EX3 - Shooting in SP vs. HQ
 

Has anyone posted any visual references (footage) showing the difference in image quality when shooting in SP as opposed to HQ with the EX3?

Thanks!

I think those have bought EX1/3 want the HQ quality. If you want HDV then Sony's other products will suffice. Personally I have never bothered to shoot anything on my EX1 in SP mode. HQ mode is superb quality for the money and clients love it.

I tried some experiments with my EX1 with SP mode, and whilst better than my Z1s, it didn't hold a candle to HQ mode, so I moved on, never to return.

I think most EX-x owners do the same and don't bother to share their experience because they feel it may sound like "hey, guys - I think water feels wet!".

But on the other hand, a good friend and EX1 owner shoots almost exclusively in 1080i SP mode so he can multicam his EX1 with Z7 footage. He swears by it, and sure enough, you can cut live between multiple HDV streams and balance the cameras so they're all equal.

In my experience, I get better colour fidelity, better motion fidelity, less 'crunchy' images and general high-fibre goodness out of 35 Mbps HQ mode, don't want interlaced video, and don't do multicam on the EX1 yet, so I am happy to be part of the 'SP no thanks' camp.

Meanwhile my colleague challenges me to spot which of his work is SP and which is HQ. Because he doesn't use the Picture Profile settings at all, and deinterlaces everything, the question is moot.

I bet there's a multitude of sins you can hide in good PP settings before SP and HQ make a difference.

Yeah the savings in space vs. the loss of image quality is totally not worth it IMHO. You should have it pegged to HQ.

Noah

I've used SP once because with it I could record to tape for three hours. Great for live events. Despite all of the above mentioned improvements in image quality in HQ at times SP is more than good enough if delivering SD.

I shoot in SP mode regularly. For a couple reasons.

1. Many of my projects are downrezzed to SD DVD or web presentations.

2. Many of my projects are long form. Meaning uninterrupted recording for 2-5 hours.

3. Recording in SP mode allows me to record over firewire to my FS4 Pro.


While I would not necessarily suggest shooting in this mode for everyone, there are times when it is perfectly acceptable. Talking head work with no cuts really doesn't show much difference between SP and HQ modes, especially at 720x480 or smaller.