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FOR THOSE WHO ARE SERIOUS ABOUT DIGITAL VIDEO PRODUCTION & NON-LINEAR EDITING
Is s u e 1 2 • Au gust 2009 • w w w.dvuser.co.uk • £3.50
NEWS • REVIEWS • FEATURES • ARTICLES • TUTORIALS • TECHNIQUES • TIPS • COMPETITIONS
Sony Specialist Dealers.
You’ll notice the difference.
Sony Specialist Dealers do more than
just sell you a Sony product. With their
in-depth training, they have the expertise
and knowledge to advise you on your
purchase to ensure you get exactly
the best solution for your needs. This,
combined with competitive finance
schemes and the highest quality after
sales support, makes the Sony Specialist
Dealer network the obvious choice when
buying Sony.
London and South East
Midlands
Calumet Photographic
Tel: 020 7380 1144
www.calumetphoto.co.uk
Creative Video
Tel: 01527 854222
www.creativevideo.co.uk
G.V. Multi-Media Ltd
Tel: 020 8814 5950
www.gvmultimedia.com
GV Multi-Media Ltd
Tel: 01455 221587
Gearhouse Broadcast
Tel: 0845 820 0000
www.gearhousebroadcast.com
H Preston Professional Video
Tel: 01684 575486
www.videokit.co.uk
H Preston Professional Video
Tel: 0208 979 9281
www.hpreston.co.uk
Jigsaw Systems Ltd
Tel: 0870 730 6868
www.jigsawbroadcast.com
HHB Communications Ltd.
Tel: 0208 962 5000
www.hhb.co.uk
North
Mitcorp
Tel: 020 8380 7400
www.mitcorp.co.uk
PEC Video Ltd
Tel: 020 7437 4633
www.pec.co.uk
Proactive UK Ltd
Tel: 01442 292929
www.proav.co.uk
Top-Teks Ltd
Tel: 01895 825 619
www.topteks.co.uk
Visual Impact UK Ltd
Tel: 020 8977 1222
www.visuals.co.uk
WTS Broadcast
Tel: 020 8594 3336
www.wtsbroadcast.com
South West
Tel: 01392 499 399
Visual Impact Bristol Ltd
Tel: 0117 939 3333
www.visuals.co.uk
Visual Impact Cardiff Ltd
Tel: 02920 464656
www.visuals.co.uk
Tel: 0161 274 4455
Tel: 01942 884 433
Tel: 01642 240 770
Mitcorp
Tel: 01772 433 144
www.mitcorp.co.uk
Visual Impact North Ltd
Tel: 01606 42225
www.visuals.co.uk
Scotland
Tel: 0131 553 9979
Mitcorp
Tel: 0141 564 2710
www.mitcorp.co.uk
Visual Impact Scotland Ltd
Tel: 0141 4270434
www.visuals.co.uk
Northern Ireland
Tel: 02890 777770
Republic of Ireland
D&P Multimedia Products Ltd
Tel: 00353 149 24374
www.camerakit.ie
Eurotek
Tel: 00353 1295 7811
www.eurotek.ie
Sony is a registered trademark of the Sony Corporation, Japan.
For more information please
call 0870 60 60 456 or visit
www.sonybiz.net/dealer
Opening Scene
CONTENTS
NEWS
4. All the latest news from the world of
digital video production and editing.
ARTICLES
11. Aerial filming on a budget
14. Time-lapse videography
20. Law & Disorder - the insanity defence
REVIEWS
6. JVC GY-HM700 solid-state camcorder
17. Sony PCM-D50 digital audio recorder
26. Matrox MXO-2
26. Focus FS-5
REGULAR ITEMS
32. HD Camcorders Buyer’s Guide (new)
34. Advertisements
Hello DVuser subscribers and welcome to issue
12. In this issue we have a whole bunch of great
articles and reviews, including my review on
the JVC GY-HM700 solid-state shoulder-mount
camcorder. Eric Huyton has been kind enough
to write up a superb little piece on aerial filming
from helicopters on a budget. If you are into timelapse videography you’ll love Peter Lindsley’s
article on page 14. Peter has also written up
a review on Sony’s PCM-D50 digital audio
recorder. Sylvie Bolioli is back with another great
story on her film Law & Disorder – the insanity
defence. Sylvie has spent considerable time
in the good ol’ USA filming this amazing story.
Top man Peter Wiggins has contributed with
his Matrox MXO-2 i/o device article; the MXO-2
allows for Digibeta quality editing in the field with
a laptop. Finally there’s Jim Panks review on the
Focus FS-5 portable DTE recorder; better late
than never.
Moving on, you might have noticed that I did
not put up the ‘DONATION PAYPAL’ request in
the magazine and website a year ago; like I did
the year before. The reason I did not advertise this annual request a year ago is simply because I
became ill in November 2007 hence DVuser did not get the full attention it deserved for nearly 15
months; only 3 printed issues of the magazine came out during that time with minimul new content
added to the site. I’m almost fully recovered now and everything is back on track and DVuser will
be steaming ahead now. However, it has been two years since that first donation request so I
would like to now do the same thing again. Just a quick re-cap for those who are not up-to-speed
with this.
The DVuser web site and printed quarterly magazine are both totally free. However, an inordinate
amount of hard work goes into both the web site and the magazine from the small team here. I
myself do it for the total love of all things digital video. But there are costs involved, sometimes
considerable. The web site development, design, coding and constant maintenance and updating
does not come cheap, and it all takes time. The printing and postage costs for the printed magazine
are considerable too, as are the behind-the-scenes expenses of putting the magazine together.
The DONATE button will remain on the website for just 28 days only. So if you appreciate what
we are doing and all the man-hours and hard work that goes into both the DVuser website and the
printed magazine, then please show your support by clicking on the DONATE button on the site.
Don’t worry about the amount, you can donate anything between 50p and £50, it is entirely up to
you. But one thing is for sure, whatever the amount, it will be sincerely appreciated and will assure
the continued quality of the DVuser magazine publication and website.
Nigel Cooper Founder/Editor DVuser magazine
DVuser product review star ratings – how we star up our reviews.
Cover (self-portrait) photo by Nigel Cooper
©2008 DVuser. All rights reserved. No part of this
publication may be copied, reproduced, or transmitted in
any form or by means of electronic, mechanical, photocopy,
recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission
of the publishers. While every care has been taken in
the compilation of this publication, we cannot accept
responsibility for any publishing errors or inaccuracies,
or for any other loss, direct or consequential arising in
connection with any information contained within this
publication. The views herein are not necessarily those
of the publishers. Acceptance of advertisements does not
imply recommendation by the publisher.
1 star = poor, pitiful, appalling, atrocious, inexcusable - 2 stars = mediocre, second-rate, just average
3 stars = good, decent, fine, above average - 4 stars = great, first-rate, excellent, amazing, brilliant
5 stars = outstanding, exceptional, sheer brilliance, perfection, pure genius
Our final ratings are based on a combination of: build quality - durability - ruggedness - features
controls - functionality - usability - cost of ownership i.e. tapes/media cards/servicing costs etc.
Editor: Nigel Cooper - [email protected]
Sub Editor: Louise Wessman - [email protected]
Contributors: Eric Huyton, Peter Lindsley, Sylvie Bolioli, Peter Wiggins, Jim Panks.
Published by: DVuser UK. Tel: 01480 213229
Advertising: 01480 213229 Subscriptions: www.dvuser.co.uk/magazine.php
w w w. d v u s e r. c o . u k
The independent magazine for independent HD video producers & filmmakers
www.dvuser.co.uk • DVuser Magazine • August 2009 • 3
Dedolights latest LED light source,
the most sophisticated on-board system to date.
Main features:
Amazing output in combination with the dedolight double aspheric optics.
Focuses like a dedolight. LED lights are not usually focusable.
No other focusing LED light compares -4 degrees to 56 degrees.
Smooth Light distribution in all and every focusing position.
Wide-angle Flip-up diffuser for 70 degree angle, smoothly covering the widest zoom and widening the
beam more horizontally than vertically (1:1.66).
Clean, sharp, single-edge barn door shadow OR a very gentle light and shadow transition with the flipup wide angle diffuser in place.
Converts from daylight to tungsten via a dichroic flip-down filter.
Colour rendition and colour distribution is cleaner than comparable LED lights.
Adjustable support arm allows it to be positioned above and forward, of the camera.
Dims extremely smooth from full blast all the way down to zero without any colour change.
Powers from any 6V to 18V DC power source.
Optional battery shoe is compatible with Sony and Panasonic mini-DV batteries:
NP-F550 7.2, 200mA, 105 minute run time.
NP-750 7.2, 400mA, 210 minute run time.
NPF950 7.2Ma, 330minute run time.
When dimmed to 50% light output, power consumption drops accordingly resulting in twice the run time.
Alternative power from any Anton/Bauer or PAG system, Car cigarette lighter output or battery belt.
Power consumption is only 8W despite its high output.
Operates from -40 degrees Celsius up to +40 degrees Celsius.
LED power available indicator.
Front-end bayonet allows you to add future attachments and light modifiers.
For more details visit: www.cirrolite.com
Rycote focus on video with new mic mounts & windshields.
“If you’ve gone beyond using built-in camcorder microphones for video sound, Rycote for Video is
aimed at you, “ explains Rycote’s Technical Director Simon Davies. “It’s essentially an affordable, lownoise, physically robust shockmount system for camera-mounted microphones.”
The InVision Video shockmount/suspension. At the heart of this suspension is Rycote’s Lyre
technology, the patented and virtually unbreakable non-elasticated suspension design introduced in
several of Rycote’s shockmount products over the past two years. A lightweight (84g) but hard-wearing
noise-reducing clamp, designed for high-quality camcorder microphones between 19 and 25mm
in diameter and up to 300mm in length, is suspended in two low-noise W-shaped Lyre webs fixed
to a mounting bar. The bar may then be connected to a camcorder via two further optional adaptor
accessories also launched today, and detailed below. Both of these allow the mounting bar, and thus
any connected microphone, to be freely rotated 360 degrees around the camera mounting point.
• The InVision Video Hot Shoe Adaptor slides into the hot shoe mount on top of most commercial
camcorders. A built-in cable clamp is designed to reduce cable-borne noise.
• The InVision Video Quarter-inch Adaptor also offers a built-in cable clamp, but this mounting
accessory fits into the quarter-inch thread available on some camcorders. Cleverly, the adaptor
includes a male and female quarter-inch screw thread on its connecting thumb wheel, so that
attaching the Rycote adaptor does not deprive users of the ability to connect further accessories with a
quarter-inch thread to the camcorder; following connection of the adaptor, further accessories may be attached to the Rycote thumb wheel instead.
• The MiniScreen windshield. While the InVision Video mount reduces noise generated by knocking the camcorder, the camcorder mic or its
cable, the lightweight (51g), durable black mesh-fabric MiniScreen offers a reduction of up to 20dB of wind noise for camera-mounted shotgun
microphones and on-board camcorder mics. A universal rubberised mounting disk holds mics from 19 to 27mm in diameter in place in the
windshield, while the optional short-fur Mini Windjammer cover improves the wind attenuation by around another 3dB. Discreet and with a low
profile, the MiniScreen is available in four lengths (10, 12, 14 and 18cm) for different microphones.
For further information, contact your local Rycote distributor or check out their new web site at www.rycote.com
4 • August 2009 • DVuser Magazine • www.dvuser.co.uk
CALUMET
PRO
VIDEO
the choice of the professionals
REVIEW €€€
JVC GY-HD201EB HDD Kit
Sony HVR-Z5E
• Limited kit includes camcorder, 100Gb HDD and dockable SxS recorder
• Shoot to MiniDV tape, hard drive or SxS removable media
• 3 x 1/3" 1280x720 progressive CCDs
SAVE
• Uncompressed HDV live output
OVER
• 12v system with built-in V-mount (battery/charger NOT included)
Sony’s latest handheld pro HDV camcorder records to MiniDV/DVCAM tape and
will also record directly to removable CompactFlash media via the optional
HVR-MRC1K CF Memory Recorder Dock.
£1190
994-957B
LIST PRICE £5198.99
OUR PRICE
While stocks
last
£4007.75
• 20x4.1mm Sony G ED lens
• HDV/DVCAM/DV switchable
• Built-in ND filters
• 3 ClearVid CMOS sensors
• Improved low light performance to 1.5 Lux
• Full 2-year Sony Silver Support Warranty
Includes
2 x NPF970
hi-capacity
batteries
While stocks
last
Format
ProHD
/720p
Format
Lens
HDV1080i/1080p
16x5.5mm
Lens
20x4.1mm
IDX Endura V-mount Battery & Charger kit for
JVC GY-HD200 series cameras.
941-101V
£949.99
993-189ESPA
£4379.99
Sound Device MixPre
2-channel audio mixer
Sennheiser K6/ME66
Microphone Kit
• Studio quality, 2-channel portable mic mixer. Features pan switches, builtin slate mic, 1kHz oscillator and headphone monitoring
Professional-grade microphone kit designed for on- and off-camera use
999-481Z
£549.99
• Includes K6 AA/phantom power module
• Includes ME66 short gun mic capsule for clearer,
more distinct mid-distance audio
• Includes Rycote Softie &
Pistol Grip suspension kit for
handheld use
• Optional Sennheiser long gun and
vocal mic capsules available
SENME66KIT1
Steadicam Co-pilot Stabiliser Rig
Lightweight body-worn Steadicam
for today’s professional HDV
camcorders
• Designed for camcorders up to
4.5kg (9.9lb) in weight
• Fly your camera for unparalleled
motion sequences
• Includes 3.5" LCD reference
monitor
• Powered by easily-available
AA batteries
999-492B
£1999.99
All prices include VAT.
while stocks last
Email
Cambo V-40 Deluxe Heavy-Duty
Crane kit ex-Rental
Fully modular pro camcorder crane with remote pan & tilt system
• 3m extended crane can be used fully extended or in shorter configurations
• Includes full motorised pan & tilt camera head, LCD reference
monitor and remote zoom commander.
• Includes heavy-duty 100mm bowl tripod, soft
carry bag and protective
flight case for remote head
EX-RENTAL
SAVES OVER
• 3-months warranty
£8000
on list price
Only one
available
SHCAMV40DXKIT
£6612.50
E&OE.
020 7380 4508
[email protected]
Order online www.calumetphoto.co.uk
Visit us 93-103 Drummond Street, London NW1 2HJ
Telephone
£444.99
ProVideo sales now also
available in our Belfast,
Edinburgh and
Manchester stores
www.dvuser.co.uk • DVuser Magazine • July 2007 • 5
Proper Shoulder--Mount Camera.
Y
es I know that this new JVC GY-HM700 camcorder cost just
£5,500 with a standard Canon or Fujinon 1/3rd inch lens, and that
many might consider it not a true broadcast camera. However,
most of you will be well aware that Sony’s EX1 and EX3 camcorders are
making serious inroads into broadcast waters and many professional
broadcast cameramen are being forced to work with these new smaller
camcorders. The GY-HM700 is JVCs latest offering and it is in the same
price range as Sony’s EX3. Both JVC’s GY-HM700 and Sony’s EX3 are
solid-state camcorders with interchangeable lenses, but the JVC has
one big advantage over the Sony; IT ACTUALLY LOOKS, FEELS AND
WORKS LIKE A ‘PROPER’ CAMERA, that is, it is shoulder mounted,
it has a proper manual focus lens and all the knobs and switches are
exactly where you would expect to find them. Most of you will be used to
shooting on camcorders such as Digibeta, HDCAM, Varicam and even
35mm. Those of you who do, and have been unfortunate enough to
have been placed in the position that you have had to use a Sony EX1
or EX3, will know and understand just how frustrating these cameras are
to operate. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not bashing these Sony camcorders,
they produce amazing picture quality for the money; but boy is it difficult
achieving those pictures in the field. You will find yourself cursing
your way through the shoot as you fiddle with those impossible to find
miniscule buttons, or worse still, faff around in the menus as you try to
2 x SD/HC card slots.
find a setting that should be available via a dial or lever on the camera
body itself; logically placed of course. Enter the JVC GY-HM700. This
little beauty from JVC physically looks just like a professional full-size
broadcast camera, albeit a baby one. It takes professional style1/3rd
inch lenses and the White Balance presets, Gain presets, Zebra and
Skin detail levers, User buttons, Zoom, Focus and Iris controls etc, are
all exactly where you would expect to find them. As for the menus, they
look slick, professional, and are incredibly easy to navigate, and written
in the language that we all understand; and I haven’t even got to the best
yet. The GY-HM700 is not only solid-state, but it uses the very affordable
SD/HC card media (costing
around £12 for a 16GB card), yet
it records to the same (higher)
35Mbps variable bit-rate that
Sony’s EX series do; JVC have
also made an optional bolt-on SxS
card recorder (more on this later).
The GY-HM700 also takes regular
V-loc (Sony type) batteries and a
regular V-plate for tripod mount;
fixing at both the front and the
back for a nicely locked-down and
secure fixing. So, now that I’ve
whetted your appetite, what kind
of image quality does this new
JVC produce?
IMAGE QUALITY & USABILITY
Well let me tell you straight off that
this new JVC is definitely not up
there with professional formats
such as HDCAM or Varicam,
or even Digibeta, but it doesn’t
pretend to be; it only costs £5,500
including a lens. What I’m aiming
REVIEW µµµ
cheap SD/HC cards have a huge financial benefit compared to the
solid-state offerings from Sony and Panasonic; SxS and P2. I haven’t
even got to the best bit yet, this JVC camcorder records to the native
QuickTime .mov file format at 35Mbps. This is great news if you edit in
Final Cut Pro, as you can simply drag your files straight into your clip bin
with no transcoding.
The GY-HM 700 still uses a 720 block just like the older ProHD HDV
series such as the GY-HD101, but this time it uses ‘Spatial Offset’ to
bring it up to full HD resolution. This helps somewhat and works ok, but
it is never going to be as good as native 1920x1080. It is more half-way
between SD and HD in terms of real resolved resolution. But, there’s
more to life than resolution guys. I took the liberty of filming my Chromadu-monde resolution charts and the JVC happily resolves approximately
800 lines; compared to the 940 or so lines that I could get out of Sony’s
EX3 shooting the same chart. I guess what the big question is, will you
notice this 140-line difference between these two camcorders in real
world shooting?
Overall I was very happy with the quality and ‘look’ of the footage I got
from the JVC. After some tweaking around in the menus adjusting black
levels and colour gammas etc and setting the outdoor white-balance
to 4300K as apposed to the default 5600K standard. For some reason
only known to JVC, the default 5600K outdoor setting appears to have a
horrible green spike in the colour spectrum; I mean ‘vomit green’ like that
of fluorescent lighting. By reducing the setting to 4300K gives the picture
a somewhat warmer and more neutral look, and it loses the ‘green’ tint.
This default factory setting definitely needs fixing by JVC in the future
firmware update. I shot everything in progressive 25P HQ mode. Overall
I found the footage to look pleasing with decent colour, good detail, with
some ‘filmic’ qualities. Compared to the Sony EX3 there are noticeable
differences. The EX3’s images have more detail, richer colours, with
virtually no colour fringing. The JVC (or at least the lenses on it) suffer
from Green fringing; especially the Canon KT20 when zoomed in; it’s
hideous. The cheaper Fujinon lenses didn’t suffer quite as much. In low
light shooting situations, the Sony EX3 also beats the JVC, but this is
to be expected as the Sony uses CMOS sensors, whilst the JVC uses
CCD chips. CCD is not as good in low light as CMOS and the blacks in
to do throughout this review is to establish the usability and image quality
of this camera, with a little side-by-side comparison with Sony’s EX3, the
latter already established in low-budget broadcast productions. I think it
is totally fair to compare this new JVC with the Sony EX3, as both use
interchangeable lenses and are of similar price, but most importantly,
because Sony’s EX3 (and EX1) is the budget boy that everybody is
talking about. So, can this new JVC knock the Sony EX3 off its perch?
JVC were kind enough to lend me a brand-new GY-HM700 along
with three 1/3rd inch lenses; a Fujinon 16x5.5, a Fujinon 16.5 and a
Canon KT20; the latter being the flagship £6,500 model, whereas the
two Fujinon’s are around the £1,000 mark.
The GY-HM700 camcorder itself feels pretty robust and much more
substantial in build quality than Sony’s somewhat plasticy EX series.
The GY-HM700 smacks of a solid die-cast aluminium body with rugged
plastic over the top. The metal levers for White balance and Gain feel
just as they do on high-end broadcast cameras, the same can be said
for the Zebra lever and various other controls such as VF Peaking, VF
Brightness, Auto-White trace, User buttons, Monitor, Audio levels etc. As
for the various sockets, most of these are professional BNC-type and
they too feel just as rugged as those on cameras costing eight times the
price. As for the lens, the Zoom ring, Focus ring and Aperture ring, these
all feel just like those on professional
2/3rd inch lenses; perhaps slicker and
obviously slightly smaller in size. The
lens’s Zoom rocker lever, Record start/
stop button, Auto/Manual iris switch, Rec
preview button, Iris button and Macro and
Flange-back levers all feel and function
just as they do on professional 2/3rd
inch lenses. On the whole, I found this
camera to be beautifully crafted, cute and
endearing. It’s almost like a high-end fullsize professional broadcast camera gave
birth to a baby one; I can’t get enough
of the superb form-factor of this JVC
camcorder.
The attention to detail on this camera
is phenomenal. Little details such as the
Gain lever having a square end while the
White Balance preset lever next to it has
a rounded end, make them easy to ‘feel’
your way around.
As I’ve already mentioned this JVC
Superb quality LCD screen.
camcorder records to solid-state SD/HC
cards. These little cards are available
in capacities up to 32GB. I buy 16GB
Transcend cards for just £10 each,
on which I can fit 90 minutes of full HD
1920x1080 footage. Recording to these
Professional style lens.
low light can be a bit noisy. However, CMOS chips suffer from the rolling
shutter (jelly) effect and flash photography makes CMOS chips suffer
too. Pro’s and Cons to both.
The JVC GY-HM700 is far superior in image quality to camcorders
like the Sony Z1, Panasonic HMC151, Canon XLH1, and even JVC’s
own ProHD tape-based HDV camcorders. But it is not quite as good as
Sony’s EX range due to its 1/3rd CCD 720 block with special offset. But
the JVC is a superb camera, and even though its image quality is not
quite there with the Sony EX series, it simply wipes the floor with the latter
in terms of build quality and usability. I have had extensive experience
with Sony’s EX series, and I have to admit, although they produce nice
images, they are an absolute nightmare to use and if you don’t treat
them tentatively with kid gloves they will break; viewfinders, mic holders
etc all have a tendency to break if not treated carefully. These are issues
that you simply won’t have with the JVC. Also the JVC’s form factor is
more like that of the larger Digibeta style camera; it is a breeze/privilege
to work with. Personally, I would rather take the slight hit in image quality,
and use the beautifully built and ergonomically friendly JVC any day.
The button positioning on the JVC is sublime; especially the nice
shutter select button. All are buttons and controls are primarily external
and logically laid out, as opposed to the horrible menu-driven systems
found on your usual handycams. The LCD is much larger and higher
definition than before, though still hard to see in sunlight.
The viewfinder is a totally redesigned affair compared to JVC’s
previous ProHD camcorders, where it had a tendency to crack on the
corner if knocked. This new viewfinder is a lot tougher. However, if you
are use to larger viewfinders on full-size broadcast cameras you won’t
like this one as it is smaller in comparison. But focusing is still incredibly
easy via the viewfinder due to JVC’s very neat focus-assist button,
which turns the viewfinder and LCD black-and-white, and a blue (or
red, selectable in menus) outline appears on high contrast areas when
they are bang in focus; this works really well. Whilst on the viewfinder,
this one is totally removable; great when travelling as there will be less
chance of breakage and it allows the camera to fit into a smaller case;
we all know what airport baggage handlers can be like.
There is a variable Frame-rate function, but in large step increments.
But there is no ‘Time-Lapse’ feature on this camera, which is a shame;
Thumbnail view.
this is a feature I’d really miss if I were using this camera all the time.
Unlike the Canon XLH1, which is something of a ‘half-shouldermount’ design. The JVC GY-HM700 is a ‘proper’ shoulder-mount design,
although not full size, it sits on your shoulder in the correct way just like
a full-size camera would. Although the JVC is light, it has a reassuring
weight to it and it balances perfectly on the shoulder, the ergonomics are
superb. The JVC also takes professional V-lock batteries; just like fullsize professional Sony
shoulder-mount
camcorders.
The GY-HM700
has two professional
balanced XLR audio
microphone
inputs,
HD/SDI, Remote and
Component
BNC
sockets as well as
FireWire and USB
outputs. The DC input
is a professional 4-pin
affair; thank god. There
are two headphone
sockets on the back,
one for the built in/
removable
earpiece
and a spare just
above it. There is a
professional D-tap max
50W output on the back
of the camera for use
with on-camera lights
etc as well as bracket
adaptor for wireless
mic receivers and the
REVIEW µµµ
Professional BNC type inputs and outputs.
like. There are two SD/HC card slots so you can have two 32GB cards
in there for over 360 minutes of continuous HD recording at max HQ
quality setting. There is also an audio RCA output.
On the other side of the camera you’ll find the Focus assist button, VF
peaking, VF bright, audio monitor volume, User 1, 2 and 3 buttons, all of
which are assignable in the menus. ND filter switch for ¼ and 1/16, Gain
L, M and H, White balance Preset and A/B, Audio record level for right
and left channels, display mode for LCD, which switches to the largest
‘time-code’ readout you have ever seen. On the front under the lens
there is a white-balance button and a Zebra on/off select, which doubles
given the viewfinder, microphone holder, and various other parts of the
body some moderate bashing with the palm of my hand in an attempt
to crack or break something, but the camera withstood my moderate
punishment; and I’m glad it did otherwise I would have had to have
blamed the couriers.
The GY-HM700 costs just £4,250 plus vat for the body only so don’t
expect a full-on broadcast picture. If you want broadcast spend £30,000
plus, or hire something. This JVC has a market - corporate, weddings,
SIVs, event work, and to be perfectly honest, certain types of broadcast
work for certain Sky channels or news, factual. But not big-budget bluechip stuff.
On a final note (JVC, if you are reading), I’d like to see JVC bring out
a GY-HM700 version 2 model that uses the same CMOS 1/3rd native
1920 chips that Panasonic use in their 301 camcorder. If JVC did this
and ditched the somewhat Jurassic period low-res CCD ones that they
currently use with all their pixels-shifting, lack of resolution and noisy
images in low-light, they would have a winner; a real winner. This camera
is ‘good’, but with decent chips it could be ‘amazing’. For me personally,
I’d rather use a camera like this JVC that is well-built and works like
a proper camera and take a small hit in image quality, as opposed to
working with a non-form-factor nightmare that produces slightly better
images. Horses for courses.
Rating:
as a Skin area detect or Spot meter; nice.
The camera mounts to a tripod by way of a professional Sony style
V-plate, which locks the camera at both the front and the back for a solid
fixing to the tripod.
I totally love this camera, especially the ‘form factor’, sure the image
quality is not quite there with Sony’s EX series, but as I’ve already
mentioned the build quality and form factor of this JVC camera is simply
light years ahead of the EX1/EX3 camcorders. I like the secure feeling I
get from the JVC, trust me on this one, I’ve manhandled this camera and
The lens options for this 1/3rd inch JVC are:
Canon KT14 will become the standard lens and I expect it to be good.
Canon KT20x5B KRS £4,900 inc vat. Available now.
Fujinon TH17x5BRM £1,725 inc vat. Available now.
Fujinon TH13x3.5BRM £6,660 inc vat. Available now.
Fujinon HTs18x4.2BRM £8,300 inc vat. Available now.
Fujinon HTs18x4.2BERM with built-in 2x extender £10,100 inc vat.
Available now.
For more details visit: www.jvcpro.co.uk
µµµ REVIEW
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W
hen your client calls for sweeping high definition aerials for a
new up-market property development in Mauritius, your first
question should be: what’s the budget? Swiftly followed by:
how long have they scheduled to achieve this?
At the production meeting in the UK, the client described the construction
site and the need to show clearly the expanse of the plots of individual
villas, and the possibility of opening out from a close up to a huge wide
shot of the entire site covering some 430 acres. On their shopping list
was also a low sweeping approach shot from out at sea, skimming across
waves as flying towards the site and rising to show the beauty of the
location seated between verdant mountain slopes and the warm waters
of the Indian Ocean. Another sweep along the shore line would show the
site for the proposed 18-hole golf course, and yet another fly past would
include a 360 sweep round a mountain peak.
When I hear this sort of brief, I can see it immediately, you know what
the client has in their mind’s eye and I know how
to achieve it. But, then you start asking your two
most important questions: budget and schedule.
Of course, the client wants the picture to be
ultra-stable as do I. The audience is accustomed
to rock steady aerials on programmes such as
BBC’s Coast, The Apprentice, Planet Earth and
Railway Walks. A slightly wobbly hand-held shot
zooming out from a hovering position is no longer
acceptable, especially for a high-end corporate
where people’s expectations are equally high
– the client is marketing exceptional quality and
exclusive villas to wealthy international discerning
buyers. These villas will sell for several million
Euros each. So the pictures have to be of an
equally high standard.
In the meeting, I briefly outlined the theory
of how ultra stable close ups, zoom outs and
forward looking shots are achieved and the type
of camera mounts needed to do this. I would use
gyro stabilised ball mounts such as the Cineflex
Heligimbal and the Ultramedia, which can offer
stable shots even at a focal length of 1000mm
as well as rock steady forward looking wides, which can pan and tilt as
you fly. The problem is, they are expensive to hire, require a specialist
operator and would have to be flown in from Europe or South Africa at
best, all of which would be far beyond the client’s budget. And committing
to this level of expense when the weather in Mauritius for flying is less
than predictable meant such top-class kit was not the way forward on my
client’s budget and schedule.
Once we’d made that decision, my job was now to find a way to
meet their expectations as closely as possible with the limited resources
available on Mauritius. The answer was a very fine Bell Jetranger provided
by Air Mauritius with an experienced pilot who had many hours flying
experience for aerial shoots. And for the camera mount – we went back to
the old-fashioned method – on the shoulder with the side door off.
This approach did limit the type of shots we could shoot – no zoomed
in close ups because it simply was not stable enough. The only way to
get a reasonably stable shot is to stay on the wide end of the zoom lens
and fly close to the subject.
The next stage was to maximize the value of the flight. This meant a
clear briefing between myself, the pilot and director. We discussed the
shot list, then talked through any limitations such as wind direction, areas
of turbulence, no go areas, and the
length of the flight before we would
have to refuel hopefully right next to
our location to avoid unnecessary
and expensive flying time. This
was all done over a cup of coffee
– much more civilized and cheaper
than struggling with comms systems
when airborne and burning aviation
fuel! Getting everyone on the same songsheet before you take off means
that everyone’s expectations are the same and we can achieve what
we’ve agreed in the allotted time.
So, fully briefed and prepared, we walked out to the aircraft in full
sunshine with a predicted 90 minute window of good weather before
clouds would start to build heralding the onset of the afternoon rains.
Eric Huyton preparing for Aerial Filming.
Strapping myself and the camera into the aircraft had to be done with
a reasonable amount of care for obvious reasons. It’s important to attach
the camera to the aircraft, but not to yourself. If you need to make a hasty
exit, all you have to do is pull the quick release catch on your harness and
leave the camera behind. The last thing you need is to be struggling to
disentangle yourself from the camera as well! You must also make sure
that everything is tightened up on the camera: lens shade, lens mount,
eyepiece and I usually remove the on-board microphone - it’s one less bit
to fall off and it’s only going to record wind noise anyway.
We took off and headed towards the southwest of the island, a flying
time of around 15 minutes and I grabbed a few general scenics on
the way. The weather was partially cloudy, but generally good and the
Jetranger remarkably stable, at least whilst in steady forward flight. As
we approached the location we could see our first landmark - Le Morne
- a large mountain at the head of the peninsula, which was to be our first
shot. The pilot did a fly past the mountain to show us the development
site on it’s far side and then repositioned to the south for our filming run.
This was a low wide pass over the mountain about 30 feet above the tree
tops with the ground falling away sharply as we cleared the mountain to
reveal the site some 2,000 feet below. Ideally, this would have been on
µµµ ARTICLE
a forward-looking nose mount, but the best we could do was to fly the
aircraft forward at an angle so that I was looking pretty much straight
ahead. The only limitation with this is that we had to keep below about 40
knots or the turbulence would have been too great and would have made
filming impossible. It’s a reasonable compromise and on a low wide shot
skimming the treetops, it still looks pretty fast. After a couple of takes, we
had achieved a spectacular and dramatic shot.
This method didn’t work so well for our next shot, which was an
approach from the sea. On a wide lens, the sea rushed by quite nicely
but the site was just too far away in the distance and because of our 40
knot speed limit, it took forever to get close enough to see the site in any
detail. So we took a different approach telling the same story in two shots
rather than one - namely a nice wide and stable shot of the bay followed
by a sideways looking shot of the site with the helicopter flying forwards
at speed and the waves rushing by in the foreground.
With the tricky shots done, we had time for a few general fly-bys
and some other scenics on the way back before the weather closed in.
Back in the airport, we had a quick playback of some of the shots and,
* Make sure any video
cables to the director’s
or pilot’s monitor are
sensibly routed and
can’t interfere with any
controls.
* Don’t use a matte box.
You’re unlikely to use
filters, it will cause a lot
of turbulence if it sticks
out into the slipstream
and will probably blow
off.
* Double tie you’re shoe
laces. I learned this
one the hard way whilst
flying over the north sea
and ended up with a
very cold foot!
* Don’t wear a hat!
* Keep yourself and
the camera inside the
aircraft as much as
possible. If anything
pushes out into the slipstream, it gets very windy and makes your shots
less stable.
* Try to get the pilot to point the aircraft in the right direction rather than
twisting and leaning out to get the right angle.
* If you’re shooting from the shoulder, keep your shots wide and let the
aircraft fly the shot.
* Plan and discuss your shots before you fly.
Enjoy yourself!
Eric Huyton
not surprisingly the ones, which worked best were the big wides. As for
stability, there was some movement of the horizon as you’d expect, but
this could readily be corrected at the edit stage using a feature in Final
Cut Pro.
Now I’m not suggesting for a minute that a hand held set up can take the
place of a Cineflex Heligimbal or an Ultramedia but, when used carefully
and within it’s limitations it can produce perfectly acceptable pictures.
The resulting aerials in the edited film are very good indeed, and were
achieved for a fraction of the cost of using a gyro stabilised mount.
So, when faced with high expectations, budget restrictions and a fast
turnaround schedule, the key to success is not to promise what you
can’t deliver. Don’t get swept up in the client’s enthusiasm. Take their
aspirations and ideas on board, work with them to deliver what they need
to tell their story, and always produce a top quality piece of work based
on their original dreams.
Tips for hand held aerial filming
* Carry spare batteries and tape in a small camera bag that can be tied
to the aircraft.
For more info visit: www.eyefish.tv/production-guide/aerial-filming
Bio: Eric Huyton has been a lighting cameraman and DOP for over 25
years and has worked for all the major international broadcasters on
science, history and wildlife documentaries as well as drama and dramadoc. He has photographed numerous commercials and regularly shoots
corporate films for high-profile clients.
REVIEW µµµ
F
or as long as I can remember, I’ve always had a passion for
wildlife, in particular, insects. Specifically, butterflies and moths
have always held a special fascination for me, and photographing
them has also been a life-long interest.
With the arrival of video I was quite naturally attracted to the possibility of
shooting footage of these wonderful creatures. Although I was fortunate
enough to work in the industry, the equipment I was able to borrow
over weekends etc. was Hi-Band U-matics and 3-tube colour cameras.
Although this was regarded as good for the time, it really left a lot to be
desired in terms of the recording quality. I always felt the cameras were
far better than the recoding medium I had access to. So although I was
able to edit the footage on a full-blown edit suite, the results were nothing
to get excited about.
Many years later, with the arrival of affordable digital equipment, things
changed out of all recognition. In fact you only have to look on E-Bay and
TV-Bay to see how cheap cameras and recorders from 20 years ago now
are. In fact I actually have an edit suit that will probably go to the dump
some day soon – how things change!
Having owned a Sony DV-CAM camera I was quite happy with the
interchangeable lenses etc. but the picture quality was not as good as I
would like; nothing wrong with camera I hasten to add, I simply wished
for better. Then Sony brought out the two XD-CAM-HD cameras; the
330 and 350. I had to have one, so I
quickly sold the DV-CAM unit and then
had to decide which of the two models
I should go for.
The decision was partly made for
me because the 350 had a much
better viewfinder and offered over and
under cranking. Both cameras offered
time-lapse – something I could only
dream about previously. Having said
that I did build a timer unit which I used
with a Bolex H16 film camera, but the
prohibitively high cost of film put a stop
to that years ago.
So I thought about things for a
while and finally decided on the 350,
however, what lens should I get?
From bitter experience I knew that
if I went for a low-cost lens I’d never
be really happy with it, so after much
investigation I opted for the Canon
HDgc lens - KH21ex5.7. This lens is ideal for
general purpose natural history work and is
fitted with a 2x extender; I must say though
that the image quality does suffer when
using the extender. It offers good moderate
telephoto performance, and is able to produce
full-frame images of butterflies without any
other aids. What a good choice this turned out to be. It produces superb
images and even when fitted to my Sony HVR-Z7 camera, using the Fuji
adaptor – ACM-19, the results are first class, at least they are to me and
that’s what it’s all about as I don’t sell my footage.
As I’ve used Nikon 35mm film cameras, and now the digital versions,
for many years, I have quite a collection of high quality optics that, with
the use of another suitable adaptor, can be fitted to the 350. For close-up
and macro work this is essential of course. I actually have two adaptors,
one with a relay lens, the other just a mechanical adaptor.
So, this summer I decided to try and do some proper time-lapse.
Part of my hobby is breeding butterflies and moths every year and, this
year was no exception, I choose to try to capture three events; firstly a
caterpillar spinning its cocoon, secondly a caterpillar turning into a pupa,
or chrysalis, and thirdly a butterfly emerging from its pupa.
If you have ever tried this type of photography, even stills never mind
video, you will know how time consuming it can be. Insects just don’t
behave to any time-scale that suits human activity. For example, to video
the butterfly emerging from its pupa, I had to leave the setup in a fixed
position for nearly two weeks.
Figure 1 shows the setup I used. The bench is a heavy-duty kitchen
worktop which is firmly screwed to the wall, so is very stable and does
Fig. 1
ARTICLE µµµ
not transmit footsteps or the like. You simply can’t
use a normal tripod for close-up work and timelapse, otherwise the occasional jumps are all to
clear to see in the final footage. The camera, fitted
with a Micro Nikor 105mm lens and adaptor, was
mounted on a Vinten head unit in the right of the
picture, illumination was provided by two Bowens
Cool lights, although I could have done with a little
more light; probably simply moving the lights a little
closer to the subject would have been enough.
The problem of course is that with most closeup shots, and all macro work, you are inevitably
struggling for good depth of field. To achieve this
it is best to stop the lens down to at least f16 and
possibly f32 if the lens allows it. Trouble is that the
light now reaching the censor is much reduced,
hence the need for more light; increasing the
camera gain is not an option as the increase in
noise is not acceptable. Also I adjusted focus by
viewing the images on the full-HD Apple monitor
visible to the left of the camera.
The caterpillar is on the potted food-plant to
the left of the picture. Note the clamp keeping
the plant ‘anchored’ to the radiator and stopping
it blowing about in the breeze. The food-plant for
the Brimstone butterfly is Buckthorn and in fact the
caterpillar will not eat anything else, so even this
aspect was planned months ahead in the winter
when I potted up some small bushes in anticipation
of breeding this species, and hopefully trying to
obtain some time-lapse footage.
Once the caterpillar had turned into a pupa,
which in itself needed a few days of careful
watching so as not to miss the event, I then knew
that some 7 to 14 days would pass before the
adult butterfly would emerge – but when? The only
choice was to set the 350 running in time-lapse
mode and leave it recoding 24 hours a day for day
after day – thank goodness it’s not tape based –
just think of all the head wear! Actually, it was not
quite that bad because the pupa hardly changed
at all for the first five or six days. In fact most days
when I peered round the door into the workshop,
as I call my video room, nothing had changed,
other than very slowly, day by day, the pupa was
getting darker and eventually shades of green and
yellow could be made out through the skin of the
pupa. I then had to make a decision – what frame
rate to use? To record the slowly changing colours
it was fine to set the camera to record 1 frame
each second, but as I knew the actual emergence
would not take very long, once it had started, I changed the timing to 3
frames per second.
The results are very pleasing and far better than I ever achieved using
film or by taking every 25th frame from normal video. I have to say I’m
not sure why this should be, but footage shot on the 350 just looks very
smooth and more natural.
Am I happy with the end result? – in a word, no. To be more honest, no
not completely. This is because the butterfly’s wings, when fully extended,
were too long and fell slightly outside the bottom of the frame as you can
see in Fig 4. Not to worry, I’ll try again in 2009 and maybe get better
results after this learning curve.
Fig 2 shows the caterpillar just before changing into pupa and Fig 3
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
shows the pupa just minutes after the caterpillar had shed its skin. Fig 4
shows the adult butterfly in the process of emerging - a truly wonderful
sight.
All close-ups are frame grabs from the actual footage.
Bio: Peter’s working life was spent in the audio industry, including Abbey
Road studios, Dolby Labs, Leevers Rich and Philips. He also founded
and ran his own company, Bias Electronics, designing and manufacturing
audio tape recorders. He’s also worked with video for over 20 years,
much of it with JVC Professional and Vistek Electronics. Peter is currently
retired in North Norfolk, and is actively involved in videoing the wildlife of
the area, specialising in insects.
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F
or all of my working life, and most of my retirement, I’ve been
involved with sound recording and reproduction. Also for the last
20 years or so I’ve been involved with video. As far as the audio
side is concerned, I feel I’ve been lucky enough to have been involved
at, what arguably could be described as, the most exciting times of
sound recording progress and development. In fact I feel privileged to
have witnessed first-hand the changes I have – they were truly wonderful
years.
From my early days working at the E.M.I factory at Hayes in Middlesex,
through my years at the world-famous E.M.I. Abbey Road studios, and
working with Ray Dolby of noise-reduction fame, I’ve seen recording
techniques evolve out of all recognition. When I started at E.M.I. the
workhorse of studio recording was the BTR-2, although the earlier
BTR-1 was still in use, both were manufactured by EMI. These
machines were very large and heavy, nearly the size, and probably
the weight, of a jukebox of the age. Fig. 1 was taken in the controlroom of studio 2, where most of the Beatles recordings were
made, and it shows just how large these tape recorders were;
it shows a pair of BTR-2 machines. They were also only mono,
stereo had yet to take-off.
As for portable equipment, the EMI L2 was the industry standard
and was used by the BBC and most broadcasting companies.
This machine ran at either 7.5ips or 15ips, specified at the
time of purchase. The specification of this portable was very
poor by today’s standards, but for the time was the best
available. For example, the single motor that drove the machine had an
electro/mechanical governor to stabilize the speed; you can imagine how
relatively
p o o r
the W&F
(wow
&
flutter) was.
Also,
the
machine’s
electronics
used valves – it
took time before
transistors were
used in recorders,
and true solidstate was years
a w a y
and no more than a
dream. Being valved it had a pack
of heavy batteries to power the valve
filaments, and of course the motor;
there was also a large high-tension
battery. All in all, quite a lump to lug
around, I know: as I lugged one onto
Ealing Broadway and Paddington
stations many times to record steam
trains. The microphone used was
the STC 4021, the ‘Ball and Biscuit’.
I was very fortunate in working
in the industry when I did, for I not
only worked on the production of LP
records, but also saw the introduction
of stereo. I’m not saying I saw all the
great advances, obviously not, I was
not around when Blumlein invented
stereo, but I did know his wife and
one of his son’s very well, but that,
as they say, is another story.
Over the years recorders steadily
improved; firstly with the use of
transistors, then the use of integrated
circuits, this made machines much
smaller, lighter and more reliable.
µµµ REVIEW
This did not cause any noticeable change to studio machines but, as you
can appreciate, portable machines benefited enormously. The L2 was
replaced by the L4, an all transistorised machine. Also, at the same time,
stereo machines started to appear, both in studio and portable form.
The first really portable machine I owned, and still do, was the FiCord
1A. This little machine gave a good account of itself even when using
the supplied microphone, the Grampian DP4. Mind you the terrible 4-pin
connector left a lot to be desired! Another portable recorder that was very
popular was the Uher range of machines, and were much favoured by
reporters and wildlife sound recording enthusiasts.
For many years all recording was analogue, digital technology was
reserved for the laboratories of the BBC and other similar organizations.
However, for a time, the invention of the video recorder allowed the use of
PCM (pulse code modulation) recording to be achieved on a relatively low
budget. Here, the audio signal was converted into a digital data stream
and recorded on to the rotating-head system of a video recorder. Various
systems appeared, Sony and JVC produced professional systems that
recorded to U-matic videotape, these were used to create master tapes
to produce LP records or, later, CDs. At a semi-professional level Sony
produced a few models, the PCM-F1 system being particularly well
known, and could record 16-bit stereo onto Betamax tapes; it also worked
with VHS recorders, although Sony did not make VHS machines in those
days. A natural progression of this was, of course, the DAT (Digital Audio
Tape) recorder. Again most machines offered up to 16-bit 48kHz sampling
rate. It was clear that the days of analogue recording were numbered.
Coming right up to today, we now have true solid-state recorders available
at prices that would have seemed impossible even only a few years
ago. Present day machines offer a specification that makes the BTR-2
machine, when I started, look truly dreadful. The frequency response is
flat to 20kHz, or beyond if you want it, the s/n ratio is over 90dB and the
wow-&-flutter, unmeasurable; all really mind blowing.
So what of the Sony D50? This is one of many such machines, from
a wide range of manufacturers, that vary in price from less than £50 to
well over a thousand. The PCM-D50, to give it its full model number, is
a stereo recorder offering various sampling rates and bit-depths up to
96kHz, 24-bits. It has 4GB of built in memory so can record for many
hours without buying any additional memory. As an example, you can
record nearly two hours at the maximum quality of 24-bit/96kHz. At
24-bit/48kHz, which I favour, it will store no less than five minutes short
of four hours of stereo. As for size, the recorder will easily fit into my coat
top-pocket; it’s about 6 inches tall.
As you can see from the picture, it has a large screen that shows the
operating conditions and, along the top, the audio levels. I will not bother
to explain the controls etc. as these are fairly standard, and anyway you
can always find out about them on web-sites and from brochures. A menu
system gives you access to all the parameters that might need changing,
which I’ve found very intuitive, unlike some equipment I could mention!
The two built in microphones are good quality electret mics that can
be repositioned if required. As shown in the picture, they are set at
90-degree offset, but can be moved to allow 120-degree if needed. You
will also notice the wire frame protecting the microphones; I don’t know if
it’s intentional, but this frame also makes fitting a suitable windshield very
easy and effective, as the frame holds the shield away from the mics, thus
ensuring a gap between the mics and the windshield; windshields work
much better this way. Sony offers a number of accessories, one being the
windshield, although I purchased a ‘Softie’ from Rycote at a much better
price. Talking of price, the D50 costs about £550. Another accessory that
might be useful is the XLR-1, which, you will not be surprised to hear,
offers XLR inputs. It also provides 48V phantom-power if required. I’ve
not had the opportunity to try one of these units yet; in fact at the time of
writing they are not yet available in the UK. There is also a remote control
unit available, but I have no use for that, and have not seen one.
Out of the box you simply install the four AA batteries and then you can
record – it’s as easy as that. It was because I’d heard good reports of the
recorder’s quality, combined with the fact no extras were needed, that I
purchased one of these little machines. So far I have to say the quality
is really amazing. The quoted s/n ratio is greater than 93dB when set to
24-bit; try getting that from reel-to-reel, even with Dolby!
There is one possible drawback of course; handling noise is a potential
problem if you record while hand-holding the unit, however, there is a
standard ¼’’ Whitworth socket on the rear so you can attach the recorder
to a tripod.
One of my main interests in using the D50 is wildlife recording, and so
far I have not been disappointed with the results. Incidentally, one final
very useful facility of the D50 is that of a built-in pre-record-buffer. You
can set the unit to record up to five seconds of audio without actually
recording it to memory, then, when you hear something you want and
press the record button, it records from five seconds before you pressed
the button – very useful. As an example, I was recording the sounds
of my local preserved steam railway, and I knew the loco was going to
sound its whistle, but when? No problem, activate the record-buffer and
simply press record when I heard the whistle – sound captured.
Clearly, being so compact and robust – it feels very solid - it can
be taken with you ‘just-in-case’ there is something to record – I can
thoroughly recommend it.
Sony PCM-D50
µµµ ARTICLE
W
hen I set off for New York in September 2007 with my small
Sony TRV900, it was to film some background research I was
doing, for a feature fiction script I was writing which tackles
the topic of the Insanity Defense. Misunderstood by the general public
all over the world, the subject is even more controversial in the United
States because of the still active death penalty. Hence my decision to
look for material there rather than in the UK. And who knows, the footage
could be used as bonus meterial on a DVD release.
Having met actor Bruce Birns in Cannes a couple of years ago, who
happened to also be Assistant District Attorney in the Domestic Violence
Department of the Bronx, was also influential in my choice to go to NYC
as Bruce was a good starting point for my research and he facilitated a
few interviews as well as my filming in the Court in the Bronx. Prosecutor
in real life, Bruce played a Defense Attorney in a few episodes of Law &
Order: Criminal Intent and SVU.
I knew I needed some good sound and a half-decent camcorder
light, so I went to the Hamley’s, the Eden of cameramen: B&H in 9th
Avenue at 34th Street. I was like an eight year old in a toy shop. I am a
bit embarrassed to say that I was more interested in my trip to B&H than
a visit to the Metropolitan Museum. I do appreciate art, but gee, this was
something else! For a little filmmaker like me, it was like being in Lapland
for Christmas. I didn’t have much of a budget. A friend in the UK gave
me his air miles points and I squatted at another friend’s apartment in
NYC. I just wanted to come back with a few interviews and some useful
information for my script. So I settled for a Rode directional mic, a Lavalier
and a 50W lamp with a belt battery.
What I didn’t expect was what followed. Every person I was meeting was
very enthusiastic about what I was doing and suggested I should meet
so and so. So my three week trip (half-holidays, half work, it was my first
time in the Big Apple), turned out to be too little time. I then thought that
Syvlie Bolioli
there was the potential to make a little documentary. I was also very keen
to interview Dr. Robert Berger, a forensic psychiatrist who has worked
with my friend Bruce on numerous occasions. Dr. Berger was part of the
team who assessed Mark Chapman for the prosecution in the 80s (John
Lennon’s alleged killer). We couldn’t schedule a meeting before I left,
partly because I wasn’t well organized. I had to rely on the local Internet
cafe to check my emails and I missed the important ones.
A day or two before my departure, another lawyer friend recommended
I should speak to Prof. Michael Perlin at the New York Law School, a
major authority on the Insanity Defence; he has written numerous books
on the subject. Another reason to come back to the US.
If this was to become a bigger project, I had to be better prepared. One
thing bothered me; my camera. The Sony TRV900 had been my loyal
partner for the
last seven years,
Homeless schizophrenic in Miami, USA.
never failing me,
but having used
and abused it, the
head was starting
to show signs of
wear. One day,
on top of the
Empire
State
Building,
the
camera refused
to work, the usual
‘head-cleaning’
sign flagging up
in the viewfinder.
As I was carrying
a cleaning tape,
I obliged; but to
no avail. Cleaned
again. Nothing.
The camera didn’t
STORY µµµ
MRI scan at the Welcome Trust Neuroimaging Lab, London.
Brain scan inset.
want to know. By that stage I started to panic. I had an interview lined up
for the evening and I didn’t want to cancel it due to faulty equipment.
Miraculously, the camera worked perfectly well during the interview. Not
sure if it was the curse of the Manhattan Bermuda triangle, but it was
enough to prompt me to get a new camera. My finances were running
dry however so no more trip to Lapland. I had to go back to England and
do some work.
A few months later I hadn’t made enough money to renew my kit and
the credit card looked like the only option as I didn’t want to let the trail
go too cold. The Broadcast Live Show in London was just a few days
away and I figured I might get a bargain. I walked out with a new Sony
HVR-V1 and a Sony HVR-A1, the latter I would use as a B camera and a
capture deck. I also picked up a Libec tripod, a Liliput lamp and a bonus
in the shape of a small sponsorship from Sony. They would provide me
with HDV Digital Master tapes and write about my film in their magazine
‘Producer’. I was happy to gain their interest. By then I found a title for my
documentary, I would call it LAW & DISORDER: The Insanity Defense.
I made up
A mentally ill individual being apprehended.
my mind that I
would shoot a
feature length
movie, but I
had to do more
research. So I
travelled back
to New York
armed
with
my new kit, an
Apple laptop,
Kirby mental institution, NY, USA.
a US mobile
number
and
my American
Express card
(for the air miles
loyalty points!)
It was difficult
at that stage to
put a proposal
together and apply for funding or commissioning as I didn’t know for sure
whom I was going to meet and where I was going to film as the project
was developing as I went along. All I knew was that I wanted to talk about
the ignorance of jurors when it comes to dealing with insanity and the
criminalization of the mentally ill.
Another trip to B&H got me the Sennheiser ENG G2 Radio Mic and
US bulbs for the lamp since the voltage is different. A cameraman in NYC
would occasionally help me out. Most of the time I would be by myself. I
would use the second camera as a reverse. I wanted to film the homeless
at night to illustrate some of the mentally ill people in the streets. The
little HVR-A1 was perfect because it was not too intrusive and has a halfdecent infrared night shot shooting mode.
My two weeks in New York and the neighbouring States of Connecticut
and New Jersey soon came to an end. I brought back some interesting
material and some good contacts. I foresaw that I would need another
two or three trips in between jobs to complete my movie.
The following trip in October 2007 would bring me more than I bargained
for. I had planned another three weeks in the US, but work on my project
got interrupted by an offer of a paid job as 2nd Unit Director in India
on a corporate shoot; I couldn’t refuse. So after a very strenuous week,
travelling to various places in the South of India, I returned to the US,
jet lagged, but looking forward to my trip to Miami the following day. An
afternoon on the beach would not go amiss. Or so I thought... A tropical
storm was announced.
I was going to meet up with Judge Steve Leifman who set up some
alternatives to jail for the criminally insane. He invited me to film a seminar
at Miami Beach Police Station where Police and Correction officers were
being trained on how to handle the mentally ill in crisis. I was having
lunch after the shoot when I got the unexpected message that I could
film the forensic wing of Miami County Dade Jail, the infamous Floor 9
where the criminally insane on suicide watch are kept. I only had about
forty minutes to set up and film before a lined up interview with Judge
Leifman. When I got there, I felt tears in my eyes, I was overwhelmed by
my emotions. I stayed there motionless at what I was witnessing. Inmates
naked but a sleeveless gown, which kept falling, crammed three to a cell
made for one, with one single hard bed. The Corrections officer reported
that my visit occurred on a good day when they didn’t have too many
inmates in Floor 9. Sometimes they have five inmates in a cell, sleeping
µµµ STORY
Director Syvie Bolioli checking the frame
on the floor, like beasts. I had to snap out of my stupor as I had to handle
a glass bottle in his hand, which presented risks as a potential weapon.
this shoot by myself and I didn’t have much time left. But my emotions
We started to chase after him. He eventually dropped the bottle and ran
got the better of me and I realized half way through that I had forgotten
towards a bridge. Most people with mental illness are not dangerous
to switch the ND filter off. I did however get some disturbing footage, not
and when they are it’s usually to themselves. Sgt. Johnson feared that
perfect, but very powerful.
the man would try to jump and a cordon of police cars stopped him in
That was just the start of a shaken journey. I was invited to ride with the
his tracks. He was handcuffed and searched. His name was Miguelito.
Miami PD night patrol to see for myself how the homeless mentally ill lived
He was probably Cuban and spoke Spanish. He responded well to my
in the streets. I was very excited although a bit tired as I hadn’t had time to
camera and we had a little chat. He liked it when I flipped the LCD screen
recover from the Indian corporate shoot and it looked I was going to work
so that he could see himself. He was subsequently taken to a Crisis
with the graveyard shift. Since I was under good protection, I didn’t bother
Center where doctors would take care of him.
with camera bags. A Cuban coffee at little Havana helped keep me awake.
We continued patrolling, stopping to reload our energies with a can
The first night was uneventful until about 3am but I managed to garner
of Red Bull every now and then. Then we suddenly got called to a crime
some very good footage of the homeless and some great comments from
scene, a homicide. I didn’t particularly want to film as that was beyond
Sergeant Johnson, whom I followed. We then got called to a car chase.
the scope of my documentary but the Police told me that I might as well
He looked at my belt, saw that I was well strapped and wrooom, I was
film since I was there. I had never seen a dead body before, except
in an episode of Starsky and Hutch. My adrenaline was pumping. Not
my grandmother in a coffin, and certainly never so much blood. All of a
that it had anything to do with the subject of my documentary, but boy
sudden I went from Starsky and Hutch to CSI Miami, and it wasn’t fun
was it cool! I got back to the hotel on Miami Beach at
about 6.30am and was treated with a lot of respect
from the staff when they saw me getting out of the
police car, camera in hand. The hardest thing was to
try to sleep for one hour before getting ready to film
at a Forensic Institute the next morning at 9.00am.
I was due to leave Miami that same afternoon, but
the tropical storm threatening to become Hurricane
1 and the perspective of spending another night with
the patrol on Halloween convinced me to postpone
my flight by one day.
The shoot at the Forensic Institute went ok although
I had a few problems with condensation through the
lens due to the strong humidity in Miami during the
hurricane season, and a lot of wind on the terrace.
I was looking forward to the second night. By that
time I was pulling a triple, having worked relentlessly
for the last two days and nights. I needed more
coffee. A man with mental problems was running with
At the City of Miami police headquarters.
STORY µµµ
any more. That was followed by a second crime scene, more horrific
than the first one. I felt out of place with my camera. Sgt. Johnson would
occasionally open the window on the passenger’s side, my side. I would
freak out secretly pray for him to shut the window because a stray bullet
might be waiting for me,... as if the car window could have stopped it. I
think that night I learnt to have more respect for their jobs. When I got
back to the hotel the night manager asked me what I was filming. I burst
into tears. I’m hardly a female version of Rambo. I just 5ft 2 ½ Sylvie,
trying to make a movie. It turned out that the night manager was bi-polar
and had AIDS. He was a nice guy and frankly, although I was so tired
that I was feeling sick from the lack of sleep, I didn’t want to go to sleep.
I didn’t want the images of that night running back though my mind so I
welcomed this new conversation. I eventually went upstairs and turned
the TV on. I slept for about an hour and a half before getting up again. I
had to pack and drop by the Police station before leaving for New York.
When I got to Miami Beach Station, Sgt. Johnson reported on the events
of the previous nights. Apparently when civilians ride with them nothing
ever happens. I got it all. So they sent me for a debrief with a psychologist,
which is standard procedure.
When I got back to New York I slept for about 24 hours; no kidding! I
had to go to Washington the following day for an interview at the National
Alliance of Mental Illness, the biggest advocacy group for mental illness
in the US. I took that opportunity to get some footage of the Capitol,
the White House and other Washington landmarks as those would make
useful cutaways.
My last stop on this US trip would be Delaware to meet up with Jim and
Sarah Brady. Jim Brady was the White House Press Secretary in 1981
when President Reagan was gunned down by John Hinckley. Mr Brady
was shot in the head and is permanently disabled. John Hinckley was
found not guilty by reason of insanity, which provoked a cry of outrage all
over America at the time.
Back in the UK, I started editing the documentary on my Mac
using Final Cut Pro 6. It was important to find out which chapter still
needed more material. I planned my last trip for March 2008. One of
the areas that I hadn’t yet covered was neuroscience and the notion
of responsibility associated with mental illness. I thought I would find
the experts at Harvard University. I interviewed a professor there, who
informed me that the major authorities on the matter are in fact in the
UK. I subsequently filmed at the Welcome Institute in London and the
Department of Neuroscience Studies in Cambridge. Back in the US, I
was lucky to meet with Judge Matthew D’Emic who invited me to film in
his Mental Health Court in Brooklyn. I also interviewed David Kaczynski,
brother of Ted, the UNA bomber in Albany, NY. I also got some interesting
footage from a derelict insane asylum in Connecticut. It was a beautiful
At the courthouse.
sunny day and the natural light gave some disturbingly beautiful pictures
of ruin and depravation.
One last trip to Washington to visit the psychiatric hospital where
John Hinckley is detained gave me a surprise interview with Sen. Jesse
Jackson where I was filming the one year anniversary remembrance of
the Virginia Tech massacre, where a deranged man, Seung-Hui Cho,
killed 32 people and wounded 25 others before turning the guns on
himself.
I have now completed the edit of the film and I am looking for some
finance to pay for the licensing of archive footage in order to show LAW &
DISORDER: the Insanity Defense at Festivals across the United States
and hopefully the rest of the world.
Biography:
Sylvie made her directing debuts in advertising, with TV commercials for
Mexican television. She had previously written, directed and produced a
series of radio commercials for various brands including Pepsi Cola. Her
first movie, GAS, a 35mm short film based on a story written in 1919 by
Alfred Hitchcock before he became a Director, premiered at the Shoot
First launch at the Filmhouse in Edinburgh in January 2006 where it
received great reviews from the Scotsman. The film went on to gain an
extensive amount of publicity, including a news feature on ITN and a
report in the Hollywood Reporter during the Cannes Film Festival 2006.
Email: [email protected]
www.insanitydefensemovie.com
www.polarisproductions.net
Mobile: +44 (0) 7970 542 968
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• AugustN
2009 • 25
I
missed two inch tape machine editing, ferric fluid and razor blades
thankfully, but I have more one inch editing hours under my belt than
I will admit. Did I have a social life in my twenties? No, but I can
probably still lace up an Ampex VPR2 blindfold.
When I first started editing in facility houses in the eighties, an edit suite
was a room full of large control panels next to a room with racks and racks
of mainframes. This online suite would cost a quarter of a million pounds,
more was not unusual if you wanted the latest toys. Editing then was
expensive, noisy, hot and slow. Plus you had to have a science degree
to understand why you could only edit every 4th frame. How things have
changed!
Changed a lot actually. So before I get inundated by emails from people
saying what about the MXO1, well that is a display box, the MXO2 is
different, bidirectional so it will ingest or digitize, display for edit and then
edit or print to tape. Before I get another folder full of emails from AJA IO
owners, a few things.
The Matrox MXO2 uses the express card for its connectivity so that
frees up the firewire bus for storage. No firewire latency issues either
so no questions from the producer saying, “Which monitor should I
look at?” Also the footprint of the MXO2 is actually smaller than my 15”
MacBookPro so it sits nicely underneath it. Would you want to lug an AJA
IO or even an IOHD on a plane? Put one of those in a flightcase and the
air hostess will be pointing at the cargo hold.
The Matrox MXO2 is small and light, what about
connectivity?
Now don’t get me wrong I’m all for new technology and trying things
out. Final Cut Pro for me is my weapon of choice with 6 notches for each
year on the broadcast bedpost. But I think every now and then we should
look back and see how far technology has come in a lifetime, or career
even, better still half a career!
So as the vogue thing in British television is at the moment to issue
a challenge, I thought I’d do the same: - Build a broadcast DigiBeta
quality edit suite that will fit in a computer bag and will go through airport
security.
To start off with this seems easy, get a MacBookPro and use FCP. Fine,
nothing new here – except the fact that we have to get SDI and a 422
connector in and out of the MBP. This is broadcast, so no DV and firewire
going on here. Not so easy.
I do remote edits where all I have to do is digitize on site and then bring
that data back to my edit suite for editing/finishing etc. So far I have been
lugging my MacPro with an internal RAID & capture card installed along
with a screen, keyboard, cables and everything else you need to get a
Mac into TV land. It was a major operation, flightcases, back seats of the
car down, having to get a trolly to wheel the kit through an office, I’m sure
you know the pain.
Then I was given a Matrox MXO2 to try out and things changed.
Well there is quite a bit of it actually digital and analogue. The digital
side is SDI or HDSDI plus HDMI. Which means using embedded audio
you only need 3 cables to talk to a Digi or indeed many other VTR’s – 2
BNC’s one in, one out and a 422 control cable.
There are analogue inputs too component SD/HD, Y/C and composite.
Do people still do composite? Well of course they do! I’ve been using the
MXO2 hooked up via the composite out into a scart connector to get an
FCP output on a hotel TV set. A great way to check field order on location.
By the way if you are thinking of unplugging a hotels TV connectors, just
check you are not going to send the hotel film charging into chaos. You
never know what might appear on the bill! A colleague of mine used to
sell a modified scart plug with a 9-volt battery attached- but that’s another
story.
I work with quite a few clients who now use IMX50 as their preferred
SD codec, it offers a fairly good quality to file size and has other benefits
like ease of use when exchanging material with other servers. As the
firewire bus is unused, a Lacie 500MB firewire 800 drive does perfectly
for storage. Giving over 15 hours of storage, that should be enough for
most location projects including render files and any other media.
So that’s the computer, Matrox MXO2 and storage sorted, what else
do you need?
Keyboard, the nice thin aluminium Logic keyboard with FCP caps
& mouse. Cables, BNC’s 422, scart plug, RCA to BNC adaptor. Host
REVIEW µµµ
adaptor for MXO2 & power, a six way fused multiway strip and of course
all power supplies/leads. And there you have it in my computer bag. Note
the MXO is slipped into an old neoprene Powerbook cover. Total weight
11.6 KG
Ok, I agree the DigiBeta isn’t in the bag, but you could hold a J3 or
similar by the handle or even put that in a soft bag too.
So to go back to the first paragraph of the article, it now means I can
carry my edit suite around with me. The MXO2 is actually smaller than
the tapes I used to use back in the rose tinted first paragraph days. Size
isn’t everything though as the main USP of the MXO2 is in unlocking the
power of my MacBookPro enabling it to interface into the pro connectivity
of today’s television & video industry.
Long sentence, but what does this mean?
1) I can edit anywhere, hotel room, home, clients office etc
2) I can charge more money for supplying kit without having to dismantle
the MacPro and bundle all that in flight cases etc into a car.
3) I can move quickly, especially important for news. I would imagine a
news company would have a standard ‘bag’ for journo’s & cameramen/
editors. You might laugh but only last week I saw a news crew sat in
a hotel lobby putting together a piece on one of those dual jog wheel
suitcase tape editors. Yes, they are still out there.
4) I can have a broadcast output feed in SDI/HDSDI or composite direct to
a satellite truck. No layoff, no time wasted. In news, time is everything.
5) I can record SDI/HDSDI, composite or any other signal the MXO2
will support straight into FCP. Very often a news crew will share material
and this is important to be able to get legacy formats (BetaSX anybody)
digitized. So a camerman turning up with a BNC to dump stuff straight
from his camera wouldn’t be a problem.
As you might have gathered from the above, I’ve tended to concentrate
on standard definition, but this box does a lot more than that. The
MacBookPro now runs fast enough to be able to handle HD and the
MXO2 will let you handle XDCAM, XDCAM HD, XDCAM EX, P2, and
P2HD. Granted you have to have storage fast enough to serve these
formats though. One downside is that with the express slot in use, getting
media in via that route means you have to unplug.
How do you monitor these formats? Well you have a couple of choices.
Either watch the output using the realtime downscaling on an SD monitor
or better still use the HDMI output. This will give pixel accurate mapping
on an HDMI monitor at 1920 x 1080, 1280 x 720 and both NTSC & PAL
SD. This thing really is beginning to look like the Swiss Army Knife of
video I/O.
Then there are other nice little touches too like RCA sockets for 5.1
audio monitoring. I work with a facility company who has bought a batch
of expensive surround sound breakout boxes that work out at $10,000
each – a potential huge saving if they had bought the MXO2 instead. If
you are worried about installing the box in a suite, not a problem now as
the MXO2 now has a rack mount option. Also I must mention that you get
a choice of host connection too. There is a supplied PCIe host adapter for
use should you want to use it with a MacPro. This could be left installed
and then the MXO2 could be utilised by both machines with a simple
cable swap.
Conclusion
I think we can safely say that the concept of a broadcast editing suite in
a bag was well and truly proven with the help of the MXO2. The progress
of technology is amazing and I’m sure the novelty value of being able
to turn up at a broadcast job with just a computer bag will disappear as
it becomes the norm. This box really does change things again. Once
it was bigger, better. Now it is smaller, faster, cheaper. For a piece of
broadcast equipment, this thing is small, light and cheap.
I’m sure there are many freelance editors and news staff guys who are
going to have great interest in this box. The I/O flexibility means that you
should be able to handle most formats with ease. I get the feeling that the
MXO2 design team sat down and said “Wouldn’t it be great if it did this”
Then they went away and built it. There are many other features that I
haven’t touched upon, take a good look at the Matrox website for a full
rundown of features, spec sheets and videos. They are really gunning
for the competition too with a blow by blow comparison against rival
products.
I hope the guys at Matrox don’t want this demo model back as you can
be sure it is going to help me earn a living over the next few years.
Peter is a freelance broadcast editor working in the UK. He also writes
FxPlug plugins for FCP & Motion as part of Idustrial Revolution.
µµµ INTERVIEW
I first set eyes on the Focus Enhancement FS-5 Digital Hard Disk
in June 2008. It looked very different from the previous versions
and it supposedly does a lot more. In due course I received the
machine from the UK distributers Holdan Ltd together with a USB
Wireless Dongle.
The FS-5 is a sleek, black plastic and anodised metal design
with a very nice colour LCD and a control panel full of buttons and
dials. Surprisingly it weighs in at just 12 ounces (.22 kg) and is just
1.25 inches thin. As far as physical size goes it is comparable to a
2.5 inch disk drive case but twice as thick. The case has a battery
compartment that accepts a Focus Enhancement’s battery that
actually lasts the advertised time of three hours. They are bringing
out a six-hour version in the very near future and this will be enough
to ensure that you only need one battery to fill the hard disk with
over 500 minutes of video.
When it comes to video, this machine is bang up to date, recording
in DV 25 in the following formats - AVI 1 - AVI 2 - Canopus AVI Matrox AVI - MXF OP Atom - Quicktime - Raw DV.
The HDV formats are - M2T - MXF 720p30 & 1080i50/60 - Quicktime
720p25/30 & 1080i50/60.
The Focus Enhancements FS-5 now records HDV as well as
DV and this is a bonus with all the new cameras appearing using
this format. Being a Mac User, most of my trials were in Quicktime,
and I used both DV and HDV and completed several weddings and
a corporate video using it with a Sony AE1 and XDCAM EX. This
gave me the ability to compare download speeds between various
devices and I was surprised at how quick and easy it is. Reluctantly
I browsed through the manual and found it a bit disjointed as a
user manual, but good as a technical manual. I’ll come back to the
instruction manual later.
It’s important to understand the workflow and how you can use it to
your advantage. This machine could seriously change the working
pattern of many wedding videographers. This little box of tricks
catapults you into the big boys’ league i.e. watching your footage
appear in record time. I estimate that you would save at least half a
day on downloading a typical wedding. The other advantage is that
you can view it on a laptop whilst the reception party are all eating,
and if you really want to save time you could download it and start
editing straight away.
Using the AE1 to record was great, I had the knowledge that
everything was being recorded to tape and I had a digital copy
that allowed me to download and edit very quickly. If you had three
hours footage of a wedding, or six hours for a two camera shoot,
you would be looking at a over a day to ingest the media, name the
files and have a look at the material. With the FS-5 this would take
you about forty minutes and the files are already in the format for
your editing system. If you really want, you can edit straight from
the FS-5 which appears as a hard disk on your computer, so be
it Quicktime or Canopus or any of the other formats, you will be
editing before your morning coffee and with the security of a tape
copy for archiving and security.
Using the FS-5 on the EX1 really only has one advantage and
that is that you can get five hours of video on one device, and that it
works out cheaper than buying SxS cards. However it only records
in HDV which is low quality on the EX1, and you cannot record in
XDCAM mode, which is a slight problem if you want to do all the
tricks that an EX1 will do in HQ mode. For doing weddings it’s ok;
you get the advantage of not having to unload SxS cards and the
disadvantage of it taking a bit longer. An 8GB SXS card with 39
REVIEW µµµ
very useful whilst shooting weddings, but for corporate and SIVs
it’s a really useful feature.
Some of the information that can be logged comes under three
categories of metadata: descriptive, administrative and structural.
Descriptive metadata can include the name, subject tags,
videographer’s name, location and project ID. Normally this
information is added when transferring to your NLE or whilst
recording. This metadata helps searching and recovery of content
especially on an enterprise wide system.
Administrative metadata is video clip based and links all content
to its parent file and identifies where it may be archived. An example
of this would be Library archive number and project ID.
Structural metadata is video clip based and often time code based
which defines or describes specific frames within a clip. Some of
the fields that could be used are camera, clip number, storyboard
frame number, sequence start/stop and frame location. Normally
this information is recorded during recording and subsequent
editing.
You can, via the web browser interface, load, save and design
templates for metadata entry. You can also use the FCP type XML
to automatically link to the files on the FS-5 from the Final Cut
Browser. A very neat way to edit, especially if you are in a rush,
as you will be working with your clips immediately, no downloading
required.
minutes of HDV takes about 3 minutes to download and a cool 207
seconds to save to two devices using Shotput Xpress. You can also
have no download time if you edit directly from the FS-5.
The FS-5 seems very sturdy, although I don’t expect it would
survive a drop from tripod height. You need to connect to a firewire
plug on your camera and this is where my second problem arose you really need to have a long lead because the firewire socket on
cameras is the small four wire version which is not very deep and
can be pulled free very easily. I had a fairly short lead and a small
camera shoulder bag. This system worked well until the cable came
away and I lost a few shots (thankfully they were on tape).
Another enormous problem is that you get no camera mounting
kit as standard; its an optional extra. Can you imagine buying a
tripod and having to buy a camera plate as an extra? The mounting
kit should be provided as standard, and this would alleviate the
problem of cables pulling out.
The FS-5 is equipped with three connections, a fast USB 2,
firewire and a Serial Port for Control (TRRS). The connector
together with the power socket sits on the top of the case. The
front contains a colour LCD panel which displays all the relevant
information and a series of buttons and a scroll wheel. These allow
you to set up the machine and control it. Although it has a wealth
of options, I have concentrated on those that will be required to
operate the device as a recorder in conjunction with a video camera
equipped with firewire.
The buttons are of good quality and are fit for purpose. A scroll
wheel is provided which allows you to navigate through the various
menus that are displayed on the screen. This also has four ‘soft
buttons’ that allow you to navigate the menus. There are also four
menu buttons under the screen, a power button and four buttons
that allow you to record, play, pause and stop video.
One of the important aspects of the FS-5 is the ability to record
metadata with the video via a network, and also via wireless, to
any device that has a web browser and wireless, this includes
computers, PDAs and even mobile phones. Now this feature is not
So, a big feature which can be useful in various circumstances
especially when recording under normal conditions, I can’t see many
wedding videographers using this system, as they are normally
fully occupied filming and ensuring they are in the right position for
the next sequence. If you are doing corporate or SIV filming where
µµµ REVIEW
you have time to log your clips properly, this system is extremely
useful. The main advantage is that when you get back to the edit
suite you have everything labeled up ready for editing decisions to
be made. There are some limitations on PDAs including the inability
to access the Metadata Template or Setting page. You must create
XML templates on a computer.
Most users will use the FS-5 in the Sync mode where each clip
is made when you press the stop/start button on the camera. The
screen displays the type of file it is recording and has a time code
counter and the time remaining on the disk. If your camera has
the ability, you can record to the FS-5 without using a tape – but
for peace of mind being, you would be foolish not to have a tape
backup.
You can have the FS-5 put your clips into pre-named folders,
which could help when editing. Using this method can make
organising your clips just a little bit easier when it comes to editing.
Another feature is the 10 second Retro Cache which prevents you
losing frames when you are in difficult circumstances - like in a
crowd or running. It’s nice to think that Focus are looking after you
with this error-preventing system.
In DV mode you have time elapse recording which then takes
your camera into the realms of the EX1 - time lapses - you see them
all the time on television programmes, especially the latest crop of
BBC factual ones that are filmed in America. They love putting in
those excellent slow motion traffic, clouds and sunset scenes. The
advantage is that using this method will provide you with a superior
finished product over doing it in the edit; each frame will be a real
frame and not one that has been designed by a computer. This
means accurate video frames. I tried 1 frame at 3 seconds and the
result was superb.
The FS-5 is a good machine and much better than the previous
incarnation, however there are a few minor points that niggled me.
The first is that Focus fit a decent colour screen to the front which
is a big improvement and makes the menus very readable, but
you can’t play your clips back through it. You have to connect to
the camera and play or plug onto a computer - this on a machine
that costs over £1000. It seems that they have designed a pretty
ok machine, then spoilt it for a couple of cheap computer chips.
Hopefully they will resolve this in the FS-5 and a half!
Another gripe is that the cable system is fraught with danger
when you have no mounting bracket. They do make one but you
have to buy it separately. It’s a bit like
buying fish and chips and being told
you will have to buy the paper to hold
it in separately, and that’s after it’s
been placed on the counter!
And finally, the manual is ok as a
technical document but it can be
extremely confusing when trying
to find out how to do something in
the field or in a hurry. Only having
the machine as a loan meant that I
didn’t have time to get to know every
function off by heart. If I owned one,
I would sit down and work it all out
to avoid frustration. I always put in
twenty odd hours of study, ensuring
I can operate the camera efficiently
and under pressure. I should get into
writing manuals for those that are not geeks, or who are challenged
by technical documents. Focus should take a look at the Edirol R-09
manuals for some inspiration. They include technical information
and a separate “how to” manual - designed for newcomers, the
technically challenged and for ease of use in the field.
This machine will cost you more than a very nice laptop, so it
should be good. The bottom line is that this machine is good, very,
very good. If they sort out the few points I have made, it would
become extremely good. I have to thank Richard Payne of Holdan
Ltd the importer. He’s had a few e-mails and phone calls from me
and has put me right every time in a kind and considerate manner.
The NEW RS450
system from Libec
The Ultimate Support for sub 12kg Cameras
As high definition cameras begin to roll out in large numbers,
cameras are becoming more sophisticated, smaller and less
expensive.
It stands to reason therefore that high performance and
affordability are similarly being sought in the support
equipment ... think!
••
•
A radical improvement over conventional types
Full range of functions
Competitive price
RS-450M – System with mid-level spreader
Counterbalance range
Payload
Tilt Angle
Counterbalance
Drag Mode
Camera Plate
Sliding range
Weight
Height
Ball diameter
Section
4 - 10kg
12kg
+90º/–70º
Continuous
Free plus 3 STEP
Sliding
±40mm
6.8kg
81 - 166cm
75
2 Stage
Exclusively available through Libec Europe
CAMERA SUPPORT SYSTEMS
Libec Europe
Unit 19, Walkers Road, Manorside Industrial Estate, Redditch B98 9HE
Tel: +44(0)1527 596955 Fax: +44(0)1527 596788
Email: [email protected] www.libeceurope.com
The New Standard of Excellence
* Up-sampled from 1280x720
CAMCORDER
CODEC
SENSOR SIZE CCD Res REC Res
MEDIA
TYPE
LENS
CANON HF11
AVCHD
1xCMOS
1/3
1920x1080
1920x1080
SD/HC Cards
Palmcorder
Fixed
CANON XH-A1
HDV
3xCCD
1/3
1440x1080
1440x1080
HDV Tape
Hand-Held
Fixed
CANON XH-G1
HDV
3xCCD
1/3
1440x1080
1440x1080
HDV Tape
Hand-Held
Fixed
CANON XL-H1
HDV
3xCCD
1/3
1440x1080
1440x1080
HDV Tape
Semi-Shoulder
Interchangable
CANON XL-H1A / S
HDV
3xCCD
1/3
1440x1080
1440x1080
HDV Tape
Semi-Shoulder
Interchangable
GRASS VALLEY INFINITY
JPEG 2000
3xCMOS
2/3
1920x1080
1920x1080
REV PRO & CF
Shoulder
Interchangable
JVC GY-HD110 / 111
HDV
3xCCD
1/3
1280x720
1280x720
HDV Tape
Shoulder
Interchangable
JVC GY-HD 200 / 201
HDV
3xCCD
1/3
1280x720
1280x720
HDV Tape
Shoulder
Interchangable
JVC GY-HD 251
HDV
3xCCD
1/3
1280x720
1280x720
HDV Tape
Shoulder
Interchangable
JVC GY-HM700
QuickTime
3xCCD
1/3
1280x720
1920x1080*
SD/HC Cards
Shoulder
Interchangable
PANASONIC HDC-SD100
AVCHD
3xMOS
1/6
1440x1080
1440x1080
SD/HC Cards
Palmcorder
Fixed
PANASONIC AG-HMC171
AVCHD
3xCCD
1/3
960x540
1920x1080•
SD/HC Cards
Shoulder
Fixed
PANASONIC AG-HMC151
AVCHD
3xCCD
1/3
960x540
1920x1080•
SD/HC Cards
Hand-Held
Fixed
PANASONICAG-HVX201
DVCPRO HD
3xCCD
2/3
960x540
1920x1080*
P2 Cards
Hand-Held
Fixed
PANASONIC HPX500
DVCPRO HD
3xCCD
2/3
960x540
1920x1080*
P2 Cards
Shoulder
Interchangable
PANASONIC AJ-HDX900
DVCPRO HD
3xCCD
2/3
1280x720
1280x720
DVCPRO Tape
Shoulder
Interchangable
PANASONIC AJ-HPX2100
DVCPRO HD
3xCCD
2/3
1280x720
1920x1080*
P2 Cards
Shoulder
Interchangable
PANASONIC AJ-HPX2700
DVCPRO HD
3xCCD
2/3
1280x720
1920x1080*
P2 Cards
Shoulder
Interchangable
PANASONIC AJ HPX3000
DVCPRO HD
3xCCD
2/3
1920x1080
1920x1080
P2 Cards
Shoulder
Interchangable
SONY HVR-A1
HDV
1xCMOS
1/3
960x1080
1440x1080
HDV Tape
Palmcorder
Fixed
SONY HVR-Z1
HDV
3xCCD
1/3
960x1080
1440x1080
HDV Tape
Hand-Held
Fixed
SONY HVR-V1
HDV
3xCMOS
1/3
960x1080
1440x1080
HDV Tape
Hand-Held
Fixed
SONY HVR-S270
HDV
3xCMOS
1/3
1920x1080
1920x1080
HDV Tape
Shoulder
Interchangable
SONY HVR-Z5
HDV
3xCMOS
1/3
1920x1080
1920x1080
HDV Tape
Hand-Held
Fixed
SONY HVR-Z7
HDV
3xCMOS
1/3
1920x1080
1920x1080
HDV Tape
Hand-Held
Interchangable
SONY PMW-EX1
XDCAM EX
3xCMOS
1/2
1920x1080
1920x1080
SxS Pro Cards
Hand-Held
Fixed
SONY PMW-EX3
XDCAM EX
3xCMOS
1/2
1920x1080
1920x1080
SxS Pro Cards
Semi-Shoulder
Interchangable
SONY PDW F335
XDCAM HD
3xCCD
1/2
1440x1080
1440x1080
Professional Disc
Shoulder
Interchangable
SONY PDW F355
XDCAM HD
3xCCD
1/2
1440x1080
1440x1080
Professional Disc
Shoulder
Interchangable
SONY PDW 700
XDCAM HD422
3xCCD
2/3
1920x1080
1920x1080
Professional Disc
Shoulder
Interchangable
SONY PDW F800
XDCAM HD422
3xCCD
2/3
1920x1080
1920x1080
Professional Disc
Shoulder
Interchangable
SONY HDW-650P
HDCAM
3xCCD
2/3
1920x1080
1440x1080
HDCAM Tape
Shoulder
Interchangable
SONY HDW-790P
HDCAM
3xCCD
2/3
1920x1080
1440x1080
HDCAM Tape
Shoulder
Interchangable
SONY HDW-F900R
HDCAM
3xCCD
2/3
1920x1080
1440x1080
HDCAM Tape
Shoulder
Interchangable
Note: The prices below are including vat and are street prices i.e. the price that known UK professional video
retailers would sell them for. These prices were obtained via the usual UK shops (regular advertisers with DVuser),
however, prices can change on a regular basis so be sure to call your regular dealer for a firm price.
Thank you, Nigel Cooper - Founder/Editor DVuser magazine.
FEATURES / COMMENTS
PRICE
WEBSITE
1920x1080 Full HD (24Mbps), Dual Flash Memory – 32Gb internal plus memory card
£695
www.canon.co.uk
1080i, Custom presets, Cine gamma, XLR audio outputs
£2,400
www.canon.co.uk
1080i, HD/SDI output, Custom presets, Cine gamma, XLR audio outputs
£4,500
www.canon.co.uk
1080i, 50i/25f, HD/SDI output, Genlock input, Timecode I/O, XLR audio outputs
£5,400
www.canon.co.uk
1080i, 50i/25f, HD/SDI output, Genlock input, Timecode I/O, XLR audio outputs
£4,200 - £5,200
www.canon.co.uk
720/60p - 1080/60i, records to REV PRO media & CF cards
£19,000
www.thomsongrassvalley.com
720/24p, 720/25p, 720/30p, XLR audio outputs
£3,800 - £3,995
www.jvcpro.co.uk
720/24p, 720/25p, 720/30p, 720/50p, 720/60p, XLR audio outputs
£4,350 - £4,550
www.jvcpro.co.uk
720/24p, 720/25p, 720/30p, 720/50p, 720/60p, XLR audio outputs
£6,150
www.jvcpro.co.uk
35Mbps QuickTime recording in full 1920x1080 to SD/HC cards
£4,600 (body only)
www.jvcpro.co.uk
AVCHD recording to SD/HC cards, 6/9/13Mbps, Leica Dicomar Lens
£650
www.panasonic.co.uk
AVCHD budget shoulder type, Leica lens, XLR audio outputs
£1,200
www.panasonic-broadcast.com
AVCHD semi-pro hand-held, solid-state AVCHD replacement for DVX100b
£2,800
1080i/720p, Leica Dicomar wide-angle lens, DV to tape or HD to P2 card
£3,350
50/60 Hz selectable, variable frame-rate function, P2 only
£9,500
1080/50i, 25p, 1080/60i, 24p, 30p, 720/60p, 24p, 30p, 720/50p
£13,500 (body only)
1080i/50, 720/50p, records to P2 only
2/3rd-inch native HD resolution, 1080 & 720 with 4:2:2 10-bit sampling in AVC-Intra 100
Native 1080p HD recording to AVC-Intra with 4:2:2 10-bit sampling in AVC-Intra 100
Single 3 mega-pixel chip, Carl Zeiss Sonnar lens with 10x zoon, Cine mode
£1,700
www.sonybiz.net
1080/50i, 50/60 Hz switchable, Carl Zeiss 12x lens, Cine mode
£3,200
www.sonybiz.net
1080/50i with 1080/25p progressive shooting mode, Carl Zeiss lens
£2,700
www.sonybiz.net
Budget shoulder-mount camcorder with Z7 type interchangable lenses
£6,200
www.sonybiz.net
Replacement for the Z1, new G-lens, better chips and more up-to-date technology
£3,300
www.sonybiz.net
1080i/50, 1080/25p, DVCAM SD mode, Zeiss lens, Audio XLR inputs
£4,100
www.sonybiz.net
1080i/50, 1080/25p, 720/50p, 35Mbps variable frame-rate, timelapse, pre-record, Cine gamma
£4,700
www.sonybiz.net
1080i/50, 1080/25p, 720/50p, 35Mbps frame-rate dial, interchangable EX-mount lenses
£6,300
www.sonybiz.net
1080/50i, 1080/25p, 18/25/35Mbps rates, records to 23GB or 50GB dual-layer Optical Discs
£9,500 (body only)
www.sonybiz.net
1080/50i, 1080/25p, 18/25/35Mbps rates, 23GB or 50GB XDC AM discs, HD/SDI output
www.sonybiz.net
1080/50i, 1080/25p, 720/25p, 4:2:2 sampling, 2/3rd-inch, 14-bit AD records to 23GB or 50GB
www.sonybiz.net
1080/50i, 1080/25/24p, 720/25p, 4:2:2 sampling, 2/3rd-inch PowerHAD, 14-bit AD
www.sonybiz.net
1080/50i, 1080/25PsF, 14-bit A/D converter, Power HAD FX CCDs
www.sonybiz.net
1080/50i, 1080/25p, 12-bit AD, picture cache, upgrade to the HDW 750 range
www.sonybiz.net
1080/50i, 1080/25p, 12-bit AD, Gamma curves, frame-rates up to 30p, replacement for F900
www.sonybiz.net

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