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Saturday, November 13, 2010

News from Here & There

Panasonic AG-AF100
Philip Bloom has updated his blog about his experiences with the prototype Panasonic AG-AF100/101. He likes the video camera characteristics it offers; very little moire, ND filters, things like that, though noted that there was still a little rolling shutter and he didn't like the viewfinder:
Coming from the EX3 with it’s awesome viewfinder and using a Zacuto Z-Finder on my Canons, looking in the EVF was like looking at a small screen at the end of tunnel. There was no way I could get focus with it. Too damn hard. I have no idea what the resolution is of it but if it was magnified it would be a lot easier to use.
He still plans to get one...
PhilipBloom: 3 days in Japan with the Panasonic AF100/101



Noise Reduction
El Skid takes a look at Magic Bullet's De-Noiser plug-in:
...You can clearly see how the noise reduction creates a more caramel like image and if you watch the Nissan video you can see the footage has a very peculiar shiny plastic feel to it. That’s the trade off. It’ll look clean, but it’ll look a bit weird and it’s really up to you how far you want to push it. I usually set the mix to between 60-70% and that seems to give me a decent compromise. 
Elskid: POST PRODUCTION WEEK POST 7: NOISE REDUCTION



TheWrap Interviews Inception, Batman Cinematographer Wally Pfister


Friday, November 12, 2010

Massachusetts Production Coalition Meeting: November 30

The next meeting of the Massachusetts Production Coalition will be held on TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2010 from 6:00 to 9:00 PM at WGBH Studios.

NEW TOPIC AND SPECIAL GUESTS!!!!
The Making of "The Fighter"
A behind the scenes look at producing and casting a local major feature.

Speakers:
Dorothy Aufiero, Silent Partner Entertainment - Producer, "The Fighter"
Angela Peri, CSA, Owner/Founder of Boston Casting - Local casting for "The Fighter"

Massprodcoalition: Events

cinémon.mp4 Workflow Accelerator for Final Cut Pro

The cinémon.mp4 Workflow Accelerator for Final Cut Pro enables:
  • Native Playback of XDCAM EX profiles in Apple Final Cut Pro
  • Ability to playback XDCAM EX files directly from SxS cards
  • Ability to playback XDCAM EX files in QuickTime (still requires FCP to be installed on machine)
  • Drag and Drop or File Import of XDCAM EX files directly to Final Cut Pro
  • Support for Quicklook viewing of XDCAM EX files in finder
  • Render output for MOV using Final Cut Pro render engine
  • MXF rendering using XDCAM Transfer tool
It lists at $99, but: This product is available to US customers only. US customers may download the 60-day trial version. Purchase details will be coming soon. If you are outside the United States contact your Sony account manager for availability.

Sony Pro: cinémon.mp4 Workflow Accelerator for Final Cut Pro

PluralEyes Officially Available for Premiere Pro Mac OS X

It's been available for a while as part of a public beta, but Singular Software has now officially released PluralEyes for Premiere Pro Mac OS X. It is compatible with OS X 10.5 and later, is available to purchase via the Singular Software website for an introductory price of $119 USD until Dec. 11, 2010. The regular price is $149 USD.




Control Apple Color with iWave iPad app

This looks cool; an iPad app that controls the color differential and masters in the Primary In, Secondaries and Primary Out rooms of Color. And it's free (this version) though the company promises a full version:
The full version of vWave will be available soon and this will give you full access to all the controls in Color - just like you can do with our physical panels: Wave and CP200 series.
There is no need to have access to the internet from your iPad or the Mac running Color for vWave-Lite to work, but you will need to have the iPad and the Mac connected to the same network.

iTunes: vWave-Lite

Thursday, November 11, 2010

DualEyes for Windows

A product that a lot of editors rave about is PluralEyes; it's a plug-in that works with various editing environments to analyze the audio tracks of media files and figure out where the audio tracks sync up. It's ideal for anyone doing dual sound (capturing video with a video camera, and audio using a separate recording deck like a Zoom H4n.)

Typically, if you record dual sound you want to use some form of time code - which means using expensive gear - or use a clapper board to create a "mark" that you can use to sync the tracks. If your camera records sound as well as pictures a "mark" doesn't have to be made by a clapboard; you can simply clap your hands, but the reality is that there are situations where clapping your hands can interrupt the process; and what happens if you forget to do it?

PluralEyes does away with all that...mostly. It just looks at the two audio tracks and figures out where they match. And now Singular Software has come up with a standalone package for those that don't use an editing environment supported by PluralEyes. DualEyes does basically what PuralEyes does; but it outputs either audio or combined audio/video files that you can then edit as you desire. At the moment, DualEyes is only available for Windows.


Installation
I downloaded the 30-day trial from Singular Software's website without trouble. The website mentions that you need to have .Net and QuickTime installed, so I followed the link to install .NET, but I still got an error message when I first ran DualEyes that said:
DualEyes requires Microsoft Visual C++ 2008 SP1 Redistributable Package (x86).
Would you like to visit the download page.
When I followed the link I was presented with a list of three files, and I had no idea which one to choose: vcredist._IA64.exe,  _x64.exe, or _x86.exe. I quit and tried again, and this time - after jotting down the error message - decided that it wanted the x86 version. Installing that seemed to solve the problem.


Working with DualEyes
The interface of DualEyes is very simple; though it actually took me a few minutes to figure out how it worked because I had made an assumption about how it would work. I had thought it would be sort of like a video editor timeline, but it doesn't work like that at all.

In DualEyes you simply add the audio and video media files to a project, click the Sync button (an icon with a pair of scissors), and DualEyes goes through and tries to figure out how things match up. It then outputs a new audio file for each of the video segments that it's matched the audio to.

DualEyes Project Window

If that doesn't float your boat, you can choose the Replace Audio for MOV and AVI files option, and then run the sync process and DualEyes creates a new copy of each of the video files with the audio replaced.

I like that much better!

But I wish that it would provide some way to preview the results, and maybe choose how to mix/replace the audio with the final video. You can have it automatically adjust the levels, but that's just an On/Off option. The other option, of course, is to do that in your editing environment with the individual audio/video segments.


Other considerations
DualEyes seems to do what it claims; sync audio to video without the need for clapper marks or manual input, but there is an important consideration; even though you're replacing the video's audio with the audio from another source, you must have something recorded on the camera source - and it needs to be audible - or the syncing won't work. If the camera is thirty feet away from the source in a noisy hall, it probably won't be able to sync the audio. Similarly, a large distance and the person talking quietly and you'll have problems. In those situations you may still want to use some kind of cable or wired mic to the camera just so you get a good baseline audio track for matching.


In conclusion
If you do dual sound once a year, then just clap your hands, but if you're doing lots of dual sound audio, DualEyes or PluralEyes is worth the money. They both cost $149 each. While I'd buy the PluralEyes for Final Cut plug-in myself, if your editing platform isn't supported by PluralEyes - or maybe if you switch a lot between different environments and don't want to buy a copy of PluralEyes for each! - then DualEyes is the choice for you.

SingularSoftware: DualEyes



Short run through showing how to sync audio and video in DualEyes







Some Confirmation on Sony PMW-F3 Pricing

While Sony hasn't officially announced US prices, Peter Crithary, Marketing Manager for Production at Sony Electronics tweeted yesterday:
There is a lot of chatter on line about PMW-F3 Super35mm camera. Price of PMW-F3, $16K. With lens kit, $23K . This pricing is for USA. MSRP

News from Here & There

Panasonic AG-AF100/101
Philip Bloom has been in Japan checking out a 95% complete version of the upcoming large sensor camera from Panasonic. He's posted some pictures and a video shot with the camera: Full blog on the trip to Japan and my review on this almost complete camera coming very soon. I just need to write it. In meantime enjoy the footage I shot in Kyoto with it and the photos from the trip.



30 Second Film Challenge
Here’s the challenge:
  • Must be a parody/recreation of a movie released in the last 18 months from beginning to end.
  • Must be 30 seconds or shorter.
  • Can be shot on any camera. Not limited to Canon. Use whatever you can get your hands on from an iPhone to an Arri Alexa. The camera is just a tool.
  • Entries must be received by 12 p.m. Wednesday, November 17th 2010.
Prize: $100 gift card from B & H
Canonfilmmakers: 30 Second Film Festival: Challenge #1



Sony Guide to Sensor Sizes
Why does a 2/3" sensor camera not have a 2/3" sensor?
ProvideoCoalition: Sony publishes Guide to Sensor Sizes



Hitchcock's Storyboards
Hitchcock is known for being meticulous in preparing his movies and storyboarding everything. FilmmakerIQ has collected together several examples of the storyboards created for his movies.

Though take it with a grain of salt; I recently read an article that suggested that some of this reputation was constructed after-the-fact; for example there was no storyboard for the plane scene in North by Northwest; it was drawn after the scene was shot!

Speaking of North By Northwest, here's an interesting article about the Vandamm house: Jetsetmodern: The Vandamm House in Hitchcock's "North by Northwest"
FilmmakerIQ: Hitchcock’s Storyboards from 13 Classic Films


Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Web Traffic & New Camera Announcements

The announcement of a new camera definitely seems to spike the web traffic. This blog had literally double the normal amount of traffic on Monday; the day of the announcement of the Sony PMW-F3.

Clearly there's a lot of interest in the PMW-F3; but then that was true when they announced the HDR-AX2000/HXR-NX5U, and Canon announced their XF300/XF305, and sundry new SLRs.

If only camera manufacturers would announce a new camera every Monday.....we'd all go mad!

Sony PMW-F3 Premier at USC

Get a chance to see the PMW-F3 - and footage shot with it - at an event at the University of Southern California on November 17th. You have to RSVP.

Location:
University of Southern California/ School of Cinematic Arts
Ray Stark Family Theatre
George Lucas Building
SCA 108
900 West 34th Street
Los Angeles, CA

Date/Time:
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
5:30pm and 7:30pm

Sony: Redefining Indie Filmmaking, PMW-F3

News from Here & There

More on the Sony PMW-F3
EOSHD.com has an interesting article about the chip in the forthcoming PMW-F3, and how it might differ significantly from the one in the Panasonic AG-AF100. Having fewer pixels should mean better low-light performance and less problems with moire and aliasing. But the proof of the pudding and all that...we really have to wait and see what the actual images look like.
EOSHD.com: Lowdown on the Sony F3's 2K cinema sensor

And if you're thinking of getting the Panasonic AG-AF100, now that you know you can't afford Sony's offering, you might want to check out Matthew Duclow's intro to Micro Four Thirds lenses: Diving Into Micro Four Thirds



Final Cut update early next year?
Dustyn Gobler emailed Steve Jobs about Final Cut Pro and got the following reply:
A great release of Final Cut is coming early next year.
Interestingly, this was a month ago, but it only just now seems to be bouncing around the interwebs.
DustynGobler: My email to Steve Jobs and his reply



Foley Artist
There's a great short video showing Foley artist Gary Hecker at work.
Devour: Foley Artist

"How To Train Your Dragon" Sound Show
Soundworks Collection has a video of a panel at the M.P.S.E Sound Show featuring Supervising Sound Mixer and Sound Designer Randy Thom, Sound Designer Al Nelson, Sound re-recording Mixer Gary Rizzo, Director Chris Sanders, and Film Editor Darren Holmes.
SoundworksCollection: "How To Train Your Dragon" Sound Show



Build Your Own Follow-Focus
Can't afford a follow-focus? Mathieu Bujold has a video at Vimeo that shows you how to build a simple follow-focus based on a skate-board wheel.
Vimeo: DSLRexperiment DIY Follow Focus



The 180 degree Shutter Rule
Ron Dawson discusses the 180-degree rule as it - might - apply to DSLR filmmakers:
Plain and simple, the reason for the 180 degree shutter angle rule is to have proper motion blur. The rule states that your shutter speed should be set to relative to the frame rate of your camera. It’s very simple to figure out. Just double your frame rate. If you’re shooting at 30 fps, you shutter speed should be set to 60.
BladeRonner.com: The 180s of Filmmaking: Part 2 – The Most Commonly Broken Rule


EOS 60D EOS 7D EOS 5D Mark II EOS-1D Mark IV

Webinar: HDSLR editing in Adobe Premiere Pro with Richard Harrington

Tuesday, November 16 · 12:00pm - 1:00pm PST
Adobe Connect Room: my.adobe.acrobat.com/askcspro

Join Richard Harrington, author of From Still to Motion: A photographer's guide to creating video with your DSLR (Voices That Matter), as he shows you why he uses Adobe Premiere Pro CS5 for editing HDSLR footage. Rich will share his post-production techniques and editing strategies in Adobe Premiere Pro for HDSLR color correction, audio syncing, and camera calibration. You'll discover how to harness the professional-quality tools in CS5 Production Premium to natively edit, color correct, mix audio, and publish to the web and Blu-ray Disc.

Facebook: Ask a CS Pro:HDSLR editing in Adobe Premiere Pro with Richard Harrington

Tuesday, November 09, 2010

PluralEyes for Media Composer Beta Program

Following on from their Final Cut, Premiere and Sony Vegas versions, Singular Software now has a beta program for their audio synchronization tool PluralEyes for Media Composer.

The PluralEyes for Media Composer public beta is available for both Windows® and Mac® OS X® users. To download the PluralEyes for Avid Media Composer public beta, visit: http://www.singularsoftware.com/downloads.html.

Manfrotto 504HD tripod head, and upcoming 509HD and 502HD

Jared Abrams at Cinema 5D has a video up with a short interview with Wayne Schulman from Manfrotto talking about the Manfrotto 504 HD head which they say was designed for "large-sensor cameras."

They will be adding to this product line with a 509 HD in February, which will handle about 25-35 lbs, and next September the 502 HD which will be for smaller cameras and have a target price of $500 for the head and legs. (The 504HD is ~$730 for head, legs and bag.)


B & H: 504HD Fluid Video Head [$399.90 and conditional rebates available thru 01/15/11]
B & H: 504HD Head w/546B 2-Stage Aluminum Tripod System [$704.90 after $25 Maill-in rebate thru 01/15/11]
B & H: 504HD Head w/535 2-Stage Carbon Fiber Tripod System [$939.90 after $50 mail-in rebate thru  01/15/11]

Cinema5D: Bogen Manfrotto At Createasphere Expo 2010


Adobe Audition for Mac Public Beta

Adobe Labs has released a public beta of Adobe Audition:

Adobe Audition for Mac brings modern audio post-production to the Mac platform. Familiar tools for audio editing, multitrack mixing and recording meet improved performance, greater workflow flexibility, and new features such as native 5.1 surround support and new effects. Plus, the best-of-breed audio sweetening and restoration tools in Audition make it easy to clean up production audio. With essential tools you can rely on for quick-completion projects, Audition for the Mac brings a fresh face to audio post-production.
  • Adobe Audition for Mac offers: Fast start-up, high performance multi-threaded processing, and parallel workflows
  • Powerful audio editing and multitrack mixing views
  • Superior noise reduction capabilities
  • Native 5.1 Surround support and multi-channel effects, plus other new effects
  • Optimized audio post-production workflows
Adobe Labs: Audition

Redrock M3 Cinena Lens Adapter

In reading various forums about the Sony PMW-F3 yesterday, I came across someone who wrote that the arrival of large-sensor video cameras "will be the end of lens adapters." Except that clearly it isn't, because in my mailbox this very morning was an announcement from Redrock about the upcoming M3 Cinema Lens Adapter, which is supposed to start shipping on December 1st:



The M3 is as close as you will get to perfection in a lens adapter, delivering razor sharp images with a beautiful look, wrapped in a rugged professional body and support system. The many technical achievements and enhancements of the M3 include:
  • Monster oversized optics delivery approximately ¼ stop: nearly transparent operation
  • High rpm spinning ground glass enables stopping the lens down to f16 or more without showing grain
  • State of the art power system with locking lemo-style connectors, auxiliary power ports, rechargeable batteries, and power status indicators
  • Precision factory lens collimation and an easy-to-use, tool-less collimating lens mount for added adjustments
  • Pro housing: uni-body design, precision machined aluminum, hard anodized finish, rubberized weather-resistant port covers, cleaning port, and fully gasketed for silent operation
  • Tool-less setup and operation, including new baseplate with thumbscrews, and breach lock camera connector, and integrated flip optics 

 Redrock: M3 Bundles


More on the Sony PMW-F3

VFX Supervisor and friend-of-the-blog Dermot Shane was invited to one of the special events Sony held yesterday to unveil the PMW-F3, and sends along his thoughts. He notes that Sony would not talk on or off the record about final pricing (though Studio Daily claims Sony said at a presentation that it would be $16,000 for the body and $23,000 for the kit.)

At 20K it's in a class of one once it has dual link output, until then - the question is why bother?

My wish list for a 20K camera would be DCI2K (2048x1080) + RAW + PL mount.. everything I am doing currently is finishing DCI, HD is so last year [rolls eyes like a valley girl]....

What they offer is HD + 709 -or- S-Log + PL mount + Dual Link...so part way there; S-Log is wide gammut, fits into DCI colorspace, that's good... PL is good, resoultion capped at HD not so much, no RAW seems , well so very 2006....

I think they may have given Panicsonic an open playing field for the Indie filmakers though, they seem pretty under impressed.

Studio Daily reports:
The F3 is scheduled to ship in February 2011 at $16,000 for the body only or at $23,000 for a kit that includes three Sony-branded T2.0 PL-mount prime lenses at 35mm, 50mm, and 85mm. Sony is formally introducing it with film-school-oriented launch events this month at USC in Los Angeles and next month at NYU in New York City.

FXGuide takes a look at the camera and writes:
Who should buy one?
Documentarians especially those doing interviews, - and who want outstanding image quality, far less restricted running times, no overheating problems and who perhaps grew up on the P2 form factor and need audio handled on camera.

Sony CineAlta Blog & Meeting in NY Tonight!

Sony has started a Sony CineAlta "blog" on their Sony Production Community website.

The Sony CineAlta Production User Group is also holding it's FIRST meeting in NYC TONIGHT, November 9th, and will be talking about (maybe showing) Sony’s new Super35MM PL mount hand held camera i.e the PMW-F3.

Time & Location: 630pm to 800pm, Sony Wonderlabs HD Theater, Ground Floor (SONY BUILDING) 550 Madison Avenue, New York, NY

Sony CineAlta Production User Group

Monday, November 08, 2010

Other People Talk About The Sony PMW-F3

Paul Joy at PaulJoy.com takes apart all the pictures of the F3 and notes the individual buttons dials and jacks [Not the rocker switch - should work well with those fixed lenses they're selling with the camera package!]


Dan Chung at DSLR News Shooter points out that the camera is actually an F3 mount with a PL Adapter (something I hadn't noticed.)


David Fox at the UrbanFoxTV blog writes:
...for anyone who just wants the 35mm shallow depth of field look, then the price of Panasonic's AF100/AF101 at €4,900 (list) makes it more appealing (especially given the high cost of SxS media compared to SD cards). However, the Sony has a bigger sensor (exact dimensions haven't been released, but it is probably about 30% larger), so it will give even shallower depth of field – similar to a much cheaper, but feature-limited APS-C sensor HD DSLR. For all practical purposes, the more efficient AVCHD codec of the AF101 at 24Mbps will at least match the older MPEG-2 compression at 35Mbps used by the F3.


Art Aldrich at P2Pro.com:
At a $20,000, I would have to think about this camera vs something like a Red. At $5000, the AF100 seems like a no brainer. Would I like to see better features from Panasonic? Yes. Do I expect them in the AF100 for $4995? No. If Panasonic shows something more like a Varicam with large sensor at NAB, around the $20,000 price point, with P2 and AVC-Intra, I would be very happy


Dylan Reeve at Crews.TV:
Broadly speaking it could be summerised as an EX3 with a big sensor, as it shares a lot in common with Sony’s earlier EX cameras. It has a larger sensor but natively records Sony’s XDCAM EX (35Mb/s Long-GOP MPEG2 4:2:0) – it even has the same LCD as the EX1R.

Sony are pitching it as “an ideal B-camera for high-end feature film production” as well as a great option for music videos, indie films and commercials and they’re probably right – it seems to offer some pretty solid features.

MacBook Air


Wow! Just saw the new 11 inch Apple MacBook Air[Amazon] at the Apple Store. What a small sexy beast that is; when closed up it's surprisingly similar in size and shape to the iPad; though definitely a bit thicker on one side. I spent a little time playing with iMovie on it, and was seriously impressed. If I didn't already have an iPad, I'd be mighty tempted to get one!

But I already have a 15" MacBook and an iPad, and adding a MacBook Air to that collection doesn't make sense. One would have to go.

The 15" MacBook I use for video editing, and while it was okay to use the Air for a bit of fun with iMovie, I don't want to use something that small for day-to-day use. And while the iPad can't do everything the Air can, I do like it for taking notes at meetings. I like the fact it doesn't open out into something double it's size, and it doesn't cost almost $1,000. On the other hand, if I seriously wanted to type long passages in a meeting, the Air might be the thing. But while the iPad's screen based keyboard isn't perfect, it is totally silent!

So I'm not going to get a MacBook Air....but I was awfully tempted!


Mac Stats
On a Mac note: looking at my site stats, I was a little surprised to discover that 39% of the visitors are Macintosh users, while 52% are Windows users. Add in iPhone, iPad and iPod users, and it's almost 44% Apple. I know I run quite a bit of Final Cut related stuff, but I'm surprised it's that high!

Thoughts on the Sony PMW-F3


Having me comment on the PMW-F3 is a bit like having me review the latest Lamborghini - "nice car; I'm never going to buy one."

If it comes in at around $16,000 US - and who know's what it will be, but at 20,000 Euro's there's little chance it will be much less than that -  the PMW-F3 will be well outside my budget. Clearly this is no DSLR killer; though maybe it's intended to kill DSLR sales and for use only in Hollywood.

And at that price, it's almost not worth commenting on the specs, because I can't even begin to consider this camera. It doesn't really matter if it outputs 4:2:2 10 bit via the HD-SDI link, or records to SxS cards, or has a PL-mount, or two XLR inputs.

I must admit, I'm somewhat disappointed. With the Panasonic AG-AF100 about to hit the stores, I thought that Sony might have been going after the same market. I imagined they might come out with something that cost about $6,000. More than the Panasonic, but then this is Sony. At $6,000 it would be the price of the EX1R; but the EX1R includes a lens; you'd still end up spending a considerable amount more to kit the thing out.

Ah well, maybe they will up-mod the NEX-VG10.

In the mean time, I hope to get some comments from a pro who works in the professional movie side of things to get his perspective on the camera. Stay tuned.

Sony Announces the PMW-F3 35mm Full-HD Compact Camcorder

PMW-F3K 

Sony has announced the PMW-F3, a 24p video camera with a 35mm sensor, which will be available in January 2011. As had been earlier suggested, this camera appears to be aimed more at the RED camera market than at the Panasonic AG-AF100 market with it’s approximate price of $20,000 US (they have announced the European price only.)

The sensor size is Super 35mm, the standard size for motion picture films and the same size as the Sony F-35. There are two models; the PMW-F3K with three lenses (35, 50, 85mm F2.0) - Euros 20,700 (~$29,000 US), and PMW-F3L body only model - Euros 14500 (~$20,000 US). The PMW-F3 has a PL mount, and Sony will be producing specific zoom lenses for this camcorder, which they intend to show in prototype at NAB 2011. The camera records to SxS cards.

Worldwide press release is today 8th November, and on the 17th they will show the product at Interbee in Japan. They are “closely working” with some DoP's and their ICE team (Independant Certified Experts) to produce some demo footage which will be posted online at pro.sony.eu/35mm.

In response to a question about the price and who the camera is intended for, Sony, in a Facebook discussion with Bill Drummond and Sebastian Leske said: "The F3K will be ideal for the cost-conscious filmaker looking for the best price/performance from a 35mm digital camcorder on the market. This would be ideal for budget movie-making, pop promos etc. "

Curiously, is response to a question about whether the camera supports autofocus like the AF-AG100, they said "this is currently under study."

Recording Modes
1920 x 1080 / 1440 x 1080 (HQ) 23.98/25/29.97p, 50/59.94i
1440 x 1080 (SP) 23.98p, 50/59.94i
1280 x 720 (HQ) 23.98/ 25/ 29.97/ 50/ 59.94p
DVCAM 25/ 29.97p, 50/ 59.94i


Will rolling shutter be an issue?
The camcorder use CMOS, so there is no global shutter, the rolling shutter is vastly reduced due to the fast refresh time of the CMOS sensor.


What are the specifics on overcrank functionality?
We will offer from 1 to 30 fps at 1920x1080 (17 to 30 fps in dual-link mode) and 1 to 60 fps at 1280x720 (17 to 60 fps in dual-link mode).

What is the dry weight (without lens or battery)?
Weight is an incredibly light 2.4Kg.

Power requirements?
The camcorder takes 12V DC input on a 4 pin XLR plus uses standard BP-U60 batteries

What does HD-SDI output support?
4:2:2 10-bit output via HD-SDI for a range of external recorders
4:4:4 10-bit output via Dual Link HD-SDI for top-end film workflows is coming in April 2011. The Dual-Link Mode is an option available around April 2011.

Are there different codec output modes?
Camcorder records all current XDCAM EX formats at 4:2:0 8-bit, plus has 10-bit 422 output as standard.

What is the equivalent ISO of the camera in a standard state?
ISO equivalent in standard mode is ISO 800


How good is the latitude? How many stops?
Latitude is 460% in standard mode or 800% in S-Log, which is equivalent to about 12 Stops of Dynamic Range.


What is the mount like on the bottom of the camera?
Mount at the bottom of camcorder is the standard screw-thread type seen on EX1R

Are there ENG styled viewfinder options?
There are no optional viewfinders available


SonyUK: PMW-F3K
SonyUK: PMW-F3L

Sunday, November 07, 2010

Sony to announce 35mm camera in London tomorrow at 10am

On Monday, November 7th, Sony UK is going to have a Q & A session on their 35mm sensored camera on Facebook at 10am UK time or 2 am pacific time (only a few short hours from now). They are now calling their creation the PMW-F3.
Source dvinfo: Sony UK to Announce PMW-F3 at 10am UTC on Facebook

[I've also heard that Sony is holding some sort of demo in LA tomorrow too.]