Here are a few more examples of some curve adjustments.

The first two are related to the Gamma setting:

http://www.dvinfo.net/gallery/showimage.php?i=880&c=3&userid=50923
http://www.dvinfo.net/gallery/showimage.php?i=881&c=3&userid=50923

The second two show the max adjustments of the Black Gamma setting:

http://www.dvinfo.net/gallery/showimage.php?i=882&c=3&userid=50923
http://www.dvinfo.net/gallery/showimage.php?i=883&c=3&userid=50923

Hope these are useful for visualization of these settings.

It crossed my mind today that as Final Cut Pro isn't used to import footage directly, any in / out points from the original SxS footage is not stored in the NLE. So for instance, if I use the XDCAM Transfer app to import a small part of a clip then a quicktime file is created on my scratch disk of that small part.

With tapes, if I need to recapture that clip I can just load the appropriate tape and using timecode re-capture it. Can the same thing be done the the Transfer app?

Paul.

I am going to be picking up my EX1 in the next couple of weeks, and was thinking we could come up with a set of acceptance tests that any buyer should do to make sure the camera is free of the known issues. I have:

Vignetting - OIS on - point camera at uniform expense of wall - set correct exposure - zoom through full range - watch for vignetting particularly between 10mm and 25 mm

Backfocus - set full manual focus - zoom in - focus on object at about 3 m - zoom out - check whether focusing closer sharpens image

Zoom - set top handle zoom speed to 2 - zoom and check for smoothness

Any additions or corrections?

Cheers, Nick

I'm getting this message 4-8 times per card ingest (8 and 16 GB cards).

The dialogue concludes with (Cancel All Tasks) and (OK).

Clicking OK continues the ingest, and maybe it will cough up another instance. Maybe not.

When the dialog appears, the clip currently ingesting IS NOT INGESTED.

Therefore, before doing a wipe of a card, it is imperative that you check each clip in the browser against every clip in the Finder's folder to ensure you have them all.

Clips that cause the dialog to appear in one pass do not seem to repeat when tried again. Go figure.

With a file copy to one hard drive and a full card ingest to another drive, this is making the process something that has to be watched moment by moment, rather than something that can be checked or simply automated.

I can work around the very powerful audio system that can bite you if not careful. I can invest in IR filters to protect lenses and get neutral blacks. I can, to a certain extent, assign Flange Back adjustments to 'Maintenance' and forgive rather poor ergonomics with a friendly shrug, but this error is spooking me badly. What's even more spooky is that nobody else seems to have mentioned it...

... Anyone else?

I was wanting to take the firewire output from the EX1 and connect it to my desktop computer, possibly control the camera and record video on to the hard drive. Is there any software I could use to remotely access the desktop from any computer and control the EX1? Or remotely start recording and/or monitor the firewire output of the EX1?

I tried VNC but the video blanks when I connect remotely to my desktop.

I recently purchased a 500Gb version for use as a high speed external scratch disk but it causes my mac pro to lock up whenever I use the XDCAM Transfer app. Copying files too and from it manually works fine, it just seems to be the Sony app that causes the problem.

Anyone else have a similar experience?

Paul.

I{
P;ease ignore this post -I do mnot know how to delete it.

I am looking to purchase the 16 gb sony SxS cards. I am looking for suggestions as to the best prices. I also would like to know if anyone has orderd their EX or other items from Promax? Is this a good and reputable company? They seem to have good prices and good reseller ratings.
Thanks for any info.

Joel Brooks
Moments in Time Video Productions

Hi,

I am looking for field audio recorder to fit with xdcam ex. Any suggestions? As far I know there is no possibility to sync any audio recorder to xdcam ex. Am I wrong?

Thanks!

Regards,

Sven

Has anyone been able to shoot and record via HD-SDI out yet? I'd love to see some comparisons between the 422 and 420 recorded to the cards - not to mention the artifacting differences that anyone may be seeing.

I was shooting a wedding with my EX1 this past weekend, and I got pulsing or flickering light in a couple of shots (noticed it right away on the LCD). My first thought was some of the fluorescent light issues folks here had been reporting, but I didn't see any fluorescent fixtures around (and would have been kind of surprised if there were any in this very fancy hall). A few minutes' search revealed the culprit, and it had nothing to do with the EX1's CMOS sensors or anything else technical. Several light fixtures were located ABOVE ceiling fans, so the fan blades kept interrupting the light. Our eyes don't really notice, but the camera does... Sometimes the cause is simple and physical, not complex and technical...

I don't usually do weddings but have been asked by a friend to do his son's. It will be on horseback at a lake in the country. The bride and groom come riding in and all. I would like some suggestions on how to get the audio. I will use EX1 and an HV20 for video, Sony A-700 for stills.
Thanks in advance

Hello all,

A few of you guys mentioned that you've shot 1/24 shutter (1080 24P) on weddings for low light. In other words shutter off

For still shots, speeches, dinner time, lobby shots this makes sense

What about dances?
I typically pan slow anyways but there is motion in the scene in this case
Does it look ok? What do you see - blurring?
I don't mind a slight blur vs. dark or grainy video


Sidenote:
I plan to go 1/48 normally and keep the movement civilized :)
I did some outside shoots at 1/96 and above in sunshine - to me that looks nice too.

Paul

I recently upgraded from Apple FCP Studio to Studio 2 so I could edit footage from my XDCAM EX-1.
Boris FX appears in the effects tab as before the upgrade. I can drag Boris onto a clip in the timeline. When I click on the filters tab, Boris appears in the filter tab and there is a red render bar over the clip in the timeline.
But there seems to be no way to launch Boris.
Previously I would go to the filters tab and there would be a launch button on the Boris effect, but not anymore.
How do I launch Boris FX 9 now?

Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks.

Kevin Jones

Hi Everyone,

I have a client that wants hard copies of everything on HDCAM. I had a short shoot to test playing out HDSDI to HDCAM and everything went fine.

Now I'm leaving for a week-long shoot in TX where I'll be off loading the cards onto a MBP and burning DLDVDs for backup. I have 3- 8GB cards and 2-16GB cards.

I don't know the procedure for splitting up the 16GB media into 2 8GB chunks for the DLDVD burning. Has anyone done this? If so, how is it done?

My other questions are about combining 2-8GB cards' worth of media onto a 16GB card for playout to HDCAM. Has anyone combined 2 - 8s to a 16?
What would be the procedure for that?

Thank you for your help.

Jac

From everybody's new favourite site (http://dvuser.co.uk/content.php?CID=174):

Sony are also working with software plug-in company Main Concept, who are building some additional functionality for Clip Browser version 2. One such function will be the ability to take your 35mbps HD footage and using the Main Concept option* you will be able to up-convert it to 50mbps in 4:2:2 colour space directly onto XDCAM HD Professional Optical Disc using the PDW-U1 USB Disc reader/writer. This is kind of a ‘transcoding’ process.

Another function of the Main Concept plug-in will allow you to take any clip from the Clip Browser and to export it as Windows Media, Apple QuickTime, PSP file, iPod file, and even YouTube files. This is a great way of saving video files for multi-media web purposes. No more need to learn the art of compression for the web; nice!


* Is the "Main Concept option" something that will come standard with it or is it something we'll need to buy from MainConcept?

EDIT: Ok, so all I had to do was read the paragraph that I accidentally skipped.

Hopefully the plug-ins will be cheap. It sounds good. I am well and truly sick of the compatibility issues with the footage from this camera.

At least Version 2 will have HD -> DV conversion built in. That's overdue.

That said, I don't think the Clip Browser has anything to offer that Cineform's HDLink doesn't.

Hi there,
Just read a review regarding the upcoming release of the EX-3, to "expect a smaller (A1 size) camcorder to appear too".
Any educated guesses about this? The reviewer was talking about the EXs, so surely this would also have 1/2" sensors, etc.. Maybe the lens wouldn't be quite so nice? Maybe it would just record at 25mbps? Just wondering.
Malcolm

what's the slowest zoom speed on the fujinon lens ?

I used the clip browser to extract a bars and tone from MP4 clip to MXF wrapped clip. Then I imported this into adobe premiere 3.2, both as a native mp4 and as a native mxf. Both imported just fine.

However when I put the mp4 on the timeline, the tone is at -20db. When I put the MXF in the time line, it adds two audio's, one on a4 and one on a5. If both play the audio is at -15 or -16. If only one is selected, the audio is at about -25db.

Ok, what gives, and which is right. I think the mp4 is right at -20db. But why does the clip browser split the audio, and why is it at different levels.

Is Adobe's import of the MXF wrong? Is the clip browser wrong?

Any word about the Manfrotto EX1 zoom control that was to debut at NAB?
Best, Craig
Thanks, I have since located the information.
http://dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?t=102972&page=8

Can you both focus and zoom the lens at the same time? Thats currently a problem I am having while I dolly in and zoom to maintain the framing the cameras can not do both at the same time.

Anyone using a Vegas workflow? How is it? is it as intense as AVCHD or more like MT2 workflow? do you use or need cineform?


Thanks for any help. I am considering the switch.

I am a long time windows Adobe user but now have my Mac Pro on order. (need a faster machine for HD and get past limits of xp32) Adobe are ready to ship me the MAC version of the CS3 Master Collection when I fax them my windows version destruction agreement.

I could use bootcamp and my existing windows Master Collection but for access to all the 6GB ram I am drawn to using CS3 with leopard and with 3.2.0 upgrade on Premiere edit the EX1 footage.
Any happy users doing this ?

I have edited EX1 footage on my PC in Premiere 3.2.0 with success except for dissolve transitions (white flashes). My present workflow is SxS card into my Vista laptop, use sony clip browser to copy BAPV folder then make a 8GB dual layer DVD backup and export mxf files over my network to my video xp pro machine for editing.

I plan the same workflow when I replace my pc with the MacPro.

Every EX1 video I have seen uses FCP but with native editing in CS3.2 it saves a conversion step - correct?

Any comments ?

James Goodman

Are there any out there that will fit?

Hi there,
I just ordered an EX1, and would love to resolve this workflow question before getting it - - any advice very much appreciated. I understand, by the way, that at the end of June Sony will release Clip Browser version 2, which from the sounds of it will resolve all of my problems (even my personal ones).

until then, though, I have to find a not-too-expensive way to get footage from the EX-1 into Avid for editing.

Avid just updated Media Composer, so it now "supports the Sony EX1 35Mb Data Rates (Avid Xpress Pro will support XDCAM HD at 25Mb as it is - basically HDV)". Does this by chance mean that it will import the Sony EX-1 files as they are, or do they still have to be converted to MXF first? I suspect they have to be converted... so what would be the best (and cheapest) way?

I have a MacBook Pro with the requisite ExpressCard slot. So I can dump from SXS card in the field to my MBP. It won't be converted to MXF. But maybe I could borrow an old PC, and, when I get back to my office, transfer the EX files from my MacBook Pro to the PC, and then use the PC version of the Clip Browser to convert to MXF.
Then I'd copy these MXF files to my MacBook Pro, and import into Avid.

Is this the best workflow for me? As I say, by the end of June, with the new Clip Browser v. 2, I should be fine with just my MBP; by then, too, Media Composer will be Leopard-compatible... but until then...

Cheers, Malcolm

So the EX1 and the EX3 are looking delicious as far as updating our cameras but I've had this burning question.

Do you lose a few stops shooting 720p60 as opposed to 1080i60 with this cam?

I've been reading all about the improved sensitivity with these units (apparently comparable to a DSR-300) but I'm afraid these people are shooting interlaced.

So what's the story with progressive? Sensitivity as good as DSR-300 or PD-170 (which of-course are interlaced).

Do tell!

Coming over from the JVC side...

It's great the EX3 can change lenses, especially in 1/2" size. But I see power to the lenses must come from a "hotshoe" or something. I guess that's those 2 little plates at the base of the lens mount?
The problem I see is most HD 1/2" lenses from Canon or Fujinon use a power cord for juice. As far as I can tell, there's no way to plug it into the EX3. But I think I saw in a EX3 video presentation a lens adapter that appeared to have the power cord plug built in. I would guess it draws power from the hotshoe connectors, then transfers it to the lens via the cord adapter. Does anyone have any info on this?

I don't see the benefit of putting a really nice HD lens on the EX3, only to have the zoom motor not function. Also, since most broadcast lenses have the controls for zooming already on the lens, does the zoom control on the EX3 override this function, or do you have to use the lens' control? Using the lens' control would certainly shift the balance of the camera, as you would be supporting the front weight of the camera directly on the lens, not the camera's grip. Or when you remove the supplied lens, does the camera's rotatable grip come off with it? Are they a one-piece unit?
I understand Fuji will make a dedicated 2/3" lens adapter with a 12-pin connector. I wonder if they'll make one for the 1/2" lenses?

Hey everyone,
I have been looking around for a better solution to the SBAC-US10 USB Reader/Writer. Preferably something that holds more than one SXS card at a a time.

Panasonic has the AJ-PCD20, which holds 5 P2 cards.

Do any of you guys know if something like this is in works for the SXS cards?

I will be using the EX1 for underwater footage so I would like to be able to shoot as much as possible, like 4 cards worth and then sit down and process.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

How does flicker reduction work? Would this function also be useful for shooting under 60 Hz fluorescent lighting?

Clip Browser (Mac) SHOULD allow you to import an MP4 file an create a BPAV folder. It apparently doesn't correctly create the XML and other metadata.

In other words, you SHOULD be able to use the Import feature on Clip Browser on an MP4 (those without a proper BPAV folder for various reasons) and it would create a new BPAV folder. It creates a BPAV folder but doesn't do it correctly (see above) so the XDCAM Transfer Tool does not see the clip in the BPAV folder.

I contacted Sony on this. They discovered this last week so they told me.

There will be a Clip Browser 1.5 that should fix this. When that happens you'll be able to import MP4, create new BPAV folder, rewrap to MOV using the XDCAM Transfer Tool (Mac).

Once they get this working you won't have to worry about what to do if you've wound up with only an MP4 for various reasons.

Not sure if this affects Windows users since Windows Clip Browser can create MXF and now some NLEs can handle MP4 directly.

Hey guys.

Is there some plugin that anyone knows of that can make 50p footage to be played back in slow motion on a 25p timeline without conforming the footage? Conforming is such a time-consuming thing..

This is useful for when filming extreme sports in slow motion but still need the audio..

Great if anyone could help.

New EX3 promotional Video from Sony

http://pro.sony.com/bbsc/ssr/micro-xdcamexsite/cat-editing/resource.latest.bbsccms-assets-micro-xdcamex-latest-XDCAMEXVideo0417.shtml

If you are in LA,this Saturday, Sony will be here talking about the EX-1 and post production work flow. It's from 9 to about 1pm, food and drinks, free parking here at the ArcLight. You can sign up on the web site www.birnsandsawyer.com or call us at 323-466-8211

Yes, it's FREE

Jim Martin
Birns & Sawyer

I am about to do my first project with an EX1 and had a question about workflow. When I've worked with the HVX, I always copy the contents of the P2 cards to an external drive and then use Raylight to create reference movies that can be used in FCP. I'd like to do the same sort of thing with the EX1 but was wondering whether this is currently possible. I want to avoid doubling up my footage, i.e. having both the SxS card contents and imported, self-contained Quicktime movies on my hard drive. From what I understand, the XDCAM FCP transfer tool turns the EX1's .mp4 files into self-contained .mov files and does not have the capability to produce reference files like Raylight does with P2 .mxf files. If I'm correct about this, is there an OSX app out there that can generate reference movies from EX1 .mp4 files (and, while I'm on the subject, can, like Raylight, export an edited movie back out to a card)?

I just tried my Red Rock M2 with my Sony EX1. Today, I received the 77->72mm step down ring that mounts the 72mm HD macro lens to the EX1. There is a lot of vignetting, but I assume this is normal. After I acheive backfocus on the unmotored glass, it seems there is about 1/4" space between the rubber hood (which I have not been able to fit over the 72mm lens). Will I need a longer hood or a spacer tube?

Also, the camera seems to line up, but it could be a little off vertically? Is a shim kit needed?

I will very soon need to remove the permanently attached sunshade from my Sony .8x WA adapter. When asked, a Sony factory tech said that people are cutting it off. Has anyone here done this? I used to own an fx shop so I do some thoughts and tools to do it, but haven't yet taken the plunge until the redrock mattebox arrives.
It would be nice if there was a less barbaric method other than cutting.
Thoughts? Thanks, Craig

Hi there,

I know the HDSDI output is full 10bit 4:2:2 quality, while the SxS card content is HD in 35Mbit long GOP compressed.

Here is my question:
How big is the visual picture quality difference really ?
Considering HQ 1080p25 recording mode of the EX1 can you actually see any difference ?
I find the content coming off from the SxS cards already very good...

Is there anyone who can tell from experience ?

I don't have any grade-1 HDSDI monitoring equipment to test it myself - that's the reason for my question.

Thanks,
Ulli

Famous last words but have just had a new EX1 sent to me for a particular project and it is A1 first class. Firmware 1.05 seemingly no vignette/backfocus issues etc it seems to be a good one straight out of the box. Will now compare with present February model firmware 1.03. Sony can deliver the goods.

Just curious if anyone in or around the industry has heard the latest.

I am trying to find out if the standard Porter Case will carry a stripped down EX1. Ideally I could fit my EX1 and a 17 inch Mac Book Pro but this seems like a tight fit. If any has any knowledge on this please let me know.

Thanks
Dasher

Dear EX1 Users,

Firstly what an amazing camera you have. I'd really love to buy the camera, but I work freelance a lot for a major broadcaster, which edits on AVID Symphony. I work in the field and send them back tapes. They then digitise the footage in at a lower resolution and do 100% resolution conform when everything is edited and signed off.

I just spoke to the guys in the machine room and they felt that they EX1 would be a problem, as conforming from blu-ray or XDCAM optical disks would be a problem, it has to be done visually. He seemed to think that there was no timecode on the disks?? It a real shame, as it would be great to buy this camera, but I need to be able to use it on productions to justify the cost. Any suggestions would be warmly welcome.

All the best.

JJB

Hey guys

We are working with 24p and 25p together with 50p. Is there a way without using Cinema Tools to convert the files that are 720p50 to 720p25 at half speed? The sound doesn't matter..

In Adobe Premiere you can just right click and select interpret footage, and select 25p on the 50p clips and boom, they are slow motion 25p..

This is missing from Final Cut.. Any tips?

I shoot with the EX1, and I edit in FCP 6, but I'm working on a project that someone else is editing, and the other editor uses FCP 5.1.4. I am thinking that I'll load all the clips into FCP 6 on my machine and transcode them to a codec that the older version can handle... My thought is Apple Intermediate Codec - is that a good way to go? Uncompressed HD is too big to send, even though we're mailing hard drives around - we're mailing portable drives, not XServe RAIDs... As I understand it, old Final Cut doesn't like ProRes 422 any better than it does XDCam EX - is that true, or can I just go to ProRes?

-Dan

I'm currently searching for freelance cameramen in Isreal to shoot some footage for a program I'm bidding on. Please feel free to email me directly from my profile page.

Thanks,
Michael C. Williams
VP - InstructoVision
Kent, WA

without rendering.

I have a Mac Book Pro and i can put both kind of files in one timeline without rendering.
But 25p and 50p together on a power mac does not work.

One format must be rendered and it take yeeeaars...

so any suggestions how i can work with both formats in one sequence without rendering?

Hi,

I work as a DJ in a party on a boat (peniche) in Paris on saturday night. I want to have some views on the seine when the boat is moving but I will not have much time to do that.
I'm looking for someone who could help me. Boat runs from 23:00 to 0:00.
I will have my EX1 with tripod.
Then the help is welcome to stay for the party all night. I can provide alcool too and few people on the guestlist :)
The boat is in the 16th sector in front of the "maison de la radio".

Please mail/call me at +33 6 8232 1437
Thanks.

Pour les francophones :
J'ai besoin d'aide pour tourner des plan sur une peniche samedi soir.
La peniche est dans le 16eme face a la maison de la radio et partira de 23h a minuit. rien de compliqué, des plan de la seine et des passages sous les pont.
J'aurais ma EX1 et un pieds. Merci de me contacter au 0682321437
ps : je peux offrire quelques guestlist pour la soirée si vous voullez pas venir seul :)

Gates, the underwater housing maker, has just posted a video test of
the EX1 underwater ( ~70 feet + )

This was a test of the new housing, the low light capability and white balance of the EX1 camera....

Looks like it passed ...

http://www.gateshousings.com/EX1videotest.html

I'm not sure how many of you are aware that Sony offers an extended warranty for the EX1 (and other cameras that cost less than $10K), and I was a bit late myself to find out about this. The product is similar to AppleCare and costs only $160. Here's the Sony link:

http://pro.sony.com/bbsc/ssr/micro-xdcamexsite/cat-broadcastcameras/product-SPSCAM10RSEW3/

I know a lot of dealers sell the Mack extended warranty which costs a bloody fortune and has questionable integrity, in my opinion. Given the price of the EX1 this Sony extended warranty is a no-brainer!

I've been exploring a number of portable cheap monitor solutions (portable DVD players with A/V in) using the composite video output. Has anyone noticed that the video is flipped horizontally on the composite output but not on the component output? For the composite output, the menu overlay is not flipped - only the video from the lens. Weird.

Would anyone have a contact at Sony for bug submissions?

From Film Tv Video

http://translate.google.ch/translate?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.film-tv-video.de%2Fnewsdetail%2BM57f885cdb62.html%3F%26tx_ttnews%5Bday%5D%3D05%26tx_ttnews%5Bmonth%5D%3D06%2 6tx_ttnews%5Byear%5D%3D2008&sl=de&tl=en&hl=en&ie=UTF-8


And Slashcam

http://translate.google.ch/translate?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.slashcam.de%2Fartikel%2FTest%2FKurzfazit-Handling-Sony-EX3-Vorserienmodell.html&sl=de&tl=en&hl=en&ie=UTF-8

http://translate.google.ch/translate?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.slashcam.de%2Fartikel%2FTest%2FSchnelle-Bekanntschaft---Sony-PMW-EX3.html&sl=de&tl=en&hl=en&ie=UTF-8

I seem to have lost the plastic case for my 16G SxS card . Does anyone know if you can get an extra from Sony or anyone else?

- Lenny Levy