Sony has many different software applications for viewing and ingesting XDCAM and XDCAM EX footage on Mac and PC. From XDCAM Transfer to XDCAM EX Clip Browser to XDCAM Proxy Viewer – things can get a little confusing. Sony has taken all these tools and combined them into one powerful piece of software. Their XDCAM Browser works with all of the XDCAM footage types (Disc and SxS), making your post process much easier. Here is a short review of a pre-release version of the new software.

…continue reading Sony’s New XDCAM Browser Software

Remember the old Panasonic P2 Store, the AJ-PCS060G? It was the single card P2 reader that allowed you to download P2 cards onto a 60 GB hard drive. It was released when the HVX200 was new to the market and made it possible to work with the huge 4GB P2 cards available at the time. Well, things have changed a bit since then and now we have the AG-MSU10, also known as the Panasonic Media Storage Unit. This little device functions much like the P2 Store, but adds tons of functionality including removable hard drives, eSATA access, fast downloads (16GB in 3 minutes), and a color screen with rough playback capability. Watch my video above to learn more about this portable and fast P2 download tool.

I got a chance to see the new Sony PMW-500 camera at HD World this year. The camera combines the 2/3″ CCD sensor of the PDW-700 and PDW-F800 with the body of the PMW-350. If all those product numbers have your head spinning, you can think of this as an XDCAM 422 camera that records to SxS cards. In addition to support for all current SxS cards, the PMW-500 will work with the new 64 GB and 32 GB SxS-1 cards that are now shipping. The XDCAM 422 format is widely accepted by news networks and other broadcasters, so it’s great to see Sony offering it on SxS cards. Watch my video above to learn more.

At the HD World show in New York, I got a chance to see OConnor’s new O-Box Mattebox and Mini Follow Focus. I spoke with Product Specialist Eric Johnston about the O-Box and how it is designed to be both a mattebox as well as an on-camera mounting point and grip system. Eric also showed me their new mini follow focus system, which has a unique friction gear option for use on Canon lenses, as well as a new riser to go along with it. Watch my video above to learn more about all this new OConnor gear.

Over the past year, the BlackMagic Design HDMI to SDI mini converter box has proved to be extremely popular with clients using the Canon 5D and 7D. It accepts both HD HDMI and SD HDMI signals from the 5D Mark II camera, but as some of you may recall from Andy’s blog back in May, the 5D Mark II outputs HD HDMI until you hit record, and then the signal changes to SD. BlackMagic’s firmware version 1.5 would break the SD conversion, leaving you with a blank monitor while recording. The fix was to downgrade your firmware to 1.4, but Blackmagic has finally addressed the problem in their latest firmware, version 1.6.1. What’s new? Well, now you can see your Canon’s SD signal while recording, but there’s also Closed Captioning support for up/down/cross conversion and overall performance and stability improvements. You can also set your downconversion settings to anamorphic 16:9, center cropped 4:3, or letterboxed 16:9.

To upgrade your converter box, download the 1.6.1 Utility Software for Mac or Windows. After opening the utility, plug your converter into your computer using a USB cable and power it up. The utility will automatically upgrade your firmware if it’s not already at the current version.

The October 2010 Special Report of Jon Fauer’s Film And Digital Times is an entire issue devoted to ARRI’s ALEXA camera system “from concept to construction.” Starting with the camera’s unveiling at last year’s IBC, the issue includes a fascinating interview with ARRI’s Managing Director Franz Kraus, as well as a tour of the ALEXA assembly facility in Munich. The more you read, the more it becomes obvious what draws discerning cinematographers to ARRI gear – the design and craftsmanship of the product instill trust in its implementation and functionality.

So whatever your thoughts on the changing digital tide, this special edition of Film And Digital Times is an engrossing read. A Cinematographer’s Tour of ARRI ALEXA is available as a free download on the FD Times website.

On very rare occasions a new product comes along that makes me want to slap myself on the head and say, “Why hasn’t anyone thought of this before?” The V-Bag is a flat pouch of thick vinyl containing foam pebbles. When a small vacuum pump is used to suck out the air, the bag contracts around the pebbles and forms a solid surface in whatever shape the pebbles lay. This makes the V-Bag a universal mounting system. You can stick it between a hi-hat and uneven ground, put the V-Bag on a sloped surface and create a platform, wrap the V-Bag around a handle to lock it into place, or lay it onto the hood of a car for an impromptu vehicle mount.

The V-Bag comes with reinforced grommet holes along the sides and two vacuum ports for ease of mounting and use. A hand pump and carry bag for the kit are also included. There are three sizes available and they can be used in conjunction to create unique mounts (I find the small and medium bags particularly useful together). With their low cost and myriad number of uses, the V-Bag deserves a place in every cameraman’s kit.