Canon’s new XF305 compact camcorder features a unibody design, incorporating an 18X zoom lens. The focus function button on the lens barrel can activate full manual focus or auto focus. There is also a digital zoom function that can be triggered by the two magnification buttons built into the camera body. Additionally, the auto focus function on this camera is one of the best I have seen – it is center-weighted, meaning that the camera looks to the center of the frame to determine focus.

The XF305 also boasts some pretty impressive stats: its highest recording resolution is 1920×1080 at 50Mbps, and footage is captured in MPEG-2 codec in LongGOP format with 4:2:2 color sampling. HD-SDI, SD-SDI and composite outputs are available as well. Watch my video to learn more about this versatile new camera.

Today Canon announced two new camcorders, the XF105 and XF100. These two small cameras are part of the new Canon lineup of memory recording cameras, which also includes the XF305 and XF300. The new cameras share many of the same features as their bigger brothers, including the same 1/3″ CMOS chipset, and recording to the Canon XF Codec (MPEG-2 4:2:2 50Mbps) on Compact Flash cards.

Surprisingly, the XF105 comes complete with HD-SDI output, Genlock, and timecode inputs/outputs, which makes it one of the most capable small cameras out there. The compact form factor, 3.5″ LCD, and 10x lens are the big factors that differentiate these cameras from their larger brothers. However, those are the only real differences – exciting news for anyone in need of a small camera. Additionally, Canon has integrated their infrared low-light feature, enabling the capture of HD video in complete darkness. Finally, they have also added a feature that allows two of these cameras to be linked up for 3D capture. Details of this feature have not yet been released, but it probably will be some form of synchronized lens control and recording. Both the Canon XF105 and XF100 are scheduled to be available in the first quarter of 2011, but pricing has not been announced yet.

Read Canon’s official press release here.

New firmware for the Nexto Video Storage Pro (NVS2500) was recently released, which adds several new features to the product. These updates include preview support of AVCHD clips, preview support of the new Canon XF300/305 video format, and greatly improved data protection and backup options. One of the new backup options includes the ability to copy data back to Compact Flash and SDHC cards. It may seem a bit odd to backup video footage shot on one memory card to another, but there are some advantages. Compact Flash and SDHC memory are relatively inexpensive, easy to find, and fast to download. So if you are working with P2 or SxS cards, the Nexto can copy them to its internal drive, and then to another card for delivery or storage. Or if you are working with CF or SDHC, the Nexto can be used to make a copy. Why walk away from set with one memory card when you can walk away with two? Because the Nexto is not capturing video in real time, you could even utilize cheaper cards with slower read/write speeds as backups. Download the latest firmware here, and make sure to read Nexto’s workflow document to learn about their new data protection and recovery options.

Recently, I got a chance to play with one of Canon’s newest lenses the HJ15ex8.5 2/3″ ENG-style HDTV lens. It features Canon’s advanced Vari-Angle Prism Image Stabilizer (VAP-IS) technology, allowing users to adjust for specific shooting situations – perfect for handheld work while walking, running, or on a moving vehicle. Check out the video to see my overview of the lens’s key features.

The NAB trade show floor opens tomorrow and manufacturers are just jumping to get new product out there. Press releases have started flooding in, and we are all doing our best to stay on top of them. I could write blog posts about all of these products, but for now we will keep it brief. We will be posting throughout the show, so stay tuned for blogs and video blogs.

Keep reading after the break to see some of the latest products we have been following:

…continue reading Some Early NAB Announcements

A new plugin from Canon is available for Final Cut Pro and is free to download. Final Cut Pro users (versions 6.0.3 – current 7.0) will be able to ingest footage from the 1D Mark IV, 5D Mark II and 7D through “Log and Transfer”. This is a huge step forward for HDSLR shooters, because it greatly improves the workflow in FCP. Here is some basic info on what the plugin allows:

• Clips ingested using “Log & Transfer”
• Archiving
• Timecode Generation
• Auto File Import
• Auto Transcode
• Auto Data Input
• Selectable ProRes formats in FCP7
• Selectable ProRes formats in FCP6

Download the E-1 plugin on Canon’s site here.

Canon has released ANOTHER firmware update for the 5D Mark II. The last firmware (2.0.3) had a small bug in it, which caused audio to stop recording when using the custom modes C1, C2, or C3. This is not a big deal for us movie shooters, but the good news is Canon has addressed the issue and released firmware 2.0.4. Download the new version here. Thanks Canon for the quick fix.