NX5U in hand in Socal at DVinfo.net

Benny Ek · February 16th, 2010, 04:06 PM

I just got my new NX5U today from ProMax in Irvine, Ca
I have been playing with it for the last few hours and my initial impressions are very good. I am shooting some sample footage that i will upload to vimeo for viewing this evening. I will post a link when it is online. In the meantime, I would like to post a question regarding the GPS functionality. Does anyone know of a program on teh mac that will take advantage of the metadata and display map gps location from the footage i shoot. I know iphoto does this, but don't think it will work with these files.
Thoughts? Thanks
Ben

Rob Katz · February 16th, 2010, 04:37 PM

benny-

congrats and a slap on the back.

it is always nice to be first.

i appreciate and look forward to any info u care to share.

i am particularly interested since i am also on the mac/fcp platform so acquisition along w/editing opinions is what i'm hoping u can provide.

again, thanks for doing the legwork

be well

rob

Benny Ek · February 17th, 2010, 03:18 AM

After nearly a full day "playing" with the camera I have a few things to share with the class.
Take into consideration I have been working on the Z1U camera as well as the EX-1 camera for the last year or so. Most of my comparisons will be coming from those two models.

1. I have been VERY impressed with the build quality of the body and all the attention to detail that they gave this camera. From the Dual tripod screws on the bottom to the attached xlr imput covers that I won't lose anymore. The body is solid and feels good in the hand. It is a little front heavy with the G lens but with a bigger 970 battery on the camera it seems to even things out better.

2. The button layout is similar to that of the Z1u but some obvious differences with the audio controls improved and the missing tape mechanism. I think that is what makes the body look front heavy. The amount of real estate that the tape mechanism took up was significant. This model has it where it counts. A good grip under the top handle is a nice add as well.

3. LCD is SHARP!! It really looks nice compared to the Z1u. Similar to the EX-1 in my opinion. Colors are more "true" than any LCD I have used in the past.

4. SDHC Support. I am sooo glad sony got real and added SDHC Support. That was one of the things that convinced me to get this camera. I purchased (2) Patriot 10x Speed 32 GB cards at Frys for $99 each. They work great. Prices are only going to come down on SD cards, so I am going to snag a few more in the couple months. I did not purchase the 128 GB flash recording module since it was on backorder. Might not need it now though :-)

5. FCP Support. I was very pleased with the out of the box workflow that already exists for the camera and AVCHD codec. I took the windows disc that the camera came with and just threw it aside. The FCP workflow couldn't be easier. I plugged the camera in directly, opened log and transfer in FCP and there were the clips, ready to transfer. 1 click and they were being transcoded and imported as Pro Res 422 Files and ready for edit. You can choose between ProRes 422, ProRes 422 LT and Pro Res 422 HQ. I did NOT see an option to combine clips to one single clip on import :-( maybe that's coming on the mac end soon.

6. GPS. Haven't been able to test this out yet, but I will tomorrow and see if I can get a Raw file for you all. You should be able to pull that raw file in and see exactly where I filmed it. Stalkers!!

7.Price. Awesome price. Features like HSDI out, multiple solid state recording options, A variety of frame rates, 20x G lens, Dual XLR, GPS, and much more make this the best bang for the buck around in the Prosumer market. I was a Sony Hater for years when My Canon's couldn't be beat. But I am sold on Sony and their offerings. Hands down.

The Camera was purchased from Promax because they were fast and competitive on the price. No one else could get it as fast they they could. Props to Them! I have a fun project this weekend that should really put this camera to the test it deserves.
I WILL be putting up a link to view some samples of footage I took right out the box.

Stay tuned.

Benny

Cristian Adrian Olariu · February 17th, 2010, 04:51 AM

Thank you for sharing your thoughts about the camcorder. Did you encounter any problems? Somebody mentioned a "buffer overflow" error appear on the screen during recording.
We are waiting to see some footage.

Richard Lacey · February 17th, 2010, 05:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cristian Adrian Olariu

Somebody mentioned a "buffer overflow" error appear on the screen during recording.
We are waiting to see some footage.

That sounds like a simple case of a memory card being too slow to handle the camera's output.

Gregory Barringer · February 17th, 2010, 08:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Richard Lacey

That sounds like a simple case of a memory card being too slow to handle the camera's output.

It could have been caused by a slow card. The buffer should continue to write to the card after the camera is turned off. The camera may appear to be locked up when actually it's still writing to the card while turned off. Pulling out the battery corrupted the entire process.

I think more details on the media are needed.

Benny Ek · February 17th, 2010, 11:04 AM

I experienced no buffering issue whatsoever. I recommend going to class 10 SDHC cards if you choose that route. They aren't much more $ than class 6. That should solve any slow buffering going on.

Bob Sintas · February 17th, 2010, 05:13 PM

When you test out the GPS feature, does it only log the initial point or does it continually keep track of your location over time?

For example, there is a new camcorder that has this feature

ASSIST creative resources Ltd | Press Room News Relive your adventures with gobandit

(From the article: "Advanced GPS technology enables the gobandit camcorder to capture your current and maximum speed, record your altitude and log your position on a map, letting you record your adventures like never before."

Gregory Barringer · February 18th, 2010, 04:24 PM

According to page 24 of the User Guide, HD can be recorded to both the a flash card and the optional 128 gb flash drive at the same time. I'm I correct? If so this would create an immediate back up.

Robert M Wright · February 18th, 2010, 05:59 PM

Yes, you can record redundantly (very nice feature), or you can record simultaneously in HD and SD (which I imagine could be quite useful for some purposes).

Gregory Barringer · February 18th, 2010, 06:11 PM

Thanks that could be a huge advantage and give peace of mind.

Benny Ek · February 19th, 2010, 01:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bob Sintas

When you test out the GPS feature, does it only log the initial point or does it continually keep track of your location over time?

So, after getting into bootcamp and launching Sony's Content Managment Utility I was able to test the GPS feature on this camera.
After importing the clip I simply highlighted the clip and choose from the tools menu " Show on Map" It then brought up Google maps on my brower and had the location point pointed on the dot.
I WAS driving at the time of the recording but I don't see a trail or multiple points on the map where I was traveling. Although I think I only traveled a half mile or so during the recording. Pretty cool.

Here ar ethe GPS coordinates it took from the camera pretty neat.
33.700345, -117.885611

+33° 42' 1.24", -117° 53' 8.20"

33.700345,-117.885611 - Google Maps

Bob Sintas · February 19th, 2010, 10:35 AM

Thanks for checking that out for me. It isn't a dealbreaker that it doesn't to continuous GPS logging, but it would have been a nice feature to use when I'm travelling.

Colin Browell · February 19th, 2010, 01:26 PM

The camera itself does do continuous GPS coordinate recording, but I don't know if the bundled software makes use of this.

DVMP Pro will display the GPS coordinates at any point during the recording, so you can see the coordinates change as you play back the m2ts/mts file. It will also do the Google Map thing - it does not show a trail across the map but it will pop up a map showing the location at any frame.

http://www.dvmp.co.uk/player.htm#geotagging

It would be interesting to know if the bundled software will display the location anywhere in the file.

Adam Welz · February 21st, 2010, 11:57 PM

Hi Gregory

I did not pull the battery out until after it was obvious that the cam was totally frozen in a deep crash -- on one occasion I left it in for 20 minutes after the crash, just to make sure.

Also, I was using class 10 SanDisk Extreme cards.

Please read the thread I've put up in this forum carefully.

Best

Adam Welz

February 16th, 2010, 04:06 PM	#1
Benny Ek Regular Crew Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Orange County, Ca Posts: 140	NX5U in hand in Socal I just got my new NX5U today from ProMax in Irvine, Ca I have been playing with it for the last few hours and my initial impressions are very good. I am shooting some sample footage that i will upload to vimeo for viewing this evening. I will post a link when it is online. In the meantime, I would like to post a question regarding the GPS functionality. Does anyone know of a program on teh mac that will take advantage of the metadata and display map gps location from the footage i shoot. I know iphoto does this, but don't think it will work with these files. Thoughts? Thanks Ben __________________ WWW.BENNYEK.COM Canon C100 ----Sony FX7----Canon HV20----Canon 60D DSLR---Glidecam---Sliders

February 17th, 2010, 03:18 AM	#3
Benny Ek Regular Crew Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Orange County, Ca Posts: 140	Impressions After nearly a full day "playing" with the camera I have a few things to share with the class. Take into consideration I have been working on the Z1U camera as well as the EX-1 camera for the last year or so. Most of my comparisons will be coming from those two models. 1. I have been VERY impressed with the build quality of the body and all the attention to detail that they gave this camera. From the Dual tripod screws on the bottom to the attached xlr imput covers that I won't lose anymore. The body is solid and feels good in the hand. It is a little front heavy with the G lens but with a bigger 970 battery on the camera it seems to even things out better. 2. The button layout is similar to that of the Z1u but some obvious differences with the audio controls improved and the missing tape mechanism. I think that is what makes the body look front heavy. The amount of real estate that the tape mechanism took up was significant. This model has it where it counts. A good grip under the top handle is a nice add as well. 3. LCD is SHARP!! It really looks nice compared to the Z1u. Similar to the EX-1 in my opinion. Colors are more "true" than any LCD I have used in the past. 4. SDHC Support. I am sooo glad sony got real and added SDHC Support. That was one of the things that convinced me to get this camera. I purchased (2) Patriot 10x Speed 32 GB cards at Frys for $99 each. They work great. Prices are only going to come down on SD cards, so I am going to snag a few more in the couple months. I did not purchase the 128 GB flash recording module since it was on backorder. Might not need it now though :-) 5. FCP Support. I was very pleased with the out of the box workflow that already exists for the camera and AVCHD codec. I took the windows disc that the camera came with and just threw it aside. The FCP workflow couldn't be easier. I plugged the camera in directly, opened log and transfer in FCP and there were the clips, ready to transfer. 1 click and they were being transcoded and imported as Pro Res 422 Files and ready for edit. You can choose between ProRes 422, ProRes 422 LT and Pro Res 422 HQ. I did NOT see an option to combine clips to one single clip on import :-( maybe that's coming on the mac end soon. 6. GPS. Haven't been able to test this out yet, but I will tomorrow and see if I can get a Raw file for you all. You should be able to pull that raw file in and see exactly where I filmed it. Stalkers!! 7.Price. Awesome price. Features like HSDI out, multiple solid state recording options, A variety of frame rates, 20x G lens, Dual XLR, GPS, and much more make this the best bang for the buck around in the Prosumer market. I was a Sony Hater for years when My Canon's couldn't be beat. But I am sold on Sony and their offerings. Hands down. The Camera was purchased from Promax because they were fast and competitive on the price. No one else could get it as fast they they could. Props to Them! I have a fun project this weekend that should really put this camera to the test it deserves. I WILL be putting up a link to view some samples of footage I took right out the box. Stay tuned. Benny __________________ WWW.BENNYEK.COM Canon C100 ----Sony FX7----Canon HV20----Canon 60D DSLR---Glidecam---Sliders

February 17th, 2010, 04:51 AM	#4
Cristian Adrian Olariu Regular Crew Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Iasi, Romania Posts: 121	thoughts Thank you for sharing your thoughts about the camcorder. Did you encounter any problems? Somebody mentioned a "buffer overflow" error appear on the screen during recording. We are waiting to see some footage.

February 17th, 2010, 11:04 AM	#7
Benny Ek Regular Crew Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Orange County, Ca Posts: 140	I experienced no buffering issue whatsoever. I recommend going to class 10 SDHC cards if you choose that route. They aren't much more $ than class 6. That should solve any slow buffering going on. __________________ WWW.BENNYEK.COM Canon C100 ----Sony FX7----Canon HV20----Canon 60D DSLR---Glidecam---Sliders

February 21st, 2010, 11:57 PM	#15
Adam Welz Regular Crew Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: New York, USA Posts: 111	batt was not pulled out Hi Gregory I did not pull the battery out until after it was obvious that the cam was totally frozen in a deep crash -- on one occasion I left it in for 20 minutes after the crash, just to make sure. Also, I was using class 10 SanDisk Extreme cards. Please read the thread I've put up in this forum carefully. Best Adam Welz

February 16th, 2010, 04:37 PM	#2
Rob Katz Major Player Join Date: May 2003 Location: new york city, new york Posts: 594	benny- congrats and a slap on the back. it is always nice to be first. i appreciate and look forward to any info u care to share. i am particularly interested since i am also on the mac/fcp platform so acquisition along w/editing opinions is what i'm hoping u can provide. again, thanks for doing the legwork be well rob

February 17th, 2010, 05:13 PM	#8
Bob Sintas New Boot Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: St Louis, MO - Saigon, Viet Nam Posts: 5	When you test out the GPS feature, does it only log the initial point or does it continually keep track of your location over time? For example, there is a new camcorder that has this feature ASSIST creative resources Ltd \| Press Room News Relive your adventures with gobandit (From the article: "Advanced GPS technology enables the gobandit camcorder to capture your current and maximum speed, record your altitude and log your position on a map, letting you record your adventures like never before."

February 18th, 2010, 04:24 PM	#9
Gregory Barringer Regular Crew Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Pittsburgh, PA. Posts: 57	According to page 24 of the User Guide, HD can be recorded to both the a flash card and the optional 128 gb flash drive at the same time. I'm I correct? If so this would create an immediate back up.

February 18th, 2010, 05:59 PM	#10
Robert M Wright Inner Circle Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Minnesota (USA) Posts: 2,171	Yes, you can record redundantly (very nice feature), or you can record simultaneously in HD and SD (which I imagine could be quite useful for some purposes).

February 18th, 2010, 06:11 PM	#11
Gregory Barringer Regular Crew Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Pittsburgh, PA. Posts: 57	Thanks that could be a huge advantage and give peace of mind.

February 19th, 2010, 10:35 AM	#13
Bob Sintas New Boot Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: St Louis, MO - Saigon, Viet Nam Posts: 5	Thanks for checking that out for me. It isn't a dealbreaker that it doesn't to continuous GPS logging, but it would have been a nice feature to use when I'm travelling.

February 19th, 2010, 01:26 PM	#14
Colin Browell Regular Crew Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: UK Posts: 55	The camera itself does do continuous GPS coordinate recording, but I don't know if the bundled software makes use of this. DVMP Pro will display the GPS coordinates at any point during the recording, so you can see the coordinates change as you play back the m2ts/mts file. It will also do the Google Map thing - it does not show a trail across the map but it will pop up a map showing the location at any frame. http://www.dvmp.co.uk/player.htm#geotagging It would be interesting to know if the bundled software will display the location anywhere in the file.