camera

New cameras for HD, 2K, and 4K video

Kevin

In 2008, Vince Laforet shocked the film-making world with a short film called “Reverie” (http://vimeo.com/7151244).  He shot this in just two days using a borrowed Canon EOS 5D mk II (borrowed from Canon) before the camera was released.

Since then, the 5D mk II has become a serious tool for film-makers, particularly because it is much smaller than existing cameras (those specifically designed for cinematography) … and also because the cost is a small fraction of those cinematography cameras.
Recently, Canon announced a successor for 2012, the EOS 5D mk III.

The overwhelming success of the 5D mk II for video purposes was somewhat surprising to everyone, including Canon and Nikon.  Just a couple months prior to introduction of the 5Dm2, Nikon had introduced the first DSLR that supported 720 HD (not 1080).   By most accounts, Nikon trailed behind the success of the 5D2, but successfully “caught up” with cameras such as the D7000,  D4, and D800, all of which offer excellent 1080 HD video capture.  By some measures, the D800 trumps the Canon 5D mk III.

All these cameras are built around CMOS image sensors that are far larger than what you find inside video camcorders.  When combined with a system of interchangable lenses, film-makers can create effects and quality not possible with consumer or prosumer video camcorders.

Since the success of the 5D mk II, Canon has been on a mission to create new cameras specifically for cinematography (movies & television).  Enter … the new EOS C300, EOS C500, and EOS 1D C  (“c” is for cinema).  Both the C500 and EOS 1D C can capture at digital resolutions higher than 1080 HD.  While the EOS 1D C is an SLR that can shoot still images and video, the C300 and C500 are pure video machines that will capture 12-bit 4:4:4 color, compared to 8-bit 4:2.2 color in any DSLR.

While the EOS 1D C is the same size as the EOS 1D and 1Dx, it can capture 4K video at 24 fps or 1080 video at 60 fps.  That’s a data output somewhere around 500 Megabytes/sec. 
Canon recruited film-maker Shane Hurlbut to test out the new camera.  He created a short film, entitled “The Ticket“.
http://www.hurlbutvisuals.com/blog/2012/04/looking-inside-the-canon1dc-dslr-4k-capture-project-the-ticket/

Canon’s new cinematography play is priced well for serious indie film-makers, but not for consumers.  So, another interesting camera for 2012, is the new Blackmagic Cinema Camera, which shoots 2.5K video and costs less than $3K.

 

720 HD  = 1280 x 720  (16:9)
1080 HD = 1920 x 1080 (16:9)  Panavision Genesis, Sony CineAlta, Canon C300
           and DSLRs: Canon 5D mk II, Canon 5D mk III, Canon 1Dx, 
                               Nikon D7000, Nikon D800, Nikon D4

2K   = 2048 x 1080 (17:9)   Ari Alexa, Silicon Imaging SI-2K, Canon C500
2.5K = 2432 x 1366 (16:9)   Blackmagic Cinema camera
4K   = 4096 × 2160 (17:9)   RED One, Red Scarlet, Canon C500, Canon 1D C

 

Panasonic Lumix G3

Kevin

A picnic this week provided opportunity for my fIrst test drive of the Panasonic Lumix G3.
I am very pleased with the ease of use and the image quality. I was super impressed by the face-detection auto-focus and the LCD-touch-screen focus selection.

 Shown here is my favorite shot, Balasankar dishing up a nice overhand serve.  As you can probably guess, I am holding the G3 over my head for this shot.  An articulated/swivel display screen is very helpful for overhead shots and also down-on-the-ground shots.  I quickly learned to love this feature on the C-5060 (very few cameras had this feature back in 2004/5) and I absolutely required it for a replacement camera. The 3-inch swivel-touch-display on the G3 is a sweet upgrade.

ISO 800, f\6.3, 1/800 sec, auto white-balance
Shot as JPG  (not RAW)

(click the image for a larger view)

 

And here are a couple more shots with the same 14mm lens (equivilent to a 28mm on a full-frame DSLR).

 

Camera Upgrade – Panasonic G3

Kevin

Across two decades, I have owned/used three film cameras, two digital cameras, and one video camcorder.  Recently, I acquired a new camera to replace my old digital compact.  The new camera is a Panasonic Lumix G3. 

The G3 is a relatively compact camera with interchangeable lenses.  It is half the size of my Canon DSLR.  The G3 is a Micro Four-Thirds camera.   Because Four-Thirds and Micro Four-Thirds are both open standards (jointly developed by Olympus and Panasonic), the camera can accept lenses from different vendors, such as Olympus, Panasonic, and Leica.

The biggest reason I replaced the old compact camera is poor low-light performance.  The old camera had a maximum ISO of 400 and was prone to a good deal of chromatic noise.  The new G3 has a maximum ISO of 6400 and the noise is far less than the old camera at ISO 400.  

The ability to record images in low-light is largely a matter of the image sensor.  Most small cameras employ small image sensors, which perform poorly in low light.  In recent years, some small-to-medium size cameras have been employing larger image sensors.  The G3 features a Four-Thirds sensor, which is about six times larger than the sensor in the old C-5060 and is half the size of the image sensor in my DSLR.  G3 has three times more pixels than the C5060, while the image sensor size is six times larger. So the individual pixels are larger; and, theoretically, larger pixels can take in more light.   But this is theory; the proof is the actual image quality.

 

Windows vs Mac -and- Nikon vs Canon

admin

Windows 7 will be available later this year and most reports agree that it is the operating system that Windows Vista should have been.

Considering Mac OS X and Windows 7, some people dare to say that the culture war between Mac and PC has now become somewhat moot. Feature-for-feature, Mac and PC are now entirely comparable. It’s akin to the culture war between Nikon and Canon cameras. Those people who maintain extreme brand loyalty usually do so because of experiences 10 years ago and not because of objective comparison.

If you’re looking to buy a new SLR camera, and you already have some Nikon lenses, you will likely buy a Nikon. Same goes for Canon.

f you’re looking to buy a new computer, and you already have a software and accessories for Mac, you will likely buy a Mac. Same goes for PC.