It may seem like a simple topic, but a properly balanced fluid head is a necessity for getting that perfect shot. The process of balancing a camera on a fluid head can be quite simple, or rather time consuming, depending on your camera setup. Using a Libec RS-250M tripod and a Sony EX1R, I put together a quick example of how to balance with just the camera, and then again with more accessories added. Watch the video above to see the process.
Many cinematographers use warm and cool cards, like the DSCLabs White N’ Warm cards, to create a look in camera. By white balancing your camera on a card with warm (red) color the camera will produce a cooler (blue) balance. The opposite is also true; a cool (blue) card will give a warm (red) white balance. If you white balance off the same card in different lighting environments, then you can consistently achieve the same warm or cool look. What many people don’t know is that this same method can also be achieved in camera through white balance offsets. This option is available in many pro cameras and is simple to set. Depending on the camera, an offset can be applied to the preset, A or B white balance settings. The offset works simply by adjusting the white balance to be cooler or warmer. Just like using the same warm/cool card, the offset will be applied to any white balance that you run. The advantage to using the offset over using the cards is that you can white balance off any white surface and still get the look you are after (of course a nice white card is still advised, if available). Here are a couple examples of how this is set in different cameras.
…continue reading Using White Balance Offsets to Create a Look
Sony recently announced the MEAD-MS01, a memory stick adapter that works in the EX line of cameras. This is a low-cost alternative to the SxS card and is really handy when in a bind. For sometime now, there have been different SDHC card adapters that work with the EX cameras including the MxR and SxSxSDHC card adapters. Now Sony has come out with their own version – the MEAD-SD01. This will work in very much the same way as those other adapters, but it’s nice to see one officially sanctioned by Sony. The EX1 original and EX3 will require a firmware upgrade to work with the MEAD-MS01 and MEAD-SD01 adapters. Additionally Sony has announced that Class 10 SDHC cards will be supported with their adapter, but ALL EX cameras (EX1, EX1R, EX3, PMW350) will require a firmware upgrade to use Class 10 cards. The SD adapter will be available in mid-March, and you can look for this firmware upgrade earlier that month. Sony has officially tested and sanctioned the following SanDisk Class 10 cards – DSDX3-032G-A31A for 32GB, SDSDX3-016G-A31A for 16GB, SDSDX3-008G-A31A for 8GB.
Recently, Abel hosted a pair of seminars exploring Sony’s new XDCAM EX camera models. The events at Abel’s New York and Burbank facilities showcased the 2/3” CMOS EX350, which joins Sony’s popular XDCAM EX family. Each of the cameras in the line—the EX1R, the EX3 and the EX350—has a different feature set and form factor, which makes it ideally suited to a particular application. You can read more about these applications on abelcine.com.
At each event, Abel’s Andy Shipsides presented an overview of the XDCAM EX format and gave an EX350 camera tour. Filmmaker (and Abel Rental alumn) Ben Bloodwell joined Andy at the New York event to give his impressions of the EX350. He screened footage from a recent documentary on cyclist Lance Armstrong shot with the EX3. Veteran Network News Magazine shooter Dennis Dillon then spoke about combining the EX cameras with nanoFlash recorders and XDCAM optical discs.
Director of Photography Tim Paterson was the special guest at the LA event. He shared his thoughts on the EX350 and discussed his experiences shooting the recent documentary Michael Jackson’s This Is It with the EX1 and EX3.
Browse the image gallery above to see images from both events.
By the way, we are now taking pre-orders on the EX350, which will begin shipping right after the New Year.
Sony recently released a new version of their XDCAM EX Clip Browser with a couple of great new features. If you aren’t familiar with the software, it is Sony’s free tool for working with XDCAM EX clips. It allows users to download, subclip and add metadata to clips. It’s the best tool out there for working with EX material…and it’s free.
In this latest release, Sony added a Flash Band correction function. This will scan your clips and look for banding created by flashes. It is very similar to what the Panasonic HPX300 does in-camera. This is an important function for anyone shooting live events, or anywhere where there’s flash photography.
…continue reading New Features in Sony’s EX Clip Browser 2.6
I got my hands on the brand new PMW-EX1R camera from Sony. Watch the video to see my overview of the camera and to see some of the new features that Sony has added. I even jump into the menus to show off what the S&Q button can do.
A complaint often expressed by Sony EX1/EX3 owners is the infrared or far red contamination frequently seen on dark fabrics. Sony’s EXMOR sensors are designed to see a huge amount of color, or what Sony calls “broad spectrum colors.” This is a great thing, because these Sony cameras can capture more color than ever in a digital image. The negative effect of this, however, is that they’re also able to see some red colors that our eyes cannot see. This shows up particularly in dark fabrics, where the red contamination turns greens into muddy brown and some blacks will turn magenta…not a good thing. Up until now there was not much you could do about it, but thankfully Tiffen came up with a solution. They have created the T1 IR filter, which is designed to reduce this contamination but still maintain the wide range of colors. I’ve done some tests to compare an EX1 camera with and without the filter, and the difference is quite obvious. In short if you are an EX1 or EX3 owner, the T1 IR Filter is a must have. Keep reading to see comparisons and how the new EX1R and PMW-350 perform.
…continue reading Tiffen T1 Far Red Filter & the Sony EX Cameras
