Webbie HD---New Sony CMOS Camcorder

[J. Stephen McDonald]

No forum for this pair of new models, so I'll put it here. The samples I've seen from it online have been very sharp, but flawed due to rolling-shutter when it's panned. For a camera that encodes at only 4 and 6 Mbps in AVCHD, the images look pretty good. Be sure to read the excellent review by FineArtsVideo on this Sony website for the Webbie HD:
Webbie HD Camera

This might be a cheap 2nd-line backup camcorder for emergency use, at only $200., with a 38-190mm zoom lens in the 1080p mode. It takes 5-MP stills and has a 3:2 photo mode.
I'll test it as soon as a local store carries it and post some photos and videos online.

[J. Stephen McDonald]

Michael Smith has posted a review of the Webbie HD, with two short video clips, one in 720p and one in 1080p.
Diffusion at michaelsmith.tv » Sony ‘Webbie HD’ MHS-CM1 Full Review

[J. Stephen McDonald]

Whatever the difference is between that and AVCHD? There are 16 sample videos from the Webbie HD on Vimeo. Most are poorly-shot, but a few nicely show the camera's surprisingly good capabilities, when placed in the right hands. Do a search on camera models in the upper-right corner of the Vimeo page. Look at the snowboarding video by The Knife Fight, for a good demonstration of shooting it under adverse conditions.

[J. Stephen McDonald]

Here's a video about birds in a park, that I shot with a Webbie HD CM1, in the 720p mode. I used my latest steady-mount that I built to go with it. It has no image stabilizer. It was shot in the early evening, with the last scenes not long before sunset. The original was recorded at a base bit-rate of 4 Mbps in VBR, which can range up to about 4.6 Mbps, as the picture content requires. I edited it on AVS Video Editor 4, into Xvid/MP4 at 8 Mbps. If you subscribe for a free account at Vimeo, you can download the full uploaded file, for better quality than their heavily-compressed direct playback provides. There's about a dozen Webbie HD videos on my album and a photo on one, shows the steady-mount. If you have broadband, be sure to click on the full-size icon at the right of the progress bar.
Birds in the Park on Vimeo

[J. Stephen McDonald]

I just discovered that Windows Movie Maker 6 for Vista, will nicely edit and publish Webbie HD video. To make it work on the editing board, after the folder for it has been imported, click on the down-arrow on Picture and Video Files at the lower-right corner and click on All Files, on the bottom line.

WMM 6 works with the MP4/H.264/AVC files from a Webbie HD, but will not edit MP4/H.264/MOV files from the Canon cameras that use that format, such as the SX1, the 5D Mark II and several other new models. It will pull the MOV video onto the editing page and show the thumbnail picture, but nothing plays in the preview window.

I'm wondering if WMM 6 will work with AVCHD videos. As soon as I find a raw AVCHD file on the Web, I'll test it.

[J. Stephen McDonald]

Originally Posted by J. Stephen McDonald

I just discovered that Windows Movie Maker 6 for Vista, will nicely edit and publish Webbie HD video. To make it work on the editing board, after the folder for it has been imported, click on the down-arrow on Picture and Video Files at the lower-right corner and click on All Files, on the bottom line.

WMM 6 works with the MP4/H.264/AVC files from a Webbie HD, but will not edit MP4/H.264/MOV files from the Canon cameras that use that format, such as the SX1, the 5D Mark II and several other new models. It will pull the MOV video onto the editing page and show the thumbnail picture, but nothing plays in the preview window.

I'm wondering if WMM 6 will work with AVCHD videos. As soon as I find a raw AVCHD file on the Web, I'll test it.

I've found several Sony HX1 HD-video clips online, in their original MP4/H.264/AVC format. Windows Movie Maker 6 for Vista will edit them, at least if you have a fast enough computer. This is the same format used with the Webbie HD. The HX1 digital camera shoots 1440 X 1080p and 1280 X 720p. It uses a VBR encoding rate of 12 Mbps and 9 Mbps, for the two pixel-sizes. The camera will be available at the end of this month for an MSRP of $500. I don't know if the earlier version of WMM for XP will handle the AVC format. This is one new MPEG-4 format that will be easy for anyone to edit with the program that comes with the Vista OS.

[William Smyth]

I'm late to the game on this, but I love this camera - for certain projects.

[J. Stephen McDonald]

William, that looks very steady for a camcorder without image stabilization. How did you hold it for shooting? Did you use the 1080p or 720p mode? I seem to get better results in 720p with my Webbie HD. It makes a good backup camcorder for places like you used it and don't want to risk an expensive model in the salt water.

We've got a big oyster-farming industry out here in Oregon and Washington and have restored the small Olympia oysters to many beds where they were wiped out in earlier times.