The latest issue of HD Video Pro magazine features an article I wrote about the future of 4K video solutions. We have all heard of 4K RAW solutions, but there are those of us who want the 4K resolution, without some of the unique challenges of RAW. In this article I describe how the Canon C500 can be used with an external recorder like the AJA Ki Pro Quad to record and output 4K video.

Announced at NAB 2012, Canon is starting to ship their lightweight cinema zooms, with the first being the CN-E 30-105 T2.8. Featuring an 11-blade iris, a close focus of just 24 inches, and a low weight of 4.85 pounds, the lens is available in both PL or Canon EF mounts.

Bokeh is one of the more misunderstood concepts in optics. The term was coined for photographic use in 1997, from the Japanese word boke, meaning blur or haze. In recent years, "bokeh" has been simplified to refer to how the shape of a lens' iris is rendered in out-of-focus points of light in an image, such as streetlamps at night. Much is made of how many iris blades are used in a lens and how round the iris aperture is as it is stopped down, but these are only minor aspects of bokeh.

Recently I have been getting a number of questions about Log mode in the Canon C300, which is great because that means that many of us are using this mode. However, there are some really important things to know before jumping in. Canon has recently published a white paper on Canon Log that is full of great info. It's not exactly light reading, however, so I'll try to outline some of the important information about Canon's Log curve in this blog.

The AJA Ki Pro and Ki Pro Mini recorders both offer an ethernet user interface that can be displayed on a computer desktop.

We've touched upon this before, but file management is perhaps one of the most overlooked and neglected details of production. I'm sure every shooter recognizes how critical file management is, but how often do we practice what we preach? I'm guilty of possessing multiple hard drives with random folders strewn about, even though I always advise the exact opposite.

For years now, AbelCine has been supplying our customers with scene files for their cameras. The Sony PMW-F3 is no exception. Picture Profiles can create different looks in the camera; you can check out the ones we created for the F3 here. You may have wondered how to get these looks from your computer to the camera - fortunately, the process is fairly easy.

Today, Vision Research revealed the new Phantom Miro LC320S Digital Cinema High-Speed Camera, which brings together the best of the two Phantom camera lines. The Phantom Flex, and its predecessor the HD Gold, introduced straightforward, on-camera controls and ease of use to digital high-speed imaging, while Miro cameras offer the same uncompressed RAW HD high-speed capture a in small, lightweight package.

The Canon C300 has a wide range of adjustments in the Custom Picture menu that can be used to create a unique look. While it is great to have all these controls, sometimes it's easier to load a pre-defined look. This is where being able to load custom scene files into the camera is handy.