Sony PMWEX1 XDCAM EX Compact Full HD Camcorder

Sony Updated: 2008-05-07 RSS
Sony PMWEX1 XDCAM EX Compact Full HD Camcorder

The PMW-EX1 XDCAM EX Camcorder is Sony's exciting new addition to our XDCAM family of professional tapeless acquisition tools and our first offering in the XDCAM EX series of products. The PMW-EX1 utilizes Sony's three newly designed 1/2-inch type "Exmor"™ CMOS sensors, each with an effective pixel count of 1920 x 1080. Coupled with our newly developed signal processing LSI, the PMW-EX1 produces truly exceptional images in 1080p, 720p and 1080i HD. Using another new Sony innovation, the SxS Memory Card flash memory device, very high data transfer speeds are also made possible in order to enhance the High Defintion content creation workflow. Utilizing the MPEG-2 Long GOP CODEC to achieve a balance of quality and the required bit rate, the PMW-EX1 boasts a long recording time - approximately 140 minutes using two 16GB SxS Memory Cards. Additionally, the PMW-EX1 offers a powerful Slow & Quick Motion feature, or what is more commonly known as "over-cranking" and "under-cranking", to enable users to create slow and fast motion special effects. The PMW-EX1 XDCAM EX Full High Defintion Camcorder represents a new level of high quality, value-added High Definition content creation professional tools. It will, once again, transform industry expectations of just how much quality can be achieved with an affordable HD camcorder.

Highlights:

* High quality full HD image acquisition.
* New 1/2" Exmor CMOS Sensors with 1920 x 1080 effective pixels each - no pixel interpolation necessary.
* Solid state memory recording using Sony's new SxS Pro ExpressCard flash memory media.
* Integrated Fujinon 14x Zoom Lens.
* Color peaking display, with selectable color indicator.
* Lens Grip Rotation Mechanism
* Several Focus Assist Functions
* Built-in Stereo Microphone
* User definable Picture Profile function.
* Under and Over Cranking feature.
* Shot Transition Function.
* 3.5" High resolution LCD panel, with 1920 x 480 pixels, offering a horizontal resolution of more than 700 TV lines.
* Depth of Field LCD/ EVF Display.
* Brightness Level indicator in on LCD and EVF.
* Histogram Display on LCD/EVF
* SDI connector, selectable for either HD or SD output.
* Shutter Angle Setting.
* Slow Shutter and Extended Slow Shutter function.
* Four User Assignable Buttons.
* Supports 2 operational modes - HQ and SP.
* HQ captures full 1920 x 1080 images, or 1280 x 720 images, at 35Mbps.
* SP mode captures 1440 x 1080 images @ 25Mbps
* Continous, uninterrupted recording on mulitple cards.
* Interval Recording Function.
* Frame Recording Function.

Features:

Three 1/2" Exmor CMOS sensors: Achieves full HD acquisition at 1920 x 1080 resolution without the use of pixel interpolation. Due to the larger 1/2" size, the Exmor sensors also offer higher sensitivity and better S/N ratio than previous 1/4" and 1/3" sensors used in typical handheld camcorders.
14x Zoom Lens: Fujinon 14x zoom lens offers auto focus as well as image stabilization functions. The new lens also utilizes a unique focus ring mechanism that allows for easy selection of AF and MF operation by sliding the ring either forward or backward.
Lens Grip Rotation Mechanism: The lens grip can be rotated to facilitate a wide variety of shooting styles.
AF Assit Function: AF Assist: When this feature is activated, the focus ring still functions when Auto Focus mode is switched on. While the focus ring is rotated, focus is controlled manually. Whne the rotation of the focus ring ceases, AF resumes and searches for the nearest focus point.
MF Assist Function: MF Assist is used to avoid improper focusing in manual focus mode. With MF Assist activated, the Auto Focus is automatically momentarily activated only near the exact focus point. This feature is can only be activated with the focus ring in the AF/MF position.
Expanded Focus: To assist in manual focus operations, the Expanded Focus function is incorporated in the PMW-EX1. When the Expanded Focus button on the lens grip is pressed, the image on the LDC/EVF is magnified approximately x2 to allow for precise focusing. Magnification appears only on the LCD/EVF, while the recorded image is not expanded.
Built-in stereo microphone: The PMW-EX1 is equipped with a built-in stereo microphone. 16bit / 48kHz stereo sound can be recorded without the need for an external microphone.
Picture profile: The PMW-EX1 has a Picture Profile function to control camera picture settings. There are 6 Picture Profile memories available to the operator, each with several user definable parameters to allow for custom picture settings.
Slow & Quick Motion: This feature allows for what is commonly called over and under-cranking. This function works in either 1080P or 720P mode, recording natively with no interpolation of frames, and without decreasing picture resolution.
Shot Transition: Two sets of focus, zoom, iris, gain, shutter speed, color matrix and detail level can be preset. The settings can then be gradually applied from one to another. The transition is selectable either in time or in speed, and the transition curve can also be selected as either Linear, Soft Transition or Soft Stop.
3.5" LCD Panel & 0.54" EVF: The newly developed 3.5-inch LCD panel has 1920x480 pixels, with a horizontal resolution of more than 700TV lines, to facilitate HD manual focus operations. The LCD is a hybrid type, allowing the displayed image to be seen even under bright sunlight by switching off the LCD back light. Both the LCD and EVF can display images at the same time.
Depth of Field Display: A Depth of Field gauge display can be enabled on the LCD/EVF. The camera operator can set camera position, iris, zoom and other related items such as shutter speed and ND filter to obtain the ideal depth of field by referring to the display. The distance is shown either in meters or in feet.
Brightness Display: The brightness level of the center of the frame can be displayed on LCD/EVF. When the function is enabled by the BRIGHT DISP button or by menu, a rectangular center marker is displayed in the center of the LCD/EVF, and the average brightness level inside the cursor is displayed near the cursor. The brightness display function is especially useful when equipment for shooting is limited and no waveform monitor is available.
Histogram Display: A histogram of brightness distribution within a frame can be displayed on LCD/EVF by pushing the HISTGRAM button or by menu. The display helps to decide the exposure level via several parameters, including iris, gain and gamma.
SDI Output: The PMW-EX1 is equipped with a SDI output connector. SDI, serial digital interface, can be used for monitoring, dubbing to another video format such as XDCAM HD or HDCAM, or feeding to an NLE. The output can be set to either HD or SD.
Shutter Angle Setting: Other than the standard electric shutter speed setting such as 1/100 seconds, shutter angle setting is available on the PMW-EX1 among 180, 90, 45, 22.5 and 11.25 degree. The shutter angle setting is popular in shooting with film cameras and is useful especially when combined with the Slow & Quick motion function. By using the shutter angle, the ratio between exposure time and a frame term is always consistent, whatever frame number per second is selected in Slow & Quick motion. In other words, the shutter "speed" varies depending on the frame number per second. For instance, if the shutter angle is 180 degrees, the shutter speed is 1/48 in 24P, and 1/60 in 30P.
Slow Shutter and Extended Slow Shutter: Slow shutter is a convenient function for shooting in low light. It allows the charge accumulation period of the imager to extend longer than a frame term and the minimum illumination is drastically improved. In addition, slow shutter function is useful for shooting of moving objects with an afterimage special effect.
User assignable Buttons: The PMW-EX1 is equipped with four assignable buttons. Assign 1, 2, and 3 buttons are located on the side panel, and Assign 4 is on the front panel below the lens. Using these assignable buttons, several functions can be activated without the need to use the menu.
Supports 2 recording modes - HQ and SP: HQ is the full HD shooting mode, offering 1920x1080i/P as well as 1280x720P image acquistion @ 35Mbps, with true native 24P recording at both resolutions. SP mode is compatible with HDV, as well as XDCAM's SP, recording 1440x1080i images @ 25Mbps. The audio format in both modes is LPCM 16-bit, 48kHz, 2CH.