OIS on Sony CX500v

[fubar69 0]

Hey,

I have been looking at this camera for a little while now and only found out yesterday about the optical image stabilzer causing a flutter or shake effect in freefall.

I have read a few posts about this concern but dont have much time so if this has been answered i am sorry.

Is it possible to turn this OIS off or to maybe reduce it down to just steady shot? I know the CX100 is working great with the steady shot its just the 500 does what i want it to do for me.

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Seems like every company is heading with the OIS now so surely there is a way around it for us skydivers.

Any help or info would be great.

Tom

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[DSE 3]

http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=3657808;search_string=CX500;#3657808

When you turn off OIS the gyro's remain loose. It doesn't do you any good. It's like buying a donkey and trying to turn him into a horse.

[fubar69 0]

Lol great response!

Do you know of a camera out there like the 500v that just has a steady shot.

Basically what im needing is HD quality video and that it can take pics in dual or manually that are higher than 5mp :/

I just want to be rid of the SLR if possible.

Thanks again.

[DSE 3]

Everyone is looking for the rainbow's end with the pot of gold. Nothing will take even the most remotely close images to an SLR or even a crappy point and shoot while shooting video and give you enough images in a skydive to satisfy a tandem student, IMO. Including the 500.
Is your profile accurate?

[fubar69 0]

How i would love to get the pot of gold! But i do understand what your saying.

I updated my profile, i dont use this site very often.

Thanks for all of your help.

Tom

[HNGummeson 0]

We tried the CX500 and found that in the Active IS mode it does not do well. Especially sit flying. Head-down was almost as good as flat. But you have to keep you head super steady or the video will make you seasick. Though most of us don’t care, under canopy it was nearly perfect. We turned the IS off (yes you can turn it off) and again keep you head steady and you get a great picture. The CX500/520 has an additional setting for IS: “Standard Steady shot”. I ran out of time and was not able to test the camera with this setting. I expect it will do just as good as the CX12 but don’t know. Has anyone tested the CX500/520 in this mode? I would use the 100 but it does not have night shot so we have accepted the performance of the CX12 for what we do. However, with the introduction of the CX500/520 the CX12 got discontinued. The CX500/520 does fit in the same Cookie box as the CX12, just need to move the screw and some openings. The Hypeye will naturally work but it sticks straight up, instead of down, because of the way Sony put the plug in….. I have not ruled this camera out yet, as many others seam to have. It’s a cool little camera that produces a stunning video.

[parachutist 1]

I was playing with a CX500 in Fry's Electronics a couple days ago, and I ruled out this cam for my skydiving. Besides the OIS issue, this camera has another shortcoming that its predecessors (CX7 and CX12) shared: The microphone points up. When you're trying to record audio of someone sitting in front of you on a plane... you want a mic that points forward. The mics my CX7 and CX12 would pick up every noise in the plane and you could barely hear the subject speaking.

CX100s have a mic that's in the correct orientation for our skydiving uses. When the CX100 is used as a handcam I can even clearly hear screaming.. makes for some great audio when you have a tandem student with a good pair of lungs. That isn't really possible with the CX7/12/500

[HNGummeson 0]

I use my HD camera only to film my student’s performance so I can give them feedback on their jump. If I hear them scream on the video this is usually a problem…. The light sensitivity on the CX500/520 is exceptionally good. Again a great plus for me who has to be able to film at night. I’m still looking for someone that has tested this camera in freefall in the “Standard IS” mode. Is there anyone out there who has taken the camera into our environment and actually tested it, instead of guessing how it will do?

[HNGummeson 0]

So I got the CX520v and took it to the air yesterday, with the IS set on “standard” (not active, see test comments above). I mounted it sided by side with a CX100 so I could do a straight up, no sh-t, comparison. The CX520v did great. I did some sit-flying and some head down with it. Besides producing a better quality video I could not tell the difference in regards to the shakiness. I asked 6 people to look at the two pictures side-by-side and tell me which one was shakier (I let them look at the two videos side by side on two 27 inch screens). Five out of six said the CX100 produced a shakier picture, the opposite to what everyone is telling me will happen!! In all honesty everyone watching were video armatures, including me.

Luckily I had the pleasure of running in to DSE, (Yes, THE DSE!), at the end of my jumping day and he helped explain a lot to me. The CX520 in “standard” IS mode is exactly EIS, the same IS as the CX100 has (IS done through image processing software). Now, what DSE has a problem with is the mechanics that make up the OIS. These mechanical parts do not stay still in the very shaky environment of a skydive, even when the IS is turned off, and this can create a specific shake in the video at times.

To his trained eye he can see it, at occasions in the video. I understand what he is telling me but I will challenge anyone to see the difference in your own “home” skydiving videos. I honestly am not sure I could see it even when DSE straight up told me where to look for it. I looked and I looked at the two clips side-by-side and finally said: (with all respect to DSE) If it is this hard to see the “problem” then I’m golden. This camera will do what I need it to do and much more. DSE agreed.

I believe DSE will post my side-by-side video and explain the difference so you can see for your self. DSE did give the CX520v a better score than the CX100 on many other points but I will let him tell you about that.

If you do not need the night shot and don’t care that the internal memory is small, then the CX100 is a much cheaper camera. I need night shot and can always us the 64GB internal memory so I’m going for it. This will be my straight up skydiving video camera from now on and I am not a bit worried about the OIS issue. To me is it a non-issue.

Thanks DSE for taking the time to analyze my videos and to help me understand the ins and out of these cameras a bit better.

[DSE 3]

I'll post the vid tomorrow, got pretty hung up shooting/jumping today.
It was educational for me, too.
Either cam will work, but I think folks will see the value of the cheaper cam. One thing is for sure; the better imager is plainly evident in the color accuracy of the CX500, gamma is slightly better, and contrasts are better defined.

[antonija 0]

So if one is looking for high(er) end camera that can also be used in skydiving (and scuba and night and ...), this one is thumbs up?

I understand the need for conformity. Without a concise set of rules to follow we would probably all have to resort to common sense. -David Thorne

[ncskydive 0]

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Nothing will take even the most remotely close images to an SLR

Thank you! There is another video guy at my DZ that is looking to avoid the DSLR and still get the same results and payout. It is never going to happen, and it looks like our DZ isn't going to let it even happen, not good for the students, PR or anyone for that matter. I guess maybe personal use but never for resale.

[DSE 3]

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Nothing will take even the most remotely close images to an SLR

Thank you! There is another video guy at my DZ that is looking to avoid the DSLR and still get the same results and payout. It is never going to happen, and it looks like our DZ isn't going to let it even happen, not good for the students, PR or anyone for that matter. I guess maybe personal use but never for resale.

Never say "never" but it'll be a while still. We'll next seen Canon and Nikon battling over shooting both, but the compression standards have to change. With J2K and similar compressions, we CAN achieve this in the very near future.

[HNGummeson 0]

Antonija, I'm using my CX520v for everything from now on. It is an excellent camera for what we do. Wait till DSE posts my video of the CX520 mounted next to the CX100 and see if you can pick out the "negative" effect of the OIS mechanics in the CX520v. I don't think you can. The CX100 is 100% accepted for skydiving, the CX520/500 is not because of the OIS but here is the deal, most people can NOT pick out the difference. However, most people will pick out the better quality image that the CX520 will produce. If skydiving is not the ony think you do with it and you need low light/night shot capabilities, get it.

[antonija 0]

So how about those vids?

In meantime, if anyone has an example of OIS shake (and not helmet shaking or bad mounting) pls link it!!

I understand the need for conformity. Without a concise set of rules to follow we would probably all have to resort to common sense. -David Thorne

[bliston 0]

If it's possible to post the comparison video, I'd love to see it.

Thanks,
Ben

Mass Defiance 4-wayFS website


sticks!

[DSE 3]

http://vimeo.com/8745034