FilmDailies.com - A filmmaker’s blog

Adam Wilt at DV Magazine, is taking a first look at Sony V1.

In a typical SAT fashion: with V1 Sony has upgraded the Z1 “prosumer” camcorder the same way it upgraded the revolutionary Sony FX1 to Sony FX7. If you’re already familiar with the FX7 or you’ve already read the comparison between FX1 and FX7, you’ll find relatively few bits of new info.


At the same time, Sony V1 is significant because it confirms Sony’s dedication to putting CMOS sensors on its prosumer line of camcorders instead of CCDs. This is an important change of direction as it affects light sensitivity, vertical resolution, and more importantly the “full 1080 HD” of FX7 and V1.

Let’s go quickly through Adam’s points:

• Design and form factor: Sony V1 is smaller than the other HDV camcorders and its form factor is close to Sony’s smaller DV models like the PD150/170. It’s also lighter than all previous prosumer models. The top handle has been moved a bit to the front which balances the camera perfectly. The LCD is on the side and has changed very little in practical terms.
• Controls: Here Adam seems to be enthralled by the new Sony: “This tight grouping of shooting controls puts them readily within reach of your focusing hand… In my opinion, this is the best Handycam control layout Sony has done.
• Audio: There’s little difference from Z1 and PD150 when it comes to audio. The camera features two professional XLRs.
• Video: The 1/4″ CMOS sensor is less sensitive to light but offers increased resolution (full 1080 HD). It also offers true 24 frame progressive mode - highly sought after by wannabe filmmakers who strive to shoot filmlike video.

Again, it’s a “sideways upgrade” because you lose some, you gain some. Here’s Adam’s conclusion:

Sony squeezed out some features in the quest to put HDV into a PD170-sized package: analog-in recording, 50 Hz/60 Hz switchability, low-light capability, and standard video connectors on the camera body. But the result is a compact, lightweight Handycam that shoots sharp, clean HDV while offering the best laid-out controls found on a small Sony, and true progressive capture to boot. Rolling shutter will be an issue for some, but overall, the V1 looks like a worthy addition to the choices available to HDV shooters.

I’m considering switching from my web cam to this baby. Here’s a short guide on how to select a web cam.

When I compared Sony FX7 to Sony FX1, I didn’t know what to make of the new CMOS sensor.


In the past, CMOS sensors were only used in single-CMOS, low-end camcorders like the Sony Hc1 or HC3. As far as I know, there were practically NO advantages to using CMOS over CCD.

Things might have changed with the new generation of CMOS sensors from Sony. Just take a look at the graphic below.

Apart from the 45 degree angle of the pixel layout, Sony claims the new ClearVid CMOS chips have a new processor which interpolates the 960×1080 pixels of each CMOS to achieve “full 1080p” (i.e. 1920×1080p).

Normally, interpolation is looked upon because it implies smearing and artefacts (just check out your digital zoom). Sony, however, claims that the new CMOS setup actually results in more detail and less smear and has this pic to prove it.

As you can see, there’s a lot more detail in the brick wall. There’s also improvements in the way the new CMOS sensor reduces smear/flair and improves the dynamic range (see below).

I eagerly expect another camera shootout that will validate (or not) Sony’s claims as this could mean a radical shift from CCDs to CMOS sensors for high-end cameras as well (e.g. Sony V1U).

Thanks to Mike Curtis, we get another endorsement for the amazing RED camera, slated for release in April.

If you can’t read the image, it says:

The RED Mysterium sensor has finally pushed digital acquisition past the timeless 35mm film barrier in resolution and clean color fidelity.

The endorsement is by David Stump who is not only a member of the ASC but is the chair of the Digital Camera subcommittee for the ASC.

The RED camera has been in development since 1999. Its claim to fame is the record-breaking resolution: roughly 11.4 Mega pixels. That’s 4520 by 2540 pixel resolution which is about five times the resolution of a $100,000 Sony F950 camera, by far the leader in the field.

Another major advantage is the size of the sensor. It’s 24.4 x 13.7 mm which is equivalent to a Super 35mm film frame. This means you get simmilar (if not identical) depth of field and you can probably use a lot of the 35mm lenses as well.

The camera was presented at NAB2006 and stole the show - got a Best of Show vote. I still haven’t found anyone who’s actually done some shooting with it. Once I do, I’ll post it here. Overall, all great news for indie producers.

Update: RED camera will likely be released in April 2007. Units will be available for testing starting December though.

Recently, I spent a night (well, not the WHOLE night) at a bar that was showing extreme sports videos to the tune of your normal bar music. Although this was at a ski resort, most of the guys weren’t into extreme sports, yet they kept looking at the displays. The displays were big but definitely not HD which made me think: “Imagine how much attention a REAL high definition extreme sports video will attract!”

With this in mind, lets think about the gear you need to capture extreme sports in HD. We all know a few crazy heads so hopefully finding “characters” won’t be much of a challenge. Keeping them alive is another matter though.

Once you’ve decided on a sport - be it extreme skateboarding / snowboarding or wakeboarding, it’s gear time. Every sport is different and some have even “rules” about camera angles so your HD camera will need to meet those. For example, most extreme skateboarding videos feature fish-eye shots, i.e. very wide angle shots that have pronounced barrel distortion.


Taking extreme skateboarding as an example, here’s what your shopping list of features might look like:

• Fish-eye: either through an interchangeable lens or through an adapter
• Small enough to carry in a backpack
• Sturdy construction to withstand at least a few falls
• Neutral density filters
• A tripod or some sort of a harness
• Long battery life
• Etc

Now, some of these will be more important than others but the point is you need to start with a (mental) image of the finished product. For example, getting the extreme wide-angle look could mean getting a camera with interchangeable lenses like the Canon XL H1. Or, you can get a fixed-lens camera (HVX200) and use a lens adaptor. One problem with adaptors is that they’re optimized for specific models, so if you’d like to use a specific adaptor, you’ll need to get (buy or rent) a specific camera.

You get the point - it doesn’t matter if you shoot white-water rafting or weddings - you need to consider your shots beforehand. I’m not saying you should start storyboarding every frame. Rather, come up with your ten “staple” shots/compositions and plan for those. There will always be extraordinary situations that you cannot plan ahead - after all you’re doing guerilla filmmaking.

Now, we all know HVX200 deserves an award. An award for making dreams come true for a lot of guys in video production and indie filmmaking.

There’s nothing wrong with getting a few “official” awards as well. On July 10, Panasonic got Bronze IDEA awarded to the AG-HVX200 for excellence in design”. Here’s the press release:

SECAUCUS, NJ (July 10, 2006) – Panasonic Broadcast announced that its high definition, solid state memory AG-HVX200 hand-held camcorder has received a bronze in the 2006 Industrial Design Excellence Award (IDEA) competition for the best designed product in business and industry.

Dislaimer: About IDEA
Celebrating its 26th year, the IDEAs are dedicated to fostering business and public understanding of the importance of industrial design excellence to the quality of life and the economy. The IDEAs are co-sponsored by BusinessWeek and the IDSA, a nonprofit association that represents the profession of industrial design to education, business, government and the public and serves the profession’s needs for information and networking.