Michael Slowe
Forum Replies Created
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I had a different problem, I could import the media but, on dragging it to my (Media 100) timeline it wouldn’t go. I am now using EditReady for the same job and it’s brilliant – look it up.
Michael Slowe
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Bob, that’s exactly my point, the Z150 ramps the aperture with the focal length so that for much of the time you’re limited to f4 thereby making it more difficult to obtain shallow DOF. With the EX1 you had no limitations in setting max aperture, that’s f1.8 as you say.
Michael Slowe
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Yes but Craig, what was your aperture and focal length setting, can you remember? I’m not saying that shallow DOF is impossible with the Z150, but with my EX 1 I could put out of focus a bookshelf only two feet behind a sitter, and not even with a long focal length setting. Can’t do that with the Z150 half as easily.
Michael Slowe
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I agree with Andrew, the initial indication of likely time for an operation very often turns out to be ridiculously pessimistic. Give it 15 minutes or so and then see what time is indicated.
Michael Slowe
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Tim, don’t complicate the process. You were on the right track in opening a programme and dragging clips onto the timeline and selecting your material from there. Just fast scroll until you come to what you want to keep, cut, scroll through what you want, cut again and lift off the media between the cuts and put it into a separate bin .
Others may suggest using only the edit window but that’s fiddly with the amount of footage you have to scroll through. A programme timeline is far simpler and you can see what you’re doing so much more easily.
Michael Slowe
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Ian, whilst we have your attention can I ask about a couple of things that I’ve wanted to know.
I’m using your PXW-Z150 camera and I’ve been a bit frustrated because the file (clip) numbering starts at zero with each card. So, if you’re shooting using the two cards in the camera, when it comes to transferring media I have a problem with the application EditReady. It wants to overweight clips that have the same number, unsurprisingly. With the EX 1 you could set your own clip names but Doug Jensen says you can’t do this with the Z150, is this correct? It means that I have to have a separate folder for each card when ingesting.
Secondly, is it OK to just select the individual clips from the ‘Private’ folder on the cards? With the BPAV folders in the EX 1 this was not advised, indeed, dire warnings were issued, the BPAV folders were sacrosanct. I have been doing this with no problems so far. Great camera by the way, pity though about the aperture ‘ramping’ on the zoom. It means a max of f4 if you intend to zoom in. In poor light it then requires a gain increase. The good thing is that with your new 1′ sensor gain can be tolerated very well, the bad news is that it is difficult then to minimise DOF.
Ian, your comments on all this, when you have time, would be much appreciated. (I would only use Sony cameras!)
Michael Slowe
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You mean does the EX 1 come close to the Z150? The EX 1 was the best camera I ever had, superb in every aspect, but, that was over nine years ago and things move so incredibly fast nowadays in terms of technology. The EX has a half inch sensor and the Z150 a one inch. Also the sensor incorporates much new technology and there is an improvement, no doubt. Having said that there are downsides. Firstly the lens on the EX allows you to maintain say, an f2 aperture right through the focal range (zoom) but the Z150 ramps and you only can get f4 at full tele. Also the low light performance without gain increase is not so good as the EX, although, the modern sensor is so good you can set up to +15db gain and still get a super picture. Finally, the three rings on the Z150 lens (focus, zoom, aperture), do not have ‘stop’ points, they just go on turning, which is infuriating. Whereas, as you’ll know, the EX has proper stop points.
All in all, not a great deal in it but the Z150 is smaller and lighter. can shoot 4K with it’s great new sensor and is, to my mind, an improvement. Others may not agree but I think that they will.
Michael Slowe
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Well Dave, it is a constant problem, no two cameras seem to give identical pictures. Actually, the EX 1 settings “out of the box” are not intended for shooting. Sony deliberately set a very ‘neutral’ look which is meant to be worked on to obtain the DP’s preferred look. If you can access the Vortex Media workshops by their Doug Jensen you will be enlightened. He goes into it in great detail and has been my ‘guiding light’ as far as the EX 1 is concerned and now, currently, the PXW-Z150.
Michael Slowe
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Dave, unless we see shots from both cameras it’s difficult to comment, especially as most of our computer screens might not be calibrated properly. At first sight your X160 colour doesn’t look so bad. A bit lacking in black maybe, have you checked that on a scope within your edit system? Also, a lot depends on your Picture Profile settings. If, like me, you followed Doug Jensen’s suggestions with your EX 1, you will get lovely pictures, maybe you haven’t got a good PP set in the new camera.
Michael Slowe
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Sorry, I can’t answer you question, but why are you shooting interlaced? That may be part of the problem, all TV’s are in Progressive mode.
Michael Slowe