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A Week With The Canon C300 | Alister Chapman | XDCAM-User
Alister gives his opinion of the Canon C300. He notes a number of pluses, particularly the image quality it produces without the need for an external recorder; the Sony PMW-F3 does a bit better, but only when using an external recorder, which isn't as convenient when shooting mobile. He also finds that while the LCD panel on the C300 is better, he thinks the top handle is large and bulky:

However…. The F3 still IMHO produces a marginally better image and generally I prefer the F3′s ergonomics, especially on a tripod or shoulder rig. If you don’t need 50Mb/s then the F3 is excellent. If you need high end performance, squeezing every last bit out of the image, the F3 is better than the C300 IMHO, largely down to the 10 bit output and flatter log curve.

NEX-FS100U and NEX-FS100UK Firmware Upgrade [coming] | Sony Europe
Sony Europe says the firmware update for the NEX-FS100 is coming March 22:

1. Added 50Hz recording system (PAL): 1920x1080 50p, 50i, 25p and 1280x720 50p.
2. Camera Profile (camera settings can be saved to and loaded from a memory card).
3. Additional 4x and 8x Expanded Focus magnification: (with user selectable focus area).
4. Selectable ISO or GAIN sensitivity display.
5. Selectable Focus indication in FEET or METERS (E-mount lens only).
6. Selectable Shutter indication as EXPOSURE TIME or SHUTTER ANGLE.
7. Added the following Aspect-Ratio markers: 2.35:1, 1.85:1 and 1.66:1.
8. Display ON/OFF button enables Zebra and/or Histogram overlay onto video output.
9. Compatible with the new A-Mount to E-Mount adaptor, model LA-EA2. One push Auto-IRIS and continuous 15-point, Phase-Detection Auto-Focus operation with most Alpha A-Mount lenses is available. Lens metadata is displayed onscreen and stored real-time to image file.

Sony E 50mm f1.8 OSS Lens Test Video | Jared Abrams | Wide Open Camera
The $300 Sony E-mount 50mm f/1.8 Lens doesn't get rave reviews for video work:

The manual focus is like waiting for a bus and the OSS is very quiet but does not perform as well as expected. The Sony 50mm f1.8 is fast and fairly sharp and will work well in a locked off position. However, I cannot recommend it for hand held video work. It’s just not there yet.

EL SKID: The Last Post | El Skid | Blog
Robin Schmidt (aka El Skid) writes his last DSLR blog post:

Blogging about the exciting infancy of the community and the technology was great fun and I met a ton of interesting people. I also found myself fighting a losing battle against what I perceived as an unwarranted fascination with mediocrity. Some of the new stars of the community I found to be far less talented than their acolytes would have us believe. And this is ultimately why I stopped blogging

The Reel Sounds of Violence | On The Media
This week's episode of the radio show On The Media includes an interesting discussion - with audio examples - of how sound is accentuated in the movies:

Most of us have been lucky enough to never witness someone's innards being spliced out of their body. Or someone's head being smashed into a wall. But in an action or horror film, we often believe that that's what actual violence sounds like. Deep in the Hollywood studios, sound editors have to create these sounds. How do they know what gruesome violence really sounds like? Brooke talks with Slate senior editor Daniel Engber who wrote about the battle between the real and created sound of violence.

PluralEyes for FCPX Review | Tej Babra | Blog
A look at the features and operation of PluralEyes, which is now available for Final Cut Pro X:

Once you have your exported XML file, the next step is to simply import the file into PluralEyes. The software also provides you with several options for adjustments. These include features such as “ level audio” and “replace audio” and “ enable multiprocessing” for faster results. Replace Audio is great for getting rid of the camera audio from your DSLR for instance, and replacing it with the high quality audio from your recorder like the Zoom or Tascam. This is a huge timesaver! Once you have set the desired options, simply hit sync and watch PluralEyes go to work.

MANFROTTO TO UNVEIL ‘GAME-CHANGING’ SYMPLA RANGE OF RIGS AT NAB 2012 | Dan Chung | DSLR News Shooter
Manfrotto gets into the DSLR rig business; no word on price yet:

SYMPLA supports can be assembled, configured and adjusted to a wide range of situations in seconds – all without tools. Every product in the line, from the unique Flexible Matte Box to the innovative Variable Plate, is made of steel and aluminum to withstand the rigors of professional use and meet Manfrotto’s high quality and performance standards. The number of components in the SYMPLA family gives users maximum flexibility and adjustment control with minimum hassle. Like everything Manfrotto makes for professional users, SYMPLA is 100% compatible with other Manfrotto photo and video support products.

Werner Herzog Talks Movie Music, Opera, The Career Of Klaus Kinski & The Humor In His Films At BAM | John Lichman | Indiewire
Notes from a talk by Herzog given after a screening of "The White Diamond"

There were also clips from his short 1974 documentary "The Great Ecstasy Of Woodcarver Steiner," which gave audiences a meta-visual of Herzog providing live translation of himself and attempting to shout over his own voice. From here it led to Herzog talking about the reading list from his infamous Rogue Film School, which includes "The Peregrine" by J.A. Baker, nordic poetry, and the U.S. Warren Commission report, which he describes as "a wonderful and great crime story."