Mike Brennan

An easy mistake to make, once HD has gone to film. I think it was graded at Pepper Post in London, who graded the first HDCAM project to be completed in Europe, also the first on Avid DS, so they have good deal of experience in HDCAM Mike Brennan

Congratulations to PHIL ROBERTSON for winnning the Kodak Vision award for best Cinematography for Frozen, shot on HDCAM. http://www.slamdance.com/2005/festival/fil...asp?film_id=581 Mike Brennan

Ok the thing that has caused the confusion was that HDSDI output from f900s were used and recorded onto SR. So initially HDCAM was used then they switched. So in the edit their were SR tapes with 4:2:2 recordings. Hence the confusion. Lucas also went 4:4:4 for latest Star Wars I assume at SQ mode but don't quote me. Mike Brennan

With greatest respect could you quote the source of your information? Also is it SQ or HQ mode of 4:4:4 Any word on Sin City? Who provided kit? I'm getting conflicting reports about Collateral, since they were using prototype 5000. I understand they may have gone 4:2:2 as 444 boards at one point were not ready. There was testing on 444 on a S2 and also HDCAM was used which ended up 4:2:2 in the edit. So plenty of room for confusion and plenty of room to obfuscate. Many producers will be making decisions about using SR based on what they are hearing about these movies, and other big ones in the wings but since the SRW1 is still not fully configured there are plenty of reasons for Sony to hide or delay info about what flavour of SR format these movies were actually shot on.... No shortage of PR saying X movie shot on "HDCAM SR format" Seems SR stands for secret recordings....... Mike Brennan

Still no luck. Looks like I'll have to design one myself. There could be a design that takes any brand of flatscreen in a particular range of dimension. It will also need some kind of stand to stop it falling over once unpacked but be easly moved on set without being needing to be repacked. Making the monitor adjustable to optimise viewing angle would be good too... Mike

Elhanan its a rare beast in Europe! I've had a play at the trade shows... Is the 1/2 inch mount physically different from 2/3 inch? I know there are electronic connections, ignoring these is the physical connection the same as B4? Could you shoe-horn on say a B4 wide angle zoom? Since this 1440x1080 pixel count is also becomming standard for future "low def" HD camcorders I'm curious as to if it could be used for B roll or stunt work where high quality is expected, hence the question about the lens. I see that a new 18x is going to be released for it at NAB. Have you tried SD 1/2 inch lenses on it ? The canon lens that comes with it costs only $5k! Yet canon keep saying it is HD lens thanks Mike Brennan

Anyone seen pictures from or used the Sony HDC X300? Comments? NAB will see a X310 with fiber output. Mike Brennan

> a complete follow focus kit that needs its own power supply on camera >>Most video zooms are sold with a bolt-on grip that includes iris (and zoom) servos. << This thread relates to dramas and features that use cinestyle lenses, not ENG/EFP style lenses. Cinestyle lenses are much better designed for follow focus. >>What you're discussing in this thread is something that's existed since the dawn of studio television - a camera control unit, which generally duplicates all the principal controls of the camera on a rackmounted control panel, which can be remoted using triax, multicore or, latterly, fibre optic.<< No, its something much less complex, something that can have programmable switches. > Once you get into electronics you really need someone who is very conversant in and > intimately familiar with electronic signal manipulation if you want to avoid > unrecoverable problems. In the vast, vast majority of cases that person isn't the > director of photography. >Anyone presuming to that job description should be competent in this area anyway. Directors of photography are expected to be intimately conversant with photochemical imaging, and I would expect them to be equally conversant with electronic imaging.< Some are some are not. But those that are are often hamstrung by the disasterous interfaces between camera and artiste´ It is one thing knowing about where the knee is set its another trying to find the gamma table in th emenue that changes it to your next preset. >I am disturbed by the deskilling of the DP position that's going on in video - by making excuses for the film-orientation of current people, and hiring helpers to cover the gaps in their knowledge, by the time we've gone over entirely to electronic imaging you'll have a phalanx of people doing one job! Quite apart from the fact that if you're doing that, you're just hiring the wrong people in the first place.< Yes but we are talking degrees of inexperience excuses ect. There are those that will hide their inexperience or ignorance behind complexity/crap design of the interface. Who was it the other day was shooting a major commercial on f900 and was worried about the smeary nature of the picture, he obviously had the shutter off! So I'm not talking about a DP wanting to create his own matrix on the fly, but basic stuff. Stuff that could be made more accesible with a simpler interface, like switching knee sat on or off or switching between scene files. >Also, I would be extremely disturbed to find anyone else playing with camera settings while I was shooting.< If you were an operating DP I'd agree, but this thread relates to the DP at the monitor station, athough the operating DP lighting cameraman would also benifit from a cut down remote.... Hey at last there is some kit that will drive iris on cinestyle lenses via lens camera port. But be warned that a powerfull motor will pull more than the lens port on the camera can deliver,however there are a few new motors that will be ok, that is what has prompted this thread, 4 years after the introduction of HD cinestyle lenses there is a good solution to iris control at the monitor station by a DP! Mike Brennan

Mike, in the day to day world of using this kit some of us use in camera filters and gain -3db 0db +3db to allow iris to be wide open in an effort to control depth of field. For most TV work +3db is fine. As far as shutter goes choice of 1/24th 1/33 1/48th can be a creative decision based on degree of motion smear we can get away with or actually want in low light levels. Then their is selection of ECS to sync shutter with computer monitors. All of the above are DP choices on film why not make it easier on digital? The reason I am proposing this device, as Phil mentions in the next post is that dare I say DPs new to video are not getting the tools they need on location to (safely, easily) control these really basic features, unless they do the course on a rmb remote or employ a tech. Mike Brennan

What flavour HDCAMSR recording was used on Star Wars Episode III? 4:2:2 @ 2.7:1 compression? 4:4:4 SQ mode @ 4.2:1 compression? 4:4:4 at HQ mode @ 2:1 compression? (880 Mbs mode) Hype and press releases of using "HDCAMSR 4:4:4 system" without actually quoting what mode the recorder was in seems a common theme with all the movies that have used HDCAMSR, Collateral, Sin City and Star Wars Ep III (We now know Collateral was in 4:2:2 mode) Mike Brennan

No information on the net about exactly what went on with Sin City. What mode of HDCAM SR format was Sin City recorded in? 4:2:2 @ 2.7:1 compression? 4:4:4 SQ mode @ 4.2:1 compression? 4:4:4 at HQ mode @ 2:1 compression? (880 Mbs mode) No guessing please:) Mike Brennan

This is the bottom line and fortunately there are a few products about to be released that will make this possible without resorting to renting a complete follow focus kit that needs its own power supply on camera. I wonder if there is a intermediate step that gives DP control to turn things on and off but not adjust the parameters. Other ways of controlling exposure other than iris shutter gain DCC Could be included. The kit isn't intended to be used by DP at monitoring station. So being able to compare gammas and scene files is usefull but is just plain awkward and time consuming and prone to screw up if you access through the menue. The concept of this remote is for rental house to setup camera and DP has immediate access to these presets via knobs rather than menue. For example, a simple switch for knee saturation to compare its effect on and off would be usefull, rather than having to open the menue and risk a srew up. OK many DPs could do without paint, black balance white balance. Even access to scene files via menue is prone to error. A box with switches is better? Surely a DP wo can juggle film stocks and fstops can switch between 5 scene files? Mike Brennan

Given the difficult to get used nature of the design of Sony RMB 750 I've asked a company to explore making a DP friendly remote for Sony HD cameras that can be operated with ease. Basic Principles It could be wireless. It would control iris of cinestyle lenses. It would allow access to all the pages in the menue as viewed by component output of f900. It would have a number of buttons and knobs that control pages of the menue like the RMB750 does with its touch panel screen. So what would we like to see controlled by buttons and knobs, here is my list... 1/ Cursor control of all of menue (would need component output of f900 on monitor to view) Then knobs or switches that directly control; 2/ Iris: Man/Auto (using new lens motor for cinestle lenses that works from lens port on camera) 3/ Scene Files: 1/2/3/4/5 (select group number via menu) 4/ Gamma Files: Standard 1 to 6 and User 5/ Gain: low/med/high 6/ White: Present A, B and Auto 7/ Colour bars/Test/ Camera 8/ Paint (maybe with Red Green and Blue channel knobs) 9/ Knee Saturation: On/Off 10/ Black Gamma Y lift: on /off (actual setup via menue) 11/ Roll 12/ VTR controls 13/ Auto Black Balance 14/ User Matrix: on /off (actual setup via menue) 15/ Multimatrix: on/off (actual setup via menue) 16/ DCC: on/off 17/ Shutter: off/on (actual speed via menue) Any other items that a DP needs to get easy access too? This remote would also work with Genesis. Mike Brennan

Me thinks $200k is way over the top for a good intallation. Sony prices announced at HPA for their 4k projector with range of inputs including HDSDI. SRX R110 10k $93k SRX R105 5K $63k SRX R??? 20k TBA (Not sure if prices includes a lens probably not) Mike Brennan

Nick, was it a 2 bladed (Jet ranger) or 3 bladed (AS350) heli? Camera powered from aircraft or battery? cheers Mike

Hi Nick, radio interference in helicopters usually affects the whole picture and is quite vibrant in its motion. Sometimes it is only apparent in shadows. Also it is usually always evident on the monitor whilst you are shooting. It usually only happens when pilot transmitts, but their can be other mre sustanted causes of RF interference. Also I do not know of a case where the picture was affected by radio interference but interference not present on monitor, ie it is unlikely that radio intererence creeps into the recorder section. So did you see it on the monitor? Other possibilities 1/ airflow entering camera and lifting the tape off the heads. 2/ an intermittent connection in the recorder section (that may not be evident on the monitor) 3/ Interference from external RF, flying close to radio mast for example but again this usually evident on monitor. 4/ Vibration of aircraft has been suggested as cause of picture breakup on f900 on tyler nose mounts. 5/ Something flapping about causing a vibration on the camera, ie loose cable. To test for physical integrety of a camera record a few thumps, vibrations shakes and taps on the camera when its on ground. Finally Sony is inept at figuring out causes of problems on location and telling us about them. Maybe Panasonic is different. cheers Mike Brennan

Hi Nick, radio interference in helicopters usually affects the whole picture and is quite vibrant in its motion. Sometimes it is only apparent in shadows. Also it is usually always evident on the monitor whilst you are shooting. It usually only happens when pilot transmitts, but their can be other mre sustanted causes of RF interference. Also I do not know of a case where the picture was affected by radio interference but interference not present on monitor, ie it is unlikely that radio intererence creeps into the recorder section. So did you see it on the monitor? Other possibilities 1/ airflow entering camera and lifting the tape off the heads. 2/ an intermittent connection in the recorder section (that may not be evident on the monitor) 3/ Interference from external RF, flying close to radio mast for example but again this usually evident on monitor. 4/ Vibration of aircraft has been suggested as cause of picture breakup on f900 on tyler nose mounts. 5/ Something flapping about causing a vibration on the camera, ie loose cable. To test for physical integrety of a camera record a few thumps, vibrations shakes and taps on the camera when its on ground. Finally Sony is inept at figuring out causes of problems on location and telling us about them. Maybe Panasonic is different. cheers Mike Brennan

Anyone see a good case design for location use for flatscreen monitors ie Apple 23inch or Sony Luma? Mike Brennan

I am interested in the notion that depth of field becomes more noticable to the viewer as higher resolution capture and displays are used. When HD lenses were introduced I was crowing loudly that depth of field had to be the same as standard def lenses. Although technically correct the higher quality capture and display of HD made the fall off more apparent. The overall effect is to display a depth of field that appears less than lower res capture and display. (I termed the phrase "apparent depth of field" to refer to displayed depth of field) Bearing this in mind perhaps we should wait and see if the apparent depth of field of 35mm lenses on say Genesis when digitally projected is more less or the same as 35mm film capture and projection. Someone could some emperical testing and shoot this apparent theory to bits....:) Mike Brennan

No independent tests between New Fuji, Zeiss and New Canon Primes has been done. So those that say Zeiss are the best need to show us the beef. Mike Brennan

Fuji have a solid reputation, Canons new primes may well be a match. Zeiss primes are highly rated. Question is how much of you budget do you want to spend on "gilding the lilly"? Mike Brennan

Grading in post is same any other 4:4:4 images although SRW1 is has 2 or 4 to one compression whereas other 444 recordings are uncomprerssed. Yes you can play with the gammas. Mike Brennan

The camera is 2 stops slower than a PD150. Jury is out as to wether it will be acceptable for docs to be transmitted on HD channels. If you are considering DV for your doc then HDV will be better, apart from lack of sensitivity. Mike Brennan

Warning, Sony does not confirm any specs a year in advance! Mike Brennan