Schneider Optics is now offering their well known and liked diffusion filters in easy to install round sizes. Read on for more details.
Schneider Optic’s renowned Classic Soft®, HD Classic Soft®, Black Frost™, and Hollywood Black Magic diffusion filters are now available in popular round sizes specifically for today’s leading SLR, digital SLR and DV cameras.
A favorite tool of Hollywood cinematographers thanks to their ability to “hide the trick,” Schneider precision optical glass diffusion filters are routinely requested by top talent who appreciate looking their best. And getting the image right in-camera also means big savings over costly, time-consuming post-editing. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Camcorder, camera, diffusion, DSLR, Filters, Schneider Optics, video sharing, Videomaker
Posted in Camcorders, shooting | No Comments »
A group of Canadian amateur radio enthusiasts experimenting with using a balloon as a radio repeater (think very low-earth orbit satellite without active transponders) has posted YouTube video taken onboard the balloon.
The video of the BEAR-4 mission, taken in HD, is visually compelling and suggests a new way to get aerial photographs. The only drawback? At 107,145′, the conditions around the balloon basically constituted a vacuum, at least as long as electronics go. This means that the air pressure was so low that all the camcorder’s buttons were pressed at once. But considering the fact that most camcorders are only rated to operated in elevations up to 25,000′, this is not bad at all.
And, as a tribute to the remarkable capabilities of flash memory-based camcorders, the camcorder recorded almost the entire voyage:
“The balloon and camera were launched at 7:44 AM, the balloon burst at 10:51 AM at 107,145 ft. and the camera landed via parachute at 11:40 AM, 89 miles from the launch site after a 3 hr. & 56 min. flight. The camera recorded a total of 4 hrs. & 22 min. of Hi-Def Video before it stopped recording 53 secs after landing, when its 32GB of memory was full. The only thing better would have been if the camera had recorded for several minutes more to captured the sound of us approaching and video of us opening its container.”
Tags: aerial video, amateur radio, bear mission
Posted in Camcorders, Online Video | No Comments »
When someone new approaches me with a video project they’ve shot that they want me to gently critique I can always tell if that person has had any still photography training within just a few seconds. The first things skilled still photographers do is compose. They see the finished shot in their mind before they ever even put the camera to their eye. They instantly see the Rule of Thirds grid, or Divine Proportion, (also called Golden Rule), and they often say they “compose” shots everywhere they look, whether they are shooting or not. These are the people I call “The Eye”. They just have it, it’s in their brain, they “see” composition the way others see color. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Camcorder, Camcorders, digital, James Williams, Kyle Casidy, Michael Reff, still photographer, still photography, still shooter, Video, Videomaker
Posted in Camcorders, Opinion, Producers, shooting | No Comments »
Where are all the shooting gigs? How do you find them? Craigslist? Your local newspaper want ads? Some other vague work-for-hire site?
I just got back last night from shooting a 3-day gig with my brother down in central California. His specialty has been architectural, environmental, lighting and product images, my specialty has been all about people: interviews and sound recording. Together we made a pretty good team and wondered how we’d shop ourselves around better.
Serendipity made a visit to my email this morning, with the announcement of the WorldofShooters.com site. It’s very easy to zero in on your expertise and gear type, and easy for others looking to hire you to zone in on their needs, too.
With more and more companies downsizing, the freelance producers that can grab their gear and go are going to get the gigs when companies send out their plea for work. World of Shooters has you register by the type of still camera or video camera that you use, so everyone can easily sift through the first question: What do you shoot with?
Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Camcorders, Video, video sharing
Posted in Camcorders, Producers, shooting | 1 Comment »
Reprinted from a JVC press release:
New HD Everio GZ-HM400 offers Full HD, 9 MP stills and slow motion
JVC today announced a new video camera that offers the performance, features and handling demanded by video enthusiasts. The new JVC HD Everio GZ-HM400, available immediately, emphasizes image quality and usability in a design that videographers will find allows comfortable extended use. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Camcorder, Everio, Everio GZ-HM400, JVC
Posted in Camcorders, Press Release | No Comments »
Here come the next-gen iPods. These little candy-colored players are available at a steal of a price compared to previous generations ($179 for 16GB nano is a great deal, particularly for a genuine iPod). Not only does the 16GB nano also include an FM tuner (about time, if you ask me) but they also include a video camera. It’s a simple camera, to be sure; recording only SD video in H.264 with AAC audio; but for a lot of people, that’s all they’ll ever really need. We’d expect it to operate a lot like a cell phone camera, but just easier to find your footage after it’s been shot (once you sync your iPod, at least).
We’re curious to see if the iPod nano starts eroding the marketshare of the latest pocket camcorders. (At least the SD versions… seeing Apple offer HD versions a little bit later down the road wouldn’t surprise us a bit.)
Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: iPod, pocket camcorder
Posted in Apple, Camcorders | 2 Comments »
Reprinted from a Panasonic press release
Today, Panasonic announced the new LUMIX DMC-GF1, the latest addition to the award-winning LUMIX G Series, which debuts as the world’s smallest and lightest system digital camera with a built-in flash*. The LUMIX DMC-GF1 distinguishes itself from previous models with its elegant, compact design reminiscent of classic film cameras, yet builds on Panasonic’s success with the revolutionary LUMIX G Series of digital interchangeable lens system cameras based on the Micro Four Thirds system standard. With its compact size, user-friendly design and ability to record High Definition (HD) video and take professional-quality photos, the LUMIX GF1 continues to redefine digital photography standards.
For more information about Panasonic and its LUMIX G System cameras and accessories, please visit www.panasonic.com/lumix
Tags: Add new tag, Camcorder, Camcorders, new, Panasonic, Videomaker
Posted in Camcorders, Press Release, Videomaker, new | No Comments »
My wife has the uncanny ability to be able to take self-portaits effortlessly, but for the rest of us, Samsung has you covered with their new TL220 and TL225 cameras. They have two LCD screens–front and rear. The front screen can either be used for taking self-portraits, getting a child’s attention, or showing how much time will elapse before the self-timer will snap the picture. These are also the first cameras we’ve heard of with both optical and electronic image stabilization.
These two cameras, along with the CL65 (which trades the front LCD screen for the ability to connect to Wi-Fi networks and automatically geo-tag photos) can record 720P video at 30 frames/sec.
In the same vein as these announcements from Samsung, keep your eyes peeled for our next camcorder buyer’s guide. This buyer’s guide will be the first of ours to include devices most of use would ordinarily think of as still cameras; as long as the device in question fits into our quantitative definition of “camcorder” (e.g. ability to record 20 minutes of video of at least 640×480 resolution at 29.97 frames per second; a tripod screw receptacle, a lens with an optical zoom), it’s fair game to be listed in the buyer’s guide. So this takes us to an interesting crossroads. What will become a camcorder in the future? We don’t see cell phones ever being listed; but then again, there are specialized cell phone tripods in the wild, using either a clamp or some kind of sticky pad to keep the phone in place. So one could make a case for listing anything that can capture video into the buyer’s guide. But it just goes to show: it’s easier (and cheaper) than ever to get into video.
Posted in Camcorders | No Comments »
Reprinted from a Canon press release
LAKE SUCCESS, N.Y., August 19, 2009 – Canon U.SA., Inc., a leader in digital imaging, has introduced a new flagship model to its 2009 VIXIA high-definition camcorder line, the VIXIA HF S11 Dual Flash Memory camcorder. For those video enthusiasts looking to capture the moment in breathtaking HD quality, the VIXIA HF S11 provides advanced HD features and professional-level manual controls. Additionally, Canon announced a new camcorder accessory, the RA-V1 Remote Control Adapter for professional-level functionality when shooting from a tripod.
The VIXIA HF S11 retains Canon’s core imaging technologies, but adds several new features that enhance operability and deliver unsurpassed image quality. The VIXIA HF S11 offers the ability to record up to 24 hours of crisp high-definition video to a 64GB internal flash drive and the option of recording video directly to removable SDHC memory cards for fast and easy sharing of memories. Two new features that help enhance the video capture and viewing experience are Canon’s new Dynamic SuperRange OIS system, which delivers the ultimate in shake correction by providing continuous adjustment throughout the entire zoom range, and an Advanced Video Snapshot Mode which allows you to create the perfect highlight movie to share with family and friends by recording a series of four second clips when in shooting mode as well as in playback mode.
Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: adapter, Camcorder, canon, Dual, Flash, HD, HF S11, RA-V1, Vixia
Posted in Camcorders, Press Release, new | No Comments »
Our intrepid Associate Editor, Tom Skowronski, attended a press conference held by Canon today, where they launched several still cameras (some of which include HD video recording capabilities), and also launched their newest top-of-the-line consumer camcorder: the HF S11 ($1399), which includes both 64GB of internal flash memory and an SDHC card slot. It also includes an improved optical stabilizer, called Dynamic SuperRange, which is said to compensate for shake more effectively when the camcorder is zoomed in on a subject. The HF S11 utilizes an 8.59-megapixel CMOS sensor.
An interesting optional accessory is the RA-V1 remote control adapter, which provides a LANC terminal for attaching a tripod-mounted wired remote control. The adapter connects to the camcorder’s Mini Advanced Shoe. Canon offers two remote controllers of their own, but there are also numerous third-party LANC remotes on the market.
The camcorder also includes Canon’s Advanced Video Snapshot mode, which records video in bursts of four seconds.
Posted in Camcorders | No Comments »
Recent Comments