Sony XDCam EX1

Sony is due to release a new camera in this November to replace the familiar Sony Z1, and it looks like its shaping up to be a very decent camera and worthy replacement. Some of the big changes to Sony's traditional camera lines are the tapeless recording medium, no SD recording or down conversion options and bigger 1/2 inch sensor chips. I thought it would be interesting to compare a few technical specifications between the Z1 and the new EX1, as well as compare them to the recently released Holy Grail of digital movie cameras, the Red One. Although some might say this is rather like comparing Apples to Oranges, both the Sony EX1 and Red One are targeting the high end Prosumer markets which will appeal to Indie film-makers, and the price range isn't too dissimilar to compare the two. The results are below: (scroll down for the table)

Camera	Sony Z1	Sony EX1	Red One	Sony CineAlta F23	Panavision Genesis
Sensor Type	3x ¼ inch CCD	3x ½ inch CMOS	1x 1.1 inch CMOS	3x 2/3 inch CCD	1x 1.1 inch CCD
Effective Pixel Count	1440 x 1080 / 1.1MP	1920 x 1080 / 2.2MP	4520 X 2540 / 12MP	1920 x 1080	1920 x 1080 / 12MP
Sensitivity	F10	F10	F11	>F12	<F10
Signal/Noise Ratio	52 dB	54 dB	66 dB	62 dB	63 dB
Frame Rate Ranges	25/29.97fps	720P 1-60fps, 1080P 1-30fps	2k 1-100fps, 4k 1-60fps	1-60fps	1-50fps
Recording Formats	108050/60i 25Mb/s onto MiniDV	108050/60i 25Mb/s, 1080P 35Mb/s onto Express Cards	2540P, 4K, 2K, 1080P, 720P onto CF Cards or RAID	1080P HDCAM SR	1080P SSR1 or HDCAM SR
Color Compression	4:2:0 8 bit	4:2:0 8 bit	4:4:4 RGB 10 bit log	4:4:4 RGB 10 bit	4:4:4 RGB 10 bit log
Weight	2.2KG	2.8KG	4.5KG	5KG	6KG
Price Range	$5 000 US	$12 000 US	$17 000 US	~$80 000 US	$10 000 / Week Rental US

It's important to remember that there are a few major differences between the Sony EX1 and RedOne camera. With the EX1, you recieve an all inclusive package which includes batteries, a fixed lens, 2x 8GB Express Cards and charger etc. With the RedOne you only receive the camera, and must purchase all extras separately. There are two reasons I can think of behind this decision, the first being to keep the apparent camera price low, and the second to make the camera highly customizable and upgradable, especially in regard to changeable lenses. Thanks to DVUser (http://dvuser.co.uk) for the images and be sure to check out this in-depth article on the first impressions of the Sony EX1

Edit: I added the CineAlta F23 and Panasonic Genesis, due to their use in motion pictures. It is interesting to compare to cheaper cameras to these more professional orientated ones, as there is less of a difference than what you would expect. The new Sony EX1 compares really well to the Sony F23, as does the Red One to the Panavision Genesis, despite their major price differences.