Sony ENG Introduction??

[Emrys Roberts]

Anyone in the Denver area willing to do some quick training on Sony HDCAM(HDW) or XDCAM(PDW/PMW) ENG at all? Need to get some more experience and have only really been around Canon HDV and EOS. Any help would be awesome! :)

[Bruce Rawlings]

Pop over to Wales and we can give you training with a BBC News cameraman.

[Steve Phillipps]

Another option would be to borrow or hire one and play about with it - they're pretty simple really. You can also couple that with asking any specific questions on the forum here.
Steve

[Emrys Roberts]

Originally Posted by Bruce Rawlings

Pop over to Wales and we can give you training with a BBC News cameraman.

LOL, man I wish. BBC is definitely one of the networks I would love to do some work for one day :)

[Emrys Roberts]

Originally Posted by Steve Phillipps

Another option would be to borrow or hire one and play about with it - they're pretty simple really. You can also couple that with asking any specific questions on the forum here.
Steve

That's a good point. Be a good way to get some real hands on.

[Paul Inglis]

and download the manual :) I spent hours reading mine and still refer to it from time to time!

[Bruce Rawlings]

As Steve said they are all the same basically and the layout for the Sony range is straightforward.

[Doug Jensen]

Training Videos:
Vortex Media: VIDEO & PHOTO Tools and Training

Field Guides:
Vortex Media's XDCAM Field Guides

[Emrys Roberts]

Originally Posted by Bruce Rawlings

As Steve said they are all the same basically and the layout for the Sony range is straightforward.

I've heard that. Good to know that once I get through the basics of one, the rest shouldn't be too far off. I sort figured as much, but never hurts to ask. :)

[Doug Jensen]

Originally Posted by Bruce Rawlings

As Steve said they are all the same basically and the layout for the Sony range is straightforward.

That is only true as long as you stay within a family of products. The PDW series (F355, 700, F800) have practially nothing at all in common with the PMW series (EX1, EX3).

[Steve Phillipps]

True, but it sounds like Emrys is familiar with the small cameras and is interested in the big pro ones, which are all very similar - even the Sony and Panasonic models are laid out in the same way more or less and operate in a very similar fashion.
Steve

[Doug Jensen]

Maybe so, but he did say "PMW" in his first post and there are no big pro PMW cameras -- thus my warning that PMW and PDW have very little in common.

[Craig Seeman]

PMW-350?
Well not until January 2010 but it seems to be PDW-350 ish in size but PMW family, no?

Originally Posted by Doug Jensen

Maybe so, but he did say "PMW" in his first post and there are no big pro PMW cameras -- thus my warning that PMW and PDW have very little in common.

[Doug Jensen]

The main thing the PMW-350 has in common with its PDW (F355, 700, F800) cousins is the body size, lens selection, and battery options. Other than that, they are very different animals. The PMW-350 is much closer related to the EX1 and EX3.

If someone understands the EX1 and EX3, I'm sure they could step up to a PMW-350 without a hitch. I would not say the same thing about an EX1 owner going to a PDW-700 if he has had zero experience with that type of professional camcorder before. What he knows about oeprating the EX1, changing shooting modes, overcranking, naming clips, performing disc operations, etc. will help him very little with the other camera.

Anyone who has used both a PMW and PDW should know what I'm talking about. If you have only used one or the other, then you'll have to take my word for it.

The F800/700 are much closer related to the F23 and the F35 than they are to the EX family.

[Charles Newcomb]

So, Doug... when will we be seeing your review of the PMW 350? Looking forward to it, actually.

Charles