The 2011 Government Video Expo was last week here in DC and there were a few standouts on display. Now, granted, there were lots of things on display but I’m going to focus on the few things that we really liked rather than try and summarize every gadget, doohickey and gizmo that was there. It can get to be too much:
Yeah, I’ve been wanting to throw that clip on the site…
Canon C300
This camera presents MUCH better in person than it does online. It may look strange but the ergonomics of the camera are FUN! It feels like the logical progression for DSLRs in that it retains a similar body style while removing the points of contention (moire, rolling shutter, need for separate audio record) and adds in professional camera features that we’re all accustomed to having(SDI output, timecode, built in ND filters.) It probably drew the most eyeballs at the show and the general consensus was that Canon has created a real contender. The image quality is really the major selling point with the camera, it’s a 4K sensor that down samples through clever math (Canon explains it on page 22 and 23 of this PDF brochure) to a crystal clean 2K image with an astounding lack of digital noise even at high ISO settings. A 16GB CF card (the camera can hold two at a time) will give you 40 minutes of record time at the highest recording rate, which is 50Mbps 4:2:2. And while there was initial grousing over the fact that the camera only features 8 bit processing there appears to have been a shift and general consensus now is that the workflow is going to be perfect. Sorry, RED. Also, the C300 demo video that went viral a day before the opening of the Expo garnered major buzz:
All in all, the C300 is impressive. The street price is going to be key to this camera’s success, though, and that was the main topic of conversation — Canon has an opportunity here to grab a strong hold if they price the camera appropriately.
Sachtler Ace
So, yeah, it’s a tripod. But it’s a Sachtler, designed for cameras that weigh up to 9lbs, the sticks come with either ground or mid-level spreaders and the whole package weighs under 4lbs. Oh, and it costs $535.00. Done, sold, moving on!
Teradek Bond
I’m a big fan of the Teradek Cube and so the Bond is a very nice addition to the family. Remember seeing the footage of the Penn State students pushing over the satellite truck? Well, this replaces the satellite truck which would make for significantly less interesting riot footage. It connects to the Cube and takes that encoded video signal and aggregates it over a number of 3G or 4G modems to allow HD broadcast from anywhere. AT&T signal down? No problem, the Bond pushes the extra load to the modems that have a signal. It’s not cheap, but it’s a hell of a lot less expensive than a truck and satellite access.
LitePanels Sola ENG
This light gives you 250W of light and is fully dimmable with no color shift and focusable. It can also be powered either via AC or via the P-Tap on any camera or Anton Bauer battery adapter. LitePanels debuted a 3 light kit with these units that included the stands and everything you would need for a basic interview set up. List price is said to be around $3,000 for what should be a versatile and highly portable kit.
Panasonic AG-HPX250
I’ll be honest, I wasn’t expecting much from Panasonic at the Expo and there was definitely a feeling that they were missing a showpiece. I was impressed by the new AG-3DP1, which is their shoulder mountable 3D camera — the 3D actually worked on the unit, which could not be said of the AG-3DA1 which has been a total disaster every time I’ve looked at it. However…I still don’t like 3D…
The Panasonic HPX250 DID impress me, though. An improved version of the venerable HVX200, the HPX-250 features a real lens with iris control (don’t laugh, those were the bad old days) and finally brings AVC-Intra recording to Panasonic’s smaller camera line. It also does away with the awful component HD video out connector that was on the old HVX200 and gives us HD-SDI – hallelujah! I find myself agreeing with comments made by Jay Friesen over on his blog that the HPX250 is hands down the best option out there right now for someone starting out or shooting a documentary, the quality of the camera and it’s high quality on-board recording make it a no-brainer.
Wrap Up
The Expo was smaller this year, there’s no doubt about that — they were in a different part of the DC Convention Center that takes up less space and there was a definite drop off in vendors. However, I actually quite liked the show, it felt more friendly and I enjoyed running into lots of people as I wandered around. I remain very impressed by the C300 and the initial disdain (driven by the 8 bit recording and announced LIST price) appears to be waning as people realize that the sensor is a thing of beauty and the workflow isn’t oppressive. All in all, a good GVExpo 2011.