[Ian Campbell]

Hello,

Here's a review I've written of the new Vortex training title, "Mastering the Sony HVR-Z7U and HVR-S270" . . . I hope this information is useful . . .

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My three top recommendations regarding the new Vortex Media "Mastering the Sony HVR-Z7U and HVR-S270" training DVD are -- 1. BUY IT . . . 2. BUY IT . . . 3. BUY IT! I ordered it at the Vortex website last Friday and I’ve watched it twice already . . . it’s awesome.

This new training DVD from Vortex is top-notch from start to finish. It’s not the first training DVD to reach the market for the Sony HVR-Z7U, but it is the best by a long mile. I now own two different Z7U training DVD’s and this is the one the offers the goods – it fully covers all of the core features and settings. This certainly isn’t the case with my other Z7U training disc. As an example, the other DVD I purchased only alludes to the new “focus marking” feature that Sony offers on the Z7U, whereas the new DVD by Doug Jensen gives a full account of what focus marking is . . . Jensen skillfully illustrates how to use this new feature. He also carefully and effectively instructs us in the use of the new compact flash unit which Sony debuted with the Z7U. The other Z7U training disc that I purchased (by another author) flubbed his way though this portion of the training, leaving me with little or no useful information on compact flash recording.

In a perfect world, Sony would be including Jensen’s disc with every camera shipped since the training and tips go way beyond what the manual conveys – thus making it the perfect companion for the Z7U.

After watching "Mastering the Sony HVR-Z7U and HVR-S270"it is apparent that Doug Jensen has spent a lot of long hours with the camera. A great deal of time and effort goes into how he supports his training – utilizing lots of quality footage shot with the Z7U. The first disc I bought, prior to buying Jensen’s, barely has any sample footage shot with the camera. I'm not sure if the presenter on that other video really has the full grasp of what the Z7U is all about or knows how to effectively demonstrate its feature set. Just one example of how Jensen effectively uses Z7U footage is in his side-by-side comparison of what the camera’s default image looks like, out-of-the-box, compared to several picture profile examples. I really like that Doug Jensen shares some of his favorite settings. He is cautious about his suggestions, reminding the viewer that picture profiles and other setting choices all boil down to the subjective nature of personal preference. Right from the start of the DVD I knew that Jensen was on the right track. In chapter two Doug takes us on a tour of the camera. Every time he shows or mentions something which will be explained in detail in later chapters, there is a graphic which appears on screen indicating which chapter to navigate to in order to get the full story of that detail instantly. Very nice indeed.

I have a few other Vortex titles – and have come to rely on them all. This is the first camera training DVD that I’ve seen where Doug Jensen hosts. The others I own are written by Jensen, but are fronted by professional hosts. It’s an added bonus to have the author of the material step forward and share his knowledge on-camera directly with us. This is a nice touch. I mentioned earlier that Jensen has spent appreciable time with the camera. After doing some shooting and then determining what the Z7U has to offer, he goes about his work. First, he makes great choices in how he presents his training. He has the rare talent of making difficult things seems simple. He works from a well crafted script - which serves the training well – since in three hours he covers more than I would expect one could. Some skilled trainers are overly verbose, making things way more complex than they actually are and in the process end up taking time away from the training. One stand out moment is how quickly and perfectly Jensen explains time code. He even improves upon his similar explanation of time code from his "A Complete Guide to the HVR-Z1U" DVD. A nice addition to the disc is seeing Jensen attach a Fujinon accessory lens to the Z7U camera body. In fact, Jensen includes valuable footage which he’s shot with the Z7U using a couple of non-Zeiss lenses. The comparison of these lenses against the stock Zeiss lens is wonderful. This demo will have you drooling if you’ve been waiting for an HDV camera that allows for the creative freedom of lens choices and options. Sweet. He is quick, however, to inform that the use of a non-Zeiss lens means giving up the use of “shot transition” and other camera functions. It’s important to note that as he extols the virtues of certain “cool” features, he’s also taken the time to uncover any side-effects that may occur from their use. As fair warning to shooters recording with the compact flash recording unit, Jensen demonstrates how when hitting the “stop” button you may not be recording all the video you thought you just shot. His workaround is perfect and simple – don’t be “trigger happy”.

I should mention that the disc is beautiful looking. It’s a straight forward, clean, and well shot presentation which includes lots of stunning footage examples he’s shot with his Z7U. I find I trust the advice more from someone like Jensen who knows how to produce, shoot and edit great training support material compared to those who offer marginally acceptable training DVD’s. In other words, when this project is presented as professionally as it is, it lends credence to the credentials of the trainer.

There are lots of invaluable tips that the author shares which I wouldn’t have likely stumbled upon on my own. The “Focus” chapter alone gives me added insight into the focusing capabilities the Z7U has with what Jensen terms “hybrid focusing”.

The first Z7U training DVD I purchased is riddled not only with misinformation, but in my opinion is poorly shot and it’s incomplete too. You see the host talking about camera accessories, for an example, which are supposed to be shown on-screen – but never appear! It’s sloppy and poorly edited. The misinformation is plentiful – more than I cite here. For an example the host says that there is no difference when setting the auto gain control to "off" or to "O". Ouch! This mistake alone can trip someone up majorly. In the audio chapter of this DVD I couldn't figure out what "automatic manual gain" was all about that the host talks about. I went to the Z7U owners manual to try to get more information, only to find he is referring to "Audio Manual Gain" (not automatic) -- now THAT makes sense. Another glaring error is found when the presenter shows us how to use the assignable RET button on the stock Zeiss lens. Yes, indeed he does show a button, but it's NOT the RET button as he says and illustrates -- it's another button (the L1 or L2 button) that he's already addressed properly. He doesn't seem to know that the RET button isn't found on either this lens or camera, or any other Carl Zeiss lens as far as I know. It's a button found only on other accessory lenses. I hate to sound critical, but it's my opinion it’s a poor effort. It’s fair to comment that it’s both sloppy and lacking especially after spending a fair bit for a DVD which has me scratching my head for answers, only to find the manual often at odds with what is said / shown on his DVD.

And now that a new Z7U training DVD by Jensen does say it all so nicely in a beautifully organized fashion, I want to share the differences from my perspective between the first video I bought and Jensen’s Z7U DVD set. The two offerings are night and day in terms of quality of training, accuracy of information and presentation. Jensen’s disc is far and away the true contender. I want to support the Jensen effort for two reasons. First, for me a new camera kind of exists in a void until it’s properly understood. Jensen’s material really helps in this department. And the other reason I write this review is that I hope that Jensen and others of his caliber continue to support the next generation of cameras with training materials. Without the sales and our support we likely won’t have these tools made available in the future – especially when the market for these titles is relatively small.

If you are looking for a tool to help demystify the Z7U and its daunting feature set, I highly recommend "Mastering the Sony HVR-Z7U and HVR-S270". Not only have I learned a lot about the camera and its settings . . . I also find this DVD helps me re-examine the ways I shoot and gives me the confidence to rely more on manual settings and not worry about playing it safe in the “auto” world.

A couple of minor criticisms: I wish there had been a little more information about some of the gamma settings and color settings such X.V. It would have been interesting to learn a little more about things I am still hoping to better understand. But as Jensen says in the DVD, there isn’t time to get into all the settings. If I had my way, the DVD would have a running time of nine hours long, or so. I’m, however, pretty happy with what is offered at running time of 3 hours.

The Vortex Media website has a fair bit of information about this new DVD. The text I read there states that the cost of the $90.00 disc set should repay itself many times over. That's true. Believe me; if you are professional shooter who is serious about getting the most from your HVR-Z7U -- I have no doubt that "Mastering the Sony HVR-Z7U and HVR-S270"is one unbeatable bargain.

So, if my above ramblings about the new Z7U DVD sound like a sponsored endorsement – they aren’t. I’m happy to personally endorse something I value which already contributes to my better shooting and my improved understanding of my Z7U.

Ian