ARRI has just completed extensive testing on the new ALEXA Firmware 3.0, due to be released in early February. It includes so many new features that ARRI has decided to release a Beta version to all ALEXA owners a few weeks in advance of the official release date. This will allow ARRI to receive valuable feedback on the performance of the 3.0 upgrade from its growing ALEXA install base prior to the firmware’s official release.

Here are the key features of the ALEXA 3.0 firmware.

…continue reading ARRI ALEXA Firmware 3.0 Beta Release

While most of the broadcast production world has used 12v power for decades, the majority of the 35mm film world has been 24v for some time. Now, Digital Cinema tools have begun to blur production lines and increasing numbers of cameras, monitors and other devices require 24v power, some of them needing a great deal. Unfortunately, most of the available 24v power supplies we found were large and expensive – so we decided to make our own.

Abel started with a small, industrial, medical-grade 24v/150w power supply. It auto-ranges input power, so it can be used worldwide. The six-foot long, heavy-duty flexible cable is strain-relieved at the power supply and ends in a standard XLR-3 connector on the other. This is the same connection found on industry-standard block batteries such as the Anton Bauer Cine VCLX.

To use this power supply with an ARRI ALEXA, use a standard ARRI KC-20 or KC-29. Abel makes cables to the various Phantom cameras, and we can also make cables to 24v monitors or any other 24v device you may wish to power.

The small, inexpensive 24v/150w Power Supply is another in a growing series of innovative power solutions planned by Abel Cine.

I’m often asked how to rig up the Panasonic AF100 for handheld work. There are many ways this can be done, but after several configurations, I found one that really suited my needs and just felt right on my shoulder.

Watch my video above to see my favorite handheld rig. This rig is available for sale on our website, or talk to one of our sales reps other custom configurations.

With the popularity of Panasonic’s AF100, there are a few questions that keep popping up during discussions of the camera. Hopefully this blog can provide some answers.

When I’m using my AF100 with a lens adapter or when I remove the lens, why do I not get an image?

The AF100 ships with a setting that checks for a Micro 4/3rd lens, and if one isn’t found, the sensor remains off. If you put a Nikon or PL mount adapter on the camera, you won’t get a picture. However, this can be resolved with a simple menu change. In the OTHER FUNCTIONS menu, there is a setting called LENS CHECK. Simply turn this off, and you will be back in business. If you are still not getting an image, try removing and reattaching your lens.

…continue reading Your AF100 Questions Answered

Our eyes perceive brightness differently than an electronic sensor does. Video monitors are locked into a standard for color and contrast, but now Digital Cinema camera systems are being used to capture images that are used and displayed in media that can see well beyond those limitations. Brightness is captured on a Linear scale (LIN), and usually stored with video gamma (REC709) or with a more film-like Logarithmic encoding (LOG). What does this mean, how does one use it, and what capabilities does it represent?

In the first of a series of Technical Resource articles and CineTechnica posts, I present an introduction to the concept of LOG, its origins and capabilities. Click here for the article.

In this exclusive 3-part online series, indie filmmaker Noah Kadner takes a first look at Panasonic’s revolutionary AF100, the first professional camera to combine the interchangeable lenses of a digital SLR still camera with the ergonomics of a camcorder.

Part 1 – Introduction and Pre-Production
Part 2 – Production

Part 3 – Post-Production and Conclusion

My week’s time spent with the AF100 went by very quickly and before I knew it, it was time to send the camera and lenses back to Abel Cine Tech. Now I had the chance to work with the footage in post-production. I wanted to see how shots that looked great on the camera would wind up on my monitor at home. I was also very curious to gauge how the camera’s codec would hold up to extensive grading and effects.

Although the AF100 I used was a hot-off-the-factory-line prototype, it used the same Panasonic AVCHD codec that’s been in use for the past couple of years, most notably on the HMC-series and GF/GH cameras. I had no trouble ingesting footage into my NLE of choice, Final Cut Pro. I’m not sure what the codec support is like in Premiere, Avid and others, but I’d imagine you wouldn’t have any major issues bringing it in.

…continue reading Noah Kadner’s First Look at the AF100: Part 3

In this exclusive 3-part online series, indie filmmaker Noah Kadner takes a first look at Panasonic’s revolutionary AF100, the first professional camera to combine the interchangeable lenses of a digital SLR still camera with the ergonomics of a camcorder.

Part 1 – Introduction & Pre-Production

Part 2 – Production

With arrangements set for the loan of an AF100 camera from Panasonic and an assortment of lenses and support gear from Abel Cine Tech, I looked forward to the imminent FedEx truck. The gear arrived on a Friday afternoon, and by then I had at least one and possibly two projects lined up to shoot with the camera. The first project turned out to be shooting a documentary at my day job. I can’t say much about the subject matter or the participants because that would get me in trouble, but I can tell you about the workflow and my camera handling experiences.

…continue reading Noah Kadner’s First Look at the AF100: Part 2