Watch the 60 second commercial: click here

Watch the 30 second commercial: click here

The initial model (unnamed as of this date) in the NXCAM series does a number of really important things: It records AVCHD full HD 1920×1080 material (in all variations of resolutions) and as such, is easily compatible with other cameras, including as one example, the Canon 7D hybrid still/video camera. It utilizes a relatively new type of glass, and although fixed to the camera, this lens, called a G-Lens, delivers excellent optics, no doubt a result of Sony’s purchase of Minolta. And, the camera is ideal for the wide variety of production requirements a documentary requires.

In our situation, we’re interested in the best tool for a variety of situations. That means we’ll shoot portrait interviews, mount a camera on a moving vehicle, hang from a helicopter, and so on. And, if we’re doing all of these things, it also means we’re shooting a lot of material (hours vs. minutes). If you’re making a film, you’ll work from a shot list, and the shooting ratio may be 3:1. In our documentary work, we’re going to capture reality as it occurs, and then weed out the footage that isn’t essential to telling the story. The result is often 30:1 or higher. That’s right, we may shoot 30 hours of video to get a one hour show. In fact, for a documentary we did in Australia that covered two weeks of a cross-country race, we shot more than 100 hours of video. The final product was a broadcast-ready 44 minutes.

The AVCHD format is ideal for this type of work. And, being able to record to a flash drive that mounts into the camera is fantastic. There’s no box attached to a shoe that gets in the way of moving the camera about. It snaps into place. You can record literally hours of material, and then, using USB connectors, transfer the files directly to your PC or Mac.

There’s more to like as well. The imagers in the camera are native 1920 x 1080. The imagers in other cameras in this class are typically 720p and upscale to 1080p. This is really important and becomes even more so when you discover that the camera will output a full HD 4:2:2 signal via the built-in HD-SDI port while shooting. That type of flexibility allows us to integrate this camera with other, far more expensive cameras.

It’s difficult to capture a strong, clear image if you can’t see what you’re doing. The NXCAM shown off by Sony offers a 1.2 million pixel 16×9 display using backlit LED technology. The Panasonic HMC-150, by comparison (same compression system, similar price, etc.) has a display with approximately 210,000 pixels in a 4×3 display that is letter-boxed. What? To use the Panny (which has great images), you really need to add an external monitor, or you’re going to be disappointed with the results. Sony avoids that extra complication. Add-on monitors are terrific if you’re on a tripod and locked off. They don’t work if you’re jumping off a fire engine and following firefighters into a smokey building. Sony resolves that problem with not only the flip-up external monitor, but the built-in viewfinder as well. You can learn more by watching the intro video produced by Sony.

So, as we envision some of the production work we’re scheduled to produce this year, the Sony NXCAM fits in really well. We can shoot portrait interviews using prime glass on our Canon 7D. We can match that (remember, same codec) with footage captured “in the field” with the Sony NXCAM. And, we can edit in both PC and Mac NLE solutions without drama. No tape. No fuss. Oh, by the way – there’s more to like as well. Because we shoot on location, as documentary producers, we are careful to log everything we shoot. Now, with the NXCAM, there is GPS data added to the metadata of each file. Whoo hoo! So, the next time we travel 2,000 miles across the Stewart Highway in Australia, we’ll know where each shot was captured. And, if we decide to shoot in a studio, we can lock multiple NXCAMs together, thanks to the new (if proprietary) timecode in and out connectors.

The only bad news is that the camera isn’t available yet. Hey Sony – want some remarkable footage of firefighters saving lives? How about the California coast and wine country? Or, how about some footage of the latest sports cars being testing on windy country roads at speed? If so, get us an NXCAM ASAP. We aren’t asking for a freebie. We’ll own it. Love it. And we’ll tell the world.

First of all, a few initial comments for anyone not familiar with the Canon EOS 7D, or why we’d write about it. This is a digital SLR (D-SLR) still camera that also happens to record lovely 1080p video images. It is one notch below the Canon 5D MKII, and is competitive with a number of other DSLRs on the market.

As a still camera, it offers a new 18 megapixel sensor, a fantastic three inch viewfinder that displays 100% of the frame (many cameras show 90 or 95% of the frame). It includes a flexible AF system with a dedicated processor for focusing – so it’s fast. The shutter system is also new, permitting an impressive 8 frames per second (in still mode). As with other Canon products, it features the EF / EF-S lens mount system. Sensitivity is also terrific, with Auto ISO (100 – 3200) or manual ISO from 100 – 6400 in 0.3 or 0.5 EV increments. It offers nearly all of the professional features you could imagine for a camera of this type, and a great place to see a review of its still capabilities is at dpreview.

As a video camera, it’s also pretty amazing. It has standard video outputs in both NTSC and PAL, plus HDMI output for HD video. It includes a built-in microphone and has an input for an external mic as well (mini plug). The camera will shoot 1920×1080 at 29.97, 25, or 23fps. It will shoot 1280×720 at 59.94, 50fps or even (but why?) 6340×480 at 59.94, 50fps. It records using H.264 in a QuickTime .Mov wrapper. Note however, that the QuickTime wrapper does not mean any NLE will recognize the footage. More on video reviews in a bit.

There are three ways to use this camera: As a still camera. As a video camera. As a film-style camera.

Image shot with EOS 7D - Battalion Chief Kawai

When using this as a still camera, it’s a joy. Many people wrestle with the Nikon vs. Canon brand issue. In my experience, I see both everywhere. However, it does seem that when you’re a portrait photographer, there are reasons to use Nikon products, and if you’re a journalist or sports photographer, Canon offers some benefits.

This camera is easy to hold. It’s easy to read. The menu system is a snap, and you can pre-set commonly used menu elements. As a result, getting high-quality stills is literally a snap. As a photographer, you can really focus (sorry!) on the image to be captured – framing, lighting, depth, etc. A fantastic review of the camera can be found at Rob Galbraith’s blog. Additional reviews for photographers can be found at Alexa.

As a video camera, this is a bit of a different animal. You can’t (obviously) shoot with a vertical orientation, as you can with stills. The camera is heavy to hold for video motion, and a tripod or camera rig is an absolute requirement over the long term. However, this doesn’t make it unusable in “camera format.” Some things work differently, but it is still quite capable with just Canon lens and related support gear. Simply put, you can point and shoot and get really nice images.

There are some things you can do to improve the immediate video capabilities of the camera. One is to add a proper microphone. Rode makes a stereo mic that mounts to the shoe and plugs into the body. We purchased a Rode with the camera and it has been fantastic. Philip Bloom, the noted British DP has recently produced a really nice video package with the 7D and the Rode mic – right here in California at Venice Beach. It’s a really nice video story and highlights the EOS 7D.

It’s when you think of the 7D as a film camera that it really changes the landscape (again, sorry!) for producers. This is a camera that starts at perhaps $2,000 with a nice lens. You can start to add various bits and pieces to it, including a mic, follow-focus, matte box, remote trigger, etc. Suddenly, it’s a complete motion picture camera rig – for less than $5,000. And the images it creates are full-on cinematic quality – no “cinema mode” crap either. To see a great example of the camera rigged for news video, check out this Matt Jasper 7D video clip.

The difference is the glass. This is a camera that allows total control over the Z-axis as well as the overall frame. As such, you can dial in a lovely depth of field that permits you to shoot video with a realistic, natural, film look. You can add a prime lens to the Canon. In fact, there are a few firms already making PL mount conversions. While that may only be useful to anyone who already owns a suite of PL glass, the knowledge that you can pick a lens for any specific shot is a breakthrough event for most videographers. In fact, if Panavision rented glass without a camera, you could really lose your mind. Check this out.

In my initial shoots with the 7D, I found the camera to be very balanced. The image was crisp and as with any HD camera, the critical issue was and is focus. But the ability to shoot with such a nice depth of field is eye-opening (I’m so sorry!). Even in the first day of shooting, I was thinking, “oh this is sweet!” as I was rolling chip. That’s another thing: no tape. The EOS 7D uses CF cards (UDMA only, type 6 or faster). And with a 32GB card, I can capture more than 80 minutes at the highest resolution.

We have been really busy with production the past few weeks, so publishing our own 7D clips will have to wait for a few weeks. Rest assured, however, that we will publish a variety of 7D clips. We’ll also share opinion regarding the workflow overall and our use with editing software.

In the meanwhile, here are some fantastic examples of the 7D at work:

Canon EOS 7D at 30p – by Philip Bloom

Dublin’s People – by Philip Bloom

Around Rome – by Shawn Landersz

Burned Hills in the Station Fire

During the past week, the northern end of Los Angeles County has been burning. The Station Fire, which to-date is the biggest wildfire in the history of LA County, has swept from the hillside communities above Pasadena and Duarte into the Angeles National Forest. Unburned for more than 60 years, the thick, deep brush provided ample fuel for a monster fire.

In addition to spending time at base camp working on several assignments, Cameron Barrett shot quite a bit of HD video, and the images will be remarkable. I took a few photographs of aftermath, and even those (you can see a few here) images are striking.

Perhaps the most interesting aspect of this was not the drama of billowing smoke and fire, but the stark emptiness of the “morning after,” so to speak. Hillsides and canyons looked like they had been sculpted by a model railroader, then painted black and some flour dusted here and there to represent ash. And the same image goes on and on – we drove up several canyon roads for mile after mile and the only thing we saw besides burned out hills were smoldering tree stumps, and wisps of smoke drifting up from the rubble that wildfire can create.

Cameron Barrett capturing destroyed home footage

And, several miles up Big Tujunga Canyon, we came across several burned out cottages. As the sun set, the only things left standing were chimneys and black tree trunks. Destroyed cars remained parked in driveways, never to wheel along a highway again. At one home, we found nearly a dozen dead cats – and an angry group of people (ourselves and several network photographers) who couldn’t believe these animals were just left behind. Still, Cameron, who is an animal advocate, captured the scene, all in High-Def.

Another interesting aspect of the aftermath is the sound. It’s really quiet. There are no leaves to rustle in the breeze. No squirrels to scamper through the underbrush. Just dead sound. At least until you hear the rumble of a fire engine, or the thump, thump, thump of a helicopter overhead.

Spot fires continue to threaten the containment lines.

And the fires continue to burn as I type this. Although nearly 50% contained, there is ongoing risk and danger. And thankfully, most residents took the advice of law enforcement and fire officials and evacuated when asked. Two LA County firefighters lost their lives in the midst of this arson-generated wildfire. Perhaps the only good news relates to weather: This fire took place in August, with little or no wind. If the same thing had occurred in November, when the Santa Ana winds sweep through the canyons, it’s really unimaginable to think what might have happened.

As this is part of our job, we’ve become familiar with these types of situations in general. Yet this particular incident will remain etched in our memories for quite awhile. We can only hope it will be at least another 60 years before anything like this happens again – and never would be a much better option.

The initiative for not leaving, often referred to as “Stay and Defend,” was gaining ground earlier this year with several departments, as there have been some stories of people who have elected to ignore officials and as a result, participated in saving their structures. It’s important to remember that many homes don’t burn as a result of the fire front in a wildfire. They burn because of spot fires that start as the fire moves through, and without resources to suppress those spot fires, the home burns.

Just as this “Stay and Defend” option began to get people’s attention, Australia suffered through a terrible wildfire incident and many lives were lost. Australia has been known for its serious wildfire devastation, including Hobart in 1967 (1400 homes lost, 62 dead); Victoria in 1983 (2400 homes lost, 71 dead), Canberra in 2003 (500 homes lost, 5 dead), and Victoria in 2009 (3000 homes lost, 173 dead). Many of the victims in the Victoria fires this year elected to stay behind, and then attempted to evacuate, but too late. They were caught on the road and died.

Ready, Set, Go! as an initiative is being supported by a wide array of Southern California emergency services agencies. The Los Angeles Fire Department’s position is clear: If there is a wildfire, prepare your home and family, get set to evacuate if required, and when asked, or even before that, leave the area. Your home can be saved. Once you die, coming back is apparently problematic.

Our program will include a series of components – and it will highlight the use of digital technology and Web 2.0 capabilities. A video/DVD will tell the story of why its important to leave and how to prepare. A brochure will be available to schools, senior centers, council district offices, and LA City Fire Stations. Separately, a digital magazine will be created and it will be available to anyone who is interested in the Ready, Set, Go initiative. And finally, information will be available via the MySafe:LA public education website.

We’re enthused about the project, and once complete, are committed to seeing it reach as many people as possible, so the citizens of Los Angeles can be properly prepared.

Canon HV20 handheld HDV camcorder

There is an interesting balance when it comes to gathering material for any project. The time you spend translates into expense. Even if it’s just your time, wear and tear on the gear, and the cost of media, there is a cost. At the same time, it’s important that you give yourself the best chance to be prepared to take advantage of any situation.

In this case, I’ll refer to video/film. Our team is working on developing a documentary about the history of the Los Angeles Fire Department. It is centered in the present, with flashbacks through history. We must cost every hour of production. So, we typically are careful about how and when we’re spending time or money.

At the same time, I always keep a camera with me. This past Friday, I was in Los Angeles, attending several meetings, including one at a fire station. In the car, I had my firefighter protective gear and a small Canon HV-20 HDV consumer camera. The last thing I was planning on was needing to use it. That alone should be a clue.

During my meeting at Fire Station 76 in the Cahuenga Pass, the Captain noted it was starting to look foggy outside, and it was a sunny day. We opened the front door, and across the Hollywood Fwy, the shoulder of the freeway was ablaze. The Captain picked up the mic on the PA and told his crew, “still alarm, guys. We’ve got a grass fire across the freeway!” I grabbed my gear and as I climbed into my seat on the fire engine, I was thinking, “why am I stuck with this little camera?”

I started rolling tape before we rolled out of quarters, and as we made the turn down Cahuenga Blvd., you could see what looked to be a “nothing fire” across the way. 75 seconds later, as we spotted the rig to block the road and protect the firefighters, the wind was whipping the flames up and potentially threatening brush and homes nearby. This spot was less than a mile from the origin of the large and dangerous Hollywood/Barham fire from March of 2007.

David Barrett gets a muddy face, and camera, while shooting on-scene at a small grass fire in Hollywood.

Because I had a small camera, I felt I was going to be limited in what I could capture. While the camera does shoot HD quality material, it uses a single 1/2-inch CMOS sensor, and the camera itself weighs less than two pounds. So, I decided to focus on POV material, getting tight on firefighters as they attacked this small fire that was trying to become a big fire. I even got directly into the spray from a 1.5 inch line and had to stop for a minute to clean the camera, which was completely covered with mud.

The overall results ended up pleasing me very much. I got some great shots of a firefighter using his line to work through thick smoke to get to the base of the fire. And, as the incident unfolded, I began to test the camera’s capabilities – and while movement is something to be careful with, I was consistently surprised by the image quality.

While still not my first choice for a primary camera, the reason our team has kept it was for this exact purpose – when not expecting something, be prepared to get the unexpected. So, at the end of the day, I got some big shots from a small camera. Watch the video clip below:

Even the Canon HV20 can be built-up into a full cinema rig. But Why?

The footage above was imported into Final Cut Pro, and compressed in HD using Compressor. It was not color graded, so what you see is what the camera delivered.

Now, before signing off, note that the Canon HV20 is a highly regarded little camera. We acquired it for use in our production of a cross-country racing documentary in the fall of 2007. We used the camera as an in-vehicle mount, while our larger cameras captured the majority of the action.

As camera technology improves, people are beginning to use these little cameras more and more. In fact, if you want, you can totally lose your mind with these little cameras. The camera rig shown is using a Canon HV20, and includes railing, a matte box, follow focus and even a Marshall monitor for preview and monitoring. The rig costs three times what the camera does, and the 35mm lens conversion device close to double the cost. Imagine that.

These sequences were shot during actual emergency response incidents, or at Van Nuys Airport responding to a call. Sony HD Cameras were used, and all content was edited in Final Cut Pro. This material is not graded, although we may come back and do some color adjustment in the future. These shots should just be considered a montage, as the elements will eventually find their way into our documentary on the history of the department, Smoke Eaters.

Apple CEO Steve Jobs addresses the crowd

This week marks the last MacWorld Expo that will be attended by Apple. Steve Jobs did not deliver the keynote address. For many people, this signals the end of an era, and for them, I guess it is. I would propose, however, that it is merely the end of one chapter and the beginning of another in the ongoing arena of personal computer use.

Apple has evolved. It attracts more people to its stores on a daily basis than dozens of MacWorld Expos. As professionals that rely on the tools that we use to help our clients, isn’t this an opportunity for the MacWorld Expo to evolve as well?

Paul Kent, the GM at IDG who runs the MacWorld Expo is a pretty smart person. Although we haven’t spent any time together during the past two years, I’ve known Paul for more than a decade and he has always been about education, evolution and guitars. In my book, that’s a winning combination! Prior to running the overall show for IDG, he was responsible, via his own company, for the conference and seminars. I would guess that Paul might have a clue about what comes next, and something likely will, even if it is completely remade – new name, new place, etc.

There is a place in the world for a Mac-specific trade show. In fact, there are probably several of them, but in today’s world, the niche value is what’s important to those of us who use the tools. For example, we use Mac technology for our video post production work. So, a show that is specific to the Mac relative to video would be of interest. And even more so because of the Mac itself.

The Mac represents more than a tool, which is why some people don’t care for it. It represents style. Class. Elegance. And, Apple has been smart – they’ve moved away from direct PC comparisons, such as processor performance, to keep the mystique of the Mac in the forefront. And, I think it works.

I was an exhibitor at the very first Macworld, in 1984. It was not at Moscone, as it has been for more than a decade, but at a smaller venue near city hall – and it was underground. Literally. The booths were mostly pipe and drape, with some carpet thrown in. Most were ten by ten or ten by twenty. And the innovations that were being shown were all about things like “desktop publishing.” So, the people who were attending were interested in low-cost productivity tools that related to printing, design, newsletters, etc. Today, my mother-in-law is snapping photos with her digital camera, ingesting them into iPhoto, making books, slideshows, etc. It’s just part of how she communicates with her children and grandchildren.

The last MacWorld I attended was two years ago. In between, I didn’t miss one. As an Apple vendor and developer, we often had software before the public did. We often had the hardware prior to public release, or knew about it. And, in many cases, our input, along with many other Apple vendors, developers, and designers was important to the product that was being created.

So, why go to the show? There was no way I’d stay away, particularly after Steve Jobs came back to the company. In 1996, Apple was on the verge of dying. Wired put out an issue (I still have it) of an Apple logo (the old multi-colored one) with a thorns around it and the title, “Pray!” The media had written Apple off. Many of my peers as well.

Steve Jobs knew the potential that existed within the company. He was extremely shrewd about it – and that’s something many people forget. And he recognized the evolution of our social environment from an analog world to a digital one. And so, every year, he would propel Apple forward, using MacWorld and special events to generate mystique, hype, and energy around a product line that had been given up for dead. Equally important, he made certain that the products offered worked. They had to work. And, after a bit, they were not only competitive again, they began to chew away and absorb big chuncks of the markets they were sold into.

Each MacWorld Expo was a chance to see Jobs speak, and many of us thought each speech would be the last one. After all, when he returned, he coined the “iCEO” term, meaning he was at that time the interim CEO. He wasn’t planning on staying. In those days, he used to end his presentations with, “oh, and one last thing…” and it would be the show’s bombshell. The big deal. I’ll never forget the 2000 Macworld, when he said, “oh, and one last thing… I like what I’m doing, so I’m going to stay.” There wasn’t a dry eye in the house. And all of this for the CEO of a computer company. By the way, his salary was $1 per year. That wasn’t his total compensation, but it was his salary.

Imagine taking that type of enthusiasm and energy and applying it to the auto industry. Does any automotive CEO have that panache? Perhaps Dieter Zetsche of Mercedes Benz, but only to the industry – his TV ads never really helped the company move forward, at least in the USA. And it’s a lesson we can all learn from. In these times, we all need to focus on what is possible. What can be done? What will people react to?

We use Macs because they help us get our work done faster, more efficiently, and with better collaboration. We also use PCs for various things, but not for our personal workstations. Hey, I use an iPhone instead of a Mac for a lot of things these days. But, I do enjoy the mystique of the Mac. I hope that sticks around for a bit.