EA 50 a dark horse?

[Jody Arnott]

Hey Chris,

Thanks for that, $704 isn't as bad as I'd thought (although still expensive for what it is).

My main issue with an external recorder is loss of 50p recording. My work is a lot of fast-paced sports events and 50p is a must.

As for the gain, I was just using 18dB to be safe. I might give 21dB a try if it's reasonably clean.

Cheers!

[Chris Harding]

The FMU will do 50P obviously ??

I still use 50i for ALL my shoots ..far less hassle and I feel the bitrate on the camera is too low to handle exposure blowouts in 50P ... Peter Rush has had some nasty posterisation on footage where its over-exposed like shooting with a strong backlight .. I shoot in 50i and then drop to a 25P timeline and it works a treat and no pixellation or posterisation ever!!

Yeah $600 (in Aus) is a bit heavy but then again a Sony 32GB card is close to $100 at VideoPro so 4 of those would be $400.00 alone ... unlike cards the FMU is a one-off cost (I ditch my cards every 6 months)

Chris

[Jody Arnott]

Originally Posted by Chris Harding

The FMU will do 50P obviously ??

I still use 50i for ALL my shoots ..far less hassle and I feel the bitrate on the camera is too low to handle exposure blowouts in 50P ... Peter Rush has had some nasty posterisation on footage where its over-exposed like shooting with a strong backlight .. I shoot in 50i and then drop to a 25P timeline and it works a treat and no pixellation or posterisation ever!!

Yeah $600 (in Aus) is a bit heavy but then again a Sony 32GB card is close to $100 at VideoPro so 4 of those would be $400.00 alone ... unlike cards the FMU is a one-off cost (I ditch my cards every 6 months)

Chris

Yep the FMU will do 50p.

I typically shoot in 25p when I can, but when I need slow-mo (mainly sports events) I use 50p. I haven't played with 50i much... don't you lose a bit of vertical resolution when you deinterlace?

$100 for a 32GB SD card sounds a bit steep. I buy Sandisk Ultra 32GB SDHC cards for about $40 NZ each.

[Chris Harding]

Hi Jody

Me too ..I tend to gravitate to Transcend cos I have never had an issue with them and 16GB are $30.00 here ..I was just comparing to Sony 32GB which are pricey for some reason ...I'm sure if a 3rd party manufacturer made the FMU it would be $300!!

I honestly cannot see any end result difference between 50i and 50P and I have never had anyone question the quality so I stick with 50i as it's more likely to give consistent results at weddings. I found my Panny's at 50P gave pixellation on face cheekbones and Pete has had the same on the EA-50 on facial features. Probably with high actions sports you won't have the issue at all.

Chris

[Peter Rush]

The FMU is brilliant - outrageously priced but for the peace of mind at weddings - well worth it. An alternative is to use the even more ridiculously priced Sony mirroring SD cards (has anyone actually used these?).

Regarding the cameras features I find setting the gain ok (I limit it the 24db) but I'm used to the 3 way switch - it's a throwback from way more expensive professional video cameras of old - people coming to the EA50 from a DSLR background see it differently I guess.

I love the fact that I can use my Canon glass but an 18-200 constant f2.8 NEX lens would save all the painful swapping. My biggest bone of contention is the lack of ND filters (I use a genuis variable ND filter but it's a PITA compared with inbuilt) and the poor and panifully slow servo zoom. All my professional life I've had one hand on the grip with my fingers on the rocker so I can reframe in a flash - and my other hand on the focus. With the EA50 I have to use the manual zoom for reframing and then focus all with my left hand. I've sort of got used to doing it that way now but It's impossible to keep focus while reframing in this way.

It's not great in low light unless you use a fast lens - my 24-70 f2.8 (f2.0 with the speedbooster) just about works for dim receptions but not dark evening receptions - for that the camera goes back in the bag and the 5D3 comes out - I'm not happy to do this as focusing with the 5D is pants compared (also it has no 50p), but at least I don't have to blind the guests with a light.

I'm happy for this season but might look around at alternatives for my main camera for the next, maybe the C100 now it has an autofocus upgrade option.

[Randy Johnson]

I did a unofficial test I think my Panasonic AG-HMC 150s are arguably to the perfect wedding cameras so as long as the EA50 is close the them in low light im happy. I find that IF im in a dark church I can shoot at 21 db gain and get about the same light level as the 150s with 12 db gain (thats zoomed out f 3.5) BUT if I push the EA50 to 30 db gain I get more light and personally I still think 30 db gain on the EA 50 is cleaner than the 150 @ 12db. for me I just would want a 28-75 @ f2.8 straight through and a 80-200 @ F 2.8 straight through in NEX mounts then it would blown the doors off my 150s. I may buy the 18-105 @ f 4.0 just to see how it works out.

[Peter Rush]

Randy if you want to splash the cash and solve your low light woes then the Metabones Speedbooster coupled with the Tamron 24-70 f2.8 is a dream - with the speedbooster extra stop it goes down to f2.0 - A sharp lens and killer combination for the EA50 but pricey at around £1200 but worth it. That lens also has stabilisation which is really good.

Pete

[Chris Harding]

Ouch Randy

I would never shoot at 30db gain ... despite what anyone says it's grainy!! Even 24db is grainy!! With the HMC's you are stuck with what the camera has but despite just the 1/3" chips the F1.6 lens does help and DOF is no issue at all.

I work up front at Church weddings so I can easily get away with the Sigma 18-35 and F1.8 constant and only around $700 here. That's all I use at receptions and despite the big aperture you still have enough DOF to take decent shots ... I find that being in front of the guests means I can use a shorter lens and apart from the photog, no-one is likely to walk in front of my camera.

I know this sounds silly but quite often you can improve the lighting in a Church just by asking the priest! Open blinds on windows near the altar/bridal area, check to see that all lights are on. If you just stick with the lens as a problem solver going from the stock lens to a simple Tamron 17-50 F2.8 will drop the gain on the camera from 24db down to 15 or 18db and it's a sharp and cheap lens. Serious look at working up front instead of at the back of the Church ...I just dump a fixed cam at the back for wide shots and get as far upfront as I can ..usually on the right as the bride is on the left ..that way you need a shorter zoom which is probably faster too than a big zoom!

Chris

[Randy Johnson]

the point I was trying to make was the grain at 30 db is still better than the grain on a AG-HMC150 @ 12 db gain. I never use 30 db gain I was just testing quality VS brightness VS gain level and what not.

[Chris Harding]

Ok Got it!! Camera processing has got a lot better nowdays and older models that had a poor image at even 12db gain like the 150 are normal. I think the new processing tends to apply more smoothing to the image so even though it isn't that much better, it still looks better.

24db is actually quite usable but gives no latitude for adjustment. I had some 24db footage from last week that really looks fine but overall it's a tiny bit dark. If I apply just a touch of gamma correction in Vegas it looks terrible which wouldn't happen at all at lower gains.

Good luck on the shoot Randy and may all your footage be perfect!

Chris

[Anthony Lelli]

Originally Posted by Michael Spanheimer

This sounds very reasonable. (Thats problaby also the reason why it has no SDI output - No need for FBas IMHO...)
Honestly, my only concern on the EA50 is simply the lowlight factor. I shoot a lot of concerts and need something like the stock lens (incl. live zooming). Often I have to use gains above 15db.
If the SELP18105 wouldnt just have f4 I would take it at once. I Still didnt find an affordable alternative.

there are none (alternatives). not with a servo zoom . My problem is similar (I shoot sports at night, where I need a fast shutter and 2.8 minimum -and a lanc zoom from the tripod-). The ea50 footage is dark and of course noisy. It was intentional, no doubts about it. What I find good enough is the AF of that cheap 18-200. For soccer works really good, dark but good :) But the zoom jerks , and that's just not useable for a decent sport coverage where micro slow zooms are necessary.

[Chris Harding]

The stock lens is only a hotshot with auto focus in good light..crank the gain up to 21db and it struggles to keep focus and especially at weddings can easily lock onto the items behind the altar rather than the couple! I use it in manual at wedding ceremonies so if I'm doing that I might as well get a faster manual zoom like a 2.8 and get a better image with no noise.

I really cannot see the point of the 18-105?? It's F4 all the way but if you use the stock lens it's F3.5 at 18mm and not a lot more than F4 at 100mm ... I reckon the Sigma 24-70 at a constant F2.8 is better BUT no autofocus of course.

I can see the need in sport but surely you can use manual on a stage ...you would have enough DOF to keep the dancers all in focus surely unless you are really a long way from it!!

Chris

[Chris Harding]

Pete??

I have been told that the speed booster ONLY works on Full Frame lenses ..I though the 24-70 was an APSC lens?? I( know my one for Nikon mount was marked as a Dii lens which means it can only be used on APSC cameras and the Speed Booster likes FF lenses to do the job right??

Chris

[Peter Rush]

This is the one Chris

Tamron SP 24-70mm F/2.8 Di VC USD review: Digital Photography Review

The only full frame lens in it's class with Tamron's vibration control stabilisation which is really good - It was expensive and is heavy but is sharper than my other Canon full frame lenses - really nice bokeh as well :)

Pete

[Chris Harding]

Thanks Pete

I see the Nikon mount is for Nikon F so it is a full frame lens ...My Nikons are mostly the Dii or Dx lenses so they work better on the APSC bodies so that would work well on the Metabones too!

Chris