The internet has proven to be a valuable tool for all of us, and there’s no denying that using the internet for deliverables or proxies is changing the way we think about production. Sony’s new CBK-WA100 wireless adapter allows you to directly upload your footage to a new cloud service (or an FTP server of your choosing), and expands your options for delivering content quickly. I was able to spend a few minutes with this interesting adapter, so make sure you watch my first look above!

If you’re reading this blog, then you’re certainly familiar with the Vitec Group – chances are you own several pieces of gear from one of the many companies they represent. I swung by their booth to take a look at just a few of the new products they had on display, so watch my mini tour of the Vitec booth to see what’s new from OConnor, Anton Bauer and Sachtler.

When the Sony FS700 was first released, Sony announced that a 4K Raw recording option would be forthcoming. The Sony HXR-IFR5 is an adaptor that allows you to use the AXS-R5 recorder to achieve 4K Raw from the FS700, but in an exciting development, Sony has also announced that the Convergent Design Odyssey 7Q will also support some Raw and high frame rate capabilities. Watch my video above to learn more.

This year at NAB, Panasonic previewed the VariCam 3, an update to the venerable VariCam family, and I got a chance to stop by Panasonic’s booth to take a closer look. Evolving from the original tape-based VariCam to the popular P2 camera, this third-generation VariCam adds the ability to do 120p natively. Pricing hasn’t been announced yet, but the camera will probably be available early next year. You can read the full press release for more details and watch my video above to get a closer look at Panasonic’s new VariCam 3.

We’ve covered a lot of different accessories for Sony’s F5/F55 cameras, and at our booth we’re featuring a couple of new ones from Solid Camera. The Scatter Box is a power breakout box that mounts onto the back of the camera and features multiple power outputs. We all know how important it is to have adequate power distribution for all our accessories, so having a unit like this can come in very handy.

Another useful new accessory is the Sound Swivel, a compact unit that provides two XLR connectors for audio into the camera, and also conveniently repositions the headphone jack. The three connectors are then routed to a small swivel cube (hence the “Swivel” in the name). 

We’ve got both the Scatter Box and the Sound Swivel mounted to the Sony F55 in our booth – watch my video above to learn more about these new accessories from Solid Camera. 

With every new camera, come many new questions about workflow. The term “workflow” can be fairly broad, but today I am looking at importing Sony F5/F55 footage into various non-linear editing systems (NLEs). Both the F5 & F55 can record in MPEG2 (XDCAM), XAVC and HDCAM SR formats internally. With the addition of the AXS-R5 recorder, they can also record in Sony Raw. This article is focused on MPEG2 and XAVC, but be sure to keep an eye out for future blogs on working with Sony Raw and HDCAM SR. The F5 & F55 workflows are similar to that of the F3 and XDCAM EX cameras, but with some significant changes. Below, I outline how to ingest footage onto a hard drive and how to import into Avid Media Composer 6.5, Final Cut Pro X, Final Cut Pro 7 and Premiere CS6. Keep reading for a brief how-to on each process.

…continue reading How to Import F5/F55 Footage in FCP, Avid and Premiere

The Sony F5 & F55 cameras are shipping in quantity now, and we’ve gotten a lot of requests for some custom scene files. I’ve put together five files in our usual flavors. They are designed both to change the cameras’ look and make matching the two cameras easier. The cameras handle colors very differently due to their different Color Filter Arrays (to learn more, read Mitch’s article on CFAs), so you’ll see some obvious differences in the files. My focus on these files was to match skin tones and give a nice overall look. 

…continue reading Sony F5 & F55 Scene Files from AbelCine