[video]
[video]
“How many SEO experts do you need to change a lightbulb lightbulbs buy light bulbs neon lights sex porn” — (via clientsfromhell)
It appears that Google’s video search (both on Youtube and on Google) is down, so currently the only way to find the wonderful videos were are churning out at the Frankfurt Motor Show 2011 is to subscribe to our channel or watch them all here.
Sony has finally launched what could possibly be the perfect camcorder, the Sony NEX-FS100, which combines a Super 35 sensor with interchangable lenses and full video controls and all for under £4000.
Since the start of the video DSLR revolution I have, along with everyone else, been amazed by the quality and look of the footage that these cameras could produce but I have been consistently put off getting one because of their usability for everyday video production.
I’ve been biding my time until someone could come out with a camera that combined the ease of use of my Sony EX1 and the image style of the Canon 5D and it looks like it might finally have happened with the Sony FS100
The FS100 body looks like a scaled down version of the EX1 with all of the usual controls you would expect on a video camera, all easy to hand, including the all important dual XLR input and audio controls.
The front of the camera however is designed to take Sony’s proprietary E-Mount NEX lenses which can also take Sony A-Mount DSLR lenses with a simple adapter offering a wide range of DSLR style filming options.
On first look there are a few problems with the FS100 like the lack of built in ND filters and the fact it records in AVCHD which is still a pain to edit even on the most top end systems. These can be worked around easily though (with lens mounted filters and using the 4:2:2 HDMI out) and I think they impact the quality of this peice of kit too much.
In the fast paced production environment that I work in with myself and my team producing up to 10 web videos every day, then the Sony NEX-FS100 really could provide the solution to providing us with the look we want without having to sacrifice usability that could impact our work flow. It is definitely on my shopping list for the next year.
Den from Fstopacademy.com has already used it on a pop promo and the results are impressive. Check out his video review and the resulting film in the video below.
NEX FS 100 Video Blog from Den & James on Vimeo.
[video]
At the CES show in Las Vegas for the day job and I spotted this just unveiled Canon XA10 while filming some of the consumer cameras on the Canon stand. 
After a quick demo from the guy on the stand I got to play with the Canon XA10 for a few minutes and I was very impressed.
I’d been looking for a compact pro camera to replace the aging Sony A1 for a while and recently settled for the Sony MC50E. Now, I do like the MC50 but it is too close to the consumer camcorder it is based on and the manual controls are quite infuriating, even if it does shoot nice images.
The XA10 however has pretty much all the manual controls you could want plus proper XLR audio inputs with physical independent gain controls.
This is real professional camera that just happens to be small.
The specs are impressive as well with 64GB internal memory and two SD card slots, full 1080p recording (MC50 is i), 10x zoom which starts at a reasonably wide angle and full shoot assist functions like zebra and peaking.
On top of all of that control your also have a very compact chassis. The handle and audio inputs come completely off after unscrewing three thumb screws leaving a body as small as the MC50 but still with access to a 3.5mm audio jack.
All of the manual controls are accessed through the touch screen except for the manual focus ring around the lens. This slows things down a little but it’s leaps and bounds better than the MC50 which doesn’t allow you access to the manual controls independently, instead it opperates in a kind of apperture priority mode with all of the settings you are not changing adjusting themselves to compensate for what you are doing.
The only limitation of the XA10 that I can see is the AVCHD codec. It is recording a high 24mbps which is fine for quality as far as I am concerned but experience with the MC50 has shown that editing that footage is a serious pain in anything except the most powerful systems.
All in, the only thing that disappointed me about the Canon XA10 is the fact that Canon didn’t launch it 6 months ago to stop me buying the MC50. Now I need to find valid excuse to spend another £1500.
[video]
From camera to podcast - I'm the expert for a change -
Which? got an exclusive extended look at the new Samsung Galaxy Tab inside the Samsung Euro QA labs the week before it officially launches, but when the official Which? expert went on holiday the week after, guess who was called in to give the in-depth report on the new iPad rival in the weekly Which? Technology Podcast?
[video]
[video]
[video]
[video]
We’ve all been begging for it for years but the race is now officially on to launch the first DSLR based camcorder with interchangeable lenses. While Panasonic has been showing off the prototype of the AG-AF100 Sony has announced the launch of the Sony NEX-VG10E.
The VG10E is based on Sony’s proprietry new small interchangable lense system NEX which has already seen the launch of the NEX-3 and NEX-5, a pair of very nice cameras. But instead of making videographers use the awkward still-camera body shape Sony has built a compact consumer camcorder style body with the lense mount on the front.
The spces bill the Sony NEX-VG10E as a very high end consumer video camera with full control of all manual settings, a 4-capsule built-in mic with external input and hot-shoe mountable shotgun and compatibility with Sony E-mount and A-mount lenses.
But the big selling point is the APS-HD CMOS sensor which is significantly bigger than your average camcorder sensor (Sony claims 19.5 times bigger) giving the video producer unparalelled control over depth of field effects, making it possible to shoot some really nice looking ‘filmic’ footage without having to use the long end of the zoom and stand a hundred metres away or get a 35mm adapter.
The Sony NEX-VG10E is scheduled for launch in September while the Panasonic AG-AF100 is still set for launch at ‘the end of 2010’. From the limited views we’ve had of both cameras though they do both look to have a very similar lack of manual controls/buttons and Sony is definately aiming the VG10E at the consumer rather than the pro.
Lets hope both companies are using these as testbeds before releasing some more high-end prosumer cameras on a par with the Sony EX1 that will give the quick access to controls and the weight a pro wants compbined with the DOF that can only be acheived curently with a far bigger camera or resorting to a DSLR with all the associated problems that come with them.
The EX1 is the perfect balance of pro-control with small size, it’s just lacking that easy DOF capability. As an online video producer Working in a fast turnaround web video environment I can’t justify a using a DSLR or a 35mm adapter because it just adds too many compications but there are so many situations where decent depth of field would add a lot to my work.
The launch of the VG10E presents an interesting problem though. I’m sure the style of images are going to look stunning but it’s lack of weight, AVCHD and interlacing mean it can’t been a true choice for a pro.
On the other hand putting either the Pansonic or Sony in the hands of online video producers with limited budgets is going to see some stunning footage coming out that will really make the pros have to up their game.
Lets hope those pro interchangable lense cameras come along soon. I really can’t wait.
Check out the full specs of the Sony NEX-VG10E below:
Model Name
NEX-VG10E
Image Sensor
APS-C type (23.4x15.6mm) Exmor APS HD CMOS sensor with RGB primary colour filters;
25P scanning
Gross Pixels
Approx. 14,600,000 pixels
Minimum Illumination
11 lux. ( 1/25 Shutter Speed / F3.5)
Supplied Lens
SEL18200 Sony E-mount E18-200mm F3.5-6.3 with in-lens Optical SteadyShot Active Mode
Zoom
11x (optical, ring)
Focus
Auto/Manual (ring)
Focal length (35mm equivalent)
Video mode: 32.4mm-360mm
Still photo mode: (3:2) 27mm-300mm /
(16:9) 32.4mm-360mm
Shutter Speed
1/4 - 1/4000 (video, manual control)
30 - 1/4000 (photo, manual control)
White Balance
AWB / Daylight / Shade / Cloudy / Incandescent / Fluorescent / Flash / C. Temp Filter / Custom
Recording Media
Memory Stick PRO Duo / Memory Stick PRO-HG Duo / SD / SDHC / SDXC (Class 4 or higher)
Recording Mode (AVCHD)
FX (1920x1080i, 24Mbps)
FH (1920x1080i, 16Mbps)
HQ (1440x1080i, 9Mbps)
Still photo resolution (JPEG)
16:9 Mode; 4592x2576 (12M) /
3:2 Mode; 4592x3056 (14M)
Audio Recording
Dolby Digital 2ch, via Quad Capsule Spatial Array Stereo Microphone;
External microphone input jack
LCD Monitor
7.5cm / 3.0”-type, 921,600 dots (approx.)
Xtra Fine LCD with TruBlack technology
Electronic Viewfinder
1.1cm / 0.43”-type, 1,440K dots (approx.)
Xtra Fine
Stamina
330 min. continuous recording
(with the optional NP-FV100, FH mode)
Interfaces
-Accessory shoes
-HDMI OUT jack
-Stereo headphone jack
-External stereo mic input jack
-USB 2.0 (mini B / Hi-speed) jack
-DC IN jack
Dimensions (D x H x W)
29.4 x 132 x 97 mm (inc. supplied lens and hood)
Weight (approx.)
1.3Kg (with SEL18200 lens, lens hood, NP-FV70 battery and Memory Stick Pro Duo)
With the launch of the AG-AF100, Panasonic has become the first manufacturer to make a proper connection between the new breed of video DSLR and Micro 4/3 cameras and a professional video machine.
Much has been made over the last year or so about the fantastic video quality that you can get by using the video function on the likes of the Canon 5D, 7D or Panasonic GH1 and these cameras are great as a journalists tool as I’ve already written about and they do produce some seriously nice images.
The trouble is that when you want a properly specced, video-specific, setup you have to delve so heavily in to the accessory market that you have to seriously ask whether it’s worth the hassle over a self contained pro camera like the Sony EX1 that I use now.
I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one who has been wishing hard for someone to make a ‘proper’ video camera that mounts film lenses and many people thought it would be Canon as they were the first off the block.
But the launch of the Panasonic AG-AF100 puts Panasonic way ahead of the game with the advantage that it uses the more compact Micro 4/3 format as well.
For your money (estimated around the $6000 dollar mark but not announced) you’ll get a camera body that shoots DSLR quality 1080p 24/25/30 video, with professional audio and video connectivity and access to all the video controls you would expect from a pro camera. It also shoots on the SDXC cards instead of the overly large and hideously expensive P2 media.
The body will likely be sold on it’s own but will fit all of the Micro 4/3 lenses already on the market as well as pretty much any other DSLR or Prime lense with the addition of a whole bunch of adapter rings that are already available.
The only fly in the ointment that I can spot so far is that I’m not a big fan of Panasonic’s current pro-sumer camcorders. I played with the HVX-200 a while back and found it felt a bit basic and it wasn’t comfortable to use. I’ll give the AG-AF100 the benefit of the doubt though because the DMC-GH1 is a very nice piece of kit and would be in my arsenal already of I could justify the spend.
The AG-AF100 isn’t out until the end of 2010 which gives me enough time to pursuade the powers that be that the then two-year-old Sony is in need of a companion.
Check out the video of the Panasonic AG-AF100 from the launch at the NAB show.