Sony's XDCAM Cinealta

Has anybody had a chance to work with this camera or know anything about it? For a starting price of $17,000 and all the claims Sony makes about its perormance, it seems almost too good to be true.

I really want to jump into the HD market, but at the bottom end, the options just seem to uncertain at the moment.

I saw it today at HD Expo. They had a disk in the camera playing clips that were captured at different frame rates and they all held up pretty well. Keep in mind that it is basically a 1/2" chip HDV Camera (Flame on suit on), as it captures the images to optical disk using the MPEG-2 long GOP encoding, in a 4:2:0 color space. So if you plan on doing any amount of compositing with the footage then it's probably not the best choice.

It's and HDV CAMERA?

Are the disks re-useable or they a one time recording deal?

Sony claims that the footage mixes well with 35mm, that's what really caught my attention.

>It's and HDV CAMERA?

A Rep told me today that an HDV camera is one that captures HD images to mini DV tape so I guess technically speaking the XDCam is not, but it uses the same compression as HDV.

>Are the disks re-useable or they a one time recording deal?

They are re-usable. However they aren't like a P2 cards or hard drives where you can select files to erase, you can erase the last take, then the one before, then the one before that etc. but you can't go back and erase say, take 1 out of 9. You need to erase the entire disk

Also, the highest data rate possible with this camera is 35MB per second. Of course, the HVX-200 records at a 100 MB per second rate.

I think this line may not be Sony's finest strategy.

Dan

If you want to jump into HD. Go with the Panasonic HVX200 and 2 P2 cards for around $10k.

DV100 codec is way better than long gop mpeg2, IMHO.

-CHL

but God, that HVX200 is just about the UGLIEST little camera ive ever seen.

But Wayne, just shoot with one for a week, it will become your new little buddy. Kind of like a bulldog, not the prettiest dog but great disposition ;-)

Seriously, we have three of them and they are the best thing since sliced bread. The picture and sound are amazing and they are VERY easy to get a good looking image from UNLIKE the stupid Sony Z1s I have been forced to use the past six months.

The HVX-200 is a dream come true!

Dan

yeah, i know... i was just kidding.

but my trusty old XL2 IS such a sexy thing to carry around

But, WHAT is Sony thinking? If the Panasonic DVCPROHD is the best camera(s) available today, except maybe studio cameras, what have we got to look forward to?
Since all tape based cameras and apparently now, disc based as well are HIGHLY compressed, now DV is the best format from a small to medium sized camera?

im anxiously awaiting graemes much rumored "red camera"

I'm anxious for Red too, but I'll bet my $5.00 it costs well above $30K.

And I know what you mean. My XL2 with it's Arri LMB5 is too sexy for it's bag. But let's face it... you know.... it's MiniDV....

It's kind of ironic. I have a Arriflex 35mm motion picture camera, still the highest quality medium you can shoot.... but I can't afford to. There's HD video, free to shoot compared to buying, processing, printing, tele-cine, film. But the top of the line cameras cost as much as a new house.

I can't afford one of them either.

End the craziness!!

It's kind of ironic that since the invention of DV, which is only about 10 years ago, technology has all of a sudden allowed the average Joe to become a movie maker. Now I'm not saying that this is a bad thing, in fact I think to a certain degree it's the opposite. However with the manufacturers all trying to provide the highest possible quality image at an affordable price for the average Joe then it's inevitable that corners will have to be cut somewhere. Personally I think all the major manufacturers have done an incredible job so far with their entry level HD products. I mean even HDV is capable of some stunning images.
The fact is we live in an exciting age of technological development and equipment capable of producing images that was once only available to studios or individuals with extremely deep pockets, is now affordable for the average Joe. As exciting as all this new technology is, I think Bob Fisher summed it up pretty well yesterday at the ASC conference, when he read from a cartoon of a guy purchasing equipment at a video camera store. It went something along the lines of :-)
"I would just like to buy a piece of equipment that wont be obselete before the box it comes in".

It's not my camera (RED) but Jim's - I'm just helping out (a lot). It's not a rumour, it's really in development.

As for XDCAM HD - there are a few gotchas - it's MPEG2 long GOP variable bit rate 35Mb/s, so 10Mb/s more than HDV. It's 1080i 4:2:0 1440x1080. It has progressive modes that look fairly real, but overcranking beyond 25p in PAL modes and 30p in NTSC modes produces, wait for this, half resolution!! No ramping of speed is possible - pick a frame rate for that shot only.

The stock lenses don't look too amazing, and it's half inch, so better than 1/3" but not the same as 2/3" from the HDCAM. The CCDs are 1440x1080, not the 1920x1080 of the HDCAM.

It's what HDV should have been, but wasn't.

Graeme



[www.nattress.com] - Plugins for FCP-X

I'm really liking the Infinity from Grass Valley

[www.grassvalley.com]

Not cheap and more of a rental than something you buy but it is quite versatile for the money. The more I read about it the more I like it.

Grass Valley will be at our SuperMeet at NAB showing this off with their Rev Pro storage solution