Yeah, I think it's always been that way forever. I remember reading an ENG/EFP book back in college and they said that the sweet spot on most (if not all) lenses is like 2.4 - 5.6 . This is much the same with film/digital lenses having sweet spots in the f/8-f/11 range. Since video optics have to cover a much wide focal length range than film lenses that's where one of the compromises lie.

I think it's really common because a lot of my handheld shots have been slighty tilted and I SWEAR I had the darn horizontals level!

To compensate I use the overlay rule-of-third overlays.

My Z1 does this too but I've stuck a small piece of self-adhesive velcro onto the screen which stops the screen opening so far and going past horizontal. The Z7 (I think) has a horizon level you can call up on screen - doesn't the Z1 have this?

Why do they do this? Because people that ignore the silent scream for ND still get correctly exposed footage, albeit soft. My VX2000 from years ago would film (only in auto, mind) at f/16. f/22 and even f/32 before the iris blades closed completely. It gave correct exposure, but diffraction robbed a lot of the sharpness.

I'm pretty sure the Canon XH range stop at f/9.5. Most cameras go to f/11, but f/16?

tom.

The buttons on the barrel are too flush to find by tough. A little raised plastic dot in the middle would help. I liked the VX2000/Z1 button. If you want to use the Push-Auto focus button, you have to visually search for it. The same goes for the White Balance Push button.

One thing I would like to see is some kind of paint scheme on the audio buttons on the back so you could see in dim light where they are set--maybe some orange color in the recessed area.

I had one set incorrectly and spent too many seconds with no audio trying to figure out why I had no signal.

Also, I have disabled the zoom a few times by accidentally moving that switch on the bottom while hand holding.

One of the things I dislike about my camera is that because of the redesign of the flip out monitor, I can now only work the camera from one side. At least with the Z1U I could leave the monitor fliped 1/2 way up or or set on top so I could work the camera from both sides.

Another thing that really bothers me is the amazingly bad output connectors and their placement with that cheesy plastic cover.

David Schmerin

The thing I dislike the most is the ergonomics. Unusable for handheld verite except for short bursts of shooting. Second is the lack of a switchable daylight/tungsten wb preset- I don't know how they messed that one up.

I'll add another tick mark for the power button, sometimes when trying to turn off I slip it too far and put it into media mode or vise versa.

Also another tick for the output connectors. The zoom controller has to be titled in order to get to it. It's not terribly a pain but a nuisance at times.

I'll add one about the mic holder. Why did they stop supplying the rubber piece that helped keep most mics snug in the holder like way back in the PD150? Those few pieces of bubbly rubber don't hold most boom mics at all, like Senns ME6?, etc. I think the last camera to have it was the HVR-A1 HDV camera.

I love the camera though and wouldn't trade it to go back to tape based cameras for nothing.

Well, I can see most EX1 weaknesses have been mentioned already in this thread. I'd only add the pathetic ND filter switch, which tends to stick in between positions (especially when trying to engage ND1 from ND0, and not miss the ND1 position).

for me, rolling shutter, but it is something I will learn to live with given the
performance of this camera

This is something to live with for all new video cameras. At the very least, I'd like to see a "True 720p" crop mode that doesn't involve downsizing from 1080p. This would reduce artifacts, increase sharpness and even relieve roller shutter artifacts a bit in 720p mode.

There's a fundamental issue with 1/2" chips in such a small camera around power use and, more importantly, heat. CMOS uses less power and generates less heat. You either want 1/2" chips and live with rolling shutter or you can get a 1/3" CCD XDCAM EX camera like those now offered by JVC.

In other words this is more of a choice than a problem. It's either 1/2" CMOS or 1/3" CCD in cameras this small due to technical issues. The alternative if you must have 1/2" CCD is to get XDCAM F335 or F355.

small iris
 

regarding f11 to f16 softness. The smaller the chip, the more that is a problem. You will see a softer image when stopped down past around f9 in a 1/3" chip, around f11 on a 1/2" chip. It's optical physics.

use the ND wheel as much as possible keeping to around f4 to f8

For my special needs (filming fireworks displays/pyrotechnics only):

• no hard audio limiters - I need real full manual control
• pre-record cache 3-10 seconds
• possibility of moving iris wheel when I am in shot transition "execute" mode. Or at least: "transition execute on/off" button (not this 4x clicking thing from today)

And 1080/50p would let me forget the above mentioned 3 issues... ;)