This week there have been three important firmware updates for XDCAM EX cameras, the Convergent Design NanoFlash and the Zoom H4n. Read on for the details.

Sony XDCAM EX Firmware Update

If you are interested in using the new 64GB or 32GB SxS-1A cards, your XDCAM EX camera will need a firmware upgrade. The SxS-1 32GB cards have been out for sometime now, but the new SxS-1A cards have just recently starting shipping. These cards have faster transfer speeds, up to 1.2Gbps, which really makes a difference when downloading your footage through the ExpressCard interface. The following cameras require the firmware upgrade to work with these cards: PMW-EX1, PMW-EX1R, PMW-EX3 and the PMW-350. The new PMW-320 and PMW-500 cameras should work with no upgrade necessary. The firmware can be downloaded from the Sony website, which also includes instructions for installation.

Convergent Design NanoFlash

Convergent Design has updated the NanoFlash to version 1.6.226 (beta). This update adds many features including the ability to hot-swap cards and switch between cards on the fly. They have also added support for playback of Canon XF305 files, which makes the NanoFlash the only deck that can playback the Canon XF305/300 video. There are several other updates and bug fixes that every NanoFlash user will appreciate. This firmware is currently in beta, but worth checking out. Click here to download the firmware and learn more (bottom of the page).

Zoom H4n

The popular Zoom H4n has just been updated to version 1.70, which allows independent level controls on the unit’s two XLR inputs. This is very important for anyone using the H4n as a recording device for video work. Download the latest firmware here.

One of the most frequently asked questions that I receive about the XDCAM EX cameras is how to adjust back focus. Like all ENG style lenses, the lenses that come with these cameras can sometimes develop back focus issues over time. The cameras all have a method for adjusting this, and luckily the PMW350, PMW320, EX3, EX1R, and EX1 all follow a similar procedure. Watch this video to learn when and how to adjust the back focus on your EX camera.

DSCLabs has some great charts for checking back focus, they also offer a couple free ones that you can print yourself – here.

Note: To access the hidden menu on the EX1 / EX1R, hold the Menu, Scroll Wheel, and Cancel button at the same time. DO NOT adjust anything else in this menu.

Sony has announced the new PMW-320, which fits right between the EX3 and PMW-350 in the EX lineup. The PMW-320 has a 1/2″ CMOS sensor (the same as found in the EX3), with the form factor and feature set of the PMW-350. The camera will ship in two configurations – body with no lens, or packaged with a 1/2″ Fujinon lens. This packaged lens is very similar to the EX3 lens, but with a standard 1/2″ mount. Many of our clients have asked for a shoulder mounted EX3, and this is it. The PMW-320 will be available in August of this year.

[View with PicLens]

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

For the second part of the ENG Essentials – Camera Matching Series, I will be adjusting the gamma settings on the VariCam 3700 (HPX3700) to match the gamma curves on the EX3. The HPX3700 has more gamma adjustability, so I chose to set the EX3 to a setting I liked and then adjust the HPX3700 to match. Every manufacturer has different gamma curves, so my goal is to set the two gamma curves to match as closely as possible using a DSC Labs ChromaDuMonde chart and Leader scope.

…continue reading ENG Essentials: Gamma Matching

This is the first part of the ENG Essentials – Camera Matching series, and the first step to matching two cameras. White Shading is an in-camera process where a lens is matched with a camera’s sensor. Every lens and every sensor have unique characteristics, and the combination will often produce uneven color across your image. White shading corrects for this uneven color by adjusting individual color channels (R,G,B) from top and bottom and from left to right. This is done with a Leader waveform monitor and a white sphere that is designed to produce even white light.

Another important step after white shading a camera is to match white balance values. All pro cameras have preset and user defined white balance values – the P,A,B switch. If you run a white balance on two cameras looking at the same white card, in the same lighting environment, you will get very similar results. But if you plan to use the preset values (3200K,5600K) we need to be sure that both camera actually produce the same color white. Different lenses produce different white values, so even though the camera thinks you are at 3200K, it may be completely wrong. This can be corrected for by adjusting offset values in the camera, and making sure that both cameras have matching white values.

Watch my video below to see how these two steps are done.