Introduction to the 5D Mark II’s Video Feature

When it comes to the Canon 5D MKII, we have a ringer at our sister site – ProPhoto Coalition.  Bruce Dorn is the guy Canon hired to show off it’s glory.  A still photographer showing off the video prowess you ask?  Well you haven’t heard of Bruce then have you?  Bruce could very well have his own channel on ProVideo Coalition with the career and experience he’s had in pro video.  After you’ve digested the 5D article, peruse his bio here.

We’ve only just launched PPC, but as the video and photography markets continue to coalesce, we expect a lot of articles to be of value to the PVC reader.

Here is RED Scarlet / Epic

10 Days Left for the Red Epic Scarlet Announcememnt

The Olympics

I was lucky enough to have attended the first week of the Beijing Olympics and all I can say is WOW!

From an attendee perspective and seeing my first Olympic Games in person, to a traveler and visiting China for the first time, to a video production geek spending way too much time watching how the Olympics was being covered by the world…the experience was one of a lifetime for me.

Bruce Johnson wrote about the job he’d like to have at the Olympics, and I’d like to add that I would have been happy with almost any job. 

I really enjoyed being able to see the array of camera positions throughout each of the events I was able to attend.  Having been a camera operator for Pro Football among other things, the Olympics would have been a dream job.  Every shot a potential shot of a lifetime!  I have great admiration for many of the camera guys as positions required fast movement, constant attention, and of course they were live for all the world to see.  Some of the camera positions, like Bruce mentioned, were fantastic.  Swimming comes to mind with the under water cameras, the water level boom camera, overhead cameras and more.

My wife and I stayed at the NBC hotel (Crown Plaza) across from the Birds Nest, and were able to rub elbows with the producers, directors, on-air talent and more for breakfast and late night drinks.  I have to tip my hat to the entire NBC crew for doing a fantastic job presenting the Olympics in myriad of channels and online alternatives.  Moreover, the friendliness of everyone we met both within NBC and in China in particular was a welcomed treat. 

Now that I am home in the US and watching the rest of the Games from afar, I have a deeper appreciation for the location, the people, and fantastic show.

Killer Camera Support From Sachtler

I spent some time today at the Sachlter booth checking out the Artemis vest and support – ACT 2.  I enclosed a press release after the jump, but here’s what caught my attention:

• Build quality seems top quality
• Carbon Fiber, Carbon Fiber, Carbon Fiber!
• This sucker was built on a vibration table to optimize its ability for quick motion and no flex
• New internal electronics to handle the higher wattage camera systems such as RED
• Revised vest ads to breathability and flexibility

While I don’t have a need for one of these slick items, I still want one…

Press release after the jump:

Petrol Bags

As I’ve mentioned in a previous post – I’m a bag person.  Today I stopped by the folks at Petrol and got a glimpse of some of their newer products.  Lucky for me my checkbook was elsewhere.

Prior to leaving for NAB, I was looking for a back that I could walk the floor, quickly pull out my video camera, microphone, etc and start shooting.  But I also needed my Nikon D300 in case I needed to get a few great shots.  Oh yeah, and I almost forgot, I need my computer to post during the show if necessary.  Petrol has such animals, and more.  While the bags got my attention, a slick rain coat for my camera kept my attention.

Rain slickers tend to be very good form fitting products you buy for specific camera models.  What if you want to add a Matte Box?  You’re out of luck likely.  Similarly if you’d like to share slickers across different cameras, you’ll find they don’t fit.  Petrol’s newest is pretty slick indeed.  While not form fitting, it attaches to the hot shoe to stabilize it, but it’s got velcro to wrap where necessary.  Clever idea really.

Full press release after the jump:

RED wiki Launched

Yeah, yeah, I promised in my last post that I would only have one RED post.  I lied.

After a request for a RED Wiki, we threw one together here!

What’s in it so far?  Nothing.  This will be an experiment to see if the community can fill this up with valuable information, no flame wars, no exaggerations, etc.  If we can get a valuable tool working, we all win.  If no one adds to it…we’ll remove it.  It’s up to you.  And Mike, and Adam and Art I guess.  Graeme Nattress want to contribute?

My Only RED Post

Like this site needed just one more RED post.  While perusing one of my favorite sites today, engadget, I came across this article about RED being used as a Telecine:

As if the much-hyped RED ONE camera didn’t have enough going for it already, it looks like it could soon be put to use for a slightly unexpected but most welcome task: capturing Super 8 film. That’s apparently possible thanks to what’s described as a “pre-prototype” rig that employs a RED ONE camera and a Moviestuff Workprinter XP system which, thanks to a direct interface to the RED’s GPI input, should allow you to do up 30 single frame captures per second in the RED’s 4K mode. As the On Super 8 blog points out, however, there’s still some “optical wizardry” needed to sit between the RED and the workprinter, but we’re guessing those Super 8 die-hards should be able to take care of that little detail before too long.

That’s the last RED post from me…

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