Notes On Video

Apple like to make software announcements on Tuesdays. Tomorrow is Tuesday. Not many more Tuesdays left in June - @simonwalker With a bit of luck, the natives won't have to be restless for more than a day; will Final Cut Pro X ship tomorrow, Tuesday 21st? I hope so, if nothing else, so I don't have to read the wild speculation on Twitter anymore. Also, I'm not so confident about my Roman Numerals above VII. Is it VIII or IIX? Could that be why Apple jumped to X? Of course, there is one more Tuesday in June... Anyway, there's been very little news over the weekend, and we're all grateful for that. Ranting Connor Crosby, a teenager who loves making short movies and ranting, did pen a short rant about Final Cut Pro X . He suggests that you should make a separate partition for Final Cut Pro X - just incase it causes problems for Final Cut Studio 3 : Personally, I am going to make only one partition from my hard drive with Final Cut Studio 3 running Sno...

Focal Length Comparison Aaron Nanto posts a video showing the difference between a Sony NEX-FS100 with a 50mm lens, and a Canon 5D Mark II with the same lens. (The NEX-FS100 has a crop factor of ~1.5) Vimeo : Sony NEX-FS100 vs. Canon 5D Mark II (focal length test) First Shots Alex Horner writes: Woke up at sunrise to grab a few shots with the FS100. I wanted to see how it handled detail, highlights, and tight patterns. So far so good, the image is looking pretty solid. Also, all audio is from the stock sony mic. I forgot how nice it is to have decent and usbale audio right out of the camera. Vimeo : FS100: First Shots Lowlight Comparison VideoProdukcia Zitnansky posts a video showing a Panasonic GH2 at f/5.6 ISO 3200, the NEX-FS100 at f/5.6 GAIN 30db [estimated 16000 ISO] and the Sony EX1 at f/2.8 GAIN 9db. Vimeo : lowlight test GH2, FS100, EX1 As You Like It monologue by Michael Deely Victor Suarez posted this video shot with a 28mm Zeiss T2 Custom profi...

Large Chip Cameras Sony NEX-VG20? It's more than likely the NEX-VG10 will be replaced at some point, now Sony Alpha Rumors thinks the VG20 will appear sometime between July and September.  (SR3) NEX-7, NEX-C5 and VG-20 coming in July-September? The DSLR Revolution Nino Leitner argues that DSLRs have had a tremendous impact on filmmaking "these little cameras are nothing short of a revolution"  DSLR video IS a revolution Is that a Sony PMW-F3 under there? It's hard to spot a PMW-F3 fully decked out in this photo: HD Magazine : Spot the Sony PMW-F3 When the RED Scarlet? September maybe? We're not sure, but the Scarlet Release Tracker is attempting to stay on top of the details: CameraRentalz :  Scarlet Release Tracker Panasonic DMC-G3 Review Camcorderinfo.com reviews the video capabilities of the Panasonic DMC-G3 and is underwhelmed. Even though the camera supports 1080p, the resolution isn't much better than it's predecessor the 7...

Igus is a manufacturing company that sort of fell into the slider production business. I gather they discovered that they make the parts that people use to make sliders, so why not sell them themselves? They offer a variety of models through Amazon (though they aren't always in stock) and some models come pre-drilled, while others don't. I actually bought one that wasn't pre-drilled; and it wasn't that hard to drill through the aluminum body of the slider using a large drill-bit (and I happened to have the right size too!) I'm very happy with mine; it's a good budget slider. They just released the DryLin® W1040-B Linear Motion System for Camera Sliders - mini pre-drilled version, ready to go [$114] which comes pre-drilled with a 3/8-16 hole. The WS-10-40 Guide rail is 1,000mm / 1m (or about 1 yard for those still using Imperial units) and has a 1,079lb Static load rating / Assembly weight 2.8lbs NOTE: I bought the DryLin® W16-A Linear Motion System for ...

Sony NEX-FS100 Dynamic Range Test Andy Shipsides at Abelcine retests the dynamic range of the NEX-FS100 . They'd done it with a pre-production model, but wanted to retest a production model. They found the ISO ratings to be the same, but the production model has slightly improved dynamic range. He also includes his settings for maximizing range: Here are my settings for each gamma mode to maximize range: Standard Gamma (Knee Point 80% / Slope -1), CineTone1 (Knee Point 90% / Slope +2), CineTone2 (Knee Point 90% / Slope +2), ITU709 (Knee Point 80% / Slope -2). If you're using this camera you'll want to watch this video. CineTechnica : Sony NEX-FS100: Dynamic Range Test Sony NEX-FS100 First Impressions Peter Prevec in Slovenia just got his NEX-FS100 and immediately attached it to his car; wouldn't you? He offers his initial impressions: ...it definitely is small. But as such totally uncomfortable to work with. We got the camera with the kit lens (Sony 18-20...

Storyboarding in Final Cut Pro X Rumors are that Final Cut Pro X will include storyboarding features (a feature that first appeared in iMovie ): From yfrog: fcpstruth's Photos Burning Questions Scott Simmons at The EditBlog has put together a list of burning questions, including the following [ with my comments ] Will FCPX support XML in and out of the application? [ I bet it will ] Will 3rd party I/O hardware be supported at launch? [ Some ] Will 3rd party plug-ins work? [ Not unless they are 64-bit ] Will there be any tape-based support [ No ] Will there be a Studio? [ probably; Motion and SoundTrack Pro ] ProVideoCoalition : My burning questions about Final Cut Pro X Larry Jordan Yesterday I posted a link to FCP guru Larry Jordan saying that Final Cut Pro X would not be ready for professional use on release. Larry subsequently clarrified his remarks, and I added them to that post, but I'll repeat it today for those that missed it. Larry Jordan has post...

Zacuto has posted the first of three episodes of their " Great Camera Shootout 2011 ." Last year they did a similar thing, producing a series of tests comparing DSLRs with film. This year they changed things up a bit; first they had Robert Primes , ASC independently organize and run the tests, and secondly they included other large chip cameras like the Sony F35 , RED OME MX , ARRI Alexa , Panasonic AG-AF100 and Sony PMW-F3 , as well as come DSLRs from last years tests. Once again, they included film for comparison. The tests were made, and then shown to DPs in a series of screenings in Sydney, Amsterdam, New York, London NAB and Hollywood. Zactuo filmed both the production of the tests, as well as the audience reaction at the showings, and has put together this documentary about the project. The first episode measures Dynamic Range and Latitude using an ARRI dynamic range test chart, as well as a pair of scenes that were shot to test under- and over- exposure. On t...

Having covered lens and monitoring options in Parts 1 and 2, here's the final part in the series: " Kitting out an NEX-FS100 ." NotesOnVideo : Kitting out a Sony NEX-FS100 Part 2: Lenses NotesOnVideo : Kitting out a Sony NEX-FS100: Part 1 Again, the objective was to to kit out an NEX-FS100 with a total budget of no more than $19,000 - including camera - for shooting an indie feature. Rules of the Game Feel free to make your own suggestions; there's no "right" answer. However, there is a budget, so if you suggest something additional - or more expensive - than the current choice, also indicate what you would do away with! When it came to accessories, I didn't really have much input, so here's the list for a Shoulder rig, focus puller and matte box. Rigs are sort of personal, and probably your body shape plays a big part too! I've tried some rigs and hated them - so I would never buy one without trying it out first. I might be tempted...

This is Part 2 of the series. Part 1 covered the basic requirements, camera and monitoring choices. NotesOnVideo : Kitting out a Sony NEX-FS100: Part 1 The objective is to kit out an NEX-FS100 with a total budget of no more than $19,000 - including camera - for shooting an indie feature. Rules of the Game Feel free to make your own suggestions; there's no "right" answer. However, there is a basic budget, so don't go suggesting the Zeiss Custom 7-Lens Compact Prime CP.2 Set , which at $26,700 is about $9,000 more than the total budget! If you suggest a different lens, also indicate which one(s) you would do away with! Alpha Mounts The lensing choices get interesting, because his requirements were: full set of fast primes short, medium and long zooms and he'd originally chosen a set of mostly Sigma lenses with Alpha mounts. If it was me, I'm not sure I'd jump on the Alpha mount, and I told him so! Having already acquired several Canon lenses, and...

A friend is putting together a camera kit to shoot a low budget thriller. The project will be shot over the course of several months, a few days each month. It will be very weather dependent, so he thinks that owning a camera package is the way to go. He's put together a pretty extensive list of gear, and he asked me to look over the list and give him a second opinion. I did, but I'm not sure I'm the best qualified to do this, so to all the readers out there; what's your opinion of this gear list? I'm posting the details of the list, along with some of my comments, and the back and forth we have already had. Because this piece turned out a bit longer than I expected, I'm going to post it in three parts: Part 1: Camera/Recording/Monitoring, Part 2: Lenses and Part 3: Accessories. The next two parts will be posted tomorrow. Camera As the title confirms, he chose the Sony NEX-FS100 as a camera. There are really only two other alternatives; the Panasonic AG...

Sony Drops Price On F65 While Sony had their "low- priced" cinema Super 35mm cameras, the $6K NEX-FS100 and the $14K PMW-F3 , don't think they are giving up on the high end. They unveiled the F65 , high-end cinema camera at NAB, and though they haven't yet confirmed a price, they have announced that they have lowered it. At Cine Gear Sony reveiled that the price had been lowered from $???K to $??K. I'm guessing that it's still closer to $???K thant $?K. YouTube : Sony F65 Pricing Release - Cine Gear 2011 PluralEyes available for Grass Valley's EDIUS PluralEyes , the workflow automation tool for analyzing media content and synchronizing audio and video clips is now available for EDIUS at an introductory price of $119 USD until July 15, 2011 via the Singular Software's website. The regular price is $149 USD. Singular Software This should be great news for some of you: iOS 5 on iPad 2 will play back H.264 MOVs recorded with EOS 5DII, 60D ...

Larry Jordan says that Final Cut Pro X won't be ready for prime time This statement from Final Cut Pro guru Larry Jordan at the Los Angeles Final Cut Pro User Grou p meeting [in April] that Final Cut Pro X will not be ready for professional use has caused some consternation: I guarantee you that on day one, when the dot.zero release ships, it will not be ready for professional use. Apple has a very poor track record of perfect dot zero releases. I suspect Larry is no longer on Steve Job's Christmas card list. Before this, he also says that maybe Final Cut Pro X is iMovie on steroids, or maybe it will be the greatest thing yet; we just don't know. You can see videos of Larry speaking at the event here: fcp.com : FCPX 1.0 "It will not be ready for professional use" says Larry Jordan [UPDATE 4:30PM Larry Jordan has posted to his blog a clarification of his statements back in April. But I no longer feel, as I once thought, that this is a step backward. Base...

The BOSFCPUG Mixer last night featured a demo of Autodesk Smoke , an update on features in Avid Media Composer , and a recap of AJA I/O products. But I’m burying the lead. Did you know that University of Massachusetts has a Club? And that it’s on the 33rd floor of a building in the Boston business district? Me neither! A pretty impressive sort of place; and not one of our usual haunts: last nights affair had an air of unexpected sophistication, what with the 33 floor high view, the fancy buffet, and the barman. This is your father’s video club. Daniel Bérubé kicked off the event by drawing our attention to the view. He also mentioned next week’s London SuperMeet , and said that they were still trying to organize streaming for the event. And, though it wasn’t unexpected, he confirmed that SuperMeet will be coming back to Boston in October . Ken Larue on Smoke Ken Larue demoed Autodesk Smoke , and opened with an impressive show real and the following observation; “I’m not...

This week Amazon seems to be doing some deals related to video equipment. ContourHD Today's Gold Box Deal is the ContourHD Camera for $179.00 ContourHD Camera ($249.99 regularly!) [Not to be confused with the newer Contour Plus which is $499, but has GPS, Bluetooth (use your iPhone to monitor!) and a wider field of view.] I have the Contour HD , and it's a handy little camera. I particularly like using it with a windshield mount. Amazon : Contour 1500 Contour Plus Camera NotesOnVideo : A few more thoughts on the ContourHD Windshield Mount Special Deal on Sony SMP-N100 Streaming Player through June 18 You can save $50 on the Sony SMP-N100 through June 18. It's $79. If you have Amazon Prime , you can use it to stream Amazon Instant Video. Too bad that the 78 reviews give it an average rating of 3 out of 5. Amazon : Sony SMP-N100 Streaming Player with Wi-Fi

Final Cut Pro X Screen Caps Were Real It seems that the screen caps posted the last couple of days by user MortGoldman2 on TwitPic were the real thing; they've been taken down and AppleInsider received a cease and desist letter from Ripple Training Inc ., the company from whom the screen shots were either stolen or "acquired." AppleInsider : Cease and desist threats authenticate recent Final Cut Pro X screenshots [u] What's Next for Final Cut Pro X? It's not even out yet and people are speculating whether the distribution by App Store will mean that updates will appear more frequently: probably not, thought as has been pointed out, now that they have rewritten it from the ground up, they might now have the time to do small, more frequent updates... Walter Biscardi , who has already ground down a couple of axes over Final Cut Pro X , has posted: We're already hearing about the first update to #fcpx to "put back" some of the missing elements...

The Great Camera Shootout 2011 One of the most interesting reviews of new technology was last year's " Great Camera Shootout " which compared the video shot with several DSLRs against some film footage. The DLSRs did amazingly well. This year the test was repeated, though adding in some of the more expensive new big-chip cameras; the Arri Alexa , Sony F-35 , PMW-F3 , RED ONE M-X and others. The results were previewed both at NAB and at some private showings that took place around the world, and this Wednesday Zacuto will unveil a web documentary series about the project. The documentary expands on the tests that were conducted under severe controlled conditions at the Mole-Richardson Co. stage and the Goathouse Loft. The tests were shot over four days and involved over sixty technicians. The Great Camera Shootout of 2011 is not a contest to decide out who makes the “best” camera. Rather, it is a collection of tests aimed to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of...

[UPDATE 2 1:00PM : Final Cut Pro X Next Week? The 21st? The 23rd? Who knows, but MacRumors reports that a Japanease blog reports..... Macrumors : Final Cut Pro X and Third-Party Thunderbolt Peripherals Coming Next Week? UPDATE 1 : The PremiumBeat blog has put together a list of 10 Noteworthy videos and posts about Final Cut Pro X :  10 Noteworthy Final Cut Pro X Related Videos and Posts – What We Know & What to Expect ] There's little news today; and it doesn't appear that Final Cut Pro X will be released today either, as some had been speculating. More images have been posted by MortGoldman2 on TwitPic, including some interesting export, import and share menus: The Share menu seems to confirm that Compressor still exists. It also seems pretty clear - and had been speculated about before - that capture from tape is gone. Is there no Export to XML or OMF? THere's noises that there aren't, though we haven't seen all the export options - yet! ...

Sony NEX-FS100 First Impressions A report from Crews.TV of a group of camera and sound people checking out a pre-production NEX-FS100 at an event in New Zealand. Three usability issues are identified; the brick-like shape - which at first was considered a problem, but after spending time with it most people felt they could work with it fine - the audio inputs (a big improvement over DSLR's,) and then there's that HDMI output: “It might be fine in a studio situation on a tripod, but I don’t think I would want to use the FS100 with an external recorder out in the field running around with a shoulder rig.” Unlike the fragile mini-HDMI connector on a Canon 5D, the FS100 HDMI connector is a full size connector, and it might be possible to find a locking type of HDMI connector that can fit, but in the end HDMI connectors were designed for AV connections, not location use. The signal coming out the NEX-FS100 is a big improvement over the 5D Mark II , but that connector still gi...

The next Boston Final Cut Pro User Group Mixer takes place at 6:30pm on Tuesday, June 14th. FEATURING : - Bob Russo on what's new in Avid Media Composer 5.5 including PhraseFind and DSLR workflow - Ken Larue on what's new in Autodesk Smoke for Mac 2012! - Jay Ignaszewski on what's new with the latest in tapeless integrated workflow from AJA Video Systems BOSFCPUG : JUNE 14TH BOSFCPUG: AVID, AUTODESK & AJA PLUS WIN A KI PRO MINI!

[ UPDATE 4:00 PM Mort Goldman has posted several pictures on Twitpic of color grading in Final Cut Pro X . Who know how long these will stay up... Twitpic : Mort Goldman ] The End of Color? The last couple of days have seen renewed speculation that Color is gone, primarily because of reports that the Apple Color community was removed from Apple's site... [ UPDATE : Now it appears to be back] ...except that Patrick Inhofer reports that the Motion community was removed too, and we *think* that Motion will be upgraded. So that could mean nothing. On the other hand, when Philip Hodgetts gave his prediction of what would be upgraded, he thought that Motion , Compressor and SoundTrack Pro were definite upgrades, DVD Studio Pro would be killed, and he wasn't sure about Color . Aaron Robinson posts his defense of Color : For a long time now I've been excited for the next installment of Color.  It offers far more control than any integration with Final Cut P...