Sony has reported that the XDCAM EX product has seen orders in excess of 900 units in just four months since its European launch.
The first major order was placed by dealer/distributor MITCORP back in September 2007, at IBC, for 100 cameras.
"The response to the PMW-EX1 has been incredible and it looks like to demand for this product isn't going to slow down any time soon," commented Dennis Lennie, Business Development Manager, MITCORP. "Sony's PMW-EX1's 1920 x 1080 lens sensors are really attracting our customers. The camera's excellent image quality and durability is attracting a variety of customers including television production companies, such as Philip Bloom who is filming five short films for Sky News and Channel 5 News. High end corporate productions and low budget film makers are also realising the benefits of this camera. Production company Special Treats are delighted with the results of the EX1 and are currently using the camera to shoot behind the scenes footage in the forthcoming James Bond film."
With different filming situations in mind, one of MITCORP's recent XDCAM EX customers, Russian Hour, used the XDCAM EX to create a series of infomercials for one of Russia's most affluent and coldest regions Ugra, to promote in Europe in time for the forthcoming Russia-EU summit.
"With temperatures reaching below 20 degrees in Ugra, we wanted a camera that had the endurance to withstand the extreme cold weather, whilst portraying the beauty and wealth of the Ugra region," said Alexander Korobko, CEO and Producer, Russian Hour. "The Sony XDCAM EX was an exceptional workhorse which provided us with the best quality and did not let us down in any of the weather conditions we were faced with."
More recently, digital camcorder rental house Hireacamera, has become one of the first companies in the UK to hire out Sony PMW-EX1 camcorders. Managing Director Guy Thatcher, says the PMW-EX1 represents a watershed for the broadcast industry: "So much about the EX1 says this is the future of broadcasting. It is the first fully HD camcorder on the market that cannot record in SD. The beauty of the SxS PRO cards is that you can edit on the fly because they are designed to slot straight into a laptop. From undercover investigations to corporate trailers, it is incredible what you get for your money."
The newly developed flash memory cards SxS PRO, is a recording medium which realizes 800 Mbps high-speed data transfer and enables non-linear capabilities such as instant random access and file based operation. Equipped with two SxS PRO memory card slots, the PMW-EX1 can record up to 100 minutes of the highest quality footage at 35Mbps or 140 minutes at 25Mbps using two 16GB SxS PRO memory cards.
Having road tested Sony's PMW-EX1 for Hireacamera last November, TV cameraman Jon Chappell, Head of training school Cameraskills.tv believes the overall design will appeal to serious film makers. "It feels like a professional camera. Little details like a proper iris ring make all the difference. It's comfortable to use, works well in low light and performs in enclosed spaces. For shooting observational stuff, it is a definite improvement on the Sony HVR-Z1E."
