Digital Video - August 2011

dv .comdigita lv ideo

Vol. 19 No. 8 | August 2011

The Professional's Guide to HD Tools & Technique

dv .comvideod

INSIDE SUPER 35 SENSOR

SENSATION: SONY F3 ON NO RESERVATIONS

OPTICS OPTIONS: CHOOSING THE RIGHT LENS, PART II

IN REVIEW LITEPANELS MICROPRO HYBRIDVINTEN VISION BLUEIKAN VL7

Register online now at www.dvexpo.com

Sept. 20-22

IS THIS APP REALLY READY FOR PRIMETIME?

APPLE FINAL CUT PRO X

174Supreme CD/DVD Folio9.95 ea. - 12/case

179 BOXSupreme CD/DVD Folio23.95 ea. - 6/case

185CD/DVD Folio Album1.75 ea. - 100/case

TRANSFORM

INVASION

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174Supreme CD/DVD Folio9.95 ea. - 12/case

179 BOXSupreme CD/DVD Folio23.95 ea. - 6/case

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august 2011 | opinion

dv.com

3xx

EDITORIALEDITOR‐IN‐CHIEF Cristina Clapp

[email protected]

MANAGING EDITOR Katie [email protected]

TECHNICAL EDITOR Jay [email protected]

WEB EDITOR Sarv Taghavian,[email protected]

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS J.R. Bookwalter, James Careless, Chuck Gloman, Buck McNeely,

Carl Mrozek, Oliver Peters, Stefan Sargent, Jon Silberg, Ned Soltz, Iain Stasukevich, Joy Zaccaria

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digita l

volume 19 number 8

August 2011

Each of our day-long sessions

will give you an in-depth education,

whether you want to learn about

shooting with large-

sensor cameras,

building your own post-production

studio or color

correcting your

projects.

If you’re joining us at this year’s DV Expo, which takes place Sept. 20-22 in Pasadena, Calif., you’ll be getting schooled. Our fall conference program is all about education, with intensive, involved, immersive sessions that give you no choice but to learn things. You’ll be getting a lot of expert information, data and material, and you’re going to want to take a lot of notes.

Each of our day-long sessions will give you an in-depth education, whether you want to learn about shooting with large-sensor cameras, building your own post-production studio or color correcting your projects. We’ll also offer instruction on some of our favorite new cameras, including the RED Epic and Sony’s NEX-FS100 and PMW-F3.

Some conference highlights include:

WORKING WITH LARGE‐SENSOR CAMERASLarge-sensor cameras have gained immense popularity...but are they appropriate for every shooting situation? How do we take full advantage of their capabilities while being cognizant of their limitations? In this all-day session, DV contributing editor Ned Soltz provides a look at a selection of HDSLRs, Panasonic’s AG-AF100, Sony’s PMW-F3 and NEX-FS100, and RED’s Epic in terms of image quality, operation, fea-tures and data management.

DEMYSTIFYING DIGITALDV technical editor Jay Holben takes you on an in-depth journey through the complex world of digital images to clarify and demystify the myriad formats. Gain an apprecia-tion of the advantages and disadvantages of individual HD formats, sensors, codecs, color spaces and much more. Not sure what camera is right for your needs? Choosing between a DSLR or traditional camcorder? This day-long course will help you achieve a clear picture of how to read a camera spec sheet and actually understand it!

BUILDING YOUR OWN STUDIOThe cost of being in production or post is generally discussed on the basis of individual tools, but the reality is that there’s a lot more that goes into a success-ful technical plant. DV contributing editor Oliver Peters will guide you through a day of training that encompasses various aspects of facility design. The session will include an overview of general design, including the basics of studio acoustics, rack room layout, shared storage, and various postproduction suites.

As we have for previous conferences, we’re teaming with our friends at Weynand Training to offer a series of hands-on training classes for software including Apple Final Cut Pro X, Adobe CS 5.5, Avid Media Composer 5 and Apple Motion 5. We’ve also developed a special one-day hands-on seminar that focuses on translating your current FCP skills into the new FCP X.

So sharpen your pencils, sign up at www.dvexpo.com, and we’ll see you there.

from the editor

School Supplies

Inside dv.com/Aug2011|volume 19|number 8

dv.com

DV (ISSN 1541-0943) is published monthly by NewBay Media L.L.C. at 28 E 28th Street, 12th Floor, New York, NY, 10016. Telephone: 212-378-0400. Periodicals postage paid at New York, New York, and at additional mailing offices. U.S. subscription rate is $29.97 for one year; Mexico and Canada are $39.97 (including GST); foreign airmail is $79.97; back issues $7. Prepayment is required on all foreign subscriptions in U.S. funds drawn on a U.S. bank. All rates are one year only. DV, Digital Video, Digital Video Magazine, DV Full Motion, DV Web Video, DV Expo, Web Video Expo, Digital Video Expo, and Digital Video Con ference and Exposition are trademarks of NewBay Media L.L.C. All material published in DV is copyrighted © 2011 by NewBay Media L.L.C. All rights reserved. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to DV, Subscription Services, P.O. Box 221, Lowell, MA 01853. Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to Bleuchip International, P.O. Box 255542, London, ON N6C 6B2. DV makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of all information published in the magazine; however, it assumes no responsibility for damages due to errors or omissions. Printed in the USA.

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update 6 News & Notes

Linstrom chooses Sachtler for Nat Geo shoot,

OConnor Ultimate 1030 D, Red Giant Magic

Bullet Suite 11, Hess gets sporty with Norbert,

East Pleasant Pictures chooses Canon,

Panasonic 3DA1 goes to space, Hitachi enrolls at

NSU, GenArts releases Sapphire Edge.

in review 12 Apple Final Cut Pro X

Is this app ready for primetime?

By Oliver Peters

18 Litepanels MicroPro HybridThis portable, battery-powered fixture does

double-duty as an on-camera flash.

By Jay Holben

19 Vinten Vision blue TripodThis system offers "perfect balance" and an all-

important illuminated bubble level.

By Chuck Gloman

22 ikan VL7A cost-effective and compact solution for

monitoring video.

By Carl Mrozek

features 24 No Reservations with Sony's F3

Videographer Zach Zamboni is shooting two

Anthony Bourdain Travel Channel shows—No

Reservations and Layover—with Panavised Sony

PMW-F3 cameras.

By Jon Silberg

columns 26 Instant Expert

Ned Soltz looks at on-board recorders.

28 DV101Jay Holben considers a few more factors

important when choosing a lens.

34 Production DiaryStefan Sargent remembers his first video

camera purchase.

On Our Cover: Apple released Final Cut Pro X on June 21. Oliver Peters takes a look inside.

24

12

B e c a u s e i t m a t t e r s .

In harmony.Io Express and Avid Media Composer

www.aja.com

Loaded with flexible I/O that provides editors with professionalHD/SD connectivity, Io Express delivers a high-quality capture,monitoring and output solution in a compact, cost-effective design.

Fully supported by Avid Media Composer 5.5, Io Express offers thesame features that Apple Final Cut Pro and Adobe CS5 editors havecome to rely on.

Compatible with PC or Mac, with a choice of ExpressCard and PCIeinterfaces, Io Express provides any working editor a powerfulcombination of professional quality and unrivaled flexibility.

Find out more about Io Express at www.aja.com

Io Express with Avid Media Composer 5.5:

• HD/SD-SDI input/output• HDMI v1.3a input/output with Deep Color support at 30

bits per pixel• HD/SD Component Video output• 10-bit HD to SD Hardware Downconvert• 2-Channel RCA audio output• ExpressCard-34 and PCIe interfaces for laptop or

desktop use

EDIT

Broadcast-quality capture, monitoring and output for Avid Media Composer 5.5

#28844 - Avid DV_Layout 22/03/2011 10:09 Page 1

Untitled-7 1 4/7/11 4:10 PM

“I would be covering everything from helicopter-to-helicopter shots to tripod shots of details of [anes-thetized] polar bears in the snow. We needed solid support that could stand up to the rigors of the Arctic locations,” explains Linstrom, whose camera package featured a Sony PDW-F800 and the Sachtler System 20 S1 SL HD fluid head (100mm) and tripod. “Sachtler is simply the best tripod in the industry for documentary and field work. They are lightweight yet stable, and

the controls make it a joy to work with a long lens. By using the tension settings, I personalize the balance and resistance so I can dial in just the right amount of tension in order to get beautifully smooth pans and tilts. And the head always works like it is supposed to, no matter what the temperature.”

Update | ne

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fi nd us onlinedigital edition: www.myDVmag.comfacebook:www.facebook.com/pages/digital-video-magazineonline: www.dv.com twitter: www.twitter.com/DVMagazine

>in focus: OConnor Ultimate 1030 D and 1030 Ds

dv.com

Company: OConnor What It Is/Does: These fluid heads are designed for use with full-format sensor, lighter-weight cameras such as the RED Epic and Scarlet and the Sony F3. Features include the stepless, ultra-smooth pan and tilt fluid drag specifically enhanced to provide control and stability for digital cinematography shooting, and the patented OConnor Sinusoidal Counterbalance system, which provides true, accurate balance at any point in the tilt range. The OConnor 1030 D supports a payload up to 30 lb. at a 6” center of gravity and a +/- 90° tilt range. The 1030 Ds supports up to 41 lb. at 6” center of gravity with a +/- 60° tilt range. Bottom Line: Maintains balance with the new generation of large-format, lighter-weight cameras. Price: TBA Contact: www.ocon.com

>Curb Your Enthusiasm: Inside the Show’s Improvisational Shooting Style For the several million loyal fans of Seinfeld co-creator, writer, director, producer and professional pessimist Larry David, no doubt it’s been the longest 18 months in television his-tory. David’s Curb Your Enthusiasm returns to HBO this month after a hiatus that began in late 2009.www.videography.com

>Manuel Alberto Claro, Cinematographer, MelancholiaDanish cinematographer Manuel Alberto Claro recalls that the oppor-tunity to shoot the new Lars von Trier film was something of a “secret dream” come true. www.cinematographer.com

Linstrom Chooses Sachtler for Nat Geo ShootWhen cinematographer David Linstrom signed on to shoot a segment of National Geographic Wild—America’s Big Five, he turned to Sachtler for camera support. The segment, about a polar bear survey conducted by scientists from the United States Geological Survey, required quick setups in extreme conditions.

Intensity Pro is the only capture and playback card for Windows™ and Mac OS X™ with HDMI and analog connections. Intensity Pro allows you to upgrade to Hollywood production quality with uncompressed or compressed video capture and playback using large screen HDTVs.

Beyond the Limits of HDV

HDV’s heavy compression and limited 1440 x 1080 resolution can cause problems with quality and editing. Intensity Pro eliminates these problems and lets you choose from uncompressed video, Online JPEG and Apple ProRes 422 for full 1920 x 1080 HDTV resolution. Now you can capture in 1080i HD, 720p HD or NTSC/PAL video.

Playback to your Big Screen HDTV

Use Intensity Pro’s HDMI or analog output for incredible big screen video monitoring. Unlike FireWire™ based solutions, Intensity uses an uncompressed video connection direct to Final

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Connect to Anything!

Intensity Pro includes HDMI and component analog, NTSC/PAL and S-video connections in a low cost plug-in card. Capture from HDMI cameras, VHS and Video8 decks, gaming

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Microsoft Windows™ or Apple Mac OS X™

Intensity Pro is fully compatible with both Adobe Premiere Pro on Windows™ and Apple Final Cut Pro on Mac OS X™, as well as Motion™, Color™, DVD Studio Pro™, After Effects™, Photoshop™, Encore DVD™, Combustion™, Fusion™ and many more.

Intensity Pro

$199

Learn more today at www.blackmagic-design.com

Intensity Pro introduces professional HDMI and analog editing in HD and SD for $199

new

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aug

ust

2011

Update digital videotweets

dv.com

>@LanceWeilerJean-Luc Godard: ‘Film is over.

What to do?’ http://bit.ly/rk9sBa

>@AndyShipsidesPlease join us for Tech Tuesdays

in NYC @abelcine. Free events

on Tuesdays in our new training

space. http://conta.cc/mSI6VW

>@AlexMaragosHad a quick talk with Jay-Z’s &

Snoop Dogg’s director Jeremy Rall

regarding R. Kelly’s new video.

This is what he used: http://t.co/

oSdK4X3

>@bitrebelsAugmented Reality Cinema: A

Movie Lover’s App http://goo.gl/

fb/AgPJT

>@CNETNewsKurt Vile music video shot with a

smartphone http://cnet.co/nlt7pG

>@FinalCutStudioHow to Make Final Cut Pro X More

Like Final Cut Pro 7 http://t.co/

EzsYzwo

>@sundancefestCut and Paste Alert: #Sundance

documentary editors dip into their

bins of knowledge and share their

tips and tricks: http://bit.ly/qrMKR6

>@freshdvFirst look at new #avid media

composer interface via @robthe-

editor http://t.co/1qO6mpC

>@cinefugueHow the Polish Brothers Are

Raking It In ($200K already) with

A Stealth, No Budget ($0) Movie

Shot on Canon 5D Mark II http://t.

co/pkvRl0E

>@robbiecarmanAfter a couple days with the Sony

OLED I’m convinced OLED is the

future of reference grade monitor-

ing. Would love @FSImonitors to

jump on it.

dv.com most-read features (Direct links at dv.com/Aug2011)

This significant upgrade to Magic Bullet delivers nine software appli-cations for professional color cor-rection, enhancement and film output. The two new products are Cosmo, a tool for simple, elegant

cosmetic cleanup, and Looks 2, the upgrade to the company’s color treatment and imaging tools. Also included is Grinder 1.5, which delivers fast, simple transcoding of DSLR/HDSLR footage to edit-

friendly formats. The 64-bit suite is designed for use with Adobe CS 5.5, Adobe Premiere Pro, Apple Final Cut Pro and Apple Motion. FCP X support will be available in the near future.

8

Red Giant Intros Magic Bullet Suite 11

< Final Cut Pro X: A First Look and First ImpressionsRemember Apple’s grammati-cally incorrect slogan a few years ago, Think Different? Well, Final Cut Pro X definitely requires us to think differently.

Classic Cars, JVC Cams: Digital Alchemy and Cruisin’ OhioRegional car show Cruisin’ Ohio with Jeff Phelps is shot at classic car shows in and around Ohio. Broadcast on Fox Sports Ohio, the show is produced locally by Digital Alchemy PDA, a company of five established in 2003 primarily to create original Web content. Since Phelps and Digital Alchemy principal John Stealy created Cruisin’ Ohio together and sold it to Fox Sports Ohio, the show has managed to land three regional Emmy nominations.

Whether you’re a beginner or professional, our knowledgeable Videoguys Team is available to answer all of your questions before, during, and after the sale. We’ll even stand behind our recommendations with a 30-day money-back guarantee and FREE tech support – a customer service policy unmatched in the industry!

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Burn Hi-Def Blu-ray Discs from Adobe Encore CS5

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Toast 11 Pro delivers pro-quality photo and video results. It includes everything in Toast 10 plus $300 in extras. Toast is the standard in disc burning, copying, and video conversion.

(50Gb) media. Author hi-def Blu-ray Disc videos $17995

G-TECH G-SPEED es and G-SPEED es PRO now with Enterprise-Class Hard Drives! G-SPEED eS RAID solutions provide professional content creators with outstanding performance. G-SPEED eS PRO features mini-SAS connectivity to a high performance PCIe x8 IOP RAID controller that supports RAID 0,1,3,5 & 6.

NEW! Grass Valley EDIUS 6 EDIUS® nonlinear editing software is designed for any broadcast and postproduction environment, especially those using newer, tapeless forms of video recording and storage. Featuring unrivaled real-time video transcoding technology, EDIUS converts between HD and SD resolutions, aspect ratios, and frame rates—all in real time. You can edit in HD and place 4:3 SD video, or mix NTSC and PAL sources, or combine them all into projects in other resolutions and frame rates without wasting a single moment on conversion or rendering. EDIUS 6 offers more than 100 new features, such as 4K, 2K, and free size project support, advanced timeline workflow improvements and more

Go to videoguys.com for upgrades and special hardware bundles

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AJA KiPro Mini Portable Flash Disk Recorder

Ki Pro Mini is the smallest and simplest way of connecting production and post, anywhere shooting takes you. 10-bit 4:2:2 from SDI or HDMi to Apple ProRes $1,99500

Azden 330 Dual-Channel On-Camera UHF Wireless Microphone Systems

The 330 Series is a high quality dual-channel UHF camera-mount wireless system that features 188 User-Selectable frequencies displayed on an LCD screen to assure you of always finding a "free" channel. Azden 330ULT system with receiver & 2 lapel mics - $699.00Azden 330ULH system with 1 handheld & 1 lapel mic - $769.00Azden 330ULX with lapel mic & XLR transmitter (pictured)- $739.00

Marshall MonitorThe V-LCD50-HDMI 5” monitor is packed with features found in more expensive models. Compact LED-backlit monitor offers amazing picture & excellent viewing angles

$54900

Avid Artist Control

Loaded with features to speed up and enhance your creativity with any media application. Effortlessly switch between multiple applications

$1,49900

Convergent Design nanoFlash

Portable HD/SD recorder/player designed to mount on a camcorder. Records uncompressed 4:2:2 from HD-SDI or HDMI $2,89500

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NVIDIA Quadro 4000 by PNY for Mac or PCOffering 2 GB of GDDR5 graphics memory, 256 NVIDIA CUDA™ parallel processing cores and built on the innovative Fermi architecture, the NVIDIA Quadro 4000 by PNY is a true technological breakthrough delivering excellent performance across a broad range of design, animation and video applications. Quadro 4000 supports Adobe Mercury Engine for blazing fast performance with Adobe CS5 Production Premium

NVIDIA Quadro 4000 by PNY for Mac or PCOffering 2 GB of GDDR5 graphics memory, 256 NVIDIA CUDA™ parallel processing cores and built on the

animation and video applications. Quadro 4000 supports Adobe Mercury Engine for blazing fast performance with Adobe CS5 Production Premium

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Matrox MXO2 LE with Matrox MAX Technology for Faster than Realtime

H.264 Encoding!Matrox MXO2 LE provides all the features of an I/O card in a sturdy, portable breakout box. It gives you highly-reliable, broadcast-quality input/output via HDMI, SDI, and analog; professional audio I/O; and HDMI video monitoring with calibration controls including blue-only. You also benefit from a wide variety of HD and SD workflows with 10-bit hardware up/down/cross scaling engine and support for a wealth of file-based formats and industry-standard codecs.

Matrox MAX is a unique technology that implements faster than realtime H.264 encoding to accelerate the creation of files for Blu-ray, web, and mobile devices. Quality and flexibility are ensured through direct integration with Apple Compressor & Adobe Media Encoder. As an added benefit, the Matrox MAX technology allows direct export to higher-quality H.264 Blu-ray compliant files from Compressor.

Matrox MXO2 LE provides all the features of an $1,39500

Red Giant Magic Bullet Suite 11This Suite produces professional Hollywood-style results on an indie budget. Its 9 essential tools let you capture the emotion of your subject, making your footage more personal and compelling. With the addition of Looks 2 & the new Cosmo plug-in for easy skin smoothing, MBS 11 gives you more expert products at an even greater savings. Whether you are creating a color treatment, color grading, adding a beauty pass or removing noise, Magic Bullet Suite helps you create the final look that tells your story perfectly.

Check videoguys.com for monthly specials!$71995

Fast Forward Video sideKick HDThe new sideKick HD is a versatile recording solution designed to ease production workflow and satisfy the demands of both producers and postproduction editors. The camera-mountable sideKick HD captures video directly from HD/SDI or HDMI outputs at bit rates up to 220 Mbit/s, with 4:2:2 sampling and 10-bit resolution in multiple codecs starting with ProRes on removable 2.5” SSD drives. Recording directly to high-quality NLE formats eliminates time-consuming transcoding, which can degrade image quality. Also provides a 4.3” on-board confidence monitor which offers playback options including scrub and jog capabilities.

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Glyph Production Technologies ForteRAID ArrayForteRAID offers huge capacity & blazing speed in a desktop

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Samson ZOOM H4n Audio RecorderThe H4n has become the “go to” solution for DSLR cameras such as the Canon 5D, 7D or the Nikon D90. Though filmmakers and video professionals have fallen in love with DSLR cameras for their HD video quality and their ability to make digital video look like film through 35mm lenses, they possess limited audio recording options. $29900

Gass Valley ADVC1000Bidirectional SDI/DV video converter for use with broadcast studio equipment. Canopus® PerfectSync ensures perfect conversion of all frames DV-to-SDI.

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AJA Kona LHi HD/SD 10-bit Digital & 12-bit Analog PCIe Card

The AJA KONA LHi bridges the gap between legacy analog devices and the latest 3Gb SDI & HDMI enabled products providing editing, monitoring and mastering of professional quality video in an affordable, powerful, easy to use product. KONA LHi features: 10-bit or 8-bit uncompressed video, 2-channel AES digital audio & 8-channel SDI embedded digital audio, analog composite or s-video or SD/HD component video I/O, 2-channel analog audio I/O, & up/down/crossconversion

G-RAID modules are designed specifically for digital content creation! G-RAID is a quad-interface eSATA, FireWire 800/400, USB2 storage solution designed to support multi-stream uncompressed SD, DVCPRO, HD, HDV & DV systems.• Mac & Windows compatible

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Roland VR-5 Mixer/RecorderThe VR-5’s “all-in-one” solution greatly simplifies production, recording and streaming of any live event. VR-5 incorporates a video switcher, audio mixer, video playback, recorder, preview monitors & output for web streaming all in a single unit. As a USB Video/Audio device, web streaming is effortless by simply connecting to a computer running a live streaming service as well as any video call service. The reduction in equipment & setup time ensures a worry-free, easy to use solution for any event.

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Atomos Ninja Field Recorder & Playback

10bit Uncompressed HDMI to Apple ProRes Field Recorder, Monitor and Playback Device that captures direct from any HDMI camera $99500

SONY Vegas Pro 10 Bundled with Glyph GT062E 2TB RAID

From acquisition to delivery, from camera to Blu-ray Disc™, the Vegas Pro 10 collection delivers exactly what you need to produce outstanding results. With broad format support, superior effects processing, unparalleled audio support, and a full complement of edit tools, this suite streamlines your workflow. This complete Videoguys bundle also includes a 2TB Glyph GT062E RAID

array designed for video editing, so you’ll have plenty of storage for your next HD production $59900

Make the Switch to Adobe CS5.5 Production Premium at 50% Off

Now through 9/30/11Apple Final Cut Pro & Avid Media Composer customers get 50% off! Adobe Creative Suite 5.5 Production Premium is a fully featured video suite with tools that deliver massive productivity enhancements and enable video and audio pros to dramatically accelerate their post production workflows. The powerful Adobe Mercury Playback Engine, introduced in Adobe Premiere Pro CS5, allows users to open projects faster, get real-time feedback for more GPU-accelerated features, and work more smoothly at 4k and higher resolutions on both laptops & workstations.

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Suite for Under $1,000Many pros in the industry recognize that you can get more work having both Final Cut Pro and Media Composer in your arsenal. Not only does Media Composer complement your existing workflow, it opens doors and enables you to do even more—faster. Instantly edit ProRes, QuickTime, RED, XDCAM, and more through AMA. Mix and match formats, frame rates, & resolutions in real time. The FCP to Media Composer 5.5 promotion pricing is available now though September, 2011. See Videoguys.com for complete details

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Whether you’re a beginner or professional, our knowledgeable Videoguys Team is available to answer all of your questions before, during, and after the sale. We’ll even stand behind our recommendations with a 30-day money-back guarantee and FREE tech support – a customer service policy unmatched in the industry!

• Videoguys.com is your source for video editing & production equipment to support all the newest technology including DV, MPEG2, MPEG4, HDV, P2, DVCPro HD, XD Cam, AVCHD, H.264, DSLR, RED & more.

• We have the hardware and software tools to create high-defi nition masters, Blu-ray Discs, DVDs, and multimedia video including video for the web, YouTube and iPods.

• Knowledgeable advice including system recommendations, FAQs, tech tips & more

800-323-2325

Check out some of the great deals we’ve put together with the top NLE applications available bundled with Blu-ray Disc solutions, Hardware I/O, Storage & more!

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Go to www.videoguys.com > Features > Money-Saving Bundles

Burn Hi-Def Blu-ray Discs from Adobe Encore CS5

with the Pioneer BDR-206 External Mega Bundle!

BD/DVD/CD Writer writes up to 12x on BD-R (25Gb) and BD-R DL (50Gb) media. Author hi-def Blu-ray Disc videos or take advantage of the high-capacity storage.

Money-Saving Bundles for Blu-ray Disc Authoring featuring Pioneer BDR-206 & Roxio Toast 11 Pro

Toast 11 Pro delivers pro-quality photo and video results. It includes everything in Toast 10 plus $300 in extras. Toast is the standard in disc burning, copying, and video conversion.

(50Gb) media. Author hi-def Blu-ray Disc videos $17995

G-TECH G-SPEED es and G-SPEED es PRO now with Enterprise-Class Hard Drives! G-SPEED eS RAID solutions provide professional content creators with outstanding performance. G-SPEED eS PRO features mini-SAS connectivity to a high performance PCIe x8 IOP RAID controller that supports RAID 0,1,3,5 & 6.

NEW! Grass Valley EDIUS 6 EDIUS® nonlinear editing software is designed for any broadcast and postproduction environment, especially those using newer, tapeless forms of video recording and storage. Featuring unrivaled real-time video transcoding technology, EDIUS converts between HD and SD resolutions, aspect ratios, and frame rates—all in real time. You can edit in HD and place 4:3 SD video, or mix NTSC and PAL sources, or combine them all into projects in other resolutions and frame rates without wasting a single moment on conversion or rendering. EDIUS 6 offers more than 100 new features, such as 4K, 2K, and free size project support, advanced timeline workflow improvements and more

Go to videoguys.com for upgrades and special hardware bundles

$79900

AJA KiPro Mini Portable Flash Disk Recorder

Ki Pro Mini is the smallest and simplest way of connecting production and post, anywhere shooting takes you. 10-bit 4:2:2 from SDI or HDMi to Apple ProRes $1,99500

Azden 330 Dual-Channel On-Camera UHF Wireless Microphone Systems

The 330 Series is a high quality dual-channel UHF camera-mount wireless system that features 188 User-Selectable frequencies displayed on an LCD screen to assure you of always finding a "free" channel. Azden 330ULT system with receiver & 2 lapel mics - $699.00Azden 330ULH system with 1 handheld & 1 lapel mic - $769.00Azden 330ULX with lapel mic & XLR transmitter (pictured)- $739.00

Marshall MonitorThe V-LCD50-HDMI 5” monitor is packed with features found in more expensive models. Compact LED-backlit monitor offers amazing picture & excellent viewing angles

$54900

Avid Artist Control

Loaded with features to speed up and enhance your creativity with any media application. Effortlessly switch between multiple applications

$1,49900

Convergent Design nanoFlash

Portable HD/SD recorder/player designed to mount on a camcorder. Records uncompressed 4:2:2 from HD-SDI or HDMI $2,89500

Low Prices, Excellent Customer Service & FREE Tech Support Take advantage of our competitive prices and the best customer service in the business!

Register on our web site at www.videoguys.com for special features and to subscribe to our e-mail newsletter for tech tips, product reviews and special promotions.

NVIDIA Quadro 4000 by PNY for Mac or PCOffering 2 GB of GDDR5 graphics memory, 256 NVIDIA CUDA™ parallel processing cores and built on the innovative Fermi architecture, the NVIDIA Quadro 4000 by PNY is a true technological breakthrough delivering excellent performance across a broad range of design, animation and video applications. Quadro 4000 supports Adobe Mercury Engine for blazing fast performance with Adobe CS5 Production Premium

NVIDIA Quadro 4000 by PNY for Mac or PCOffering 2 GB of GDDR5 graphics memory, 256 NVIDIA CUDA™ parallel processing cores and built on the

animation and video applications. Quadro 4000 supports Adobe Mercury Engine for blazing fast performance with Adobe CS5 Production Premium

$89500

Matrox MXO2 LE with Matrox MAX Technology for Faster than Realtime

H.264 Encoding!Matrox MXO2 LE provides all the features of an I/O card in a sturdy, portable breakout box. It gives you highly-reliable, broadcast-quality input/output via HDMI, SDI, and analog; professional audio I/O; and HDMI video monitoring with calibration controls including blue-only. You also benefit from a wide variety of HD and SD workflows with 10-bit hardware up/down/cross scaling engine and support for a wealth of file-based formats and industry-standard codecs.

Matrox MAX is a unique technology that implements faster than realtime H.264 encoding to accelerate the creation of files for Blu-ray, web, and mobile devices. Quality and flexibility are ensured through direct integration with Apple Compressor & Adobe Media Encoder. As an added benefit, the Matrox MAX technology allows direct export to higher-quality H.264 Blu-ray compliant files from Compressor.

Matrox MXO2 LE provides all the features of an $1,39500

Red Giant Magic Bullet Suite 11This Suite produces professional Hollywood-style results on an indie budget. Its 9 essential tools let you capture the emotion of your subject, making your footage more personal and compelling. With the addition of Looks 2 & the new Cosmo plug-in for easy skin smoothing, MBS 11 gives you more expert products at an even greater savings. Whether you are creating a color treatment, color grading, adding a beauty pass or removing noise, Magic Bullet Suite helps you create the final look that tells your story perfectly.

Check videoguys.com for monthly specials!$71995

Fast Forward Video sideKick HDThe new sideKick HD is a versatile recording solution designed to ease production workflow and satisfy the demands of both producers and postproduction editors. The camera-mountable sideKick HD captures video directly from HD/SDI or HDMI outputs at bit rates up to 220 Mbit/s, with 4:2:2 sampling and 10-bit resolution in multiple codecs starting with ProRes on removable 2.5” SSD drives. Recording directly to high-quality NLE formats eliminates time-consuming transcoding, which can degrade image quality. Also provides a 4.3” on-board confidence monitor which offers playback options including scrub and jog capabilities.

$2,49500

Glyph Production Technologies ForteRAID ArrayForteRAID offers huge capacity & blazing speed in a desktop

package. eSATA, FireWire, or USB 2.0 gives you the freedom to move projects between systems & use the fastest interface available on each. With hardware RAID 0, 1, 3, 5, 10, and Spanning modes, ForteRAID squeezes a ton of technology in a compact unit

$54900starting at...

Samson ZOOM H4n Audio RecorderThe H4n has become the “go to” solution for DSLR cameras such as the Canon 5D, 7D or the Nikon D90. Though filmmakers and video professionals have fallen in love with DSLR cameras for their HD video quality and their ability to make digital video look like film through 35mm lenses, they possess limited audio recording options. $29900

Gass Valley ADVC1000Bidirectional SDI/DV video converter for use with broadcast studio equipment. Canopus® PerfectSync ensures perfect conversion of all frames DV-to-SDI.

$1,74900

$1,49500

AJA Kona LHi HD/SD 10-bit Digital & 12-bit Analog PCIe Card

The AJA KONA LHi bridges the gap between legacy analog devices and the latest 3Gb SDI & HDMI enabled products providing editing, monitoring and mastering of professional quality video in an affordable, powerful, easy to use product. KONA LHi features: 10-bit or 8-bit uncompressed video, 2-channel AES digital audio & 8-channel SDI embedded digital audio, analog composite or s-video or SD/HD component video I/O, 2-channel analog audio I/O, & up/down/crossconversion

G-RAID modules are designed specifically for digital content creation! G-RAID is a quad-interface eSATA, FireWire 800/400, USB2 storage solution designed to support multi-stream uncompressed SD, DVCPRO, HD, HDV & DV systems.• Mac & Windows compatible

G-Technology by Hitachi G-RAID High-Performance Video Storage

$249002TB

4TB - $429.00 • Now in a 6TB model for $699.00

$1,42400starting at... $19995

Toast bundles with BDR-206 Burner starting at...

Roland VR-5 Mixer/RecorderThe VR-5’s “all-in-one” solution greatly simplifies production, recording and streaming of any live event. VR-5 incorporates a video switcher, audio mixer, video playback, recorder, preview monitors & output for web streaming all in a single unit. As a USB Video/Audio device, web streaming is effortless by simply connecting to a computer running a live streaming service as well as any video call service. The reduction in equipment & setup time ensures a worry-free, easy to use solution for any event.

$4,99500

Atomos Ninja Field Recorder & Playback

10bit Uncompressed HDMI to Apple ProRes Field Recorder, Monitor and Playback Device that captures direct from any HDMI camera $99500

SONY Vegas Pro 10 Bundled with Glyph GT062E 2TB RAID

From acquisition to delivery, from camera to Blu-ray Disc™, the Vegas Pro 10 collection delivers exactly what you need to produce outstanding results. With broad format support, superior effects processing, unparalleled audio support, and a full complement of edit tools, this suite streamlines your workflow. This complete Videoguys bundle also includes a 2TB Glyph GT062E RAID

array designed for video editing, so you’ll have plenty of storage for your next HD production $59900

Make the Switch to Adobe CS5.5 Production Premium at 50% Off

Now through 9/30/11Apple Final Cut Pro & Avid Media Composer customers get 50% off! Adobe Creative Suite 5.5 Production Premium is a fully featured video suite with tools that deliver massive productivity enhancements and enable video and audio pros to dramatically accelerate their post production workflows. The powerful Adobe Mercury Playback Engine, introduced in Adobe Premiere Pro CS5, allows users to open projects faster, get real-time feedback for more GPU-accelerated features, and work more smoothly at 4k and higher resolutions on both laptops & workstations.

50% Off Adobe Premiere Pro CS5.5 also available now through 9/30/11 - $39900

$84900

Got Final Cut? Get Avid Media Composer 5.5 with Avid Production

Suite for Under $1,000Many pros in the industry recognize that you can get more work having both Final Cut Pro and Media Composer in your arsenal. Not only does Media Composer complement your existing workflow, it opens doors and enables you to do even more—faster. Instantly edit ProRes, QuickTime, RED, XDCAM, and more through AMA. Mix and match formats, frame rates, & resolutions in real time. The FCP to Media Composer 5.5 promotion pricing is available now though September, 2011. See Videoguys.com for complete details

Avid MC5.5 Upgrade for Avid Editors also on sale - $59500

$99500

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When extreme sports photogra-pher Michael Hess needed cam-era support to shoot the Ultimate Boarder competition at Mammoth Mountain, his first stop was K-Tek. “I needed something that would help me hang up high above the boarders and shoot video. What I found was even better than I expected.

“Norbert Sport is perfect for the smaller cameras like the Canon EOS 5D and 7D, as well as the Nikon equivalent,” Hess continues. “I put it to the test immediately, using my Canon 5D Mark II to shoot the skateboarding and snowboarding action. I added a microphone and monitor to the frame, and instead of hanging onto the camera and get-ting ‘jiggle video,’ the kind you get seasick watching, I was able to get extremely stable and exciting shots. I could even dip down into the bowl as the boarders hit the low point in their

ride and keep a greater balance than with any other camera stabilizing system out there.

“I’m sold. From now on, every

time I do extreme shooting—or even on-camera interviews—K-Tek’s Norbert Sport is going to be my go-to support.”

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East Pleasant Pictures Climbs Aboard with CanonThe challenge was simple: shoot a series of commercials for a major cruise ship line amid vacationing passengers without inconveniencing them with the usual amount of equipment and crew. For East Pleasant Pictures, the solution was equally simple: shoot with Canon EOS 5D Mk II and 1D Mk IV digital SLR cameras.

Directed by Xander Strohm, the spots feature candid scenes of cruise ship passengers playing dodge-ball, anchoring their own vacation video newscasts, and generally having a very good time.

“Those spots were built and designed around those cameras,” explains direc-tor/cinematographer Stash Slionski. “On the cruise ship, we were among people on vacation who did not want to be bothered by a produc-tion in their midst. The DSLR cameras worked out so well that now we build our com-mercial production budgets around them.”

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NSU Adds Hitachi HD CamerasNorfolk State University (NSU) in Norfolk, Va., installed three Hitachi SK-HD1000 digital HD cameras in its television studio, which pro-vides hands-on training to students enrolled in the school’s mass com-munication program.

The three Hitachi SK-HD1000 cameras, ordered through York Telecom, are positioned on Vinten pedestals and are outfitted with Hitachi accessories including 5” VF-HD500 B&W viewfinders, CU-HD1000 CCUs and RU-1200JY remote control units. The adjacent control room features a Ross Synergy 2 M/E production switcher and a Harris Inscriber CG.

“Our students have really embraced these new cameras for their projects,” says Lateef Gibson, video producer/director for NSU.

Lateef Gibson assists an NSU student with one of the new Hitachi cameras.

Atlantis Launches with Panasonic 3D Camcorder AboardOn July 8, Panasonic’s AG-3DA1 HD 3D camcorder headed to space.

For the flight of the shuttle Atlantis—its 33rd flight and the 135th and final mission of the U.S. space shuttle pro-gram—Panasonic provided NASA with AG-3DA1 3D cam-corders, BT-3DL2550 25.5” 3D LCD monitors and ruggedized Toughbook laptop computers. The Panasonic equipment has already documented the training and preparation lead-ing up to the launch and is expected to be used to document the ISS and research missions taking place aboard.

“Human spaceflight is about the discovery of new things and places,” says John Baisley, executive vice president of Panasonic Solutions Company. “We look forward to sharing the compelling 3D footage from the Space Station with con-sumer and professional audiences worldwide to showcase the truly immersive experience that 3D can deliver.”

GenArts Releases Sapphire EdgeThis new visual effects software enables videographers to get film-quality video effects quickly and easily. Key inno-vations include a portfolio of 350 pre-built looks, real-time visual Looks Browser, and streamlined, easy-to-use con-trols. Sapphire Edge initially supports Apple Final Cut Pro v6/v7/X and Sony Vegas Pro 10. For more information, visit www.dv.com/Aug2011.

The launch of space shuttle Atlantis at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center on July 8, 2011

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12

BY OLIVER PETERSApple Final Cut Pro had been rock-ing along for 12 years, gaining pro-fessional market share and becom-ing a versatile platform for many editors, facilities and developers. But it became clear that a complete rewrite was needed to modernize the code and feature set. In June, Apple rolled out Final Cut Pro X as the successor to Final Cut Pro—not as a suite of programs but as a sin-gle application, along with Motion 5 and Compressor 4. At the same time, Apple ended all previous Final Cut Studio applications, Final Cut Express and Final Cut Server.

BUILT FOR SPEEDFinal Cut Pro X is a new 64-bit appli-cation that runs on the latest version of Mac OS X Snow Leopard or Lion and the whole range of recent Apple hardware. This optimization pays off in better support for larger formats, such as 4K-sized projects and native editing with H.264 files. The “wow” performance feature is Skimming, which is a technique of scrubbing media clips anywhere in the inter-face simply by hovering over the clip and moving the mouse.

Three big marquee features are Synchronization, Audition and the Precision Editor. Synchronization allows you to auto-sync clips by timecode, markers, in-points or audio content. This last capability should allow you to match double-system sound from two sources to each other (for instance, a camera clip with camera audio to an exter-nally recorded sound file). The result is a new Compound Clip marked as a Synchronized Clip, which contains the camera and audio clips. The camera audio can then be turned off in the Viewer’s inspector tab.

An Audition clip is a single nest-ed clip containing several different

selected shots, such as alternate performance takes. This feature is handy when working in client-super-vised sessions, where you might like to quickly preview alternate clips in context without leaving the time-line.

The Precision Editor is a tool lifted from iMovie. Instead of the usual trim tools for rolling edits, the Precision Editor displays two adja-cent clips on the timeline in an over/under filmstrip format. You can see the available media past the cut for the outgoing and incoming clip. For me, the standard ways of trim-ming are better—and they’ve been improved in FCP X over FCP 7—but the Precision Editor does offer a

method that mimics a film-style way of working.

FCP X is built with single-display configurations in mind; however, in a dual-display layout, either the Event Library/Browser or the Viewer can be moved to a second display. Unfortunately, you can no longer move floating, dockable windows and reconfigure the entire layout. The standard source/record win-dow design has been replaced by a single unified Viewer, which can display the timeline as well as source clips. In addition, all source clips can be viewed as filmstrips that can be directly scrubbed or skimmed for edit selection.

The whole intent of this revamp

is to keep the creative juices flowing without interruption. Performance is largely real time and there are many background processes, like automatic analysis and rendering. There’s no Save or Auto-Save func-tion, because the application is con-tinually updating its current status.

NEW CONCEPT: THE EVENTS DATABASEMedia is now organized as Events and stored on your designated hard drive in a Final Cut Events folder. An Event is a set of files that could represent a tape, a camera card, a day of shooting, etc. When media is imported as a file or from tape into an Event, you have the option to create/transcode optimized or proxy

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12 In Review Apple Final Cut Pro X

PROS: 64-bit processing. Format support for up to 4K timelines. Continual saving of project status. Powerful metadata tools.

CONS: Majority of professional features available in previous ver-sions have not been included. Cannot import projects or sequences from previous FCP versions. Most existing plug-ins are not compatible. Previous software versions removed from individual sale.

BOTTOM LINE: Apple has completely rewritten FCP X as a new application. There is no similarity with previous versions and many standard editing precepts have been changed. The application is designed for the intermediate-level editor look-ing for an NLE more advanced than iMovie but less complex than FCP 7. Not suited for postproduction facili-ties or professional editors.

MSRP: FCP X $299.99, Motion 5 $49.99, Compressor 4 $49.99

ONLINE: www.apple.com (FCP X is available only as an online pur-chase through the App Store.)

scoreApple Final Cut Pro XIs This App Ready for Primetime?

Precision Editor

FCP X interface

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media. Or you can simply link to media in another folder on your hard drive.

In the first process, the new media copies are stored in the cor-responding Events folder. In the lat-ter step, only an alias of that file is stored. During either of these steps, metadata is created that’s associ-ated with the files in the Events database. A number of items can be analyzed, including stabilization/rolling shutter issues, color balance, audio problems and shot identifica-tion. This analysis can be applied during import or after, but it’s always a background process.

The entire method of clip orga-nization is designed around a rela-tional database. Events can be orga-nized through the use of Keyword Collections and Smart Collections, which replace traditional bins. Rather than go through clips and manually move them into different bins, FCP X intends the editor to assign key-words and let the system handle the organization. This system will permit one clip to appear in more than one collection based on context.

MORE NEW CONCEPTS: PROJECTS AND STORYLINESTerminology can be confusing in Final Cut Pro X. For example, time-lines in FCP 7 were referred to as Sequences, and a Project file con-tained all the data, including mas-ter clips (not media) and edited sequences. In Final Cut Pro X, there is no single file containing all the data associated with a production. Clip metadata has been broken out as part of the Events database. Projects contain the edit information and location of render files, but there is only one timeline per project. If you typically create a lot of sequence copies as various versions of a cut, then that same task is achieved by duplicating a Project.

Apple has dropped the video/audio track metaphor in favor of the concept of Storylines. It’s based on the way most narrative pieces

are structured, where sound bites are edited together to tell the story. Then cutaway shots are built around these to enhance the visuals or hide edits made in the interviews. In FCP X, the sound bites are assembled as combined audio/video clips to the Primary Storyline. Cutaway shots are edited as Connected Clips, which are attached to points on the Storyline. If you need to build a series of cut-away clips as a group, complete with transitions, then these can be con-nected to each other as a secondary Storyline, which in turn is connected to the primary Storyline.

A key aspect of this new approach is the Magnetic Timeline, which is a way of keeping clips together as you rearrange them on the timeline. By using combined A/V clips, together with connected clips, it’s possible to quickly change the order of a group of associated clips (audio, video and cutaways) simply by moving one of them. The rest will follow and the timeline opens or closes accordingly. Or if you trim a clip in the primary Storyline, the connected clips will ripple their position as well.

EFFECTS AND COLORFCP X effects are Motion projects based on the new 64-bit FxPlug2 architecture. There are quite a few presets, and the control parameters have been restricted to make it eas-ier for new users. If you really want more effects horsepower, then you will need to also purchase Motion 5. You can open a clip or an FCP X effect in Motion 5, but there is no Send To Motion function. Although Motion 5 still works as an advanced, standalone compositor, it didn’t real-ly get a huge performance boost.

Noise Industries had early access to the effects API and was able to release a free update of FxFactory compatible with FCP X and Motion 5, as well as the other supported hosts. Only the FxFactory Pro filters appear as effects, transitions and genera-tors inside Final Cut Pro X. If you open Motion 5, you’ll see some of

the other partners’ effects, including those from Idustrial Revolution, Luca Visual FX or DVShade. These employ custom interfaces in their filter pan-els, which isn’t permitted in the new FCP X design.

Final Cut Pro X’s color tools are better than FCP 7, but the full power of Apple Color didn’t make it into the new design. Automatic balance and Color Match work by changing information in the color profile of the image and offer quick color fixes. The Color Board is the replacement for the older three-way color correc-tor; Apple used this new design to conserve screen real estate. There

are three tabs for color (hue), satu-ration and exposure. Each tab fea-tures shadow, mid-range, highlight and global controls. You can stack a series of corrections to create sec-ondary adjustments, like adding vignettes or isolating a specific color through HSL keying.

HOW TO GET IN AND OUT OF FCP XApple designed this NLE from the ground up for the file-based world, so tape support is gone, with the exception of legacy support for FireWire-based cameras and decks. The slack will be taken up by utilities offered by AJA, Blackmagic Design,

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14 In Review: Apple Final Cut Pro X

Color adjustment

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Matrox, MOTU and Telestream. Currently FCP X can be displayed only to a broadcast video monitor as a full-screen desktop image. Using the ability of a card like AJA’s KONA 3G to mirror a Mac desktop display, FCP X can be monitored as preview quality only.

Final Cut Pro X and Compressor 4 retain only basic DVD and Blu-ray capabilities. You can encode and burn a disc from the FCP X Share Menu or Compressor, but in either case, these processes are intend-ed only for simple discs without advanced authoring features.

In this initial version, FCP X can-not import or export any type of sequence or project format, except bringing in an iMovie project. Most importantly, this means you can’t import projects from previous ver-sions of FCP. Apple says that the data formats of FCP 7 and FCP X are so different that a lot of the informa-tion would be lost in the translation.

That’s of little consolation to FCP editors who routinely have to revisit past projects. Although a third-party translation solution might arise in the coming months, Apple has given no clear indication whether they would supply a built-in solution, or whether they’d offer it as a free update.

Many professional editors have to interchange files with other stu-dios and facilities, such as send-ing projects out for mixing. OMF has been the standard interchange file format for both Avid Pro Tools and Apple Logic, as well as many other DAWs. OMF export was there in FCP 7 and gone in FCP X. Apple allowed Automatic Duck into the process early enough to support FCP X with the simultane-ous release of Pro Export FCP 5.0 as a standalone application. Simply launch Pro Export and drag the project from inside FCP X to the Automatic Duck window and it will generate either an AAF or OMF file.

WRAPPING IT UPFinal Cut Pro X is a tool intended to be easier to use by people who aren’t necessarily full-time editors—mean-ing event videographers, video jour-nalists, producer/directors and corpo-rate presentation professionals. The sweet spot today for Final Cut Pro X is a production that is file-based and can be started and finished entirely within FCP X, without the need for interchange with other applications.

If you can deal with the current “version 1.0” limitations and are dying to see whether Apple’s re-imagining of nonlinear editing is a better way for you to tell a story, then Final Cut Pro X might be right for you. But if you are a profession-al user with established, advanced workflows, it will likely be a frustrat-ing experience. FCP X is ready for primetime now, although primetime might not be ready for it! dv

In Review: Apple Final Cut Pro X

Automatic Duck Pro Export

The new Universal Bundles from Redrock Micro: affordably priced and infinitely flexible. Each Bundleenables you to build our most popular HDSLR support rigs, or invent dozens of your own creations. With the new Redrock Universal Bundles you get all the pieces you need for great rigs, without havingto commit to just one.

NEW UNIVERSAL BUNDLES FROM REDROCK MICRO

HANDHELD UNIVERSAL BUNDLE COMPLETE UNIVERSAL BUNDLE SHOULDERMOUNT UNIVERSALBUNDLE

INFINITELY FLEXIBLE.

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Maximum Micro This portable, battery-powered fixture does double-duty as an on-camera flash.

BY JAY HOLBENLED fixtures have become ubiquitous in today’s digi-tal shooting world, and leading the pack in the manufacture of these low-energy illuminators is Litepanels. I recently had some time to play with the company’s new MicroPro Hybrid model, which is double the size of the Litepanels Mini fixture, with 96 LEDs and a 5.5” x 3.75” x 1.5” frame size. The MicroPro is heavier than the Mini at 1 lb. (including batteries and mounting bracket).

The new fixture’s overall construction is a little more robust than the Mini’s, but it’s still plastic to keep cost and weight down. The mounting bracket shows a major improvement, however. Now you get a detachable milled alumi-num ball joint with a 1/4”-20 threaded screw on one side and a shoe mount on the other. This robust and easily adjustable mounting bracket is leaps and bounds beyond the plastic shoe mount of the Mini.

The MicroPro Hybrid runs off of 6 AA batteries and has the smooth dimming that you expect from Litepanels fixtures. It demonstrates great color rendition with almost no green, spot on at 5,600°K. The fil-ter system on the MicroPro is also improved over the flip-face holder of the Mini. Here, you simply have two side brackets with a set of teeth and notches in the filters that you bend and snap into place. It’s simple and much more effective at holding the filters. The fixture comes with three

plastic filters, a diffuser (looks like about a Lee 250 white dif-fusion to me), and one-quarter and full CTO correction.

“Hybrid” here refers to an additional func-tion of the fixture: while it is a standard constant-source

LED, it may also function as an on-camera flash. With a standard flash sync cable (supplied) connected to the back of the fixture, you can put

this MicroPro on your SLR camera to use as a large on-board flash. The MicroPro Hybrid is reported to have a 4x momentary brightness factor

with the flash, but my testing found about half a stop less than that in the 2x-3x range.

Below is a chart of my photo-metrics testing. “Full” represents

the light in constant mode at 100 percent (no dimming), while “Flash” represents a 100 per-cent flash triggered by a still camera.

The fixture comes with a great high-quality padded nylon

carrying case, which has a second slot for the mounting bracket,

cable and filters, but I found that I could also get my Litepanels Mini

into the same case and carry them both!

I did not have a chance to test the battery life on the MicroPro Hybrid, but the literature notes one and a half hours of continuous output on AA batteries, or five to six hours on Energizer e2 Lithium cells.

It’s a great on-camera fixture, but I’d really love to have a small soft box for this fixture—that would make it a lot more appealing to me on faces. There’s no convenient place to clip other diffusion onto the fixture, so you’re stuck with taping other flavors on if the 250 doesn’t meet your needs.

The MicroPro Hybrid is a great improvement over the Mini, which is still a great little fixture. I’ve already decided that this unit will become a permanent part of my kit for every shoot—having the ability to add a little eyelight is invaluable. dv

EXCELLENCE

AWARD

FULL FLASH 2’ 170 fc 210 fc 3’ 64 fc 100 fc 4’ 32 fc 52 fc 5’ 20 fc 32 fc 6’ 13 fc 24 fc 7’ 9.2 fc 16 fc 8’ 6.5 fc 13 fc 9’ 5.3 fc 9.8 fc 10’ 4.3 fc 8 fc

Litepanels MicroPro Hybrid

score

PROS: Flexible, well constructed, great color rendition, flash capability.

CONS: Hard to use with other dif-fusion, slightly heavy.

BOTTOM LINE: A great little on-camera fixture that works for continuous light or as a flash.

MSRP: $525

ONLINE: www.litepanels.com

BY CHUCK GLOMAN Tripods really have not evolved that much over the last ten years—they still have three legs, stabilize a camera, and allow steady pans and tilts. But the status quo may be changing thanks to Vinten’s Vision blue, which delivers a feature I have been requesting on a tripod for the last 20 years: an illuminated bubble level.

My review tripod offered Pozi-Loc type 3776 two-stage car-bon fiber legs, which extend to a height of 61.5”. The legs provided

for review opened and closed smoothly and were more comfortable to handle in extreme weather than aluminum versions that have been provided in the past

The spreader is a nice luxury that I decided to keep attached to the tripod all the time because it takes real strength to pull the rubber strap over each leg. However, once the spreader was attached to the legs, they never slipped.

The Vision blue pan and tilt head is the tri-pod’s best characteristic. The model V4092 head supports cameras up to 11 lb., yet it weighs only 5 lb. The Vision blue head mounts to the legs with

a standard 1/4-inch screw. Moving attention up from the mounting ball, users will find that the pan drag adjusting knob moves from 1 to 8, increasing in intensity.

Directly above the knob is the tri-pod’s best innovation. By pressing a

tiny blue button, the bubble level to the immediate left is illuminated by a fluorescent blue LED, making the bubble easy to see in daylight, dark-ness or with bifocal-adjusted vision.

Affordably priced at $1,140, users can get an amazing tripod and head for the money. dv

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Vinten Vision blue Tripod

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PROS: Lightweight, affordable, features innovative illuminated bubble level.

CONS: Spreader is difficult to adjust.

BOTTOM LINE: An amazing tripod and head for the money.

MSRP: $1,140

ONLINE: www.vinten.com

EXCELLENCE

AWARD

19

Blue ValentineThis system offers “perfect balance” and an all-important illuminated bubble level.

For more than ten years, Digital Video Expo has been the destination for content creation professionals to explore the lat-est technologies, learn from world-class professionals and connect with peers who share the same passion. This year’s show will feature over 100 exhibitors, Apple and Adobe training sessions by Weynand, production and post conference sessions from DV magazine, and more networking events and free content than ever before.

FREE exhibits-only pass and early bird rates available until August 31. Use Code AD18 and save $75 or more per session!

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PRODUCT DEMOS

PRIZE DRAWINGS

NETWORKING

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CONFERENCE TRAINING PROGRAM

FINAL CUT PRO X – APPLE AUTHORIZED CERTIFIED CLASS – THREE DAY CLASS: TUESDAY - THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 20 - 22, 9AM - 5PM

Be one of the first to get certified in the new Final Cut Pro X. The course comes with the Apple Pro Training Series book Final Cut Pro X, which includes a DVD of all the video mate-rial used in the course. This course covers the requirements necessary to successfully become an Apple Certified Pro, Level 1 in Final Cut Pro X. The Apple Certified User Test Level 101 is available upon course completion Thursday afternoon.

ADOBE’S FLASH ONE-DAY WORKSHOP: TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 9AM - 5PM

Want to know how to create the cool looking websites or animation you see everywhere? Join us for this one-day hands-on seminar that will introduce you to one of the most commonly used web and animation software programs.

APPLE’S COLOR ONE-DAY WORKSHOP: TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 9AM - 5PM

Need to color correct your video? This one-day hands-on seminar will familiarize students with Apple’s masterful color grading and finishing software.

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Join us for this one-day hands-on course that will familiarize you with Motion 4, Apple’s revolutionary software for motion graphics design.

Digital Video Expo offers Apple authorized training from the pros at Weynand. If you’ve never taken a Weynand class, it’s well worth the investment. All classes are taught by qualifi ed, trained instructors who help you master the software, quickly and easily. Space is limited, so reserve now.

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Susan Shores, East Coast Sales, 212.378.0400 ext. 528, [email protected] Victor, West Coast Sales, 847.367.4073, [email protected]

xxx xx

dv.com

22

BY CARL MROZEKNothing beats a com-pact high-resolution field monitor for improv-ing focus, color balance and framing. This is particularly true when shooting HD in low-light conditions, which makes accurate focusing a challenge, whether you’re using a conventional cam-corder or a DSLR. Experience has shown that an HDMI port is essen-tial in obtaining the sharpest image possible. Thanks partly to the pop-ularity of DSLRs for pro video work, there’s a growing number of moni-tors for such applications, but few are priced at less than $500. One of those that does fall into this price range is ikan’s new VL7, which the company describes as an “entry level” high-quality HD monitor.

FEATURESThe VL7 is compact, with dimensions of 7.5” x 5.25” x 1.03”. It tips the scales at barely 1 lb. (without bat-tery) and sports an HDMI port and two compos-ite inputs (both mini plug, but RCA adapter cables are included). This flat-screen LCD monitor has a reso-lution of 800x480, and features a peaking function for more accurate focusing, even in daylight. It also switches quickly between 16:9 and 4:3 aspect ratios.

Current draw is minimal, and the monitor can be powered by any of several 7.2V prosumer camcorder bat-teries from Sony, Canon, Panasonic or JVC via ikan’s BP2T DV universal bat-tery plate (included with the monitor package). The use of camcorder-sized batteries helps keep things light and easy to mount on a DSLR camera, even without a DSLR rig.

Monitor mounting is achieved

via a 3” post with a swiveling ball-and-socket head. This all snugs into a standard camera shoe with a lock-ing washer. The mount’s swivel head can be locked securely at various

angles with a large, eas-ily grasped thumbscrew. The kit also includes ikan’s universal BP2T battery plate, charger, AC adapter, shoe mount, analog video/audio cables and a durable hard foam-lined aluminum case. (An

HDMI cable is not part of the kit.)

IN USEThe VL7 comes with everything you need for use with a DSLR except the aforementioned HDMI cable. You’ll need your own, preferably one that’s three feet or less, as the distance between the camera’s HDMI port and the monitor will be less than this, even with the VL7 mounted atop a handle on your DSLR rig. However, if you have your DSLR’s RCA adapter cable, you can monitor via one of the two ports by using the pair of adapter cables provided with the VL7.

I started out by mounting the 3” post and ball-and-socket head onto my Canon EOS 7D’s accessory shoe

so that the VL7 would align directly above the camera lens and the 7D’s LCD screen. I prefer this con-figuration because it allows me to track moving targets more easily. I opted to use an HDMI feed. When I first powered up the camera and monitor, I got a blue screen with “AV1” displayed in the upper right corner. I used the input switch on the monitor’s control panel to select HDMI and got a live image of the room via the 7D and its ultra-wide 10-24mm lens. AV1 seems to be the monitor’s default setting.

My first observation was that the letterboxed 16:9 image filled less than half of the screen area, while the 4:3 default image area barely exceeded half the screen. Nevertheless, image quality was quite good, although the color seemed a bit skewed at first glance. Unfortunately, I found no standard colorimetry options, such as hue or tone, in the menu. I was able to achieve fairly realistic image color by dialing down the saturation level from a default level of 50 to 35. I also reduced contrast and brightness and up-resed the sharpness to achieve a fairly realistic live view–in indirect sunlight. But I noticed that the color

shifted whenever I selected a differ-ent preset white balance setting in the 7D’s menu. I found myself using the 7D’s LCD screen for reference when changing the white balance settings in its menu.

Toggling between the two screens simply entailed switching from HDMI to one of the AV input settings on the VL7. Switching from 16:9 aspect ratio to 4:3 can also be done at the push of a button on the VL7 control panel—in this case, via the “F” (function) switch on the right side of the control panel between the power and input switches.

The other two function options are underscan and peaking. These days I have little call for 4:3 displays or for underscan, so I used the function control mainly to toggle between normal and peaked displays. Video peaking is very helpful for accurate focusing in both bright and low-light situations. I find the contrasty black and white look of the peaking dis-play distracting, however, so I use it only to check focus.

Adjusting display quality by tweaking contrast, brightness or saturation was easy and fast via the menu button and the “plus/minus” switches. All of the adjustments can be viewed on the screen and take place in real time.

In practice, colorimetry, contrast,

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1122 In Review ikan VL7

HDMI LCD Monitor

PROS: Affordable, accurate focusing and framing, particularly at low angles.

CONS: Limitations with sharp-ness, resolution, color adjustment.

BOTTOM LINE: What this economical monitor/viewfinder lacks in durability, sharpness and snob appeal, it makes up for in conve-nience and versatility.

MSRP: $299

ONLINE: www.ikancorp.com

score

EXCELLENCE

AWARD

Camera-ReadyA cost-effective and compact solution for monitoring video.

brightness and other attributes of the displayed image on the VL7 are of secondary importance to DSLR users. (This is assuming that you have correctly white balanced the camera, of course.) The monitor’s prime value is in accurate focus-ing and framing, particularly at low angles–and especially when using an ultra-wide zoom lens for track-ing shots or in a rapid-fire situa-tion demanding both fast focus and accurate framing. What this eco-nomical monitor/viewfinder lacks in durability, sharpness and snob appeal, it makes up for in conve-nience and versatility.

By using the VL7 as a large adjust-able viewfinder, I was able to cap-ture an “Alice in Wonderland” per-spective both indoors and outside, including many shots at point-blank range and in low-light conditions. By tilting the VL7 forward on the ball and socket, I got phenomenal wide-angle tracking shots that compare favorably with the “flyover” shots from a Steadicam rig.

Moreover, the ergonomics of being able to look down at the cam-era at a 90-degree angle relative to the lens makes it feasible to tilt the lens upward at unusual low angles, providing an arresting dog’s-eye view or even parrot’s-eye view (pick your critter) of the world. The moni-tor and its mounting allow you to frame the world through an assort-ment of different perspectives, while keeping things in focus all the while.

SUMMARYNaturally, this less-than-$300 moni-tor has its limitations—notably sharp-ness (resolution is only 800x480). But it is sharp enough to improve your focusing accuracy, whether you’re shooting on a tripod, a handheld rig or some other platform. The moni-tor’s limited color adjustment also limits its utility in gauging the true image color being captured, but it can certainly verify whether color balance is correct or not.

With regard to image quality, the

VL7 is perfectly adequate for use as a viewfinder and confidence monitor, but it should not be considered as a primary HD display.

Also, its lightweight construction could make it vulnerable to break-age in the rough-and-tumble of pro-fessional use.

The bottom line, however, is

that the VL7 allowed me to fully tap the potential of the ultra-wide 10-24mm lens I used. It provided me with a tool for achieving perfect focus, as well as perfect framing at camera angles that would otherwise make such framing impossible with-out extreme difficulty and a great expenditure of time.

ikan’s VL7 monitor makes a cost-effective and convenient HD viewfinder for use with DSLRs or HDMI-equipped camcorders. While there are better monitors around, few if any provide as much bang for the buck. The monitor package is truly a bargain at its less-than-$300 price. dv

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gear

dv.com

No Reservations with Sony’s F3When Panavision New York hooked up videographer Zach Zamboni and the crew of the Travel Channel’s No Reservations with a set of Panavised Sony PMW-F3 cameras, it represented a lot more than just a change of camera packages. “The technol-ogy is finally where we’ve always wanted it to be,” Zamboni says. “We’ve always wanted to do this show completely in Super 35 format. We used Letus adapters early on to get that look. We’ve used Canon DSLRs for the past couple of years for certain shots, but those [cameras] really aren’t made for this kind of work.

THE TRAVEL CHANNEL ON LOCATION

BY JON SILBERG

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Videographer Zach Zamboni

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"The F3 offers us a less compressed, more robust format in a design that was meant for video. We’ve never had anything like the combination of these F3 cameras and the fast, lightweight Panavision zooms we’re using now,” says Zamboni.

Zamboni and crew used F3s and Sony PMW-EX3s for the last two episodes of Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations, then moved on imme-diately to shoot the first episodes of Bourdain’s new series—also from Zero Point Zero Productions for the Travel Channel—called Layover, in which the chef/author takes the kind of abbreviated tour of various loca-tions that someone might be able to accomplish on a flight layover. (This new series will be shot exclusively on the new F3s.)

The videographer explains that the F3’s chip sensitivity in con-junction with the fast, lightweight Panavision zooms allows them a new level of freedom. “We love the cinematic depth of field,” he says, “but the most important factor about this chip, as far as I’m con-cerned, is its enormous sensitivity. That is revolutionizing the way we shoot this show. It’s very clean at +16 or even +32 dB. At +32 it looks roughly what +6 might with an EX3. That means we can go into plac-es that are really dark—so dark I’d swear you could never shoot there—and get a very nice image.”

This flexibility allows Zamboni to work the way Bourdain has always wanted the show to work: with essentially no lighting at all. Zamboni describes the start of an average workday following the host around for either of the two shows. “We come out of wherever we’re

staying and get into a cab. We get out of the cab and go into a res-taurant or charge back-ward through a market. We get onto a subway. We come out of the sta-tion and walk into a bar that might be extremely dark. And we’re shoot-ing the whole time. You never know when Anthony will say or do some-thing that will work perfectly for the show.

“Anthony hates waiting for us,” Zamboni continues. “He’s a real-time kind of guy and he makes fun of us for lighting. He hates lighting. Until we got these cameras, I would sometimes have to hide a light—maybe a Litepanels fixture with some muslin—somewhere inside a bar before we went in. Or I’d hide a very small unit inside a cab just to get some kind of exposure. I don’t have to do that now—and for him, this is terrific.”

Zamboni built custom shoulder-mount F3 rigs with TVLogic moni-tors that, he says, offer a picture with rich enough contrast and suffi-cient brightness to determine focus in just about any shooting condition. “The monitor is so lightweight that you can hang it far out in front of the camera, and that’s really the key to the ergonomics. You want the monitor out in front of the camera and the camera as far back on the shoulder as possible.”

While the F3 can record in the S-Log format to on-board recorders, these shows need to be as stream-lined as possible, so HD is recorded to SxS cards in the XDCAM EX for-mat. “We shoot on the safe side to

protect highlight and shadow infor-mation,” Zamboni explains, “and then the wonderful colorist at Zero Point Zero has a some flexibility to work with.”

For the videographer, these Panavised F3 packages offer more

than just a minor upgrade. “This is a very important moment for peo-ple who do what we do,” Zamboni says. “You can now finally do a run-ning-gunning, vérité-style TV show completely in Super 35 format. And that’s revolutionary!” dv

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Instant Expert compiled by Ned Soltz

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Hyperdeck Shuttle

Blackmagic Design $345 SDI/HDMI in/out. Uncompressed 10-bit 4:2:2 recording to SSD drive, not included. USB port for computer

control and future firmware updates. On-board rechargeable battery or external 12V power. Does not sup-port 720p.

nanoFlash Convergent Design $2,995

www.convergent-design.com

www.convergent-design.com

Ki Pro AJA Video $3,995

www.aja.com

A unit that functions both on-camera with a variety of mounting options and in the studio or production truck. The first device to record ProRes to sealed drive cartridge. Also can up/down/cross-convert. Ki Pro has become a fixture in many shooting environments, particularly mobile applications.

Ki Pro Mini AJA Video $1,995

www.aja.com

www.cinedeck.com

Records all flavors of ProRes (including 4:4:4:4), DNxHD, CineForm, uncompressed 4:2:2 and 4:4:4. Stereo option to ship later in 2011 for $995. Superb touchscreen monitor. Records to SSD, not included.

Available August 2011. Open codec recorder with initial capabilities of CineForm and uncompressed. This version supports 4:2:2. A 4:4:4 version will follow. Integrated LCD display. Includes one SSD card and empty slot for either a 2.5” HDD or another SSD. The two SSDs can be set up as RAID.

Ninja is HDMI only; Samurai is SDI. Records ProRes 422 and ProRes 422HQ to either 2.5” HDD or SSD (no media included). Integrated LCD display. Does not record 720/24p. Other 23.98 footage requires separate free application to remove pull-down. Integrated rechargeable batteries.

www.sounddevices.com

sideKickHD Fast Forward Video $2,495

www.ffv.com

ITEM/CONTACT COMPANY MSRP

All Aboard:On-Board Recording Devices to Make Your Media Manageable

You'll find direct links to all these products at www.dv.com/Aug2011

www.blackmagic-design.com

WHAT'S NEW & OTHER COMMENTS

Gemini 4:4:4 Convergent Design $5,995

Extreme Cinedeck $8,495

SDI/HDMI in/out. Records 8-bit MPEG-2 Long GOP or I-frame at data rates up to 280 Mb/s to two CF cards in either .mov or .mxf formats. Automatic card spanning. Supports all frame rates supported by MPEG-2 codec. Over/under-cranking and time lapse supported. Requires external power. Optional stereo adapter to bridge two nanoFlash units for 3D recording.

Records uncompressed 4:2:2 via SDI and 4:4:4 via 3G or Dual Link SDI to up to two SSD drives. Supported formats at 4:4:4 are 1080 23.98/24/60 and 2K. Support for S-Log and Log-C with user-definable LUTs. Integrated 800x480 screen. Stereo option. Includes docking station but no media.

Records ProRes in flavors from LT to HQ to two CF cards. With optional ($75) mounting brackets, can mount to virtually any support. No integrated monitor. Recordings do not span cards. Records in .mov format.

Pix 220 is HDMI only; Pix 240 is both HDMI and SDI. Our editors’ favorite in the market space at NAB 2011. Combines ProRes recording with optional ($100) DNxHD format. Sharp LCD display. XLR audio inputs that can be added to embedded audio coming from camera. Unit can up/down/cross-convert. Records to CF or SSD and has optional two-drive caddy. Media not included.

Includes 256 GB SSD. Records to ProRes 422 and 422HQ in all available ProRes frame rates. Integrated 4.3” LCD screen. Additional codec support promised.

SFVe Cinemartin About $4,000

www.cinemartin.com

Ninja / Samurai Atomos $995 Ninja/$1,495 Samurai

www.atomos.com

Pix 220 / 240 Sound Devices $1,495/$2,695

Last month I talked about the different aspects of lenses—build quality, mechan-ical quality, chromatic aberration, dis-tortion, breathing, falloff, speed, res-olution, contrast, color and bokeh–in an effort to answer one question: What makes a lens bad or good?

There’s yet a couple of factors to talk about, one of which is the styleof lens, be that still, ENG or cine, three of the most popular styles.

Still lenses are designed to be compact. They’re designed to focus the image quickly and momentarily. Most modern DSLR lenses are auto-focus and work with sophisticated mechanics to keep the focus fast, smooth and quiet. They are designed to be focused while the user looks through the lens at the camera’s ground glass.

ENG-style lenses are made for one-man-band shooting; they are compact zoom lenses with handgrip and zoom rocker built right into them. They are designed for on-the-shoulder shooting and to compose and focus an image quickly by looking through the lens at the camera’s viewfinder.

Cine-style lenses aren’t as compact. They’re a little larger, with expanded focus scales that allow for smooth tracking of focus on a subject in continuous motion. These lenses are designed so that a camera assistant can adjust the focus, independent of the operator, while looking at the barrel of the lens and at the subject being focused. They integrate easily with other cine-style equipment.

Another consideration is the focus style of the lens: external or internal focus. An external focus lens will actually change size; the elements protrude as you change focus. This can cause major issues with filters in a mattebox, or even if you have a screw-on polarizer, as the barrel of the lens can also rotate during focus, changing the filter’s polarity. An internal focus lens, generally more expensive, keeps all of the moving elements inside, within the confines of the lens. This also goes for zoom lenses—some inexpensive zooms will actually expand in size as you zoom to the telephoto end of the lens. These are important considerations depending on your shooting style.

The real difficulty in determining whether a lens is good or bad arises from the actual application of that lens. For a cinematographer working on traditional Hollywood-style single-camera scripted narrative projects, ENG-style or still-style lenses are not good. They don’t integrate easily into the typical production workflow. That’s not to say that those lenses are bad—they’re just not right for the application. On the flip side, a cine-style lens would be a nightmare for a videographer out in the field shooting docu-mentary or news footage.

Further complicating the field, price isn’t always a good determination.

If you have two lenses with comparable specs (speed/focal range/inter-

nal or external focus/zoom), then the more expen-

sive lens will generally be the better choice; however, there are some excellent, relatively inexpensive lenses manufactured by Tamron and Sigma for DSLRs that are of matched quality and dependabil-ity to the high-cost “brand name” lenses. On the cine-style side of things, Schneider and Zeiss are both making extremely high quality, excellent per-forming DSLR-mount cine-style prime lenses that are inexpensive compared to the “big boys.”

Instead of trying to tell a good lens from a bad one, just look for the high-est-quality lenses at the price you can afford. If you’re shooting cine-style, it’s a great idea to have cine-style lenses. The expanded focus scale makes a major difference in production.

Get the lens with the fastest aperture you can afford. If you’re looking at zoom lenses, try to find a constant aperture lens. Many inexpensive zooms have variable apertures that might be presented like f/3.5-5.6. This means that as you zoom in on the lens to the further, more telephoto, end, your relative maximum aperture shrinks in size. (The aperture doesn’t actually change, but light loss from inexpensive optics effectively reduces the iris.) At its widest point, that lens is an f/3.5, but at the longest point, the maximum aperture is, effectively, an f/5.6. That is an inferior lens compared to a zoom with a constant aperture, and it can be a liability when you’re shooting.

TESTINGIn a perfect world, you get to test the lenses before you buy them. Visit a camera shop and get the lens in your hands for a few minutes. Talk with trusted professionals about their lens choices—and ask them why they like particular lenses. What one professional might consider a “bad” lens, another might use as his primary tool. No lens is perfect. No lens will be best for every job. Every lens has some quality that is beneficial.

Test as often as you can. Side-by-side tests can tell you a lot about differ-ent lenses and qualities. Don’t fret so much about what is good or bad—just what is right for you, your projects and your budget.

Many people are intimidated by lens testing: What do I do? What do I look

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DV 101 by Jay Holben

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What Makes A Good Lens, Part IIConsidering lens style and focus style.

Don’t fret so much about

what is good or bad-just

what is right for you, your projects and your budget.

Canon FK14.5-60 wide-angle cine zoom lens

Innovation at work.

WASHINGTON, DC

Plan now to attend the East Coast’s largest pro video and broadcast expo, held November 29 to December 1 in the heart of our nation’s capital. Learn about cutting-edge video technologies and techniques in a comprehensive conference program produced by the experts at DMDC; get hands-on with the latest video gear in an exhibit featuring over 120 suppliers, dealers and distributors; and attend FREE special events and networking opportunities to further your knowledge and career. For a FREE exhibits pass and/or to view discounted conference options, visit gvexpo.com.

Attention Exhibitors – Book your booth now and get in front of thousands of high-level equipment buyers working in government, broadcast, pro video, corporate media, law enforcement and edu-cation. Call Jackie Gospodinoff at 212-378-0493; [email protected] for more info.

CONFERENCES: Nov. 29 - Dec. 1 | EXHIBIT HALL: Nov. 30 - Dec. 1

Walter E. Washington Convention Center

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VIXIA HV40HDV Camcorder

• 1/ 2.7”, 2.96MP HD CMOS sensor with RGB primary color filter

• Frame rates: 60i, native 24p (records at 24p), 24p cinema, and 30p (at 60i)

• DIGIC DV II image processor• Canon HD 10x optical video lens• Instant Aufo Focus w/ext. sensor• SuperRange optical stabilization • 2.7” widescreen LCD screen • External mic input• Smooth variable zoom with 3 fixed zoom speeds

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AG-HMC403-CMOS Pro HD Solid State Camcorder

• 1080 and 720 HD resolution recording on SDHC cards

• 3 1/4” 3-MP CMOS HD image sensors

• AVCHD MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 encoding

• 10.6-megapixel still capability• 12x optical zoom• 2.7-inch LCD monitor• XLR audio input, HDMI output, USB 2.0

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HDR-TD10Dual Sensor 3D HD Camcorder

• 1920 x 1080 Full HD 60p/24p• Two 1/4" HD 'Exmor R' CMOS Sensors• 3D Viewing Directly on 3.5" LCD

No Need for 3D Glasses• 2D Playback from 3D Recordings• Dual Wide Angle G Lenses Wide 10x (in

3D mode) optical zoom (17x Extended)• Built-in 64GB internal flash memory• SD/ SDHC/ SDXC/ Memory Stick card slot• Microphone & Headphone Jacks

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HDR-AX20003-CMOS AVCHD Flash Camcorder

• Three 1/3” CMOS Exmor sensors• Records to Memory Stick PRO Duo,

SD/SDHC Cards (Dual media slots)• 1080/60i, and 24p/30p AVCHD

recording• 20x zoom G-Lens (29.5mm wide)• Zoom, focus, and iris rings• Dual XLR inputs • 3.2” Xtra Fine LCD• Low-light (1.5 LUX) capabilities• CinemaTone Gamma and CinemaTone Color Control

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HXR-MC50UPro Solid State Camcorder

• 1920 x 1080 HD resolution • 1/2.88" back-illuminated Exmor R

CMOS sensor• 64GB internal memory• Memory Stick / SD/SDHC media card slot• 10x wide G series lens• Assignable manual dial controls• 3.5" wide LCD • Geotagging with built-In GPS• Optical image stabilization

# SOHXRMC50U

AG-HMC803-CMOS Pro HD Solid State Camcorder

• 3 1/4.1 CMOS sensors• 1080 or 720 HD recording• SD/SDHC media card slot• 12X optical smooth zoom lens• High-definition and standard-

definition recording • Pre-record & interval recording• Optical image stabilization• Dual XLR/3.5mm mic-in inputs• HDMI, USB, DV, Component terminals

#PAAGHMC80

AG-HVX200A3-CCD Pro DVCPRO HD Camcorder

• DVCPRO-100 HD 100Mbps 4:2:2 Recording to P2 Cards

• High-Definition 1080 and 720p Recording to P2 Cards

• Variable Frame Rates• Leica Dicomar 13x Wide HD Lens• 3x 1/3” 16:9 Progressive Image

Sensors • Two P2 Card Slots• DVCPRO 50 & 25 Recording • 3.5” LCD Monitor• MiniDV Transport SD Recording

#PAAGHVX200AQ

AG-HMC1503-CCD Pro SD/SDHC Camcorder

• 3 1/3” progressive CCD sensors• Records HD 1080/60i/30p/24p,

720/60p,30p,24p formats • Solid-State HD recording onto SD/SDHC

media (21 Mb/ps - 1920x1080)• In-camera Waveform monitor Vectorscope

and two focus assist displays• Leica Dicomar13x wide zoom lens• Optical Image Stabilization• Time/date stamp (legal depositions) • Dual XLR audio inputs

#PAAGHMC150

GY-HM100U3-CCD ProHD Solid State Camcorder

• Supports 1920/1440 x 1080, 1280 x 720 HD formats in 35, 25, and 19Mb/ps with variable frame rates

• Dual SDHC card slots (loop, pre-record)

• Captures native QuickTime files• Fujinon 10x HD lens• Optical image stabilization• Dual XLR audio, with phantom• Color viewfinder and large LCD monitor

#JVGYHM100

HDC-TM9003 CMOS HD Camcorder with 3D Shooting

• 32GB internal flash memory • SD/ SDHC/ SDXC card slot• 3x 3.05 Mp 1/4.1" CMOS sensors• 1080/60p recording• Optional Panasonic VW-CLT1 3D

image lens required for 3D recording• Leica Dicomar 12x optical,

20x intelligent zoom • 3.5" touch screen LCD screen• Microphone & headphone inputs

#PAHDCTM900 / Conversion Lens #PAVWCLT1

NEX-VG10Interchangeable Lens HD Camcorder

• Exmor APS HD CMOS Sensor (23.4 x 15.6mm)• Includes E-mount 18-200mm (11x) zoom lens• Record 1920 x 1080 HD resolution onto

SD/SDHC/SDXC, Memory Stick PRO Duo/Pro-HG media

• Accepts A-mount lenses with optional LA-EA1 adaptor

• 3" Xtra Fine LCD monitor• Optical stabilization• Include Vegas Movie Studio HD Platinum 10

#SONEXVG10

7MegaPixels

12MegaPixels 10Mega

Pixels

3MegaPixels

14MegaPixels

Memory Stick / SD/SDHC media card slot

XA-10

VW-CLT13D Conversion Lens

XA10 / VIXIA HF G10*Professional HD Solid State Camcorder

• 64GB Internal and Dual SDHC/SDXC card slots with relay recording

• 1920 x 1080 CMOS Image Sensor• Canon 10x HD Video Lens• 8-Blade Iris and Manual Focus Ring• DIGIC DV III Image Processor• 24Mbps Recording (AVCHD)• 3.5" High-resolution touch panel LCD and EVF• Dual XLR terminals * Same as XA10 without handle & XLR audio adaptor

#CAXA10 / #CAHFG10

Digital Video 08-11_JN110624.indd 1 7/6/11 3:36 PM

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AG-HPX170P2HD Pro Solid-State Camcorder

• Two P2 card slots recording HD (1080i and 720p) and SD (480i) f

• 20 variable frame rates• 3 1/3” progressive CCD sensors• HD/SD-SDI output• 13X Leica Dicomar wide zoom lens• Enhanced metadata management• Optical Image Stabilization Dual XLR inputs• 3.5” LCD monitor • In-camera Waveform monitor

Vectorscope and two Focus assist

#PAAGHPX170Q

HXR-NX5U3-CMOS NXCAM Flash Memory Camcorder

• Three 1/3” Exmor CMOS sensors, with a ClearVid array

• Capture uses Memory Stick PRO Duo / SDHC Cards, with relay record capability (optional HXR-FMU128 flash memory unit)

• 20x wide G series lens • HD-SDI & HDMI output, SMPTE

Time Code in/out, Dual XLR inputs• Built-in GPS system • 3.2” Xtra Fine LCD

#SOHXRNX5U

HVR-Z5U3-CMOS Pro HDV Camcorder

• 3 Sony ClearVid 1/3-inch CMOS sensors with Exmor technology

• Sony G-series 20x optical zoom lens (29.5mm wide-end)

• Native (24p/24A/30p) progressive scan recording • Direct connectivity to Sony’s HVR-MC1K flash memory recorder • Records HDV/DVCAM/MiniDV

• Dual XLR inputs, SMPTE timecode • 3.2” XtraFine LCD with 921k pixels • Cinema Tone Gamma and Color Control

#SOHVRZ5U

NEX-FS100UKSuper 35mm Sensor HD Camcorder with Lens

• Exmor Super 35mm CMOS image sensor• Includes 18-200mm

Zoom Lens• E-mount interchangeable lens mount system• HDMI 4:2:2 uncompressed• 1920 x 1080p 28Mbps recording• 3.5" XtraFine LCD screen• 1920 x 1080p slow & quick motion• Record onto SD/SDHC/SDXC, Memory

Stick cards, or Sony HXR-FMU128 (optional) • HD MPEG-4 AVCHD format

#SONEXFS100UK

PMW-F3KSuper 35mm HD Camcorder Kit

• Exmor Super 35 CMOS image sensor• Includes 35mm, 50mm, 85mm lens kit• PL lens mount, 35mm Cine lens

compatibility• 10-bit 4:2:2 HD-SDI• Two SxS memory card slots• Interlace/Progressive modes• D-SDI Dual-link output• 3D-LINK option

#SOPMWF3K

AG-AF100Professional Memory Card Camcorder

• Large 4/3-type MOS sensor• Micro four thirds lens mount• Uses still & cinema lenses• Two SDHC/SDXC memory card slots

(Relay Recording) • AVCCAM Recording 1080i/p,

720p variable frame rates• Optical low-pass filter• HD-SDI, HDMI output, Dual XLR

#PAAGAF100

HXR-MC2000UShoulder Mount AVCHD Pro Camcorder

• 1/4" 4.2Mp, ClearVid Exmor R CMOS sensor• Built-in 64GB hard drive • SD/SDHC/SDXC & Memory Stick slot• 1920 x 1080i AVCHD (24Mbps)• MPEG-2 SD Mode (9Mbps) • 12x wide angle Sony G lens• Optical SteadyShot stabilizer • 2.7" ClearPhoto LCD• Manual lens ring with assignable

parameters

#SOHXRMC2000U

PMW-EX1RXDCAM EX Solid State High-Definition Camcorder

• SxS Memory Card Recording w/800Mb/ps Data Transfer

• DVCam Recording • Cache Recording• Image Inversion Function• 1/2-inch Exmor 3 CMOS Sensors• 1080i/720p Switchable• Multiple Frame Recording• 14x HD Fujinon Lens• 3.5” LCD • Full Manual Focus Ring• Over- and Under-cranking

#SOPMWEX1RQ

PMW-EX3XDCAM EX Solid State High-Definition Camcorder

• Interchangeable 1/2” bayonet lens mount, incl. Fujinon 14x5.8 lens

• 3 1/2” Exmor CMOS image sensors that shoot full raster 1920x1080 hi-def imagery • Recording on removable SxS flash memory cards

• 1080 and 720 shooting modes with selectable bit rates in both PAL and NTSC standards • 3.5” LCD

• 8-Pin remote studio connectivit

#SOPMWEX3Q

XF100 / XF105HD Professional CF Camcorders

• 1/3" CMOS 1920 x 1080 CMOS sensor• Dual CF card slots• 50Mbps MPEG-2 recording • Canon's MPEG-2 4:2:2 color sampling • 60p/60i, 30p, 24p MXF File Format • 10x HD zoom lens• 3.5" 920K dot LCD monitor• Stereoscopic 3-D recording capabilities • Dual XLR inputs • Waveform Monitor XF105 Step-up: HD/SD-SDI, SMPTE Time Code, Genlock

#CAXF100 / #CAXF105

Lens Optional

XF300 / XF3053 CMOS Solid State HD Camcorder

• Record HD 1080/720 onto Compact Flash cards

• 50Mbps MPEG-2 4:2:2 recording• 3 1/3" 2.37Mp CMOS sensors• 18x Canon HD L series lens• DIGIC DV III image processor• 4" 1.23 Mp LCD monitor • 1.55 Mp Color EVF• Over and under crankXF305 Step-up: HD-SDI Output, Genlock & SMPTE Time Code

#CAXF300 / #CAXF305

AG-HPX3703-CMOS Pro Solid State Camcorder

• 10-bit, 4:2:2, native 1080 and 720p HD resolution in variable frame rates

• AVC-Intra 100 and 50 codecs• Two P2 card slots (hot swapping,

loop, pre-record)• 3 advanced 1/3”, 2.2 MP

CMOS sensors • HD-SDI output• 20-bit digital signal processor• 17x Fujinon HD lens • Built-in scan reverse mode• Waveform and vector scope display

#PAAGHPX370

4MegaPixels

Digital Video 08-11_JN110624.indd 2 7/6/11 3:37 PM

for? Some simple lens tests can give you a lot of information. These tests are best done comparing two lenses—if not more—side by side. The first thing to test is color. To do this, it’s best to use natural daylight and shoot in open shade. Use a calibrated gray card and set the camera to its default daylight setting. Shoot the gray card full frame with each lens. It’s best to compare results in a Photoshop-like program that displays RGB informa-tion from the images, but you can readily see the differences side by side without technical analysis.

Secondly, test the sharpness, resolution and falloff with a very simple test. I like to go out and pick up four copies of an inexpensive magazine. Using a piece of white posterboard, I pick a good, sharp full-page ad from the magazine and paste the identical ad into each of the four corners of the board. Then I place a second ad in the center of the sides, top and bot-tom, and fill in the center with the most detailed pictures I can find. Shoot the posterboard with each lens, preferably at the same f-stop, making sure you fill the frame side to side and top to bottom. When you analyze the image, you’ll see the sharpness, contrast, vignetting (if any), falloff and distortion.

Finally, take the lenses outside and shoot some trees and grass and detailed textures (wooden fences, stucco houses, pavement, etc.). Match your focal lengths and shoot in bright sunlight, shade and backlight (which will help reveal lens flare properties). As much as you can, match the f-stop and image size in the frame. (You will have to move the camera if you’re shooting with different focal lengths.)

Comparing the results from these three simple tests will tell you a lot about your lenses. You don’t need the technical resolution charts, you don’t necessar-ily need to know the exact line-pairs per millimeter that your lens can produce. Use your eye. Compare the results side by side and you’ll be surprised how quickly you’ll see differences between lenses and how much you’ll learn. dv

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32 DV 101

Fujifilm ZS17x5.5 ENG-style lens

xx xxx august 2011 |

classifieds

Buyers Market 33

COMPANY PAGE WEB SITEAbe's of Maine 19 abesofmaine.com

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Azden 11 azdencorp.com

B&H Photo-Video-Pro Audio 30, 31 bhphotovideo.com

Blackmagic Design 7 blackmagic-design.com

International Supplies 19 www.internationalsupplies.com

LCD4 Video 35 lcd4video.com

Libec 23 www.libecsales.com

Litepanels Inc. 16 litepanels.com

Matthews Studio Equipment 25 msegrip.com

Neil Enterprises 2 www.neilenterprises.com

Petrol Bags 10 www.petrolbags.com

Production Hub 32 www.productionhub.com

Redrock Micro 17 www.redrockmicro.com

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Adobe...3, 8; AJA Video...14, 26; Apple...3, 8, 11, 12, 16; Atomos...26;

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U.S.A....10, 22, 24; Cinedeck...26; Cinemartin...26; Convergent

Design...26; DVShade...14; East Pleasant Pictures...10; Fast Forward

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Zero Productions...25

>Advertiser Index >Company Index

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A few weeks ago I bought a new HD cam-era, a GoPro HERO. The camera’s cost? A snip at $240 from my local REI outdoors shop (they were running a special). A day after buying it, I shot a TV commercial. I didn’t mean to use the GoPro—I had another camera with me—but the GoPro seemed just right. The end result is a huge success, now running three times a day on the Bay Area’s KTVU 2.

While I’m shooting, I’m remembering my first video camera purchase way back in 1979. An Ikegami HL-79A. The cost was $45,000. Composite, standard def. $45K versus today’s $240 for digital HD. Unbelievable!

So what’s a card-carrying 16mm film cameraman doing buying a $45K video camera? I blame Herb Kanzell.

LONDON 1975 A phone call from Herb: “Stefan, I’ve got a little job for you—a new client, Redifon. They make flight simulators to train pilots.” No need to pitch, I have the job.

I shoot the simulator and landscape model on 16mm film. The model is on a huge board—the runway, airport buildings and miles of

miniature surrounding landscape. If it were lying flat, you could put a model railway on it. As the pilot flies the plane, he sees the model from a periscope lens on a video camera.

The camera’s output is projected onto a screen in front of the cockpit windows. It works well for the pilots, but film it and the view looks dark and blurry.

I come up with the crazy concept of chromakeying in the projected scene. “I’ll paint the windows blue.” Horror. You’ve got to remember, this is 1975, over 35 years ago.

“Chromakey, what’s chromakey?”

WAS FILM NOW VIDEO I find a television facilities company, Trilion. They have an outside broadcast truck used for concerts and sporting events (and later that same year to shoot “Bohemian Rhapsody” for Queen).

Redifon isn’t happy about my painting their simulator windows blue (I wonder why), so Tricia cuts up blue cardboard to fit.

We do take-offs and landings and an AWACs in-flight refueling sequence. The pilot has to fly under a refueling plane and maneuver the boom into the nose of his aircraft; the plane and boom are articulated models. “25 feet, stable, forward 10, slow down, forward 5, go down, stay right there, contact!”

Shoot over, I go to Trilion’s London offices to edit out the best takes and have them transferred to 16mm film. It’s a nightmare. We are in a noisy

machine room with 2” VTRs.“Barry, on the count of 10. 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1

CUT. Got it?” “Nope, they didn’t lock up.” So this is video editing. Lemme outa here.

E&S Redifon has bought into a Utah computer graph-

ics company, Evans & Sutherland. I’m sent to Salt Lake City to shoot their NOVOVIEW CGI visual system. No model board, no flying camera—all in a computer memory.

After the shoot in SLC, I fly to Burbank, Calif., and visit Compact Video. Their clients are in a redwood-paneled edit suite with a sliding door to the machine room. Big sofas, coffee table and huge chairs for the editor and director. Their editing is CMX computer-controlled; their coffee is Kopi Luwak.

BACK IN LONDON There’s still no computer editing here, just technicians in a noisy machine room calling out numbers. The coffee is instant in plastic cups.

In September 1976, I take a deep breath and buy three Ampex 1” machines for Molinare, my audio studio. Our video showreel is a rip-off of Compact Video’s.

Molinare grows and grows. We soon have two video studios, four CMX 340 edit suites, an OB truck and, yes, an Ikegami HL-79A. Sadly, we also have three investment bankers and four non-executive directors. The day I buy a $250,000 Ampex ADO is the day they throw me out.

1984 I’m out. No more 100+ employees, no more bankers and non-exec directors. I still have my own 16mm Éclair film camera. The phone rings. Guess what, it’s Herb.

“Good to have you back, I’ve got a little job for you. You should never have stopped making films—that’s what you’re good at—you’re no businessman.”

Nice one, Herb. dv

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Production Diary by Stefan Sargent34

This is video editing? Lemme

outa here.

J’ACCUSE HERB KANZELLHe Got Me Into This Mess

Untitled-2 1 7/15/11 10:22 AM

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