VIDEO HDSLR WORKSHOP
14 y 15 de Abril de 2012

El objetivo de este curso es dotar tanto a principiantes como a profesionales de los conocimientos necesarios para la realización de todo tipo de videos mediante el uso de cámaras DSLR.
El taller cubrirá todos los aspectos de una producción audiovisual, desde la captura de la imagen hasta la transcodificación, edición y exporación.

TIME-LAPSE WORKSHOP
21 y 22 de Abril de 2012

Todos conocemos esas impresionantes imágenes donde el mundo parece ir a gran velocidad. Escenas que en la vida real son tan lentas e incluso inapreciables a nuestra vista, son transformadas por esta técnica en rápidos movimientos. El time lapse se ha convertido en una técnica muy popular hoy en día, y como cualquier otra disciplina requiere un aprendizaje.
El objetivo de este taller es proporcionar a los asistentes de todos los conocimientos necesarios tanto en la producción como en la postproducción de time-lapses con la máxima calidad.
Por ello profundizaremos en técnicas avanzadas como HDR y usaremos herramientas profesionales como dollys motorizadas, cabezas panorámicas robotizadas, intervalómetros con rampas de exposición programables, etc.

VATN

[Icelandic] = water

In this film, water, or vatn, contemplates its nature within the ecosystem of Iceland. Water is the protagonist, a powerful voice to be reckoned with, while also aware of its role in the environment.

Today, a few powerful corporations have created industry which, for the first time, significantly threaten the manner in which water has always spoken, and flowed through Iceland. If this continues, the earth will lose the pure sound of wisdom from this ancient source.

Will we preserve this environment?
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Now you can buy the film for just 3€. You will get a link for direct download in HD 720p and a jpg file with the cover.
You will get as a gift a 50€ discount cupon code to use in any of the Iceland Photo Tours of Enrique Pacheco.

ENRIQUE PACHECO. NATURAL PHENOMENON.

Enrique Pacheco studied photography and documentary filmmaking in Madrid at EFTI, Instituto del Cine de Madrid, and FP Atocha. Enrique’s first documentary, Al Calor de las Chimeneas, (In the Heat of the Chimneys) examines industry and climate change in Spain.

Enrique’s career changed when his equipment was stolen. At that point, he decided to do the only thing which made sense at the time: that was, move to Iceland. There, he started over with some of nature’s most volatile subjects, such as live volcanoes, glaciers, waterfalls, fjörds, and the authentic Icelandic culture.
Since 2008, he has taught specialized workshops in DSLR timelapse and filmmaking. Enrique has contributed to Quesabesde.com and HDSLR.es and regularly expresses well-traveled reviews of photo technology on his blog.

Enrique work revolves around documenting the beauty of earth. His hope is to inspire viewers to fall in love again with their own nature and environment. You can read more about his story here.

Sign up for regular news from Enrique. It’s a good thing to do.

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After many months of speculations, rumors and leaks, Nikon has finally introduced its long-awaited D800. There have been discussions of how this camera will be the younger sister of D4, or otherwise will become a machine that’s more focused on another sector of photography, being less journalistic and more suitable for advertising, to be a competitor to the Canon 5D MarkII.
Many of us were hoping that Nikon would not make the mistake of excessive increase of the resolution with its new models. It seems that this mistake was made by Canon for years and they finally realized it, the 1DX might be a good example. A lot of professionals preferred a camera with more contained resolution to better response in high ISOs. Many of us have used the Canon 5D MarkII at intermediate resolution since we did not need its 21mpx all the time, but we loved the good response at 1600 ISO. Moreover, the great success of Canon is definitely related to video recording, a task for which the resolution of the sensors, play against, having to rescale down to 1920×1080 resolution to get FullHD, with consequent moire and aliasing problems.

Returning to the Nikon D800, with a resolution of 36mpx, recording FullHD with 24 and 25p (good news) and as is common with the DSLR`s 720p at 50p. Again, a big brand that gives a bad impression, and is not able to offer full HD at 50p. Really, it is very hard to understand how a machine that is capable of processing up to 6fps – 36mpx – RAW, is not able to handle full HD video at 50fps in a H264 codec. Especially when the tiny Sony NEX5n has shown that it is possible.
But it’s not all bad news. Like its big brother, the Nikon D4, the D800 has HDMI out clean, not uncompressed, as it was said in some publications and heard from representatives of Nikon. Clean means that we can extract a resolution of 1920×1080 and also delete all information that appears on the screen, such as exposure, frame rate, histogram, etc. This means that we can send the video signal to an external recorder via an HDMI cable, so we skip the compression of the camera, which delivers lower quality. Why this output is not uncompressed? It would take many paragraphs to explain what is the sampling of the signal, for this I recommend you to read this link . But let’s say an uncompressed output would be 4:4:4 10bits. While both the Nikon D4 and D800 provide 8bits at 4:2:2. Is it compressed? Yes, but less than when we record it on the memory card, which is 8-bit 4:2:0 in H264 codec.

Another good thing related to the Nikon D800 is the audio output that has the shape of a minijack, perfect for monitoring audio recording. This is something that many users were in need of, because until now there was no way of knowing whether the signal that was coming into the camera was good or not. This together with manual control and the already existing microphone input, makes it a very versatile tool when it comes to recording any media events.

As for the construction and design of the camera, Nikon continues its traditional line of sturdy bodies, well built and designed for a professional. Those who spend long hours in harsh environments, value above many other things, that the body is sealed, preventing moisture problems and accidents, which might become fatal to the machine. This is something that many of us experienced with the Canon 5D MarkII, a camera costing over € 2,000 did not have a proper seal. During a year in Iceland I have seen the death of up to 4 cameras of this model – humidity, salt, splashes of unexpected waves, and poof! your camera is dead. I’m sure that this won’t happen with the Nikon D800, like it didn`t to the Olympus E-1, a first generation reflex that already back then was sealed with top quality. Sealing is something that the brands seem to have forgotten today. Perhaps that’s because more and more amateurs buy professional cameras, without ever using them for what they were designed for.

While talking about ergonomics, perhaps we should highlight that the Nikon D800, like the rest of the professional SLRs that have been and are launched in the near future, has no folding screen, a quality that advanced users are in need of since long time, but for now it seems restricted to the consumer range. Some of us don`t understand why amateurs have this feature in their cheap cameras, while professionals must continue to pay high rates for machines that do not have it.

I’m convinced that the Nikon D800 will deliver a fantastic image quality in both photo and video, and thanks to it’s “clean” HDMI output, we can get that extra quality that many are seeking. I hope that it’s 36mpx, won`t tarnish the high ISO response and it’s new, powerful processing, knows how to control moire and aliasing. This, together with good color images from Nikon and its tradition of robust bodies, will make this a great camera that we will enjoy for years.

But my biggest doubt about these cameras, also called EVIL, was the small size of the sensor, 4 / 3 like with Panasonic and Olympus, or even Nikon’s smallest, that’s equivalent to 16mm film.
They just didn’t suit professional applications, because the small sensors are producing much more noise and they also lack angles for increasing the depth of field.

Speaking of lenses, most of these systems have a limited catalog, lacking in fast and prime lenses.
When it comes to video recording, the mirrorless cameras were not considered to be proper tools compared with the already popular DSLR. The digital camera is offering resolutions below FullHD with low bitrate codecs.

All this may now have been changed due to the arrival of Sony’s new NEX cameras, which seem to be the solution to all of the above mentioned problems.
Thus, the Sony NEX5n, not be confused with the discontinued NEX5, has some features that at first glance make it a “DSLR Killer”.
I will list and analyze these characteristics.

APSC sensor. This is undoubtedly its greatest asset that makes it a great competitor on the market. The Sony Nex5n is a camera smaller than a pack of cigarettes and has a sensor that’s the size that Canon 7D or any other digital movie camera has e.g. read RED One, Arri Alexa, etc. This makes it possible to achieve shallow depths of field, which is essential in today’s film making.
Also, noise levels are much lower than their fellow members have and the bigger the sensor, the larger the photodiodes, and the greater the ability to capture light from them.
I must also emphasize that Sony has done an outstanding job with the process of the signal and therefore, resulting in extremely low noise levels, unseen with cameras in this category and price.

Sony E Mount. This may seem inconvenient a priori – a camera with a Sony mount as special as E, with a small catalog and few or no other brands developing lenses for it. But the APSC sensor size and the missing mirror make it possible to use NEX cameras with almost any kind of lenses ever made, when using an adapter ring. Just to name a few compatible lenses: Canon, Sony, Pentax, Nikon, Leica M, and even cinema lenses with PL mount.
This makes this camera one of the most compatible on the market, and gives it almost an endless range of lenses to choose from.

OLED Electronic Viewfinder: A few years ago the lack of an optical viewfinder was considered a big inconvenience. It is not so today, especially for those of us that use DSLR cameras to shoot video or time lapse because in that case it is not possible to use the mirror and the viewfinder. This has forced the industry to manufacture other devices such as electronic viewfinders “EVF”. The best known are the Zacuto and SmallHD, both quite big and expensive.
This is where Sony beats them with their NEX5n, offering a cheaper compact viewfinder with a fantastic resolution thanks to the OLED technology.

FullHD video. This is the third and perhaps the greatest strength of the Sony NEX5n – the possibility of video recording in full HD (1920x1080p). Something that only some compact cameras in this range were able to do so far. Some high-end DSLR, like Nikon D3s for example, stay in a modest resolution of 720p.

What is most amazing about this little camera, and might have made me buy, try and write about it, is the ability to record 1080p, 50p in AVCHD. This, for those of you who are not very well informed, means that it records 50 frames per second, which allows you to do real slow motions (in FullHD).
Until now, most of the DSLR cameras have been able to record at 50p, but then the resolution drops to 720p. But Sony has managed to keep the resolution when increasing the number of frames per second. For me this is what makes it a “DSLR Killer”.

But not only does it perform better than the DSLR, it also does better than cameras like the Canon C300, which has the same size sensor as the NEX5n and only allows recording of 50p at 720p, which is unforgivable with a camera that costs 15,000 € .
I’m not saying the NEX5n is better than Canon C300. Far from that. They are two different cameras for two different applications. But if Sony was able to achieve this recording format with a 500 € pocket camera, why Canon has not been able to do that with its more professional tool?

Dynamic Range. One thing that has pleasantly surprised me is the considerably greater dynamic range that NEX5n has compared to its rivals. I compared it with a Canon 600D, which is the most similar in price and sensor size.
The Sony NEX5n showed even greater latitude than 5D MarkII, with more shadow detail and much less contrast, which gives more possibilities in color correction.

Sharpness. Here is another point where I have to highlight the great performance of NEX5n. Even with the kit lens, a modest 18-50 f3.5-5.6, Sony has proven to be much sharper than its rival, in this case the Canon 600D accompanied by a professional Canon lens 17-40 f4.
I have to say that I didn’t expect this result, but it gives a good example of how great can be the improvement in sensor and signal process development.

Moiré. Reducing the moiré effect is another strength of the Sony NEX5n. Featuring a 16mpxl APSC sensor, we could expect a higher level of this digital artefact, but Sony has done a good job in managing to keep it very low, almost unnoticeable. With that beating its competitors – the DSLR cameras with triple its price, like for example the Canon 5D MarkII.

Conclusions: We are facing a camera that just hit the market, with extensive features and endless amount of possibilities.
Full HD at 50p, APSC size sensor or Super 35 when it comes to movies, Sony E mount with ability to use almost any lens on the market, when using the adapter rings, AVCHD Codec, OLED viewfinder, folding screen, picture styles for greater image control, etc. are some of the features that make this camera a “DSLR Killer”.

For a long time no camera has aroused my interest as much as the Sony NEX5n, pushing me to make a comparison and write this review. Perhaps it’s because this is a special camera, with revolutionary features. A camera worth its price, and most importantly, that is available to everyone.

Lately there have been a lot of speculations about the imminent appearance of the Nikon D800. However, it is the professional series of the brand that was launched first.
Its characteristics and performance has left no one indifferent. The Nikon D4 has a robust and professional body, something that Nikon knows how to do. It was now also introduced with a variety of connections, some very innovative like the WLan or headphone output.
The sensor maintains its Full Frame size 24x36mm and increases its resolution to 16.2 million pixels. I’m pleased that this increase was minor – it will ensure a fantastic performance at high ISO. Just as a reminder – the Nikon D4 reaches 204.800 ISO.

This are the video highlights of the new Nikon D4.

-1080p, 24, 25, 30p. What is very good news is that the new Nikon D4 counts from the first day and not through firmware update, with multi system recording (24, 25, 30p). Unfortunately what happens with this particular model and with some other cameras, when shooting at 50p, the resolution goes down to 720p. This is definitely the biggest disappointment about this camera. I still hope that Nikon can improve this aspect via firmware, even though with Canon it never happened. So I guess we’ll have to wait for the Nikon D5.

-Clean HDMI output. This is the most important feature that Nikon D4 offers to filmmakers and is one of the most requested ones by advanced users. Finally we can connect digital recorders like the Atomos Ninja to cameras HDMI output, recording directly to professionals codecs such as Apple ProRes and skipping the H264 internal compression of the camera.
And as if this was not enough, Nikon D4 will continue showing the image on its screen while using a display that’s connected to the HDMI output. Just as a reminder – until now HDSLR cameras turned off the screen when any device was connected to the HDMI plug.

-Crop mode. A feature that was incorporated to Nikon DSLR a long time ago – Nikon D2x sensor crop that allows greater focal length, even though at the same time loosing resolution. More recently Canon 600D added this feature to the video mode. While filming it’s not necessary to use resolution above 1920×1080 so the 18mpx sensor can crop the image widely and still offer FullHD.
In this way you can get the Nikon D4 X2.7 crops up allowing super tele-photo effect in video mode. That’s ideal for safaris.

-Finally good audio. The Nikon D4 promises not only a good audio signal management with specific controls on it, but it also includes headphones output with a standard connection. Something that many users were excitedly waiting for. With the ability to monitor the audio directly from the camera the Nikon D4 turns into a real video camera, therefore avoiding the use of external audio recorders which would mean extra work in post to sync the audio.

-Time-lapse. Yet another advantage of this new Nikon D4 is the option of time-lapses directly from the menu of the camera without using external triggers as it is the case with other brands. It also offers the option of viewing shots and edited material in a video sequence. Very handy.

-Wireless. Something that has fascinated me is the possibility to control the Nikon D4 via wireless with an iPhone, iPad, etc. That’s also enabling real time live-view with our device. Of course you had dreamed of being able to use your iPad as a display for your HDSLR. Well, Nikon makes it easy with the new Nikon D4. To have this amazing feature you need to buy the additional wireless module WT-5. It is very compact and is able to control up to 10 cameras.

Some other features that attract my attention are the 400,000 cycle shutter life, the 921,000 dots resolution of the 3.2 ” LCD screen or the button meant precisely for recording just next to the trigger.

The Nikon D4 will go on sale at the price of $ 6.000.

Enrique Pacheco.