Anybody here used the Sony 1500 HD camera?

[Michael Stumpf]

Got a shoot coming up with that HD camera.

Would love any insight on it, also, if you have a good 1st AC and/or utility person who has worked with that camera, drop me his/her name(s).

You can PM me their name and contact info to protect their privacy on an open forum.

 

Greatly appreciate it.

[Robert Starling SOC]

Hey Michael,

 

If you mean the Sony HDC-1500 camera for live / multi-cam work I use that camera all the time and will be flying it tomorrow. It is an HD fiber camera so you'll need / want to have a Mohawk fiber jumper ($630) rather than the triax style fiber cable. There's not a lot to know about the camera as it is controlled / painted from the truck / control with a 1500 HDCU. At least in the live realm, you'll likely need to pull your own focus and zoom with a Stanton or G-Zoom, or a hybrid ZOE zoom and Bartech gimbal mount.

 

Most shows with this camera will already have Camera Utilities crewed on it but as you know a Utility that can keep up with Steadicam can mean a life or death to you as an operator. The two times I've fallen were a result of a non-Steadi experienced Utility.

 

Call me and I'll give you a few names.

 

Robert

[Michael Stumpf]

Hey Michael,

 

If you mean the Sony HDC-1500 camera for live / multi-cam work I use that camera all the time and will be flying it tomorrow. It is an HD fiber camera so you'll need / want to have a Mohawk fiber jumper ($630) rather than the triax style fiber cable. There's not a lot to know about the camera as it is controlled / painted from the truck / control with a 1500 HDCU. At least in the live realm, you'll likely need to pull your own focus and zoom with a Stanton or G-Zoom, or a hybrid ZOE zoom and Bartech gimbal mount.

 

Most shows with this camera will already have Camera Utilities crewed on it but as you know a Utility that can keep up with Steadicam can mean a life or death to you as an operator. The two times I've fallen were a result of a non-Steadi experienced Utility.

 

Call me and I'll give you a few names.

 

Robert

 

Hey Robert, yeah that's the camera.

I'm actually not doing a live event shoot with it, but a ABC TV show shoot.

Some big 5 camera day thing and they'll be using a steadicam for what appears to be the first time since they asked me if I had a 1st AC I wanted to bring as well as a digital utility.

I have planned to just hook up my Preston for focus pulling.

Yes they did mention (asked) if I was ok with a fiber optic cable attached as well.

 

So I'll give you a call tomorrow and if you have a break during your shoot, would love to get some info.

Thanks Robert.

[Mike Germond SOC]

I fly that camera every day and have configured my CCU to a T, so if you have any menu, connections, workflow questions feel free to ask.

 

Ditto what Robert said, I fly with a 6ft Mohawk jumper and a G-zoom canon focus edition.

[Michael Stumpf]

I fly that camera every day and have configured my CCU to a T, so if you have any menu, connections, workflow questions feel free to ask.

 

Ditto what Robert said, I fly with a 6ft Mohawk jumper and a G-zoom canon focus edition.

 

Is this 6ft Mohawk jumper something that would be available out of the rental house?

As for powering this camera, I read it uses a 4 pin XLR similiar to the F900R.

Any issues powering it then through my rig with the Dionic 90 batteries, or do they come with a specific battery type that I need to fly on board?

Is there an SDI BNC port on the camera so I can have image on my TB-6 or do I need a downconverter for it?

 

Thanks Mike.

Robert I left you a message on your cell.

[Robert Starling SOC]

Sorry, I'm on a set in LA with no cell.

 

The camera power will come from the fiber cable.

 

Power your sled with whatever you normally use

 

I know you can get at least one standard NTSC out on it; usually for program return monitor but the truck can do whatever you want. If you need program AND your own signal in standard you'll need to downconvert

 

Mohawk cables available from Mohawk, then know what a Steadicam jumper is but they don't rent.

 

Robert

[Michael Stumpf]

Sorry, I'm on a set in LA with no cell.

 

The camera power will come from the fiber cable.

 

Power your sled with whatever you normally use

 

I know you can get at least one standard NTSC out on it; usually for program return monitor but the truck can do whatever you want. If you need program AND your own signal in standard you'll need to downconvert

 

Mohawk cables available from Mohawk, then know what a Steadicam jumper is but they don't rent.

 

Robert

 

Thanks Robert, I just spoke to the rental house, and unfortunately they do not carry the Mohawk fiber optic jumper cable or any like it. They only have the thick triax cable.

Anybody in LA who has one of these jumper cables who wouldn't mind renting it to me for this shoot (or will yours be available on the 24th for rent, if you are willing to rent it to me)?

 

Thanks Robert.

[Robert Starling SOC]

I would loan you mine but it and I are working that day.

 

Robert

[Michael Stumpf]

I would loan you mine but it and I are working that day.

 

Robert

 

 

Thanks for the offer Robert.

Bummer for me, glad you are working though.

Anybody else you know of in LA that has one and might be willing to rent it to me?

I'll start a new post regarding that too.

 

Thanks

[Jeff Muhlstock SOC]

I would loan you mine but it and I are working that day.

 

Robert

 

 

Thanks for the offer Robert.

Bummer for me, glad you are working though.

Anybody else you know of in LA that has one and might be willing to rent it to me?

I'll start a new post regarding that too.

 

Thanks

 

 

Try calling Dave Eastwood or Rob Vouna. Any of the live video guys will have this jumper. Also, you might find it at an Arriflex house, they use the same fiber system with the D-21. I carry 2, but I cant part with it. You'll love the camera, very light, built in downconverter. Feel free to give a call if you want to talk about it, I use this camera very often.

 

Jeff

[Rob Vuona SOC]

Hey Michael,

 

If you mean the Sony HDC-1500 camera for live / multi-cam work I use that camera all the time and will be flying it tomorrow. It is an HD fiber camera so you'll need / want to have a Mohawk fiber jumper ($630) rather than the triax style fiber cable. There's not a lot to know about the camera as it is controlled / painted from the truck / control with a 1500 HDCU. At least in the live realm, you'll likely need to pull your own focus and zoom with a Stanton or G-Zoom, or a hybrid ZOE zoom and Bartech gimbal mount.

 

Most shows with this camera will already have Camera Utilities crewed on it but as you know a Utility that can keep up with Steadicam can mean a life or death to you as an operator. The two times I've fallen were a result of a non-Steadi experienced Utility.

 

Call me and I'll give you a few names.

 

Robert

 

Hey Robert, yeah that's the camera.

I'm actually not doing a live event shoot with it, but a ABC TV show shoot.

Some big 5 camera day thing and they'll be using a steadicam for what appears to be the first time since they asked me if I had a 1st AC I wanted to bring as well as a digital utility.

I have planned to just hook up my Preston for focus pulling.

Yes they did mention (asked) if I was ok with a fiber optic cable attached as well.

 

So I'll give you a call tomorrow and if you have a break during your shoot, would love to get some info.

Thanks Robert.

 

the 1500 has two HD/SDI outputs

HD/SDI 2 is assignable for analog and downconvertable

you also have an analog Test out

and a third analog assignable output through prompter out

 

you should also have a tally system and a return monitor.

 

Your utility person is not going to be able to pull focus for you and coil a fiber cable so tell them your going to need an AC and a utility.

 

And lastly your going to have a headset cable attached to the camera for PL, unless the rigged a wireless for you

 

Call me I have an extra 6 ft Fiber jumper for you

 

310-993-0667

[Mike Germond SOC]

I fly that camera every day and have configured my CCU to a T, so if you have any menu, connections, workflow questions feel free to ask.

 

Ditto what Robert said, I fly with a 6ft Mohawk jumper and a G-zoom canon focus edition.

 

Is this 6ft Mohawk jumper something that would be available out of the rental house?

As for powering this camera, I read it uses a 4 pin XLR similiar to the F900R.

Any issues powering it then through my rig with the Dionic 90 batteries, or do they come with a specific battery type that I need to fly on board?

Is there an SDI BNC port on the camera so I can have image on my TB-6 or do I need a downconverter for it?

 

Thanks Mike.

Robert I left you a message on your cell.

 

That camera will have an "SDI1" which is a clean output all the time (no menu/framelines/focus/zoom/fstop/filter/gain data), and an "SDI2" which can be configured but I use it as a VF output and utilize the camera's framelines and on screen data. There are also a "Prompter1" and Prompter2" BNC that are composite feeds that correspond directly to a composite input on the back of the CCU.

 

It also has a "Test Out" which can be configured to downconvert one of the returns among other things. This is a tricky configuration so rather than try and describe it, I've attached screenshots of the menu pages you need to deal with to configure it to downconvert a return or the "Main" camera signal. It sounds like you need the latter of the 2. When I've used the camera in the past with a composite sled monitor, I used the Test Out for that and had the PGM return downconverted at the CCU and sent over a Prompter line. Now that I have an HD sled monitor, I can use the camera's downconverter for return, but it sounds like you need 2 SD signals. Note that Prompter2 is disabled at the CCU by default, so if you try this and get no signal, that is most likely it. Prompter1 is enabled as composite by default and can be switched to SD-SDI if you so desire.

 

Edited June 16, 2010 by Mike Germond

[Alec Jarnagin SOC]

Michael,

 

"Is there an SDI BNC port on the camera so I can have image on my TB-6 or do I need a downconverter for it?"

 

A point of clarification. "SDI" actually stands for "serial digital interface." While it is standard definition, it is different that an analog standard definition signal (NTSC/PAL). I point this out not to be a bugger about definitions but if you ask an engineer for a "SDI" signal, she will give that to you but your TB-6 will not understand it. Some new monitors and waveforms use this SDI protocol.

 

Fun new times.

 

Cheers.

[Marc Abernathy]

Michael,

 

i fly the 1450 on an Ultra2 which is basically the same as the 1500 and a link HD wireless system daily. if i can take any photos for you or anything else, i am willing to help. i am looking to have terry west make some mogami 1354 jumpers for me.. maybe give him a call if you can not find the jumper you need...

Edited June 17, 2010 by Marc_Abernathy

[Mike Germond SOC]

The 1450 is only similar in size and body style, otherwise it is completely different. The 1450 is a Triax camera while the 1500 is a Fiber camera, so Mogami 1354 coax will not help you with the 1500. The 1450 also is short an SDI2 and a Prompter2 connector, and has a different menu structure.

 

Hey Marc, how do you like that Link system? I may be the lucky beneficiary of some generous corporate spending pretty soon here. I've only got to fly the system once.

 

Here's a shot of the 1500 rear panel so you can know what to expect: