The all-new FrameSync function present in the firmware update for the Vortex8 LED panel enables industry-first in-camera effects for directors, DPs and gaffers.

Developers of artisan-quality cinema lighting for more than 15 years, Creamsource announced the immediate availability of CreamOS 1.2.0, an expansive firmware update for its flagship Vortex8 650W high-power 2’x1’ LED fixture. In addition to several improvements for usability, stability, and performance including sACN: DMX control over ethernet, this firmware release introduces FrameSync, an industry-first innovation that enables new types of in-camera special effects by opening up the capability to shoot multiple, differently lit scenes at once and create virtual green screens for enhanced creative applications.

The company says that “with FrameSync, the Vortex8 can be triggered from an external source, such as a sync generator (e.g. Ambient Lockit ACN-CL), or the genlock output of a cinema camera, to ensure that it is synchronised with the camera shutter” adding that “this is especially useful when using effects such as strobe, where a lack of synchronisation between the camera and the lights can cause issues like frame tearing and flash banding.”

This new feature alleviates the problem that most digital CMOS cameras can have with any flashing or strobing light source. It can also be used for frame-accurate strobing for advanced special effects, for frame rates up to 5,000fps, according to Creamsource.

Shoot high, edit low

Using FrameSync it becomes possible to shoot multiple, differently lit scenes at once for dramatic creative effects. Users can set up a group of synchronised lights, an individual light, or a sub-group of lights, and can run a sequence of pre-programmed changes. For example, a light to the left of the talent can be set to red for every second frame, and a light to the right of the talent can be set to blue for every other frame. With CreamOS 1.2.0, there is effectively no limit to the number of fixtures that can be synchronised at the same time.

Creamsource states that “what this means in practice is that if you shoot at a higher than normal frame rate and then edit for a lower frame rate, there will be spare frames in the sequence. You could, for example, drop all the blue frames and the scene would look red. Drop the red ones and it would look blue. So for exactly the same scene, you can shoot two versions: a red one and a blue one – but at the same time. Then, you can use the two creatively – even blending multiple individual framestreams in post production. Because it’s all created in-camera, the colours are rich and fully-saturated.”

There is nothing like trying new ideas in a real-world situation to see how well it all works. FrameSync was used in the music video El Diablo by El Rafa as a first test for the all-new technology. The BTS (Behind-The-Scenes) video published by Creamsource show how well the technology works and at the same time leaves a question in the air: is multitrack lighting the future of Cinema? There is also a video where Creamsource CEO Tama Berkeljon explains the all-new Frame Sync technology for the Vortex8.

FrameSync: a lot more coming

Lighting effects and research specialists, Satellite Lab, used features of CreamOS 1.2.0 for a recent leading Hollywood franchise production. Co-founder and Director, Carlo Van de Roer adds, “Our work requires very precise timing of lights, so working with the response time of the Vortex8 firmware has been terrific.”

FrameSync on Vortex8 has the most creative latitude when paired with a high-speed camera such as the Phantom Flex 4K. With more frames, there are more options and combinations possible for creative lighting effects. Creamsource says that while their patent pending technology is already extremely useful in its current rendition, there’s a lot more coming in terms of expanded tools and functionality in the future on their FrameSync Platform.

Current customers can get the latest Vortex8 firmware immediately. Firmware and download instructions are available at https://creamsource.com/support/.

• FrameSync: Sync framework implemented for effects Dual Level, Flash Frames and Sync Flash; Sync the Vortex to the camera’s shutter for specialised lighting effects that are frame accurate up to 5,000fps. Safely use any effects mode without frame tearing.
• User Presets for Effects and Colour Mode: Store, restore and clear up to 50 user presets. Ideal for creating custom presets and shortcuts.
• DMX over Ethernet: Simplify DMX distribution with Streaming ACN (sACN) support, which allows for hundreds of DMX universes over a single ethernet cable.
• And much more…

For a complete list of updates and improvements found in CreamOS 1.2.0, visit Creamsource’s website.

Creamsource LED luminaires have been applied on major Hollywood feature films including, Lucy in the Sky, Legion Series 3, Captain Marvel, The Mandalorian, Black Panther, Dune, Dumbo, Mulan, Jungle Book, Aquaman, Mortal Engines, American Assassin, Alien Covenant, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Dr Strange and Thor: Ragnarok, and TV dramas including Stranger Things, MacGuyver, Homeland, Zapped, and Magnum PI.

Recently, blissfully, I’ve been able to get back to shooting. Slowly but surely the gigs are coming back, although I will say I’ve been tackling them solo mostly. Partly for safety concerns and partly because these aforementioned gigs are pretty simple interview setups followed by b-roll primarily. Obviously on these shoots I’ve been using my C500mkII as the A-Cam, but as these have been interviews I needed a B-Cam. My first thought was to rent a C70 or even a C300mkIII, but then it occurred to me that I might not need to rent anything at all.

I’ve not been shy about my love for the Fujifilm cameras. I carry around my X-T3/27mm Pancake combo almost everywhere I go and it never fails to draw a response, usually from people assuming I’m shooting film. They’d be forgiven for thinking that, as the body of the X-T cameras is designed to evoke a vintage aesthetic with knobs on top of the body for most of your settings that resemble the classic shutter speed knob of older film cameras such as my Nikon F2. I love this, as do many Fujifilm shooters, because it really just “feels” right. I like being able to see everything right at my fingertips and I like not looking at screens when I don’t have to. When Fujifilm let me review their Xpro3 I was similarly enamored with the more “rangefinder” sensibilities married with modern technology.

Another thing that “we” Fujifilm photographers love are the film simulations. Fujifilm cameras have the unique offering of multiple customizable film simulations, essentially allowing you to color correct your image before the camera ever saves a frame. It’s not super granular, but it allows you to capture images in a way that is more original to you and doesn’t look too “digital”. Canon, Sony, and Nikon are said to have certain “looks”, whereas Fujifilm has dozens (or hundreds if you want to count simple things like saturation/curve/DR/white balance adjustments). 

Speaking of image and white balance, one feature I absolutely love about the Fujifilm cameras is the white balance adjustment matrix. Instead of just picking a color temperature, you’re also given a Hue grid for which to nudge the overall color of the image if you’d like, which can result in some really fantastic and unique looks straight out of camera. I genuinely only shoot raw if I’m doing a higher-end paid gig (and I do use my X-T3 on those kinds of gigs, without hesitation), opting instead to shoot jpegs for the majority of my photography since I can get the image to look almost exactly how I want straight out of camera. Sometimes I’ll do a super minor tweak after the fact, but usually it’s a simple curve/tone adjustment if anything.

I could go on for a while about the things I love about the Fujifilm system for photography, but that’s not what this article is about. While assessing my B-Cam Conundrum, I realized I had one right there on the shelf; my X-T3. I remember people saying the X-T3 and now the X-T4 were great for video, but were they that great? I’ve never really shot with a DSLR or Mirrorless camera in a video capacity (which sounds weird in this day and age but the 5DmkII came out my Sophomore year of college so we were well into our camcorder workflows and I just never switched). Could I conceivably use it to intercut with my C500mkII without having to adjust the hell out of it in post? Would it hold up to simply filming during a full day?

Well, according to my interview with Dan Stoloff, DP of Amazon’s The Boys, the answer is yes! Dan had mentioned in our talk that he sometimes used his X-T3 as a C-Cam to the Sony VENICE he was using for that show when he needed to put a camera somewhere the VENICE simply wouldn’t fit, so with that confidence I went ahead and (after running some quick tests) set out to film some stuff with my Fujifilm in hand (the embedded video below starts at where he mentions his use of the X-T3, but it’s 1hr 29s in if you need the time stamp).

Well, almost. I almost did that until Fujifilm via Filmtools offered to let me borrow their X-T4 “Cinema” kit. So what actually happened is I went out to film with both Fujifilm cameras, as well as their 18-55mm and 50-135mm Fujinon Zooms, on top of my C500mkII. A three camera setup for the price of none! I count my blessings every day, I’ll tell ya what.

First shoot was with my friend Stevie Redstone, shooting a few small in-studio music videos. These were incredibly low-budget, so we kept things simple with a Wide, a Tight, and a Handheld camera. Stevie was also recording the takes we were filming live, so as there was no way to do a re-take the three camera setup really was pretty crucial. The two cameras were fine but the third angle really allowed us to spice up the videos in a way that elevated it beyond what was ostensibly an interview setup.


 

The C500mkII served as our hero shot, the wide, and the X-T3 with the Fujinon 18-55mm covered our tight angle. I chose to run the X-T4 handheld (with the 50-135mm) because it has in-body image stabilization where the X-T3 does not. Once I figured out how to move my body to best work with the stabilizer, I was having a great time just floating around and getting some nice close ups of instruments and faces and hands and all that good stuff. The other nice thing about the X-T4 is it has a monitoring LUT so you actually have an idea as to what you’re filming. The X-T3 just shows you the log image, annoyingly. “Natural View” kind of works (and I mean kind of) but it turns off when you hit record so it’s not very useful. In any case, I was shooting both cameras in F-Log, 4:2:0 10-bit saved to the internal SD cards. You can record 4:2:2 10bit externally but I’ve found that’s not entirely necessary, or hasn’t been for me yet at least.

Now, at the last second we decided to run up to the roof of the building to shoot at sunset with DTLA as our background. This meant taking up lights, stands, cameras, and instruments, and then running cables aaallllll the way down to the studio. And then we forgot the speaker so Stevie could actually hear what he was playing on his piano. Safe to say we kind of missed the sunset, filming more around “blue hour” (which contrary to the name’s suggestions is only like 15 minutes) but where the Fujifilm cameras saved us again was in their size. Instead of hauling a giant C500mkII up on to the roof, I was able to just pick up the two cameras and essentially climb the side of the building and get ready to shoot in an instant. So while that setup didn’t have the benefit of the third camera, it was something we were able to set up incredibly quickly and, again with that built-in image stabilization, I was able to get some really nice, varied shots using the 50-135mm zoom to cut in with the stationary X-T3.

On that note, one thing I did do to kind of tie all the shots together on all 3 videos was to add just a very subtle amount of camera shake to the two cameras on sticks. Nothing too crazy, just a kind of “low frequency” bob almost as if we were simply witnessing the result of the camera operator breathing. This was just enough to unify the three images in a way that was subconscious but effective, as cutting between two static shots and a moving one was a little distracting.

Here I have to talk about the Fujinon zooms: they’re just outstanding. They’re super sharp with no noticeable annoying artifacts to speak of, they’re actually surprisingly light for their size, they’re parfocal, there’s no breathing when you rack focus, and they’re relatively affordable costing less than one traditional cinema lens for the set! I wish I could have them on my C500 (although Fujinon does make PL zooms, as well as ones for full-frame, that are used on hundreds of sets every day and are similarly top-notch) but for X-Mount lenses these things are fantastic. Fujifilm actually doesn’t make a ton of native X-Mount lenses so it’s nice to see such an insanely high-quality option made available, especially at that price point.

After shooting those music videos I had to return the XT4 and Fujinon Zooms (the kit also came with a Ninja V that I didn’t end up using in this case) but I still had work to do, so I soldiered on with the same setup to film some interviews I’ve been working on.

For the interview setups I’m using Nikkor AIS primes in place of the cine zooms, which do a great job of giving the cameras some visual cohesion as well as just being really solid options even by today’s standards. Especially on my C500, which is full frame, the Nikkors really shine. They provide just enough visual “zhush” that I don’t need to rely on filtration or any post tricks to get things looking sweet. If it’s good enough for Kubrick it’s good enough for me, right?

I did “accidently” shoot one interview with a Nikkor on the C500 and a Fujinon on the XT4 (not shown here) and that… isn’t something I’d necessarily advise. Took a bit of editing to get those to match, primarily because I shot the Nikkor wide-open on accident so everything was a little fuzzy, whereas the Fujinon was tack-sharp. Play vintage games, win vintage prizes right?

Another thing that the X-T3/4 is great for is getting B-Roll. Ohhhh we love B-Roll these days don’t we? And what do we need more than anything for B-Roll? That’s right, 120+ frames per second!

The XT3 and 4 “only” shoot 120fps at 1080p (the XT4 can go up to 240fps in HD) but that’s totally fine as blowing it up to 4K doesn’t give away the trick at all. The IQ on the Fujifilm cameras genuinely is astounding, I think people are really sleeping on just how good the X-Trans sensors truly are. Coupled with the genuinely surprising 18-55mm standard kit lens and its OIS, I was able to hand-hold the XT3 and run in front of subjects while filming (in slow-mo) and still have the image be stable and in focus thanks to the eye-tracking auto focus. Annoyingly, my C500 disables autofocus when filming high-speed, something the C300mkIII doesn’t do, so that’s kind of dumb but what can ya do? In any case, that dreamy slowmo look is easy as pie to get with the XT cameras, and so I did it. Clients love super slow mo, but for filming static items it makes things a little easier because you only need to roll a few seconds to get a nice long clip, but also smooths out any jitters you may experience by making them happen at a lower frequency so they’re less noticeable, if at all. Doing a little “hip dolly” move adds some visual interest and there ya go.

The XT3 and XT4 are nearly identical, but there are a few differences to note. First, the monitor is slightly different and flips out to the left allowing for a “selfie” view, as opposed to the XT3’s screen which simply folds out for a “top-down” view, or it can kick out at a 45-degree tilt for low-angle vertical shooting. Personally I prefer the tilt screen on the XT3 over the swivel version, but it is nice to be able to “protect” the screen on the XT4 by flipping it around to face the body when it’s folded away.

There’s also a dedicated Movie/Still switch on the XT4 which keeps the settings between the two separate which I really like. The XT3 just has the “movie” selector on the wheel that switches between Single/Burst/HDR/etc. This isn’t the end of the world, but it’s nice to just flip to video and know all your settings remained the same from the last time you shot (as it is on the XT4) instead of having to go through and make sure your shutter speed and image characteristics and everything are where they should be. There’s also the aforementioned 240fps and Flog monitoring LUT, the latter of which is way more useful than the former but they’re both solid additions to the XT4’s toolkit.

I will say, one thing that was included in the XT4 Cinema Kit that was loaned to me was a dummy battery that allowed me to power the camera via Dtap (as well as the Ninja V since the battery mount had an additional Dtap port). Since the XT4 and XT3 use different batteries, I went ahead and bought myself a similar dummy battery for my XT3 which I’ve now used on a handful of shoots with great result. I simply have a v-mount… mount… that I attach to the tripod leg that the camera sits on. I’ve found that, with either camera, a 95kwh battery seemed to last me all day so that was a dream.

One thing that’s not so dreamy is the classic “DSLR” problem that nearly all cameras of this ilk are victim of, and that’s the 30-minute limit on recording times. Now that’s not an issue for narrative-type work, but when you’re doing a long interview or something similar, you’ll find that you need to keep your eye on the runtime so you can quickly hit the record button again. Luckily I didn’t run into any overheating or anything, and it saves the previous clip in something like 1 or 2 seconds so you’re not sitting there waiting on a buffer or whatever, but it is something that doesn’t allow you to just “set it and forget it”. In practice I found I was able to do this without affecting the final product as the XT isn’t recording the hero audio and it was easy enough to just toggle the next clip during a time where the subject wasn’t talking or doing anything important. Again, it’s only like 3 seconds of downtime at the most so it’s not a huge issue, just one to be aware of.

In post, I was very easily able to get a match between the XT cameras and my C500. I was able to do this in a few ways:

Firstly, I shot a color chart with both cameras simultaneously and simply matched them with vs-curves in Resolve, adjusting for global similarity when an exact color chart match didn’t actually look correct. This was pretty quick and easy, and I’ve done it plenty of times before with other cameras.

The second way of matching was to use the Fuji-supplied “Flog to Eterna” LUT and then just matching the resulting image to whatever I was doing with the C500 image which honestly seems to be a relatively simple affair. It could just be because I’m only dealing with a head and a blurry background with the XT footage (as that’s my “profile-side, up-close” angle) but truly that wasn’t difficult. What is slightly annoying is that there’s no IDT in Resolve for Flog, so hopefully that gets added soon.

The third way was to use something like Colourlab’s “Look Designer” or FilmConvert’s “Cinematch” programs, the latter of which I’ve reviewed here. With Colourlab it was pretty simple (just using Clog2 and Flog as the inputs) but with Cinematch I’m waiting on the soon-to-be-released C500mkII profile to see how well that works. My C500 was the talk of the town for like 6 months and then suddenly everyone just jumped ship to the C300mkIII; it’s been hard to find support for it in these kinds of programs! Point is, I was pleasantly surprised at how well the image held up to grading, as well as how easily it matched. I’d definitely recommend doing so in Resolve, as Premiere’s color tools aren’t nearly as robust.

So what does all this mean? The easy answer is simply “whatever you want to make of it” as this is just my use case and your mileage may vary, but I just can’t overstate how fantastic the Fujifilm cameras are. Obviously we hear about Fuji Fanatics who love the photo capabilities (and I count myself among them) but I don’t think enough credit goes to these cameras for their video quality!

Before Dan telling me about using his XT3 on The Boys, the only other thing I saw that proved the thesis was Matthew Libatique, ASC’s short film A Different Beyond, shot on the XT3 also using Fujinon Zooms (although that camera rig was built up like crazy). Having now gone through 10+ shoots with this combo, I can confidently say the XT cameras are excellent image makers, fantastic B or C cameras, and a great addition to your kit overall if you were so inclined. 

The Oppo Find X3 Pro smartphone will soon be available in a special Photographer Edition that has dual tone like the original Kodak 35, the first US manufactured 35mm camera from Eastman Kodak.

The Kodak 35 was introduced in 1938 as the first US manufactured 35mm camera from Eastman Kodak Company. It was developed in Rochester, New York when it became likely that imports from the Kodak AG factory in Germany could be disrupted by war. The Oppo Find X3 Pro is a smartphone introduced in March 2021, the first with a true billion color display, “two billion color flagship cameras to take your breath away” as the Chinese company said during the introduction, and a camera kit that is designed with photographers and videographers in mind: a 50MP ultra wide-angle, a 50MP wide-angle, a 13MP telephoto and a 3MP micro–lens camera, besides a 32MP camera for selfies.

Two important notes: the microlens camera in the Find X3 Pro offers a closer look at things which can’t be seen directly by the naked eye — up to 60x closer. Take it as an invitation to find new perspectives amid the seemingly ordinary. On the other end, the ultra wide-angle expands your field of vision, offering a 110.3° field of vision that avoids, Oppo claims, “compromise in image quality or distortion at the edges of the photograph — perfect for group shots or capturing landscapes in their full glory.”

Oppo says that professional photographers change lenses, not camera sensors, and that’s exactly what Find X3 Pro does. Inspired by DSLRs, Find X3 Pro doesn’t force you to settle for a smaller sensor when you want to switch between your two most-used lenses – wide and ultra-wide; it gives you the best, every time. Shooting modes for the rear cameras include everything photographers and videographers expect to find in a smartphone that costs around $1000: Photo, Night, Video, Portrait, Dual-view video, Slo-motion, Time lapse, Movie, Expert, Panorama, Text scanner, Microscope, Sticker, and Google Lens. The front camera does Photo, Video, Portrait, Night, Dual-view video, Time lapse, Panorama, and Sticker.

Cinematic Mode

As for image sizes, the rear camera, with a maximum size of 6144 x 8192 (50 MP) also offers photo sizes in different aspect ratios: 3072 x 4096 (4:3), 3072 x 3072 (1:1), 1834 x 4096 (full screen) and 2304 x 4096 (16:9). The front camera has a maximum size of 6560 x 4928 (32 MP) and also offers 4928 x 6560 (4:3), 4928 x 4928 (1:1), 2940 x 6560 (full screen) and 3696 x 6560 (16:9).

Video in the Oppo Find X3 Pro offers 4K (60fps/30fps), 1080P (60fps/30fps), and 720P (60fps/30fps) with video slo-mo: 1080P (240fps), and 720P (480fps) in the rear camera. Video stabilization is available in 4K (30fps/60fps), EIS, 1080P, 720P, while video zoom can be used in 4K (30fps), 1080P (60fps/30fps) and 720P (60fps/30fps). The front camera supports 1080P/720P (30fps) and it also supports video stabilization at 1080P/720P (30fps). It does not support zoom or slow motion.

Find X3 Pro’s AI Scene Enhancement intelligently identifies the scene and adjusts color tones accordingly. Scientific color theory matches the tone and atmospherics of the scene — so you can revisit the feeling whenever the mood takes you. Oppo says that the Cinematic Mode present in the Oppo Find X3 Pro transforms movies shot on your phone with best-ever artificial color reproduction — putting the power of pro filmmaking directly into your hands.

The company says that the Find X3 Pro is an invitation for users to “discover the limitless potential of color-rich photography and video. Shoot, save and view in maximum color vibrancy, and dive into an incredible spectrum of 1.07 billion colors — all right there in the palm of your hand.”

Is Kodak a partner?

This is the smartphone that now is relaunched with a special edition, the Oppo Find X3 Pro Photographer Edition, with, apparently, Kodak partnering with the Chinese company. I write apparently, because there is no information from Kodak confirming the partnership, although this Photographer Edition does look like a viable path for Kodak to have its name associated with smartphones in more ways than the accessories the company sells.

Even if there isn’t a partnership, two things are true: the Oppo Find X3 Pro Photographer Edition leather cover and silver casing do remind us of the Kodak 35 camera – and in fact, many cameras from the same period – while the protective case for the smartphone has a shape similar to the body of the Kodak 35, both the original model and the rangefinder version. In fact, the protective case for the smartphone is also similar to the Kodak Film cases sold by the company.

According to FoneArena, the OPPO Find X3 Pro Photographer Edition with 16GB RAM, 512GB storage was introduced in China, where it will be available on sale on September 22, for a price around $1000. This Android 11 smartphone is powered by a 2.84GHz Octa-Core Snapdragon 888 5nm Mobile Platform with Adreno 660 GPU, is water resistant (IP68) and shares the same specifications as the Oppo Find X3 Pro launched last March. No word, yet, if this version, which mimics the dual tone of the original Kodak 35 will be available in North America.

As most have probably heard by now, the new iPhone 13 Pro offers the coveted ProRes códec. Since attending Apple’s VIP launch of ProRes in 2007, the new iPhone 13 Pro (Max) with ProRes is a nostalgic moment and a quantum leap for mobile videography. Now that we know that iPhone 13 Pro (Max) models will have ProRes 4K as long as they have at least 256GB of storage capacity (1TB is recommended), ahead are specific questions for Apple:

1. Which ProRes version(s) will be on iPhone 13 Pro (Max)? All? ProRes standard? ProRes LT? Perhaps a new mobile version of ProRes?
2. Will the ProRes in iPhone 13 be CFR (constant framerate) or a new version of ProRes VFR (variable framerate)? (I have covered this differences between CFR and VFR in many past articles.)
3. If the answer to question 2 is CFR, will non-integer framerate recordings be available in the native Camera app, i.e. 23.976, 29.97 and 59.94?
4. Will ProRes CFR with exact 24, 25 and and 50 be available too (in addition to 23.976, 29.97 and 59.94)?
5. When will ProRes work (at least for editing) in iPadOS and in which models?
6. Will ProRes be in iMovie for editing or will ProRes only in third party apps on iOS or iPadOS?

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I’ve been reviewing the entire line of GoPro cameras for over 13 years now so you can imagine my enthusiasm when a new one rolls out, and the GoPro HERO10 Black does not disappoint. Here are my initial thoughts working with the camera for about a week in various conditions.

GoPro HERO10 Black

GoPro announces their latest and greatest; the HERO10 Black. Once again outdoing themselves packing a lot of punch in a small package! The company’s newest proprietary processor chip, the GP2 can deliver 5.3K video at 60fps, 4K at 120 and 2.7k at 240 – including the latest HyperSmooth digital stabilization technology and horizon leveling capabilities that out-perform even the most sophisticated gimbals.

Also updated are higher resolution 23.6MP still photos and improved low-light capabilities. The camera’s highest video resolution of 5.3K delivers 91% more resolution than 4K and 665% more resolution than 1080p HD at an impressive 60 frames per second—allowing for fluid playback and 2X slow motion. 4K video can be captured at 120 frames per second (4X slow motion) and 2.7K video can be captured at 240 frames per second (8X slow motion).

The new GP2 processor also enables improved video algorithms featuring local tone
mapping (LTM) and 3D noise reduction (3DNR) that capture finer detail, more
realistic textures and better contrast—even in low light.

In addition to 23 megapixel photos, HERO10 Black enables 19.6 megapixel video stills to be pulled from 5K 4:3 video and 15.8 megapixel video stills from 60-frames-per-second 5.3K video—ideal for capturing amazing still images of sports and fast-paced activities.

GoPro’s shockingly good in-camera video stabilization gets an upgrade to HyperSmooth 4.0, ensuring that HERO10 Black smooths out even your most shake-laden experiences. The camera’s in-camera horizon leveling feature benefits from an increased tilt limit of 45° in high-performance settings, up from 27°, helping even your most chaotic video footage look professionally smooth and steady. (see my examples to follow where I literally try to break this stabilization!)

The HERO10 Black is identical in size as it’s predecessor, the HERO9 Black and even shares the same battery (though it actually weighs just slightly less). For webcasting purposes it now also offers the HyperSmooth stabilization while live-streaming. It can take all of the HERO9 Mods (firmware updates pending at the time of this review) and the updated removable lens cover is more scratch-resistant and water-shedding than the previous model.

New Features list from GoPro’s Press Release:

• Improved Low Light Performance
• Local Tone Mapping (LTM) and 3D Noise Reduction (3DNR)
• Next-Gen HyperSmooth 4.0 Video Stabilization
• Increased 45° Horizon Leveling Tilt Limit in 4K60, 2.7K120 and 1080p120 Video
• Front Color Display with Higher Frame Rates for Smoother Live Preview of Your Shots
• Faster, More Responsive Rear Touch Display with Touch Zoom
• Faster Content Transfer
• 3 Ways to Transfer Content: Cloud Upload, Wireless Offload and New Wired Transfer to Your Phone
• New Protective Lens Cover with Hydrophobic, Water-Shedding Design
• Removable, Rechargeable 1720mAh Battery
• TimeWarp 3.0 featuring Real Speed and Half Speed
• 1080p Livestream featuring HyperSmooth 4.0. Video Stabilization
• 1080p Webcam Mode
• Power Tools: HindSight, LiveBurst, Scheduled Capture and Duration Capture
• SuperPhoto + HDR
• Night Lapse Video
• RAW Photos
• Digital Lenses Providing Ultra-Wide (SuperView), Wide, Linear and Narrow Perspectives
• Voice Control with 13 commands in 11 languages + 6 accents
• 3 Microphones with Advanced Wind-Noise Reduction
• Stereo + RAW Audio
• Custom Presets + On-Screen Shortcuts
• Built-in Folding Mounting Fingers for Attaching the Camera to GoPro Mounts
• Rugged + Waterproof to 33ft (10m)
• Fast-Charging Compatible
• Compatible with Media Mod, Display Mod, Light Mod and Max Lens Mod (support coming in post-launch firmware update)

Product Lineup and Pricing

GoPro has been consistently keeping their products affordable and the HERO10 Black is no exception. When you subscribe to  GoPro.com you save $100 off the list price right away.

• HERO10 Black retails for $399 with an included one-year GoPro subscription
• OR $499 MSRP without a subscription
• Existing GoPro subscribers can purchase HERO10 Black at the lower $399 price on GoPro.com.

They also have an accessories bundle with some “kickass pricing for new AND existing subscribers.” The HERO10 Bundle includes the camera plus Shorty, Magnetic Swivel Clip, an extra battery and 32GB SD:

• HERO10 Black bundle is available for $449 with an included one-year GoPro subscription
• OR $549 MSRP without a subscription
• For existing GoPro subscribers looking to upgrade their camera, they can purchase the bundle at (a $150 savings) for $399

HERO10 Black and HERO9 Black visual comparisons

The new plastic-free packaging is great as well, as it also serves as a good storage and carrying case for the kit.

Hands-on First Tests of the HERO10 Black

While I haven’t yet really begun to explore all the new features and shooting modes before this product launch, I did get to have a bit of fun trying to break it! (Thankfully, I didn’t)

From off-road action to the water and the rocky hills on our farm to our kitchen for a virtual cooking class, I got to put it through its paces in short order.

RC CineRover Mayhem

As I’ve done in my past few GoPro product reviews, I’ve tried to shake up the HyperSmooth stabilization with some good jolts on my quad CineRover on various parts of our farm in the Sierra Foothills.

I have to say that enabling the HyperSmooth stabilization and the Linear lens + HL (Horizon Leveling) I just couldn’t seem to break it or shake it loose!

The resulting footage was smooth – even when kicking up gravel and jumping over rocks on the steep 18-degree slope hillside. Sure, there’s a bit of bouncing in the optics as to be expected in the Z-axis but that really helps to give you the sense of the action the vehicle is taking on.

Check out the video of the results (4K version coming soon)

Hitting the Water with Speed!

I just had to get a shot of this boat in my studio before I took it out for some abuse!

Due to the fires in the surrounding area, my original plans to take this out to a local lake got postponed so when some of the smoke cleared again, I walked over to our neighbor’s pond and aerated the algae for them!

They really enjoyed watching the action as well!

Again I was impressed by the HyperSmooth stabilization and Horizon Leveling of the resulting footage. Even with the sharp jolts of the throttle and sharp turns it held the image steady.

Note though, that I didn’t get the camera wet before hand so the water-shedding capabilities in the rear-facing view weren’t optimal.

Here’s my video from the experience – before I got it stuck in the tall grasses at the end. (4k Version coming soon)

“Chef Jeff” gets Schooled!

I’ve been a pretty decent home cook over the years, and with the pandemic and us growing a bit of produce and fruit here on our small farm in the Sierra foothills, I’ve been making most all of our meals and breads while we’ve avoided restaurants and take out since Feb 2020.

Since I share a lot of what I make on social media, the folks at GoPro suggested I did a virtual cooking class  and see how I might be able to find some creative ways to use the HERO10 Black in capturing my experience.

We got signed up for a one-on-one virtual session with Chef Olive of the Kitchen on Fire Cooking School in Berkeley, CA.

It just so happens that Chef Olive is also a huge GoPro fan and uses several with a video switcher in his studio kitchen for the virtual experience, so he was really delighted to work with me on this project.

I got to choose from their menu and selected Thai spring rolls and Tom Kha Gai soup. As I mentioned, we haven’t had any restaurant food in about 18 months, so my wife told me not to screw this up! (no pressure!)

This method of learning from streaming one-on-one with a professional chef was the best cooking learning experience I’ve had, and learned some really good new skills as well!

You can see how I captured some of my experience in this following video using available light in our kitchen.

One note I must mention, is that under our counters we have fluorescent lighting and some of my super slo-mo in 240fps couldn’t be reduced to more than 25% or I’d get the strobing effect from the shutter angle (which I had on Auto). In the future, I would manually change that in the Protune settings (and I’ll cover that in my follow-up review next month).

Enjoy – as I must say we sure did!

Easy there, Rough Rider!

Since my first digital GoPro review back in 2008, I’ve always stuck a HERO on everything that moves, including my cars, trucks, RCs, drones and even our dog and horse!

Since we live out off a gravel road, there are many other side roads that aren’t well-maintained and require a 4×4 just to get up them. So I use this one particular road for my GoPro testing these days – usually when its really wet and muddy, but this time of year and with the drought, it’s just really washed-out and rocky with deep ruts. PERFECT!

Watch how the HyperSmooth and Horizon Lock smooth this out so it feels like you’re in a Cadillac!

This video is right out of the camera in 4k/60 with no post processes other than one edit cut:

GoPro Quik App and Cloud Services

Of course, GoPro doesn’t just stop at the camera itself with their services. I found that using the new GoPro Quik app to control my HERO10 Black and be able to pull some screen shots off to send to myself was really easy and intuitive!

I still pulled the cards to dump the media on my hard drive but will explore more in the coming weeks as to how all of it is integrated with their cloud service and how easy that is to access and navigate first-hand.

NOTE: I’ll be doing a follow-up review that has more comparisons with the HERO9 and more in-depth look at the features and software.

Bright and colorful, fast paced and rambunctious, “Birds of Prey” (and the “Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn”) embraced the cartoon origins of its titular character, Harley Quinn. This 2020 film starring Margot Robbie earned praise for its fun style, which started with the opening title sequence. The titles use stylized hand-drawn illustrations that hint at the movie’s climactic finale while preparing audiences to enter the wild and colorful world of “Birds of Prey”.

The sequence was created by the inventive design team at design and production studio Shine. Shine was honored with a 2021 SXSW Special Jury Recognition for Title Design plus the Audience Award for the main title category for “Birds of Prey”. We sat down and talked with Shine’s Creative Director, Michael Riley, to learn a bit more about what goes into these inventive titles.

How did you first get into motion design?

When I was a student at Rhode Island School of Design, I did a six-week internship under Tibor Kalman at his studio M&Co. in New York. Tibor was finding all kinds of ways to break free of norms within graphic design. He used typography and graphic elements to express ideas and emotion in film titles and music videos. His use of motion for typography and graphic design in concert with film was something really exciting and different. His motion work was really groundbreaking, and it opened my eyes to so many more possibilities within graphic design.

Can you tell us about how you got started with “Birds of Prey”?

The project started with Bob Swensen, the executive producer at Shine, and me screening the movie over at Warner Bros. Then the director, Cathy Yan, gave us her creative brief. She wanted a title sequence that served as a visual punctuation for the movie and a graphic expression of Harley Quinn. She wanted us to design something that reflected Harley’s wild punk-rock character. Also, she really didn’t want something slick. Cathy thought maybe we could take some visual and conceptual inspiration from the fun house from the end of the film, where there was a big battle scene.

What was the main thing you tried to bring to the title sequence?

This project was all about Harley Quinn. The design of the title sequence was meant to be a visual expression of Harley’s character. She’s wild, strong, smart, compassionate, and very human. The title sequence’s visual style and some of the elements were inspired by the production design from the film. The movie was bold, bright, and colorful. For the tone of initial storyboards, I took inspiration from the spirit of Cy Twombly’s work, some of which consists of wild, expressive, bold, almost out-of-control scribbling. I thought that spoke to Harley Quinn’s character.

What was your favorite part about creating the title sequence?

For me it was all about the fun of drawing. I’m addicted to Procreate on my iPad, and the way Procreate seamlessly integrates with Adobe Creative Cloud — specifically Photoshop — made the process really enjoyable, because I was able to focus on the visual ideas and not worry about the tools. It was a very intuitive process. I spent many weeks drawing and illustrating as many visuals as I could that were inspired by the film.

I’ve always used drawing as a tool to come up with ideas, but I don’t always use illustration in the final animation. I think a title sequence should reflect the characters and the story of the film, and in this case, using wild colorful illustration seemed to be a good fit.

What were some challenges you faced when making the titles?

The main challenge is designing so that we’re speaking to the characters and the story. Every visual we incorporated needed to be an extension of the characters, the conflicts, and the relationships in the film. So that meant the design process was fluid and constantly adjusting so that the title sequence was serving the film as a visual punctuation that tied into the story.

One thing I really love about designing for movies is that film is a collaborative medium. Between the team at Shine that’s animating the project; the director, Cathy Yan; the producers; then the studios executives at DC & Warner Bros… there are a lot of people you get work with. With this kind of collaboration, you need to be flexible. Adobe Creative Cloud is absolutely built for this kind of project.

While the titles use hand-draw illustrations, there’s also real depth. Was there any 3D work involved?

Yes, some shots were animated using 3D cameras in After Effects, and some were created by modeling 3D environments in Cinema 4D. Penelope Nederlander, the lead animator on this project, did some really amazing work on “Birds of Prey”. She brought deep knowledge of both After Effects and C4D and combined the Procreate illustrations into a hybrid 2D-meets-3D aesthetic that the clients really loved. Animators Amanda Gotera and Myke Chapman did amazing work too. The production process was a team effort between all of us, and we had a great time collaborating. I think each of us brought something different to the table — that was a definite plus.

Walk us through the production process. How did you bring these titles to life?

The production phase was so much fun. Adobe Creative Cloud was key to creating this sequence. I drew all the illustrations in Procreate in my iPad, and then exported to Photoshop to create storyboards. We created a storyboard presentation in the form of a PDF assembled using InDesign. For the client presentation, we projected each storyboard frame separately in the screening room over at Warner Bros. for the director Cathy Yan, and the producers, Margot Robbie, Sue Kroll, and Bryan Unkless. This helped give the storyboard presentation a bigger, more cinematic feel.

Once they approved the concept, we started really rough. I simply cut together Photoshop still frames in Premiere Pro against the music. That established which Procreate illustrations we were going to use. We then advanced to animation with After Effects and Cinema 4D. The ability for Adobe Creative Cloud to interface with all the Procreate illustrations was really key on this project. It took us all the way to delivery, where we exported the final 5K frames out as EXR frame sequences for delivery.

Last but not least, I need to mention fonts! There are so many great fonts and talented font designers that are part of the Adobe type library. The condensed bold option of Trade seemed to be a good fit because its voice kind of yells. I felt that was a choice that was in sync with Harley Quinn’s character.

What’s your favorite thing about working with Adobe Creative Cloud?

Adobe Creative Cloud can interface so fluidly between apps: Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Premiere Pro, After Effects, Media Encoder, and many others. The way an artist can jump back and forth between each makes the creative process so intuitive and so much fun. There’s no other set of apps that compares. Some artists might have strengths in one over the other. But every app is both very intuitive for the beginner yet extremely deep for experts.

Also, I love that Adobe has always been open to integrating with other software. I talked about how we used the integration between Procreate and Photoshop for this project. And Penelope is amazing in Cinema 4D, and there’s a very fluid relationship between C4D and After Effects. Adobe Creative Cloud does a great job of being useful to creatives wherever they are in their path, in terms of both creative focus and skill level. As an artist, I can’t imagine designing without Adobe Creative Cloud.

Where do you find your creative inspiration?

My answer on this is a little all over the place! I like to be inspired by all kinds of art, design, music, and movies. I love to find new artists and photographers on Instagram or other places. I love movies, old and new. Lately I’ve been rediscovering a lot of art and design that I studied in art history at RISD. I also take a lot of inspiration from music. I can’t wait to get back to LACMA, MoCA, and all the New York museums. I also take a lot of inspiration from the talented people I have the opportunity to collaborate with!

What’s the toughest part about your design work?

Every time, the initial conceptual design phase is the most challenging part. If you’re working in movies or television, it’s always about designing and authoring ideas that fit the story. It’s also the most exciting part because the possibilities are wide open!

What advice do you have for people aspiring to get into the motion design space?

Treat any design opportunity as a gift. Cherish clients that bring you any creative opportunity. Work hard. And stay persistent!

We’re always interested to learn how people work. Can you tell us a bit about your workspace?

Shine is located on the sixth floor of a grand old Art Deco building on Wilshire Boulevard in an area called Miracle Mile. I love our studio space because we have amazing views of Los Angeles on all sides. I love to design in the studio at Shine!

See more of Michael Riley’s work on his website, shinestudio.com.

As of this episode, we’re less than a week away from the Emmy’s. HBO’s critically acclaimed limited series Mare of Easttown has 16 nominations, including two for editing. One of the show’s editing nominees is today’s guest, Naomi Sunrise Filoramo.

Naomi is a passionate lover of film and has an impressive CV that includes editing work on productions like One Night in Miami, White House Down, and Grey’s Anatomy. Chances are you’ve read or heard one of the many interviews with her. But I’m confident in saying that you have not read or heard an interview with Naomi quite like this!

In addition  to covering her journey as a professional editor, her work on the show, her thoughts on some of the show’s most riveting scenes, how she does what she does, etc., we also cover such engaging and provocative topics as:

• Can you separate the sins of an artist from their art
• The legacy of John Hughes films
• The history of women in editing
• Gender and racial representation in film and television
• The origins of her unique middle name

This is the longest episode of Crossing the 180, and I promise you’ll enjoy every minute.

Connect with:

• Ron on Twitter: https://twitter.com/bladeronner
• Naomi on Twitter: https://twitter.com/thenaomisunrise

I don’t think this is a shock to anyone but NAB has made the decision to cancel NAB Show 2021. It had been rumored in a hush-hush for a couple of days but a tweet this morning makes it officially official.

pic.twitter.com/vtojPD6ZBD

— NAB Show (@NABShow) September 15, 2021

I mentioned just the other day that is seems irresponsible to continue with the show given the current COVID surge that is going on in the country. Stay tuned for what will happen with Post|Production World but we can assume it will continue online.

Here’s looking forward to April 23-27, 2022 when, hopefully, we can meet back in person for a real NAB Show. While I think the decision to cancel the October show was the right decision for the health and safety of our entire industry, like the decision to cancel last year, this had to be an agonizing decision for NAB. The show is legendary and still a very important part of our industry. Despite the regular discussion of the death of the trade show, I’ll say it again, that a show like NAB provides an important face-to-face meeting with family and friends. Hands-on with gear you might not ever touch before you buy. And a way to just get out of the suite and off the set into an environment with like-minded individuals.

Here’s the text from NAB:

To Our NAB Show Community:

For more than a year we have worked tirelessly to bring our industry together safely in Las Vegas at NAB Show. Unfortunately, the pandemic and surge of the Delta variant has presented unexpected and insurmountable challenges for our global community. 

As we have always kept the best interest and safety of the industry as our priority, it has become apparent in the face of these challenges that we can no longer effectively host NAB Show or our co-located events, the Radio Show and Sales and Management Television Exchange, in person. 

NAB Show is the premiere destination for the media and entertainment industry and we will not move forward with a show that delivers anything less than the excellence our community has come to expect and deserves from us. 

While we are disappointed that we will not be together again in person next month, we look forward to converging at the 2022 NAB Show, April 23-27, 2022, to reignite our passion for our business and focus on a bright future ahead. 

Stay tuned for details regarding virtual options for accessing select 2021 NAB Show content through NAB Amplify.

Able to capture 8K videos at 30 frames-per-second or 4K video at 120fps for slow-motion, the new Samsung ISOCELL HP1 is the first sensor to support 4×4 pixel binning for superior quality.

A world leader in advanced semiconductor technology, Samsung Electronics introduced this month two new sensor for smartphones, the ISOCELL HP1 and the ISOCELL GN5. The ISOCELL HP1 is the industry’s first 200-megapixel (MP) image sensor with 0.64μm pixels, and the ISOCELL GN5 is the first image sensor to adopt all-directional focusing Dual Pixel Pro technology with two photodiodes in a single 1.0μm pixel. Both bring advanced ultra-fine pixel technologies to new mobile image sensors.

“Samsung has been pioneering ultrafine pixel technologies that are taking high-resolution image sensors to the next level,” said Duckhyun Chang, executive vice president of sensor business at Samsung Electronics. “With the ISOCELL HP1 that is breaking barriers and ISOCELL GN5 bringing ultrafast auto focus, Samsung will continue to lead the trend for next-generation mobile imaging technologies.”

We recently noted here at ProVideo Coalition, on the announcement of the new  Canon EOS R3, that the sensor used in that professional-level camera – 24.1 megapixel – would make many people say, “my smartphone has more pixels”. Well, here is a good example, with the 200MP resolution sensor announced by Samsung. Even the ISOCELL GN5, with 50MP, has more pixels, but the 200MP ISOCELL HP1 beats everything, because of the number of pixels it has, the quality of Samsung’s most advanced 0.64μm-sized pixels used here, and also because of the use of an all-new ChameleonCell technology.

8K videos at 30 frames-per-second

Thanks to ChameleonCel technology, the ISOCELL HP1 can use three different pixel layouts – two-by-two, four-by-four or full pixel layout – depending on the shooting environment. This pixel-binning technology rearranges the pixel array by using enhanced software remosaic powered by deep learning algorithm, in order to harness the full power of the 200MP sensor. What this means is that the sensor can adapt as a chameleon to the needs of the photographer.

The magic of the ISOCELL HP1 does not stop there, as the sensor is also designed to tackle low levels of light: in a low-lit environment, the HP1 transforms into a 12.5MP image sensor with large 2.56μm pixels by merging 16 neighboring pixels. The newly formed 2.56μm pixel is capable of more light absorption and sensitivity, producing brighter and clearer photos in in-doors or in the evening. In bright outdoor environments, the sensor’s 200-million pixels can capture ultra-high-definition photography on mobile devices.

The ISOCELL HP1 can take 8K videos at 30 frames-per-second (fps) with minimum loss in the field of view, says Samsung. The HP1 merges four neighboring pixels to bring the resolution down to 50MP or 8,192 x 6,144 to take 8K (7,680 x 4,320) videos without the need to crop or scale down the full image resolution. Pair that with a modern smartphone with multiple options in terms of lenses and you’ve a serious tool for video in a small package that fits comfortably in your hand.

When it comes to autofocus, the ISOCELL HP1 delivers tack-sharp, fast autofocus, so you can capture even the most action-packed moments with ease, thanks to the Double Super PD technology. Double Super PD is a phase detection autofocus system that enables faster, more accurate focus with the use of micro-lenses and dedicated autofocus pixels. Each micro-lens covers two autofocus pixels, comparing the left and right phases to focus the image. Double Super PD contains twice as many autofocus pixels as Super PD, allowing you to capture the action even faster.

The Samsung ISOCELL GN5 sensor

The second sensor announced by Samsung is the ISOCELL GN5, the industry’s first 1.0μm image sensor to integrate Dual Pixel Pro, an all-directional autofocusing technology, which can substantially boost autofocusing capabilities. This technology places two photodiodes, the smallest in the industry, within each 1.0μm pixel of the sensor either horizontally or vertically to recognize pattern changes in all directions. With one hundred million phase-detecting multi-directional photodiodes covering all areas of the sensor, the ISOCELL GN5’s autofocusing becomes instantaneous, enabling sharper images in either bright or low-lit environments.

The image sensor also makes use of Samsung’s proprietary pixel technology, which applies Front Deep Trench Isolation (FDTI) on a Dual Pixel product for the first time in the industry. Despite the microscopic photodiode size, FDTI enables each photodiode to absorb and hold more light information, improving the photodiodes’ full-well capacity (FWC) and decreasing crosstalk within the pixel.

Samsung first announced its ISOCELL technology in 2013. The technology reduces color crosstalk between pixels by placing a physical barrier, allowing small-sized pixels to achieve higher color fidelity. Based on this technology, Samsung introduced the industry’s first 1.0μm-pixel image sensor in 2015 and a 0.9-pixel sensor in 2017. Samsung continues to enhance its pixel isolation methods with ISOCELL Plus and ISOCELL 2.0 technologies.

ISOCELL sensors:  from 100 to 200MP in two years

In 2016 Samsung introduced the Galaxy S7, the first with a Dual Pixel camera sensor for smartphone, ensuring incredibly fast and accurate autofocus even in low light conditions. The company said, then, that “while equipped with plenty of features and functions of DSLR cameras that allow users to capture great photos anywhere at any time, previous smartphone cameras didn’t quite stack up to DSLR cameras in terms of taking high quality photographs in low-light environments. However, the new Galaxy S7 has overcome these limitations by employing the Dual Pixel image sensor—a first for a smartphone.”

In 2019 ProVideo Coalition published an article about the world’s first 100MP sensor for a smartphone, also the first mobile image sensor to adopt a large 1/1.33-inch size, to be used in a Xiaomi smartphone, which is based on Samsung’s ISOCELL Bright HMX technology. At the time Samsung said that filmmakers were not forgotten and that for advanced filming, the HMX supports video recording without losses in field-of-view at resolutions up to 6K (6016 x 3384) 30-frames-per-second (fps). Two years later the 200MP ISOCELL HP1 can take 8K videos at 30 frames-per-second (fps) with minimum loss in the field of view.

After Effects can import simple 3D scenes, either natively using the .ma file format, or with 3rd party plugins for formats like FBX. It’s a common workflow practice to import cameras and location nulls from software such as Maya, 3D Studio Max and Syntheyes. However if the scene comes into After Effects at a different resolution than you intend to work at, then scaling the scene isn’t quite as simple as you might think. If you just change the composition resolution, then your 3D layers will no longer line up.

Way back in 2014, I published an in-depth article on how the After Effects camera works, and how it relates to composition resolution. While the article explains what’s happening when you change the resolution of a 3D composition, it doesn’t offer a quick demonstration of how to fix it. That’s where this video comes in…

If you add a 3D camera to an After Effects composition, the camera’s Angle of View is linked to the composition resolution. If you change the resolution of the composition, you’re effectively altering the camera’s Angle of View – which is why location nulls and other 3D layers may no longer align. 3D software doesn’t work in the same way, they generally define the camera with physical units (eg. mm) and then the scene can be rendered at any resolution, without affecting the camera.  After Effects reflects the way that cameras and lenses work in the real-world, but unfortunately that doesn’t always make it easier for the user!  Hopefully this video provides a quick reference for the steps needed to scale a 3D composition in After Effects, and maintain the alignment of any 3D layers.

As demonstrated in the video, the steps to follow are:

• Make a note of the camera’s Angle of View. Opening the “Camera settings” window will show the value with the most precision.
• Add a solid at the same resolution as the composition. This is used as a scale reference.
• Add a null object, make it 3D, and set the position to 0,0,0.
• Parent all 3D layers – including the camera – to the null.
• Change the composition resolution as required.
• Select the solid and “fit to comp”, this will scale the solid to match the new composition resolution. (We’re only doing this so we don’t have to do the maths ourselves…)
• Copy the scale values of the solid to the 3D null.
• Delete the null object, which will bake the new scaled values into the 3D layers. You can delete the solid as well.
• Change the camera’s Angle of View to the value it was originally, in the “Camera settings” window.

Done!

If you’re after more in-depth information on how the After Effects camera works, then check out my in-depth analysis from 2014. Otherwise, feel free to check out my other After Effects articles and tutorials for more tips and tricks.

I just watched the “live” Apple event. No Mac computers were announced today. However, the new iPhone 13 Pro has much to notice for pro video and digital cinema producers. For the first time in history, they include ProRes recording on iOS, up to 1TB storage capacity and even rack focus, either auto (when the iPhone 13 anticipates a change in priority of subjects) or manual. There is also macro capability, with an M.O.D. (minimum object distance) of 2 centimeters and larger sensor with larger 1.9 µm pixels. In addition, the minimum aperture is now ƒ/1.5. Ahead are photos, the press release and pricing. I expect FilMIC Pro to be updated soon to take advantage of these new features.

Press release (verbatim)

CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA Apple today introduced iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max, pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in a smartphone. Redesigned inside and out, both models introduce an all-new Super Retina XDR display with ProMotion featuring an adaptive refresh rate up to 120Hz, making the touch experience faster and more responsive. The pro camera system gets its biggest advancement ever with new Ultra Wide, Wide, and Telephoto cameras that capture stunning photos and video, powered by the unmatched performance of A15 Bionic, more powerful than the leading competition. These technologies enable impressive new photo capabilities never before possible on iPhone, like macro photography on the new Ultra Wide camera and up to 2.2x improved low-light performance on the new Wide camera. New computational photography features like Photographic Styles personalize the look of images in the Camera app, and both models now include Night mode on all cameras. Video takes a huge leap forward with Cinematic mode for beautiful depth-of-field transitions, macro video, Time-lapse and Slo-mo, and even better low-light performance. Both models also offer end-to-end pro workflows in Dolby Vision, and for the first time, ProRes, only available on iPhone. iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max also include 5G with more bands for better coverage, big improvements to battery life for the best battery life ever on iPhone with iPhone 13 Pro Max, new storage capacity of 1TB, and the Ceramic Shield front cover, tougher than any smartphone glass.

iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max will be available in four stunning finishes including graphite, gold, silver, and sierra blue.

iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max make up our most pro iPhone lineup ever with the biggest advancement for our camera system, the best battery life ever in an iPhone, and the fastest performance of any smartphone, setting a new standard for iPhone and enabling incredible experiences never before possible,” said Greg Joswiak, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. “The new pro camera system offers even more pro photography capabilities like improved telephoto zoom, macro photography, Photographic Styles, Cinematic mode, as well as ProRes and Dolby Vision video. The Super Retina XDR display with ProMotion is our best display ever; it intelligently responds to the content on your screen, offers fantastic graphics performance, and is perfect for any viewing experience.

The pro camera system on iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max features an all-new Ultra Wide camera with autofocus which enables macro photography natively on iPhone, a new Wide camera, and a new Telephoto camera with increased 3x optical zoom.

The Most Advanced Cameras Ever on iPhone

With new sensors and lenses for all three rear cameras, optimized to work seamlessly with iOS 15 and powered by the new image signal processor (ISP) in A15 Bionic for improved noise reduction and tone mapping, the iPhone 13 Pro lineup features the best camera system ever on iPhone. The all-new Wide camera has a larger sensor with 1.9 µm pixels, the largest ever on iPhone, for less noise and faster shutter speeds needed across lighting conditions, producing even more detailed photos. Coupled with the larger ƒ/1.5 aperture, the Wide camera on iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max offers a massive improvement in low-light situations, up to 2.2x when compared to iPhone 12 Pro, and nearly 1.5x when compared to iPhone 12 Pro Max. Sensor-shift optical image stabilization (OIS) — unique to iPhone — is available on both models, stabilizing the sensor instead of the lens, so images are smooth and video is steady, even when the user is not.

The all-new Wide camera on iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max offers a massive improvement in low-light conditions. The new Ultra Wide camera features a much wider ƒ/1.8 aperture and a new autofocus system, bringing a 92 percent improvement for low-light environments, producing images that are brighter and sharper. The new lens design, autofocus capability for the first time in the Ultra Wide on iPhone, and advanced software also unlock something never before possible on iPhone: macro photography. Users can capture sharp, stunning images where objects appear larger than life, magnifying subjects with a minimum focus distance of 2 centimeters. Macro also extends to video including Slo-mo and Time-lapse. iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max also boast a new 77 mm Telephoto camera, allowing users to get closer to their subjects while recording video and achieve even more classically framed portraits, offering 3x optical zoom for a total 6x optical zoom range on the camera system.

A faster Neural Engine in A15 Bionic, new ISP, and advancements in computational photography power the all-new camera features on iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max. Photographic Styles allows users to bring their personal photo preferences to every image while still benefitting from Apple’s multiframe image processing. Preset and customized preferences work across scenes and subjects, and unlike a simple filter, intelligently apply the right adjustments to different parts of the photo to ensure the important elements, like skin tones, are preserved. For the first time ever, Night mode comes to all cameras on iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max, including the Telephoto camera, and with Smart HDR 4, users can expect improved color, contrast, and lighting for subjects, even in group shots or challenging lighting situations, making images more true to life. iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max also offer popular features like Deep Fusion, Apple ProRAW, and Portrait mode with Portrait Lighting.

A Massive Leap in Smartphone Video

Following extensive study of cinematography and the powerful use of rack focus, Cinematic mode on iPhone records videos of people, pets, and objects with a beautiful depth effect with automatic focus changes, so anyone can capture cinema-style moments, even if they aren’t a professional filmmaker. For creative control, the focus can be changed during and after capture, and users can also adjust the level of bokeh in the Photos app and iMovie for iOS, and coming soon to iMovie for macOS and Final Cut Pro,1 making the lineup the only devices able to edit the depth-of-field effect in video even after recording. Enabled by A15 Bionic and advanced machine learning algorithms, Cinematic mode records in Dolby Vision HDR.

iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max also introduce ProRes,2 an advanced video codec used widely as the final delivery format for commercials, feature films, and broadcasts, to offer higher color fidelity and less compression.3 This powerful new pro workflow is enabled by the new camera hardware, advanced video encoders and decoders in A15 Bionic, and flash storage pipeline. iPhone is the only smartphone in the world to provide an end-to-end workflow — capture, edit, and share in Dolby Vision or ProRes.

Pause playback of video: Cinematic mode on iPhone 13 Pro.

Cinematic mode gives users the ability to add beautiful focus transitions and background bokeh in video, for more dynamic storytelling in creative projects and treasured memories.

A15 Bionic with 5-core GPU for Best-in-Class Performance

A15 Bionic in the iPhone 13 Pro lineup is even more advanced, offering impressive power and efficiency, and driving the incredible new display, camera, and video features never before possible on iPhone. With 5-nanometer technology, A15 Bionic — the fastest chip in a smartphone — features a new 5-core GPU in the Pro lineup that brings the fastest graphics performance in any smartphone, up to 50 percent faster than the leading competition, ideal for video apps, high-performance gaming, and the slate of new camera features. The new 6-core CPU with two new high-performance cores and four new high-efficiency cores, is up to 50 percent faster than the competition and handles demanding tasks smoothly and efficiently. A new 16-core Neural Engine capable of 15.8 trillion operations per second enables even faster machine learning computations for third-party app experiences, as well as features like Live Text in Camera with iOS 15. And major advancements to the next-generation ISP provide improved noise reduction and tone mapping.

Super Retina XDR with ProMotion: A Brighter, More Responsive Display

iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max introduce the most advanced display ever on iPhone, Super Retina XDR with ProMotion, supporting an adaptive refresh rate from 10Hz to 120Hz, for fast frame rates when users need it and preserving battery life when they don’t. Offered in both 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch sizes,4 the intelligent new display leverages a more efficient OLED panel, new display engine of A15 Bionic, faster GPU performance, always-on touch coprocessor, and is custom designed to operate with iOS 15, making gestures, animations, and activities like gameplay feel faster and more responsive. This is the brightest display ever on iPhone with up to 25 percent higher max outdoor brightness, at 1000 nits, so users will experience amazing resolution, color, and contrast whether casually scrolling through the web or watching HDR videos.

Redesigned Inside and Out, Durable Design, and a Huge Leap for Battery Life

The all-new Pro lineup features a premium flat-edge design, crafted with exceptional materials, including the surgical-grade stainless steel band, with an elegant finish that is resistant to abrasion and corrosion, and a textured matte glass back. Both models are available in four striking colors including the all-new sierra blue, created using multiple layers of nanometer-scale metallic ceramics applied across the surface for a stunning and durable finish. iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max are protected by the Ceramic Shield front cover, exclusive to iPhone and tougher than any smartphone glass, offering amazing durability and drop performance. With a 20 percent smaller area to house the TrueDepth camera system, both models feature more viewing area on the display, while still packing in innovative technologies like Face ID, the most secure facial authentication in a smartphone. The rear camera system introduces a new design with beautiful stainless steel trim surrounding each sapphire crystal lens, and the Pro lineup is designed to protect against spills from common liquids with an industry-leading IP68 rating for water resistance.

5G Experiences in More Places

The world is quickly moving to 5G, and iPhone offers an advanced 5G experience, transforming the way users connect, share, and enjoy content. The customized hardware design in the iPhone 13 Pro lineup features more 5G bands, allowing it to work in more places on 5G for greater coverage and performance.7 By the end of 2021, support for 5G on iPhone will double around the globe, with over 200 carriers worldwide in 60 countries and regions. Users can experience higher-quality video streaming on their favorite platforms, more competitive gameplay in multiplayer games, faster download and upload speeds, and so much more. With iOS 15, SharePlay8 on 5G will unlock powerful shared experiences such as watching HDR movies or TV shows in sync with friends while on a FaceTime call. And Smart Data mode will intelligently conserve battery life by automatically shifting iPhone to LTE when 5G speeds aren’t needed.

Featuring iOS 15

iOS 15 enhances the iPhone experience with new ways to stay connected, and powerful features that help users focus, explore, and do more with on-device intelligence. FaceTime calls feel more natural with spatial audio and a new Portrait mode, new Focus features help users reduce distraction, notifications have been redesigned, and Live Text uses on-device intelligence to recognize text in a photo and allows users to take action. Apple Maps brings beautiful new ways to navigate and explore the world with a new three-dimensional city-driving experience and walking directions in augmented reality. Weather is redesigned with full-screen maps and more graphical displays of data, Wallet adds support for home keys, and new privacy controls in Siri, Mail, and more places across the system further protect user information.

iPhone and the Environment

iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max are designed to minimize their impact on the environment, including the use of 100 percent recycled rare earth elements in magnets like those used in MagSafe, 100 percent recycled tin in the solder of the main logic board and, for the first time, in the solder of the battery management unit. Both models also introduce 100 percent recycled gold on the plating of the main logic board and the wire in the front camera and rear cameras. Redesigned packaging eliminates the outer plastic wrap, avoiding 600 metric tons of plastic and bringing Apple closer to its goal of completely removing plastic from all packaging by 2025.

Today, Apple is carbon neutral for global corporate operations, and by 2030, plans to have net zero climate impact across the entire business, which includes manufacturing supply chains and all product life cycles. This means that every Apple device sold, from component manufacturing, assembly, transport, customer use, charging, all the way through recycling and material recovery, will be 100 percent carbon neutral.

Pricing and Availability

iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max will be available in graphite, gold, silver, and sierra blue in 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, and all-new 1TB storage options.

Customers in Australia, Canada, China, Germany, India, Japan, the UK, the US, and more than 30 other countries and regions will be able to pre-order iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max beginning at 5 a.m. PDT on Friday, September 17, with availability beginning Friday, September 24.

Both models will be available in Turkey beginning Friday, October 1, and in Malaysia, Mexico, South Korea, Thailand, and nearly 10 other countries and regions beginning Friday, October 8.

Customers can get iPhone 13 Pro for $41.62 (US) a month for 24 months or $999 (US) before trade-in, and iPhone 13 Pro Max for $45.79 (US) a month for 24 months or $1,099 (US) before trade-in from apple.com/store, in the Apple Store app, and at Apple Store locations.

iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max are also available through Apple Authorized Resellers and select carriers. Customers in the US can get ready for iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max pre-orders until 9 p.m. PDT on Thursday, September 16, by visiting apple.com/store or using the Apple Store app. They can choose to pay monthly or in full, add a trade-in credit toward their new product, or upgrade through the iPhone Upgrade Program.

iOS 15 will be available as a free software update Monday, September 20.

The new iPhone Leather Wallet with MagSafe supports Find My, enabling users to be notified of its last known location if it becomes detached from iPhone. iPhone Leather Wallet with MagSafe joins new MagSafe cases in leather and silicone, as well as a clear case with MagSafe, that are available to order today.

Customers can save up to $1,000 (US) on iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max with trade-in directly from the Apple Store online or at an Apple Store when they activate it with select US carriers. Terms apply. For eligibility requirements and more details see apple.com/shop/buy-iphone/carrier-offers.

Apple provides customers with a number of services in store and online that make its retail experience uniquely Apple. With personalized support and advice from Apple Specialists, convenient delivery and pickup options, free engraving, and special ways to save with carrier offers and great trade-in values, Apple ensures the best way to buy Apple products is from Apple Store locations and apple.com/store.

The rumors were true (do we really get any Apple surprises anymore?) that the new iPhone 13 Pro will get internal ProRes recording and a new Cinematic Mode which is kind of like portrait mode for video but with some intelligent AI to help with selective focus. Because selective focus is cinematic!

On the one hand, ProRes recording on an iPhone might seem like just another feature bump to give Apple something new in an already very capable phone but as Phil Rhodes pointed out this morning it could be something a bit more. I mean, we have Apple ProRaw as a capture format for photos on some iPhones so why not ProRes for video? It’s coming to iPhone 13 Pro later in the year. It was a relatively passing mention of this very important feature to many pros but the announcement was there.

ProRes recording in iPhone 13 Pro (coming soon)

You’ll look for that little logo in the corner as you shoot.

They do say the new iPhone 13 Pro produces “pro-level video.”  You can “record and edit” in ProRes. That’s cool. The iPhone 13 Pro webpage has a section on the coming ProRes feature that says this:

The high color fidelity and low compression of ProRes let you record, edit, and deliver broadcast-ready content on the go. Now you can complete a project in ProRes entirely on your iPhone. Or easily bring ProRes videos from your iPhone into Final Cut Pro on your Mac.

I wouldn’t read anything into that as I’m sure you’ll be able to edit the iPhone 13 Pro ProRes in any NLE. And I bet LumaFusion will scream with ProRes.

As someone working in post-production, I give a thumbs up to this addition of internal ProRes recording to the iPhone as another step toward the inevitable future we face: more phone footage funneling into the edit suite. I don’t know how much actual “end-to-end” production there will be, literally keeping everything on the phone, but I guess if you have something to prove or are in a contest or a bet you have the option.

Speaking of phone footage in the edit suite… it’s already happening. If someone doesn’t whip out their phone to capture yet another angle on a shoot then I assume they must have actually planned their shoot well. Most phone footage that does find its way to edit has to be transcoded anyway to get it out of the HEIF/HEVC codec. ProRes on the phone will make this step unnecessary and should provide fewer artifacts in those shaky running shots or clips of confetti streaming across the entire screen. Plus more dynamic range will be a godsend when color grading as those phone clips inevitably end up with the sun somewhere in the background.

I guess what is going to make this all possible would be these new video encoder and decoder chips.

While it isn’t a dedicated ProRes chip (what do you think this is an Afterburner in a phone?) I’d bet there’s some ProRes tech inside there.

One thing that wasn’t mentioned that we are all wonder about is exactly what flavor or ProRes these phones will record. ProRes takes up a lot more space than H.264/H.265/HEVC and the better the flavor or ProRes the higher the bit rate so the more storage space per minute.

Yes, there is a new 1 TB iPhone 13 Pro so if you’re planning to shoot iPhone 13 Pro ProRes you might have to spend a bit on the biggest phone.

If you’re working professionally in this business you know storage is a factor and will plan accordingly. It’s the regular folks, and yes potentially the YouTubers again, who don’t really understand this and will complain when their internal storage fills up because they have to shoot ProRes. Pro workflows don’t always work for the non-pro. That might sound elitist but it’s true. Perhaps some non-pros get some pro-level education and that is good.

I do agree with this one which is weird since the iPad lineup is moving to USB-C connections.

So what’s Pro about the iPhone 13 Pro still having a Lightning port? Can’t imagine transferring 100GB of ProRes from an iPhone to a drive via USB 2.0 Lightning. Yikes. How’s that gonna work? Just AirDrop it?

— Matthew O'Brien (@matthewTobrien) September 14, 2021

I’m sure more details will emerge about the exact ProRes flavor in these new iPhones. That is a big question left unanswered. Don’t be shocked if we get a very mobile-friendly flavor of ProRes. Somewhere between ProRes Proxy and ProRes LT with maybe some new ProRes Mojo applied. Remember, the ProRes spec came along in 2007.

Cinematic Mode!

The more intriguing thing for professorial film/video production is the new cinematic video addition of Cinematic Mode. I’m sure the pixel peepers and YouTube DMPs (that’s Director of Mobile Photography) will debate ad nauseam if this fake shallow depth of field is real enough but that debate is pointless because it now exists and will be used so we must deal with it. With Cinematic Mode, Apple gives a lesson in rack focus and how that makes things “cinematic.” It works intelligently and appears to just do the focus changes on its own by studying the art of cinematography. And using AI to see where people in the frame are looking, or so it would seem. Slick.

You get some options while you’re shooting as there is a new Cinematic option when you bring up the camera.

Thankfully you can do some manual adjustments of that too. Cinematic Mode shoots in Dobly Vision HDR.

In the demo, they actually said you can “choose focus later.” There is a depth map built into the video you are capturing. I believe this has been talked about for years but this will be the most mainstream implementation of choosing your focus after you shoot in the video world.

If you read the footnotes of Apple’s press release on the iPhone 13 Pro you’ll see this:

The ability to edit the depth-of-field effect will be available in future updates to iMovie for macOS, Final Cut Pro, and require macOS Monterey. Final Cut Pro is available separately.

That will be cool and not shocking that it might be limited to Apple video editing apps. The ramped slow-motion video the iPhone records isn’t completely supported in all video editing apps either. Question is, will Apple offer this ability to other video editing applications. At least Final Cut Pro got a mention!

I read one article that compared this addition of ProRes on the iPhone and Cinematic Mode for video will be like the DSLR revolution, how the introduction of DSLRs completely changed the entire world of video production with easy access to shallow depth of field and over-saturation. DSLRs absolutely did change everything. Saying this new iPhone will have a similar result is hyperbole but we will see (hopefully) more better-looking videos all around. And that isn’t a bad thing. Even if most of that will be on YouTube.

Did the Cinematic Mode examples look flawless? No. But they pass the same threshold as Apple’s earliest Portrait mode stills did: they can enhance the storytelling component of a shot. pic.twitter.com/PdZV2WtqOG

— Stu Maschwitz (@5tu) September 14, 2021

But honestly, people are going to have fun with this. Especially kids.

The other iPhone 13 specs and announcements from the event today.

A new iPad that includes a new iPad Mini.

Apple Watch Series 7.

iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Mini.

Okay, back to work.

The new compact and lightweight lenses from Canon for its R system have arrived: meet the RF 16mm F2.8 STM and the RF 100-400mm F5.6-8 IS USM – the first non-L telephoto zoom lens usable with Canon RF 1.4x and 2x tele extenders.

The introduction by Canon of two new lenses is also the moment for the company to introduce two new “firsts”: the RF 16mm F2.8 STM is the first ultra-wide angle prime lens in the EOS R System, while the RF 100-400mm F5.6-8 IS USM is the first non-L telephoto zoom lens usable with Canon RF 1.4x and 2x tele extenders. The Canon RF16mm F2.8 STM and RF100–400mm F5.6–8 IS USM are scheduled to be available in October 2021 for an estimated retail price of $299.99 and $649.99, respectively.

Both lenses invite current EOS R series users and those who are considering a move to Canon’s prominent mirrorless system, such as the EOS R or EOS RP, to expand their content creation abilities with the visual drama of an ultra-wide-angle lens and true telephoto-only zoom lens. As the “lens first” EOS R series continues to expand, these latest lenses open the door to a wide-range of imaging creators, encouraging them to test the powers and possibilities of their art.

The versatile RF 16mm F2.8 STM meets the growing demand for vlogging, while also offering a lens that’s perfect for landscape, architectural and astrophotography. Helping photographers bridge the gap to distant subjects, the RF 100-400mm F5.6-8 IS USM is ideal for sports and wildlife photography. With both these new lenses, photography and video enthusiasts can build a lightweight kit bag that unlocks a number of possibilities.

The first ultra-wide angle prime lens

These new lenses benefit, says Canon, “from the EOS R System’s wide diameter mount and short flange distance – creating high quality lenses with new focal lengths and a compact size. The RF 16mm F2.8 STM and RF 100-400mm F5.6-8 IS USM achieve impressive optical performance at a price that makes them accessible for all levels of photographer.”

Offering a wide angle and aperture, the RF 16mm F2.8 STM is a versatile lens that is well suited to vlogging as well as a number of genres of photography, such as group photos, environmental portraits and architecture, while it also provides the vlogging creator and the EOS Webcam Utility software user the power to integrate environments into their imagery, with its super-wide coverage.

The RF 16mm F2.8 STM is the first ultra-wide angle prime lens in the EOS R System, able to produce an extra-wide field of view and exaggerated sense of depth. With a wide aperture of f/2.8 this lens is great when shooting in low light such as astrophotography and for high shutter speed photography. For vloggers, these features enable them to capture higher quality footage in low light and create a shallow depth of field even at wide angles, so that subjects pop against a softened background. As a lightweight prime lens, it’s a fantastic companion for vlogging on the go.

When looking for a narrower angle when shooting video, users can pair the RF 16mm F2.8 STM with EOS R cameras to shoot in APS-C crop mode to effectively turn the lens into a 25.6mm lens. Employing Canon’s STM focusing motor, the RF 16mm F2.8 STM allows for smooth, near silent focusing during video recording. Offering a minimum focusing distance of 0.13m, photographers and content creators alike can capture sharp images even when shooting from close range.

Key features RF 16mm F2.8 STM:

• Ultra wide-angle prime lens with 16mm focal length
• Wide, bright F2.8 aperture
• Smooth quiet STM focusing motor
• Weighs only 165g
• 0.13m minimum focusing distance 0.13m
• Maximum magnification of 0.26x

The first non-L-series lens able to use tele extenders

The RF 100-400mm F5.6-8 IS USM gives amateur photographers – or anyone who wants to travel light and accepts the trade of quality for portability – the ability to capture similar photos to professionals, thanks to the incredible zoom of 400m, along with a flexible focal range of 100 – 400mm. Alongside the telephoto performance, the RF 100-400mm F5.6-8 IS USM has a minimum focusing distance of 0.88m and maximum magnification of 0.41x, so that photographers can capture all the details of a subject at closer range.

The RF 100-400mm F5.6-8 IS USM achieves 5.5 stops of in-lens optical image stabilisation, which increases to 6 stops when coordinated control is used with cameras featuring In-Body Image Stabilisation (IBIS). Designed for speed and precision, the RF 100-400mm F5.6-8 IS USM is equipped with a Nano USM focus motor for smooth, fast focus and with the lens control ring, gives users enhanced control over AV, Tv, exposure and ISO settings. The bright viewfinder and extended ISO capabilities of EOS R camera bodies combined with Dual Pixel CMOS AF enables photographers to utilise a lens that breaks traditional conventions of size, weight, and focal range to capture images with convenience.

For the first time in a non-L-series lens, the RF100–400mm will accept optional Canon RF 1.4x and 2x tele extenders, offering even more telephoto potential in a lightweight package. This makes the Canon RF100–400mm an excellent gateway into the world of wildlife, nature, and sports photography. However, this lens and its super-telephoto abilities can also be leveraged for the video content creator or vlogger when compiling b-roll type footage or for subjects who are at a distance.

Key features RF 100-400mm F5.6-8 IS USM:

• Flexible 100-400mm focal range
• Weighing only 635g, its lighter than lenses with similar specifications
• 0.88m minimum focusing distance at 200mm
• Nano USM focus motor for smooth, fast focus
• 5.5 stops Optical Image Stabilizer/ compatible with In Body Image Stabilizer (IBIS)

Both lenses employ Canon’s advanced optical technology, including Super Spectra Coating to reduce ghosting and flare that results in crisp, detailed images. These models also use a single aspherical lens to achieve high image quality and reduce the presence of aberrations that might distort an image, without the need for multiple lens elements that add bulk.

Also launching today is the EOS R3 from Canon, a must-have for professional sports and news photographers.

What sort of camera has seen the most development over the last decade or two? Big-chip options for single-camera drama? Highly-portable, fixed-lens designs for documentary and news? Maybe stills cameras, which have actually developed an ability to shoot video they previously lacked.

Well, no, it’s cellphones, by a country mile, and right now a sort of watershed is being crossed as rumours abound of the iPhone 13 recording to ProRes.

Paper specs and processing

There are a number of ways to interpret that, but in a wider sense film and television seems almost backward by comparison to the white heat of recent phone development. Arri is still selling essentially the same sensor technology it launched in 2010, when the iPhone 6, with its 8-megapixel camera, was current. The iPhone posted some surprisingly decent numbers even then, being capable of at least some kind of 1080p video at sixty frames a second, though the sheer rate of progress since has been overwhelming in terms of megapixels per year.

Purists will rightly frown at the obsession with paper specs, but really, the hardware is not the whole story. Much of what makes modern cellphones look good is postprocessing, which polish a lot of subjective gloss onto mediocre cameras. The final stage of that processing is invariably compression. JPEG stills are often fine, although the sort of real-time H.264 encoding done by phones often leaves something to be desired. It seems that Apple may have concluded that its cameras (and their associated postprocessing) now justify a better codec.

This is no great surprise in the context of the Red-Apple disagreement over in-camera raw recording, which always seemed to beckon phones. Atomos would hardly thank Apple for making it possible to routinely put ProRes Raw in cameras. Putting ProRes Raw in a phone would make as much sense as putting it in any other kind of camera, although that might mean a per-phone stipend to another company at this stage. Vanilla ProRes, not so much.

ProRes and friends

As to the technological realities, it’s easy to take on trust that ProRes is an arbitrarily better codec than H.264, although that depends very much on the semantics of the word “better”. The actual techniques underlying ProRes are comparatively elementary, being of much the same thinking as Motion JPEG, DV, DVCPRO and DNxHD. It’s a careful balance of compression performance over required work to decompress and (particularly, in a mobile device) to compress the pictures. In an ideal world, if by “better” we mean “better picture quality for a given bitrate,” H.264 is better than ProRes.

As a practical matter it’s more likely that any given ProRes implementation will support things we want for higher-end work, such as 10 or more bits. XAVC, AVC Intra and AVC Ultra do support 10 and 12-bit encoding and I-frame only files, and they are both varieties of H.264. Whether the H.264 encoder hardware in a given cellphone would support doing those things is another matter, though. What we’re talking about here is whether the specific implementation of ProRes on a phone is likely to be better than the specific implementation of H.264 on that same phone, and, well, yes, it is, because the intent is different.

The risk

…is that better recordings are more likely to reveal the fnords in cameras that, as we’ve seen, rely on a lot of postprocessing. It seems unlikely a cellphone manufacturer would let that happen, but the demo pictures used to promote cellphone cameras are often stills, and phones can do all kinds of things to stills that they can’t do to video. One particularly powerful technique is to average multiple exposures, and that’s been making cellphone snapshots of night exteriors look supernaturally good for a while. It relies on the phone’s ability to rectify camera and subject motion before the averaging can happen, something it can’t practically do to video.

Perhaps most crucially, cellphone pictures are designed to look good on cellphone displays, and while some of those displays might have HDR-level brightness to remain visible outdoors, any attempt to grade phone footage tends to reveal exactly the sort of limited dynamic range and heavy-handed noise reduction and sharpness enhancement we’d expect from a tiny sensor with a lot of photosites on it. This is no great calumny given how well they usually do work, and the best of them are starting to step away from the worst of the problems. Certainly, coarse compression, particularly inter-frame compression of the sort typified by phones, makes everything worse.

It remains to be seen if less-coarse compression can make everything better, and whether cellphone cinematographers are ready for video that takes up five and a half times more space than they’re used to. Experience suggests that this will mainly be seen as a good thing.

Offering a speed range from 30 seconds to 1/64000th of a second and an electronic shutter that also works with third-party flashes for the first time, the EOS R3 is the fastest EOS R series camera yet.

Built around what Canon claims is a ground-breaking new 24.1 megapixel backside illuminated stacked CMOS sensor, the EOS R3 offers, according to the company, lightning fast image capture and enhanced responsiveness. Rolling shutter distortion is almost eliminated, according to Canon, and with a rapid shutter speed, offering a range of 30 seconds to 1/64000th of a second, it helps sports photographers freeze the fastest of subjects. One note to remember: the high speed is only achieved when using the electronic shutter, as the mechanical shutter provides a range of 1/8000th to 30 seconds, which some might consider something from the past.

If you’re one of those photographers or videographers who loves to show the megapixels in your camera, the EOS R3 may not be for you. The 24.1 megapixel sensor will not turn heads, and you’ll probably hear from someone that “my smartphone has more pixels”. But if you’re a serious sports photographer or a photojournalist covering action, you’ll probably pick the EOS R3, because it’s, as Canon states, the fastest EOS R series camera yet.

“The launch of the EOS R3 sets a new benchmark for the Canon EOS R camera system. Canon listened carefully to the voices of professionals when developing a camera to meet their standards,” said Tatsuro “Tony” Kano, executive vice president and general manager of Canon U.S.A.’s Imaging Technologies & Communications Group. “The EOS R3 is a monumental evolution in digital imaging technology. I look forward to seeing the camera in action on the sidelines of sporting events and in the hands of nature and wildlife photographers across the globe.”

Able to shoot at up to 30fps with AE and AF tracking even when shooting RAW files, as well as options for shooting at 15fps and 3fps, the EOS R3, one could say, adapts to the pace of the moment, from shooting stills faster than Hollywood’s 24fps movies to a slow cadence ideal for when you don’t need to make sure you freeze the moment. Even a nature and wildlife photographer will appreciate the EOS R3, because, after all, this camera offers them so many things that make shooting wildlife easier.

I would buy it for the Eye Control AF

Not many pixels, you said? I don’t know, I still look at images – both aerobatic displays and wildlife – I captured with my EOS D30, with an APS-C 3.25MP sensor, and feel they are just fine. Curiously, Douglas Kirkland also used an EOS D30 in the early 2000’s and when we interviewed him for my magazine, at the time, he said he enjoyed using it for his work, sharing some examples. Two decades later, the EOS R3 offers a bigger sensor, many more pixels, which are also better pixels, and electronics and digital processing much more sophisticated. Not enough pixels for you?

Before we continue this note about the new Canon, let me state one thing: I do not own or even intend to own any EOS R camera, but if I was to buy one, I would probably break the bank to get this EOS R3, because is appears to be everything that I need from a camera (in fact more than I need, I guess…) but first and foremost because it brings back something I loved from the Canon EOS 5. No, not the EOS 5D, but the original EOS 5, with eye-controlled focus. It’s something I loved to use and having a new camera with the system – which I believe will be even more efficient now – is like having, not one but a whole bunch of cherries on top of a cake. IMHO.

The Eye Control AF present in the Canon EOS R3 provides, according to Canon, a more natural connection between the camera and the photographer. This intuitive and pioneering AF point selection method moves the focus point to where the photographer looks. In situations where the story can quickly unfold, this allows photographers to instinctively focus on the action with just a look. One question, if I may: if your marketing says Eye Control AF is so good, then why, Canon, did you take so long to bring it back?

6K 60p RAW resolution footage

Eye Control AF in the original EOS 5 was loved by some and hated by – many – others. I used to say photographers needed to have a Zen approach when using it and really laser focus on what they wanted to be the key element in the frame, with both their eye and mind… something similar to what Henri Cartier-Bresson preached or was said to preach about “the decisive moment”.

If you’re not keen in using the Eye Control AF function, the camera has other AF options – more conventional – for you to use: the quick smart controller and the precise multi controller, which are also classic Canon-style AF options present in many of its cameras since the early DSLRs. One question remains now: will the intuitive Eye Control AF make it to other models from Canon?

Video… there are some good news for those who want this camera for video. As with the EOS R5, the EOS R3 takes Canon’s hybrid offering to the next level – meeting the demand for photographers to capture the action in both high-quality stills, and impressive high-resolution video. The camera is able to capture 6K 60p RAW resolution footage, which offers 50 per cent more detail than 4K. Canon says that “with 6K CRM RAW files, exposure and white balance can be corrected post capture to ensure stunning image reproduction” and adds that “4K footage up to 60p is oversampled from 6K guaranteeing the highest possible 4K movie quality.”

Capture 4K 120p footage

The EOS R3 also captures 4K 120p footage for stunning 4K resolution slow motion, which is great for high speed and dynamic sports. The company claims that with the Canon EOS R3 “It’s now possible to record up to six hours of regular video or 1.5 hours at high 119.88/100p frame rates.” One note more: recording time is dependent on battery level, memory cards and temperature.

Canon says that at its core, the EOS R3 is designed to help photographers outpace their competitors – and the same is true for video. Because file sizes can grow when shooting video, CRM light or MP4 footage can be recorded in All-I, IPB or the smaller IPB light option, allowing users to select from a range of bit rates to meet their needs and storage requirements. Dual card slots, including a UHS-II SD card slot and the ultra-high speed CFexpress make shooting 6K RAW video possible and support simultaneous recording to both cards in MP4, providing a fail-safe back up of vital footage.

Canon’s renowned Canon LOG 3 enables 10-bit internal recording, to achieve a greater dynamic range or 10bit HDR PQ which minimises the need for editing or grading footage in post-production. Excellent for roving reporters, the EOS R3 features Canon’s new Multi-Function Shoe and is compatible with the newly launched Directional Stereo Microphone DM-E1D – a camera-powered directional stereo microphone using digital processing – and the TEAC Tascam CA-XLR2d-C XLR adapter which enables two channel recording with professional XLR microphones.

Able to focus in lighting conditions as low as -7.5 EV

One final note which is important for photographers but crucial for video shooters: enhancing the ability for handheld shooting and steady movie production on the move, the 5-axis In-Body Image Stabilizer can combine with optical Image Stabilizer in selected RF lenses and offers industry-leading performance with up to 8-stops.

We’ve published, before, as Canon revealed them, some of the key features present in the new EOS R3, but some more aspects of the camera will also interest ProVideo Coalition readers. Designed using feedback from the most demanding professional press and sports photographers, the EOS R3 features over 100 improvements upon Canon’s mirrorless and DSLR models. The result is, Canon claims, “a camera which dramatically streamlines workflows and takes the connection between camera and photographer to new levels, for unbeatable speed and responsiveness.”

The EOS R3 represents the optimal balance of performance, resolution and speed to offer news and sports photographers a camera to outperform and outpace the competition. Capable of focusing in 0.03 seconds, the EOS R3 is the fastest EOS R series camera yet – perfect for capturing the unpredictable action of sport and reportage. Powered by Dual Pixel CMOS AF II, the EOS R3 features an improved Deep Learning algorithm, offering AF tracking including human and animal eye, body, and face detection as well as head detection for humans in both stills and videos.

EOS R3: firmware updated using smartphone

Designed with motorsports photographers in mind, Canon has also introduced a vehicle tracking function, to expertly track motorbikes, open cockpit Formula cars as well as GT and rally cars – with the ability to prioritise the vehicle or the driver’s helmet. Eye, face, head and body detection are now available in all AF modes, as well as a new Flexible Zone allowing users to select the size and shape of the Zone AF area. The EOS R3 sets a new standard for its ability to focus in lighting conditions as low as -7.5 EV – making this one of the most capable low light cameras available.

Professional photographers shooting in the field depend on more than just a speedy camera, they also need a reliable way to send their images to the news desks and editors. So, the EOS R3 offers a number of professional connectivity options including built in version 5.0 Bluetooth and 5 GHz Wi-F, to streamline workflows and simplify the connection to a smartphone or Wi-Fi network. Ideal for sport arenas, the built in Gigabit Ethernet port enables a high speed wired connection. And, for when speed really matters, photographers can transmit images to clients via FTP. For existing EOS R5 and EOS-1D X Mark III users, network settings can be shared between the three cameras.

Canon says that users can remotely control the camera from a mobile device using the Canon’s Camera Connect App or using the Browser Remote function via an ethernet connection. A popular feature from the EOS-1D X Mark III, the Browser Remote function also enables users and head offices to remotely change metadata, browse and download images. Users can use Canon’s Mobile File Transfer (MFT) app alongside the EOS R3 to easily add meta data from a smartphone and transmit images via a 4G/5G network when Wi-Fi may not be available.

A new smartphone holder accessory for the EOS R3, the Smartphone Link AD-P1, allows users to mount their iOS or Android device on top of the Multi-Function Shoe Adapter and easily transmit images via the new MFT app. Canon’s next-generation Multi-Function Shoe is compatible with a variety of accessories including the Speedlite EL-1, and new accessories such as the ST-E10 Speedlite Transmitter, External Mic and the Smartphone Link Adapter. The Canon Camera Connect app now enables the EOS R3 firmware to be updated via your phone – a first for an EOS camera.

A blackout-free viewfinder

Offering all the speed and familiarity of the EOS-1 series, Canon’s latest mirrorless employs a new Canon developed blackout-free, high-quality 5.76 million dot electronic viewfinder with low lag and refresh rate of up to 120 fps at full resolution for a viewing experience that rivals an optical viewfinder. Along with the newly introduced OVF simulation View Assist, the viewfinder offers, Canon says, “richer tones and greater dynamic range. The shutter lag can be reduced to an astonishing 20ms – less than half that of a conventional camera, for near instant capture when the shutter release is pressed.”

The new high resolution Vari-Angle 4.1-million dot touch screen provides more detail than ever before and offers greater flexibility of shooting angles thanks to its ability to tilt and rotate into a range of positions. Combining existing EOS ergonomics with new controls and a number of new customisation options for users, including shutter sounds with volume control, the EOS R3 provides familiar, yet advanced control. To save time when moving between camera bodies, photographers can easily copy and save personalised settings to memory cards. Using the same LP-E19 battery as the EOS-1D X Mark II and EOS-1D X Mark III, the EOS R3 enables extended shooting and greater compatibility with existing DSLRs.

The Canon EOS R3 Full-Frame Mirrorless Camera is scheduled to be available in November 2021 for a suggested retail price of $5999.99.

I was pretty diligent last year making posts here on PVC as the big vendors began slowly dropping out of NBA Show 2020 as the pandemic was taking hold of the US and the world. There was Adobe, and Avid, both bailing on NAB Show last year among many others that eventually caused the cancellation of the 2020 show. It was understandable.

Here we are in the fall of 2021 and the NAB Show is scheduled to take place October 9 – 13. But it is doing so without any most of the major vendors. At least the ones many of us go to see. Many companies, including Adobe and Avid, never signed up for this fall NAB 2021. Most of those big vendors that did have a booth have dropped out. All the major camera manufacturers such as Sony, Canon and Panasonic were set up to attend but have canceled their plans.

Blackmagic, who always have the biggest booth, haven’t announced specifically they are out but they are no longer on the exhibit map and Hollywood Reporter have reported BMD is not attending. BMD’s big booth was still on the NAB show floor map a week or so ago. I reached out for official clarification from BMD and have been told that indeed, they have withdrawn from NAB Show 2021.

While Blackmagic Design won’t have the big booth at NAB Show 2021 there will be a big booth for FMC’s Resolve training. But will there be anyone there to take it?

This begs the question of why even try to shoehorn a fall Las Vegas NAB show into the year when COVID numbers are still high, travel restrictions are still in place around the world, and a scan of the exhibit map reveals a lot of available booths. Date equity isn’t important here since April is the usual NAB Show timeslot and it has already been announced NAB will return to April next year.

Now with even fewer big vendors to draw attendees, it begs the question of why even bother to carry on with the show?

While many of the companies who are currently attending or had planned to attend usually send a large contingent from overseas, word on the street was that many of them were just going to use a lot of resellers and people local to the US to fill their booth. Now with even fewer big vendors to draw attendees, it begs the question of why even bother to carry on with the show? It almost feels irresponsible to hold the show at this point since that will require many people to travel and force them into situations they wouldn’t normally be in during a g if NAB Show wasn’t happening. There is a worldwide pandemic going on after all.

Ross Video is today announcing the company’s withdrawal from NAB Show 2021.

Ross had a number of new product announcements planned for NAB Show and these will now be shared as part of our Ross Live series of online broadcasts.

https://t.co/lAM1xaoGFq#LivingLive #RossVideo pic.twitter.com/wxkcKfjz1E

— Ross Video Limited (@ross_video) September 10, 2021

Thankfully NAB has a health and safety page that is being kept up to date with the latest vaccination and masking requirements. Such as:

NAB requires full vaccination of all attendees, exhibitors and NAB staff participating at the 2021 NAB Show and its co-located events the Radio Show and Sales and Management Television Exchange (SMTE). 

Proof of full vaccination is needed to enter the events. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), a person is considered fully vaccinated: 

• 2 weeks after their second dose in a 2-dose series, such as the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, or 
• 2 weeks after a single-dose vaccine, such as Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen vaccine. 

And what about masks?

The decision on mask requirements will be made at a later date, closer to the start of the Show, and will be in accordance with requirements set by the CDC, the Governor of Nevada, the Southern Nevada Health District and the Clark County Commission. 

Clark County currently requires face coverings while in public indoor places and crowded outdoor venues regardless of vaccination status.   

NAB will continue to monitor and update our mask policy should requirements change closer to the date of the Show. 

OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT regarding #NABShow 2021 and #InfoComm21 pic.twitter.com/uVSzYVkVLO

— Canon USA Pro (@CanonUSApro) September 10, 2021

So that’s where we stand. I’m sure NAB has at least some idea of how many or how few folks are planning on attending. While the conversation of trade show relevance has raged for a few years now I think regular NAB attendees will be raring to go back once the pandemic is under control. There is still an electricity in the air at the show, both on the show floor and at the many events of the week. People enjoy being there. Probably just not in a pandemic.

All that said, Cine Gear Expo is scheduled to kick off in LA late next week so who knows what is the right thing to do anymore.

Covid-19 and the year 2020 have turned the professional production and post world on their heads. Among other things, it has accelerated various schemes for remote post-production collaboration. But one size does not fit all. There are approximately five different workflow scenarios.

Remote workflow options

Method 1 – sneakernet – This has been a tried and true remote collaborative solution prior to and during lockdowns. Copy all of the media onto a drive and ship it to the editor. When done, the editor returns the drive with media, project files, and deliverables. If you had a separated team working on the project, each gets a clone of the same media and they share projects, bins, and/or XML files via email, file transfer services, Dropbox, etc.

Method 2 – cloud syncing – Cloud services can be used to host project files, as well as to transfer media among edit sites. Adobe Teams and Hedge’s Postlab are two solutions where the project files are stored in the cloud and are updated using check-out/check-in procedures. Media is usually local and only project files are located in the cloud. 

Hedge also offers Drive, which gives each editor access to media uploaded to Hedge’s servers. That media shows up in the editor’s local Drive volume as a virtual file, much like Dropbox’s Smart Sync feature. When a file is played, it is streamed and cached within the local computer’s Drive volume. Subsequently, media is played from that local cache. With standard internet speeds, this works well with proxy edit media.

Method 3 – cloud editing – True editing in the cloud is on the wishlist for many large media enterprises. The editor works directly with cloud-based native media hosted on AWS, Microsoft Azure, or one of the other large cloud providers. True virtualization – where even your applications are running in the cloud – has been used in the VFX industry with compositing software, such as Nuke.

This approach works for single shots that don’t require real-time playback from the cloud, but it’s less attractive for editing. Services like AWS also charge egress fees with each download, which makes real-time editing with media in the cloud, less cost-effective. There are certainly working cloud solutions from suppliers like Avid, but most support lower resolution media instead of some of the 4K and larger files that many editors work with today.

Method 4 – direct storage server access – Some shared storage companies, like QNAP and OWC Lumaforge, offer direct remote access into your facility’s NAS or SAN – assuming that you’ve connected the server to the internet. Performance is totally dependent on the internet speeds at both ends, but the concept is like having that storage volume mounted locally. Any viewing or processing of media is done at the remote computer within a player or editing application. To composite one 4K clip over another 4K clip, two streams of native 4K media have to pass in real-time to your remote computer over the internet. This can be taxing on most common home internet services. But there are other benefits to this solution that don’t involve editing. For instance, Lumaforge has leveraged the computing power of their internal Jellyfish server to remotely drive media management and transcoding tasks within the platform itself.

Method 5 – remote control – If you’ve ever had a support technician “dial” into your computer to troubleshoot an issue, then you’ve experienced remote control via TeamViewer. A more sophisticated version of this is what’s being employed in many remote editing configurations, such as solutions offered by Teradici and HP RGS (remote graphics software).

Another cost-effective answer is Jump Desktop. Instead of moving media files back and forth, the remote user is sending commands via the Jump Desktop application to the connected workstation and receiving back a shared screen and synced audio. When you remotely launch Premiere Pro or Final Cut Pro, you are doing so on the unattended computer at the main facility.

Getting started with Jump Desktop

I’ve recently begun to use Jump Desktop as part of a team account. If you simply want to access your own office computer from home, using a computer or tablet, then you can sign up as an individual user through their website or an app store. However, if you intend to connect multiple users and multiple workstations, then a team account (pro or enterprise) is the way to go. The software supports Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android, as well as cross-platform access.

The administrator for your Jump Desktop team sets up each computer that is to be remotely controlled and sends invites to all potential users. Users are assigned permission for remote access to one or more specific computers. A small application is installed at each end – Jump Desktop for the user’s computer and Jump Desktop Connect on the workstation to be controlled. Since you are controlling the in-house workstation, there’s no need to match plug-ins and fonts on the user’s home/remote computer.

We have a mix of Apple workstations at the shop. Unlike some of the other methods that I described above, a crazy-fast internet connection is not required. Only screen data and sync audio is transmitted (up to 60fps refresh). Our ISP provides 1Gbps down/40Mbps up. In the case of the remotely connected editors (including myself), it’s a typical residential feed at 100Mbps down/10Mbps up.

You should hardwire the ethernet from the router to the computer to consistently get the full speeds claimed by the ISP. Once multiple workstations do taxing work over the internet, each will be using part of the available bandwidth. For example, if a user is editing remotely while someone at the facility is uploading to Frame.io or Dropbox (two services that are designed to maximize available internet bandwidth), then both functions will be impacted. Depending on the activity, the various applications will dominate bandwidth accordingly. If the remote editor is idle for a bit, the Frame upload will run at full speed. However, once the editor picks up again and the Jump Desktop signal locks in, the Frame upload slows down.

One approach to mitigate this as a business, without paying for a very expensive internet connection, is simply to add additional lines at more reasonable rates. You might connect a couple of the editing workstations to their own internet router, while the rest of the shop operates on the normal “house” connection.

The Jump Desktop editing experience

I have been skeptical of remote editing solutions, but this experience has been quite good, even with these modest internet speeds. I’ve used Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro, and Resolve. Screen size is a factor. When you share the NLE interface, it’s primarily the pixels of the viewer panel that are rapidly updated. So performance is great. Premiere Pro was relatively fluid. Resolve was rather jerky in the edit page. I expected Final Cut Pro’s skimming to cause issues. In fact, FCP was extremely smooth and responsive, even with skimming. However, when you make a viewer fullscreen or try to view a 1080 or 4K file in QuickTime Player or VLC at full size, the playback may not be as good.

No actual video signal is passing to the off-site computer, so you can’t connect to an external, high-quality video display. I haven’t tested any dual-screen workstation, so I don’t know how that configuration is displayed on the home/remote system’s screen. I could be incorrect, but I suspect only the main system screen is shared.

Audio sync has always been a critical issue in any screen-sharing configuration. When you are connected through Jump Desktop, the outbound Mac sends audio through Jump Desktop Audio instead of the internal speakers, headphones, or an external i/o device. I presume that it works a bit like Rogue Amoeba’s Audio Hijack by intercepting the core audio signal after the application. Generally, this switch is automatic when you first connect.

However, Logic Pro required me to manually set the audio device within the app’s preferences.

When the screen sizes are different between machines, they will be resized. If you are controlling a 27” iMac with a MacBook Pro laptop, then you will see a scaled interface on the iMac display. The most compatible is when everything matches. I’m controlling a 27” iMac Pro from a 27” iMac at home. I can see the Pro’s screen in a window or go full screen. When I do so, it’s the same as if I’m sitting at my workstation in the office. Text is relatively crisp and video looks as expected after the initial connection. Sometimes when I first open a timeline or a video file, I may see some momentary compression or minor playback hiccups, but then it quickly settles down. While the experience is not 100% the same as being in the office, it’s close enough to edit confidently and fluidly. Source resolution doesn’t matter, because if the workstation can handle the codec, frame rate, or size normally, then that’s what I see at home, too.

There are some best practices to follow. If you intend to access a machine remotely, then that workstation needs to stay powered up and any sleep or energy mode disabled. In addition, the Jump Desktop Connect application needs to be set to open at start-up. You may have the need to remotely restart the computer, which does work. Remember, that the workstation’s screen is visible to anyone in the room. Don’t do anything that you wouldn’t mind sharing with a client or your boss passing by (emails, Slack messages, web browsing, etc).

Remote access does not mean you can completely do away with the office and let everyone work from home. You still need a fixed site with shared storage and powerful computers. Someone still has to go in to load media from camera files, as well as handle finishing tasks like mixing and grading, which require specialized monitoring. Nevertheless, it does provide some interesting, new workflow solutions – for example, collaboration. The facility may have productions using Avid shared projects or Adobe Productions and a team of off-site editors. Using a solution such as Jump Desktop, you could have two or more editors working from home, each connected to their respective workstation at the main facility and all collaborating on the same film, commercial, or corporate video.

I personally prefer the on-premise workflow and culture. It fosters face-to-face communication, collaboration, and mentoring. But for times when you do have to be away from the office, solutions like Jump Desktop provide a very viable solution within most budgets.

SIGMA announces 24mm F2 DG DN | Contemporary and 90mm F2.8 DG DN | Contemporary, two lenses that will be available for $639 each, late September.

First announced on December 1, 2020, the I Series lenses from SIGMA are compact, stylish prime lenses featuring machined metal barrels and lens hoods, manual aperture rings, and magnetic lens caps. The two lenses now announced, with focal lengths of 24 and 90mm, expand the line to six lenses.

The 24mm F2 DG DN | Contemporary premium compact prime, the latest prime lens to be added to SIGMA’s growing I series range, offers, according to the company, “superb optical performance, a bright F2 aperture, an all-metal build and a manual aperture ring. Designed from the ground up for mirrorless systems it feels perfectly-balanced on modern full-frame bodies, and boasts exceptional resolving power that can keep up with the latest ultra-high-resolution cameras.”

The lens’ advanced optical design, SIGMA continues, “produces sharp, high-contrast results from the center of the frame to the far corners, and together with its F2 aperture and wide angle-of-view it’s an excellent choice for night sky photography, events and interiors. Owing to its compact size the lens can be carried around effortlessly, which makes it perfect for day-to-day use. The high quality, all-metal construction, which is found on all of SIGMA’s I series models, makes the experience of owning and operating this lens extremely satisfying.”

Focusing distance of 50cm

This new full-frame 24mm F2 prime is designed for photographers who need a sharp, fast, robust, wide-angle optic that will not weigh them down. It is available for L-Mount and Sony E-mount systems.

The brand new 90mm F2.8 DG DN | Contemporary premium compact prime now added to SIGMA’s growing I series range, also offers superb optical performance, a bright F2.8 aperture, an all-metal build and a manual aperture ring. Designed especially for mirrorless systems it feels well-balanced on modern full-frame bodies, and boasts exceptional resolving power that can keep up with the latest ultra-high-resolution cameras.

With its versatile mid-telephoto focal length, the lens is the longest I series lens yet, but still remains remarkably compact and light so is ideal for day-to-day use. SIGMA claims that “it is fully-optimized for mirrorless systems with ultra-fast and accurate AF performance, and it boasts outstanding optical capabilities. The rich, smooth bokeh makes for attractive backgrounds, which is perfect for portraits, and the minimum focusing distance of 50cm allows photographers to get closer to their subject.”

SIGMA’s 60th anniversary and a contest

This high-quality, everyday lens is able to bring scenes to life with its beautiful rendering and ultra-sharp optics, all in a portable, robust and tactile lens body.

Besides introducing the new lenses, SIGMA also announced it is celebrating the company’s 60th anniversary with a scholarship contest to mark this milestone in the company’s history.

SIGMA America President Mark Amri-Hamzeh explains: “This scholarship contest will award a total of $60,000 and is intended as a tribute to SIGMA’s founder and chairman, Michihiro Yamaki and all that he stood for, and the principles upon which the company was founded. Kazuto Yamaki, the founder’s son and current CEO, will also be honored for carrying on the tradition of SIGMA, adhering to the founding principles but also infusing creative innovation of the next generation. This will be done through a photography/film scholarship contest centered around creating images and films based on the core principles of SIGMA Corporation. We have chosen to offer this student scholarship contest to both recognize and encourage the next generation of visual artists.”

A total of $60,000 will be awarded to student photographers and filmmakers in four categories, each aligned with the core principles of the company. The four core principles upon which the contestants will be asked to draw their creative inspiration are: Authenticity, Precision, Inspiration, and Honor. All entries must be captured with SIGMA lenses and/or cameras for prize consideration.

The contest is open to students enrolled in college-level filmmaking and photography programs in the United States and District of Columbia. The entry period will run from October 1, 2021 through October 31, 2021. Winners will be announced on or before November 5, 2021.

For more information about the contest, official rules and regulations, and entry information, please visit SIGMA60th.com.

I think something that is lost in today’s remote editing from from home and everyone edits on a laptop is the joy of a good client monitor as a central part of an edit suite. When I say good I honestly mean just the existence of an “client monitor” as a way to view your edits off of the tiny preview window in your NLE or the full screen playback command on your desktop monitor, or laptop.

To utilize a client monitor you first need a broadcast monitor of some type, (which can take on many different forms), and you need a piece of hardware like the AJA T-Tap Pro to get that signal to the monitor. This type of hardware might be new to a lot of editors in the world who work on a single machine like an iMac or a laptop with a cheap computer display connected.

The T-Tap Pro is a small device but does require power. Unlike other simple video output devices, the audio meters and unique volume knob means you might want to keep it in full view.

Why use a “client” (or external) monitor at all?

The idea of a “client” monitor is that first and foremost it is to provide your client a place to view the edit that isn’t right next to or over the shoulder of the editor. It allows for more personal space for everyone and keeps the distance between the bodies which we all know is important in the COVID era.

It also can provide a bigger display in which to view the program which can be a welcome relief from the NLE viewer or the full-screen playback on a 16-inch laptop screen or a 27-inch main computer display. There are things that you can and will see on this bigger display that you won’t see on your computer screen.

Even if you don’t have a client, the single editor can benefit from a client monitor as well. I find it refreshing both to my eyes, my body, and my general sensibilities when watching a cut to be able to step back away from my editing cockpit and watch my program. I find the shifting of both my body and my mind helps me view the cut in a slightly different way. With that, I might find things or feel things a little bit differently. Just the slight pause as I readjust to view on the client monitor is helpful. Even better is when I sit back in a different chair to take in a long-form watch-down.

The AJA T-Tap Pro as the connection

To get the signal from your NLE to a proper client monitor requires a piece of hardware like the AJA T-Tap Pro. The hardware works in combination with the AJA Control Room software as the bridge between NLE and client monitor.

A download and install of the AJA Control Room software installs the necessary hooks into your system as well as into supported NLEs. When working in those NLEs (Avid Media Composer, Adobe Premiere Pro and After Effects, Final Cut Pro) you have to toggle the hardware output on to send the signal to the T-Tap.

Depending on your application you might have an option to adjust the offset or delay going to the output device. This can be adjusted to fix sync issues between the NLE viewer on your computer monitor and the display attached to the T-Tap Pro. Different display technologies might require different sync adjustments. You can try to eyeball it or use an app like Catchin’ Sync to be more accurate. You just have to be aware of these sync issues so you know what you’re looking at when trying to judge proper sync.

You can see in my client monitor image up above that I have an LG sound bar attached to my client monitor. That sound bar gets its signal from the tv. While I don’t mix audio to that sound bar I do route the sound through the T-Tap Pro to the tv so audio is sent to the sound bar. This is great when sitting back away from the computer to watch a cut.

And it’s as easy as that.

Your settings must be right

You have to match your settings with what hardware you might have or what you want to view. I’ll use Adobe Premiere Pro for the example here as that is what I used for this review.

I was working with 4K media in a 1080 23.98 edit. For the main edit it was easy as I set my AJA settings to 1080p 23.98 in the AJA Control Panel.

That Format tab is your main setup point for the format you want to output. An application with proper drivers installed can take control of the hardware and as you can see in the image above the AJA Control Panel is In use by Premiere Pro. The T-Tap Pro would follow the format setup in the Premiere Pro timeline.

But there were times when we wanted to view some of the original 4K selects on the client monitor as well. When I switched to those sequences I would lose the output since my monitor was not 4K. That’s where some advanced settings help.

When opening the Playback Preferences if you hit the Setup… button, the AJA Playback Settings open. From there you can tell the T-Tap Pro to Match Sequence or Match Control Panel. I set this to Match Control Panel so the T-Tap Pro would stick to 1080 23.98 and down-convert my 4K timelines.

The T-Tap Pro is a Thunderbolt 3 device but a keen eye might see above I have it attached to a Thunderbolt 2 adapter. I didn’t have a cable handy when I hooked it up so I used an Apple adapter and it worked fine. I also connected the Thunderbolt cable to one of the Thunderbolt 2 ports on my RAID and it was able to pass the signal through as well. I don’t know if these are officially supported connections but I wanted to see it they would work, and they did. Of course it also worked being directly plugged into my iMac Pro and MacBook Pro via a direct Thunderbolt 3 connection and this would be recommended.

An upgrade from the original T-Tap

The original AJA T-Tap was a tiny $300 Thunderbolt connected device that was designed to sit out of sight and get your video signal out of your system to an SDI or HDMI monitor. It was the first of its kind and enabled a whole generation of editors to affordably use an affordable client monitor. You didn’t need expensive PCI cards in a tower you just needed a Thunderbolt port. It was the easiest monitor connection since Firewire and DV.

The T-Tap Pro takes that functionality of the original T-Tap to new levels for its $795. Below is the bullet point list of all the supported features of the T-Tap Pro.

• 12G-SDI and HDMI 2.0 connectivity for working with 4K or UltraHD over a single cable up to 60p
• SDI output supports 12G-SDI, 6G-SDI, 3G-SDI, 1.5G-SDI and 270Mbit
• 4K/UltraHD/2K/HD/SD Output/Monitoring up to 50/60p
• 1x 12G-SDI BNC with 16-channel embedded audio
• 1x HDMI 2.0 with 8-channel embedded audio
• 1x Thunderbolt 3 connector
• Compact, silent, mobile form-factor with Front-panel Audio Levels Reference Display
• RGB 4:4:4 12-bit, YCbCr 4:2:2 10-bit and HFR workflows supported
• 4K Closed Caption Support
• VPID signaling for SDR/HDR Transfer Characteristics, Colorimetry and Luminance via SDI
• PQ, HLG, HDR10, HDR 10+ and Dolby Vision Support
• HDR Metadata Auto Playback Detection
• Includes support for the new Apple M1 chip
• Headphone jack and quick access audio level control for mobile or live environments
• Thunderbolt, Power and Bitfile Connection Status Indicators
• Power Supply Included
• 3 Year Warranty

I don’t currently have an external 4K or HDR display to be able to test many of the T-Tap Pro’s signature features such as the HDR support. But the unit was flawless for both HDMI and SDI monitoring in my HD-based editing suite. Both outputs are active which can be useful depending on your situation. Both connections output the same signal so no splitting signals or cross-converting. It will not downconvert to SD via the outputs but who has a need for SD anymore anyway?

It’s worth noting the T-Tap Pro utilizes Thunderbolt 3. That bandwidth is what enables this little box to do as much as it does. All that functionality comes with a price as the T-Tap Pro requires power, unlike the original T-Tap. It also gets quite hot.

Audio on the front

One thing to make note of that is different from the original T-Tap is the volume knob, headphone jack, and audio meters on the front. While it’s nice to have visible audio meters anytime (they are a rarity in many edit suites these days) the volume knob controls more than the headphones.

The Audio Mixer tab of the T-Tap Pro AJA Control Panel will let you switch the volume knob on the T-Tap Pro to control the embedded audio of the HDMI and SDI outputs. That’s rare as those digital audio signals often just pass through a device like this. It could come in handy for monitoring in a busy room.

Just be aware of changing the audio at this Playback Monitor/Output Control level as you don’t want to bump the level up or down in the T-Tap Pro control panel and forget about it, only to compensate in your NLE. That could cause major issues when outputting files.

Wrap-up

If you need monitoring hardware in your edit suite you really can’t go wrong with the AJA T-Tap Pro… unless one thing, see the Cons below. At $795 it’s not the cheapest option but it darn near is. And considering how much functionality you get it’s well-positioned when it comes to cost vs. performance.

It also has a lot of functionality you can grow into. While you might only have a consumer HDMI display in your edit suite the T-Tap Pro has the features and the connectivity to grow into one of those Flanders Scientific monitors many of us dream about.

Beyond that, I think this review is done. A piece of hardware like the AJA T-Tap Pro isn’t a flashy device that requires a deep technical discussion to be useful in an edit suite. I’m sure a video engineer with the right 4K, HDR and engineering gear could dig into that bullet list of features above and talk at length about a lot of what the T-Tap Pro can do. I am not, nor do I want to be, a video engineer. I looked at this product as many editors will. Unbox, install software, connect devices and then use it. That’s what I did and it worked great. May other editors see the joy of a client monitor and begin to use it in their own edit suites. And for that you might need a piece of hardware like the AJA T-Tap Pro.

Pros

• Tons of features at a fair price
• It might make you add a client monitor to your edit suite which is a good thing for your editorial overall
• The AJA Control Room software offers a number of video tools for playback, uses and convenience to view clips outside of supported NLEs

Cons

• Single Thunderbolt 3 port so no pass through. If you need that consider the AJA Io 4K Plus
• The power supply is a weird, 4-pin thing and you definitely won’t have an extra one of those lying around
• No DaVinci Resolve support but that’s most likely not AJA’s fault

Cautions

• While they aren’t officially supported I noticed that while using two audio applications, Adobe Audition and Izotope RX, they both saw the T-Tap Pro as an output option. While the audio didn’t seem to pass through the HDMI output it did pass to the device for monitoring through the headphone jack. I’m not sure if this would be useful or not but it could come in handy when an editor needs to mix.

• While your EIZO or Ben-Q monitor might have an HDMI input those aren’t true broadcast monitors so if you need to do real QC for broadcast you’ll need a different monitor and the T-Tap Pro will most likely support that.
• If you’re new to monitoring hardware you’ll want to study all that the T-Tap Pro can do with the AJA Desktop Software.
• As with any video monitoring hardware you might have to adjust the settings in your NLE to get frame-accurate sync between your NLE’s canvas/viewer and the client monitor. Most NLEs provide settings to delay the signal by adjustable milliseconds.

When I shoot MacBreak Studio, I use two microphones: one for the on-camera portion, and one for the user interface demo. The on-camera mic is a Sennheiser shotgun mic connected via an XLR cable directly into my Sony A7SIII through the K3M adapter. It’s convenient because I don’t have to sync dual-system audio in post, which I had been doing for years previously by recording on a lavalier mic into a Zoom H5. I love the fact that I don’t have to sync in post, and I don’t have to mess around with the lav mic every time I shoot. The shotgun mic is on a boom pole mounted to a C-stand and remains ready to go at any time.

However, when I’m recording the screen for a tutorial with Screenflow, I use a different mic – a Blue Designs Yeti from Logitech, mounted on a boom arm. It’s connected via USB directly to my computer. Technically I could use that same Sennheiser shotgun mic by plugging the XLR cable into my Focusrite Scarlett 2i2, but that would necessitate constantly reconfiguring or using a splitter – and besides, I actually prefer the sound of the Yeti mic. And since I haven’t found a way to connect that Yeti mic directly to my camera, I’m left using two different mics.

The problem is, these mics sound very different from each other – jarringly so. Therefore, I needed to match them to each other, ideally making the Sennheiser sound more like the Yeti mic that I prefer. Thanks for Final Cut Pro’s Match Audio feature, it’s not difficult to do. What you may not realize however, is you can use this feature in both directions. In other words, after matching the shotgun mic to the boom mic, which gets them in the neighborhood, you can then match the boom mic to the modified shotgun mic to get them even closer.

Then, by analyzing the generated waveform mapped to the frequency spectrum of each mic, you can tweak the EQ to get them even closer. Check it all out in the video above – see if you can hear a difference when it switches from the on-camera intro to the demo portion. And if you want learn more about how to use Final Cut Pro’s excellent audio tools, check out Steve’s Sound Editing in Final Cut Pro.