We have gotten word that the official release date of Adobe Creative Suite 5 will be April 12, 2010.

What we can tell you about CS5 is the fact that the applications will be 64-bit only. CS5 also offers support for DSLR’s, which we see starting to gain a lot of traction in the filmmaking community! We can also say CS5 introduces the much anticipated Mercury Playback Engine which from our experience has made editing high resolution footage noticeably faster and tedious rendering a thing of the past.

We will keep you posted on all the details as they come in as well as a full review of Adobe Creative Suite 5.

In the mean time check out these Sneak Peak Videos of the Mercury Playback Engine!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=De5N9IjUkNo http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ukgcWrcVpZ8&feature

To satisfy the demand by videographers for “true” fluid pan and tilt heads as supports for the new HDSLRs and DSLRs such as Canon 5D Mk II or 7D and other high-end hybrid digital SLR cameras; CARTONI has revamped the successful classic ACTION PRO, introducing the new ACTION PRO HDSLR, dedicated to these modern extremely sophisticated DSLR and compact Video cameras. This head includes the patented CARTONI Labyrinth fluid modules in both pan and tilt, positive lock, 75mm bowl and a  newly designed quick release sliding camera plate for better balance of the off-set loads such as long focal lenses.

The ACTION PRO HDSLR system comes equipped with a sturdy aluminum tripod, built-in spreader and transport soft bag at a small attractive price comparable to popular photo tripods.

CARTONI will showcase its entire Professional Camera Supports production along with this and other  new products at NAB 2010.

She was shot in the face by a sniper in 1992 while covering the Bosnian Herzegovinan conflict, a wound that caused major structural damage to the bones in her face. But after 2 years of reconstructive surgeries she was back in the field, capturing life at it’s deadliest: in the war zones around the world.

Margaret Moth died yesterday, March 21st, of colon cancer in Rochester, Minn., while in hospice care.

Margaret Moth was a tough woman - she began her photojournalist life in a time when women weren’t often allowed to play in the game.

Margaret was one of about 8 women shooting for CNN in the early 1980s. Women didn’t sign up for this job. The equipment was heavy and cumbersome, the job was dirty and the conditions were extreme. Read the rest of this entry »

The number of cell phone produced videos hitting the web has increased significantly. While this is great and all, it has become painfully obvious that something needs to be done to improve the quality of these videos. Fortunately, that’s exactly what the OWLE bubo has set out to do.

The OWLE bubo is a camera mount built specifically for the iPhone 3GS, in attempt to increase the video capabilities already existing in the phone itself. Its features assist in improving picture, sound, and stability, while it’s ability to support third-party accessories promotes customization and versatility.

The Goods

Crafted from a single piece of solid aluminum with a smooth, black finish, the bubo feels good in the hands. It has a nice, sturdy weight without being too heavy or burdensome. Hand grips are located on either side of the body allowing for a more comfortable hold. The bubo comes with a silicon protective case for your iPhone, which holds your phone in the back of the bubo while you shoot. When you’re finished, a square cut-out located in the center of the aluminum body aides in releasing your phone from the bubo’s grip.

It’s hard not to notice the 37mm aluminum .45x wide-angle/macro combo lens positioned in the upper left corner of the device. The lens begs for attention and makes the bubo more than just a mount to grip. In addition, the lens is interchangeable with other 37mm threaded lenses.

The bubo supplies four ¼” threaded female mounts, one on each corner, for a vast array of tripod and accessory combinations. It also possesses a cold shoe mount for battery operated lights and additional microphones. The included VeriCorder Mini Mic is an omni-style microphone with a flexible arm that rotates 180-degrees enabling the user to point the mic towards the desired audio.

Out of the Box, and Into Our Hands

Putting the OWLE bubo to use is a fairly easy task. There are no batteries, no buttons, and no extensive instructional manuals to thumb through. All that is required of the user is to slip the iPhone into the protective casing and then into the back of the bubo, making sure both the iPhone and the bubo’s lenses match up.

Though this task is relatively easy, we did have to fidget with the protective case to keep it from covering the iPhone’s lens. There was also the issue of the phone’s power-off button being activated while trying to fit it into the back of the device. With a little practice this problem became easy to avoid. Despite the minor hiccups, putting the OWLE bubo into use was a snap and we were ready to test it in no time at all.

The Test

In our tests we compared video stability, picture and audio quality between the standalone iPhone and the OWLE bubo mounted iPhone.

The bubo won hands down in the stability test. Whether capturing a hand-held static shot, trucking shot or dolly shot the bubo’s added weight and hand grips allowed us to record a much steadier picture than with the iPhone alone. The hand grips also helped in keeping our fingers out of lens, which tended to be a problem with the standalone iPhone.

The VeriCorder Mini Mic is a nice addition to the overall device. The iPhone’s 1/8” jack made this mic easy to use, with the only required action being to plug it in. The addition of the mic increased the audio quality significantly. It was more robust than with the iPhone’s built-in mic, and dialogue levels were noticeably improved. The only drawback was the mic’s placement. Since the jack is located beneath the lens and in the middle of the left hand grip, it left us searching for a comfortable place to grasp the device.

The included 37mm wide-angle/macro combo lens was the frosting on the cake. Not only were we able to get almost twice the information in our wide-angle shots, we were able to capture an unmatched clarity in our extreme close-ups, as well. The bubo’s lens, without a doubt, is superior to the standard iPhone lens. The picture quality was equal to, if not better, when considering saturation and white balance.

The OWLE bubo Is No Pocket Cam

There’s no doubt about it, the bubo has some weight and it’s unlikely you’re going to get it to fit in your front pocket. However, if you shoot a good amount of video on your iPhone and you’re looking for a fun, easy-to-use gadget to improve the quality of your cell phone videos, the OWLE bubo does a great job. With the ability to add accessories and to use the iPhone’s plethora of camera apps, there’s no telling what you’ll be able to capture.

Specifications

Lens: 37mm aluminum .45x wide-angle/macro combo lens

Mic: Omni-style VeriCorder Mini Mic, with a 180-degree rotating arm

Accessory Shoe: Cold shoe

Threaded Mounts: Four 1/4” female mounts

Pros:

• Increased picture and sound quality
• Improved stability for smooth shooting
• Supports third-party accessories and iPhone apps

Cons:

• Some images have distortion due to the wide-angle lens
• Mic placement
• For the iPhone only

Owle bubo

www.wantowle.com

MSRP: $130

Summary:

The OWLE bubo provides the iPhone’s camera with stability, versatility and increased picture and sound quality.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_WsG5FqRcg

________

Julie Babcock is one of Videomaker’s Associate Multimedia Editors.

Zoom H4n – The Videographers Audio Swiss Army Knife

Few experienced videographers take the importance of high quality audio lightly. The first step is, of course, to use off camera mics, the second step is to use off camera mixers and field recorders. Until recently, this has been complicated and expensive. The Zoom H4n changes all that. This unit also addresses another important needs of the videographer: flexibility and redundancy.

I was first drawn to the Zoom H4 because it was a low cost field recorder that could provide phantom power and XLR inputs for professional condenser microphones. I soon realized that the two microphones mounted on the unit were not merely decoration. Having worked with a lot of high end audio equipment, my jaw dropped at the audio quality that this little unit can provide at a price less than one average shot gun mic.  The signal to noise ratio is impressive as is the frequency response and the stereo imaging.

For Wedding Videos:
The wedding videographer will find lots of ways to employ the H4n. I would stick  it up front on a mic stand or tripod (the old H4 was designed to work on tripods only, the H4n works on both easily) turn it on and forget it.  When your wireless lavs pick up interference you’re covered. When the person on the church mixer sends you a bad mix you’re covered. You’ve got a high quality recording of what anyone might have heard from the pews.

For the Filmmaker:
The indy filmmaker will appreciate the freedom the H4n will allow him because the camera is not tied to the boom mic. The H4n will provide phantom power so it is possible to use any professional microphone. The boom operator will appreciate the easy-to-read meters, quick levels adjustment, and the compressor and limiter.

For the Event Videographer:
The event videographer will realize that it is possible with the H4n to get the mics up close even if it is not possible or practical to run cables. When it is possible to run cables, a matched pair of stereo can be connected directly to the H4n. This allows you to monitor and operate the unit from where your camera is located. If you use a small mixer (which I do) you can also throw in the feed from the house mixer.

If you compare the new H4n unit to the original, you will notice immediately the improvement in build quality. This unit is built like a piece of professional gear. The body has a gray rubber coating that is easy to hold on to and gives you some sense that it can take some abuse. The controls are a reasonable size and they have a positive feel. If you used the original H4 you will find the H4n much easier to operate, especially those things you do most often. Some of the options require a bit of digging through menus with the manual in your hand, but once set you are unlikely to play with them.

The unit comes with a 1GB SD card. I found that a 2GB card will allow you to record a full length play or dance recital in a WAV format at 48 khz 16 bit (standard audio for video quality).  You can, of course, record in MP3 or 96 khz 24 bit if you like. As I mentioned you can use XLR inputs, but you can also use ¼ jacks as a line in. You can also set this unit to record 4 channels simultaneously: the two microphones on the unit and two other inputs. Why would you care? Well most school stages wouldn’t require it, but on a large stage you could but the H4 unit in the middle and run a matched stereo pair out each side and get a broader stereo image.

The H4n runs on two AA cells, which is one of my few beefs. Four AA’s would be ideal. If you are running two mics that require 48V phantom power an hour of continuous use is about all this unit is good for. If you are using mics that don’t require phantom power, 4 hours is about all that you can expect. There is a “Stamina mode” that could get you more time; however, I didn’t experiment with this.

Extras:
There are some nice little extras thrown into this package. There is a handle that lets you mount this unit on a standard microphone stand. There is a plastic box that the unit fits in very nicely, so that you can throw it into your audio bag without worry. An AC adapter, windscreen, USB cable, and 1GB SD card are also included. They even throw in a copy of Cubase LE 4 software.

Conclusion:
The Zoom H4n records outstanding audio quality. The compressor and limiter built into this unit makes it a step up from using the manual recording functions on most video cameras. It is a flexible and practical solution for so many jobs it is really like a Swiss Army knife for audio. 4.5/5 stars

Samson/ Zoom
MSRP: $299

Specifications
Dimensions: W2.75 x H6.25  x D1.4”
Weight: 9.9 oz without batteries
Recording media: SD
Recording formats: WAV, MP3
Phantom power: 48V, 24V,  off
Inputs: 2 x  XLR/TRS
Screen: 1.25 ” x  1.75”, 128 x 68 dots
Power: 2 x AA/ AC adapter

Pros:

• Excellent audio quality
• Ease of use
• XLR inputs and phantom power
• Compressor and limiter

Cons:

• Battery life

Summary:
An incredibly valuable asset for any event videographer or indy filmmaker.

________

Gerald Prost, formerly of the Faculty of New Media, University of Lethbridge. Gerald is an educator and writer within the industry.

Looking at the title of this blog, you might be thinking since when did the one time host of “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire” become an expert on all things video?  Believe me, I’d be thinking the same thing. However, instead of interviewing Regis Philbin (whose knowledge on all things behind the camera is more than suspect), we had the privilege of interviewing someone who definitely knows what he’s talking about when it comes to computers and archiving: Regis Mencer, owner of Cerise Computers.

Regis has been making computers since before his company was started back in 2003. Since 2003, Cerise (pronounced Seh-reese) has been making computers that specialize in high end performance for both editors and photographers. Evidence of this can be seen by just taking a quick glance at their website where they have computers with specs so crazy that you might have to put yourself in a straightjacket in order to believe it. They have options for the latest graphics cards, solid state drives, and even for up to 96 GB of RAM!

Read the rest of this entry »