Sony HDR-CX550V thoughts

joejon wrote on 3/20/2010, 11:59 AM
A lot of people on this forum probably use much more expensive cameras, but for those of us who can only afford the higher end consumer type I would like to ask if anyone has used the new Sony hdr-cx550v. There are too many "stupid" features on this camera like smile shutter, face detection, in-camera editing, gps, but that stuff will catch a consumer's attention so they put it on. The features I need are good stabilization, which I think Sony has, manual exposure control, which I use a lot, and the obvious of exceptional color and clarity. I also need the external mic input for my Rhode stereo video mic, but I'm not sure how exactly that will work with the hot shoe. I usually use the mic off-camera, but occasionaly put it on the camera for convienence. The zoom range is bad, since I had 24x optical on my D8 camera. Is the Sony 1.7x converter any good? Many people on other sites commented that the camera only records interlaced and that progressive would be better. I see the Canon camera coming in April shoots both interlaced or progressive. Is this as big a deal as people say or is interlaced video okay? It does say that the Sony can playback 1080/60p with HDMI connection, which I don't understand since it records in 60i. Then there are the settings for bit rate. The FX is 24Mbsp but is incompatible with dual record and AVCHD, so I don't see this as a good setting to use, but they must have it for a reason. The FH setting at 17Mbps seems the best option. I can't understand why the HQ setting is the default - why have an HD camera and not shoot in HD quality? The x.v. color seems to be a stupid option since most tv's don't have this, but again I know very little about that. To copy files from the camera, would I still use Vegas as I do now or do that some other way? I know there are lot of questions here, but I'm baffled by all these options on cameras today in comparision to my Digital8. Thanks for any help and enlightenment on this new format.

Comments

Dreamline wrote on 3/20/2010, 2:27 PM
Now, is just not the right time to buy. It never is before NAB in April. New cams are about to be released. Wait and see what happens. Buy in the fall.
farss wrote on 3/20/2010, 2:52 PM
That is a striclty consummer camera. We have the 520 and it is great in some ways as we rent it out with the DVD burner for people who just want to edit in camera and burn directly to DVD.
Tha stabilisation is very good. The menu system is very confusing. As far as I know there is no way to get external audio into it. There's precious little in the way of manual control and it does record AVCHD and you've only got to read posts here and elsewhere to realise how problematic that is to edit.
Yes, you just copy the file from the internal memory using Windows and then drag them onto the Vegas timeline as you would footage from D8 camera. They were great cameras, still got mine and it still works!

On the other hand and as I think I mentioned before the HC9 is a much better camera if you want something cheap and cheery. You do get external audio and lots of manual control. OK no progressive mode but I've not found much call to shoot 25p with my EX1 as the other camera (HC5) I use as a B cam only shoots interlaced. How good are the HC3/5/7/9 series of camera?

Well watch this,preferably in 480p:



We shot that with three cameras, EX1, Z7 and a HC5. That's a $10K camera, a $6K camera and a $700 camera.
Can you pick which camera was which?


I have edited other people stage show footage shot with consummer AVCHD cameras. It was painful and the outcome was just horrible. I can wrangle very good images out of our HC5, there was nothing I could do about the hideous artifacts that can occur with AVCHD. The current Sony HC9 has more going for it than the old HC5, like an external mic input and manual gain control. You can buy a cold shoe adaptor from DM Accessories and mount your Rode mic on top of the camera. The HC9 has a digital zoom extender which is usable except in low light.

Bob.
ritsmer wrote on 3/24/2010, 10:55 AM
Hi joejon -
Got my CX550VE a week ago (as replacement of a 3 months old CX505).
I'm just a happy amateur doing some 4.000-5.000 takes a year and editing them through Vegas 9.0c.
But on that background I can only give the CX550 my best recommendations.
To your questions:
The "stupid" features: agree.
The 550 has got jacks for sound in and out. I just use the SONY HST1 mike with a windshield (like Dead kitten) - to my ear it gives better sound than the built in mike - and a substantial stereo effect. I hear it through 2 x B&O "Organ" speakers (Beolab 8000).
Zoom range?? it's a personal issue - I next to never use more that 5 x zoom - and think that the lens is sharper (with this pricetag) at 1:10 times than at 1:25 times.
As to the interlaced/progressive I do videos with much movement and I was totally tired of seeing the chop-chop-chop that I got from 30p with earlier cameras, so the 50i is an incredible improvement.
On a normal 50 inch plasma (nearly) nobody can tell the difference between HQ and FX, so many use HQ because of the
more modest space-requirements.
These days I am skiing in France and yesterday I took some 200 takes with the CX550.
The viewing last night showed: perfect quality.
The stabilizer is even better than in the CX505 - and can cope with nearly anything.
JasonATL wrote on 3/24/2010, 5:55 PM
Bob,

I'll bite. I think your point is well-made with this clip. The cheaper cam holds up pretty well.

I'll take a guess: Straight-on camera is the Z7, camera from left (looking at the stage) of stage is the EX1, and camera high and to the right is the HC5? I'm less sure about the Z7 and EX1, but will be embarassed to find out that I've totally missed which one was the HC5.

I've used an old early generation HD Sony HDR-HC1 as my personal B-camera from time to time (EX1 as my main) -- I'm not a pro, so these are videos for friends and family only. In good light and set properly, these cameras can give some nice results. A tripod and practice user also helps to get the best out of any camera.
farss wrote on 3/24/2010, 6:21 PM
Close.

Camera from left of stage is Z7, centre stage / wide shot is EX1 and right of stage is HC5.

It looks different in SD. The wide shots from the EX1 look like mush, the tight shots from the Z7 and even the HC5 look better. The reason why might explain all the complaints here and elsewhere about poor results from downconverting HD to SD.
I can only sort of take credit for this thought. I had my suspicions but it was really bought home to me on the night of this shoot. I had a very, very old school cameraman wielding the Z7. He said to me "no point shooting much wide on this stage, it'll be mush. Bob, this is television". The old school guys know this, sure HD can deliver wide shots with lots of detail but once we downconvert it we hit the resolution limit. The problem is when we shoot HD we see these wonderful wide shots on the HD monitors and we forget that's not how it'll look in SD.

Bob.
joejon wrote on 3/24/2010, 7:33 PM
Thanks for answering my questions!
I realize that there is a diverse population in this forum with many professionals included. I shoot and edit for personal use and for people I know so I would be included in the same amateur category as you. I've used a Sony Digital8 camera for 8 years and before that Hi8, and before that plain 8mm so I have very little experience with anything else. I like Sony products but was concerned that everything seems to be going to progressive and didn't know if buying a camera that records interlaced video would be a waste. I read a lot of complaints about editing AVCHD but I question going with another tape-based camera as I am finding it more difficult to find locally 8mm tapes and even B&H has them on backorder quite often.
You commented that you like the CX550 but can you comment on your experience with editing it in Vegas? Again, I've only done .avi from 8mm captures. What setting and render properties do you use?
Also, how do you mount your mic on camera?
Thanks
ritsmer wrote on 3/25/2010, 10:00 AM
My main editing machine is a MacPro with 2 x quad Xeons 2,8 GHz and 8 GB of RAM.
I transfer videos from the CX550 through a pretty fast USB connection (many times faster than the CX505).
Then I can drag-and-drop them directly to the Vegas timeline.
Project specs = HD1080i.
Preview (Preview/full/scaled to size) is full speed (25 Fps) when I have single clip to show. With more clips and text or FX's the Fps drops a little - but not disturbing.
I render to HD1080i for playing from our home-server through our 1Gb home network through a MacMini (Core2Duo) and via RGB to a 50 inch plasma.
I have used not hours but days testing and trying different setups (HDMI etc, players like VLC, VMP etc etc) and found that everything works smoothly when all machines involved run Windows 7 and using the Microsoft normal player.
Under XP it would have been VLC-player, by the way).
The SONYmike with the windshield is just attached on top of the CX550 i into the "hot shoe" and fastened well by turning a little wheel. The electrical signals are in the shoe too.
The mike is not so big but gives good results and suppresses most wind noise - even when skiing fast downhill :- )