ARRI ALEXA Plus 4:3

When the ALEXA first arrived with it 4x3 sensor we all knew what was coming:  Anamorphic.  Next month ARRI will start shipping the ALEXA Plus 4:3 which can squeeze the image horizontally during capture for a 2.39:1 widescreen image.

Interestingly, ARRI has no current plans for 4K and will remain 2K for now.  The ALEXA records either 8-bit or 10-bit 4:2:2 DNxHD and late this year a DNxHD 444 will be available as a free update.  The Plus 4:3 will cost $89,696 bucks so start saving your pennies...

http://www.studiodaily.com/2012/04/arri-debuts-alexa-plus-43/

Band Pro LCOS EVF

Band Pro is showing off the NewFinder, an EVF with a 2.5" 1920x1080 LCOS screen.  The unit is actually made by Japanese company Astro Design.  Band Pro has always been a Sony house so the NewFinder was made for the F65 and F35 in mind but with the right cable it can also be used on an Alexa, RED or Phantom.

Delay is less than a second, there's a 2X focus mode and up to five user profiles can be stored.

They boast "It'll add a non-significant 2.9 pounds of weight".  Obviously, who ever wrote that never carried around an extra 3 pounds along with a camera, mattbox, Preston, video tap, RF audio receivers,  etc. on their shoulder all day long.

I'm sure it's a great tool but at a projected $13,000 price tag that's more than most of the popular cameras the kids are using (and clients are paying for).  That includes the RED Scarlet which can use the NewFinder...

http://www.studiodaily.com/2012/04/band-pro-debuts-newfinder-lcos-evf/

Free GoPro Protune Firmware

GoPro is partnering with Technicolor and will be offering the new Protune firmware for free this summer that will include Technicolor's CineStyle color profile.

The Protune firmware will give HD Hero2 users 24fps recording, a higher 35Mbps data rate, log curve encoding to expand latitude and a neutral color profile for more color control in post.

http://3dvision-blog.com/7647-gopro-hd-hero2-to-get-24p-and-higher-bitrate-with-a-new-firmware/

"Avengers" Used Canon 5D For Some Shots

The word was there were some iPhone 4S shots in the trailer but they have confirmed using a 5D.

Shooting a summer tent-pole feature with a DSLR?  Nice...

http://www.darkhorizons.com/news/22168/-the-avengers-used-iphone-4-for-filming

GoPro WiFi BacPac & Remote

They promised this in Spring but now this summer GoPro will be selling a WiFi BacPac and a remote for $100 bucks.  The remote can control up to 50 cameras at a range of 600' so now you can start and stop multiple cameras at once.

You will also be able to buy the BacPac separately for $59 because you can use your smartphone as both the remote and a monitor.  The BacPac WiFi's the image so you can see your shot.

Makes you think about the possibilities.  At a surf contest can Kelly Slater have a GoPro on his surfboard and you can watch him on your iphone sitting on the beach?  Or streamed to the web?  Olympic events?  Car racing?  Watch your kids ski from the bar, uh, I mean, hotel room?  

Learn more watching this doddleTALKS video:

http://gopro.com/hd-hero-accessories/wi-fi-bacpac-remote-combo/

BlackMagic 2.5K RAW Camera for $3000

Black Magic has been getting a lot of internet buzz with their 2.5K RAW camera designed to use Canon (EF)  and Zeiss lenses.  It has a price point of $2995 and that includes a license of Di Vinci Resolve which costs $1000 bucks.  They throw that in because the camera shoots RAW so you have to color correct everything.

The entire back of the camera is a touch screen menu/monitor.  It can output to a computer via SDI or Thunderbolt but mainly records to SSD's.  

I not so excited about the 4/3 sensor that's somewhere between than 16mm and 35mm.  The battery is also internal and not exchangeable but you can power the camera externally.  Available in July.

Watch the video at: http://www.cinema5d.com/news/?p=10835

http://www.engadget.com/2012/04/16/blackmagic-cinema-camera-packs-feature-film-2-5k-quality-touc/

Informative Video About Sony's 3 New Cameras At NAB

An informative video about the 3 new Sony cameras at NAB but who in the hell shot it?  And with what camera?!

 These frame grabs don't exactly show off the latitude of what I'd guess is a Sony camera.

And here is a CU of no latitude plus the guy's shirt moires.

You'd think a Sony rep would know better than to wear a shirt that moires like crazy!

But it's informative and worth the watch:
http://vimeo.com/40441778

HPX 600 and Panasonic AVC Ultra

Panasonic showed two new cameras at NAB:  The HPX 600, a $16,000 10-bit 4:2:2 shoulder mount camera available this Fall and a pie-in-the-sky 4K VariCam that maybe will be here in 2014.

But I wouldn't rush out and buy this "future proof" HPX 600 this year.  The big news at Panasonic wasn't cameras but codecs and how to record them.

Panasonic is touting the new AVC Ultra codec.  This codec contains two familiar classes, Class 50 (50Mbps) and Class 100 (100Mbps) and the Class 50 now can support 1080/60P.  The is also a two new classes, Class 200 (200Mbps) and Class 444, known as AVC Intra444, which will be a 12 bit codec geared toward both 2K and 4K recording.

The HPX600 will have the option of AVC Ultra in 2013.  And in 2013 Panasonic is also coming out with new SD card sized Micro P2 cards in both 32 and 64GB versions.  Don't expect to record 4K to these but maybe up to Class 200.

Also pictured is a Micro P2 adapter so you can use SD cards in an emergency.

RED Unveils 6K Dragon Sensor

RED is offering a $6000 6K bolt-on upgrade for the Epic and Scarlet.   They promise 6K at up to 85fps or 120fps at 5K.  The pixels are smaller but the sensor is still larger than the Mysterium-X meaning  there will be a crop factor and some lenses may not cover the sensor.

Epic owners can get the upgrade towards the end of the year but remember that's in "RED years".  Scarlet owners get in the back of the line for their upgrade behind the Epic owners.

http://www.engadget.com/2012/04/16/red-dragon-upgrade/

RubbaDub and the Premiere Pro CS6

I'm reading the studiodaily blog about Premiere Pro in the new CS6 Creative Suite that is fighting it out for all the ex-FCP users.

But down at the bottom was a youtube video about an amazing ADR program called RubbaDub and if this actually works it would save editors a bunch of time. And might even save a few audio guy's butts....

http://www.studiodaily.com/2012/04/adobe-cs6-revamps-premiere-pro-workspace-revs-up-after-effects/

C500 and EOS-1D C 4K Cameras

It's been almost a week since Sony announced three new cameras and Canon, not to be outdone, brought out two more just when they started delivering C300's.

The C500 requires an external recorder for it's 4096x2960, 10-bit, 4:4:4 signal at up to 60fps.  The  C500 also includes dual CF slots for concurrently recording 1080 at either 12-bit or 10bit 4:4:4 60P compressed RAW.  No price has been set for the C500.

The DSLR EOS-1D C records 4096x2160 8-bit 4:2:2 video to a CF card.   If you just want to shoot 1080 you can record either uncompressed 8-bit 4:2:2 via a clean HDMI geed or 4:2:0, and both up to 60fps.  All this doesn't come cheap at $15,000 bucks.

Both cameras will be shown at NAB but not released until the end of the year.
http://www.engadget.com/2012/04/12/canon-c500-eos-1d-c-4k/

Dueling Alexa vs. C300

Shane Hurlbut used two Alexas and two C300's for a "Game of Thrones" promo, two straight on, two in profile.  If you look closely the Alexa is on the left and the C300 is on the righton the same head.

The trouble with these kinds of tests is your just not there to see the how the cameras were set-up.  People are commenting that the Alexa looks filmic and the C300 looks videoish but it just looks to me like there's too much detail in the C300 and not enough detail in the Alexa.

Also, note the shallower depth of field on the C300 because the Alexa's sensor is smaller...

See all the stills, video and commentary at:
http://www.hurlbutvisuals.com/blog/2012/04/dueling-canon-c300-and-arri-alexa/

Filmic Pro iPhone App

The Filmic Pro iPhone App allows you to lock exposure, focus, white balance, choose frame rate and aspect ratio, and it even has a built in slate.

Let's hope your not thinking of using your iPhone as a primary camera but if you need clandestine shots or you just want better home videos, FilmRiot has some tips for shooting with your iPhone starting with using Filmic Pro.

The useful information on how to use the app starts at 3:45 into the video.

Cutting to the chase, they have 3 main tips:

1.  You have to have a App like Filmic Pro ($4 bucks)

2.  Use lots of light, the iPhone needs more than you think

3.  Find a way to stabilize the camera, like, you know, a tripod

Watch their video on youtube or get the whole story at the video links below:
http://news.doddleme.com/equipment/how-to-shoot-movie-with-an-iphone-film-riot-style/?utm_source=Daily+News+Template+version+4%2F10%2F12&utm_campaign=4%2F1012+us&utm_medium=email

http://filmicpro.com/

Waterproof Case for iPhone

The Keystone ECO MarineCase is a slim waterproof case designed for the iPhone 4S/4 and allows you to capture video and non-flash images up to 20' deep.

The clear silicon cover allows for full screen functionality which means you email, text, use apps and I suppose FaceTime all while snorkeling.

The 20' limit isn't much good when Scuba diving but great for swimmers, skiers, kayakers, fisherman, etc.  Basically any place with snow, rain, dust and sand.  And it's only $40 bucks...

Here's some video shot with the case and iphone:

http://www.concordkeystone.com/ProductDetails.aspx?id=888

2012 Camera Comparison Chart

Fletcher Camera & Lenses was nice enough to put together this 2012 Camera Comparison Chart and Crews Control is nice enough to host it for you to download along with the 2011 Camera Comparison Chart.

The chart has the specs for the top 14 professional HD cameras including native ISO, latitude, frame rates, digital sampling rates, imager size, lens mount and weight, etc.

What is really interesting is the national rental rate but remember this is put together by a rental house.

http://crewscontrol.com/index.php/blog-central/2011-digital-camera-comparison-chart/

Metabones Canon EF to Sony E Mount Adapter

Metabones makes a Canon EF to NEX E mount adapter that allows a NEX camera both control the f-stop on EF lenses and let's the camera battery power the Image Stabilization motors in the lenses.

It's $400 bucks and as you can imagine there's a high demand for these little buggers so the first batch sold out in hours.  Watch a demonstration/review video at nextwavedv.com

Metabones has tested the adapter on most NEX cameras, including the FS100.  There are some issues (did you watch the nextwavedv.com review?) but there are work-arounds.  Now, if it just works on the FS700...

http://www.metabones.com/product/sony-nex/ef-e-bm1-detail

http://www.nextwavedv.com/metabones-canon-ef-to-sony-e-mount-smart-adapter-reviewed/

Canon 5D MkIII vs. D800 vs. Pany GH2

 here's a comparison of the D800 and the Canon MkIII.  Stripers and resolution charts, what could be better?

And if you haven't had enough amateur testing, here's a couple of frame grabs from a  5D MkIII and Panasonic GH2 comparison.

Is a EOSHD Patch hacked $900 GH2 is just as good as the stock $3500 5DIII.?  In a word, no, but it's close.  The $900 Panasonic GH2 does turns out a nice picture... just like a $900 Canon T3i.

I still think the au natural Canon has more latitude than the tricked out Pany.  Check out the amount of detail at the end of the tunnel.  And could they have made the Pany video any warmer and the Canon look any cooler?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AfA2mTMt0u8

http://news.doddleme.com/equipment/could-the-panasonic-gh2-has-better-video-than-the-5d-mk-iii-well-hang-on/?utm_source=Daily+News+Template+version+3%2F30%2F12&utm_campaign=3%2F3012+us&utm_medium=email

Sony XDCAM EX PMW-100

While Sony PMW-100 has only a 1/3" sensor, don't think it's just another little prosumer camcorder.  The PMW-100 records a robust 50 Mbps of 4:2:2 HD video onto SXS cards.

You can also record HD420 or DVCAM, records 4 channels of  24-bit, 48KHz audio, along with timecode, genlock, HD-SDI, and multiple frame rates.

The bad news is the lens, a 5.4-54mm (40-400 35mm equivelant) which is great for shooting sports or anything else that requires a telephoto lens but terrible for working in small rooms like a reality show. I'd trade half the zoom to be able to start with a 20mm equivelent.

You won't have to wait long for this camera, it's due out in May.

http://blog.abelcine.com/2012/04/03/sony-introduces-the-pmw-100/

http://news.doddleme.com/equipment/sony-xdcam-ex-pmw-100-offers-full-hd-camera-50-mbps-422/?utm_source=Daily+News+Template+version+4%2F4%2F12&utm_campaign=4%2F412+us&utm_medium=email

Sony HXR-NX30

Looking for a second camera/crash cam?  Sony introduces the palm-sized HXR-NX30U featuring full HD off a 1/3" CMOS sensor, Zeiss lens, XLR inputs, image stabilization and an internal 96GB drive that records 40 hours of AVCHD.  You can add a memory stick or SD card for more time.

Oh, and there's also a built-in projector so you can view you HD video straight from the camera.  The NX30 will be available in June and be less than $2500 bucks.

http://news.doddleme.com/equipment/sony-introduces-palm-sized-hxr-nx30u-hd-camcorder-with-advanced-image-stabilization/?utm_source=Daily+News+Template+version+4%2F3%2F12&utm_campaign=4%2F312+us&utm_medium=email

FS700 For Real, VariDOF Not So Much...

I'm sure you caught the VariDOF blog was posted on April 1st (who ever did that did a great job!) but it turns out the NEX-FS700U is very real.

Sony released an official press release with details including the FS700 does have an ND filter wheel and can shoot 120fps at 1080 in a 16 second burst, 240fps for 8 seconds and 960fps at a lower resolution. 

The 4K outboard recording firmware will come later, which is OK because no one makes a 4K outboard recorder.  And the price is higher, "less than $10,000" which means a street price of $9000.

http://www.engadget.com/2012/04/02/sony-nex-fs700-cinema-camera/?a_dgi=aolshare_facebook

Sony Variable DOF Camera

Sony has licensed the technology to have variable depth of field built right into the camera.

Here's the technology built into a PMW-V350.  Below is how it works.

To learn more check out the website at http://www.varidof.com/