Hello and welcome to XDCAM-USER.

For the very latest news and information please go to my blog page by clicking here, this is where you will find all the good stuff.

My latest posts for users of the PXW-FS7:

• Sony’s Internal Recording Levels Are Correct.
• Vocas Sliding Base Plate System.
• Recovering footage from formatted cards.

My latest posts for users of the PXW-FS5

• Using different gamuts when shooting raw with the PXW-FS5
• Sony’s Internal Recording Levels Are Correct.
• Recording the slow motion S&Q output of an FS5 to a normal external recorder (not raw).

And my latest posts for users of the PMW-F5 or PMW-F55

• Sony’s Internal Recording Levels Are Correct.
• Vocas Sliding Base Plate System.
• Recovering footage from formatted cards.

General discussion on cinematography

• Can You Shoot Anamorphic with the PXW-FX9?
• Venice to get even higher frame rates in V5 firmware.
• Do I need to worry about 8K?

Please take a look at the menu bar at the top of the page for many more discussion and post categories. There is a lot of information on this website for beginners through to seasoned professionals.

Can’t find what your looking for? Please use the search box to search the site. There’s a lot of information about camera setups, reviews, shooting tips and other stuff going back almost a decade. I can’t index it all so please use the search function. There’s a lot of great stuff in the archives! With a normal browser you’ll find the search box over on the left in the dark side bar. On a mobile browser it’s down towarde the bottom of the page. You may need to scroll down a bit to get to it. Click Here to go to the forum.

Cine EI and how to use it.  I have prepared a series of guides to using Cine EI mode on the PMW-F5, PMW-F55, and PXW-FS7. Check out the links at the top of the page for guides to these cameras and many others.

The site is run and maintained by DP Alister Chapman, this web site is primarily aimed at users of Sony’s XAVC, XDCAM and FS products (PMW, NEX, PXW etc), but you will find a wide range of information on all aspects of television and video production, so no matter what camera you use there is likely to be information helpful to you. The Tech Notes page  has a list of many easy to understand articles on technical issues and the science of shooting better video.

In Alisters Blog there are articles on camera setup, technical features, equipment reviews and industry news. If there is anything you would like to know about do ask using the blog comments or through the forum.

Alister attends mosts of the major trade shows, including CabSat, NAB, IBC, Broadcast Asia and many others.

XDCAM-USER.com is run entirely by Alister Chapman. It is not directly affiliated to Sony or Sony’s XDCAM product line. The views expressed in the blog are those of Alister and other blog contributors. You can also follow Alister on Twitter and on Facebook for all the latest news and updates.

Alister runs tours and workshops for individuals and groups both large and small. He is an excellent teacher and works with Sony, F-Stop Academy and Santa Fe Workshops as well as other educational establishments to provide  quality video production training and education around the world. He also runs his own workshops and adventure tours. You can find more information on  these here.

Alister is not a Sony employee. He is a freelance DoP/DIT and consultant. He is a Sony ICE (Independent Certified Expert) and because of his technical expertise and practical experience (over 25 years in broadcast TV and film production) is asked from time to time to work closely with Sony on training events and trade shows as well as producing videos and other training materials for Sony.