EX-1 vs EX-3 eyepiece at DVinfo.net

Leonard Levy · March 27th, 2010, 10:47 PM

I just did my first run & gun shoot with a new EX-3 after having an EX-1 since they came out. I expected to love the eyepiece and I found it a major major disappointment.

I'm Wondering if others have had my experience or if this was bad batch.

First and mainly, the peaking function (I use red) was much worse than on my EX-1. There i am able to set a pretty subtle level of peaking and I find it very accurate and useful. I can shoot with it on all the time and trust it completely even when I can barely see what's in the shot. This is a great feature on the Ex-1. I often just check to see if there is a red dot in an eyeball for example.

On the EX-3's we had, the peaking knob had no subtlety despite every attempt to adjust in the menus. it tended to be off, or on much too strongly with no little gradation in the knob. Thus when it was on, it made it difficult to see the image and altogether too much was peaking in the finder. Frankly I hated it.

Likewise it seemed to me that the brightness and contrast pots in the viewfinder were also too aggressive and the slightest bump tended to set them off so my viewfinder was just not as reliable as on my EX-1 where its set in the menus and tends to stay at a reliable useful place.

nice to be able to lift it out of the way in a second though. Wish I could do that with the hoodman. Actually the EX-1R sounds like a perfect solution - have 2 ways of viewing available all the time and both are sharp.

Serena Steuart · March 27th, 2010, 11:31 PM

Agree that it is important to be able to flip away for direct viewing of the LCD, which I included in my design. Looking at photos of the Hoodman, I think it can be easily modified to have that function.

Steve Phillipps · March 28th, 2010, 03:20 AM

Don't us the EX1 or 3 very often but I found the viewfinder massively better in the EX3. I thought that for critical focussing the EX1 was virtually unusable and you had to use the LCD, while with the EX3 I found it almost as good as broadcast cameras, both in bw and colour.
Steve

Charles Newcomb · March 28th, 2010, 02:02 PM

The peaking, brightness and contrast on my EX3 work fine. Someone must have boogered up the one you were using.

Leonard Levy · March 28th, 2010, 05:03 PM

Oops I realize I wasn't clear in my 1st post. I am comparing the Ex-1 flip out LCD to the LCD on the EX-3. I shouldn't have said eyepiece.

No question the viewfinder on the EX-3 that allows better magnified focusing is not available on the EX-1 unless you add a hoodman or something, and the EX-1 viewfinder at the back of the unit sucks - but just LCD to LCD I found a great difference in the peaking control. Great on my EX-1 and nearly useless on 2 EX-3's just purchased.

Charles - have you worked much with the EX-1's peaking control to know if there's a difference?

Charles Newcomb · March 28th, 2010, 05:24 PM

I have worked with the EX1 but it's been so long now I've forgotten where the peaking, etc., controls are located. When I got the EX3 I thought the LCD was pretty much the same as the EX1, except the EX3 has a built-in sun shade and the EX1's screen was a pain in the patooti to see in daylight. I just don't remember any difference, otherwise.

Dean Harrington · March 28th, 2010, 06:24 PM

I agree ... the peaking function is a bit agressive. I use it slight toned down and instead rely on the zoom/close-up function for focus. HD is very sensitive and critical focus on a face can be off if you don't focus on peoples eyes.

Leonard Levy · March 28th, 2010, 06:50 PM

Dean, have you compared the EX-3's peaking to the EX-1?

Charles, I expected the EX-3 to be the same as the Ex-1 just with the added viewfinder but I was surprised to find it less functional.

Doug Jensen · March 28th, 2010, 07:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Leonard Levy

On the EX-3's we had, the peaking knob had no subtlety despite every attempt to adjust in the menus. it tended to be off, or on much too strongly with no little gradation in the knob. Thus when it was on, it made it difficult to see the image and altogether too much was peaking in the finder. Frankly I hated it.

Leonard,

The problem is that you aren't using the right type of peaking. Unlike the EX1, where there is only one type of peaking, on the EX3 you have a choice between color and normal modes.

In the COLOR mode, the peaking knob on the front of the viewfinder pretty much only functions as an on/off switch, and the peaking function is pretty crude and hard to use. I agree with you that it sucks.

However, in the NORMAL mode, the peaking will function very much like the peaking on a professional B&W CRT viewfinder. Using the knob on the front of the viewfinder you can fine-tune the amount of peaking that is shown. This mode works very well and is just one more reason to choose an EX3 over and EX1 or EX1R.

You can change the peaking mode using menu VF SET > Peaking > Type > Normal

FYI, this is all covered in my training DVD and on pages 76 -78 of my field guide.
Vortex Media's XDCAM Field Guides

Dean Harrington · March 28th, 2010, 08:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Leonard Levy

Dean, have you compared the EX-3's peaking to the EX-1?

Charles, I expected the EX-3 to be the same as the Ex-1 just with the added viewfinder but I was surprised to find it less functional.

I don't have an EX1 but I've found that HD focus on faces can be off if you don't pay attention to focusing on the eyes. I've also found that I get clear focus via peaking when the ridge of the nose and upper brow peak.

Dean Harrington · March 28th, 2010, 08:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Doug Jensen

Leonard,

The problem is that you aren't using the right type of peaking. Unlike the EX1, where there is only one type of peaking, on the EX3 you have a choice between color and normal modes.

In the COLOR mode, the peaking knob on the front of the viewfinder pretty much only functions as an on/off switch, and the peaking function is pretty crude and hard to use. I agree with you that it sucks.

However, in the NORMAL mode, the peaking will function very much like the peaking on a professional B&W CRT viewfinder. Using the knob on the front of the viewfinder you can fine-tune the amount of peaking that is shown. This mode works very well and is just one more reason to choose an EX3 over and EX1 or EX1R.

You can change the peaking mode using menu VF SET > Peaking > Type > Normal

FYI, this is all covered in my training DVD and on pages 76 -78 of my field guide.
Vortex Media's XDCAM Field Guides

Just want to say Doug that the field guide has saved my butt on numerous occasions.

Charles Newcomb · March 28th, 2010, 08:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Doug Jensen

FYI, this is all covered in my training DVD and on pages 76 -78 of my field guide.
Vortex Media's XDCAM Field Guides

Duh. When am I ever going to learn? If I had taken a moment to look in mine I'd have been able to tell him that.

Of course I forgot about the color peaking... I followed your recommendation and turned it off last year.

I disagree that the EX3 LCD is less functional than the EX1 LCD. But that's just me.

Doug Jensen · March 28th, 2010, 09:08 PM

QUOTE: "I disagree that the EX3 LCD is less functional than the EX1 LCD. But that's just me. "

Charles, I hope you're not talking about anything I said, because I agree with you. The EX3 superior to the EX1.

Charles Newcomb · March 28th, 2010, 11:22 PM

Nope. I was talking about Leonard's comment.

I did the firmware upgrade today, by the way. Soiled my britches a couple of times, but things worked out fine. Now my Hoodman 16GB cards record overcranked to 60fps, filling the card without a hiccup. My SXS cards always did that; but the Hoodman cards only would go 48 FPS before the upgrade.

Leonard Levy · March 29th, 2010, 08:49 PM

I'll admit I didn't experiment extensively with the normal peaking on the EX-3 though I did end up using it that way because the color peaking was so bad.

I'm surprised no one here has at least commented on whether the color peaking is generally better on the Ex-1.

For me its a big liability as I have to come to rely on it on the Ex-1,and I'm disappointed Sony seems to have hobbled it on the EX-3.

March 27th, 2010, 10:47 PM	#1
Leonard Levy Trustee Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: USA Posts: 1,684	EX-1 vs EX-3 eyepiece I just did my first run & gun shoot with a new EX-3 after having an EX-1 since they came out. I expected to love the eyepiece and I found it a major major disappointment. I'm Wondering if others have had my experience or if this was bad batch. First and mainly, the peaking function (I use red) was much worse than on my EX-1. There i am able to set a pretty subtle level of peaking and I find it very accurate and useful. I can shoot with it on all the time and trust it completely even when I can barely see what's in the shot. This is a great feature on the Ex-1. I often just check to see if there is a red dot in an eyeball for example. On the EX-3's we had, the peaking knob had no subtlety despite every attempt to adjust in the menus. it tended to be off, or on much too strongly with no little gradation in the knob. Thus when it was on, it made it difficult to see the image and altogether too much was peaking in the finder. Frankly I hated it. Likewise it seemed to me that the brightness and contrast pots in the viewfinder were also too aggressive and the slightest bump tended to set them off so my viewfinder was just not as reliable as on my EX-1 where its set in the menus and tends to stay at a reliable useful place. nice to be able to lift it out of the way in a second though. Wish I could do that with the hoodman. Actually the EX-1R sounds like a perfect solution - have 2 ways of viewing available all the time and both are sharp.

March 28th, 2010, 06:24 PM	#7
Dean Harrington Major Player Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Tokyo Posts: 898	peakiing function ... I agree ... the peaking function is a bit agressive. I use it slight toned down and instead rely on the zoom/close-up function for focus. HD is very sensitive and critical focus on a face can be off if you don't focus on peoples eyes.

March 28th, 2010, 09:08 PM	#13
Doug Jensen Vortex Media Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Florida Posts: 3,450	QUOTE: "I disagree that the EX3 LCD is less functional than the EX1 LCD. But that's just me. " Charles, I hope you're not talking about anything I said, because I agree with you. The EX3 superior to the EX1. __________________ Vortex Media http://www.vortexmedia.com/ Sony FS7, F55, and XDCAM training videos, field guides, and other production tools

March 27th, 2010, 11:31 PM	#2
Serena Steuart Major Player Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Studio Alnitak, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia Posts: 640 Images: 3	Agree that it is important to be able to flip away for direct viewing of the LCD, which I included in my design. Looking at photos of the Hoodman, I think it can be easily modified to have that function.

March 28th, 2010, 03:20 AM	#3
Steve Phillipps Inner Circle Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Wales Posts: 2,130	Don't us the EX1 or 3 very often but I found the viewfinder massively better in the EX3. I thought that for critical focussing the EX1 was virtually unusable and you had to use the LCD, while with the EX3 I found it almost as good as broadcast cameras, both in bw and colour. Steve

March 28th, 2010, 02:02 PM	#4
Charles Newcomb Major Player Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Salida, Colorado Posts: 561	The peaking, brightness and contrast on my EX3 work fine. Someone must have boogered up the one you were using.

March 28th, 2010, 05:03 PM	#5
Leonard Levy Trustee Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: USA Posts: 1,684	Oops I realize I wasn't clear in my 1st post. I am comparing the Ex-1 flip out LCD to the LCD on the EX-3. I shouldn't have said eyepiece. No question the viewfinder on the EX-3 that allows better magnified focusing is not available on the EX-1 unless you add a hoodman or something, and the EX-1 viewfinder at the back of the unit sucks - but just LCD to LCD I found a great difference in the peaking control. Great on my EX-1 and nearly useless on 2 EX-3's just purchased. Charles - have you worked much with the EX-1's peaking control to know if there's a difference?

March 28th, 2010, 05:24 PM	#6
Charles Newcomb Major Player Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Salida, Colorado Posts: 561	I have worked with the EX1 but it's been so long now I've forgotten where the peaking, etc., controls are located. When I got the EX3 I thought the LCD was pretty much the same as the EX1, except the EX3 has a built-in sun shade and the EX1's screen was a pain in the patooti to see in daylight. I just don't remember any difference, otherwise.

March 28th, 2010, 06:50 PM	#8
Leonard Levy Trustee Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: USA Posts: 1,684	Dean, have you compared the EX-3's peaking to the EX-1? Charles, I expected the EX-3 to be the same as the Ex-1 just with the added viewfinder but I was surprised to find it less functional.

March 28th, 2010, 11:22 PM	#14
Charles Newcomb Major Player Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Salida, Colorado Posts: 561	Nope. I was talking about Leonard's comment. I did the firmware upgrade today, by the way. Soiled my britches a couple of times, but things worked out fine. Now my Hoodman 16GB cards record overcranked to 60fps, filling the card without a hiccup. My SXS cards always did that; but the Hoodman cards only would go 48 FPS before the upgrade.

March 29th, 2010, 08:49 PM	#15
Leonard Levy Trustee Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: USA Posts: 1,684	I'll admit I didn't experiment extensively with the normal peaking on the EX-3 though I did end up using it that way because the color peaking was so bad. I'm surprised no one here has at least commented on whether the color peaking is generally better on the Ex-1. For me its a big liability as I have to come to rely on it on the Ex-1,and I'm disappointed Sony seems to have hobbled it on the EX-3.