Sony introduces HDR-CX700v 1080p60 camcorder

[Dave Campbell]

Been playing with the GPS information. I tried the update it said it could do, but do update and nothing I can see seems to happen.

But, is there anyway to get more info like streets? It zooms in and out, but without streets, not worth too much. BUT, with street info, it would be another great tool.

[Paul Rickford]

Originally Posted by Stacy Rothwell

.................

Please keep in mind that there seemed to be a leap in manual abilities and technology from my xr500v (which is now two years old) and the cx700V. I skipped the cx550. I am thrilled to be able to set my shutter speed at 60 and leave it there! I actually think the response on the little knob for focus or exposure is not too bad at all. Considering the market the camera was designed for, i have really only three gripes....

1. The zoon can be a little laggy. Move the zoom rocker and theres an almost inperceptible delay, but enought to bug me a little....
2. It seems to take a while to boot up. The XR500V was up from dead and ready to shoot in like 2 seconds. This one is more like 4-5 but feels like forever.
3. I miss the ability to use the viewfinder while the LCD is open and flipped around! I hope this gets fixed in a FW update. I got some of my best and funniest videos of my young children when I flipped the LCD around so they could see themselves. On the XR500V, I could then use the viewfinder to see what I was shooting, On the CX700V, they took this out for some reason!

MY CX700 came yesterday, waiting for the fog to lift to give it a good test today, the new menu was a bit of a shock, seems to have fallen in line with the NEX range but footage taken so far in 25p with cinetone is the best i have seen from Sony, this is a fantastic little camcorder, image seems to be sharper, with perhaps a little more edge sharpening than the MC50, Just put the mic from the MC50 on top and hey presto!, finally got the cam that the MC50 should have been!

Agree with Stacy's gripes, zoom rocker is very slack, and adding to the gripe list- the lens hood gets in the way of the manual control button

[Dave Campbell]

What does cinetone give you? What are folks suggestions as to which defaults to change?

[Stacy Rothwell]

Originally Posted by Dave Campbell

Stacy, need to make a larger file but. When I copied a 140mb file via SMB, it took a while and it called the file .MTS

When I used PBM, it seemed to be much quicker, and call the same file .m2ts

Playing this one my PC via VLC, the video is not smooth, even thought the audio is. With is full screen, the video is choppy. But, if I make the size smaller, it is fine.

Playing via media player, the audio is messed up. (But I might need a PC reboot since have heard this before playing other type of files)

If I play the same video via PBM, audio and video perfect.

Dave, I think it's a glitch in vlc. I have the same issues, vlc stutters where windows media player in win7 plays it just fine.

[Stacy Rothwell]

Originally Posted by Dave Campbell

What does cinetone give you? What are folks suggestions as to which defaults to change?

Cinetone just increases the contrast and pulls up the saturation. I would say it's analogous to on a nikon slr setting to vivid mode.

[Stacy Rothwell]

Originally Posted by Paul Rickford

MY CX700 came yesterday, waiting for the fog to lift to give it a good test today, the new menu was a bit of a shock, seems to have fallen in line with the NEX range but footage taken so far in 25p with cinetone is the best i have seen from Sony, this is a fantastic little camcorder, image seems to be sharper, with perhaps a little more edge sharpening than the MC50, Just put the mic from the MC50 on top and hey presto!, finally got the cam that the MC50 should have been!

Agree with Stacy's gripes, zoom rocker is very slack, and adding to the gripe list- the lens hood gets in the way of the manual control button

You are right about the lens hood. But its so cute :-). At least my wife says that...

[Stacy Rothwell]

Originally Posted by Dave Campbell

Been playing with the GPS information. I tried the update it said it could do, but do update and nothing I can see seems to happen.

But, is there anyway to get more info like streets? It zooms in and out, but without streets, not worth too much. BUT, with street info, it would be another great tool.

Dave,

Actually the amount of info you get now on the camera is way better than just a couple of years ago. I think it would take just too much memory to give the full street detail on the camera. I just updated my garmin gps and it like 2GB

[Stacy Rothwell]

Originally Posted by Dave Blackhurst

Stacy -
Are you trying to use the USB out that is built in with that little pigtail, or the socket on the side of the camera? I'm going to venture a guess that the socket is designed for transfer to an external drive, and may be somehow limited, where the USB pigtail is for "regular" transfers - otherwise it's very odd that you're seeing slow transfer rates. I don't have a 700 to play with :-(... but that's a guess from the description and that oddball dual USB out setup.

Second, do you notice a difference in startup time between "first" startup and subsequent ones? If Sony retained the design used previously, the first startup is a little longer, then when you close the LCD it goes into a "snooze/fast restart" mode for want of a better term, so any reopening of the LCD will reboot the camera much faster, within a set amount of time (I have no idea what that "standby" period might be). I know some earlier Handycams had a button for quick restart you had to press, but then I noticed the button disappeared and you could tell they made it an "auto" feature.

With 60P you should be able to do clean frame grabs of around 2M pixel, might be enough for stills, usually the "dual mode" is somewhat limited, and I suspect interpolated anyway, so frame grabs might be "better"?

Finally, I find it REALLY strange that the flipping the LCD 180 turns on the VF on feature has disappeared - that's a feature I'd think would be a "must" with Japanese consumers, for the very reasons you've mentioned - the ability to flip the LCD so kids can see themselves while you "monitor" via the VF was a surprise the first time I discovered it, but it does get you some great footage! I just double checked though, and the CX550V ALSO no longer has this feature, so I guess they eliminated it after the XR500... bummer.

Only using the built-in USB. Honestly, I can do without the little cable. I find it useless and constantly have to use tehe built in extender. Now it's just one more cable I have to take with me..... Since i always carry a mini USB anyway. By the way, I also tried my transfer tests without using the extender and it was still the same. The external cable has the wrong connectors as it uses the proprietary connector on the camera end and the square USB (typa a I think) on the other end. That would just mean TWO more cables I have to take with me.... Yuk

[Paul Rickford]

Originally Posted by Stacy Rothwell

Cinetone just increases the contrast and pulls up the saturation. I would say it's analogous to on a nikon slr setting to vivid mode.

I guess Cinetone is not to everyones taste, but I have always used it on the Sony's to crush the blacks a little.

Been out with the cam for a few hours this morning, mostly still 25p, tried a bit of 50p and 50i, sharpness seems to be about the same on 25p and 50p, better motion on the latter of course.

Active Steadyshot still degrades the image a little as it did on the MC50, not a problem on wide but it does zoom in on the chip quite a way at max telephoto, Seems to be the Same G lens as last year, still a bit of purple fringing at max telephoto, that's me being very picky - The overall Image is fantastic for the size and package

I have set the display to keep all the information on during shooting, in the default setting although the screen was clearer, I found the imposed zoom and record controls took up to much of the left side of the LCD and made framing difficult, apart from that the slightly smaller LCD from last year is just as easy to use

The Instant follow focus is very handy, all in all still very pleased.

[Dave Campbell]

Stacy, I was thinking about the size of my files on my street atlas also, but when I have 96gig flash, I would have no issue taking a few gig for street maps!!!! This would really then make this a great overall tool in one unit. Video, camera, and a usable GPS would have been great. sure would be cool again if there was some way to make it work to show streets.

[Ron Evans]

Just come back from a week ski holiday with the CX700. I used it on full intelligent auto most of the time and with either a UV filter or a variable ND filter. Left the lens hood at home. I am really impressed with the image stabilizer over the XR500. I skied down next to my grandson taking video and the image is amazingly solid. Had a few instances where it wasn't quite sure of the WB but soon corrected itself. I learned to not start recording immediately in the trees with sun shining. All video was shot 60P. As noted earlier in this thread the transfer speed seems to be slower than the XR500. Transfer the holiday video of 145 clips of 11G in about 15mins. This is slow compared to the XR500 which would normally transfer twice that in less time. I will video a show next week with both cameras so will be able to do a direct comparison. Will shoot in 60i to get a direct comparison as all other cameras will be 60i anyway.

So far do not like the menu system compared to the SR11 or the XR500. Backward step for me I think. Do like the zebra, peaking, extended focus, audio display though, will be useful in the theatre.

Ron Evans

[Stacy Rothwell]

So Ron, I am really stumped as to why your transfer was so much faster than mine. I was only getting about 3GB in 1.5 HOURS. I would kill for 11GB in 15 min!

Were you using PMB with the out of the box USB setting and using the nubby USB thingy in the handle.

I am seriously beginning to wonder if I have a dud.

[Dave Blackhurst]

The menus look like "two steps back", when compared to the CX500/520/550, which all have a "my menu" option when you go to the menus, the first press brings up six things YOU decided were important - it was a good step up over the XR500, and better integrated the menu system, bummed to see the reduction in usability, you'd thing they'd have learned from the NEX3/5 fiasco, where the menus were roundly criticized for user unfriendliness.

I think they continue to refine the OIS - the XR500 was very stable for pitch and yaw, but the later CX'x managed to control "roll", which is more important IMO, because it gets away from the "seasick" feeling - just keeping the horizon level make the video much better, even if there's some side to side or up and down movement (seen all the time on "reality TV" cable series shot handheld - the pro shoulder rigs have those two handles spread out to keep that horizon level, but the CX Sonys manage to do pretty well! On a shoulder rig, darn close to Steadicam!

Glad to hear it performed well, hope you had a fun time! Will be interested in further reports on the download times. Have you checked file sizes yet? I'm thinking that when you shoot 60P you effectively double the file sizes, and that may be the cause of the additional download time. I know that shooting 60i 24Mbps on the CX550 (vs. the 16Mbps on earlier Sonys) there is a substantial increase in the file sizes (actuall almost 50% increase - 8G sticks are "too small"!! Even 16G probably won't record an hour at top rez...), though I never really paid attention to downloading times, as they are still way faster than "real time".

A quick mental caclulation would suggest that a 1 hour file on the XR500 would be around 8G, but closer to 24G in 24Mbps 1080 60p - WOW! If that's not a brain fart, that would suggest files are 3x as large?!?! So a 96G flash storage is "the same" as 32G was in the CX500V. The CX560 is looking less and less attractive, as is that "flash only" EU version of the CX700 (690). You actually will NEED that 96G memory, plus 32G Memory sticks if you're doing event work!

[Dave Blackhurst]

Originally Posted by Stacy Rothwell

So Ron, I am really stumped as to why your transfer was so much faster than mine. I was only getting about 3GB in 1.5 HOURS. I would kill for 11GB in 15 min!

Were you using PMB with the out of the box USB setting and using the nubby USB thingy in the handle.

I am seriously beginning to wonder if I have a dud.

I was wondering the same thing - since you've tested on multiple machines from your description, I presume you can rule out the port speed? Depending on your system specs, you could have a bottleneck in the system bus or slow HDD performance, but I'd be surprised f that was on multiple machines.

I know fast HDD's are important. See my comments above about file sizes - they could quickly choke you if there's a bottleneck anywhere in the transfer chain - you're only as fast as your slowest component, and even 2-3 years difference in HDD technology makes a surprising amount of difference.

[Pat Reddy]

My file transfers were glacially slow until I uninstalled Picture Motion Browser (PMB), the software that comes with the camera. I'm not sure, but I think it is analyzing and cataloging files as you transfer. It is looking for faces and trying to find "familiar" ones. That's my guess anyway.

I find that OIS is noticeably better than on the Panasonic TM700. The manual controls are very nice as far as they go, but are in some ways dumbed down compared with the last Sony I bought (HC-7)

There is substantial CA at full zoom for many subjects. It seems worse than the HC-7 and maybe on a par with the HC-1 (I know, that was a long time ago). The TM700 doesn't have this issue.

Curiously, I seem to get the best resolution and focus across the frame when shooting at F4.0 (fixed). I'm talking about shooting in good light. Both 60p and 24p are very nice.

I will use this for nature and landscape work, but I actually got it primarily for 60p underwater. In this setting, I won't need full telephoto, and the OIS and wide angle will be very nice. The accessories brochure that comes with it says it is compatible with the Sony SPK-HCG Sports Pack underwater housing, and Gates has expressed interest in producing a housing for this camera.

The fact that it will work with the Sony housing confirms for me that Lanc control is possible if you buy a third-party AV to lanc converter.

I'm starting to like it a lot more than when I first started testing it.

Pat