Sealux / SONY PMW-EX1 Review

Hi All,

I've been getting bugged via email on this one so it's time to release it... I sent it to Sealux for review at the weekend, and they read it on Monday morning and passed no comment to me, so i assume they do not have any response to the issues i have highlighted in the review, as i offered to add their responses in the webpage.

This is by no means a complete review, as even though i have had the housing in my hands since christmas - i am have spent my dives tweaking the balance and only done test dives.

I will be finalising balance when i get back to the resort next week, and after that i will play with the wide-angle port and Super macro with Century Dioptres.

I am reasonably satisfied with the housing, and think it's optics will be great once the housing is stable in the water. Although, i am a little disheartend that it needs to be tweaked, but at the same time i do enjoy doing the stuff to make it work.

If anyone else has used the housing, please speak up as i'd like to know how many before me have used the housing, and what their experiences were.

Here's the linky:

http://www.buxtonphotographic.com/diary-pa...-1-housing.html

Thanks and nice job, Simon. Mike, pls write up a front page post so we can link it to the front page.

I like the smelted lead weights but wouldn't fishing weights be easier? Also how much weight do you think you'll need to balance it right? Would you have to travel with those weights or would it be easy to rig up something wherever you go?

If you want, I can send you some res charts to test the optics. You'll need a good printer to reproduce them but they estimate resolution and distortion pretty well. It's much easier than travelling with res charts and such.

Suggestion for the EVF angle: Make a shim that is correct for the height to align with the housing vf. S&S had them for the VX pro housings. Do you think the OVF angle allows enough light into the evf to fry it? That's always been an issue with magnified OVF.

Every housing needs to be tweaked a litte... it's called personalization. I think the only 3x sensor housings I've ever tested that were well balanced out of the box were the Amphibico ones and to a lesser extent, the S&S VX2000 Pro (but only with the monitor back).

Regarding Gates delivery to Asia. They have agents/dealers in every country in South East Asia, except for Laos, Cambodia, Brunei and Myanmar. Sealux has one agent for Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore. You may wish to rephrase the getting it to South East Asia part.

i don't know what EVF means so i cant make a front page post

Yeah, i've been spoilt by Amphibico in the past when it comes to balance. Fair comment on the Gates.

The fishing weights would have been multiple pieces, so i calculated the weight using fishing lead, then made 1 unit for each side. Still needs tweaking though.

When i get back, i'll be tweaking the buoyancy and can give accurate weights. I'd much rather make them at home and travel with them than try and sort it out on location, although in lembeh we do have very nice shaped lead bars at the hardware store

My amphibico had a shim for the EVF, i was thinking of making one - but on the EX1 there isn't a whole lot of room.

Please could you email me the testing chart? I can get it printed whilst im still in Jakarta.

The thing that really sucks is the Iris control wheel, if i hadnt noticed it struggling it might have burned out the motor drive for that pretty quickly.

Ardu! Siapa Auto Iris? Tolong, dapat manual!

Hahaha,

I have mostly used it in manual But, it could do with a warning on there that it could potentially break the cam if used in auto - i cant prove it but i'm sure it cant be good.

As an aside, i want to get a monitor... Has anyone tried the ones from the polish guy on here? I sent a pm but got no reply

Ok, So i need to do the lens test tomorrow, does anyone have any tips on how to do it and keep the results constant?

Cheers

Make sure light is same and constant so you can use the same settings. Don't go higher than F5.6 to help fight diffraction. Test at full wide, middle and full telephoto (obviously with the WA and without), moving the res chart or housing and not the zoom. Use a high enough shutter speed to prevent soft images from motion.

Obviously, make sure you fill the screen within the 16:9 marks on the chart. Then take out Mike's Phenom and do the same to compare at one focal length just for kicks. If you do it quickly you can probably tape the res chart in the rinse tank and do it there. The ink will probably start dissolving in 20-30 mins. Then the paper

Thanks Drew. Will do it asap.

OKey Dokey,

Took it diving today and i'm somewhat happy with it now.

Will post lens test stuff once i work out how to archive the clips... I'm using Mac, but in the future i want to use windows for editing too... so i dont want to log using FCP unless it gives me a better quality result. I want to use try sony software, but i cannot access the transfer feature for a clip, it's greyed out all the time. It's driving me insane. Anyone have any clues?

FCP works fine, and i have the SxS driver etc.

:)

Ahh, i was on version 1.0, downloanding version 2.0 now

Bloody technology. I MISS TAPE!

Bloody technology. I MISS TAPE!

Ha ha.... I don't reckon you will say that when you don't have to wait 60 mins for log and capture!!!!!

OKey Dokey,

 

Took it diving today and i'm somewhat happy with it now.

Well thats more positive bro... Glad its starting to come together (bishop actress blah blah)...

Dive safe

DeanB

Yes and No, it's faster to capture with card. But i now have to worry about what format to archive in and all the other techno babble about which is the best codec etc.

Confused doesnt even come close to my state of mind lastnight. In the end i just 'threw the tape in the box' by copying my original files to my raid array.

Hi all...here I am...still alive.......got abit lost there for abit.

Look like you are having fun there Simon and look forward to reading you review.

Go and download you know what to cut up those clips

Then edit the raw clips in full res easy as.

Arrr yes then big question, how do I archive all this material without using mechanical hard drives. ...and how long is that going to take....

I just built a fast Quad Q8300 PC

Twin 22 inch LCD screens

4 GIGs ram

512 meg twin port graphics card

Wireless Keyboard / mouse

Hardrives

Gig Lan port

Firewire port

estate port

500 watt power

Dual layer DVD burner etc.

Webam with built in mike

All in one very cool looking gaming tower.

TOTAl = 1,800 AUS...... includes GST.......

It runs rings around these cluncky $$$ Macs in the office here.

Hey Wags !!!!!

Long time no speak...

Simon: blu ray discs maybe (hopefully thats right with my VERY limited knowledge)

Wags: Your be changing to solid state as soon as your 'masters' get the housings out... I've missed you bro...

Dive safe

DeanB

Simon, archive in native for the clips always. Going to a bigger codec format doesn't gain you anything. 1TB Green power drives are now about $100 a pop. 1.5TB are out and so will the 2.0TB.

Yep,

I'm archiving the whole BPAV file as that seems to be the only way to do it and it still work with the sony software, is there a cross platform keywording/archival software a la iview that works with ex1 files? or am i stuck with the Sony thing?

Done lens tests with the standard lens, will do the wide lens when i get the motivation to get the hex wrenches out to disconnect the swing filter arm.

I Finally heard back from Sealux over the weekend. Hopefully now that BOOT has finished i will see some progress here. I will update shortly