Comments

Coursedesign wrote on 3/16/2005, 7:58 PM
P means PAL.

This camera records only in DV25 format on a Blu-Ray disk, but you don't need a separate Blu-Ray deck if you use a PCMCIA Ethernet cards to blow over the data to a Vegas machine at high speed.

Cool is also the 24P option if you need it.

This is a very high quality camera with great picture, I have the same camera block, simply outstanding.

(PDW-530 is the IMX camera, costs a lot more.)

The PDW-510 is a chunk of change though, do you want to spend that much on a non-HD camera right now?

There will be a whole bunch of goodies announced at NAB next month, including possibly a Sony 700-like HD pro camera for around $20K. Figure of course at least $13K for the least expensive Fujinon HD zoom to go with that, and you're in a different business.

There will also be other HD cameras at $5K and $10K...

jaegersing wrote on 3/16/2005, 9:19 PM
Marty, at the risk of stating the bleeding obvious, I suggest you choose your camera based on your shooting needs. IMO, Vegas is only a supporting tool and should not drive this choice at all.

Richard Hunter

vicmilt wrote on 3/17/2005, 4:29 PM
If you're seriously considering a camera in the $20k category, I'd suggest renting one first or making sure that you've got a return period.

Definitely buy the camera to shoot the job and not for any other reason.
craftech wrote on 3/18/2005, 5:36 AM
Amen to that.
ezway wrote on 3/18/2005, 7:46 PM
Great information, I have the Z1 and am sending it back Monday. I put it on a card that convenced the vendor to accept the return, not what I expected for the money.
I like the 510 because I have used it before but did not understand the new numbers attached to the end.
I am going the route of camera, video deck, and audio deck as seperate boxes. The Mackie MCU will help with my disibilities in gross movements and be a central point to bring thing together.
This will be the last time I have the money to do this so, I am going to try to do it right, with help from you guys.
Thanks ever so much,
Marty
farss wrote on 3/18/2005, 8:09 PM
I'm interested to hear how you felt the Z1 let you down.
But once you go to the next step up you're in a very different world. Actually it may not be a silly idea to start with the most important part, the lens. Then thing about a head to go behind it. From the little I know there's two standards for lenses, 1/2" and 2/3", these have to match the mountings on the head. Once you've got that sorted you can oftenly choose from a number of backs / recording systems.
As has been suggested hiring one for a day or two would be money well spent. If you can find a Sony dealer who also hires I;m certain they'd cut you a deal on the hire, take your business elsewhere if they don't.
Little things can really trip you up, I had a call from a very happy DVX100 owner yesterday, loves the camera to death but with all the teleconverter he can fit on the front of the thing it still will not go as long as he needs for what he shoots. For this reason alone he's having to go to a PD170 and loose a lot of dollars in the process. Making that sort of a mistake with a broadcast camera would be a financial disaster.
Bob.
ezway wrote on 3/19/2005, 12:04 AM
Great information, thnak you! I will call Manny Monday and see if I may lease one for a week.
The Z1 is a great camera, but the connection to the PC via CineForm leaves much room for improvment. I found it crashed the application space often. On another machine it would not run as that system was based on a AMD series chip set.

I CZ Lens was nice but my current batch of lens would not fit on the mounts without large and cumbersome adaptors.

The Z1 is a lot of camera for the money, but in the end it is a consumer level camera, and as such SNA has you by the short hairs for all attachments and add ons.

I looked at the 710 but it will break my budget, I had the Xl1 and Xl2 from Canon and really disliked them both.

A great deal of things I complain about do not matter to many, many others, including my wife. She says that being a demanding person only makes me unhappy, I say that I can see the difference between Xl1 and the Xl2 in quality of the end product, and I say the standards are being reduced slowly so we will not notice.

I wonder why more folks arn't intrested in getting the best they can buy. When enough of us say we will not buy substandard goods, the OEM's will produce properly or leave the playing field.

I have very little time on earth left so I am going to create the best films possible, within my megar abilities, and the Z1 did not meet my standards in any way shape or form.

I worked in hollywood in the sixties for mmps and found that those that make the loudest noise complaining often were treated the best. I call it "I'll say yes just to get you to shut up phenom."

CourseDesign said alot when he compared Hitchcock with Altman, he said "Hitchcock never wasted a foot of flim stock, and Altman shoots everything and what sticks he uses."

With digital it is so easy to burn tape as it is so very inexpensive. But do you ever find yourself saying why on earth did I shoot that? I must have been drunk, perhaps on drugs, had a brain tramma, and my favorite "who the heck shot that crap!" Blaming others I also learned in hollywood.

Best Wishes,
Marty