Rode Microphones has just announced details of two new DSLR friendly microphones. The Stereo Videomic Pro continues their form factor and feature redesign that we saw last year in the Videomic Pro but implements it on the old Stero Videomic. The second microphone is even more interesting though as it is the first microphone in the world to combine a shotgun mic with a built in recorder and basic mixing capabilities as well as audio monitoring. Read on for more details….
I just received this press release from Canon and I thought it was pretty interesting. It seems that we can now add Captain America : The First Avenger, to the list of Hollywood feature films to use the Canon 5dMKII in their production. The small size of the camera makes it ideal for POV shots and sequences like car chases. The 5dMKII is a few years old now but it seems that nobody has eclipsed it’s video performance yet. Full info after the break.
Redrock Micro gave us a glimpse of this product last year but at NAB 2011 they finally announced a release date of June 15th for one of the most talked about DSLR film making accessories. The system consists of several different parts so you can build up a solution that suits your needs. Those people running a shoulder mounted run and gun rig will want the wired option and others using steadycam rigs or tripod mounted systems might want to use the remote system with the aid of the microTape.
To understand the system have a quick look at this video from Redrock Micro:
Redrock microRemote preview from Redrock Micro on Vimeo.
The thing that impressed me most about this system was the responsiveness of the finger control for focusing. There was no visible latency in the system at all, even the smallest movement of your finger resulted in an immediate adjustment of focus on the lens. It was really very impressive and for a run and gun rig it would keep you so much more stable as you are able to grip the rig with two hands instead of having one hand on a handle and one on a follow focus. The little focus knob is easily useable with a single finger. Brian Valente from Redrock Micro told me that all new parts will be available for shipping on June 15th except for the Redrock motor. Instead you will be able to purchase Heden motor , until the new Redrock Motor is available. No timeline on the Redrock motor though and the Heden motor is quite a bit more expensive than the target price for the Redrock one. On the wireless side of things the display on the iPhone or iPod is intuitive and informative. Not only can you have it display marks as you would use hard stops on a follow focus, but you can also have it display depth of field for your lens, and where you are withing that field.
Redrock microTape tells you your distance to subject.
microRemote basestation
Finger control for wired focusing.
Heden motor controling focus.
The guys from Small HD have produced some great looking LCD screens over the last few years and at NAB 2011 they bought an interesting addition to their lineup, the DP4. The DP4 is a 4.3″ LCD screen that can be used with the additional eye piece to create an EVF similar in function the Zacuto EVF that I previously posted about. It features all the necessary functions such as peaking, zebra stripes and full screen scaling to ensure that DSLR output signals are filling the screen entirely.
Zacuto have been drip feeding information and videos about this EVF for months, so the product is not new per se. But this is the first time that the masses have gotten their grubby fingers on one and color me quite impressed. The 800×480 resolution looks super crisp on such a small screen and I liked the “flip” version which quickly allowed you to have a look at the screen (pictured below). The EVF will also be available in another option that simply allows you to attach your current Z-Finder to the screen. There is an extensive list of features such as crop marks, video scaling, peaking , zebra stripes etc and the menu system is clear throughout. You can also loop through to a second hdmi monitor simultaneously. As usual with Zacuto gear it does not come cheap with the screen on it’s own being either $675 or $775 depending on whether you want the flip option. Add an z-finder and you are looking at $1000 plus extra for an attachment arm of some sort. I would say though that having played with 4 or 5 different EVFs this weekend it’s a considerable step up in ergonomics than using an eyepiece directly on the camera’s screen and the Zacuto screen seems to be among the best.
I’ve previously covered information on these new LCD monitors right HERE but here at NAB Marshall had prototype units on display. The casing design may change slightly , there are very much proto builds but the functionality of them was all in place. I think these will be the go-to monitors for HDSLR shooting when they hit production at the end of May. HDMI loop-through is great and the modular output allows HDSDI and even HDMI to HDSDI conversion using existing modules from Marshall’s range. The user configurable nobs and buttons mean that you can select all your favorite functions to be easily accessible and the whole menu system is intuitive and quick. These are GREAT ! The 7″ in particular will be very popular I think. The 5.6″ is a little bigger physically than their current 5.6″ and almost feels like you may as well go for 7″ at that point.
7" V-LCD70MD LCD Monitor
v-lcd56md Marshall Monitor 5.6" Monitor
Right now I’m sitting in Vancouver airport on my way to Las Vegas to check out the NAB trade show. I’ll be posting regular updates on some of the cool new gear that I find out there and I’m sure there will be a ton if it. I’m mainly interested in the HDSLR movie making gear but I’m also going to check out a lot of the newer Cine lenses and the RED Epic and Scarlet among other things that RED are set to announce tomorrow morning. The show kicks off at 9am tomorrow morning with a keynote speech from James Cameron on the future of 3d movie making which should be an interesting start to the day. At 10:30 Red is set to make an announcement of some sort and I’ll certainly go and see what that is all about. I’m going to make this page a sticky at the top of the blog as an index to all the separate posts I’ll make in the next few days. I intend to take lots of photos and the odd video here and there too. Bookmark this page to stay up to date and please share it with your friends/colleagues on Twitter and Facebook too!
Sony Demonstrates 8k CineAlta F65 Video Camera.
Manfrotto brings 6 interesting new products to NAB including support options and LED panel lights.
New Marshall LCD monitors great for HDSLR make appearance at NAB
Leica and RED teaming up to bring Epic package.
Zeiss shows M4/3 and E-Mount versions of the CP.2 compact prime range.
Think Tank Retrospective 5 Shoulder Bag
New Angenieux Optimo 45-120mm t2.8 zoom lens.
Canon’s new PL mount Cine Zooms
Great new lightweight slider from Cinevate, the Atlas FLT. (Via PPC)
Small HD brings new DP4 LCD/EVF Combo to NAB 2011
Redrock Micro wired and wireless remote follow focus system. microRemote, microTape.
Canon has today launched a new consumer SLR called the 600D (t3i) which sits directly below the 60D in their product lineup. The specs of the camera are an incremental step up from the old 550D but a few ergonomic changes have been made and the vari-angle swiveling LCD that we saw on the 60D has also made an appearance. It’s getting pretty crazy the sort of features that are trickling down from the high end cameras to the consumer level. I fully expect this to be a fantastic camera that will meet and exceed many peoples photographic needs. The drawback of recent Rebel from a pro point of view is simply the speed and build quality of the body, otherwise these things are taking wonderful photos and this will be the right choice for a lot of people. Continue reading »
The original Rode Videomic became a ubiquitous accessory for DSLR shooters. Originally launched long before the introduction of DSLR video capable cameras, an update has been expected for a while. Philip Bloom teased some images a while back where the mic was blurred out of his photos and I was pretty certain this was what he was testing. Today it was confirmed that a new mic has been added to the lineup. People looking for a compact setup before had to choose between the Videomic or the Sennheiser MKE400. The advantage of the MKE400 was that it was much smaller and with this Videomic Pro , Rode have gone a long way to overcome that disadvantage. This one is only 6″ in length and weighs a mere 85g. They have improved the rubber suspension system too. I’ve been meaning to get a mic like this and I was waiting for this announcement as I had a feeling it was coming so I’ll probably pick one up pretty soon and report back with e review! Continue reading »
A couple of days ago Canon launched a new camera, and they called it the G10….. Why would Canon decide to call this new camera the G10 ? It’s going to play havoc with the search engines when people are trying to find information about this new camera. Perhaps there is nobody even reading this post right now because when you typed G10 into google, instead of showing you this article you were directed to a CNET review of a 2 year old point and shoot camera. Yes you have seen the Canon G10 name before adorning the side of one of their popular Powershot G10 cameras from 2008. At the time is was a very popular camera which has been superseded by the G11 and now G12.
I’d bet sales of Powershot G10 accessories skyrocket when the G10 video camera hits the shelves and people seek out spare batteries and carry cases only to find the ones that arrive are strangely far too small for their shiny new Video Camera!
The release of this new camera surely marks the end of the Powershot G-Series though. The G11 and G12 were launched alongside the s90 and s95 respectively. Those cameras had the sensor from their bigger brothers but squeezed into a MUCH smaller package. They were a runaway winner when choosing between the two so it always seemed like the G-Series’ days were numbered. When looking at top of the line point and shoot cameras these days you can’t help but take a look at the interchangeable lens cameras like the Panasonic GF-2 or the Sony NEX series as well. For just a little more money you get so much more camera to play with. Sales figures for EVIL cameras have soared in the last 12 months and with Olympus, Panasonic, Fujifilm, Leica, and Samsung taking a shot at the compact camera/large sensor market we knew it would be only a matter of time before the big two stepped in……
As I mentioned in this post making some predictions for 2011, Nikon has filed many patents relating to such a camera and their EVIL solution is all but certain to be revealed this year. Canon has remained a lot quieter in the area though, but it makes total sense to dispatch the old G-Series Powershots and replace them with a mirrorless camera of some sort. For me, the introduction of a G-Series video camera seems to confirms this.
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