content browser

[Stephen Crye]

Originally Posted by Ron Evans

I think part of the problem in this video is its in manual too much. ..
Ron Evans

Manual or auto has nothing to do with the chromatic aberration on the light pole against the sunset. Can you comment on that? Post examples from your footage that shows how to eliminate it? Its CA like that that led me to reject the NX70, and if I buy the NX30 and it has it, it is going right back to B&H.

Everything else with the video is OK by me.

Thanks,

Steve

[Stephen Crye]

Originally Posted by Chris Harding

Hi Ron

With the content browser can you just pull the MTS files that need joining up from the card reader?
Chris

You don't use a card reader. Leave the card in the camera. Plug the Sony camera into the computer via the USB. On the camera, a menu will pop up allowing you to choose card or internal (assuming the camera has internal, on card-only Sony cams such as the VG20, that menu does not pop up).

Then, on the computer in PMB/Content Manager, do File, Import. Pick the camera. Browse for the footage - you will not be selecting clips, the browse shows entire shooting sessions regardless of how long they were. The details of the file system on the camera are hidden, all you see are the actual continuous recordings.

Hope this helps,

Steve

[Chris Harding]

Thanks Steve but that's a PIA ..I would rather just shorten the clip by two frames so the audio is continuous!

Ron?? I cannot see any camera icon on my content browser at all... ?? Which Window would it appear in??

Chris

[Ron Evans]

Chris . If you look at my post with the window captures its in the one called main screen fig 3 of 6 that I uploaded. Its a camera icon just under the file and edit top left. This is the windows that should open when you launch Content Management Utility. Mine works for the camera, for a card reader or in my case the FMU128 direct. Any combination results in the same window just different identification in the selection window. It will even look in directories on the PC hard drives too. Look at my post again and see if you have the same windows . If not, take a screen capture so we can see what you have.

Ron

[Dan Eskelson]

Chris,

Just been experimenting with the Content Browser and it seems that the camera has to be plugged in via USB in order for the software to function. Which does save pulling the SD card for each transfer, and apparently also solves the large file stitching issue.

[Ron Evans]

Off topic a little but for Stephen this is a short NX30 video used the content management utility version 2.1.01.11180 to import to the PC from the SD card in a card reader. However the install needed the NX30 to be attached while software was installed and this may also be the case for the EA50. After install I could use any approach to get the files. The camera, or the card from a card reader. Everything shot in full auto. Inside was on a tripod outside in the snow was with Steadyshot set for Active. Music is from Sonicfire Pro 5 Body Language from Night Grooves album. It was shot 1920x1080 60P and the file should be downloadable but of courses Vimeo will have re-encoded to 720 30P

Vegas NX30 encode on Vimeo

Ron

[Chris Harding]

Thanks Ron

I think that is the secret! Connect the camera and then install the software so it can recognise the camera..then on subsequent uses the software is probably fooled into thinking that the card reader is actually the camera. Ok I'm lazy but I also lack desk space and it's a pain to have to find space for the camera on my already full desk and then try to work around it and use the mouse and keyboard. Using just the card is way more practical!!

I'll un-install the content browser and then later on today, connect one of the cameras and then do an install of the software and see if that works.

Thanks again

Chris

[Ron Evans]

Yes whatever the card the software seems to know the camera it was shot on. Will identify all sorts of info from the extra files that are there that you can see in the information pane. It took a while the first time I connected up the NX30 but now it recognizes either the camera or a card from it quite quickly.

Ron Evans

[Steven Digges]

To Stephen Crye:

First some qualifying statements. I don't know you, your work, or experiences. I also do not know the ins and outs of the broad line of Sony pro-summer camcorders. As far as camcorders go I am a resent convert to the EA50 from years with Canon. I DO HAVE many years of experience with Sony broadcast cameras.

So I am curious about the posts you have made in this thread. An 18 month search for a "b" cam? Six test and returns? A self proclaimed hatred for chromatic aberration?

So....with no il intent at all I will tell you my assumptions from just the few posts you made on this thread.

1. An 18 month search for the "B" cam would suggest this is a hobby because if you needed it for a living you don't have 18 months to make a decision. It does not matter who charges or not, I'm curios about what you do because of your insistence on perfection. And if it is a hobby you are already spending a lot of money on specialty items like the Nikon "for just one purpose".

2. Six test and returns? One for CA that was hardly perseptable? It seems to me that you are testing cameras that are all basically in the same league as each other. I suggest that to attain the level of quality you desire you may need to increase your budget and purchase a camera capable of meeting your stringent requirements. Or, a compromise might be the EA50 because you can start within the budget range you are testing in and then spend as much as you want, if you care to mount the worlds finest glass on it.

OK. #2 is what I started out to say. The rest just means I can't put together a logical overall view of what your doing :) :) :)

Steve

[Chris Harding]

Hi Steve

I guess each to their own but I doubt whether one would get a "perfect camera" then again I'm not a "pixel peeper" ... If I get a bit of moire in my footage I don't throw my arms up in horror..my clients never see it and there is a good chance that no-one would ever see any CA ..serious or not.

The bottom line is that people are looking at the footage content not the technical perfection of it. All I look for is a cam that has the facilities I need ... with the EA-50 I loved the form factor versus the weight so for me it was a winner ... touch focus in manual was awesome and useful on the tripod mounted unit at weddings plus many more features that my Panasonic never had. Ok I cannot reset time code (and the camera also doesn't reset timecode after each clip ...is that a disaster? Nope, I can live with that easily but I would have liked it!!

Then again this tends to be a technical orientated forum so guys like discussing technical aspects like a possible lens error on zoom... personally I just haven't see the problem and I couldn't really care if the zoom does kick/jump a fraction..for me it does a good job.

Maybe if there were no "faults" with the camera then there would be nothing to post on the forum ??

Chris

[Steven Digges]

+1 Chris!

Ron, I just open my Content Browser. I think we are talking about apples and oranges. Chris, Noa, and Me have a disk that came with the EA50 called Content Browser V-1.0

Steve

[Steven Digges]

It is late. I will dig into this tomorrow. Here is a page with all the answers to the content browser discussion here.

It is a Sony site with the software, manual and information

Sony Creative Software - Download: Content Browser 2.0

Steve

[Ron Evans]

Steven that one is for the XDCAM the one you want for the NXCam is Sony Creative Software - Download: Content Management Utility. I have downloaded the one you referenced as I do use EX files from a friend often . It needs a serial number that isn't a NXCam number so I have sent for the single free one allowed.

Ron Evans

[Steven Digges]

Hi Ron,

I don't think so. I have started to look into this. On that site is Content Browser V.2. The Content Browser that came with the EA50 is identical except the disk is V.1. The standard version does handle NEXCAM files. I have instaled V.2 and the manual. My EA50 serial number worked. It looks like this Content Browser is going to consolidate and replace all previous managers. Here is a cut and paste from the link I posted:

Replaced by this single platform application, the following separate applications will eventually be phased out:

XDCAM Browser
Content Management Utility
XDCAM Transfer (for Apple FCP)
XDCAM EX Clip Browser
PDZ-1 (XDCAM Proxy Browsing Software)
PDZ-VX10 (XDCAM Viewer)

I think Chris's confusion is because you guys are talking about two different interfaces.

Thank you for the input. This thread opened up a can of worms for me. I did not know about the frame sync issue. I do a lot of long run records so I want the simplest, most efficient way to handle this. I have no desire to put another piece of software into my work flow unless I have to. So I will dig into this and hope you guys continue to provide input. I can not limit the length of my records.

Steve

[Ron Evans]

Yes Steve thanks for finding that. I have it loaded with the free serial number sent to me by Sony. My serial numbers for the NX30 or NX5U did not work. The software works just like the XDCAm ClipBrowser not like the NXCAM Content management software. I have them all on the PC now so can compare. PMB, Content Management Utility 2.1.01.11180, XDCAM ClipBrowser V 2.6 and the new Content Browser 2.0. The new Content Browser is much better than the Content Management Utility as its easier to understand where things are and are going to go works just like the XDCAM Clipbrowser. I will play with it a little to really find out what it has to offer compared to the others.


Ron Evans