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Turn Your Tablet Into a Teleprompter
page 50
AUGUST 2014
Bolex
In Color and Monochrome
YOUR GUIDE TO CREATING AND PUBLISHING GREAT VIDEO
Go From Dreamer to Director
Videomaker’s Directing Toolkit is designed to give you pro-level directing skills, fast!
Videomaker.com/ProDirector
is Back
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Job Client Media Type Live Trim Bleed Pubs CUPESMAR-13-075_B Canon Print 7” x 9.75” 7.75” x 10.5” 8” x 10.75” VIDEO MAKER Job info Due at 10/25 Issue: Dec Notes Art Director Copywriter Account Mgr Studio Artist Proofreader Nick Deyring None Jared Goldwasser Lauren Moise None Approvals FontsProxima Nova (Bold, Regular, Light, Light Italic,
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Wi-Fi is a registered trademark of the Wi-Fi Alliance. All other product and brand names are trademarks or service marks of their respective owners. Dual SD Card Slots with simultaneous
HD- and Web-version dual recording 35Mbps MP4 Built-in dual-band 5 GHz and 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi
Introducing the XA20, Canon’s full-featured, Wi-Fi® compatible, compact professional camcorder designed to seamlessly fi t your HD workfl ow.
Our new full HD 1920x1080 HD CMOS Imaging Sensor with high-sensitivity and wide dynamic range off ers up to 35Mbps MP4 and AVCHD recording capability, simultaneous HD- and Web-version dual recording, and slow- and fast-motion recording.
A Canon 20x High Defi nition Optical Zoom Lens with Intelligent Optical Image Stabilization enables you to capture precise and sharp video, while two phantom-powered XLR Audio Inputs with Manual Gain Control deliver accurate sound.
With built-in dual-band 5 GHz and 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi, the XA20 gives you reliable signal transport. You can also manage settings and operations remotely with its wireless control capabilities.
Find out more at pro.usa.canon.com/XA20
20X Optical Zoom Lens with IntelligentOptical Image Stabilization
Cost-eff ective shooting solution S:7” S:9.75” T:7.75” T:10.5” B:8” B:10.75” 221410_01b_CUPESMAR-13-075_B.indd 1 10/24/13 6:42 PM FullPageAD_NEWTemplate.indd 48 10/25/2013 10:50:13 AM
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Features
Columns
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58
61
64
Reviews
Digital Bolex D16 Cinema Camera By Adam Vesely Sony FDR-AX100 Camcorder By Adam Vesely Audio-Technica ATH-AG1 Headset By Ty Audronis MAGIX Video Pro X6 Editing Software By Doug Dixon Dell P2815Q Ultra HD Monitor By Ty Audronis8
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Next Month Narrative Filmmaking Shot Assist Tools Explained How to Pull the Perfect Key Make Movie Ideas a Reality Story Arc and Freytag’s Pyramid On Sale August 26, 2014Contents
Volume 29 • Number 02AUGUST 2014
Viewfinder
The New TV By Matthew York
Basic Training
DIY Tablet Teleprompter By Kyle Cassidy
Profit Making
Cash in Your Content By David G. Welton
Editing
Tune Software for Peak Performance By Chris “Ace” Gates
Lighting
The Essential Green Screen Kit By Chuck Peters
Take 5
5 Inspiration and Organization Tools for Video Editors
By Chris “Ace” Gates
Increase YouTube Visibility with
Channel Collaborations
YouTube has implemented many ways to connect with like-minded media consumers and creators of the moving image worldwide, but cross-promotion & collaboration may be the best tools yet. by Morgan Paar
Create a YouTube Studio in Your Room
There is a distinct advantage to having your own YouTube studio. It will bring a level of professionalism and sophistication to what you shoot, regardless of its square footage.
by Marshal Rosenthal
How to Create a Cable News-like
Interview Over the Web with Skype
The scenario is simple: we have an interview we’d like to conduct. The host and interviewee are far apart from each other, and travel of any sort isn’t in the budget. How should we proceed? by Peter Zunitch
Secrets to Streamline Your Workflow
While organization and creativity may not always go hand in hand, having a few assets at your disposal can help expedite the creative process and make your video production projects painless. by Dave Sniadak
www.videomaker.com
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On the Cover
Digital Bolex D16 Cinema Camera
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The New TV
Not so many years ago — recent enough that many of us can re-member — TV programming was controlled by a very small group of wealthy and influential people who owned and operated the three big TV networks, ABC, CBS and NBC. Television was anything but demo-cratic. It was very limited. The only viewpoints expressed were those of the head honchos at the big stu-dios. These elite network executives decided which programs would be produced and which would not. The idea of making TV at home was un-imaginable in that day.
Before long, over-the-air broadcast had expanded with more channels, and soon cable came on the scene. Cable TV, and subsequently satel-lite, gave viewers a far wider range of entertainment options, and exposure to more broad and varied points of view. In the 1990s we experienced the desktop revolution, when camcord-ers came into the mainstream and digitizers and capture cards allowed early adopters who were willing to crack open their computer cases to install new hardware, to edit video on their PCs. With the introduction of the DV recording format and IEEE 1394 FireWire technology, the ability to shoot and edit “broadcast quality” video, became affordable enough that many could make media at home on their computer.
Today, broadcast TV is a dinosaur that may be teetering on the brink of extinction. The new video king is online. From DVR recorders, to on-demand services like Netflix, to video distribution portals like Vimeo, the web has opened the way for anyone with a camera and an Internet con-nection to be a broadcaster. YouTube estimates that 100 hours of video are uploaded to its site every minute. According to its published statistics, more than 1 billion unique users visit YouTube each month, and more than
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6 billion hours of content are watched monthly — almost an hour for every human on earth. We have come a long way in the democratization of TV since those early days of the big three broadcasters.
Now, video is ubiquitous. Access to production equipment is no longer a hindrance to producing media. Consumer hobbyists and professional broadcasters often own and use the same equipment. History is happen-ing right now. You are part of it. We are writing a new chapter in the histo-ry of visual communication. Distribu-tion to a global audience is available to anyone online. Today, everyone is a journalist. A documentarian. An entertainer. An educator. An activist. There is an audience for every pro-gram, no matter how small the niche. As producers of media in 2014, we have the opportunity to reach an audi-ence larger than those early television executives could have imagined. The question is, what will we do with this opportunity? Inform, instruct, inspire, entertain. Join the global conversa-tion. The world is waiting to see what you’ve got.
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publisher/editor associate publisher director of content associate editor associate editor art director/photographer contributing editors director of advertising advertising representative telephone (530) 891-8410 account executive director of business development marketing marketing coordinator web analyst information systems IT assistant web developer director of finance accountant customer service /fulfillment coordinator Matthew York Patrice York Mike Wilhelm Greg Olson Jackson Wong Susan Schmierer Kyle Cassidy Chris “Ace” Gates Mark Holder Mark Levy Terry O’Rourke Isaac York Olin Smith Terra Yurkovic Joseph Ayres Jordan Claverie Seth Hendrick Jill Lutge Stephen Awe Jessica Anderson Tiffany Harness
For comments, email: [email protected], use article #17011 in the subject line.
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Go Mobile
Reading on the go? Find Videomaker on your iPhone and iPad along with apps
that help video producers on location. Go to www.videomaker.com/r/676.
The Videomaker
Community Speaks Out
QUESTION:
From Arthouse: So I have a bit of a
dilemma. I’ve recently purchased a
$8500 ‘cinema’ camera (with lenses)
and I got it on credit so I still have to
pay a lot of it back. I run a small video
production company so I can pay it
off through various client projects but
recently I’ve been approached by a
camera [rental] company who are
inter-ested in renting out our camera to their
customers in return for 50/50 split of
the rental charge. The [rental] company
has assured us that if anything were to
ever happen to the camera it would be
covered by insurance that the person
hiring the camera would be forced to
take out before being able to hire it in
the fi rst place.
I was wondering if anyone had any
ex-perience of this or any strong opinions?
What would you do?
REPLY:
From fx1shooter: I would offer my
ser-vices but NEVER rent out my bread and
butter! If something happens to it you
may have to delay a 100% paying job
because you don’t have it. If you don’t
use it sell it to the rental offi ce and tell
them if you do need it. You will rent from
them. My 2 cents worth! Keep shooting!
See more at: http://www.videomaker.
com/r/771
Controlling Depth of Field
Once you understand the power of depth-of-fi eld,
the next step is learning to control it. Find out how
use different methods to get the look you want.
http://www.videomaker.com/r/769
August 2014
What’s on Videomaker.com
Talk to us online!
Love Videomaker? Tell the world! Share your videos, fi nd extra content, talk to us! We want to know who you are.
Find us on Facebook facebook.com/VideomakerOnline Follow us on Twitter twitter.com/videomaker Catch us on YouTube youtube.com/videomaker Add us on Google+ videomaker.com/GooglePlus
....
Canon C100 VS 5D Mark III
We take the Canon C100 and the 5D Mark III out
for a spin to compare the footage and form factor,
and fi nd out which camera gives you the best bang
for the buck.
http://www.videomaker.com/r/770
Videomaker
Webinars
Videomaker has
an-nounced its upcoming
Fall/Winter schedule for
training webinars. Held
once a month, these
one-hour webinars allow
you to interact with the
Videomaker editors as
they teach essential
techniques to creating
high quality video, with
lots of time for Q&A.
Upcoming titles include:
DSLR Video Production,
Titles and Graphics For
Video, Audio for Video,
Camera Movement and
Composition and Post
Production Workfl ow.
Visit videomaker.com/
webinar for the schedule
and content details.
Correction
In the July 2014 issue of
Videomaker on page 17,
we incorrectly stated that as a weakness, the HP
Z1G2 used an mSATA SSD rather than SATA. In
real-ity our confi guration had two SATA SSDs in addition
to the mSATA SSD for boot. We regret any
inconve-niences that may have occurred due to this error.
327 D12 What's On.indd 4 6/24/2014 9:58:22 AM
VIDEOMAKER >>> AUGUST 2014
5
Sun Surveyor is the
type of app that’s
essential for location
scouting, as it tells
you exactly where the
sun or moon will be at any particular
time. Rather than going to a location at
a specific time, Sun Surveyor
empow-ers you to location-scout wherever
you want, then use your smartphone
to find out exactly where the sun
will be on the day and time you’ll be
shooting. Not only does this help you
estimate what your shadows will look
like, it may also help you take stunning
landscape time-lapse videos, using the
sun or moon in creative ways.
Quick Focus
Storehouse is a
unique app that uses
video, photos and text
to create compelling
stories, shared across
multiple devices via the app itself or a
web browser. You can think of it as a
classy digital scrapbook. Once you’ve
collected a handful of media, simply
lay it out using Storehouse’s easy to
use story editor. The final results are
extremely visually compelling stories
that really can’t be achieved on
Face-book or other, more traditional media
sharing platforms.
Adobe Voice is a
free app aimed at
creating “explainer”
videos. These are
the kinds of videos
other mobile and web apps use to
ex-plain how their service works. We’ve
all seen these before: xylophone or
ukulele music over mainly animated
graphic visuals with a easy to
un-derstand, friendly voice-over. Adobe
Voice takes the normally complex
process of creating animated video
and makes it easy, then helps you
share it via Twitter, Facebook, email or
your own website.
Storehouse
(Free, iOS)
Sun Surveyor
($6.49, Android; $6.99 iOS)
Adobe Voice
(Free, iOS)
Every month the selection
of video apps on both the
App Store and Google Play
gets better and better!
This month we look at
a range of apps, from
the highly specialist
Hoid for Android, to the
more consumer-friendly
Storehouse for iOS.
For comments, email: [email protected], use article #17376 in the subject line.
Hoid Pro is a
special-ized media player, and
the first that supports
the H.265 format. In
addition, Hoid Pro will
play back Apple ProRes and MXF files.
Obviously, this type of application isn’t
for everyone, especially considering
the price, but for pros who need to be
able to view recently compressed 4K
files or ProRes files that just came off
a cinema camera, Cinemartin's Hoid
Pro looks like a great option.
Other-wise non-Pro and Gold are available.
Other pro codecs supported include
XAVC, XAVC-S, AVCHD and more.
Hoid Pro
($13.53, Android)
327 D9 Quick Focus.indd 5 6/24/2014 2:56:31 PM
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with a screen
resolu-tion that comes in at
a sharp 2160 x 1440.
It's powered by a 4th
generation Intel Core
processor, i3, i5, or i7,
making it able to handle desktop Windows applications such
as Adobe Creative Cloud. Users can take advantage of the
Surface Pen and multi-position kickstand to express their
cre-ativity with Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and even draw masks
in Adobe After Effects. Internal storage on the Surface Pro 3
comes in options of 64GB, 128GB, 256GB and 512GB. Pricing
ranges from $799 for a Surface Pro 3 with 64 GB of storage
and an Intel i3 processor, to $1949 for a model with 512 GB
of storage and an Intel i7 processor. Microsoft has stated that
Surface Pro 3 units should begin shipping this summer.
NEW GEAR
Video Copilot MotionPulse
Some of the best videos are made great because of their
sound design. This means that one of the best tools a
video editor can have is a collection of high-quality and
useful sound effects. Big cinematic sounds are what’s
needed to create videos of epic proportions. Video Copilot,
the makers of Element 3D, Optical Flares, Action
Es-sentials 2 and more, have announced the release of their
MotionPulse Sound Design Tools.
MotionPulse Sound Design Tools is a collection of
over 2000 sound effects in 24-bit 96KHz quality, WAV
and MP3 files. Video Copilot is known for their cinematic
style products, and MotionPulse Sound Design Tools fits
in with their existing product line. The set features five
libraries: Machines, Signals, Organic, Velocity and Impact.
The sound effects contained in each library perfectly
coincides with the library’s name. Machines are well
designed, complex mechanical sounds. These
mechani-cal soundscapes are often desired, but in the past were
only found on the desktops of precision-obsessed sound
designers. Signals is filled with glitches, scratches, statics,
distortions, pulses and other electronic noises. Organic is
A Summer of Post-Production
filled with lifelike sounds, liquids, lifeforms, meat slices,
medi-cal and more. Velocity includes a variety of swishes, drones,
atmospheres and more. The featured sound effects all come
through as high quality volumetric sounds. Impact is a
collec-tion of crashes, hits, impacts debris, bass drops and trailer
hits. They’re perfect for punching up critical points in an edit.
MotionPulse Sound Design Tools are exactly what one would
expect from Video Copilot. The libraries are ideal for
trail-ers and high-energy action pieces. Each individual library is
available at $49.95. The MotionPulse BlackBox, containing all
five libraries, is available for purchase from Video Copilot as an
instant download for $149.95. Video Copilot is also offering a
bundle deal of MotionPulse BlackBox and Shockwave Particle
FX, 50 HD rendered particle elements for a price of $199.95.
Microsoft Surface Pro 3 Tablet
Computers are an ubiquitous part of any video production,
from planning in pre-production, all the way to final
finish-ing in post-production. Tablets and mobile devices have
entered into the landscape that was once occupied by
lap-tops. They’re able to accomplish many tasks but are limited
in what they can do. A tablet is great for pre-production,
scripting, storyboarding and scheduling. They’re even used
on set to slate takes and run teleprompter software, but
they’re not viewed as technology that can handle true
post-production tasks. Just like it happened with laptops, the
capabilities of tablets are changing. Microsoft announced
the forthcoming Surface 3 tablet, a tablet that is able to run
the Adobe Creative Cloud suite of applications.
The Microsoft Surface Pro 3 is a power packed tablet,
expanding on the computing power of a laptop with the
functionality of a tablet. The Surface Pro 3 is 12-inch tablet
327 D5 New Gear.indd 6 6/24/2014 9:52:02 AM
Blackmagic URSA is the world’s fi rst high end digital fi lm camera designed to revolutionize workfl ow on set. Built to handle the ergonomics of large fi lm crews as well as single person use, URSA has everything built in, including a massive 10 inch fold out on set monitor, large user upgradeable Super 35 global shutter 4K image sensor, 12G-SDI and internal dual RAW and ProRes recorders.
Super 35 Size Sensor
URSA is a true professional digital fi lm camera with a 4K sensor, global shutter and an incredible 12 stops of dynamic range. The wide dynamic range blows away regular video cameras or even high end broadcast cameras, so you get dramatically better images that look like true digital fi lm. The extra large Super 35 size allows for creative shallow depth of fi eld shooting plus RAW and ProRes means you get incredible quality!
Dual Recorders
Blackmagic URSA features dual recorders so you never need to stop recording to change media. That’s critical if you are shooting an historical event, important interview or where you just cannot stop shooting! Simply load an empty CFast card into the second recorder and when the current card is full, the recording will continue onto the second card, allowing you to change out the full card and keep shooting!
www.blackmagicdesign.com
Introducing Blackmagic URSA, the world’s fi rst
user upgradeable 4K digital fi lm camera!
User Upgradeable Sensor
Blackmagic URSA features a modular camera turret that can be removed by unscrewing 4 simple bolts! The camera turret includes the sensor, lens mount and lens control connections and can be upgraded in the future when new types of sensors are developed. This means your next camera will be a fraction of the cost of buying a whole new camera! Choose professional PL mount, popular EF mount and more!
Built in On Set Monitoring!
Say goodbye to bulky on set monitors because you get a massive fold out 10 inch screen built into Blackmagic URSA, making it the world’s biggest viewfi nder! The screen is super bright and features an ultra wide viewing angle. URSA also includes two extra 5” touch screens on both sides of the camera showing settings such as format, frame rate, shutter angle plus scopes for checking levels, audio and focus!
Blackmagic URSA PL Blackmagic URSA EF $
5,995
$6,495
Blackmagic URSA PL Blackmagic URSA EF5,995
Blackmagic URSA EF FullPageAD_NEWTemplate.indd 48 6/17/2014 9:03:40 AMpage 6
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REVIEWS
by Adam Vesely
D16: $3,300, D16M: $4,000
Bolex is back!
Digital Bolex
D16 Cinema
Camera
Digital Bolex
www.digitalbolex.com
STRENGTHS• Decent dynamic range
• Robust codec
• Inexpensive lenses
• Solid construction
WEAKNESSES
• Lackluster built-in LCD Monitor
• Noisy high-iso performance
• Limited documentation
I
n March 2012, Joseph Rubinstein started the Digital Bolex campaign on Kickstarter to create a camera that would bring the charm and desired look of 16mm film to the digital age using a Super 16-sized sensor and a RAW-based codec that helps preserve image fidelity. That Kickstarter campaign was a great success, and nearly two years later the Digital Bolex D16 Cinema Camera came to the market for those looking for the nostalgia of working with 16mm cam-eras without the hassle of using actual film. Everything from the form factor to the sensor choice comes together tocreate an unusual blend of the old and the new, providing an opportunity for those willing to work with something that is a little different than what the mainstream camcorder market is offer-ing. The big question is, can a camcord-er that is designed to emulate a specific look and feel be useful for a variety of cinematography needs?
Going Retro
If you are going to create a product with a retro design, the first thing that is always appreciated is consistency. Digital Bolex has done a fantastic job with this. Everything from the exterior design of the D16 and it's packaging, to the cool and hip marketing mate-rial on the Digital Bolex website has a cool, hip vibe that attracts the eye. The 2K CCD sensor, working in conjunc-tion with the Cinema DNG RAW codec, completes the package by creating a 16mm film-like look with up to 12 stops of dynamic range.
The D16 has a unique teardrop shape that tapers toward the back, and
most of the buttons and controls have no labeling to detract from the mini-malistic design. The detachable pistol grip, which includes a recording trig-ger, blends in perfectly with the D16’s design and provides a pretty comfort-able operating mode for handheld shots. The lens features a C-Mount, which uses a threaded connector rather than a bayonet system like most modern mounts. On the top is a cold shoe mount for accessories, a small LCD monitor for settings and video monitoring, and basic function buttons for accessing the settings menu and to start or stop recording.
One interesting aspect of the D16 is the fan vents on the very front, which allow hot air to be expelled from the camera body by a small multi-speed fan. The left side features a second cold shoe mount, two XLR inputs with phantom power, 4-pin 12V power input and output, and 1/8-inch headphone and composite video out-puts. On the right side you’ll find two cranks, one smaller than the other, that can be used to control various camera settings and two small knobs for controlling the audio recording levels. On the back, below the control buttons, there is a small media door that reveals two CompactFlash slots as
327 C5 Digital Bolex D16.indd 8 6/24/2014 2:57:29 PM
VIDEOMAKER >>> AUGUST 2014
9
TECH SPECS
Sensor Size/Type: Super 16-sized CCD
Video Format: 12-bit Adobe Cinema
DNG (RAW)
Resolution/Frame Rate: 2K (24/30),
1080p (24/30), 720p (24/30/60), 480p
(24/30/60/90)
Recording Media: Internal 256/512GB
SSD and Dual CF slots
Display Size/Resolution: 2.4"
320x240
Lens Mount: C
lightweight and can be found fairly cheap these days.
Operating the D16 handheld and being able to squeeze the trigger on the pistol grip to start and stop recording felt very natural and is a nice feature to have when grabbing quick shots that don’t need the stability of a tripod. The grip is easily removable and attaching a tripod plate in its place is just as easy. The small internal fan eventually fired up between shots but is set by default to turn off when recording is started. When the recording stops, it will start back up if the internals need cooling.
We started to shoot some footage of the surrounding grass, ponds, and trees. One thing became quite apparent when shooting with the D16: make sure you have an external field monitor with you for focusing and setting exposure! We used the internal LCD monitor, which has an adjustable angle of about 5-10 degrees, has a very low resolution and has fairly poor viewing angles. These factors lead to some of our test footage being slightly soft in focus and some shots were overexposed. Attaching something like a Zacuto EVF solves this problem, but be prepared to factor that cost into the cost of the camera, be-cause external monitoring is essential.
The internal LCD monitor is OK for changing settings or checking your shooting parameters, but should prob-ably not be used as your main monitor-ing source when shootmonitor-ing.
While shooting with the D16, you’ll have to adjust a lot of settings before each shot, as everything is set manu-ally. You won’t find anything that is automatic on the D16, so easy access to ISO, white balance and audio levels is a must for proper use. The D16 has two crank wheels on the side that can each be set to adjust one of many available settings including ISO, shutter angle, white balance and headphone levels. The clicky feel of the crank wheels made them a delight to adjust, but the D16 often lagged behind when adjust-ing the parameter assigned to the crank
Digital Bolex
D16 Cinema Camera
Roll Film
To put the D16 through its paces, we ventured out to a small community park in the California foothills on a bright, sunny day. The harsh sunlight and bright colors created a lot of contrast be-tween lit and shady areas, so this was a great location to test the dynamic range of the Super 16 CCD sensor.
We had four lenses to use with our D16: a 10mm fixed f/4, a 10mm f/2.8, a 25mm f/0.85 and a 50mm f/1.4. We also had a gradual neutral density filter we could use in place of adjusting the aperture for bright scenes. Three of the lenses had focus rings, but the 10mm f/2.8 did not and could only be focused
by actually unscrewing the lens little by little on the mount itself. This proved to be a somewhat precarious proposition, as we were operating handheld at first and hav-ing the lens not solidly mounted created a sense of impending doom that was difficult to ignore. The other lenses worked as you would expect on any other camera that uses fully manual lenses. On the positive side, C Mount lenses are small, well as a USB 3.0 connector for
trans-ferring files to a computer. The D16 has a very solid build quality and is much heavier than it ap-pears. Weighing in at 8lb. without the pistol grip, the D16 is very dense and can get a bit heavy when operating handheld for an extensive period of time. The control surfaces are placed in appropriate locations for easy ac-cess while shooting, although it can be difficult to see the monitor on top and adjust settings if you are shooting using a tripod at head height. Overall, the smooth curves and classic looks make the D16 one the most unique looking cameras available.
Audio/video I/O and side-panel cold shoe
Included Lens: None
Audio In: XLR Inputs (2)
Audio Out: 1/8" Headphone
Video Out: HDMI, 1/8" Composite
Other Interface: USB 3.0, 12/V 4 pin XLR
In/Out
Shutter Range: 45°-360°
Shot Assist: Aspect ratio guides, zoom
for focus
ISO Range: 100-800
Battery: Non-removable, 4-hour life
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SUMMARYThe Digital Bolex D16 and D16M
Cinema Cameras are solid options
for cinematographers that want full
manual image control and enjoy
working with a form factor similar to
the 16mm film cameras of yesteryear.
Adam Vesely is a videographer/director of photography and a still photographer in Northern Calif.
For comments, email: [email protected], use article #17006 in the subject line.
wheel. It also was not clear how much turning was required to adjust a setting. If you turned the crank one click, noth-ing changed, but turn too many clicks, and you’ll pass the setting you actually wanted. This imprecision made the crank wheels a little fiddly to use, but they worked OK for the most part.
There are a few other quick-access features to help get things ready for shooting. You also can press the Enter button to zoom in the video to 100 percent and move the zoomed in section around to help with focusing. You can also press the Display button to turn on a set of helpful overlays with common aspect ratios or turn the monitor off completely.
The audio levels have dedicated control knobs, which are used to ad-just each channel individually. There is no built in microphone, so you must use an external mic through the two XLR ports to record any audio. For-tunately, the audio interface captures clean, 24-bit 96kHz audio, which sounded good from our small shot-gun mic. The headphone jack can be used to monitor the sound, but if you are recording using one channel, the audio will only come out of the left or right headphone and not both.
One small point of contention with using the D16 is that you must dis-cover some things on your own as the
documentation provided is very limited. There is only an eight page quick-start guide available on the Digital Bolex website at time of writing. There were a few settings for the LCD monitor that we wanted clarification on, so we visited the website to look for the full user manual. Where there should be a link to download a full user manual, there are the words, “Coming Soon.” It would definitely be nice to have a full manual available that documents every feature and setting for users that may not be familiar with all the terms used in advanced video production.
In the Cutting Room
The D16 records using the Adobe Cin-ema DNG codec, which uses about 5GB of disk space per minute of footage. This robust codec plays a large role in providing the increased latitude and flexibility you have with the footage in your editing software. Before you can bring the Cinema DNG files into your editing software, they must be pro-cessed first by intermediary software in which you can adjust basic param-eters of the footage including the color temperature and color profiles that are applied. Once this step is done, the footage can be edited similarly to many other professional codecs.
The CCD sensor in the D16 uses a global shutter, which doesn’t produce any rolling shutter or Jell-O effects when panning the camera rapidly. This is nice to see in a world full of CMOS sensors, which are commonly afflicted with this behavior. However, CCD sensors can be affected by very bright sources of light and can cause strange vertical lines to appear when the pixels get “hot” and overflow into their re-spective columns. The dynamic range shown in our test footage was very good, showing detail in both bright and dark areas of the frame. Footage shot in low light using the maximum ISO setting (800) generated a high level of digital noise, but this can be used to en-hance the 16mm film look, if desired.
Digital Bolex also created a mono-chrome camera, the D16M, which is
identical in design to the D16 except for the sensor. The CCD sensor in the D16M only captures luminance values, which results in a cleaner im-age with less digital noise than one captured with a full color sensor. Our test footage from the D16M had a smooth, pure quality that looks much more satisfying than desaturated color footage, and the image is very clear of digital noise. All the highlights have a slight glow to them and the overall ef-fect the monochrome sensor provides is quite impressive. If you are inter-ested in shooting in black and white often, the D16M is definitely a camera you should check out.
It’s in the can!
The D16 and D16M Cinema Cameras are certainly interesting diversions from the mainstream camera market. There are some quirks involved in operating them, but the results you get are worth the trouble. Both of these cameras provide a unique form factor and sensor combination that produces a specific quality and expe-rience similar to working with a Super 16 film camera. There is also some-thing attractive about working with a fully manual camera that lets you do exactly what you want to the image. Whether it is for nostalgic purposes or simply to take advantage of the ad-vanced codec and pure image quality, the D16 and D16M Cinema Cameras will be attractive to cinematographers that are looking for something differ-ent than the usual suspects.
Digital Bolex
D16 Cinema Camera
REVIEWS
CompactFlash slots and USB 3.0 connection
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REVIEWS
by Adam Vesely
$2,000
4K Goes Mini
Sony
FDR-AX100
Handycam
Camcorder
Sony Electronics Inc.
www.sony.com
STRENGTHS
• Large sensor
• Built-in ND filters
• Built-in adjustable viewfinder
• Excellent feel/build quality
WEAKNESSES
• Excessive rolling shutter at telephoto
• Non-standard hot shoe design
• Only one memory card slot
• Battery charges on camera
S
ony’s Handycam line has been around since 1985 and a lot has changed since then. In this new digital age, things seem to get smaller, faster and less-expensive at an unprecedented rate. With the 4K revolution in full swing, professionals and consumers alike are clamoring to get their hands on equipment that takes advantage of the extra resolution and detail that 4K footage provides.One of the biggest issues prevent-ing more widespread adoption of 4K is fact that most 4K equipment
is expensive and usually has a steep learning curve to operate. Also, most high-end 4K camcorders record at very high bitrates, which require more media storage, further increasing costs. Sony’s FDR-AX100 Handycam camcorder fills the gap between pro-fessional and affordable, recording 4K UHD video, using the efficient XAVC-S codec and is not much larger than Sony’s previous flagship Handycam models. The price point and ease of use helps to lower the barriers of en-try for consumers and professionals to start using 4K workflows while seeing all the benefits it can provide.
Mini 4K
The FDR-AX100 is in Sony’s Handycam line, which is traditionally aimed at consumers, but this camcorder has an appearance that oozes professionalism. The “4K” emblem proudly gleaming on the side announces the headline fea-ture and the whole body looks fantas-tic. The high quality finish and texture gives off a professional vibe and the camcorder is well-balanced for a great feel in hand. Keep in mind that this is not a camcorder that will fit in your pocket, and nor would you want it to. Tipping the scales at 2lb., the FDR-AX100 is definitely at the high-end of
the Sony’s Handycam line in size and weight, but it is still small and light compared to Sony’s larger professional 4K camcorders. The lens hood and cover on the front are solid and can be easily removed and installed.
Holding the FDR-AX100 with the built-in strap is comfortable and the controls for taking photos, starting, stopping recording and enabling the focus magnifier are within easy reach. There is a variable zoom rocker on top that is easily operable with the gripping hand. On the back is an articulating and flippable viewfinder and controls for the three built-in ND filters, including an auto-enable switch. The battery is mounted far enough from the tripod mount that it can still be removed when attached to most small-to-medium-sized tripod plates. On the left, you’ll find the 3.5-inch LCD touch display and below it, are buttons to enable manual modes for iris, gain/ISO, and shutter speed. There is a small dial toward the front to manipulate settings while they're set to manual mode. Above the manual dial is an auto/manual focus button and a switch to change the large lens ring between control-ling focus or zoom. When the LCD display is open, it reveals a single SD/
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magnification button, you are asked to touch the area of the screen you want magnified and even after magnifica-tion, there are arrow buttons to move the area of magnification around the frame. The autofocus worked pretty well most of the time, but there were occasions when we zoomed the lens out to the widest setting while panning and the camcorder would stay out-of-focus for several seconds before snap-ping back in. The FDR-AX100 features zebra stripes and peaking settings to help with adjusting focus manually and getting proper exposure levels.
The FDR-AX100 features three built-in ND filters which help greatly when you are outdoors and want to use lower f-stop values in bright light. They can be set manually or there is an auto-matic function that will engage them when the smallest aperture is reached and the exposure is still too bright. The automatic ND filters worked pretty well in our testing, although there is a slight flicker to the image when the filter engages. The lens also features Sony’s SteadyShot image stabilization which definitely helped reduce jitter and vibrations when walking with the cam-era or when using the telephoto end of the zoom. However, when standing still, we saw the image stabilization exhibit some odd behavior, snapping to and fro rather than gently gliding as most optical image stabilization does. This was only noticeable at the long end of the zoom lens, but it is
some-Sony
FDR-AX100
don’t need while recording. The menu system itself is a bit difficult to navigate as it is organized into unexpected cate-gories. It is also frustrating that you can go three levels deep in the menu sys-tem, make a selection on one setting, then get kicked all the way back to the top level of the menus, having to drill back down if you wanted to change a second setting in the same area. There is an adjustable viewfinder that is sharp and bright. The viewfind-er can be used for critical focus and is perfect for when you don’t want to disturb others with the brightness of the LCD display.
The Zeiss lens and Exmor CMOS sensor combination on the FDR-AX100 produce a picture that is sharp and full of vibrant color. The relatively large sensor helps to create a shallower depth of field when used at the lesser f-stop values of the lens. The lens has a 12x optical zoom, which is controlled by a variable rocker on the grip. The rocker button is little and has a small amount of travel, so it requires a deli-cate touch if you want to zoom slowly. While the image is very clear at all fo-cal lengths, it should be noted that we saw some pretty serious rolling shutter skewing when panning at moderate speeds while zoomed in. The lens ring has just the right amount of resistance
and works very well for controlling focus and zoom. We found it to be more valuable to control focus, as the zoom rocker works better for smooth zoom movement. Focus can be made easi-er using the focus magnification fea-ture which takes advantage of the LCD touch screen wonderfully. After pressing the MS card slot and buttons for switching
to playback mode, enabling NightShot, and changing picture parameters. On the top there is a built-in 5.1-channel surround microphone and a hot shoe for mounting powered accessories.
Overall, the FDR-AX100 does an ex-cellent job of fitting all of its features into a small and substantial chassis that is easy to hold and operate.
Performance
We took the FDR-AX100 out to shoot the flowers and plant life that spring has brought about and we were very impressed by what we saw. The 3.5-inch LCD panel has a high resolution and is easy to see when facing direct sunlight. The LCD display is also a touch screen, which is used to navigate the menu system and make changes to the configuration. On the home screen, there are touch buttons for starting recording and zooming, as well as a plethora of icons indicating the various settings of the FDR-AX100. Some of these settings only show up momen-tarily when first starting the camcorder, but a press anywhere on the screen will bring them back and they can be touched directly to bring up options for that function. This works pretty well, as it leaves your display uncluttered with settings information that you
Controls beneath LCD and SD card slot
Focus magnifier
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SUMMARYThe Sony FDR-AX100 blurs the line
between professional and consumer
camcorders and does so at an
aggressive price point. It is small,
easy to use, and relatively affordable.
It also has a large sensor, a great
lens and tons of manual controls.
Adam Vesely is a videographer/director of photography and still photographer.
For comments, email: [email protected], use article #17102 in the subject line.
Sony
FDR-AX100
REVIEWS
thing to note if you plan on relying on telephoto handheld shots.
One of the best things about the FDR-AX100 are the manual adjustment controls which allow you to control the iris, gain and shutter speed individual-ly. After pressing one of these buttons, you use the small manual dial to adjust the setting. If you’d like to change a dif-ferent setting, simply press that button, then adjust it with the dial. There is also a Manual button that can be long-pressed to assign settings including exposure and white balance. This setup for manual adjustments worked pretty well for us when we got the hang of it, but you have to be careful to see which function you are currently manually adjusting before you press any buttons. If you press the button for the currently selected setting, you can accidentally kick the setting back to automatic, which could ruin your shot.
The FDR-AX100 features a 1-inch sensor and performs pretty well in low-light, but gain can be added when there isn’t enough light to properly expose
the image. Adding gain also adds noise to the picture, but it isn’t very distract-ing and doesn’t affect the color levels as much as we’ve seen in other camcord-ers that are similar in size and price. There is also the NightShot feature, which uses an infrared emitter to see in total darkness, though the color is heav-ily affected. It's worth mentioning that the lens hood should be removed when using this feature as it casts a shadow on your subject when using the infrared emitter to illuminate your scene.
There is a built-in 5.1 channel sur-round microphone that has several manual settings that are usually found in more expensive, professional cam-corders. There are settings to control the audio levels manually, reduce wind noise, make the microphone behave more directional and even try to cancel out the voice of the camera operator. It should be noted that the 5.1 channel recording is only available when using AVCHD; XAVC-S modes record in stereo.
One interesting feature of the FDR-AX100 is the built-in Wi-Fi capability that allows you to transfer video clips to your mobile device for instant sharing or use your mobile device as a remote control. In order to transfer video clips, you have to have enabled the Dual Recording feature which produces low bitrate MP4 files, in addition to the full-size video files when the camcorder is recording. The Sony PlayMemories Mobile app is available for both Android and iOS and is free to download.
While our experience with the FDR-AX100 was mostly pleasant, there are a few issues that keep it from being per-fect. The first thing would be to include an adapter for the recessed, non-stan-dard hot shoe so that you can attach third-party accessories like a field monitor or an external microphone. The FDR-AX100 has one media card slot, but it would be nice to have two for being able to record continuously from one card to another or record-ing to both simultaneously for backup purposes. Perhaps the biggest issue we encountered during our testing was that the FDR-AX100 froze up a couple
times when changing resolutions and frame rates. This left the top half of the screen garbled and required us to remove and reconnect the battery to get the camcorder to function again. Is-sues like this may already be addressed with firmware updates, but we thought it was worth mentioning.
The Bottom Line
Sony’s FDR-AX100 is a product that blurs the line between professional and consumer equipment and does so in a way that favors both groups. It still feels like a Handycam, but behaves more like a professional cam-corder. If you are looking to jump on the 4K bandwagon but want to get a camcorder that is versatile enough to be used in both a casual and profes-sional capacity, we highly recommend looking into the Sony FDR-AX100 Handycam camcorder.
TECH SPECS
Sensor Size/Type: 1.0"
back-illumi-nated Exmor R CMOS
Video Format: XAVC-S (UHD/HD),
AVCHD (HD)
Resolution/Frame Rate: 3840x2160
(24p, 30p), 1920x1080 (24p, 30p, 60i,
60p), 1440x1080 (60i), 1280x720 (30p)
Recording Media: SD/SDHC/SDXC card,
Memory Stick PRO Duo/XC-HG Duo
Display Size/Resolution: 3.5"
1920x480 LCD monitor
Optical Zoom: 12x
Lens: 9.3-111.6mm f/2.8-4.5 Zeiss
Vario-Sonnar T* Lens
Audio In: 1/8" (3.5mm)
Audio Out: 1/8" (3.5mm)
Video Out: HDMI
Other Interface: Multi/Micro USB
ter-minal
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REVIEWS
by Ty Audronis
$300
Best Gaming
Headphones Ever?
Audio-Technica
ATH-AG1
Headset
Audio Technica
www.audio-technica.com/
STRENGTHS• Comfortable headband
• Impressive looks
• Included USB DAC
WEAKNESSES
• Short cable
• High price
• Poor seal around the ears
• Average sound quality
T
he specifications of the ATH-AG1 headphones are impressive for sure. Even some DJ headphones don’t have the specs these headphones have. Bass response down to 5Hz, and an upper-range to 35,000 Hz. Compare that to an average studio monitor at 56Hz-22,000Hz, and you can’t wait to hear what the headset can do. The massive 53mm driver units definitely fit a bass-head’s specifications, and you immediately imagine that you wouldn’t so much be using a headset as put-ting your head between two powerful speakers. With a closed-back design, and soft, huge, cushy ear pads; a seal should be formed around your ears and produce mind-numbing bass, and block out most outside noise. Really, by the specifications alone, they should sound spectacular. The reality is, when you consider the price, the sound qual-ity is just OK. At $300, Audio-Technica clearly had to make a compromise between the speakers and the mic.The marketing claims they are an audiophile gamer dream. The unfortunate reality is that the ATH-AG1 doesn’t sound any better than
the Sony Hi-Res Stereo Headphones that sport a list price of only $150, and significantly lower quality than the $180 Sennheiser HD 558. OK, so those are prosumer headphones, and don’t have microphones, so let’s look at something more in the gaming market. The top-of-the-line headset we found is the $250 Ear Force Z Seven by Turtle Beach. The specifica-tions aren’t as nice, but the cans fit more snugly around the ears, and thus the bass response of the speak-ers sounds much better (and are a bass head dream).
The ATH-AG1 headset does have good speakers, and you can hear the massive bass response, but it doesn’t sound very bassy. When tested using a boom sound on an 808 drum kit from a Roland Fantom synthesizer, it becomes really evident. An 808 boom is that very bassy kick drum sound that is so common in pop music that it’s even referred to in the song “Like a G6”. The 808 sounded more like a toy. Why? Because without a good seal around your ears, the sound escapes, and although the low frequency
response range allows the bass to be heard, it doesn’t move enough air to resonate on your eardrums. This is why custom in-ear monitors are desir-able. They don’t have huge drivers, but the seal in your ear lets you hear bass. This sound leakage is probably because Audio-Technica went with a traditional round-design for the cans instead of over the ear headphones with an oval design. With the right seal around your ears, even an open-back headphone (like the Sennheiser) will generate a better bass sound. If they were priced around $100, the
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Form Factor: Headset
Frequency Response: 5Hz-35,000Hz
Maximum Input Power: 1,000 mW
Connectors: USB, 1/8" (3.5mm) Stereo
Cord Length: 3.3' (1m) + 6.6' (2m)
adapter cable
Transducer Type: Condenser
Pickup Pattern: Cardioid
Mute Switch: Yes
Impedance: 38 ohms
Sensitivity: 100dB/mW
SUMMARY
At a price of $300 you'd expect it to
be the best headset ever. What the
ATH-AG1 delivers feels like
compro-mised sound quality to make up for
exceptional comfort and a decent
microphone.
Ty Audronis is a professional in the television and film industry. He’s scored many productions, and worked as a sound designer in award-winning productions. For comments, email: [email protected], use article #17533 in the subject line.
sound card with only the standard 1/8-inch plugs.
Another point of strangeness, the headphones came with one audio cable extension cord. Well, they call it an extension, but it’s really an adapter. The headphones themselves use a standard 1/8-inch, 4-ring plug to couple the stereo headphones and the microphone to one plug. The adapter has one 3-ring headphone plug and one 3-ring mic plug. So, if your USB port is more than 3 feet away, you’re out of luck to plug into the USB DAC.
Should you buy them?
Really, they’re not bad headphones. It’s not a terrible microphone. Sure the audio cables are a bit strange and the DAC can cause some conflicts on your system. Often with headsets, you either have great headphones with a terrible mic or a great mic with terrible head-phones. Neither is the case with the ATH-AG1. However, when compared to anything within $150 of the price point, the headphones on the ATH-AG1 are either merely equalled, or vastly outclassed. They do look impressive. The initial impression when you see them is “whoa.” And putting them on does honestly feel incredibly comfort-able, other than the leather cups that make your ears sweat. The ATH-AG1 doesn’t weigh down your head, the mic is out of the way, and the mute but-ton is convenient. But $300? We were expecting a bit more for our dollar.
Audio-Technica
ATH-AG1
suited for high-fidelity capture, but for YouTube gaming commentary, it’s definitely usable. When compar-ing the quality of the mic to another gaming headset, the Steel Series Sibe-ria V2, the ATH-AG1 was notably bet-ter. The saving grace is that the mic is far enough away from your mouth to eliminate plosives, i.e., the popping sounds caused by your breath. Luck-ily there is a mute button for the mic in a convenient, but not bumpable spot. So, screaming out expletives can be held back from your team-mates in games.
The only complaint we had on the ergonomics of the ATH-AG1 headset was moving the mic out of the way. The pivot-point of the mic is a bit rough, and moves it up to a 45-degree angle. This puts the mic up on your eye. The only way to really move the mic out of the way is to move the flexible tube the mic is attached to. To move the mic out of the way, we'd prefer to not have to deform the mic post. With the ATH-AG1 headset, you do have to deform the mic post.
The USB DAC
The USB DAC is truly plug and play. We tried this on a Dell XPS 8300 with Windows 7 64-bit. Within a few sec-onds of plugging in the USB DAC, the headphones were ready to go. However, after a day of use, a previously stable machine was suddenly crashing on the
dreaded “blue screen of death” — even at idle. Upon investiga-tion, the crashes were triggered by the existing sound card. After remov-ing the sound card’s driver, the crashes went away. With some cards you may be stuck using the USB DAC as your sound card, or using your sound these headphones generate
would be more than acceptable.
How’s the mic?
We tried this headset with games from “Call of Duty” to the R/C flight simula-tor “RealFlight 7.” In all the games we asked people how we sounded over the mic. The response was a resound-ing “um... OK I guess.” Skype, Face-Time, WebEx — all the same: “so-so” response. On recording (Pro Tools), it wasn’t passable as a professional voice-over mic, nor for any singing, though we wouldn't expect it to. We wouldn’t advise anything but a studio condenser mic for voice-overs, but this is
Video-maker, so we had to try, right? With a frequency response of 100Hz-12,000Hz, the mic really isn’t
The ATH-AG1's nicely-placed mute button TECH SPECS
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REVIEWS
by Doug Dixon
$400
($15 disc optional)Pro Value
MAGIX
Video
Pro X6
MAGIX
pro.magix.com
STRENGTHS• Professional editing
• Proxy editing, multi-cam, 4K, 3D, title
editor, color corrector
• Edit nested sequences as objects
WEAKNESSES
• Missing some pro features such as
RED support, closed captions
• DVCPRO25/50/HD and AVC-Intra
codec require additional fee
• Limited optimization for variety of
GPUs
Y
ou may know MAGIX in the U.S. for its broad selection of consum-er software for movie and music cre-ation, photo and graphic design, and website creation. From a broader view, MAGIX has branches across North America and Europe, and is the multi-media software leader in Germany.MAGIX has a similar portfolio of professional software tools, including Samplitude Pro X for audio recording, mixing and mastering, Xara Designer Pro X9 for graphic and image design, and MAGIX Video Pro X6.
MAGIX positions Video Pro X6 as a pro level video editing tool at $399. It’s a significant step up from MAGIX Movie Edit Pro and other consumer video edit-ing tools, but with a traditional interface that should be familiar and comfort-able when escaping the limitations of consumer tools. It’s strong enough with 64-bit performance, tools and special effects to satisfy the needs of small production companies such as wedding videographers or smaller broadcast sta-tions. You might think of it as occupying the middle ground between consumer and pro, something like Apple’s now-discontinued Final Cut Express.
So how does Video Pro X6 stand up to pro-level expecta-tions? The best way to find out is to take a tour through the application, highlighting its new and more distinc-tive features.
What’s New
The big news for Video Pro X6 is the move to full native 64-bit support, with an optimized video engine for the Intel Core i7 and new H.264 and audio codecs and GPU acceleration for AVCHD export. With the additional 64-bit headroom, this version has also expanded support for Ultra HD and 4K including editing and export presets. It also adds two 64-bit effects plug-ins: proDAD Mercalli V2 to stabilize shaky videos and Red Giant Magic Bullet Quick Looks templates.
The most impressive new editing feature is support for nested sequenc-es. You can choose an entire video sequence and embed it as a movie object in a project so it can be directly edited with effects and animations. The effects section has also been redesigned, and the important video effects have been GPU-optimized, including an HDR effect.
In addition to usability improvements like better editing handles and keyframe
ease in/out, Video Pro X6 also adds four new measuring instruments to precisely monitor your video: Vectorscope to calibrate and check color tint, Wave-form Monitor to check levels, Histogram to correct over/under-exposure and RGB parade to analyze the brightness distribution of individual colors. These are GPU optimized to support real-time operation up to 4K resolution.
Input and Formats
The first test of pro-level video tools is support for a broad range of devices
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TECH SPECSOS: Microsoft Windows 7 and greater
Minimum CPU: Dual core processor
with 2.0GHz (Quad-core processor
rec-ommended)
Minimum RAM: 2GB
Space for Installation: 2GB
Graphics/VRAM: Yes with resolution of
at least 1280x1024
License Restrictions: None to note
Requires Internet Connection: On
activation
SUMMARY
MAGIX Video Pro X6 video editing
software offers professional
produc-tion starting at $400. It’s fully 64-bit,
with support for 4K and pro cameras,
and full of features including
multi-cam editing, stabilization and scalable
proxy editing. Additional bonuses, like
nested sequences, make it even more
interesting.
Doug Dixon covers digital media at Manifest-Tech.com. For comments, email: [email protected], use article #17100 in the subject line.
Video Pro X6 supports the Virtual-Dub plug-in format (.vdf) for effects, as well as proDAD VitaScene and Adorage. The general audio effects are augmented with echo/reverb, timestretch/resample, and tools for audio cleaning.
Rendering and Export
While Video Pro X6 can import and edit a variety of professional camera formats, its export is focused on tra-ditional file, device, and Web formats. It exports to the standard PC-based video editing file formats, including AVI, WMV (HD), QuickTime and MPEG variants to H.264.
It also transfers to digital camcord-ers, VHS recorders and mobile devices. And it provides disc authoring for DVD, AVCHD and Blu-rays with menus and chapters. For playback online, you can upload directly to YouTube, Vimeo, MAGIX Online Album and
showfy.com, or output as a Flash video
for a website.
Pro Video
After taking a tour of MAGIX Video Pro X6, you can see that it stands up well in providing many professional video editing features and flexibility at a mid-range price. If you’re stepping up from consumer tools, you’ll find that the interface is familiar and com-fortable but without the limitations and restrictions.
MAGIX
Video Pro X6
REVIEWS
fied basic editing mode corresponding to Movie Edit Pro, with a drag-and-drop storyboard interface. The full, standard interface then provides dual program and source preview monitors above the timeline, with a media pool window for accessing content and effects and a project folder window to stash and prepare material.
The timeline also offers a scene overview mode for quick organiza-tion and rearranging, and a multi-cam mode with up to nine source tracks and automatic audio synchronization.
You can drag and drop to arrange content on the timeline, with options to move and group clips across one or all tracks. Other tools include time stretching and gap search to find areas of black frames, plus a built-in title editor with templates.
For audio, there are advanced op-tions to automatically recognize tempo to help you adjust video cuts to the beat of a music track, a real-time multi-channel mixer that supports 5.1 sur-round sound, and a soundtrack mixer to automatically create soundtracks for various moods.
Effects
The media pool tabs provide access to a wide variety of transitions and effects. The collection also includes design elements including collages, backgrounds and intros/outros.
You can load, save and copy effects as your own presets. Then add key-frames to adjust the effect parameters
over time, or use the effects curve overlaying the clip in the time-line to adjust and copy the anima-tion. You also can apply effects masks per param-eter to modulate the result of the effect based on the intensity of the mask. and formats, from Ultra HD consumer
cameras to professional cameras. Video Pro X6 stands up very well here, with support for standard SD and HD video formats including AVCHD (progressive), H.264, ProRes, DNxHD, XDCAM, NXCAM, DVCPRO and AVC-Intra (although these last two require an activation fee of $70).
Video Pro X6 also supports current DSLRs, and is optimized for popular models including the Canon EOS 5D Mark III, Canon EOS 7D, Panasonic LUMIX DMC-GH3, and Olympus OM-D cameras. And it provides 3D import, editing and export.
Editing
For getting your work done, Video Pro X6 provides a traditional editing interface design in a muted grey look. To help new users, it offers a
simpli-Color correction interface
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VIDEOMAKER >>> AUGUST 2014
19
REVIEWS
by Ty Audronis
$700
4K for Well Under $1K
Dell
P2815Q
Ultra HD
Monitor
Dell
www.dell.com
STRENGTHS• Excellent price point
• Great picture
• Lightweight
• Thin frame
WEAKNESSES
• Low refresh rate
• Software interfaces don't scale well
4
K movies have made media profes-sionals excited over the last few years. Now that prices have come down on 4K cameras, and technol-ogy has gotten better for post with a new plethora of 4K monitors, faster computers and better storage; it’s time to step up to the plate and get ready to add 4K movies to the average post production workflow. But, just as it was when the standards switched to HD from SD, 4K movies can be a minefield of buzzwords, resolution hedging, poor frame rates and shallow color space. Dell introduces their 4K moni-tor, the 28-inch P2815Q; painstakingly designed for post-production, and at a relatively reasonable price. Is it a viable monitor for the video professional?What is 4K anyway?
Unlike HD, which is measured in vertical lines (i.e. 1080p is 1920x1080 progressive), 4K is measured in hori-zontal space. 4K can be anywhere from 3,800 to 4,100 pixels, going across an image horizontally. For instance, a GoPro HERO3: Black Edition can shoot 3840x2160 and 4096x2160, while a RED ONE shoots at 4096x2304. Each is technically considered 4K video, but have a fair difference in pixel counts. The Dell P2815Q follows the standard of 3840x2160. To Dell’s credit, they don’t
mention 4K in any of their literature. In-stead, Dell uses the “Ultra HD” moniker.
Drilling Into the Specs
Let’s be fair, this is a beautiful screen. The colors are rich, the blacks are black and the design is great. With that out of the way, it could be a tad better. The 30Hz refresh rate at full resolu-tion, and the 5ms response time can certainly be improved. But remember, this is a 28-inch 4K monitor priced at well under $1,000. Contrast that with the HP ZR2740w (2560x1440) at $900, and it’s a great value. Also, that 28-inch rating doesn’t get cropped off by the frame around the screen; it’s truly a 28-inch viewable area. Great contrast — 1000:1 — and perfect viewing angles — 170-degrees horizontal, 160-degrees vertical — won’t leave you playing musical chairs with your client for opti-mal viewing and the anti-glare coating doesn’t affect clarity nor color.
The P1815Q is lean too. The narrow frame will allow you to use multiple monitors without the giant gap to tra-verse when moving your mouse across the desktop. There are no speakers on the monitor. Some may wrinkle their nose at that, but a professional would be using powered speakers on a good sound device — not mixing using tiny speakers on their viewing screen. It’s
light at 11.4lb., so using third-party stands for your multiple monitors won’t rip the corner off your desk. This 4K monitor has a port for everything: a DisplayPort, mini Dis-playPort, HDMI (1.4), USB upstream and four USB 3.0 ports. It even has a DisplayPort out.
Alright, but how does it feel to
use?
Text is tiny. If you use this monitor for writing documents, you’ll need glasses. If you don’t need glasses, you soon will. Fitting that many pixels on a 28-inch monitor results in breathtakingly clear imagery, but reading can be
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