Comments on: Sony HVR-Z7U and HVR-S270U Camcorder Roundup http://www.freshdv.com/2007/11/sony-z7u-and-s270u-roundup.html Serving up fresh, crispy news & views for users and consumers of DV, HDV and HD video Sun, 06 Jul 2008 16:55:52 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5 By: Bryce http://www.freshdv.com/2007/11/sony-z7u-and-s270u-roundup.html#comment-127879 Bryce Fri, 16 May 2008 21:26:22 +0000 http://www.freshdv.com/2007/11/sony-z7u-and-s270u-roundup.html#comment-127879 I posted some footage shot with my new HVR-S270U here: http://vimeo.com/1023989 Take a look and let me know what you guys think. I'll post some more as soon as I can get some more free time. I posted some footage shot with my new HVR-S270U here:

http://vimeo.com/1023989

Take a look and let me know what you guys think. I’ll post some more as soon as I can get some more free time.

]]> By: Kenneth Gooswit http://www.freshdv.com/2007/11/sony-z7u-and-s270u-roundup.html#comment-90237 Kenneth Gooswit Thu, 17 Apr 2008 20:38:31 +0000 http://www.freshdv.com/2007/11/sony-z7u-and-s270u-roundup.html#comment-90237 I will ask every one who has problems with there new Z7 camera to make a fist. That's the only way to get Sony to listen. Big companies are "living" of your money, so we are important and not the company. If they sell you a 6000 dollar camera, it should work all the way as it suppose to and if it is not, than Sony should correct the error and if they cannot they should refund you. If you follow the complains about this camera http://dvinfo.net/conf/forumdisplay.php?s=&daysprune=&f=161 , than it is more than natural to do something about it, but Sony is giving not home or is not fixing the problems correctly. On other stupid thing is not to allow the owner to do the firmware upgrade by them self; this is so stupid, that i do not even want to talk about it. There are lots of issues with these camera's and we should stand up all together and demand solutions. I will ask every one who has problems with there new Z7 camera to make a fist. That’s the only way to get Sony to listen. Big companies are “living” of your money, so we are important and not the company. If they sell you a 6000 dollar camera, it should work all the way as it suppose to and if it is not, than Sony should correct the error and if they cannot they should refund you.
If you follow the complains about this camera http://dvinfo.net/conf/forumdisplay.php?s=&daysprune=&f=161
, than it is more than natural to do something about it, but Sony is giving not home or is not fixing the problems correctly.
On other stupid thing is not to allow the owner to do the firmware upgrade by them self; this is so stupid, that i do not even want to talk about it.
There are lots of issues with these camera’s and we should stand up all together and demand solutions.

]]> By: Matthew Jeppsen http://www.freshdv.com/2007/11/sony-z7u-and-s270u-roundup.html#comment-90044 Matthew Jeppsen Thu, 17 Apr 2008 17:58:47 +0000 http://www.freshdv.com/2007/11/sony-z7u-and-s270u-roundup.html#comment-90044 Yes enrico, the roundup will be updated as we move forward. A bit busy with NAB-related stuff right now though. I did see a Z7U at the show outfitted with a 14mm Digiprime, the effective focal length looking at the display fell somewhere in the 50mm-ish range. Beautiful image. -Matt Jeppsen Yes enrico, the roundup will be updated as we move forward. A bit busy with NAB-related stuff right now though. I did see a Z7U at the show outfitted with a 14mm Digiprime, the effective focal length looking at the display fell somewhere in the 50mm-ish range. Beautiful image.

-Matt Jeppsen

]]> By: Kenneth Gooswit http://www.freshdv.com/2007/11/sony-z7u-and-s270u-roundup.html#comment-80532 Kenneth Gooswit Sun, 13 Apr 2008 14:36:56 +0000 http://www.freshdv.com/2007/11/sony-z7u-and-s270u-roundup.html#comment-80532 Once again: Do Sony think it is fair to pay so much for the battery unit of the S270U? It will cost you an extra 1500 to get fully equiped. Perhaps some one can make an adapter that we can use two of the cheaper batteries of the Z7U on a v-plate. Once again: Do Sony think it is fair to pay so much for the battery unit of the S270U? It will cost you an extra 1500 to get fully equiped.
Perhaps some one can make an adapter that we can use two of the cheaper batteries of the Z7U on a v-plate.

]]> By: Kenneth Gooswit http://www.freshdv.com/2007/11/sony-z7u-and-s270u-roundup.html#comment-80527 Kenneth Gooswit Sun, 13 Apr 2008 14:34:00 +0000 http://www.freshdv.com/2007/11/sony-z7u-and-s270u-roundup.html#comment-80527 Once again: Do Sony think it is fair to pay so much for the battery unit of the S270U? It will cost you an extra 1500 to get fully equiped. Once again: Do Sony think it is fair to pay so much for the battery unit of the S270U? It will cost you an extra 1500 to get fully equiped.

]]> By: enrico http://www.freshdv.com/2007/11/sony-z7u-and-s270u-roundup.html#comment-80484 enrico Sun, 13 Apr 2008 13:44:04 +0000 http://www.freshdv.com/2007/11/sony-z7u-and-s270u-roundup.html#comment-80484 Is this Roundup going to be updated? Is this Roundup going to be updated?

]]> By: Matthew Jeppsen http://www.freshdv.com/2007/11/sony-z7u-and-s270u-roundup.html#comment-55411 Matthew Jeppsen Tue, 01 Apr 2008 01:15:20 +0000 http://www.freshdv.com/2007/11/sony-z7u-and-s270u-roundup.html#comment-55411 Hey Bruce, many thanks for the heads up. Have you had a chance to read the CF Card tests over at Techthoughts? Which brand/model are you using? http://techthoughts.org/2008/03/14/compactflash-media-test-results/ -Matt Jeppsen Hey Bruce, many thanks for the heads up. Have you had a chance to read the CF Card tests over at Techthoughts? Which brand/model are you using?

http://techthoughts.org/2008/03/14/compactflash-media-test-results/

-Matt Jeppsen

]]> By: Bruce Reynolds http://www.freshdv.com/2007/11/sony-z7u-and-s270u-roundup.html#comment-55353 Bruce Reynolds Mon, 31 Mar 2008 23:45:42 +0000 http://www.freshdv.com/2007/11/sony-z7u-and-s270u-roundup.html#comment-55353 Just thought I would post a short video of the CF card trouble several of are having. This happens not on every clip. Out of a 7minute video I shot at a rehersal, I edited mostly in the camera so the short clips, 54 clips and 22 of them are bad at the first couple of frames. Look at the bottom to this video and see what we are getting. Same CF cards most every one uses. This video is recorded using the 1st 14 clips. link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KVJIHy7NA-Q Just thought I would post a short video of the CF card trouble several of are having. This happens not on every clip. Out of a 7minute video I shot at a rehersal, I edited mostly in the camera so the short clips, 54 clips and 22 of them are bad at the first couple of frames. Look at the bottom to this video and see what we are getting. Same CF cards most every one uses. This video is recorded using the 1st 14 clips.
link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KVJIHy7NA-Q

]]> By: Bruce Reynolds http://www.freshdv.com/2007/11/sony-z7u-and-s270u-roundup.html#comment-48625 Bruce Reynolds Tue, 25 Mar 2008 06:05:55 +0000 http://www.freshdv.com/2007/11/sony-z7u-and-s270u-roundup.html#comment-48625 Great camera as advertized in low light. Twice as bright as my FX1 at dark receptions. I use a 15 or 20 w Led light works fine. Good to have a camera that shoots to solid state device that doesn't cost a fortune today and not having to wait 2 years for prices to come down. The CF MRU unit also works with my VX2000 camera using the firewire cable and using the record button on the MRU. I transferred 140 minutes from CF to hard drive folder in 12 minutes. Uses the same batteries I already have. Those are all good things. The bad things that I a several of us who got the 1st batch of cameras are experinceing is the camera is useless in auto focus. It drifts in and out for no reason, so I shoot in manual all the time. I like to shoot in auto when I'm not on a tripod and moving fast, my FX1 always stayed in focus link in this video I shot with my photographer friend link http://www.veoh.com/channels/tmvpvideos The next thing a lot of are getting is that on short clips of 5 to 20 seconds, which I shoot a lot of during bridal prep, are black digital squares during the 1st 18 frames of these clips but not all short clips, some stert off green then fade to normal. The tapes are fine. My friend has the same trouble with his CF cards, but they play on the timeline fine with his Edius, my Adobe crashes when I bring one onto the timeline. Also on fast moving objects there is ghosting or at a concert the violin bows and conductor hand are moving fast and blurry. I shot the same concert with the FX1 and it fine. I would say unless Sony fixes these 3 defects that it not worth $3,000 more then an FX1 to get better low light and Cf cards with no auto focus. Several of us are disapointed as this could be a great wedding reception HDV cam. Great camera as advertized in low light. Twice as bright as my FX1 at dark receptions. I use a 15 or 20 w Led light works fine. Good to have a camera that shoots to solid state device that doesn’t cost a fortune today and not having to wait 2 years for prices to come down. The CF MRU unit also works with my VX2000 camera using the firewire cable and using the record button on the MRU. I transferred 140 minutes from CF to hard drive folder in 12 minutes. Uses the same batteries I already have. Those are all good things. The bad things that I a several of us who got the 1st batch of cameras are experinceing is the camera is useless in auto focus. It drifts in and out for no reason, so I shoot in manual all the time. I like to shoot in auto when I’m not on a tripod and moving fast, my FX1 always stayed in focus link in this video I shot with my photographer friend link http://www.veoh.com/channels/tmvpvideos
The next thing a lot of are getting is that on short clips of 5 to 20 seconds, which I shoot a lot of during bridal prep, are black digital squares during the 1st 18 frames of these clips but not all short clips, some stert off green then fade to normal. The tapes are fine. My friend has the same trouble with his CF cards, but they play on the timeline fine with his Edius, my Adobe crashes when I bring one onto the timeline. Also on fast moving objects there is ghosting or at a concert the violin bows and conductor hand are moving fast and blurry. I shot the same concert with the FX1 and it fine. I would say unless Sony fixes these 3 defects
that it not worth $3,000 more then an FX1 to get better low light and Cf cards with no auto focus. Several of us are disapointed as this could be a great wedding reception HDV cam.

]]> By: Kenneth Gooswit http://www.freshdv.com/2007/11/sony-z7u-and-s270u-roundup.html#comment-45236 Kenneth Gooswit Tue, 11 Mar 2008 21:27:01 +0000 http://www.freshdv.com/2007/11/sony-z7u-and-s270u-roundup.html#comment-45236 You have so much influence on the Sony Production Team I would say. The HVR-S270U is a great camera, but you have to buy the battery unit with charger and AC-adapter what will set you back for about 1500 US$. In fact this is a 12000 US$ camera. Why not make an adapter to use two of the 7.2 volt batteries of the HVR-Z7U in serial to power this baby? Sony should make a version of this camera (HVR-S270U) with the XDCAM-EX1 specs and with removable 2.5 inch SATA-harddisks of 500GB. That will be the killer of all of the "low-end" pro HD-cams. Also they should address the rolling shutter issue. And by all means it should be a camera with 1080-24p/25p/30p 50i/60i recording. The same for SD-recording. You have so much influence on the Sony Production Team I would say.
The HVR-S270U is a great camera, but you have to buy the battery unit with charger and AC-adapter
what will set you back for about 1500 US$. In fact this is a 12000 US$ camera.
Why not make an adapter to use two of the 7.2 volt batteries of the HVR-Z7U in serial to power
this baby?
Sony should make a version of this camera (HVR-S270U) with the XDCAM-EX1 specs and with
removable 2.5 inch SATA-harddisks of 500GB.
That will be the killer of all of the “low-end” pro HD-cams.
Also they should address the rolling shutter issue.
And by all means it should be a camera with 1080-24p/25p/30p 50i/60i recording. The same for SD-recording.

]]> By: Jordan http://www.freshdv.com/2007/11/sony-z7u-and-s270u-roundup.html#comment-35971 Jordan Thu, 14 Feb 2008 03:37:19 +0000 http://www.freshdv.com/2007/11/sony-z7u-and-s270u-roundup.html#comment-35971 apparently, some canadians are already receiving their Z7Us. apparently, some canadians are already receiving their Z7Us.

]]> By: Matthew Jeppsen http://www.freshdv.com/2007/11/sony-z7u-and-s270u-roundup.html#comment-35308 Matthew Jeppsen Sun, 10 Feb 2008 15:21:53 +0000 http://www.freshdv.com/2007/11/sony-z7u-and-s270u-roundup.html#comment-35308 I seriously doubt that the US would switch to PAL anytime soon. I'm told that many people in Europe use DVD players that are NTSC and PAL compatible. So if you have to choose, I would probably lean towards NTSC. But if you buy a camera like the <a href="http://www.freshdv.com/2007/09/more-xdcam-ex-pre-launch-official-specifications.html" rel="nofollow">PMW-EX1</a>, you can have both...it's menu-switchable. -Matt Jeppsen I seriously doubt that the US would switch to PAL anytime soon. I’m told that many people in Europe use DVD players that are NTSC and PAL compatible. So if you have to choose, I would probably lean towards NTSC. But if you buy a camera like the PMW-EX1, you can have both…it’s menu-switchable.

-Matt Jeppsen

]]> By: heidi http://www.freshdv.com/2007/11/sony-z7u-and-s270u-roundup.html#comment-35145 heidi Sun, 10 Feb 2008 03:44:45 +0000 http://www.freshdv.com/2007/11/sony-z7u-and-s270u-roundup.html#comment-35145 hello. i am confused between NTSC and PAL. i want to buy a camera that i can use both in europe and America. some people say the future of america is pal and others tell me i should buy NTSC because it's cheaper and there is no difference. I want to film and edit without problem (anywhere I am at the time). which one do you recommend? thank you. hello. i am confused between NTSC and PAL. i want to buy a camera that i can use both in europe and America. some people say the future of america is pal and others tell me i should buy NTSC because it’s cheaper and there is no difference. I want to film and edit without problem (anywhere I am at the time). which one do you recommend? thank you.

]]> By: Matthew Jeppsen http://www.freshdv.com/2007/11/sony-z7u-and-s270u-roundup.html#comment-34722 Matthew Jeppsen Fri, 08 Feb 2008 09:42:28 +0000 http://www.freshdv.com/2007/11/sony-z7u-and-s270u-roundup.html#comment-34722 Norm, I would assume that the Z7U supplies phantom power, but I have not been able to find it specifically in the literature and info that is currently available. It's a great question, hopefully we'll know for sure soon. -Matt Jeppsen Norm, I would assume that the Z7U supplies phantom power, but I have not been able to find it specifically in the literature and info that is currently available. It’s a great question, hopefully we’ll know for sure soon.

-Matt Jeppsen

]]> By: Norm the Storm http://www.freshdv.com/2007/11/sony-z7u-and-s270u-roundup.html#comment-34554 Norm the Storm Thu, 07 Feb 2008 22:13:05 +0000 http://www.freshdv.com/2007/11/sony-z7u-and-s270u-roundup.html#comment-34554 I don't see anything in the specs of the HVR-Z7U that says it supplies 48V phantom power to mics. Does it? I don’t see anything in the specs of the HVR-Z7U that says it supplies 48V phantom power to mics. Does it?

]]> By: Matthew Jeppsen http://www.freshdv.com/2007/11/sony-z7u-and-s270u-roundup.html#comment-33518 Matthew Jeppsen Fri, 01 Feb 2008 19:16:57 +0000 http://www.freshdv.com/2007/11/sony-z7u-and-s270u-roundup.html#comment-33518 You should read Adam Wilt's review of the production EX1. His findings on dynamic range and ISO rating are very convincing. See here: http://www.freshdv.com/2008/02/adam-wilt-reviews-the-xdcam-ex1.html As to the Z7U and S270, we are looking into doing some testing hopefully sooner rather than later. We'll certainly try to put the cameras through the FreshDV wringer. We have more of our own EX1 findings on the way, though most of the important areas are covered in sufficient detail in Adam's latest review. Definitely read that. -Matt Jeppsen You should read Adam Wilt’s review of the production EX1. His findings on dynamic range and ISO rating are very convincing. See here: http://www.freshdv.com/2008/02/adam-wilt-reviews-the-xdcam-ex1.html

As to the Z7U and S270, we are looking into doing some testing hopefully sooner rather than later. We’ll certainly try to put the cameras through the FreshDV wringer. We have more of our own EX1 findings on the way, though most of the important areas are covered in sufficient detail in Adam’s latest review. Definitely read that.

-Matt Jeppsen

]]> By: ajit http://www.freshdv.com/2007/11/sony-z7u-and-s270u-roundup.html#comment-33515 ajit Fri, 01 Feb 2008 18:53:10 +0000 http://www.freshdv.com/2007/11/sony-z7u-and-s270u-roundup.html#comment-33515 Are you going to test this camera like you did with the EX1. I am seriously waiting to see your tests and then buy. I am still leaning towards to the EX1 but we will see. ajit Are you going to test this camera like you did with the EX1. I am seriously waiting to see your tests and then buy. I am still leaning towards to the EX1 but we will see.

ajit

]]> By: Matthew Jeppsen http://www.freshdv.com/2007/11/sony-z7u-and-s270u-roundup.html#comment-32893 Matthew Jeppsen Tue, 29 Jan 2008 05:32:21 +0000 http://www.freshdv.com/2007/11/sony-z7u-and-s270u-roundup.html#comment-32893 Thanks for the heads-up, Jack. It's good news to hear for certain that the camera will ship with a solid-state CF card recorder. Per <a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/532558-REG/Sony_HVR_Z7U_HVRZ7U_1080i_HDV_CAMCORDER.html?BI=805&KBID=1062" rel="nofollow">B&H specs</a>: <i>"The camera comes with an attachable recording unit, allowing users to record HDV and DV to CompactFlash cards."</i> Sweet! -Matt Jeppsen Thanks for the heads-up, Jack. It’s good news to hear for certain that the camera will ship with a solid-state CF card recorder. Per B&H specs: “The camera comes with an attachable recording unit, allowing users to record HDV and DV to CompactFlash cards.” Sweet!

-Matt Jeppsen

]]> By: Jack Hutchinson http://www.freshdv.com/2007/11/sony-z7u-and-s270u-roundup.html#comment-32856 Jack Hutchinson Mon, 28 Jan 2008 23:01:58 +0000 http://www.freshdv.com/2007/11/sony-z7u-and-s270u-roundup.html#comment-32856 B&H has the specs for the Z7U on their site!!!! This is getting exciting. Jack B&H has the specs for the Z7U on their site!!!!

This is getting exciting.

Jack

]]> By: Jack Hutchinson http://www.freshdv.com/2007/11/sony-z7u-and-s270u-roundup.html#comment-32833 Jack Hutchinson Mon, 28 Jan 2008 18:22:55 +0000 http://www.freshdv.com/2007/11/sony-z7u-and-s270u-roundup.html#comment-32833 The CF unit comes with the camera, but it doesn't look like it will come with a card (probably due to the fact that CF is so common). The brochure says that 133x is the minimum. -Jack Hutchinson The CF unit comes with the camera, but it doesn’t look like it will come with a card (probably due to the fact that CF is so common). The brochure says that 133x is the minimum.

-Jack Hutchinson

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