Why no Focus Assist?
 

Given Sony has focus assist firmware for the NEX 3 and NEX 5 why would they leave it out of the vg10?

If you look at FA not from a users point of view but from a Sony marketing point of view, it is simply a FEATURE. In fact, in japan there will be an icon for it just like there are icons for most other features.

Now if you were Sony and you were planning a $3500 prosumer version you would look at the list of possible features and distribute them in a way that clearly differentiated the consumer and prosumer products. These features would include VU meters and audio control. And, of course focus assist. The features can be given to the prosumer model at no cost.

A revised GUI with the ability to star/stop recording by pressing the Dial is also a no cost addition.

Also in the no cost list of features is 24p and native recording of progressive.

What's missing?

XLR inputs, true 50i and 60i, and a higher resolution sensor?

XLR jacks on a new handle is a long used way to add this feature.

I believe Sony must have real interlace just as much as it must have 24p. So the question is do they use a faster version of the 14MP chip or move to the 16MP chip? Beyond the technical aspect of this question, would putting the 16MP chip in a prosumer camcorder hurt sales of the NXCAM?

Bottom-line, what's missing from the vg10 provides IMHO a clear picture of why specific features are missing and what will be the features for a higher priced version to come at NAB.

PS: about the same time as NAB, the NEX 7 should be shipping likely with the 16MP chip and VF. If the 16 MP chip can run at 60Hz, to outdo the GH2, Sony could add 1080p60 and even 24p. For about $1200 this would pose a real alternative to both camcorders. This might force an enhanced VG10, but done carefully so it doesn't compete with the prosumer version.

I realize I am assuming that Sony does not see still cameras as being in competition with camcorders -- even though Canon has shown this view not fully valid.

I notice that the Sony CX700, the new version of the CX550, is up for preorder on the Sony site.
http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs/...94237#features
It's interesting, given the lack of features on the VG10, that this new $1,300 small handycam will have full raster 1080p60 @ 28mbs, 1080i60, and 1080p24 @ 24mbs.
It also has focus assist, peaking, zebras, histogram, some cine gamma profiles, plus all of the features of the existing CX550- which, IMO, are considerable for such a tiny camera.
The VG 10 will have some catching up to do indeed...

So we get 24p, 60i, and 60p. And, curious statement of digital amps amps and stereo speaker plus:

Projector
Light Output : 27.4mm - 383mm (16:9)

The downside is 1/3" 6.6MP sensor.

Seems to me that kind of divides the world. A full featured camcorder with a tiny chip and big chip camcorder with relatively few features.

A face-off would be interesting!

I find it odd that Panasonic make no mention of the fact that their HMC151 has focus assist included, certainly not in any of the brochures or advertising. Oh, it'll do the 'zoom into the picture' focus assist, but they make no mention of the far more useful facility of being in auto focus but turning the lens ring to specify which subject at which distance you want sharply (auto) focused.

tom.

Which frame rate do you prefer Steve for outdoors?

p60 which practically means 720p60 with most editing software.

Im a huge sony fan but this CX700 thing really has me pissed. Its a blatant slap in the face to all VG10 buyers. Cmon sony....you guys are BETTER than this! Stop the feature crippling games and finally update our damn firmware already!

The vg10 is a great camera but all the simple feature crippling that sony has done to it is just downright silly!

Unfortunately, Sony has always been divided into competing divisions. So you see how the consumer camcorder group is fighting the camera group. Remember when BD recorders came out it was promised that we could copy via FireWire from our camcorders. Suddenly, the sony motion picture division forced that feature to be cut.

The pro camcorder group may have made a deal with the camera group to offer two levels of a low-cost big chip camcorder. By definition, the consumer camera must be crippled. That was the point of my first post. And, if I'm right, there will be no firmware update because the pro group will offer the VG10 you want at a much higher price. And, I wouldn't be surprised if the pro group designed and built the VG10.

They then set the price to $2000 so they could justify a $3900 price for the pro version.

The pro group already has a upscale version of the 550. Likely they will do an upscale version of the 770, It will compete with the HMC-40 at $2000.

So there is competition for your $$$ and also cooperation to insure that the competition never harms Sony and insures that you'll always pay more to get what you want.

PS: Pana has the FZ100 that shoots 1080i60 and 720p60 and is under $400. It has full control of everything when shooting video. But, it is a tiny chip camera. So when they give you the features you want, they are careful to do so in a way not to harm there GH business. You'll never win. Which is why I switched to NEX 5 because I got Focus Assist at 1/3 the price of the VG10. And, I'll bet the NEX 7 at $1200 will blow the VG10 out of the water.

Sony may have an answer for people who want a zooming focus assist like the EX1.

Sony outs CLM-V55 video monitor for interchangeable lens cameras -- Engadget

No doubt it will end up costing half as much as the camera. And would you want that thing bolted to the top of the camera. Yuck!

why no focus assist?

why no strong tripod mount?

why no 100% crop?

why no XLR?

why why why?

Focus assist would be nice, but the LCD is super sharp and big--I don't find it an issue.

The VG10 is what is: an imperfect beast capable of fantastic video through any lens you can get your hands on.

Sony has always been and will always be a giant inscrutable beast which can put out some great products from time to time.

Rubbery tripod mount?... I can live with it.

No XLR or audio controll?... I dont expect from a "HandyCam" and I can deal with it.

No Zebras?....OK, that BLOWS!.. but I can survive. ;- (

No focus assist?...nothing at all? No peaking?,...no zoom/crop? That is the SILLIEST crippling stunt I have ever seen in a modern camera like the VG10. Keeping this thing in ultra tight focus with no focusing tools on a tiny screen for me is a HUGE drag.

I would not be supprised if it's actually inside the firmware already but simply flagged off.

I bet the enginners at Sony R&D are still laughing their butts off at this featuire "omission".

I mean seriously, if you were a Sony engineer in the design lab,...wouldn't you be laughing with your coworkers about how you guys released a disabled and crippled camera into the market like that?

ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU MAKE "LOWER" CAMERAS WITH THOSE FEATURES!!

Good God. This is such an embarrassing thing for Sony to do.

Disappointed and shocked longtime Sony fan.

CT

I've never seen a camera so polarizing to its potential users. They either hate it or love it. Sony should have named it "Sarah Palin."

Why no focus assist? Who knows, other than Sony. I'm sure they had their reasons, wrong or right. For those who find this a deal-breaker, then the VG10 isn't for you. And that's too bad, for both Sony but especially the consumer, because they're missing out on a really nice camera. Granted, my experience with the VG10 was limited to a few minutes of handling one in a camera store. But I came away mightily impressed. It's a beautiful little camera. The depth of field you can get from the stock lens was amazing. This is a camera that I would want to take out and explore its potential. No focus assist? Well, I can shoot around that. I have professionally for over 20 years. But it would be a nice feature, for sure.

DSLRs can give the same depth of field, but I've never warmed to them. Not sure why, maybe it's the form factor.

So, no focus assist, no zebras, no XLR, no 24P. But for $2,000, I think Sony still gives you a lot of camera.

I also own an, EX1R and FX100. I love peaking and one touch zoom/crop tools. I dont think my eyes are as sharp as they used to be these days so having SOMETHING to help focus on my VG10 would be good.

I mean,...jeesh Sony, you have a nice zoom/crop feature on the "lower" NEX5!! Why did you disable it on the VG10 firmware? What kind of a stunt is that?

I would be happy if you guys AT LEAST flicked the firmware switch to turn that SIMPLE and lowley function back on!

C'mon Sony,..the firmware between the NEX5 and VG10 is very close. All you need to do is turn it on and package the new firmware for us to download. (It'll prolly take 1 day for your firmware/software guys to do)

I love my VG10, yes I do,..but when I picked up a NEX5 at Best Buy and saw that focus assist,...my blood boiled over! I was definetely cursing the Sony name for the next 30 min after that.

CT

My blood remained cool, but it was at that moment I decided it made no sense to release a book only on the VG10, so I decided to include a NEX 5 Appendix. Then after having the 5 for a while and finding the controls were SO easy to use on the back of the camera, I asked myself if the "camcorder" shape really made that much difference. Given the number of big names shooting with the Canons, the answer had to be no.

So the VG10 went to an Appendix.

But what about the dedicated button to set shutter speed? In the end, it makes no math difference if you set shutter speed and then add an ND filter or add light to get the aperture value you need for the DOF you want, than if you start by setting the aperture for the DOF you want and then add an ND filter or add light to get to the desired shutter speed. Everything is reciprocal!

In fact, because of the need to avoid diffraction, it makes more sense to set aperture precisely and get an approximate shutter speed. As long as one stays in the range of 1/40th to 1/80th motion looks fine.

And since the video looks the same and the price is about 3X lower, the fact the VG10 is "nice" just doesn't work for me.

I don't know about Sony folks laughing, but think about this. The neat part of these cameras is their ability to use a wide range of old lenses. Of course, these will be manual focus. So while the AF works fine for E-mount, we know it doesn't even for Sony's own A-mount! So one must use MF.

And, as you found, once you use the FA function you are forced to realize that not having it on a camera designed so you can use other lenses, is truly crazy. As you said, it's an omission not in the same class as the other omissions.

And, if there is a camcorder coming from the pro division, while I'll do a book on it, the camcorder will be too expensive for many of us to buy. Which means that in a few months Sony is going to present us with the same decision. Get the new camcorder at 3X more money than the NEX 7 which will have have the features we NEED.

Clearly, like Canon and Panasonic, Sony has decided to let the camera division lead the camcorder divisions in big chip design. They assume video folks are so loyal to a camcorder form factor that they will not cross over.

Gosh, so the NEX-5 is actually as good if not better than the far more costly VG10?

I like the 30p option.

With my Canon T2i, I usually shoot everything in 24p, which has been wonderful. However, I'm limited on clip length and limited at times with heat issues (I'm in Atlanta, you know). And there is that moire thing.

Does the NEX-5 have a microphone input for a shotgun?

And I noticed that the kit lens with the VG-10 is much better (certainly for video). After using the NXR-MC50U for spots on my TV show with excellent results, I was thinking of moving from the Canon (I have 2 T2i's after all, I could part with one) to the VG10. AVCHD in FCP Studio 2 has been very easy to use for me.

Folks who have shot with the DSLRs know that rigging and shooting with them is tricky and labor intensive. The VG10 looks to be a breeze by comparison.

Your camera gets hot in Atlanta Jonathan? My brother Richard writes about his new Sony Alpha 55 in which I'd read that the vibrating chip (Sony's image stabilisation method) only allows for 9 minutes of stabilised shooting:

'My camera certainly did get hot in India, shutting down regularly when using HD video shooting....so hot that 9 minutes sounds like a big bad LIE to me....it was about 30 seconds if the "hot" sign had gone out from the LCD displays (it shows in the viewfinder and the rear screen) but the thing was all-too-eager to get heated up again seconds later. So in practical situations, useless, huh? But then I only use the video for fun'.

tom.

On a recent shoot with a 7D, here in sunny Florida, the camera shut down numerous times. I am not crazy about that at all. I'd pay extra to get a video camera body if it means no heat shut-downs in the middle of a production.

The NEX5 was "designed" to get hot and shut down.

I mean,...it was designed not to stay cool for long periods of time,...that's more accurate.

Sony does not "want" you shooting long clips or non stop events. You gotta pay more for that expectation today.

For that price and quality level?,..yoiu get short clips ONLY. (market division protection)

CT

Heat shutdowns are a function of the technology used. Moving the sensor takes lots of continuous energy which means heat. So the A55 is not a good choice, period.

Electronic stabilization adds no heat. In-lens optical stabilization creates heat, but it makes no difference if the lens is attached to a camera or camcorder. This is what all NEX cameras use.

Chip read out speed and the number of pixels read out in video mode make a huge difference. As should chip size. It's interesting that Sony is driving it's 14MP and 16MP chips no higher than 30p. But chip size doesn't seem to work as one would think with both Sony and Panasonic driving 1/2" chips at 60p. So maybe a smaller chip gets hotter but the size of the heat sink is the real issue. The size of the camera then would make a difference -- not it's shape.

But it all comes down to money spent for video quality.I can't image shooting a single take longer than a few minutes. A roll of 16mm film lasted about the same amount of time! Maybe one needs to rethink the current practice of shooting hundreds hours simply because it now seems to cost nothing.

The kit lens on the vg10 is not better, it is longer. It is also much heavier which throws the tiny body out of balance. It's manual zoom is also a PITA to use. However, if you use it on a tripod the lens is great.

If you need to hand hold, then the 18200 is far better on the NEX 5 because you hold the lens in the palm of your left hand. The tiny NEX body doesn't upset the balance. Moreover, if you are really going to use almost 400mm of tele, you really want focus assist! Your DOF will be only a few inches deep!

The 1855 is far nicer to use on the vg10 because it balances better. But, it is a bit short. It should be 16-100.

It seems, from what I've read, GH2 body doesn't overheat nor does it stop recording at 4GB. It has 24p, focus assist, zebras and 1:1 crop mode. It does not have XLR input or a nice handle. The GH2 body is only $899 so you may not be able "pay extra". :-)

I've also heard the GH1/GH2 suffer less moire and aliasing issues compared to other DSLRs.
Hmm...could be a good alternative.

The GH2 is about 2X more than the NEX 5 and offers a great deal more. I expect Sony to close the gap with the NEX 7.

What I'm talking about is the camcorder divisions keeping their products several steps behind their camera divisions. Or, making you pay X times more to get the same features. Its not like the vg10 offers built in ND filters! It really is les than a NEX 5 but in a very nice body.

This presents a real problem when one can buy a Hollywood accepted camera for less than a consumer camcorder. (that's not quite correct, but it isn't completely invalid.)

Of course, if the Sony 770 can deliver great results for under $1500, then ma ybs the big chip camcorder will be just a phase.

This heat build-up is even affecting little handycams now. The Panasonic TM700 runs so hot that that it's permanently fan cooled, and the inbuilt mic overlays all the audio with a miss-mash of rumble that's simply nasty. On headphones it’s always there; on so-so speakers it takes a quiet room to show the fault. I attached a small Sony mic to the supplied shoe bracket, plugged it in to override the internal mics and this improved things a lot.

tom.

I don't think large sensor cameras are a "phase." I think they're going to be the future of video technology - at least at the professional level. The AF100, F3, Alexa, Epic and the pending NXCAM are generating tons of excitement.
For consumers, I don't think there'll be many cameras that offer lens interchangablility, except for DSLRs. I can't see the VG10 as a home video camera, despite its consumer ranking. It's bad enough to watch home videos with power zooms. Imagine consumers struggling with a manual zoom and shallow depth of field? Ugh.

While I was in the camera store playing with the VG10, a couple walked up to me and started asking a lot of questions about it. Why the big lens? Can I put that lens on my present Handicam? Where's the zoom control? I patiently explained its features, as they had no idea what a large sensor camera was. And yet, they bought it on the spot! (I should have gotten a commission for the sale.) I would hate to see the video they shoot with it.

Steve, my understanding was that the NEX-5 did not offer full manual control over exposure etc. when shooting video. Surely that rules it out for anything other than amateur use?

I'm sitting waiting on my wife and typing this on my Pm pre so it might have some typos.

Heat issues with the T2i have presented some problems with interview work and my TV show when shooting on the street in Atlanta. And if you're self shooting, it is always on my mind because montior recording is not possible without a montior. The video is great except moire problems with certain types of clothes.

Audio has been great since I got the Beachtek for the camera.

But I've really liked using the 50U for video blogging. Check out today's Film Fix at DailyFilmFix.com and it looks fine. Audio for the F0U is done using my Zoom synced with Plural Eyes.

Here's the bottom line though. On the street and with interviews, I like have shallow DOF. I can blur out folks walking around me and my co-host very well. But concerns over heat shutdowns and no articulating screen makes me want to sell the DSLR and move to the VG10. Have there been heat issues on the VG10?

And just so people understand. I shot a documentary feature a couple years ago on a DVX100 and ran that camera for one interview with a famous politician for 2 days. Long shoot times are pretty comon in what I do.

I film a lot of interviews/talks/gigs using the VG10. Regularly do 60-90 minute continuous records and haven't had any problems with overheating so far.

That changed with the V3 firmware.

With the NEX 5 and VG10 you first set the aperture you need for DOF. You are not setting exposure at this point! You are setting the DOF you want. With these cameras you first think of DOF. Do you need inches or feet. You use a DOF app on your iPhone or iPad.

In bright light, you see the current shutter speed. Next count the stops of light reduction needed to get to 1/40th to 1/80th. Than you must add that density ND filter.

In dim light, , you see the current shutter speed. Next, you add light to get the desired shutter speed.

If you don't want to count and want to control gain, use a lightmeter. This makes it easy to decide how many stops of light must be added.

In all cases, Exposure Compensation is set as needed. In bright light, you set to -0.3 to -0.7 stops.

With the NEX 5, you lock exposure if you want when you shoot. With the VG10, if you want exposure locked, you need to start with Manual mode! You can't lock it just before shooting.

Bottom-line, even if you have a "camcorder" shape, at every stage you are working as a still photographer or filmmaker. If you don't want, or don't know how, then these are not for you.

Henry, can you address focus issues with interviews?

I shoot a lot of interviews with my T2i and I constantly use the focus assist on that camera (enhanced focus or whatever its called). I was never one for peaking, although I've used it here and there.

As an aside, I shot a commercial one time for a Mexican restaurant and the talent did not get there until something like 10 or 11 at night. We shot the commercial until probably 1am (it was a 30 second local spot) and when I got the footage into FCP, most of it was slightly out of focus. I saved the footage by using some filters to achieve a unique look, but ever since that time, I've been nuts about getting focus. Of course, I'm not perfect and stuff happens.

So, please tell me what lenses you're using with the VG10, Henry, and how you're getting and maintaining focus. And if you say, "oh, I just use autofocus," I'll have to leap off a tall bridge.

I only ever focus manually, so don't jump yet ;) The lack of focus assist is an issue and I'm going to be buying a small monitor as soon as funds allow (prob. either a 7inch Lilliput or the new sony SLR one). At the moment I'm gauging it by eye. With my current interview setup I'm running two cameras side by side, the SONY getting a CU and my XH-A1 on a Medium Shot, both to give me more options in the edit and because I'm running audio through my XH-A1 anyway so it might as well be filming something! It does safeguard me somewhat against the problem you described.

At the moment I'm using the kit 18-200 lens and the 16mm pancake e-mount.

It's also only fair for me to say that I'm not operating at the same level as you and as such my demands in camera terms are probably less stringent. Most of what I shoot is low level corporates and music videos that only ever wind up online.

Many thanks for your detailed reply, Steve. Sorry to ask you for clarification on one point... Does the NEX-5 allow you to directly press a button that alters the shutter speed whilst in video mode or do you have to do it indirectly by altering the amount of light in the shot?

With the vg10 you can set anything by it's own button. But, if you are in normal daylight, after setting what you want, you will then need to use the correct ND filter to get the exposure correct.

Bottom line, because none of the products have a built in ND filters, you always need to add your own to control light. If indoors, you likely won't need ND filters because you can control light directly.

For you, it makes most sense to set the aperture to get a shallow DOF. Then add a ND filter that brings the shutter speed into the range of 1/50 to 1/125th because you don't have much motion in you shots. You can use this workflow with the VG or the NEX.

You can also use the PROGRAM mode on the VG which tries to keep the shutter speed at 1/125th.

Steve, many thanks for your reply, but I own a VG10 and know how to use it properly.

What I'm asking is specifically whether the NEX-5 has the facility to directly manually control the shutter speed?

EDIT: I'm not meaning to be pedantic, and apologise if my repeated question comes across as such. The only reason I'm asking is that I get requests for camera advice from people through my youtube channel on occasion. I normally provide what information I can about the cameras I have first hand knowledge of and refer them on to forums such as dvinfo for further information and for advice on cameras which might suit their needs but which I don't have direct experience with. I wouldn't feel comfortable suggesting the NEX-5 as a possible alternative to someone considering buying a VG10 or GH2 unless it had the facility for direct manual control over all the settings one would normally expect in a decent camcorder. Whilst I understand from your earlier very informative posts that the NEX-5 offers full manual control over gain/iso, white balance and focus I am still a little unclear as to whether it has a button that directly controls the shutter speed.

Many thanks for your time,

Henry

I understand what you want -- a simple YES or NO.

While you may own a VG10, if you think that knowing the answer to your question will enable you to give useful advice to others, you are missing something important about BIG CHIP cameras: you first set DOF by setting the aperture. Once set, YOU do not set shutter speed. Given the amount of light there is only one possible shutter speed -- and the camera has already set it. In other words, the shutter speed button isn't used. You are, like I did for weeks, moving your camcorder thinking to the VG10. (You also set the aperture first in order to prevent diffraction. There is a very narrow range of apertures that you should use.)

Putting NEX electronics in a camcorder shape, does not make the VG10 a camcorder like other AVCHD/HDV prosumer camcorders. The NEX and the GH2 are EVILs designed for shooting electronic cinema by those who simply can't afford film.

PS: Sony consumer camcorders often do NOT let you set shutter-speed because they want you to set the aperture so they can automatically insert the correct ND filter. Then, they set the shutter speed.

Many thanks, Steve.

Here's more.

You set shutter speed at 1/50th like you do with a camcorder. You set the camera for the interview 6 feet away. You zoom in at 35mm to frame an interview.

You set the exposure at f/4.5. What could go wrong when two people sit down?

With a camcorder -- nothing. All you have set is the exposure.

With the VG10 -- you are in deep trouble. Why?

Because the TOTAL DOF is 6 INCHES!

Try keeping two faces in focus as they gesture and lean forward and backward.

That's why you start with DOF, then set aperture. It turns out because there is very little motion in the scene -- the shutter speed doesn't much matter as long as it doesn't fall below 1/40th second.

End of lecture.

Many thanks Steve, but I guess this message highlights the difficulty I'm having with the idea of effectively running the shutter speed on auto. In a shot with lots of action - say filming a sporting event - I might want to have a shutter speed of anything up to 100/1 or 150/1 in order to accurately capture fast motion, or maybe I have a short film where I want to achieve a Saving Private Ryan look. Maybe I'm shooting a music video and want the shutter speed to only use multiples of the frame rate to make sure I have a filmic feel to my footage, or maybe I just want to maintain my shutter speed for consistency when I cut between different angles.

Of course Aperture is very important with these cameras, much more so than a camcorder with deep DoF and I'm very grateful to you for your comments and advice; as you mentioned in your first post on this topic it's a case of adding light to the scene/using an ND filter/applying gain until you can use the aperture and shutter speed you want. But in less than ideal scenarios, when something has to give, I want to be able to tell the camera which thing it needs to be, not the other way around.

I completely understand that you may feel I'm using the VG10 incorrectly or am speaking from inexperience (and If I reread this post in a few years time I'm painfully aware that I'll probably agree with you!)

Henry

I think I see the word that is causing the problem, AUTO. Let's use the term APERTURE PRIORITY.

Note that the word priority only means we set the aperture (DOF ON A BIG CHIP CAMERA) FIRST.

It means the first creative choice is DOF. An option you never had with camcorders before. So in the sports example, you would likely decide you need a deep DOF so the aperture would be set small (f/16). With music video example, you would likely choose a shallow DOF so the aperture would be large (f/6).

Once you make that creative choice (setting) given the amount of illumination, the camera makes a reciprocal suggestion, the shutter speed. This is speed it calculates is needed for the correct exposure.

What if you had set the shutter speed in SHUTTER PRIORITY? it would have calculated an aperture value to achieve the same exposure. You get the same exposure either way. And, the value it chooses is not going to very far from correct. If you want it lighter or darker, you adjust it with the Exposure Compendation dial.

Thus, you either have the camera choose the shutter speed or the aperture. I would argue that the only reason to buy a clumsy camcorder is to have creative control over DOF. But, let's say that you ALSO want control over the shutter speed. Which you must have because you are shooting at 25fps.

First, unlike a 50i camcorder, you would never ever set the VG10 -- when there is fast motion, to anything faster than 1/80th. Second, to get a film look you would set it to 1/50th. Third, when there is little motion you can go up to 1/125th. So the choices you have been making aren't the best because you are still thinking you are using a camcorder and not a film camera.

So, no matter which initial creative choice you make, the camera has given you a SUGGESTION as to the second choice. You are free to look at its choice and say no. But, the only way you can actually make a change AND KEEP EXPOSURE CORRECT is to add or subtract light and/or gain.

Now we come to the magic word MANUAL. Can't you just dial in the other value you want? Yes you can with the VG10 set a dial to anything you want. But, there is one, and only one, value that can be used and still deliver the EXPOSURE you want given you have already made the first choice.

Therefore, when you want to alter the cameras suggestion, you can't do it by directly making a change to the other setting. You need to control light and gain, just as a filmmaker controls light and chooses film speed. You alter these until you get the shutter speed (or aperture) to the value you want.

Outdoor sports will require an ND filter because if you choose a deep DOF you've set the aperture to f/16 and the shutter speed will likely still be too fast. You choose the ND based on how far the camera's suggested value is from the range of 1/40 to 1/80. For your music video where you set the aperture to f/6, you will control lighting to get the shutter speed as close as you can to 1/50th.

This is a PITA, which is why it only makes sense to go through all of this if you want to work like a filmmaker to get both 25fps and control over DOF. Unless, you want the latter, there's no real reason to buy a big chip camera because most any camcorder can provide 25fps.

And, if you agree you want to set DOF first, then for the most part, you use a NEX just like a VG10. The number of buttons you have or don't have, doesn't make much difference since the creative decisions are the same. That's because photography requires you to have the understanding of the reciprocal nature of motion blur (shutter speed) and DOF (f-stop) be second nature.

Steve: Excellent!