Camcorder Review:
Sony PMW-EX1 XDCAM Camcorder (page 2)

With the myriad digital HD formats camcorder manufacturers are using, a new concern for any purchaser is: will I be able to edit with that format? The answer as of this writing is yes, if you are a Final Cut Pro 6.02 or Sony Vegas 8 user. If you use another software package, check for support for your system. You will need to download some drivers and software from the Sony site, but once they are installed, the system is fairly straightforward.

On our MacBookPro, we simply inserted the SxS card into the ExpressCard slot, copied the footage from the card to the hard drive using Sony's transfer software, imported the clips into Final Cut Pro and edited away happily. The transfer speed from the card to a FireWire hard drive was about 1.3 x real time, so it certainly beat digitizing tape. Using the USB connector on the camera was just a bit slower. Another nice feature is that, if you shoot in the SP modes, you can use the FireWire port on the EX1 and control and digitize from it just as if it were a tape-based HDV camcorder.

Simply put, the images that came out of the Sony PMW-EX1 are the best HD video we've ever had come through our doors. While there are some concerns about the unit ergonomically, the EX1's video performance, combined with the new SxS solid state recording system make this camcorder a strong contender in the eternal trade off of image quality versus price.

Imaging Sensors: Three 1/2" Exmor CMOS
Formats: 1920x1080 (60i, 50i, 30p, 25p, 24p); 1280x720 (60p, 50p, 30p, 25p); 1440x1080 (60i, 50i)
Lens: 14x zoom, 5.8-81.2mm (35mm equivalent: 31.4mm to 439mm), f1.9
Media: SxS memory cards (8GB and 16GB available)
For full list of specs visit: www.sonybiz.net

• Outstanding image quality.
• Great lens.
• Three 1/2" CMOS sensors.

• Ergonomically challenged.
• Expensive media.

The Sony PMW-EX1's excellent image quality and slick SxS solid-state recording make it a one-of-a-kind solution for professional videographers.

John Burkhart is Videomaker's Editor-in-Chief.

Sony Business Solutions & Systems
1 Sony Drive
Park Ridge, NJ 07656
bssc.sel.sony.com

$6,850 (MSRP)

To view the movie files, you must have Final Cut Pro version 6.02 installed. Our apologies to PC users.

If you don't have Final Cut Pro 6.02, you can take a look at some uncompressed still frames of the footage (below).

Video Files
EX1-720p60
EX1-1080i60
EX1-1080p24

Still Images
EX1-720p60
EX1-1080i60
EX1-108024p

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