Sony NEX-VG10 (APS-C sensor, interchangeable lens)

Sony NEX-VG20, NEX-FS100 NXCAM 35mm (2011). NEX-VG10 (2010).
Panasonic AG-AF100/101 (2010).
steve
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Re: Sony NEX-VG10 (APS-C sensor, interchangeable lens)

Post by steve »

Chevypower wrote:@Stephan, good write-up! Lack of true 1080/24,25,30,50,60p outputs, XLR inputs and having compressed lossy audio are big disappointments. We can only hope for a step-up model that takes care of these issues! I think everything but the compressed lossy audio will be addressed in another model. Can AVCHD not have PCM audio? Actually, you can get PCM audio on Blu-ray with AVC encoding, so it shouldn't be too much of an issue? Come on Sony Pro, take this camera and give us what we really want. You have our attention now. Also, we need some f/2.8 zoom lenses! My understanding is Sony Pro may release a prosumer camera with a 36x24 sensor before NAB 2011. Certainly take that with a grain of salt, but the market is definitely shifting here. Keep all the news coming in! Usually when there are a consumer AND pro version of the same camera, they get announced close to each other, but not on the same day.
If Sony Professional do use the VG10 as a basis for a low-end pro camera, I would imagine that the field rates could be accommodated in firmware as they are likely to have produced both 50 & 60 field per second localised versions for consumers, just like the FX1(E)/Z1 situation.
The XLR issue could be solved by a modified or add-on audion interface, like the Z1 or A1. The PCM output would need specific hardware provision in the CODEC hardware, - it may be available on the chipset, only Sony knows at present. There is a precedent for PCM with AVCHD, - the NX5 is a development of the consumer AX2000 which has 2 channel 48KHz PCM.

Steve
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Re: Sony NEX-VG10 (APS-C sensor, interchangeable lens)

Post by steve »

I still think that this camera looks a bit soft, (the bits that are meant to be in focus), even Z1/FX1 videos on Vimeo are sharper than that. I wonder if Sony have deliberately limited the bandwidth to avoid the high level of artifacts that are present on the current rash of video capable DSLRs from still camera manufacturers. That would set them apart as a company that understands video quality (at a given price level). It will be interesting to see how the Panasonic 4/3 models perform.

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Stephan
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Sony NEX-VG10 review

Post by Stephan »

Videomaker had their hands on this cam, and posted a Sony NEX-VG10 camcorder review.

The review itself is really so-so, neglecting to address some well-known open points such as:
- Does the camera exhibit aliasing or not (compared to DSLRs),
- Light performance with the stock lens...

But some hands-on feedback is better than no review at all, anyway.
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Stephan
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Re: Sony NEX-VG10 (APS-C sensor, interchangeable lens)

Post by Stephan »

Here's a picture of the NEX-VG10 in full audio apparel, taken at CES 2011 in Las Vegas.

(photo credits: Astroman from Arizona)
Sony NEX-VG10 as seen at CES 2011 (Las Vegas)
Sony NEX-VG10 as seen at CES 2011 (Las Vegas)
nex-vg10-ces.jpg (85.77 KiB) Viewed 18679 times
Nosigrev
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Re: Sony NEX-VG10 (APS-C sensor, interchangeable lens)

Post by Nosigrev »

I purchased a NEX-VG10 a week ago or so, as a successor for my now eight years old Sony TRV-950. I like it a lot, and yes the VG10 is far from perfect but there are workarounds for several things, for instance:
- If you prefer manual focusing (like I do) then you may appreciate the help of autofocus at distinct times. Press the FOCUS button and turn the thumbwheel to MF. Do not press the wheel, just leave it as is. Now you have manual focus. When you need AF then just turn the wheel to AF - again, do NOT press it - now just wait until AF has done its work, then turn the wheel back to MF, again leave it. Yes I wished the PHOTO push button did AF on demand, but that doesn't work. (it DOES work in AF mode though - can you still follow? this is Sony logic)
- The MODE button (photo/video) has been described as a dangerous one, you can easily press it by mistake and lock out all video functions while in the middle of the shot of your life. I masked the video led using a black waterproof marker such that photo mode would draw my attention quickly.
- The manual zoom is wonderful, I like it better than the TRV-950 pressure sensitive electric zoom. Turning the zoom requires a little bit of force but I'm always using a carbon light-weight monopod to keep the cam stable. The monopod is also much more comfortable to hold the cam, you can simply keep the monopod collapsed and use it as a 40 cm meter long handle.

The only issue I have is that there seems to be some play between the 18-200 lens and the body. It's perhaps only half a millimeter or so (twist the zoom ring slightly in both directions to notice if you have that play as well) but it causes you to loose focus when for instance you start zooming out (apply force on the zoom ring) just after you have zoomed in and adjusted the focus to sharp. This is most visible at low light conditions. This evening I filmed a choir of children, I zoomed in to pan over all the faces (sharp), and then I started to zoom out and all of a sudden the image became much softer, rather than staying sharp, the expected behavior. Then when starting to zoom in again the image becomes sharp again. I experienced this over and over again, damaging a part of my footage.
I wonder if this is a manufacturing problem.
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Stephan
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Re: Sony NEX-VG10 (APS-C sensor, interchangeable lens)

Post by Stephan »

Welcome! It's always nice to have feedback from people who buy these new camcorders.
Nosigrev wrote:This evening I filmed a choir of children, I zoomed in to pan over all the faces (sharp), and then I started to zoom out and all of a sudden the image became much softer, rather than staying sharp, the expected behavior. Then when starting to zoom in again the image becomes sharp again. I experienced this over and over again, damaging a part of my footage.
I wonder if this is a manufacturing problem.
Were you in Manual focus? In Manual focus, if you notice that the image becomes softer as you zoom out, and sharper again maybe as you zoom back in, then it's called a "back-focus" problem (a manufacturing issue indeed).

I had a mild issue of this sort with my HDR-FX7, and I worked around it by never using the zoom when in manual focus. If I know that I will need to zoom in/out, I stay in autofocus.
Nosigrev
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Re: Sony NEX-VG10 (APS-C sensor, interchangeable lens)

Post by Nosigrev »

Yes manual focus only. It's not a back focus issue, it would be a back focus issue if the image would have become soft by zooming out from 200 mm down to let's say 50, or less. But it's rather like this: assume you're at 200 mm and sharp, then zoom out to say 199 mm, almost no change. Then the picture becomes soft. Zoom in back to 200 and it's sharp again.
It's just as if there is some internal interference on the focusing due to the force applied on the zoom ring, some internal mechanical play.
I did lots of tests, all with the same result.
Of course AF work around that problem, today I taped a carnival in full sunlight with AF, and the results are awesome (F11 or more). But in low light conditions you get a shallow DOF and it's not always easy to have AF point to the object you want. Videotaping people closely, talking against a background with many sharp lines really requires MF to catch the faces, as AF will tend to walk away down the background.
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