A Z280 test I did that ended up as a nice Wakesurf promo for the rider.

[Alexander Azzi]

This past summer just after the Z280 was released I put it through some tests. One of which was SLOG, 4K 60p slow motion in XAVC-I 600mb/s.

My original intent was, without any scripted pre-visiulization, was to go on one of the Wakesurf boats I surf behind, and started shooting some action.

Well the shooting started before I even got onto the boat because I had an idea... As a thank you for the boat/ride time during the summer on this particular boat (because its not cheap to maintain one of these kind of boats and they never take anyone's money), I decided to just focus on the boat owners daughter and her current Wakesurf skill level and make her her own promo video.

It turned out to be a nice piece for something that had no real prior game plan. I edited it and gave to her to use and hopefully get more noticed in the women's Wakesurf community... or at least look more bad ass to her friends =). Her and her family were very happy with the gesture appreciation through the lens.

Here it is:

YouTube (Short URL)

Alexander

[Doug Jensen]

Nice stuff! I'd like to have seen some closer shots too. The lens does have a zoom! :-)

[Alexander Azzi]

Thanks Doug. I did a few panning close ups of the boat before boarding and one of the Wakesurf boards laying on the read deck etc.. but like anything regarding shooting footage, some things make it to the cutting room floor and that stuff took away the focus of the sudden idea of focusing on one subject. There is that fairly tight headshot in the beginning after she boards the boat I put in.. I know its not action, but still is in slow motion.

I love this camera.. I wish I could shoot literally everything I see and make a story out of it.

Alexander Azzi
Manchester, NH - USA
**Sony PXW-Z280 user**

[Keith Forman]

I really like the camera as well however there is one thing which I am deeply troubled by. The zoom handle zoom speed set to the lowest speed is unbelievably fast. I shoot a lot of professional level dance and slow smooth zooms are required. The rocker is too unreliable for me... Too much pressure and it it too fast. Not enough pressure and it does not zoom or is jumpy. With my x-200 I can set the handle zoom to about 4 and get a nice consistent speed. I spoke to Sony and they said this is the way the z-280 camera is supposed to be. It is almost as if the engineers at Sony have never watched a TV show. External zoom controllers are the same so that is not an option.

[Doug Jensen]

"Deeply troubled" by the zoom speed, huh? Wow, I would have never guessed something that seems so minor to me would lead to such anguish for someone else. :-) The zoom is 18 seconds long on the Z280, how long was it on the the X200? The slowest I ever recall seeing on a Sony camera was 22 seconds, which isn't that much slower than 18. How much slower was the X200?

Keith, I see you're doing a lot of stuff at Williams. Do yo know my wife's cousin, David Dewey?

[Keith Forman]

The slowest speed on the x-200 is actually 91 seconds and the z-280 is about 20.

Yes I know Dave. We occasionally work together and he is a really great guy.

[Doug Jensen]

91 seconds, yeah that is reeeeeeeeally slow.

[Keith Forman]

I usually set the x-200 for about half that speed and do not go from full zoom out to full in--mostly medium shots.. The handle zoom on the x-200 also ramps up and down nicely. The professional choreographers I work with do not want multiple cameras so zooms are important. The z-280 speed is so fast that it looks like someone from a cable access TV station is doing the work. I am forced to use my x-200 until and if Sony changes the speed in a future firmware update.

[Chris Hurd]

91 seconds, now that's what I'd call a Mike Wallace zoom.