it would be more about matching the EX cameras to it. I have the mkii but not an Ex camera. I consider the Vg20 equal to or better than theCanon in terms of sensitivity and less noisy with a finer grain in the higher ISO/gain settings.

[Dave Bacon]

Hi
This question may have been covered - but it seems there are conflicting views.

I have a VG10 and was planning to get a Sony 70-400 G and the LA Ea2 adaptor for wildlife (hobby) filming. I want auto focus to work.

I have read that the la ea2 will lock aperture at 3.5.

But to be clear - does it absolutely lock it at 3.5, or is that the largest aperture it will allow with AF? ie using the 70-400 will I be able to have it on autofocus and set the aperture priority to say f8?

cheers
Dave

[Werner Graf]

It is a fantastic cheap & sharp lens. Booting the Nex takes 1-2 sec more and Autofocus is good

LensRentals.com - NEX-7 Lens Imatest Results

[Henry Williams]

Hi Werner,

Absolutely agreed. I've just used the lens on a short film paired with my VG20 and it really is very nice indeed. Sharp without being too digital and clinical. Still feels like it has a bit of life in it. Particularly pleasing bokeh stopped open as well :)

Henry

[John Vincent]

Got a call literally 2 hours before the event, so it's def not a polished as I'd like (particularly in the sound department - ran out of the house w/o the dead cat), but it certainly shows how well the camera can perform in blazing heat:

2012 Memorial Day Ypsilanti Township on Vimeo

Couple of technical facts:

- Temp - well over a hundred on the camera (no shade at all, record hot day)

- Cinetone used for the entire shoot

- Rokinon 35 mm prime only lens used plus Cokin matte box/ND filter

- Standard battery used

- 32 GB Transcend card (plenty of room)

- Edited w/ Vegas, no color correction used - just simple cuts/fades.

Don't think I'd use Cinetone again - better to achieve that effect in post - but it's certainly usable if you like that particular look.