Review: DXG-595V 1080p

[bennmann]

848x480p60fps is now 8-10Mbits/sec in 1.23. Very Hot.

[brians238]

Bennman,

Thanks for the confirmation re EIS and 1080p. I use a monopod for 1080p steadiness and it works well by adding extra weight and stability even when its folded. A number of editing packages also deal well with the shakes, so it's not a major issue. The really big news to me on this update is that 720p is now usable and produces very good video. I took some movies at a cross-country meet at 720p with EIS and the results are very good indeed. I have not noticed any great reduction in battery life, but it stands to reason that there will be some reduction due to the higher data rates. The biggest problem is that even a quad core machine with decent graphics have a hard time with these high bitrate videos. I've played with Windows Live Movie Maker and it does a good job of rendering these videos in WMV format. The WMVs are relatively low bitrate, and my A/B testing shows a small reduction in detail in 1080p rendering, but nevertheless it's a good alternative to the editing software packaged with the cam which does not render 1080p in 16:9 format.

[meteo]

Hello,
where can i download samples 1080p or 720p raw from camcorder? I found on firsth page but links are dead. Can some one send me raw video from camcorder? I wanna buy this camera too.

[bobjr94]

I see some of the posts with people saying their computer can not play the new higher bitrate files. The video card will make a huge difference, much more than upgrading a cpu.

I have 2 computers, both are not real fast compared to the new quad core cpu's. They are just dual core athlons, 2500 and 3000mhz but both can play 720 or 1080 video with only about 2-4% cpu useage. But I have a video card that hardware decodes most video formats, including variations of mpg4 used in blu ray drives, WMV HD or in the .mov files used by the DXG. The card I have in both is a Radeon 4670 and sell for about 70$.

First I would still get the newest drivers for whatever video card you have, even if your using the built in motherboard video many newer chipsets can hardware decode mpg4 and if your drivers are somewhat old a new set may enable it.

ALso in a quick test of the latest firmare, I did 2 20 second videos. At 720 I got 28mb, so that would be about 1.1MB per second and at 1080 I had a 50mb file, so that would be about 2.1mb per second ? Then minus about 150k for overhead and sound and that gives a much higher rate than before.

I can post some raw samples but not till Monday, leaving for the holiday.

[brachiopod]

Originally Posted by brians238

Brachiopod,

I see the option on the menu but I do not see the EIS indicator on the screen in 1080p mode like I do in 720p. I have not noticed any difference in stability when I turn it off. Is it working on your cam? Do you see the EIS indicator on your screen in record mode at 1080p?

Thanks for the input,

Brian

Sorry for the delay, yeah, you can turn EIS on in the menu for 1080p mode, but it does not work. You can tell because the field of view is not narrower due to the cropping that EIS would need to use to work. I think that they may have changed the digital zoom settings also, not sure since I didn't use it much before the update. Previously I don't think that it was actually possible to get the "20X" zoom advertised.

[iafilm]

Originally Posted by RichardFaulkner

If you guys are interested, I can type up some instructions ..., but it does involve disassembling your cam.
Just let me know if you want any instructions or if you want me to try out a new mod

Thank you so much for doing these experiments!
(1) The mod I really really want the most is a lock or stop for the always-on autofocus. Can you identify a servo motor that is doing the focussing and is it possible to cut a wire to it and insert a switch?
(2) Hints please on dismantling - is it straightforward or are there tricks - especially how is the LCD side screen attached?
(3) Curiosity - is this based around the Ambarella chip?
(4) What experiment bricked your cam? Just so we know to avoid that one!

2 x test movies posted at
http://www.youtube.com/iafilm

[coolpartyoolparty]

Please help. Where I can download fw 1.23? Thank you

[RichardFaulkner]

Originally Posted by iafilm

Thank you so much for doing these experiments!
(1) The mod I really really want the most is a lock or stop for the always-on autofocus. Can you identify a servo motor that is doing the focussing and is it possible to cut a wire to it and insert a switch?
(2) Hints please on dismantling - is it straightforward or are there tricks - especially how is the LCD side screen attached?
(3) Curiosity - is this based around the Ambarella chip?
(4) What experiment bricked your cam? Just so we know to avoid that one!

2 x test movies posted at
http://www.youtube.com/iafilm

1) It seems like the servo motor is completely integrated into the lens barrel. From the looks of it, there are no loose wires that can be cut for a switch, and the motor is soldered to a ribbon cable. In this case, I am not sure whether implementing a switch is possible. I will try to look further into it.
2) From what I can remember, dismantling the camcorder is not too difficult. However, the way in which each part is put together is a bit tricky, and may be slightly difficult to put back together. I can imagine this might be the case for some people, but I did not experience much difficulty at all. And the LCD is pretty simple; just undo the screws above and below the screen.
3) Yes. The camera does use an Ambarella. Specifically the A2-A1-RH-A270C. However, I cannot seem to find the the make or model of the CMOS sensor nor the lens barrel. But if we do find out, this might open up the possibility for a sensor upgrade mod or a fixed focus mod.
4) Actually, my camera was not bricked by any of my experiments. I was upgrading the firmware, and accidentally flashed the firmware from an old Aiptek instead.

I have uploaded some photos of the camera's parts, and if anyone can identify the make of the CMOS sensor or the lens barrel, that would be wonderful!

http://i50.tinypic.com/qx8hea.jpg
http://i45.tinypic.com/tan6vb.jpg
http://i48.tinypic.com/qodmhd.jpg
http://i50.tinypic.com/a3hl.jpg
http://i49.tinypic.com/15q83g7.jpg
http://i48.tinypic.com/14jm0zr.jpg
http://i47.tinypic.com/2cihgsx.jpg

[iafilm]

Thanks Richard. Gives me more confidence to dig in there. I think my first experiment will be to disconnect the lens ribbon cable entirely and see if the cam dies or continues to operate! My highest ambition is to mate these parts with an old Super-8mm camera with a very good lens.

New video on Youtube - stop motion animation running as a stills camera. Could this be the first indie movie production out of this tech?!
(content warning! - wildlife mockumentary depicts mating dance of fantastical animals!)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GHF8-O10YSw

This kind of animation is a common teaching activity for media teachers. I wish the camera had some alternative to its simple autofocus. This result is reasonably good under difficult conditions but I would like to be able to do better. I get the impression that it is possible to build a very good camera around an Ambarella chip and I wish someone would - maybe if DXG keep improving they can make the breakthrough? Is anyone else implementing the more recent Ambarella chips? More tech comment:
http://iafilm.blogspot.com/2009/12/l...rodyciums.html

[newuser01]

Is the camera filter removable and if so what is the filter size?