PDX-10: Any Screen Captures or Short Films online?
 

Hi. I'm debating buying the Sony PDX-10 for making narrative films (starting with shorts and perhaps moving on to feature length, depending on how good I get). I have a choice of being able to buy the PDX-10 or waiting a couple years to save the extra money for the DVX100 (and by then, there will probably be something even snazzier out). I am, however, oscillating, because I can't find many stills or short films online that were shot with the PDX-10. So I'm not feeling all that comfortable with it.

Can anyone point me to any films I can watch or any screen captures that were definitely done with the PDX-10? My Google-fu is turning up rather limited sources. I've also clicked on most people's www links on these boards. (I've seen the widescreen comparison, for instance.) But I'm not finding a lot of PDX-10 stuff.

(Just an FYI, if anyone needs a reference. My plan is this: Use the PDX-10 to get the 16:9. Use DVfilmmaker program to convert to get the film motion feel (which is all I need). Edit in Vegas Video and use the color correction there to mess with the gamma (actually color curves).)

I live in Arkansas, and there's NO PLACE where I can go visit and check out the camera in person. Right now, I'm getting frustrated with the limitations of my Canon ZR camera.

Thanks for any help.

Robert Kirkpatrick
Crowfeather Films
www.crowfeatherfilms.com

i'd like to know this too.

the only thing i've found is this:

http://www.techshop.net/PDX-10/

but shooting an interior with the camera pointing at the bright window isn't the best way to tell the quality of the camera's image!! also, he has stretched the widescreen image using image manipulation software to make comparisons easier, but he has stretched it too much - the cat grows a couple of centimetres! ;)

a short film clip taken in considered conditions would probably be more useful.

Robert,

I posted some footage here:

http://www.ibms.sinica.edu.tw/~sroff/wideangle.html

http://www.nattress.com/BirdBrains/birdBrainsMovie.htm

Is a small movie I shot on my PDX-10, using my own Film Look process to produce a 24p mp4 and DVD - and if you look around the pages there's a full article detailing how it was made.

Graeme

Of course...keep in mind that the internet is a VERY poor way to judge a camera's image (with all the compression and stuff.) As long as you are not shooting in low light, or directly into bright light sources, the PDX10 produces an excellent image.

Oh yeah, and that's a funny movie Graeme, good job.

Thanks - it came out great on the DVD, although I'm thinking of a few things I can do to make it better as my software plugins get better....


Graeme

<<<-- Originally posted by Glenn Gipson : Of course...keep in mind that the internet is a VERY poor way to judge a camera's image (with all the compression and stuff.) -->>>

Very true. But it does give me a strong idea, since most of my stuff will probably be viewed online anyway. I'm really grateful for Graeme's film. The footage, I thought, rivaled some of the DVX100 shorts I've seen online -- which is comforting, that with time and effort you can make the footage shine. I don't have Final Cut Pro -- so I can't use his plug-in -- but it looks damn good with 24p. I'm not trying to make the PDX10 do the work of the DVX100 -- but I'd like an aesthetic that's close. I was worried that the PDX10 would still look too video-y for narrative film. Graeme seemed to have proved me wrong.

It looks like that if I decide to go this route, the Ultracontrast filters will be a big help. Is there a way to use that filter without having to buy a Century Matte box (because they seem to be rather expensive)?

And does anyone have any footage with actual actors or people, so I can get an idea of skintone reproduction and such?

Robert - thanks for the comments. The DVX wasn't an option for me - I don't like the hassle of anamorphic lenses and wanted to go real widescreen, and I wasn't in the mood for a general purpose camera - I wanted to light things properly, so I wasn't too worried about the lack of really good low light.

http://www.nattress.com/filmEffectsMovies.htm

is really an early test I did of Film Effects, but it shows the unaltered unfiltered PDX-10 footage nicely. I was really lucky with that shot to get the DOF though!

I don't think that the PDX-10 is too video, and indeed it's basic high quality makes it very adaptable to post processing methods - like the ones that I use, and the widescreen helps you keep the resolution up.

I do like the ultra contrast filters, but if you use them you must process your footage afterwards or it will not look "right", but the end results can be excellent.

I don't have any good shots for skin tone up on my website, though I think that the PDX-10 is fine in that respect.

Graeme

Robert: Sorry, have been out of town for a few days. Have you seen the PDX-10 stuff on my site? http://www.greenmist.com/pdx10

Some frames from nature/landscape video: http://www.greenmist.com/nature

And "people pictures": http://www.greenmist.com/trovatore/film

All these are full size video frames from the PDX-10 in 16:9 mode, stretched in photoshop to be th correct size on a square pixel monitor (854x480). Note that some were shot in very low light conditions. They were deinterlaced with DVFilm Maker and had various filters applied in post, like Joe's Diffusion and the FCP 3 way color corrector. I think I should have been more careful about how I exported the stills because the JPEG quality looks pretty low.

Now that my schedule is opening up a bit I hope to put a lot of other examples online before too long.

Here's a video with people in it. Just me following my kids around for a whole day.

http://www.vanemery.com/~sroff/2004/satweb.wmv

If you can't understand what they are saying, it's because they are speaking Chinese.

Steve,
Great home movie! Thanks for letting us in on an aspect of your life/family.
Also some good examples of what the PDX10 can do.
Only comment, some scenes a little dark, post production may lighten a little. But hey that's a minor comment to a great family shoot. But Where are you in the movie? Mirror shot next time?
Thanks
Chris

Here are a few frames I took with a past PDX10.

http://www.villagephotos.com/pubbrow...elected=441334

Chris,

Thanks for the comments.

I hope to learn how to lighten up the dark scenes when I get more familiar with Vegas.

And I have found I have tons of pictures of my kids and wife but few of myself. How do others deal with this? Guess I could set up the tripod----

Here are trailers for my short film
 

Here are trailers for a short film I made with the PDX10. I had a professional crew and a full grip and light kit.

http://www.roboneo.com/Alexis_pages/Alexis.htm

And now, one of my projects is to shoot a street level film, using the PDX10... just trying to go after that film look.

Hello,

Great examples from all who shared !! Nice to see the camera in use..
If I might i have some questions for ronald on his short film..I thought you got a nice dark tone in the trailers for what is obviously a dark piece.. Any tips on shooting in this low light type situation with the limitations we know the PDX-10 has in low light..Did you ad a film look in post?? Magic Bullet?? Was it shot 16X9? Any other info you wish to share on the process and using the camera..

Thanks
Mike Moncrief