Convergent Design is getting into the video field recorder business with their newly-announced Flash XDR DTE device. Attached to a camcorder via HD-SDI, the XDR records HDV, XDCAM HD, and high-bitrate MPEG2 streams to affordable compactflash media. The 422P@HL option allows you to record full-raster 1920×1080 (interlaced and progressive) and 1280×720p 50 Mbps MPEG-2 streams at 4:2:2.

Features:
*HD-SDI <> HDV or XDCAM HD MPEG2 Streams
*Supports MPEG2 4:2:2 @ 50 Mbps and 4:2:2, full-raster (1920×1080 / 1280×720) I-Frame @ 160Mbps.
*1080i, 720p, 1080p23.98
*Embedded or External Audio, Time-Code inputs
*Internal time-code generator, GPI Trigger input
*Two Hot-Swappable CompactFlashCard Slots
*Enables File-Based transfers, 5x-12x real-time
*Rugged, solid-state; silent operation
*Compact, Ultra-Portable, 2kg with battery

Continue reading ‘Convergent Design Announces Flash HD Field Recorder’

Another good post at the IEBA blog, this one takes a good look at the soon-to-come DSR-250 replacement equipped to shoot HDV. Anthony is starting to put the features puzzle together on this new camera, so check it out if you are a fan of the DSR series.

Stu Maschwitz has been shooting with the Canon HV20 + Redrock 35mm adapter, and he’s listed a few informative production notes to help “tame the toy” and gain better control over this hot little number. Good info for HV20 users.

This is also a good time to remind readers of Barry Green’s mind-numbingly detailed tutorial on manually controlling the HV20, and our podcast with Bruce Allen who offered a ton of useful info on the compact camcorder.

If you are considering picking up your own killer little Canon HV20 Camcorder, buying it via this B&H link helps support FreshDV. For those that prefer Amazon, please use this link.

We’ve covered many of these rigs in the past, but here’s eight Do It Yourself camera rigs in one blog post. All the classics are there…the (in)famous $14 Steadycam, PVC bodybrace, lightweight jib, bike mounted steadycam, the PVC fig rig, etc. One that I hadn’t seen before that looks interesting is the Car Roof Mount project.

Director Ridley Scott had a few interesting things to say when he spoke recently at the Venice Film Festival, promoting “The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford”.

Comparing the Pitt film to other Hollywood offerings, he said: “I think movies are getting dumber, actually. Where it used to be 50/50, now it’s 3% good, 97% stupid. This is one of those rarities that does get made, thank God, and has serious characterisation and serious things to say. Altogether it’s a wonderful, dramatic and historic piece. But it’s becoming more and more difficult to get films like this made.”

He said Hollywood should stop doing so many remakes and concentrate on original films. Scott also ripped into the idea of viewing movies on mobile phones and computers, suggesting it is killing cinema.

“We try to do films which are in support of cinema, in a large room with good sound and a big picture I’m sure we’re on a losing wicket but we’re fighting technology. Whilst it is wonderful in many aspects, it also has some big negative downsides.”

Personally, I think the decline in theater attendance has more to do with the 3%-97% ratio than with iPod sales, but that’s just me…

UPDATE: Paul Harrill (one of my favorite bloggers in the film/video niche) agrees with Ridley Scott on this issue, and has decided to quit cold turkey. He has a few insightful words on the topic and backs them up with a list of this year’s top grossing films…

We first mentioned this possibility earlier in the year, and it looks like the deal is finally available. Purchase a Foveas wireless focus system in tandem with the FS Pro vest-mounted stabilizer device, and you can take 10% off both units. This combo discount may be of interest to the new/upcoming RED camera owners who wish to fly their rigs and are shopping steadi rigs, as you’ll need some method of pulling focus on the RED lens while it’s on the stabilizer. The discount is valid through November 30th.

I should note that we have not yet had the opportunity to test the Foveas unit, nor have I read any reviews on the device. However, I will be reviewing it later this fall. We have used the Bartech BFD + M-One motor combo with a 35mm adapter rig, and it performs beautifully (as it should). It’s also over twice the cost; the Foveas + motor is priced at 895 Euro (about $1,220 USD), while the Bartech + M-One will run nearly $4000. Yet another wireless lens control option waiting in the wings for fall release is the Redrock Remote, but we have no confirmed ship date on that product at this time. Historically, one of the biggest issues with wireless lens focus units is the reliability and performance of the drive motor…and good motors generally do not come cheap. With these three offerings all over the pricing map, it will be interesting to see how they compare in real world testing.

The FreshDV crew interviewed Bob Sanchez recently, a career 1st AC with 30 years of feature filmmaking experience. This video is the second half of that interview, you can watch Part 1 here. In this segment, Bob details the methods he uses to pull focus, and what tools he carries on each job to facilitate the position of 1AC. Watch the Part 2 video below. Part 3 is also now online. Part 3 is the unique segment where we take you behind the lens as we demonstrate the techniques Bob uses. You may also be interested in our video review of 5 popular Follow Focus systems.

Continue reading ‘FreshDV Film School: The Art of Pulling Focus (Part 2)’

On October 1st the UK will host HDFest’s London screenings at the Cineworld Shaftesbury Avenue Theatre. Screenings will focus on innovative visuals and HD Animation. The event coincides with the Raindance Film Festival. Screenings will include “We are the Strange”, “Waiting for Yesterday”, “Supernova”, “Ray Harryhausen Presents: The Pit and the Pendulum”, “Pour Finir Ici (To End Up Here)”, “Eels”, “Public Spaces”, and Moonbabies “War on Sound” music video.

“HDFEST will hold its London screenings in conjunction with the Raindance Film Festival on October 1st at the Cineworld Shaftesbury Avenue Theatre. HDFEST screenings in London include the feature presentation “We are the Strange” directed by M dot Strange. The film’s creator “painstakingly creating this film, using a range of animation techniques–traditional, stop-motion, computer, and his own unique blend of 8-bit graphics and anime, dubbed ‘Str8nime.’” The popularity of “We are the Strange” continues to grow at a breakneck speed as its youtube trailer has already been viewed over 1 million times. M dot Strange will be in attendance at HDFEST London. The HDFEST London event will also present a series of visually intense shorts which include “Ray Harryhausen Presents: The Pit and the Pendulum” a Canadian stop-motion animation directed by Marc Lougee, “Eelsâ€? a German animation by Martin Rahmlow and “Public Spacesâ€? a CG animated short from the Netherlands shot with one long uninterrupted camera movement. This sequence marks some of the most intense images and animation seen at HDFEST to date.”

You can learn more about HDFest London and register to attend at http://www.hdfest.com/hdfestlondon07.html

Who hasn’t always wanted to build an underwater Remotely Operated Vehicle, complete with onboard video camera? Well now you can, and on a tight budget. For $250 you can buy the ROV-in-a-Box Project Kit, a DIY project pioneered by the fine folks at Carl Hayden High School that “includes all the parts needed to build a working underwater robot: a frame, motors, underwater light, camera, 50-foot tether, operator control box, and a dry-cell battery.” You simply add the labor to build it and a monitor display. Sweet! Doubtful about it’s performance? Check out a video of the ROV in action below.
Continue reading ‘DIY Underwater ROV for $250′

I read over at Digital Camcorder News that Sony has announced Vegas Pro 8, a new NLE version that brings more advanced editing tools to the professionals. Here are a few key new features… Continue reading ‘Sony Vegas Pro 8 Announced’

Here’s a fun little kit for your kids (or the kid inside). The RipRoar Creation Station is a complete chromakey setup with green screens, camera, and software. The camera even has an LED light on it and a tripod. The included software CD includes stock footage backgrounds for compositing use and you can insert your own footage as well. Everything you need to get started. Note that the software is Windows only at this time. The $130 kit is available for preorder at Amazon.com.

(Via Digital Camcorder News)

While much of the online community salivates over recent RED One announcements, Silicon Imaging’s proven SI-2K digital cinema camera has quietly gotten some very interesting upgrades. For starters, they have a film camera-style optical viewfinder option now, as well as an OLED EVF option (with secondary HDMI tap). There is a new MINI-Rig for handheld/shoulder mount use, and of course the beautiful (and upgradeable) enclosure designed by P+S Technik (shown here in our NAB Expo coverage).

Other new features include the option to frame-accurate synch multiple SI-2K cameras for multi-camera or stereo 3D applications. This feature would also be useful with multiple SI-2K MINI heads for Matrix-like effects and shots. There is also now the option to record CineForm RAW directly to QuickTime format as well as a few other handy user-configurable capabilities (like extended shutter durations).

The SI-2K currently lists for $28,500, the remote MINI head can be had for $17,500. You can obtain the optional new OLED viewfinder for $4000. This fall will see the release of the B4-mount optical viewfinder, with a PL-mount version coming early next year. You can find more info on the SI-2K at www.siliconimaging.com

The following is FreshDV’s ongoing coverage of Sony’s EX-series of XDCAM camcorders. Ongoing Updates directly below, latest on the top. Our original EX1 news article follows.

*KxS: Replacing Costly Sony SxS Media with Cheap SD Cards
*Midtown Video has an overview video of the EX3 that covers the basic featureset and lens options.
*The EX3 can now be pre-ordered from B&H, price is listed at $8,320.00 USD.
*FreshDV’s PMW-EX3 interview with Bob Ott of Sony. We cover the form factor, featureset, accessory hard drive, and SxS deck.
*Philip Bloom’s “Deer Vegas” video shot with the EX3 and Letus Ultimate.
*XDCAM EX3 Announced at NAB 2008, plus an introductory overview of the camera by Philip Bloom.

*FreshDV Testbench - XDCAM EX1 Hands-On - Camera Body and Controls Layout
*FreshDV Testbench - XDCAM EX1 Hands-On - Depth of Field Examples
*FreshDV Testbench - XDCAM EX1 Hands-On - First Impressions Podcast Discussion
*FreshDV Testbench - XDCAM EX1 Hands-On - Night Footage Compression Examples
*FreshDV Testbench - XDCAM EX1 Hands-On - Gamma and Color Matrix Presets
*FreshDV Testbench - XDCAM EX1 Hands-On - Picture Profiles and Image Settings
*FreshDV Testbench - XDCAM EX1 Hands-On - Menu and Settings Overview
*FreshDV Testbench - XDCAM EX1 Hands-On - Final Cut Pro Workflow and XDCAM Transfer Software
*FreshDV Testbench - XDCAM EX1 Hands-On - Format Resolution Testing.
*FreshDV Testbench - XDCAM EX1 Hands-On - CMOS Rolling Shutter Strobe Artifacts.

*KxS: Replacing Costly Sony SxS Media with Cheap SD Cards
*EX1 Wedding shooter Daniel Boswell has outlined his workflow and POV of the solid-state SxS media in this EventDV article.
*Sony has released a series of PDFs that deal with specific aspects of image control, they are all linked nicely in this post at DVXuser. Topics include: Avoiding “Overexposure” of an Image’s Highlights, Creating Film-like Images With Rich Colors, Enhancing Colors in Low-Light Areas, Enriching Color Saturation in Dark Areas of an Image, Improving Picture Sharpness without Coarsening the Image, Reproducing Vivid Colors Under a Bright Environment, Shooting Without Coarsening Dark Areas of an Image, and Shooting Pictures with Rich and Deep Black Reproduction. Enjoy.
*Shooting with HMI’s and seeing flicker? Here’s the HMI shutter speed formula to know.
*EX1 vs Red in a keying test. See if you can pick out which camera is which.
*Adam Wilt tested the EX1 side-by-side with the F23 and RED One.
*EX1 vs Z7U vs Z1U lowlight framegrabs are up here. The EX1 has the clear edge in noise and brightness.
*BassPig tested the EX1’s audio system and found it to be “DAT-Quality.”
*Adam Wilt takes another, more detailed look at the EX1 Cine Gamma modes. If you are unsure where to start with your EX1 picture profiles, this is a good primer on the topic.
*Adam Wilt has finally reviewed the production model EX1, and his findings on dynamic range and native ISO rating are very impressive. Not to be missed.
*A short edit from a EX1 user shot in Times Square NYC with the stock lens.
*Phil Bloom has another EX1+Letus Extreme short up at his blog, and several pages of related discussion at DVXuser.
*Andrew from Design Matters wrote in to mention a free EX1 demo footage DVD offer. Click through to take the survey from Sony’s site, then look under Current Promotions on the left for the demo footage DVD link.
*One of the many image settings buried in the EX1’s Picture Profile menu is “Crispening.” Here is a short writeup that explains the feature. Thanks to Adam Wilt for the link.
*These guys did a side-by-side HVX vx EX1 shootout. Charts, footage, etc. Nice comparison of the two cameras. Thanks to Ajit for the link.
*Here’s a EX1 user’s short creative film, it shows what you can do with this camera bone stock. It’s got impressive depth-of-field even without a 35mm adapter.
*FreshDV has in-depth interview with Adam Wilt about his experiences with a pre-production EX1 camcorder. Here is that audio podcast.
*Vortex Media’s XDCAM EX1 DVD training series is available and shipping from B&H.
*I read a very interesting (and technical) thread at DVinfo on using the EX1 for keying, and how users lean too often on chroma-sampling metrics that may not matter in practice.
*The ever-prolific Philip Bloom has posted another EX1 + Letus Extreme short called “My Autumn’s Done Come.” Shot all overcranked. Not to be missed.
*Creative Cow has a PD-170 vs XDCAM EX1 low-light comparison. The results show the EX1 has approx 60% less image noise, even at 18db of gain. Given that the PD170 is widely regarded as the King of LowLight, this is very good news indeed. Don also shares his first shoot and import experiences here.
*EX1 user Daniel Boswell has shared a Glidecam 4000 + 60p overcranked shot at the VU Forums, as well as a few other wedding clips. He’s also sparked a little discussion about the EX1’s native DOF and the use of 35mm adapters.
*Sony is offering a 8GB SxS media card rebate (PDF) along with the EX1 purchase. There is also another rebate offer (PDF) for Sony microphones and accessories like the $3400 LMD-9050 LCD Monitor with HD-SDI.
*DiscreteCosine has shared a few comparison test chart frames from the EX1 vs Canon XL-H1 and the Sony D50. They also have a full review of the camera (thanks to Ajit for the heads-up)
*Cineform has announced beta support for the XDCAM EX1 in their Prospect HD and NEO HD products.
*The XDCAM Transfer v2.1 software is the underlying software that FCP 6.0.2 Editors need to ingest EX1 footage.
*Daniel Boswell was kind enough to send in some FX1 vs EX1 low-light comparison images. Sweet!
*Looks like the Firestore hard disk capture device works with the EX1 in SP mode (some caveats apply).
*Here’s a few user framegrabs at 1080p and 720p with detail turned off (no edge enhancement). Looks very organic to me.
*Midtown Video’s Jesse Miller leads you through a Guaranteed Awesome tutorial on the simple steps required to ingest footage from the EX1 into Final Cut Pro. They also have a nice detailed overview of key features in the EX1. It’s all on the What’s Hot page.
*Philip Bloom has shared beautiful footage he shot with the EX and a Letus Extreme 35mm adapter. This is the first adapter footage I’ve seen from the new camera, and it looks beautiful. You’ll see examples of Timelapse and overcrank slow-motion in there as well. I understand that the footage was treated with Magic Bullet, so it is unclear if that is where the slight vignetting originated. Regardless, it looks very nice. UPDATE: Bloom’s site is currently offline due to a bandwidth overage, we are mirroring the clip here with his permission.
*When these guys get tired, they rest on their huge stack of XDCAM EX1 boxes. Severe Envy Warning! Thanks to Dan for the heads up.
*IEBA got a few nitty-gritty questions answered by Sony on the EX.
*Jody Eldred just shot an airshow with the EX side by side crews shooting the PDW-F350. Says there was a seamless match in post-production. Also used a EX1 in a rather tight cockpit location to get a unique POV shot.
*Andreas Johansson says “…there is no way of getting the EX1 HQ files to play nice with Avid Media Composer when using the Sony Clip Browser and unwrap to .mxf.” Here’s a workaround for the time being.
*Detail, Sharpness, and Highlight handling comparison images from PMW-EX1, Canon XH G1, Panasonic AG-HVX200, and Sony HVR-Z1J. Scenes are shot in 1080/60i, 1080/30P, and 720/60p (depending on camcorder featureset). Thanks to Ajit for the link!
*HVX 200 vs EX1 Low light tests (informal comparison)
*It appears that some (pre-production?) XDCAM EX cameras are exhibiting vignetting in the image. This thread at DVinfo has all the discussion, photos, and video. Nate Weaver makes an interesting comment about the discussion.
*A thread has been started at DVinfo about cases that will safely hold the XDCAM EX.
*You can see some EX1 unboxing images here, as well as night-time shots which appear to be shot with slow shutter; Tif1, Tif2, Tif3, Tif4, Tif5,
*Brian Valente of Redrock Micro reports they have tested the M2 35mm adapter on a pre-production EX1, and it basically mounts up like the Z1U does. No footage because the camera requires “macro-mode” be enabled for this sort of use, and the pre-pro model didn’t have that feature yet. He also reports the microFollowFocus fits the stock Fujinon lens with just the addition of a “D” lens gear.
*Adam Wilt tested a pre-production EX1 and seemed to be impressed with the camera, stating “it’s like having a miniature F900.” He did note a few criticisms, however. One was that the camera is nearly impossible to hold with the right handgrip only. Adam measured the camcorder at ISO 320 @ 1080/24p, right about where he rates the HVX200.
*User Dxmetal over at DVXuser reports “Shipping is confirmed to be on track for the 19th. The Cameras should get to the consumers beginning on the week of the 26th.” and confirms SxS card pricing at $899/16GB and $499/8GB.
*The XDCAM EX1 Manual is available as part of a 127mb clip-browsing software download from Sony. Thanks to Dan for the heads up!
*$6449 USD is the rumored street price, and it will include a single 8GB SxS media card. Some are speculating that Sony will offer a short-term “two-card” special for early adopters.
*The rumor is that CNN and other major news networks have apparently pre-ordered a ton of the EX1 cameras.
*From XDCAM Pro User Group comes news of a Australian EX1 demo that left the author very positive about the new camcorder. He states “For the first time in my life as a freelance cameraman, I’m now wondering if ’small’ is better, here’s a camera now on par with its larger counterparts.” (Via DVXuser)
*B&H has confirmed that the US shipping version of the EX1 will include one 8GB SxS media card (via DVXuser).
*Simon Wyndham has posted Part 2 of his First Look review of the XDCAM EX1. He talks about general use on a production set, and handling of the pre-production camera.
*Anthony Burokas recently attended a Sony event featuring the new camera, and he brought back some great new EX1 info and pictures. He also asks quite a few interesting questions about the new SxS media cards.
*Another “first look” review, this one from Digital Content Producer.
*More user pictures of the EX1 at SupaShooter, a few angles and buttons I hadn’t seen in previous images.
*Sandisk announced 8 and 16 gig SxS media cards, available for $500 and $900 USD in November.
*Mikko Wilson confirms no SD support and no cross-conversion in the XDCAM EX…and a really irritating quirk, the external monitoring shuts off when shooting “special” framerates. Yikes.
*Apple has shown a preview of their soon-to-come 720p/50 support in FCP for the JVC GY-HD200, GY-HD201, GY-HD251, and of course the Sony EX1.
*Anthony Burokas has posted an in-depth stream of consciousness on solid-state media over at his IEBA blog.
*B&H has the PMW-EX1 listed for 7499.00, estimated arrival in November (Disclaimer: Purchases made via that link directly benefit FreshDV…though you’ll generally be hard pressed to find a better price than what B&H offers)
*It looks like the EX1 will debut in the US in Nov for “less than $7000″ incl. two 8GB cards.
*Two new “First Impressions” reviews are out, one from Nigel Cooper and one from Simon Wyndham.
*Mikko Wilson of www.mikkowilson.com is reporting LIVE from IBC, says XDCAM EX has “very slight wobble” (rolling shutter artifact) and will not accept 3rd party Expresscard media.
*Official Sony Press releases on the EX and SxS card media are out, links below.
*First Impressions user review by Alistair Chapman below.

A Sony Australia XDCAM EX product brochure showed up online sometime today, in it you’ll find official specs and tantalizing information about this new solid-state camcorder’s features…like the 120-degree rotatable hand grip. Finally! And surprise surprise…it has three 1/2 inch “type” full-raster 1920×1080 “effective” CMOS imager chips. I’m unsure why they are calling the sensors “1/2 inch type”, but noted that specific terminology was consistent throughout the brochure. Edit: Some answers from Chris Hurd on this choice of nomenclature. In other news, I cannot see or find any reference to a LANC jack…underwater shooters are going to be disappointed over that omission. Also it does not appear that SD resolutions are supported.

Specifications:
Three 1920×1080 effective 1/2-inch “Exmor” CMOS chips, rated at 1000+ resolution lines (I believe the Z1U hovers around 700 on the rez charts).
Undercrank/Overcrank: 1080P from 1 to 30 fps, 1 to 60 fps in 720P mode.
Frame rates: 1920 x 1080/59.94i, 29.97P, 23.98P, 1280 x 720/59.94P, 29.97P, 23.98P, also a 1440 x 1080/59.94i SP mode.
PAL setting HQ mode: 1920 x 1080/50i, 25P, 1280 x 720/50P, 25P and 1440 x 1080/50i SP mode. Continue reading ‘XDCAM EX1 and EX3 Specifications and Links’

DV has a review of the Panasonic HPX 500 in the September issue. Reviewer Jay Holben gave the camera a 4.5 rating, and was very pleased indeed with it’s performance. Most of those that have used the camera to date have expressed similar sentiment, it seems to be a really strong offering at it’s price point.

“In the “HD Normalâ€? gamma setting, I found the camera’s latitude to be 8 1/2 stops, with 5 stops underexposure to loss of detail and 2 1/2 stops overexposure to loss of detail. At 5 stops under, it was too noisy for my taste. In the “Cinelike Dâ€? gamma setting I found the same 8 1/2 stop overall latitude, but with a more even dispersement of 3 1/4 stops over and 4 1/4 stops under range. “Cinelike Vâ€? mode, quickly becoming my favorite, yielded the same total 8 1/2 stops, but slightly more high-end at 3 1/2 stops overexposure detail and 4 stops underexposure. From this point forward I left the gamma at “Cinelike V.â€? In the “Cinelikeâ€? modes, even at 4 and 4 1/4 stops under, the image remains clean with little noise.”

You can read the full review in your DV Sept print issue, or online at DV.com.

(Via Digital Camcorder News)

Meridian today announced an iPod Video dock that can upconvert low-res video to 1080p, reportedly without undue noise, artifacts, or jaggies. It accomplishes this with a brand new “QuietVideo” processing chip from Marvell called “Qdeo” (sounds like “q-dee-oh”). Qdeo supposedly has a number of features that suppress image noise, clean up artifacting, and intelligently scales low-resolution video up to 1080p. It uses “per-pixel vector interpolation” to intelligently scale the video, and is capable of “locally adaptive contrast enhancement”, which basically brings up the gain on an image while maintaining the highlights and shadow detail. “Wide intelligent color remapping” enhances Rec709 sources and reportedly improves vivid color while preserving image reference colors (like skin tones). The results of this particular feature are visually impressive. There is a remote controlled onscreen UI that basically transfers the iPod interface to TV screen. Connection options include component, HDMI, S-Video, composite, coax and optical audio, 1/8″ headphone and analog line out. There is an HDMI input for pass-through and a USB port for iPod syncing. Sounds too good to be true? It very well may be. I did speak with Qdeo engineers yesterday, and they were convincingly thorough in their knowledge of the product, it’s capabilities and video processing in general. That is at least a comfort (though a useful device it does not necessarily make…sound like Yoda I do!). The Meridian iRIS is expected to hit market this fall, for around $379. Likewise, Marvell is working with other manufacturers to integrate the new Qdeo chipset in TV’s, DVD players, and other home entertainment devices.

Why am I writing about this gizmo? I’m glad you asked…if this thing delivers on it’s tall promises (and that would be a big “if”), it could potentially be a simple, convenient way to showcase work to clients on the road. Or for the event crowd, play a photo montage or video presentation at a wedding. And it begins to make iTunes Store content an option for watching on today’s HD home theater systems. We shall see…