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 Saddleback Church Creates Content For International "Purpose Driven Network" With Panasonic AJ-HPX2000 Camcorders
Sony has extended its EX line of solid-state recording cameras with the introduction of a new shoulder-mount camcorder targeted at ENG, reality TV and documentary shooters. More
 Sony Unveils New Solid State Camcorders
Sony Electronics is expanding its line of solid state camcorders with two new models designed to broaden the shooting capabilities for professionals and consumers. More
 Sony Adds 2/3-inch Model To Solid-State EX Line
Sony has extended its EX line of solid-state recording cameras with the introduction of a new shoulder-mount camcorder targeted at ENG, reality TV and documentary shooters. More
Wireless Camera Logging Makes The Connection
 With the proliferation of “smart” cell phones, PDAs and laptop computers now ubiquitous among professionals in the production community, a number of new wireless applications are becoming available that relieve once tedious processes, thereby streamlining workflows. From remote logging to metadata insertion, camera control and clip preview, camera manufacturers like Ikegami, Grass Valley, Panasonic and Sony are now saying “there’s an app for that.” More
Techno-Jib rentals opens in Southern California
Techno-Jib Rentals, a new company handling rentals of the popular Techno-Jib camera mounts widely used in sports production, has opened its doors in Southern California. Equipped to supply the full line of Techno-Jib telescoping jib arms and related equipment, it is the first rental house to offer the compact T15 model. More
 Zaxcom to unveil Zax-Net
Zaxcom, a provider of audio technology for sound mixing and ENG professionals, has introduced its Zax-Net 2.4 GHz RF network. Zax-Net is designed for the distribution of remote control signals, time code, IFB audio, and metadata for production sound. It wirelessly links Zaxcom’s Deva/Fusion, digital recording wireless, encrypted IFB receivers, and compatible digital slates into a single system for audio recording and metadata distribution. More
Camera Mounting Systems Get Sophisticated At All Levels
 Today, there are mounting systems to place video cameras virtually anywhere. From helmets to cars, motorcycles, boats, helicopters and even broomsticks, there are specialty mounts for camera bodies. Then there are mounts to attach accessories, such as hard disk recorders, batteries and lights, to the camera itself. The choices, and companies making them, are enormous. More
Carrying the Weight of an HD Camcorder
It’s easy to underestimate the weight of a camcorder in the field if you go by the listed weight in manufacturer’s specification sheets. What is really carried on your shoulder in the field easily exceeds those specifications as soon as you count the lens, the battery, recording media (especially if it is one of the removable packs or cards or even a portable hard drive), portable on-board lighting instrument, grip and microphone. Even the mounting devices or plates for those items can affect the overall weight. More
OConnor Intros Heavy-Duty Fluid Head For Visual Effects
OConnor Engineering has introduced the 120EXe Encoded Heavy Duty Fluid Head, which provides high-precision pan and tilt position information for cinema quality visual effects production on commercials and feature films.
The new 120EXe is being distributed exclusively by Mo-Sys (www.mo-sys.com) in conjunction with Mo-Sys latest camera motion capture system. More
Telecast CopperHead Fiber Optic Systems to Use Neutrik’s opticalCON Connectors 
The Telecast CopperHead is a camera-mountable transceiver with the ability to multiplex all of a camcorder’s input and output signals onto a single fiber optic cable. Now, its maker, Telecast Fiber Systems, says that future CopperHeads will ship with Neutrik’s opticalCON fiber optic connectors. More
New 5.1 Surround Mics Open Creative Audio Possibilities for HDTV on Camcorders 
Since the beginning of television, audio has always followed video in technological development. Yet, even when testing the first DVD home video systems, researchers always found that it was the rich surround sound that most impressed viewers. More
New 24p Camcorder Expands HDCAM SR Line
At NAB Sony (www.sony.com) filled out its HDCAM SR product line with the new SRW-9000 HDCAM SR camcorder that captures the highest quality (4:4:4) component signals on videotape (many agree that tape is still the cheapest way to record such a large amount of data). More
I-Movix spotlights new version of ultra slow-motion SprintCam Live
At NAB Belgium-based I-Movix (http://www.i-movix.com/) showed the latest version of its ultra slow-motion SprintCam Live camera system. Version 2.1 allows users to capture from 500 to 10,000 frames per second with instant replay and adds a number of new features based on feedback from its use during the 2008 Summer Olympic games in Beijing, China. More
Fluid Heads Provide Smooth Shooting
Camera support gear is a long-term investment—a category of equipment with which the phrase “new and improved” is rarely used. However, in recent weeks, major manufacturers have been busy with new product introductions. More
RED Shows Cinema Quality 4K Images from Standard DVDs
RED, the video camera company that likes to dazzle its users with enticing new products, did it again at the recent NAB at a private party.Demonstrating it’s planned $1,000 RED RAY product, due out later this year, the company showed the device playing cinema-quality 4K video off standard DVDs to a room full of stunned users and customers at the Rio Hotel in Las Vegas on April 22. More
Affordable 2/3" HD Cameras Hit The Studio
Looking around the exhibit floor at NAB 2009 this year, it was clear that camera product managers are responding to today's challenges in order to stimulate sales. With more and more stations moving to high-definition news production, there's a clear opportunity to attract stations looking to build out their studio cost-effectively. It also showed that high-quality HD acquisition does not have to be prohibitive in price.More
Canon Introduces Industry’s Widest Portable 2/3-inch HD Lens
Canon’s new HJ14ex4.3B portable lens is an even-wider version of their last 2/3-inch HD wide angle, providing a horizontal view unlike any other handheld before it.More
Ikegami Adds Bluetooth Transfers to 2/3-inch GFCam Camcorder.
Ikegami introduced the industry’s first tapeless camcorder. It continues this tradition with a series of new products and enhancements to its GFSeries Flash-memory HD production system--developed in cooperation with Toshiba, a world leader in Flash RAM production.More
Grass Valley Infinity expands into digital cinema market
At the NAB Show in Las Vegas, Grass Valley will show new features and functionality for its Infinity Digital Media Camcorder that can help independent feature and other production professionals acquire images in the formats they require most. More
Ikegami introduces two new HDTV cameras
Following on last year’s introduction of Ikegami’s popular HDK-77EX HDTV camera, comes the NAB 2009 debut of the affordable new HDK-77EC portable multi-format HD CMOS camera to meet the demands of an increasingly varied HD market, including stadium/arena scoreboards, houses of worship, education, and other production applications. More
Sony Makes HD Studio Production Affordable
Sony Electronics is offering a new line of HD studio cameras, due in May, that are less costly yet include many of the same features of its pristine-quality HDC Series studio cameras.More
Hitachi Markets New HD Studio/EFP Camera
Hitachi Kokusai Electric America will unveil a pre-production version of its new Hitachi Z-HD5000 portable, dockable HDTV studio and EFP camera at the 2009 NAB show in Las Vegas, complete with 1080/59.94i or 1080/50i native scanning. More
Litepanels unveils Bi-Focus LED light
Litepanels now offers an LED light fixture that can be used for both variable spot and flood focusing. Like other Litepanels fixtures, the ultra-thin 1x1 Bi-Focus offers a cool-to-the-touch, low power consumption solution that provides the flexibility to instantly vary the width of light beam. More
Global Camcorder Report Highlights What Pros Want Most
Results of the second global camcorder survey among video professionals, shows interesting shifts in the formats preferred and types of features and functions that end-users are seeking in new camcorders this year. The new camcorder report, entitled “Professional Camcorders World 2008” is due for publication this month. More
Celebrating 25 years, Autoscript offers next-generation prompting systems
Teleprompting systems provider Autoscript is celebrating its 25th Anniversary at this year's NAB 2009 Show with three major new-technology introductions. The new systems include: high-brightness LED (light-emitting-diode) TFT-Plus flat screens; a compact (5.6-inch), lightweight (one pound) Miniscript portable on-camera TFT monitor; and the MFC-1 Magno Foot Control.More
O’Connor Updates a Classic
Leveraging the popularity of its Ultimate 2575 Fluid Head “C” fluid camera stabilizing head, OConnor has announced the next generation “D” model, with improved ergonomic changes to controls and more pan bar mounting points. The 2575D also retains the counterbalance specifications and other characteristics of its predecessor, and all current 2575C accessories can be used on the 2575D.More
Anton/Bauer unveils new high-current battery
Designed to meet the increased power requirements of today’s on-camera lights and other accessories, Anton/Bauer is unveiling its new Dionic HC high-current camera battery at the upcoming NAB 2009 Show (booth# C6021).More
New Generation of Video Monitors Raises Quality While Bringing Costs Down
Accurate, critical high-resolution video monitors have always been expensive. However, a new generation of professional-quality HDTV monitors is challenging that trend—keeping quality up while lowering costs.More
New Techno-Jib 24 Finds Use on Small Production Stages
The new Techno-Jib 24 is an evolution of the conventional jib arm. Yet, it’s unique because it can instantly extend or retract—enabling innovative shots otherwise achievable only with a telescoping crane. More
Free Online Seminars Detail Advances in HD Media and Recording Formats
Sony Electronics’ Professional Media Group is conducting a series of online seminars on high-definition recording media and formats. The web-based courses are designed for production professionals and can be accessed for free at http://www.sony.com/promedia/.More
Lenses and Features Driving Replacement of Studio Cameras
When compared with the turnover of a huge number of camcorders in their many formats, the world of studio television cameras has been rather sedate. More
Sports Sets Stage for SprintCam Slow Motion Camera
Sometimes a piece of broadcast equipment needs to find a programming event to find its niche. That happened with the SprintCam Live V2 slow motion camera system at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, where high-quality gear was the rule.More
Grass Valley Infinity Adds Long-GOP Compression Option
Grass Valley has added long-GOP MPEG-2 encoding as an option for its Infinity Digital Media Camcorder. Adding the new MPEG-2 HD/SD Compression Board (about $4,000) is a simple software upgrade.More
Telecast Fiber Systems Expands HD Signal Transmission
Telecast Fiber Systems’ line of SHED (SMPTE Hybrid Elimination Device) and HDX power adaptor systems now support Panasonic’s line of high-definition broadcast studio cameras. The technology already works with Sony and Ikegami HD cameras.More
Batteries Have Come a Long Way, Baby
When professional portable video began in the 1970’s, most batteries were nickel-cadmium and usually ran a camera less than 20 minutes. A cameraman—already lugging a 30-pound plus camera on his back (minus video recorder)—often had to carry a bag of batteries weighing more than the camera itself. More
Sony’s New HD Point of View
 In February Sony will begin shipping a new high-definition compact point-of-view (POV) camera and solid-state recorder combination, called the model HXR-MC1. It features a design that separates the camera head from the control unit/recorder, giving professional users more flexibility. More
Choose Your Specs Carefully
In Part One I of this article, we focused on sensor size—the major difference in the quality and price of video cameras. Now, let’s look at other features and specs that differentiate the quality of today’s video cameras and camcorders. More
Ikegami and Toshiba Provide Details
of Advanced New Hd Tapeless Eng Camera,
Editing, and Production System
GF Series: An All-New HD Tapeless ENG Solution Includes Digital Camcorder, Field Recorder, and Studio Deck Using Flash Memory For Efficient Workflow From Acquisition to Archiving
Ikegami and Toshiba Corp. have formed a strategic joint-development partnership to develop and promote an advanced video production/editing system for broadcasters and video professionals. More
Sensor Size Makes The Difference 
These days, the differences and prices between professional HD video cameras have become quite confusing. Sure, allprofessional quality cameras look good to the naked eye on controlled monitors, but there are significant variations inquality that dictate price.
Among the key defining ways that digital HD cameras differ is in sensor size. Currently, there are three leading sizes: 1/3-inch, 1/2-inch, and 2/3-inch. Three of the larger 2/3-inch sensors are found on the most expensive and sophisticated cameras—including digital cinema cameras. More
Ikonoskop’s RAW Format Digital Camera
The high-end of film and video meet in some very interesting places.
 Ikonoskop, the Swedish maker of the A-cam SP-16 lightweight 16mm film camera, has introduced a new digital motion picture camera that moves it into direct competition with world’s best HD video cameras. More
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