13 Responses to “XDCAM EX1 Hands-On - Format Resolution Testing”  

1. 1 Prune Jan 4th, 2008 at 4:15 am

   What are your conclusions ?
   What format will you prefferably shoot in ?
   What are your thoughts on crispening ? seems to not having a visual change….

   Maybe you did the same test with other camcorders before ? Would you share that with us, especialy compared to the HVX200 ?

2. 2 Matthew Jeppsen Jan 4th, 2008 at 4:32 am

   I think that the EX1 shows amazing native imager resolving power. The actual line counts depend a bit on how you see into the details, but this camera clearly kicks serious butt in the sharpness dept. For a comparison that tells all, take a look at the Texas HD Shootout charts and see where the other cameras measure up. http://www.adamwilt.com/HD/4cams-part2.html

   I think it’s pretty clear that 1080/24p mode is sharpest, 1080/60i mode takes second place, and 720/24p looks even fuzzier. As much as I dislike edge enhancement, I think the EX1 benefits from a touch of the Detail setting, particularly for 35mm adapter users. Detail 50 is extreme in my opinion, but somewhere between 5 and 15 might gain you a bit of pseudo-resolution without adding too much edging. You can also back off the detail if you wish, and it gets really fuzzy at -99. That is the beauty of the EX…infinitely configurable.

   I believe that Crispening is supposed to add sharpness but only in certain image areas…it adds edges but not on grain, essentially. That’s how I understand it anyway. Like you, I have difficulty seeing it at work here.

   -Matt Jeppsen

3. 3 Christopher Barry Jan 5th, 2008 at 3:08 am

   Matt, great info. Most settings at 0 look best. I agree that adapter use may require a small amount of sharpening and/or crisping via camera settings for certain setups, or this can also be done in post.

   Two tests for your consideration, using a DSC Labs Color Bar/GreyScale Test Pattern exposed to the 18% grey chip:

   1. record each of the Cine Gamma Curves, Cine 1, 2, 3 and 4, export as TIF.
   2. record each of the different Matrix: Standard, High SAT, FL Light and Cinema and combinations with the different Cine Gamma Curves, export as TIF.

   Matt, I appreciate your consideration and/or feedback. I’ll do some tests of my own when my EX1 arrives soon. Excellent coverage on the EX1. Thank you.

4. 4 Matthew Jeppsen Jan 5th, 2008 at 1:47 pm

   I appreciate the feedback Christopher. I shot the ChromaDuMonde chart the other day in the manner that you describe here, showing each of the four standard and four cine gamma curves, and the four different matrix choices. It’s going to be a few days, but I will get them posted as TIFs shortly.

   Thanks!

   -Matt Jeppsen

5. 5 Christopher Barry Jan 5th, 2008 at 5:06 pm

   Matt, awesome, I can’t wait! Thank you.

6. 6 pingu2k Jan 6th, 2008 at 7:05 pm

   On dvxuser.com someone has made a subjective review about the EX1. I dont want to go deep into that text, but one point is interesting. He sais, if you shoot one high-contrast-image and are about to pan a little, the resolution drops many hundred lines. The idea behind is claimed as a blur to protect the codec from too much information. You might think thats motion blur, he sais not…

   It would be great if you could point the camera on the resolution-chart and just pan a little up, down and both.

7. 7 Kendal Miller Jan 6th, 2008 at 11:34 pm

   Could you please provide a link to the original article? I’m interested in learning how he conlcuded it was codec compression.

8. 8 Matthew Jeppsen Jan 7th, 2008 at 7:27 am

   Christopher, here are the color charts:
   http://www.freshdv.com/2008/01/xdcam-ex1-hands-on-gamma-and-color-matrix-presets.html

   I also considered the possibility that the codec would drop resolution when stressed…and have footage of the resolution chart in various modes panning vertically and horizontally. However, I have not had time to analyze it yet, so I can neither confirm nor deny what the DVXuser poster is claiming. However I will upload samples in native format/rez just as soon as possible, for you folks to scrutinize and decide for yourselves.

   -Matt Jeppsen

9. 9 pingu2k Jan 7th, 2008 at 9:06 am

   The article mentioned above locates here:
   http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthread.php?t=120699

10. 10 Cody Stanton Sep 15th, 2008 at 3:28 am

    Matt,
    I’ve been noticing that when shooting fast moving subjects at the highest HQ 1080P levek,such as a speeding car, the EX 1 has trouble.For instance, the speeding car has these blur lines and moves jaggedly in the video.
    Please tell me if there is a certain setting in the camera that I need to use to make it handle fast moving subjects. Like a car or horse race for example.
    Thanks,
    Cody Stanton

11. 11 Matthew Jeppsen Sep 15th, 2008 at 9:15 am

    A higher shutter speed would help with high speed subjects.

    -MJ

12. 12 Simon Wyndham Dec 28th, 2008 at 2:19 pm

    ” the EX 1 has trouble.For instance, the speeding car has these blur lines and moves jaggedly in the video.”

    Need more description. Though I will say that this doesn’t sound like an issue with the EX compression at all. From your description it will be one of four things (or possibly two):

    1. You have the camera in 24p mode with the shutter off thereby making moving objects blur a lot.

    2. You have recorded 24p and aren’t used to the judder.

    3. You have recorded interlaced and have viewed it on a computer monitor and see the ‘interlace tearing’.

    4. Your computer can’t playback the footage smoothly.

    I have shot a lot of footage with the EX1, including very high speed WRC class rally cars and have not noticed any issues. I have stress tested the codec considerably. So has the Discovery Channel. If they find it difficult to break then I am sure the majority of normal users won’t be able to either!

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