Looking for some HMC 150 test footage? Below you’ll find a short clip of night shots uploaded by a new user. The AG-HMC150 is Panasonic’s new 24p AVCHD camcorder, now in stock at B&H for under $3500.

(Tweet via PaulDV)

After reading last week’s Real World Video Compression article that compared four Mac compression tools, I suggested a more comparative test that took time to standardize encoding settings to level the playing field. In the initial shootout, default templates and encoding settings were used for the most part. That’s not to say that the initial test isn’t useful information…in fact, it may be more useful to the majority of users that just want a “set it and forget it” approach to encoding (apologies to Ron Popeil for borrowing his catchphrase). But for more advanced users who will immediately begin pushing knobs and digging into the encoding templates, a comparative test is invaluable for determining what kind of quality and encode times you can expect from each solution. And reviewer Andy Beach has done just that with his latest update to the article.

“As we look at the results, here were the things that stood out for me - all the times were closer to one another than the last test. True, Compressor still took the longest, but it definitely closed the gap. Both it and Episodes times fell and were more consistent this go around (notice neither had an extremely long run as they did before). Visual Hub’s time did increase, which I expect, though not very much.”

“In an overall quality comparison, I also thought Episode came out looking best, followed by Visual Hub and Compressor. There is a sharpness to the image (both video and gfx) in the Episode Pro encode that the other two don’t have (again, check out the full screen to really see the difference).”

I recommend that you read the full Mac Encoder Shootout Redux article here. Thanks to Andy for listening and revisiting this test!

Real World Video Compression has posted a Encoder Shootout between three common Mac software compression options, and one hardware assisted solution. The disparity in price between the tools tested is enormous…with VisualHub at under $25, and Episode Pro nearly $1000. Much like the pricing, the speed and quality of the results were varied.

“…on the Macbook Pro, the Turbo264 was the clear winner, coming in at realtime for the encode for both versions. Surprisingly however, Visual Hub came in second at fairly close to real time. Both Episode and Compressor did about the same coming in at 2 to 4x depending on the encoder and setting. Interestingly enough, each took a great deal longer on one encode, but not the same one (compressor struggled with the iPhone clip, while Episode choked on the Apple TV one). Arguably, I can guess that both Episode & Compressor are doing multi-pass encodes by default, while Visual Hub is doing a single pass. I’m not sure about Turbo as its offloading the encode process to the external DSP, but i’ll throw a guess that it’s single pass until i learn otherwise.”

It is very important to note that this test relied only on default templates for each tool. The author made no attempt to establish a baseline set of encoding options and settings, so the results shouldn’t be read as a definitive answer for which tool is the best performer overall. To the authors credit, he makes this clear…it is a shootout of “quick and dirty” default settings only. While it’s an informative test in that regard, I wish he had also performed a comparative test with identical settings for each tool. Perhaps it will be revisited in a future article…

UPDATE: Andy has expanded on his encoder research by performing a more comparative test and taking time to optimize each software solution. You can read about his findings here.

Canon’s new HV30, the update to the revered HV20, is the only camera in this price range to offer three major framerate modes: 60i, 30P, and 24P. Canon has suggested that the 30P mode is ideal for online video creators, since most online video is cut to 15 frames per second and that allows the encoder to simply remove every other frame, resulting in better quality video. Or so goes the theory. Camcorderinfo recently tested this assumption with Youtube, and has provided side-by-side examples of their test footage so you can compare it in realtime. Check it out.

The HV30 is available at B&H, currently at $899 with the $100 instant rebate. Purchases made via that link help support FreshDV at no additional cost to you.

David Perry has posted several framegrab comparisons that show the low-light abilities of the PMW-EX1 and HVR-Z7U next to the venerable HVR-Z1U. Aperture and other settings are not stated, but it is implied that they would match across the cameras (it would be nice if we knew what gamma curves were engaged, if any). Update: For an alternate take on these images, read this post by a respected Sony HDVinfo member (full thread here).

B&H has the Z7U in stock at this time, listed at $6,299.95 and the EX1 listed at $6449. At this time you can also order the S270U, listed at $8,499.95. All purchases made via those links help support FreshDV at no additional cost to you.

(Via Daniel @ VU)

Editing Organazized has two great posts up with tips and tricks for getting the best-quality slowmo footage out of Final Cut Studio using Compressor. The first outlines the basic workflow, post #2 delves deeper into Compressor’s behavior at various retiming percentages and provides examples of the sort of results you can expect. In the footage for this example, best results degraded past 1/4 speed. At 25%, Compressor’s Optical Flow appears to preserve much more detail than what you can expect directly out of Final Cut Pro. Very informative articles.

Kenn Bell has a post up that talks about how he used the iPhone to storyboard a recent music video shoot. His technique is quick and looks to be very effective…take digital images while location scouting, throw together a quick iMovie video slideshow, and use the video on-set with the iPhone.

“Basically, we’d arrive at a location, I’d play the movie and let everyone, including Baby Jay, see what shots and looks I was interested in. It only took a minute and everyone was on the same page. I can’t stress enough how much time I saved! The three days went incredibly smooth and I really believe it was because the movie on my iPhone. It actually got everyone excited to see how cool the music video would look and I gained a great deal of trust from it.”

This would also be a good time to check out Kenn’s interview on the Digital Production Buzz podcast.

The Motion Picture Association of America released it’s “2007 U.S. Theatrical Market Statistics Report” which indicates record-level domestic and worldwide box office receipts. Filmlinker suggests that the data can be used by independent filmmakers to market their own projects:

“So why would an indie filmmaker care about this report? Well, beyond having a positive financial result from the medium that you work in - you can use those stats for your business plan. When pitching your project to potential financiers, it is always good to present a positive outlook in the industry that seeks investment. It’s arguably more difficult to convince someone to invest in your low budget film if the overall marketplace is on a decline.”

I noted that the average cost to make and market a major MPAA member film has risen about 6 million dollars over 2006’s $100.3 million level. Ticket prices have also risen, about 5% over 2006. The total number of films released has not changed significantly in the past year. Read the whole enchilada here (PDF), and compare to 2006’s report here (PDF). Another opinion on this new data comes via Norman Hollyn in an article entitled The Dismal Future of the Film Business.

The Sony HVR-Z1U and HDR-FX1 HDV cameras are basically an identical camera with the exception of a few key features. They are built on the same 3-CCD system, tape transport, and 4.5mm to 54mm lens (32.5mm to 390mm equivalent 35mm FOV). Z1U is the “pro” model and adds XLR audio, a 50Hz mode, and a number of additional menu settings and firmware-related tools (addl. Cine gammas, etc). For a complete breakdown of the two models, check this chart.

The point of this post is not to address the featureset of two HDV cameras that are getting somewhat long in the tooth, it is to talk about something that I haven’t found anywhere online before. One of the differences between the two cameras is the fact that the Z1U shows a numeric zoom scale on the display. With the lens at full wide it displays Z00, shows Z50 at about half zoom, and Z99 at full telephoto. In contrast, the FX1 simply displays a visual zoom scale indicator on screen. The only way to accurately return to a certain focal length is to use the physical zoom ring, which has a limited scale of mm markings on it. This scale matches the markings on the Z1U’s ring, which can be correlated to the internal numerical percentage scale. In recent testing it became necessary to determine what that correlation was, so without further ado here are the equivalent Z-numbers that relate to the Z1U’s zoom ring markings (and therefore also correlate to the markings on the FX1).
Continue reading ‘Sony Z1U Equivalent Zoom Percentage Scale on the FX1′

Stu Maschwitz has a in-depth post up where he talks about the latitude of current Digital Cinema cameras, and how the Rec709 colorspace (i.e. video) handles highlights vs film’s highlight handling. Where it gets sticky is how a clipped highlight in video maps to the highlights on film. If you are shooting with the Red One or another such camera and wish to output to film at some point, this is a must-read. Short on time? Read the compact summary. Here’s an excerpt:

“Shooting with RED One and monitoring Rec709, if you put 18% gray at 45% IRE, you’ll capture 2 stops over 18% gray, plus some headroom.
Want to match Panalog? Underexpose by 3 stops for 5 stops over 18% gray, plus headroom.”

For more experiences with the Red One from the field, read this Studio Daily article on the production of 3 Days Gone. Two interesting notes…they used a P2 recorder on set to capture and review dailies, and ProRes proxies of the 4K footage for editing.

Via Scott Simmons comes a link to one finishing company’s comparison test of Apple ProRes SD codec vs Uncompressed. This comparison was done on Standard Definition footage.

“When playing at speed, 1st Generation 10bit is indistinguishable from 3rd Generation ProResSD. I can’t see the edit…When paused on identical frames and quickly toggling between 1st generation Uncompressed and the 3rd generation ProResSD - levels and chroma are rock solid steady, but there is a oh-so-slight softening of the image. It’s slight enough that most my clients won’t be able to see it. Heck, I barely see it.

ProsRes SD is an impressive codec. While only doubling the storage space of DV it gives 98% of the quality of Uncompressed. Good enough for finishing purposes? Yes. I would not use it for heavy compositing where every drop of detail is essential. Unlike the HD variant, which I’ve heard is rock-solid through (at least) 10 generations, the SD variant’s ‘lossy-ness’ does exist after 3 generations.”

This article is part of a series of tests FreshDV conducted with the Sony XDCAM PMW-EX1. Thanks to Miami rental house and Sony dealer Midtown Video for providing a XDCAM EX camera. And thanks to DSC Labs for providing test chart patterns. You can read more about ours and others experiences with this camera here.

We are still knee deep in footage and image tests of the Sony XDCAM PMW-EX1 camcorder, so stay tuned here at FreshDV for continuing coverage as we make sense of it all. Today we present a 8-minute video demonstration of the EX1 camera body and external controls layout. I walk through each button and feature on the body of the camera and explain what each function is. For a detailed analysis of the regular camera menus and picture profiles, check out our previous coverage of the EX1. You can download the hi-res Quicktime video manually, subscribe to our audio/video podcast feed, or watch the embedded Flash version below.

 Walkthrough of the PMW-EX1 Body and Controls [8:43m]: Download

This article is part of a series of tests FreshDV conducted with the Sony XDCAM PMW-EX1. Thanks to Miami rental house and Sony dealer Midtown Video for providing a XDCAM EX camera. And thanks to DSC Labs for providing test chart patterns. You can read more about ours and others experiences with this camera here.

The Sony XDCAM PMW-EX1 is equipped with three half-inch CMOS image sensors, which not only perform well in low light but also deliver surprising depth-of-field. The EX’s Fujinon fully-manual lens can be adjusted down to f/1.9 and sustains that aperture throughout the entire range of the zoom. Bear in mind that shallow DOF is either a blessing or a curse, depending on what you wish to accomplish. For dramatic filmmaking, it can be a very effective tool at drawing focus to specific areas of the frame and de-cluttering backgrounds. Your focus puller may have to work hard, but the results can be brilliant. But for fast action and sports applications shallow DOF can be a curse. This footage from the EX1 shows exactly how shallow that DOF can be. For a very detailed explanation on the mechanics of DOF, watch this tutorial.

 EX1 1/2 inch Sensor DOF Example Footage [1:43m]: Download

Thanks again to both DSC Labs and Midtown Video for making this EX1 test series possible. Stay tuned here or at our EX1 link page for more test results.

This article is part of a series of tests FreshDV conducted with the Sony XDCAM PMW-EX1. Thanks to Miami rental house and Sony dealer Midtown Video for providing a XDCAM EX camera. And thanks to DSC Labs for providing test chart patterns. You can read more about ours and others experiences with this camera here.

After shooting with the XDCAM EX1 for a few days and reviewing gigs of footage, Kendal and I have a lot to talk about. This audio podcast is a discussion about my personal experiences and tests with the Sony XDCAM PMW-EX1 camcorder. We open with a discussion about the evolution of shooters and how they tend to seek upgrades as they evolve in their craft and hit the ceilings and limitations of their gear. We then cover the EX1’s ergonomics and layout, menus and image control, lens and handling, the SxS workflow with FCP, transfer software and metadata, codec and compression (and how it fares against DVCPRO HD in initial comparisons), and finally CMOS sensors and all the good and bad that comes with this variety of imager. You can listen to the discussion via our normal Podcast Feed, or download the MP3 manually below.

 Sony XDCAM EX1 Discussion [1:06:49m]: Download

Thanks again to both DSC Labs and Midtown Video for making this EX1 test series possible. Stay tuned here or at our EX1 link page for more test results.

This article is part of a series of tests FreshDV conducted with the Sony XDCAM PMW-EX1. Thanks to Miami rental house and Sony dealer Midtown Video for providing a XDCAM EX camera. And thanks to DSC Labs for providing test chart patterns. You can read more about ours and others experiences with this camera here.

One of the areas that the new Sony XDCAM PMW-EX1 really excels is in native light sensitivity. Night shooting with the EX is relatively simple, as the camera seems to find illumination and color saturation in even the darkest of scenes. Here are a few examples of night footage shot with the EX1, including a 60p overcranked shot. I have included a half-resolution H.264 version to show the context of the “full scene.” Each H.264 version is paired with a clip excerpt that has been preserved in it’s native XDCAM format. This gives you a short native-format full-resolution clip that you can drop in your editing software of choice and tweak, push, destroy, whatever. The only compression difference between these full-rez excerpts and what came directly off the camera is the addition of a text overlay to document camera settings. I have confirmed this by overlaying them over the source clips with a composite difference mode applied. So here’s a chance to analyze how the XDCAM SP and HQ codec performs at night in both slow and fast motion scenes. Note how the vertical lines in closeups of the overcranked shot seem to distort/lean…we’ll have more on the EX’s vertical skew in a article coming soon.

 720/24/60p Overcranked Night Run Full (Compressed H.264) [0:25m]: Download
 720/24/60p Overcranked Night Run Excerpt (Native XDCAM HQ) [0:08m]: Download
 1080/24p Night Traffic Excerpt (Compressed H.264) [0:40m]: Download
 1080/24p Night Traffic Excerpt (Native XDCAM HQ) [0:10m]: Download
 1080/60i Night Alley Full (Compressed H.264) [0:38m]: Download
 1080/60i Night Alley Excerpt (Native XDCAM SP) [0:10m]: Download

Thanks again to both DSC Labs and Midtown Video for making this EX1 test series possible. Stay tuned here or at our EX1 link page for more test results.