Several companies were serious about not going to NAB next year, for the first time ever.

I'm with PJ, DMF is was pathetic. We tried to book a stand and they didn't even ring us back. Probably just as well. The conference was good but the show, forget it. Even the SMPTE exhibition is loosing interest and yes NAB seems to have a use by date.
This year at NAB was good for me as instead of running around to see much the same as last year I put in some quality time with a few exhibitors and learnt quite a bit so it was worth the trip.

Bob.

Couredesign:
You just made my day....
I live in N. Calif and had registered for the DV EXpo you went to and decided not to attend after blowing some major bucks on a 24" monitor and 46" HDTV I caught on sale for great prices. Decided I didn't "need" to spend any more $ so cancelled my plans to travel to the Expo.

I went 2 years ago and learned a lot from the booth exhibits but was extremely disappointed that Sony was a no-show that year. Everyone else had products to show and touch and try out except Sony. I was in the market for my first HD cam and wanted a chance to see and feel each camera before dropping the money. Size does matter to me, in that a large camera would not be ideal for what I want to do. I'm hesitant to spend a couple thousand bucks without literally getting my hands on a camera..... and Sony was my first choice.
Glad your experience this year was different and obviously with your new "love" of the XDCAM EX you could be a serious buyer now that you have had a hands-on look at the camera.
Ironically, even though I'm less than 50miles from Silicon Valley, there aren't any high end camera stores within a 100miles where I could actually see/try out higher end pro-sumer cameras. So the Expo would have been the next best opportunity to get a first hand look....

I was also tempted to go by the demos of Sony, Vegas, etc. so I'm curious if you attended any of the demos and if they were worth the time?

Eileen

p.s. I used to attend the VideoMaker Expo in L.A. where I learned a lot by going to numerous workshops on all kinds of video topics like: lighting, audio, copyright rules, etc but they seem to have folded that tent as well and it hasn't been offered for the past 2 yrs.

Sony, Canon and Panasonic had the only really big booths, while most of the rest were 10x10s.

They were pushing Vegas also, but overall I didn't see any must-see demos anywhere at the show.

Now about the Sony CineAlta PMW-EX1, you wouldn't have to worry about getting suckered buying it.

You can think of it as a High Definition version of Panny's HVX200.

Apologies to all the HVX owners who are now getting a case of dry mouth and are beginning to wonder where they stored their tar and feathers....

The PMW-EX1 has twice the recorded resolution horizontally (1920 pixels vs. 960 pixels ) and twice the recorded resolution from top to bottom (1080 pixels instead of 540 pixels), so net, its 1/2" (vs. 1/3") image sensors pick up four times as many pixels. It just shows...

Furthermore, the EX handles this without losing light sensitivity. Adam Wilt rated both at 320 ASA at 0dB gain and 24P frame rate exposed at 1/48. It goes without saying that having sensors that are more than twice as big in area helped Sony, they probably couldn't have done it with 1/3" chips.

And, much importantly to me, the PMW-EX also seemed to have a beautiful tonal rendition, and it picked a lot in the shadows as well as in the highlights.

Exactly, the only expos that will still get a lot of visitors will be the ones where products do not matter at all, and the faithful flock to see their leader ( Mac expo, Republican convention, you get the idea ).

On the EX note, I've seen it for $5600 - $6300, legit places.

There's no LANC on the XDCAM EX.

Hey Eileen,

Sounds like you're fairly near by. I'm in Oakland, working in SF.

Rob

>>>There's no LANC on the XDCAM EX<<<

There is a lens controller input, although I've not seen a specification for what it does. Most likely as for other Fujinon lens controllers. Sony regards LANC as a consumer artifact and not something for a professional camera; you may well not agree.

The general professional opinion is that the EX performs at 800ASA at -3dB gain, but I've yet to be able to test that myself.

Phil Bloom has posted another test short http://aerialsfilm.com/bloom/protestants%20whole%20sd.mp4Christmas[/link]

Re the LANC aspect, pro or non-pro, without the "need" to remove my hand from the panhandle, and locate a camera button, how is one meant to start and stop this marvellous - I do mean this! - professional camera while mounted on a tripod? The hand swivel device is perfect for handheld. How about accommodation for tripod work? I understand about the facility for the Fujinon lens control, again a professional feature too. But a panhandle start stop facility? Is this not a pro requirement? If "LANC" is truly non-pro, not having a panhandle start stop appears to me to be a bit retro? No? Is there "another" option for connectivity? What do I know . . . .

Grazie

I've never regarded a LANC as non-prof; extremely useful when using any sort of shoulder/body mount. So whether the lens controller will start/stop recording I don't know. There is a remote that will do that, but requires two buttons to be operated together (so maybe not as convenient as a LANC and separate from the lens controller).

The EX has a record button on the handle as well as on the grip, so when on a tripod the top button is probably most convenient. Adam Wilt has said that he finds the camera very side heavy using the grip and reckons it will have to used with a shoulder mounting. I haven't heard that from others and didn't test that myself.

I understood that this is about SONY: "Sony regards LANC as a consumer artifact and not something for a professional camera". It would also appear that there is accommodation using these "two buttons to be operated together". Hmmm.... interesting. I'm also thinking, as there is a button on top, I would also need to remove my steadying hand to reach it? I'm guessing here but I would think there is more mileage in this than initially meets the eye.

Grazie

From memory the crucial difference is LANC sends relative commands, like zoom in/out, focus in/out. A lens cotroller controls absolute position, the same as if you were operating the controls on the lens directly. From memory lens controllers include a record start / stop that interfaces back to the camera from the lens.

Bob.

EDIT: I might be wrong about how these lens controllers work. Some research shows that the ones that do absolute positioning use a mechanical linkage.

I know a few videographers who were anxiously awaiting the camera, only to be put off by the omission of LANC. If it's an outdated prosumer feature, then that's fine. But they like using it for their focus/zoom controllers on tripod or crane mounts.

Doing a quick check for Fujinon lens controllers there are several that do just precision zoom or precision focus, but this one seems to do the usual jobs of a LANC: http://www.varizoom.com/products/controls/vzpgf.htmlVariZoom for 8 pin Fujinon lens[/link]

edit: not focus.

I find how people in this game take FUD as gospel without doing a little research wierd. Sony haven't said there'll be no remote lens control, they've just said no LANC. I wasn't at IBC but I've seen photos of one of the prototype EX1s on display there for anyone to play with complete with a wired remote controller, speculation is that it was a Manfrotto controller connected via an adaptor cable.
Admitted Sony have made no comment about this other than no LANC but if they're not developing the controller (it is a Fujinon designed lens) that's understandable.

I guess if you've already got a LANC controller then you would have some cause for complaint.

Bob.

The lack of focus on a $500 zoom controller is a turn off IMO. With respect to Sony regarding LANC as a consumer artifact and not something for a professional camera I might note that Canon also uses LANC. In fact I have a Canon zoom controller attached to my Sony camera. As far as I am concerned, for tripod shooting, the LANC zoom controller is indispensible.

John

The norm for studio cameras is zoom on one handle and focus on the other. Varizoom do a focus controller for Fujinon lenses although it is a mechanical linkage.
This is a manual lens, when it's in manual the focus servo is disconnected I believe so there maybe no way to electrically control focus. What does seem odd if there's no gear on the focus ring I think.

Bob.

Well, in terms of the camera itself it's like anything else. Even though the camera looked really inressive at a DV EXpo, until there are test reports on it one should reserve final judgement.
Of course, I am not basing that statement upon the lack of a LANC jack. Who knows what shortcomings the camera might have until it is thoroughly tested.

John

Got a Fujinon lens on my JVC HD110. Varizoom handle controller to run the zoom and start stop.Redrock Micro follow focus to keep things sharp. Gotta say that not having auto-focus was discouraging at first. But, in time, learning to keep focus manuall works so much better than any autofocus I've used. No hunting, and instant pull focus. You'll get over the servo focus, just makes ya lazy.

Manual focus is much better when you can see what is in focus, as you can with a film camera with TTL viewing . The problem for prosumer cameras is the softness of the viewfinder/LCD, which make it it very difficult to see whether or not focus is correct. The EX seems to offer much better capabilities for seeing focus as well as better means for achieving it. I guess that while cameras still have 3 sensors then actually viewing through the lens will remain a fond memory.

A normal fujinon zoom control has a start/stop button. Surely more expensive than LANC, but it's what the pros use and it's what the rental companies have.

Rob Mack