OK, folks… listen up! Here’s a challenge to VIDEO producers from a STILL camera manufacturer.  As you’ve been reading in our magazine and on our site, the lines are merging between still and video shooting, and many still camera makers are making the cameras able to shoot good quality video, too. But, most people still think of STILL cameras as only being able to take – what we VIDEO shooters call – “Freeze Frames”.

Well, that’s no longer the case. And Nikon wants you to know about it by offering a contest with a prize of $100,000 for a great video… and it can be shot from any type of cam: video, still, or any brand.

Read the rest of this entry »

As a tribute to vets everywhere on this Veterans Day, I thought I’d tell you about a video project that you can get involved in with very little effort.

From World War I to the current situation in the Middle East, many U.S. troops are out there with stories to tell of their experience on the battlefield. Some are stories of horrendous images and derring-do, others are stories of compassion or sorrow, while others are of more basic feelings of loneliness, hunger and fear. They all have stories, yet few actually tell their family and friends what they experienced, rather feeling it’s best left behind as they try to get on with their life. Read the rest of this entry »

SANYO North America Corporation introduces its high-end Dual Cameras, the VPC-HD2000A and the VPC-FH1A, as the world’s first camcorders to offer compatibility with iFrame, a next generation video format designed specifically to allow users to easily import, edit and share high quality videos. SANYO’s Dual Cameras have always been at the forefront for compatibility with computers as well as online applications and networking. The two models announced today feature the iFrame video mode, which records in the same format used to edit on a computer, dramatically speeding up the processes of importing, editing and sharing movies across multiple platforms and devices.

Read the rest of this entry »

JVC just unveiled it’s latest Blu-ray player, the JVC XV-BP11. Now you can have Blu-ray playback at an affordable sub $200 price. Read on for more details.

JVC today announced the availability of a new entry-level Blu-ray player. The new JVC XV-BP11 is a truly versatile high definition player, offering playback of high definition Blu-ray discs, plus playback of the AVCHD format, the high definition format widely used for HD camcorders, including the JVC HD Everio line.  New XV-BP11 player offers AVCHD file playback.

The new JVC XV-BP11 Blu-ray player is available immediately for $199.95.

Reprinted from a JVC press release.

Don’t forget, sign-up for the joint event we’re producing with YouTube. We are going to give you some tips on shooting, lighting techniques, and the best way to record audio.

We’re reprinting the original post from YouTube’s blog as posted by Mia Quagliarello, YouTube’s Community Manager. Read the rest of this entry »

Just arrived in today’s mail: the brand-new Canon EOS 7D digital SLR (being held by Jennifer to the left). It’s best thought of as the little brother of the Canon EOS 5D Mark II digital SLR–the primary differences are that the 7D has a smaller image sensor with fewer megapixels, and the 7D also includes a 720p shooting mode (unlike the 5D Mark II, which only shoots 1080p as far as HD video goes.) The 7D is also a grand less, with an MSRP of $1699.

Tom saw a pre-production 7D at a Canon line show a few months back and had liked what he saw. We are eager to put this production unit through its paces, and we’ll share what we find out with you in a timely manner.

Speaking of which, a Canon EOS 5D Mark II firmware upgrade that adds 25fps and 23.976fps modes is slated to be released sometime during the first half of next year.