Allan Tépper of ProVideo Coalition notes that there will be two versions of the camera: one for 60Hz countries (North Americans) and one for 50Hz countries (much of the rest of the world). Despite the camera’s interlaced recording specification, it turns out the sensor itself is actually progressive. In Allan’s words:

Sony have affirmed that the NEX-VG10’s 60Hz version will actually record progressive 29.97p (“30p”), although embedded in an interlaced transport over 59.94i, similarly as the HVR-V1U and HVR-V1N 60Hz models do in one particular mode… and that the NEX-VG10’s 50Hz version will actually record progressive 25p, although embedded in an interlaced transport at 50i, as the HVR-V1E 50Hz model does in one particular mode.

What this means is, the 60Hz version is actually shooting 30p, and the 50Hz version is actually shooting 25p — both cameras wrap the resulting files in an interlaced container, from which the original progressive frames should be extractable with little to no loss of quality. 25p and 24p are indistinguishable when it comes to motion rendering; 25p gives every bit of the same “film look” that 24p does (assuming you use an appropriate shutter speed). As a result, you should be able to buy a PAL version of the NEX-VG10, shoot in 50i, extract the 25p footage, force the NLE to play it back at 24 fps, slow the audio down by 4% to match, and voila: 24p footage from the NEX-VG10. Yes, there are a few hoops to jump through, but no more than what we have to deal with when it comes to shooting with DSLRs today.

The real question at hand is what Sony will add to the pro version — I’d expect true 24p, 60p, a more robust codec, better gamma matrices, and XLR audio inputs — and what sort of premium they’ll charge. Sony has a much higher-end camera market to protect — like the six-figure SRW-9000 I shot with recently — which, it’s worth noting, Canon does not. That’s why, when it comes down to which camera manufacturer will be mostly likely to get the post-DSLR cheese, I have to think it would be a manufacturer like Canon, who can throw every feature they can develop into a $6k camera, without holding back resolutions, frame rates, and codecs in order to justify the massive price difference between a $6k prosumer camera and a $200k pro camera. In the post-DSLR video camera market, Sony has its CineAlta line and Panasonic has its Varicam line to protect — as does RED with its EPIC line. Of course, it’s not a zero-sum game: however it shakes out, there are going to be a lot of great options out there soon.

Here’s some footage from Bali taken with the NEX-VG10 (note that you can click through to Vimeo and download a 1080p quicktime):

Is it just me or is that bokeh ugly? And isn’t that guy totally stalking the girl?

[via ProVideo Coalition]

First up, let’s take a look at Sony’s press release:

Coupled with Sony’s powerful BIONZ® processor, the camcorder’s Exmor™ APS HD CMOS sensor realizes high resolution video and 14 megapixel still images. Approximately 19.5 times bigger than the standard sensor found in conventional camcorders, the APS HD CMOS sensor enables an extremely shallow depth of field. This allows videographers to achieve cinematic results with stunning background defocus (bokeh). Users can also enjoy DSLR-quality photo capture with features like Auto HDR, Handheld Twilight, and Anti Motion Blur, as well as catch fast action sequences with a continuous burst rate of up to seven fps.

The NEX-VG10 can capture full 1920×1080 high definition video at up to 24Mbps for amazing clarity and detail, ideal for recording on to Blu-ray Disc™ media. It also comes with an E-mount 18-200mm lens optimized for video shooting that offers a powerful 11x optical zoom in addition to a silent auto-focus system and Optical Steadyshot™ image stabilization with Active Mode for superior versatility.

So far so good, right? Along these same lines, the footage from the camera looks beautiful, exhibiting a shallow depth-of-field and smooth gamma curves:

It looks like a reasonable piece of hardware, too, with a swivel LCD that will alleviate many of the problems we have with fixed DSLR viewfinders:

Hell, the camera even has very similar specs to Panasonic’s forthcoming $6,000 AG-AF100, which will debut for $4,000 more. The two cameras have the same size sensor — both the Sony and Panasonic have a sensor the size of the GH1’s, seen at left in red The Sony even has a larger sensor than the Panasonic. While the Panasonic camera has similar features and records to the same medium as the Sony, it adds three crucial features: uncompressed HD-SDI-out, XLR audio inputs, and — this is the one that caused me to choose my headline — 24p! Sony’s press release conveniently leaves out frame rates, so I had to find the spec sheet to find out that the NEX-VG10 shoots 1080/60i. Not only does it leave out 24p, it leaves out any kind of progressive recording whatsoever. As a filmmaker, this immediately nixes the camera from my list. For news applications and wedding videography, I can still see the NEX-VG10 being viable. But it’s not like it would cost Sony anything to include 24p — the camera’s CPU is surely capable of processing 24p footage. This “oversight” indicates to me that they’re saving 24p and XLR audio (not to mention higher bitrate XDCAM codecs) for a forthcoming Pro version (which you can catch a glimpse of in the bottom of this post).

Still, I’m viewing things from the narrow perspective of someone looking to shoot an indie feature. This is undeniably an aggressive move by Sony, surely based on their recognition of the DSLR cinematography movement. They’re leaving out a lot of features, but for $2,000 (which includes a bundled 18-200mm lens), it will still be an appealing package for many.

What do you think of the NEX-VG10 specs and footage? Am I being too harsh by saying Sony is “bringing a knife to a gunfight” simply because of its lack of 24p? Would you spend $2k on the camera despite it missing any progressive recording options?

[via Sony PR]

It seems this compact camera is in addition to another unnamed interchangeable-lens Sony model, more of the pro persuasion:

Suffice to say, by next year’s NAB there will be less of a need to attach eyecups and elaborate support systems to cameras whose primary purpose is to shoot stills — there should be plenty of options for getting a shallow depth-of-field with cameras actually designed for shooting movies.

[via DV Info]

Anyway, this is not one of those “Seen” posts where I share a video I like. Instead, I believe Wyclef’s latest video, “Fast Car,” may in fact be a bona fide New Low in product placement, and thus worth sharing at this particular post-millennial corporate synergasm in time. And while I didn’t expect it to be the greatest music video ever made (after all, the video wasn’t directed by “the best who ever did it“), I at least expected to understand what the hell was going on during the next four minutes. Instead, the corporate agenda on display obliterates all pretense of a sensical narrative, and after watching it a few times I still can’t figure out if anyone had the balls to actually put forth a treatment, or if they just strung together a bunch of shots and called it a day.

Why is “nonsensical” a word, but not “sensical?”

Anyway, Wyclef is on Sony BMG. Paul Simon, featured on the song, is also on Sony. Burnout Paradise, the videogame featured throughout the music video, is currently available on the Sony Playstation 3. At the start of the video, Wyclef’s previous single, the catchy “Sweetest Girl“–which features singing by Niia, another Sony artist–is playing on a Sony TV. A kid walks past a Sony-format tape deck (HDCAM?), with a Sony MP3 player around his neck and a Sony bluetooth headest in his ear, picks up his Sony Playstation controller (note the Playstation itself on the desk), and then e-mails Wyclef on his Sony Playstation Portable (the PSP can e-mail! take note!). Wyclef opens his trunk to grab a Sony controller from in front of another Sony flastcreen. Once inside the Burnout Paradise virtual world (which makes sense, because the song is titled “Fast Car,” and the game has… cars), the white guy stand-in for Paul Simon checks his Sony PSP (while driving at top speed), and to conclude the video, the kid takes a picture of himself on a Sony webcam.

Here is a partial list of companies that did not pay for the video’s production:

Microsoft
Nintendo
Cabot Cheese