Sony forum area reorganization

[Les Wilson]

Cinealta is a Sony brand and also used with the EX1 which in the current proposal is an ENG. That confuses the namespace. A way to clean that up is to use industry terms:

Cinema:
ENG:
DSLR:

If you want to break up one of them into sub categories using some criteria like CODEC or Pro/Consumer, just further qualify the name with that criteria such as Pro Cinema ...

[Chris Hurd]

Originally Posted by Dave Blackhurst

...almost forgot the "action cams".... oy, what a mess!

Thanks for all that post, Dave -- the little Sony action cams will be relegated to our Micro / POV forum, for now at least.

Originally Posted by Les Wilson

Cinealta is a Sony brand and also used with the EX1 which in the current proposal is an ENG. That confuses the namespace. A way to clean that up is to use industry terms:

Cinema:
ENG:
DSLR:

If you want to break up one of them into sub categories using some criteria like CODEC or Pro/Consumer, just further qualify the name with that criteria such as Pro Cinema ...

I never quite "got" how or why the EX1 carried the CineAlta badge.

Any Sony camcorder that is *not* a handheld, is no problem as far as the forum structure is concerned. They'll go into these three categories:

CineAlta & Large Single Sensor (F65, F55, F7, F5, F3, FS700, FS100)

Shoulder Mount ENG / EFP (F800, 700, 850, X500, 400, 320)

Sony Alpha Series -- with A-mount and E-mount lenses, self explanatory.

The question is, how to organize some 17 handhelds. That's too many for one forum category. Break them up by codec? Fine. But what about the handhelds with large single sensors and E-mount lenses? (EA50, VG30 etc.) Where do we put those... with the Alphas, due to the lens mount?

[Chris Hurd]

Step One completed... the old "Sony XDCAM HD" board has been renamed:

Sony ENG / EFP Shoulder Mount Forum at DV Info Net

Where it sits in the current listing line-up is going to change, though.

[Les Wilson]

I doubt very much the namespace can be perfect and I'm always in favor of making information easier to find. I think the key (pardon the pun) is that users of that part of the DVInfo index have a camera in mind and are looking for the category that camera fits into. When I go there, I have the model name "EX1R" in mind. I don't have it's form factor, Media, CODEC or abstract category in mind. Of course all the models can't be listed, so a grouping of some kind is needed. Groupings that aren't much of a leap or abstraction of the camera are better. Noobs may not get "ENG" but everyone else would. Ultimately, its a one time problem. Once someone pokes around and learns how DVinfo categorizes the gear, they're good from then on. "Once learned, always remembered". My 2 cents.

[Chris Hurd]

Originally Posted by Les Wilson

I Noobs may not get "ENG" but everyone else would.

Good point... I'm hoping that anyone *seriously* interested in owning a pro Sony XDCAM HD shoulder mount will already be more than familiar with the terms ENG / EFP. In fact, it's almost a barrier to entry, and I'm fine with that.

Originally Posted by Les Wilson

Once someone pokes around and learns how DVinfo categorizes the gear, they're good from then on. "Once learned, always remembered". My 2 cents.

Well, we're all going to have to re-learn it! Because the categorization is indeed changing, for the better.

Step Two completed... the old "Sony XDCAM EX CineAlta" board has been renamed:

Sony XDCAM EX Pro Handhelds Forum at DV Info Net

Description: "Sony PMW-300, PXW-X200, PXW-X180 recording to SxS Express Card flash memory." Hmm, should we reference the EX3 and EX1 as well? I know some folks are still using them, but they're getting a bit long in the tooth, right?

[Andy Wilkinson]

Chris, re your question, I'd suggest you do indeed mention EX1/EX1r & EX3, as there are still a load of people using those PMW cams, originally launched 5-7 years back.

Looking good! keep up the great work!

[Chris Hurd]

Thanks, Andy -- done. Also:

Step Three completed... the old "Sony XAVC and XDCAM Camera Systems" board has been renamed:

Sony CineAlta and Large Single Sensor

Description: "Sony F65, PMW-F55, PXW-FS7, PMW-F5, PMW-F3, NEX-FS700, NEX-FS100." Merge those sub-fora? Hmmm...

[Chris Hurd]

Originally Posted by Michael Stevenson

Can we get a new forum for the Sony PXW-FS7?

Guess that's Step Four... done:

Sony XDCAM PXW-FS7 Forum at DV Info Net

...although it might get merged with some other CA / LSS cams into one large board... we'll see.

[Les Wilson]

Originally Posted by Chris Hurd

Guess that's Step Four... done:...

Thanks Chris. Love this place.

[Chris Hurd]

Well, it's raining here in CenTex so I'm stuck indoors anyway. Progress continues:

Sony NXCAM / AVCHD Camcorders Forum at DV Info Net

-- that's for all the NXCAM handhelds, and their consumer version AVCHD equivalents. Home for the NX70, NX30, NX5, NX3/1, AX2000, etc. We'll host the HXR-MC2500 and 2000 in there as well, although technically they're shoulder mounts.

Also:

Sony Alpha and NEX Camera Systems Forum at DV Info Net

Right now this category has sub-fora, one for the NEX-EA50 (unless y'all think it belongs up in the Large Single Sensor group), one for the NEX-VG Series camcorders, and one for the Alpha, which gets the mirrorless a7s thrown in with the DSLR's. I couldn't see much point in separating them.

And:

Sony RX CyberShots and CX Series Camcorders Forum at DV Info Net

Since we have enough existing threads to do it. RX together with CX, hope that's okay with everybody.

Now: where the heck do I put the PXW X70??

[Ray Paula]

This is going to help many people.... I sincerely appreciate the PXW-X70 forum here in DVinfo. I'm looking forward for more great threads for my new X70. Thanks and keep up the great work. Ray

[Andrew Smith]

Weird. I only noticed this thread once the forums had been reorganised. :-P

Makes sense to me.

Andrew

[Chris Hurd]

Well, the work isn't quite finished yet. I still have to figure out... where the heck do I put the PXW X70??

[Andy Wilkinson]

Tricky - maybe add it to the bottom of the 'XDCAM Pro Handhelds' list and stick the threads on the PXW-X70 in that forum area. I know it shares a LOT with the AX100 (soon even more when the 4K XAVC firmware update finally gets released by Sony) but that's what I suggest...after all, it has XDCAM written on the side!

But of course it does not record to SXS media...I agree, it's difficult and in many ways I would rather see all the posts on both AX-100 and X70 cams in the same forum area - but with Sony's habit of consumer, prosumer and semi-pro segregation in this area of the market, putting these cams in "pigeon holes" is never going to be easy.

Anyone got a better suggestion for Chris?

[Paul Wood]

I would agree with Andy - XDCAM Pro Handhelds - thats where it appears in the Sony site.

Of course, Sony doesn't help with its camera lineup, but that would appear logical to me - now of course if the ¨Sony CineAlta and Large Single Sensor¨was renamed to Sony Digital Cinema Cameras, it would take away the ambiguity with the both PMW X70 single large sensor, and the EX1 and EX3 Cine Alta badge......

Well done, Chris, for helping to make some sense of the mix!