Bigger sensors always give better signal-to-noise ratio, so the EX is a plus. But the interchangeable lenses are exciting! I also wonder about these being the last tape-based cameras; we certainly are moving towards HDD, DVD (SD, Blu-Ray, etc.), Flash, etc.

heath

Somewhere, I saw a zoom in picture of this camera with a 6 Megapixel label near the lens. That's kinda weird on a camera in this market segment because the photosites are smaller. So, unless we see Sony literature reading "three 1/3 sensors", we should just wait. I'll assume its one RGB Bayer sensor.

What I'd like to see is one of those DSLR sensors in a camcorder.

I think you may be confusing these new cameras mentioned on the European site
http://www.sonybiz.net/biz/view/Show...site=biz_en_GB
With this camera
http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?t=102492
which looks like a repackaged HC7 in shoulder mount which of course would have a 6Megapixel still feature.

Ron Evans

That has non-interchangeable lens.

Just some idle speculation / Friday afternoon time-wasting:

I guess it starts when Sony says "HDMI output – uncompressed HD signal and embedded audio can be output to HDMI-compatible devices." I wonder what that really means?

Thoughts anyone?

It would be great to connect this to one of the much anticipated Convergent Design Flash XDR recorders (yes, I know the 1.0 version is SDI only, but there is a $400 adapter).

Wouldn't it be wonderful If Sony would sell just the Body, so you could combine it with a good quality compact 35mm adapter, one with flip and minimal light loss like the Mini35 or even the new Letus Extreme for the more budget conscious. I hear that only takes half a stop.

Lens-wise, one of the new RED cine zooms would be nice (or both) or some used cine primes or even just some manual 35mm still lenses.

Combine this with a moderately-priced set of rails, a FF and mattebox from someone like Cavision.

To me this would be a really great cinema-look set-up

1. The uncomprssed feed from the Sony body. Probably looking at $4,500
2. Great storage option from Convergent, admittedly @ $5,400
3. $1,200 - $5,500 for a good 35MM adapter
4. $6,500 for the 18-50mm RED zoom, as an example, as it is the least $.
5. $1,500 for rails, MB and FF

Should be a really high quality, compact and reliable rig. I've used 35mm adapters before, and struggled with the overall length, back focus etc. I'd like something I could really 'run and gun' with cinema-style, like it was one of those shoulder-mounted 35mm Arris.

Not intended to be a budget system, and it will come it at about the cost of a RED body.

Thoughts on whether this would be a tempting set-up, or are there other combos out ther that would deliver the same or better for less $$$.

Maybe the pocket RED will fill this gap

Bypass the HDV codec via HDMI and you have a winner. When the IOHD comes out, that'll be key, along with a 35mm lens and adaptor.

heath

I saw these cameras today...
 

...Or at least the mock ups, which were in a glass case at the IOV show in Coventry and so couldn't be handled.

Interestingly, one of the Sony guys said that the mount is "probably" the same mount as used on the JVC GY-HDxxx range, so all lenses and adaptors which fit that cam will fit these (as I say, the camera couldn't be touched so I couldn't confirm this, although they had a display of lenses in the cabinet with the cameras, and one of those was the stock fujinon which you get with the JVC).

Also the big shoulder camera has HD-SDI and 4 channel audio, whereas the small one doesn't. They are both 3 chip, the shoulder held camera will take both large and small tapes, also the UK "guestimate" price is around £5K for the shoulder mounted and probably under £4K for the smaller camera.

Oh yes, and they had the EX there too, but I couldn't get my hands on it as too many people were queueing up... all I can say is it looked nice from a distance

edit: oh yes, they didn't appear to have names yet, either (not as far as I can tell) so thats why I refer to them as the big shoulder camera and the small one...

Thanks for that info Paul. Was there any indication of when these two cams would be available in the UK?

The handheld camera was 4th Quarter 2007, the Shoulder held (I think) was 1st quarter 2008.

I really wished these cams had the Exmor chips instead of ClearVid. But who knows...

The exmor chips are explained here, and they are CMOS. They're in Sony DSLRs, and I think there is a version of one, if not the same chip, in the new Nikon DSLRs (D3 and D300):

http://photography.suite101.com/arti...nthusiast_dslr

heath

I'm talking about the Exmors currently in the EX1. That's what's needed for these models.

Jack,

I hear ya, but I'm wondering if they can take those sensors and adapt them for video use. I'm pleased, no matter what, that the sensors are 1/2 inch.

heath

I'm sorry, Heath. I'm confused. Which camera(s) are we talking about? The SLR, or the new Sony video cameras (which I'm pretty sure are listed as 1/3" CMOS, not 1/2".)

Or did I miss a design change somewhere?

The EX is 1/2"; I hear the new DLSR's CMOS chip is incredible and like Jack, I would love to see a video camera version.

heath

If Sony goes more in-depth into the 4k and above market, there's no doubt that a 4K cam from Sony might come soon with an adapted version of the Exmors.

Oh, and just in case you got confused when I said Exmor in the EX1, here's a picture that might clear that up: http://www.watch.impress.co.jp/av/do...21/sony_60.jpg

From the article: http://www.watch.impress.co.jp/av/do...70921/sony.htm (Japanese)

The EX is a whole different beast - the broadcast ENG style lens on that baby actually takes up most of the camera body - the sensors and electronics only account for the last 2 - 3 inches of the camera body. Hence interchangeable would not be possible as much of the lens mechanics are built structually into the body of the camera.

Has Sony announced these two HDV cameras in the US yet? If not, wow...they announced the V1e in September last year, then the V1u in US by October or so.

heath

Pricing?
 

Any news about the pricing?

Here is some more info.

http://www.sonybiz.net/res/attachmen...7079494747.pdf

Great -- thanks for that link, Hans. I haven't seen that one before now.

After once again shooting on the V1u, and loving it, I'm eagerly anticipating a Sony USA announcement of these cameras!

Heath

I wonder if there will be a "consumer version" of the handheld cam, maybe with a fixed lens?

That would be nice.

Wouldn't that be the FX7?

heath

No. this cam has 3 x 1/3 CMOS chip

FX7 has 3 x 1/4 CMOS chip

True. I wonder how the FX7 is selling; plus, is the FX1 gone? I saw the used price for an FX1 went up a couple of months ago.

heath

And still, no model #s yet.

Has this been pointed out yet?
 

I just read this StudioDaily article about these cams.
http://studiodaily.com/main/news/8768.html

It's apears the full sized shoulder mounted one is the Sony HVR-S270U. It has 3 1/3-inch Clearvid CMOS chips with Exmor. It's slated to be priced around $10,500 (with 12x lens) and has an optional Compact Flash recorder that attaches to the side of the camera.

The smaller version is the Sony HVR-Z7U. It's the exact same chip set, but in a smaller form factor and it takes the same batteries as the Z1/V1. It's slated to come in around $6,850 with lens.

The article referenced at the top of this post goes into more detail.

The image of the Z7U in the StudioDaily article is very interesting. Is that a hard drive on the backside of the camera?

I didn't notice that before. CF card drive maybe?

Yep. Here is the official news: http://www.sonybiz.net/biz/view/Show...=1193315635243

that is for the Europe version though...

No surprise that's the Z7, much like the FX7. Very cool, though I thought it would be a V2. But my dreams of a new Z1 are here!

heath

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the Z7 has an interchangeable lens, too, right? It's not clear in the article.

Heath

Heath,
As far as I know, the Z7 is the exact same camera as the larger S270, but in a smaller form factor and it only takes mini dv tapes where the larger cam takes full sized dv tapes.
So yes, it does have interchangable lenses.

And for those still unclear on the CF card recorder, unlike the Convergent Design HD-SDI CF recorder, it records HDV or DV to the card. But you can connect one of those HD-SDI recorders to the camera to get full raster 1920x1080.

Very exciting. Where's the USA NTSC version?

mmmmm.... tape AND flash..... DROOOLLLLL!

Now this is interesting. I wonder if the exmor technology is good enough to put 1/3 cmos on par with 1/3 ccd as far as lowlight goes. I'm really satisfied with my canon A1 but if this is a really solid product I might use a z7 on my feature next summer. Gotta love options!

Gotta love Sony though... I mean they announce the EX1 which has everyone talking/drooling but it takes SxS cards which aren't exactly a standard yet and it has a (pretty good by all accounts) fixed lens. Then they turn around and announce the Z7 that has the option of interchangeable lenses and the use of industry standard CF cards.
Why can't they combine the best of both worlds and make and EX2 with interchangeable lenses that uses CF cards? Are the SxS cards that much faster? Is there something about the XDCam codecs that make using CF cards impossible?

If anyone wants to take a look at the detailed specs...

use this link

http://64.233.179.104/translate_c?u=...&hl=en&ie=UTF8

It will open the Sony Japan page for these cameras and translate most of it. It even has shipping dates for somewhere.

Ethan:

Are those the guesstimated MSRPs?