With every blink of an eye a new technology bursts onto the market. Manufacturers know this, and often pump fashionable buzzwords into technology to make it feel fresh, even when it’s not. A prime example is LCD and LED televisions. Branded as different televisions both are actually LCD television. The traditional LCD televisions uses a cold cathode backlight where an LED branded television is actually an LCD screen with an LED backlight. In countries such as the U.K. the term LED television has been withdrawn from advertising as the televisions are actually LCD.
Sony BVM-E250 OLED Monitors; The Real Deal or Another Buzzword
February 7th, 2012 by Brad SpinsbySound Devices Goes Visual with the Pix 240/220
January 24th, 2012 by Brad SpinsbySound Devices doesn’t sound like a company that would make a splash with a video mobile recording device, but they have in a big way. The Pix 220 and 240 are mobile video recorders that create up to 10-bit digital video files and transfer them to a compact flash of solid state drive. Not only can the Sound Devices Pix record from a tape to make an instantaneously digital file, it can convert resolutions of the file at the same time. The Pix 240 and 220 offers real-time conversion from 1080i to 1080p to 720p and allows you to cross, up, and down covert. Sound Devices also lives up to its name and gives you several additional audio inputs on the Pix device. The Pix 240 and 220 have two low noise, high bandwidth inputs that are mic/line switchable. These inputs include limiters, high pass filters, and can generate 48V of phantom Power.
The Wireless World on the Teredek Cube
July 9th, 2011 by Brad SpinsbyAdvancing in technology today means making “less” of something. Camera technology is no different. It started by making the camera tape “less”, and now manufacturers strive to make the camera wire “less”.
Bebob Rouge ML-120 – Hot Swapping Dead Batteries
June 21st, 2011 by Brad SpinsbyRed Light. Green Light. Red Light. Green Light. Much like the children’s game, video production is a sporadic stop and go ordeal. As a director of photography, when your green light is up, the client wants you to make the most efficient use of your time, and there is nothing worse than equipment failure. The Bebob Rouge ML-120 hot swap adapter can eliminate that moment for the camera battery for the RED camera. The Bebob Rouge ML-120 will take over when the battery dies for 2 minutes, enough time to change batteries, and can hold up to 5 separate 2 minute charges on the adapter. When the ML-120 is not in use, it will charge using the normal battery and will be at full charge in approximately 40 minutes.
Light on the Run: Litepanels’ Sola ENG LED Fresnel
June 6th, 2011 by Brad SpinsbyMany would agree that the key to successful lighting is control. Ask any freelance director of photography, however, and they will often tell you that control is difficult—if not impossible—to maintain in location production. With Litepanels new ENG camera-mounted lights, controlling light on location should be worry-free. Sola ENG LED Fresnel by Litepanels is a revolutionary…
Viewing the World through the Zacuto Z-Finder EVF
May 25th, 2011 by Brad SpinsbyToday’s technological world is about balance. People love large, epic technology in their homes, but the small portable for the everyday. Location production is no different. Sometimes location productions warrant a monitor when the camera is locked down, but sometimes the production is too run-and-gun to utilize a monitor. Zacuto has presented a good balance between those two situations with their Zacuto Z-Finder Electronic Viewfinders (EVF). Their line of attachable viewfinders has a 3.2” monitor that works through the HDMI port and attaches best to a camera’s rod system. Zacuto’s electronic viewfinders start with the basic 3.2” attachable on-board monitor and range to an optical viewfinder that can detach and still serve as an on-board monitor. Designed originally for DSLR cameras it will also work with the Panasonic AG-AF100, Sony FS-100 NXCAM, Sony PMW-F3, Red One and Epic.