The Panasonic HPX370 has excellent noise reduction technology which utilizes both 2D and 3D reduction methods, and Panasonic has just released new firmware for the camera that adds an important adjustment option for its optimum use.

While 2D noise reduction analyzes an individual frame and reduces noise where it can, 3D noise reduction looks across multiple frames to reduce noise. 3D noise reduction is very effective, but too much can produce smearing if there is motion in the image. Therefore, Panasonic uses both methods together by increasing the amount of 3D noise reduction in a static image, and decreasing it when there is movement in the images. There is some pretty sophisticated computing behind this technology, and the effect is quite good. However, the change in noise level between static and moving images is sometimes noticeable, so Panasonic has released a firmware update to address these situations.

…continue reading New Firmware for the Panasonic HPX370

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Two years ago, ARRI introduced the very popular MMB-1 mattebox. It became an immediate hit with our clients and the company quickly responded with various requested accessory options. Soon these options became what everyone wanted on their MMB-1, so after some discussion, ARRI decided to offer a version with these options substituted for the originals. This way, clients weren’t left with unwanted items at additional expense. Most requested were a top-loading rotating filter stage and a larger, 143mm rear clamp. This version of the mattebox is available now as the MMB-1 Top Load Mattebox. Check out the video for details.

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The Switronix Powerbase-70 is a new battery system for the Canon 5D Mark II and the Canon 7D. It combines a 70 Watt-hour V-Mount battery with a Canon power adapter that plugs right into your camera. With 70 watts of power the battery will run the camera for 6 times longer than a normal Canon battery. Additionally, the system features two P-taps, a battery gauge, and shoe for direct camera mounting. This is a great way to get longer record times on your HDSLR, and at the same time power multiple accessories. Check out the video above to learn more. The Powerbase-70 is now offered at a special introductory price of under $300 – an incredible deal on any V-mount battery. Also check out the various accessories I mention in the video: the P-tap charger, BlackMagic adapter, the AJA Adapter, the Zacuto Z-Cage, and the BlackMagic HDMI-to-SDI converter.

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Switronix has a new two-bay V-lock battery charger, the XDC-2LS. What’s special is that it powers off of 12vdc instead of plugging into AC power. The charger has an XLR-4 plug on the back, and a cable to plug it directly into a car cigarette lighter is included. The charger is powerful, simultaneously charging a pair of RED 140v Li-Ion batteries in just four hours. Now fast, portable power is available anywhere.

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The lucky guys over at Mercedes-Benz Digital Media get to shoot promos for all of the newest cars, and these promo videos appear on television and in Mercedes-Benz dealerships across the country. Recently they approached us to test out the Sony SRW-9000 on one of their shoots. With its 4:4:4 recording, extreme dynamic range and the high quality of the HDCAM SR format, the camera made for an easy choice. I traveled out to Lompac, CA – a city near Santa Barbara that boasts incredible views of the Pacific – with two cameras packed into a small rental car. Once there, I met up with DP Robert Campbell, Production Supervisor Kyle Smith, and the whole Mercedes team. They put one SRW-9000 on a special camera car rigged with a crane, and another on sticks for pass-by shots. Additionally, they used the CamTram system for some tracking shots. Fujinon provided several lenses, and Mercedes already owned the amazing HA13×4.5 lens with built-in precision focus. Robert, the DP, really liked having the ability to change frame rates up to 60P in 1080, and especially appreciated that the camera could ramp the frame rate while shooting. The shoot went smoothly and Mercedes-Benz captured some beautiful footage of several cars, including the new SLS. Check out the video above to see some of this footage, as well as some behind the scenes shots. Notice how well both highlight and lowlight information is preserved, especially during the sunset shots; we also ramped several shots so keep an eye out for those as well.

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One of the great advantages of HDSLR cameras is their small size. One of the supreme disadvantages is that there can be all sorts of little fiddly bits to keep track of. My old Super16 Aaton kit was a dozen cases — when I had to pare down to a Run ‘n’ Gun doc kit, I could get it to four — but that’s not how so many of us fly these days. We needed to get a fairly complete camera kit into a single case.

With this in mind, Abel and PortaBrace worked together to develop the “ultimate” HDSLR shooter’s case. The goal was to fit a camera built with front rods, follow focus, mattebox and optical viewfinder, along with a complete set of prime lenses or zooms, an HDMI/HD-SDI converter, and lots of batteries, chargers, CF cards, etc. It had to be easy to run around with on a shoot and fit inside a hardcase for shipping. After much work with PortaBrace, reconfiguring some products and creating new ones, we think we’ve come up with the Ultimate HDSLR Travel Kit. Take a look at the video to see more.

ARRI’s ALEXA camera offers several recording options, including recording directly to SxS cards in Apple ProRes format. This is called the Direct-To-Edit (DTE) option, and it makes for a very simple workflow. ProRes has proven to be a high quality and robust video format that is widely used in the industry today. The ALEXA has an uncompressed video output, but I believe many productions will choose to record in ProRes directly in the camera. Here is a 3 step guide for how to import ALEXA footage into Final Cut Pro.

…continue reading Simple ALEXA Workflow with Final Cut Pro