Just trawling Sonys site and I found this...

[Simon Wyndham]

What happened to our gurus' "About the Sony XDCAM EX Introduction DVD", as announced long time ago here:

It changed into something different and became an official Sony Europe promotional DVD, which is more of a run down and examples of the camera features than a tutorial. There simply wasn't enough guaranteed interest to make a third party tutorial DVD worthwhile, especially when Doug Jensen and VASST were also working on DVD's.

[Alister Chapman]

I have nothing to do with the EX intro DVD. That's really Nigel's baby. He has had some serious health problems which has led to it's delay. Phil's, Nigel's and my reviews of the EX3 are all completely independent, that should be a good thing as we have no idea what the other likes or dislikes and our views are not biased by the others. Isn't that the beauty of a forum such as this?

As for semi-shoulder what else would you call it? It isn't an on-the-shoulder camera like the F350 or HPX500. It's not a hand-held camera like the EX1 but somewhere between the two. I loved it, because it's so much lighter than my F350 even though only a small proportion of the weight is transferred to your shoulder I found it less fatiguing to hold steady for long periods. Now if you put a bigger heavier lens such as my KH20 or even a 2/3" HD lens that may well tip the balance and make it too front heavy to hold without moving the battery further back with some kind of extension.

The new viewfinder arrangement won't win any awards for looks but it was almost as good as some of the colour VF's available for the HDCAM cameras.

[Simon Wyndham]

I have the ultimate solution to camera balance and fatique problems that people keep going on about. In my neck of the woods we call it a tripod. ;-)

[Alister Chapman]

Completely agree Simon, when I'm storm chasing however there often just isn't time to get a tripod out. Actually it's more of a case that with a tornado bearing down on you, you don't want to have to waste time packing a tripod away before you can run away!!

[Steve Connor]

Originally Posted by Piotr Wozniacki

I can't consider myself a proud Beta-tester; just a guinea-pig.

Well I have to say if you expect the first run of a first generation camera to be completely fault free then I think you may not have considered your buying decision carefully enough.

[Bob Grant]

Originally Posted by Piotr Wozniacki

Scenario 1: the EX3 continues the saga of bad BF, vignetting, ND filter sticking, IR colours inaccuracy, paint peeling off...

Scenario 1 is the correct one. Why would you think otherwise, certain 'features' we've already come to live with have already been mentioned in reviews of the EX3.

[Mark David Williams]

Originally Posted by Steve Connor

Well I have to say if you expect the first run of a first generation camera to be completely fault free then I think you may not have considered your buying decision carefully enough.

I think the point is the EX-1 came out just before Xmas although most people were left waiting until january. By february, Sony already had a newer better model prepared. BUT kept secret. The speed this happened makes you question Sonys marketing which has released the lessor camera first. Pulling in those indie makers with low budgets to buy it. Then waited until most have bought into it before declaring the better version with tools the indie filmmaker has cried out for for years. IE interchangeable lenses. Leaving those people wanting people to buy the later version all over again. And leaving those who cant feeling resentful and let down.

Piotr has obviously devoted so much enthusiasm on his camera and explored every part of it only to find Sony had a better version that he would have bought if he had known about it. And guess what Same here too. Although I am happy with My camera I would have chosen the EX-3 when I had the money in my pocket.
Yes we know products improve we know things move on Thats business But now are we talking product replacement within months? Not a replacement you may say? WELL why then wasnt we all informed WHY the big secret?

Some may say thats business. I say Business cant survive without customers and you peeve them off enough and your likely to find you have none.

[Steve Connor]

It's not a replacement and Sony made it very clear the EX series was a range not just one camera.

Would you rather they had waited to release the EX3? No manufacturers telegraph their camera releases in advance especially in an area where the competition is so aggressive.

Now you have a better choice, you can stick with the camera you have or you can sell it and trade up to the EX3, hopefully in the intervening period you've earned enough revenue from the camera to justify the loss you'll take when selling it.

As for the other arguments about pricing, well can you imagine just how annoyed EX1 owners would be if Sony had released this camera at a couple of hundred dollars above the EX1?

[Craig Seeman]

I clearly remember Sony saying that the EX was going to be a SERIES of cameras. What was unclear was how FAST that series was to develop. It makes sense that it's fast given SxS has to compete with P2.

The EX3 is not a replacement, it's a next model up. I would expect there will be an EX5 in short order . . . full shoulder mount, more than 2 SxS slots, maybe 2/3" and/or MPEG2 4:2:2. I wouldn't be surprised if this happens and is either announced or shipping by NAB 2009.

I understand the dilemma people faced who really wanted and were willing to pay for interchangeable lenses though.

I also understand that people who bought early have spent a good deal of time sending the camera back and forth to Sony and now feel they finally have a working camera and then the EX3 is announced (for July which is more likely August in any meaningful way).

I wonder how F330/5 owners (recent purchasers) feel. Heck I wouldn't even be surprised if a few F350/5 owners feel encroached upon.

I think I'd have a reason to be unhappy if Sony came out with an EX1A with the all the fixes we beta tested for but that's not what happened.

ADDENDUM: My gosh Steve. We were thinking about the same thing at about the same time!

[Steve Connor]

Great minds think alike Craig :)

[Simon Wyndham]

Then waited until most have bought into it before declaring the better version with tools the indie filmmaker has cried out for for years. IE interchangeable lenses.

Madness. If they HAD to have interchangable lenses they should wait, or have bought a Canon XLH1. And I don't want to hear anything about lack of true progressive scan etc etc on that camera. People have been making amazing things with it, and it produces a really good picture. Its the chump behind the camera that makes the magic, not the camera itself, and don't forget it.

I don't own an HD camera because I'm waiting until the camera with the spec I need comes out. At the moment that looks like the PDW-700, but I'm also going to make a bet that there will be a sister camera to that model. ALL XDCAM full size cameras so far have come out in twos. I don't care what the Sony reps currently say! :-)

Unless there is absolute pressing business, you don't HAVE to buy a camera immediately, and nobody HAD to buy the EX1. They should know what Sony are like for camera releases. The EX3 was entirely predictable too. The EX1 was always a first in the EX series. Note that word 'series'. What other camera could they release after the EX1 given that the EX line is semi-pro to pro?

I couldn't be a palmcorder, or a competitor to the Z7, so it would have to be a model higher up. And the only real thing they could do is make it an interchangeable lens model. Like I say, entirely predictable for people who have patience.

[Mark David Williams]

Originally Posted by Steve Connor

It's not a replacement and Sony made it very clear the EX series was a range not just one camera.

Would you rather they had waited to release the EX3? No manufacturers telegraph their camera releases in advance especially in an area where the competition is so aggressive.

Now you have a better choice, you can stick with the camera you have or you can sell it and trade up to the EX3, hopefully in the intervening period you've earned enough revenue from the camera to justify the loss you'll take when selling it.

As for the other arguments about pricing, well can you imagine just how annoyed EX1 owners would be if Sony had released this camera at a couple of hundred dollars above the EX1?

Thats your opinion Steve and I dont buy it. As far as Im concerned it was about Money and probably fear from the Red camera too that got these cameras released you can vouch for them if you want as far as Im concerned I love the camera and am happy But the way its been done has for me left a bad taste in the mouth.

[Simon Wyndham]

The EX3 is not a replacement, it's a next model up.

Absolutely spot on Craig.

Heck I wouldn't even be surprised if a few F350/5 owners feel encroached upon.

I doubt it in many respects. I wouldn't because I prefer the disc workflow to the SxS one. Although the writable U1 with the new data format mode would change that. Even still working straight from disc eliminates a post stage to have to back up to the U1.

Besides, my prediction now is that either by IBC, or NAB next year the successor or another update to the 300 series will be announced. In fact I'd bet my life on it. And once again I don't care what the guys at Sony currently say. :-) The 300 series has to stay ahead of the EX series, especially in light of the U1 developments. With the EX3 able to take the same lenses as the shoulder mount cameras the picture quality will be the same, actually better IMO.

[Steve Connor]

Originally Posted by Mark David Williams

T as far as Im concerned I love the camera and am happy

Then what's the problem?

[Craig Seeman]

Originally Posted by Simon Wyndham

I doubt it in many respects. I wouldn't because I prefer the disc workflow to the SxS one. Although the writable U1 with the new data format mode would change that. Even still working straight from disc eliminates a post stage to have to back up to the U1.

Maybe not you specifically Simon but there may well be some people who prefer SxS card to XDCAM disc. In other words some who like the "P2" concept but bought F300 series for other reasons. I'm not saying that those are the majority of F300 series owners . . . just as I don't think the majority of EX1 owner would have preferred interchangeable lenses. I'm just saying that "some" F300 series owners really want a smaller camera with interchangeable lenses matching the picture quality and also want faster transfers that SxS facilitates.

In other words, some may want: interchangeable lens, smaller camera, faster transfer of data, matching picture quality . . . but bought F335 (especially) which doesn't even have some of the features (frame rate ability) of the EX3 because they didn't know when an EX3 was coming.