Michael Slowe
Forum Replies Created
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Wickham, would you agree that for those who prefer to rely on Media 100 for their downscaling of HD to SD, the quality is better with the HDX card than the downscale with the new AJA? I find after exhaustive tests that the HDx downscale is superior to almost any other, including that in BitVice.
Michael Slowe
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Chris, I have been using the EX1 for some months now and pending Media 100’s support for XDCAM I shot in SP mode, transferred via firewire to HDV tape and upscaled through Convergent Design to HD.
Now that Media 100 version 13 supports EX media I propose upgrading to that and doing the whole thing properly, shooting HQ and staying HD for editing. Are you planning to do likewise?
Michael Slowe
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I agree with the others on the ease of changing shutter speeds but may I mention that it is not good practice to control exposure that way as it is with still photography. Shutter speeds should only be changed to produce special effects, not to counter poor light. You have (as you mention) aperture and ND for that as well as great options for increasing the gain setting, which can be done instantly with a handy little switch. The use of increased gain with the superb EX cameras results in hardly visible diminuation of picture quality.
Michael Slowe
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I have very strong views on this subject because as a film editor I had to learn computer editing and the task appeared fearsome as I’d never even switched a computer on! I was advised to go with Media 100 on a Mac as it was originally designed to replicate film editing and it was then (1996), and still is now, the easiest, most intuitive of all the systems. You will find the learning curve for Final Cut far far steeper than with Media 100. I don’t know where you are in the world but try and find a suite with both systems installed and have a look. Adobe may be easier than Final Cut but the ‘media management’ is still not as straightforward as in Media 100.
I too make documentaries and can do all I want with Media 100 and the latest versions also support media from the new Sony EX1 & 3. You may not get any support for my view as Media 100 lost a lot of admirers when the company was bought by a lousy company. Now it’s owned by Boris Effects and it is steaming ahead once again.
Michael Slowe
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Yes Craig, I know they are the same screen but the EX3 has that natty magnifier and nice eye finder mounted over the screen which makes all the difference.
I take your point about the DSR being less pixels but I bet the HDCAM finders are as good.
Yes, obviously shooting at 35 Mbps must be more effective than 25 in the final analysis but all I was saying was that it was not immediately obvious on the big screen. Can I take it that the higher res. means that it is harder to ‘break the code’? It is still using the Long GOP though isn’t it?
Michael Slowe
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Craig and Don, thanks for your interest. You are right of course that the EX1 screen is better than the Z1 (& 7?) but I still find it unsatisfactory in bright sunlight, even when hooded. The EX3 solution seems to be the answer but I don’t want to trade up again. Craig, I realise that any ‘soft’ shots are operater failings but I was used to the proper finder on a DSR 300 for many years which ‘snapped’ into focus so easily. I also have to say that the cinema tests with HQ and SP modes were witnessed by experienced film makers and they remarked on the similarity of the pictures and it was a huge cinema screen.
Michael Slowe
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Oddly enough I have just finished doing a screening of some of my films (on tape for best performance)and I noticed that there was little difference in the picture quality between productions shot on the Z1 and those shot on the EX1. The latter did seem to have better colours and blacks but that could be due to the Picture Profile I have utilised (as suggested by Doug Jensen on the great instructional DVD by Vortex Media). Both have a rather poor screen on which to focus and I had more faulty focus with the EX1 due to the bigger chip and less DOF. I would still choose the EX1 over the Z1 due to the greater versatility and choice of shooting modes.
Michael Slowe
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David, yes I have SDI in on my Media 100 but my version will not take embedded audio that the EX1 puts out in HQ mode. Furthermore I want to be able to select what I acquire into editing otherwise the drives would soon fill up. The new version will take HQ embedded I think.
Michael Slowe
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David, many thanks for your lucid explanation, yes you have answered nearly all my questions. One more though. Why can’t I take the media in with the Sony Transfer tool and then edit in the HD codec that I currently work with. What I do now is convert my SP (HDV) material from my EX1 to full 1920 X 1080 HD through the Convergent Design HD-Connect and carry on from there. What I want to do is shoot in HQ mode, avoid having to convert, import with the Transfer Tool and edit as hitherto.
The only difference being that I’m shooting at 35 Mbps instead of as at present 25 Mbps thereby starting with a higher res picture and, hopefully, therefore, ending with an improvement, albeit still in SD.I’m out of computer contact for a few days but your answer which I will access later would be appreciated together with any other comments from those Media 100 users with the EX cameras. It’s a minefield out there!!
Michael Slowe
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Jason, before we get our knickers in too much of a twist maybe we ought to get some official answers. Can someone from Media 100 please confirm whether or not versions 12.7 and 13 support EX media or not? The facility was announced with great trumpets and I can’t believe that it is not so after all.
Michael Slowe