Video

The Canon XH-A1s - Hands on Review

Today's competitive market has proven to be a boon for the consumer, since companies like Canon, have been outdoing themselves in improving their products and offering innovations and advanced options in their professional and prosumer line. Today we will talk about the Canon XH-A1s, a compact high definition camera with professional quality, sleek design and important additions from the successful XH-A1.

Shock and Awe at Panasonic's Latest Offering

As a Panasonic AG-HVX200 owner, I'm quite familiar with their line of P2 cameras. In 2004, the company was the first to bring a broadcast-quality codec to the Prosumer market. Fast forward five years and they've done it again. This time in the form of the AG-HPX300, an impressive camera that blurs the lines between the professional and the Prosumer. At its price point, I can't really think of anything like it. Keep in mind, everything on the HPX300 is included; the lens is not an add-on. How cool is that? The most noticeable features are the ENG form factor and three 1080p resolution CMOS sensors. Most importantly the HPX300 incorporates Panasonic's new flagship full raster 10-bit 4:2:2 codec, AVC-Intra. If that sounds like a mouthful, don't worry, I'll explain.

Accessorize your Panasonic AG-HPX300

While the camera does most of the heavy lifting, it's always good to grab a few 'essentials' as well as keeping in mind some of the more useful products and the market designed specifically for P2 technology.

The most important accessory for the HPX300 is clearly its P2 card. The cards come in three flavors; 16GB, 32GB and 64GB. With two 64GB cards, the camera is capable of recording up to 2 hours of AVC-Intra 100 footage. When using the camera's DVCPRO HD 720/24pN mode, users can record over 5 hours of footage without ever changing a tape; shoot the entire day and never offload! How cool is that?

Stepping Up with Sony's HVR-Z5U

But let's review the similarities. In our hands-on look at the HDR-FX1000, we noted all the great new features and improvements Sony brought to its replacement of the prosumer HDR-FX1. Those same upgrades apply to the HVR-Z5U, which we were also lucky enough to spend some face-time with prior to its official December release.

PortaBrace Goes Posh

The PortaBrace Director's Cut Series consists of specially modified versions of PortaBrace's most popular cases. Fine details such as soft deerskin suede accents, antiqued bronze-finish hardware, micro-suede lining, suede shoulder strap with memory foam core, and rubber Slip-Not (anti-slip) bottom are some of the enhancements over the traditional blue PortaBrace line. The Director's Cut Series utilizes suede and champagne colors, offset against a contrasting black body color to distinguish them visually. This updated line of professional camera cases are featured exclusively at B&H, and as such we should take a closer look at some of the twelve models that make up the series. Before we do, an examination at one distinguishing feature is required – the leather.           

Getting Back to Basics

Video cameras seem to be getting more and more complex, which can be a blessing and a curse. Even the basic "record-your-son's-football-game" camera seems to have features today that were unimaginable only a few years ago. Sony now has a camera that can detect whether or not someone is smiling. Sounds more like science fiction to me. While these new features can be useful in a variety of ways, getting the best possible footage is always paramount. The truth is that the most critical settings are always the most universal. They include white balance, shutter speed, and audio levels.

Datavideo DN-300 Quality and Craftsmanship

Ahead of me was an 8 ½ hour journey from New York to Canada, a three camera shoot in a studio I had never seen and no time to learn new equipment. I wanted to integrate a tapeless system to save time and have the project cut before I returned to Manhattan. The time involved getting to the location would allow me to test the Datavideo DN-300 and the trip back would allow me time to edit. The goal was to leave on a Friday, complete everything on the road and be back by Monday. The Datavideo DN-300 helped make that happen.

Camcorders for Everyone in the Family

As video capture and online sharing explode, more people are coming onboard to tell their stories.Whether it's the view from a skateboard, fairway, or wedding, a camcorder can capture the expereince. For the budding filmmaker, there's an array of products that will meet or exceed your expectations. For the more advanced videographer there's a variety of equipment for every application at a range of price points.

Getting Started in Post Production

You've captured the moment on video, now what? You connect the camcorder into a TV and playback the unedited footage. Your family and friends eyes start to glaze over as every shaky frame, every obscure angle and every poorly lit scene comes out in its true, unaltered, raw form. You begin to witness scenes when the record button was unknowingly turned on; the harsh shadows because you shot directly into a light source; and the bad audio. The problems are endless and your captured audience wants to politely head for the door, feigning sickness or the need to feed the dog. Anything, just don't let me watch the cacophony on the screen.

Camcorder Settings and Features You Should Know

You're in the market for a camcorder, but you aren't sure what format to choose from, or which features will be important to you. It's tough to encapsulate the top questions our customers ask when shopping for camcorders, and it is impossible to throw it all together in one article. This primer is for the person looking to either upgrade or purchase a new video camera. We hope it will prepare you with the technical jargon and make your final choice much easier.

Adobe CS4 Overview - Premiere Pro

This week may mark the turning point of which suite of products that editors and their counterparts may seriously consider to be the centerpiece of a post production studio. After almost eighteen months since the last release, Adobe is now shipping CS4. Every facet of the Adobe's suite of software products is getting an upgrade.

Video and the Nikon D90 - Changing the Rules?

When aspiring filmmakers watch a Hollywood movie, they don't just see actors, camerawork, editing and effects. They see the dreamy richness of images shot on film. They see a depth of color and space that goes beyond the mantra of "progressive imaging, 24-frames-per-second" so often whispered, siren-like, in their ears.

First Look: Abaltat Muse

Abaltat Muse is a remarkable new way to generate 100% royalty free music. It's time to stop looking for your royalty free cds, over paying for copy righted music and dealing with music that doesn't match your movie. Just drag and drop a quicktime file on the Muse icon and let it become your orchestra. The multitrack composition will be perfectly timed and aligned to your video. It will review your movie based on color and compose your next musical score.

Voice Over Insight: Part I - An interview with our resident expert John Pace

Voice Overs enjoy a ubiquitous presence in the broadcast and entertainment industries. Invisible actors populate the voice tracks of cartoons on Nickelodeon, wildlife documentaries from the plains of the Serengeti, automobile commercials during NFL football games, podcasts and instructional videos, and countless animated feature films in theaters and on DVD.

First Look at the Porta Brace Tackle Box

Let's say you've just landed a gig that requires a three-week long trip to Guatemala, documenting some magnificent Mayan ruins. How about we up the ante just a bit? Your deadline is 6 weeks away! Uh-oh. Time appears to be tight and you've got to gear up and make a plan, pronto. In fact, it looks like you'll have to start editing on location. Fortunately, you have a few options: