Notes On Video

If you're shooting with a DSLR or a budget camcorder, you've probably run into the limitations of internal mics. While buying a better mic is half the solution, actually connecting it to the camera can still be a problem, particularly if you want to use professional condenser mics that require phantom power. Adapters like the Beachtek DXA-6A Audio Adapter are one solution (depending on your camera and mic combination) but things can get awfully messy; the adapter box is one more thing to deal with. Sometimes it's easier - and simpler - to use a separate recording device. In the realm of portable recording devices there's a lot of choices, with no obvious "right" one, though the Zoom H4n is inexpensive and has proved popular with low-budget and independent filmmakers. Philip Bloom says of the H4n : The Zoom H4n is a remarkable little device. It records everything from .mp3 48khz to 24bit 96khz. It has built in stereo condenser microphones and two XLR inpu...

The small rugged action camera category seems to be expanding rapidly. First the Contour HD and the GoPro HD , and now comes the Drift Innovation X170 . The really interesting thing about this one is that it comes with a wireless RF remote control. It also has an LCD display and fairly large control buttons on it's side, which should make operation much easier; I find the Coutour HD a little lacking in that department. The Drift is larger than the Contour, but for many situations I'd be willing to sacrifice a bit of size for easier control and operation. Unfortunately, it only captures 720 x 480 i.e. Standard Def. A 720p camera would have been useful - and useable - but SD is too big of a loss.

Richard Harrington has posted some videos at Creative COW on various features in the new Adobe Creative Suite 5 . They are short overviews (less than five minutes long) that feature really clear video/screen captures and are a good quick introduction. I've listed the After Effects ones below, though he's also done a couple of Photoshop ones: A fter Effects CS5 : Black & White Adjustment (adjustment layer for creating black & white effects/adjustments) After Effects CS5 : Color Finesse (color adjusting and grading plug-in for After Effects that does some of the things found in Apple Color ) After Effects CS5 : Working with 64-Bit (shows how you can assign and manage RAM within the suite when running in 64-bit, and even assign multi-processor cores to specific applications.) After Effects CS5 : Rotobrush

If those Zeiss Compact Lenses are a bit outside your price range, then perhaps the Zeiss Lightweight Zoom LWZ.2 might be an option? Focal range is 15.5 - 45mm, with aperture T2.6-T22. It will be available in PL, EF and F mounts, though note that it will fit APS-C sizes sensors, but not full-frame sensors. Compared to the Compact Primes , you're gaining a zoom range, but losing the full-frame compatability, so Canon 5D owners need not apply. I'm guessing the net effect will be a price about the same as the Compact Primes ($4,000) and maybe higher. Still, it should be a very nice lens for the DSLR film maker. No word on availability or price...

It has been pointed out to me that I've been referring to the new Canon's as the FX300/305, rather than the XF300/305. Ouch! I blame it on the fact that I own an FX1... Anyway, B & H Photo now has the Canon XF300 and XF305 up for pre-order, with a delivery date of "Appox. Arrival June." Price is $6,799 and $7,999.

It's the end of NAB and it's also our first annual Not-the-NAB Awards [ our lawyers felt it was important to be clear that our awards have nothing to do with the NAB organization-Ed ] So now it's time to name the most coveted gadgets - and the biggest disappointments - from this years NAB show. Biggest Surprise Rather than a company or product, this award goes to the entire industry for the lack of 3D cameras . I'm not a 3D fan, but I really thought that someone would announce a consumer level 3D camera at the show. Sure, it would be awfully limited, but was it unreasonable to expect one of the big companies (like Sony or Samsung) to do it? I also thought Sony would roll out - or hint at - a pro-level 3D camera of some sort but if they did, I missed it [ they evidently did , but it didn't get much coverage - Ed ]. Instead, Sony hinted at a "cinema" kind of digital camera that looks like a RED competitor. Biggest Tease Award No price, no specs, ...

NikonRumors.com reports that Nikon has new DSLRs coming [ yes, we're shocked-Ed ]. The most interesting thing is that Nikon might finally move to 1080p with a camera that does 1080 at 24fps. That's particularly interesting given how well the Nikon D3s did in low light in the recent Great Camera Shootout .

The first USB 3.0 certified devices only appeared back in January, so I guess we can't really be surprised/upset that the MacBooks just announced don't have USB 3.0. If I'm honest, it hadn't even occurred to me that it was a problem until a friend complained about the lack yesterday. But USB 3.0 devices are starting to appear, and it seems obvious that videocameras will be one market segment that will take advantage of this new spec. Just this week, Blackmagic announced the $199 Intensity Shuttle - available in May - a 10-bit HDMI and analog video capture and playback box that works with USB 3.0.  Blackmagic Intensity Shuttle

Some pics of the RED Epic - the 5K camera that is expected sometime in the future - can be found at the Reduser.net website. Actually, the camera is now expected in September. There's also an update on Scarlet - the cheaper camera that may challenge the Canon 5D and similar cameras. It is expected a couple of months after Epic .

There's now a web page for the Small HD DP-SLR monitor . It's 1280 x 800 pixels, 4 x 6 x 1 inches, weighs 10 ounces, and will set you back $899 for HDMI version. If you want 3G/HD/SDI it will cost $1199. They are promising delivery within 75 days of the purchase date .

For some reason, someone thought it was necessary to post the following press release that includes the "analysis" of an LCD TV written for a B2B website in China named Himfr.com. Unfortunately, the analysis seems to be a very detailed - yet pointless - description of the product: Himfr Analyzes Haier LCD TV BEIJING, April 15 /PRNewswire-Asia/ -- Himfr.com, one of China's leading B2B search platforms with more than 30 B2B industry websites to its name, analyzes Haier's LB42R3 LCD TVs The Haier LB42R3 TV has a predominantly white-coated body, while the left and right sides, and the bottom arc, are adorned with an elegant silver color . Haier uses the world's leading design technology, and the special benzene coating adds a bright and smooth finish . The Haier LB42R3 TV's corner has lines showing an aesthetic shape, the upper left corner has the "MO-CARD" logo, the lower part of the body has the Haier LOGO icon and has titanium silver metallic col...

I always enjoy those warnings in Japanese electronics manuals against bathing with your electrical device, or putting it in a blender. But now it appears that 3D TVs are dangerous even when used the way they are intended, if the warnings that Samsung has posted are to be believed: WARNING Children and teenagers may be more susceptible to health issues associated with viewing in 3D and should be closely supervised when viewing these images. PHOTOSENSITVE SEIZURE WARNING AND OTHER HEALTH RISKS Some viewers may experience an epileptic seizure or stroke when exposed to certain flashing images or lights contained in certain television pictures or video games. If you suffer from, or have a family history of epilepsy or strokes, please consult with a medical specialist before using the 3D function. Even those without a personal or family history of epilepsy or stroke may have an undiagnosed condition that can cause photosensitive epileptic seizures. Pregnant women, the elderly, suf...

Zeiss' Compact Prime lenses won't be available until June , but that doesn't mean you can't see some cool eye candy and get all excited about it....Zacuto has a short video that shows their new DSLR Baseplate System being used with a Zeiss Compact Prime lens. Notice that the CP lens has a 1/4 20 mounting area on the lens as a secondary support to prevent movement of the camera/lens when focusing the lens. - Man! That's a big piece of glass! Zacuto: ZEISS Compact Prime CP.2 Lenses hits the HDSLR Market! [ UPDATE 12:45PM ] Individual list price for the Compact Prime lenses is $3,900! Or buy them all in a set for about $3,300 each!

Surprisingly (because I am a 3D skeptic), one of the most interesting talks at the  SuperMeet  meeting was Tim Dashwood's do-it-yourself 3D demo. After introducing the concept of interocular separation (the distance between the eyes, which is about 2.5 inches) he warned that it's important to avoid too much convergence; things coming "close" and forcing the viewers eyes to cross.  Excessive convergence is okay only for a fraction of a second (i.e. for quick gags) but must be avoided otherwise. Remember the 1/30 rule he advised: interocular x 30 = closest subject. Note that while interocular is used for the distance between eyes, interaxial is the correct term for the distance between the two lenses; except that a lot of people use interocular for both. The opposite of convergence is divergence, which he said is really, really bad and must be avoided too. Tim demoed a basic rig he built for two Canon T2i's using a 4 x 6 inch piece of 50/50 beam splitte...

Firmware Version 1.2.1 incorporates the following improvements and fixes. Extends the timing at which the high temperature warning indicator is displayed and the timing of automatic shut down of the camera due to a rise in internal temperature during Live View or EOS Movie functions. Optimizes program shift when the ISO setting of the camera is set to AUTO. Corrects a misspelling in the French-language menu. Corrects a phenomenon in which vertical magenta-colored banding appears in still images taken in movie-shooting mode. (This only occurs when in Manual exposure mode and when the ISO speed is set to "H". Note that this phenomenon only affects units with Firmware Version 1.2.0)

A couple of educational resources from Canon were high-lighted at yesterdays SuperMeet : the web page  Canon Digital Learning Center  collects together news, information, tips & techniques for Canon users and owners.  Canon Live Learning is Canon's offering of  Workshops and Classes that are conducted throughout the country. A couple of current offerings of HD Video are intriguing; a one-day course that costs $300 and is being offered in ten cities, and a three day advanced course that costs $1,400 and is being offered in four cities. Exploring HD Video with EOS $300 9:00AM - 5:00PM Learn from Explorer of Light Bob Davis in this hands-on workshop. Bob Davis is an award-winning photographer for the Chicago Sun-Times who has now mastered the techniques of EOS HD video. You’ll learn core skills ranging from producing, directing, and lighting, to camera operation and scene creation. Bob will discuss lens selection, camera support and audio consideration as...

Manfrotto has a new tripod head, the 504HD, designed for “cross over” (i.e. DSLR) users. This head looks interesting as it's easily balanced (and adjusted) for cameras that are mounted on other rigs and therefore might be forward heavy or otherwise oddly-balanced. It will be available end of June, and with a good set of sticks - and a bag - it will cost about $750. The following comes from their web site: The bridge design improves the head's rigidity and its PAN friction control is fast, simple to fine-tune and protected from knocks. The PAN axis rotation unit uses ball bearings for smooth, vibration-free movement that can be adjusted using the head's FDS variable friction system. The 504HD has a load capacity of up to 7.5kg (16.5lb.) The CBS counterbalance system has 4 presets for a full range of camera weights (0, 2.5kg-5.5lb, 5kg-11lb and 7.5kg-16.5lb). Two 3/8” threads on the top plate allow accessories (such as monitors and arms) to be directly attached to the h...

Last night was the Las Vegas SuperMeet , the semi-regular get together of video editors sponsored by various Final Cut Pro user groups; there are over 60 throughout the world. Here are some highlights from the event: Canon Paul McAniff from Canon talked up their new solid-state camcorders. Noting that some in the crowd at the SuperMeet were probably hoping for bigger sensors, he pointed out that there was still a large market for cameras like the XF300/305 for electronic news gathering and similar tasks. He also noted that there were many issues with going to larger sensors; as one example, the cost of a lens equivalent to the zoom range on the XF models would be very high. He said that there wasn’t going to be a large sensor camcorder “this year,” then quickly added that he was not insinuating that there would be one next year. He claimed that the 1/3 inch sensors in the XF camcorders had the sensitivity of some competing 1/2 inch sensors. He also said that the lens had no fluo...

Redrock Micro has posted pictures - but not much else - to the microRemote page on their website. NOTE: If you're interested in being the first to get your hands on this device, you should send them an email to be put on the reservation list (it's non-binding and no deposit is required.)

New MacBook Pros Gizmodo got their hands on a 2.66 GHz Core i7 MacBook Pro , and when re-encoding with handbrake 64 it smoked the earlier 2.8GHz Core Due at 19.54 seconds vs. 32.19. I want one! More on Red Rock Micro FreshDV has another Red Rock Micro wireless follow-focus video. There's nothing really new here, but I feel compelled to note it as they have nothing on their site yet - notice that when demoing he says that "the control surface drops down into the remote, and you can drop in an iPhone"....except he doesn't show any of that happening, just picks up the second unit. DaVinci color system drops price Before there was Apple's Color , there was the DaVinci Resolve system, which cost lots of bucks. In the past year or so, a number of small production houses have started using Color because it's so much cheaper. Now Blackmagic, who bought DaVinci last year, have fired back by dropping the price of the software-only version to $995. If you w...