Hello Internets! I’ve returned from gallivanting around the country and have a couple of weeks while we refuel and plan the next leg of the tour. One of the first tasks I’ve set myself is to get a better video camera, and was all set to pick up a Canon XH-A1 when I found out that it doesn’t have S-Video in or out. That cuts down my options a little for live visuals, as I wouldn’t be able to mix in this camera’s output without an expensive scan converter or going via Firewire, which introduces latency and creates cabling issues.

So now I’m in a quandry, and with that seed of doubt sewn, I’ve opened up to many possibilities: Sony’s HDR-FX1, Panasonic’s HVX series, or perhaps something compact and tapeless, like JVC’s Everio series.

I had a chat to Peter, who suggested that I ask you, dear reader. What are you using for your video capturing needs? Have you gone HD? Compact? Cheap? Expensive? Tapeless? What are you liking and disliking in today’s video cameras?

HD4Indies’ Mike points out the Canon HV20 “Compact HDV Camcorder”. It’s has an HD (1920×1080p) CMOS sensor, records HDV to DV tapes, and sports an HDMI out for uncompressed capture.

Mike likes the look of it for a “learner camera”, to me this looks like an ideal unit for tethered shooting of visuals, studio shoots and time lapse requiring frame rates faster than an SLR can deliver. I’m starting to spec out a tour rig at the moment, this looks ideal for throwing in a backpack - I’ll let the film crews lug around the big heavy cameras.

DVXUser has a concise, easy to understand explanation of colour sampling methods in digital video, with diagrams!

You’ve seen the numbers: 4:2:0, 4:4:4, 3:1:1, 3:1.5:1.5, 4:1:1, 4:2:2… What does it all mean? And how does it affect your video? What’s better, what’s worse, and when does it matter?

What those numbers are referring to is a technique in digital video commonly called “color sampling.” The concept can be a bit confusing to those not used to working with video in the digital domain. In video, it’s common practice to not actually record all the color in an image, but rather to average the pixels together to cut down on the bandwidth. Color sampling is, in effect, a form of compression. The more compressed the engineers can make the color channel, the less bandwidth the signal occupies and the easier it is to record, transmit, or broadcast.

Full article, via DVGuru

Running around with a camera and shooting from the hip is great fun, and a great way to get source material for visuals, but if you’re shooting to a script and are paying for gear, studio, talent, crew or police roadblocks then you need to make your shots count. DV Rack has recently hit version 2.0 and allows your laptop to act as a field monitor, vectorscope, contrast and focus checker, disk recorder, shot checker etc.

CreativeCow have reviews of DV Rack and the 2.0/HD updates:

This version of DV Rack has some improvements of which, few are obvious on the surface, but many are intensely important to those of us who have been using the software for a while.

• My favourite–1:1 pixel display mode.  If you want to know if you’re in focus, this is the only way to be positive about that.  Many laptops have extremely high resolution displays, but few can use the fullscreen display mode and show you all the pixels without scaling.
• Of course, HVX 200 support.  (HD version only) DVCProHD/50 users can finally see what all the fuss has been about in DV and HDV land.  This includes support for pulldown removal of 24p(a) clips AND a full res 1280×720p monitor window.
• Ability to flip the monitor display horizontally or vertically or both.  Users of a Red Rock Micro prime adapter and similar systems will be happy about this
• DV timecode support is now included so your backup tapes and your DV Rack clips will maintain the same TC.
  Recording modes–some very interesting features here, and a few I predict I will be using rather quickly:
• Motion activated recording
• Stop-Motion recording
• Time-Lapse recording
• Pause recording (pause recording and resume without starting a new AVI file)

It’s relatively expensive at US$495 for SD version, $795 for HD, so for the club going visualist-on-the-town the money may be better spent elsewhere. However, if your projects have corporate backing the expense is well justifiable, and DV Rack should quickly pay for itself in saved post-production time.

DV Rack’s creator Serious Magic was acquired by Adobe last week. I’d say we’ll be more likely to see Ultra 2 technology appearing in Premiere/After Effects before they get DV Rack style direct to disk capturing, but it should be interesting to see what follows.

Finally, so Mac users don’t feel completely left out, ScopeBox is currently under development for OSX (Universal).

I’m sure some CDMotion readers must be wondering if I actually own a DV camera considering the stop-motion and still camera focus these last couple of weeks. Rest assured I both own and even on occasion wield a DV cam, however my DSLR has held me in thrall with its beautiful images, shallow depth of field and sweet, sweet resolution.

Perhaps I’d be more excited about DV shooting if I was to buy one of the lovely HD Cameras the cool kids are talking about, or I could upgrade my current one; lower it a little, give it some chameleon paint, a spoiler, some oversized exhausts, fat rims… Ok, so I can’t think of anyone who’s undertaking cosmetic camera mods. However there are some fantastic mods and accessories, both commercial and DIY, which can help you get better video from that humble DV cam.

Beautiful Image: 35mm lens adapters

Redrock Micro was built from the Micro35 Project, which itself was based on the extremely expensive Mini35 from P+S Technik. These projects all throw variously sized chunks of money at the same concept: Using film lenses on a video camera.

At the lower end of the price spectrum, RedRockMicro sell a DIY guide on how to make their commercial M2 Adapter, which will set you back US$995 or more, depending on options. They also sell a Follow Focus unit to go with the M2, which looks rather cool.

I seem to be addicted to slow motion video at the moment. It may be the imminent release of the Red with its promised 120 full frames per second, or maybe I’ve just been watching too much Mythbusters. But all this high speed video showing up on TV has me excited. I’m willing to submit the world to almost endless slow motion criket or drag racing if the end result is my own 1000FPS video camera.

Motionographer just set me off again with these beautiful PSAs (1, 2) by Duckling. Intimate high speed camerawork joined with fantastic post production delivers the required road safety message with the poise of Sony’s Bravia spots but without the gore Australians are submitted to by our government sponsored propaganda.

The reverse-time gambit is getting a little played out, but only because it’s so very effective. Also linked from the Motionographer is Coldplay’s clip for The Scientist, which takes the same concept but wraps it in soppy pop ballad and unrealistic crash physics. It hardly matters though, as Rabbit In Your Headlights did it best, and David Lynch’s Bambi ad for the PS2 copied that best… Really, if it involves a combination of cars, explosions, slow motion or time-reversing it’s been done before, so we might as well just enjoy the pretty pictures.

Pleix’ “Birds” filmclip for Vitalic’s awesome Poney, Pt 1.
Fatboy Slim’s Gangster Trippin’, the logical extension being Helios‘ recent Nokia 6265 Explosion Ad.
Unkle again, with Reign.

Want to do it yourself? This Rarevision article is a little dated, but covers the basics.

But the purpose of this article is not to point out the benefits of true progressive scan 24 frames per second. It’s to talk about something I haven’t seen a lot of on the web, which is how to achieve great slow-motion photography while shooting a 24p project.

Some of you may be thinking, “it hasn’t been talked about because it’s really not that big of a deal.” Well, the truth is that many filmmakers put great emphasis on visual style, and the limitations of cheap cameras (even 24p cameras) have restricted the creative potential of visual filmmakers. The ability to shoot slow motion sequences is part of that potential, and is an issue that needs addressing.

Ok. I think I’m done with Slow Motion videos for now, but if I’ve missed any important ones please hit the comments.

While you’re shooting that new footage (or reorganizing the old stuff) to submit to iStockVideo, you may like to keep something in mind: Green.

Green is the theme for DVGuru’s first video contest. In putting this together they’re hoping to fill the void left by the demise of WeeklyDV.

Word: Green
Due Date: Monday, August 7th (two weekends to work)
Winners will be announced soon thereafter.

Prizes? This is just a test run to see what kind of reaction we get, so no prizes this time. Maybe in the future but I make no promises.
Time limit? The shorter the better I suppose, but there really is no hard time limit to speak of.
Now go out and create!

I personally think putting up a prize - no matter how token - will result in more entries and more fun stuff to watch, so in that spirit CDMotion has offered to sponsor the competition. We’ll see how that pans out, but in the meantime:

Green!

Shooting underwater can be great fun, and has the advantage of taking the viewer outside the realm of their normal vision, so if your image quality isn’t so hot it still looks special. Commercial waterproof enclosures tend to be rather expensive, but they’re not your only option. My first underwater shoot was a security camera on a PVC pole connected to a VCR; ghetto technology but it looked great. Slightly more advanced but still along the PVC kick is this project via Make:Blog.

I’d like to see a version of this mounted to a pole for dry operation and viewing. Add an IR remote repeater for start/stop and zoom operation, and you can yell at your talent from the outside of the dark, freezing pool while you shoot your own take on Portishead - Only You:

Plans and instructions are on Instructables, along with some rather insightful commenting.