CML has compiled and published an edited collection of discussions from 2009 on the use and operation of the RED One camera. They are calling it the Little Red Book. It’s 309 pages, and available in printed paperback form for $31.90, or PDF download form for $9.97. The perfect holiday gift for the RedHead who has everything but the time necessary to read through discussion forums.

Looking for something to stuff your Christmas stocking this year? Check out Cinevate’s 12 Days of Festivus, where they are offering daily 10% off deals on twelve different products. To date they’ve posted specials on the Cinevate Follow Focus (speed) Crank, Carbon Rod kits, and the Follow Focus Hard Stop.

So if your idea of a cheery holiday ditty sounds something like “on the second day of Festivus my true love gave to me…19mm Carbon Rods” then head on over to the Cinevate forum where they have all the details.

Gizmodo wrote an interested blog post recently about the powerful new 2.8GHz Quad-Core iMac with the Intel i7 processor. They argue that in terms of raw horsepower and bang for buck, that it’s “straight stupid” to sink your $$$ into a 4-core Mac Pro tower. From an editors POV, Scott Simmons has written a fantastic counterpoint to that argument, discussing the many reasons why a Mac Pro is still a viable option for editors, and why an iMac is limiting.

They are both correct, of course. The new iMac is spanking Macs across the board in benchmark performance numbers, and if you simply need some horsepower on the cheap (+ a nice 27″ display), it’s a great option starting at around $2200 (buy here at B&H and support FreshDV). But many editors need the pro monitoring and expansion options of a Mac Pro, as Scott argues. So I guess it comes down to the question “what do YOU need?”

To muddy the waters even further, the current Mac rumor de jour is that a monster 12-core Mac Pro is due in early 2010, offering 12 physical and 24 logical cores to Snow Leopard’s multi-core Grand Central Dispatch tech. Mmm, tasty tasty cores…

Chrosziel has announced a unique dished baseplate for their DV Light Weight Support kit for the Sony XDCAM EX3. The new plate reportedly offers a more solid connection and twist stability.

“…Chrosziel has designed a form-fit dished-end camera plate that considerably enlarges the contact surface to the camera. It thus distributes holding forces beyond the thread areas, providing twist protection and safe hold of the camera. The form-fit plate takes into account the screw sticking out the camera’s base: a cut-out in the plate prevents the camera from damage and ensures perfect contact between the camera base and the plate of the Chrosziel support.”

Suggested retail price for the baseplate and rods is €310 ($463), or €109 ($163) for the parts to upgrade your existing DV Light Weight Support kit.

(Via @jstunzi)

The Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals are still trickling in…I’ll continue to update this post as new specials surface. Comment below or send me a message on twitter if you run across anything that looks good.

Coupla Cyber Monday updates from B&H:

* $200 off Canon EOS Rebel T1i Digital SLR Camera Kit w/18-55mm IS & 55-250mm IS Lens. Also has additional $50 mail in rebate…$250 total off for this DSLR that shoots 720p HD video (and 1080p at 20fps). Just $899.98 + S&H!
* $100 off Canon EOS Rebel T1i Digital SLR Camera with 18-135mm IS Lens (see above).
* $100 off Canon EOS Rebel XS (1000D) DSLR w/ 18-55mm IS Lens & 75-300mm III Lens (does not shoot video).
* $15 off Bescor 35W on-camera LED Light.
* $32.95 off Azden WLX-PRO VHF Wireless Lav System (w/ WR-PRO Receiver & WLT-PRO Body Pack Transmitter/Lavalier).
* $70 reduced price Acer Aspire One AOD531h-1766 Netbook Computer w/ AT&T 3G built-in.

Amazon’s big page of Black Friday deals can be found here. Tons of items in many categories. I’ve posted a few specific links below that caught my eye:

* Good deals on 27″ iMacs (these appear to be i5 models, not the new i7 screamer).
* $149 off + free ship Apple iMac 21.5″, 3.06GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, 4GB RAM, 500GB HDD, 8x SuperDrive, 1920×1080 LED display (Lists for $1199 normally, is $1,049.99 now. This special price is still $48 cheaper than the Apple Store Black Friday price for the same hardware!).
* $90 off + free ship Sony BDP-S360 1080p Blu-ray Disc Player (pre-order, released Dec 7th).
* $228 off + free ship Canon VIXIA HF200 HD Flash Memory Camcorder with 15x Optical Zoom.
* $249 special on Sony DCR-SR47 Hard Disk Drive Handycam Camcorder (also free ship).
* $100 off + free ship Viore LED24VF60 24-Inch LED 1080p HDTV (pre-order, released Dec 7th).
* $20 off + free ship VholdR ContourHD HD Helmet Camera.
* $100 off + free ship Logitech Harmony One Advanced Universal Remote

Digicams: A relative was looking for some help with an affordable but nice point and shoot camera for general use…based on my research, the $179 Canon PowerShot SD780IS 12MP w/ 3x Optical IS Zoom & 2.5″ LCD looks like one of the best options out there. Has 4.5 star rating after 225 customer reviews, and also fared well in forum discussions at DPReview. Shoots 12.1MP images, has an optically stabilized lens, and also captures 720p HD video. Weighs under 4oz. Add a $15 8GB Sandisk SDHC card, $12 Kingston card reader, el-cheapo 3rd party NB-4L emergency backup battery, and you are still under $215 shipped. Not bad!

Kessler Crane is running a year-end special; $200 off KC-8 Basic Complete System & $50 off KC-8 Basic crane. I’m also told that for a limited time they are still honoring the PocketJib pre-order special price…$200 off.

B&H has quite a few Instant Savings holiday specials, here’s a few that look useful for video folk. In most cases, deals are good through 11/30.

* Free shipping on the 27″ iMac 2.8GHz i7 screamer that rivals Mac Pro benchmarks.
* $80 off Canon 24-70mm f/2.8 EF zoom lens (full-frame DSLR & VDSLR).
* $50 off Canon 17-40mm f/4 EF zoom lens (full-frame DSLR & VDSLR).
* $75 off Canon 70-200 f/4 EF zoom lens (full-frame DSLR & VDSLR).
* $50 off Canon EF-S 10-22mm zoom lens (APS-C DSLR & VDSLR).
* $75 Reduced Price on 16×9 Inc. 169-HDSF45X-72 EXII Fisheye Converter Lens.
* $45 Reduced Price on Century Optics 0HD-65CV-43 0.65x Wide Angle Converter Lens.
* $15 off + free shipping on Canon 5D MKII V-DSLR stills/video camera.
* Free shipping on Canon 7D V-DSLR stills/video camera.
* $75 Rebate on Litepanels LPMICROPRO MicroPro LED on Camera Light.
* $100 Price Reduced Canon Vixia HF11 AVCHD dual-flash memory camcorder.
* $220 Reduced Price Panasonic HDC-SD10 AVC/H.264 camcorder.
* $130 off Sennheiser EW100 G2 wireless audio system + free ship (AWESOME unit we use!).
* $96 off Sony UWP-V1 Wireless Lavalier ENG Microphone Package.
* $26 off Audio-Technica AT897 Short Condenser Shotgun Mic.
* $35 off Beachtek DXA-2S Dual XLR Universal Mic Adapter for camcorders.
* $15-$75 off Gitzo, Slik, and Manfrotto tripods. Free ship on Libec and others.
* $50 B&H Gift Card with Ewa-Marine VEX-1 Underwater Housing for Sony PMW-EX1.
* $75 Reduced Price on Letus35 Mini lens adapter w/ 43mm ring.
* $75-$800 off + free ship Sony Bravia LCD HDTVs.
* $200-$650 off + free shipping Samsung LED HDTVs.
* $50 off Toshiba BDX2000 Blu-ray disc player.
* $50-$70 off Samsung Blu-ray disc players.
* $50-$100 off Panasonic Blu-ray disc players.
* $15-$25 off select Sandisk Extreme III CF and SDHC cards (+ free ship).
* $150 off V.I.O helmet-cam system (standard-def)
* $30 off Flip Mino mini camcorder (+ free ship).
* $60 off Hewlett-Packard C9295A Officejet 6000 Wireless printer.
* $40 off Brother MCF-495CW Wireless All-In-One printer
* $25 off Kodak 8″ digital photo frame.
* $50 off Nikon D3000 DSLR + free ship (stills only, no video).
* $50 off Canon 580EX II Speedlite TTL Shoe Mount Flash (stills/stop-motion only, but a great unit)
* More deals and specials at the B&H Holiday Gift Shop.

Videoguys is also running quite a few specials on software and hardware. All the deals are outlined on their specials page here. For instance, Sorenson Squeeze 6 is $300 off! In addition to the specials listed, they are offering free UPS shipping on all orders, and $20 off orders over $500 w/ the promo code BF20. Deals expire on 11/30. They are also offering a $200 instant rebate on Matrox RT.X2 Bundles through 12/31.

Artbeats is running a 5-day up-to-75% off sale on SD and HD stock footage collections.

For for military only, the Army and Air Force Exchange Service takes 20% off one item via coupon code 9189vip1 (max discount of $500). That makes the 5D MKII just $2,049! Details at dealmac.

LensRentals is offering $100 off on four Canon 100-400mm zooms for sale. Available till 1pm Central Friday only (via this tweet).

David duChemin is offering 50% off his Craft & Vision photography ebooks…use discount code BLKFRIDY to make these $5 titles just $2.50. Titles include Drawing The Eye - Creating Stronger Images Through Visual Mass, Chasing The Look - 10 Ways to Improve The Aesthetics of Your Photographs, TEN – Ten Ways To Improve Your Craft. None of Them Involves Buying Gear, and TEN MORE – Ten More Ways To Improve Your Craft. These books are aimed at photographers, but there are plenty of lessons here for cinematographers as well. Note: This deal was supposed to be for Friday only, but the discount code still appears to be working.

I’m running a little Black Friday deal of my own…I recently listed my Mac G5 2.7 Dual desktop system on eBay, and will ship it free for any FreshDV buyer (within continental US). If you are the winning bidder, just email me following the auction & mention FreshDV, and I’ll refund the $45 shipping charges. Happy Thanksgiving!

I just got word in that the new Sony EX1R is currently in stock at B&H. Just in time for Christmas…

You can watch Alister Chapman’s review/overview of the EX1R (and PMW-350) in the video below. He outlines all the key differences between it and the EX1 (and EX3 for that matter), and should get you up to speed in no time.

Just noted on Twitter that @ikancorp is liquidating some old V8000HD monitor stock. If you can use a solid 8″ HD monitor, here’s a chance to snag one of their limited stock for $395. As a side note, FreshDV reviewed the V8000HD some time ago for DV Magazine. It’s a good piece of kit, in my opinion.

Some time ago, Zacuto came out with an $295 iPhone 3GS mount intended to stabilize handheld video shooting, dubbed the Zgrip iPhone Pro. They followed that one up with a more indie-priced option, the $69 Zgrip iPhone Jr.

Well I just ran across another option online, called the OWLE Bubo. OWLE stands for “Optical Widget for Life Enhancement,” and the device is a combination camera mount, stabilizer, and off-iPhone mic. It also includes a built in 37mm (.45x) wide-angle lens (which I imagine helps hide some of that handheld shake). It’s constructed of anodized aluminum, and a plastic version is in the works. Price tag? $120 MSRP, but currently at $100 introductory pricing. It’s certainly and interesting option, I’d love to hear from any OWLE users.

Note to those who may be buying Windows 7…if you want to run Adobe Creative Suite (specifically the apps Premiere Pro and After Effects), pay for the 64-bit version of Windows now; you’ll see instant performance gains and avoid having to upgrade your OS later when Adobe ships a new version of CS. They’ve officially stated that the last 32-bit compatible version of CS is CS4.

“New Macs run 64-bit directly; if you are buying a new PC, make sure to choose the Windows 7 64-bit version. You’ll see up to 200% performance gains on CS4 Production Premium immediately, and you’ll avoid having to upgrade the OS later.

We’ve optimized and architected the past three versions of Adobe Premiere Pro and After Effects to deliver better performance on 64-bit operating systems, and our customers have seen significant productivity gains as a result. For example, HD workflows using CS4 Production Premium on a 64-bit system with 16GB RAM are 50% to 200% faster than they would be on a 32-bit system with 4GB of RAM. Performance gains include increased editing speed, rapid switching between tools, and faster rendering—leaving you more time to be creative.”

Just something to be aware of…

So it’s been a fun morning for fans of DSLR video and filmmaking. Well, let’s start from a few of weeks ago…

Last month Canon introduced the Canon 7D (in-stock at Amazon), a $1700 DSLR capable of HD video in standard framerate options for filmmakers, including 23.976, 24, and 29.97 at 1920×1080, and 50 and 59.94 (60p) at 1280×720. The 7D is an APS-C sized sensor, which means it has a 1.6 crop factor (good if you like telephoto, not particularly good if you like wides). A “subway short” demonstrating the camera in practical use was promptly created by talented shooter Jason Magbanua.

Yesterday, Engadget and others speculated that the rumored 1D Mark III pro body update announcement would be released as the Mark V, not the Mark IV, due to some poor understanding of Japanese language and pronunciation.

Today Canon officially announced the 1D Mark IV (pre-order at Amazon), a DSLR equipped with an APS-H sized sensor (1.3x crop factor) that shoots 1920×1080 HD video at 29.97, 25, and 23.976 fps, and 1280×720 video at 59.94 and 50 fps. Like the it’s predecessors, It also offers a 640×480 SD mode, but only at 59.94 and 50 fps. Stu Maschwitz and Vincent LaForet got together to make a proof-of-concept short with the new body, this shoot concentrated on wringing out it’s low-light capabilities. It seems that the 1D MK4 is capable of shooting up to ISO 102400 in stills mode, and that acceptable clean video could be obtained at ISO 6400. “Acceptable noise” is relative, of course, but this subway short should give you a sense of what is possible without any lighting kit in use.

So that’s all well and good, and brings us current. Canon first changed the game with the (initially) hobbled 5D MKII, then listened to users and released a manual controls firmware update back in June. Then they listened again, releasing the 7D with framerates that eliminate workarounds and integrate into standard workflows. Now they’ve listened yet again, adding similar features into a new body, 25fps options for our friends across the pond, and reduced CMOS jello (as noted by Stu). What more could you ask for? Well, there’s one more surprise for 5D users that was also announced this morning…

Canon will be releasing a firmware update for the 5D MKII (in-stock) in the “first half of 2010″ that will enable 24P and 25P. The circle is complete. My confidence in this camera manufacturer has officially gone off the charts!

Canon first shook up the market with an unprecedented featureset, then listened carefully to the needs of their users and fixed problems while rolling new features into new bodies. Finally, they have committed to maintaining the line of DSLRs with new feature updates. It’s funny, I remember a certain primary-color-named company that once claimed they would do all these things and more for this indie-budget market segment. Unfortunately, the latest news I heard from them was another slipped deadline. Who would have guessed that Canon would be the one company to truly begin to democratize filmmaking?

Panasonic is running an interesting promotion through September 30, 2009…users who trade in a “full-size 2/3”, ½” or RED camcorder” can purchase the AJ-HPX3700 P2 HD VariCam camera for $29,995 USD, which is a savings of 30K off the $59,995 list price. I wonder why they are reducing the price so much for tradeins? Is it that those other cameras are smoking them in sales? Or I wonder if they are they just trying to cement an already-expanding presence in the market? I don’t have any further fine print or details on this offer, but it certainly seems like Varicam shoppers could pick up a Red body for $17,500 and use that for a quick (and hefty) discount on the new solid-state P2 model.

HPX3700 features:
Three 2/3” native 2.2 megapixel CCD imagers
10 bit, 4:2:2 independent frame AVC-Intra recording as well as DVCPRO HD
Dual-link 10 bit 4:4:4 RGB output for uncompressed recording on external devices
Five P2 card slots for up to 5 hours of continuous, full 1920 x 1080 recording on 64GB solid state memory cards
HD outputs for live event production

The offer email I saw said to direct questions to pbtsinfo@us.panasonic.com. We of course recommend purchasing from FreshDV sponsor Midtown Video, a Panasonic Authorized Dealer who we’ve confirmed can deliver this trade-in offer to users. For a reseller list of from Panasonic, see this PDF link.

Well, they’ve gone and done it. Hot on the heels of a tongue-in-cheek Redrock iPhone 3GS video support solution thrown together by guys over at MacBreak (read the last two comments in that article for a good laugh), Zacuto has come up with their own iPhone rig. This one is a little more run-n-gun, and utilizes standard Zacuto components as well as an iPhone “grabber” that holds the device in place. However, it remains to be seen if people will be taking the iPhone’s video capabilities seriously enough to plunk down nearly $300 for solutions like this. We shall see…

Got an e-mail from CrumplePop about a price increase for their CrumplePop plugin package, a collection of Master Templates for FCP and Motion that offers a hand-drawn text flavor. They are raising the price from $49 to $69, but are offering a $20 off coupon for the next 24 hours. Well, it was 24 hours, but I believe that the email arrived in my inbox yesterday. So by my estimates, you’ve got a few more hours today to get it at the $49 price tag. Coupon code is CRUMP3406, just add the package to your cart here and apply the discount code prior to checkout.

So close. Mike Wong is releasing an app for the iPhone that enables remote control of Canon DSLR cameras. This app is like the $930 Canon WFT-E4A Wireless File Transmitter & Vertical Grip, only better and a lot cheaper. In fact, it does just about everything…except control the video functions of the Canon 5D MKII. However, Mike says that video support is in the works, and to expect it in a forthecoming update (as well as a version for Nikon users). Over at PVC, I posted why I think videographers should jump on this app now, instead of waiting for the video update.

We’ve been talking a lot about the $2,700 Canon 5D MKII lately, as it’s been making waves since Vincent Laforet posted his little short online. The latest camera making the news in indie circles is the soon-to-ship Panasonic LUMIX DMC-GH1, a stills/video camera hybrid that in many ways offers an upgrade over the 5D, but is unfortunately plagued by a low-bitrate AVCHD codec implementation. In light of the recent trend towards DSLR video, I thought it would be worth reminding FreshDV readers about a few non-DSLR camcorders from Canon that still hold up to scrutiny, and deliver excellent results…particularly when paired with your 35mm lens adapter of choice.

First on my lips would be the 24p capable Canon HV20 (discontinued), HV30, and forthcoming HV40. Each successive model has improved incrementally on the previous, and despite some CMOS wobble/skew (if you aren’t careful), these cameras deliver excellent color rendition and are surprisingly sharp. This entire series of camera can be found for under $1000 in most cases, and I’ve seen used HV20’s go for as low as $300. The HV30 currently has an 8.1 out of 10 rating over at TestFreaks. If you can deal with (or prefer) tape and HDV, these are a good affordable good camera for the indie-minded individual. I know several shooters who pair them with the fullsize Canon XHA1 as backup or 2nd, 3rd, and 4th cameras for events and stage productions.

Another camera we’ve been remiss to talk about much here at FreshDV is the solid-state Canon HF11. As the name would suggest, this camera is an upgrade to the HF10 camera (used when filming Crank 2, by the way). It has no tape mechanism, Canon opted for 32Gb internal flash memory instead. It can also record to cheap SDHC media, and offers 24p as well. Instead of the HV-series HDV codec, the HF11 records full-raster 1920×1080 video in AVCHD, and was (to my knowledge) the first small camcorder to utilize AVCHD’s max bitrate of 24Mbps (unlike most cameras like the GH1 which seem to top out in the sickly 16-17Mbps range). The HF11 currently sits in the ~$800 price range at most online outlets, which makes it an affordable and effective entry into solid-state recording.

So there you have it. A few affordable options for indies that don’t require you to carry around a DSLR camera. But regardless of the tool you choose, use ‘em early and often. Don’t let equipment envy be the barrier to your goals as a filmmaker or videographer. Happy shooting!