Well it sounds like you've got both an FX1 and a Z1 now, lol. So it worked out pretty well for you then! And maybe I'll be in that same club in a year or two...

TB

Actually the set is FX1 and XDCAM EX1. I do recommend the latter.

Well, it doesn't appear you regretted not buying the Z1 *too* much then, Serena--unless you bought that one on your way to the XDCAM EX1? And if that's the case, I'd say your "buy the better camera now so you don't have to later" rule has gone right out the window... ;)

Nice looking camera though, the EX1. But at $6500ish on the B&H site, I think it'll be quite some time before I can justify that level of purchase.

TB

Ah, no. If I'd bought the Z1 or the V1 I wouldn't still have the FX1. The "rule" reflects experience that you won't regret buying better than you think you really need (assuming that you don't over stretch the budget). Not just in cameras, either. One can note an error without necessarily having to correct it. However it's hard to pass on experience -- people have to make their own mistakes.

Agreed, and no offense intended. It's the "overstretching the budget" thing that I am trying to avoid. In the past 4 weeks, we have basically moved from two SD cameras, to two HD cameras (including the FX1). Given that the FX1 cost about $1300 less than the FX1000, and that I don't know how to use some of the features it offers--I simply cannot justify spending that extra money. Also, one has to consider add-ons like an extra battery, heavier tripod, shotgun mic and whatever else I am forgetting that I'll soon learn I can't live without...so I think the budget is about stretched to its limit. But I completely understand your point(s).

If I was any sort of a photographer (besides point & shoot), I would probably have gone for the FX1000. But I estimate that it's going to take me at least a year to get comfortable with those features that which I am not yet familiar. And since we've just went all-HD in the past month and I am still learning that whole thing (the HD Survival Handbook is 217 pages, for gosh sakes!). So I am simply at a different level than you were Serena, so there's really no comparison as I see it.

But I am learning as fast as I can!

TB

Understood. So you have the FX1? I think you will be pleased with that. One strong argument for not stretching too far is that something like the EX1 or EX3 provides too many ways for the inexperienced to produce bad results; so I wasn't really intending that you went that to that expense. It's not as easy in these forums as it is in conversation to strike the intended tone. Have fun.

Yes, I bought one via ebay auction. I got a unit less than one year old and used only 5 times (according to the seller anyway). I got it for $2026, with a 7-day inspection period, paid via Paypal for an element of protection in case there's a problem. But the thing looks absolutely brand new, except one small scratch right next to the hand strap. You hardly notice it in the photos. There was another one on ebay, nearly new and purchased in June of this year, that the seller wanted $2650 for. There were no bids but the auction doesn't end until Friday, so I tried emailing the seller to point out the selling prices of similar units--I would have probably given them $2300ish, just because the thing was only used once (again, according to the seller). But they weren't interested in talking about it, so I didn't want to let this unit go by if I could get it for about $2000. That was my limit for this unit, thus I set my max bid just above it, and it worked. Sort of surprised me, actually--it's a very nice looking unit.

But I agree with your statement about essentially having too much rope to hang yourself when you are just starting out. I am simply not yet a photographer, and I know that. I am learning quickly I think, but I have a long way to go. But since the FX1 is so well thought of, I figure it should be easy to sell in a year or so if I choose to do that. I really don't like to sell good equipment though, and thus I may simply keep it. But I absolutely love the Sony SR11 I have, and I plan to have my wife using the FX1 on a tripod in the press box at the games, while I am on the floor shooting close-ups for cuts and such. We'll get through the season and then I'll start learning the beast. I honestly had not planned to go all HD though, but once I edited some SD in with the SR11 footage...the gig was up. The FX1 should be here in 3 days, lol.

But I am having a tremendous amount of fun learning all these new things. Having to research all the new concepts is great fun--and having to research material before being able to formulate an intelligent response on this forum (at least I *hope* they're intelligent responses...) is probably the one thing that teaches me as much as anything. This is a great forum IMO, and Vegas is an incredible product.

TB

I predict you're gonna love the FX1. It's a solid piece of gear, and its heft might come in handy some day. I felt like using it on the hordes of "junk" sellers one night under the Eiffel Tower back in July 2007. I was documenting a high-school choir tour and the dozens of street vendors were really pushing their $10 "crystal" (plastic) Eiffel Tower statues on the poor kids. Some of the kids started to get frightened, and a few of us adults barged in and cleared a path. I was holding my FX1 like a club, and the sellers backed up, so I guess they were impressed by the camera, too.

LOL. So it definitely has more than one use then. Cool Those high school volleyball games can get somewhat out of hand sometimes!

Now I have a solution for *that* problem. Thanks!

TB

Well, just to put an ending to the story--the FX1 arrived today. It looks like new, and everything looks like it came from the factory. I haven't used it yet as I don't have any miniDV tapes yet, but man...what a great looking camera.

I can't wait to try it out this weekend and edit some footage!

Thanks to everyone that posted in this thread--you all were a great help in making this decision.

TB

Excellent. Just in case you're not going to read all the FX1 posts on DVInfo, I'll bring this to your notice: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=cart&A=details&Q=&sku=431507&is=REG#1394 line protector[/link]
There was quite a discussion on this (relevant to all 1394 camera links) but I can't find it. The question has come up a few times, so one such was: http://www.dvinfo.net//conf/showthread.php?t=134981&highlight=firewirethread on 1394 damage[/link]

Makes one careful. I don't know how many people bought an isolator. I didn't.

Well, thanks for the links (what's the html tag for links in this forum, btw?) Serena...I will absolutely read them. I have read so many things about the FX1 already, but am trying to read everything I can find on the camera.

It's very exciting--the new "prosumer" camera seems to bring a whole different level in videography. Lots of new stuff to learn though, to be sure.

Thanks again for posting this Serena. I'll check it out this weekend.

TB

Although this is from Denmark... this is the camera to keep an eye on once it makes it over here. HVR-Z5E

http://www.sony.dk/biz/view/ShowProduct.action?product=HVR-Z5E&site=biz_en_DK&pageType=Overview&imageType=Main&category=HDVCamcorders.

The one thing I don't like about my FX1's is the lack of manual exposer.
I also have a HDR-HC1 - that has manual exposer, but the FX1 doesn't? 1300 for the HC1 5,500 for the FX1 - kinda figured it should have it.

Manual Exposer? Do you mean the histogram, or actually setting manual exposure with the Iris and Shutter Speed settings.

Seems there are still people who hot plug their cameras into firewire/iLink/1394. I'm surprised because Sony has always been definite about "don't do it" http://www.dvinfo.net//conf/showthread.php?t=136118iLink care[/link]

We recently had one client fry both a Digital 8 camera and then our GVD 800 VCR doing that. Not happy, considering both are no longer in production.

Bob.

Gosh, I don't know--color me "cynical" when it comes to buying $72 "Firewire Isolators." Can't find any serious reviews on the product. It would be educational to open one up to see just what lies inside, if anything but wires connecting corresponding pins to sockets. I'd be a believer if someone took the time to put the device on a known-fault connection to prove that it really did work.

I was able to dig up this Sony memo on the Internet regarding firewire issues, but the clear implication is that people are getting in trouble by inserting the connectors in backwards. Well, duh. Don't do that.

Seriously, I can see how one might be able to force the 6-pin connector in backwards, or at least far enough into the socket to supply power to a data line, which is apparently what does the damage. I don't see how the tiny 4-pin connectors can go in backwards, however, and anyway the 4-pin connectors don't carry power lines, just data lines. I guess anything is possible, though.

Other comments on the Internet comment on static electricity. That's easy to prevent--just touch the metal case of the 4-pin connector to the camera metal before inserting.

Anyway, I've been hot-connecting for years without issues, as most of you probably have. I tend to think that if Sony and others realized years ago when Firewire first became common that they had a serious issue, they would by now have printed their prohibition in 18-point boldface in every manual for every firewire camera and external drive. Maybe they do; there's nothing in my FX1 and HC3 manuals, however.

On my HC1, I can push the "exposure button" on the side of the camera, then with the lever go up or down, manually controlly the brightness of the exposure.
Say if I'm aiming at the moon. To just be in auto it is just a ball of white glow. When I manually control it, I can bring down the glow so you can clearly see the moon and detail.
On the FX1 there is no manual expsure. True I do have shutter, and iris but they don't seem to do or have the same effect.
I find problems when panning past a window or a person with a light behind them. As soon as that light hits the camera, boom it darkens. I want to be able to control that. To set it to manual and say, no matter what stay at this exposure.
The only way I've found to control that darkening issue is the backlight. but that then blows out the scene.
Any suggestions? Am I missing something here?

you have something , gain ,iris ,shutter still in auto mode. set the cam to manual, then push the iris button to get control ,then the gain etc.

L8R:

I noticed the same effect, then realized that there were THREE factors controlling the exposure--shutter speed, aperture, and gain. I had set shutter and aperture to manual and was surprised the camera was still doing the auto thing. Once I set the gain to manual, the camera behaved properly.

There is another way to quickly affect exposure, the Spotlight and Backlight buttons. I shot a stage play last year in which the amount of lighting varied wildly. I discovered that if I left the camera in auto it did a very decent job of controlling exposure for most of the scenes, failing only for the spotlight-against-black situation (akin to your moon shot). Pressing the spotlight button while the stage lighting faded delivered an override of about two stops and a well-exposed actor, letting me concentrate on framing.

Just don't forget to hit the button again as the scene changes.

"Am I missing something here?"

Indeed you are! Go back to the instructions and read them, taking particular notes about using the FX1's manual modes. It is important that you properly understand the steps for setting camera mode if you are to use the camera effectively. Normally I would use only manual settings of focus, shutter, iris, gain and white balance..

I do indeed use all of my manual features. I just find it annoyingly funny that. I have to go through a series of steps to control exposure on a more expensive camera. Yet my inexpensive camera has one button that does quite a good job I might add at controling exposure.
I mostly do wedding videography, which calls for quick changes in conditions, lighting being one of the major factors. When things are happening and you've got to respond to changes. I don't have time to switch the iris, change the shutter, flip the gain. By the time I do all of that, the moment is past.
If they simply had a manual exposure button, that you can switch to manual like they do with gain, iris, shutter... it would be much better.
That way when I pan by the couple as the water shines behind them, the camera doesn't darken up auto.