Sony Z1 and FX1 various questions 2004 - 2005

Shannon Rawls · March 15th, 2005, 12:30 AM

identical.

Barry Green · March 15th, 2005, 01:37 AM

If you're talking about standard-def material, you can import that directly and use the "file format properties" option to remove the pulldown, leaving 24 distinct frames. Still doesn't look like 24p, it has the odd jerky 1/3 - 2/3 motion signature of CF24, but you can edit it as 24 distinct frames.

Your frameserving idea would probably allow doing so for the high-def material (Vegas currently doesn't allow removing pulldown from HD material as far as I know). The motion signature will still be off, but I think it would indeed let you access the individual frames.

Carl Merritt · March 15th, 2005, 11:29 AM

Looking for probable 3-day to 1-week rental in Maryland, June 6-10.

Anyone have one around here?

Thanks in advance.

Carl Merritt · March 15th, 2005, 11:43 AM

Actually I found a place now -

FWIW:
Video Equipment Rentals

Eric James · March 15th, 2005, 03:23 PM

I posted this in another thread and it got burried in other issues so I decided to make my own thread.

Quick Question for those in the know. I've been messing around with just about eveything inside and outside this camera and I have also grown to love CF30. Here's my question:

Is there a drawback to using the cam without CF30 but with the shutter speed set to 30?

To me it looks even better(motion wise) and it looks the same (image qual wise) but the huge advantage gained is that you get twice as much light. For me this is great because the only thing I don't like about my FX1 is how much light it needs. I know that using CF30 can end up costing you vertical resolution so I assume the same is true with a shuttle speed of 30, can anyone verify this?

Thanks in advance,
Eric James

Jeff McCutcheon · March 15th, 2005, 03:47 PM

As I understand it, a 1/30th shutter speed reduces resolution by 1/2. I do not know whether that means half of the CCD (520 as CF 30 supposedly provides) or half of the resolving power (I've been told that the Z1 only resolves 750-800 lines due to "twitter" and odd things I don't understand about the interlaced format)

It LOOKS to me like it provides one clean field (520 lines, thus giving 520x1440 progressive and twice the light with a nice motion blur) but that just my opinion from looking at it in the store ( I don't own one) I tried just about every option though, and the 1/30th shutter was by far the best.

I just wonder how it transfers to film at 24 frames? Seems like the 1/25th shutter would be better suited... but does that give too much motion blur? (They didn't have a Z1 in the store)

Jeff

Mike Tiffee · March 17th, 2005, 10:34 AM

Has anyone compared the HDV -> SD 4:3 center-cut output and native 4:3 DV recording? Is this setting only on the analog outputs or does it apply to the HDV>DV 1394 output as well?

Christopher C. Murphy · March 21st, 2005, 05:24 PM

Hey all,

Do you think this software would help with our motion sickness?

http://www.istabilize.de/index.html

It "stabilizes" crappy footage and we only need to to stabilize a little. Maybe it'll help with our problem of shooting high motion and getting strobbing?

Kurth Bousman · March 21st, 2005, 06:00 PM

Will this work on HDV footage ? It is cheap . I posted about 2 months ago if anyone had used it on dv but got no response - I'd love to hear some feedback also. thanks Kurth

Eric Fu · March 28th, 2005, 11:34 PM

Does anyone add a shotgun mic on FX1? What kind of bracket will fit? I do still need the "show adapter" for lights.

Thank you in advanced.

Eric

Carlos E. Martinez · March 31st, 2005, 07:16 PM

I might be late on this one, or did someone already mention this comparison test by Walter Graff?

http://www.bluesky-web.com/dv-5-cameras.htm

Intriguing to say the least.

Walter seems a bit biased against HDV though...

Carlos

Colvin Eccleston · April 1st, 2005, 03:07 AM

What sort of service life should we expect from the Z1 before it has to go into the workshop? Do you think there will be a difference to the FX1? Do you have a set number of hours that you schedule check-ups?

Colvin Eccleston · April 2nd, 2005, 07:18 PM

Has anyone used something like the Century teleconverter lens on the FX1/Z1 yet, particularly as a portrait lens?

David Cherniack · April 5th, 2005, 10:10 AM

Glancing through the Z1 manual it appears that interval recording is non existant for this camera. All it has is frame record in manual dv/dvcam mode? Has anyone discovered otherwise?

Sheesh..

Steven White · April 5th, 2005, 10:26 AM

Hi all,

This month I'm going on a 3 day road trip with my FX1, and am planning to make a (humorous) documentary of it. I have absolutely NO idea what's going to happen, but I was wondering what mode I should shoot it on - CF30 or 60i - so I thought I'd ask for some advice. The final destination of the footage will primarily be the web (DVD as well - but web first).

My suspicion is that CF30 will provide a much easier workflow and retain better resolution from an in-camera down-convert to DV for editing if I don't have HD editing software by then.

I know 60i is theoretically safer for "run and gun" type stuff... but if I have to deinterlace to 30p for the web, I see little point on making the compression work harder. If I could do native editing I'd for sure go this route.

What say you? How do you like your documentaries?

*note: this isn't going to be some "film-look" documentary... this is going to be a "I was there, and see what you missed" kind of thing.

-Steve

March 15th, 2005, 11:29 AM	#153
Carl Merritt Regular Crew Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 60	Z1 Rental in Maryland? Looking for probable 3-day to 1-week rental in Maryland, June 6-10. Anyone have one around here? Thanks in advance.

March 15th, 2005, 03:23 PM	#155
Eric James Regular Crew Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 126	CF30 or SS30 I posted this in another thread and it got burried in other issues so I decided to make my own thread. Quick Question for those in the know. I've been messing around with just about eveything inside and outside this camera and I have also grown to love CF30. Here's my question: Is there a drawback to using the cam without CF30 but with the shutter speed set to 30? To me it looks even better(motion wise) and it looks the same (image qual wise) but the huge advantage gained is that you get twice as much light. For me this is great because the only thing I don't like about my FX1 is how much light it needs. I know that using CF30 can end up costing you vertical resolution so I assume the same is true with a shuttle speed of 30, can anyone verify this? Thanks in advance, Eric James

March 17th, 2005, 10:34 AM	#157
Mike Tiffee Regular Crew Join Date: Oct 2004 Posts: 150	Z1 SD comparison Has anyone compared the HDV -> SD 4:3 center-cut output and native 4:3 DV recording? Is this setting only on the analog outputs or does it apply to the HDV>DV 1394 output as well?

March 21st, 2005, 05:24 PM	#158
Christopher C. Murphy Trustee Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Boston, MA Posts: 1,707	"istabilize" - software to help with motion sickness on FX1/Z1? Hey all, Do you think this software would help with our motion sickness? http://www.istabilize.de/index.html It "stabilizes" crappy footage and we only need to to stabilize a little. Maybe it'll help with our problem of shooting high motion and getting strobbing? __________________ Christopher C. Murphy Director, Producer, Writer

March 28th, 2005, 11:34 PM	#160
Eric Fu New Boot Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 8	Shotgun bracket for FX1 Does anyone add a shotgun mic on FX1? What kind of bracket will fit? I do still need the "show adapter" for lights. Thank you in advanced. Eric

March 15th, 2005, 12:30 AM	#151
Shannon Rawls Major Player Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Los Angeles, California Posts: 853	identical.

March 15th, 2005, 01:37 AM	#152
Barry Green Barry Wan Kenobi Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: North Carolina Posts: 3,863	If you're talking about standard-def material, you can import that directly and use the "file format properties" option to remove the pulldown, leaving 24 distinct frames. Still doesn't look like 24p, it has the odd jerky 1/3 - 2/3 motion signature of CF24, but you can edit it as 24 distinct frames. Your frameserving idea would probably allow doing so for the high-def material (Vegas currently doesn't allow removing pulldown from HD material as far as I know). The motion signature will still be off, but I think it would indeed let you access the individual frames.

March 15th, 2005, 11:43 AM	#154
Carl Merritt Regular Crew Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 60	Actually I found a place now - FWIW: Video Equipment Rentals

March 15th, 2005, 03:47 PM	#156
Jeff McCutcheon Regular Crew Join Date: Jul 2003 Posts: 41	As I understand it, a 1/30th shutter speed reduces resolution by 1/2. I do not know whether that means half of the CCD (520 as CF 30 supposedly provides) or half of the resolving power (I've been told that the Z1 only resolves 750-800 lines due to "twitter" and odd things I don't understand about the interlaced format) It LOOKS to me like it provides one clean field (520 lines, thus giving 520x1440 progressive and twice the light with a nice motion blur) but that just my opinion from looking at it in the store ( I don't own one) I tried just about every option though, and the 1/30th shutter was by far the best. I just wonder how it transfers to film at 24 frames? Seems like the 1/25th shutter would be better suited... but does that give too much motion blur? (They didn't have a Z1 in the store) Jeff

March 21st, 2005, 06:00 PM	#159
Kurth Bousman Major Player Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: san miguel allende , gto , mexico Posts: 644	Will this work on HDV footage ? It is cheap . I posted about 2 months ago if anyone had used it on dv but got no response - I'd love to hear some feedback also. thanks Kurth

March 31st, 2005, 07:16 PM	#161
Carlos E. Martinez Trustee Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Rio de Janeiro, Brasil Posts: 1,138	Camera comparison I might be late on this one, or did someone already mention this comparison test by Walter Graff? http://www.bluesky-web.com/dv-5-cameras.htm Intriguing to say the least. Walter seems a bit biased against HDV though... Carlos

April 1st, 2005, 03:07 AM	#162
Colvin Eccleston Regular Crew Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Manchester, UK Posts: 93	Camera life expectancy What sort of service life should we expect from the Z1 before it has to go into the workshop? Do you think there will be a difference to the FX1? Do you have a set number of hours that you schedule check-ups?

April 2nd, 2005, 07:18 PM	#163
Colvin Eccleston Regular Crew Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Manchester, UK Posts: 93	teleconverter lens Has anyone used something like the Century teleconverter lens on the FX1/Z1 yet, particularly as a portrait lens?

April 5th, 2005, 10:10 AM	#164
David Cherniack Regular Crew Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Toronto Posts: 186	Time lapse Record does not exist? Glancing through the Z1 manual it appears that interval recording is non existant for this camera. All it has is frame record in manual dv/dvcam mode? Has anyone discovered otherwise? Sheesh..

April 5th, 2005, 10:26 AM	#165
Steven White Major Player Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Canada Posts: 547	Shooting road trip "documentary" what mode to use?? Hi all, This month I'm going on a 3 day road trip with my FX1, and am planning to make a (humorous) documentary of it. I have absolutely NO idea what's going to happen, but I was wondering what mode I should shoot it on - CF30 or 60i - so I thought I'd ask for some advice. The final destination of the footage will primarily be the web (DVD as well - but web first). My suspicion is that CF30 will provide a much easier workflow and retain better resolution from an in-camera down-convert to DV for editing if I don't have HD editing software by then. I know 60i is theoretically safer for "run and gun" type stuff... but if I have to deinterlace to 30p for the web, I see little point on making the compression work harder. If I could do native editing I'd for sure go this route. What say you? How do you like your documentaries? *note: this isn't going to be some "film-look" documentary... this is going to be a "I was there, and see what you missed" kind of thing. -Steve