[Sverker Hahn]

So I cannot be certain to avoid focus drift, even with EX1? At least I hope it won´t destroy any clips like it did with the flowers. I will take reasonable precautions when I take clips with shallow depth of field – shading the camcorder, check focus now and then. The EX1s LCD screen is so good that focusing is quite easy, and the expanded focus works even during recording.

Thanks for the input, Craig.

Sverker Hahn, Stockholm

Slower is better!

EX1
Canon XH A1
iMac Intel
Final Cut Studio

[Sverker Hahn]

Thanks, Craig.

Yes, I like working in manual mode. These days I tend to take looong scenes without panning, without focus changes and were there is very little movement. Quite extreme, yes. But for this I think that the EX1 is the perfect camera, at least the best for under $10K.

As for the shutter, I get the thing with Shutter OFF.

And I will work with Full Manual Focus. The reason I asked was:

– beautiful flowers in full sunlight. I wanted 60 minutes of the same scene (miniDV). Activated manual focus on the Canon XH-A1 in order to get the flower to the left in the picture in focus. It was a closeup, 1 m and tele. Composition was perfect, and I left the camera for 60 minutes.

– only 7 minutes was ok, and the rest was useless, since focus shifted to another flower.

In the Canon manual it is mentioned that one cannot count on manual focus staying, since heat building up in the camera may change focus.

So, I like the EX1 Full Manual Focus feature which gives a more reliable impression than manual servo focus.

But still, is it possible that internal heat or sunshine on a black camera may cause focus drift?

With the camera released during winter on the northern hemisphere, perhaps it is people in the southern hemisphere that have experiences of this?

Sverker Hahn, Stockholm

Slower is better!

EX1
Canon XH A1
iMac Intel
Final Cut Studio

[Sverker Hahn]

You don´t have to do anything special regarding interlace artifacts when making SD-DVD from HDV.

I have been really disappointe because of poor quality of final DVDs until I figured out this workflow in Final Cut Studio 1:

1. Apply the “Sharpen” filter and set the value to “30”.
2. Export using Compressor with preset “DVD 16:9 90 minutes Best Quality” or something like that. Also select Dolby for sound.
3. Import to DVD Studio Pro.

Interlace artifacts will be gone, quality will be OK in my eyes.

It was the extremely high setting of the “Sharpen” filter that made a difference for me. In HDV it looks strange, but not in DVD.

Sverker Hahn, Stockholm

Slower is better!

EX1
Canon XH A1
iMac Intel
Final Cut Studio

[Sverker Hahn]

I suppose your camera is the EX1.

On top of the camerabody, under the handle, there are small buttons. Press “Display Batt Info” to toggle the display info on and off.

Sverker Hahn, Stockholm

Slower is better!

EX1
Canon XH A1
iMac Intel
Final Cut Studio

[Sverker Hahn]

Thanks John.

Too bad that this option of higher quality – even if it is expensive and heavy – does not exist. Could it be changed in a coming firmware?

Hopefully I get this nice camera next week …

/Sverker

[Sverker Hahn]

This thread has been quiet for some time. I wonder if some definite answers have come up regarding the HDSDI capabilities of the EX1.

Sorry for asking a newbie´s questions in these forums, but I also want to check if I am correct in my assumptions:

1. HDSDI output is (should be) better (uncompressed, 10 bit) than capturing to SxS-card.
2. I need a capturing device, like the AJA Io HD.
3. This capturing device must be connected to a computer, like MacBook Pro for storage to a harddisk.
4. The AJA Io HD gives the possibility to save the HDSDI output to ProRes 422 codec.
5. ProRes 422 is a very good codec.

The AJA Io HD is portable, yes, but obviosly it needa 100-240V power. Thinking of bringing camera, tripod, a laptop, the Io, a car battery with a voltage converter in the type of filming I do – nature, wildlife – well, I probably need an assistant with a lot of muscles 🙂

But if the quality in the end is much better, it will be doable.

How much better?

Thanks in advance

/Sverker

[Sverker Hahn]

Dean: “Maybe the next question is: at what temperature does the cameraman stop working? :-)”

If Sony´s own specification are irrelevant, then we have to rely on the users at this forum, don´t we?

Since Hawaii has a warm climate, and Finland a cold winter, I think that you guys are in for it.

Also waiting for canadians to check the camera in the cold.

Myself? – haven´t got the camera yet …

Storage temperature is -20°C to 60°C. Could this indicate that the camera works down to 20°C?

(OT: Red One was recently successfully tested in -20°C)

/Sverker

[Sverker Hahn]

Thanks for the info, Petteri.

So it is perhaps not so bad, after all.

Who has experieces of even colder situations?

/Sverker

[Sverker Hahn]

Very nice shots, indeed.

About the technique: do I get it right when I say that

– the 35 mm lens creates a picture on some type of glass screen?
– that picture is filmed by the camcorder, with the zoom lens adjusted to certain zoom- and focus values?

If so, is there any noticably loss in resolution?

/Sverker

[Sverker Hahn]

Thanks for the info!

/Sverker