Any one Recieved their Z7

[Chad Dyle]

Originally Posted by Brian Rhodes

1080 30P -3GAIN
The cams are close in lowlight performance with the XDCAM EX being slightly better with lower noise.

NIGHT CLIP
http://www.dvdaction.net/dvdaction_009.htm


1.The Z7 is Better Balanced than the XDCAM EX
2.Z7 The Hand grip does not rotate
3.Very close to the XDCAM in Low light
4.No built in stereo mic
5.The Z7 has more nosier than the EX
6.I have not had a chance to try the CF unit, if you use the shoe bracket from the DR60 you cam mount the CF unit to another cam.
7.I like the variable frame rates, Rotating Grip and the Over cranking on the XDCAM EX
8.Cheaper media on the Z7. I shoot training Videos some of these shoots are 3 to four days 8hrs per day.

You can not go wrong with choosing either one of theses cams. I will upload somemore clips m2t files later.

Chirs can you send me instruction on how to upload clips to the clips section on your site. BKr5000@yahoo.com

Brian,

Can you tell me more about the settings you were using? I've been using an FX-1 and this camera is obviously more Manual. I liked the Auto/Manual features of the FX-1, but now I've moved up to a big boy camera. I'm still getting more grain than I would like. Can you make any suggestions? I wish I could find a "So you just upgraded from an FX-1" book somewhere :)

[Bruce Ostrout]

I've found the Z7 to be almost the same as the Z1/FX1 in sensitivity and noise. The Z7 is better in low light than the Z1 at the telephoto end because the lens is faster. 2.o at full tele vs 2.8 on the Z1. At the same gain illumination at extreme low light both cams seem to have very similar grain patterns

[Chad Dyle]

From just playing around with the camera (inside), I seem to be having some focus issues on auto. I'm still debating if the camera can be trusted on Auto for some situations or not.

[Andy Wilkinson]

Hmm! Keep these objective posts coming as there is a keen and eager audience waiting to find out if this camera is any good or not, certainly in my house there is!

[Chris Hurd]

Originally Posted by Chad Dyle

...with the camera (inside), I seem to be having some focus issues on auto.

Chad I'm not doubting you or questioning your experience in any way, but I feel compelled to point out that this claim is most often made by folks who don't fully understand how auto focus works... AF works by measuring contrast, and therefore AF *needs light* in order to function properly. AF on any camcorder suffers indoors due to low contrast lighting. I'm just saying, focus issues on auto should be expected from any HD camcorder when shooting indoors. I doubt this is anything specific to this particular camera.

[Bruce Ostrout]

Also HD makes it much easier to notice focus issues that are not in SD. It is harder to focus manually with HD which makes it equally harder for the auto focus to maintain focus.

[Chad Dyle]

Chris,

Your exactly right. We have had nothing but rain here the past 2 days and I've been stuck inside with the camera. I took it outside this morning and it was fine. I guess what I consider decent lighting is not shared by the camera.

I'll be shooting with it this weekend at a very well lit church (St. Louis Cathedral), we will then do a 2nd Line to Pat O'Briens for the reception. I'll try to post some footage on Sunday of what I got. I'm going to try to get the camera on my Glidecam 4000 as well.

[Chris Hurd]

Originally Posted by Chad Dyle

I guess what I consider decent lighting is not shared by the camera.

Well... not shared by HD in general.

You're making me miss New Orleans; it's been about a year since I was last there.

[Ryan Lester]

Originally Posted by Chad Dyle

Chris,

Your exactly right. We have had nothing but rain here the past 2 days and I've been stuck inside with the camera. I took it outside this morning and it was fine. I guess what I consider decent lighting is not shared by the camera.

I'll be shooting with it this weekend at a very well lit church (St. Louis Cathedral), we will then do a 2nd Line to Pat O'Briens for the reception. I'll try to post some footage on Sunday of what I got. I'm going to try to get the camera on my Glidecam 4000 as well.

Ahhhh Pat O'briens. Gees i had some big nights there. :-)

Chad.... try and get a night shot of the fountain out the back in the garden section using no added light. Turned out awesome in my PD170 and would be interested in seeing how it looks in the Z7.

[Robert M Wright]

Does the Z7 produce a sharper image than a FX1 or Z1?

[Laurence Kingston]

Originally Posted by Robert M Wright

Does the Z7 produce a sharper image than a FX1 or Z1?

Well keep in mind that an FX1 or Z1 shoots in interlaced of frame mode. This means that your actual vertical resolution is a maximum of 540 lines since even and odd lines are averaged for more gain. In the progressive "frame" modes, the 540 lines are doubled so this doesn't buy you any increase in resolution either.

On a Z7 you have true 24p and 30p modes which use all 1080 lines, thus your actual resolution in one of the progressive modes is 1440x1080p.

If you are shooting 60i, this drops down to 1440x540 just like on the Z1 or FX1.

So if are shooting 60i, you'll have the same resolution, but if you are shooting progressive, it is twice as sharp vertically.

[Kenny Pai]

Originally Posted by Laurence Kingston

If you are shooting 60i, this drops down to 1440x540 just like on the Z1 or FX1.

So if are shooting 60i, you'll have the same resolution, but if you are shooting progressive, it is twice as sharp vertically.

Z7 has two progressive modes, Native Progressive Recording and Progressive Scan.

-The 1080/24p or 30p footage can be recorded in the Native mode as a progressive signal.

-The segmented frame 1080/24p or 30p can be recorded in Scan mode.
The scan mode divides a frame to two fields and recorded them as 60i on a tape.

There is no difference of resolution between these two modes.