2011-10-01

Sony HX9V as a pro video camera



In the last weeks I saw more and more pros taking an interest in the Sony HX9V and the class leading 60/50 fps @1080p mode.
So let´s have all the info in one spot. Comments from the pros are very welcome.

Below you find some video add-ons but what about audio?
Sure the HX9V has a better audio than the HX5 but what if you want a kick ass audio to the class leading video?

Maybe this will get you on the right track!

for best video: Sony HX9V -  for best audio: Zoom H1

Jamie Lidell, no Circo Voador, em show do @Queremos.
Cam: Sony HX5V Mic: Zoom H1 Mix e Edição: PowerDirector 9 Aloe Blacc - Festival Back2Black Estação Leopoldina - RJ - 28/08/11
Camera: Sony HX9V Audio: Zoom H1 + Sony HX9V Editing: Cyberlink PowerDirector 9 Ultra 64 (video), Sony Vegas 10 Platinum HD (audio)
Looks kick ass enough for you?
How much? - how about $99
more info

Want surround sound, 360° recording maybe even 5.1 sound?


How much? how about $30 more
more info





Canon 5D Mark II with Sony HX9v One Man Multicam Test from Ryan Czaplinski on Vimeo.
By no means was this an elaborately planned setup.



I decided to try out both cameras today, not doing a side-by-side comparison, but more a test to see if I could be a lightweight run and gun one-man multicam!

Basically I took the new Sony HX9v camera and mounted it on top of my Canon 5D Mark II in attempt to be able to shoot both the safe wide shot while getting the roving zoom in/out shots to edit between.

Of course if I were to have spent more time on this I would have ideally set this up with a shoulder or steadycam mount along with an L bracket and external mic, but this setup consisted of just the 2 cameras and an LCD Viewfinder.

Sony was set on daylight white balance setting and the Canon was shot using Technicolor profile and then a quickie color correct. I was pretty happy with the results, despite it being an uncontrolled situation.

I look forward to trying this in a different event and intercutting some slow motion with it.

Lens: Canon 24-105 EF L USM w/IS on
Sony was set at widest angle 24mm



Canon 5D Mark II with Sony HX9v One Man Multicam Test #2 from Ryan Czaplinski on Vimeo.
Just as the last time, I took the new Sony HX9v camera and mounted it on top of my Canon 5D Mark II in attempt to be able to shoot both the safe wide shot while getting the roving zoom in/out shots to edit between.

What is different about this test is that I decided NOT to color correct this and go with a color preset with the intent to use as a quick edit. Surprisingly the colors were not very far off and cut together pretty darn nice!

Sony was set on daylight white balance setting with -1.0 EV and the Canon was shot using Faithful profile (daylight WB) and then a quickie color correct.

Gear used for this test:
Canon 5D Mark II w 24-105 EF L USM w/IS on
Sony HX9v - set at widest angle 24mm
Camera shoemount
LCD Viewfinder

Shot in 1080p but uploaded to Vimeo in 720p

This was a fun test and I had several people approach my setup and ask, "What the heck is that thing?" HAHA! Thanks for watching!



Sony HX9V Run and Gun Solution!! from Tony Carretti on Vimeo.
I'm loving my new Sony HX9V 1080p60 camera!
Video quality in good lighting is extremely good, and it's not terrible in low light considering the size of the sensor. It's a small camera and I wanted to try and figure out a solution to make it more comfortable to shoot with as well as come up with a solution for viewing the LCD screen in bright sunlight. This is what I came up with...

Sony HX9V goes cinema with an anamorphic lens as seen on EOSHD




Sony HX9V + viewfinder + Zoom H1 + LCD monitor (lol) from ton van kan on Vimeo.
Sony DSC-HX9V + viewfinder, Hoodman HoodLoupe 3.0 + audiorecorder, Zoom H1 + LCD monitor, Lilliput + LED light HDV Z96




Andrew Reid - EOSHD.com after:
running and gunning with Zacuto Z-Finder / Sony HX9v compact through Berlin

"When you pair it with the Z-Finder, the HX9 is a serious tool for pros. There’s no doubt about it. It’s capable in the right hands of getting one decisive moment after another with aplomb. Frankly you should be ashamed if you miss it, such is the coverage of the lens, the stabiliser, the screen, the Z-Finder and the AF system – it all adds up to a real beast for journalists, artists and documentary makers. It has even more stealth factor than a DSLR, certainly more than a video camera. It has a better lens and stills mode than a camcorder, and it’s pocketable. The Z-Finder makes for perfect handheld video. No need to set up sticks, a shoulder rig, or adjust anything – it just works...."


Johnnie Behiri HX9V and the Zacuto Z-Finder
My aim was to test Hand held shooting, the optical stabilizer,
the "follow focus" function and "how nice the slow motion is".
Sony HX9v tested for run and gun by Johnnie Behiri

"So how is it to film with this little camera? It is a mixture of fun and frustration…Fun, because it is so small and together with the Z-finder it is almost like the “ultimate run&gun” ENG-style camera (sure, I’m exaggerating, but look at the footage and see those amazing smooth, steady shots). Also, the zoom lens works a treat. Frustrating because there is no real control of anything..."

Take a look at his video and how he uses the 50p converted to 25p slow motion for effect.

***

from Andrew Reid - EOSHD.com
"...the HX9v's video mode is to compacts what the 5D Mark II was to DSLRs.

It's way beyond what we've seen from crappy compacts so far. It does 1080/60p 28Mbit AVCHD and out resolves a Canon DSLR in video mode. The high bitrate keeps compression artefacts down.

Detail is cleanly resolved, and the lens is also a cut above the usual compact optics with nice flare and an amazing 24-385mm range. I love the look of 24mm wide angle so much more than 28mm.

The ACT stabiliser is another strong point, it is the most effective I've ever used whether that be a professional video camera, a DSLR or a compact.

The creative possibilities of this camera are fantastic. But bare in mind it is still a compact and has it's limitations versus a DSLR in low light and for shallow DOF of course. Although surprisingly dynamic range isn't bad! You can actually get shallow depth of field as well with the HX9v just not in as many kind of shot setup."
More see:
http://www.eoshd.com/content/2754/sony-hx9v-initial-thoughts
http://www.eoshd.com/content/2930/canon-600d-dslr-beaten-by-compact
Sony HX9 1080/60p -VS- Canon 600D http://vimeo.com/24747873

21 comments:

  1. Hi,
    thanks for sharing this. I just bought this camera specifically to shoot video blogs and experiment with making documentaries while traveling and I'm so thrilled to find that accessories like this exist for this camera.

    Two question for you. Do you have any idea how the anamorphic lens attaches to the camera? Also, do you know what brand that anamorphic lens is?

    Thanks again!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Pinky if you click the EOSHD link you go to a better place....

    Andrew from EOSHD has a whole story about the anamorphic lens (as far as I read on his blog it is from Panasonic and the prices are now rising because of low stocks.) The lens seems to be screwed to the fixed lens ring from the HX9V via 3 hand screws

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hey Thanks,
    I did take a look at it but I wasn't 100% sure if the lens he was talking about was the one he used in the video.

    I wonder if attaching a lens that way would leave a mark on my camera....It's so shiny and new and I'd hate to scratch it lol.

    ReplyDelete
  4. just ask him via the comments in his post

    ReplyDelete
  5. OH good idea. I'll do that. Thanks. As far as you're aware, is this the only type of lens that we can attach to the HX9V to add depth of field while in movie mode?

    ReplyDelete
  6. Hello all !

    I have bought this camera, but I don't understand how to use it for slow motion movies...

    Is it a setting on the camera or is it post processing with a program on the computer?

    Thanks for your help !

    ReplyDelete
  7. Well, This is great innovative idea for camera. Also, The design of the camera is quite angular, with a conservative design, and a mostly rectangular style.

    Camera Sony

    ReplyDelete
  8. How did you manage to attach the wrist strap to the HX9V. I've be trying for days to do this & Sony's illustration doesn't help. Maybe my unit is defective in this regard. Its worse than trying to thread a needle.

    Dave

    ReplyDelete
  9. Just keep pushing the wrist strap loop, it is tight but eventually will pop through!

    ReplyDelete
  10. I have EXACTLY the same setup shown in the start of the post: an HX9V to record video and a Zoom H1 to record audio. I use this setup to record some videos in live concerts - only for personal records.

    I must say that it's an excellent combination - just set the right record level in the H1 (don't leave it in Auto, the audio level will fluctuate a lot), set the High Iso mode for the video in the HX9V (yes, you have some scene modes for video, something that the H5V - I have one too - don have), and it's a go.

    Here, a video that I made with this setup - the audio was good straight from the H1, but I've made some EQ adjustments; the video is the original straight from the camera. I was using about 7x zoom in this footage - hence the lot of shaking.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QdvpavxNa60

    If you want a better sample of the H1 audio, I have this video in another venue with much better sound, but shot with the HX5:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5dRnXD0RZB4

    Watch both videos in HD for better results.

    One last statement: the original audio from HX9V is MILES better than the HX5's - with good quality, and, more important, without distortion; the HX5 audio is useless in concerts and with loud sounds. In fact, in the first video I manually combined the HX9V sound with the Zoom H1 sounds - the H1 had great bass and highs response in that venue, but the midrange was better in the HX9V audio. The HX9V audio was the best that I've have heard from a compact camera.

    ReplyDelete
  11. thanks Marcio for giving us and idea how the Zoom H1 sounds with the HX5 and HX9V.

    ReplyDelete
  12. To thread the hand strap...push the strap down as far as you can and take a safety pin and grab the end of the strap and keep pulling the strap til it prys up just enough that you can grab it with a nice pull of the pin...and Wallah!! It ain't easy being green!!

    ReplyDelete
  13. How do i make a slow mo film with this sony hx9v...im loving it!!

    ReplyDelete
  14. I've done one slow motion clip with the HX9V - filmed at 60fps and reduced the framerate to 30fps doubling the length of the movie. The result was a very smooth slow motion footage.

    www.youtube.com/watch?v=hIOeNtVzhJY

    I just don't remember how I've did this in PowerDirector. :)

    ReplyDelete
  15. I love the HX9V video, but I cannot play M2TS files on my media player. The conversion tools I've found on the net (like Any Video Converter) can convert M2TS files to MPEG4 etc, but the HD quality is gone. Any idea what the best video converter is for M2TS files to for example MKV when keeping the HD Quality?

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  16. I use handbrake for all my conversions and it works with the right settings without loss of quality. just check further down for more info and be sure you read my VIdeo COdecs aNd COmpressions blog for more info

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  17. Is there a link for the HX9V + Zoom H1 setup? I'd like to know how to create this setup.

    ReplyDelete
  18. joe
    You indicate you are using handbrake to convert the 1080 60p videos from the hx9v...w ou ld that conversion to mp4
    Be better quality than just selecting the hx9v option to shoot in mp4 in the first place...as always thanks for your help
    Jim

    ReplyDelete
  19. Hi there,

    First of all thank you for sharing your experiences with both devices. How did you mounted both things together? This silver piece of metal is something buyable or it is custom made?

    Gnw

    ReplyDelete
  20. Dear Friend,

    I really do appreciate your work towards sharing your insights with others. Before having purchased my Sony HX7V, I've read plenty of various reviews on this camera, but nowhere there was any mention about the date being embedded in videos in AVCHD mode. Is there a way to discard it?

    My other question: is it possoble to bypass 29 minutes limit of video recording? It would come very useful for all.

    Thank you in advance,
    Maciek

    ReplyDelete
  21. A great on professional video camera. I prefer Sony and I have a Sony professional video camera to capture every shot without compromising on the quality.

    ReplyDelete

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