Dan Chung from DSLR News Shooter gets the 411 on the NEX-EA50

Great hands on with a pre-production model of the EA50 at a trade show in China.  I love how Dan takes charge of the interaction with the Sony rep :)  I was wrong about the power zoom - it is compatible with any NEX camera using the zoom control on the lens!  Great news for VG20 and FS100 shooters.  Worth watching to see how Dan takes the lens off the EA-50 and puts it on a 5N he "happens" to have in his pocket.  This is my favorite trade show hands-on ever.

BIRTV 2012 - Sony NEX EA50 large sensor video camera from Dan Chung on Vimeo.

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Goodbye Frankenrigs! Hello Sony NEX-EA50!

Sony has taken another huge step towards the convergence of large sensor interchangeable lens hybrid still/video cameras with the new NEX-EA50 for $4500, including a new 18-200 servo zoom lens (also compatible with the FS700, but not and the FS100).  Here's the usual over-produced Sony release video (story continues after the jump):

The specs look like Sony engineers and marketeers have been reading my mind.  Shoulder mount large-sensor camcorder with high resolution 16MP stills (with RAW). 1080/60p. Built-in XLR inputs with full manual audio level control and pro quality sound. A top handle. A real power zoom with a rocker instead of Panasonic's stupid ring. As anyone who reads my posts on this blog and elsewhere knows, I am a big fan of Panasonic's GH1 and GH2 cameras (I own both).  And I've been looking forward to the rollout of the GH3, rumored to be next month at Photokina in Berlin.

But, even without seeing a whole range of images from this camera, if it only matches the image quality of the VG20 (which I have some experience with) this new entry from Sony steals a lot of Panasonic's thunder.


The Panasonic GH3 is unlikely to have XLR inputs or a shoulder mount - so shooters will still have to buy shoulder rigs and external recorders, closing the price gap with this new camera.

If the GH3 is introduced at the $1000-$1200 body only price point (comparable to the OM-D EM-5 and NEX-7), shooters would have to add a $300 power zoom lens, a $170 XLR capable external recorder, a $220 XLR boom mic and a $1000 Redrock shoulder rig to make it as functional as a straight-out-of-the-box EA50.

And if the GH3 doesn't have a headphone jack and 1080/60p, it is going to lose a lot of sales to this camera - perhaps including mine.


Worse for Panasonic - at the ~$4000 price point, the EA50 arguably has better video camera ergonomics than the AF100 - with the addition of the still camera chops that the AF100 lacks (it is even a better still camera than the $8000 8MP capable Sony FD700!).

No, it doesn't have the AF100's built-in ND filter or HD-SDI-out, but a $30 variable ND filter and a $180 HDMI to SDI converter will fix that for significantly less than adding the cost of a shoulder rig and separate still camera to the price of the AF100.

This camera really hits a sweet spot for shooters who want to upgrade from a DSL camera to a hybrid still/video camcorder with built-in XLRs - but aren't that excited about bringing their shoulder rigs along with them - and don't want to pay $8000 for the still/video capable FS700.

And for those thinking about the FS100, who want a shoulder mount and the ability to shoot high quality stills - and who want to pay about $1000 less for a camera with the 18-200 lens included - it might be worth giving up a little sensor size and image quality (Andrew Reid at eoshd disagrees with me ;)).

I think Sony's going to sell a lot of these.

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GH2 and VG20 compared - first English language hands-on w VG20!

One month after the ship date of the Sony NEX-VG20, there are no (to the best of my knowledge) English-language full reviews, or even hands-on previews, of the camera. Contrast this with the roll-out of its predecessor, the NEX-VG10. Between Sony's announcement of the VG10 on July 13th, 2010 and its September 10th, 2010 US ship date; Luminous Landscape published a hands-on field report, Digital Camera Review published a first look review and Canadian retailer, The Camera Store, posted a hands-on review video with sample footage.

These early reviews were posted because Sony put the camera into the hands of well-known English-language sites. Something they are not doing this time around.

It is difficult to explain why Sony did not do this with the VG20 (Lack of confidence in the product? A strategic decision to emphasize NEX-5N/NEX-7/A65/A77? Sensor/parts shortages due to earthquake/tsunami/flooding in Asia?).

Whatever the reason, potential VG20 buyers in North America, Australia, New Zealand, the UK and the rest of the Anglophone world have little to go on when trying to decide whether to buy this $1600 (body-only) camera.  Frustrating.

That is why I decided to go out and rent the camera for 3 days from borrowlenses.com at my own expense. Working around my regular job, I shot a few side by side comparison shots with the VG20 and the Panasonic DMC-GH2 (widely acknowledged as the best video camera in the DSLR/DSLM form factor [with M standing for mirrorless]), which I will post here soon.

But until I can post the full hands-on comparison -- here is a quick preview of what I found:

Ergonomics

I come from a film background, so for me, the camcorder form-factor makes a difference in the ability to hold the camera steady without a rig. For some reason, I have less trouble with the two-point stability of the camcorder (right palm on the handgrip facing upward and viewfinder pressed against my eye) - than the three point stability of the DSLM form factor (left hand cradling the lens, right hand on a vertical grip, viewfinder pressed against my eye). This is very subjective, and may not make a difference for most people.

The lack of external controls on the VG20 was problematic, however.  After learning the knobs and switches on the GH2,  I can now change ISO/White Balance/Shutter Speed/Aperture and other settings without taking my eye away from the viewfinder.  Not possible with the menu-centric controls on the VG20.

Image Quality

The VG20 image seems softer to me. To my eye, the GH2 -- even without the hack -- beats the VG20 on image quality. On the other hand, the VG20 seems to have better high ISO/dB performance than the GH2.

Control of Audio and Video

Both cameras allow manual adjustment of picture and sound, with some important differences.

Both cameras have full manual control of aperture, shutter speed and white balance, but the GH2 has multiple picture profiles and the ability to adjust color and sharpness, which the VG20 does not. The 2.6x Extended Tele Converter function on the GH2 is also an advantage for the Panasonic.

But the VG20 has some advantages too. The headphone jack and high quality in-camera audio with manual gain control significantly reduce the need for dual system sound. With the GH2, if I want decent sound, dual system is a must, with all of the challenges that poses during shooting and in post.

Other Differences

There are other subtle advantages for the Sony beyond the principal advantage of the camcorder form-factor. With the VG20, for example, it is not necessary to go into the menu to switch settings in order to use non-Sony lenses. Contrast this with the GH2, where you have to drill down in the menu and switch a setting every time you change from a Panasonic m4/3 system lens to a Canon or Nikon (or other) manual lens.

Please check back over the next few days as I update this comparison and add stills and video.  In the meantime, if you found this comparison valuable and you've already decided that you want the GH2 or the VG20, please support this blog and future hands-on reviews by buying them through these links from Adorama, Amazon, Crutchfield, OneCall, and Unique Photo.  Thanks!