Izzy Video 75 - Review of the Sony XDCAM EX
My new camcorder is the Sony XDCAM EX. Although this seems to be what everyone’s calling it, the actual model number is Sony PMW-EX1. In this installment of Izzy Video, I give a miniature video review of the new camera.
If you haven’t heard of this camera before, I should let you know that it’s pretty revolutionary.
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January 6th, 2008 at 1:27 pm
Nice review. Thats an awesome camera, i really want it.. now it i can only find 7 grand…
January 6th, 2008 at 3:00 pm
Darn, I feel so inadequate now. I just got the Canon HV20 for Christmas and I thought I was in camera heaven but Izzy just knocked the wind out of my sails with that Sony. This Review gives me the incentive to work a few more overtime shifts this year, Maybe next Christmas….
January 6th, 2008 at 7:40 pm
I feel ya, Anthony. I got the Canon GL2 for Christmas (which is the standard def camera that Izzy has).
January 6th, 2008 at 7:42 pm
I really liked your review. I currently have a GL2 and have been planning on a new camera. I have been leaning towards the HVX200 but now I am considering this camera. I mostly shoot outdoor action sports footage and the occasional wedding. The variable frame rates were what drew me to the HVX as well as I have heard that the HDV codec doesn’t handle fast motion as well as DVC ProHD. I am very interested to see how this camera handles this kind of shooting.
January 7th, 2008 at 2:59 pm
What do you think of the lens? I am assuming that this model does not have interchangeable lens. Does your video card work with both Mac and PC? Nice review.
January 7th, 2008 at 7:20 pm
First of all, to everyone who got new cameras for Christmas, congratulations! The HV20 is an excellent camera. So is the Canon GL2, which is the one I’ve been using the past several years. In fact, I’m keeping it, because I can’t get myself to give it up.
Regarding the new camera … Yes, the Sony EX has one fixed lens, not interchangeable. And yes, the card it records the video onto works in both macs and PC’s. There’s a USB2 port on the side which you can use to get the video out of the camera if you want. It’s just a little slower.
Yesterday I was experimenting with slow motion. The camera can shoot 60 frames per second. When you play it back regular speed, it plays as a very effective slow motion. It looks great. It would be ideal for shooting a sporting event, for example.
January 8th, 2008 at 11:53 am
Intresting episode, to bad it is so hard to see the camera you are showing (black camera on black backround = total darkness)
Regards
Bengt
January 8th, 2008 at 1:24 pm
Would shooting at 60 frames per second reduce your space by 1/2 on your memory card?
January 8th, 2008 at 7:17 pm
Bengt — Good point! Wow that’s pretty embarrassing. I didn’t really light myself (difficult to do), but sorry about the mistake in color choices!
Bic — That’s a good question. I didn’t notice any difference in recording time, but I’m going to test the camera to see if that’s the case. I’ll get back with an answer once I’ve tested it.
January 18th, 2008 at 2:37 pm
i have a feeling that the answer is no. ( by the way, for a VERY in depth look at the EX, check out the HD version of FreshDV on iTunes–they went through EVERY menu). The reason being, the EX shoots at dif. frame rates at dif resolutions. for example…in full 1080p you can shoot 24p, 30p, and 60(i or p?) but the feature Izzy is talking about is Over/Under cranking, which is only available in 720P modes. so I’m assuming that to shoot in 720P @ 24p overcranked to 60fps (which is probably some black magic rather than actual 60fps) would take less space than shooting full 1900×1080 at 60p. I may be wrong though.
by the way, from what i’ve seen on freshDV, you guys who got hv’s and gl’s for christmas are probably better off. This camera is probably pretty easy to operate, but if you dig deep it gets EXTREMELY complicated with what you can tweak. That is what you would be paying for, if if you don’t know about things like knee and f-stops and chroma and skin tone settings, you won’t be utilizing the value of the camera (though, to me, the full HD, over/under crank, and sxs format are worth the price). I researched the xl2 for close to a year, read the manual twice, watched hours of test footage, THEN bought one, and after 3 months of use I’m still learning new stuff. But if you wait til you have the money to buy a camera that you will totally under utilize, you’ll never get to do the most important thing, which is GET OUT AND SHOOT!
but, that said, with someone like Israel behind the EX, I can’t wait to see the results!
peace.
-Jonathan