Saturday, April 16, 2011

B & H closes for the week

B & H closes at 12:00PM EDT on Sunday, April 17th, and will be closed through Wednesday, April 27th at 9:00AM ED. If you were planning to order something - that's in stock - you might want to do it now!



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News From Here & There

YouTube Changes It's Copyright Violation Policy
It used to be that if you had three "strikes" against your YouTube account for uploading copyrighted material, then they would remove the account permanently. YouTube has now changed the policy,  and re-vamped their "Copyright Education Center." They also now require users who receive takedown notices to go to "copyright school."

The Electronic Frontier Foundation applauds these changes, though they think they could do still more:
As an initial matter, if YouTube is going to ask users to learn more about copyright when they get a takedown notice, they should require the same of rightsholders whose takedowns are disputed. As we have been reminded all too often, many content owners are badly in need of copyright education.
Electronic Frontier Foundation: YouTube Sends Users To Copyright School: Will Content Owners Have to Go, Too?



Roger Deakins Continues His Move To Digital
Cinematographer Roger Deakins has been talking about going to digital for the past year, so it's not really news to see that Roger just finished Now using the Arri Alexa, and that "I'm probably going to use Alexa on my next shoot — it seems very likely." What is interesting is that it appears that movie is the next James Bond movie.

There are some holdouts though, and the article reports that The Dark Knight Rises will be shot on film because director Christopher Nolan prefers "to shoot on film."

But Deakins says about the movie Now:
"I did a test on Alexa, and it looked right for the movie. We were doing a lot of night shooting in downtown L.A. It wasn't a big-budget film, so we were using existing streetlights and boosting with a practical light. I wouldn't have had enough exposure or the range or shadows with film."
Hollywood Reporter: Cinematographer Roger Deakins Switching From Film to Digital Camera
LATimes: Sony and MGM finalize James Bond, co-financing partnership



Title Design: Saul Bass
Saul Bass designed some of the most iconic movie titles sequences. Christian Annyas has a website where he has assembled still sequences showing many of these sequences.
The Movie title stills collection: Saul Bass

I came across the above after seeing Steven Heller's article at The Atlantic which highlights the fact that studios aren't using Bass movie poster designs for their DVD releases.
TheAtlantic: How Hollywood Butchered Its Best Movie Posters



Edward Burns Invites Fans Music For His Next Movie
For his latest indie movie, Edward Burns first invited fans to submit movie poster designs (to be used at the Tribeca Film Festival) and that went so well that he's now looking for music:
Edward Burns' upcoming film Newlyweds is looking for a song for placement in the film. Submissions open on April 12, and will close on April 20 at 9:00 am PST / 12:00 pm EST. Edward Burns will listen to and select the winning track by end of day on Friday, April 22. 
Soundcloud: Newlyweds Song Contest

indieWire talks to Burns about the low budget film, and how he came to invite fans to submit work for it.
indieWire: EXCLUSIVE: Edward Burns Wants You to Choose His Movie’s Poster and Song



Canon 5D Mark III Rumor
CanonRumors reports on DIGIC V, the next iteration of the Canon processor, and which will probably be in the next 5D Mark III.
CanonRumors: DIGIC V [CR1]



Why Cisco Killed The Flip
Margueriite Reardon at CNET tries to explain why Cisco killed the Flip:
The business unit's sales fell 19 percent versus the prior year, and its market share dropped to 17 percent, NPD's data shows. But NPD analyst Stephen Baker attributes the decline in Flip camera sales to "strategic marketing missteps, and more aggressive competition, as opposed to any evidence of an underlying fall in demand."
CNET: Why Cisco killed the Flip mini camcorder



The Hobbit
Peter Jackson has posted the first behind-the-scenes, making-of video for The Hobbit.
Facebook: THE HOBBIT Start of Production
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Friday, April 15, 2011

NAB wrap up

NAB is done, and I'm still trying to dig out from underneath the avalanche of stuff...


The Most Intriguing Thing At The Show?
Was the Blackmagic HyperDeck Shuttle the coolest item unveiled at the show? I'm not sure; I'm not even sure that I completely understand what it is...have they really come out with something that essentially does what devices like the $2,000 AJA Key Pro Mini and the $995 Atomos Ninja do for under $400? Admittedly, it lacks the LCD and some of the format conversion options of those digital recorders, but it does record 4:2:2 from HDMI or HD-SDI to ProRes on SSD, all for $345. Seems like the perfect "budget" recording device to use with DSLRs.





Cinema5D: NAB 2011 -Death of HDSLR part 1: Uncompressed recorder for $345
Blackmagic: HyperDeck Shuttle
Cinescopophilia: Blackmagic Design $345 HyperDeck Shuttle 10 bit SDI or HDMI Portable Recorder


Atomos Ninja & Samurai
If you want a screen with that, the Atomos Ninja & Samurai offer more features for a little more money. DSLR News Shooter has a report from the NAB floor show. Works with SSD or HDD.
There's an interesting discussion of problems dealing with 24p footage from the Panasonic GH2, and recommendation of a case or cover when using in wet weather.
DSLR News Shooter: NAB 2011 – Jeremy Young of Atomos shows us the Ninja and Samurai Prores recorders
B & H: ATOMOS Ninja Video Hard Disk Recorder [$995]



Cameras
  • Sony PMW-F3 decked out. The AbelCine booth featured a decked-out PMW-F3. Andy Shipsides explains. They had the new - unreleased - S-Log firmware from Sony on the camera too: NAB ’11: Sony F3 Solutions

  • Technicolor & Canon: This isn't a camera, but it's camera specific; Canon and Technicolor announced a joint venture of a "Cinestyle" picture profile for Canon cameras. Dan Chung interviews Joshua Pines of Technicolor. He says it will be free! DSLRNewsShooter: NAB 2011 – Technicolor demonstrate the Cinestyle picture style for canon dslr video

  • Small Profile, Big Results? The Advantages and Challenges of DSLR Cinematography: NABShowDaily reports on a panel at NAB moderated by American Cinematographer Associate Editor Jon Witmer, with cinematographers Russell Carpenter, ASC (“Titanic”), Svetlana Svetko (“Inside Job”) and John Guleserian (“Like Crazy”): DSLR: The State of the Art

  • JVC 4K: "Over the next few months, JVC is going to invite innovative cinematographers and other production professionals to help us develop 4K cameras, 3D cameras, and other products that deliver outstanding images and improved workflows at an affordable price point": Broadcasting&Cable: NAB: JVC Previews 4K Technology

  • Ikegami large-sensor ENG camera: Ikegami shows a prototype Micro 4/3rds large sensor ENG style camera. DSLRNewsShooter: NAB 2011 – Ikegami shows off the HDS-F90 large sensor 4/3rds sensor eng camera



Accessories



Show Floor Thoughts



Other
  • Zacuto pimps original content. If you read the report of Planet5D's webchat with Steve Weiss from Zacuto, you will have seen his promotion of online content. So it's not a surprise to see Zacuto's original content page: Zacuto Original Programming
    (See also: NotesOnVideo: Steve Weiss - Zacuto | Webchat recap)

  • Mocha is a planar tracker that works with Final Cut Pro, After Effects and others. In this podcast NAB Show Buzz talks to Ross Shain, Chief Marketing Officer of Imagineer: Ross Shain, Imagineer
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A Little More Final Cut Pro X

We're still digesting Tuesday's "sneak peak," and while most everyone is careful to say "we have to wait and see the real thing" the pro- and anti- camps are already staking out their high-grounds, and will be ready to do battle once the software is released.

Here's the latest I've found:

Firstly, you can find full-screen screen-shots in the article at NoFilmSchool, including this one:

Also at NoFilmSchool, Ryan Koo takes on those that say that Apple hasn't really announced anything new - most of the features shown already exist in other programs - and says that it’s not what features you include in a piece of software, it’s how you design them:
To me, a great example is the new Color Board. Apple scraps the three-way color correction wheels that we’re used to in favor of this [...]
Just looking at the non-interactive screenshot, you can hazard a guess on how to use it: grab the white circle to adjust highlights, grab the gray circle to adjust midtones, and grab the black circle to adjust shadows. Move the icons on the X axis to adjust the hue and on the Y axis to adjust the brightness.
NoFilmSchool: Full Resolution Screenshots of Final Cut Pro X and the Importance of Avoiding Lock-In



The Hollywood Reporter has some quotes from Avid's CEO, Gary Greenfield:
I think what was reiterated last night is what we have been telling our customers for a long time, that Avid is the company that wakes in the morning focused on professional workflows -- professional workflows for professionals who making a living doing what they are doing
HollywoodReporter: Avid CEO Weighs in on Rival Apple's New Editing Software



Kurt Lancaster at Mastering Film walks through all the feature shown, though at the beginning he reports he was never a fan of the original program:
The interface for Final Cut was never really intuitive, and relatively hard to teach. It never had the design panache of the image-defining Apple brand. To me, it was a disappointment, and I had always felt that Sony Vegas was superior in the realm of an intuitive interface and ease of use.

But not anymore. I’m more excited about this release of Final Cut than any other software I’ve seen.
MasteringFilm: Apple’s Final Cut Pro X – Nothing Else Quite Like It



Jon Chappell at Digital Rebellion is generally hopeful, though he notes at least one concern:
The feature I'm most unsure about is dynamic tracks. Tracks will appear and disappear as you move clips around and new tracks will be added when you use the magnetic timeline. This could cause organizational problems if you always put music on tracks 8-9 for instance, and it would be a nightmare if you need to output a multi-channel show.
Digital Rebellion: My thoughts on Final Cut Pro X



And Chris Portal comes out swinging in defense of the complaints about it's iMovie-like appearance, it's interface, and it's cheapness [Really? People are upset about that?! -Ed]
Aspects of Final Cut Pro X do indeed look and feel like iMovie, but so what. What does that mean? As some have already countered, “just because a Ford and a Ferrari (and a Juke) have a steering wheel and an accelerator, it doesn’t make them the same car”. 
ChrisPortal: Final Cut Pro X Rebuttal



and then...

Steve Miller at The DV Show takes everything apart - including the icon! - and sees the worst:
1. Watching video of the SuperMeet and hearing over 1500 editors screaming and shouting in awe over software that looks and performs like a pumped up version of iMovie just didn’t seem right. It was like Steven Spielberg getting all excited over the release of a Flip camera – it just didn’t seem to go.
One important lesson from this column: Be negative and you'll get lots of comments!
TheDVShow: “iMovie Pro” Dazzles Professional Editors
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Sony NEX-FS100 Presentation - Juan Matrinez



Sony Product manager Juan Matrinez gives a presentation about the Sony NEX-FS100. Opening the talk by emphasizing shallow depth-of-field, which is a little ironic given the relatively slow kit lens and lack of ND filters on the camera.

"35mm optics have a less rigorous specification than a smaller sensor. If you have a 2/3 inch sensor, in order to achieve 1080P resolution you need to have 100 line pairs per mm, whereas if you have a Super 35mm sensor, as we do in this camera, you only need 41, less than half."

Comparing the NEX-FS100 to a DSLR
"We're grossly oversampling for HD, and we're not allowed to say the specification of the sensor, but I can say that we are grossly over-sampling high definition"

35mm Film Gate Sizes

Comparing the NEX-FS100 sensor to typical DSLR sensor

Though the slides refer to the Canon 5D Mark II, Juan did point out that the same applies when comparing the NEX-FS100 to Sony's Alpha DSLRs

NEX-FS100 sensor compared to Micro Four-Thirds sensor (center) and the cropped area of the Micro Four-Thirds sensor when producing a 16:9 image

Flange Back Distance





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Thursday, April 14, 2011

Final Cut Pro X - More notes

Still another collection of reports on Final Cut Pro X (or 10) [See earlier reports: Final Cut Pro 10 - Sneak Peak Wrap Up ..Part II]


Larry Jordan, take II
Larry has already written a column with his thoughts [Larry'sBlog: The sound of 1,700 Jaws Dropping] but he also spoke about it in the last 10 minutes of the NAB Show Buzz episode for Wednesday April 13th.

He described the atmosphere this way; "the enthusiasm for the product was as much relief that it wasn't as screwed up as everybody thought it would be," and noted that it was a "sneak peak" and adds that this was a sneak peak and that Apple was still soliciting opinions. I think he may be a bit optimistic; given my experience with software engineering, and that the release date is June, I don' t think they'll be making huge changes between now and then!

Larry is carefully positive, though notes that "the devil is in the details." He also said that Final Cut X is built upon Quartz composer, and that's why it looks like iMovie. But he stresses that it's not iMovie Pro, adding that an Apple rep told him that if it had been "we would not be showing this at NAB, we would not be showing it at SuperMeet."

Finally, he seems to think that the other apps from Final Cut Studio are being unbundled , and that the price of $299 applies only to Final Cut Pro. This doesn't agree with what was said at the event:
In the past we’ve had a number of different flavors. We’ve had upgrade pricing, we’ve had Final Cut Express, we’ve had Final Cut Studio. So we decided that we really want to do away with all of that. We want to greatly simplify the pricing structure and make it very very easy for you to decide if you want to get a copy of Final Cut Pro. So we’ve decided to make it available for the amazing price of $299.
-Peter Steinauer, Apple senior video applications engineer
Final Cut Studio right now is $999 ($779 at Amazon) and the upgrade price is $299. The above statement makes no sense if they plan to charge extra for the other apps. Unless it's $4.99 for each, but even then, there will be complaining: the "new" Final Cut Studio would actually cost existing owners more to upgrade than previous upgrades cost!

However, I'm not convinced that the other modules are being rewritten in major ways. I would not be surprised if they remained in existence, but had only been tweaked to work with what the new Final Cut passes them; kind of like what has happened to DVD Studio Pro (which will not be updated!)



The Name
It's Final Cut X, right? That's what they had on the slides; I seem to have been using "10" mistakenly. That's what happens when you aren't at the event!



Walter Biscardi, who was somewhat negative about the whole SuperMeet event from the start, writes his opinions of what was shown, but starts out with a note about a meeting with Avid, and how they finally are really "listening" to their users.

Then he gets into the heart of the event:
What Apple actually chose to show was quite nice.
The two highlights for me were Audition and the Magnetic audio.
He goes on to note concerns about the many things that weren't shown:
The reaction among the pro editors and others I chatted with after the show was tepid at best. I think an encounter by one of the folks was somewhat telling.
Editor: Nice presentation but what about those features that weren’t shown?
In the end, he seems to assume that all the answers to the unanswered questions are "no" and that while the installed base will grow, power users will move to Avid and Adobe:
The biggest beneficiaries of the one hour presentation will most likely turn out to be Avid and Adobe. Sure Apple will sell millions of copies of X, but those other two A’s my very well come out ahead.
Biscardi Creative Blog: The "Future" of editing



Gary Adcock writes up a report for MacWorld and also notes the confusion about the other apps and even wonders what will happen to Final Cut Express...ummm:
So we decided that we really want to do away with all of that.
-Peter Steinauer, Apple senior video applications engineer
And even though he lists many features that weren't covered, he remains optomistic:
That being said, I'm happy to say those articles about Apple “dumbing down” Final Cut were a far cry from the mark—the features touted in Tuesday's presentation make that clear. Additionally, if Apple were so ready to write off its professional base, I doubt the company would have premiered the Final Cut Pro X first look at the SuperMeet, of all places, nor touted Academy Award-winning films such as The Social Network and True Grit as prime examples of what this software can do.
MacWorld: Final Cut Pro X stays in the picture for pros


Daniel Bérubé from BOSFCPUG, and one of the organizers of the SuperMeet, has a photo library on Facebook: Tenth Annual Las Vegas FCPUG SuperMeet


Steve Cohen, an Avid user, offers his perspective:
The editing model is even more drag-and-drop than current FCP, and to make it work, clips move out of the way to accommodate a drag, something Apple calls a “magnetic” timeline. Drag and drop encourages track proliferation — you just keep stacking stuff up.
He thinks it will be great for the masses, and will work well for unstructured material. Others might not be so happy:
For structured material, it makes less sense. Whether automatically moving clips around in a timeline and automatic track creation will work for scripted features and television remains to be seen.
SpliceNow: What Was Said and What Wasn’t



Philip Hodgetts offers his perspective, and also points out a technical detail:
The fact that it is 64 bit, uses “Snow Leopard” technologies such as Grand Central Dispatch, and supports 4K means that it’s not based on QuickTime. While they could have rolled their own, I believe it’s based on AV Foundation – certainly no-one has tried to discourage me from that thought – although it is unconfirmed. It remains the most logical explanation for the performance improvements we’ve seen.
Bye bye QuickTime?

While he is aware that much wasn't shown, Philip is really excited about the new release, and goes into some of the features in quite some depth.
The color features – beyond auto white balance correction on ingest (optional and non-destructive) – show the ability to apply preset looks [...] This is really indicative of the Apple philosophy at play. Make something that does at least 80% of what could be done, and make it really accessible to non-specialists.
If you want to get excited about Final Cut Pro X - and aren't already - then this is the article to read!
PhilipHodgetts: What are my thoughts on Final Cut Pro X?


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QuickLinks NAB

It's the last day of NAB, and there's lots of things that I've been meaning to list, so here we go with a catch-up edition of QuickLinks:


RED


Other Cameras
  • Sony NEX-FS100: Interview with Den Lennie (I think they have the spelling of his last name wrong) talking about the design of the NEX-FS100 and the operation of the camera: FreshDV: NAB11 FS100 with Den Lenny

  • Sony PMW-TD300 shoulder-mount 3D camcorder. A picture from the show floor of the camera under glass - [it was under glass; it wasn't operational? Then it might be further away from release than we thought...] Twitpic: Sony Professional

  • Sony F65: an audio interview with Richard Louis, Sony Product Specialist about their new 4K camera: Nab Show Buzz: RICHARD LOUIS, SONY

  • High Resolution Camera News: Interested in high-res video cameras? The 4K Hub might be worth following: 4khub.co.za


Accessories


Software:
  • Avid $995 Crossgrade for Final Cut Pro Users: Are you a Final Cut Pro user that wasn't convinced by the SuperMeet demo? Then you can cross-grade to Avid for just $995: Avid: Got Final Cut? Get Media Composer for Just $995

  • Avid information: The NAB Show Buzz podcast talks to Vincent Maza, Worldwide Marketing Manager for Avid about Avid’s NAB 2011 announcements, including a new technology preview for 3D editing: VINCENT MAZA, AVID


Opinion
  • Bruce Johnson suggests that software developers abandon the "Pro" label.
    Though he gets the history wrong; Apple didn't hire Randy Ubillos to create Final Cut as a competitor to Premiere. Macromedia hired Randy to make a video editor, then decided they couldn't release it and looked for a buyer. It's widely reported that Apple bought Final Cut (called KeyGrip) after no-one else came forward.
    ProVideoCoalition: A Modest Proposal Regarding Editing Software


From The Show Floor



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Wednesday, April 13, 2011

3D and High Frame Rates @ NAB

3D and High Frame Rates - the twin horseman of the film-making apocalypse - may not have been the stars of NAB, but they certainly put in an appearance in Sin City. And while this may not have been the year of 3D, with James Cameron giving the keynote, you had to know that 3D would make headlines, though I'm surprised over how small those headlines have been. Sony announced a couple of 3D video cameras at the show; did anyone notice that, or did you only hear about the F65 4K camera?

Putting that aside, wherever 3D goes, discussion about presenting movies at high frame rates seems to follow. Higher frames rates - 48p or 60p -improve the quality of 3D movie presentations because:
3D is two images superimposed that have slight differences between them; left eye right eye, differences. If the motion of the object on the screen from one frame to the next meets or exceeds the displacement between the left and right eye, 3D goes away. It’s lost totally. And you’ve got all these movie directors who want to do action scenes, car crashes and fights and stunts, with fast camera moves, and slamming fists and explosions. And if you actually analyzed those frames, there’s not any information there for substantial periods of time, and the 3D effect virtually vanishes
- Douglas Trumbull
BUT, many people believe that part of the "film look" is the judder caused by shooting in 24p. They find higher frame rate content starts to look like television news (and that's not a complement.)

Let the debate continue...


James Cameron Keynote
James Cameron gave the keynote at NAB, and used it to promote 3D and shooting at higher frames rates. Cameron and Vince Pace have formed a joint venture focused on 3D production called CAMERON – PACE Group (CPG) to promote the "worldwide growth" of 3D. They are evidently unfazed by slow sales of home 3D:
He says that in as little as two years, “everything will be produced in 3D and 2D versions will be extracted from that.”
FilmSchoolRejects: James Cameron is Going to Force You to Watch 3D Forever and Ever
Broadcasting & Cable: NAB: James Cameron, Vince Pace Form New 3D Venture


ARRI announced this week that they have formed a partnership with Cameron and Pace, who will have exclusive commercial access to the first ALEXA M systems (a modular version of the ARRI ALEXA) that will be available in September 2011.
ARRI: ARRI and Cameron - Pace forge 3D partnership



Peter Jackson says that he is shooting The Hobbit in 3D at 48p, and has written about it on Facebook:
Shooting and projecting at 48 fps does a lot to get rid of these issues.  It looks much more lifelike, and it is much easier to watch, especially in 3-D. We’ve been watching HOBBIT tests and dailies at 48 fps now for several months, and we often sit through two hours worth of footage without getting any eye strain from the 3-D.
Two hours with no eye strain at all - well, that's conclusive then!

Joking aside, it's interesting reading; though his suspicion that 24fps was chosen as the minimum speed required for audio fidelity is actually incorrect [See: The 24p debate: Part I].

Importantly, Jackson is convinced that people can get used to it:
Film purists will criticize the lack of blur and strobing artifacts, but all of our crew--many of whom are film purists--are now converts.  You get used to this new look very quickly and it becomes a much more lifelike and comfortable viewing experience.
Not so fast, says Kevin Jagernauth at The Playlist:
Peter Jackson, James Cameron and Douglass Trumbull, who all have breathlessly and excitedly expounded on the topic have all failed to mention just how this fancy pants approach will improve their ability to tell a story. 
Facebook: 48 Frames Per Second
The Playlist: Peter Jackson Confirms & Talks Shooting ‘The Hobbit’ In 3D At 48 Frames Per Second

if 48's key selling point is that it makes 3D more tolerable, that's an awfully thin angle for consumers...
-@Oddernod

Andrew Reid wonders if 48p is really evil, or whether there's a lot of other evil out there; notably how we watch films at home:
Of course 'cinematic' is more than a frame rate - it is the way the camera draws attention with depth of field and focus, it is a whole number of other things. Dynamic range, framing, sound.I don't blame 48p or 60p.I blame the way people are digesting films and video in the home. Modern displays are awful.
EOSHD: Is 48p evil?


Meanwhile, at NAB:

Ethan Daniel Schur at Stereoscopic 3D to the Home has been posting daily reports of what he's seen at NAB. An excellent place to read about the things you didn't read anywhere else. His comment about the placement of the convergence control on the Sony HDR-TD10 seems to make sense to me...
Stereoscopic3D: NAB Day One | NAB 2011 Day Two

Contemplating wearing an eyepatch at NAB so people will feel too awkward to pitch me any 3D gear.
-@5tu

3D Pavllion
Interesting article on the 3D Pavilion at NAB, with comments from Tim Dashwood of Dashwood Cinema Solutions, Jon Shapiro of 3ality Digital and Eric Bergez of Qube Cinem.
"Not all 3D is created equal," says Jon Shapiro, 3D@Home member and co-founder of 3D gear manufacturer 3ality Digital. "Continued growth of a robust home market requires that consistently high-quality 3D content is available. We want to help educate the next generation of 3D stereographers, directors, producers, and technicians, as well as amateurs, and thus improve the consistency of 3D video overall."
NABShowDaily: 3D Pavilion: Systems, Services, Solutions



The Sony F65; in 3D
Sony announced a new high-end 4K, (2D) camera, the F65. I have no idea why they decided to shot this short promo video from the show floor in 3D - maybe because they could?
Youtube: Sony Professional - Overview of the new Sony 4k camera - 3D
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Final Cut Pro 10 - Sneak Peak Wrap Up ..Part II

Filmmaker Magazine has the audio of an interview with David Leitner, who was at last nights SuperMeet, conducted right after the event:
Much of the functionality now in Motion and in SoundTrack Pro and some of these other Final Cut Pro Suite programs is being folded into Final Cut itself. I asked Schiller about that, and he essentially said that this one program is going to contain much if not most of what is in those other programs...
FimMaker: DAVID LEITNER REPORTS FROM THE FINAL CUT PRO X UNVEILING



Nathan Bush at Through The Looking Glass offers his perspective on the announcement, and tries to interpret what Apple is up to:
While the fate of its other video offerings remains unclear, it could be that rather than a simple upgrade from Final Cut Express or downgrade from Final Cut Studio, Apple has recognized another market segment altogether, one that has exploded with the DSLR revolution: the independent professional filmmaker. These are the filmmakers and videographers who don’t require the same sophistication of movies budgeted in the millions, but still need advanced color grading and audio editing tools.
ThroughTheLookingGlass: Upgrade, Downgrade, or Something New? Apple Introduces Final Cut Pro X for $299



Ned Soltz at Digital Video.com walks through the features, but ends with some questions:
What will become of third-party plug-ins which have so enhanced the FCP experience? Two developers with whom I spoke wondered: “We don’t know if we will work in this. Certainly Apple did not share with us.”

Yet another concern comes from those who are accustomed to sending their audio out for sweetening and mixing. With these new timelines, is there going to be OMF support for ProTools export? And, in fact, will there even be a Soundtrack Pro or will all or a subset of STP features be bundled into FCP X?
dv.com: Supermeet 2011: An Open Mind After Apple's Big Reveal



Chris Foresman at ars technica notes a bit of history, and how long it's taken Apple to get their pro apps over to Cocoa APIs (and support for 64-bit):
That left Final Cut Pro, and the rest of Final Cut Studio, languishing in 32-bit land, unable to take advantage of performance improvements of OpenCL, GCD, or even architectural improvements in Intel's latest 64-bit processors. With the rewrite of Final Cut Pro X, Apple is close to vanquishing the last vestiges of Carbon from its software.
arstechnica: Infinite Loop: Apple outs 64-bit Final Cut Pro X, more pro video updates to come



Emmanuel Pampuri has posted the second part of his video of the SuperMeet. This part covers the actual demo.


Final Cut Studio X présentation 2eme partie from Emmanuel Pampuri on Vimeo.


[This continues from: Final Cut Pro 10 - Sneak Peak Wrap Up]

[Update 2:30PM: added dv.com and ars technica reports.]
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Final Cut Pro 10 - Sneak Peak Wrap Up

Everyone's still digesting Apple's preview of Final Cut Pro 10 at last night's SuperMeet. Here's a collection of reports from around the web (see also yesterdays: Final Cut Pro 10 - In June for $299)

This is NOT iMovie Pro, in 20 years of editing I haven't seen this much innovation as in FCP X
@danrubottom


Larry Jordan - who saw almost exactly the same Final Cut demo six weeks ago, so had a bit more time to get his jaw up off the floor - offers his views on what happened, along with some comments from Apple reps and an interesting perspective:
Somehow, I managed to sit in the Apple executive section of the hall. In front of me was Phil Schiller, Senior VP for Worldwide Marketing. The head of PR was sitting to his right. The two lead engineering directors, or VPs, were sitting on either side of me. I was surrounded by top-level executives from engineering, PR, marketing, product management — literally a dozen extremely senior executives were sitting in the front two rows.

Apple would not send this level of executive talent simply to watch the roll-out of a product that they did not care about.  
He concludes with some his own remaining questions. This is probably the best report out there on the meaning of this event.
Larry'sBlog: The sound of 1,700 Jaws Dropping


Chris Fenwick, who has previously expressed reservations about the direction of Final Cut, isn't particularly impressed, and is concerned about whether you'll be able to switch between apps easily when you need to:
So far, we don’t know how FCPX is gonna work with other apps. Does it care? Is a file a file? We don’t know. As an editorial machine. we don’t know. I will tell you this. Much of what I saw tonight looked a lot like iMovie and I am NOT an iMovie fan at all.
OneToOne: FCP X - My thoughts


Scott Simmons at ProVideoCoalition offers his thoughts on all the features demoed, then puts together a list of questions he has (What about 3rd party plug-ins? What about XML and EDLs in and out of FCP X? etc) and concludes:
This list could go on and on. It’s also important to note that many of the whiz-bang features have been around for quite a while on other NLEs. We need to keep the reality distortion field in check.
PVC: FCP X is shown to the world. Flashy things are seen, questions are asked



Screen shots
The Loop has a collection of product screen shots, even though Apple doesn't seem to have anything on their site yet: First screenshots of Final Cut Pro X


Apple says ‘stay tuned’ for other Final Cut Studio apps” There you have it. Randy DID smile when I asked.
@jdalrymple


Video
Emmanuel Pampuri has posted a 20 minute video taken at the event. Gives you a flavor of it if you weren't there!


Supermeet Apple Final Cut X presentation from Emmanuel Pampuri on Vimeo.



Michael Rose at The Unofficial Apple Weblog reports on the event (much of the reporting is based on the Photography Bay live blog, and @fcpsupermeet twitter reports)
FCP X features resolution-independent playback all the way from SD up to 2K and 4K formats. It now leverages Grand Central Dispatch to take advantage of all cores on the Mac plus the GPU. The crowd goes wild, especially as Steinauer suggests that the ever-popular render bar will now be a thing of the past.
TUAW: Final Cut Pro X announced at NAB SuperMeet


Josh Lowensohn writes up the event news at CNET, noting that Final Cut Express is gone, and wondering about the other apps:
Still, what is likely to be of most interest to longtime users is the future of Final Cut Studio and Final Cut Express, something Ubillos effectively said was done for during tonight's introduction of Final Cut Pro X
CNET: Apple Announces Final Cut Pro


Vincent Rozenberg lists what appealed to him, and offers this summary:
My quick take: Of course I have to touch it but the specs are quite promising. My core business is doing TV shows and we have a quick turnaround. So Background rendering, native AVC/H264 editing and the auto corrections sounds very handy to me when you have to output 2/3 TV shows a week.
VincentRozenberg.com: Final Cut Pro X! (so no FCP8 or 9)


Daniel FreyTag:
In my opinion this update was necessary in regard of the performance issues with files from HDSLR cameras and 4k. Apple did a great job with this new version and made incredible improvements with background rendering. We have to wait and test, how this new interface is useable for professional video editing.
Freytag-Film.com: FCPX – Apple’s new path of professional film-editing software


Sorry but it looks like "Final Cut 'Not So' Pro" to me.
@chrisfenwick


FCP.co collects together a bare-bones feature list, and posts some photos from the event: Welcome to the new Final Cut Pro X - On the App Store in June for $299

People stop bitching about FCPX, it looks awesome & very professional & is not amateur at all
@ninoleitner

Cont'd: Final Cut Pro 10 - Sneak Peak Wrap Up ..Part II


[Make sure you also check the posts from yesterdays entry, especially the live blog from Photography Bay: Final Cut Pro 10 - In June for $299) ]


[UPDATE 10:28: Added link to Larry Jordan's report
1:00PM added link to Part II  ]





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Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Final Cut Pro 10 - In June for $299

Those aren't the two most important details, but they are pretty important! Apple rolled out a preview of Final Cut Pro 10 at tonight's SuperMeet. Since I wasn't there, I'll leave it to those who were to tell you all about it, but it certainly sounds interesting. They seem to have taken the UI of iMovie and Final Cut, thrown them together, and added lots of features (rolling shutter, audio syncing, etc., etc.,)




Rob Imbs posted this short summation video on TwitVid: Here's the wrap up.


Andrew Reid at EOSHD has already posted his thoughts:
It is an absolute revelation.

With one click colour grading, Open CL and all new 64bit engine, no rendering, no transcoding, 4K support and able to take advantage of more than 4GB RAM for the first time, Final Cut Pro X has been rebuilt from a blank sheet of paper.
EOSHD: New Final Cut Pro X Revealed!!


Breaking news! Final Cut Pro has new version and was renamed iMovie Express
@F9Photo

It looks like iMovie on massive steroids. It is NOT a consumer tool though, no worries.
@IAmNeedCreative

What about Motion? Compressor? SoundtrackPro? Color? Looks like iMovie Pro to me. Not impressed yet.
@chrisfenwick

Eric Reagan at Photography Bay live blogged the event:
“Fully color-managed Final Cut based on colorsync.” “Resolution-independent playback system” Up to 4K formats. To be able to deliver that, “we’re leveraging Grand Central Dispath.” You can use all 8-cores. Background rendering built into application.
PhotographyBay: Final Cut Pro User Group Supermeet – LiveBlog


Ramping and changing speeds of clips can be done right within the timeline, doesn't damage the timeline. Audience erupts in excitement.
Doing color correction now in the timeline. This has been COMPLETELY! re-designed. I feel bad for all the plug in companies.
@robimbs

Talking with folks here. Not exactly jaw dropping but interesting.
Lots of unanswered questions. Tape capture? Filters? Titling? Color? Motion? DVD studio pro? Scopes?
@walterbiscardi


Ryan Koo at NoFilmSchool has a list of the features shown/mentioned:
The “pro version of iMovie” is sort of an apt description, but only if you really emphasize the “pro” part. In my own estimation so far (and from the applause in the room), pro editors are on board with it.
NoFilmSchool: Apple Announces Redesigned 64-Bit Final Cut Pro X with Background Rendering for $299

Mac Rumors also lists what was announced: NAB 2011 Final Cut Pro Supermeet Coverage [Final Cut Pro X Announced]


Philip Bloom posted his thoughts too:
I haven’t used it yet so the the proof will be in the pudding but I am very much looking forward to it. Open minds are the best! ...

The price is crazy cheap at $299, that is actually slightly worrying as it is veering into consumer pricing…as long as it stays pro…PLEASE
NAB 2:New Apple 64 bit Final Cut Pro X announced for $299. Available in June


Finally
Having seen all this, there's a lot of questions unanswered; what about the other apps - Color, Motion, Soundtrack Pro - are they gone, barely touched, or are they being upgraded too?

I have to admit, from a distance - since I only followed this on Twitter and the live blogs - I now feel somewhat underwhelmed. I was expecting a revamped interface and lots of new features (I just didn't know which ones!) But I guess I also expected something else too. Cloud based editing or touch/iPad interfaces or something like that.

I guess I got too wrapped up in the pre-show buzz.

And it was just an hour. SuperMeets usually go on for twice that...did they really need to boot the first half of the program?
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ARRI at NAB

ARRI announced new cameras, third-party software support for ALEXA Log C and ARRIRAW, and - most interestingly for me, because I might *actually* be able to afford one - LED based fresnel lights.


New Cameras: ARRI Studio and ALEXA M

ALEXA M
The ALEXA M splits the camera head from the body, producing a device ideal for mounting on 3D rigs and jibs. The head and body are connected with a fiber optic cable that can also be used for powering the head, depending on distance. The backend provides various recording options; images, sound and metadata can be recorded to SxS cards or external recording devices. The ALEXA M has a PL mount and works with all existing 35 mm lenses

ARRI is planning to present working prototypes of the ALEXA M at IBC 2011 (September) with production in 2012.


ALEXA Studio
The ALEXA Studio has a quiet mirror shutter and an optical viewfinder like the ARRICAM Studio, with the same control panel and buttons as the ALEXA Plus.
The viewfinder is a completely new development, which accepts both 435 and ARRICAM style eyepieces and viewfinder extensions and promises a high resolution, high contrast image with true colors and little geometric distortion. The optical viewfinder can be removed and replaced with the ALEXA Electronic Viewfinder EVF-1.

Due for release before the end of the year, the ALEXA Studio - with its 4:3 sensor, optical viewfinder and other high-end features - is "positioned to become the premium camera for spherical and anamorphic feature films and commercials." Cost, ~$130,000!
ARRI: New ALEXA cameras on the way

ARRI also plans new ALEXA camera features including 120fps and software anamorphic desqueeze

See also: PoetZero: ARRI Announces New ALEXA's Features

On Twitter
Have to be honest, the Alexa ArriRaw footage blows the Epic footage out of the water.
@seanbagley

Wireless Lens Control
ARRI announced a strategic partnership with cmotion, a major manufacturer of high-end lens control systems for cinematographic applications, making current cmotion hand controllers compatible with the ARRI ALEXA Plus camera
ARRI: ARRI and cmotion expand ALEXA wireless options


The Foundry to support ALEXA in NUKE and STORM
"The coming months will prove to be exciting times as support for ALEXA Log C and ARRIRAW is delivered in The Foundry's NUKE and STORM product lines; it's a pleasure to publicly welcome The Foundry as a new and highly valued member of the ARRI Partner Program"
ARRI: The Foundry announces...


RV adds support for ALEXA
Tweak Software, maker of RV - a next-generation image and sequence viewer for VFX and animation artists - will collaborate with ARRI to integrate high dynamic range color support for ALEXA into Tweak's tools for playback, dailies and transcoding.

Tweak's development team has fast-tracked ALEXA Log C and ARRIRAW support into RV in time for an NAB preview, with a release planned soon after.
ARRI: Tweak Software unveils support for ALEXA and ARRIRAW



ARRI L-Series: LED Fresnels

ARRI has announced the L-Series LED Fresnels, which do everything a regular Fresnel can do, with the efficiency of LEDs. There are three models:
  • L7-C = color controllable
  • L7-D = daylight
  • L7-T = tungsten
All have a standard fresnel lens, with flood to spot, 50 to 15 degrees. The D & T are single-color versions. An on board controller provides for adjusting intensity, fully dimmable from 0 to 100% with no color shift. Control over color temperature: 2,700 to 10,000 K.
Standard models include a completely passive cooling system (no fans), while an active cooling system is available that reduces size and weight.

ARRI: L-Series


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Quick Links from NAB

Warp Stabilizer Effect in After Effects CS5.5, A short demo video from Richard Harrington  showing the results of using the Warp Stabilizer to remove Rolling Shutter and stabilizing image: Vimeo: Untitled



Sound Devices: PIX Production Recorders The portable PIX 220 (HDMI-only) and its sibling the PIX 240 (HDMI and HD-SDI) record Quicktime files to CompactFlash cards or removable 2.5-inch solid-state hard drives. PIX Production Recorders



Sony PMW-F3 News
Sony has confirmed that a future free firmware update for PMW-F3 will support HDMI output and HD-SDI output at the same time.

DSLR News Shooter has pictures of a prototype 18-252mm lens for the F3, as well as an LCD loupe (which looks sort of similar to the one that will be coming on with the NEX-FS100.
Sony shows off prototype zooms lens and viewfinder add on for the F3



Sony NEX-FS100 Demo 
ProVideoCoalition has a video with Sony’s Juan Martinez showing off the new camera. Most interesting of all, he also shows a Birger Engineering Canon EF to E-mount adapter in operation on an NEX-FS100. Birger has been developing a similar adapter for the Panasonic AG-AF100 (and the Micro-Four Thirds mount.) It's taken a bit longer than expected to actually get them into production, but here's hoping they are close. Price of the Micro Four Thirds adapter was quoted as being abut $700.
ProVideoCoalition: Sony’s Juan Martinez shows off the NEX-FS100 AVCHD

Meanwhile, Magnanimous Media has a 3 minute clip of a Sony guy at NAB talking up the Sony NEX-FS100. It's a quick listing of the features, though he states that is does 4:4:4 out, which is not true. It can do 4:2:2 out HDMI. Vimeo: NAB 2011 - Sony NEX-FS100 Introduction

Birger EOS Mount: Dan Chung at DSLR News Shooter has video of the Birger EOS to E-mount adapter as well. Erik Widding of Birger Engineering demonstrates the latest working prototype of his Canon EOS to Micro 4/3 and Sony NEX adapters. Says it will start shipping at the end of May.
DSLR News Shooter: NAB 2011 – BIRGER ENGINEERING DEMONSTRATES WORKING EOS TO AF100 AND NEX FS-100

Birger Follow Focus: Photo by Scott Webster

Everything announced at NAB will not be available until summer. Why not just make NAB in summer when everything is ready?
@justinb72

Software Scopes for Mac
Divergent Media is showing ScopeBox 3, software-based scopes for editing. They are dropping the price from $700 (original release) to $99.
ProVideoCaolation: ScopeBox 3 delivers software scopes for Mac for only $99


Red Giant NAB Sale
Every item in the Red Giant store is 20% OFF (Or 30% through Facebook) this week. This includes plug-ins, already-discounted suites, and our incredible Guru Preset Packs.
RedGiant: NAB Sale is on! Save 20% (Or 30% through Facebook)!


SmallHD 4" monitor + Viewfinder
SmallHD has announced a 4" monitor ($549) that will have an add-on viewfinder option, turning it into an EVF for $749.
SmallHD:DP4



Not the year of DSLR?
Last year's NAB was widely reported as "the year of the DSLR." This year, not so much. With nothing new from Canon (or Nikon or Panasonic), the attention seems to be on the large sensor video cameras; the Panasonic AG-AF100 and the Sony PMW-F3, NEX-FS100, and of course, the new F65.

Let's face it, though Canon has announced new cameras in the past year, the video capabilities of their DSLR's haven't improved at all since 2009.

This may be the year of EVF's, and there is lots of gear that works with DSLRs, but there's little excitement about the camera's themselves.

NAB tinged with sadness, DSLRs aren't dead, but the buzz most definitely is, all feels a little hundrum around the booths
@elskidblog

There isn't a camera on earth I am as excited about as a DSLR. Plainly because DSLRs are the only ones I can afford!!
@EOSHD

Its NAB! People not "Little Handheld HDSLR Cameras Show" why would ANYONE be surprised there was no 5DMK3 announced? B = Broadcasters!
@chrisfenwick


Pictures from the exhibition
This image of a Sony NEX-VG10 on some kind of dolly makes it look like it's going roller blading. It appears in Sony's Facebook picture library (along with several other pictures): NEX-VG10


Zeiss
Pictures from the Zeiss booth on Facebook (it's almost like being there!) :Shows / NAB 2011 / Day 1


"I learned to make rubbish movies cheaply and quicly in my back yard..and then I enrolled in film school and learned how to make rubbish movies slowly and expensively."
-Filmmaker Gareth Edwards (Monsters)
@ryanbkoo
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Final Cut Pro - last rumors and news

Tonight's the night we find out what all the fuss is about. Will Apple dazzle us at the SuperMeet?

Tickets
If you're in Vegas, and still don't have a ticket, the last batch of tickets go on sale at 10:00am Vegas time:
SuperMeet

The doors open at 4:30PM for the SuperMeet Digital Showcase, and the stage show begins at 7:00PM (Las Vegas time)


Reporting
Still no word on a Live Stream, but it appears there will NOT be one this year. [CONFIRMED: NO LIVE STREAM]

Live Blogs: No one seems to be doing those either, except for this French one! : www.finalcutmtl.org: Supermeet live sur Final Cut MTL

Looks like Twitter is going to be the place to get the latest buzz.


More Rumors
Business Insider thinks Apple is going to launch a "far reaching" video service:
Apple will use its new massive data center in North Carolina to offer an advanced web-based video subscription product that rivals Netflix.
Apple's been building this data center for ages now, and for just as long, people keep predicting Apple is going to announce something to do with it [it's turning into another 'Beatles on iTunes' meme! -Ed]

Maybe they'll announce a new and improved Apple TV or an actual TV with an Apple in it sometime, but I don't think this is the right venue. NAB is too business oriented for a consumer product announcement...Note too that Engadget doesn't appear to be live blogging this event!
BusinessInsider:Apple Ready To Launch "Far Reaching" Video Service That Will Disrupt Traditional TV Business


The Support Partners blog seems to think a lot of Apple people had no idea this was going to happen, that it's a real preview, and the final release may be months away.

The 4-5 months seems just a bit too far in the future, but waiting for Lion seems likely. Lion is supposed to come out in the summer, so 2 months seems a more likely date....surely!

Support-Partners: Final Cut Studio X Rumors



Predictions
Chris Fenwick wrote a list of things he would like to see in the new Final Cut [Final Cut Studio 4 Review], then Chris White at The Unofficial Apple Web Log wrote a wish list [Dear Apple, here's our Final Cut Studio wishlist] and the first Chris can't help thinking that the two lists are kind of similar: Did TUAW Read my "Review"?


Larry Jordan - who saw the original demo a while back - doesn't offer his predictions on the interface - or even features - he wonders how much it will have changed based on the input of those present:
When Apple presented the software to the group, they asked us to provide feedback. I provided a great deal, and I’m sure others did as well. I’m curious as to how Apple responded to what they heard.
LarryJordan: Twas The Night Before Supermeet – Thoughts from NAB


Paul Griffiths, after seeing what Adobe has done with the Photoshop SDK, wonders if Apple will make it possible to use the iPad as an interface to Final Cut (rather than running Final Cut)
offline-editor: FCP8 thoughts: Touch API for Final Cut?



My Ratings
Just for fun, here's my ratings on the rumors and suggestions that have been floating around the past month. Let's see how I do.
  • They'll change the name to iMove Pro [THUMBS DOWN]
    the audience would rise up and kill them!
  • Tighter integration of functions. [THUMBS UP]
    This just seems like a no-brainer. The question is; how much compositing will be integrated into Final Cut?
  • 64-Bit [THUMBS UP]
    If they can't manage that, what were they doing all this time?!
  • Won't be released until Lion [THUMBS UP]
    Lion ii only 2-3 months away, so why not wait for that? It'll probably require Lion.
  • Won't be released for Two to Three months [THUMBS UP]
    Maybe they'll announce the ship date for Lion too?
  • Will be sold on the App Store [THUMBS UP]
    Another no-brainer!
  • Price will go down [THUMBS UP]
    Just seems the nature of things
  • Steve Jobs will be there [THUMBS DOWN]
    Sorry, but it just doesn't seem big enough for Steve; unless Apple is truly taking over the world of video with production and distribution agreements, the whole works!
  • Support for uncompressed formats and acceleration with graphics cards [THUMBS UP]
    They shouldn't even bother demoing if they don't have that!
  • Support for Touch interface [THUMBS DOWN]
    doing intensive editing work on a touch screen just doesn't make sense for power users
  • BUT: use of the iPad as a touch surface [THUMBS UP]
    having already played with an interface for sound controls on Final Cut using the iPad, and seeing Adobe's presentation, this seems almost irresistible.
  • New Mac Pro announced with Thunderbolt support [THUMBS UP]
    If not here, then where?
  • New iMac [THUMBS DOWN]
    these should be updated soon, so maybe they will announce them here, but only because they have nothing better to fill the time with.
  • Improved Blu-ray support [NEVER!]
    ever, ever
  • iPad 2 support for Thunderbolt [Thumbs Down]
    I doubt they feel they need to add that just yet
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Goodbye Flip

It looks official; Cicso to kill the Flip and shed 550 jobs: WSJ: Cisco to Exit Flip Video Business

That's a pretty amazing turnaround since Cisco bought the business for $590 million back in 2009.
Engadget: Cisco killing Flip line of camcorders, axing 550 employees in restructuring effort


I must admit, I bought my daughter a Flip for Christmas, and I wasn't that impressed with it. Not because I was expecting it to be as good as a portable camcorder, but because it didn't seem to produce better pictures than my iPhone, and in some ways, it seemed to produce worse ones.

What will the Smartphone kill next? Point and Click digital cameras are probably on the list....
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Thudnerbolt and I/O @ NAB

AJA announces support for Thunderbolt and Multi-Format I/O
AJA is demonstrating support for the all-new Thunderbolt technology based HD/SD I/O with a product codenamed “Phaser”, which supports HDMI 1.3a input and HDMI 1.4 output for stereo playback, provides 10-bit up/down/cross-conversions, with RS422 device control and professional reference/LTC I/O, in a highly portable design.
The Editblog: Photo of "Phaser"

A second product, “Riker,” AJA’s multi-format I/O technology for everything from SD to 5K workflows, is designed to address rapidly changing I/O and processing requirements via an arbitrary hardware scalar that enables users to scale up or down any sized-raster (up to 5K) in realtime at full quality. “Riker” connects to its host via high-speed 8-lane PCIe 2.0, over a 3-meter tether cable.

“Riker” and “Phaser” are technology previews only. Products supporting this technology are currently in development and will be announced soon.

AJA: AJA Previews Thunderbolt Technology-Enabled and Multi-Format 5K I/O Products at NAB 2011



Matrox
Matrox has announced Matrox MXO2 devices featuring Thunderbolt. The Matrox MXO2 devices provide broadcast-quality video and audio capture, monitoring, output, and H.264 encoding for use with leading editing and content creation applications.


The full range of Thunderbolt technology enabled Matrox MXO2 devices will be available from authorized dealers worldwide in July 2011 at prices starting from $649 US (£460, €530), not including local taxes. Matrox Thunderbolt adapters for all MXO2 devices can be purchased as an add-on at $299 US (£199, €249).
Matrox: Matrox Announces Thunderbolt Enabled MXO2 Devices at NAB 2011

Matrox also announced;


RUMOR: Apple Mac Pros at the SuperMeet?
Will Apple use the event tonight to also roll-out new Mac Pro's with Thunderbolt? It's certainly been a while since they've updated the Mac Pro line, and this is one audience that is still buying those big machines....
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Monday, April 11, 2011

JVC 3D Camera Announcement

Like Sony, JVC has also unveiled at NAB a "pro" 3D camcorder that is based upon an existing 3D consumer camcorder. The new GY-HMZ1U ProHD 3D camcorder shares much in common with the JVC GS-TD1, though the pro-model notably adds XLR microphone inputs and a shotgun mic holder.
JVC GY-HMZ1U

The handheld camcorder features dual 3.32 megapixel CMOS sensors – one for each lens – and delivers 34 Mbps AVCHD recording in 3D or 24 Mbps in 2D. Video can be recorded with timecode at 60i to provide smooth motion (for sports and other fast action) or 24p for a film-like effect. The GY-HMZ1U can also capture 3D time lapse and 3D digital stills.

Equipped with an advanced image stabilizer, the twin F1.2 HD lenses offer a 5x optical zoom in 3D and 10x optical zoom in 2D. Video is recorded to non-proprietary SDHC or SDXC media cards or to the camera’s built-in 80GB internal memory. The GY-HMZ1U’s 3.5-inch color LCD touch panel offers glasses-free 3D viewing and built-in tools like zebra pattern. Other professional features include a handle with dual XLR mic inputs and shotgun microphone mount (mic optional).

Features:
  • 3D capture with dual back-illuminated CMOS sensors
  • 24p or 60i capture and recording
  • Twin F1.2 HD lenses with 5x optical zoom (10x in 2D)
  • 3.5-inch autostereoscopic (glasses-free) LCD touch panel
  • 34Mbps recording in 3D (24Mbps in 2D)
  • Memory card slot for SDXC/SDHC flash media
  • Internal 80GB memory recording
  • Built-in timecode
  • 3D digital still recording
  • Advanced Image Stabilizer
  • 3D time lapse recording
  • High speed 3D "motor drive" recording (up to 12 frames)
  • Zebra exposure indication
  • Includes professional handle with XLR mic inputs, shotgun mic holder (microphone optional)
JVC GS-TD1, consumer version

Interestingly, though the consumer models were announced a couple of months ago, the JVC GS-TD1 camcorder has only recently begun shipping, while the Sony HDR-TD10, is supposed to ship sometime this month.

The GY-HMZ1U will be available this fall and market priced under $2,500.

JVC: Product Page | Press Release
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Sony Chat on the NEX-FS100

Last Tuesday Sony Europe held a webchat on the NEX-FS100 with DPs Den Lennie of F-Stop Academy and Zulqar Cheema, and Sony Europe product specialist’s Kanta Yamamoto and Anna Doublet. Den and Zulqar were part of a focus group that took part in preliminary discussions about the camera while it was under development, and got to play with a pre-production version of the camera briefly prior to it's announcement.

Here’s an edited transcript of the chat. I’ve put the answers with the questions, deleted non-answers and off-topic comments, corrected typing errors and edited for clarity, and reordered the questions to put similar topics together.

You can read the entire chat online at Facebook Sony Professional Europe (click the Live Web Chat button on the left-hand menu to access.)


Q: What’s the HDMI output? Is HDMI as effective as HD-SDI?
Den Lennie: I've also been informed that HDMI is 8 bit. I was told by the guys who make the nanoFlash that HDMI and HD-SDI use the same signal and that the only difference is the physical connector.
Zulqar Cheema: As far as I am aware the HDMI is only 4:2:2. The F3 has 4:4:4 via the SDI [The F3 has 4:4:4 as part of a paid upgrade]
Kanta Yamamoto: HDMI could support 10-bit, same as SDI. On the other hand, the internal processor decided the output bit depth.
The HDMI output from the FS100 has embedded TimeCode. Several external recorders will support this TC.

[continued]

Read more »
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Gifts from Backmagic Design

Christmas comes early with a new free version of Resolve called DaVinci Resolve Lite and DaVinci Resolve 8, which is a free update for existing customers.


DaVinci Resolve Lite
First, the limitations: DaVinci Resolve Lite limits projects to SD and HD resolutions, only two color correction nodes, a single processing GPU and a single RED rocket card. Also, Stereoscopic 3D features, noise reduction, power mastering, remote grading and sharing projects with an external database server are features only offered in the full DaVinci Resolve.

But, DaVinci Resolve Lite still includes high quality optical resizing, curve grading, XML import and export, 32 bit float processing, YRGB image processing, multi layer timelines, stabilization, window tracking, primary and secondary color correction, real time processing, capture and playback with deck control, compatibility with third party control panels and more.

DaVinci Resolve Lite will be available in July
Blackmagic: Blackmagic Design Announces DaVinci Resolve Lite


DaVinci Resolve 8
New features in DaVinci Resolve 8 include multi layer timeline support with editing, and XML import and export with Apple Final Cut Pro. The new DaVinci Resolve 8 now includes OpenCL processing to allow use on Apple iMac and MacBook Pro computers. Advanced processing tools have been added for real time noise reduction, curve grading, advanced multi point stabilization as well as automatic stereoscopic 3D image alignment. DaVinci Resolve 8 also supports the Avid Artist Color control panel and also offers ALE export to relink graded DNxHD files back into Avid editors.

DaVinci Resolve 8 will be available in June

Blackmagic: Blackmagic Design Announces DaVinci Resolve 8


Blackmagic also announced a slew of other gear including: DecLink 4K, UltraStudio SDI, New ATEM Production Switchers Model Lineup, and HyperDeck Shuttle, a new disk recorder that captures uncompressed 10 bit SDI or HDMI video onto Solid State Disks (SSDs).

Blackmagic: Press Releases
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