New Sony HXR-NX30E Palmcorder with advanced Stabilization

[Jay West]

The phrase "this expands the movable range of the optical block to keep you locked on your subject" suggests that it actually might be something like object tracking. Might be something you lock onto (say, by poking the spot on the touch screen) and then the lens centers on that particular subject, compensating both for motion of the object and the motion of the camera. Sounds almost like a weapons system.

This is something for which we need to see the the manual to figure out.

[Ron Evans]

If you watch the Sony promo video that is exactly what it does. Probably an extreme variation of Active Stabilizer .

Ron Evans

[Markus Ingebretsen]

I see stores are getting the camera in stock now, so should start popping up pictures and reviews soon. I'm buying the camera to bring on a 2 year expedition in Canada and Alaska. Does anybody know the quality of the shotgun microphone in the package? The supplied wind cover, would it be better to change it to one of those grey wooley things (not sure of the English word, but in Norway we call it dead mouse)?

[Adam Palomer]

Originally Posted by Markus Ingebretsen

grey wooley things (not sure of the English word, but in Norway we call it dead mouse)?

In English it has various names, among them is windjammer and dead cat.

[Wacharapong Chiowanich]

I have the Sony PJ760E (PAL), and been using it for the past 2-3 months. Though the stabilization system is the best I've seen on any camera, I've observed the following:

-Standard IS mode activated the gyro-stabilized optical block and the FoV did not appear to be reduced at any focal length compared to the IS OFF setting. This suggests no electronic stabilization was activated.

-Active IS mode activated the gyro block and the FoV was progressively reduced from the wide end of the zoom to the tele end WHEN compared to the FoV of any similar focal length when the IS was set to OFF. I use the word "similar" here as there was no way of knowing by looking at the zoom bar on the LCD screen. Worse, at some point while zooming in while in the Active IS mode, the zoom went from "optical" (10x according to the manual) to "extended" (17x) up to the tele end. I think this may be a little confusing since when the camera was in the Acive IS mode (the electronic IS was always activated as could easily be seen by the reduced FoV), it effectively cropped out the outlining part of the frame and zoomed into the remaining part. It did this at every level of the zoom and at a progressive rate to compensate for more shake the more I zoomed in. This works more or less like Smoothcam, Lock & Load or other image stabilization softwares do but using fixed parameters.

-As a result of the crop-and-zoom in the Active IS mode, the effective resolution of the footage got lower and lower the more I zoomed in. It was impossible to tell on the camera's 3" screen but it was obvious on my mass-market 23" 1920x1080 LCD monitor. At the full zoom-in in Active IS mode, the resolution appeared to be closer to SD than to 720p, let alone 1080p.

I'm sure the lock-down mode on the NX30 or whatever it is called will employ the optical gyro block in combination with a higher degree of crop-and-zoom of the electronic stabilization to make the frame static just like a similar function in the Lock & Load plug-in. It's always a tradeoff between steadiness and resolution.

That being said, I think all the new Sony gyro-cams are another breakthrough for casual use. A few days with any of them and you'll find out how much you long for a similar system on your professional-level cams.

[Dale McClelland]

In active mode on your 760, when zoomed within the optical zoom range (something under 10x), does the reduced resolution caused by the added electronic stabilization and reduced FoV result in noticeable loss of resolution when viewing the video on a large screen? Or does it only become obvious once you get into the extended zoom range?

[Wacharapong Chiowanich]

The difference in resolution is not as noticeable in the wide range of the zoom as it is in the tele range. It's there but you may not be able to tell unless you compare the frame side by side and it's hardly noticeable at the wide end.

In Active IS mode, I suspect there might not be a fixed threshold in the zoom range that you can say is the starting point of the "extended" zoom. It might be that the 17x extended range as claimed by Sony is engaged progressively starting right from the wide end e.g. 29mm (35mm equivalent) vs 26mm in Standard IS, 120mm vs 100mm...........up to 442mm vs 260mm.

If you are good (I'm not) at the math of comparing FoVs and the change in frame dimension or resolution, you'll see how much the resolution is reduced at the framing or, more precisely, cropping of the 442mm FoV from the 100% resolution at 260mm FoV. Unless the NX30 employs some kind of pixel downsampling technology used in the Nokia Pureview 808 phone, which I don't think it will, you'll definitely see reduced resolution at the tele end in Active IS mode.

[J. Stephen McDonald]

I'm surprised that there is a significant and visible reduction of resolution when the Active IS mode that uses an electronic system is added to the optical IS. The sensor for the NX30E has 6.14-MP and even if the active inner sector of the sensor were reduced by 1/3 of its pixels for the EIS, that would leave twice as many active pixels as are contained in a 2.1-MP 1920 X 1080 HD video.

I use a Sony HX200V that has a different optical stabilizer, but probably the same electronic stabilizer added on top of that in the Active IS Mode. This extends its video zoom out to 1,250mm from the standard 870mm, as the outer EIS margin expands with the zoom. When I use the Active IS mode, even at full zoom, I can detect no weakening of visible resolution in its videos. It also has the option to use 60p and with a slightly larger sensor, it has 18-MP.

At full zoom, I roughly calculate that it is using an active sensor area that contains 10.5-MP in Active IS Mode. I'm not sure how much the extra pixels are used to derive the final 2.1-MP for HD video, but the ability to shoot video in dim light far exceeds that for photos. I think that the pixel downsampling that was mentioned, is used for video in these cameras and there should be enough sensor pixels remaining in the NX30 to cover the full resolution, even at 17X zoom. But this will be an issue to explore some more, although you can't expect Sony to reveal details about the fine workings of a new system.

If the NX30 works the same way as the HX200V, it won't use the EIS at all at the widest angle and shouldn't have any reduced resolution when zoomed back. I would think that the optical IS for the NX30 would be very adequate for almost all situations, without also using the EIS. I'd tend to turn on the Active IS Mode, only when I really needed that extra zoom power and I'd probably have a good telextender for that purpose, anyway. An Internet friend also has an HX200V and I think he's planning on getting an NX30, so some good comparisons of the effects of the IS systems may be available from him.

[Markus Ingebretsen]

I joust got an email from Vistek.ca, confirming that my NX30 is now sent. Unfortunately I will not get to try it before mid July, as it is sent to Yukon, and I'm currently in Norway.

Have anyone seen any reviews of the camera?
I will use the camera almost always outdoor. Is the "dead cat" microphone wind muff better then the black stuff in the package? Should I buy a dead cat?

[Jay West]

Unless Norway and the Yukon no longer get strong winds, you will want to use a dead cat/dead mouse/windjammer. The foam cover that comes with it will be very much like the one I received with the mic that came with my NX5. It is only adequate for the mildest summer breezes.

[Markus Ingebretsen]

Ok, Thanks. It will befinitly be in windy places many times.

[Paul Rickford]

I have just spent a couple of hours testing out the NX30, to confirm, you can still only control one manual function at at time, only improvement is the shutter speed value will stay on the screen while shooting now, but disappears when you control the iris and will only then show the iris value !!, still no gain value in the screen.

Other than that only changes i can see in the menu over the PJ740 is time code functions replace the photo menu functions, additional PCM sound functions, 720 frame rates and the ability assign photo or fixed shot mode to the top button.

Build quality and finish is like a tank, the hand strap is much bigger and softer than the 740's small hard affair, nice balance in the hand, the cold shoe block sticks out even without the mic and handle assembly and has the built in mics in the front side. If you have or plan to get the additional plug in surround speaker for the 740/760 to use with the projector it will not attach and connect by 1mm because of the position of the cold shoe block!
Other than that only hardware change is the playback button is now the display button and of course fixed steadyShot on the photo button.
Cant see what improvement in the screen that the fixed steadyshot makes, at least it does not crop the image even more.

Hope this helps

[Noa Put]

The sony cx760 is not yet available in Belgium yet so I don't know if it will cost more then the current 740 model, but the nx30 is twice the price of a cx740 here, am I the only one that feels the nx30 is somewhat overpriced for what you get extra? For only 450 euro's more I can get a nx70 here.

[Ron Evans]

In Canada prices are PJ760-$1599, NX30-$2299, NX70-3499 list. Street price will be less but the only one advertized as less is the NX70 at $2900. If your use is on a tripod then the NX70 will be attractive since you will not be concerned about the zoom control not working well , the image stabilizer is not important and the full manual control an advantage. If image stabilizer and zoom are important then the NX30 has the advantage unless you want to shoot in the rain !! I am looking at the NX30 as a replacement for my CX700 which it looks to fit well. Hand held for travel etc.


Ron Evans

[Lee Mullen]

How does the CX760 compare with last years Panny TM900 as the slashcam rates favour the Panny?