In the next day or two, I am going to take a pot of cash and exchange it for a camera (I already own 2 Z1s, a PDX-10 and an HV20). I really want to own an EX-1. I am nuts:
- It has questionable build quality (paint rubs off)
- It has questionable build quality (back focus issues)
- It has questionable build quality (twiddly switches)
- It has questionable build quality (battery ‘booty’)
- It has been designed in a potting shed (battery runs down on-camera)
- It has been designed in a potting shed (handle is 3 inches off centre)
- It has been designed in a potting shed (doesn’t handle IR well)
- It has been designed in a potting shed (controls ‘sneezed’ onto camera)
Yet…
- Lens is to die for (maybe too sharp for Standard Def?)
- Sensor is to die for (maybe a Letus isn’t totally necessary?)
- Could this be the Infra-RED?
So what I posit is that the EX1 should be judged as the typical British sports car like the TVR Cerbera, in that it has no right to be lined up with Ferraris and Porsches in the same performance class, yet there it is. Hanging out on a Snout Break, ready to sprint with the Olympians. The Z1 is a sort of Prius in comparison, loading up on HDV Mung Beans. The Volvo T5 (looking awfully like an HVX200) is ready to pounce, using its reliability, dependability and sheer deliverability (feel the excitement!) to its advantage. Hmmm. The little Smart HV20 – small, fun, rather good… But still a little pip-squeak. And suddenly life turns into an episode of Top Gear…
Travelling Matt 
I like the ex1 like I loved my old Subaru. It’s not technically the best, but it allowed me to do things I couldn’t do with others. Both will be missed and I hope to get both back. Any thoughts on the jvc hm100? Love your writing btw, let us know if you ever write a book. Thank you for this, btw, it is very much appreciated.
Thanks for the kind words! Ahhh, Scoobies. Yes indeed!
I’ve had an afternoon with the HM100 along with Rick Young over at MacVideo.tv. It’s not like the PDX-10, which could be used as an ultra-budget main camera in good light. In the pro game, it’s a B-roll camera, locked off wide shot or ‘crashcam’, in that its images are really nice and can cut well with the EX but the zoom and exposure controls are very fiddly. The zoom in particular has a tractor style gearbox, so it’s not for zooming in-shot. Rick’s replacing his A1 as his interviews are filmed from 3 angles and cut in multicam. It’s ideal for this respect.
Hopefully MacVideo will be doing a little video on it soon.