Future EX1 firmware feature wish

[Gints Klimanis]

Originally Posted by Annen James

All 3 white balances dialable to any selected temp

Name and store a bank of white balances rather than overwriting two presets A & B all of the time. I often switch between two or three when moving quickly between indoor fluorescent, daylight and shade in covering live events. The name would show up briefly on the LCD when the value is changed, and would help overwriting the presets persistently.

Otherwise, I wish WB info could be saved as a text file and dragged on/off the SDHC card.

[Gints Klimanis]

4-5" Touch screen for input, particularly image display zoom for focusing and direct menu. Though, since many of use are using the LCD with a viewfinder magnifier attached, a second touch input surface on the opposite side of the foldout LCD housing would help.

Anyone try the new iPhone camera and video? You can select and define an area with touch input. The camera will adjust exposure and do contrast-based focus within that area.

[Matt Davis]

I am still really missing the Z1 feature to '+' and '-' the Colour Temperature from the User Buttons. Not a shoot goes by without a bit of harrumphing about this.

I can use the PP White Set, but being able to dial in things on the fly was great for Run & Gun, or when stage lighting gets dimmed a tad more than you white set for.

[Piotr Wozniacki]

Originally Posted by Matt Daviss

I am still really missing the Z1 feature to '+' and '-' the Colour Temperature from the User Buttons.

Agree - perhaps not from user assigned buttons (too few of them available), but simply using the joystick and/or menu roller.

[Gints Klimanis]

How about support for a Sony program to allow for LCD display calibration? The Z1 is blueish. My EX1 is a little more accurate, but it definitely does not look the same as the environment bathed in the same light when white-balanced from a WhiBal card.

[Piotr Wozniacki]

This one is mainly for external recording devices' users (like the nanoFlash):

- in the SP (HDV) mode, the EX1 can be configured to record on SxS, a FireWire device, or both.

Why not enable similar possibilities for the HQ mode and SDI? Currently, you either need similar storage capacity on your EX and nanoFlash media when recording to both simultaneously, or use the latter's Record/Stop buttons when your EX media fill up.

[Marty Baggen]

I'd like to see overcranking in 1080 30p.

Is that strictly a limitation of the SxS transfer or can that be some sort of firmware improvement in the future?

[Mark Morreau]

I'd like for the slots to switch automatically on playback....

Often I'll dump rushes to a DVD for clients, and I do this by hooking up the EX1 straight to a consumer DVD recorder. Unfortunately it'll play back all the clips on one card and then stop. So I have to be alert with the DVD recorder's remote control! What I'd like it to do is play back all the clips on one card, then switch cards (seamlessly, just like when recording) and continue to play back until both cards have played all the way through.

[Steve Benjamin]

Mark how does that footage look when played back from the dvd? is it still good quality?

[Trell Mitchell]

I'd like to see DATE & TIME Stamp feature added.
With the Current Ex Line-up ( EX-1, EX-1R, EX-3, PMW350 ), there are NO options for
Superimposing a DATE & TIME image on video in Real Time.
I do understand that Metadata retains camera information.
However, I need the option to Burn-in Date & Time stamps during Legal Deposition recordings.
Sony, Please add this feature! Thanks in Advance.

[Alex Rankin]

lots of good ideas in this thread, and i hope sony take a few notes, this maybe a step to far but i have been hoping for something amazing like 422 to SxS.

now that cannon has a 422 50mbps codec maybe the EX1/3 could have similar via firmware improvements? that would keep a lot of users very happy, I also see the Arri Alexia can record 422 proress HQ to SxS cards so we know the cards can take more so maybe its possible.

I guess nano users might be upset, but it would be good for the format

[Tuy Le]

Quicker / easier access to format function.
Face detection for auto focus so left hand can have a good break :-)

[Juan McFarland]

I second the higher bitrate recording, i.e. 50/100 etc.
I wonder if the compression in the camera is hardware or software based. I'm guessing that it's a dedicated chip and altering the compression levels/format won't be that easy...unless some forward thinking minds at Sony anticipated cheaper/faster memory and designed in a basis for lower compression levels.

Make more menu selectable items assignable to buttons.

Cache recording.

Quieter blacks.

I was very surprised that Sony made it easier for us to use 3rd party media with the last firmware update, usually Sony just abaondons a format and expects all the users the dump what they own and buy the latest. This gives me hope that Sony is finally attempting to support it's customers.

[Andy Nickless]

1. Up to 2.5 stops of Underexposure on the TLCS settings.
Long takes when the sun's in and out behind the clouds means Auto Iris is very useful but with my subjects, one stop is often not enough (I use the spotlight setting at the same time).

2. The ability to record Audio with no video.
Unwanted video takes up loads of space - on SxS and on your computer HD if you keep the BPAV files.

I guess the pros will say buy a dedicated audio recording device but many EX1 users are at the limit of their budget already.

[Piotr Wozniacki]

As the OP in this thread, I'd like to thank you all for the input so far, and ask for more.

If Sony are listening (and I hope they do), I'd once again like to stress the need for turning the overlay display on/off independently for the two HD outputs (HD-SDI and Component).

And, the ability to record to SDI-out only (i.e. without internal media - just like with the Firewire in SP mode). This could be accomplished by incrementing TC on pressing the Record button - even when the camera's internal storage is full or absent; not a big deal!

Dear Sony - please :)