Adam Wilt on the EX1
 

http://provideocoalition.com/index.p..._hd_camcorder/

Good to know Adam finds many more pros than cons :) BTW, I'm proud my observations are basically the same as Adam's (like the mosquito noise around fine contrasty edges, or the latitude being the greatest of all sub $10k cameras)

;)

Thanks Piotr - excellent article.
The very first internet article I ever read on Digital Video was by Adam Wilt - a very long time ago. Still love the quality of his reviews.

Interesting quotes:

"This is a big deal: the EX1 captures and records a true, square-pixel 1920x1080 image, with no single-sensor (Bayer mask) artifacts. There are two other camcorders that can make the same claim: the $48,000 Panasonic HPX3000, and the $180,000 Sony F23" - Adam Wilt

"In 1995, I saw a then-new DCR-VX1000 DV camcorder hooked up to a 32” CRT via Y/C. I stopped dead in my tracks: the pictures looked incredibly sharp and detailed, and when I tried recording a short clip and playing it back, playback looked just as sharp and detailed as the live signal. It was a pivotal moment: color-under analog simply wasn’t good enough any more.
I had a similar experience with the PMW-EX1. The first time I shot a resolution chart, my eyes popped: here for the first time was an affordable 1080-line camera that wasn’t compromising on resolution. Then I recorded and played back some HQ clips… there’s no longer a need to settle for anything less than full HD." Adam Wilt

Yeah. What I find of a particular interest is Adam's assessment of the ASA sensitivity, on which reports were so differing: yes, it might be 800 ASA but only in the interlaced mode; in progressive it's just the more realistic 400 ASA. This is the reason I was a bit disappointed with the lowlight performance, as I'm exclusively using progressive!

Hi Piotr, Yes - same here. Going to stick to progressive too.

In the 'Texas Shootout' article from last year (Adam was part of that too) the Z1u (another camera I own) was given a rating of 160 ASA @ 1080i. Compared to both the 400 and 800, this is great.

I think as CRT'S fade away and most people will be watching on progressive displays (lcd/plasma) - this is ultimately the best recording mode.

Everytime I see 30P HQ on my apple cinema display i'm blown away.
Some shots feel like i'm looking through a glass.
I don't have a 1920x1080 display yet. I'm looking at the Dell 27" possibly - heard it has a really good gamut, 1:1 pixel mapping and good refresh/contrast

Cheers
Paul

Agreed!
I'm very happy with its low light performance.

One must also remember that the progressive mode's lower sensitivity can be compensated by using 360deg shutter (shutter off) without smearing, while in the interlaced the slowest shutter giving full exposure per field is twice as fast.

Adam's review is top notch as usual. He is quite the technical resource in this business. This review is very thorough and covers the pros and cons well.

Agree Steven,

The technical detail is Adam's articles are always very practical !

Piotr - yes true. Shutter off makes it just as bright at 30P HQ

Paul

Wow, how time flies, Paul. It's coming up on TWO years ago now that we did that shootout. It is where I met and fell in love with my current camera, the F350.

-gb-

Yes,
I wish my pockets were deep enough to get the F350. ;)

If you have the room for it, I have been editing on a Samsung 5271 52" as a second display, and have been blown away by the picture.

Tell me about your setup. I have Samsung 4661 46" display.
While it certainly wouldn't be accurate for color correction its the kind of thing that will impress clients as I "up sell" them to HD.

I've checked camera component to monitor. I'm thinking about how to feed computer to it.

The Intensity is a good choice for inexpensive HDMI monitoring.

Intensity card
 

I've read (and heard from Blackmagic tech support) that the Intensity pro doesn't support 1080p, only 1080i.

For that reason, I thinking I'm going with the AJA Kona LH and use its component outputs. I understand the LH supports 1080p.

Is anyone using the Intensity Pro card with footage shot at 1080p HQ?

I am. Looks great--does the pulldown in real time. I can only compare it to FCP's digital cinema desktop though (much better).

Rob, can you clarify something

The intesity doesn't handle 1080 30P (progressive) footage or does it?
The documents say it doesn't. It does to 720 30P - is that what you are talking about?

So how are you outputting the video - through your NLE?
So what is the signal output as 1080 -60i ?

Thanks!
Paul

The e-mail I got from black magic was very evasive about what I might or might not see coming out of the HDMI port on the Intensity Pro.

so... Rob could you also please clarify what not only are you shooinng 1080p in HQ but what your frame rate and size is of your master sequence.

I assume you're using FCP since you mention FCP's cinema desktop.

Are you using the Intensity Pro and also monitoring Standard Def?

I have the Intensity Pro card. It sends out 1080/60i via HDMI to my monitor.

I'm shooting 1080 24p and 30p, editing in FCP. With external video set to the card, it plays back all my footage perfectly, whether my sequence is set to EX native or the one Blackmagic provides (or any other I've tried). I read in another thread (before buying the card) that it does the pull down in real time--I assume that's what's happening. I've also sent HV20 HDV24p video through it with no problem.

At the moment I'm not also monitoring SD, though I think the card will let me do that via component or s-video. I like the audio from the card too--just RCA's, but with 1/4" adapters feeds my little M-Audio monitors nicely (can also send system sound to them).

In case it matters, I have one of the new Mac Pros, 2 x 2.8 quad with 8g ram. For a video monitor I'm using the BenQ G2400W.

Component (Y/C) Out
 

Is Adam right that the camera does not have a component video output? The manual (p109) says that there is selectable HD/downconverted component output, and a cable is supplied. Anyone with a camera care to confirm?

Nick

Nick,

Camera has a component out and a cable just like it says in the manual.

Nick, he does say it has component:

Quote:
"The EX1 uses the same micro-D-shell connector used by most Sony HDV cameras for analog component outputs"

Secondly,
I have the cam and can confirm it does have component out and it works perfectly - used it serveral times

Paul

I think when Adam Wilt refers to Y/C he means S-Video output. There is no S-Video output.

So it seems that the Intensity Pro card will work as a way to monitor via HDMI but you're not really monitoring 1080p. You say it's doing the pulldown in realtime, but I've always referred to pulldown as how 24 frame material is converted to NTSC and vice-versa.

What you mean (and maybe pulldown is the correct term) is that the Intensity Pro card converts from Progressive to Interlaced in real time.

It looks like if I want to monitor true 1080p then I need the Kona LH and a 1080p monitor and do it using component.

Andrew you can also preview off the timeline through your video card to a computer monitor that is 1920x1080 over DVI.

That is 1080P right there


Paul

AJA ioHD outputs using HDMI at 1080p, and its suitable as a mobile ingest and monitoring solution.

It has a huge pile of other i/o though (including SDI), and its $3495 pricetag might scare a bunch of folk off. It is certainly a different price class from the Intensity.

Of course then I found the utility of outputting HD-SDI from the camera and monitoring on a 1080p projector. I used that combo with one of Sony's SXRD SDI projectors, but I'm pretty excited about trying it with one of the new HDMI SXRD consumer projectors.