Sony PXW-X200 Pro's and Con's Review
 

I finally finished my Sony PXW-X200 Pro's and Con's Review:


Comments welcome

Re: Sony PXW-X200 Pro's and Con's Review
 

Great review! Very concise and informative. :-)

I am currently boxing my X200 up for return as I watched your review. Reminded me I have to pull my DSC settings out of it first!

Paul

Re: Sony PXW-X200 Pro's and Con's Review
 

Great video, Rob!
Paul, are you seriously returning your camera?

Re: Sony PXW-X200 Pro's and Con's Review
 

Absolutely. The X200 was only purchased to REPLACE my X180, which suffers from "focus shift" when you zoom, as well as an infinity hard stop that goes very obviously of focus. The X200 "issue" is MUCH WORSE than the X180 issues. The X200 was soooo bad, that it killed one live shot, forced me to switch to a JVC HM790 for another, and almost caused a third live shot to be missed, and I only deployed it for three days!

I did really miss the 26mm wide on the X180, and the quick menu on the X200 is a blessing. The lack of what I feel are necessary functions when Network mode is enabled, was pretty much a deal breaker as well. When I deploy my cameras, they are always streaming live, so that is a big deal for me.

Hey Rob, do you have matrix/multi-matrix "in the box" settings for the X180?

Paul

Re: Sony PXW-X200 Pro's and Con's Review
 

Again, I feel it's rushed. They basically went and ported the PMW-200's firmware to use with the new XAVC format.

Really sucks you can't power MI shoe mics in streaming mode, also figured you couldn't stream 1080p 50/60p but disabling 3G-SDI too?

The big thing between the X180 and X200 is the voltage requirements for the DC in. The X200 only needs 12V-16V, while the X180 needs "laptop powered" 19V.

Them porting the firmware is also the reason why many of the GUI features from the X180 are not present in the X200. But can I say, the modern Sony firmwares on the X180 and the FS7 are slow as molasses. At least the X200 is snappy cause the firmware is not trying to be a super complex operating system.

Them throwing in a new lens will also introduce these macro problems. If they stuck to the one in the PMW-200 and just gave us 1080p 60p, I would have been more than happy, but it was more complex than it needed to be and was rushed to market.

My next move will be to 4K, but right now I have a lack of confidence since the FS7, even though it's an excellent camera, it's slow in it's firmware. The AX100 felt snappier than the FS7, and that's saying a lot.

If and when Sony masters the 1'' factor cams with 4K 60p and decent lenses (with snap zoom) I'll be happy.

Re: Sony PXW-X200 Pro's and Con's Review
 

My X180 charger has a 6 foot power cord for 12 volt..........I am about to chop it off!

Paul

Re: Sony PXW-X200 Pro's and Con's Review
 

The BC-U1? Yeah, that cable is not compatible with the X180. Keep it if you get a PMW-300 though. That's a standard DC plug, FS7 even uses it. (Heck, the FS7 can run on it's 12v)

Re: Sony PXW-X200 Pro's and Con's Review
 

Hey Paul, I haven't got calibrated settings on the X180 as yet. I had it boxed and ready to return, but I may take another look at it and possibly calibrate to a DSC chart.

That Focus Mag button is very awkward for me to compared to the X200, but it does retain peaking when Focus Mag is activated, unlike the X200...

Re: Sony PXW-X200 Pro's and Con's Review
 

I don't believe that colored fuzzy painted edges should be considered peaking. Peaking was and should be a sharpening of the viewfinder, as if you cranked up the detail on the camera. Also, the focus magnification on the X200 is like a 50% zoom in? :-)

I am going to put my X180 back on the scope tomorrow night. My last calibration had a noticeable green shift to the entire picture. My X200 calibration was much better, couldn't find a problem with it, so i will take what i learned in playing with the matrix vs (and/or) multi-matrix to hand on the X180 again. These cameras seem to like the GREEN slammed to it's maximum detent away from yellow with the matrix, then the rest adjusted in the multi-matrix.

Paul

Re: Sony PXW-X200 Pro's and Con's Review
 

Rob,

Very nice review of the X200. I have an EX1r and am considering upgrading to it or adding it. Seems like a camera with a lot of useful features and could be matched reasonably well with the EX1r.

Interesting that you point out that the camera is an f1.8 - f2.8 lens and not an f1.8 all the way through its zoom range. If you check out the SONY specs, they maintain that it is f1.8 all the way to f16, if I am reading the specs correctly, which may be why they don't change the f1.8 readout on the lcd monitor. They think it is f1.8 all the way through!

Re: Sony PXW-X200 Pro's and Con's Review
 

I think you are confusing iris RANGE with maximum relative iris value. That is like saying it maintains wide angle all the way through telephoto. :-)

Paul

Re: Sony PXW-X200 Pro's and Con's Review
 

Oops! You are correct. Interesting that the 14:1 EX1r lens appears to hold its fstop all the way through its zoom range and the X200 does not.

Re: Sony PXW-X200 Pro's and Con's Review
 

Paul,
Q: do you think you just got a bad sample of the camera or is this issue you mentioned and caused you to return the camera more widespread? I have not noticed other reviewers talking about it.
Did you discuss the issue with anyone at Sony?

Re: Sony PXW-X200 Pro's and Con's Review
 

Actually both the EX1R and X200 don't indicate ramping across the zoom range. At full telephoto, both still think it's F1.9 when it's actually F2.8.

Re: Sony PXW-X200 Pro's and Con's Review
 

Huh! I have been using the EX1r camera for years and never noticed. Could be because I rarely shoot wide open, 95% of the time between 2.8 - 5.6, but I will check it out. Having shot with Sony cameras for decades, I am surprised by what I have been reading about the new cameras that Sony has put out recently; great optics and sensors but with nagging issues. It is a very competitive business, but it always has been. I guess we just have to get used to it.