Let’s Put Some Light on the Subject – Litepanels Micro
If you’ve shot any significant amount of video, you’ve no doubt encountered situations where you have needed just a little more light on your subject. This is most often necessary when you’re shooting a simple stand up head shot.
Since most cameras/camcorders have a hot shoe, a great way to add light is to use a portable hot light. My choice is the 
It’s an LED light that works on simple AA batteries, and easily slips onto the camera hot shoe. It’s lightweight, travels well and is very easy to use.
Unlike flash, constant lighting lets you see what you’ll get while looking through the viewfinder. And LEDs aren’t hot to the touch like most similar lights. This helps avoid injury. There’s no flicker and no color shift. You get nice, evenly dispersed light that makes your subject stand out from the background.
The unit can also be stand-mounted and easily tilts to give maximum angle flexibility and it can be modified with gels. There are no cables to mess with.
I my tests, a pair of quality batteries last about four hours of continuous use. But since you rarely use it continuously, you’ll find the batteries seem to last a long time.
One of the best features of the Litepanel is the dimmer knob. You can dial in anywhere from zero to full power. I find the effective range to be no more than about 10 feet, with the sweet spot around six feet.
I also use this as a catch light on my digital cameras, both point and shoots and DSLRs with great results.
It is spendy. At around $295 US, you can find cheaper solutions. But you’ll never have to replace the bulb, or go to the hospital for burn treatments.
Canon To Announce New HD Camcorders At Macworld
Canon will announce a new line up of HD camcorders at Macworld in San Francisco today. Pricing and availability will be published after the formal announcement.
Canon’s new VIXIA High Definition Camcorders:
All VIXIA camcorders feature HD Video Lens; Canon designed and manufactured HD CMOS Image Sensor for Full HD image capture; and Canon-developed DIGIC DV II and DIGIC DV III Image Processors. Additional features found on select VIXIA models include Instant AutoFocus, SuperRange Optical Image Stabilization and 24Mbps Recording – the highest bit rate in AVCHD.
Canon Face Detection Technology used in Canon digital cameras is now available in Canon VIXIA high definition camcorders. Up to 35 faces can be detected automatically, and nine detection frames can be displayed at one time.
From the official Canon News Release:
Canon VIXIA HF S10 and VIXIA HF S100 Flash Memory Camcorders
Canon’s top-of-the-line high definition Flash Memory camcorders, the Canon VIXIA HF S10 and VIXIA HF S100, boast an impressive range of new and advanced features. The VIXIA HF S10 offers the option of recording video to a 32GB internal Flash drive or directly to an SDHC memory card, while the VIXIA HF S100 records to an SDHC memory card only. Both models feature the new DIGIC DV III Image Processor, an 8.59 Megapixel Full HD CMOS Image Sensor, Genuine Canon Face Detection Technology, an advanced Auto Exposure system and Video Snapshot and Dual Shot Modes. In addition, both models deliver stunning 8.0 Megapixel digital photographs.
Canon VIXIA HF20 and VIXIA HF200 Flash Memory Camcorders
Canon’s most compact high definition Flash Memory camcorders, the VIXIA HF20 and VIXIA HF200 are powerhouse options for anyone looking to take their HD camcorder with them wherever they go. The VIXIA HF20 offers the option of recording to a 32GB internal Flash drive or SDHC card slot and the VIXIA HF200 records to an SDHC memory card only. Additional features include a 3.89 Megapixel Full HD CMOS Image Sensor, newly designed Genuine Canon 15x HD Video Lens, advanced Auto Exposure system, and Video Snapshot and Dual Shot Modes.
Canon VIXIA HV40 HDV Camcorder
The Canon VIXIA HV40 HDV Camcorder, a replacement to the highly acclaimed VIXIA HV30 camcorder, shares the core components found within the VIXIA line, but also offers a Genuine Canon 10x HD Video Lens and 2.96 Megapixel Full HD CMOS Image Sensor. What’s more, the camcorder allows consumers to record in native 24p Mode, a feature previously found only on Canon’s professional camcorders. Native 24p allows consumer to capture and record 24 progressive frames per second to a HDV tape, a big advantage for the serious filmmaker. Another add-on feature, Custom Key Mode, enables consumers to assign commonly used functions to a single button on the camcorder for easy access.
Backing Up Your Precious Video
You spend hundreds (or thousands) of dollars on a camera or camcorder that records video, a computer, software and accessories. And then you spend your precious time to learn about shooting video. And then you spend your precious time and money to go out and actually capture some video. And then you spend precious time editing the video…
What happens to all those video files? You have the raw assets, canned assets, the edits, the music, the stills you insert and the finished product. What do you do with all those files?
Video cameras look at hard drives the way I look at a box of hot, buttered popcorn. . . that is – something to be consumed quickly! So if you shoot, edit and produce a great deal of video, you’ll soon learn that you need a great deal of hard disk space.
But wait – there’s more!
You’ll also soon need a great deal of BACKUP hard disk space. That’s right – you need to back up all that hard work. You don’t want to risk losing that data in the event that your main hard drive fails. And fail they all eventually do.
So the answer is to but AT LEAST as much backup hard drive space as you have primary space.
One way to do that affordably and effectively is using drive arrays like Drobo from Data Robotics. I’ll post a separate review of the Drobo later, but it’s essentially a box with a computer in it that holds SATA drives. You connect the box to your computer, copy files to it and you have a safe, redundant backup.
Whatever tools or system you use, please carefully consider backing up EVERYTHING. As a good friend of mine says, unless you have a backup, you don’t have anything.
Which Camcorder Audio Recording Mode Should You Use?
Generally, DV camcorders use pulse code modulation (PCM) as their primary sampling method. Depending on your camera, you should have several quality choices.
The higher the PCM sampling rates (expressed in thousands of cycles per second (kHz)) and the number of data bits per sample (bits,) the better the quality.
Ideally, you should be able to choose between mono or stereo (that’s one or two channels) and selecting a 16-bit audio source, sampled at 48 kHz, will provide the best quality.
You can record at CD-quality (which, believe it or not is inferior to the highest quality) and sample at 44.1 kHz.
The lower-quality 16-bit samples at 32 kHz are generally so poor in quality that I cannot recommend using this setting for anyone
The lowest quality is four channels at 12-bits sampled at 32 kHz. This is only useful when you plan to do additional voice over or sound effects (SFX) at a later date for commentary or similar purposes.
In short, you should always use the highest quality for your camcorder audio setting unless you have a good reason not to.
Show Off Your Video Wherever You Go
A mini review of the Optoma Pico PK101 $399.00
If you want to show off your video while on the road, at a party, or anywhere you don’t have access to projection equipment you’re in luck.
I just tested a pocket projector. You heard right. I said a pocket projector. The Pico PK101 weighs just four ounces and is the size of the average iPhone.
The Pico projector uses a TI engine that offers a 480-by-320 resolution DLP chip connected to an LED light source.
The unit is so portable that I forgot I had it in my pocket. I was worried I might damage it, but the protective case (supplied) made me feel better about keeping the little Pico safe.
Operation of this projector couldn’t be simpler. You connect it to an iPod or computer using supplied cables. It runs on a supplied rechargeable battery. Once connected, point the Pico at any large white surface, turn off the lights, and away you go.
I got about 55 minutes out of the battery the full brightness mode, the only mode I found acceptable. It takes between two and four hours to recharge the battery, depending on whether or not you recharge while using the battery in the projector. The company does supply a second battery, so if the first one discharges, you can have the backup battery charged and ready to replace it.
Now you are probably waiting for the bad news. I mean after all, how is it something that weighs four ounces and fits in a typical cellphone case going to project a decent image. Surprise, there’s no real bad news. Only one small gripe – which I’ll add below.
The projector works well. Video I put onto my iPod and then played using the Pico looked good projected on a super clean white wall in a totally dark room at a size of 30 inches. The bigger you go, the dimmer the picture. The smaller you go, the brighter the picture. At about a 36″ diagonal image, I found the image watchable for long periods. Anything larger didn’t work for me. At around 25″ the image looked comparable to the average television.
What really surprised me was how well the Pico rendered colors. What disappointed me was the volume on the built-in speaker. It’s simply not loud enough to be heard well. I added a $20 pair of accessory speakers found at any computer store and enjoyed the results.
One negative is the lack of keystone correction. I am assuming that the company was going for the smallest, cheapest unit they could build and that keystone correction would add to much to size or price. But I do miss having it.
The PK 101 is the only projector of its kind I’ve ever seen. It works well, is affordable given it’s size and performance, and will no doubt lead the way for a long line of competitors who will presumably make the idea of a pocket projector
Want to Know Why DSLR Makers Are Adding Video?
Money. That’s the reason. Still cameras have outsold camcorders five to one during the greater part of this decade. That’s because average camcorders typically cost twice as much as average DSLRs.
But the DSLR market is getting long in the tooth. With the exception of professionals and hard-core enthusiasts (which make up for about 20% of the market) most experts agree that people are going to slow down their camera purchases.
With the market maturing, the DSLR makers know that they need to freshen up their offering to maintain interest. Video is the easy way to do that. The camera manufacturers already know this will work because it worked when they wanted to prop up compact/point and shoot sales.
Most compact digicams come with video today. In fact, all the high-end digicams sport a video option. This has been widely accepted by consumers. So that’s why Nikon introduced the D90 with video. That’s why Canon introduced the 5D MK II with video. And that’s why other manufacturers will follow suit.
Most agree that DSLR quality has peaked. At the low end, cell phones are starting to replace intro-level point and shoots as pocket cameras. That leaves little doubt that convergence is all the camera makers have left.
What does it all mean? I am not sure. Certainly some companies will be hurt by this move. The more things go digital, the more they go video, and the less they go to print. So companies like Shutterfly will have to find models that incorporate video. We’ve already seen video added to Flickr and iStock. Who’s next?
The trend will no doubt continue for the rest of this decade and beyond. The real question is this. What will the DSLR makers do once they’ve saturated this market?
Probably the Simplest Tip I’ll Ever Share Here
But SOMEBODY doesn’t know this.
With programs like Final Cut and iMovie (As well as most other mainstream video editing programs) you can start and stop clip capture by pressing the spacebar during videotape playback.
This makes it easy to grab portions of scenes: click on Final Cut or iMovie’s Play button to play the tape, and when something rolls by that you want to capture, hit the spacebar to grab it.
You can also use the spacebar to start and stop general video playback to preview your movie.
