Video & Audio Gear

The New Wave of Stabilizers

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 14 Aug 2013 23:33:00 +0000

At NAB this year a come company called Freeflysystems showed off a new type of stabilizer that really turned some heads. Compared to the traditional Steadicam this stabilizer was smaller, lighter and could be completely handheld. No vest required. It uses a gimbal similar to what is seen on many quadcopter stabilization systems for video cameras and DSLR's. In this post we will take a look at three companies setting a new trend in camera stabilization.

First off Freeflysystems

This company was the first to get peoples attention when they announced the Movi M10 and M5 stabilized gimbal systems. Check out the videos below to see what M10 and M5 are all about:







The M10 is available for pre-order and will start shipping on August 15th 2013 at price of
$14,995 US.

The next system we will take a look at is the G2 and G5 DEFY products from company called Relentless Inc:

Their stabilizers come in at much cheaper price point however with much less payload capacity as well. The DEFY G2 can hold only up to 2lbs however this is perfect for the Blackmagic Pocket Camera or the Panasonic GH3. The DEFY G5 Can hold up 5lbs, perfect or Full body DSLR's. They are also currently working a system that can handle even larger payloads for cameras such as the RED Scarlet and Epic.

DEFY G5 Preorder Launch from DEFY Gimbal on Vimeo.

Here is a link to their Vimeo page where you can see the units in action.
DEFY G2/G5 Videos

The DEFY G2 will cost $2,300 US and the G5 will come in at $3,200 US. The G2 is currently shipping and the G5 is expected to ship this month.

The third company we will take a look at is Kickstarter project by Jesse Spaulding:

Jesse has been working on a stabilization system since 2011, his product is The Ghost and there is great video that explains the whole system in great detail.

Here is a link to his Kickstarter page: The Ghost
His unit will hold up to 3.5lbs and will cost $1,995 US

So these are just three of the companies making waves in the new stabilization industry. There are many others currently working on similar products as well. I am sure you will see some sort answer from Steadicam and Glidecam very soon as these new breed of stabilizers gain steam in the hands of film makers around the world.

Big Blackmagic Cinema Camera price drop!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 07 Aug 2013 13:35:00 +0000

Looks like Blackmagic has dropped the price of the 2.5K Cinema Camera by a massive $1000 dollars. Bringing the price to around $2000 dollars depending where you shop. This should make anyone who was interested in picking up one of these cameras decision a lot easier, also considering that it still comes with a full version of DaVinci Resolve. This all comes at a time when the Pocket Camera and 4K Production Camera are right around the corner and in some cases with the Pocket Camera already shipping. It will be interesting to see if Blackmagic still continues the production of the 2.5K BMCC or if this an attempt just to clear out stock.

Accessories for the Blackmagic Pocket Camera

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 06 Aug 2013 05:25:00 +0000

I thought it would be useful to take a look at some of the accessories that will be needed to make the camera ready to shoot.

First off batteries: When the camera was first announced many of us were extremely happy to see that Blackmagic implemented a removable, rechargeable battery. Better yet this battery was inexpensive, reliable and something you can pick up at any camera store. Blackmagic decided to go with Nikon’s EN-EL20 battery. They have there own version of this battery but most people will go with the cheaper Nikon EN-EL20. There is of course off brand versions of this battery available as well, in some cases for a cheaper price. As always make sure you choose a company that has been well reviewed when choosing off brand batteries.

Here is a link where you can purchase one of these batteries: EN-EL20

Blackmagic is claiming that you will get one hour of continuous recording time. Charging time will be around 1 hour and 15 minutes when the camera is off and approximately 2 hours when in use. This a welcomed improvement over the 2.5K BMCC which had a not removable built in battery with lousy operating times. .

Media:

The Pocket Camera will take standard SDHC and SDXC cards. This is fantastic but it’s important to keep in mind that you will need fast cards as the camera will be recording to Apple ProRes 200mbps HQ 422 (RAW capability promised in a future firmware update). Blackmagic recommends

class 10 cards at 45Mbps or 95Mbps. Even for ProRes I would recommend going with the 95Mbps cards and when RAW comes to the camera forsure going with the higher cards will be a necessity. Blackmagic on their site is claiming record times of 37 minutes to 64GB cards at 24fps. In the coming weeks I will be able to do some proper record time testing to different cards and see how accurate that number is. Also we don’t know yet if they will allow you to record at lower levels of ProRes. For example ProRes 422 or ProRes Lite. If it is anything like the BMCC we may be stuck at 220mbps HQ 422, which is fine by me.

One thing when choosing cards. I recommend with going with a well known trusted brand like SanDisk or Panasonic for example. The reason I feel strongly about this is because some cheaper brands will often claim higher write speeds than their cards actually preform at. Also quality from card to card may vary when going with some discount brand cards. With the codec being used by the Pocket Camera it will be important to have good cards you can count on to keep up with the data stream being recorded.

Audio:

The Pocket Camera has one built in stereo microphone. This mic will be good for little else most likely then recording reference sound for syncing your secondary sound recording in post. Most people will use an additional mic or interface. The camera does have one mic input which consists of a 3.5mm mini jack input. Now if the BMCC camera is anything to go by, don’t expect amazing things out of the

pre-amp in the Pocket Camera. The signal to noise ratio was quite horrendous on the BMCC. In this case you will need a decent interface with high quality pre-amps to get your audio into the camera if you are not recording sound separately. I recommend the Tascam DR-60D interface as a good solution.

Benefits of using the DR-60D recorder.

- The Pocket Camera can be attached to the top of DR-60D via a standard ¼ thread.

- Two XLR inputs can be fed into the unit. These inputs also provide phantom power for mics which need it.

- It uses standard SD cards to record to, which you will already have since it is the same media the camera takes.

- The DR-60D will last about 3 hours on 4 double AA batteries.

- It has the capability of also being a 4 track recorder.

- Broadcast WAV coded

- Built in slate feature which will send a tone to the camera and the card for easy syncing in post when lining up waveforms.

This is only one of many interfaces/pre-amps available. Also checkout some of the great solutions from JuicedLink They have a number of different devices that will help you record great audio.

Lenses:

By far this will be the biggest and probably the most important topic covered in this post. The Pocket Camera uses a Micro Four Thirds mount to interface with it’s lenses. This mount offers some unique advantages when it comes to lens selection. The main one being that MFT mount can be adapted to almost any lens. Nikon, Canon, PL Mount and even C-Mount all can be utilized with the correct adaptor. Many people who are heavly invested in Canon and Nikon glass can still use their lenses on the Pocket Camera.

First off lets take a look at the large selection of Micro Third Lenses available out there. These lenses have typically been cheaper in the past and offer some unique focal lengths, T and F stop choices that will really come in handy when shooting with the Pocket Camera. Let’s take a look at some of the most popular ones.

Panasonic Lumix Lenses: Pansonic MFT lenses offer great value for someone looking to start out with some inexpensive glass and get shooting. However their lenses aren’t the fastest out there they have a large selection of zooms and some decent primes as well. Check out the link below for their full line up.

Link

Olympus: Another good choice for inexpensive MFT lenses. They have some nice wide zooms to choose from as well as some decent primes. They are always easily attainable from most photography stores. Link

Samyang and Rokinon: These two lines of lenses from the same company have some interesting choices for fast cheap MFT primes at some wide focal lengths that will really benefit the Pocket Camera. One thing to look out for is quality from lens to lens, make not be the same consistency you would expect from companies like Nikon and Canon. Link

SLR Magic: The latest super star to hit the inexpensive, fast, super sharp lens market. This company has been making waves lately with their crazy fast primes. Some MFT lenses boast T stops of 0.95! These lenses are also know for being very sharp and really inexpensiv. Great value. However build quality has been an issue with some of their lenses in the past. Link

Voigtlaender: This German company has become synonyms with great optics and great build quality. Despite having only a small selection of MFT primes, they are a company I would check out. They also have released an adapter for MFT bodies to use their wide range of VM mount lenses. These lenses are great, check out some of the reviews online. However they don’t come cheap. Link

So those are only a few of the Micro Four Third mount lenses available. However if you are invested in other lenses like Canon, Nikon or even PL. well you are only just an adapter away from being able to use your glass on the Pocket Camera.

Here is a list of some of the more popular adapters out there for you to use to attach your favorite glass.

For those using Nikon. Novoflex has a great adapter here with a built in aperture ring. Link

For those using Canon Redrock Micro has an adapter for MFT bodies. Link

Here is a great PL Mount by 16x9 that’s built like a tank. Link

Other lens consideration:

One of the most important things to keep in mind when selecting lenses for the Pocket Camera is the crop factor of this camera. The magnification is about 2.7 times. This is important because when trying to go wide or calculating depth of field your choices of lenses will be much different. These two charts below will illustrate the differences compared to other popular sensors and crop factors.

So you can easily see how when estimating field of view in the Pocket Camera you will have to choose a wider lens to achieve similar results as you would with an APS-C or a full frame sensor.

Below is a great field of view calculator from Abelcine. This will help you to compare how images will look using the Blackmagic compared to other cameras like the 5D Mark 3 when comparing the crop factor and field of view.

Field of View Comparator

The Metabones Speedbooster: The Blackmagic Pocket’s new best friend. A while back I did post about this incredible adapter from Metabones called the Speed Booster. Here is the link for those who are newto this blog or curious regarding what the Speed Booster is all about. http://videoandaudiogear.blogspot.ca/2013/02/the-speed-booster-by-metabones-and-why.html

The Speed Booster will benefit the Pocket Camera in a couple of different ways.

First and for-most: The massive crop factor in the Pocket Camera will be less of an issue as the Speed Booster will make any lens’s field of view automatically wider.

Secondly the Speed Booster automatically increases the amount of light coming into the lens, helping the camera in low light situations. If the 2.5K BMCC is anything to go by it will not be a super star in lowlight compared to camera’s like the Sony FS100 and Canon C300.

Here is a link where you can check the Speed Booster and learn more about this great little adapter that will you instantly double the focal length and F stop range of all your lenses in your kit. Link

Shoulder Supports/Rigs/Stabilizers

The Black Magic Pocket Camera is tiny, really tiny. It is about the same size a consumer point & shoot camera. Only slightly bigger than your smart phone and it weighs next to nothing. This can be a great thing but also a huge pain when shooting handheld. Because of the CMOS sensor in this camera there will be rolling shutter issues. How bad? Well that remains to be seen. If it is indeed the same sensor that is in the 2.5K BMCC then it is fairly prevalent. What is rolling shutter or the so called

“Jello Effect” Check out the link for a full explanation of the what rolling shutter is below.

Rolling Shutter: What is it?

In the meantime how do you combat it? While you can combat rolling shutter in a couple of different ways:

-Point of contact. Giving your camera a point of contact with your body will help stabilize and minimize rolling shutter. For example a shoulder brace or even having a Loupe or viewfinder will help to stabilize it as it will be pressing against you.

-Weighing it down. The heavier the camera is the smoother it will be when it moves. Adding weight your camera will force you to move slower and keep the camera more steady when panning. This could be with counter weights or even something a V mount battery.

-Pan speed. All CMOS sensors by their design will suffer from rolling shutter to some extent. Some better than others, nice slow pans will help show less rolling shutters than fast whip pans.

Most standard 15mm rail shoulder mount systems will be easily adapted to the Pocket Camera. However here are couple examples of some dedicated rigs designed specifically for the Pocket Camera.

Shape, a Canadian company has a great little rig here: Link

Wooden Camera has a cool system here you should check out: Link

As the cameras get in the hands of more and more shooters you will see more creative rigs pop up. In the mean time the above are just some suggestions as to what is available for the camera.

So hopefully this info was of some use to you. I will be updating this post as I find more a great accessories for the Blackmagic Pocket Camera.

Blackmagic Pocket Camera Review: Hands On.

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 02 Aug 2013 15:33:00 +0000

Wooden Camera has posted a hands on review of the Pocket Camera as well as some the accessories they have for it. I thought I would embed it below since the Blackmagic Pocket Camera has started shipping and people who pre-ordered should start seeing them in the coming days and weeks.

A very in-depth look at the Canon XA20/XA25 a great little camera and a big improvement over the XA10

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 01 Aug 2013 06:58:00 +0000

Earlier this year Canon released an update to the largely successful XA10: The new Canon XA20 camcorder is much more than just a simple update, it is actually a whole new beast!

If you are familiar with the XA10 then you will know what great little camera it is and why it was such a hit with event shooters and documentarians alike. It offered some great pro features like balanced XLR audio inputs, relay recording for continuous shooting and a waveform monitor. All of this in a very small package that can be stripped down into an even smaller and less conspicuous package when removing the handle/XLR module. I have talked to many of my clients who say they loved working with the XA10 for run & gun documentary work and getting in and out of places where shooting was risky or deterred. Stripping the camera down gives it a very streamlined "consumer" camera look which is great for crossing borders where custom officials like to ask a lot of questions.

The XA20 expands on all of this and more. Let's take an in-depth look at what this camera offers and the main differences over the XA10.

Size and visually the XA20 is very similar to the old XA10 however the XA20 is a bit wider, this is due to the full zoom rocker they have added onto this camera. The full zoom rocker is a big improvement as the XA10's zoom rocker felt cheap and had less finer control. With the full variable zoom rocker on the XA20 I now feel I can properly control my smooth zooms with confidence.

Canon has added an assignable accessory wheel shown below. A feature borrowed off of the more pro XF100 series cameras. This dial is great when you quickly want to access manual controls such as Iris and still have the main lens ring for manual focus or zoom.

Having the additional accessory wheel directly below and to the right of the main lens ring is a great improvement over the thumb dial that was located on the back of the XA10.

One notable improved feature is the a-posable viewfinder they have added to the XA20. Having the ability to tilt up and while handheld shooting to get the perfect angle for image and comfort is a nice feature. The viewfinder is still very tiny and some people will find it difficult to use however on those very bright days when the main OLED screen is unusable the viewfinder will be a welcomed option, not to mention another point of contact to help steady the camera while handheld shooting.

Another feature they have added is the ability to switch the main lens focus ring over to a zoom ring. This is now possible via a switch close to the back of the camera shown below.

For those who dislike using touch screens Canon has decided to add an additional manual menu control joystick with a menu access button located at the rear of the camera. Those who wish operate the camera with the OLED monitor closed can still access the menu via this this joystick. It is conveniently located close to the record button for quick access while shooting.

An integrated lens cap? Yep they added that too. Nice addition Canon! No more misplaced or lost lens caps to do deal with. Check out the images below.

This lens cap can be closed via a switch on the side of the lens hood. Unlike other intergraded lens caps on some consumer cameras this does not feel cheap and has a very simple mechanism to close it,

so there is very little to go wrong with it and should be an easy repair if it breaks.

Now the technical stuff. The above features are nice but what does this camera really bring to the table in-terms of image quality. Well one of the biggest differences is the newly designed sensor Canon has put into this camera, it is slightly larger and offers more dynamic range than the XA10. They also have a new processor onboard. the Digic DV 4. This new chip is responsible for the increased dynamic range.

The XA20 has now the option of recording in AVCHD Progressive at 28Mbps as well as MP4 35Mbps for sharper images. This also the first Canon video camera to do a true 1920x1080 60p record mode. Which is great for those looking to get full HD slow mo. Something Canon has been trailing in to competitors like Sony.

The lens. This is another area where Canon has decided to make a really big leap. With a 20x optical zoom the Canon XA20 is really unique when it comes to price point and size. Most cameras with a 20x optical zoom traditionally have been much larger due to the larger lens size and more elements of glass needed to optically enhance the image. The XA20 has a thread size of only 58mm and still keeps the same 8 blade aperture as the XA10 however delivers twice the magnification while maintaining a sharper image.

Wifi Capability:

So Wifi is a feature we have seen lately being added to many different cameras. From point & shoots to DSLRS, from consumer palmcorders to pro-sumer camcorders, this trend is only going to continue as the integration between web & video become more streamlined and unified. The XA20 is no different and embraces its Wifi capability in a couple of different ways.

First and for most you can control the XA20 from a smart phone or tablet. You do not need to download an app as the camera shows up as a wifi hot spot on your phone/tablet's network. First you must setup a in camera wifi password before connecting. Once connected this will bring up a web interface that allows you to control the camera. Check out the video below for a great walk through of how to setup the remote control from your smartphone/tablet, as well as additional features.

You can also now not only control the XA20 via Wifi but also upload files directly from the field using FTP file transfer via wifi. This make it a great camera for news gathering, when getting files uploaded quickly to the web is a priority.

Here are some of the main specs of the XA20 has for quick reference, please note I am not going to list all of them because the Canon website has a full breakdown.

Sensor size: 1/2.84"

Video Resolution: 1920x1080

Effective Pixels: 2.91 Mp

Total Pixels on the XA20's sensor: 3.09

Color Filter:RGB

Aperture: 1.8 -2.8

Focal Length: 3.67 to 73.4mm

35mm Equivalent: 26.8 to 576mm

Filter size: 58mm

Minimum Illumination: 1.2 lux

Low Light Mode: 0.1 lux

OLED Monitor: 3.5"

Color viewfinder: 0.24"

Media: Two external SD card slots. Can be setup fro relay or tandem recording.

No onboard media.

Codec:

AVCHD

28 Mb/s 1920x1080

24 Mb/s 1920x1080

17 Mb/s 1920x1080

5 Mb/s 1920x1080

MPEG 4:

35 Mb/s 1920x1080

24 Mb/s 1920x1080

17 Mb/s 1920x1080

4 Mb/s 1920x1080

3 Mb/s 1920x1080

Video outputs:

1 x HDMI mini

1 x USB 2.0 mini USB which is an output only.

1 x mini jack 3.5mm composite A/V output RCA breakout cable

Audio Inputs:

2 x Balanced XLR inputs with 48v Phantom Power as well as line select input

1 X 3.mm stereo mini jack input

Other specs:

Power supply 8.4V DC

Power Requirements: Battery 7.4V DC

Operating Temp: -5 to 45C

Dimensions: 10.9 x8.4 x 18.3 cm

Weight 1.7 lbs (765 grams)

So now for the proof. I have gathered some of the better examples of the XA20 in action. Of course when possible download the file for best quality. As I update this blog if I find more footage will add it. This camera is still very new so there isn't a tonne out there... yet.

Here is some footage shot by jvaphoto in my home city of Toronto:

Some more footage from the XA20:

Some comparison night tests done against the XA10

Some test footage using the HFG10 vs the XA20

Lowlight test compared to the Panasonic GH3

At this point you are probably wondering why I haven't made a single mention about the XA25 and there is a very good reason for that. The Canon XA25 differs in only one main feature from XA20.

It's BNC connector to output HD/SD-SDI. That is it. Image quality wise the two cameras are identical.

Overall I like this camera but there is one complaint I have about the XA20. Check out the pic below. The headphone jack is in a bad spot. Anyone with decent sized hands will find that it is just too close when you grip the camera and gets in the way. It should be in the back of the camera like most other camcorders. i would have also moved the mini HDMI port as well, to a place that was less of an obstruction when holding the camera as many people may want to hook up and an external recorder to the XA10 to achieve a true broadcast codec such as an Atomos Ninja Recorder.

I hope you have found this information useful. I really think at $2,200 dollars Canadian the Canon XA20 is a great deal for the amount of features you are getting. The fact that you have 20x optical zoom. balanced XLR inputs, advanced image stabilization, higher grade MPEG 4 codec and WIFI upload capability puts this camera in a class by itself. After using this camera for the past week I have really gotten to appreciate this little camera. I think for documentarians, news gathers in the field, web casters or event shooters this camera will fit their needs perfectly. Please leave your comments and questions below. Any feed back about this blog is greatly appreciated. Also any gear you would like me to review in the future please let me know.

Help my very talented friend David Jacombs promote and finish his film Ermon County

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 27 Jul 2013 03:04:00 +0000

Help my friend and former college classmate David Jacombs finish his film called
Ermon County . It's a sci-fi thriller and a great film but it needs your help to push it over the top.
Here is a link to the Ermon County page for more info about the film as well as how to donate to help polish the post production and help it reach the audience it deserves.

The latest footage from the Blackmagic Pocket Camera

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 27 Jul 2013 02:15:00 +0000

As the first Blackmagic Pocket Cameras begin to ship in the next few days I thought I would post the latest Pocket Camera footage from a pair of Auckland photographers called A Couple of Night Owls

Check out the embedded video below. A small taste to wet the appetite until we all get our own hands on the little beast in the coming days or weeks.

Auckland In My Pocket - Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera from A Couple Of Night Owls on

Very cool stabilizer plugin for FCP, FCP X and Adobe Premiere

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 27 Jul 2013 01:47:00 +0000

A company called CoreMelt has very cool stabilizing software that may interest users looking to get rid of DSLR rolling shutter or just to simply stabilize shaky shots. Some of the test footage they have up on their site is very impressive, especially when it comes to handheld shots.

CoreMelt is claiming that it is the fastest way to analyze and stabilize your footage. Many of the demo footage they have up is very intriguing. They claim it is better than the built-in stabilization in FCP X with less zooming and reduced rolling shutter artefacts.

Here is the website for more info: Lock & Load

Embedded are some videos that demonstrate Lock & Load in action:

Take a Walk - walking image stabilization test (Sony RX100) from Brandon Li on Vimeo.

Core Melt's Lock & Load vs FCP's Smoothcam from lovelyjunkie on Vimeo.

More Blackmagic Pocket Camera Footage.....at night!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 23 Jun 2013 00:34:00 +0000

So a couple of weeks ago John Brawley tested the Blackmagic Pocket Camera at night and here are the results for all to see. Not really touted as a great lowlight camera, it is good to see some night footage from it. Though not the best lowlight footage I have seen out of a camera, there is still lots of high dynamic range demonstrated in the video. After all for a camera that is priced around a thousand dollars, we can only ask so much. All the footage was shot in Apple ProRes at ISO 800 for the first few shots and the rest of it was shot at ISO 1600. I will let you be the judge. Check out the embedded video and feel free to leave your comments and thoughts about the footage below.

Vivid Pocket from John Brawley Tests on Vimeo.

Shure's on-camera video shotgun microphones: Meet the VP83 and VP83F "LensHoppers mics"

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 21 Jun 2013 00:37:00 +0000

At NAB this year Shure announced two new on camera mics. These mics are direct competition to the very popular Rode ProVideo Mic and the equally popular Sennheiser MKE400 on-camera shotgun mic.

Shure's throwing their hat in the ring in a big way with these two great little mics. Both are very light, feel well built and sound great with good off-axis rejection of surrounding noise. After recently testing both of these mics I was quite impressed with them and feel they will offer a nice alternative to the shooter who is looking for a good camera mic at reasonable price point. These mics are directly targeted at the DSLR shooter looking to get better audio with a simple on-camera solution.

The main difference between the two mics is that the VP83F mic comes with a built in micro SD card flash recorder using WAV codec the VP83 still uses the camera to record its audio.

Both mics included the following Specs:

-Electret Condenser

-Supercardoid pickup pattern.

-Frequency Response is 50Hz to kHz

-Have a Low Frequency Cut

-Rycote shock mount

The VP83 has a battery life of 125 hours using one AA battery.

The VP83F has a battery of life of 10 hours using two AA batteries.

The VP83F also contains a 3.5mm headphone output jack and a 3.5mm mic input jack.





After using both of these mics the off axis rejection is what really won me over. Having a built-in recorder on the VP83F will appeal to many DSLR shooters looking to by-pass the audio in their DSLR and achieve a higher quality recording.

Both units are competitively priced:

Shure VP83: $230.00 U.S. List

Shure VP83F: $350.00 U.S. List

They will be available later this summer.

Here is a video from Shure giving a in-depth tutorial of these two microphones:

4K with the Sony FS700 using the Convergent Design Odyssey7Q

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 20 Jun 2013 22:24:00 +0000

So as all know the Sony FS700 is a great camera in-terms of sharpness, lowlight and higher frame rates. It is the only camera in its price range capable of doing 120 and 240 frames at full 1080 video. It of course can go higher if you want to go to 480 and 960 with the sacrifice of dropping the resolution down to standard def. This is of course is huge when you put it in perspective that most other cameras in its price range and even above are only maxing out at 60p 1080. These qualities have made the Sony FS700 a go to camera for many corporate, doc and event shooters looking to take their productions to the next level. There is however one more trick up the camera's sleeve.

The Sony FS700 is capable of doing 4K resolution.... not in camera though, it needs a little help. Having a 4K capable sensor is not quite enough. You will need an external recorder. Sony answered this with the AXS-RS Recorder shown below.

This recorder was originally designed for the Sony F5 and F55 broadcast cameras to do RAW 4K. With a price tag of over $5000 dollars it isn't exactly cheap. However you will need a go between if you want to get 4K out of your FS700 and the AXS-RS recorder. That is the HXR-IFR5 interface also shown below.

The HXR-IFR5 retails for $2,000-2,500 U.S. List price, depending where you look. With these two units attached to the your FS700 you can expect to get 4K at 24p, 30p and 60p as well as 2K at 24p, 30p and 60p you can also achieve 4K 120fps 4 seconds (buffered) and 2K 120 and 240fps continuous. Amazing stuff right? Well there is another option you may want to take a look at.

Convergent Design's Odyssey7Q recorder/monitor may fit tighter budgets and have some unique qualities that make it appealing to shooters looking for a smaller and lighter package.

The Odyssey7Q takes the FS700 all the way to 4K without all the hassle of using Sony's RAW recorder and interface. The 7Q retails for for around $2-2500 list U.S. It offers much more than just a recorder. It is also a very decent OLED monitor as well offering the following:

-1280 x800 resolution on a 7.7" inch panel.

-3400 contrast ratio

-8-bit RGB

-16 Million Colours

-Touch Screen interface

-IOS and Android APP capable.

The Odyssey 7Q recorder offers the following while taking 3G SDI out of the Sony FS700.

-1-60fps at 4K

-120fps RAW (burst mode only)

-240 2K RAW continuous to Cinema DNG

The Odyssey uses 2.5 SSD drives however you have to use Convergent Design's media. Their drives come in the following capacities:

-240GB

-480GB

-960GB

Sony is charging for their FS700 to use the Odyssey 7Q to unlock the 4K. The price for this will be $400 dollars U.S. from Sony.

I feel that this device will take the FS700 to the next level and unlock it's full potential with the ability to do 4K, plus future proofing it and giving even greater recording options.

Here is a video showing the Odyssey7Q unit in action:

The Odyssey7Q should be available later this summer.

More Blackmagic Pocket Camera Footage.

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 08 Jun 2013 00:01:00 +0000

As the release date looms near for both Blackmagic's Pocket Camera & 4K Cinema Camera we are all eager to see footage from them. In one of my previous posts I was able to link to some test footage here: First BM Pocket Camera footage from a great DP out of Australia named John Brawley who has been working with Blackmagic testing the camera. The footage looked very promising and very similar from what we see saw with the 2.5k version released earlier this year. Well John Brawley has some more footage to show us from this wonderful little camera. I like this test because it explores the camera in a more in-depth way using a variety of Aperture and ISO settings as well as different lens combos. It also demonstrates the camera in a variety of different locations. I really feel the beach footage demonstrates how well this camera preforms. I like how sharp the water looks and how well the waves hold together. I feel that with some of other cameras using a lessor sensor and codec other than
(Apple ProRes 422) these shots would not have held so well together. Now keep in mind some of this footage is handheld, I will let you be the judge. Enjoy and please comments your thoughts.

Pocket in Kurnel from John Brawley Tests on Vimeo.

Check out John's wordpress blog for a more in-depth review of his experiences with the camera. johnbrawley.wordpress.com

A detailed look at the MoVi Stabilizer

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 10 May 2013 18:08:00 +0000

So at NAB this past April it's safe to say that the "MoVi" camera stabilizer Freefly Systems stole much of the hype from the Vegas show. We got to see some demo videos and a couple articles but now we can have a much more detailed look at the system and how it works. Check out the video below for a deeper look at this exciting new stabilizer.

A more affordable Speed Booster from China for Nikon lenses to NEX Mount.

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 20:50:00 +0000

A company in China has released it's own version of the Speed Booster for Nikon lenses designed to work with an NEX Sony E-Mount. There is no electronics in this adapter so don't expect it to control aperture or have auto focus capability with your lenses. Click the link below for details and the company's ebay page to purchase:
focal-reducer-speed-booster-adapter-Nikon-F-AI-AIS-to-Sony-NEX

Blackmagic Pocket Camera Footage!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 12:36:00 +0000

So the wait is over. The first footage from Blackmagic's Pocket Camera is out in the wild and it looks really good. I find it has a very similar look to the 2.5k camera, which is great. All details regarding settings and lenses are embedded with the video below. Hopefully we will see more footage in the coming weeks but so far what I see looks very decent.

Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera - Market from John Brawley Tests on Vimeo.

Some great Blackmagic 2.5k test footage.

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 13:04:00 +0000

Check out some of this great blackmagic test footage shot on the 2.5k camera by my colleague Krista. The footage really demonstrates how well this cameras handles difficult shooting conditions like shooting against snow with bright sky. The dynamic range comes in handy when trying to compensate exposure in such conditions while still keeping a lot of detail. Notice how much contrast and detail come through in the snow. Click on the link below or download the file from Vimeo for best viewing quality.

BMCC/Anamorphic/ProRes from Ryan Glover on Vimeo.

The OmniRig: Just when you thought the MoVi system was cool. Wait till you see this stabilizer and its price.

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 02:19:00 +0000

So at NAB this year two things really stole the show. Blackmagic's announcement of two new cameras and the incredible new stabilizer "MoVi" from Freeflysystems a revolutionary new type of handheld stabilizer that makes the Steadicam seem some how now archaic. Vincent Laforet has a few great videos on Vimeo demonstrating just what this amazing rig can do:

MōVI BTS from Vincent Laforet on Vimeo.

MōVI from Vincent Laforet on Vimeo.

MōVI in Action (Quick Video) from Vincent Laforet on Vimeo.

Here is a detailed blog post from Vincent about what this system can do and why he thinks it is a total game changer:
MoVi: A revolutionary handheld stabilized system takes flight.

As good as the MoVi system is, the $15,000 price tag will be hard for many people to justify. Luckily there is another product out there from Limelite that is much cheaper and can deliver somewhat similar results.

The LimeLite OmniRig is a unique alternative to the MoVi. So here's the deal, there is no gyro with this system which makes it much, much cheaper. Coming it at under $2000 in July this stabilizer looks really interesting. Check out the video below to see it action.

The first video has some stabilization in post:

Single Shot Cinema: Camera flying through the window from 4Film on Vimeo.

Here is the second video without stabilization:

OmniRig - Flying Through Windows from Chris Turiello on Vimeo.

The post stabilization obliviously really helps to smooth out the scene but you can still see the potential of this device considering it is the first version and there is some time before it is released. With it's great price point I am sure many filmmakers will be taking a second look the OmniRig from Limelite.
For more info on this device click here: Limelite

Blackmagic Pocket Camera: What we know so far.

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 16:01:00 +0000

Last week at NAB Blackmagic stunned the film world again by announcing two new cameras. A new 4K APS-C camera with global shutter for $4000 dollars and a smaller Micro Four Thirds pocket camera for $1000 dollars. Personally I am more excited about the pocket camera. This price point will be great for a lot of people looking to get great dynamic range without having to pay a big price. Plus the fact it has a micro four thirds active mount will be good for those people who have MFT lenses or those wishing to add other types of lenses using an adaptor. Adding Nikon, Canon or even PL mount lenses will be easy with the right adapter. It's still very early but Blackmagic is saying a delivery time of July is what we can expect and that it will be released most likely before the 4K camera. I haven't seen any footage yet but hopefully they will release some test footage soon. If Anyone has found any footage on the web please send me a link.

In the mean time lets go through what we know about the camera and some of its features:

-It has 1920x180 resolution

-Apple 10-bit 422 200Mbps ProRes codec with the promise of lossless CinemaDNG codec that will be coming later with a firmware update.

-The sensor size is Super 16: Roughly (12.5x7.4mm)

-Frame Rates 23.98p, 24p, 25p, 29.97p, 30p

-Dynamic Range: 13 stops

-MFT (micro four thirds lens mount) which should give full aperture control to native lenses.

-Magnified focus for focus assist and peaking

-Removable storage is SDXC and SDHC cards. It can record in ProRes 50 minutes of footage on a 64Gb SDXC card

-Metadata: camera data and user data such as shot number, filenames and keywords

-Can output through HDMI without overlays for monitoring: Micro HDMI type D. HDMI Audio Output 2 channels 48 kHz and 24 bit

-3.5" LCD: 800 x 480 resolution

-2.5mm LANC control for controlling record, stop, focus and iris with active lenses

-3.5mm mic input

-3.5mm headphone jack

-0.7mm 12V power input

-Standard tripod mount top and bottom

-Computer Interface USB 2.0 mini B port for firmware updates

-Operating Temperatures 0° to 40° C (32° to 104° F)

-Humidity rating 0% to 90% non-condensing

-Removable battery: Rechargeable Lithium Ion Battery (EN-EL20) Battery Life: approx. 1 hour of continuous recording time. Charge Time: approx. 1 hour and 15 minutes when the camera is off and approximately 2 hours when in use. You can also use non Blackmagic batteries such as the easy to find and inexpensive Nikon EN-EL20 Rechargeable Li-ion Batteries. This is a big deal because on the 2.5k camera the battery was built in with lousy operating times.

-In the box you get: Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera, wrist strap, dust cap and 12V AC Adapter.
Plus, DVD (DaVinci Resolve Lite)

-Product Warranty 12 Month Limited Manufacturer's Warranty.

-Compatible operating systems are: Mac OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion or later Windows 7 or later

-Dimensions: 5.04 x 1.49 x 2.6 (128 x 38 x 66 mm)

-Weight: 12.52 oz (355 g)

So that's basically what we know so far. As for what the image looks like hopefully we will see some footage soon.

Blackmagic Cinema Camera goes 4K!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 15:05:00 +0000

So this is really early but it looks like Blackmagic is releasing a 4K version of their cinema camera with a larger sensor and global shutter refreshing on the chip for around $4000 US. They also appear to be releasing a smaller Micro Four Thirds pocket camera for $1000 dollars capable of doing 12-bit RAW recording as well. Check out the link below for more details. It's still early with lots more details to come but this could be very big news!

BMCC 4K with global shutter and Super 35 sensor.

Update: BMCC pocket cinema camera has been seen in the wild. Engadget has managed to get a picture of it here: Blackmagic's pocket cinema camera

Canon C100 with Atomos Ninja 2

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 16:33:00 +0000

Canon C100:

Last year Canon released a smaller watered down version of their popular cinema camera the C300. The C100 although similar, differed in a variety of ways to the bigger and more expensive C300, mainly being the codec it used. The Canon C300 records internally to dual CF card slots using an MPEG 2 MXF 50 Mbps 4:2:2 compression scheme. This is considered to be entry level broadcast for television. The C100 on the other hand uses a 24 Mbps 4:2:0 AVCHD codec to dual SD card slots. This codec is the main difference between the two cameras. Although AVCHD is a popular codec in the video world for professional and not professional cameras it is still not considered to be a true broadcast codec.

Like the bigger C300 the C100 also used the C-Log gamma curve. This gives back a little more flexibility to the AVCHD codec when it comes to the ability to grade in post. Although it is not RAW it does maintain some of those charistics for color correcting in post. C-Log gives a higher dynamic range with flat image quality and contrast. Working in post, this will provide you with more ability to adjust luminescence levels as well as color saturation and contrast. Better Chroma-Key capability and over all a more robust image when it comes to working in post.

Shooting in C-Log on the C100 is a great way to get a little bit more about of the AVCHD codec on the C100. It will not take you as far as using C-Log with the C300 codec but it gives you a bit more room in post to work with.

The price difference between the C100 and the C300 is substantial. With the Canon coming in at $14,700.00 Canadian and the C100 coming in currently at $5,669.00. Like I said before the main difference between these two camera's is the codec. The sensor and the processor are both the same. There are a few features lacking on the C100 such as an inferior viewfinder and smaller LCD screen as well as less dials on the on the body of the C100 to access the menu. All menu access is done through the grip on the C100. If you remove the grip then you lose access to the menu. The C100 also does not have any off speed frame rates. So no 60p at 1280x720 unlike on the C300.

If you can live with the lack of off speed shooting capability and the limited features discussed above than C100 still offers a great image for a much cheaper price. There is another way however to take this camera to the next level and unlock it's true potential.

By adding an external recorder like the Atomos Ninja 2 pictured above it is possible to get a broadcast quality signal off of the C100 in a codec that actually exceeds the internal codec of the C300. The Ninja 2 can receive an uncompressed signal via the HDMI output. The Atomos Ninja records to a 2.5 SSD drive in a couple of different codecs and bit rates:

The Ninja 2 supports the following:

Apple ProRes:
HQ - 220 Mbps
422 - 150 Mbps
LT - 100Mbps

Avid DNxHD
Avid DNxHD 220x -220Mbps (10-bit)
Avid DNxHD-220 - 36 Mbps (8-bit)
Avid DNxHD-145 - 36 Mbps (8-bit)

By using the Atomos Ninja in conjunction with the Canon C100 it is possible achieve a better codec then internally in the C300.

The Canadian retail price on the Ninja is currently: $1079.00

The C100 with Ninja is a good option that doesn't break the bank but yet delivers as good or even better compression for post editing and grading when pared with external recorder. Depending what you do with the footage in post the results may not be night & day compared to the internal AVCHD codec.

Check out these videos to see the results of the C100 pared with an Atomos Ninja 2 and you be the judge if it is worth spending the extra cash getting the Ninja for use with this camera:

Canon EOS C100 feats Atomos Ninja 2 engl. from Stefan Czech on Vimeo.

Canon C100 + Atomos Ninja 2 from reflejos|digitales on Vimeo.

Canon EOS C100 Test : Broadwater in Low Light (Atomos Ninja 2, Wide DR) from Matt Turner

C100 AVCHD vs Ninja 2 from Jason Silzle on Vimeo.

IBC 2012 - Canon EOS C100 is in love with the Ninja from cinema5D on Vimeo.

Canon C100 Test AVCHD vs ProRes from Adam Stevenson on Vimeo.

Canon EOS C100 AVCHD and ProRes 4:2:2 HQ Comparison from Rusty Auto Productions

Reedy River Falls Park / C 100 / Ninja 2 from Valdas Kotovas on Vimeo.

C100 Test AVCHD vs PRORES HQ from Francesco Corsini on Vimeo.

Links for more information on the Ninja 2 and the Canon C100/C300

Atomos Ninja 2

Canon C100

Canon C300

4K Video: Do you really need it and will anyone be able to watch it?

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 01:13:00 +0000

4K, Ultra HD, Quad HD, these buzz words dominated CES this past January. Television manufacturers began to ready the public for the next big television revolution. 4K is coming, there is no doubt about that, but will you be able actually watch it and will there be content to watch? In this post we will look at 4K and what it means for the digital video producer and the cliental they wish to reach.

First lets look at what 4k is and if you really do need it for your productions. So what is exactly for 4K?
4K video has 4 times the resolution of HD video. We are talking just over 2 million pixels for HD video vs 8.8 million pixels for 4k. That's a resolution difference of 1920x1080 for Full HD vs. 4096x2160 for 4k. Big difference. Especially when it comes to larger screens. This translates into a shaper, more detailed image, even put on bigger screens such as theatre projections compared to full
To full HD.

So do you need this much resolution? Well that is a very subjective question. It is true that most broadcasters aren't broadcasting in 4k at all, most are still either doing 720p or 1080i or in fact many are still broadcasting SD, very few are broadcasting in true 1080p except for special events. Most
North American broadcasters just finished updating their equipment to be HD capable and are in no rush to spend even more millions of dollars to upgrade everything again to 4k.

Outside of North America and Japan a good majority of the world including a lot of Europe has been slow to adopt HD video due to cost and other obstacles. For a lot of these countries adopting 4k will be a very slow process. In-fact there is a lot of talk among broadcast circles of skipping 4k completely and going straight to 8k, making the cost of upgrading a more long term investment. Of course also there is the big question of content. At CES this year a slew of 4k televisions were released from Sony, Samsung and LG, just to name a few. With prices that most consumers will see as unattainable and almost no content available, 4k seems like less of a priority for the video producer. That being said there are however some real solid reasons to look at 4k as a option for your next video investment. Let's explore some of these reasons for utilizing 4k now.

In video size matters. The more resolution means more the detail, the more information and the more options you have to do what you want with that footage later on. Remember it is always easier to convert down to a lower resolution than it is to go to higher one. If you shoot in 4k and end up mastering out in 1080p and 720p it will be a easier compared to going the opposite route and it will also future proof your projects for when broadcasters and the web catch up to current consumer 4k TV sets and prosumer and professional 4k video cameras being released this year. Now that brings us to a important point. The internet plays a huge role in how this 4k wave plays out. After all the web is how more and more people are accessing video content. This will only continue to grow as the main way to access television and movies compared to traditional video broadcasting methods. Check out my previous post on how the broadcast world is changing: Broadcasting is changing as we know it.
Look no further to Netflix and their partnership with Samsung to deliver 4k to viewers and you know that 4k is closer than many people think. As with most technology these days it tends to out pace most people's conservative estimates. When it comes to streaming 4K to the web we have a ways to go. Anyone trying to stream 1080p with a less than stellar internet connection knows that long buffering times await them for having a smooth streaming experience. There is however hope around the corner for all of us wanting to get on the 4K experience train. H.265 is set to replace the standard web upload and streaming compression H.264 as early as 2014. This is good news for those who want to stream HD on low bandwidth networks and will also make streaming 4k to sites like YouTube and Vimeo a real possibility. If that happens then those who wish to produce 4k content has a much larger and realistic market to broadcast to then waiting for broadcasters to catch up. Check out the link below for a better understanding of what H.265 means for the future of streaming HD and 4K video on the web.

H.265 is approved. How it will change how we stream video.

So we covered the possibilities of people actually being able to view 4k today but what about down the road and what about if you plan to deliver in only 1080p? or even 720p today? Then what? Why should you care about 4k, if your client will never see it? As I mention in the above section it all comes down to options. The fact that you deliver in 1080p today doesn't mean you will tomorrow. The fact is that broadcaster will eventually start broadcasting in 4k or even 8k and the web will probably be able to stream 4k sooner than the broadcasters. So you must think 2,3, 5 years down the road what will your footage look like. Broadcasters love to future proof themselves. I hear more and more of my clients telling me that their broadcasters are requiring more and more different formats to deliver their content on. Broadcasters want to prepare for the future, because right now no one really knows where this is all going to go. 4k? 8K? What format? When? It was a lot easier when it was only BetaCam SP and SX but way things are going with technology who knows what the new standard will be and if there will truly be one. So broadcasters want to be ready for anything. If you can deliver a 4k product that they can bank on next year or in a few years down the road being able to be part of the 4k content wave that will becoming it is a better investment for them. Even at the lower level . It's amazing how old everything seems now that HD is here. As I look at my SD footage I had shot only a few years ago it doesn't seem to have the same impact as the HD footage of today. The fact is technology is moving faster and faster and 4K is closer than people think. Consumer demand of 4K & 8K televisions will drive 4K & 8K content. Unlike the failed niche markets like 3D, 4K & 8K will have much bigger impact on the consumer and the video producer.

Framing: Another reason to shoot in 4K is options in post for framing and adjusting shots. Say for example you are mastering out in 1080p this gives you a lot more options when it comes to framing adjusting a wide shot to a medium shot and a medium shot to close up. Just another reason to consider 4k as an option while shooting.

So in closing, do you really need to shoot in 4K today? The answer is no. with currently no real viable option for delivery and no demand as of yet, 1080P video still looks great, web streaming is becoming easier as bandwidth increases and most people own 720p and 1080p televisions. Unless you have a specific reason to shoot 4K, like theatre distribution or cliental asking for it then 1080p video will be fine for almost all of your needs. However 4K does offer some nice options for framing and will future proof your work if is is used in the future.

Drones for video.

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 16 Feb 2013 20:04:00 +0000

In the last few years there has been some big changes when it comes to the accessibility and cost of using drones for video. This new and exciting area and aerial videography is making it more accessible to people helping them get amazing aerial shots while not spending a fortune. Small affordable drones are becoming cheaper by the day and what some people are doing with them are truly amazing. In this post we will look at some of the most common drones for video, the technology and how you can utilizing them for your own video productions. Gone are the day where renting a helicopter was the only option for
getting amazing aerial video.

There are many different drones out there that you can purchase anywhere from a few hundred dollars and to thousands dollars. They vary in size from very small to very large and everything in between. Typically the larger the drone the more it can lift and the less wind will be an issue. However there are some very small drones that do a decent job when paired with a GoPro camera.
Parrot, has small drone that is relatively cheap. It is powerful enough to lift a GoPro Camera. However there are some limitations. The drone can fly up to 6 meters or 20 feet. The average range is about 50 meters or 160 feet. It uses wifi and can be controlled using an iPhone or iPad via the Drone 2.0 App from Parrot.
it can reach a top Speed of 18 km an hour or 11 miles an hour. Has an operational time of roughly 12 minutes with a charging time of 1hr 30mins. It has a lift capability of 250grams. However if you exceed this weight it may become unstable. The new GoPro Hero 3 with battery weighs 74grams. Even adding this much weight o the A.R Drone may cause problems with stability with wind however you can still get some nice shots out of it. As some of the below videos will demonstrate. It will be necessary to do some sort of stabilization in post to smooth out the image however it may be well worth it in the end to get some amazing shots you wouldn't normally get.

The below videos demonstrate what is possible withe AR. Drone and the GoPro when used properly. Some cropping may be necessary to get rid of the rotters.

GoPro + AR.Drone from Laurent Heideyer on Vimeo.

Here are some more videos using the GoPro with the AR. Drone. You can see how some stabilization filters will be needed in post to deal with the rolling shutter issues.

Cap Flight from Bernhard Queisser on Vimeo.

Parrot's AR. Drone is of course very small and inexpensive but is a sign of things to come. For under $300 dollars Canadian you can buy a drone that is capable of lifting a GoPro. I am sure as newer versions come down the line this drone will get even better.

For those who want better quality video, longer range and better stability it will be necessary to look at getting a more professional drone that is capable of carrying a heavier payload and offers better stabilization. There are a number of these drones on the market and some can be purchased for less than a thousand dollars. However many will set you back between $1000-$10000 dollars US. Depending on load capacity, gyro system and stabilization options. Quadcopters and Octocopters offer the best solution for working with larger cameras.

Quadrocopter.com a company based in the US overs some great drones for everything from Gopros to RedScarlets

Small quadrocopters like their DJI Phantom, is capable of lifting a GoPro and can be purchased for $679 US. Here is a video to demonstrate the quality.

Here is the link if you are interested in learning more about the DJI Phantom or interested in picking one up : DJI Phantom All in One Ready to Fly

For those requiring a little bit more horsepower Quadrocopter.com has some more powerful drones capable of lifting DSLRs, Sony FS100s and more. The OktoKopter 2, capable of lifting a DSLR and costs $6,377.00 US. Here is a video to demonstrate the quality.

Mikrokopter Oktokopter2 flight with Canon T2i from GravityShots.com on Vimeo.

You can purchase the Oktokopter and find out more information here: Oktokopter 2 Ready to Fly

In the professional category Quadrocopter.com offers something really exciting. The CineStar 8, a professional drone with a much higher load capacity of 200 grams or 4.41 lbs. This drone can utitlize GPS way point flying to up to 500 meters and offers a flight time of 25 minutes. Check out the video of it action.

Sony CX760 zoom control on Cinestar 8 with 360 stabilization from Quadrocopter on Vimeo.

You can learn more and pick one up here: Cinestar Ready to Fly

Here is a video from their site with a GoPro mounted to the bottom of one of their other drones the Hexakopter:

Here is another video showing one of the Cinestar 8 drones lifting a 5D Mark 3. The results are really amazing you can see how these are quickly replacing helicopters for arial shots for productions do to the cost savings and the accessibility.

This is a video taken using the Cinestar 8 with a FS100. Yet again, great results.

For those of you who are interested in another drone company checkout Turbo Ace they have a variety of drones that can lift GoPros and DSLRs
They specialize in Quadcopters for GoPros and Octocopters for DSLRs. They have a varity of different copters to choose from.

Check out some videos of their drones in action.

All of these videos above demonstrate the potential for use a variety of video applications. Imagine using these for weddings, corporates, real-estate videos and narrative films. It really is the endless the applications for these drones. I will be updating this post in the future with more exciting drone information as I find it.

Streaming for the Blackmagic Design ATEM Television Studio and the H.264 Pro Recorder.

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 17:13:00 +0000

There is a great software from MX Light that allows you stream video using Black Magic's ATEM Television Studio and the H.264 Pro Recorder. This software currently only supports use with a PC platform but can be run on MAC using Parallels. As of now it is only for you with the ATEM Television Studio and the H.264 Pro Recorder from Blackmagic.

The ATEM is a great switcher and comes with some powerful software but using Black Magic's Media express software you can only record and not stream. MX Light allows you to do both.

It is currenlty compatible and has presents for: Ustream, LiveStream, Justin.TV, Dailymotion and Wowza.

Here is a list of the features for the software: MX Light Features

Canon EF mount lenses Compatiblility issues with BMCC

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 17:06:00 +0000

So it appears that the latest firmware update hasn't solved as many issues for aperture control with Canon EF Mount lenses as people would have liked. There was a lot of hope with the firmware 2.1 update that people would have access to aperture control over all their lenses but that doesn't seem to be the case... at least not yet. With more firmware updates I predict this issue to become less and less as more lenses will start to work. Some of the issues being reported are aperture readouts changing but the actual aperture on the lens isn't moving. Below is a list and detailed discussion on what lenses are working and which ones aren't. However you do actually get an aperture read out now so you can see what F Stop you are on which is a much needed feature.

http://forum.blackmagicdesign.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=4651&start=50

A list of compatible drives for the Blackmagic Cinema Camera.

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 17:43:00 +0000

Here is a list of compatible SSD drives for the Blackmagic Cinema Camera that BlackmagicDesign recently certified for use with the camera. I am sure that this will be of use to many of you planning to use this camera and were wondering storage options you would have.

Here is the Link: Compatible SSD drives for BMCC