New Sony AX-53 Testing

[Noa Put]

Originally Posted by Roland Schulz

Unluckily the BOSS is still not working using a monopod. The stabilizer always becomes very unstable after a few seconds.

Not sure if this is a bug? On a monopod the stabilization should be turned off, especially in the boss mode because it will introduce unwanted corrections, this can be best seen when you are on a tripod zoomed in and then do a pan, as soon as you stop panning the image bounces around for a second or 2. The boss system is remarkably effective when shooting handheld but has an opposite effect on a tripod, and possibly a monopod as well.

[Roland Schulz]

No "bug", but I think this may be improved since the stabilisation is working fine for the first few seconds! The picture in these first seconds is clearly more steady than using a monopod without steadyshot on. But after first few seconds the closed loop control becomes "unstable". Similar to first stabilizer systems on photo cameras like Nikon VR e.g.. They fixed this.

[Noa Put]

Don't expect Sony to be doing anything about it, as long as the boss system works as it should when you shoot handheld it is functioning correctly. This camera is targeted to people taking it on holiday and film their children growing up and they all shoot handheld.

[Roland Schulz]

I don't like the rotational component of movement that is not compensated yet, so there is place for improvement.

[Roland Schulz]

See this people filming "handheld" with an ax33 ;-) ;-) ;-)!!!

Kleine 4K Videokamera mit W-LAN | FDR-AX33 | Sony DE

[Noa Put]

He probably has the stabilization set to off in such a case like it should, I know how the boss system acts as I have a cx730 and you can' t compare it with any other camera out there because no-one uses the same system, if you shoot handheld the boss system is very effective in stabilizing the image, if you shoot on a tripod or monopod you disable it, the boss system is not designed to work properly in such a case.

[Ron Evans]

Originally Posted by Roland Schulz

I prefer zebra at 100% and follow these rules:
Neutral colored items (white, grey) can easily be recorded with zebra completely showing up. When exposure get´s even higher zebra starts to disappear. This happens from IRE105 on where the camera really clips and looses differentiation!

With colored items I found to go best not to exceed IRE100 (zebra starts showing) since zebra seems to show up until one RGB primary reaches 100% but only disappears when all primaries clip.
When one primary clips and the others not this leads to "distortion" and "ugly appearance".

In post in EDIUS I always correct to IRE0 to IRE100 setting a linear YUV curve from 0,16 to 16,16 (bottom) and 16,16 to 255,235 with a slight buckle in the top.
Going this way should enable me to use the largest DR the camera gives me. This works good for me on both my X70 and my AX53.

For me shooting stage shows I want to make sure that faces are well exposed but not over exposed. I ignore zebras on white shirts etc only look for zebra on faces. Since normal practice is 75% for well exposed faces 85% means they are becoming over exposed. The compromise is how well the rest of the frame is exposed. I have found that setting at 75% often means the rest of the frame is too under exposed and since I too use EDIUS means too much playing with YUV curves to get reasonable picture. Hence I have found 85% to be the sweet spot. Both AX100 and AX53 or even the NX30U manage lifted shadows really well so it is better to under expose slightly to get good faces. For the AX100, AX53 and NX30U AE shift at -0.7 gets the black level spot on and highlights are at 105 easily brought down with the YUV curve for those white shirts etc. My wife only alters the AE shift if she sees zebras ( at 85% ) and this rarely happens with AE shift at - 0.7 .

Ron Evans

Ron Evans

[Roland Schulz]

What about my initial question? Anybody using manual focus on AX53 and already on FW1.01??

Originally Posted by Roland Schulz

Hi, I hope I don´t break the topic, but since here is a lively discussion about the AX53 I´d like to ask a question to the AX53 owners:

My first AX53 showed a strange behaviour while using manual focus especially in full tele (peaking and focus magnifier on). I didn´t find any dependencies to recording mode (using 4K, 25p, 100Mbps) etc., but I had to turn the focus wheel for more than 7 full rotations from nearest focus to farest!! This was nearly unusable!!

I had the camcorder exchanged for a second copy since this unit didn´t show that behaviour in the shop, even Sony couldn't answer me competent after placing that question.
The second copy only needs about 1,2 turns from near to far what is ok for me.

The only difference between these two copies is, that I had updated the first cam to 1.01 directly after the purchase, my second is still 1.00. I don´t know how the first had focused with 1.00.

Could anyone here check that behaviour who already has updated to 1.01?

[Ron Evans]

I am still on 1.00 and do not use manual focus. Use spot focus all the time. Not sure if I would benefit by updating since it works fine for me. Will update when the current set of projects is finished in a few weeks.

Ron Evans

[Anthony McErlean]

Off topic I know but there isn't a FDR-AX53 in the UK that I can see, all waiting for stock :)

[Roland Schulz]

Yes, unluckily it seems there won't be any until august.
What a mess for potential buyers and af course for Sony. They are loosing some further millions...!

I'm so lucky I got one of the very latest here in Germany at Saturn Düsseldorf, even had the chance to exchange, but now they're also gone. Hardly anyone has that camera in stock anymore.

[Anthony McErlean]

Originally Posted by Roland Schulz

Yes, unluckily it seems there won't be any until august.
.

Thanks Roland, wonder why until August?

[Roland Schulz]

Sonys sensor fabs were damaged in a recent (april ?!) earthquake in Japan. Sonyalpharumors stated that some still cameras production will be delayed until august, I think camcorders are also affected.
Here in Germany the AX53 is very hardly available any more, only very few shops have one in stock any more.

[Noa Put]

In Belgium and the Netherlands the camera is still in stock in most larger videostores.

[Anthony McErlean]

Ah well, I can wait, thanks all.