SDHC Cards and the Panasonic AG-HMC150

For those of you shooting on our second-year camera, the Panasonic AG-HMC150, you have probably already seen these cards. Perhaps you've even pondered what "Class 6" actually means. Hopefully we can clear up some of these questions.

Firstly, the HMC150 can shoot with any SD card. However, you will only be able to take advantage of the high-quality modes with cards rated as "Class 4" or higher. We provide "Class 6" rated cards to give you some peace of mind.

SDHC Class Ratings:
Class 2: 2 MByte/s - 13x
Class 4: 4 MByte/s - 26x
Class 6: 6 MByte/s - 40x

Keep in mind that these ratings are minimum transfer speeds and that peak performance can be much faster.

Not sure how much footage your SDHC card can hold? In the highest quality (PH mode) you'll get about 6.35 minutes per gigabyte, so you can estimate card capacity by the following formula:

6.35 x (card capacity) = available time in minutes

So, some common SDHC card sizes can hold the following:
4GB ≈ 25 minutes
8GB ≈ 51 minutes
16GB ≈ 102 minutes
32GB ≈ 204 minutes

DSLR Shooting Continues Apace

Joshua Tree: Panasonic Lumix GH1 from Philip Bloom on Vimeo.

Hot Rod Cameras is now making a sweet PL-to-Micro Four Thirds mount system that works with Panasonic's Lumix GH1. While the sensor is smaller than others (notably the Canon 7D), the adaptability is a big plus.

EMW Pinouts

Countryman EMW pinouts. I really just put them up since I'm repairing some mics that endured some connector abuse, but they're useful if you happen to be repairing your own.

Panasonic P2 Card Reader Soon!

Rumors are swirling that Panasonic is coming out with a single slot P2 card reader in Spring 2010. Let's hope it's true. Our friends at Abel have some great pointers on Duel Adapter compatibility with Snow Leopard (it's not compatible).

If you're on a shoot, are using one of SVA's laptops, and have trouble with the Duel Adapter reading P2 cards, try the following:

1. Eject the Duel Adapter and shut down the laptop.
2. Reinsert the Duel Adapter and power up again.
3. If this fails or you get an error message, the Duel Adapter is toast (a relatively common occurance).

You can use a mini USB to USB cable to download directly from the camera or stop by Dub Room 316 where we have a Panasonic five slot P2 card reader.


http://blog.abelcine.com/2009/09/22/panasonic-single-slot-p2-drive/

Garret Brown on the Steadicam Flyer LE

We picked up a few of these for our thesis students' shoots. They really are a joy to use.

Lectrosonics UCR401 Receiver and UM400A Transmitter

Tired of trying to ferret out a free channel in New York's busy RF environment? Our newest acquisitions may make it a bit easier. These gems are more than three times as powerful as our previous wireless mics, have diversity reception, and an easy-to-use frequency scan function that allows you to pick a quiet channel at any location. We'll be posting a tuning video shortly, but until then check out the user manuals in the Audio Manuals section to the right of this post. FYI, we have packages in blocks 19 and 20.

P+S Technik Digital SR Magazine

We've been talking about this idea in the Production Office for ten years or so. Finally, someone with the wherewithal to turn it into an actual thing did too. A really beautiful idea if you happen to have a dozen Arriflex cameras in the inventory. I haven't seen a real one of these yet, but the concept is pretty straight forward: keep all the wonderful, mechanical guts, lenses, and accessories and replace the mag with an imaging system. As soon as these hit the street, we'll review it and let you know more.

Elmo TRV-16 Telecine

16mm Film to Video Transfer from SVA Film/Video on Vimeo.

A short tutorial on using the Elmo TRV-16.

Sennheiser e112 Wireless System Intro

Sennheiser EW112 Wireless Package - Basic Set Up from SVA Film/Video on Vimeo.

Panasonic DVX-100B on the Inside

The Panasonic DVX 100B-Part#2 An Inside Tour from SVA Film/Video on Vimeo.

Panasonic DVX-100B

The Panasonic DVX100B-Part #1 An Outside Tour from SVA Film/Video on Vimeo.

Arriflex S with 400' Magazine

Arriflex S with 400' Magazine from SVA Film/Video on Vimeo.

Arriflex-S 16mm motors

Arriflex S 16mm motors from SVA Film/Video on Vimeo.

Sekonic Deluxe Light Meter - Basic Incident Usage

Sekonic Deluxe Light Meter - Basic Incident Usage from SVA Film/Video on Vimeo.

Sound Devices CL-2

Dual-System w/ Sound Devices 788T & Canon 5D MarkII from Sound Devices

Jon Tatooles, from Sound Devices, demonstrates the new CL-2 remote control for the Sound Devices 744T.

Loading the Arriflex S Camera

Loading the Arriflex S Camera from SVA Film/Video on Vimeo.

The Loneliest Camera

The Eclair NPR was once so top-of-the-heap that any independent doc maker wouldn't be caught dead without one. This has changed a bit with DV (and now HD) shooting becoming the standard documentary format. However, the NPR remains a great camera.

You'll notice that it's from France and is sexy to look at. It's a mechanically sexy beast as well. With the capability to change shutter angles from 5° to 180° (that's more than five full stops!), you could shoot on the surface of the sun with only a single ND filter. Take note of the c-mount lens on the secondary mount. Yeah, you can shoot with a zoom for speed and quickly swap to a prime for extra speed or sharpness when needed. Also, this means you can take advantage of some of our nicest (and newest) lenses in the shop—the Switar c-mount primes.

Did I mention that this thing is Super 16? And that it has the brightest video tap of all our cameras? And that it's pretty darn quiet compared to our Arri SR1 cameras?

Don't be freaked out by the fact that you've never shot with a camera like this, we're happy to give you a demo to calm those DP nerves. Besides, you can download the manual from this site or visit the Eclair Community Home Page for more info.

The Future or Not

There's lots of excitement right now around the Canon 5D Mark II Digital SLR. It's the first DSLR to shoot full-res 1920x1080 HD video and it sports a full size 35mm (36mm x 24mm) CMOS imaging sensor. Essentially, you've now got the look of the RED camera in an SLR format — with a larger format to boot. There are some things to keep in mind when imagining your film being shot this way, though.

First off, it's a CMOS sensor in a camera who's first job is to shoot still photos. What does this mean? Namely, you'll have serious issues with skew in any horizontal movement. This is already an issue bugging some Sony EX1 users. There's a good explanation of this issue on DVXuser. However, this has also always been an issue with anyone shooting 16mm film. So, as long as you know that it can happen, you'll need to take steps to prevent it.

You also cannot view the scene through the optical viewfinder when shooting. Since it is an SLR, the mirrored shutter is closed when viewing. That means you'll have to shoot on the relatively small screen on the rear of the camera. You can connect an external monitor to the HDMI output, but the connectors are tiny so you'll be at the mercy of cable makers with regards to cable length and connector quality. There are already some companies making accessories for this kind of setup, though it's a dicey affair when compared to a video viewfinder. Also, you can currently only shoot at 29.97 fps.

Finally, you're stuck with the SLR layout. There are no pro quality connectors, hard mounts, or controls built into this camera. This may seem persnickety, but the last thing you want is to be battling your camera when you're shooting.

The concept is strong, execution isn't perfect. I think for owner/operators, this camera makes plenty of sense. I wouldn't be surprised if we see a video-specific version of this from Canon in the next few years.

Our almost first video post!

How to load the Bolex H16 Rex 4 16mm camera from SVA Film/Video on Vimeo.

Special thanks to Joe Neal for all his hard work. We've got lots more to come soon so keep an eye on our new Vimeo channel, Production Junction.

New High Definition Cameras for Fall Semester

A major video manufacturer recently said that standard definition NTSC formats would soon "fade away" and they weren't kidding. Few SD cameras are even available to purchase anymore. High definition has made major leaps in affordability and portability in the last three years and new HD cameras are hitting the streets all the time. Thanks to the DV revolution, many of these cameras come complete with professional audio inputs and controls.

The latest incarnation of portable HD cameras records direct to file. Our newest camera, the Panasonic AG-HMC150, records directly to SDHC cards that are both super-portable and inexpensive. These cards can be read directly to a laptop with nothing more than a standard SD card reader. The HMC150 boasts 1080P shooting capability and can even be overcranked when shooting in the 720P mode and speed-adjusted in post production. Many of the features of Panasonic;s HVX200 are incorporated into the design of the camera and if you've ever shot with the DVX100 or DVX100B the learning curve is a short one.