This article is part of a series of tests FreshDV conducted with the Sony XDCAM PMW-EX1. Thanks to Miami rental house and Sony dealer Midtown Video for providing a XDCAM EX camera. And thanks to DSC Labs for providing test chart patterns. You can read more about ours and others experiences with this camera here.

One of the areas that the new Sony XDCAM PMW-EX1 really excels is in native light sensitivity. Night shooting with the EX is relatively simple, as the camera seems to find illumination and color saturation in even the darkest of scenes. Here are a few examples of night footage shot with the EX1, including a 60p overcranked shot. I have included a half-resolution H.264 version to show the context of the “full scene.” Each H.264 version is paired with a clip excerpt that has been preserved in it’s native XDCAM format. This gives you a short native-format full-resolution clip that you can drop in your editing software of choice and tweak, push, destroy, whatever. The only compression difference between these full-rez excerpts and what came directly off the camera is the addition of a text overlay to document camera settings. I have confirmed this by overlaying them over the source clips with a composite difference mode applied. So here’s a chance to analyze how the XDCAM SP and HQ codec performs at night in both slow and fast motion scenes. Note how the vertical lines in closeups of the overcranked shot seem to distort/lean…we’ll have more on the EX’s vertical skew in a article coming soon.

 720/24/60p Overcranked Night Run Full (Compressed H.264) [0:25m]: Download
 720/24/60p Overcranked Night Run Excerpt (Native XDCAM HQ) [0:08m]: Download
 1080/24p Night Traffic Excerpt (Compressed H.264) [0:40m]: Download
 1080/24p Night Traffic Excerpt (Native XDCAM HQ) [0:10m]: Download
 1080/60i Night Alley Full (Compressed H.264) [0:38m]: Download
 1080/60i Night Alley Excerpt (Native XDCAM SP) [0:10m]: Download

Thanks again to both DSC Labs and Midtown Video for making this EX1 test series possible. Stay tuned here or at our EX1 link page for more test results.

This article is part of a series of tests FreshDV conducted with the Sony XDCAM PMW-EX1. Thanks to Miami rental house and Sony dealer Midtown Video for providing a XDCAM EX camera. And thanks to DSC Labs for providing test chart patterns. You can read more about ours and others experiences with this camera here.

For our testing Midtown Video provided FreshDV with a EX1 camcorder with the 8GB SxS media card. Before the camera arrived, I downloaded the latest XDCAM Transfer software and SxS drivers. I also had to ensure that I was at the latest FCP version, 6.0.2, and I also brought my Tiger OS and Quicktime versions up date using Software Update (I’ve been a bit behind, these things make me nervous). I should note that I am using Final Cut Studio on a PPC G5 2.7 Dual. I did not have a computer with ExpressCard slot available for these tests, so the USB connection on the camcorder was used. It simply uses a standard USB cable with mini connector on the camcorder end. Footage shot was a mixed bag…most of the time the card ended up with a mix of SP, HQ, and overcranked 60p footage on it. But regardless of the format, the import procedure into FCP is the same. I wanted to note my experiences with that process. For starters we should note a few things about the camcorder.

Below the rotating handgrip is a small flip-up plastic cover that conceals a line of output connections…A/V, Component mini, and USB mini. The EX has both Camera and Media (VTR) modes, but you can connect to your computer in either mode. When you connect the USB mini cable to the camera and computer, the EX will ask on the display if you would like to connect to the computer…Execute or Cancel. You can use the jogstick at the top of the handgrip to select and click Execute. As a side note, this camera makes you feel really powerful…every confirmation action prompts you to choose “Execute!” The only way that process could be geekier is if the camera gave you a “Make It So!” option. But I digress… Continue reading ‘XDCAM EX1 Hands-On - Final Cut Pro Workflow’

This article is part of a series of tests FreshDV conducted with the Sony XDCAM PMW-EX1. Thanks to Miami rental house and Sony dealer Midtown Video for providing a XDCAM EX camera. And thanks to DSC Labs for providing test chart patterns. You can read more about ours and others experiences with this camera here.

For this test the XDCAM EX was shot in a controlled studio environment using a DSC Labs CamAlign MultiBurst resolution chart. The test pattern was evenly lit at 45-degree angles by two soft light sources, the resolution chart surface measured an approx spot value of 78 IRE. The EX1 camcorder was locked off on a tripod with the zoom set to Z54 (the EX1 zoom range is Z0 through Z99) and the iris locked at f/6.7. The electronic shutter was locked at 1/125 for progressive modes and 1/250 for interlaced 60i. Picture Profile was set to Matrix Standard, Gamma STD1, and Auto Knee. Detail and Crispening enhancement settings were at 0 except where noted (those settings are fully adjustable in single increments from -99 to +99). We present here full-resolution uncompressed TIF frames exported directly from the FCP 6.0.2 timeline in three of the most useful formats the XDCAM EX1 offers.

 1080/24p: Download
 1080/24p Detail+50: Download
 1080/24p Crispening+50: Download
 720/24p: Download
 720/24p Detail+50: Download
 720/24p Crispening+50: Download
 1080/60i: Download
 1080/60i Detail+50: Download
 1080/60i Crispening+50: Download
 All 9 charts in one Zip file: Download

Thanks again to both DSC Labs and Midtown Video for making this EX1 test series possible. Stay tuned here or at our EX1 link page for more test results.

Thanks to the professionals at Midtown Video, FreshDV has an XDCAM EX1 camcorder in hand for a few days. We are shooting with DSC Labs test patterns and performing a variety of camera tests. We’ll also be using the camera with two hot 35mm adapters…the Letus Extreme and the brand new Cinevate Brevis Flip module.

My question to FreshDV readers is, what exactly are you interested in learning about the EX1 and the adapters?
Please post in the comments below or e-mail me (Matt) directly with questions and comments. Thanks, and stay tuned for our findings!
(UPDATE BELOW)
Continue reading ‘FreshDV Readers: What do you want to know about the XDCAM EX1?’

The Canon DW-100 is an external USB DVD burner for PC and Mac systems that offers a unique twist…it can burn video directly from a camcorder without a computer. Details are a bit sketchy at this time, but in theory this means you could hook your AVCHD, H.264, or other difficult-to-edit-format consumer camcorder directly to the burner and author standard DVDs painlessly. Nice. As Gizmodo says…

“The DW-100 takes high-def AVCHD video from your camcorder and burns it to DVD without a computer. It’s hard to argue with that. It can also function as an external burner for any PC or Mac computer. If this works like it should, and Canon markets it properly, a device like this could do well in the current home movie market. It is expected to release in March 2008, but no price has been set.”

(Link via Anthony Ajit)

Shane Ross and his cronies discovered that they can import P2 MXF files natively into Final Cut Pro without using the Log and Transfer function. This is possible with the help of a little importer component that comes along with P2CMS.

Microfilmmaker has a thorough and extensive review of the insanely affordable Aiptek GO-HD, a tiny palmcorder that records to SD card media at 1280×720. It is available at B&H for just $219. We previously mentioned it’s younger sibling, the $200 A-HD.

DivX is offering a limited-time “holiday download” of their DivX Pro package. The software for both Mac and Windows is normally priced at $20. We’re not sure when the offer is going to end, so snag a copy before it’s too late.

Daniel Boswell of DVArtistry got his oversized mitts on a brand spankin’ new XDCAM EX today, and has kindly sent in a few lowlight comparison framegrabs vs the venerable FX1 (and you can expect the Z1U to perform identically). A cursory examination of the images shows the EX1 with a substantial edge on low-light performance. Daniel tells us that his trusty HVR-FX1 was set at 1080/60i f1.6 1/60 and 9dB of gain. The PMW-EX1 was set at 1080/60i f1.9 1/60 and 9dB of gain.

You can download the images in TIFF format below (We recommend that you Right-Click, Save As).

 Sony FX1 @ 1080/60i 1/60 f/1.6 9dB: Download
 Sony EX1 @ 1080/60i 1/60 f/1.9 9dB: Download

In my experience, Daniel’s setup in this comparison seem like typical conservative settings for low-light performance in wedding and event work. You can expect to shoot good quality images at those settings on the FX1 and still handle reasonably low light. Dropping the shutter down to 30 would gain you quite a bit more breathing room. Of course on the EX1, you also have the option of 1/24th shutter if you happen to be shooting in that mode.

B&H currently lists the XDCAM PMW-EX1 at $6,449.00. You may order it by clicking here (all purchases made via that link directly benefit FreshDV and won’t cost you a dime extra).

What to do when you are called upon to integrate Standard Definition 4:3 video in with HD or HDV widescreen sources? Jan Ozer is here to help. In the first installment of a two-part series, he discusses the resolution and pixel aspect ratio basics behind the problem. In part two he’ll get into which tools to use for the task, specifically dealing with Final Cut Pro, Premiere Pro, Algolith AlgoSuite, Digital Anarchy ReSizer, and Red Giant Software Instant HD.

Fuji will introduce fully-licensed and compatible P2 cards for Panasonic cameras in Spring 2008. I seriously doubt they will be come at a significant price break, but perhaps it will help with demand (which would indirectly affect pricing). The other solid state format that is spreading it’s wings is CompactFlash…CF cards are being used by Red camera shooters, and can be used in the forthcoming HVR-Z7U and HVR-S270U HDV cameras from Sony. And if you’re concerned that CF isn’t suited for the rigors of production, here’s a interesting anecdote that may set your mind at ease…it seems that a lost CF card was recovered after two years exposure to the outdoor elements, and it remained functional. If only the hard drives that will ultimately hold your footage were as hardy.

New technologies go through several distinct stages or inflection points in their growth; price, mass or market adoption, and commoditization. For DVD, the tipping point in cost came in the late 90’s when DVD players finally dropped below $400. Shortly thereafter, the critical mass factor kicked in…20% of homes had a DVD player. And now we have commoditization in that players can be had for $25-$50. And it all snowballed once the price inflection point was hit. I said all that to say this…iTunes movie pricing has been a thorn in the side of major studios for a while now, and it seems they’ve finally gotten Apple to back down.

“…studios such as 20th Century Fox have been successful in convincing Apple to pay a higher wholesale price of $15 per movie—just $3 less than the average price of a brick-and-mortar DVD. What this means for the actual selling price of a movie in the iTunes Store remains to be seen, but this deal apparently secures more studio support for doing things like including an iTunes-optimized copy of the movie on store-bought Enhanced DVDs.”

The good news is you’ll probably have greater selection of digital movies, as it is more attractive for studios to come to the party.. The bad news is that this will make the decision to buy online less clear cut from a monetary standpoint, and quite possibly will limit adoption.

UK DP Philip Bloom took his new XDCAM EX1 on a test shoot with the Letus Extreme 35mm adapter. He’s shared his thoughts on the combo and a short video clip as well. The footage looks amazing…

“The first three shots are adaptor free and there is one shot near the end that comes after a similar shot that is also adaptor free. Initially I was going to shoot loads on non letus stuff but once I had it on I didn’t want to take it off. All I can say is the camera shoot cracking pictures with or without the Letus that blow the HVX 200 clean out of the water!”

 "Picadilly Furs" by Philip Bloom [2:56m]: Download

As spotted over at HD For Indies, the innovators of Hydra and Andromeda uncompressed capture modifications for Panasonic DVX and HVX camcorders have announced that the technology will no longer be available for purchase by the general public. Juan says on the forum: “As some of you already know, the Hydra/Andromeda technology is indeed being sold/licensed and thus Reel-Stream will no longer be installing units to individual users. At this time I can’t post more details about the future of the technology, but it seems likely that it will not be marketed to the public. I have a feeling that if there is enough interest there is a possibility this could change, but it is not their plan at this time.” In response, a petition was started by Andromeda users to urge the licensor to sell to the general public.

The three big tape manufacturers in Europe have been found guilty of price-fixing on professional tape media.

The 3-way Japanese cartel controlling 85% of the professional videotape market was found guilty of artificially controlling prices on Betacam SP and Digital Betacam — the two most popular professional videotape formats in use between 1999 and 2002. According to the EU commission, they “organized three successful rounds of price increases and endeavored to stabilize prices whenever an increase was not possible.”