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Filed under: Cameras •Hardware •NAB 08 •

Sony Snapshots - NAB 2008 Day 0

PMW-EX3 with 2/3” cine lens, Sony HDD recorder

Sony’s Juan Martinez gave me a night-before-the-show tour of the Sony booth (really a miniature city; “booth” doesn’t do it justice), and here are some of the highlights from a camera operator’s perspective.

PMW-EX3

The EX3 will be to the EX1 what the HDV S270 is to the Z7: a higher-end variant using the same basic imager and architecture.

• 3 half-inch CMOS chips with true 1920x1080 resolution; XDCAM HD EX recording on dual SxS cards.
• “Chainsaw” form factor, similar to Canon’s removable-lens DV and HDV camcorders.
• Interchangeable lenses (the camera comes with a removable version of the EX1’s Fujinon 14x, using a new “wide mouth” mount. Into the wide mouth mount you can fit 1/2” or 2/3” mount adapters, complete with hot-shoe lens connectors, as well as EX3 wide mouth mount lenses. The wide mouth allows fitting 1/2” and 2/3” adapters with no change in flange depth; it’s really a “mount for lens adapters” as much as it’s a “mount for lenses”).
• TC in, TC out, Genlock, Remote-panel port, HD-SDI, dedicated composite (BNC) and Y/C (S-video) ports, along with the usual USB and 4-pin i.LINK and mini-D-shell component ports.
• Some of the prototypes are showing a vertical “head brace” that works with the shoulder brace to register the camera against your body. The combo makes for a much nicer handholding experience than the EX1 offers. The head brace may or may not make it into production.
• Gorgeous EVF. The EX1’s LCD has been encapsulated in an articulated EVF housing (it adjusts side to side, up and down, and back to front) with a flip-up eyepiece. Magnification is excellent—you’re not peering at a tiny image, but watching a BIG screen, which makes focusing easier and more certain.
• Optional 60GB disk recorder that plugs in via an SxS slot. Remember the Specialized Communications that plugged into a P2 slot? Same idea.
• Same 1920x1080 1/2” Exmor CMOS imagers.
• Price: “Under $13,000” with stock 14x lens.
• Shipping: later this year.

PMW-EX3 with standard 14x lens

Note the “head brace” sticking out the back, and the extendable shoulder pad

close-up of left-side controls; there’s a “frame” dial to set frame rate (no in-shot ramping, though; gotta save something for the F23 and F35!)

The front of the EVF has a real, honest-to-goodness variable peaking control

One of the remote panels that the EX3 works with

The HDD unit with SxS “connector” on a thin cable

Another view of an EX3 with a 2/3” cine lens

Next: there was more than just the EX3 on display…

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Nice work, Mr. Wilt.  Thanks!

Posted by Jeff Kreines  on  04/14  at  01:20 AM

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Thanks Adam. I always look for your reviews!

Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)  on  04/14  at  05:23 AM

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All Red One camera bodies (currently released) can be redeemed for $17,500 towards purchase of a Red Epic 5K camera. This according to the Red.com page. Very interesting. Sounds like Red One is obsolete already. But that’s a really interesting deal…depending on how expensive the Epic is!

Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)  on  04/14  at  10:29 AM

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Philip Bloom’s review of the EX3 - Sony gave him a working prototype, with which he shot several short subjects…Video and written review.

http://philipbloom.co.uk/Philip_Bloom/XDCAMEX3.html

Posted by nathaniel  on  04/15  at  09:15 AM

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Hello.

what’s wrong with the PVC feeds? Tried to subscribe both RSS and ATOM, but very very unsuccessfully…

Safari 3.1 tells me it cannot be recognized…

Keep up your great work

Best

Bernt

Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)  on  04/15  at  10:14 AM

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I like it, but it is just to much of a Canon rip off! They should design something original. 

Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)  on  04/15  at  10:19 AM

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Well Kids?

Sony,JVC,Pansonic and Canon are gonna be getting it up the Yazoo! from RED ONE. With the introduction of the NEW 3K HD Cam @ the 2008 Nab show.

As they ALL! ( Out & Out Refuse) to create & release into the ALL IMPORTANT indi and Pro market, an HD Cam with a NOISELESS image in LOW light for under $5 Grand. Now they will learn a very valuable lesson. When the $ 3000,00 SCARLET is released in 2009, NO pro will ever purchase a camera form any of the BIG companies again. They Didn’t listen to us for the past 6 years…. Well NOW! they will.

Check it out…
http://www.red.com/

Posted by DARRYL SMITH  on  04/19  at  11:32 PM

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Actually curious about the rail system used on the EX3. Looks like a 19mm but with a riser that could be used for DOF adapter setups.

Also fun to see after all those years Sony is still partnered with miller.

The EX3 is cool if its under 8000$$ if you want to use something like the Letus ultimate at 4500$$ you are TO close to a RED one body. Sure you need another 15K for glass and mounts/VF (to start with..)

The nice thing with the EX series is: buy the camera and you have the total package, unlike RED one.

Scarlet is going to be a tornado! Seriously, every crashcam is going to be scarlet. Every extreme sport freak is going to buy one.

But I still want a EX3

Posted by Maarten Toner  on  04/20  at  01:23 PM

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Lied to again by Sony.  At HD Expo, only 2 months ago (after buying 7 EX-1s).  After listening to the multiple issues we were having with the cameras, Sony reps flatly denied any upgraded models being released for at least 1 year.

Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)  on  04/25  at  11:38 AM

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I want alot information about this camcorder.
does it useful for home photography?
which is it the best professional camcorder for home
photography?
How much is costs the moddel of PMW-EX3?

Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)  on  05/14  at  02:45 AM

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If you want to takes photos buy a nice canon or nikon for $800, this camera will be around 8000.- euro or $12000 US. HD resolution is about the same as a 2 megapixel camera if you shoot progressive and i doubt it has a photo option

Posted by Maarten Toner  on  05/14  at  11:13 AM

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