Visual Edge Productions

Canon C300: Just The Facts Part 2

visualedge — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 19:43:07 +0000

Welcome back to our series of posts looking at some of the basic facts behind the new Canon C300. While I said yesterday that the manual is a good place to start (and usually the last place anyone wants to look…) today I’m going to go into something that isn’t covered in the manual: the workflow.

The Canon C300 shoots to CF cards at a very manageable data rate which makes for easy data offloading, especially if you use Imagine Products Shotput Pro. You don’t need an expensive reader that can only be bought from specialty retailers — you can pick one up at Best Buy, Ritz Camera, even some pharmacies. But once you’ve offloaded the data and made your backups (you do make backups, RIGHT?!) the footage needs to get into your editing software of choice, be it FCP7, Avid, Premiere or FCPX. Luckily, the fabulous Andy Shipsides (follow him on Twitter) of AbelCine (follow them on Twitter) has written a verity detailed article that goes into all these options in details. He even has pictures. Head over there and learn all the good stuff. And remember and bookmark their CineTechnica blog, it really is one of the most valuable sites for this industry.

Um…yeah, that’s all for today. Tomorrow I’ll have something original. I promise.

***UPDATE!*** Canon today (2/14/12) released a plugin for Apple’s FCPX that allows it to work with footage from the C300 without the need for a third party plugin! Download the XF Plugin for FCPX here.

Chris Cardno

Production Manager

Canon C300: Just The Facts Part 1

visualedge — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 22:57:36 +0000

The Canon C300 is getting a lot of buzz, and rightfully so. However, as is all too often the case, the buzz is rather devoid of basic facts and while the manual is readily available right here…come on, I know you’re not going to read it. So, I thought I’d run a short series of posts that ~~shamelessly exploit SEO tactics in a blatant attempt to gain hits~~ answer some of the more rudimentary questions.

“Isn’t the C300 just a big DSLR?”

No, although you’d be forgiven for thinking that the basic design is a DSLR on steroids. The Canon C300 is a video camera, first and foremost, not a still camera with video functions. It has a totally new sensor that is significantly less prone to the moiré and rolling shutter that plagues the DSLRs. It has professional inputs and outputs – XLRs for audio, BNC for video and timecode. It has a built in ND filter wheel, zebras, peaking, waveform, a headphone jack (pretty sad that we’re excited about this…) and all the features that professional camera operators expect. This is the logical progression for DSLR shooters and the video camera that we’ve been anticipating.

“Do we still have to deal with the limited record times?”

Nope, Canon took care of that with the C300, no more 11 minute record limit.

“So, what does the C300 record to and in which formats? How long a record time is available?”

The Canon C300 records to CF cards and can do so at a variety of data rates. Here’s a breakdown of the different options:
50Mbps 4:2:2

1920×1080: 59.94i, 50.00i, 29.97p, 25.00p, 24.00p, 23.98p
1280×720: 59.94p, 50.00p, 29.97p, 25.00p, 24.00p, 23.98p

35Mbps 4:2:0

1920×1080: 59.94i, 50.00i, 29.97p, 25.00p, 23.98p
1280×720: 59.94p, 50.00p, 29.97p, 25.00p, 23.98p

24Mbps 4:2:0

1440×1080: 59.94p, 50.00p, 29.97p, 25.00p, 23.98p

Maximum Recording Times

16GB CF Card: 50Mbps = 40 minutes; 35Mbps = 55 minutes; 25Mbps 80 minutes
64GB CF Card: 50Mbps = 160 minutes; 35 Mbps = 225 minutes; 25 Mbps = 310 minutes

Chris Cardno

Production Manager

Filming Government Buildings

visualedge — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 01:22:58 +0000

Filming government buildings is a business unto itself here in the DC area. Very few shoots don’t end with the client saying, “Oooo, let’s get some b-roll around town.” The problem is that DC, well, is ROTTEN for this.

Part of this is because different parts of DC are run by different agencies. The DC Film Office may sound like a logical place to start, but they have zero influence on the National Mall so that really cool motion control timelapse you’re planning of the sun rising over the Capitol is going to be a non-starter. So, you turn to the National Park Service. I hope you’re not planning on shooting in the next four days because they want 96 hours notice. Oh, you can go and shoot immediately, but you can’t put a tripod down. Fun, huh? And then there’s the Capitol Police, who run the Capitol and it’s grounds. Good luck there.

And that’s just the monuments! Many shoots need to get b-roll of the various agencies in DC (yes, we know, unless it’s FBI you’re just getting a shot of a generic building and the sign outside of it — DC’s governmental architecture isn’t all that thrilling, sorry.) This sounds like it should be easy but over-zealous security guards made this an absolute nightmare for years, with people having tapes confiscated and generally being subjected to some shocking treatment.

As it turns out, that was unconstitutional. And a lawsuit in New York brought this to attention and resulted in the following magical document:

Oh, yes, that’s a Homeland Security document that, in essence, tells security to back off and let you do your job. Now, there are limits, of course, and good manners and respect will still get you further than any piece of paper but it never hurts to have back-up. Download a copy here, print it out and keep it with you. Filming government buildings just became a little easier.

Chris Cardno

Production Manager

PMW-F3 S-LOG Upgrade Now Available

visualedge — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 18:17:18 +0000

The Sony PMW-F3 ought to be a case study for all other major camera manufacturers. Not only is is well-priced and easily available it has an insane range of upgradeable features that can take full advantage of the astounding sensor Sony put inside it. It really is a camera for all seasons: ENG, commercial, features, documentaries…the PMW-F3 can deliver your image with as many toppings as you’d like and it seem’s that Sony has every intention of continuing this upgrade policy.

Their latest upgrade to the F3 is a doozy. While S-LOG (follow this link for a quick S-LOG refresher) has been available for the past few months it’s been expensive and something that can be loaded or removed depending on the job. Rental houses have been charging extra for this option (understandable given the original price) but we’ve decided that, well, that’s not going to fly.

S-LOG and all it’s benefits are now enabled on our PMW-F3 at all times. For free. Gratis. No charge.

So, should you want to shoot 4:4:4, you can go right ahead. Feel like really putting your colorist through his paces? Shot S-LOG EI. If you’ve got the LUT, we’ve got the camera for it.

Both PL and Nikon lens mounts are available for the PMW-F3 and we expect to have the AbelCine ProVFM Viewfinder installed on the camera in the next couple of weeks. And yes, that’ll be part of the package, too, for no additional charge.

So, no excuses. Rent the camera and go shoot.

Chris Cardno

Production Manager

Sachtler Ace Now Available

visualedge — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 15:41:54 +0000

We’ve been keeping an eye on the Sachtler Ace since it’s announcement and, after seeing it at the 2011 Government Video Expo, we knew that it was going to be an absolute no-brainer. Well, our friends at Rule Boston Camera finally got them in stock and we had one shipped down here the same day.

The head for the Sachtler Ace is rated to 8.8lbs, which perfectly covers a DSLR, the Sony Z7U, the Sony EX3 (even with the Anton Bauer adapter and a Dionic 90) and we’re looking forward to testing it with the new Canon C300 — it should be a perfect match. It has three drag levels, both horizontally and vertically, and can tilt a full 90°. The tripod, though, is really astounding, rated to 44lbs. Yeah, you read that right. It goes as low as 25″ and as high as 60″ and is a standard 75mm bowl. And, of course, it’s a Sachtler, which means you get all that solid German engineering and reliability.

The Sactler Ace will be the default tripod and head we send out with all of our smaller cameras as of now. Come on by and take a look.

Chris Cardno

Production Manager

Canon EOS C300: It’s coming…

visualedge — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 17:40:06 +0000

New Lenses at Visual Edge

visualedge — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 21:59:34 +0000

It’s 2012 and while there still aren’t any flying cars (well, there’s this, but it looks lame) we do have a couple of new lenses available here at Visual Edge that are perfect for your DSLR, F3 or C300. First up is the very nice and handy Nikon 28-70:

The lens covers that critical range for interviews, allowing for a zoom in or out on an interview subject without having to reposition the camera, and is fast for a zoom at a constant f2.8. We had the lens checked out by Matthew Duclos of Duclos Lenses before he gave it one of his superb cine-mods and he declared that the “contrast and resolution are excellent” and the “overall image quality of your lens is what I would consider high”. The lens has a manual aperture and while it does have a Nikon F mount it can be used on the Canon 5DMkII or the Sony PMW-F3.

Another fun new addition is the Rokinon 8mm Fisheye, also in a Nikon mount:

We picked this up because, well, it’s fun. While the lens will not cover the full frame Canon 5DMkII it perfectly covers the sensor on the Sony PMW-F3 and can create a really fun shot, as you can see at the end of this video:

We’re looking forward to a great 2012 with a bunch of new cameras and accessories on the way and we’re looking forward to working with you. Feel free to give us a call, drop us an email or, heck, go all 20th century and send us a regular old letter.

Chris Cardno

Production Manager

2011 Government Video Expo News & Notes

visualedge — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 18:07:22 +0000

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.

Five Lenses and An F3

visualedge — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 15:05:46 +0000

Five Lenses And An F3 from Visual Edge on Vimeo.

This is no more than a quick demo to show the field of view differences when using different lenses using the Sony F3. Plus, it gave me a reason to throw up a couple of shots using the Rokinon 8mm Fisheye!

Lenses used:

Sony 85mm T2.1
Sony 50mm T2.1
Sony 35mm T2.1
Duclos Modded Tokina 11-16mm T2.8 (at 11mm and 16mm)
Rokinon 8mm F3.5

Please bear in mind that this was shot by a guy who does not make a living standing behind a camera — I make a living sitting behind a desk surrounded by cameras. As such, while comments regarding framing, focus and exposure are fair enough they’re also going to be seen as a tad grinchy…

The footage was recorded in the F3 at 1920×1080, Cine3 Gamma, ND1 engaged. I tried keeping all the lenses at around a 3.4 but also grabbed a shot with the Rokinon at F5.6 as (by my poor eyes) it looked significantly sharper when stopped down as opposed to full open.

No color correction has been applied to this footage. Straight import to FCP, cut down the shots, titles, export to H.264.

The three Sony lenses are, of course, made for the F3. The Duclos Modded Tokina covers a full frame sensor so the field of view is changed given that the F3 has a Super 35mm sensor. The Rokinon is rated to cover an APS-C sensor, but cleanly covers the F3.

Thanks for watching, questions and comments are always welcome.

‘Inside 9/11 – The War Continues’ Airs Sunday August 28

visualedge — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 15:01:17 +0000

We are very pleased to announce that ‘Inside 9/11 – The War Continues’ will premiere on the National Geographic Channel at 9pm EDT/8pm CDT on Sunday August 28th. Bruce Liffiton shot the interviews for the show here in the DC area using both the Sony HDW-F900R and the F800 XDCAM with the Convergent Design NanoFlash. The show has been in production for over a year, with a radical shift in the show’s focus due to the tracking down and killing of Osama bin Laden on May 2.

Here’s a preview of the show:

There’s also a micro-site for the show here.

We hope you have a chance to tune in on August 28 and enjoy the show.