William Urschel
Forum Replies Created
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Good grief! Static adhesion – I had NO idea. I’ll be running mine frequently now. Thank you sooooooo much!
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Thank you Noah for you informative and quick response!
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Mike:
Well, I’m very limited in actual experience re your question, in some respects, and normally I deplore those giving opinions without related experience -but I have SOME experience. First, a disclaimer – I have an EX-1, NOT an EX-1R, but about the EX-1, I just love EVERY aspect of it, EXCEPT the blasted thing is sooo awkward handheld (same can evidently be said about the EX-1R) – I get around this, when not on sticks, by using the inexpensive, and very effective Steady Stick (you can Google it). I would certainly second all the comments above about NOT using auto white balance (only exception of mine is when panning from daylight to incadescent, etc.). I have NO experience in feeding the AVI directly to my PC. But I have quite a bit of experience with the Nano and am over the top enthusiastic about it – you’ll pay for it straight up using its Flash cards, instead of the relatively expensive SxS for the EX-1R (though you may want to purchase the SxSs anyhow, just to insure a second, lesser quality backup). I won’t say any more about the Nano, except to refer you to a post, a couple, three below “Nano!!!” by Michael Palmer, and if you have not already read it, please do, including my lengthy comments based on ooodles of experience with the Nano, and real world experience about the results when viewed on consumer test screen viewing! Again, I can’t comment on plugging the output directly to a PC or Mac, but if you go with a combo of the EX-1R and Nano, you’ll be joining hundreds who are so positively taken with each device, and who usually can’t say enough good about the combo – but I’ll bet you’ve already seen some of these, which led to your consideration of the combo in the first place!
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Michael:
YES! What an absolutely wonderful device and worth its weight in gold, platinum, etc.. I’m running (and have been running mine at
100 Mbps, long GOP, and find the images from my EX1 stunning, even moreso than the conventional 35 Mbps. Many here and elsewhere apparently tout the Nano’s usefulness as most evident in post manipulations, green screen apps, etc., but I find it just awesomly
useful for all my work, because of: 1) improved reduction of artifacts/noise in “normal” shots, reduction even beyond the great output of the EX1 at 35 Mbps, 2) particularly notable improvement of boarderline shots in the dark, with or without gain boosts, and 3) most definite improvement of smearing reduction during quick pan shots. I know that there are many that would dispute some or all of what I have just said. But doggone it, this is what I see when viewed on one of my three test set-ups for reviewing final production on a 1080 30p 109 inch screen, as well as a secondary 42 inch 1080 30p LCD monitor – a third test screen does not show any discernable difference.Additionally, we all know about the superb Customer Service of Convergent Designs’ staff – they go beyond the pale in their responsiveness and their apparent technical acumen. Nuff said!
With interest, I have been reading posts of users of some of the other new, somewhat comparable, and certainly less expensive devices on the market. So far I’m not interested in any of them, though they may have some great features and performance. I have in hand, with the Nano a device with which I am pleased as punch. Short of the EX-1, its the best device that has “happened” to me in the last several years. The reliability of its operation and the service provided speak for themselves.
In closing, and in view of my “glowing” comments, I guess I should say that I am in no way affiliated with the folks in Colorado Springs. Michael, thanks for bringing up the topic.
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OK, I have a LOT of experience with the EX-1, pre and post use of the nanoFlash (I cannot and will not comment on the two new less pricy technologies out there, as it would be just more blather, uninformed opinion, without experience!). I would say I’m sorry for that last comment, but I’m not!
In any event, I am an absolute fan of the nanoFlash on the EX-1 (running DVI out at 1080×1920 30p, 100Mbps Long GOP, edited on Adobe Premiere CS5, and set up and burned to disc with AME and Encore CS5). This is not theory, this is experience.
BUT, I must tell you about my output and customer base before I site the two MAJOR improvements I’ve seen with the nanoFlash, as they may not apply to you at all. First, I am producing ONLY BDs and DVDs, with the DVD content downrezzed in AME from the hi-def, edited content. I hope to start using Cineform’s NEO HD4 soon (I’ve had Cineform for years) as soon as I can test out its now apparently available coding with Premiere CS5 – it just wasn’t possible, to the best of my knowledge, with CS4, the way I want’d to use it. But back on topic – I am NOT producing for broadcast or web, nor have I been conducting any greenscreen projects lately – I just produce BDs
and DVDs.Given that, here’s why I am an over the top, enthusiastic supporter of nanoFlash:
1)The unit I have is absolutely reliable and easy to set up.
2)The customer service, when I have questions about off beat set up, id awesomely quick, informative, and dependable!
3)The results using the nano in combo with the EX1 are VERY
notably better to ME (and even to some of my customers!) when it comes to shooting in VERY dark, but contrasty venues – the evident noise in the final product I consider to be as good as it can get!
4) Where my results REALLY shine, using the nano with the EX-1 is with the DVDs I produce. Prior to use of the nano on the EX-1, my DVD content (720×480 30p)was unacceptable to me on a number of my LCD “TV” test platforms, and to MOST of my customers – not so with the nano in use, following the aforementioned set up. Specifically, before the nano, my DVDs received complaints from my customers because of notable interline twitter (unless unacceptable degrees of softening was instituted) with ANY fine horizontal line or horizontal sharp edges in the scenes shot), and all kinds of artifacts. The DVD results with the nano do not exhibit this to any objectionable degree. I know there are other (what are to me complex and convoluted) ways of downrezzing from hi def to 720×480 for DVD production which have produced for many very successful results – I just never got that to work.What I’ve had to say about the EX-1 nanoFlash combo may not be applicable to your market, but that’s my experience.
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Yes! BD = Blu Ray. All I produce are BDs and DVDs, Event Videography, so no Networks, Internet, I-Pads, etc.. And the nano
Flash, mentioned above, works spendidly at 4:2:2 100 Mbps, Long GOP -I still simultaneously record SxS cards for backup just in case, but have never had to use them, as my nano works flawlessly. It also qualifies the EX1 (and similar) for BBC, Discovery and otherwise. And otherwise, with the resolution loss over the Internet, cable, etc., my customers are just not interested in anything but BDs (and for those still living in the last century), DVDs, unless they’re watching sports. -
If you’re recording in 1080 and intend only to produce BD, by all means go with what you have! BUT if you intend to downres for production of DVD as well as BD or HiDef TV, by all means go with the 4:2:2 output at 100 Mbps, as your DVDs will look very substantially better, not just to the “naked eye”, but even to those with very poor vision! When and as someone here disputes that, then I may have more to say.
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Excuse me, but the “ElCheapo” mentioned above was one of many I purchased which subsequently went into the trash bin. As one of the reviewers mentioned, it presents the camera at an inordinately high
level. But my major concern was that given the nature of the plastic construction and “hardware”, I might find my camera falling to the floor at any moment. -
Please see following link: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/210200-REG/Davis_Sanford_SS3C.html#ReviewHeader
And my review of the elcheapo Davis and Sanford Steadystick – my review is under Bill from Austin, and the longest review there – I gave it five stars, despite quality issues – and it is still at the top of my list for best hand held support of EX1, and since then I’ve tried two others (I now have a bunch lying there!), and Steady
Stick is still best for me. I have the whole thing mounted on a quick release under Olof’s baseplate on the EX1. As you can tell,
I love it! -
Rafael:
Yes, yes, 4:2:2 Rocks! Instead of the insanely high data rate with SDI out totally uncompressed, please consider using something that compresses in 4:2:2 at around 100Mbps, which you won’t, for the most part, be able to tell from straight out totally uncompressed. Try the nanoFlash by Convergent Designs – set to 100 Mbps long GOP – I just wouldn’t be without it, not only for green screen, but for its superior production without misquito noise and particularly other artifacts in high motion shots! See Convergent designs site https://www.convergent-design.com/ for a list of editors which will handle their files. By the way, I am not in any way affiliated with CD, I’m just an overboard admirer of the EX1 and the nanoFlash!