Purchasing a New XDCAM HD Ex-1
 

Hi All,

I am interested in purchasing the new xdcam ex1. I just have a few questions before I decide to go ahead with the purchase

- Can anyone tell me how many SxS cards are supplied with the camera? (this way I'd know if I need to purchase an additional card)

- also, does anyone have links where I can view sample clips shot by the XDcam?

Are there any particular drawbacks with the camera that I should consider before making the purchase? Thanks

Just back from a demo. In Uk you get one 8Gb flash the cash card. Gives about 21 minutes at top 35MBps HQ res.

Posted to XDCAM HD -- moved to XDCAM EX.

We have an entire forum dedicated to EX sample clips:

EX Series Sample Clips - The Digital Video Information Network

Hope this helps,

It's 28 mins, not 21.

Buy the EX1 before the 31st and get $500 cash back .
I got one last week. That helped me decide a little faster.
http://pro.sony.com/bbsccms/ext/onli...promotion.html

Hi Akbar,

All of your questions, and more, are answered here.
What's So Great about XDCAM EX?

Please give it a minute to start loading.

don't buy any, MxR SDHC solution makes EX series even better if not the best camera choice.

I would not consider the EX-1 . . . the EX-3 has interchangeable lenses, a great little built in monitor, and so much more. It is much more the professional camera.

Which makes sense because it's much more the price ;-)

For doing wedding events, i cannot justify the cost of spending 2000 dollars more on EX3 when the end result is going to be the same.....I could buy a couple of SxS cards with that money or better yet buy a stabilizer system.....

Just curious about the 500 dollars cash back Sony is offering...how is that going to work...i am going to buy the camera today from B&H photo and video and I have just registered for the virtual trade show?

The Ex1 is a very fine camera.
Do you really need interchangable lenses.
I only once used them on my betacam.
The ex1 is not that bad to hand hold.
Takes some practice.
Get a few MxR or whatever they are called today.
Some sample clips of handheld:
http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/ex-series...ng-sample.html

Even better - instead of buy an EX3, I can buy an EX1 + Sachtler DV6 SL Carbon fiber tripod ... (if you don't need to change the lense)

it's supplied with 1 8gb card and as far as i know, there is no promotion for a free card at this time with either the PMW-EX1 or PMW-EX3.

there is a $500 rebate if you buy a 32gb card which is about $1450 before the $500 rebate.
so, at $950, that's far better than the $450 for the 8gb or $750 for the 16gb cards at the moment.

since i bought my EX1 a year ago, the 16gb card has dropped about $300 each. a lot but not the 50% many here thought may happen. (including me)

i now have two 16gb cards and two 8gb cards whenever i go anywhere with my EX1
this way, i really don't feel the need to bring my macbook pro along anymore.

i have also used both the EX1 and EX3 extensively and because of the pricing difference, favors the EX1.

at the form factor of the EX1, I can actually use it on the go filming without support or harness, making for really cheap 1080/30p acquisition.

here is one sample where i recorded youngsters at a school trip.
all in 1080/30p and processed with iMovie08
(no external lighting used in the indoors and subway scenes....)

YouTube - PS196 Ellis Island & Statue of Liberty Trip, Filmed with Sony PMW-EX1

for indoor shots, the EX1 can be cropped away for 720p distribution without much problems. certainly better than the 1080 upsampling from HDV footage as broadcasters still do.

here is one stage shot where i cropped heavily for effects.
using iMovie 09 which now handles 1080 material from PMW-EX1 or XDCAM-EX for that matter, very well.

YouTube - PS196 does Rumba and the Waltz - Ball Room Dancing by Larocca 5th Graders in HD 720p (Sony PMW-EX1)

for studio work.
i kind of like sachtler's heads but not so much their legs.

here's my EX1 on DV8/100 and Gitzo carbon legs.
this setup allows for a lot of add ons and ease of transport.

http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/attachmen...8-img_0372.jpg


One last point, this is a professional cam serviceable internally without trips to the sony pro labs. once i had to remap the sensor grids as some pixels were not firing properly. all that was needed was about 40 minutes of step by step instructions to fire up the ill functioning cluster and everything was back on line. making for quick recovery and no shelf time. terrific.

paul

I finally got it!!!....I actually bought the camera EX1 and your DVD from B&H and I have to tell you that I watched the entire 3 hours in one sitting....Good Job with the DVD...definitely worth the $99+$4 shipping from B&H instead of $125+shipping via USPS....hehe j/k =)....btw since Sony wasn't sponsoring it then you could have mentioned alternatives to the SxS cards....will watch it again and get my hands dirty on the camera at the same time now.......

the only thing I don't like about the camera is the fact that it's too heavy to be a hand-held unit...my wrist started to hurt after 10 minutes of continuous holding.....must get stabilizer soon =)...any suggestions would be much appreciated

If you're looking for extra cards, I would HIGHLY recommend the MxR alternative (with SanDisk or Transcend SD cards) to SxS. They work great and are so much cheaper. The only limitation is that they can only overcrank to 48fps. If you need to do 60fps, then just use the free 8gig SxS in the B slot and after you record the clip, you can transfer the 60fps clip from the SxS card to the MxR card in camera. Also, the price will drop on these SD cards (currently $30-$35) and they can be used as your hard copy backup. You can get about 58 minutes of HQ 1080 24P on a 16 gig SD card.