Panasonic P2 cameras

Well – after around 3 years where the pani was on top of everything, Sony brings out a Cam who is slightly better than the HVX200. Very late in my opinion for the biggest player in the biz.

Right, the EX1-3 is a nice Cam with very sharp pictures but this is only an advantage when you shoot sports or news. Independent film makers prefer still the pani because of the aesthetic and more filmic style.

Do you really think that the 35Mbs (EX-1 / EX-3) is better than the 100Mbs from DVCProHD (HVX / VariCam)??? The 35Mbs is still in the HDV-limitation. Quick sidestep – the BBC didn’t accept XDCAM material for their HD-Productions but they accept DVCProHD….

Just got a Sony EX1 a few weeks ago and love this camera. Definitely a camera which must be used on manual to get the best out of it. One of the advantages of "being late to market" is that it is a true 1920 x 1080 picture with half inch senors and has great low light abilities. With the Kensington Express card adaptor and a Sandisk 16GB SDHC card, you can capture 50 mins of HQ(yes it is high quality variiable bitrate, forget the FUD being put around by Panasonic fanboys:-) video for less than a $100!
The file size is very manageable and my Sony Vegas Video software handles it with ease on a dual core PC.

Mark

Mark,
Whoa, cowboy.
What adaptor? Are you saying you put a PCMCIA adaptor in the camera with a sandisk card in that?

Thanks for the info,
Jake

I did some searching about what you were talking about and I found out the Kensington adaptor isn't made anymore and is out of stock any place I went to.
Some forums said they think Sony got Kensington to stop production on that card reader. Makes you kind of wonder.
Anyway, I'm sure someone will find an alternative.

Jake

There are alternatives(I am in fact using one from China that isn't mentioned in most forum posts but has been confirmed as working by at least the 3 people that have used it that I know of. . . . cost was approx $15) to these Kensington cards and there is a "rumour" that a shortened card shall be out sometime soon. I think you will find that something will take its place(if in fact production of the Kensington has even ended). Interesting times:-)

Mark

Sorry kk5hy, I was confusing the Pnny 170 with the 150. the 170 does use P@, and does do variable frame rates. Supposedly the chips are a little better in their signal to noise ratio, and in low light conditions compared to the HVX200.
Th3 1150 is the Panny that shots on SD. it uses the AVCHD compression, and it doesn't look like it will do the variable frame rates.

I think rwm_media is right about the BBC, and I think Discovery followed suit on not using the HDV format.

And Sony does love their proprietary formats, just look at that umd BS with the PSP.

P@ should be P2

EX1 HQ footage is not HDV. HDV is a constant bitrate mpeg 2 format. Sony EX1/3 HQ footage is variable bitrate long gop high quality format.

Jake, a good source for info on the Kensington/Sandisk combo is http://www.glasseye.com.au/articles/sdassxs/

Mark

Hahaha… funny! The Son and the Pan boys are beating like ever!!! :-)

Both Cam’s are great. I (have to) work two times with the EX-1. Cool Cam, especially for sports and gives you very sharp and clear picture! For me, the HVX was my first choice (as my private Cam) because the pictures are more filmic and the codec is better, that’s it.

Low light? Right – the EX is better – point. How often did you uses or need it? I’m not bad in lighting a set but for filmic results I work always with a gaffer. He makes, no – better – he loves 38 years this Job and HE is my low light!!! ;-)

Mark, sorry to say that but the EX is under the limitations of HDV because they have to use the maximum 35Mbs of HDV. That they use a variable bitrate, cool! Saves space but it’s still the HDVs 35Mbs as his maximum.

Rudi

I am not knocking Sony, they do make good products. I have not had a chance to work with the EX line, so I cannot say which I would prefer. I am happy with the stuff I have gotten from the HVX though. Sony just bugs me with some of the stuff directions they take (especially the format thing). But believe me I have cursed Panasonic for not really taking full advantage of the technology at their disposal. That 60 GB hard drive for offloading clips in the field, poorly designed, unless you like reading the morse code from the blinking lights.

Scott