Canon announced today a few new P&S digicams and camcorders. What do these new models mean for video? Apparently, absolutely nothing.

The flagship of the new announcements is the G1 X, a large sensor G-series camera. The only new video-related feature it’s got is its upgraded bitrate: it now uses the same bitrate as in the Canon dSLRs, at around 45 mbps. But there’s still no manual control, or 1080 @ 25/30p and 720 @ 50/60p (in addition to its 1080/24p and 720/30p). Video-wise there’s absolutely no reason to buy this camera compared to the Canon S100 I’m afraid. Sure, it’s got a bit more bitrate, but that extra 20% more bitrate isn’t worth an additional $400 IMHO. Yup, there’s a big sensor in there now, but if you can’t manually control the aperture, and instead we have the camera go automatically to high shutter speeds outdoors (and closing down the aperture), what’s the point of it?

Update: According to this article, the G1 X does not even have exposure compensation for video. It’s one, big, fat, expensive, JOKE. Update 2: DPreview updated their article saying that exposure compensation does work, but only when the camera is in movie mode, and not when you simply click the record button in any of the other modes. This is how it’s supposed to work, but the way they wrote the original article showed that the dpreview guys are in need of a video-specific reviewer…

Regarding the cheaper 520 HS, 310 HS and 110 HS, there are highly disturbing news I must report. Not only exposure compensation + lock is STILL MISSING from these models (remember, up to 2010, Canon P&S digicams did have this feature for video, but then it was removed from most of their new models), but bitrate was also botched down! Where in the past all Canon P&S HD digicams would feature 21 to 24mbps bitrate for 720p, and 35 to 38 mbps for 1080p, now we have TWO of the NEW models (520 HS & 110 HS) offering just 18 mbps for 1080p, and about 12 mbps for 720p. In other words, Canon made their consumer digicams WORSE than they were last year (again, video-wise).

I made quite a few frienemies by evangelizing the Canon P&S digicams over the last 2-3 years, but starting last year and continuing with this year’s models, I can’t suggest these cameras anymore with a straight face. Canon is trying to save their camcorder department by butchering what it was the best P&S video digicams in the market. They had the basics right, but now they aren’t better than other manufacturers. We were going so well in terms of adding video features on digicams in the last few years, and then, not only there’s a stop, but there’s regression too. Sad…

As for their new camcorders, none of these new models offer anything really new, that’s just recycling we see there. The HF G10 from last year at $1500 still remains their best semi-consumer camcorder ever released, but they didn’t update it this year (it would have benefited from a bigger sensor and a full-size hot shoe).

Conclusion: Buy older Canon digicams if you must have a digicam for video, the ones that still have the basics in place. These basics are, I list them again:
- Exposure compensation + lock
- Focus lock
- Custom colors for “flat” look (at least for saturation, contrast, sharpness)
- 720p at over 20 mbps, 1080p at over 35 mbps
- 24p and 30p options

I mean, really, is that too much to ask? I never even mentioned manual control for A/V, or built-in ND filters, or mic-inputs, or any other “crazy” feature. Just the damn basics needed to make a video that doesn’t look like total amateur hour! Even the iPhone can do most of that now via third party apps!

So, which P&S digicam to buy? If you only shoot random family videos, anything will do, but if you want to do art, go for last year’s SX220/SX230 HS which sells at $200 now (1080/24p, 720/30p), or last year’s A1200 which sells for $90 (720/24p). If you have the extra money, you can consider the S100 too at $430 (same video features as SX230, plus ND filter). For camcorders go for the one I mentioned above, the HF G10, the rest are laughable for anything serious (at least from what you would expect from a camcorder compared to a digicam).

But the best advice would be to wait and see what the new T4i dSLR will be able to do in February. From leaks we know for sure it’s going to have the new Digic imaging processor, but if an updated sensor/body comes with it to complement it (which would translate to less rolling shutter, no line-skipping, continuous autofocus), then there’s no reason to get a P&S digicam. Save your money, work extra hours if you have to, and go for the T4i in that case.

I wish I was able to suggest P&S digicams instead, for young people who just start with video (I will be teaching a videography class soon to kid-artists), but these new models don’t allow me to do so. They’ve taken a step back.

I had promised a small, unmodified, video test-sample from my new camera, the Canon SX230 HS. Right click to download the MOV file and play it on your computer, it’s a 43 MB file. This 36 mbps 1080/24p test-video was shot at -1/3EV exposure-locked, locked focus at center of the frame, and all custom color options are set on minimum values.

Pros: “Flat” colors & sharp detail. Rolling shutter is minimal and not a problem. Manual focus. Slow motion and miniature modes. 720/30p & 1080/24p at respectable bitrates. Exposure compensation & locking. Wind filter for built-in mic. 3″ widescreen.
Cons: No full video manual control. No built-in ND filters (my Zeikos filter add-on doesn’t fit its lens). Lens gets way too dark when zoomed-in. No menu option to turn off lens’ constant re-focus (very annoying), we have to always manually lock focus. We still can’t edit+join clips in-camera.

We went to Google’s Christmas party last night, and there were some interesting acrobatics on rings as part of the spectacle. Many Android engineers & their partners were shooting with their phones or digicams the girls directly, while I was pretty much the only one shooting their shadows, after pinning in my mind the mood/sensual piece below. I conceived the idea while eating sushi. I guess sushi is quite the aphrodisiac.

The video was shot handheld with the Canon SD780 IS P&S digicam at 720/30p, with flat colors, and exposure locked at -1/3EV. It was then slowed-down’ed to 24p, and 50% of its frames were then thrown away (12 fps, lo-fi). The “Film Grain” and “Glow” Sony Vegas Platinum 11 plugins were used. It was just 15 minutes of footage overall, but it took 3+ hours of post-processing.

Update: I slightly re-edited the video, and changed the license to the more liberal CC-BY-NC 3.0 license. Re-download you had done so before.

I tested the new version of MAGIX Movie Edit Pro MX Premium recently, version 18, and I was positively surprised. The application has played a good catch-up with Vegas Platinum and Premiere Elements.

The biggest new features in the new version are its stereo 3D support, full 24p support, and it has accelerated nVidia/AMD support for h.264 decoding & plugins. Three major third party video app developers added support for MAGIX too, proDAD VitaScene 2 (special effects), NewBlueFX Light Blends (transitions), and Red Giant Magic Bullet Quick Looks (color grading).

Other features include screen capturing, DVD/BD burning with various templates, multi-track, multi-cam, fast image stabilization, primary & secondary color correction, masks, good advanced modes in its exporting dialogs, and even Twixtor-like slow motion.

The app is not perfect though. Non-accelerated h.264 is not as fast as Sony Vegas’ plain decoding is, so you better start saving for an nVidia card. Then, the color correction plugins are not very versatile. Finally, the project properties dialog is missing some important setup options, compared to Vegas’.

On the other hand though, this app can do other things that Vegas can’t do, including 64bit support. Stability and overall speed were good while testing the app, although usability could use some touch-up.

Overall, I’d say that this version puts MAGIX on the top-3 of the consumer video editor market. It just needs more setup options in terms of flexibility, rather than more brand new advanced features (e.g. I’d like to tell my editor that my footage is interlaced, etc). But it seems to be getting there!

Rating: 8/10

My favorite music videos of the year, the ones I had on “repeat” all year on my Roku’s Vimeo TV app, from artistic, filmmaking, editing, and “fits the music” points of view.

1. The Soft Moon – “Into The Depths”
Director: Will Joines
Cinematographer: Zoë White
Editor: Sowjanya Kudva
Exhilarating, while reaching at the darkest parts of ourselves. This video is the only window I have to “understand” people who enjoy hurting themselves by one way or another. The fear and angst are undisputedly there, but ultimately they can’t run away from the thrills of self-harming.

2. Craft Spells – “After The Moment”
Director, Cinematographer, Editor: Tyler T Williams
A mind-bending story/puzzle, edited in a very modern style. I find this video both simple at first sight, but pretty complex after you try to take it apart in your head to examine how it was edited together. The atmosphere is just so spot-on.

3. Caribou – “Jamelia”
Director: Video Marsh
Cinematographer, editor: Nic Brown
Contemporary filmmaking, right there, yo! To some people this very fade look and at-first incoherent pictures might be a turn off. But the music has such a high, reaching the highs of classical music, that the video properly stands up to the challenge presented by the music. This is a video I think I could never make. It takes a different kind of thought, one that I admire, but I admit that I don’t possess. Yes, there’s a story in there, watch!

4. Rendezvous – “The Murf”
Animator, director: Scott Benson
This is my favorite animation, probably ever. The music video is really a sci-fi short story, spanning millions of years. Very cool to watch, far-reaching, funny at times too.

5. Danger Beach – “Apache”
Director: Ned Wenlock
Animator: Rodney Selby
My second most favorite animation ever. The music is simple but addictive, and the animation is very cute, fitting perfectly to the music. Pretty complex to make it, I imagine.

Runner Up:
Woodkid – “Iron”
Director: Yoann “Woodkid” Lemoine
Cinematographer: Mathieu Plainfosse
This is the most “epic” video of all this last year. Woodkid is also a TV commercials filmmaker himself, but he kept his best video for one of his own songs. The video looks a lot like beautiful still frames of a fashion magazine, but it’s kind of lacking substance when watched on repeat. This is the reason that it’s not on the top-5.

Here’s the trailer for “Like Crazy“, a movie shot with the Canon 7D for just $250k, sold to Paramount for wide distribution in the theaters. Two-three known actors also in it (most would remember Anton Yeltsin as “Checov” in the new Star Trek movie). It would be interesting to go see this at the theater, if not just to check out how dSLR footage scales out in a gigantic screen, but the movie is great beyond its technical standpoints: it won the prize for best dramatic feature at Sundance.

The media have been invited today in Hollywood to witness Canon’s game-changer cinema camera. Canon hyped the announcement last month by claiming that they will write Hollywood history. The C300 is a beautiful small-factor camera, but if we are to judge from the Twitter responses of many industry professionals, the camera seriously underwhelmed them.

The C300 has a 4k CMOS sensor, but it only records at 1080p (if 4k capture is available via HD-SDI is not known at this moment). The camera comes with a PL mount version and an EF one, to accompany Canon’s new 4k-resolving lenses. The price is considered high at $20k by many. An unnamed as-of-yet dSLR from the same C-line was also mentioned by Canon in the press release I received, saying that this new dSLR will be able to record at 4k, but by using the (archaic) MJPEG codec.

This really feels like a big joke today. Either Canon has lost the plot, or they don’t know how to put together specs for people to comprehend. They never made clear if the C300 can capture 4k or not, they mentioned nothing about the codec used, and they never mentioned the 4k dSLR at the event!

What really bothers me is that if the C300 does not do 4k for one reason or another, it should have had the ability to shoot 2k. I mean, come on. 2k is the resolution of most cinema projectors, and it’s so close to 1080p resolution-wise, that not a lot more RAM or processing would be required on board. Not pushing this camera for 2k, while they’re trying to get Hollywood on their side, shows how outside of the loop Canon is.

Finally, there’s not even over-cranking support in 1080p mode. Not to mention that I’m not too hot on the mpeg2 codec. In this day and age all video editors have OpenCL/CUDA support for h.264, and a good h.264 codec can deliver 2-3 times better video than mpeg2 at the same bitrate. Just use the right h.264 10bit 422 encoder at 50mbps, which should be leaps and bounds better than mpeg2. But no. We had to go back 10 years. (Continues below…)

In my opinion, Canon has two options with the C300, and two options alone:
1. With a firmware upgrade, allow RAW 4k capture via the HD-SDI port.
2. If this is not technically possible in the current design, drop the price by 50% at $10,000.

Failure to do any of the two will result in a big FAIL for Canon. This is my honest opinion on the matter, no matter how good a visual result this camera can deliver. It’s still 1080p, and Hollywood has moved to 4k. That’s the reality.

There are some who say that this Canon camera goes against the SONY F3, and not the RED. But this is bullshit. First of all, it’s much more expensive than the F3. Secondly, it doesn’t matter what the F3 can do. Canon was all about a HISTORIC moment, this was the camera some Canon execs last year were saying it will kill RED. But in reality, this is just a camera created by a company that rode the high horse without realizing it. All this shows that the video success of the 5D MkII, their first video dSLR, was a happy ACCIDENT, and not a planned visionary feature. Canon has no idea what it’s doing with their video cameras. Either they didn’t ask anyone for input, or they got input from the wrong people (wedding videographers?).

As for the unnamed dSLR, please don’t get me started at the MJPEG joke. Really Canon? MJPEG? In (expected) year 2012?

The Canon T3i remains the best-camera-for-the-buck ever released (at $800). Because let me be clear, the C300 is indeed better than the T3i, but not 25 times better. Not by a long shot.

In other news, RED changed a few specs around on the Scarlet (4k video and with great resolutions/frame-rates combos). Some say it will arrive by December. Price starts under $10k, but it’s realistically expected to go to $13k after adding LCD, lens mounts etc. If that’s true, RED won the battle today. As much I don’t like RED’s vaporware, at least they’re genuine dreamers. Canon seems to be comprised from corporate shills instead, who don’t understand the new market that has emerged in the last few years inside Hollywood and outside of it.

Update: Haha, this is getting better and better. So, there is no 4k recording via the SDI port on the C300, and the codec is actually just crappy 8 bit all the way (SDI & CF). Full specs here. In the meantime, RED is pissing off its EPIC users, since the Scarlet can do most of what the EPIC can, for a fraction of the price. And we should not be forgetting AVID, who also today announced an uninteresting (to me) editing solution. This has been a very interesting day indeed.

Adobe sent a free copy of their brand new Premiere Elements 10 video editor for a review, and I took up on the challenge to see what’s new. Premiere Elements and Vegas Platinum are undoubtedly the best two sub-$100 consumer-based video editing suites that could actually deliver Pro features when someone uses them to their full extend. They both can do 24p, time stretching, burn DVDs and AVCHDs, deal with color correction etc.

For the 10th version, Adobe added some additional color correction plugins: Auto Tone and Vibrance, and a three-way color corrector. You can independently adjust color in highlights, shadows, and midtones, while the “auto tone” plugin is actually pretty accurate, even if fully automatic.

Another major feature is 64bit support, but this only works on Windows 7 (Vista/XP won’t work with the 64bit version). There’s also “AVCHD exporting” now, which lets you export M2T or MP4 files with customization support. That’s the only exporting option I found that had acceptable parameters to tweak (e.g. VBR support), and use for personal viewing/YouTube/Vimeo. I put together an exporting tutorial here.

Other new features include AVCHD burning (burned on DVD discs) in addition to plain DVD and Blu-Ray burning, automatic Facebook and Youtube exporting (which unfortunately exports in the wrong frame rate and doesn’t let you edit it), you can tag photos using your Facebook Friends list, turn photos into movies, and photo tagging. And of course, even more kits DVD templates & multimedia files for use in your video.

The app seemed more stable than the previous version, but it took a good while to load. The “auto-analyzer” feature Adobe added supposedly for photos-only is super-slow though even when no pictures exist on the project bin, and it’s best to be turned off. Also, the app is not particularly “smart”. It loads effects on clips all by itself by default (e.g. motion, opacity etc), and this has a speed repercussion. On a slower PC for example, this was the difference between super-smooth and dropping-frames on 1080/60i HDV footage. The playback speed also dropped to the floor even if I changed no options on an active plugin (e.g. leave Three-Way Color Corrector loaded as-is without changes, but active). There’s definitely room for improvement on that front.

Additionally, Adobe added DV PF24 pulldown removal support, but not HDV one. I tried to enable the “DV 24p pulldown removal” option on a PF24 Canon HF11 clip, but the checkbox wouldn’t become enabled. Honestly, adding DV pulldown removal but not HDV/AVCHD one, is pretty lame in this day and age. Not to mention that in some dialogs, the app would change my typed 23.976 to 23.98, which could force resample, and enable ghosting.

Features missing is the Mercury Engine, as found on CS5.5, that could make h.264 playback even faster. There’s also no way to tweak the project settings as you can do with Vegas. For example, there is no AVCHD 1080/24p option with 5.1 audio setting. The user is forced to use the dSLR 1080/24p preset, and lose his 5.1 sound settings! Adobe is trying to make everything in the UI be a pre-selectable option, but some of these options simply need to be editable rather than just pre-selections. See, not all use cases are covered by pre-selections. Let the user decide how to mash-up the project properties to suit the myriad formats of camera footage that exist in the world.

And that’s the biggest pitfall of Premiere Elements, and I don’t personally see any way out of this unless its product manager really changes direction. Premiere Elements is more of a “here are 30 choices, select one” kind of app, while Vegas is more like “here are 10 choices, or customize it yourself” kind of app. It’s that difference that makes Vegas more suitable for both home & serious projects on a low budget, while PE remains suitable for home projects but not so much for more complex projects.

Between the two, Vegas is less clunky and confusing after the initial shock, while Premiere remains painful to use even after you learned its tricks. Then again PE now has a 64bit version and a Mac version. On the other hand, Vegas can do 3D editing and has more flexibility. At the very end, for family users it might just be a question of price at the very end. Checking prices today, Vegas Platinum 11 costs $63 on Amazon, while Premiere Elements costs $91.

“Wilfred” is a fun comedy TV show, made for the FX cable TV channel, starring Elijah Wood and Jason Gann. It’s very interesting that the show is using dSLRs almost exclusively, possibly making it the first popular scripted TV show on a major TV channel that’s using such cameras. Naturally, it’d be very interesting interviewing the DP and the camera operator behind the show! So today, Brad Lipson and Kurt Jones respectively, were very kind to answer to some of questions I sent over.

A frame from the “Wilfred” show

1. Who initially decided to use a DSLR on “Wilfred” and why. Why was the 7D picked in particular?

Brad Lipson: The Co-executive Producer/Director Randall Einhorn decided to shoot on the Canon 7D/5D for the pilot. It was a two part decision: The cost of a DSLR package and the look that particular camera brought to the show, especially the 5D. The 7D’s are bit more forgiving when it came to following focus so they were the workhorse cameras. The 5D was used for shots where a real dynamic frame with little depth of field was wanted. We also used the 5D to pick up shots on a long lens, while the other cameras were shooting the two main angles of the scene.

Kurt Jones: Randall the Director of the pilot chose the 5D/7D route. The 7D was used as once modified, it was closest to the normal film frame aspect ratio. The 5D’s FF chip made it actually more critical for focus with much shallower DOF.

2. What kind of rig and accessories were used to shoot the series? Did the 7D cooperate well?

Brad Lipson: Otto Nemenz engineers worked on a system that enabled the camera operators to handhold the cameras in the normal, traditional style that you would hold any larger professional system. They also installed PL mounts as well as a BNC connectors that bypassed the mini HDMI connector, which from past experience we all know seems to be what breaks first on a rigorous shoot. We also had matt boxes, Preston follow focus and remote iris for one camera. Each operator used an on board monitor as opposed to the LCD monitor on the back of the camera. Anton Bauer batteries were used to power the cameras and monitors as well as balance the rig for handheld use. For the PL mounted 7D’s we had a set of Schneider Optics prime lenses, 25mm, 35mm, 50mm, 75mm, 95mm, the primes were what was used almost exclusively. We also had a short zoom. The 5D had the Canon EF mount. We had some old Nikor lenses of which the 50mm was used quite a bit. We also had a 200mm and 300mm that were workhorse lenses as well. The cameras did hold up surprisingly well. There weren’t to many issues and I don’t remember loosing any time to a camera failure.

Kurt Jones: A custom hand held rig was built by the rental house. The 7D performed well but a bit “clunky” from an Operators perspective.

3. Which picture style was used? Will the second season use the now-popular and Canon-endorsed Technicolor Cinestyle? Will the second season even use a dSLR again?

Brad Lipson: We used the standard picture style and pulled the contrast to 0 and color saturation to +1. I spoke with Canon about the Technicolor firmware upgrade and It sounds like something I’d like to implement, however, I haven’t shot any tests at this point, but I look forward to seeing how it enhances the image. At this point the plan is to use the DSLR’s again.

4. What were the challenges shooting with a Canon DSLR? Was rolling shutter a major problem?

Brad Lipson: The biggest challenge was latitude, in the video mode there isn’t a lot of breathing room, so you have to be pretty accurate at the time you’re shooting to achieve the look you want. If you are to far off with your stops there isn’t room to bring the image back. For instance, when we would shoot a day scene at the front door of Ryan’s house, the camera looking out from inside shooting the actor required a great deal of light in order to balance with the exterior, much more so than if it was being shot on an Alexa, F35 etc. Another aspect is you cannot shoot a raw image so there isn’t the same control in color timing that you would have if a flat/raw image was being originated. Every once in a while we had issues with the jello effect, but as long as we didn’t do any real fast pans it seemed to not be much of an issue.

Kurt Jones: The rolling shutter came into play a few times but for the most part was not an issue that I know of. Challenges from my stand point was the poor “eye piece” for my viewing while operating. A small HD monitor can’t not replace an optical viewfinder. Seeing critical focus to help my focus puller is something I’m known for and it’s a lot different than using a Panaflex. Also the small, out of balance camera/rig also doesn’t help doing long lens hand held moves. But, it’s new format and at the end of the day we get the shots we need, no matter how we achieve it.

5. In the last few years with the release of powerful cheap camera hardware there seems to be a democratization of filmmaking online. Do you see the professional and artistic landscape changing because of this?

Brad Lipson: DSLR cameras allow more people to produce a project they may not have been able to do a few years ago. It also allows the novice filmmaker opportunities to shoot a higher quality film that wasn’t possible a few years ago. It gives everyone interested in filmmaking opportunity to practice story telling, which is wonderful. On the other hand, just because you can turn on a camera and have a quality HD image, doesn’t mean you are instantly a filmmaker. There are no shortcuts to learning about good composition, blocking, and certainly lighting, all of which are important to good story telling. Telling a story successfully requires more than just having a camera. I’ve been in the film industry for a long time and every day I am learning something new. The DSLR cameras also are another great tool in a filmmakers toolbox. On other shows we have used them to capture shots where larger cameras cannot fit so easily, or would take to long to rig.

Kurt Jones: Absolutely. It already has. People with great visions have been able to make films and demonstrate their talent and hopefully take it to the next level.

6. Outside of your professional work, do you still play with cameras? What cameras do you own?

Brad Lipson: I own a Canon 5D Mark II, which I purchased for still work. I have yet to shoot a video project on my own with it. I certainly use it to shoot a lot of stills.

Kurt Jones: I do play with cameras. I’m a camera geek. I was a still photographer initially by profession. I’ve shot for clients such as Fuji Film Corp, ESPN Magazine, the Associated Press and dozens more. My work can be seen here and here. I shoot with Canon cameras for over 20 years and switched to Nikon about 2 years ago. I also occasionally shoot with an Olympus M43 camera as well.

A lot of Hollywood movies and TV series now feature Canon dSLRs as “second unit cameras” (e.g. Captain America), or as “crash cams” (e.g. Iron Man), or “one-episode tests” (e.g. House), but it’s rare to find a scripted TV series that it’s shot entirely with one of these cameras.

Enter Wilfred, a comedy on FX. The American adaptation of this originally-Australian show is using the Canon 7D exclusively, and it looks great. Proof that you can shoot great video with these dSLRs as long as you employ a good focus pull.

All 13 episodes are available for free viewing via Hulu or IMDb (possibly only in the US though). Stars Elijah Wood.