So what GPU really makes Apple’s Motion fly? Mark Spencer has the scoop on why the ATI Radeon HD 3870 should be your choice for Mac Pro towers (it’s Windows compatible as well, for all the dual-booters out there). Read on…

This video card is around $200 from Amazon and B&H. Purchases made via those links help support FreshDV.

There’s been a lot of chatter lately about the latest crop of Digital SLR still cameras that include HD video modes. The Nikon D90 was the first to really make waves with it’s 720p mode, followed by Canon’s 5D Mark II featuring 1080p and a more efficient recording codec. Coming out later this year is Nikon’s flagship Pro DSLR update, which is rumored to feature a similar 1080p video mode. And let’s not forget the niche offerings from Casio’s Exilim line, the high-speed video modes of both the EX-F1 and EX-FH20. These are great developments for filmmakers, providing more options than ever to capture amazing imagery. However, these still+video hybrids create a new set of challenges for some not used to working with small cameras, not the least of which is form-factor and handling ease. They simply aren’t set up for a production set.

Redrock Micro appears to be the first company to step in and fill the need for DSLR accessories with a full-featured support rig bundle. They’ve repurposed elements from their camera support accessories line to build a 15mm upper and lower rails and handling solution, complete with follow focus and mattebox. A shoulder pad and front handgrips round out the rig. This “cage” around the DSLR will enable much more customization and configurability when shooting with these powerful cameras trapped in a photographer’s form factor. For instance, I’ve spoken with a number of shooters who wish to add a Beachtek or similar audio adapter to the Canon. Redrock’s rig will give you many more mount point options than exist on the stock camera.

While many shooters will welcome a production-ready support system for these small cameras, there is a counter-point worth mentioning. One of the greatest strengths of these new DSLR video cameras is the power of HD resolution melded with great glass in a compact size. Adding this Redrock rig will obviously add some size and weight. So in situations where space is at a premium, shooters may prefer to run-n-gun with the stock camera. However, most pros that I know demand an external monitor, precise manual lens control, wireless audio mount points, etc. And the addition of the Redrock microMattebox to the rig will offer further options for precise image control with ND grads and other optical filters. It’s my belief that this Redrock rig takes a purely run-n-gun, indie-oriented camera and makes it a lot more palatable to production work and pro shooters who demand their accessories.

Redrock has not revealed pricing for DSLR accessory bundles yet, but said that they would be available for purchase AND shipment by October 28th. You can also see the bundles displayed at Photo Plus in NYC on Oct 23-25th in the Canon and Zeiss booths. Since it appears that the bundles all utilize pre-existing Redrock gear, I suppose you could build your own in the interim, if you so desire. Hopefully we’ll see a small price break for a complete integrated package. Regardless, based on Redrock’s past offerings, it should be an affordable and solid solution for DSLR shooters. More info at www.redrockmicro.com

Here at FreshDV we’ve written and talked at length about the Sony XDCAM EX1 and XDCAM EX3. It’s an absolutely brilliant HD camcorder series, well suited to use stock, with a 35mm lens adapter system, and now with interchangeable lenses on the EX3. However, one common complaint about these cameras is the cost of the SxS solid-state media. This complaint is the same one that has always dogged the Panasonic HVX200 and other P2 cameras. Solid-state media simply isn’t cheap, and no real generic, non-oem solutions have been available. Until now…

Guy Barwood has been researching this issue for a while now, and recently wrote at length about a new SxS media alternative. You see, SxS cards are really just high-performance Express Card 34 (SSD) media. However, two variants of this standard exist, USB and PCI Express internal interfaces. USB is cheaper to make, and therefore most generic SSD cards use it. Sony happens to use the PCI Express variety, and the shipping EX1 firmware didn’t support the USB SSDs. However, with the recent release of the EX3 and Sony’s EX1 1.11 firmware update, these cameras now accept both USB and PCI E media, with some exceptions:

“So not long ago someone tried to test the Lexar cards again. Low and behold, with the EX3 (from day 1) and EX1 with firmware 1.11 the cameras suddenly recognise the media. This seemed pretty amazing as these cards are really low cost compared to SxS. Unfortunately their write performance did prove to be their undoing. While they work most of the time in SP (25Mbps), in HQ (35Mbps) they don’t fair too well with media errors happening from a few sec to a few minutes of recording :-(

So then the quest for other options continued. People started testing other Express Card card readers. CF cards are actually wider than Express Cards so that was never going to work well (CF cards would be hanging out), so other card reader were tried. I tried the Sandisk Express card reader without success (unrecognised media) however others found an one obscure card to be showing promise. This card is the Kensington 7 in 1 Express Card reader (credit goes to Alister Chapman for first testing this adaptor). No other reader has been found to either work, or work as well.”

Guy goes on to list the unique reader+card options that seem to work best. The reader is the Kensington 7-in-1 ExpressCard Media Reader ($40), and test-proven cards include the Class 4 Sandisk Ultra II SDHC cards ($25-$75) and Sandisk Extreme III 30MB/s Edition SDHC cards ($48-$120). Technically speaking, all Class 6 SDHC cards should be fast enough to handle the EX1’s 35mbps bitrate…however, like hard drives it is the sustained write speed that matters. So I suggest you consult Guy’s article for notes on Transcend and other card compatibility besides the ones just mentioned. There are also some issues with overcranking, etc. So caveat emptor.

It’s overstating it a little, but bear in mind that a 16GB SxS card will set you back $850. A 32GB SxS is $1500. A 16GB SDHD card and reader is under $115! That is an amazing disparity, and may be well worth it for you to deal with the above-noted limitations. Beyond price, the beauty of this DIY solution is that you don’t have to own multiple readers, just bring a wad of SD cards with you when you shoot. In fact, you can leave the card reader in the camcorder media slot and just swap cards in and out (this does not work with two readers installed, you must be using one SxS card in the other slot to enable KxS hotswap). You’ll want a safe storage case for your smaller media now, consider something like the Pelican Memory Card case.

Back at NAB 2007 when Sony announced they would be supporting an open solid-state media standard, we cheered them on. It’s great to see that promise finally coming to fruition. And now that the EX1 and EX3 camcorders offer increased media compatibility, I fully expect third-party companies to start coming out with better-integrated SxS media alternatives. It’s a good time to be an indie filmmaker!

(Via Bruce Johnson)

Amex Digital has announced an external Blu-ray burner for Windows and Mac computers. The drive is USB bus-powered and can burn 1x and 2x BD media, as well as functioning as a standard DVD burner. MSRP is $289 for the player-only version, and $389.00 for the burner. (Thanks for the correction, Joel!)

(via Engadget)

Bruce Johnson has reviewed the Vantec Nexstar Nst-D100Su Hard Drive dock over at PVC. This is a sweet little solution that allows you to quickly and easily mount and unmount bare hard drives for use with editing and backups. Even before I read Bruce’s review, another editor friend recommended it. The D100Su sounds like handy little solution, and with both USB2 and eSATA connections available, what’s not to like? Amazon has it for $41.13 with free shipping.

Last month at the IBC show in Amsterdam, a small Swedish company named Ikonoskop launched an exciting new digital cinema camera called the A-Cam dII. The dII offers nearly 2K resolution from a 16mm-sized CCD imager, records uncompressed DNG sequences to high-speed solid-state media, and can be overcranked up to 60fps. With a number of lens mount options that include PL, C-mount, and still image lenses (via the IMS mount), the dII has a lot to offer to those with an existing lens investment. Perhaps one of the greatest attractions of the dII is it’s compact, integrated design that thoughtfully includes a viewfinder tucked into the side of the body.

I wrote 1200 words on this new camera shortly after it was announced, comparing it to the Red One and Red Scarlet. You can read that article over at ProVideoCoalition. It’s an intriguing offering from both a price and performance standpoint, and since the announcement I’ve heard more speculation and questions about the dII than answers. So we got in touch with the Ikonoskop crew to try to get some of these burning questions answered.

The following 30-minute podcast is a frank and open discussion about the dII that should clear the air about what it does, and doesn’t offer. If you’ve got questions about this new camera, we hope this interview will answer them. Listen to the podcast by subscribing to our podcast feed.

 Ikonoskop A-cam dII Interview [30:21m]: Download

A French newspaper (English translation) is reporting that a National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS) scientist has determined that a Mac Pro computer purchased in 2007 has been emitting cocktail of “seven volatile organic contaminants,” including styrene and benzene derivatives. Apparently the researcher is not alone… he has stated that numerous new Mac Pro owners have reported a chemical odor not unlike a “new car smell,” along with symptoms such as dizziness, nausea, and migraines.

It is my understanding that benzene is only toxic when ingested orally. When inhaled, as would be this case, the chemical is not directly toxic, but can irritate eyes, skin and the respiratory tract. Also, the article mentions that chemical derivatives were detected, so it may be overstating the risk (I am not a scientist). Furthermore, there is no data presented on the amount detected by researchers. Remember folks, chemicals aren’t inherently harmful, only certain chemicals at specific concentrations. So on the surface it appears that such issues may be an irritation to some, but not necessarily a significant direct health risk. However, the article goes on to quote “an expert in chemical risk” who states “Benzene can affect the bone marrow. Imagine a person works eight hours a day for two months by inspiring such vapors, sensitive people could very well develop leukemia.” Given a statement like that, I suppose it’d be worth checking into this.

The issue in question reportedly is limited to Mac Pro computers purchased before 2008, and the word on the street is that Apple has been informed, but has not publically acknowledged it, nor do they appear to be taking steps to contact potentially affected customers.

Mac Pro users… does your tower smell funky? Have you been experiencing any adverse health issues since it’s installation? If so, have you contacted Apple about it?

(Via ZDNET)

Finally, the review you’ve been waiting for! Adam Wilt has posted his extensive review of the AG-HPX170, Panasonic’s complementary camera update to the HVX200 and 200A series. The HPX170 dumps that old-fogey tape drive and captures DVCPROHD and DVCPRO50 to P2 instead. Adam is extremely complimentary of the 170, and it looks like a worthy addition to Panasonic’s already excellent line of HD camcorders.

“Just as the HVX200 built on the success of the standard-definition DVX100, adding multiformat recording and multiple frame rates, the HPX170 takes the best features of the HVX200 and builds on them. The 170 makes a better picture. Added functionality, like HD-SDI, more frame rates, and Dynamic Range Stretch, makes it more versatile. Its lighter weight, refined ergonomics, and built-in waveform monitor make it an operator’s delight.

The HPX170 (US$5700 list, $5200 street price) can be considered a slimmed-down, tapeless, feature-enhanced brother to the HVX200. The camera records DV25, DVCPRO50, and DVCPROHD on P2 cards. The 170 drops the 200’s tape drive (which only records standard-def DV25), resulting in a 20% loss of weight and a thinner, better-balanced body that’s much more comfortable to operate handheld for long periods of time. While resolution, sensitivity, and basic scene-file “looks” are similar to those on the HVX200, the CCD block and DSP have been upgraded for cleaner,smoother, more naturalistic images with markedly reduced aliasing, and numerous operational improvements make the camera easier to control.”

That’s just a snippet from the introduction. The review takes no prisoners, going on in detail for three pages, covering all the key areas of this exciting new camera. An excellent read, I recommend it highly. Great job, Adam!

B&H is currently accepting orders on the AG-HPX170, listed at $5,195 USD and including a 16GB P2 card along with Barry Green’s HVX and HPX reference book. As is always the case with B&H, cards aren’t charged until the camera is in stock, and orders will ship in the order they are received. Purchases made via that link help support FreshDV at no additional cost to you.

Over at the Scarletuser forums, Jim Jannard has announced that due to recent industry developments they have decided to completely redesign their forthcoming “pocket sized” professional camera dubbed Scarlet. Here’s what he has to say, with commentary:

“We have changed everything about Scarlet because the market has changed and we have discovered a lot of things in the process. We have a new vision. Wipe you minds of the past announced Scarlet. Forget the design and forget the price. It is all different now. We think you will be surprised. Glad we didn’t take any deposits…”

Clearly this is a direct response to three recent announcements; Nikon’s D90 with 720p HD capture, Canon’s 5DMKII-thirtyaught-d9-quadrillion (or whatever the hell convoluted name they are using) with the 1080p feature, and the latest, Ikonoskop’s intriguing digital 16mm A-Cam dII. Quizzed if this would change ship dates, Jim has responded in a follow-up post:

“Full working models at NAB… shipping to ramp up after. Volume estimations are high so the long wait like a RED ONE should not be an issue. But that depends on the real demand. This is the current schedule… but you know things can change. The only good news is that we have now done this once and have a better idea of what is involved. We are making these changes ‘in the nick of time.’”

Many forum users seem to think there may be a slight price increase, and Jim doesn’t appear to have directly answered that question. I think at this point it’s better to just sit back and wait…it sounds to me as though Red is still unsure about a lot of details, price included.

As with any new pre-production camera hype:
1.) Take any shipping, price, and featureset projections with a nice big helping of salt. Red has shown time and time again that they can and will turn on a dime (this is either good and bad, depending on your particular POV). The good news is that they show a propensity towards overdelivering on features. The bad news is that they do it on their terms and their timeframe.

3.) It’s a camera concept. It’s not going to be the be-all and end-all of imaging devices, no matter what the fanboys say. Sure, it may be a paradigm shifter, but it will most certainly have limitations. It will have workflow or use issues. It won’t cook a mean omelette and serve it to you in bed. Take a step back, pull the Scarlet renders off your pedestal, and remember that it’s just a camera. Hopefully a damn good one, but just a camera.

I say we all take a short hiatus on Scarlet hype and let Red develop what they will. There will be plenty of time for hype when it comes out and we see the product, and more importantly, footage.

I posted a short & ranty article over at ProVideoCoalition about the poor attention to detail that so many small, indie-minded companies seem to exhibit. While some of the most innovative and cost-effective solutions seem to come from these companies, they also tend to deliver some of the most shoddily packaged and presented gear. More often than not the new equipment arrives unbranded and requires a Ph.D. in box disassembly to even get at the gear. And don’t get me started on the utter lack of documentation and poorly written manuals (if you even get one). Here’s an excerpt:

“FreshDV sees a lot of gear come through our doors. Products generally arrive in nondescript brown boxes, wrapped in yards and yards of bubblewrap underneath layers upon layers of packing tape. It’s a demoralizing task to disassemble boxes that have been literally taped together around a product. There I am, waist-deep in packing peanuts on the floor as I feebly slash through the last few hundred layers of tape.”

“So when a product arrives that is neatly secured for shipment in packaging that looks like it was actually designed for the purpose of said product…I breathe a sigh of relief and raise my glass in a silent toast to those who took the time to treat their gear like it matters.”

I realize that in everything there is a tradeoff, that affordability sometimes means sacrifices must be made in packaging or design. However, it is my opinion that the companies that make those extra little efforts to properly brand, package, and support their products, those companies will be far more successful in the long run. And their users will be all the more thrilled to support the company. Say what you want about Steve Job’s “reality distortion field”, but there are real reasons why Apple users are so cult-like in their support of the brand. It’s time for indie gear manufacturers to tap into that level of branding. Read the entire article here and then pass the link along to your favorite indie gear company.

 Garrett Brown Custom Olympic Camera Rigs Interview [29:26m]: Download

While watching this year’s Summer Olympic games in Beijing, I was struck by the unique and varied ways used to get the camera up close and involved in the action of each sport. From the submarine-style camera that followed swimmers from below, to the eye-in-the-sky shot overlooking the rowing venue, to the dynamic camera that followed platform divers down into the water, each a creative and technical feat. To find out just how these amazing shots were accomplished I spoke with the man who designed the rigs, the legendary Garrett Brown. Garrett really needs no introduction, anyone who has worked in the film and video industry should recognize the man who invented the Steadicam and countless other unique dynamic motion rigs over the years. In this fascinating podcast interview, we engage in a frank and open conversation about how he developed the rigs used in the Olympics, and the specific challenges that had to be overcome to make it all possible.

We discuss the underwater MobyCam used in swimming heats, and how it has evolved over the years from the first iteration which Garrett himself hand-cranked all through the 1992 Barcelona games. We talk about the DiveCam, a unique rig that allowed the camera to follow divers into the water during platform diving. Garrett discusses the relatively new FlyCam, a lightweight HD camera rig that rides a 1/4-inch line stretched taut 3000 feet over the rowing and canoeing venue. And of course we talk about the omnipresent Steadicam used to some extent in nearly every venue and event during the games. In the course of the interview I asked, in addition to live production, how these new tools and techniques are being used in traditional filmmaking. And late in our discussion, Garrett dishes on his dream that one day the horse racing industry will call upon him to create a rig that rides below the infield rail of a horse racing track and provides a stunning low-angle views similar to those you can see in films like Seabiscuit. To hear Garrett describe his vision of the shot is extremely compelling. Finally, don’t miss the word on the Mysterious MoleCam, still unavailable for rental. You can see the rigs we discussed, and more, at www.garrettcam.com.

We hope you find this interview interesting and informative, thanks for listening. To listen, subscribe to the FreshDV podcast feed.

 AJA IoHD Production Set Case Study [4:02m]: Download

Earlier this year, FreshDV conducted a week of intensive HD camera reviews. We comparatively tested the Panasonic Varicam, HPX-3000, HVX-200, Sony F900, XDCAM PDW-350, and XDCAM PMW-EX1 in a real-world production set environment. Additionally, we shot these cameras next to a RED One camera, with a 35mm Arri for baseline film stock comparison. It was a grueling production schedule to complete all our tests in the short allotment of time we had, and to further complicate matters we wanted to capture each HD camera in a high-quality master codec as well as it’s native media/format. This would allow us later to compare the two and rule out differences in codec/compression artifacts vs. sensor/processing noise. For that task, we opted for Apple’s ProRes 422 HQ codec, which was close enough to lossless for our needs. AJA was kind enough to provide an IoHD unit to handle ingest and ProRes capture, and it greatly simplified our workflow. In addition to ably handling all the ingest duties, the IoHD was very useful for monitoring on our Panasonic BT-LH2600W HD broadcast monitor. You can read a case study article over at B&H that outlines our workflow on set, and we shot some behind the scenes footage from the set as I worked with the IoHD.

View the video embedded below, or high-res at FreshTV. You can also download an iPod/iPhone compatible version via the attached link, or simply subscribe to our Audio/Video podcast feed.

Thanks for the following companies for their support in making this test possible: Resolution Digital Studios, Zacuto, Schumacher Camera, Fletcher Chicago, Abel Cine NY, Lakeview Productions, and Midtown Video. Stay tuned at FreshDV for our test results.

Via Prolost, here’s another Scarlet mock-up render from Red Digital Cinema. This one shows off an optional accessory “smart handle” that makes Scarlet look a lot like a typical DSLR. Indeed, the camera does feature a still image mode. This is an interesting layout…I can see pro photographers getting comfortable very quickly with this configuration for dual-purpose still/video shooting.

Red’s Jim Jannard admits that the latest render is not 100% accurate to what will be delivered, for competitive reasons:

We apologize for not being able to give you the exact render of the final Scarlet. For competitive reasons, we are forced to show you “kinda” what we are “sorta” going to do. We appreciate that everyone wants to know every detail. We just can’t give you exactly all the details. Suffice it to say that we are giving you what we can. We want you to know we are thinking about every aspect. We expect that Scarlet will have more possible configurations than almost any camera released in history. If we screw this up… we shouldn’t be allowed to be a camera company.

As we get closer to release in the 1st half of 2009, we will certainly give you more details. As we go along, we’ll post more possibilities for Scarlet. But we can’t let the “cat out of the bag” too early. I will say that the specs have changed… for the better.

You can view a few more renders here. And to recap a few previously posted details on Red Scarlet: the camera will be 3K Redcode RAW capable, as well as 1080P RGB to dual-CompactFlash media. Announced framerates are 1-120fps, with a 180fps burst mode. There is a still image mode, and some sort of planned “wifi control.” Scarlet has been said to feature a non-removeable 18-144mm T/2.8 zoom lens (that would be the S35 equivalent…35mm still equivalent would be 28-224mm. In typical consumer camcorder terms this is about 8x).

There will be HDMI and HD-SDI outputs, a built-in mic + balanced stereo audio inputs, and a massive 4.8″ flip-out LCD screen. Both auto and manual modes will be available. Pricing is expected to be sub-$3000 USD, though I’m sure fully kitting out this camcorder will require quite a bit more investment. But still, color me impressed if they can pull off this featureset in production quantities by their current April 2009 target ship date.

UPDATE: There is a new render of Epic in the wild.

The new Focus Enhancements FS5 video recorder is now available. This latest version to the Focus line of hard-drive recorders adds better support for metadata and can be wirelessly accessed on-set for better logging on the fly. The FS-5 also includes MXF support that allows HDV media to be edited natively in Avid. B&H has it in stock for $2,195.

After obtaining one of the first units in the US, Jesse Miller of Midtown Video has posted an overview video that outlines the featureset offered in the new Sony PMW-EX3 camcorder. This should clear up the differences between the EX1 and EX3. And if you haven’t seen it already, we have previously posted an interview from the 2008 NAB Expo floor with Sony’s Bob Ott on the EX3.