Sony NEX VG20

I’ve used this camera for four weeks now. I was using my Canon Vixia HF S10 when I realized that I needed shallow depth of field to shoot my videos. My options were limited. The best way to achieve shallow depth of field is with a dSLR, and I already use a Canon 60D for that purpose.

However, I often shoot video for really smart professionals and entrepreneurs and this camera was the perfect fit, or so I thought.

The first thing I noticed about this camera is it is lens-heavy. It has 18 mm-200 mm silver zoom on the front end of it. It has a handle at the top which is awkward to hold. It is not formfitting. If you hold the camera at waist height, the lens will tip forward and appear unbalanced. It is clearly awkward to hold from the top handle.

I have owned a Sony VX 2100 which was a SD Mini DV tape-drive camera and had excellent ergonomics. Holding that camera from the top handle was beautiful. It had a rocker switch for the telephoto lens as well as an on off record button that you operated with your thumb from the top handle.

This camera has no such luxury. In fact, it does not have any rocker switch for the zoom. Ironically, the remote control includes a telephoto and wide angle button switch that is absolutely useless since there is no automatic or remote control zoom function.

AESTHETICS

Aesthetically, the camera looks awesome. Sitting on top by the handle is a funky looking multidirectional microphone that allows you to achieve 5.1 channel sound. I cannot understand why anyone would use the built-in microphone except to pick up ambient sound. I always use a wireless mic and the built-in mic, though cool-looking, fails to achieve the sound quality I need.

The carry-handle has a convenient cold shoe and a microphone input also attached to the top handle. The camera has an adjustable up/down electronic eyepiece viewfinder that I never use.

Holding the camera through the strap attached to the side of the camera, the power button appears comfortably natural by my right thumb. It has clear and simple controls for on-off and record. It also allows you to switch easily from movie mode to photo mode with the press of one tiny button.

When your palm is resting against the right side of the camera as you slip your hand through the camera strap, there are two buttons near your pinky that are somewhat awkward to reach and unusually positioned. One is a record button, and the other is an extended focus button.

The extended focus button allows you to achieve an immediate zoom for the purposes of achieving proper manual focus. You will find this to be a useful function, but it’s in an awkward position.

The record button by my pinky is also awkward to reach. The only time I find it useful is when shooting on a tripod from waist height at a sporting event. While attempting to zoom in and out manually to watch the action, I found the record button on the right side of the camera easy to use. However, if you’re holding the camera in your right hand in a shooters position, the record button using your pinky is a stretch to reach and not comfortable to depress with your pinky.

VIDEO QUALITY SETTINGS

The camera takes SDHC memory cards and shoots to AVC HD. Wanting to shoot at the highest quality setting, I purchased a class 10 SDHC memory card, popped it into the camera and began adjusting my camera settings. The camera creates video at 60p, 60i and 24p. It also shoots in high-definition and standard definition. You have the option of shooting at different speeds of 24 MPS, 17 MPS and two lower settings.

For some inexplicable reason, the camera does not allow you to shoot at the highest quality 24 MPS setting while using a class 10 SDHC memory card. That defeats the purpose of using the class 10 SDHC card and achieving the highest quality, hi-definition video. Instead, you have to drop down to the  next lower setting of 17 MPS in order to allow it to write to AVC HD using a class 10 card.

The 3” viewfinder is touch screen and quite simple and fun to use. Anyone who has an iPhone will appreciate this viewfinder. The manual controls allow you to set iris, exposure, gain, white balance, auto exposure and more. With so many manual features, you would expect a single button to reset everything to automatic, yet there is no such button. Instead, you must drill down into the manual functions while in live shoot mode and figure out intuitively which one will allow you to revert to auto mode. It’s a challenge.

The controls on the actual camera are again simple and easy-to-use. You have your iris button, aperture button and a button to switch from play mode to live mode.

The really cool thing that I like most about this camera is its ability to obtain a shallow depth of field where the subject is in focus and the background is out of focus. I do shoot typically static head shots with someone sitting or standing in one position.

STAY IN FOCUS PLEASE…

The camera does not have a facial focus feature while in movie mode. It does have it for photo mode. When your subject moves and you are in manual focus mode, you have to refocus manually. It does have an electronic focus feature that is totally silent. That is a really cool function, but it has one major drawback. It is slow. It is also inaccurate.

When shooting video of myself, on my own, despite being the primary subject in the viewfinder, the camera will often track my background as being in focus and I will wind up out of focus. That is such a waste of my time and my shot. Frustrating too.

When shooting video on my own, this becomes a true challenge. The only workaround I have found is to start out 2 feet in front of the camera and allow it to focus immediately on me. After a few seconds when it focuses, I then start walking backwards and stop every few feet so the camera can refocus each time. This is an extremely frustrating feature that I’m still trying to work around. If someone is operating the camera then it is easy to refocus by pushing the focus button until the subject is in focus.

However, since I often shoot my own videos, this is extremely frustrating task that should be a no-brainer for a camera that cost in excess of $2,100. Every camera I have used before this has had an excellent autofocus system. Not this one.

Once in focus though, the image looks great. That brings me to the telephoto lens. As I mentioned at the beginning, there is no rocker switch to advance telephoto or wide-angle. It is totally manual.

ZOOM IN. CLOSER.

While shooting video of my daughter’s volleyball game, it was extremely difficult to achieve smooth zooms by manually twisting the zoom lens. It is not an easy turn. In fact, it is a slow-turning zoom that comes with significant effort, especially when shooting fast-moving play and you want to get all the action.

If you have time to set up a manual shot and you have a close-up static subject with a nice shallow depth of field, then this will be the camera for you. However, when you want the video camera to do double duty at your kids sport event and also use it to shoot static subjects, you’re going to have a real challenge achieving competency for both uses with this camera.

EDITING YOUR VIDEO FOOTAGE

My next challenge with this camera involves taking the footage off of my memory card and uploading it to my Mac computer. I use Final Cut Express for my editing and FCE does not recognize this particular AVC HD format. It gave me many error messages when trying to log and transfer video files.

In fact, I was so frustrated with a lack of intuitive ability to log and transfer the raw footage into my Final Cut Express software, that I was tempted to return the camera to B&H Photo. My Canon Vixia HF S10 video camera never gave me any problem and the raw footage was always immediately recognized, transcoded and error-free.

I wasted hours trying to figure out a workaround to get the raw footage into my editing software without error messages. The bottom line was that the AVC HD files have to be re-wrapped into a different format in order to allow Final Cut Express to recognize them as Quicktime .mov files. There are free workarounds that I tried with varying levels of success. I then learned of a piece of software called ClipWrap that cost $50. It rewraps .mts files (native AVC HD video files) to .mov files and does so really fast.

I only wish Sony had let me know before I bought this camera that the video footage would not be natively applied or accepted into Final Cut Express.

All in all, the camera is small, it is lens-heavy, shoots beautiful outdoors footage, has difficulty shooting in low light and appears grainy, as most video cameras do. The zoom lens is awesome as long as you’re not using it to achieve smooth zooms or wide-angle shots that are moving quickly. If you’re willing to use a wraparound to convert your video files into a format that Final Cut will accept and want a camera that looks different from all the rest, then this camera may be right for you.

Before finally deciding to buy this camera, I strongly considered the Pro Canon HF 105, the new professional camera in Canon’s line-up. However, I did not need all of those features and it did not have an interchangeable lens system to achieve shallow depth of field.

Another camera I strongly considered was the JVC 105, which natively plays directly to Final Cut Pro. However, that also did not have an interchangeable lens system and found that it was too advanced for my needs.

As of right now, for my static video shoots, this camera should be ideal for the time being.

Observations:

This is the upgraded model from the NEX VG10. Some of their ergonomic choices are not easily understood including the placement of the pinky buttons; the fact that there is no rocker switch and the incompatibility to make these video files recognized by Apple software.

Also unusual is that they have eliminated the 30 fps function and instead only allow you to shoot at 60i, 60p and 24p. Although I’m sure there is some engineering principle to explain why the camera will not record at 24 MPS using a class 10 memory card, the promo materials should clearly state this. It doesn’t.

The camera itself without the lens retails for $1,599. With the lens, before tax, it comes to $2,100.

Depending upon how this camera does over the next few months, I may consider switching to the top of the line Canon Vixia Prosumer camera which has gotten stunning reviews but alas has no interchangeable lens system.

I do love using my Canon 60D to shoot video. However, it does have file limitations that cause the camera to shut off after 12 minutes of continuous usage. In addition, with extended usage the camera overheats, gives you a heat warning, then shuts down. You literally have to let it cool off for about 10 minutes in order to use the camera again.

CONCLUSION

If you want a really cool looking camera for static video shots with great interchangeable lens system and shallow depth of field, then this camera’s right to you. Otherwise, you may be better off moving to a level above including the Canon professional line, the JVC professional line compatible with Final Cut, or moving one level below to the top-of-the-line Canon prosumer level.

Till next time, see you on video!

About Gerry

Gerry is a practicing NY Medical Malpractice & Personal Injury Trial Lawyer. He is also the Founder of the Lawyers Video Studio, a video marketing company he created to help lawyers, professionals and entrepreneurs create video to market themselves online using video that teaches and educates. He is the Chairman of the Lawyers Video Marketing Alliance and has lectured across the country about video marketing. He has written hundreds of articles on video marketing and is considered one of America’s leading authorities on video marketing for attorneys in the country.

http://lawyersvideostudio.com

Lawyers Video Studio, LLC
25 Great Neck Rd., Ste. 4
Great Neck, NY 11021
1-800-320-4314

Testing the Video Camera on the Left

Anytime you get a new piece of video equipment, the “newest,” “greatest,” “best,” “most advanced” equipment ever…you’ve got to play with it and test it.

The problem with testing is that you are never quite sure what quality you’re going to get until you fully test it.

I recently bought a new video camera to replace the one I was using. This had all the features I was looking for. A great lens, shallow depth of field, precision controls. I loved the way it looked and felt.

The problem was in the details. The settings were different than what I was used to. The frame rate was different. I was using a class 10 SDHC memory card, and the camera would not allow me to to shoot at the highest quality setting in the AVC HD codec. The purpose of getting this camera was to be able to shoot at the highest quality setting.

Once I tried to put the footage onto my computer, I noticed Error messages coming up while using Final Cut Express, my editing software. Weird errors. Never-before-seen error messages. This was not good.

I changed the settings, then everything worked fine. I changed them again and everything worked beautifully when playing back in the camera. The problem was getting my editing software to recognize the new settings. Still no good. Had to go to online forums to see if others had experienced a similar problem. I had to learn if there was a workaround to fix this.

What’s the lesson here?

Often, getting the newest, best or most updated piece of electronic equipment may not always be the best solution for your problems. Stick with what works and what you have before running out and getting the next best thing.

Behind the scenes in the Lawyers Video Studio…click the play button below.

Sony NEX-VG10 Interchangeable Lens Handycam Camcorder

Holidays are right around the corner. Here’s what’s on my video wishlist:

(I hope my wife is reading this…)

Video cameras:

1. Sony NEX-VG10 Interchangeable Lens Handycam Camcorder

What’s so cool about this camera? In two words, “Interchangeable lenses.” Just like you have different lenses for your dSLR camera, wide-angle and zoom lenses, the same is true for this video camera.

Cost: $1,999

The really cool thing about this video camera is that you can interchange lenses. You can’t do that with consumer-level camcorders. Why would you want to switch out lenses? Two reasons:

(1) The better glass (lens) you have, the better quality your videos and photos will be, and

(2) With interchangeable lenses, you can achieve depth of field, which is more commonly seen on high-end professional video cameras. A good way to describe depth of field is when you are in focus and your background is out of focus. This draws your eye to you, since your image is crystal clear and you disregard the background. However, the background adds important layers to your frame.

With ordinary consumer video cameras, there’s one lens and everything in the frame is always in focus, which is a really good thing. However, to achieve depth of field, you need good quality interchangeable lenses. That’s one of the primary reasons I opted for my dSLR that takes amazing video, for depth of field.

Here’s a video camera that accomplishes that for a fraction of the price of a professional video camera doing the same thing. Having said that, the cost for this camera is still expensive in comparison to my dSLR or my Canon camcorder. That’s why it’s on my video wish list.

JVC GY-HM100U ProHD Camcorder

2. JVC GY-HM100U ProHD Camcorder

Cost: $2,750

This video camera is a hand-held camera that may look ordinary but has something that no other video camera offers. You see, most consumer cameras shoot video in a format known as AVCHD. In order to get that video footage into a format your video editor recognizes, your video has to be transcoded to the correct format. That takes time. Lots of time. You may have simply wanted to drag and drop your videos from your camera’s hard drive into your video editing program and start editing. Sorry, you can’t do it.

However, if you have this camera, you can!

When you plug in your camera that has a hard drive or memory card, your computer simply recognizes it as an external hard drive. The JVC camera has teamed up with Apple to make things so easy. I use Final Cut to edit my videos. When the JVC camera is plugged into the computer it automatically recognizes the format. Why? Because the JVC camera shoots video in the same format as Final Cut. Therefore, all you have to do is literally drag and drop from the camera’s hard drive, right into your timeline and start editing. No transcoding needed.

That would save tons of time. However, the price is pretty high and does not justify my purchase…yet. That explains why it’s on my wish list.

Flip Mino

Kodak Zi8

Sony Webbie

Shooting video is really simple now. We have the Flip Mino camera, where you just push the no-brainer red button. We have the Kodak Zi8, now. We have the Sony Webbie camera. Really simple: Just push the big button in the middle and start taking your video. We can even use digital point-and-shoot cameras to take hi-def video now too.

Here are 6 reasons to use the handy video cameras above:

1. Convenience,
2. Ease of use,
3. Simplicity,
4. No instructions needed,
5. Low price,
6. Good quality when fully lit outdoors.

Here are 5 reasons not to use the cameras above:

1. Poor in low-light
2. No external mic input (except Zi8)
3. Limited recording space
4. Battery time is limited
5. Do not use the “Press here to immediately upload to YouTube” button. (Can you say “Edit?”)

Do I use these cameras to post attorney video? No.

I use a very reliable, high-quality, hi-definition camera that provides consistent, excellent quality. Does it cost more than an ‘average’ camera? Yes. Can you tell the difference? I can. I use a Canon Vixia HF S10 that costs about $1,200.

Do you need to buy a high-end consumer camera to get good video online? Nope. You can and should make do with what you can afford.

Just remember, a top-of-the line BMW will get you to the same place as a Honda Civic. They both have 4 wheels, AC, heat, mirrors, power windows and an engine. But there’s a difference and everyone knows it. (BTW, if you drive a Honda, don’t get all bent out of shape; they’re great cars. I’m just trying to make a point here. FYI, I don’t drive either one.)

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ABOUT GERRY

Gerry is a New York medical malpractice and personal injury trial lawyer in practice for over 21 years. He has produced and created over 230 educational and informative videos to help consumers understand how lawsuits work in the State of New York. If you want to see how Gerry has used video to promote his own practice click here.

Gerry created the Lawyers’ Video Studio to help other lawyers get onto video. To get started with creating video to market your legal services, Gerry offers a simple and cost-effective turn-key video creation system where he doeseverything for you except appear on camera. To get onto video today, learn more in The Lawyers’ Video Studio.

Today’s blog post is about VIDEO equipment. Notice the double entendre in the title?

Most people think that in order to create good looking video, you must have a “professional” video camera that costs over $5,000 and looks like it came from a video production studio. That type of thinking is so wrong, on so many different levels. But it’s a typical expectation.

If you show up for a video shoot with little more than a rinky-dink handheld camcorder, people look at you like you’re an amateur. Guess what? They’re wrong.

Professional cameras cost anywhere from $2,500 up to $10,000. They weigh anywhere from 3 lbs to 10 lbs, which is really heavy when shooting without a tripod. B&H Photo in NYC has a great selection if you’re interested. They’ve also just built a neat little interview studio that showcases all of their pro cameras and equipment.

By contrast, most good consumer-level video cameras cameras cost anywhere from $500-$1,300, can be carried in the palm of your hand and typically weigh less than a pound.

So, does the minimal size of your equipment mean your quality suffers? The answer is no.

I use a top-of-the-line consumer-level camera made by Canon; the Vixia HF S10. It weighs nothing. My seven year old loves to play with it, thinking it’s so small and easy to use.

I used to own a professional grade Sony video camera that weighed a ton. It was a great standard digital (SD), miniDV camera and built like a rock. But I got tired of lugging it around. (It’s the camera at the top right of this page).

My Canon not only is tapeless and weighs next-to-nothing, but the quality of the HD video far surpasses what I used to own for a fraction of the price. Don’t worry about size. Instead, concern yourself with the quality.

Thanks for reading my blog and have a great day!

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“Gerry single handedly has changed the way attorneys are viewed by their website visitors. You see, Gerry “gets it.” He decided that instead of using online videos on his website to pitch his firms’ expertise and how he can handle your case, he decided it was better to educate his website visitors about the questions they have, prior to calling an attorney.”

Mike Acosta is a video production expert with www.HBProductionGroup.com.

______________________
ABOUT GERRY

Gerry is a New York medical malpractice and personal injury trial lawyer in practice for over 21 years. He has produced and created over 250 educational and informative videos to help consumers understand how lawsuits work in the State of New York. If you want to see how Gerry has used video to promote his own practice click here.

Gerry created the Lawyers’ Video Studio to help other lawyers get onto video. To get started with creating video to market your legal services, Gerry offers a simple and cost-effective turn-key video creation system where he does everything for you except appear on camera. To get onto video today, learn more in The Lawyers’ Video Studio.