PMW-EX* Successor?

[Glen Vandermolen]

Originally Posted by Marcus Durham

As a VG10 owner (the junior version of that camera) my opinion is that such cameras compliment the EX1, they don't replace it.

Select your own lens? Nice! The ability to take a 11mm lens with me on shoots that gives lovely wide shots while the EX1 does the donkey work is great.

But no power zoom? Aliasing? A shallow depth of field that makes run and gun next to impossible? It's hard work compared to an EX1 which just, well, works really.

These cameras are aimed at "film makers" who are prepared to sacrifice features for shallow DoF and the creativity of different lenses. Certainly the VG10 is a difficult and slow beast to shoot with. The results can be very rewarding but it can be a struggle getting there. If you have lots of time it isn't a problem but on shoots where time is at a premium it can be a challenge.

Cameras that can use DSLR lenses are extremely interesting but the technology is far from mature and they aren't really suited to the same kind of applications an EX1 is.

And of course if Sony haven't fixed the aliaising issues on this new camera it's not going to be able to justify its price tag.

I agree.
I am an XF305 owner and a VG10 owner. I've used both on shoots, the VG10 mainly for some "artistic" depth of field shots. But it is indeed a finicky camera, and the moire and aliasing drive me crazy! You don't notice it until after you upload the video. The two video images intercut nicely, although the XF is noticeably sharper.

For my go-to camera, it's the XF305. Now, the FS100 should remove all the video artifacts inherent of HDSLRs, yet retain the benefits of swapping lenses and shallow DoF. Plus, real video camera controls. I'd love to have the FS100 along with my XF. I can see using both cameras, but we'll see what economics dictate.

Can the FS100 or AF100 replace an XF300 or EX1/3? Hmm, I can't answer that question.

[Don Parrish]

I think it is possible that plans to roll out new stuff may have been compromised by the tradgedy in Japan. Plans for NAB may have changed for the big 3.

[Alister Chapman]

AFAIK there are no changes to Sony's NAB plans.

[Piotr Wozniacki]

Originally Posted by Alister Chapman

AFAIK there are no changes to Sony's NAB plans.

I'd also think that at NAB, Sony will be showing results of their R&D effort starting a long time before the disaster happened. What might get delayed though is perhaps the time to market of production units after NAB.

Piotr

[Werner Graf]

Originally Posted by Matt Daviss

I'm a bit concerned about the 'APS-C' moniker, as there's a Nikon variety and a Canon variety. The former is a little larger, so Nikkor APS-C lenses may work with F3 where Canon APS-C lenses may have a touch of vignetting. This is only armchair theory, not practical tests. Not sure if to sell the Canon or the Nikkor 17-55 f2.8 at the moment. (joking)

I'm very happy with my DSLR kit, but my EX1-Rs are still the go-to cameras in my niche. Was really happy for the 1/2" DoF in today's shoot. FS100 would have been a real handful (single camera must cover 6 people in conversation, shoot 20 mins, plus 5 mins retakes and some cutaway reaction shots to paper over the inevitable cracks in a 10 minute edit).

As Marcus says, great to replace a DSLR with the FS100 if you currently use a DSLR as a wide or B-Roll camera.

What would I want out of an EX1-S? Less noise, 50 Mbits, better mic pre-amps, 1080p50/60. An EX3-S? Ditto, maybe at 2/3rd inch. ;-)

The PMW X1/3 Micamp can easy cheap improved with the Tritonaudio Fethead Phantom plugged in the XLR Sockets Gainboost +18 db
Dont need to crank up so much the Gain - so less Noise form the PMW Micamps.

FetHead - tritonaudio

[Matt Davis]

Thanks, Werner - what a find! Ordering now... (excited!)

[Jose Carlos]

Originally Posted by Doug Jensen

True. The fiscal year for most Japanese companies, including Sony, ends on March 31st, and that is the reason why you typically see promotions from Sony in March of every year. That is what Sony themselves have told me several times.

The current promotion was extended until March 31st, giving credence to what you inferred above.

Despite all of the great points in this thread and others listing reasons why the EX* cameras probably won't be updated, I have a completely unsubstantiated "gut" feeling that the EX cameras (specially the EX3) will be updated sometime this year.

[Luc De Wandel]

When I read the promotional talk on this Sony rebate site:
Sony Business Solutions & Systems - Featured XDCAM EX Camcorder Rebates Extended, it says for the PMW-320:

"The PMW-320 supports multiple frame rate recording such as 59.94i, 50i, and native 23.98P and 25P as well as being 1080i/720P switchable and 10 bit 4:2:2 uncompressed output".

4:2:2 ? I always thought the 320 and 350 were 4:2:0 ? Or do they mean the HD-SDI output to an external recording device?

[Chris Medico]

They are referring to the SDI output.

[Chris Clifton]

I think the 320 is already the successor to the EX1 & 3 as people start moving back into full size camcorders after spending many hundreds if not thousands of dollars in support that make those small footprint cameras useable shoulder units. I have at least one of each EX. Nothing new at the BVE in Europe last week. I think there's too much market interest in the larger sensor cams for Sony to upgrade the EX's to 50mb/s---they didn't even do that with the F3! (which i also owned for a few months). Each EX has their own following, their own purpose with individual shooters. I also have a Nano. Absolutely agree with whoever wrote there is no discernable difference in 35 and 50mbs, unless you're keying. That is some old school BBC white paper broadcast thinking, indeed, IMO. For crying out loud, U.S. news networks ask us to shoot SD 16x9 so they don't have to pay for HD time on the satellites! And for web distribution---which is 90% of my work at the medical center, the point is moot again. These cameras make gorgeous pictures.

[Per-Axel Gjores]

Even though the EX1/3 are still great cameras it will be five years this NAB since Sony showed the EX1 prototype. At the moment we are looking at replacements for our EX1s and would love to see some fundamental developments from Sony, and actually we have heard that Sony are up to something that would probably interests us during NAB 2012.

What about lower noise 2/3" sensors, 60 fps overcranking in 1080P, 50Mbs/4:2:2 and 4-channel audio recording!? You can always dream!

/Ackel

[Piotr Wozniacki]

Originally Posted by Per-Axel Gjores

You can always dream!

I think you are spot on - no excessive dreaming at all :)

[Chris Medico]

Originally Posted by Piotr Wozniacki

I think you are spot on - no excessive dreaming at all :)

The only part there that will have to remain a dream due to physical roadblocks is 2/3" chips. The optical block for 2/3" chips is too large for an EX style camera.

The rest would be no problem to implement from a technology standpoint but how much motivation is there for Sony to loose sales from their more expensive cameras that already sport those features?

[Luc De Wandel]

The optical block for 2/3" chips is certainly not too large for an EX style camera. Don't forget that Sony already has the 'XDCAM EX Shoulder-mount Camcorder' as they call it: namely the PMW-320...

[Doug Jensen]

Originally Posted by Per-Axel Gjores

What about lower noise 2/3" sensors, 60 fps overcranking in 1080P, 50Mbs/4:2:2 and 4-channel audio recording!? You can always dream!
/Ackel

That camera is called the PDW-F800.
If you want that at an EX1/3 price, now you can start dreaming. :-)