Sony HRV-Z1E questions (are there problems?, wich Matte box?, shutter?)
 

Hello,

I’m going to buy the Sony HRV-Z1E…
I have a couple of question. I want to control everything (iris, gain, focus, WB, shutter, no picture effects) manually (like on a broadcast Digital Beta or SX). You have 3 positions on the Auto Lock switch. 1= auto lock, 2= manual, 3= ? what’s the use of this 3de one?

Controlling and adjusting the iris, focus, gain and WB in a manual way is pretty much the same as I’m used to… Okay the iris adjusting is an another position then on normal cameras.
But the only one thing that's no so clear to me, is the shutter? In normal filming situations you don’t adjust the shutter. On big broadcast cameras it’s not possible to have automatic shutter. There is a switch to adjust the shutter and this switch also has an off position. When turned this switch to off, the shutter speed of these cameras is fixed at 1/60. And in most of the times I just leave it there… So what would be the fixed shutter value in off position on the HRV-Z1E?

What about the problems some people noticed when panning or making other camera movements? They noticed something wrong with the image. Some sort of blur or wipe?

What is exactly the problem and when does it occur?

When using a wide conversion lens on the HDV, which of the two (cheaper) mattboxes can you still use? Matteblox Anamorphic or Formatt FM-500 Matte Box (with 72mm adaptor ring)? Can you use both when shooting in 16:9? Is the Formatt FM-500 Matte Box not to heavy to put directly on the lens?
Does it disturb the balance of the camera when filming in your hands?

Thanks,

Wouter

The third position is hold, it will lock all settings in place and won't allow you to accidently bump a switch and change settings.
With small ccds, resolution is best when apperture is around f4 or 5.6, adjusting shutter speed allows you to keep apperture at optimum value for resolution if it is too bright even with neutral density on, also will give you clearer slow motion when recording fast action at higher shutter speed, or allow you to use wide open apperture for controlling depth of field.
I see no problem with panning, fast panning will looks blur but all camera will do that.

I use the Formatt F-500 mattebox. No problem at all except to relieve some of the heaviness of the mattebox on the lens I use an old Compendium rail from a Compedium matte box I bought several years ago for my still camera. I dont think it would practical for you to buy the Compedium matte box just to have the rails. The Compendium matte box is not suitable for the Z1 and I donot know if they sell the rails of that particular mattebox separately but it fits perfectly on the Z1. In any case, I do not think the Formatt mattebox is too heavy to use w/o rails even with glass filters. Yes, you can use it in 16x9. No vignetting even in underscan. I think the Formatt mattebox is a good deal although is not even close to the quality, construction and functionality of a Chrosziel mattebox, the Cadillac of all matteboxes.

About the shutter speed, the advantage of the Z1 of having shuuter speeds that goes as low as 1/30 and even more is that it allows you to shoot at even lower light levels at some resolution loss but it is quite acceptable.

I have shot buildings at night time with very low light at 1/4 shutter and you get amazing looking pictures.

Sorry, I missed the wide angle lens question using the Formatt mattebox with the Z1. I donot have one for the Z1 so I have not tried it. I have used that mattebox with a Sony PD170 and a wide angle lense w/o any problems but I would tend to think that you will get vignetting with the Z1 if you use the Formatt mattebox and the wide angle adapter because the wide angle of view on the Z1 at 16x9 is much more.