New SONY HDR-FX1!

S

Shaw

Greetings all,

Sony just issued a news release about their new (the prototype was seen at NAB) HDV camera - and it's 1080i! No progressive scan that I can see (yet - this is the consumer version. A pro version is rumored to be coming) but even deinterlaced 1080 would look pretty damn good.

Here is the press relrease:

http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/040907/latu053_1.html

And more info:

http://www.global-dvc.org/Sony HDV.htm


Specs as mentioned thus far:

1080i
3 1/3" megapixel CCDs
16:9 "aspect mode" (beats me. Sounds like a jacked up name for "squished image")
Carl Zeiss Lense (!)
14bit A/D Converter
Utilizes MiniDV tape (there are rumors about BlueRay discs.... maybe the pro version?)
Shooting range from 32.5mm to 390mm! (that's just as wide as the DVA100A if I remember correctly)
12x zoom lense
Non-perpetual zoom ring! (hell yeah!)
"Expanded Focus mode" (supposedly enlarges the image on the LCD by 4 times without loss of quality - could prove tremendously useful, especially with HD)
250,000 pixel LCD
Wide Range stereo mic
External Audio level switch
Manual iris, gain, white balance, shutter speed and focus
"Cinetone Gamma"
"Cine Frame function" (? - sounds like some form of internal deinterlacing/conversion)
"Picture Profile Function" (mess with the image presets)
"Shot Transition Function" (settings to control focus, zoom, iris, gain, shutter and white balance, focus can gradually be shifted from the front of the screen to a deeper subject, or vice versa, enabling an effortless transition in depth of field."
 
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That was awesome of you to post those alternative links to better review sites, after seeing that "amusing" one.

I think I'll click on a few and... oh wait...
 
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Reading the article... sounds like a great camera. Though it is a shame they didn't include Progressive scan and 24 fps... if they had, this camera could easily dominate the Indie scene...

*shrug*

But this is really first-generation HD, so we'll see what the future has in store, eh?
 
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Hah! Someone linked to CCinfo... I find this amusing.
Click to expand...

Why is that?

*gasp* are you guys mocking me! :D

Actually I am really interested in seeing what sort of footage this thing can produce given its 22.1:1 compression ratio.... if the image holds up well I may have to think about getting one.
 
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Personally, I think it will be a while before we see an HD prosumer camera with 24fps capability ... If they did that, it would rearrange the scope of budgets for films. It would turn the low budget filmmakers ($1,000,000 to $5,000,000) into large budget (maybe not big budget just yet), and no budget filmmakers into low budget filmmakers. Basically, if an indie filmmaker were to raise say $100,000 for a project, chances are he/she would opt for the cheaper camera, thus the rental houses would stop carrying the big HD cams (or stop stocking as many of them) because the demand would go down, thus Sony/Panavision would lose a lot of money.

Of course that's all assuming the cheaper HD24p prosumer version doesn't suck.

Poke
 
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Shaw said:
Yep just like the XL2 (though I believe the XL2 squishes it to fit on tape... but the CCD is true 16:9)
Click to expand...

I didn't realize the XL2 had true 16:9 chips, did the XL1? The XL2 looks pretty awesome from what I've seen.

I'm not a tech head, but why would it have to squish the image to lay it to tape? Wouldn't that defeat the purpose of having the big chips? And its not like film where you have to record to a surface, it's just data.
 
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Yeah I'm impressed with the XL2. I'm seriously considering buying one but I'm very interested in seeing what Panasonic comes out with in regard to HD (especially since they dislike the HDV format).

Quite right about it being just data. The problem is that the footage has to comply with the DV standard.
 
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Shaw said:
Quite right about it being just data. The problem is that the footage has to comply with the DV standard.
Click to expand...

Oh, I think I get it now. The DV standard doesn't support 16:9 so it has to squish it. So with HDV (like the Sony), there should be no squishing because it supports 16:9, right?

Does it make any difference image quality-wise, squishing or not-squishing (what is the technical term for that "anamorphi-sizing?").
 
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Yes that is it indeed. DV is only 720x480 (NTSC). The HDV format is natively 16:9 so no problem there.

Quality of picture wise, it depends on a lot of factors. Everything being equal though it's best to use true 16:9 as you don't have to make it comply with DV resolution (hence the reason HDV works). I believe anamorphic resizing is an acceptable term. Not sure if it's the only one though.
 
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So Shaw.. I wanted to add to your thread... you can delete mine if you like.


I went to San francisco today and talked to a guy regarding the AGdvx100a and he was telling me its a great camera.. lots of indie film. I said "What is the lines of resolution.. he was like 520 or 540. I said "Thats what my little 3 color chip I got has (I dont have the camera in front of me to remember the model number but you all remember when I got it a month ago for 680 bucks.

He said "Its basically the same camera exept the ag100 and 100a have a better lenz, bigger chip size so the camera gets a much better color spectrum and that it has all the bells and whistles.

He said but personally its a big plastic box with slightly better guts then your inexpensive little camera has.


I said "But it is 16:9 ratio.. that makes a big difference. He says that unless I get a 1080i or progressive scan HD camcorder (Minimum 8000 bucks US) that all these cameras do is mask 16:9 capabilities with 720 lines and not true 1080.

He was telling me my 600 dollar vegas software does what expensive software used to do 5 years ago.. and if you were to take the AG100 dv and edit it you will see you can not enlarge it any more then 720.. you wont get a 1080x 720 render or true 1200+ rendering.

if you want 24p look then Vegas will do that too in post editing.. it just takes forever to render because of frame conversion to 23.97.

so I learned alot today.. he even had a sony rep there who showed me this beauty. I think the prices on these will get Jacked up a bit though because alot of people are gonna want HD for their indie film projects.

but anyways, its turned me off to buying the older ag100 which i could have gotten for 2800 bucks when I get my tax return or whenever i am able to save the rest I need. I think I will wait and buy this one.

Does anyone have any input that would detour them from buy this vs the AG100 other then the fact it doesnt have 24p?
 
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