AJA has just released firmware version 1.1 for the Ki Pro, and going up .1 turns out to be a major upgrade. Here is a list of the improvements :

- ProRes 422 LT and Proxy recording has been added. These formats are supported in Final Cut Pro 7, and allow for longer recording times at minimal quality loss.

- 720P variable frame rate support has now been added as well. This is great for VariCam users that want 720p24 (23.98), 720p25 and 720p30 (29.97) native recording.

- 1080p support has also been improved by enabling the auto-detection of 1080p 23.98, 1080p 24, 1080p 25 and 1080p 29.97 signals. This, along with PsF playback, gives the Ki Pro more functionality for high end users.

These updates, as well as a couple other new features, make for one big update. See the full release notes here, including a list of updates still planned for the future. Download Ki Pro Firmware 1.1 here.

In the last few years, MTF has become a buzzword in both cine and HD lens circles, but there is still a lot of confusion about just what it is, what it can and can’t do, and what it means to the cinematographer in a practical sense. In this article, I will attempt to clear up some this confusion by explaining what MTF means from a technical standpoint.

You may already know that MTF is an abbreviation for Modulation Transfer Function. MTF provides a way to objectively measure image sharpness in a practical and repeatable way that also correlates well with subjective perceived image sharpness.

The smallest practical unit for measuring image detail is a line pair, which is a black line and a white line, side by side. The measurement is line pairs per millimeter, and not lines per millimeter. It is very important to note that we are always talking about a black and a white line pair, and we are counting them as one line pair (1 lp/mm). In the digital realm, we need at least one pixel to represent the black point, and one to represent the white point. So we need a minimum of 2 pixels to image 1 line pair.

…continue reading What Is MTF?

Canon has a new HDSLR camera and a new Final Cut Pro plug-in. The EOS 550D (or Rebel T2i as it is also called) is their latest HDSLR camera, with an 18 MP APS-C size sensor and the ability to record full HD video. In terms of video, the specs are very similar to that of the 7D:

• 1080 recording at 24,25, and 30
• 720 recording at 50 & 60P
• Full Manual Video mode
• HDMI output
• Stereo Mic Input

The big differences from the 7D is a lower ISO range (100-6400), and it records to SDHC or SDXC cards instead of CF cards. The sensor is not exactly the same, so some comparison will have to be made, but the price is significantly different at under $1000. Read a full review of the new 550D at DPreview.

The other big news is that Canon is developing a plug-in for Final Cut Pro. It will allow importing of ‘EOS Movie’ footage into FCP through the Log and Transfer mode. The plug-in will convert the QuickTime movies created in Canon HDSLR cameras into Apple’s ProRes 422 codec at approximately twice the speed of Apple’s standard conversion. Additionally, users will also be able to add timecode, reel names and metadata to footage quickly and easily. This is great news for anyone working with Canon HDSLR cameras. A beta of the plug-in will be available in March.

Not all shoots take place on comfy sound stages. Currently in production, Thunder Perfect Mind takes place almost entirely on an ice-breaker ship off the coast of Antarctica. The movie is shooting on a pair of RED One cameras, as well as the Aaton Penelope 35mm camera, shooting in 2-perf. Much of the shooting is on the open decks of the ship, so the ASL Gear T-Bag is being used to protect the cameras from the salt water spray. At least one shot calls for the camera to start at the waterline pointing at the tip of an iceberg, and then dunk under to see the massive blue ice below.

The gear was rented out of Abel NY, and I built the package for the production to checkout. Putting the Penelope into the T-Bag worked beautifully. Here are some observations from that setup.

For the RED One camera, there’s a special enclosure that allows the use of the RED 5.6” LCD panel as a viewfinder. When the Penelope is in the T-Bag, the production will switch to the ASL Underwater 4” HD/SD SDI montior. We used a small AJA converter box to transform the Penelope’s composite video signal into a 4×3 SD-SDI feed. Everything is powered off of the camera’s batteries.

While the movie is mostly shooting on prime lenses, I took the opportunity to try out an Angenieux Optimo 15-40 on the Penelope inside the T-Bag (see picture below). There’s so much space inside the splash housing that the little zoom almost disappears! In fact, with a little wiggling we can even get the Angenieux Optimo 17-80 to fit.

Sony recently announced the MEAD-MS01, a memory stick adapter that works in the EX line of cameras. This is a low-cost alternative to the SxS card and is really handy when in a bind. For sometime now, there have been different SDHC card adapters that work with the EX cameras including the MxR and SxSxSDHC card adapters. Now Sony has come out with their own version – the MEAD-SD01. This will work in very much the same way as those other adapters, but it’s nice to see one officially sanctioned by Sony. The EX1 original and EX3 will require a firmware upgrade to work with the MEAD-MS01 and MEAD-SD01 adapters. Additionally Sony has announced that Class 10 SDHC cards will be supported with their adapter, but ALL EX cameras (EX1, EX1R, EX3, PMW350) will require a firmware upgrade to use Class 10 cards. The SD adapter will be available in mid-March, and you can look for this firmware upgrade earlier that month. Sony has officially tested and sanctioned the following SanDisk Class 10 cards – DSDX3-032G-A31A for 32GB, SDSDX3-016G-A31A for 16GB, SDSDX3-008G-A31A for 8GB.

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