Happy with XDCam F330 and F350?

[Michael Brennan]

No question 2/3 inch camera with 50mb is on the way, it will not be backward compatable with existing players.

The big question is what will be the pixel count of the ccd.
If the new camera is to cost an extra $10k dont expect too much more htna the current model asSOny will take an extra $9k in profit!

In Europe the 330 and 350 are not being adopted much by the mainstream rental companies as they have to buy a new set of 1/2 inch lenses.
I understand that Canon and Fuji are somewhat deflated by the less than expected sales of their 1/2 inch lenses.

I think there is a future in 1/2 inch lens and camera format for news, issues to solve are so they can use a 1920×1080 pixels are senitivity of small ccds and of course further development of lenses that can deliver to such small pixels. (I assume current lenses will fall short but until a 1920×1080 1/2 inch chip comes along we’ll never know?)

Mike Brennan

[Nigel Cooper]

Am I the only one who doesn’t think a 2/3rd inch XDCAM HD will arrive?

If Sony bring out a 2/3rd inch XDCAM HD it would be almost the same price as HDCAM, but without HDCAM quality, hence folk might as well just go for HDCAM instead.

As far as Sony UK are concerned it goes like this.

Z1 for consumers, XDCAM HD for that middle-ground, then HDCAM for the high-end professional.

That’s it and I know a few guys at Sony.

If you want XDCAM HD, buy now, don’t bother holding your breath for a 2/3rd version, I doubt one will ever come around.

[Mike Sorel]

I attended a XDCAM HD seminar last week and the sony reps say that the 2/3 inch chip XDCAM HD will be out next fall. They also added that it will be an ENG camera without 24p recording, and a 24p 2/3 inch XDCAM HD is not expected until spring 2008. Both will be quite a bit more expensive than the 1/2 inch model according to the reps, but they did not give any numbers.

I currently am shooting on a HDW 730, and will be doing a side by side compairison with the XDCAM HD next week. If the image quality and workflow turn out to be as good as I’ve read in other posts I think I’d have to consider switching. I’m wondering if anone else has done this, and what your results have been? Would I be nuts to change from HDCAM to XDCAM HD?

Mike Sorel

[Bill Skinner]

Mike,
Please let us know what you find in your head to head test. I to have heard some rumors on the 2/3″ camera. But at this point that is all it is. Only time will tell.

Bill