Sony unveils the EX3 successor: PMW-300

Meng Li · November 22nd, 2013, 11:23 PM

Plus, I have written this bug report to their website, and after all of this lengthy description and suggestion, what comes out after I click submit button is a 404 error --- the web page doesn't exist. I tried multiple times and got the same results. I take it as that they are too hesitate to take any suggestions or accept any bug requests. The products are real, but the customer services looks like pure scum.

Jack Zhang · November 23rd, 2013, 03:04 AM

Converters are basically a skin on top of the FFmpeg backend. FFmpeg can't handle professional codecs well, but there is a professional codec driven of FFmpeg called FFmbc.

https://code.google.com/p/ffmbc/

It actually is amazing what FFmpeg can do, but it can't do everything.

Meng Li · November 23rd, 2013, 04:26 AM

At least I can directly read those files in with that sometimes malfunctioning plugin now. Though I have not tried it yet, previously I used Sony Content Browser to convert one to mov and imported it in, it appears to have 8 audio tracks, all mono, with the 5th-8th silent. I currently saw no use of them, but they do exist. Maybe they are for some better cameras, I presume.

Andrew Smith · November 26th, 2013, 09:10 AM

So ... is anyone with a PMW300 game to start answering our myriad of questions? Even just your thoughts on how this camera performs in real world usage will be of help.

Andrew

Brent Kaplan · November 26th, 2013, 10:14 AM

sure make a list, Ill do the best I can to answer.

Andrew Smith · November 26th, 2013, 10:44 AM

Thanks.

Firstly, when playing back a video clip that you have shot with the camera, does it output thorough the SDI connection? This doesn't happen on the EX3 which appears to only have a live SDI connection when it is in 'camera' mode.

Andrew

Jack Zhang · November 26th, 2013, 10:58 AM

That doesn't seem right. The EX3 should be able to do that with the i.link output off. Make sure your i.link output is off in order to use the SDI.

All cameras require the i.link output to be disabled to use HDMI or SDI.

Andrew Smith · November 27th, 2013, 04:51 AM

Could well be the case. Admittedly, it was a borrowed camera (the EX3 is not my usual cam) and it was an unexpected need at the time. Seemed weird that it would not output through the SDI.

Many thanks.

Andrew

Meng Li · December 4th, 2013, 06:55 PM

So, it looks like BH has someone who's collecting the serial numbers of PMW-300's they have sold out to customers to fulfill their *reseller's rebate* to prevent their potential loss. Anyone who has received it other than me?

Well I have to point out that the guy who's in charge of this has kind of a mechanical mind... He forwarded several of other users' emails to my email address trying to let me understand where the serial number is... Brent Kaplan is among them.

It appears that someone else also thinks that the rebate is for *himself*... and happily submitted the number with that consent. lol.

Brent Kaplan · December 4th, 2013, 07:00 PM

yes I got that email and a phone messgae fromm a Isaac DAvis

Andrew Smith · December 5th, 2013, 08:48 AM

So what happens if you choose not to supply them with the serial number?

Andrew

Meng Li · December 5th, 2013, 04:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andrew Smith

So what happens if you choose not to supply them with the serial number?

Andrew

Could be that they lose Sony's rebate, which could be around 5% or 10% of the price per item. That's why this guy is constantly bugging people with machines everyday. If he can't get enough response, he will be fired. That's the way New Yorkers do it.

What makes me a bit of passive to the response is that I also have asked something else. I have mentioned before that when I have received mine I have a small dust in the VF lens, which I want to contact them to seek easy ways to repair or exchange this part. So I talked to this guy by the way, but he did not respond it at all. He just let me contact their Customer Services. Well, You want something from me and you don't provide any courtesy to your customers? I should have jacked them with the serial number for the part, but I did not. I contacted Customer Services instead yesterday, but got no response so far.

Alister Chapman · December 19th, 2013, 05:45 AM

I'm in the process of finishing off my review of the PMW-300 and I have tested my DSM U83 on it. I have no issues it appears to work correctly without the need for fly leads or anything else.

Andrew Smith · December 19th, 2013, 05:54 AM

Looking forward to the review, Alister. I really got a lot out of your review of the PMW-200, even watching it a few times.

Are you able to check for IR bleed issues? (The sort of thing where black fabric looks warm/brownish because the infra-red isn't being filtered out properly.)

Thanks for all that you do.

Andrew

Brent Kaplan · December 19th, 2013, 01:10 PM

Thats great about the DSM batteries but what about a battery with a DTAP that works.

November 22nd, 2013, 11:23 PM	#166
Meng Li Regular Crew Join Date: Sep 2013 Location: Richmond, BC, Canada Posts: 52	Re: Sony unveils the EX3 successor: PMW-300 Plus, I have written this bug report to their website, and after all of this lengthy description and suggestion, what comes out after I click submit button is a 404 error --- the web page doesn't exist. I tried multiple times and got the same results. I take it as that they are too hesitate to take any suggestions or accept any bug requests. The products are real, but the customer services looks like pure scum.

November 23rd, 2013, 03:04 AM	#167
Jack Zhang Inner Circle Join Date: May 2005 Location: Burnaby, BC, Canada Posts: 3,053	Re: Sony unveils the EX3 successor: PMW-300 Converters are basically a skin on top of the FFmpeg backend. FFmpeg can't handle professional codecs well, but there is a professional codec driven of FFmpeg called FFmbc. https://code.google.com/p/ffmbc/ It actually is amazing what FFmpeg can do, but it can't do everything.

November 23rd, 2013, 04:26 AM	#168
Meng Li Regular Crew Join Date: Sep 2013 Location: Richmond, BC, Canada Posts: 52	Re: Sony unveils the EX3 successor: PMW-300 At least I can directly read those files in with that sometimes malfunctioning plugin now. Though I have not tried it yet, previously I used Sony Content Browser to convert one to mov and imported it in, it appears to have 8 audio tracks, all mono, with the 5th-8th silent. I currently saw no use of them, but they do exist. Maybe they are for some better cameras, I presume.

November 26th, 2013, 09:10 AM	#169
Andrew Smith Equal Opportunity Offender Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Brisbane, Australia Posts: 3,016	Re: Sony unveils the EX3 successor: PMW-300 So ... is anyone with a PMW300 game to start answering our myriad of questions? Even just your thoughts on how this camera performs in real world usage will be of help. Andrew

November 26th, 2013, 10:14 AM	#170
Brent Kaplan Regular Crew Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Los Angeles,CA Posts: 166	Re: Sony unveils the EX3 successor: PMW-300 sure make a list, Ill do the best I can to answer.

November 26th, 2013, 10:44 AM	#171
Andrew Smith Equal Opportunity Offender Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Brisbane, Australia Posts: 3,016	Re: Sony unveils the EX3 successor: PMW-300 Thanks. Firstly, when playing back a video clip that you have shot with the camera, does it output thorough the SDI connection? This doesn't happen on the EX3 which appears to only have a live SDI connection when it is in 'camera' mode. Andrew

November 26th, 2013, 10:58 AM	#172
Jack Zhang Inner Circle Join Date: May 2005 Location: Burnaby, BC, Canada Posts: 3,053	Re: Sony unveils the EX3 successor: PMW-300 That doesn't seem right. The EX3 should be able to do that with the i.link output off. Make sure your i.link output is off in order to use the SDI. All cameras require the i.link output to be disabled to use HDMI or SDI.

November 27th, 2013, 04:51 AM	#173
Andrew Smith Equal Opportunity Offender Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Brisbane, Australia Posts: 3,016	Re: Sony unveils the EX3 successor: PMW-300 Could well be the case. Admittedly, it was a borrowed camera (the EX3 is not my usual cam) and it was an unexpected need at the time. Seemed weird that it would not output through the SDI. Many thanks. Andrew

December 4th, 2013, 06:55 PM	#174
Meng Li Regular Crew Join Date: Sep 2013 Location: Richmond, BC, Canada Posts: 52	Re: Sony unveils the EX3 successor: PMW-300 So, it looks like BH has someone who's collecting the serial numbers of PMW-300's they have sold out to customers to fulfill their reseller's rebate to prevent their potential loss. Anyone who has received it other than me? Well I have to point out that the guy who's in charge of this has kind of a mechanical mind... He forwarded several of other users' emails to my email address trying to let me understand where the serial number is... Brent Kaplan is among them. It appears that someone else also thinks that the rebate is for himself... and happily submitted the number with that consent. lol.

December 4th, 2013, 07:00 PM	#175
Brent Kaplan Regular Crew Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Los Angeles,CA Posts: 166	Re: Sony unveils the EX3 successor: PMW-300 yes I got that email and a phone messgae fromm a Isaac DAvis

December 5th, 2013, 08:48 AM	#176
Andrew Smith Equal Opportunity Offender Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Brisbane, Australia Posts: 3,016	Re: Sony unveils the EX3 successor: PMW-300 So what happens if you choose not to supply them with the serial number? Andrew

December 19th, 2013, 05:45 AM	#178
Alister Chapman Inner Circle Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Bracknell, Berkshire, UK Posts: 4,957	DSM U83 Works OK I'm in the process of finishing off my review of the PMW-300 and I have tested my DSM U83 on it. I have no issues it appears to work correctly without the need for fly leads or anything else. __________________ Alister Chapman, Film-Maker/Stormchaser http://www.xdcam-user.com/alisters-blog/ My XDCAM site and blog. http://www.hurricane-rig.com

December 19th, 2013, 05:54 AM	#179
Andrew Smith Equal Opportunity Offender Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Brisbane, Australia Posts: 3,016	Re: Sony unveils the EX3 successor: PMW-300 Looking forward to the review, Alister. I really got a lot out of your review of the PMW-200, even watching it a few times. Are you able to check for IR bleed issues? (The sort of thing where black fabric looks warm/brownish because the infra-red isn't being filtered out properly.) Thanks for all that you do. Andrew

December 19th, 2013, 01:10 PM	#180
Brent Kaplan Regular Crew Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Los Angeles,CA Posts: 166	Re: Sony unveils the EX3 successor: PMW-300 Thats great about the DSM batteries but what about a battery with a DTAP that works.