Sony CX730/740/760 info centre

[Macsgrafs]

I just got my cx760v and so far I have not had a chance to put it ont the heli but I am not overly impressed. I knew it didnt compensate for roll but the reaction to movement seems inconsistant. Its pretty good, dont get me wrong, but to sacrifice so many features for the BOSS doesnt seem worth it. I got this to use in a real heli as well which I havent tried but just from driving with it I dont think it will be as good as i was hoping. For RC applications I dont think you really need this kind of stabilization. It doesnt compensate for vibrations, only slow/medium movements which dont really occur on a heli unless you have a messed up gimbal. The OIS on the GH2, Nex5n seem to do just as good a job in this small range required to assist in stabilizing from a gimbal. but like I said, my main hope was to get some driving shots and real heli shots where the 400rpm pulse is very hard to deal with hand holding a camera.

Iris, I love my PJ760VE...after my 5 year old Panasonic HD9...this is pure luxury!!!!!
I have taken a few videos with it & can't fault it to be honest...well apart from it is only semi manual. Here's the results I got from mine...remember they are all hand held, except the aerial ones, they are on an AV200 with a badly setup RSGS
The first part of this video is shot hand held in a car...note the road & hedges don't jump around, but the car does!

Here's an aerial small film, the problems are down to me & not the camera (e.g., I didnt set white balance, auto focus, in fact I only set the shutter at 1/215th, everything else was the camera) I'm well impressed with it!

Now go back 4 years & compare the old Panasonic HD9 on a trex600esp

I'm sure the little fellow will grow on you, don't give up just yet.....

Ross

 

[ZAxis]

I feel I should push in here and back Dave up.
This camera has been nothing short of a fantastic for me and the kind of shoots I'm involved in. We came froma sony NEX5 which produced a great image but during fast moves there would always be that need for post stab to just smooth it up.
If you pit this camera up against other cameras in the same price category you are on to a complete no brainer. With the last redbull clip i was working alongside a director who has had previous experience of mr's carrying RED's but understandably these guys didn't want to put their rig into the sort of positions the director wanted/required for dynamic action sports. Having a smaller and considerably less expensive rig coupled with this camera allowed me to throw it into areas even he didn't think were possible & TBH if I had a flamewheel with a go-pro3 then there would have been footage from that in the clip too as there were a few shots that it would have been perfect for.
It's all about the limitations that your setup can cope with and if having the largest piece of male jewellery hanging underneath it floats your boat then be prepared to put it where the dude in his boardies is flying his FPV rig. In my opinion this camera makes the workflow of a job quicker as the less post stab the less £££ is lost.
just my 2 cents (which is about what the camera costs!)
Lec
P.S did I mention this camera is good?

 

[DucktileMedia]

Well, I have had this camera for about an hour so perhaps I should have given it a fair run before criticizing it. In short my thinking is that a good heli setup should not need that amount of help to "band aid" the video. I really had in mind to use this in a real heli as well and I havent had a chance to try it but it seems from walking around and shaking it that it doesnt like the fast movements as I anticipated it would. Are you guys saying this thing takes out small vibes/ fast movements in pan/tilt? I'll give it more testing. One thing that turned me off, which must be a setting, was the seemingly interlaced playback on my computer. Perhaps this is something VLC does with the MTS files. Ill drop it in a real editor and see what comes of the footage.

Have you guys who own this camera done any other shots like handheld driving shots? Half of the reason for this was to use it in situations where I am jerking all over the place. Dirt bikes, snow mobiles, helicopters, etc. I guess expecting a cineflex/steadicam was unrealistic.

 

[Droider]

Perfect.. As I have said horses for courses.. or as my dear old dad would say there is a tool for every job and a job for every tool, just learn which is the right tool for the job and in the vast majority of dynamic flying AND as Lec and Andy have prooved the CX730 was the perfect tool for the job they did.

AND if you look at what they achieved and think about what you really need I think youll find its a tool that should always be in your toolbox..

Dave

I feel I should push in here and back Dave up.
This camera has been nothing short of a fantastic for me and the kind of shoots I'm involved in. We came froma sony NEX5 which produced a great image but during fast moves there would always be that need for post stab to just smooth it up.
If you pit this camera up against other cameras in the same price category you are on to a complete no brainer. With the last redbull clip i was working alongside a director who has had previous experience of mr's carrying RED's but understandably these guys didn't want to put their rig into the sort of positions the director wanted/required for dynamic action sports. Having a smaller and considerably less expensive rig coupled with this camera allowed me to throw it into areas even he didn't think were possible & TBH if I had a flamewheel with a go-pro3 then there would have been footage from that in the clip too as there were a few shots that it would have been perfect for.
It's all about the limitations that your setup can cope with and if having the largest piece of male jewellery hanging underneath it floats your boat then be prepared to put it where the dude in his boardies is flying his FPV rig. In my opinion this camera makes the workflow of a job quicker as the less post stab the less £££ is lost.
just my 2 cents (which is about what the camera costs!)
Lec
P.S did I mention this camera is good?

 

[ZAxis]

@ Iris.
No i can completely understand your point. it certainly will not compensate for high/low freq vibes coming off the airframe but if peoples rigs have those kind of issues then they are defiantly in for the long haul before worrying about abit of shake in their videos.
When I first got the camera I shoved it on the dashboard of the car and went for a spin and was pretty surprised at the results. i then look it up in a light aircraft when alot like the r44 is full of vibes and the footage was pretty outstanding.
I wouldn't ever say anything mr based is cineflex quality because you are then putting pictures in DOP's heads which although possible require a huge amount of time patience and money to achieve. However with a well tuned rig coupled with the right camera you can offer them the best flexible system they will ever use as we all know!
give the camera a chance flying. it takes a little getting used to but i hope you will be as pleased as myself and the other users.
Lec

 

[Droider]

Aye Up Yuri.

I bought mine after seeing what Lec had achieved hoping to emulate his footage but I quickly realised it aint all just about the camera its how you use it, bit like the SIZE argument we males seem so infatuated about! well not me I am to old for all that bollocks now! Bit like the camera thing mine just works!... not quite as good as Lecs but he is about 25 years younger than me

Dave

 

[nicwilke]

I just got my cx760v and so far I have not had a chance to put it ont the heli but I am not overly impressed. I knew it didnt compensate for roll but the reaction to movement seems inconsistant. Its pretty good, dont get me wrong, but to sacrifice so many features for the BOSS doesnt seem worth it. I got this to use in a real heli as well which I havent tried but just from driving with it I dont think it will be as good as i was hoping. For RC applications I dont think you really need this kind of stabilization. It doesnt compensate for vibrations, only slow/medium movements which dont really occur on a heli unless you have a messed up gimbal. The OIS on the GH2, Nex5n seem to do just as good a job in this small range required to assist in stabilizing from a gimbal. but like I said, my main hope was to get some driving shots and real heli shots where the 400rpm pulse is very hard to deal with hand holding a camera.

I liked the PJ710V with BOSS, but I've sold it after a heap of tests. I was finding that there was a soft look that didn't suit what I needed. I know its a great camera, I know its got BOSS, but we just didnt 'click' with this camera. Like you, Iris, I think the BOSS locks on to stuff and is inconsistent. I can show you some nice samples I've done, but they are the pick of a bunch of stuff that would be unusable. I'm used to a standard (on ground) that is much sharper and clear/clean, perhaps is was the AVCHD vs MXF files comparison, I dont know. I found some chromatic aberration in my shots. I'm not shooting down this camera, like Dave says, its horses for courses, but I do agree with Iris that the OIS in other cameras will do as good if the gimbal is stabilized with a good unit. I'm using the skyline, and with the latest 1.5 firmware beta, I think I can run my little Panosonic Camera (cheap SD60) and get as good of an image.

I'd rate the camera a good 8 out of 10. Good luck with your cameras Gents, but I've had to step away to find an alternative.

 

[Macsgrafs]

Have you guys who own this camera done any other shots like handheld driving shots? Half of the reason for this was to use it in situations where I am jerking all over the place. Dirt bikes, snow mobiles, helicopters, etc. I guess expecting a cineflex/steadicam was unrealistic.

I should mention ALL these shots were hand held, even at full zoom!

 

[DucktileMedia]

To leap into a grander conversation of cameras, the real dilemma here is that I was either going to buy the GH3(out of stock everywhere) or the cx760. i didnt buy the Gh3 because I have a 7d and a 5n between the 2 it is hard to justify another camera that will need glass that is as expensive as the camera or more. Based on that I went with the cx760 thinking it would fill a void in my camera quiver due to the BOSS. Let's just assume we are talking AP/AV only and leaving out other production value. The Gh3 would be my first pick. If I could shoot with my canon glass in AF I would sell my 7d and buy the GH3 in a heart beat. I dont care about AF for the aerial aspect but there are moments it would be nice, like for action shooting. Although the 7d doesnt have it, it is just too amazing of a camera and the results I get from it are still the best of any of my other cameras. I also love .MOV/quicktime workflow. So with a well tuned heli, which mine are, the nex 5n does an outstanding job. So why even buy another camera? Well, it's partially camera envy but I liked the idea of having a versatile super stabilizing platform to use where normal OIS doesnt cut it without a pro level steadicam. At the end of the day I am sure i will buy the Gh3 regardless but I feel slightly impulsive right now and have 30 days to return the cx. I'll give it a go on the heli and see if it does any better than my nex. Some other attractions I had to the cx are having composite out and being able to zoom remotely. but after trying the zoom and the BOSS I just dont see how it would work on a heli! the shots are steady but in a way that is kinda indecisive on it's point of interest. Hence my inconsistency remark.

 

[tombrown1]

I liked the PJ710V with BOSS, but I've sold it after a heap of tests. I was finding that there was a soft look that didn't suit what I needed. I know its a great camera, I know its got BOSS, but we just didnt 'click' with this camera. Like you, Iris, I think the BOSS locks on to stuff and is inconsistent. I can show you some nice samples I've done, but they are the pick of a bunch of stuff that would be unusable. I'm used to a standard (on ground) that is much sharper and clear/clean, perhaps is was the AVCHD vs MXF files comparison, I dont know. I found some chromatic aberration in my shots. I'm not shooting down this camera, like Dave says, its horses for courses, but I do agree with Iris that the OIS in other cameras will do as good if the gimbal is stabilized with a good unit. I'm using the skyline, and with the latest 1.5 firmware beta, I think I can run my little Panosonic Camera (cheap SD60) and get as good of an image.

I'd rate the camera a good 8 out of 10. Good luck with your cameras Gents, but I've had to step away to find an alternative.

So you're using an sd60 instead of a BOSS?

 

[Macsgrafs]

Iris, make the most of the 30 days, shoot the sh1t out of that cam, you have nothing to lose. We have just got our zoom lanc lead & 5.8GHz to laptop receiver...for widescreen viewing (the 8"cheap lcd monitor is far to small). I would have liked the 7D myself as I have the glass already...but I liked the idea of 50fps so went of rthe pj760ve, the 96Gb built in memory put it less that a cx730 with a 96gb card!!!!
Have you tried the slowmo setting yet? I have some great bits of footage of my tame sparrow in flight
I dont know exactly how the golf shot mode works...just seems like a load of overlaid photos

I'm looking forward to next years airshow season...the camera WILL pay for itself then...


Ross

 

[Droider]

5.8GHz to laptop receiver

Can you link this Ross.

Which Lanc did you go for?

RCshutter,
Gentles
MK
there?

Ta

 

[Macsgrafs]

Can you link this Ross.

Which Lanc did you go for?

RCshutter,
Gentles
MK
there?

Ta

No probs Dave. I went to Tezcan (rcshutter), he's on my facebook as a mate & kept me informed all along the devolopment stage...top guy.

Here's the LANC/Video lead: http://www.rcshutter.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=82
Here's the 5.8GHz rx: http://www.rcshutter.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=79

Ross

 

[apejovic]

I´ve been using my cx740 since last April, and I´m really happy with the results.

One thing that makes me mad is not being able of getting the OSD trough the av output. I did notice that when switching off the camera the osd does appear on my cameraman screen for a moment (less than one second), so it is possible to achieve that by hardware.

I operate the cx with camremote pro but not having the OSD I never know for sure if the camera is recording when activating the REC while in flight.

Did any of you got the osd working trough the av output?

I have already presented this video in the "show what you filmed" thread, but leave it here as all this footage was made with the CX740 for comparison purposes

 

[DucktileMedia]

Do any of you with the cx760 have a solution to use the screw on hood with a uv/protective filter as well? I can screw on the hood to the filter threads but it rotates easily. i suppose I could tape it in place but thought someone might have a solution.

 

[tombrown1]

I use Velcro creatively. One small strip on the cam and one on the hood.

 

[MombasaFlash]

... One thing that makes me mad is not being able of getting the OSD trough the av output ...

One of the many reasons I could not live with the CX730. The BOSS lens and reasonably good image were just not enough to outweigh all the operational shortcomings, including this, the absence of a menu choice to display info on the a/v output. The awkward lens hood, touch screen only, in-place battery charging, rubbish manual options ... Sony could do so much better.

 

[Steve Townsend]

Sony CX410VE

http://www.sony.co.uk/product/cam-high-definition-on-memory-stick/hdr-cx410ve

Anyone got any thought on this? I think it it very new so there is not much about it online. But I have been following all this thread and the aerial clips in the Red Bull film (which is brilliant) cut in amazingly well I presume with the Red footage. Well done to all involved.

The sales blurb says the BOSS system has been improved and interestingly the new camera is half the weight of the CX7xx and is also alot cheaper! The tech blurb when comparing the two 8.9 Mpix vs 24 Mpix I am not interested in stills just the video performance. The lens is probably not so good. The sensor size is smaller which is maybe mixed blessings i.e. resolving detail vs. increased depth of focus.

Interesting?

Steve

 

[Soaringclauz]

YES!
That is a great news, thanks for sharing!

 

[DucktileMedia]

Does anyone have instructions on how to hook up the RC Shutter LANC control for the cx? What would the video out do on that cable??? Video comes straight from the cam into the vtx. there are 2 servo plugs. Which does what? Lovely instruction manual that comes with these things! same with the Gopro 3 usb out cable. 2 servo connectors for audio/video out??? WTF?