PDW EX1 brochure discussion

Martin Saxer · September 6th, 2007, 03:20 AM

Interestingly, the new Sony D-SLR A700 has also an exmor branded sensor. More about it here: http://www.dpreview.com/previews/SonyDSLRA700/page2.asp

I wonder what part of exmor technology the two sensors share.

Martin

Aidan Wynne · September 6th, 2007, 03:53 AM

Fantastic!! thanks for that Vaughan.

Well done to Sony for not holding back with 1080P as well as 1080i....they could have left it for a second version of the cam later.

It future proofs this camera for quiet a few years to come cause unless you got contract to supply city advertising screen advertisements I'd say 1080P will do the job for quiet some time.

Not saying it is theeee killer feature for me.

The tapeless idea caught my interest, cost of the media drew me in and the SP mode with 70 mins of a 16g card is good enough to make me want one.

Fantastic specs so far and will be interesting to see the Official Launch and details on the actual street price, cards,extras etc.

John Hewat · September 6th, 2007, 04:01 AM

Coolest feature for me was the over-cranking. I was looking forward to getting real slow motion of 1080p footage but the slowest motion you can get is 30p! That's not even over-cranked for NTSC customers.

720p over-cranked to 60 frames a second is cool but I don't see the point in shooting at 720 unless I was going to convert it to SD.

Ian Holb · September 6th, 2007, 04:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike Williams

.14 Lux? even at 18db that is swwweeeett. Am I nuts or is this really good low light capability?

That's with 64-frame frame accumulation. Basically one frame per two seconds shutter speed at 60i.

Piotr Wozniacki · September 6th, 2007, 04:06 AM

Great camera for sure.

1. I'm personally a bit disappointed with the weigth, though (almost 2x that of my V1!).

2. What do you think about the LCD resolution: in the text it's mentioned as 1920x480 and in the specs as a more reasonable 640x480? Definitely a typo in the text (just like the "sharrow" DOF...)

3. It seems like the firewire output only works with the 25Mbps stream, right? But this would mean the camera should be compatible with the DR60 disk, otherwise how could it easily "mix" with HDV? I mean it'd be nice to extend the recording times by using the cards for HQ only and use the DR60 for SP...Or record SP to both for that extra protection from failure. But will DR60 write MP4s, or M2ts? Or is the i.LINK outpt (which is marked HDV on the cam) actually outputting m2t? What with uncompressed audio? And finally, will it allow to record to the DR60 only (e.g. with cards full, or absent)?

4. Greatest omission seen so far: no LANC! There are zooming and push AF functions on the IR commander, but that's a joke!

Mike Williams · September 6th, 2007, 04:55 AM

I thought it might be too heavy for me to glide with as well.... I really hope not but with the big batt and a receiver it will likely get very close to 8lbs for my usual rig. The H1 is that heavy.

No lanc? Can't use my handy manfrotto lanc controller while on the pod.

So is it better in low light than the Z1?

Mike

Tim Polster · September 6th, 2007, 07:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by John Hewat

Coolest feature for me was the over-cranking. I was looking forward to getting real slow motion of 1080p footage but the slowest motion you can get is 30p! That's not even over-cranked for NTSC customers.

720p over-cranked to 60 frames a second is cool but I don't see the point in shooting at 720 unless I was going to convert it to SD.

John,

I may be wrong here, but I don't think 1080p at 60 frames a second is possible on very many if any cameras right now.

Its my understanding the larger XDCAMs go to a lower resolution when over cranking in 1080p mode.

Tim Polster · September 6th, 2007, 07:34 AM

Thanks for posting this Vaughan!

I like the specs and output choices.

Any idea about the lack of LANC or 8 pin on the lens?

I don't understand why zoom control would be left off of a camera.

This has been a standard feature for a long time.

I will be bummed as I see this as essential to good camera work..

Chris Hurd · September 6th, 2007, 07:45 AM

I must agree that the lack of a standard interface for external zoom control (either LANC or Fuji 8-pin) is incredibly disheartening. Not an issue for handheld use, but a very big deal for anyone working from a tripod.

Guy Barwood · September 6th, 2007, 07:53 AM

Agreed, I just started getting loving to use my newly purcahse servo zoom controller on my JVC DV500. This really puts a lump in my throat about rushing into an EX now.... JVC cut me short on my DV300 in the same way, I never thought I would see Sony do this.

Piotr Wozniacki · September 6th, 2007, 07:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris Hurd

I must agree that the lack of a standard interface for external zoom control (either LANC or Fuji 8-pin) is incredibly disheartening. Not an issue for handheld use, but a very big deal for anyone working from a tripod.

Yeah... almost unbelievable! I've got two Manfrotto controllers, working great on both my 503/525 tripod and the Pag Orbitor shoulder support. Can't imagine shooting without them any more!

Speaking of zoom: can the the zoom ring also be detached from the servo motor, for that quick zooms that can only be done by hand? There is no hardware switch for that (like the two positions of the focus ring), but perhaps it can be chosen in the menu and hopefully assigned to a button. Wishful thinking?

Guy Barwood · September 6th, 2007, 08:14 AM

Strang there is no HDMI output. Sure it has SDI, but for most HDMI would be of great benefit...

It what they leave off that boggles the mind sometimes...

Notice the "Expanded Focus" feature. nice in theory but have they learnt from the Z1 and allow you to use it while recording?

Kevin Shaw · September 6th, 2007, 08:23 AM

Can anyone explain the reference to "MP4" data files on page 5 of the brochure? Is this going to be MPEG2 data in an MP4 wrapper, and if so what does that mean for capturing and editing purposes?

Agreed that lack of a LANC input would be a terrible oversight for this camera, unless that's a typo or there's some other new alternative present. I shoot most of my footage on tripods or monopods using LANC controllers and can't see giving that up - are we supposed to hand-hold all of our footage now?!?

Peter Jefferson · September 6th, 2007, 08:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris Hurd

I must agree that the lack of a standard interface for external zoom control (either LANC or Fuji 8-pin) is incredibly disheartening. Not an issue for handheld use, but a very big deal for anyone working from a tripod.

I believe that with the layout of the camera, and its shear size, i would say its safe to say that they would be assuming that most tripod shooters will be using the LCD as an EVF.

Being that the user will be "hugging" the camera as they would if they were shooting with an ENG. In these cases, LANCs aren't used (for the majority) The issue however does raise a few concerns for those using this cam for feature film work, being that the focus puller wont have a remote means of control. I guess the old fashioned way will have to suffice.

Guy Barwood · September 6th, 2007, 08:29 AM

A thought on zoom controller:

Notice on page 11 there is a remote control. I can't see all the buttons clearly but there is a ZOOM button set with W & T so perhaps there will be a wireless version of a LANC connection.

I won't hold my breath but short of anything else it might be the only option...

Still criminal to leave such a basic pro feature off (8pin or even LANC) yet bundle all these electronic tricks such as Depth of Field indicator...

Side: On page 6 you can see a photo from the side of the camera, at the very bottom you can see a "Zoom Servo/Manual" screen printed text. Behind it is a 'bulge'. This could well be a selection switch for proper manual zoom control.

If it is, perhaps there is also a hidden 8pin port. Is there any other photos of that section of the camera? Every shot of the right side has the handle hiding everything (a handle that rotates as well which is kinda cool).

September 6th, 2007, 03:20 AM	#16
Martin Saxer Regular Crew Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Oxford, UK (until 2008: Lhasa, Tibetan Autonomous Region) Posts: 65	Exmor Interestingly, the new Sony D-SLR A700 has also an exmor branded sensor. More about it here: http://www.dpreview.com/previews/SonyDSLRA700/page2.asp I wonder what part of exmor technology the two sensors share. Martin

September 6th, 2007, 04:01 AM	#18
John Hewat Major Player Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Melbourne, AUSTRALIA Posts: 735	Coolest feature for me was the over-cranking. I was looking forward to getting real slow motion of 1080p footage but the slowest motion you can get is 30p! That's not even over-cranked for NTSC customers. 720p over-cranked to 60 frames a second is cool but I don't see the point in shooting at 720 unless I was going to convert it to SD. __________________ John Hewat Mammoth Media Productions

September 6th, 2007, 04:06 AM	#20
Piotr Wozniacki Inner Circle Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Poland Posts: 4,086	Great camera for sure. 1. I'm personally a bit disappointed with the weigth, though (almost 2x that of my V1!). 2. What do you think about the LCD resolution: in the text it's mentioned as 1920x480 and in the specs as a more reasonable 640x480? Definitely a typo in the text (just like the "sharrow" DOF...) 3. It seems like the firewire output only works with the 25Mbps stream, right? But this would mean the camera should be compatible with the DR60 disk, otherwise how could it easily "mix" with HDV? I mean it'd be nice to extend the recording times by using the cards for HQ only and use the DR60 for SP...Or record SP to both for that extra protection from failure. But will DR60 write MP4s, or M2ts? Or is the i.LINK outpt (which is marked HDV on the cam) actually outputting m2t? What with uncompressed audio? And finally, will it allow to record to the DR60 only (e.g. with cards full, or absent)? 4. Greatest omission seen so far: no LANC! There are zooming and push AF functions on the IR commander, but that's a joke! __________________ Sony PXW-FS7 \| DaVinci Resolve Studio; Magix Vegas Pro; i7-5960X CPU; 64 GB RAM; 2x GTX 1080 8GB GPU; Decklink 4K Extreme 12G; 4x 3TB WD Black in RAID 0; 1TB M.2 NVMe cache drive Last edited by Piotr Wozniacki; September 6th, 2007 at 08:06 AM.

September 6th, 2007, 04:55 AM	#21
Mike Williams Major Player Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: USVI Posts: 232	Compared to Z1 I thought it might be too heavy for me to glide with as well.... I really hope not but with the big batt and a receiver it will likely get very close to 8lbs for my usual rig. The H1 is that heavy. No lanc? Can't use my handy manfrotto lanc controller while on the pod. So is it better in low light than the Z1? Mike

September 6th, 2007, 07:45 AM	#24
Chris Hurd Obstreperous Rex Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: San Marcos, TX Posts: 27,368 Images: 513	I must agree that the lack of a standard interface for external zoom control (either LANC or Fuji 8-pin) is incredibly disheartening. Not an issue for handheld use, but a very big deal for anyone working from a tripod. __________________ CH Search DV Info Net \| 20 years of DVi \| ...Tuesday is Soylent Green Day!

September 6th, 2007, 03:53 AM	#17
Aidan Wynne Regular Crew Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: EIRE Posts: 29	Fantastic!! thanks for that Vaughan. Well done to Sony for not holding back with 1080P as well as 1080i....they could have left it for a second version of the cam later. It future proofs this camera for quiet a few years to come cause unless you got contract to supply city advertising screen advertisements I'd say 1080P will do the job for quiet some time. Not saying it is theeee killer feature for me. The tapeless idea caught my interest, cost of the media drew me in and the SP mode with 70 mins of a 16g card is good enough to make me want one. Fantastic specs so far and will be interesting to see the Official Launch and details on the actual street price, cards,extras etc.

September 6th, 2007, 07:34 AM	#23
Tim Polster Inner Circle Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Arlington, TX Posts: 2,231	Thanks for posting this Vaughan! I like the specs and output choices. Any idea about the lack of LANC or 8 pin on the lens? I don't understand why zoom control would be left off of a camera. This has been a standard feature for a long time. I will be bummed as I see this as essential to good camera work..

September 6th, 2007, 07:53 AM	#25
Guy Barwood Major Player Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 423	Agreed, I just started getting loving to use my newly purcahse servo zoom controller on my JVC DV500. This really puts a lump in my throat about rushing into an EX now.... JVC cut me short on my DV300 in the same way, I never thought I would see Sony do this.

September 6th, 2007, 08:14 AM	#27
Guy Barwood Major Player Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 423	No HDMI Strang there is no HDMI output. Sure it has SDI, but for most HDMI would be of great benefit... It what they leave off that boggles the mind sometimes... Notice the "Expanded Focus" feature. nice in theory but have they learnt from the Z1 and allow you to use it while recording?

September 6th, 2007, 08:23 AM	#28
Kevin Shaw Inner Circle Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Sacramento, CA Posts: 2,488	Can anyone explain the reference to "MP4" data files on page 5 of the brochure? Is this going to be MPEG2 data in an MP4 wrapper, and if so what does that mean for capturing and editing purposes? Agreed that lack of a LANC input would be a terrible oversight for this camera, unless that's a typo or there's some other new alternative present. I shoot most of my footage on tripods or monopods using LANC controllers and can't see giving that up - are we supposed to hand-hold all of our footage now?!?

September 6th, 2007, 08:29 AM	#30
Guy Barwood Major Player Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 423	A thought on zoom controller: Notice on page 11 there is a remote control. I can't see all the buttons clearly but there is a ZOOM button set with W & T so perhaps there will be a wireless version of a LANC connection. I won't hold my breath but short of anything else it might be the only option... Still criminal to leave such a basic pro feature off (8pin or even LANC) yet bundle all these electronic tricks such as Depth of Field indicator... Side: On page 6 you can see a photo from the side of the camera, at the very bottom you can see a "Zoom Servo/Manual" screen printed text. Behind it is a 'bulge'. This could well be a selection switch for proper manual zoom control. If it is, perhaps there is also a hidden 8pin port. Is there any other photos of that section of the camera? Every shot of the right side has the handle hiding everything (a handle that rotates as well which is kinda cool).