EX1 Review from the indy perspective at DVinfo.net

Steve Ellington · November 27th, 2008, 07:03 AM

I shot a short film on an EX1 recently. My review comes from the perspective of someone who has shot on mostly tape-based systems. Might be interesting to some of you.

the automatic filmmaker - Blog - A Personal Review of the SonyEX1

Perrone Ford · November 27th, 2008, 09:02 AM

Well done... and welcome to tapeless!

Adam Reuter · November 27th, 2008, 04:11 PM

Thanks for posting your review Steve. I enjoyed reading it.

A few points:

- Although the lens reads as f/1.9 throughout the zoom range exposure does get darker towards the last portion of the telephoto range. So it's not "true 1.9" in that sense. The readout is lying to you.

- I'm not so sure about the EX1 not losing light with the overcranked modes. Check that your shutter speed when shooting 24p is set to 1/48 or 180º. I remember when I first got the camera it didn't default to the "correct" shutter speed. Also, when shooting slow motion you should double your frame rate (48 fps use 1/96 shutter or 60 fps use 1/120 or I think the EX1 has 1/125). Doing that will give you a smoother picture.

- It's hard to tell with web video but did you shoot with detail on? Turn it off in the picture profile. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised at how much true detail the EX1 picks up without artificial edge enhancement...which helps with getting the "film look." If you use a 35mm lens adaptor...that's when detail enhancement comes in handy.

I like what you posted on Vimeo and I look forward to seeing some more of your work!

Steve Ellington · November 27th, 2008, 05:24 PM

Thanks for the comments Adam.

I didn't seem to notice the darkening at the long end of the lens, which I was looking for. If it did get dark it was minimal. Not the 2 stops that the z1 lost with its lens.

I was quite suprised about the lack of light loss in overcrank modes. But I swear I didn't see it. If I went from 25fps to 60fps, I should have lost a 1 stop of light in theory. Maybe I did and didn't notice. It's quite possible. Can anyone confirm or deny this scientifically?

I do not think I shot with detail on. I tried to shoot as neutral as possible.

If anyone is interested. We also shot a commercial on the same weekend as the short film. It can be seen here: "Let It Take You" - Flamingo Club/Diadema Spec Shoot on Vimeo

Cheers

Steve Ellington

November 27th, 2008, 07:03 AM	#1
Steve Ellington New Boot Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Zurich, Switzerland Posts: 12	EX1 Review from the indy perspective I shot a short film on an EX1 recently. My review comes from the perspective of someone who has shot on mostly tape-based systems. Might be interesting to some of you. the automatic filmmaker - Blog - A Personal Review of the SonyEX1 __________________ Steve Ellington www.theautomaticfilmmaker.com

November 27th, 2008, 09:02 AM	#2
Perrone Ford Inner Circle Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Tallahassee, FL Posts: 4,100	Well done... and welcome to tapeless! __________________ DVX100, PMW-EX1, Canon 550D, FigRig, Dell Octocore, Avid MC4/5, MB Looks, RedCineX, Matrox MX02 mini, GTech RAID, Edirol R-4, Senn. G2 Evo, Countryman, Moles and Lowels.

November 27th, 2008, 05:24 PM	#4
Steve Ellington New Boot Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Zurich, Switzerland Posts: 12	Thanks for the comments Adam. I didn't seem to notice the darkening at the long end of the lens, which I was looking for. If it did get dark it was minimal. Not the 2 stops that the z1 lost with its lens. I was quite suprised about the lack of light loss in overcrank modes. But I swear I didn't see it. If I went from 25fps to 60fps, I should have lost a 1 stop of light in theory. Maybe I did and didn't notice. It's quite possible. Can anyone confirm or deny this scientifically? I do not think I shot with detail on. I tried to shoot as neutral as possible. If anyone is interested. We also shot a commercial on the same weekend as the short film. It can be seen here: "Let It Take You" - Flamingo Club/Diadema Spec Shoot on Vimeo Cheers Steve Ellington __________________ Steve Ellington www.theautomaticfilmmaker.com

November 27th, 2008, 04:11 PM	#3
Adam Reuter Major Player Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Baltimore, Maryland Posts: 234	Thanks for posting your review Steve. I enjoyed reading it. A few points: - Although the lens reads as f/1.9 throughout the zoom range exposure does get darker towards the last portion of the telephoto range. So it's not "true 1.9" in that sense. The readout is lying to you. - I'm not so sure about the EX1 not losing light with the overcranked modes. Check that your shutter speed when shooting 24p is set to 1/48 or 180º. I remember when I first got the camera it didn't default to the "correct" shutter speed. Also, when shooting slow motion you should double your frame rate (48 fps use 1/96 shutter or 60 fps use 1/120 or I think the EX1 has 1/125). Doing that will give you a smoother picture. - It's hard to tell with web video but did you shoot with detail on? Turn it off in the picture profile. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised at how much true detail the EX1 picks up without artificial edge enhancement...which helps with getting the "film look." If you use a 35mm lens adaptor...that's when detail enhancement comes in handy. I like what you posted on Vimeo and I look forward to seeing some more of your work!