News From Here & There

Sony PMW-F3 lenses only fit on the PMW-F3?
Sony sells a three lens kit in addition to the PMW-F3 body, but you can only buy the lenses with the camera. Sony says that the lenses are PL lenses (see: pro.sony: PMWF3K)

Sony offers two affordable models of the PMW-F3: one is without a lens, the PMW-F3L; the other includes three PL lenses (35/50/85-mm, T2.0), the PMW-F3K.

BUT, several people have reported that these aren't "standard" lenses and they don't work with other cameras. Philip Johnston at HD Warrior is the latest to report this:

This is where I take issue with Sony they have dedicated their prime lenses to fit on this camera only, so you can’t use them on any other camera, this may be for technical reasons but as we know Sony don’t make lenses, a third party has made these lenses but to Sony’s specifications.

Note too that Philip currently has both the AG-AF100 (AG-AF101) and the PMW-F3 in his possession (the former is his own, the latter is on loan) and he promises a comparison, though at the moment he's been only hinting about his results:

my good pal and fellow DP, John commented “it’s very filmic” “the pictures are unreal”

HDWarrior: Head to Head…The Big Test AF101 v F3



Sony Creative Software Event at NAB
April 11, 6:30pm to 9:00 pm
Sony Creative Software, developers of award-winning applications for video, audio, DVD and Blu-ray production, and AMD, a leading global provider of innovative microprocessor and graphics solutions, invite you to attend their 11th annual open house to hear exciting announcements about their professional line of mulitimedia production applications.
Register: Sony Creative Software NAB Users Event 2011



iMovie for iPad Review
Jeff Carlson at MacWorld takes an in-depth look at the iMovie for iPad app. He notes that the iMovie app works with only a limited variety of material - primarily iOS video - though it will work with some other cameras:

Footage is assumed to come from the iPad’s cameras, an iPhone 4, or a fourth-generation iPod touch (H.264 up to 720p, MPEG-4). AVCHD? Go to the desktop. Based on the video-capture devices at hand, I was able to import and edit footage from a Flip Mino HD, but not a Canon Powershot G12.

He's generally positive - despite a few issues - though he also remains hopeful for more features.
MacWorld: iMovie

Meanwhile, Michael Koerbel and Anna Elizabeth James have already used it to edit an episode of their web series Goldilocks:

“It still has a long ways to go in contrast to Final Cut or Avid, but if you’re on the go and need to shoot, edit, and upload something immediately from an iOS device, it’s perfect,” James told Mobilized

They are generally happy, though like Jeff Carlson, note the limitation in audio editing:

On the desktop version of iMovie you can separate audio and video, you can’t do that on the iPad version 

Mobilized.AllThingsDigital: Pair of iPhone Filmmakers Try Their Hand at Editing on an iPad 2



Zediva streaming DVDs
David Pogue looks at Zedevia, a video rental service that streams a DVD disc (actually playing in a DVD player) to your computer/set-box over the internet. They're charging $2 for one movie or $1 if you "buy" a 10-pack.

At its California data center, Zediva has set up hundreds of DVD players. They’re automated, jukebox-style. You’re not just renting a movie; you’re actually taking control of the player that contains the movie you want. The DVD is simply sending you the audio and video signals, as if it were connected to your home with a really, really long cable.

Seems interesting, but what do the movie studios think? That's unclear, but it's likely they are happy...
The other question; can it scale?
NewYorkTimes: A Clever End Run Around the Movie-Streaming Gremlins



RED Epic HDRx Footage
One of the new RED features is HDRx, a video mode to increase dynamic range that is demonstrated in this video posted by Mike Seymour:
Vimeo: Rough HDRx test shot