Sony has put a lot of effort into bringing OLED displays to the production business. Their PVM-740 monitor has had great success, and they followed it up with a 17″ (PVM-1741) and 25″ (PVM-2541) version as well. On the high end, Sony has released their BVM-E and BVM-F series of monitors in the same 17″ and 25″ sizes. The difference between the monitors can be a bit confusing; watch my video above to learn more, and see the chart below for more specifics.

…continue reading Sony’s OLED Displays and the Decimator MD-DUCC

We are always looking for ways to accessorize cameras so they are even more functional for our clients. Our latest design for the F3 is a ProVFM Viewfinder Mount Kit that enables the use of a professional electronic HD viewfinder with the camera.

The ProVFM Viewfinder Mount Kit allows a Sony or Panasonic 1920×1080 HD viewfinder to be mounted to the F3. Using a proper HD viewfinder on the F3, you can comfortably handhold the camera, as well as judge focus and exposure.

…continue reading F3 Solutions: AbelCine ProVFM Viewfinder Mount Kit

Recently, Jonathan Miller of Hive Lighting stopped by our showroom to demonstrate a prototype of his new Hornet light. Hive lights employ plasma to produce a very bright and efficient light source. Plasma lights, which work on a similar principle to how the sun produces light, are twice as efficient as traditional HMI lighting, with a truer daylight balance. They produce a flicker-free light, making them ideal for for high-speed photography. Hive lights can be DC powered and are extremely flexible to set up.

Hive lights will be available to purchase in Spring 2012.

Watch my video to learn all about this exciting new technology.

I’m often asked about the available solutions for attaching accessories or external recorders to camera rigs. One solution for 15mm lightweight or 19mm rods is the new Anton/Bauer MATRIX cheese plate. This versatile cheese plate allows for both vertical and horizontal mounting, and it fits most standard accessories. Watch my video above as I detail how to attach an AJA KiPro Mini to the MATRIX plate.

We are in the middle of what some would call the “small camera with a large sensor” revolution, which includes Panasonic’s AF100. However, large sensor cameras can be difficult to use in certain situations. Sometimes you may want a camera that gives you a lot of depth of field and has a long zoom range for run-and-gun shooting. Small sensor cameras such as the HVX200 and HPX170 have always been good for this application. Panasonic has continued that tradition with their new HPX250.

The HPX250 has the same 1080P 1/3″ 3MOS sensors that are found in the HPX370, but with a fixed zoom lens and small form factor. It really shines because it records to P2 cards in Panasonic’s AVC-Intra 100 4:2:2 recording format, and is very well balanced for hand-held operation. Watch my video above to learn more about the camera.

Earlier this week, I visited Createasphere 2011 and I spent some time checking out gear that our friends from Assimilate, Litepanels, and Sony had on display.

Litepanels demoed their new Croma dual-color, on-camera light for me, as well as their Sola 4 and Hilio lights. I took a look at Sony’s PMW-TD300 fixed lens 3D camera, which features slow and quick motion recording in 3D, a first for a shoulder mounted camera. Finally, I got a tour of a new, compact DIT Station that offers Scratch 6 and is compatible with RED and ALEXA, as well as Panasonic and Sony cameras.

Watch my video above for details on all these products.

Sound Devices is known for their high-quality and robust sound recorders and mixers, so we were all surprised to see them announce a video recorder. However, after receiving our first demo units, we were not surprised to see how well made they are. Like all Sound Devices products the PIX 240 is very durable and solid. If you haven’t read about it yet, the PIX 240 records in ProRes or DNxHD formats onto SSDs or Compact Flash cards. It has both HD-SDI and HDMI inputs, as well as timecode and sync connections. And, it also works as a nice small monitor; the built-in LCD has a 800×480 resolution and wide viewing angle. Watch my video above to learn more about the PIX240 and all of its different options.