DV Stuff!
3 South House, The Bond Estate
Bond Avenue, Bletchley
Milton Keynes MK1 1SW  UK

Tel:  0845 299 6057 extn: 1
Mobile: 07980 744714

Sorry I am doing 10 hour shifts on a BBC drama this week and won’t be able to update my blog as regularly as I would like to…but I can tell you the DoP is using a Sony HDCAM 750 camcorder with a 35mm adapter and Arri Prime lenses, his focus puller is using a radio focus puller, first time I have seen this and it looks great.

After a 2 month wait we finally see the arrival of the Tiffen T1 IR 77mm screw filter for the Sony EX1 and 3. This filter will eliminate the redish discolouration I have seen especially with indoor lighting set ups like stage shows or very sunny days.

Fabric filmed with no filter using 3200K lighting

Fabric with the T1 IR filter in place now displaying far more natural blacks

This lens is a must for anyone with a Sony EX1, EX-3 or an F35. You can buy the 77mm screw on version for around £60 plus vat.

If you are not going to design your own KATA bag then vote for mine the KATA Bolt HD bag system   http://www.dreambagchallenge.com

The Easyrig story began when I were shooting World Championship of handball in 1994. Because I was the youngest at the network I always did the hand held work. By the end of the day my shoulders hurt badly. I told myself I had to do something about it if I want to do camera work when I get older. I thought of a rope from the sealing down to the camera but then you will not be flexible. Then I built an iron tripod on my backpack and there I had my first prototype of the Easyrig. From then I have made different prototypes of Easyrigs. I went to Amsterdam in 1997 on a show called IBC. There was a lot of interest and I got many agents around the world from that point.

Some times people think you look foolish with the Easyrig on, but when they understand what is does they think it’s smart and they get very interested. Often I say to people to try the Easyrig on and you will see a smile on there faces.

The company is a family business. When my children have holyday they are always welcome to work in the company. It is important for me that the end user, “The cameraman”, has to be satisfied with our equipment and that nothing breaks.

I still work as a cameraman at the Swedish Television. One week at the Swedish Television and the other week on the Easyrig Company. We are located in the north of Sweden where we have snow half of the year and never dark in the summer.

To be a cameraman for me is the best work in the world!

Johan Hellsten
Cameraman
Inventor and president of Easyrig
Sweden

www.easyrig.com

PS. For all the cameramen and women who suffer a sore back thank’s to our trade this is a great bit of kit but I still think it looks like a portable shower unit ! I want a sexy RED EasyRig.

Drivers now available for Matrox MXO2 family of I/O devices and Matrox CompressHD H.264 encoder card

Montreal, Canada – October 7, 2009— Matrox® Video Products Group today announced support for Snow Leopard across its line of Mac I/O and H.264 encoding products including Matrox MXO2, Matrox MXO2 LE, Matrox MXO2 Rack, Matrox MXO2 Mini, and Matrox CompressHD. The version 1.7 software implements 32- and 64-bit support for the new Mac OS X v10.6. It is now available as a free download from the Matrox website to all registered users.

“The timely release of this new software upgrade underscores our commitment to provide Matrox users with the support they need to get the most from their creative tools,” said Wayne Andrews, product manager at Matrox.

About the Matrox MXO2 product line for the Mac

The Matrox MXO2 series of affordably priced HD/SD input/output devices streamline editing and content creation workflow with Final Cut Studio on MacBook Pros and Mac Pros. Matrox MX02 Mini provides portable high definition HDMI and analog I/O; the new Matrox MXO2 LE provides HDMI, SDI, and analog I/O; Matrox MXO2 provides complete HD/SD I/O; and Matrox MXO2 Rack provides rackmountable HD/SD I/O. The MXO2 devices are also available with Matrox MAX technology for faster than realtime H.264 encoding.

About Matrox CompressHD for the Mac

Matrox CompressHD is the first implementation of Matrox MAX technology in an amazingly affordable H.264 accelerator card. It works in systems with or without a video I/O device and extends the life of current systems, giving users the power to deliver today’s premium H.264 formats faster than ever. It’s a low profile, half-length PCIe x1 card that fits into Mac Pros and Intel-based Apple Xserve systems

Nick Rashby, president of AJA has the power to kick ass within AJA in order that video professionals all over the globe could finally receive the new firmware for the £2500 AJA io HD. It has been 10 weeks since Final Cut Studio 3 was introduced, this is a lot of lost time “NOT USING FCP-7, Motion-4 the list goes on.

What on earth is taking so long to update, after a recent phone call to AJA I was told there were 2 issues left to resolve with Apple and this was 2 weeks ago ! Yes I do realise AJA have a policy of not putting drivers out till they are thoroughly tested but 10 weeks is a bit much…!

I personally have one major job on hold as I need the facilities of Motion-4 to take it forward…At least when Panasonic had a problem with the 301 they were man enough not only to admit to it but appeared regularly on this blog with updated news and a solution…no such luck with AJA.

Calibrating a Broadcast Monitor + New Pro Features from Guy Cochran on Vimeo.

Got this neat tutorial from…  http://hd-cinema.blogspot.com/

http://www.fletch.com/images/2009_Digital_Comparison_Chart.pdf

As you can see for yourself all these Hi-end camcorders are built like tanks and look like them, they are also heavy so it’s not surprising there is a market for cameras like the Canon 5D Mk11, 7D…Nikon 300s and the Panasonic GH1. Now no one is kidding themselves I realise the sheer difference in quality between the SLRs and Hi-end is streets apart but if you are looking for the shallow DoF you can get some great results from the SLR.

If you get a chance to look at the PDF above notice the good old Sony EX1 and 3 are part of the comparison list…this is a tribute to Sony who against all the odds decided the EX range was all about quality !