Z1 upgrade myth or true
 

Hi Guys

heard an new version of the Z1 will be coming out better lux bigger LCD and still using tapes.
bigger LCD better low light capabilities sounds great but...
will they call it Z2

is it true

robert

I would presume that it is inevitable the the Z1 will be surpassed by something better by Sony... I can't think of anything new that is not better than it's predecessor. Except for maybe Taco Bells nachos... there not as good as they were in the 80's. And of course California wines from 1998.

To be honest though, I think tape is on it's last legs. Solid State memory is getting so cheap and reliable as well as the fact that price per Gig with hardrives is getting so cheap as well.

I'd love to see Sony learn from Red and make a modular camera that is not ENG styled... Give me a tube with knobs for iris, shutter, gain, WB... and a focus wheel. Add in a remote with wireless focus, zoom & shot trans... make it under $12k and I'd call my leasing agent asap. I'd like progressive if they can get it right... no studder, los of rez, blocking, etc. As for the lens.... it would be interesting if they adapted the Alpha still lens's to an HD cam... a bit on the slow side though.

Sony have not announced any new camera slated to replace the Z1.

Douglas, what's your take on the new XDCAM EX? I figured this was the successor to the Z1. Not that they've said that outright, but it seems logical that there would not be much point to releasing that, and an updated tape-based "Z2".

Cheers,
Vito

My theory is that the XD Cam EX is the opening shot in a tapeless crusade by Sony. If the EX sells like crazy and they get a slick workflow/archiving system in place, I'll bet that the next Z1/V1 will be tapeless- a "lite" version of the EX. I can see them carring this all the way down into the consumer market. Consumers are already totally used to downloading their still photos from a card. Why not video too!

tapeless work flow really scares me i have had problems with memory cards becoming corrupt before and recording media on a memory card like an important function where you only get one crack at it

I am all in for a system where you can record on tape and card at the same time

I guess these card have to be very durable from heat, dropping them, water resistant, even static proof.

Rob.

Why "lite"? The XDCam EX will supposedly sell for about $8000 retail, which is not that much more than where the Z1 started at it's release. A couple of thousand more, perhaps.

Maybe they'll release a lite version of the FX1...

That's a reasonable concern, but the same could be said for any single recording solution. Agreed that a redundant recording option would be nice and maybe Firestore will come up with something, but in the meantime just run an HDV camera as a "B" roll and cut to that if you get a glitch in the EX footage.

And yes, the EX would be the logical successor to the Z1U fitting the description in the original post of this discussion.

Amen to that. Ever had a perfect PC, hard drive, or electronic device?
If you said "yes", then would you bet your job on that wager?

Tapeless will happen, and not because of efficiency, but more because it sells. Funny, I usually record simultaneously to both tethered to a PC. If I were to get a tapeless camera, I'd tether that to a deck! (There's just something about holding a tape in your hand when you leave the shoot).