January 2009 Table of Contents
Columns
Viewfinder
Tiny Camcorders
The size of camcorders has been shrinking since their inception. The first camcorders were typically shoulder-mounted and much heavier and larger than today's units. People tend to hold heavy things with their arms to their sides, using both hands under the load….
Basic Training
About Face!
Many video cameras now seem to include face detection capabilities. But what exactly is face detection? Our primer explains how it works and how it might stump you, too. The story of face recognition technology begins back in 2005, when Nikon released the Coolpix 5900….
Distribution
HD Online Convergence
HD Online: We have the technology. We can build faster internet connections, with better delivery service than ever before. Better, stronger, faster. The convergence of lower-cost HD prosumer camcorders, faster internet connections and improved content delivery...
Lighting
Lighting Greenscreens
Many editing software programs now have easy-to-execute chromakey effects, but, to get your scene looking good, you need to plan first and light it right. You have the greenscreen, the right editing software, and a great idea... but how do you make your subject look real?
What's Legal
producer's rights
The Public Domain - Unraveling the Confusion of when Copyright claims dissolve. When our country's Founding Fathers adopted the U.S. Constitution, they wanted to make sure that, unlike in England, no person could have an unlimited monopoly over property….
Tutorial
Rotoscoping: fix goofs, change virtual sets, or make your hero fly
How to fix on-set goofs, change virtual sets, or make your action heroes fly through the air amidst gunfire, snowflakes, or magic dust. Rotoscoping is one of my favorite things in Visual FX. I know that sounds crazy, but the results of rotoscoping can be so rewarding.
Editing
Simple Compositing
Everyone loves to be awed by movie magic, and you can bedazzle your audience using our simple compositing tips that reveal the Secret of See Through Layers. Compositing is omnipresent. It would be nearly impossible to watch a Hollywood film or an hour of television….
Audio
Choosing a Microphone
C'mon! Pick a mic.. any mic! Right!? Wrong! From pickup patterns to wired or wireless, there's a confusing array of mics to choose from. Let's narrow your focus a bit. We've all heard them - videos that sounded like the mic was under a box in the next room.
Test Bench
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Workstation Review
iBUYPOWER Video Pro Editing WorkstationThe Professional... The best way we've found to think of iBUYPOWER's Video Pro system is as a well-primed canvas that is ready to accept the paint of your video projects. It's the first 64-bit Windows Vista-based system (this one happens to run Home Premium) to cross our threshold... -
Camera Support Review: Manfrotto 585 Modosteady 3-in-1 Camera Stabilization System
Aside from missing many features the bigger camcorders offer, due to the lack of real estate, these tiny cameras have the big problem of getting a steady shot. -
Software Review
Adobe Premiere Elements 7 Video Editing SoftwareLet's Test The Elements... Most beginner editors want to jump right in and start cutting up some video as soon as they can. It's not always that easy. User-friendly operation can be hard to come by when we want to make a professional-looking product. -
Camcorder Review
Canon VIXIA HG21 HD CamcorderLoad Up Your Canon! Canon's new VIXIA HG21 is a high-definition hard-disk-drive powerhouse, with 120GB of hard-drive space and a ton of exclusive Canon-only features. Prosumers rejoice: the HG21 is the perfect fit for family events, weddings and entry-level professional videography. -
Lens Adaptor Review
Redrock Micro M2 35mm Lens AdaptorGoin' Prime-Time. One of the main tools of the cinematographer's art for controlling image properties is depth of field (DOF). Briefly stated, the depth of field is the area in the frame that is in acceptably sharp focus. Knowing how to manipulate this field helps…
Feature Stories
Cameras Need Lovin' Too: Camera Maintenance and Cleaning
As a videographer or photographer, you might have multiple lenses and filters that you lug around wherever you go and change whenever the shot requires their use. Over time and even with proper storage and care, your gear begins to wear out from use.
Bags, Boxes and Backpacks
A Buyer's Guide for Your Gear
If you think all gear bags and cases are alike, think again! Bags and cases offer more choices of style, color, type, material, build, support and price than all your other gear combined. From hard cases to backpacks, there's a gear protection support case for every camera.
Editing Laptop Buyer's Guide
Imagine hopping a plane in New York with your raw footage on your laptop and arriving in London with a fully-edited video several hours later. It could happen. Laptops have largely replaced desktop PCs for most applications, and they're becoming increasingly more popular...
Digits Over the Air
The transition to digital over-the-air TV is nearly complete. So what does that mean for videographers? While most of our discussions of television are generally about either criticizing the medium as a whole or trying to get distribution for our own productions…
Departments
In box
readers' letters
Inspired by Viewfinder Column; Separation of Editorial Coverage versus Advertising; Sound Needs Consideration, Too; The World is Reading Videomaker - There are a number of contract manufacturers in Asian countries; The World is Getting Smaller; Muddy Happy Birthday Waters
Quick Focus
Viewer Beware! Don’t Get Stung by DTV Upgrade from Your Cable Company trying to take advantage... More Free Stuff! proDAD Adorage and Vitascene Effects, full starter kits... Free HD Video-Sharing Site, Motionbox is geared towards sharing, storing and editing HD video free
New Gear
hot off the presses
HP's LP2480xz DreamColor display provides a range of more than one billion colors at 30-bit; Sony's HDR-FX1000 HDV camcorder includes 24P scanning and advanced color settings; Calibrated{Q} DVCProHD Decode enables QuickTime to handle DVCPRO HD footage for playback.
