Recently a client hired me to shoot the Bermuda Race start 18 June.  They did not want to pay for helicopter footage so I rented a very long lens for my Sony F800 from Rule/Boston Camera the Canon HJ40×10 2/3” HD lens with extender and Optical Image stabilizer.  My Fujinon 17x was just not going to cut it for this job.

Canon 40x lens link

HJ40x on my F800

This was my first time with the Canon 40x and the only thing I can say is “Very Impressed”!  The OIS worked perfectly as did the remote for zoom, VTR, and focus at my finger tips made pan/tilt moves easy even at 400-800mm.  Now don’t forget this converts to roughly 2.5 times to equal super 35mm lens for the same length, so a 2,000 mm lens on your 35mm camera.

HJ40x on F800

Yes it is long and the OIS is a must along with my Vinten Vision 100 tripod head and Vinten Fibertec sticks.  They both impressed me all day I had great stable images.  One problem I did encounter was the humid air.  If I tried to shoot over 2/3 of a mile the detail went away and heat took over.  I had checked the forecast but the cold front never reached us and the humidity stayed.  But being right on the rocks by the start I have some amazing footage that you will see in my next demo when I finally slow down in the next few months to produce it.

Other things WCV has been up too:

1. Glance Studio who we shoot for in Maine/NH has produced some great shorts for The State of Maine office of Transportation.  All aerials by WCV.  See the four Videos
2. My time-lapse/motion dolly system is completed and I am going out this evening for a shoot.  I will do a blog post to get you up to speed on this great system.
3. Just completed for NorthU with Dave Perry a DVD on Match Racing.  We put this together very quickly to get people up to speed on Match Racing.  WCV did the production, editing, and shot the narrative footage in our studio.  I did not shoot the sailing footage; this is a low budget production so NorthU can offer a free Match Racing DVD to help promote the sport of Match Racing..  Dave Perry did a great job with the script and narrative.  And it is always a pleasure to work with Bill and Fan at NorthU.  To get your free copy
4. Pier’s Park/Cape Cod Surprise Promotional short.  You can learn more at the Author’s blog and check out the video.    Cape Cod Surprise is a sequel to Oliver’s Surprise and the book launching party was 1 July at the Sail Loft in Boston to raise money for Piers Park Sailing Center in East Boston.  You should check out the video to learn more about Piers Park and two must read books, Oliver’s Surprise and Cape Cod Surprise.
5. Headed out for one of my two trips a year to Colorado for mountain biking  with my best friend Bill Kipp of Fast Defense.  We have a Winter Park film session planned with some young bucks that know how to strut their stuff in the bike park.  Plus we will be shooting some great cross-country trails.
6. My custom windsurfing filming-rig is in the works (second prototype) and I have been shooting some test clips.  Not there yet but getting very close.  3-4 cameras going at once is a good trick and will take some dialing in.
7. Two incredible aerial shoots coming up that I will discuss once they are completed.

More soon, make sure you go out and “HAVE FUN EVERY DAY”!

Fujinon ZA17x with Sony PDW-F800

I am so impressed with this camera.  The image quality is much better then the PMW-350 and the optical disk is a huge time saver.  I have one client who I shoot for monthly and we shoot 5 hrs in the helicopter.  With the EX1 and 350 I used the Nano Flash which is a great recorder but very cumbersome when it comes to delivery and archive.  Still the best choice if you only have 4.2.0. color spacing and lower bit rates.  But you have to take the files off the CF cards, then put into FC and check each file since QT will not play them smoothly, then out of FC, then .MXF transfer, then load on a HD.  Now with the optical disk I review the files off the disk then send the disk.  This saves me a day a month, 12 days a year and that is only one client.  This camera will pay back the extra cost quickly.  What is your time worth?

Now on to why I picked the Fujinon ZA 17×7.6 lens.

When I purchased the PMW-350 I knew the stock lens would be a starting point.  But I needed the optical extender and also better quality glass for some clients.  So I spent a lot of time asking question on forums, with Charles at Abel Cine Tech, with friends in the industry, and it all came down to the same advice I give, RENT.

So I rented and borrowed the following lens options:

Canon J15×9.5B4 SD 2/3” lens

Canon HJ17ex7.7B WASE with servo focus and zoom

Fujinon stock PMW-350 16×8

Fujinon HA18×7.6 BERM

Fujinon ZA17×7.6 BERM

I ran the lens through the following test.

1.  Studio test with focus/color charts and a set with small details

2.  Field test for wide shots at full light and sunset/night light

3.  Field test mid zoom and full zoom without extenders

4.  Field test mid zoom and full zoom with extenders on all except 350 stock lens

5.  Helicopter test flights with same flyby, landing, takeoff, and general shots.

My findings are not based on charts and scopes, but to look at the recorded footage on two different corrected monitors and an HDTV.  This is what I see when I show clients footage and how I edit the footage so anything else is not important to me.  When I finally select a lens I have Abel Cine Tech in NYC check the lens with their gear so they can approve it and then shade the lens to my camera.

Each lens summary and performance/price rating 1-10:

First test was the 350 stock Fujinon lens.  I was surprised how well it performed.  The sweet spot in the iris is f4-8.  Anything out side this and the lens started going softer.  The zoom also did not work very smoothly compared to all the other options.  It shuttered and you could not count on it every time so a real weak part of this lens.  How would I rate this lens?   7 out of 10 on performance and 8 out of 10 on cost ($2,000 guess)

Fujinon 16x stock lens on PMW-350

Next was a SD CanonJ15×9.5 option I borrowed from Doug Jensen.  This lens has an optical extender and is the longest lens I tested.  First off you can see more CA in this lens then the stock 350 lens.  The edge of the picture is softer at all focal lengths.  Not bad at full wide to half zoom for the price but I would not use this on a job and sell the footage as HD.  The iris sweet spot seemed similar to the stock at f4-8.  Rating:  5 out of 10 performance and 9 out of 10 on cost ($3,000 used)

Canon J15x9.5

Canon HJ17×7.6 came from Canon in NJ knowing I was testing the lens to buy so you would think it would be sharp and spot on.  Well I could not have been more disappointed with this lens.  The CA was the worst of all the lens tested.  Yes worse then the J15×9.5, which shocked me.  The lens did have servo zoom and focus controls.   This pushed me to keep my Libec zoom control, and go with a manual focus control.  With the manual focus control I feel you have more precise control over the final small movement.  Rating:  4 out of 10 on performance and 4 out of 10 on cost ($19,500)

Canon HJ17x7.6 with servo focus and zoom on 350

Fujinon HA18×7.6 now this is what a lens is supposed to look like for the price.  Very sharp picture through the full zoom range and excellent build.  I could not see any CA at all.   The iris gave me a bigger range where it looked great down to 2.8 and up to 11 on some tough back lit flying shots.  Rating:  9 out of 10 on performance and 6 out of 10 on cost ($16,500)

Fujinon ZA17×7.6 I looked and looked and could not see the difference between this lens and the HA.  Very sharp also and through the whole range and amazing how sharp is stays with the extender on.  What a bargain for an amazing lens I hope the word is out on this great choice.  Rating:  9 out of 10 on performance and 9 out of 10 on cost ($11,900)

Fujinon ZA17x getting ready to work hard on F800

I was very disappointed in the Canon HJ and would not say they are all bad.  But for Canon to send me this lens knowing I was looking at this for a test against Fujinon to see which one I would buy, well not impressed.

Both the Fujinon lens options are great, and I can see some difference in build but not much.  As for optically I could not see any difference between them and neither could a few other people who helped with the test.  Maybe this is due to the Fujinon knowing Abel would look the lens over prior to sending it to me or maybe they just have better quality control.  Either way Fujinon has earned my business and when I look for a 4.5 wide they will get the nod.

I hope this helps and lets you know RENT when you are looking at glass for your camera or any gear were you will be spending the big bucks.

First off I sold my Sony PMW-350.  Yes I know after raving about the camera and having such a great first impression I have moved on.  There is nothing wrong with the PMW-350 except it did not have the latitude I expected in a 2/3″ camera.   It is a nice nice step up from the EX1/3 but just that only a step up.  So what are my reasons for selling and moving up?  Well I have two longer term clients who said to sign on I needed a F900 or F800.  I was not going to buy a F900 tape based camera so I went for the Sony XDCAM PDW-F800 Optical Disk HD camera.

The F800 is a big step up from the EX350.  First off the camera it is CCD not CMOS. IMHO CCD is much better then CMOS.  CCD handles fast motion better and there is not rolling shutter problem.  This will improve in CMOS but it is not there yet.  You get much greater level of control over the picture then any other camera I have used.

Doug Jensen shooting F800

Here are just some there are a lot more but this gives you a taste of the positive items the F800 offers and made it easy  to make the move:

1. Optical Disk recording.  Now this is huge with native full res 1080p with three 2.2M pixels CCD’s recorded onto the disk at 4.2.2 50Mbps you have the top level broadcast quality HD.  And once you have recorded you also have your archive, DONE!  No copying onto a Raid 1 hard drive and worrying about when your hard drive will fail and it will.  Or having the clips on DL-DVD, which are rated for 5-7 years.  The Sony Optical Disk is rated for 50 years and come with great holders and take up minimum storage.  THIS IS HUGE if you value your time.
2. Proxy Files and Meta data for every clip.  How did I live without this feature?  Future search is easy and setting up client info is done prior to the shoot which makes searching for clips fast.  Another time saver the F800 offers.
3. F900 gamma curves which have become an industry standard.  I have producers say we would like you to shoot with our F900 gamma/scene files to match the production.  Well now I can just load the memory stick and done the same as the rest of the cameras on the shoot.  I have found my own scene files with help from Doug Jensen and Dennis Dillon and am very happy with the results.  I was never happy with the results on the 350 and it took months on the EX1.  The wealth of settings from the F900 transfer so you have a great starting point.
4. Optical Color Correction filters.  This was a nice surprise once I started shooting with the camera.  Right behind the 4 ND filter wheel is the 4 Optical CC filter wheel.  Very nice to do this optically instead of electronically.  The quality of the optical filter is great and I love the look from the 6300 filter for outside shooting.  You are offered clear, 3200, 4300, 6300.  If you don’t like this you can use a preset number or you can white/black balance like you can on any camera.
5. No Nano needed with the F800.  This lets me keep the Nano hooked up to my EX1 as a B camera.  But if for some reason I needed the Nano no problem to hook it up to one of the two HD-SDI out.
6. All of my extra gear fits right on the F800:  Batteries (F800 is power hungry so I now have three 130wh), Tripod plate, Fujinon ZA lens, Zylight, Marshal Monitor, Kata cover, Fujinon Focus control, Libec zoom control.
7. 1920×540 slow motion.  I have programmed on one of the five assigned buttons slow motion.  I have always been frustrated with using 720p for slow motion and then having to down graded my 1080p 30p footage to 720p to make it all match.   Uprezing the 720p slowmo to my 1080p footage never looked nice.  The 1920×540 looks great and it is hard to believe it is only 540 vertical.  Not sure how Sony does it but it is a huge improvement over my EX1 720p slowmo.
8. You can buy the Field Guide by Doug Jensen.   I highly recommend the Vortex Media’s PDW-700/PDW-F800 Field Guide by Doug Jensen.  www.vortexmedia.com Vortex Media’s Field Guide is 327 pages chock full of great information on how to setup and use the F800.  This book is loaded with tips and tricks that you will not find anywhere else.  If you buy or rent the 700/F800 this book is a MUST!
9. Digital extender.  Now some people will say I never use the extender it makes the image soft and looses light.  Well they must have multiple cameras with different lens lengths on all of them set to go on a shoot but for me it is one camera most of the time.  To flick a switch and double my lens length and hit one more switch and go from 50% slow motions back to full speed is great features.  Now if you use the optical extender on the lens and the digital extender wow talk about long.  Is this as good as a 42x Fujinon NO WAY! But it is only two flicks and could be a money shot that would otherwise be lost.  To use one or both extenders you must be locked down on a very high quality tripod.  My Vinten Vision 100 head and Fibertec sticks are great for the F800 and any long work.
10. SD frame rates if needed.  I never shoot SD anymore but who knows a client could ask for it and OK we are set.
11. 23.98 comes standard.
12. Two SDI out which is great when we are in the helicopter or on the set and the producer needs one monitor and I need a separate and one has to have info on the screen.
13. Focus assist is a feature I did not even know about until I started using the camera.  Very sensitive bar running vertical or across the bottom of the VF helping you dial in sharp focus.  Mix this with peaking and you can nail focus fast.
14. Peaking on the HDVF-C35W monitor I purchased is nice but takes a little getting use to after the red of the EX models.  This is a white outline on the edges and needs to be kept on a low setting.  I use 8-10 depending on the conditions.
15. Viewing recorded clips is fast and easy off the optical disk.
16. A unique Freeze Mix feature if you set up on site and need to make sure you have the same frame next time you are on site as I do on one job.  Freeze Mix takes a still of the top half of the image and you can turn that on and frame the bottom half to match.  We have added a tape measure across the top/bottom and sides to help us match every month the same frame.   One more of the many features you will learn how to use in Vortex Media Field Guide.

The list goes on and on and as Doug Jensen says in his book. “If the PDW-700 and PDW-F800 aren’t the world’s most advanced commercially sold cameras ever invented, then I’d like to know what is.”  From using the camera and just scratching the surface of the features I fully agree with Doug this camera is amazing.

Paul Looking through Doug's F800

Now it would not be fair if I did not list what I thought are the cons from the camera.

1. Cost (yikes $40K for just the body, no lens, no VF, no batteries, no tripod plate)
2. Having to buy a viewfinder and the color one is expensive.  Luckily I found a demo in Germany and saved close to 50%.
3. Battery power.  The F800 sucks down batteries.  I need three 130Wh batteries for a day and am looking to buy a 4th.

So after spending a lot of money and shooting with the F800 after owning the PMW-350 did I make the right move?  Yes it is the top of the line Sony XDCAM and I can now see with Stunning Footage amazing features and optical disk rule.  Now it is time to put the camera to work.

Just in case you were wondering where do I buy an expensive camera like the Sony F800.  Well in my opinion there is only one place; Abel Cine Tech Give Charles Rowe a call and tell him I sent you.  I do not work for Abel I just like to support a company that is honest, knows their products, great price, and stands behind their gear.  Don’t skimp buy from the best.

For more information see the Sony product page on the F800:  F800 link

Coming in future post:

Why I picked the Fujinon ZA 17×7.6 BERM lens

Moving from Canon 7d to 5d MKII

First trip to NAB

Maine Ski area shoot

This was a very challenging day to shoot.  Winds were 20-30kts with bigger puffs and huge down/up drafts.  We were being bounced all over the place.  But we had a deadline for the production house and this was the day.  My pilot Jeff Codman is excellent and proved his skill level on the flight at the same time helping the producer and myself complete the shot list.

Maine Ski area shoot 2

First off I need a tripod that is very stiff and as light as possible.  There are times when I have to walk miles with my gear to get the shot.  So lightweight is very important.  And of course stiffness and stability is also very important so yes I want everything.  Well I came close.

The PMW-350 is a light camera with stock lens and battery it weights 14.8lbs.  Loaded with my studio gear comes it comes in at a light 20 lbs.  But in the field with a long Canon HJ or Fujinon HA lens the weight goes up to 24-29 lbs depending on the lens.

The first person I call when looking for gear is Charles at Abel Cine Tech to get his opinion and discuss the options.  Then I do my research on line and with help from the knowledge people on DVinfo.net.

When I purchased my Red One camera last winter I chose the Miller 55 with Solo carbon sticks.  This was a nice tripod but it always bothered me that its pan and tilt fine tune is such a coarse adjustment and it has balance issues.  So I sold the system along with the Red One but that is a different story.

Charles from Abel suggested I look into Vinten and Sachtler product line.  When at Abel in December I was very impressed with the Sachtler Video 20 system, smooth movements, and a durable industry standard for years.  So I went home thinking this was the tripod for me.

Then I started to research.  You know how we research our gear, spending too much of our billable time on the web instead of editing station or out shooting.  But luckily I did my research and found the right system for me.  Not that the Video 20 would have been a bad move it is a great tripod head.

So after some great advice from Chris Soucy on DVinfo (See Chris review LINK that got me going) I chose the Vinten Vision 100 head, Vinten Fiber Tech sticks, and Vinten mid-level spreaders.  The head is rated at 42 lbs and the sticks are rated at 99 lbs.

From my experience you should always buy a tripod head that is twice what your maximum weight for your camera setup.  When I say maximum this is with all gear, matt box, rails, monitors, wireless, recorders, lights, and any other gear needed for your type of shooting.  This is a minimum to have silky smooth pans, tilts and the ability to use your long focal lengths.  Well I did not quite get there but from my first few months of use I came close enough.

Pros:

1.   Stiff legs.  With the carbon I-Beam design and excellent craftsmanship this is the stiffest sticks I have found for the weight.

2.   The Vinten Vision 100 head balance system is excellent with repeatable setting for different camera setups I am hooked on the balance.  And smoooooth pans and tilts even at 500mm.

3.   Mid level spreader is a light easy to use system.  Quick on and off with a simple locking knob when you are set.  The system is not complete with out the mid-level spreader.

Cons:

1.   No bag came with the system.  I solved this by buying a Porta Brace TSB-38B Shellpack very nice bag.

I am convinced this system is an excellent choice for the discerning shooter who knows and appreciates the difference.  Give Charles at Abel a call and by your last tripod system.

Wow, am I happy with my PMW-350 camera.  A large part of that is the ability to use my Convergent Design Nano to up the recording bit rate and color spacing.  Without the Nano I would not own this camera I would have purchased the F800.

PMW-350 w/Nano in the Field

The Nano is a small Compact Flash card recorder (4 7/8” x 3 ¾” x 1 3/8”) and light 0.85 pounds.  But packs a punch when it comes to delivering exactly what CD states, and the results I have found over the last 5 months more then prove it to me.

The size and weight makes mounting the Nano on the camera easy.  Westside AV Studios built the mounting plates for my EX1 and PMW-350.  I highly recommend them for mounts, cables, and great advice from Olof Ekbergh the owner.

PMW-350 top of Nano mount

The processor in the XDCAM F700 and F800 are fantastic and make both cameras stunning.  The Nano has two of the same processors to offer bit rates and color spacing for cameras with HD-SDI or HDMI out.  The chip size in the camera will make a difference in your results.  I use the Nano on the EX1, PMW-350, and have tried it on the Canon HF10.  The bigger the chip the better your results so on my 2/3” PMW-350 it performs like a F900 only better making this combination a winner.  I have also been very happy with the results on the EX1.

The Nano takes 4.2.2 uncompressed signal from the camera and used its two processors giving you a huge array of options so you by pass the processor in the camera.  You still have to record to the cameras media so the camera records.  Great for checking out the difference but once you start using the Nano you will no longer use the media recorded from the camera.

Nano mount on PMW-350 w/optional side arms

The media the Nano records to is Compact Flash Cards.  You need large and fast cards and a lot of them.  You will spend about $1800 to buy the cards you need.  The Nano cost is $2,995.  So with a few options you are spending about $5,500 which is worth every penny if quality matters to you and your clients.  To find out what cards work you need to go to CD site since this info is updated often.  I use Sandisk Extreme 60MB/s 32GB and the Nano holds two cards.  Recording times vary with bit rates but my two 32’s at 100Mbps is about 80 minutes.

Nano on EX1 in WhiteCap Video Studio

So you say, “What client takes CF cards”.  Well I do not deliver on CF cards.  The clips on the Nano are your choice of .MXF or .MOV.  If you use .MOV CD has a free utility that wraps in .MXF so you have both options this way.  With .MOV I just drop the clips into Final Cut Pro.  Then off the XDCAM 422 50Mbps timeline send it to Sony Optical Disk with proxies and media data, hard drives, DVD, Blu-Ray, or how ever the client needs the media delivered.  If you do not edit the clips more then simple cuts the above 50Mbps bit rates stays the same on output.  If you do edit in more detail you have XDCAM 422 50Mbps out which is a broadcast standard.

I will have a blog post coming soon on the Sony U1 Optical disk recorder an amazing piece of gear, and a must if you own a Nano.

If you have made it this far reading you will know that 4.2.2 vs. 4.2.0 color spacing is a huge difference and IMHO worth the cost of the Nano, the bit rates are bonus.

Nano on EX1 shooting time laps at sunrise

So what is this bit rate I am talking about?  Well my EX1 & PMW-350 both have native 4.2.0 35Mbps Long-GOP.  The bit rate is the amount of information per second that is recorded.  So if you look at what is considered the sweet spot with the Nano 100Mbps compared to the 35Mbps from the camera that is a ton on information.  The higher bit rates help motion footage dramatically.  While shooting from the helicopter 35Mbps vs 100Mbps looks like two different cameras and it really is with the Nano.  With 280Mbps I-Frame I do not see much of a difference over 100Mbps Long GOP.  Long GOP is amazing at 50Mbps and up bit rates and you will need 3x the bit rate in I-Fame to match Long GOP.

Nano/PMW-350 shooting time laps at sunset

With the Nano your options (keep checking since CD is always upgrading the firmware free) are:

4.2.2 Long GOP 50-180Mbps

4.2.2 I-Frame 100-280Mbps

Other great features:  very low power draw 5.6 watts maximum, and 0.2 watts on standby.  Audio is also recorded.  Nice little LCD screen and very easy menu system.  Free firmware updates monthly.  Great and I mean great customer service.

This is a must for anyone using a camera that records 4.2.0.

PMW-350 Stock Lens with Nano

I received my Sony XDCAM PMW-350 2/3” HD Broadcast camera last week Dec 23 2009. It turned out to be an early Christmas gift for my company since I was expecting the camera mid Jan 2010.

Sony has two 350 cameras so from this point forward I will call this camera the EX350. It is the big brother to the EX1, EX1R (new), EX3, which are all great. I have been using the EX1 in my business for two years with excellent results.

Shutter control

I pre-ordered my EX350 after it was announced by Sony in October. The camera was purchased from Abel Cine Tech my store of choice. Besides being a fantastic rental house they are a first class broadcast video retail store. If you need the best gear on the market and advice from educated staff give them a call. No, I do not work for Abel I just appreciate their staff and service, and have a strong loyalty to people who treat me with respect, while offering very competitive product line and pricing.

VF controls

On 3 December I traveled to Abel’s release of the EX350 and EX1R in NYC. Abel had asked me to bring along footage I shot with my EX1 over the last year to have as one of the three shooters highlighted during the night. I put together two reels about three minutes each running on their incredible 40” Sony broadcast monitor. One reel was native 35Mbps from the SxS cards and the other was clips from the Convergent Design Nano I have been recording too since last summer. This was a fantastic event with a lot of free flowing information from some top shooters. And once I held the EX350 that night I knew it was the next best step for my company.

VF flips up for 3.5" LCD

The first thing I noticed when the camera arrived was the body is very lightweight. This is due to no spinning drives or motors to run tapes or disk, recording is solid-state Sony’s SxS cards. Once I installed the lens, battery, VF, stock shot gun mic, and Nano the camera weight is 16.2lbs (7.4kg). Light for a full size camera with a 16x lens.

Cold shoe an adjustment for VF

I installed the shotgun mic that came with the camera since I did not have an XLR 3 pin to 5 pin cable for my Rode NTG-3. The audio plug up front is 5 pin XLR and the two on the back of the camera are 3 pin XLR. Cable ordered since I like my Rode NTG-3 shotgun better then the stock shotgun.

Connections on the rear of the camera

I have using my Marshall V-LCD70P-3GSDI hooked up for ease of menu viewing. Also with thumbnail play back this has been nice to review the footage in the field. Normally the monitor will only be used when on the tripod for framing and focus.

Stock Lens and preset controls

Speaking of Tripods you need a beefy one to support the camera with the type of outdoor shooting I do. So expect to spend a lot if you use long glass and shoot outdoors. I ordered a Vinten Vision 100 head, Vinten Fiber Tech sticks, and Vinten mid-level spreaders. Thanks to Chris Soucy on DVinfo for his advice in purchasing a great setup.

Menu and Audio controls

I read the manual cover to cover and spent a day shooting and here are my first impressions.

Pros over my EX1:
1. Nice to have a full size camera on my shoulder with needed controls at my fingertips.
2. D-Tap on the front right side of the top handle can pull 50W continuous power. So even my Zylight 90, which pulls 30W, can be hooked up to the D-Tap.
3. I purchased Switronix Pro-X XP-L130S batteries, which have a D-Tap on the battery. This way I can power my monitor with a battery on the back of it, my Zylight on D-Tap, and Nano on D-Tap. The camera only draws 15-18 watts so my 130w/h batteries last a long time. Think of the bunny with a drum.
4. Quick and easy to switch in WB while moving with camera on the shoulder between inside and out between presets or a new WB.
5. 4 ND filters nice.
6. Shoulder pad adjustment is easy with a big range.
7. Color VF is sharp with easy adjustments to dial in fit, and peaking, contrast, brightness knobs within reach.
8. Power up is quick 2.5 sec (This is FAST)
9. Menu system is easy to follow after using the EX1
10. Black balance is a quick adjustment
11. Cool on camera light options. You can put the switch on auto and leave the light’s switch on when the camera starts recording the light comes on. Or you can go full manual.
12. Nice strong shoulder strap hooks. I went for a Portabrace strap but a stock one comes with the camera.
13. Lots of audio control that seems sensitive for the 4 channels of audio. Audio out the back for an Audio person on the set or in the field.

Cons:
1. Cost, don’t let the retail price deceive you. When you purchase a camera this size you will spend 2-3 times the cost of the camera to be properly outfitted, unless you have most of the gear needed.
2. No 1080p over cranking
3. Second ¼ -20 support on back of handle.
4. Color space 4.2.0 (solved by Convergent Design Nano, which is 4.2.2 and loads of bit rate options. Don’t buy an EX350 with out a Nano IMHO!
5. Some type of Image Stabilization. I know full size camera operators will get all over me about this but for my shooting it is needed. So I will buy a Canon or Fujinon lens that supports their Optical Stabilizers for helicopter, on water, and rough shoulder shooting.

Most of the Pros I have listed from the EX350 go hand in hand with other full size broadcast camera. But with regard to picture quality the PMW-350 blows away the PDW-3xx. But that is to be expected. The EX1/3 have better picture then the PDW-3xx cameras and the EX350 blow away the EX1/3. With bigger more sensitive chip (two more stops) and better DOF being 2/3” over ½” the EX350 wins. Also this is the sharpest video I have ever seen from a camera. It could be too sharp at times.

I am keeping my EX1 as my B camera. With proper shoulder support the EX1/3 are great cameras. But from my first test they can not match the sharpness, latitude, low noise, and better DOF the PMW-350 offers. Add to this having the endless choice of B4 lens options for your shooting style.

The EX line of cameras just keeps getting better and the EX350 is nice move by Sony!

Battery D-Tap and SxS slots

There are times when I will not be able to use the EX350 and the EX1 will be in my hands quickly for the shot. Nano hooked up to both and there you go, a great kit to capture all the shots.

There has been some concern with the EX camera line zoom control by rocker or top switch not being smooth at times. My zoom testing so far with the EX350 and stock lens has been very smooth with a nice range of speed control.

Stock lens handle controls

Once my tripod arrives this week I will be out shooting test.

My first impression of the EX350: This camera with the Nano and proper 2/3” glass is a winner all the way.

More once I have shoot some test and taking the camera on a job next week in the helicopter.

POV (point of view) cameras are great to grab certain shots in hard to reach or dangerous shots.  I have been using them for years.

When I first started using POV it was from www.helmetcamera.com back when I had a tape DV camera hooked up to their very tough little lens.   This was used mostly for windsurfing videos.  The lens was mounted on the visor of a hat and the waterproof box was in a camel back pack.  Lots of batteries back then and a lot of cumbersome weight.

Here is a clip from that setup.

The next step was going digital, which Helmet Cam offers now but I went up in resolution to keep giving my clients the best possible footage.  And remember we are gear junkies as long as the gear pays is own way and more.

So I found www.helmetcameracentral.com, which offers the most up to date gear, and is a small family run company.  I prefer working with small companies where I can talk to people at the other end of the phone.  Twice now they have helped me out in tight situations with my gear.  If you are into POV cameras give them a go.

After shooting analog going digital was fantastic.  I purchased the VIO POV 1.0 they are now up to the VIO POV 1.5.  This camera produces great pictures and handles very rough conditions.  I had mountain bike riders me included who fell and the camera not only kept going it captured the fall Fantastic!  Run time is 2 ½ hrs but again you have to have the camera in a pack on your back and it is only Standard Definition.  By this time I had been shooting full 1080p and needed to move up again.  Yes, you can blow it up or keep boarders around the frame but HD POV was in the works.

Enter the VholdR ContourHD 720P helmet cam last year.  I jumped at the chance to start shooting 720p and after a very long delay from the manufacture the camera arrived.  I still have this camera and still use it at times on shoots.  It is as simple as a POV can get.  The camera has one switch on the top for record, small compartment in the back with battery (last about 2hr) and a Micro SD/SDHC card.  It comes with the 2GB and can take up to 16GB.  I use a 8GB since it last about the same as the battery.  That way when I switch batteries when I switch cards.  Three of each (battery and card) seems to get me through most of the jobs fine.   Also inside is a switch between SD and 720p.

Some negatives:  The camera is NOT waterproof.  And dust from a job in the desert of Moab, UT killed my first one that was replaced by Helmet Camera Central.

For all the POV cameras it is best to trans-coded the footage using free software called MPEG Streamclip by Squared 5.  Hats off to Squared 5 for a fantastic piece of software.  This software lets you pick the resolution and format.  All of my footage is set to run smoothly once trans-coded in Final Cut Pro.

Next I heard VholdR was coming out with a 1080p version.  Well I was sort of happy with the camera but waterproof would be nice and more control over the picture would be nice.  GoPro had been making a SD POV which I had researched but until it was HD I kept passing is over.  Now they had a 1080p version, which just came out fall of 2009.  I pre-ordered the GoPro 1080p and it arrived early November.  Too bad it missed the shoot in Moab since the footage is the best yet from all of the above cameras.  I have not had a chance to directly compare the ContourHD 1080p and the GoPro1080p but my choice is the GoPro.

GoPro 1080p, ContourHD 720p

Reasons I like the GoPro better are the following:
Waterproof housing comes with the camera
Options for stills, quick shot stills, 720p 60fps, and 1080p 30fps looks cleaner
Better mounting options
Smaller

Both are in the same price range about $400 with most of the gear you need.  I suggest you buy at least 3 extra batteries and enough cards to match.  Mount options are there to match you needs.
Now don’t get too excited about the picture if you shoot for a living like me.  The pixels are 1920×1080 in progressive but the bit rate is VERY low at 12Mbps.  On my XDCAM EX1 and PMW-350 I shoot up to 280Mbps recorded on the Convergent Design Nano.  You can mix the POV footage into the production but you won’t fool anyone into thinking it is a broadcast camera.  Now Sony makes a POV HD 1080i that I have not tried.  I will check it out at NAB 2010.

Bird\’s Eye View Promo

My point with this Tech Talk is to show the advantage of using gyro system while shooting from a helicopter.  The system can also be used in cars, planes, on boats, and a lot of other applications.  But for now I am going to stick with shooting out the side door of helicopters.  I have used the system in three different helicopters for the last 6 years a R44, Hughes 500, and EC120 Euro copter.  The system worked great in all machines.  I will also give a video example of shooting in a R44 with my custom shoulder mount and two Kenyon KS-8 gyros if you are on a lower budget.  But this system will not let you zoom you will have to stay full wide to stay sort of stable.

First off if you are going to shoot from a helicopter for a client make sure you use some type of stabilization system.  A ball mount is the best choice but they are very expensive and I think with a year or so of experience you can get very close with the Aerial Exposure rig.  Most shooters think they can take care of the shaky footage in postproduction.  Some postproduction stabilization software will help but it is software after the fact this will blur your footage if it is too shaky.  So take a few flights and get use to the system it takes 10-15 flights of 2 hrs to dial in your best settings with the same pilot to know you will produce great footage.  Once you have 20-30 flights you can take the system from pilot to pilot and if the pilots are up to the job you will get results.   Since our job is to please the client and give them stunning HD footage.

Having a good laugh with Jeff

My first example this client who would not pay for the additional cost of even a hand held gyro setup and the footage shows it.  This was shot 1080p 30p full wide with a custom shoulder brace (not gyro) using a Canon A1 years ago.  We were very close to the boat at the start maybe 50 feet away in a straight line.

I tried to get this client to pay the extra for the gyro rig telling him it is worth every penny in the end.  He said we only need a few clips to put up on HDTV at trade show.  What HDTV and no gyro not a smart move.  At this point in my career I will no longer do aerial shoots without a gyro system.  It is just not worth my time since my goal is to give the client the best possible HD footage for their production.  Hand-held shooting with out a gyro will not cut it on a 60” HDTV or the big screen.  Now there are some tricks like over cranking but what if the client wants full speed 1080P?  And over cranking will only cut the movement to half speed and is not going to let you zoom from my experience.

Second clip is shot at 1080p 30p full wide, EX1 on a custom hand held rig that has two Kenyon KS-8 gyros.  One gyro is in line under the lens and the other off the back perpendicular.  You can see the vibration of the machine in this clip since I am shooting the landing out the front glass of a R44.  I am in the back seat.  The two gyros in my opinion is the minimum need to keep a client happy.  Most of my clients who have me use this rig the fist time say “How come the footage you showed us from …… shoot is rock solid steady?”  Well you need to go to the next level for that and most do.

Third clip is shot EX1 1080p 30p 1/3 zoom on our custom aerial exposure rig.   Not much else to say except I did not nail the focus for the whole clip.  But this post is about stability of the shot not composition that comes in later Tech Talks.

There is a second delay between clips.  Three examples