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Wear A Camcorder On Your Ear
The Looxcie is a $199 camcorder that you wear over your ear. The Looxcie sends video via Bluetooth to a smartphone to record and share it. At the moment it is only compatible with Android 2.0 phones, but iPhones and Blackberries are coming before the end of the year. The Looxcie can also be a Bluetooth headset for your phone if you don’t mind wearing the camera.
The camera records video in the mp4 format, but there’s no record button. It records whenever it is on. It will store up to five hours of footage. It records at 480 by 320 and only 15 frames a second. You can monitor it on your phone. It’s not really a spy camera as there’s a red tally light. Press an instant share button on your phone and 30 seconds of the video is instantly sent to your Facebook account. See video recorded by the Looxcie.
Now we just need to think of some cool reasons to use it. Athletics are an obvious one. Or when you’re doing a tutorial and want to not think about the video. How about during class to help you decipher your hand written, but unreadable notes. Would my cat wear it for a cat-cam? Military or police could wear it to document events. How would you use it?
DSLRs are Dead
Panasonic AG-AF101
What if you had a video camera that had all the virtues of DSRL cameras, but none of the video workarounds? Well it’s about to be announced.
Uses micro 4/3 lenses or adapt ANY other lens to it.
Built-in internal optical neutral density filters.
XLR Audio Inputs
The Hi Def LCD has a full waveform monitor, vector scope and a spot meter.
Colored Peaking Focus assist so when an object is in focus it glows.
HDSI & HDMI outputs
No more moire or aliasing
More recording modes than any DSRL
Variable frame rates
The sensor is nearly the same size as 35mm movie camera
(not the one from the GH1)
HD Magazine says the camera is available for pre-order, and it’s 4990 Euro ($6,325 US) No official release date has been announced.
Kodachrome Film Tests in 1922
In these newly preserved tests, made in 1922 at the Paragon Studios in Fort Lee, New Jersey, actress Mae Murray appears almost translucent, her flesh a pale white that is reminiscent of perfectly sculpted marble, enhanced with touches of color to her lips, eyes, and hair.
She is joined by actress Hope Hampton modeling costumes from The Light in the Dark (1922), which contained the first commercial use of Two-Color Kodachrome in a feature film. Ziegfeld Follies actress Mary Eaton and an unidentified woman and child also appear.”
George Eastman House is the repository for many of the early tests made by the Eastman Kodak Company of their various motion picture film stocks and color processes. The Two-Color Kodachrome Process was an attempt to bring natural lifelike colors to the screen through the photochemical method in a subtractive color system.
First tests on the Two-Color Kodachrome Process were begun in late 1914. Shot with a dual-lens camera, the process recorded filtered images on black/white negative stock, then made black/white separation positives.
The final prints were actually produced by bleaching and tanning a double-coated duplicate negative (made from the positive separations), then dyeing the emulsion green/blue on one side and red on the other. Combined they created a rather ethereal palette of hues.
New Sony NEX-VG10 Camcorder with Interchangeable Lenses and Large Sensor
After the DSLR revolution, there were sure to be HD camcorders with interchangeable lenses and large sensors. Well, here they come. First was Panasonic’s AG-AF100 Micro Four-Thirds System camcorder. Now Sony has the
NEX-VG10 with interchangeable lenses.
This handycam uses the Exmor APS HD CMOS sensor which is also found in the Sony NEX-5 and NEX-3.
It records 1080i 1,920 x 1,080/60i at 24Mbps. Unfortunately, progressive scanning is not an option in this camcorder. It can also take 14.2 megapixels still photos at 7fp. The on-board mic is a step above from most camcorder mics. It is a Quad Capsule Spatial Array stereo microphone with four microphone capsules.
At $2000 this camcorder has similar imaging to the Canon 7D, but this new Sony also has a silent autofocus when shooting video and built-in twin accessory shoes. There’s an electronic viewfinder as well as a high-resolution 3″ LCD screen that swivels 180°, but cannot face the subject. You can manually adjust the iris, shutter speed, white balance and gain.
Storage of videos and still photos is on Secure Digital cards (including their newer SDHC and SDXC types), or on Sony Memory Stick PRO Duo cards (including Memory Stick PRO-HG Duo). This should hold about four hours of HD footage at 1,920 x 1,080 in FH mode.
The biggest virtue is the wide variety of E-mount lenses that can be used on this camcorder. A-mount lenses can be used as well but they require an adapter. It comes bundled with a SEL18200 E-mount 18-200mm F3.5-6.3 Lens including Optical Steadyshot image stabilization.
The Sony NEX cameras NEX-3 and NEX-5 are still cameras that can shoot video. The NEX-VG10 is an HD video camcorder that can take stills.
Available September, 2010.
Sensor
• 23.4 x 15.6 mm Exmor APS HD CMOS Sensor
(.9 x .6 inches)
• 14.2 million effective pixels
Video
• FX : 1920 x 1080i @ 24Mbps
• FH : 1920 x 1080i @ 16Mbps
• MP4: 1440 x 1080i @ 9Mbps
Frame rate
• 60fps (59.94 fps) – North American models
• 50fps – European models
Image sizes
• 3:2 : 4592×3056 (14M)
• 16:9 : 4592 x 2576 (12M)
Audio
• Dolby Digital 2ch, via Quad Capsule Spatial Array Stereo Microphone
• External microphone input jack
Lenses
• Supplied with E18-200mm F3.5-6.3 OSS lens
• Sony E-mount
• Sony Alpha lenses, Minolta and Konica Minolta AF lenses via adaptor
(MF only, exclude power zoom lenses/tele-converters)
Image Stabilization • ‘Optical SteadyShot’ system on selected lenses
Focus
• Manual
• Single-shot AF
• Continuous
• Direct Manual Focus
• AF (Multi/ Center/Flexible Spot)
Shooting modes
• Program
• Aperture priority
• Shutter priority
• Manual
• Anti-Motion Blur
• Hand-Held Twilight
Sensitivity
• Auto (Range varies depending on shooting mode)
• ISO 200
• ISO 400
• ISO 800
• ISO 1600
• ISO 3200
• ISO 6400
• ISO 12800
• Gain :
0dB/3dB/6dB/9dB/12dB/15dB/18dB/21dB/24dB/27dB
Metering modes
• Multi-segment (49 segment Honeycomb pattern)
• Center-weighted
• Spot
Exposure compen.
• -2.0 to +2.0 EV
• 0.3 EV steps
Shutter Speed
• Electronically controlled, vertical traverse, focal-plane type
• 1/25 – 1/4000 (Movie) , 30sec – 1/4000 (Still)
• 1/4 – 1/4000 (Movie) , 30sec- 1/4000 (Still)
Minimum Illumination
• 11 Lux (Shutter Speed:1/25sec, IRIS:F3.5, Gain:Auto)
White balance
• Auto
• Daylight
• Shade
• Cloudy
• Tungsten
• Fluorescent
• Flash
• Color temperature/filter (2500 – 9900 K)
• Manual (Custom)
• Manual (Custom set)
Color space sRGB
Color modes
• Standard
• Vivid
• Portrait
• Landscape
• Sunset
• B&W
Viewfinder
• Electronic
• 0.43″ XtraFine TruBlack LCD
• 921,000 dots
LCD monitor
• 3.0 XtraFine TruBlack LCD
• 921,000 dots
Flash
• External flash (supplied), attachable to Smart Accessory Terminal
• GN : 7 meters
• Flash Sync: 1/160sec
Flash modes
• Auto
• On
• Off
• Fill-flash
• Slow Sync
• Rear Sync.
• Red-eye reduction on/off selectable for Autoflash and fill-flash mode
Drive modes (Still)
• Single-frame
• Continuous
• Self-timer
• Continuous Self-timer
• Mirror-up release mode
Self-timer (Still) 10 sec or 2 sec
Connectivity
• HDMI out (with PhotoTV HD and BRAVIA Sync)
• USB 2.0 Hi-Speed
• Video out (NTSC or PAL)
• Stereo headphone jack
• External stereo mic input jack
• DC IN jack
Storage
• Memory Stick Pro Duo, Pro-HG Duo
• SD/SDHC/SDXC
Power
• NP-FV70 Lithium-Ion rechargeable battery (1650 mAh)
• Battery charger included
• Optional AC adapter
Battery life
330 min. continuous video recording (with the optional NP-FV100, FH mode)
Dimensions
3.8 in (97 mm) x 5.1 in (132 mm) x 11.5 in (294 mm) (inc. supplied lens and hood)
3.3 in (85 mm) x 5.1 in (130 mm) x 8.7 in (223 mm) (body only)
Weight
2.86 lbs (with lens and accesories)
(1.3 kg)
Available Sept, 2010
Shooting Video With a DSLR
Why are these cameras so good (or bad) for video?
See new in-depth article
Russian Lens Finds New Purpose
550D Clip: Helios 44M 58mm f2 from Chris W on Vimeo.
As Chris Watson http://www.dallasweddingfilms.com reported in the VideoUniversity Forums, the Zenit 35mm film cameras come equipped with a Carl Zeiss-like lens. Zeiss lenses are highly regarded in the world of cinematography. Chris found one of these cameras in a pawn shop for $35. He took the mint condition Helios 44M lens and put it on his Canon Rebel T2i DSLR. The results are remarkable in a dreamy way. What a cool look. You can find these Russian cameras and lenses in pawnshops and on eBay.
The lenses have an interesting history. It started back when the Soviets took over East Germany right after World War II. They discovered a plant that made Carl Zeiss Biotar design lenses. The Russians used the blueprints for those Carl Zeiss lenses to create their own version called Helios lenses which they included in their Zenit 35mm film cameras.
Consider joining the VideoUniversity Members Only Forum. You can read the entire thread and meet some great videographers.
New Sony EX series Camera the PMW-320
Sony announces a new Sony EX series camera at NAB. The PMW-320 is a 1/2″ chip version of the PMW-350. Both camcorders have three Exmor™ full HD 1920×1080 CMOS imagers, HD-SDI and HDMI out. The PMW-350 camcorder features a DVCAM recording and playback as an option; with both features offered as standard on the PMW-320. The 320 is $12,800 WITHOUT the lens. With the lens, it’s $14,800.
For more info see the Sony Brochure.
Pocket Flix Viewer Allows You to Watch Star Trek Anywhere
The Pocket Flix viewer allows you to watch Star Trek anywhere.
The Pocket Flix was created by Ideal Toys in 1978. It was a battery-operated movie viewer that accepted film cassettes. Clips from movies, TV shows and cartoons were available.
There was talk of it being able to carry phone signals and display newspapers and books. Some even thought it could become a way of sharing documents and pictures. While it never got that far, it foretold devices such as the iPad.
Google TV
Google, Intel and Sony are developing Google TV to bring the Web into the living room through a new generation of televisions and set-top boxes.
The Google TV software, based on the Android operating system, which was designed for smartphones. It will allow Facebook, Twitter, and other social media into the TV. It’s open source, so manufacturers of device and TVs can design it into their products. Google encourages developers to invent new applications.
Google will have a toolkit for outside programmers within two months. Logitech is building a remote with a very small keyboard for Google TV. We could see products based on Google TV software in a few months.
I have a $80 Roku Box for streaming Netflix movies. It is terrific at what it does. I use it just to stream movies from Netflix, but it can also access videos from Amazon, MLB.com and a few other sites. It’s not everything I’d want, but I believe some kind of box like this will soon be giving us a lot more than movies. And that box could well be Google TV.
The Google TV software will be able to search the Internet as well as watch YouTube videos, TV shows from Hulu.com, keep up with Facebook, Twitter, download games and more.
Many other companies are chasing the same rabbit. These include Cisco Systems, Motorola, Microsoft, Apple, Yahoo, TiVo and start-ups like Roku and Boxee. This giant corporate battle could lead the way to convergence of the web and TV.
According to The Wall Street Journal, Google and Dish Network are testing a TV program search.
For more information see
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/18/technology/18webtv.html
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