Sony stopped by the office with the FS100 the other day, and we were able to do some quick tests. The first thing I wanted to know was how the camera rated in terms of ISO, so we repeated the same tests we did for the F3 ISO. Here are our findings:

We were amazed by the results, especially the ISO 8000 and 16000 results. My light meter couldn’t even go above 8000. Click on the 24 db image (above) and 30 db image (below) to see the output of the camera. This should help you get an idea of the noise associated with these high gain values. The low light capabilities of the camera are amazing.

…continue reading Sony FS100 Ratings and Dynamic Range

OConnor has a new labs section of their website, and they have been posting some great articles. In their article, Rod Standards Explained, they diagram the different standards for rod spacing that have developed over the years. This is an important read for anyone considering a new mattebox or baseplate system. Additionally they put together a chart with lens diameters of popular cinema lenses. Both of these articles are important resources, so visit OConnor Labs today.

There’s no denying that Canon HDSLRs have made a big impact on our industry, and while proving to be an amazing tool for cinematographers, some of their limitations become apparent in post-production. While the native HDSLR image is often lauded its for high contrast and saturation, this can also prove challenging to color correct and grade.

To solve some of these issues, Technicolor and Canon have teamed up to release a custom Picture Style designed to increase the dynamic range of the images produced by the Canon HDSLRs. Loading the Technicolor CineStyle profile replaces the standard REC709 profile with a log color space for maximum latitude.

When you load the Picture Style with Canon’s EOS utility software, you can see that it adds the “CineStyle” profile to the standard drop down list.

I’ve included some sample images of the Canon “Standard” and “Neutral” styles compared to the Technicolor CineStyle.

Canon Standard

Canon Neutral

Technicolor CineStyle

While the Technicolor CineStyle appears flat and washed out, the low contrast image provides a true, neutral starting point for your colorist.

Technicolor has also released an S-curve LUT (Look Up Table) for Apple Color and Magic Bullet LUT Buddy. Both the Picture Style and S-curve LUT are available from Technicolor’s website here.

The Sony PMW-F3 has a very nice standard look right out of the camera, but it also has many many ways of adjusting the image to your liking. At AbelCine we have been making scene files for our clients, designed to both match cameras and create a look. With the wide range of adjustments available in the F3′s picture profile control, I was able to make several looks that you might find useful. Some are aimed at maximizing the range of the camera, while others are aimed at creating a specific look. You can download all of the scene files here, and easily upload them to your camera through an SxS card but this will change all of your other camera settings. You can instead download the files individually from links below each profile. Here is a brief description of each and what you can expect. Learn how these files were made and how to make your own in our F3 class, which is going on this week in NYC & LA.

…continue reading F3 Scene Files from AbelCine

The latest Digital Cinema cameras are sophisticated computers that draw considerable power. Filmmakers then pile on lots of camera accessories that can also pull a hefty load. As standard power solutions were limited, AbelCine created a line of power solutions to answer any need.

Designed and manufactured by AbelCine and introduced at NAB 2011, the UniBob Universal Power Breakout Box is designed to answer both the power draw and distribution needs for Digital Cinema production crews. The UniBob is a compact unit (about the size of a Dionic 90 battery) and can mount directly to a standard 3-peg Anton Bauer-style battery mount or attach directly using an Accessory Mounting Kit.

The UniBob takes in power via a large Lemo-8 connector, which can deliver in excess of 300w each of both 28v and 14.4v power simultaneously. There are three 28v outputs and three 14.4v outputs. In addition to the Anton Bauer 3-peg battery mount (14.4v), the UniBob has two Phantom-standard Fischer-4 ports for 14.4v power, two ARRI-standard Fischer-3 ports for 28v accessory power, and one large Fischer-3 port for 28v power to directly feed a camera or other large-draw device.

There are numerous devices available to send power to the UniBob. AbelCine commissioned Frezzi to build the Universal Juicebox AC Power Supply. The Universal Juicebox can output in excess of 300w of both 13.5v and 28v power simultaneously. In addition to the dual-voltage Lemo-8 port, outputs include 3x XLR-4 (13.5v) and two XLR-3 (28v). All outputs and both voltages are available at all times. The unit has auto-ranging voltage, meaning that it can be used in electrical systems throughout the world. Anton Bauer makes the DT-500 AC Power Supply, which has a Lemo-8 to supply 300w of 14.4v and 200w of 28v simultaneously.

…continue reading AbelCine Digital Cinema Power Solutions

It occurred to us when creating the Camera Mounted Recorders comparison chart that there is often confusion around different HD formats. In 2009, I wrote up a blog titled Making Sense of HD Formats that covered the different HD formats used today. But what I didn’t go into was those other words and numbers that we often see associated with a video compression format: bit rate and bit depth. Don’t stop reading just yet, I promise to keep this simple and you’ll see that these numbers may actually mean something when it comes to your next production.

Most professional HD video cameras today have an HD-SDI (High Definition – Serial Digital Interface) output, so this will be a good place to start the discussion. An example of a typical HD-SDI video output would be a 1080 60i Uncompressed 10-bit signal. If you are scratching your head already, let’s break it down a bit with a couple definitions.

…continue reading HD Formats: Bit Rate vs Bit Depth

One of the big stories at NAB 2011 was the release of numerous Camera Mounted HD recorders. From the AJA Ki Pro Mini to the Sound Devices PIX 240, a huge variety of portable recorders are becoming available. These recorders all aim to increase recording quality and ease workflow needs, but they differ greatly in their form, function and price point. To help navigate these different options, we created a Camera Mounted Recorder Comparison Chart that compares several of the different camera mounted recorders. The chart includes details on recording format, media, inputs and other information that should help you decide which might be right for you. We also included the high end recorders from Codex and S.two, which feature ARRIRAW recording capability. ARRIRAW is a 12-bit RAW Uncompressed format that can be sent out of the ARRI ALEXA camera.

NOTE: Several excellent recorders from Sony, Panasonic, AJA and others are not included, because we wanted to focus on recorders that are designed to be mounted on a camera for production. Check out the chart and let us know what you think.