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Old June 10th, 2011, 05:11 AM   #31
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Re: The new SONY HXR NX70 “Water & Dust proof”

How are you guys liking the Picture Quality so far
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Old June 10th, 2011, 05:32 AM   #32
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Re: The new SONY HXR NX70 “Water & Dust proof”

Quote:
Originally Posted by Mike Beckett View Post
..........The two pictures are at f5.6 and f8, straight dumps from Premiere Pro.

I'd like to try this with an ND filter or two so I can keep the iris a bit wider, but that will have to wait.
From the framegrabs, it looks like the lens is optimized at the wider apertures, maybe from the max f/1.8 to about f/4. If this happens to be the case then a variable ND would be needed. Most clips I've seen on the web shot by either the CX700V or CX560V that contain high-contrast scenes like tree branches with bright skies in the background show very noticeable, and in a few cases quite extreme, CA.

Then I was thinking how any of the vari-ND filters (with two individual sets of polarized filters attached to each other) available in the market could cope with the conditions the NX70 itself could, e.g. facing salt spray on the deck of a boat or out in the rain somewhere? Maybe a set of plain ND filters would do?

Last edited by Wacharapong Chiowanich; June 10th, 2011 at 05:34 AM. Reason: Correct some omissions
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Old June 10th, 2011, 06:09 AM   #33
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Re: The new SONY HXR NX70 “Water & Dust proof”

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Originally Posted by Gerald OConnor View Post
How are you guys liking the Picture Quality so far
Seems pretty good, excellent for the size of camera. I've been out for an hour along the river taking random shots (handheld, I'm afraid). Can't wait to get back home tonight to see the output.

(1080 25p only for now, I'm afraid - My CS5.0 doesn't do 50p!)

The camera handled really well, I'm pleased with it - apart from the need for an ND filter, as it was very bright today and I had to change the shutter to 100 or 200 to control the exposure a bit better. I think a vari-ND might be a good call for sunny days, I will look into that.

I had to use the viewfinder at times because the sun was just too bright to see the LCD. You can adjust the LCD's settings, I just didn't have time on my lunch hour to do much. The viewfinder is great, the only loss is you can't access the touchscreen options on it! I took off the large rubber eyecup and it was just fine. I would need the cup if I was wearing my glasses.

To be perfectly honest, the weather forecast gave rain for us, and I was actually quite disappointed I didn't get the chance to get both me and the camera wet!

Edit:
On-camera mics may be problematic - anything much longer than the supplied XM-1 mic may intrude on the picture. I put a 12cm Rycote softie on it, and the fur was intruding on the picture. Same with my 12cm Rycote mini windscreen. I have ordered a 10cm mini windscreen and am hoping it is better. This is the widest lens I have experienced on a camcorder of this type.

You could use an accessory bracket (like the stuff from the Rycote universal camera kit), but fear it would make the camera too ungainly to use. No point having a tiny camera if you're going to keep piling things on top!
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Old June 10th, 2011, 08:04 AM   #34
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Re: The new SONY HXR NX70 “Water & Dust proof”

I have a 49mm variable ND and a step up ring from the 37 filter thread. For protection of the ND in bad conditions I guess a clear filter on the outside may do. You have to take off the lens hood though of course.

On my ski trip the CX700 was in full auto, I would just back off the ND until the image started to go dark then turn back a little. Seemed to work fine. Whole trip was shot in 60P. Hopefully with the NX70 there are some indicators to go by.

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Old June 10th, 2011, 02:44 PM   #35
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Re: The new SONY HXR NX70 “Water & Dust proof”

Just for information, I fitted a standard B+W MRC 37mm UV filter under the lens hood no problems. Stacking more than one filter would probably not work, not that it's a great idea anyway.
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Old June 11th, 2011, 08:06 AM   #36
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Re: The new SONY HXR NX70 “Water & Dust proof”

OK... so that was kind of weird.

I know I've seen the NAB demo, the CVP video with the cam-shower, but standing out in the rain today with the NX70 exposed to the elements... just felt weird!

All was good though. Exposure is going to be a problem, like any of the small cams. It was very easy today to get up to F9.6 and be overexposed (gain was at zero), so I had to bump up the shutter speed to compensate. I ended up leaving the cam on auto a lot of the time and it coped really well. I have yet to review the footage, and I need to wait for CS5.5 before I can edit it!

I've just received a fixed ND filter, so that will get tried out next.

It's hard to tell from the photo, but it is absolutely chucking it down with rain!
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Old June 17th, 2011, 11:16 PM   #37
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Compression artifacts at 24mbs and 60p?

How well does the camera handle motion within the scene? I worry that the imagery will be blocky at 60p with only 24 mbs data rate. That would make it about half the bits per frame of the other AVCHD cameras on the market which shoot 24 mbs for 30p or 60i.

Can someone try shooting a scene with a lot of fine detail motion within the frame? Blowing grass, trees.

Rick
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Old June 17th, 2011, 11:52 PM   #38
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Re: Mike Beckett's NX70 owner's report

Hi Rick,

50p shoots at a higher bit-rate, 28Mbps, they have an extra "PS" shooting mode for this.

I'll try to get some footage - it'll have to wait until tomrrow maybe.
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Old June 18th, 2011, 07:12 AM   #39
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Re: Mike Beckett's NX70 owner's report

AT 60P there is less motion between each frame so the differences are less for the encoder. The move from 24Mbps to 28Mbps allows for this difference I expect. I took some 60P shots with my CX700 when I got it and this is the Vimeo reference though they will now have been downconverted to standard Vimeo from the originals. I will try and take some more of trees today and post.


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Old June 19th, 2011, 01:36 PM   #40
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Re: Mike Beckett's NX70 owner's report

This a shot from my CX700 at 60P of grass blowing in the wind. Seems to have lost the title in Vimeo somehow. Should be similar to NX70. You can download the raw files and see how it looks on your system. Playback from the internet never seems to be as good, at least on my system.



Ron Evans

Edit: Reference the correct 60P file

Last edited by Ron Evans; June 20th, 2011 at 10:18 AM.
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Old June 19th, 2011, 06:36 PM   #41
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Re: Mike Beckett's NX70 owner's report

Hi to all the lucky ones who have the NX70. I will get this camera for video constructions. Filming the sidewalk, gutter, borders.... e.g.

I give standard DVDs to the clients. The operating guide shows that I will connect the NX70 to a DVD Recorder with analog cable. BUT IT WILL NOT burn HD PS and FX mode. So the best quality I can use is FX. Will the quality still better than what I get with my Sony FX1 (HDV - 3CCD)?

PS (28 Mbps) 1920 x 1080/60p
FX (24 Mbps) 1920 x 1080/60i
FH (17 Mbps) 1920 x 1080/60i
HQ (9 Mbps) 1440 x 1080/60i
LP (5 Mbps) 1440 x 1080/60i
FX (24 Mbps) 1920 x 1080/24p
FH (17 Mbps) 1920 x 1080/24p

Guide:
Standard Definition option
Transfer AVCHD™ video content in SD quality to VRD-MC10 via analog video cable, and record it to DVD for sharing or playback by home DVD players

High Definition resolution
Transfer high definition video in native 1080i resolution from select Sony® AVCHD™ Handycam® camcorders to DVD recorded in H.264 format. This allows up to 95 minutes of HD video to be recorded on a DVD playable on most Blu-ray Disc™ players1 (media and player sold separately)

Note: Cannot burn HD PS and FX mode recorded files to DVD or AVCHD disc.
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Old June 19th, 2011, 06:48 PM   #42
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Re: Mike Beckett's NX70 owner's report

I think you will be able to downconvert to the VRD-MC10 from any of the data rates. I think the comment is for HD copy to DVD ( 4.7G ) which will not support playback from 24Mbps or 28Mbps hence will only support AVCHD copy to DVD for Bluray player playback at FH or lower data rate. All my AVCHD cameras ( SR11, XR500, CX700 ) are better than my FX1 they are actually better than my NX5U in a full auto mode.

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Old June 19th, 2011, 06:49 PM   #43
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Ron- Interlaced video?

Ron-
Thanks for the grass video. I downloaded the file from Vimeo and it appears that it is interlaced not 60p. I had some trouble playing the file, so I had to translate it. I tried a couple of different ways but the images all came up looking like interlaced. As a result I could see the stair stepping in each field on moving objects. It is certainly possible that my software is thinking since it is 60 things per second, it is interlaced, even though I told it was 60p.

Would you please check your original and verify that it is a full 60p? (twice the pixel rate of 60i)

Thanks
Rick
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Old June 19th, 2011, 06:54 PM   #44
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Re: Mike Beckett's NX70 owner's report

My post of grass blowing in the wind video looks poor played back from this site and I suggest you look at it directly from Vimeo. Also suggest downloading the file as the 1920x108 60P is too high a data rate for lots of system to manage.

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Old June 20th, 2011, 02:28 AM   #45
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Re: Mike Beckett's NX70 owner's report

I've been looking for some footage of blowing leaves etc. but there hasn't been a breath of wind here all weekend!
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