A year ago...

A year ago I was clocking 30 hours of OT, and spent two weeks feeling like I was living in a "Green Zone."

Today I have grease under my finger nails from working on my car so I don't have to spend more money at the shop.

What a difference a year makes.

NPPA style nat-pack

This is something I shot & edited a couple months ago for the Chicago Headline Club's 32nd Annual Peter Lisagor Awards for Exemplary Journalism.

iPhone 3Gs, better than any other video camera EVER

I have seen in a few places now about how the new iPhone 3Gs is a great replacement for those "clunky" big professional cameras, and I thought I would hop on the band wagon with a few thoughts of my own...

XLR audio inputs are stupid, a 1/8" mini mic input is the GREATEST thing EVER. The whole self-locking thing on XLRs is just extra hassle. Anyone who warns that a 1/8" input can easily fail if it is accidentally pulled out of place, are the same people who say "Duck and Cover" won't save you from a nuclear bomb.

Two separate audio tracks? Who thought that was a good idea? Out in the field I want mono everything. Mix that wireless and camera mic together! Two person interview is of no concern because every human being on the planet speaks at the same level. Mayor at the podium? I think I should hear the camera guy next to me breathing just as much as I hear the Mayor. And if you don't like it, I'll just use the "remove Mono" filter in the audio effects, it is right between the "remove echo" and "make better" filters in Final Cut.

While we're talking about audio, why even bother with professional mics? Heck I'll just use the on iPhone mic, if I can't hear the Mayor at the podium I will just give running commentary, or fix it in post. It is always much easier to fix things in post anyways.

Now timecode? Man I have always hated that thing. Completely useless.

Setting TC to time-of-day is just something I would say to confuse the intern. We faked that whole reporter being able to take notes by just looking at the clock instead of asking me what the TC was.

Whats next... video quality? Yes video quality. The picture quality of 3CCDs on a HPX3000 or 3MOS on a HPX300 (and nearly any other Panny, Sony, Canon, JVC, Ikegami, etc.) always bugged me. I really like it when there is more movement from jello than from the objects in the frame moving.

I want my ENTIRE newscast's picture to be floating around like we are about to go into a dream sequence on a bad TV show!

Manual white balance? See above & fix it in post.

Batteries? Get rid of that "S." Purchasing extra batteries was just a scam. I am sure that I will be fine and never miss a shot with one (and only one) internal battery that will stay charged for 24 hours if unused, and drained in under 24 minutes if I use two of the built in features.


If I want have any control on my lens I'll just attach the iPhone to a Letus. That will be a piece of cake since those adapters are much easier to use than just having glass that attaches directly to the camera.

Ejecting media? Such a thing of the past. I have always hated tapes & flash cards, and being able to record for hours & hours by just replacing media in a matter of seconds. I don't want to hand off my raw footage to a reporter, editor or producer in tape or card form, when it comes time to log & edit, I want to completely lock up my camera from being able to be used as a camera.

Wait a second! Why have I bothered to edit video all of these years? Boy have I been a fool.

Now that I'm empowered by the iPhone, I will NEVER edit anything again. Raw video is always more interesting to watch. Voice over, cut aways, etc... forget about it, I'm uploading my raw video directly to YouTube, and since it is on YouTube, people will know it is better than "Gone with the Wind" and billions of people will watch it, and I will become famous and YouTube will pay me tons of money for just how great I am.

Man, this iPhone is totally a game changer.

Using Your Tools (or Obama Time Lapse)

Obama Election Night Time-Lapse HD.

When you are a photojournalist, what is better than having a camera at a major event? Having 2 cameras!



November 3rd 2008 I sacrificed a couple hours sleep because I knew the next day would be historic. Win or lose, Obama was in my home town and I had a press pass.

I had read up on the Canon Hacker's Development Kit (CHDK), but had been unsuccessful in the past trying to play around with it.

That night I had better luck. In only a couple hours I was able to turn my Canon A460 PhD (Press-here-Dummy) into a powerfully customizable camera in an unassuming package.

Pretty much after you get CHDK working, your camera will turn to you and say "I know Kung-Fu."

I installed an intervalometer script onto my camera and set it to snap a picture about every 15sec. I then attached the camera first to the tripod while setting up our riser space. A short while later I moved the camera on top of our main camera. While the second placement of the camera gave a better view, it also meant that whenever we panned or tilted the DVCPro HD camera, the Canon camera also panned or tilted.

A couple days later after recovering from the election madness I put the gigabytes of photos together to form the time lapse video. I added George Winston's "New Hope Blues" off his "Ballads And Blues 1972: The Early Recordings" album, uploaded the video and e-mailed it out to a few friends and family members.

While this video was never meant for any newscasts, it was a good field test of using a consumer product as a professional tool.

Best, Worst, & meh' of 2008 (worst)

Best, Worst, & meh' of 2008
Losers:

1. HVR-Z1U
Term limit up.
Unless you NEED CCDs, there is no more use for the Z1 now that the Z7 and Z5 are on the market. Great camera, held up well, but time for it to step down from Sony's king of HDV. If you have one of these, no reason to stop using it, but if it needs repairs, it is almost better to spend the cash on another camera.

2. HVR-V1U
Book end.
This was Sony's goto 24p HDV camera. The one advantage it had over the Z1 and like the Z1, the V1 can't grow in the shadow of the Z7 and Z5. This camera did very well for having 1/4" chips, but the only thing it can claim today is the smaller profile over Sony's other pro HDV cameras.

3. XL-H1s / XH-G1
Wheres the beef?
These two cameras are the exact same as the XL-H1a and XH-A1 with thousands of dollars added to the price tag. It is nice that Canon has the options to gen-lock and what-not, but the price is too steep a climb to justify. There are the people that need those options, but most would rather spend the same money on three cameras instead of two.

(2012 Edit: I guess I can eat my words on this...  These cameras have the potential of a little more life beyond HDV with the uncompressed HD-SDI output.   1440x1080 CCD chips paired with a Sound Devices Pix 240; AJA Ki Pro Mini; Convergent Designs Nano Flash, etc. can produce nice images.   Harder to do if you don't have the digital video output, like the XL-H1a & XH-A1.  Though, I don't see many people pairing the XL-H1s / XH-G1 cameras up with off board recorders, so maybe I wasn't too far off.)

4. HVX-200a
HVX200, now with a cup holder!
The HVX200a is the re-release of the HVX200. The upgrades Panasonic put into this camera, while needed, pretty much amount to the previous model with an alarm clock and extra large cup holder attached.
Panasonic argues that this is a good transition camera because it records on P2 flash media and miniDV tape. The only thing they often don't mention is how nearly completely useless the tape drive is. Unlike the Sony Z7, which has unrestricted recording options for flash & tape, the HVX only does DV onto tape. Thus, all the versatility the HVX has in recording formats isn't able to be implemented onto tape. If you need to shoot DV, there are a ton of great old models that are selling for cheap as everyone is moving HD.
Sitting next to the HPX170 & EX1, there is no good reason as to why anyone should be purchase this camera.

Best, Worst, & meh' of 2008 (meh)

The Best, the Worst and the Meh' sub-$10k cameras of 2008

The Meh':

1. AG-HPX170

The real HVX200a.

The HVX200 was in a class by itself, yet like all cameras it had a number of downsides. The Panasonic addressed a lot of the HVX's issues & came out with the HPX170. The most notable updates are SDI, better picture quality, lighter and a better user interface.

This camera on its own would have been in the "winners", but in the shadow of the EX1, it loses just enough points to slide out of the top class. The HPX170 still uses P2 cards, which although they've dropped in price, they're still freakin' expensive. Panasonic's DVCPro HD (4:2:2 intraframe) has better color and fame-by-frame compression than Sony's XDCAM EX (4:2:0 Long GOP), but you gain a lot more than what you lose. XDCAM EX cards are much cheaper than P2, plus they hold 3x more video than P2 GB-per-GB, which saves you money in recording media and archive hard drive. You can also purchase an adapter to make it possible to record onto dirt cheap SDHC cards on the EX1 / EX3, saving you even more cash.

Lastly, XDCAM EX shoots and records full 16:9 resolution, 1920x1080. DVCPro HD is on the wrong side of even HDV with the 1280x1080 resolution (1:1.18 in a 1:1.77 aspect ratio world). Now, there are those times when you need 4:2:2, intra-frame compression, the plus for Sony is that if you NEED it, you can easily bypass XDACM EX compression and record to an external device matching and surpassing DVCPro HD.

The final blow comes to the HPX by way of the ultra low resolution chips. The 960x540 CCDs are so far watered down from HD, that it is amazing how good the picture quality is. Over all, this is a great upgrade if you've already dove into P2. If you are still in the tape world, take a good look and the EX1 / EX3.

2. HVR-Z5U

Z7 with a fixed lens

The Z5 is pretty much the Z7 with out an interchangeable lens. Everything that is great with the Z7 is in the Z5, plus the stock lens has a 20x zoom range as compared to the 12x on the Z7.

The downside comes in at the price. The Z5 ships without the MRC-1 Compact Flash recorder which comes standard on the Z7, by the time you pay for the MRC-1, you could of had a Z7. The only reason to buy the Z5 instead of the Z7 is if you never plan to use a different lens, and since the Z5 has a longer lens, it makes sense to go that route. I was really hoping that this camera would be cheaper to give it more of a reason to sell.

3. JVC GY-HD110 / GY-HD200 / GY-HD250

Almost there, but not yet.

There are a number of positives with JVC's professional HDV line. These cameras have good "real" lenses, good viewfinder, actual shoulder mount, easily accessorize-able and very light weight in comparison full sized Betacams. Downside to these cameras is that they are stuck in 720p in a world moving to 1080p. I feel like I want to like these cameras more, but when I look at them, it feels like JVC only put in a half effort. Take one look behind the LCD and it looks empty in comparison to the Z7 where it looks like Sony took advantage of every millimeter on the camera.

4. HV-30

Proven baby cameras.

The HV30 is the HV20 painted black. No wonder why the tons of people shooting short movies on their HV20 didn't rush out to purchase the HV30. Overall Canon has done a good job with these baby cameras. Still tape is on the way out and Canon didn't do anything special which would have created a desire to upgrade to the new update.

5. HVR-S270

Z7 in a fat suit.

For every point on why I love the Z7, I dislike the S270. S270 uses the same interchangeable lens that the Z7 uses. They both come standard with the MRC-1 CF recorder. Z7, Z5 and S270 are all the same on the inside.

The S270 has four advantages over the Z7:
1. SDI (Z7 has HDMI)
2. 4 Channel Audio (Z7 has only 2)
3. Records to small and large DVCAM tapes (Z7 only take small tapes)
4. Shoulder mounted

These features are all nice, but at a nearly 150% price of the Z7, I expect more. The S270 looks big and impressive to people who don't know much about cameras, but set it down next to a 2/3" $$$k Varicam and the S270 looks like a fisher price toy. Sony could easily make this a better camera with a few changes: move the MCR-1 so it isn't on the "far side of the moon," take the LCD off the viewfinder, place it on the camera body, make the viewfinder optionally replaceable with a professional viewfinder, sell a camera package without the lens for people who want to upgrade to better glass. These small changes would make the S270 a much stronger and competitive camera.

6. XH-A1

Holding steady.

The XH-A1 has a good crowd behind it and hasn't been killed off by all the tapeless options out there. 20x lens, 24fps and lower light operation are the selling points that has worked well for this camera.

But tapeless is the way everyone is going, so this camera won't be a good choice for much longer. There are still two major down sides to this camera. The lens uses one servo motor to control the zoom and focus, thus you can't be adjusting both at the same time. There goes many tracking shots and warp zooms. Additionally the focus isn't repeatable, making it much harder to rack focus or attach a follow focus. This camera will soon be sitting collecting dust next to Sony's Z1.

7. XL-H1a

Over due price drop.

The upgrade from the XL-2 to the XL-H1 saw a big increase in price. The XL-H1a comes in a few grand less and only loses the features that most people in the sub-$10k price range don't use. This was a very smart move for Canon, because without the lower MSRP, there would be no way it could compete with the Z7 and JVC's cameras.

Even with the lower price, the only thing the XL-H1a has is the legacy of Canon's XL-1. JVC's HD100 sits better on your shoulder, has a great lens, better viewfinder and an LCD. Z7 has a better lens, 1080p and records to flash media. Legacy will only go so far, so Canon needs a major re-vamp by removing things like aperture / shutter priority, ND filters in the lens, proprietary lens mount etc...  

Best, Worst, & meh' of 2008 (best)

The Best, the Worst and the Meh' sub-$10k cameras of 2008

The Winners:

1. HVR-Z7U

The 2008 camera.

Sony's HVR-Z7U is the best bang for your buck. The workflow you have in use today, the Z7U fits in. The workflow you would like to use in the future, the Z7U fits in. The Z7 fits into your current blank media budget. The Z7 fits into your archival system. The Z7 fits into 2008.  (It also fits into the overhead compartment or under the seat in front of you on an airplane.)

It shoots on cheap and easy to find miniDV tapes AND/OR Compact Flash cards. It has the ability to record HD and SD at the same time. Tapes mean easy, cheap, reliable storage of raw footage. CF cards mean the effortless quick import of footage into your NLE. Great stock lens for the price, standard lens mount for easy third party lenses / adapters, ability to shoot in 120fps  bursts, shoots interlaced and progressive, operates in less light than most HDV cameras... ... ...

I really could go on and on about why I think the Z7 is the great camera or 2008 (and probably the most over looked camera of 2008), but since it all really comes down to cost and workflow: The Z7U comes in at an affordable price point and is flexible enough to work wherever it it needed.

End of story.

2. PMW-EX1

HVX 2.0

If you know anything about the HVX200, you two things:

1. It was a completely ground-breaking-mind-blowing-exciting camera that showed us the future of video cameras.

2. It had a lot of valid problems that held the camera back from true greatness.

The EX1 is (for all intensive purposes) the Panasonic AG-HVX200, minus 90% of the above noted problems.

I really cannot toss enough insults at Panasonic after the release of the EX1. Panny had paved the way to the future, they then either fell asleep at the wheel or thought they never had to do any real work again.  It will be interesting to see how Panasonic responds in 2009 after Sony blew them out of the water in 2008.

(The critics of the EX1 will point out the truthful downsides to the XDCAM EX's codec.  The hypocritical part of those attacks is that the native resolution of the HVX chips are so embarrassing that Panasonic tries to never mention the specs.  It is kind of like someone driving on 4 flat tires critizing at a car with squeaky brakes.)

When you factor in the cost of the camera, the SxS cards and hard drive back up storage, you come in thousands less than if you went with the HVX. Add to that, the full raster chips and XDCAM EX resolution of 1920x1080 vs DVCPro HD's 1280x1080, plus SDI and the best built-in lens on a video camera to date, the EX1 rocks and rocks hard.

Except if you need standard def video, then the only time the EX1 doesn't rock at all. Although, this probably is a non-issue to many people because if you're purchasing an EX1, you probably have a computer that can easily down convert the edited video to any format you need.

3. PMW-EX3

EX1 with leather seats, sunroof and a better sound system.

The biggest difference between the EX1 and EX3 is that you can swap the lens on the EX3.  Granted, new glass costs more than many new cars, but well worth it if you have the cash.  If you're tight on money, then the extra dough for an option you won't use, isn't worth it.

The introduction of the EX3 so close on the heels of the EX1 not only opened up the targeted customer base, but also gave Sony a chance to show they are willing to improve upon the little details that are a big deal to buyers.

4. AG-HMC150

A budget HVX with fewer headaches.

Yes, this camera doesn't have nearly as many features as the HVX, but it has what is needed most. Since the HMC150 records onto SD cards instead of P2, it means that you can shop for extras at a corner drug store with pocket change instead of a high end camera store with two months rent.

The only major downside is that you will need a newer NLE system to handle the processor intensive AVCHD codecs. The cost of MSRP + SD cards + back up hard drive storage makes the HMC150 the cheapest professional camera that is built for tomorrow's workflow.

5. HF-100 / HF-10/ HF-11

The baby cameras of tomorrow, today.

Canon has the lock on the best small consumer camcorders on sale today since the introduction of the HV20. Canon has been out performing Sony, Panasonic and JVC at the consumer level. So much so that the Canon HV20 has earned the reputation of the best non-professional camera that can shoot side-by-side a professional camera.

For years hard drive, miniDVD and flash media camcorders have been on the market, but none of them have been able to match the picture quality of tape based cameras, until now.

The HF series builds beyond the HV20's success by moving from HDV's MPEG-2 compression to AVCHD with full raster 1920x1080 resolution. Canon continues to be generous with great manual controls (well, for as much of what you can expect in a baby camera) and a standard mic input.  This camera has what it needs for the pro & for the home camcorder crowd.

Best, Worst, & meh' of 2008 (intro)

The Best, the Worst and the Meh'   sub-$10k cameras of 2008

Introduction:

It is 2009 and it is a new year for new cameras. 2008 was a great year for the camera geek (read: me), so before I start reviewing the 2009 cameras as they come out, I thought I'd take a look back down the rocky path of videography and talk about the players of the '08 video season.

If you are looking for a camera to buy for yourself, you first have to figure out how you will use the camera (aka what do you want your workflow to be), then find the camera that best fits you. But letting you figure it out all on your own is no fun (for me at least), so I'll start out with the factors that shape my world view of cameras.

First things first, there is no ONE camera that is BEST. There are cameras. Camera with a "S" at the end. Each user has different uses. Each camera excels in different situations. Thus the best camera for one person, isn't the best for the next.  

2nd: All of these cameras are good cameras. They all have good picture quality and in the hands of an experienced photographer will produce amazing results.

3rd: Tape, 4:3 and Standard-Def are history. Tapeless, 16:9, High-Def is where the industry is going.  Things are changing quickly (well it doesn't feel quick all the time) and you have to be on board not to be left behind.  

4th: Tape, 4:3 and Standard-Def aren't history. While many people would like to move past these shackles, the reality is that if you work for a wide array of clients these old standards are still in use and will be for a little while longer.  A camera that works with yesterdays formats and tomorrows formats works today.

5th: Remember in 1999 when we were only a couple dozen months away from the DTV transition? Back then there was the 720p vs. 1080i debate of which one was the better format. Well, a 'couple dozen' months turned into a decade and counting... In that time the debate ended, when 1080p dominated TVs, video game consoles and next-gen DVD players. If you want your video to look the best it can on 1080p TVs, the best it can on 1080i TVs and the best it can on 720p TVs, your camera should shoot 1080p.

6th: CCD = CMOS. There ARE differences between a CCD (charge-coupled device) and a CMOS (complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor), but their similarities out weight their differences. There is a large vocal crowd who readily points out that there are more negatives to CMOS than CCD. All things being equal I would agree that CCD-s are better than CMOS-s, but all things aren't equal. In many competing cameras on the market today, CMOS sensors have less noise, higher resolution and use less light than their CCD counterparts. Coke = Pepsi. CMOS = CCD. Honda = Toyota. CCD = CMOS. Case by case, one is better than the other, then the other is better than the one. In the end, they are the same.

(Now for all the CMOS haters out there, I think you need to watch "2001: A Space Odyssey" again. If you don't get off your high CCD horse, you're going to end up like the apes who refused to go up and touch the CMOS monolith that just came crashing into town.)

Coming up next: The winners, the losers and the meh'

the old girls

I think on the whole, photographers who take pride in their work, take pride in their gear. If the shooter has a brand new toy, they'll brag about it to anyone that will listen. If they have an old junker that should be promoted to a door stop, while the shooter probably hates the thing, they still don't want anyone to borrow it.

Since many photographers handle their camera more than they handle their significant other, a photographer's camera is their camera, even if it is owned by someone else.

Anyway, I thought I'd take a moment to mention the old girls of my past.

Betsy
Sony DXC-537 PVV-1
Taylor University
Upland, IN
2000-2003

This was the first camera I really started to learn with. (Prior to this I had shot mostly on S-VHS. Once you go Betacam SP, you never want to deal with any other 1/2" analog tape again.)

Sophmore year of college I learned how to mess with white blanace. Discovered the color effects you could create by shooting on the "wrong" filter. Practiced rack focusing & using the macro to see a finger print left on the lens.

I named her Betsy, because Betsy the Betacam just sounded right.




Uma
Sony UVW-100
WLFI - CBS 58
Lafayette, IN
2004-2005


Flip the VW of UVW, you get Uma.

While Uma was a newer model than Betsy, Uma was more of a budget Corolla to the nice Camry (betsy).

Even so, this was the first camera ever assigned to me. She was old, passed down from one photog to the next, had plenty of problems, but still she was mine.

My skills as a photographer grew more with this camera than any other camera I've used or will use in the future. This mainly because, looking back, when I started at WLFI I had a lot of room for improvement.

Prior to starting at WLFI, I was averaging a 1-in-10 chance of getting an interview after appling to a job. It took over a dozen interviews before getting my first full time job offer since college.

When I finally said goodbye to Uma & moved onto my next job, I grown so much that I was offered jobs at three stations in larger markets & had been on the short list for a position I shouldn't even have been considered for.   My job application / offer batting average had skyrocketed.



Darcy
Sony DXC-537a BVV-5
WMTV - NBC 15
Madison, WI

Continuing on the Uma naming scheme, Darcy was the best I could come up with from DXC.

Darcy was a lot like Betsy, only the rear mounted beta deck on the back was older, bigger and heavier.  Add too that, WMTV had bricks instead of NP1s & I was getting a work out getting used to the new girl.

I didn't hold Darcy up on my shoulder, I held her down to my body. She was so back heavy that my arm had to pull down to keep the shot level.   It didn't take long to get used to the weight, but I learned how quickly she wore me out while shooting handheld.

(Even to this day, there are some stories that when I watch them, I feel sore. I have had a number of people tell me about the 3/4" days and how this was nothing in comparison.)

I missed being able to put a NP1 in each of by back pockets until I realized that I could trust one brick to last most of the day. (I also learned that if you don't carry an extra brick with you, your battery will die without warning.  So while you only need to use one battery, you always have to carry two.)

The beginning of Darcy's death was when I set her on the ground one day & she wouldn't turn back on. The amazing engineers at WMTV were able to perform surgery around the years of internal corrosion and sealed her back up with a zip tie & liquid nails (no joke).

----

After WMTV I started working at WDJT in Miwaukee. WDJT had shared gear. The idea of shared gear for photojournalists is worse than the idea of Mt. Dew replacing milk in a bowl Rice Krispies. And I really like Mt. Dew and Rice Krispies... just trust me when I say they don't work well together.

----


Zodiac
Sony HVR-Z1U
HDNews
Chicago Bureau
2007-2008


Zodiac is the best name I could come up for a "Z" camera that has a built in lens (also known as an 'a-sexual' camera).

If you haven't noticed, I'm a little butty about cameras & kinda a snob when it comes to them. That being said, the best thing I can say about Zodiac is that it was the first camera smaller than a betacam that "didn't piss me off."

A camera that is supposed to be a professional camera, is a camera that lets the operator run the camera. There have been too many smaller cameras that people call "professional," yet the cameras acts like a toddler demanding to be the center of attention.

"Why are you trying to focus? I can focus! Here watch me focus. See I'm focusing."
"Why are you setting the shutter? I can change the shutter for you. You don't have to change the shutter. See I'm changing the shutter all by myself!"

Zodiac knew how to leave me alone & let me run the camera on my own. I could work Zodiac very much the same as Betsy, Uma & Darcy.

(Now you could change the auto / manual settings on Zodiac to be a PhD camera (press-here-dummy), but why would you? Unless you wanted this nice camera to be nothing more than the cameras from Walmart.)

You couldn't reset the TC on Zodiac in less than 5 seconds, but I still had full control. Add on Zodiac's 1/3" CCDs that blew away the picture quality of decade old betacams & I actually started to like Zodiac.