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First Entry - XDCam EX #2 Arrived Last Week
333331votes
July 09, 2008 12:53 AM  Views:111   Favorited:0 Comments:13
Filed Under:  Cameras, Technology
Tags:  Camera, ED beta, PMW-EX1, Video, XDCam EX
 
This was a decision long in coming. Back in February, we got the first PMW-EX1 and I found myself an unwitting beta tester for Sony. Two trips to Sony service later, all the bugs are pretty much worked out (the battery drainage issue is 95% improved, but not down to zero) and the camera is doing amazing stuff. I call it my "reality capture machine." In 1988, when Sony came out with the first ED beta camcorder, I considered that to be the dream machine, boasting 550 lines of horizontal resolution with dual CCD chips and stereo beta hi-fi sound capture. It also boasted a huge price.
Fast forward two decades, and now that dream is really manifest in the Sony XDCam EX, but many times better, because now there's six times as much picture information, the color is recorded at much higher resolution per-pixel, and the audio is fully digital CD-quality.
Last week, we made the decision to spring for a second XDCam EX. This was the culmination of a newly-realized desire to be free of HDV format, tape capture with its attendant headaches and long ingest times. The EX1 just brings so many overwhelming benefits to the table that it made me almost ill just yearning to be free of HDV. We got one step closer last week.
 
This week, I sold one of my Sony HVR-V1Us for $2,750. I'm thinking about selling the other one before the end of the year as well. Maybe getting a third EX1 at the same time. The one thing I'll be giving up is that very effective 20X zoom lens on the V1U. It is put to good use in the orchestra concerts where we shoot from the balcony. But it is a pain to edit with and takes more CPU resources to edit (I think this is because the NLE has to convert the HDV rectangular pixel to a computer square pixel--whereas the XDCam is already square pixels and hence no conversion overhead for the NLE), and Adobe doesn't handle the dropouts all that well, resulting in audio and video tracks slipping in opposite directions, causing lost A/V synch.
 
I had my first taste of XDCam workflow in a practical shoot I did for the Kent Singers in April, when I used no extra audio recording gear, one camera, 25' of stereo mic cable and one tripod and mic stand. Setup was a breeze, as was packing and putting it back in the truck. When I loaded it into the editor, within minutes I had banged out a rough cut of the whole show. Four hours later, I had a draft DVD video ready, with crude menus. And it looked and sounded like I had brought the DAW and expensive sound capture hardware with me. In fact, the video looked better than anything I had shot before. That did it for me. I had to dump HDV and make the change over to XDCam workflow.
 
That said, I'm now in the process of filling out my XDCam peripherals. I ordered a used SxS 16GB card this week on eBay, but missed a great deal on a SxS 16GB card that went for $200 on eBay on June 26! I did buy a used BP-U60 battery for about 60% off street price though. The SxS card cost me $750, still not all that bad.
 
XDCam #2 arrived last week with two SxS 8GB cards, one in the camera box, another in the outer box. And a form to get the rebate for a third one. That made this $6,449 purchase a pretty good deal.
 
 
 
My current lineup of XDCam and HDV cameras...
 
 
 
Last weekend, I did the ultimate run & gun audio/video capture. The results are my most recent videos here on XR. Find a friend with a monster stereo and crank them up loud and enjoy the impact of high energy rock, jazz and great images.
 
Speaking of XR, the UI here is really shaping up. I guess that's what happens when the site developer actually knows how to code and seems to enjoy adding useful new features. At first, being used to other sites, I found the initial experience took some learning to get used to things like uploading and tagging, but ultimately, I find it works better and more efficiently than anything else I've used on the web. And I don't know how Shiv does it, but my videos get listed on Google within HOURS of upload. For example, the bands I recorded had nearly zilch presense on Google searches before I put these videos up. Now when you search "Sonny Carroll Orchestra" on Google, you get my videos at the top of the search--fabulous!
 
The editor here is very amply-equipped. I'll have to study the features so I can make better use of the capabilities for formatting.
 
More to come....

Comments



Will Mahoney    July 10, 2008 02:08 PM

Great post.

Great post. I like hearing about the technical bits about transferring from HDV to the XDCAM workflow. But now I have a few questions.

So I'm running with the Canon A1. I like the camera and I like the images that I can get out of it.

Now, how does using the flash cards in the Sony give you better video than using the tapes in my Canon A1? I guess what I'm attempting to ask is, what do you mean when you say that you are "yearning to be free of HDV?"

How is the Sony different than HDV? I'm not challenging you, I dig the Sonys and want to be informed of what's going on.

Thanks!

Mark Weiss    July 10, 2008 08:33 PM

Will, thanks for the great feedback on the beginning of my blog and online portfolio. It's interaction like this that makes these online communities dynamic and enjoyable to participate in.

Glad to hear that you are pleased with your A1. I have a Canon HV20 that I use for tight spots, as a locked-off CU camera in orchestra shoots. It's the only camera that fits on my 11" micro tripod, which fits nicely in the nooks of the GBSO's orchestra shell backdrop, so I can get an angle on the conductor that no other camera can attain.

The SxS solid state memory has no effect on the image quality at all, excepting that it does eliminate the odd tape dropout now and then, and is more of a workflow efficiency benefit.

What SxS does is trade off the labor of capture and ingest and shift it to the process of longterm archival/backup. It's great for ENG, where there is little need for longterm retention of actualities. In event video applications, it enables the shooter to get to edit within minutes of the event's closing and to be capable of handling a higher bitrate format, as XDCam HD is.

The quality is aided by the high bitrate capability of SxS media, but it is not the root cause. Quality is obtained through advanded imager technology (Exmor), large, 1/2" chips (a groundbreaking first with small form-factor cameras), superior Fujinon glass, and a whole host of creativity-promoting features like manual controls, variable frame rates, color profiles, etc. One strong point of the EX1 is the cleanness of the images and the awesome light sensitivity. I was shooting that jazz concert with ND2 and 45º shutter, right past sunset. I didn't need to got to ND1 until almost twilight. And by 10PM, I still had illumination to spare with just the dim ambient light from surrounding shops's windows and the occasional distant street light with ND off and 180º shutter.

Now that I've tasted XDCam's great workflow, I'm loathe to work with any HDV footage these days. And HDV capture can eat up and entire work day and ties up the NLE the whole time. If there are errors in the capture, I either have to go through the crap shoot of recapture and hope there's not another someplace else in the footage, or manually fixing the A/V sync by unlocking the video from audio and cutting and slipping until sync is regained after the dropout. Then there's the additional overhead and the reduced ability to place realtime filters on the timeline (color grading, etc) that is probably the result of the NLE having to convert HDV's rectangular pixels to square pixels. And last, the HDV CODEC's rough-looking and somewhat blocky pictures with complexly-detailed scenes.

XDCam brings smoother running NLE operations, more dynamic range, cleaner images, vastly-reduced noise and rapid acquisition to the editor.
And, unlike many of Sony's prosumer cameras, XDCam is the first model they offer, which has proper audio.

The primary difference between the two formats is one is full raster, the other is 2/3 raster and embedded in an interlaced format, so some NLEs will even lose detail in the vertical direction, making it less than 2/3 raster, effectively. HDV packs a lot of pixels into a small data rate. XDcam offers a much more advanced CODEC, running at 40% higher bitrate, for a level of quality that looks almost like uncompressed raw video. In fact, if I'm shooting something surreal, it looks more like something generated with CGI, than a camera.
Most HDV cams record to tape, though there are a few HDD recorders now that will record the stream directly, but they cost nearly as much as the camera, making them less attractive. XDCam records to these cards and is available with a simple drag and drop operation, or preferably, by doing so in the Sony Clip Browser. It compares directly to copying still images off the flash card on a digital still camera. We all know that's very convenient. Sony takes it a step further by making this possible with HD video.

People love to hate Sony for all the various shenanigans they've been caught doing, but the bottom line is that they are masters with video camera technology and they put out stuff that just does a terrific job and looks great.

Last year, my HVR-V1U was a pretty top-notch camera and faired well against the competing models, but small chips and the compression artifacts of HDV were its achille's heel. During the daytime, in the city, I could get some excellent-looking footage. But I would not use it for a wedding in a candle-lit ceremony.

I'm just looking forward to the day when 100% of my cameras are XDCam format. I won't have to worry about losing a whole day rewinding and capturing tapes. 30 minutes copying all the footage from all the cameras and straight to editng. In fact, with a hefty laptop PC, one can edit and render out short segments in minutes and burn those to DVDs for clients in the field. So many possibilities!

I hope that answers your questions.

tom hardwick    July 11, 2008 02:54 AM

Hi Mark

Good to read so much more about your EX1 Mark. Although you answered Will's question I felt it was somewhat buried in the jargon, and his question might best be answered by saying his Canon shoots 1440 x 1080 in HDV, whereas your EX1 shoots 'full HD' 1920 x 1080.

So not only are you recording tapeless with all the advantages you describe, but you're shooting at a higher bit rate onto more pixels using far bigger chips that aren't CCD and using a proper Fujinon lens to boot.

But I well remember the wow factor you were feeling when you first set forth to shoot with your then-new V1, and your pictures from the park were really impressive. But then you tested the audio and your disappointment was well documented.

Did you ever get firmware updates that sorted the V1's audio? Do you know if the latest models off the Sony production line are any better in this department?

tom.

Shiv Kumar    July 11, 2008 03:31 AM

Mark,

Just to help Will (and other readers) understand what you’ve said in simpler terms. Mind you, I’m not trying to sell any one technology/camera/make but simply adding another perspective.

Keeping it Simple


The following is a simplistic point of view in an attempt to “keep it simple”.
Basic Difference between HDV and XDCAM HD
HDV is a technology just like XDCAM and XDCAM HD are. These technologies revolve around two primary things.

  1. The compression – decompression algorithm, also called CODEC

  2. The raster size (1440 or 1920) for the above mentioned technologies



Raster


HDV and XDCAM are 1440 raster while XDCAM HD is 1920 raster (or full raster). It’s called full raster because High Definition (HD) implies an aspect ratio of 16:9. So XDCAM HD has more picture information as compared to HDV and XDCAM. In the case of the Canon XHA1 they actually capture full raster (so the optics and other circuitry are full raster) but “throw away” the extra information at the time of compression (writing to tape) to meet the HDV spec.

Bit rate


HDV has a bit rate of 25Mbps (for 1080i). What that means is while you’re recording, the amount of data written (to tape or other media) is 25 Mega bits per second (that's bits and not bytes - 3.125 MBps = 25Mbps). XDCAM HD requires 30Mbps. A higher data rate really means less compression. Less compression means better quality (in most cases since most CODECS are "lossy").

Recording Time


The HDV spec was initially designed as an upgrade path (to those in the SD world) and is actually quite ingenious in that you are able to use the exact same tapes used in the earlier/older "DV" (SD) technology. Really good quality tapes can be purchased for $7 and you can record 63 minutes worth of footage on one tape. In contrast the SxS cards come in 8GB and 16GB sizes. A single 16GB card costs about $850 and can record 8-9 minutes (of full raster). Now this is not a difference due to the technologies, but rather implementation, in that nothing about either technologies or specifications says anything about having to write to specific media.

Sony PMW-EX1 HD versus Canon XHA1


Now the two cameras we’re talking about and what they have to offer. First keep in mind that the Sony EX1 is a professional camera ($6,500) while the Canon XHA1 is a prosumer Camera ($3,300). So things like the size of CCD (in this case they both have 3 CCDs) and other things put these cameras in different ball parks.

Work flow


Nothing in either technology enables or disables the work flow benefits Mark cites. You could buy the Canon Console ($500) and control your camera, calibrate your camera (vector and waveform monitors) and many other things using your laptop as well as record straight to the Hard drive of your laptop (or external drive or SD cards or whatever). When using the console, each time you start and stop recording a separate file is produced. So every “take” is a separate file (just like on the Sony EX1 when recording to SxS cards) making it really easy to make a quick edit on location for clients. You could use Adobe’s On Location product and do virtually the same things. No tape dropout either. This means you’re carrying a laptop with you but you can bet that anyone recording to SxS cards is doing the same (to transfer from SxS to HDD and free up the SxS cards) or their laptop bag is full of $850 SxS cards:).

HD SDI


The big brother of the Canon XHA1, the Canon XHG1 ($6,000) has HD SDI output. The Canon XHA1’s optics and other things are identical to the XHG1, they differ in the HD SDI output and a few other things (not relevant to this discussion). The Sony EX1 has HD SDI output as well. The HD SDI output really means (in lay mans terms) the picture right out of the optical circuits (before any compression), now at this point, one can argue that all of the above discussion just got trashed because what you’re dealing with here is the picture that the camera captured before any of the HDV/XDCAM technology was applied. Mind you the difference in the size of the CCD still remains. The EX1 1/2" CCD will produce a better picture and a shallower DOF than the XHA1/XHG1 2/3" CCDs provided the optics are the same.

I hope that helps clear up what these technologies are and what Mark was saying.

Mark Weiss    July 11, 2008 05:24 AM

Tom,
Thanks for clarifying the format differences. I wasn't thinking in numbers this morning, but in ratios.. go figure..

Sony has simply stopped communicating about the V1U audio problems.
Yes, the picture was great, compared to SD out of my VX2000, and a bit sharper than my HV20, but HDV still looks pretty ragged and with the noise inherent in those 1/4" chips, it didn't hold up well for indoor shooting.


Shiv,

Some corrections to the information you provided:

XDCam EX is a 35mb/S format. An 8GB SxS card holds 28 minutes of program; a 16GB SxS holds 57 mins.

Very few video cameras have full raster imagers (my Canon HV20 does, but the benefit is lost because of the Bayer filter, so it's effective resolution in color is about 1/2-1/3 that.

The Canon offerings have 1/3" chips, not 2/3" as you mentioned above (I know, probably a typo at this late (early?) hour.

Shiv Kumar    July 11, 2008 06:09 AM

Mark,

I stand corrected on the XDCAM HD bit rate and the recording time on each card. And yes, I meant 1/3" and not 2/3" inch (wishful thinking?:)).

My mentioning the full raster imager (for the Canon XHA1) was in setting the stage for the HD SDI output and to explain that at the end of the day HDV doesn't imply that the camera imaging system per se is lacking but that the HDV spec implies a 1440x1080 image. But yes, any form of manipulation of the image thereafter has a detrimental effect on the final image quality.

What I was trying to impress upon Will was that essentially it's the implementation of technologies or the whole picture that's making the difference and not so much XDCAM HD or any technology per se.

A lot of camera manufactures are waiting to see how consumers feel about SxS cards. Some are waiting for higher capacity and faster SD cards. In time everyone is going to move away from tape and go to solid state media. Consumer level HD cameras already record to on board hard disk and create separate files for each take.

And Will, imagine a Canon XHA1 that is XDCAM HD, recording to SxS cards. They’d have to change the CODEC and remove the tape drive mechanism. That’s it. The rest of the camera (optics, imager etc. can stay the same). Who knows?:)

Mark, I actually started to comment on your post until I read Will’s comment and yours and got side tracked. That’s quite the arsenal you’ve got there. I’m not sure if I envy you or just glad I don’t do this for a living ?.
Thank you also for the compliments on the Search engine thing. The XR system has been designed from the ground up to play nice with search engines. Virtually everything a member does on XR, somehow gets translated and pushed out to search engines the very next instant. When you “published” this blog, it was pushed out to over 80 search engines and blog directories. The same goes for every asset you upload, which is why we seem to be finicky or ask for detailed information on your assets. I’ve noticed that you describe your assets very well. Not only is this great for the viewer, but search engines come scrambling for assets that are well described.

As an example, if you search for Sony PMW EX1 HD you’ll find one of your news group posts listed on the 3rd or 4th page. That’s phenomenal considering that that keyword returns hundreds of results and we’ve been around for just 6 months. A small component of our “Providing Exposure….” tag line.

I wrote this blog post a while back that goes into some more detail if you’re interested.

Mark Weiss    July 12, 2008 12:49 AM

Actually, I have to point out that the Canon XHA1 is NOT a full-raster imager, even if the SDI out is interpolated up to 1920. The spec for the imagers are:

Image Sensor: 3 - 1/3" Native 16:9 CCDs (1440 x 1080)
Total Pixels: Approx. 1.67 Megapixels


That's not bad, since the primary use is HDV format, but it's not 2.2MP, as a 'full raster' imager would be.

Yes, the implementation of technology is what gives it its practical value in a given application. Tape is fine if the application does not require rapid acquisition to editing, but longterm arhival. Solid state has its benefits in ENG work, where getting it on the air quickly is paramount. One has to make an effort to archive on the back end. I now do this for important footage, using the XDCam Browser software to split apart the files into 8GB chunks, which I burn to DL DVD media and then label and store in multi-disc jewel cases for easy backup/retrieval.

As for the arsenal, my goal is to replace each of the HDV cams with XDCam units by end of year. Four EX1's is a good number because it covers what I call the 'golden triangle', plus offers an extra angle for closups on special performances. It's quite a nut to pay, but I figure if one is going to play in this arena, then the tools have to be top-notch and I have to be happy with my product before I can confidently sell my services to a client.

Whatever XR does with search engines, it sure works well. That thread you alluded to comes up just a dozen items down the first page on Google today. Amazing indeed. I do try to catalog my assets properly, as I figure it improves the chance of someone actually finding my clips, and hence the chance I get discovered for the late-blooming genius that I am. ;-)

Your blog post referenced above was an interesting read and good common sense when dealing with search engines in general. A lot of people may not know about the duplication no-no, for instance.

I'll have to make a lot more entries here, now that I know how well it picks up with search engines.

Shiv Kumar    July 13, 2008 12:47 AM

Mark,

Yes, I stand corrected once again :). I don't remember all the details but I should probably look them up before posting :).

Just posted a new tutorial that was shot using the HV30.

You're correct about the tools having to be top notch. Of course that a relative term :). But I can see from a work flow point of view anything the takes out the grunt work is time saved and money made. I can totally related to the "being happy with my product before I can sell my services...". That is so much like me!

I figure it improves the chance of someone actually finding my clips, and hence the chance I get discovered


That is the right way to do it! I just wish more members did this (for their own sake). I know Will takes the time and trouble to provide background info and such.

By the way, I'd like to talk about archival and cataloging. I think we could provide a cataloging solution using bar codes and such. I don’t shoot for a living, but I'm having issues already so I can't imagine what everyone else does with their stuff. Maybe we should start a newsgroup discussion on this topic.

Mark Weiss    July 13, 2008 02:55 AM

Shiv, what do you think of the HV30? I know it adds 30P to the lineup of formats, but are there any other improvements over the HV20?

Video is an art form, and I do it because it gives me pleasure. Part of the secret to a long life is being thoroughly engaged in the enjoyment of your work. Therefore, it must make ME happy, before I can consider it good enough to make others happy.

Re: cataloging, archiving XDCam footage does raise some new challenges, unlike tape, which is already in a reasonably archiveable package. But barcodes? Once the videos are burned to DVD ROMs, if the volume of discs is huge, I suppose some king of barcode system could have its uses, but form a personal point of view, I can't imagine an application for it in my present workflow. I'd be interested in a new thread on the topic and hearing your ideas for barcode use.

Ray Paunovich    July 15, 2008 10:55 PM

Mark,
this may be a bit premature but on the new EX3 will the quality of a Nikon lens mounted with an adapter directly to the camera be really great quality or must you stick with only 1/2 inch lenses for the best quality. As you can see from my vids I'm only shooting wildlife and natural history and have been using the HVR V1U and really looking forward to the EX3!!
Ray.

Mark Weiss    July 15, 2008 11:59 PM

Ray, it would be presumpuous of me to try and answer that question, as I have never worked with an EX3, nor do I own any Nikon lenses.

That said, I have heard anecdotal discussion to the effect that the EX3 should work well with 2/3" lenses. I can't attest to the veracity of that statement.

I can state that the V1U has a potent zoom lens, and you will miss that on the EX1. You will need to research available telephoto extender lens options. With the EX3, you may have more options in the future, but it is too early to expect third-party lenses to be on the market any time soon.

Ray Paunovich    July 19, 2008 11:49 AM

Mark,
Thanks for your comments and yes I have researched this a little, I've talked with Nigel Cooper in UK as he has played with the Camera for DVuser.com and he says using Nikon glass on the EX3 should be as good if not better than the zoom it comes with, Mike Tapa of MTFservices (also UK) is or will be making a Nikon to EX3 adaptor, looking forward to that...
Yes I will miss the 20X lens from the V1U and I also have a Century 2X EXTENDER I use a lot. But the Nikons will give me 7 times the magnification on the 1/2 inch chip. Hopefully it should be wonderful....

Thanks again.

Ray

Mark Weiss    July 21, 2008 10:53 AM

How does that 2X extender work with the EX1? I'm particularly interested in knowing how it handles chromatic aberrations, particularly near the edges of the frame. Some reports around about a lot of these add on lenses producing horrible CAs with the EX1.

I find more often than not, that I run out of tele on the EX1. For instance, shooting concerts from 50-60' away, I want to be able to get extreme closeups of musician's hands playing their instrument, one at a time, which I could almost do with the V1U, but it's a little more of a medium shot with the EX1.

I figure that with a properly-designed adapter, the EX3 should work well with a variety of lenses.

But for me, I think I just need a good 2X tele extender that doesn't distort the image visibly.



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