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Eye to Eye. Whats new in test and measurement 2009

The transition from analogue to digital programme production, storage and delivery lulled some innocent folk into anticipating a world without need for test equipment. If required at all, so the thinking went, all signal analysis would be performed in software. Maybe someday. For now, the T&M sector remains alive and well. The following summary out...

Submitted by Dennis Lennie

Published 01 May 2009

HD Camera Measurements and getting the most out of your c...

Recap Parts1 and 2:Parts 1 and 2 covered the theory and actual measurement of white shading, making sure that the camera non-linearities introduced by various different lens systems on a particular camera are compensated. In this issue, Part 3 will investigate setting up colourimetry and exposure as well greyscale adjustments using a waveform monit...

Submitted by Dennis Lennie

Published 01 May 2009

JVC introduces new Final Cut Pro 6

Victor Company of Japan, Ltd. (JVC) further expands its ProHD camcorder line-up by introducing two professional solid state camcorders, the industry's first to store files in the native QuickTime format for Apple's Final Cut Pro™ onto reliable and inexpensive SDHC media cards. The compact hand-held GY-HM100 3-CCD camcorder is introduced in January...

Submitted by Bob Pank#

Published 01 April 2009

Ask the Experts with True Lens Services

Why should I have a lens serviced?A camera lens is not actually a sealed unit, though it may look as though it is. When you pull focus or zoom the lens, cells of glass within it start to move which results in pressure being created on one side of the cell and a partial vacuum on the other. This vacuum will suck in the surrounding air and any airbor...

Submitted by Dennis Lennie

Published 01 April 2009

How lenses are made...in Leicester!

How lenses are made...in Leicester!A tour of the factory is a wonderful insight into the production of these instruments. We start with the raw material. With over 100 types of glass to choose from Cooke select a pre moulding depending on the lens model. GrindingWe move into the main building now and are greeted by the industrial sound of machines...

Submitted by Dennis Lennie

Published 01 April 2009

A brief history of Cooke, the UK pioneer of motion pictur...

UK manufacturing has been dwindling for years now to the frustration of many with cheaper solutions in the Far East enabling more competitive products and so on. For this reason it was so refreshing to met with the owner of Cooke Optics, Les Zellan, and take a tour of a real factory, making real products from raw material to end products – the Cook...

Submitted by Dennis Lennie

Published 01 April 2009

Eye to Eye Video acquisition and production

BVE2009 in London, February 17-19 offers UK-based programme-makers a useful opportunity to try out the latest video acquisition and production equipment ahead of NABshow2009 and its loud after-echo, IBC. The following outlines some of the new front-end kit likely to be on display at Earls Court. Cameras and camcordersARRI will be exhibiting its D-2...

Submitted by Dennis Lennie

Published 01 April 2009

Filters for HD Cinematography

The availability of low-cost HD camcorders with film-style tools, like 24 frame-per-second imaging and quality lenses, has put filmmaking capability in the hands of many. To achieve a film-style look, a director of photography can add a compliment of optical filters. Such filters can not only make color and other corrections to the image as it is s...

Submitted by Dennis Lennie

Published 01 April 2009

The SxS vs MxT Debate

We are all probably already tired of hearing the phrase ‘cutting costs’ but the reality is that ways have to be continuously found to reduce our production costs in order to stay competitive. The question is – are some savings a false economy or are they really worth it?We have been hiring out Sony’s XDCAM EX cameras for over a year and they are no...

Submitted by Dennis Lennie

Published 01 April 2009

HD Camera Measurements and getting the most out of your c...

IntroductionImage quality all starts with the correct alignment of the camera which is used to capture the scene either on location or in the studio. The conversion of light into electrical signals involves many processes which can affect the quality of the image. Understanding these various adjustments that are necessary, using a suitable camera c...

Submitted by Dennis Lennie

Published 01 March 2009

HD camera market

With the low cost HD market taking an ever firmer grip on the industry, we asked for Hireacamera Managing Director Guy Thatcher’s opinion on the changes taking place. So is anyone still hiring DV/DVCAM equipment anymore?Certainly in the area we specialise in, since the arrival of the Sony HVR-Z1E nearly four years ago, we have slowly watched the ma...

Submitted by Dennis Lennie

Published 01 March 2009

Mixing with the wildlife on Big Cat Live

A crew of 73 travelled out from the UK for 6 days of BBC’s ‘Big Cat Live’ programmes from Kenya early in October. Most of us were flown in on single engine cessnas which took us from Nairobi across the great Rift valley & down towards Tanzania. From the moment we touched down on the rough dirt & asphalt landing strip in the middle of the Masai Mara...

Submitted by Dennis Lennie

Published 01 March 2009

Fine design for post.. The IKEA story as told by EDIUS

There can be few companies in the world with greater brand awareness than Swedish-based IKEA, the business that has brought Scandinavian furniture design to the world. IKEA is now bringing its corporate history together in a series of videos and, as befits a highly design conscious company, it has chosen the Thomson Grass Valley EDIUS editing platf...

Submitted by Dennis Lennie

Published 01 March 2009

What do Location Managers do all day?

It’s a question that is often asked by my family who fondly believe I spend my time in idle chit-chat and gossip with high-powered film and media executives sipping skinny-latte Mocachinos (whatever they are!) and eating sushi. But consider the following exciting ‘James Bond’ style scenario. “Our hero and heroine are on the run, driving fast throug...

Submitted by Dennis Lennie

Published 01 March 2009

Surround Sound For HD Broadcast

While 2008 may not be fondly remembered as a classic year if you work in certain industries, it's a fascinating time to be working in video media production or broadcast television. The steady move to high-definition at all stages of the video production process, is causing the biggest shake-up in technology and working practices since the introduc...

Submitted by Dennis Lennie

Published 01 February 2009