Posted by doc on 12/23/92 11:26

thanks for the input. your description reveals that there's enough
improvement over a mini dv cam that it's worth spending the money.

regarding the panning issue, from what ive read that's an issue with all
digital cams cause the codec is challenged to "find" a color solution for a
pixel that is changing even as the capture is taking place, while with film
it's just a capture "whatever" you get issue. however, as indicated in the
thread attached to yours, Joe Sixpack will never notice in my minimal pan
commercials :o) i don't do NASCAR :o)

thanks,

doc

"Antony Lacey" <allatsea@plug.drivers.org.uk> wrote in message
news:1h2n6lm.9xoewm5a7f7mN%allatsea@plug.drivers.org.uk...
> doc <doc@drdimento.net> wrote:
>
>> anyone out there have any experience with the Sony FX1 or Z1U?
>
> I have the FX1(E) - Uk based, so using PAL.
>
>> i am thinking of buying one or two of them and need to know what kind of
>> picture quality they/either produces AND how well they interface with
>> firewire inputs AND their HDV quality.
>
> The picture quality is excellent, even down converted HDV -> DV is
> better than the DV from any other camera I have.
>
> I should point out I'm no professional, more a prosumer, hence the
> reason I bought the FX1 rather than the Z1. For me this camera is just
> right, I don't need SLR inputs, or some of the other features the Z1
> has. Price was the main issue when I bought, and I was about to buy a
> GL1 (second hand) when I went to a show where the FX1 was available for
> a lower price. The camera had been used for demonstration only at the
> show, but a couple of hundred pounds lower than it should have been.
>
> If I'd had the money I probably would have gone for the Z1 though. THe
> extra features make it the better of the two.
>
> Firewire is fine here (on a G5 Mac and a Powerbook) - the only problem I
> had was a software related one, soon fixed. After that it takes HDV or
> down converted DV seamlessly.
>
> And the HDV is great. I tend to film and edit (FCP Pro 5 here) in HDV
> mainly, then change to standard DV for output. For the odd project that
> uses footage from standard DV cameras I still film in HDV, then down
> convert to DV for editing.
>
> I'm quite happy with this, and it gets used quite a bit. It's sturdy,
> reasonably light-weight, and I find it very easy to use. I used it
> mainly on auto to begin with, which was fine, but am now using it almost
> completely manually.
>
> I can' think of any problems with it as such. Most professional
> cameramen I have spoken to have said it's useless at fast panning, but I
> don't need (or plan to) do fast panning. Whether they've tried it or
> read this I don't know, but it's the one thing they all seem to say - I
> suppose I should try it to see for myself one day.
>
> I'm beginning to ramble, so I'll stop there. But for me, the FX1 is just
> the ticket.
>
> --
> Antony
> Pull the plug to reply.

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