Notes On Video

AJA Ki Pro Mini To Support Avid DNxHD Video Codec | AJA The Ki Pro Mini Solid State Recorder [B&H:$1,995] currently supports Apple's ProRes codec, but AJA has now announced they are working on supporting Avid's DNxHD Video Codec. [ Should be useful for all those Final Cut users switching to Avid! ] AJA is working jointly with Avid(R) to build support for the Avid DNxHD(R) video codec into Ki Pro Mini, enabling further production efficiencies to Avid Media Composer(R). Support for the Avid DNxHD codec will be available Q4 2011 via a free downloadable firmware upgrade. Contour’s ‘Waterproof’ Sports Camcorder for Swimmers, Not Divers | Charlie Sorrel | Wired Contour has introduced a water-proofed version of their little "hands-free" camcorder, it's called the ContourROAM , and it's listing for $199. It'll be good for depths up to one meter. ContourROAM Hands-free HD Camcorder [Anmazon] CountorROAM Product Page Lake Worth: After Irene (iphone...

Ambrosia Software has announced the release of Soundboard for iPad , mobile sound cart and mash-up software for the iPad Soundboard for iPad provides a quick way to enhance live events, podcasts, or broadcasts with sound clips, effects, or musical accompaniment. Features: Low Latency, High Performance: Soundboard for iPad has a sophisticated internal sound caching mechanism to ensure very low latency when cuing effects Mash it up : Start or stop as many simultaneous sounds as you can trigger, even load it up with beats and accents to build a fully functional sampler Multi-Touch magic : Trigger multiple sounds, and alter individual level controls by using two hands or multiple fingers iTunes : Soundboard for iPad - Ambrosia Software, Inc.

Get for Final Cut Pro Update | AV3 As has been previously announced, the ' Get ' dialog search application for Final Cut Pro has been discontinued (and is now being sold - or the technologies that make it up - as " Soundbite " by Boris FX .) AV3 has posted a statement about support, noting that while the software will continue to run, registered owners will be unable to move the software to another machine or reinstall if they have to reformat their hard drive, because the software licensing system is disabled. However, it's not all bad news, because: By e-mailing info@borisfx.com and including proof of your purchase of AV3 Get Boris FX will crossgrade existing AV3 Get license(s) to Soundbite at no cost. Boris FX : Soundbite

Canon Vixia HF M40 | Jim Feeley | Macworld A short but fairly thorough review of the Canon VIXIA HF M40 [Amazon $596.87] It features a 1/3-inch, 1920 by 1080 sensor, which should improve video quality, though does mean you can't shoot high resolution stills: Even in dim light, the HF M40 captures a high-quality video image; it doesn't sacrifice color accuracy or overcrank gain and consequent noise. Under normal lighting conditions, HD video shows excellent color and sharpness, very good exposure control, and smooth motion. The camera's impressive dynamic range preserves detail in both shadows and highlights rather than quickly clipping to black or white. Vixia HF R21 Camcorder Review | Jeremy Stamas | Camcorderinfo Camcorderinfo does a full on review of the Canon VIXIA HF R21 [Amazon $449.00], an entry-level HD camcorder  Though larger than your Flip 's and Bloggies , it offers better image quality, but fewer manual controls than you'll find on the HF M40 :...

Sachtler has unveiled the Ace , a lightweight tripod for cameras up to 8.8 lbs, that offers Sachtler quality at a lower price point. Philip Bloom got to play with one before it was released. He says that it will be available for about £480 (~$765) The head is lovely and smooth, although doesn’t quite have as many friction points as I would like on the pan and tilt. From 0 to 3. But it’s fine in practice. Sachtler friction is in whole stops unlike others where you just turn the dial until you are happy. It also means at 0 the head has zero friction on it so it’s free floating. Good for controlled pseudo handheld work. He's also posted a video that was shot using the Sony NEX-5N ! IBC 2011: Review of the new Sachtler ACE tripod for DSLRs | Philip Bloom Daniel Freytag also got to play with one, and has posted a short review: If you're in film business, work with a DSLR and have a rig with a camera and a few accessories, then this is YOUR tripod. The Payload is 0-4kg, s...

You might know Tom Guilmette as the guy that made that slow-motion-video-in-a-hotel room with the Phantom camera. Or you might know him as a spokesman for Vinten Tripods & Heads. You might even know him as the operator of Camera 7 on the left field wall of Fenway Park. Tom is a skilled DP based in Boston and last month he spoke at Rule Boston Camera's Pub Night about shooting sports, Vinten, Social Media, and the Phantom camera. The following are some notes from his talk. Sports For the past ten years Tom's been a cameraman for NESN, and for most Red Sox home games he works Camera 7 up on the left field wall at Fenway Park. He began his talk with an overview of the production of a broadcast of the Red Sox home game, covering set up, camera operation, how the show is produced, and even how he knows what’s going on and sees the program. He showed some uncut clips, as well as some behind-the-scenes footage he shot of the production of a basketball away game. Tom operat...

Sony NEX 5N *vs* FS100 and NEX VG20 – hands on comparison | Andrew Reid | EOSHD Andrew got to spend some time at the IBC show with these three cameras, and offers his impressions. Well first of all let me tell you that the VG20 is an absolute piece of crap. This is a camera that is meant to sit below the FS100 and is a good $1700 more expensive than the NEX 5N and yet it has a plethora of disadvantages compared to the diminutive mirrorless camera. It brings so little to the party for that extra $1700 namely a top handle and better audio. But in adding those, it also brings massive operational and build quality frustrations to the hapless operator. Ouch! Now Andrew is somewhat of a bomb thrower, but his points are well taken about the lack of physical buttons and the "PlayStation" interface. Build quality? I guess I'll have to wait and see how it compares to Sony's other consumer camcorders. I also think he starts out with an incorrect premise: "For the cust...

RED Roadmap... | Jannard | REDUser Announcing things only when they are done is so last week . So this week, RED announced a road map, of things that are coming, including "Surprise #1" and "Surprise #2." Change of name for Epic Picture Style | Cinescopophilia Speaking of RED, a few days ago, Cinescopophilia reported on the Epic Picture Style for Canon DSLRs. It seems RED has sent the developers a cease and desist letter, claiming all rights to the term "Epic," so the new picture style is now going to be called CINEMA. Oddly enough, at the time, I first thought it was a Picture Style designed to match images from the RED camera, though reading of the article revealed that it's designed to emulate Kodak Ektachrome . End of STORM | The Foundry The Foundry has announced that they have discontinued development of STORM due to RED's own REDCINE-X PRO . STORM was a tool designed for on-set evaluation, prepping and auditioning of clips an...

EditShare, developers of the Lightworks Open Source video editor, have announced the "next phase" of the project. While users will continue to be able to download the free version, phase two will add new features that will only be available for an annual "membership fee." This fee is $30 (£20, €25) for "educational" members, and $60 (£40, €50) for "professional" members. This fee is not unexpected since one of the new features is additional codec support, and licensing of these codecs from other organizations costs money. The new features and capabilities will be available to Education and Professional Lightworks Members on 29th November 2011 and include: Native support for professional codecs and other formats ProRes Red R3D DPX AVC-Intra XDCAM HD and XDCAM EX AVCHD / H.264 IMX AVID DNxHD * * Due to licensing restrictions, Avid DNxHD will be sold separately and available from the web store for $55 (£36, €45,). This is a one-off co...

At Amazon: Sony NEX-VG20H Interchangeable Lens HD Handycam Camcorder with 18-200mm F3.5-6.3 OSS Lens $2,199.99 Sony NEXVG20 Interchangeable Lens HD Handycam Camcorder with 0.1 x Optical Zoom and 3-Inch LCD Screen (Black) $1,599.99

I've been looking for a way to provide an index of feature articles that have appeared in the blog. I did try a "Features" list, but keeping that up to date proved time consuming, and I didn't really like the results. Then I saw Scoop.It! , which is a news aggregation site, and I thought it would be a great way to aggregate those items from the blog that aren't actually news aggregation pieces! So the Quick Links and collections of items on Final Cut Pro X , the Sony NEX-FS100 , etc., aren't listed, but most of the other articles are. You can find it here at: http://www.scoop.it/t/notesonvideo Note: the URL http://notesonvideo.blogspot.com/ remains the place to check for the latest news and items.

A couple of weekends ago I attended " The Big Ole Lens Test Party" and wrote about it here: The Big Ole' Lens Test Party, 2011 . I also made a Behind-The-Scenes video, which you can now watch below. Ben Eckstein has written up a full post with his conclusions about the test, as well as actual video taken with each of the lenses. You can find the article at Ben's site, and also see a really great alternative BTS video made by Rick Macomber in the article as well. Ben Eckstein : The Big Ole Lens Test Party Note that the lenses used were: Cooke s4 35mm f2.0 (~ $18,000) Zeiss Super Speed 35mm f1.3 (not in production anymore) Zeiss CP2 35mm f2.1 ($3900) Olympus 14-35 f2.0 ($2299) Nikon 17-35 f2.8 ($1699) Canon 17-55 f2.8 ($1099) Nikon AIS 35mm f1.4 (approx $899, but this was a de-clicked version, which would cost more) Sigma 30mm f1.4 ($489) Tamron 17-50 f2.8 ($459) As you can see in the BTS video, the differences seemed small at the time, though ...

UPDATE 8:00 AM 9/7 I overlooked an important detail. The rotary shutter is a separate model: Sony F65, with viewfinder for $65,000 F65RS (Built in Rotary Shutter Model) with viewfinder for $77,000 And, you can control it through wi-fi using Android and iOS devices, making this camera possibly the most expensive iPhone accessory. There's some additional coverage: Film&Digital Times : Sony F65 at ASC & DGA Okay, so I'm not going to act surprised that Sony wants $65,000 for this beast. I'm sure they'll get it, but still....$65,000. That's only about 16 times my total gear budget! Maybe it's time to start a Kickstarter campaign? Actually, I expected it to be expensive, though maybe closer to $60,000... I jest. The F65 was pre-announced at NAB, and now Sony has come out with pricing and shipping information. This camera uses an 8K CMOS sensor to produce a 4K resolution image (4096x2160) and is expected to start delivery in January, 2012. It ...

Sony F3 - sLog Testing | Timur Civan A blog post covering experiments with the Sony PMW-F3 and the S-Log firmware update. The test was conducted to see how S-Log should be used, treated in post, and differences to 709 standard Gammas: OK, So here's the skinny. You have to expose just as carefully as you would with any other medium. The sLog w/ Offboard capture gives you incredible room to adjust and manipulate later, however like every camera, the closer you get to perfect in camera, exposure wise, the more Oomph your image will have after delogging. That said, 10bit 422 ( and especially 444 capture) gives you and INSANE amount of room to fudge. More EF & PL Video Rumors Surface | CanonRumors CanonRumors reprise's their rumor from last week of an EF or PL mount large-sensor videocamera. The previous rumors suggested that a camera was coming with one or the other mount, but now the rumor has evolved into two cameras; a low-end EF mount version and a high-end PL mount...

There's been a lot of Sony news over the last few days, a lot of it to do with the new NEX-5N. The Sony NEX5NK/S   is shipping and lots of interesting users reports are appearing, but there's also some new information about the NEX-FS100 . NEX-FS100 FS100 and AF100 compared | Barry Green | DVXUser Barry Green has posted a fairly extensive comparison of the Sony NEX-FS100 and Panasonic AG-AF100 , and finds them to be virtually identical in performance: 4. Performance: I'm sure this will surprise some folks, but I've been exhaustively testing these units, and the result is: these cameras are so close in performance that it's really not even worth doing a whole raft of charts and graphs. I mean, I've done those tests, and really it's nitpicking to choose between them; especially after grading the footage, you can make them look virtually identical. And besides, people usually complain about charts and want to see “real world” footage. If you're t...

24p or 25p video myth buster | Philip Johnston | HD Warrior Here in the 'Staes, where TV is 60i (or 30p) there's a big visual difference between 30p and 24p, so whether you shoot in one or the other is a conscious choice worth considering. In the UK it's a bit different, since TV is 50i, so video cameras often support 25p and 24p (instead of 30p and 24p). Philip argues that the visual difference between 25p and 24p are negligible, and you should never shoot in 24p instead of 25p (unless you are going to film.) Moviestick Review | Northern Banana Republic A review, with sample videos, of a small monopod called Moviestick made by a Munich company. It uses a belt for extra support: For my work as a multimedia-journalist the Moviestick is a great camera support. It is versatile and lightweight but you will need some practice to get the best results with it. Sound Perspectives 101 | Clinton Harn | Zacuto A post about sound design that's worth reading: 1) Wh...