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XDCAM or NXCAM?!
I was about to invest in an EX1R when I read more about the recently released NX5E and it’s made me think I should consider it as an alternative.
Like a lot of shooters, I want the highest possible quality, but on a budget. I’d set my mind on the EX1R but the new NX5E is 1/3 less.
Anybody got any views on which is the better camera? We shoot sport, indoors and out.
Thanks.
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5 Replies
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Well it’s AVCHD which is a lower bitrate than XDCAM EX so I’d have to guess you get a slightly worse picture on the NX5E, though it is AVCHD which is used on a lot of Panasonic cameras and looks great. On the other hand it’s a first generation for Sony which means a lot of what wrong with it will be fixed in another model, while the EX1r benefits from a couple of years of field feedback on the EX1. I’d go for the demo…
Noah
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Hey Noah,
the only reason there might be a lesser quality image on the NX5 that the EX1 is the difference between the imagers. One is 2M and the other is 1M. AVCHD has been proven to perform at 24Mbs as good and when stressed better than MPEG2 up to 35Mbs. Haven’t seen the 422 50Mbs, but because of the initial digitization, the MPEG2 is always breaking it down to the 8 X * blocks, and thus when stressed the macroblocks show up much more easily on MPEG2. Barry Green did a test on this a couple months ago and posted it.
Best,
Jan
Jan Crittenden Livingston
Product Manager, HPX500, HPX300, HPX170, HVX200A
Panasonic Broadcast & TV Systems -
Exactly right. Sony’s reasonably wise about the pricing- they’re not going to kneecap a higher priced camera with a cheaper model that has an equal or better picture. You’ll be getting what you pay (less) for with the NX5. However having spent time with AVCHD on Panasonic cameras I’d guess that difference will be highly debatable- so I’d stand by my recommendation to get a demo.
Noah
Check out my book: RED: The Ultimate Guide to Using the Revolutionary Camera!
Unlock the secrets of 24p, HD and Final Cut Studio with Call Box Training. Featuring the Sony EX1 Guidebook, Panasonic HVX200, Canon EOS 5D Mark II and Canon 7D.
Watch Formosa- My indie movie shot with the SDX900 and finished with Final Cut Studio. -
Thanks. We’ve shot a lot on EX1R and know it well. NX5 looks interesting but I’ve read through one of the other forums and seems to be a fairly major teething problem with it. Will keep tabs on it and wait for the second generation. EX1R it is…
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You also have to consider post workflow, which for AVCHD requires a lot more processing to decompress. And the imager is still 1/3″ as opposed to 1/2″…but it is true 1920×1080.
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