Sony PMW-EX1 (aka XDCAM EX) Official Thread

Hi all,

Creative video in the UK are now taking orders..Here is the details...

Creative PMW-EX1 link

At less than £5K its better than I thought....

Dive safe

DeanB

Edited by Moderator for content

Now all we need is an EX with 4:2:2 color XDCAM HD 50mpbs.

 

Any housing manufacturer who hasn't got these dimensions please feel free to use them. And please make a good housing with all the tidbits.

What do you think, is it possible with a later firmware upgrade or we have to buy a new camcorder?

Since the CMOS are recording 4:2:2, the downgrading is done in its CPU... The speed of the SxS cards seems to be enough for 50mpbs, isn't it?

Why would they cannibalize their PDW sales? The only advantage left is the interchangeable lens, 50mbps and maybe the disc system.

I doubt it's firmware since it's the ESP that does the compression.

Why would they cannibalize their PDW sales? The only advantage left is the interchangeable lens, 50mbps and maybe the disc system.

 

I doubt it's firmware since it's the ESP that does the compression.

Why, why? To help us to make better key and secondary color correction

Just a question: as I see the camcorder has a "lens remote" control. Since I have never used a camcorder which had this function I do not know how many functions can be controlled, but for the first sight, it seems promising, especially for the electronic housings...

Just a question: as I see the camcorder has a "lens remote" control. Since I have never used a camcorder which had this function I do not know how many functions can be controlled, but for the first sight, it seems promising, especially for the electronic housings...

This protocol is not entirely new although it is a long way from the simplicity of a LANC cable.

Circuit_for_Lens_demand.ppt

The LCD on the camera also swivels out and around rather than out and over like the Z1 - what this means is no convenient viewing window.

The Sony wide angle adaptor for the EX1 is very high quality and has full zoom through capability, as quoted by well respected Allister Chapman on DVInfo. http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?t=103649

Sony have a matching wide angle adapter for the EX1. We tested it on our shoot and it performed very very well with full zoom through capability.

Dan

We are in the process of finding out if this format will be acceptable by the major networks around the world to film HD productions with.

It's much better than 3 CCD HDV by the sounds of things and holds up much better in Post.

I think there's a good chance this will be my next camera, unless I have a rush of RED blood to the head and sell the house.

I notice the filter thread is 77mm, so a step-down ring would be needed for a 72mm Century diopter. Although I'd probably machine the threads off mine and fit it into a flip arm. I hope the housing manufacturers leave me room for a flip CC filter too.

I also notice it doesn't have the FX1-Z1 style flip-up LCD, so it looks like we're definitely talking external monitors for this one. I hope the cam will output exposure etc. info to an external (which the FX1/Z1 apparently won't).

I should think the housing manufacturers are in now full flight designing for this one, so it's now or never to let them know what we want.

Personally I'm hoping for access to as many manual controls as possible, especially focus and zoom, but additional electronic controls for auto-focus and momentary auto-focus (which I often want to do mid-shot without a wobble but which I find cumbersome as manual controls).

I think the manufacturers will be a little silly not to include more than one flip arm for diopters etc...and an external monitor will be a must as will manual focus / exposure control...Thats just for starters...

Made me laugh when I heard they designed the red housing with gusto...As I think the EX will shift more units as with the cost issue...

Come on housing peeps..keep up

Dive safe

DeanB

The EX1 does not have LANC, which is needed for our electronic controls. Instead, it has a Fujinon lens controller which has limited (for us) functions. I can do "Record", "Zoom", and I believe last clip playback. That is pretty much it, and will be a little more difficult to implement into a housing. I'm looking very seriously at the EX1. The camera LCD will be unusable in a practical way for uw video housings.

Dan

The only electronic control I will miss is momentary auto focus (switching into manual focus) and switching back to auto focus. That's one I like to use mid-shot without a wobble, which is very difficult with previous manual controls I've used. The rest I'm quite happy with as manual controls, and if they don't fit my fingers I'll modify them until they do.

My first post and I'm already raging on. MPEG I-frame encoding is OK for talking heads, but full action or underwater? I have my doubts. HDV has many issues. I wouldn't jump too soon. May pros are trying to dump HDV gear, unless they shoot wedding. I'm sure it's a nice camera, but is it the best for underwater? If you say so... What do you call the streak on this [attached] frame? Poor encoded I-frame HDV, can't handle light? I call it 'Simply Unacceptable'.

regards,

What do you call the streak on this [attached] frame?

Dan

What do you call the streak on this [attached] frame? Poor encoded I-frame HDV, can't handle light?

That's smear which is a characteristic of CCD sensors. Nothing to do with the video format.

As Mr Hope says, the video smearing effect is more associated with 1/3" and smaller CCD. Bigger CCD sensors cameras have anti-smearing DSP which minimize this phenomena. CMOS sensors are much better at handling smearing due to the way the sensors reactor to high overexposure.

CMOS sensors has its downside, light sensitivity and rolling shutter effect being the most glaring. However, I've never been able to pan fast enough underwater for it to be a problem.

On the viability of HDV for u/w use, I'd say it's 3rd best choice for HD formats right now. 1 and 2 are up for grabs. The P2/DVCPro HD format is 4:2:2 color and looks great. But the resolution from the HVX200 is a lot less than it's competitors. The HVX200 is the direct competitor for the EX1, and in many cases, the grandfather of all 3 sensor solid state media based camcorders.

The new 35mbps VBR codec of the EX1 is very promising but still only captures 4:2:0 and it shows. Still Discovery and Nat Geo have accepted it as a broadcast program capture format but not for the EX1.

It's a big camera and the housings for it will be likewise bigger. I've only seen raw clips from the EX1 but not played with it on a NLE. What the EX1 brings to the table is 1/2" sensors, where the lowlight sensitivity is improved over the smaller HDV sensors and multi-system, multi-fps recording.

Part of the lowlight gain is offset by the DOF characteristics of the bigger sensor. To get the same big DOF of a 1/3" camera, a 1/2" sensor camera has to stop down more.

Hence the EX1 is an exciting product , but like any product, it has pros and cons. One has to know what they want to know which product to choose.

Drew you are full of knowledge.

We are waiting on written world as well that it will be an OKAY capture format for an upcoming assignment.

If so then It looks like I'll be playing with it...the camera that is.....

Word is the XDCAM EX is slightly behind the XDCAM HD version which stands up pretty good to full 120mbps HD.

I've even been reading on diff forums that the Ex is a better option than the RED...In many cases..??

Its all hearsay until we find out the truth...I know its out there....

Anyway isn't the EX is HD not HDV as said many times...

Dive safe

DeanB

Drew, any idea how Canon are likely to respond to these new cams?

Drew, any idea how Canon are likely to respond to these new cams?

By buying a shed load...

Dive safe

DeanB