The Sony PMW-EX1 XDCAM EX camcorder represents an important milestone in the evolution of digital video camera design. This is the first all-in-one camcorder to provide videographers with the productivity of solid-state memory card recording, the quality of three true high-definition 1/2-inch CMOS sensors, all in a compact all-in-one form- factor.
In this demo and presentation at the Boston Final Cut Pro Users Group meeting on Thursday, July 24, 2008, I discussed the features and benefits of the camera and demonstrated the simplicity of XDCAM EX workflow with Final Cut Studio 2. I wrote about my first impressions in a earlier post.
Dowload PDF of Presentation Slides(from SlideShare)
View Presentation Slides Online (at SlideShare)
The PMW EX-1 I own one of these camera’s and have had many problems with it. Auto focus not working zoom handle not working expand focus not working< This is the second time back to the factory for the same repair. Not good guy’s.
Charles, I’m sorry you’ve had bad experiences with you EX1. As with any new cutting-edge piece of video production gear, it’s not unusual to have some problems with early production runs. Make sure your camera has been upgraded to the latest version of the firmware. Which vendor did you purchase the camera from? What are they doing to help you?
When you spend your hard earned dollars on a piece of equipment, you expect it to work as designed and advertised. You should not have to load firmware and essentially “finish building” the camera for such basic things as auto focus and zoom. This whole paradigm implies that the manufacturer is simply shipping the camera to the end user before its design is finished and the camera verified and inspected. We are not here to debug firmware or wring out hardware for the manufacturer, and we certainly don’t work for the manufacturer. We have other jobs to do. What really should happen here (but probably won’t) is that Mr. Schultz’s camera should be replaced with a new, fully working, one (verified and inspected) along with an apology from the vendor for the time and trouble he had to endure. Sure, subtle bugs (hardware or software) can crop up in any design. But, auto-focus and zoom? Twice back to the factory? And, people just accept this because “early production run” is a really a sanitized replacement word for “not finished”? In that case, we should all wait a year on any new product from now on until the manufacturer actually finishes the product and it performs as claimed with no excuses. Charles, thanks for the heads-up on this camera. Sorry you became a victim of some company’s “rush to market”.
Get a Hood-Pro hood and Sock-Loupe for that EX1 and you will never want for an EX3. See Phil Bloom’s and Adam Wilt’s reviews at http://www.hood-pro.com