Revenge of the Great Camera Shootout 2012 - Part One: Starting With Darkness

Revenge of the Great Camera Shootout 2012 - Part One: Starting With Darkness from Steve Weiss on Vimeo. Direct Link: https://vimeo.com/42806211

Source:
http://www.zacuto.com/shootout-revenge-2012/production-logs-revenge-great-camera-shootout

 

Sony Vegas - Editing and Rendering 1920x1080 60p

The Panasonic AG-AC160A has the ability to record in AVCHD version 2.0 or 1920x1080 60p at 28Mbps.

I am going to update this post with lessons learned on shooting, editing, and rendering this type of footage. Evidently, this is a pretty old question.

Updated 8/8/12: I have now had a chance to use 1080 60p footage in Vegas Pro 11. Working fine for me. However Vegas 12

Older information:
This 2010 video explains how to render and author 1080p60 AVCHD discs from Sony Vegas. The software does not have a tempalte for this out of the box, so the user must customize and then save their own template.

Sony Vegas Pro 11 - GPU Acceleration

Five steps to GPU power in Vegas Pro 11
by Gary Rebholz

"The new GPU computing features in Vegas Pro 11 can make a big difference in your daily workflow. But some users are asking, what is GPU computing and why does it make such a difference? In this article we’ll take a look at the new GPU capabilities of Vegas Pro 11 so that you can understand exactly what they are and how you can get everything out of them that they have to offer."

"The first step to using GPU performance in your Vegas Pro projects is to understand just what the technology is and how you can access it. GPU stands for Graphics Processing Unit. The technology had its infancy way back in the 1980s and really started coming to life as 3D graphics started becoming more and more popular, not only in professional graphics but also significantly in the computer gaming world."

Full Article: Five steps to GPU power in Vegas Pro 11 

Benchmarking GPU Acceleration in Vegas Pro 11

"Vegas Pro™ 11 leverages the processing capabilities of modern GPUs (Graphic Processing Units) using the industry-standard OpenCL™ framework. Rather than being tied to a single manufacturer or technology, this hardware-agnostic approach enables Vegas Pro 11 users to enjoy remarkable performance improvements across a broad range of popularly-priced, widely available GPU devices. By utilizing the amazing parallel computing resources of the GPU for video processing, the main CPU is freed up for other tasks, such as video decoding and user interface display."

Full Article: Benchmarking GPU Acceleration in Vegas Pro 11

Supported cards for GPU-acceleration

To take full advantage of the GPU-acceleration in Vegas Pro 11, you will need a supported card with at least 512 MB of GPU memory.

NVIDIA
Requires a CUDA-enabled GPU and driver 270.xx or later.

GeForce GPUs:

• GeForce GTX 4xx Series or higher (or GeForce GT 2xx Series or higher with driver 285.62 or later).
• Quadro GPUs: Quadro 600 or higher (or Quadro FX 1700 or higher with driver 285.62 or later).

NVIDIA recommends NVIDIA Quadro for professional applications and recommends use of the latest boards based on the Fermi architecture.

AMD/ATI
Requires an OpenCL-enabled GPU and Catalyst driver 11.7 or later with a Radeon HD 57xx or higher GPU. If using a FirePro GPU, FirePro unified driver 8.85 or later is required.

Panasonic AG-160A

Well, looks like this is the camera for me. Next question, what to do with the 1920x1080 60p footage in Sony Vegas? Evidently, I am not the first one to ask. Here is my blog post on workflow.

"...Panasonic has created AVCCAM, a line of next generation, affordable HD camcorders that offer incredible advantages over tape-based, MPEG-2 HDV systems. AVCCAM opens up a new world of creative possibilities..." - http://www.panasonic.com/business/provideo/avchd-home.asp

Panasonic AG-AC160A

http://pro-av.panasonic.net/en/sales_o/02products/products/ag-ac160a_130a/index.html

AG-AC160A

Specifications PDF
Options
Panel and Connectors
Brochure PDF

AG-AC160A - Prices 7/26/2012
Lowest Authorized Dealer Prices
$4,495 G&G Video
$4,879 BH Photo
$4,879 Texas Media Systems

Other Dealers
$4,749 42nd St Photo
$4,494 PMI Digital (Profeel)

AG-AC130A - Price $3,980 (7/24/2012) BH Photo
AG-AF100 - Price $4,795 (7/24/2012) BH Photo

Older models, before upgrades to A models (were still available some places as of 7/24/12)
AG-AC160 - Price $3,519 (7/23/2012) 42nd St Photo
AG-AC130 - Price $3,149 (7/14/2012) 42nd St Photo

There also appears to be an AG-AC120 model PAL camera that is very similar to the 130 but does not have a viewfinder. Evidently, this model is only available in Europe. It is listed on the BH Photo site:
BH Photo AG-AC120 ($2,695 7/24/12)

Full side by side specification listing between the two newest "A" models:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/indepth/panasonic/announcements/new-panasonic-ag-ac160a-ag-ac130a-camcorders-announced-nab

Article review:
http://provideocoalition.com/index.php/awilt/story/review_panasonic_ag-ac160_and_ag-hpx250_1_3_3-mos_camcorders/

Good review with questions from email

Panasonic AG-AC160 Review from Philip Johnston on Vimeo.

Quick Review


Web page review:
http://magazine.creativecow.net/article/the-panasonic-agac160

Vimeo Panasonic AC160 user group:
https://vimeo.com/groups/ac160

DVXUser Forum
http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/forumdisplay.php?237-AC160-130

Test Videos

My Vimeo Album of AG-160 samples:https://vimeo.com/album/2020163


REQUIES - Panasonic AG-AC160 from Sebastian Wiegärtner on Vimeo.


Panasonic AG-AC160 Footage from Andy Beasom on Vimeo.



Panasonic AC 160 Barry Green FLK 2 & 3 Scene Files from dhardjono on Vimeo.


Panasonic AG-AC160 PS-mode 1080/50P Firmware Ver 1.23 April 24, 2012 from PSTV on Vimeo.







Source:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/indepth/panasonic/announcements/new-panasonic-ag-ac160a-ag-ac130a-camcorders-announced-nab


The Panasonic AG-AC130A and 160A are the same camera. The 160 adds more features including 1080/60p recording and Variable Frame Rate recording at 1080p.


The AG-AC160A features 1080/60p and 1080/50p HD recording formats in new PS mode at max of 28Mbps

Product Highlights 160 / 130:

1/3" 2.2 MP 3MOS Sensor Expanded Focus Assist Turbo Speed One-Push Auto Focus Integrated 22x Lens / 28-616mm Equiv. 3.45" 1920 x 480 LCD Dual SD / SDHC / SDXC Card Slots AVCHD Professional PH Recording AVCHD/Standard Definition DV Recording 2-Channel XLR Inputs

Product Highlights 160 Only
1080/60p and 1080/50p Recording Variable Frame Rate Recording at 1080p 1080p60 / p30 / p24 / 720p60 + 60/50 Hz

Product Highlights 130 Only

1080i60 / p30 / p24 / 720p60 Formats

Panasonic 160/130 Tutorial:
http://www.callboxlive.com/products/panasonic-ac130-ac160-guide



DIY Sholder Rig


Variable Frame Rate video (160 only)





AG-AC160 Footage - Zoom & Image Stabilization Test from Greg Fulcher on Vimeo.

How to videos:
http://www.panasonic.com/globals/videoPlayer/index.asp?videoID=1&xmlFile=assets/business/provideo/settings_AG-AC130_160.xml


Warranty and Support
http://eww.pass.panasonic.co.jp/p2ui/guest/TopLogin.do

Accessories
See our blog post on accessories:
http://hollyviewvideo.blogspot.com/2012/08/panasonic-ag-ac160a-accessories.html

Sony NEX-FS700

Product Highlights

• 4K Exmor Super 35mm CMOS Sensor
• Capture 1920 x 1080/60p Video
• Includes 18-200mm Lens
• NXCAM Recording Format (AVCHD)
• LCD 3.5" Screen with VF Attachment
• Up to 960 fps Super Slow Motion
• ISO 500 (0 dB) to ISO 16,000 (30 dB)
• Dual XLR, HDMI & 3G/HD-SDI Connectivity
• FMU Port Supports Optional Memory
• Future 4K Upgrade (Not Included)

BH Photo Link

Copter Kids FS700 Slow Motion Test from Trent Palmer on Vimeo.

Sony product video:



Sony NEX-FS700 Slow motion video

Sony XDCAM

Sony PMW-100 XDCAM

 This camera has great professional specs, but records to expensive media and does not record 1920 x 1080 at 60p. It does record at 50Mbps like the Canon XF 100 but not at 60p only 60i.

Product Highlights

• 1/2.9" CMOS Sensor (1920 x 1080)
• XDCAM 422 MPEG-2 Codec at 50 Mb/s
• 10x Zoom Lens - 40-400mm (35mm Equiv)
• 3.5" LCD Screen (852 x 480 Pixels)
• HD-SDI & HDMI Outputs
• Dual XLR Inputs / Timecode & Genlock I/O
• Dual ExpressCard SxS Card Slots
• Compatible with XDCAM Disc & EX Formats
• DVCAM Recording
• Less Than 4 lb with Battery & Card  

The Dancing Matt Videos

Published On: 07/13/12 12:07:49 PM

CreativePlanetNetwork

The New York Times talks to Matt Harding, the video game designer turned viral video star, whose "Where the Hell Is Matt?" dance/travel video, and its sequels, have become some of YouTube's most popular videos.


In his latest exuberant installment, Harding is dancing with mobs of people all across the world, blending traditional dances with off-the-cuff group choreography. He explains, "The choreography was about 50 percent taught to me by the other dancers and 50 percent stuff I either brought to them or made up in the hotel that morning. I was starting from absolute zero as a dancer, so I worked with a choreographer here in Seattle named Aiko Kinoshita and another in Los Angeles. You might know of Trish Sie from OK Go’s treadmill video and other stuff they’ve done. She drilled into me the importance of keeping it spontaneous and not trying to bring in a rigid dance routine."

Canon's Professional Camcorders XF100, XF300, XFC305

Canon's line of professional Camcorders in the sub $10,000 range feature a proprietary XF codec that allows shooting at 50Mbps 1080 60p with a 4:2:2 color sampling. Compariable Sony and Panasonic models shoot at 28 Mbps with a 4:2:0 color sampling.

The Canon records to more expensive CF cards vs SDHC cards.

Canon XF 100 Product Highlights


Canon XF 100

Price $3,000 as of 7/15/2012
(per BH Photo)

• 1/3" CMOS Sensor
• 50Mbps MPEG-2 Recording
• 4:2:2 Color Sampling
• 60p/60i, 30p, 24p
• MXF File Format
• Dual CF Card Slots
• 10x HD Zoom Lens
• Multiple Bit Rates & Resolutions
• Dual XLR Inputs
• HDMI, Component, Composite Outputs

Lense 10x
The lower end XF100 has great specs, but only a 10x zoom. The camera does have a built in 1.5x telephoto feature. The following video clip demonstrates this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cgDoCjwEHTw

How does this camera compare to the SONY NX70? - See this review:
http://www.hdwarrior.co.uk/2012/01/27/review-of-the-canon-xf100-v-sonys-nx70/

Canon's higher end XF 300 and 305 cameras are more expensive but have larger zoom lenses at 18x.

Compatible CF cards according the HD Warrior

Canon XF 300

Canon XF 300
Price $6,000 as of 7/15/12
(per BH Photo)

Canon XF 300 Product Highlights

• 3 Native 1920 x 1080 CMOS Sensors
• 50Mbps MPEG-2 Recording
• 4:2:2 Color Sampling
• 60p/60i, 30p, 24p
• MXF File Format
• Dual CF Card Slots
• 18x HD L-Series Zoom
• Multiple Bit Rates, Resolutions
• Dual XLR Inputs
• HDMI, Component, Composite Outputs

How does the XF 100 compare to the XF 300? According to a review on Amazon by Tom Gimble, very well. The XF 100 is smaller, lighter and is great for using a monopod. So if you have to move around alot, it may be suitable vs the XF 300. However, the XF 300 has a longer lense (18x vs 10x) and has a much better viewfinder. According to Tom the XF 100 viewfinder leaves a lot to be desired. This was also mentioned by HD Warrior's review.

Tom's very informative written review is located on Amazon here.

Sony NEX-VG20H Interchangeable Lens HD Handycam Camcorder

"Sony's NEX-VG10 and NEX-VG20 camcorders bring another revolution in independent filmmaking, offering an incredibly low price point for its feature set. We've wanted a shalllow depth-of-field, interchangeable lens and larger sensor for low-budget filmmaking." - Sony NEX-VG20 User Group
https://vimeo.com/groups/nexvg20


Sony NEX-VG20 from B&H Photo Video on Vimeo.




Sony NEX-VG20 Promotional Video [HD 1080p] from H. Paul Moon on Vimeo.


Sony NEX-VG20 Lens and Audio Tests [HD 1080p] from H. Paul Moon on Vimeo.

Owners manual: http://nexvg20.info/NEXVG20_manual.pdf

Recording rate:
1920 x 1080 @ 60p/24p/60i (PS/FX/FH); PS: 28 Mb/s; FX: 24 Mb/s; FH: 17 Mb/s
1440 x 1080 @ 60i (HQ); HQ: 9 Mb/s

Review:
http://www.camcorderinfo.com/content/Sony-Handycam-NEX-VG20-Camcorder-Review.htm

Sony HXR-NX70U NXCAM

Sony HXR-NX70U

Price: $2,799.00
Mail In Rebate $300.00 (see details)
offer ends SEP 30 '12 
Price after Rebate: $2,499.00

Price from BH Photo

The NX70 features 1920x1080 60P full HD recording at 28Mbps. The new PS mode with a 28Mbps recording bit-rate enables the HXR-NX70U to capture full HD at 60P. Its full HD 1920x1080 recordings can be slowed down too 24P during post production for beautiful 2.5 slow motion.

User Group: https://vimeo.com/groups/nx70/forum/topic:242386

Click for Sony Brochure

Image Device	1/2.88" ExmorR CMOS with ClearVid pixel array
PS (28 Mbps) 1920 x 1080/60p FX (24 Mbps) 1920 x 1080/60i FH (17 Mbps) 1920 x 1080/60i HQ (9 Mbps) 1440 x 1080/60i LP (5 Mbps) 1440 x 1080/60i FX (24 Mbps) 1920 x 1080/24p FH (17 Mbps) 1920 x 1080/24p Slow and Quick Motion Function: 200fps (fixed) as Smooth Slow Rec (Picture quality is degraded)
Recording/Playback Time
170 min (Memory Stick 32GB, HD FX, LPCM) 530 min (Internal memory 96GB, HD FX, LPCM)

First Edition

Sony Video featuring 2nd Edition Features. Some of the quirks with the orginal edition have been addressed with the 2nd edition.

Munro Film Production Footage #1 from James Urquhart on Vimeo.

10x lense not enough... Recommended 3x Telephoto: Raynox HDP-7700ES 37mm

Good reveiw on BH Photo's web site:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/761581-REG/Sony_HXR_NX70U_HXR_NX70_Compact_Dust_and.html

Sony HXR NX70 vs Canon XF 100
http://www.hdwarrior.co.uk/2012/01/27/review-of-the-canon-xf100-v-sonys-nx70/

Sony NX 70U as Documentary Camera from john@johnduttonmedia.com on Vimeo.

That video is a good review with more informaiton in his blog here:
http://johnduttonmedia.com/videochannel/?page_id=314

Some recommended NX70 accessories from reviewers:

screw-on ND filters, matte box, remote zoom handle for tripod use

JVC GY-HMQ10 4K Compact Handheld Camcorder

JVC Releases first 4K Video Camera under $10,000.

The groundbreaking JVC GY-HMQ10 4K Compact Handheld Camcorder is a one-of-a-kind camera that employs 4K imaging. It features the Falconbrid high-speed processor for advanced video applications. There's one Falconbrid engine for de-matrixing raw data in real time, while another handles H.264 encoding and formatting into the required MPEG4 format. The GY-HMQ10 uses a single 1/2.3" CMOS 4K sensor, which provides 3840 x 2160 images that are four times the resolution of Full HD cameras and monitors. With single sensor sensitivity, the camera works well over a wide range of lighting conditions. It also simplifies the optical design, which results in more precise images with minimal aberration. Plus, the 3840 x 2160 resolution supports a widescreen 16:9 aspect ratio as well.

Understanding Color Sampling

When shopping for a video camera, color sampling is one faucet to consider. When shopping for a camera in July 2012, I noticed Canon touting their 4:2:2 color sampling features and so I wondered how big a deal this was.

In the article, “Understanding Color Sampling” by Barry Green, he states:

“You’ve seen the numbers: 4:2:0, 4:4:4, 3:1:1, 3:1.5:1.5, 4:1:1, 4:2:2… What does it all mean? And how does it affect your video? What’s better, what’s worse, and when does it matter?”

“What those numbers are referring to is a technique in digital video commonly called “color sampling.” The concept can be a bit confusing to those not used to working with video in the digital domain. In video, it’s common practice to not actually record all the color in an image, but rather to average the pixels together to cut down on the bandwidth. Color sampling is, in effect, a form of compression. The more compressed the engineers can make the color channel, the less bandwidth the signal occupies and the easier it is to record, transmit, or broadcast.”

In Barry’s article he does verify that 4:2:2 is much better than the alternatives, so Canon appears to have provided a higher end feature in some of their lower priced cameras.

Source: http://www.dvxuser.com/articles/colorspace/

On Canon's website, they state:

"4:2:2 provides ultra-fine transitions in tone and color and maintains the highest quality image for use in post production processes such as chroma keying, color grading, advanced compositing and effects."
Source: Canon XF 100 web page

The New Camera Search - July 2012

My Canon HV30 has served me well for several years now. I've shot 100s of hours of CPA high school football whereI have been producing the video highlights for the team since 2005.

There are some examples on my Vimeo site: https://vimeo.com/hollyviewvideo
Last year, in 2011, another dad joined in to help volunteer film football. He is a professional and between him and my mentor Clint Regehr of CERVIDEO from Texas, I have learned a great deal on how to improve the quality of my productions.

A few games into the 2011 season I borrowed a friends Sony HDR-FX7 to catch action from the sidelines. The following clip on YouTube features some of that footage. It also features footage from my friends Panasonic HMC40.



If you compare my productions from 2010 - 2011, I think you will notice improvement.

Using that FX7 last year made me realize just how critical a good viewfinder, eyepiece, and 20x lense where. The camera was and HDV tape camera just like my Canon HV30, but the 20x lense was just what I needed to reach out across one sideline to another for some great shots. The Panasonic only had a 12x lense and we all agreed it would be great to have two cameras with long lenses for better coverage.

The last season of my son's high school footbal carreer is coming up fast this fall in 2012. We are planning to produce another footbal DVD this year. This year's video production has to be the best ever.

I don't have access to the FX7 any longer so it high time for a new camera.

To capture the action this season, I really need a good prosumer level camera with at least a 20x lense.

I have always been a Canon fan, but while they came out with several new cameras over the last few years, only the Canon XF 300 has a long lense and its around $6,000.

none of their lower priced cameras came with a 20x lense. The only camera with a 20x lense is the older model, XH-A1s.

In July 2012, I have narrowed down the selection to the following cameras.

Canon XF100 HD	Canon XF 100
Canon XH-A1sThis is an HDV tape camera, but would have everything I need. Its a bit heavy, but I've used one of these before and it produced some great footage. The only problem with this model is that its a tape camera. I am ready for a complete digial workflow without the capture time over firewire.	Canon XH-A1s
Sony HDR-FX7 This is also an HDV tape camera and I shot most of last year's high school football video using one of these that a friend let me borrow. The footage turned out great.	Sony HDR-FX7
Sony HXR-NX5U NXCAM Now this is one that a friend has and he speaks very highly of it. This is completely digital and uses SD card or a 128 GB flash pack for recording. This model is a few years old, but if I had the budget, this one would have been my first choice for quite some time. However, now that Panasonic has released their new models, it has some competiion in the same price range and feature set. So the selection is more difficult. To make matters more difficult, the price on the Sony NXCAM has not come down in several years. So that tells me that it must be a good selling model. Guess I was hoping that the price would have come down by now.	Sony HXR-NX5U NXCAM
Sony HXR-NX70U NXCAM This camera is in a class all by itself Additional write up on one of my other blog posts here: Sony NX70U	Sony HXR-NX70U NXCAM
Panasonic AG-AC160A / AC130A AVCCAM Panasonic has introduced two new cameras that should work great for sports with a 22x lens. The cameras are identical except for some additional features on the 160 over the 130. You'll pay about $1000 more for the 160. But you get features such as 1080 60p and variable frame rate recording. More info in my Panasonic A160 blog post featureing these two cameras. Update 7/29 - This is the one I am going to order. I strongly considerd the Sony NX5, NX70, Canon AF100.	Panasonic AG-AC160A / AC130A AVCCAM

The Canon and Sony HDR-FX7 are older model HDV tape cameras and the rest record to digtial media. I have been shooting with a tape camera for several years and really want to switch to totally digital workflow.

The newer and completely digital recording cameras range from $2,000 to $6,000 and up.

One of the newest Sony cameras even has a built in projector

Sony 96GB HXR-NX30 Palm Size NXCAM
Price from BH Photo $2,000

Sony NEX-VG20

Sony PMW-100

These cameras below, while not idea for fast moving football action or "run and gun" allow DSLR style lenses and functionality in a camcorder format.

Sony NEX-FS100

Sony NEX-FS700

Panasonic AF100