XDCAM EXtra

“E-films are pleased to announce their new product line the HDR, to join
our expanding line of devices aimed at Sony EX1/EX3 customers”, says Ross
Herewini, Product Development Manager and Professional Videographer at
E-films.

The e-films HDR is a portable hard disk recording system for the EX series
cameras, allowing the user to record to an external hard disk while on
location, gaining long recording times at affordable prices. The user inserts
the HDR express card into the EX-1 or EX-3 camera and connects the cable
to the hard disk enclosure and presses record. The unit comes with a
battery pack to allow up to 5 hours of recording on 84GB hard disks.

The HDR is $299.95 and made up of the following items.

1) Expresscard/34 Card with USB interface for the camera and a Mini-
USB out to connect to the hard disk.
2) Custom “L” shaped Mini-USB cable made of the highest quality
cabling and connectors.
3) Customised hard disk enclosure to allow the highest compatibility
with HDD and SSD.
4) Rechargeable power supply for the HDD enclosure.

All the user needs to do is provide a Hard Disk Drive!

EFilms

Sony NAB 2009 Videos Online

Posted by xdcam on 2009/6/8 13:48:47 (0 reads)

XDCAM NEWS

Sony has posted a series of talks and videos presented at NAB 2009.

Many of the titles refer to XDCAM cameras and workflow.

Worth a look in – with some notable experts giving some handy tips.

NAB 2009 Videos

via XDCAM Pro User Group-News.

Art Adams gets an official response from Sony on the far red contamination with the EX cameras – it’s more about helping than hindering.

Pro Video Coalition

The Abel Cine Blog reveals the update for the data record on the PDW-U1.
“Lastly we will also see another upgrade to the PDW-U1 drive that will enable full UserData writing. That means you’ll be able to write any data to the disc. This is a great way to back up footage or just about anything, and the XDCAM EX Clip Browser 2.5 will allow direct copying from SxS cards to the UserData directory on the the disc.”
The blog reveals the release for around the end of June.
Hopefully it means June 2009!

Recently spotted: This pic of Peter Jackson with an EX-3 from New Zealand’s
Marlborough Express.

The Adaptimax gives a magnification factor of X5.4 and is available from their site.
Price is 120 English Pounds plus postage.

At long last, I tried it out today with sensational results. A little bit of trial and error with the first couple of exports. Should have known better than to try and mix formats on the one disc. An obvious mistake and I ‘m sure I won’t be the only one.
As I’ve mentioned, data transfers should be available around April May.
Can hardly wait! Mal
Downloads:
Sonybiz Europe

SONY PRESS RELEASE

SONY EXPANDS LINE OF LUMA LCD PROFESSIONAL MONITORS WITH NEW NINE-INCH DISPLAY

PARK RIDGE, N.J., Feb. 26, 2009 – Sony’s family of LUMA® professional LCD displays is expanding to include the new LMD-940W 9-inch widescreen model (viewable area measured diagonally).

With a WVGA resolution of 800 x 400 and weighing less than 5 pounds, the new monitor is 3G SDI-ready and is ideal for rack-mount (4U bracket height), desktop, OB vans, and portable applications. This 9-inch version includes a detachable screen protection panel, screw holes for a camera pedestal on the bottom, a camera focus support function that increases the monitor’s aperture level for easier focusing, and native scanning for both standard- and high-definition signals.

“The LUMA family is designed for video production flexibility in the field, the studio, post house or a broadcast truck,” said Mark Bonifacio, senior marketing manager of Sony Electronics’ professional video group. “Whether users are reviewing footage on-the-fly, previewing content for clients or editing video, the LUMA series has a size and range of features to fit every need.”

The new monitor features an SDI input/output that switches between HD-SDI and SD-SDI, and is also capable of accepting a 3G HD-SDI signal. It supports composite video input/output, and features HDMI™ inputs.

The LMD-940W model has 10-bit video processing and accepts multiple SD and HD video formats up to 1080/60P and 50P with 4:2:2 YCBCR 10-bit capability. Capable of AC-, DC- and battery-powered operation, the monitor provides versatility in the field by incorporating an improved wave form monitor.

Also new is an embedded 8-channel audio level meter for SDI embedded audio. .

The monitor features Sony’s ChromaTRU™ color processing. This technology compensates for variations in LCD color levels commonly caused by differences in chromaticity coordinates, color temperature and gamma curves.

ChromaTRU processing is based on color space conversion and white balance adjustment. Color space conversion adjusts chromaticity coordinates, color temperatures and gamma curves. White balance adjustment delivers broadcast-quality gradation while maintaining standardized gamma characteristics. The technology allows each model in this series to closely color-match not only other LUMA monitors but also the SMPTE-C, EBU or ITU-BT709 color standards traditionally used in CRT models.

The LMD-940W is expected to be available in May, with suggested list pricing to be announced.

EX1/EX3 IR Filter Shoot-Out
Over at the Pro Video Coalition, Art Adams has a very interesting article on the use of ND filters including the built in NDs of the EX1 and EX3 and the problem of IR/far red. You’ll be surprised at what he discovered! A must read.
Pro Video Coalition

The following was published in “Australian Cinematographer” in the Dec 08 issue. Author Mal Hamilton

There’s no denying the EX-3 (and EX-1) puts out great pics – how you describe ‘great’ pictures is purely subjective, in my case it rivals the images of the Sony XDCAM HD PDW-350 (and then some), which I can readily compare it with.

The following two projects would normally have been selected to shoot with a larger and more robust broadcast camera such as a PDW-350 or the new 422 PDW-700. So the challenge was to see if the XDCAM CineAlta EX Series of cameras could cope with the rigors of location shooting whilst maintaining a quality of image to that of the larger cameras.

Project number one was a whirlwind trip to the USA, gathering six major interviews in five different cities in as many days. Transfer of the files from the SxS cards was generally carried out whilst waiting for flights to the next location. We had two Lacie 500GB portable HDD drives (one being used for back–up).

From the start, it was great carrying the camera in an ‘aircraft approved’ bag that could be stowed in the overhead locker. The Kata bag had the capacity to hold the EX-3, four batteries, a BeBob zoom control, SxS cards and a wide angle attachment. The fact that we were flying nearly every evening, having a camera in a bag just made things a little more convenient when going through multiple security
stations.

Not all was well though when I discovered the microphone holder had broken off – it’s likely that it may have been lent on when traveling in our hire vehicle. This is something to be aware of with soft bags, now having made a special note to myself, “don’t put bag in the middle of the back seat where it becomes an elbow rest”.

Coming from a PDW 350 and an EX1 it was confusing seeking some of the controls. The ‘Menu’ , ‘Picture Profile’, ‘Status’ and audio controls are relocated to the side of the camera. Obviously, familiarity using the camera is essential prior to operating on a ‘real’ job – ha…well that’s the theory. The composite ‘video out’ is not quiet the quality that I would have expected. The image is barely capable of true colours and resolution very poor – the ‘HD/SDI out’ is of greater benefit for monitoring purposes. The LCD is sharp and seems to be more accurate on replay of a file rather than ‘live’. I guess there must be more processing (?) involved for replay or it could be just a simple case of the ‘peaking’ not being activated.

The EX-3 lens became problematic when shooting graphics and small props with the focal distance about one metre away from the subject. In all, the camera performed effortlessly despite some of my misgivings, and workflow with the transfer of files to HDD was a ‘no brainer’, utilizing the downtime waiting at airports. Being able to browse shots during the transfer on a larger laptop screen was also helpful.

Project Two

A few weeks break and it was the commencement of the second project. A documentary shoot in the Middle East involving two camera units, an EX-1 and my EX-3. Again it was great being able to pack charger and batteries with camera in the one bag for on-board stowage. This time I brought along the ½” 3.3 wide angle Fujinon lens from the PDW-350, leaving the EX-3 supplied lens at home. As it turned out it was a great choice, though the camera was very ‘front heavy’. This will eventually require me to purchase a snap lock device for greater balance on the Manfrotto 503 head. Spending never ends in this profession as most of us are well aware.

A great percentage of this shoot was with presenter to camera pieces, generally ‘off the shoulder’ wandering around ancient ruins whilst the second unit with the EX-1 and wide angle attachment picked up overlay shots.
The weight of the EX-3 increased dramatically with the addition of the 1/2” Fuji lens, this being proportional to the amount of discomfort when ‘off the shoulder’, it felt like my right arm’s blood supply had been cut off and became painful for the extended retakes. Factor in some 40+ degrees Celsius with no shade in sight and you’ll know how I felt.
That aside, I could emulate a balanced ‘off the shoulder’ technique even with a front heavy lens. No doubt the addition of a V-lock battery would balance things up – just depends how far you want to go for the sake of your shoulder and arm. Ah… ‘the sacrifices made in the name of art’ or words to that affect keep coming to mind in this circumstance.

As mentioned, a lot of the locations had no respite from the heat, and little or no shade from the sun. The black plastic shell of the camera was extremely hot to touch. I had some concerns for the LCD viewfinder, sacrificing my head (a natural heat reflector) to shade it with my hat between takes. The EX-1 meantime had developed a weird fault with the ‘steady shot’ that by all accounts was a heat related problem as the fault never re occurred during the rest of the shoot.
Walking over some of these ancient archeological sites is a hazard for anyone carrying a camera – I was well aware of the EX-3’s viewfinder – it just appears to be very vulnerable. Fortunately nothing unforeseen happened, apart from myself tripping up some stairs, not hard to do when you wear multi-focal glasses…’hey I’m not proud’ I say, trying to conceal the pain of a sprained wrist.

There were a couple of instances where the rubber eyepiece had been knocked off the viewfinder when carrying the camera, I can recall similar instances with the old Sony DXC series of cameras, and guess what? It’s the same rubber eyepiece!
The rotary knob for varying frame rates was great to use, even though one still had to go through the camera’s menu system to change the HD format. The under / overcranking and interval timelapses have now become essential features for any serious documentary shooter.

One of the ‘Cine’ in camera presets was used on both cameras at 1920×1080 @ 25fps with 1/50 shutter. The ‘cine’ setting proved to be the right choice as it was lenient on the highlights in direct sunlight. Again, it is always surprising to see the results of what this camera can handle in this regard.
On the opposite end of the scale, the low light capabilities of the camera still amaze me. Shooting in areas where I doubted even getting an exposure! Maybe I’m so used to the the PDW350 anything will surprise.

Some locations followed the tourist trail, and multiple camera flashes from ‘happysnappers’ were a constant bugbear for interior shots, the only time ‘rolling shutter’ was evident (and a problem) in the camera(s).
Each evening, the SxS cards were transferred to a portable Lacie HDD and backed up with an identical HDD.
A note to Sony: just wondering how much longer we have to wait till the Sony PDW-U1 becomes writable for BPAV files.

Now I’m nearing the age where I’ll eventually say farewell to the ‘true shoulder mount’ cameras, having ‘lifted’ the weight off my shoulders, so to speak after some 30+ years of operation. I also think the technology, whilst not surpassing these cameras it’s certainly up there with them – the images speak for themselves.

It’s no surprise that Sony is seeking a broader market when it appears more tech and marketing support seems to be going into the the smaller (and cheaper) cameras like the EX-1 and EX-3 and in particular the continuing development the Exmor CMOS sensors.

To me the EX-3 ticks most of the boxes and creates an interesting paradigm for experienced camerapersons, this being the belief ‘you need to have big camera, *big lens to make big production’. Put a big ‘EX’ next that one.

Mal Hamilton XDCAMeraman, based in Sydney, Australia.

*Must admit it’s nice to have a good lens.