Sony CX550 Blue Dot Problem

Byron K wrote on 4/10/2010, 11:40 PM

Thinking about purchasing the CX550 and while doing some homework researching this cam found this issue. This focused lens flair be a potential show stopper for those considering this cam.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=18463417

Just curious if anyone who has this cam has found this to be a major problem? It could be a nightmare to fix in post if you don't see it prior your shoot. Kuldges have been posted about setting zoom to 5% and placing a lens hood on the camera. IF Sony knows about this problem shouldn't they include a hood for this cam??

Comments

ritsmer wrote on 4/11/2010, 1:01 AM

I got my CX550 a month ago - and have done some hundreds of recordings with it so far.
If I, for a test, point it towards the sun and find a lower dark spot in the motive I can provoke the blue point - as I can provoke other lens flare events with any other camera.

In my normal recordings I have not seen the blue spot - but it might be because I would never dream of recording anything pointing nearly directly towards the sun - and if I had to - not without a hood - and so it would be with any camera.

The CX550 replaced a 3 months old CX505 which it outperforms well. I changed because of the wider lens and the 25 Mbps possibility - but got surprised that so many other things were better.
The CX550 is very reliable and does crisp footage.
Among many other well working features I can highlight the active steady-shot and - in times where you have little time - the intelligent auto mode scene selection does a fine job.

farss wrote on 4/11/2010, 1:12 AM

" IF Sony knows about this problem shouldn't they include a hood for this cam?? "

If they did:
a) The camera wouldn't fit in a purse if it was fixed.
b) If it wasn't they'd get a zillion calls asking what to do with the thing.

Sorry to be sarcastic but as someone who regularly has to field calls from 'consummers'.................

I should write a book :)

Bob.

ushere wrote on 4/11/2010, 5:16 AM

would have thought it made the lens flare fx in vegas obsolete ;-)

Byron K wrote on 4/11/2010, 11:13 AM

Thanks for the replies!
For $1000 price range cam, I'm impressed w/ the image stabilization, low light quality, compact size and it supports SD cards as well as Sony Memory sticks.

LReavis wrote on 4/11/2010, 4:15 PM

The blue-dot problem has been discussed extensively on the AVSforum http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1225613&page=29. To find the comparisons between the CX550 and the TM700, you'll need to search through a lot of pages or rely upon a not-so-intuitive site search engine.

Incidentally, there are numerous posts on that thread from those who own both the CX550 and the TM700 - the consensus being that the TM700 is the better of the two. For example:

"If anyone wants to see a great test of the 700 vs the Sony 550, watch this! If this doesn't show the difference in PQ, I don't know what does. I strongly suggest you download the video to watch it since it will show it in a higher resolution.

To my eyes the Sony looks almost 'creamy' in comparison to the 700 and this is precisely what I saw when I compared my Sony XR-500 to my new 700. There is just so much more detail and crispness in the 700 image. The 700 looks so much more 'alive'. It looks to me like the image quality is essentially the same in the 550 as it is in my 500.

Also look for the better colors of the 700. The 550 (just like my 500) is too ruddy. Look at the streets that have a reddish cast on the 550 vs the 700's neutral streets. Always something that bugged me with my little Sonys

http://vimeo.com/10644846"

from: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1225613&page=22