Has anyone edited Sony AX100 footage in Vegas?
 

If you have, how badly does the 4K footage slow down your PC? I am thinking of getting the camera but am concerned about the potential slowdown of my workstations on a multicam edit.

Re: Has anyone edited Sony AX100 footage in Vegas?
 

I did using Z100 footage. Way to slow for my note- and netbook but the auto-proxy feature of Vegas Pro 13 helped a lot.

Re: Has anyone edited Sony AX100 footage in Vegas?
 

Z100 XAVC is much easier on the PC than XAVC-S. Using FDR-AX1 files Vegas 12 (don't have 13 ) is much slower than Edius Pro 7 but with reduced resolution to draft will work fine on my i7 3770 PC . Long GOP XAVC-S takes a lot more compute power than intraframe XAVC.

Ron Evans

Re: Has anyone edited Sony AX100 footage in Vegas?
 

And of course I just let the promo deal expire for Vegas 13, didn't know about the auto proxy feature.

Re: Has anyone edited Sony AX100 footage in Vegas?
 

Vegas 12 may not have the automatic proxy but you can still select the files in the project manager window manually and make it create and use a proxy (mpeg-2 1080 files)...

Dave

Re: Has anyone edited Sony AX100 footage in Vegas?
 

The hd proxies Vegas Pro creates conform to XDCAM EX 1280x720 compression with frame rate adopted to the source frame rate.

Re: Has anyone edited Sony AX100 footage in Vegas?
 

Thanks David and everyone, had forgotten about the proxy feature, how it is used according to your preview setting. Just tried it on a short 1080i clip, but my god it was slow!

Can't even imagine how long it would take for 4k footage!

If I buy the camera I'll test out he proxy feature immediately so I can decide whether to keep it.

Re: Has anyone edited Sony AX100 footage in Vegas?
 

I've worked on a few things with AX100 4k footage. It plays back fine but feels like the early days of AVCHD (sticky) when editing. For certain things it's ok but I may try the proxy feature so it handles more like my EX1 footage as I find it a bit cumbersome.

Re: Has anyone edited Sony AX100 footage in Vegas?
 

Thanks Marc, good to know! Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences. I'm encouraged.

Re: Has anyone edited Sony AX100 footage in Vegas?
 

It edits just fine, very happy.

Re: Has anyone edited Sony AX100 footage in Vegas?
 

Didn't think one question was worth a new thread so ill tack it on here.
Could anyone who owns an AX100 confirm that you can assign zoom to the manual ring?
Thanks.

Re: Has anyone edited Sony AX100 footage in Vegas?
 

Yes you can, with the slide switch near the lens; FOCUS or ZOOM.

Re: Has anyone edited Sony AX100 footage in Vegas?
 

Thanks Mark,
Much appreciated.
While we're here. Any downsides to the camera?
Most reviews seem pretty positive.

Re: Has anyone edited Sony AX100 footage in Vegas?
 

I've been using the camera lightly for the past couple months. Visited Singapore, Hong Kong and Korea, hoping to get something great and only got about 6 days' of shooting done. The rain and very high humidity dampened my spirits. Korea wasn't as bad. Problems? Here're my main ones:

1. There's a problem with the high speed 120fps mode which makes the footage unacceptable for me. I am not sure it does it every time, or what might be causing it. I need to test that more. When I drop the clip on the Vegas timeline and then stretch it out x4 to get the slow motion playback, I can click through the clip one frame at a time and see that there is a repeating pattern of 3 out of focus frames and then 1 in-focus frame. This looks like a shimmer on highly reflective surfaces and just a bit blurry on more dull/low detail scenes. Still investigating it. I've shot with steady shot in different modes and with manual and auto-focus. I need to contact Sony once I get a few more answers myself though. If this is something they fix with a firmware update (I have v2) or if I send the camera in and they fix it, great. If this is just the way the camera is, then this will likely be my one and only Sony camera. Totally unsat.

2. The on/off mechanism is just cumbersome. Nothing else I have works like this one does and I just don't need this "feature" in my gear. To turn on the camera, you either pull out the EVF or open the LCD. There's no simple power switch on the outside of the camera to just turn it on or off as you please. There is a power button, but to access it you have to open the LCD. If I have the LCD open, and want to use the EVF (too much glare for the LCD or want the additional contact point), I have to close the LCD or the EVF won't come on, even though I see a sensor in the eyecup area. The menu is via touch screen on the LCD, so it would be nice to be able to just leave it open so I could go back and forth between them. I call miss-fire on that part of the design.

3. The hot shoe. What can I say? It's buried in the top of the camera, under a cover flap and doesn't play with anything I currently have in my small arsenal of dSLR or video camera accessories. Why?! Why?! If I find I'm using this camera a lot, I am thinking of permanently attaching some sort of cold shoe adapter either in front of or behind the existing hot shoe. 5-minute epoxy and done.

4. Location of the magnify button. I like this function, but have to restart my recording whenever I use it since it's so hard to reach, I mess up the framing. This is a much higher priority function (in my opinion) than the photo button or the photo/video selector button, which are both more accessible while recording. Seems like it was an afterthought to be honest.

5. The menu system. It can become a bit tedious to make menu changes. That's because if you want to make more than one change at a time, you have to keep going back into the menu since it kicks you out after you make a selection. Changing record formats and going to high speed mode is a prime example. I'm getting better at it, but when I get going too fast, the camera sort of becomes unresponsive and won't acknowledge my finger pounding on the screen. Waiting a few seconds and trying again will get it moving again.

6. The zoom rocker is not slow enough on the start or stop end to be much use for me in non-action scenes. In an action scene, it's okay to do a crash zoom, there's action to look at. In a lazy scene, that damn abrupt start/stop is distracting. Okay, I'm being picky here, I'll give you that.

I'll leave it at that for now. Editing in Vegas was going good at first, but just this past week, my computer acts like it's really bogged down when I'm previewing on the highest settings, like I have always done. Also, Vegas crashed a few times when running the stabilize effect. Gets to 87% and has a seizure. I must have changed/downloaded some update which is causing this. Not the camera's problem. Might be time to upgrade the laptop.

I better throw in a few things I like: The weight and size is nice for the quaility it puts out. The HDMI outputs clean video in all modes except 4K, whichis still nice for a consumer rated camera. It can go a long time on a battery. I've just bought a higher capacity battery but have not tried it out yet. Looks like it will stick out as far as the EVF in its stowed position. Even though the Lanc is sort of half-assed, it's there. I am able to get more zoom speeds and remotely start/stop the camera. Having to buy two different adapter cables to use my Canon remote, and also use one of those even with a Sony remote is workable. But can't help but wonder WHY? Why have a port that does composite (or component, can't remember which) video output and Lanc. Give them their own ports. But Lanc capability is a good thing. The manual controls are good. You can have some control over what your camera is doing vs going full auto. The 4K image is very apparent in its higher resolution. It's just great. When using a tripod, I find that if my pans aren't perfect, those little goofs really show up. I gave up trying to get perfect for now and generally have adapted the technique of shooting wide and then cropping and panning in post, super smooth pans it what people see. Also, it has ND filters, which is a big deal for a consumer-rated camcorder. In low light, my limited testing against my Canon 7D did not blow my socks off, but did look like it is better than anything I currently own, and that was a weakness in my Canon 1/3" video cameras.

Hey this is a Vegas thread! So back on topic, Yes I have edited 4K in Vegas. Why not? They even have a template all set up for it.

Hope this helps.
Mark

Re: Has anyone edited Sony AX100 footage in Vegas?
 

Thanks Mark for the detailed report.

The slow mo glitch is a real downer. Can anyone else confirm this as a bug or is it maybe a fault with Marks cam?

I share your anguish over the accessory shoe. Why o why can't they just use a standard shoe/ One of the benefits of a more pro camera I suppose...

Menu system- i can relate. My JVC GY HM100 is same, throws you out after every change. Maddening after every change to go all the way back in....

Ive gone a bit cold on this cam now.
Im looking for something compact that performs as well/better than my Z5.
Probably wishful thinking.

i can hack my GH2 and get amazing footage in good light, but in lower light it gets very dirty. And zooming with 14-140 loses focus through the zoom.
Overall the GH2 cant replace my Z5...

NX3 maybe? The search continues...

Re: Has anyone edited Sony AX100 footage in Vegas?
 

The new shoe is on the latest PXW cameras too so a good replacement for your Z5 would be the PXW-X180 with the shoe !!! Its purpose is to remove all the wires/battery issues and make it easier to control peripherals from the camera like light or wireless mic. That is if you buy Sony . For non Sony just have to buy an adapter and put up with separate power and those extra cables !!

I believe the menu system is much like my NX30U where you can set a My Buttons for 3 buttons on the LCD that you use the most ? Solves most of my quick change issues with the NX30U.

The FDR-AX100 is a consumer camera after all. I am sure there will be a pro version some time though the one that looks the most like the AX100 seems to be the new XDCAM that is likely HD only.

Ron Evans

Re: Has anyone edited Sony AX100 footage in Vegas?
 

Good news Gerald!

I just did some more checking on the issue in 120fps mode and have found the source of the problem. It wasn't the camera at all, it was simply a setting in Vegas I had over-looked.

Whenever I've dropped a clip on the Vegas timeline, it asks if I want to set the project properties to match the clip. I say yes, and then stretch out the clip so it is playing back at 1/4th speed. Tonight I started messing with the project properties and found that it had been setting the frame rate and resolution to match the clip, but for some reason it set the Deinterlace method to "Blend", even though the clip is progressive. I changed this to "None" and the blurry frame problem disappeared.

This is a great relief for me. The other stuff is a minor nuisance in comparison, I really wanted a poor man's FS700ish slow-mo solution and it looks like this camera is back in the game.

Something I meant to mention about what's to like about this camera is the bit rate. Not that it's particularly high for 4K, it's not, but that no matter what mode I'm shooting in, high-speed 1280x720 or HD, the bit rate is still up there between 50-60Mbps, and I think this raises the bar a little for a consumer cam.

A Pro version of this camera. What would that look like? A wishlist: Interchangeable lens, XLR inputs, lots of ergonomically laid-out buttons, continuous 120fps in full HD, dual memory cards, great image stabilizer, variable zoom rocker, ND filters, full-feature Lanc, 100Mbps or more bit rate, SDI out, time code jack. But then it's in the $10,000-$12,000 range. Better low light would be a bonus but wouldn't expect to get that.


Mark

Re: Has anyone edited Sony AX100 footage in Vegas?
 

Ron,

You're correct about the My Button feature. You can assign 3 of 41 possible menu functions to the LCD touch-screen. Going from 4K 30P to HD 120fps takes 9 steps and about 15 seconds, but if you assign the Shooting Mode and File Format menu items to 2 of the 3 buttons, then it takes 6 steps and about 10 seconds going each way.

Mark

Re: Has anyone edited Sony AX100 footage in Vegas?
 

Good news about the slo mo Mark. Glad you got it sorted.

It is still tempting. Im sure it has a place in the arsenal, 4k wide shot at events, family holidays etc.
Its probably just not "the" camera to replace my Z5, as in, I dont think I would sell the Z5 to get this one.

Now the decision, birthdays coming soon, AX100 or GH4....

Re: Has anyone edited Sony AX100 footage in Vegas?
 

Don't let the lower price of the gh4 fool you, you still need a set of lenses to go with it and then it adds up quickly. If you are looking for a z5 kind of videocamera the ax100 would be a better choice.

Re: Has anyone edited Sony AX100 footage in Vegas?
 

Gerald, good luck with your decision.

The high-speed capability was the main reason I got the camera. I've been looking for a very long time for a video camera that can do 120fps without going into a buffer memory, can be zoomed, focused, and adjust exposure automatically all while recording. This camera can do all that. Getting built-in ND filters, manual controls, LANC, 4K, IR and a clean HDMI out are extras. I've handled a GH3. I don't like that form-factor for shooting hand-held. Too many little buttons everywhere I want to grip the camera. Also, no powered zoom, no LANC no built-in ND filters and I'd need to buy new lenses. It's looking like the AX100 will send five of my cameras to the "bone yard".

Mark

Re: Has anyone edited Sony AX100 footage in Vegas?
 

Fair point Noa, but if you already have a handy amount of m4/3 lenses? Does it become a more difficult choice? It does for me :(

Can I have both? lol.

There is something about Sony camera's colors I just love. From my first SR8 handycam through to the Z5, the skin tones just look better than on all my other brands of cameras. I presume the AX100 will have that same "look".

Anyone know why? Is it the gamma curves that Sony use?

Thanks Mark for all the info.

Re: Has anyone edited Sony AX100 footage in Vegas?
 

The ax100 image looks a lot like my cx730 with the main difference that it is more detailed so you get some kind of enhanced clarity to all your shots even when downscaled to 1080p. Sony has got their colorescience right because it's more a what you see is what you get kind of view.

If I was only to get just one camera now and I had to choose between the gh4 and ax100 it probably would be the ax100, not because it produces a better image but because it's a better all-round camera.

Last year I was hired by a videocompany to shoot a wedding, they told me they did simple docu style, one camera only, just onboard audio recording from the camera. It was not my shootingstyle but I was happy to adjust to please my client and I knew it would be easy shooting and money :)

Back then I had my nex-ea50 (which I sold end last year) with me all day and I really like using that camera for that purpose, if I now would get the same request I'd take the ax100 over the gh4 without much thought, the ax100 would make my life much easier getting all my shots and get it all right, just like I could with my cx730's. The main difference between the cx730 and ax100 is also formfactor, I have no issue using the ax100 as is since it's quite bulky for a handicam and it's good that they replaced "handicam" with "4k" on the side :) while with the cx730 I feel quite uncomfortable shooting with it without any form of small rig, the camera only makes you look like uncle bob, even if it shoots excellent video.

The GH4 is a totally different camera then the ax100, I use it primarily for all my creative shots but it still has too many limitations to serve as a real videocamera where you need continuous recording, smooth zoom operation, smooth exposure changes, nd's, good audio etc. The GH4 can provide shots that the ax100 cannot, but the real strength is when you combine both camera's as one complements the other.