Solomon manages to escape and retreats to a monastery. This is the new Solomon Kane, who has repented and wants nothing more but peace. We wouldn’t have a movie, if everyone got what they wanted, so Solomon is thrown into the world and forced to confront violence.

I wouldn’t go into spoilers but the story arc is very interesting and paints Solomon’s childhood in a harsh light.

It’s a nice little movie, with a budget that’s probably 10% of Prince of Persia’s. James Purefoy does an amazing job, as always. If you haven’t seen him in Rome, you should definitely do so.

Sidenote: If you’re a fan of the Diablo games by Blizzard, you gonna love it. It plays a lot like the Diablo movie that’s in the works!

According to DPreview:

The EOS 550D redefines the boundaries of Canon’s consumer DSLR range, incorporating technologies and features more commonly found in semi-professional DSLRs into the compact, lightweight body favoured by consumers. With a newly-developed 18 Megapixel (MP) APS-C CMOS sensor, coupled with Canon’s advanced DIGIC 4 image processor and the ability to shoot Full HD movies, photography enthusiasts are empowered to explore new levels of creativity.

Yes, full HD and an ISO range of 100 – 6400 (expandable to 12800) means you’ll get a lot mileage from scenes with natural (often poor) lighting.

The camera itself is too new, so the previews have been based on pre-production units but I’m pretty excited!

It shares pedigree with Panasonic HVX200 and it offers much of the same features: a ton of formats and frame rates. It records on P2 cards as well as DV, DVCPRO, DVCPRO50 and DVCPROHD.

In terms of lenses, it comes with a 17x Fujinon lens that’s well above the usual pro-amateur fair. The sensor is big – 1/3″ and incredibly crisp, recording in FULL HD – 1920×1080.

If your budget allows it, I urge you to rent this baby for a test and then include it in your arsenal!

How to increase the Canon 7D dynamic range (Tutorial) from Luka.

First off, the new Sony HVR-Z5U is affordable – $4200 street price ($4950 list). It’s in the same league price-wise as Sony Z1 and a bit more expensive than Sony FX1 and Sony FX7. It’s very competitive pricing considering a Panasonic HVX200 goes for more than $4,200 – and in some stores it goes to $5,000.

Let’s examine what could make you upgrade to Sony HVR-Z7U – it usually costs about $1,200 more. Both camcorders use the same electronics. The controls and I/O are a bit different but it’s more a matter of personal preference rather than anything “measurable”. The key difference is the lens – the Z7U has a 12x Zeiss lens that can be REMOVED. Just so you know, this is where your $1,200 will be going – giving you flexibility to change the lens.

The lens on the Sony HVR-Z5U is a fixed 20x Sony “G” zoom lens. In this, Sony is consistent – all its camcorders in this range have sported a similar lens – all the way back to (my beloved) Sony VX2000.

If you’re easily impressed by ZOOMs, Sony estimates the 35mm equivalent is 29.5mm – 590mm! Impressive! If you go with the Z7U, it stops at about 380mm. So in practical terms, you get a lot more tele from the fixed 20x lens. Frankly, I’m not a big bird watcher, so zoom isn’t that important to me. However, if you plan to shoot architectural videos, you might need a wider lens (or adapter).

Same as the Sony Z7U, this camcorder uses the new Sony’s ClearVid CMOS with 1440×810 photosites. Through extrapolation (i.e. software), Sony achieves 1080 resolution. The sensor deliver very similar picture to full resolution 1920×1080 sensors which cost a LOT more.

So in conclusion – do you need it? If you already have a Sony Z1 or comparable, you probably don’t need to upgrade just yet (unless money is no object).

If you’re in the market for a new camera, the Sony HVR-Z5U is a very solid choice and comes highly recommended from all the reviewers I follow. The only caveat is the fixed lens but let’s admit it, at $4,200 you won’t find a camera with a removable lens anyway.

The movie is definitely low-budget (rumor puts it at less than two million) and some of the scenes can be improved with better lighting or better camera locations.

One of the most talked about “features” is the lead character, a high-end escort by the nickname Chelsea, who is played by real-life pornstar Sasha Grey.

Now, I can understand the attraction of a A-star shooting a hot, sex scene. But I don’t think it works the other way around. Sasha’s face is flat, her tone is monotonous… and frankly, she’s not even sexy.

Shockingly, Sascha is the only professional actress in the movie … the others could be people from the street (or Soderbergh’s less-known friends).

The majority of the scenes deal with Sasha Grey listening to a confession from a “boyfriend” paying for the girlfriend experience. It’s incredibly boring and doing it over and over again doesn’t make it better.

In short, the movie could only be viewed as a sort of an exercise for Soderbergh. If you’re interested in Sasha, there are better “titles” out there. If you’re interested in a coherent movie with at least one professional actor, same thing applies.

B&H have a used one (in excellent condition) for around $500. You can get it here.

While in B&H used equipment department, check out the other HD camcorders too. They’ve got discounted Canon H1, Sony FX1, and even Panasonic HVX200 but you’ll need more than $500 for these babies.

Yet, I find it amazing that the forum at imdb is full of people whose expectations were not met. Some expected more battles, others expected more love scenes…

Part of the reason is that the movie is based on the books by Jan Guillou – the so called Crusader trilogy.

The movie tries to stay close to the book but with a meager budget of just over $30 million, it falls a lot shorter than say … Kingdom of Heaven. At the same time, it’s the highest budget for a Swedish movie, so the expectations are high.

In short, the plot follows a familiar arc. Arn is a nobleman’s son. He falls from a watchtower and his parents make a vow that if he survives, they’ll send him to do God’s work. When he does recover, he is sent to a monastery where he meets a monk who has returned from the Holy Land. He gets his martial training at the monastery (duh).

When he falls in love with a fair maiden (not sure if she was virgin though), he is excommunicated for impregnating her (true) and sleeping with her sister (false). On he goes to Jerusalem to join the Knights Templar.

While thus serving God, he meets Saladin (incredible stuff) and by getting to know the enemy, he is able to predict Saladin’s next attack. So he leads a crusader party and stages an ambush in a narrow pass. THE END.

If you’re into medieval fantasy, this isn’t a movie for you. Same advice goes for people with ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder), there’s a single battle scene at the end of the movie. So the core audience for the movie remain those who have read the Crusader trilogy.

I’d love to learn more about the type of cameras (and other equipment) they’re using. The effect is similar to Black Hawk Down … only it comes off very natural and I bet it cost only a fraction of what a big movie would cost.

I’ve read quite a few (good) books about it and I have been a part of it in a minor way, so I expected to empathize with the protagonists. It proved to be rather difficult as right from the start, Josh Hartnett is tough pill to swallow. He’s too good looking (too sexy for our lady viewers too) to picture him as a real CEO. Don’t get me wrong, there are good-looking CEOs but that happens only AFTER the VCs take over the company and put their own puppet to run the show.

Now, despite Josh’s appearance, you can tell she’s trying hard to pull off a convincing portrayal. My problem with the support cast is that as out of place as Josh is, there’s no one else that steals scenes. I recently saw Charlie Wilson’s War and I watched in awe how Philip Seymour Hoffman steals EVERY scene he’s in.

I guess the moral of the story is: no matter how sexy you make a business guy, he always falls short of keeping the interest in the cinema. If only I didn’t have Wallstreet as a perfectly good example of a business movie!

None: The movie looks good and has been shot digitally with a Sony CineAlta rig!

Mike has endorsed the RED camera before but this time he actually gets to unwrap his very own RED cam.

First off, the good news. It’s a small camera that you can fit virtually anywhere. It weighs less than a kilo (with battery), so you can CARRY it anywhere.


The sensor is a single CMOS sensor with over 2 million active pixels. That means a native support for 1080i format (1920×1080 pixels).

The bad news is its light sensitivity, mic inputs, and the battery life. Battery life can be extended by purchasing a better battery (BP-2L14) and you should definitely consider it if you’re shooting anything longer than an hour (which is most stuff).

DV.com’s Chuck Gloman has a more detailed review of the camera. Overall, he was impressed by the outdoors footage and the form factor. I’m still not convinced I’ll trade a small-factor Sony (like Sony HC3).

I’m considering switching from my web cam to this baby. Here’s a short guide on how to select a web cam.

For one, its support for 4K video (4,096 x 2,160 pixels) made quite an impact last year when RED camera stole NAB 2006.

Another point is the price … point. The body will cost “only” 17,500. If you consider the average indie producer’s budget this seems quite high but at the same time, a good zoom lens could cost that much (and more). So considering the 4K capability, you’re getting an excellent deal.


So let’s go to the schedule part. The first batch of RED cameras (50 or so) will ship in August. From then on, it’s about 100 cameras per month. About 2000 have been pre-ordered already which means that if you order today, you’ll get yours in February 2008!

Which definitely is a long wait. Fear not, some of the guys who are buying it are OK to rent it for a week or two.

One key upgrade is its support for 4K video (4,096 x 2,160 pixels) and in effect support footage that originated from the RED camera (the RED camera stole NAB in 2006).

More info: FCS2 will cost $1,299, or $499 for an upgrade from FCS. FCP users can upgrade to FCS2 for only $699. Final Cut Studio 2 will be available next month.

In a typical SAT fashion: with V1 Sony has upgraded the Z1 “prosumer” camcorder the same way it upgraded the revolutionary Sony FX1 to Sony FX7. If you’re already familiar with the FX7 or you’ve already read the comparison between FX1 and FX7, you’ll find relatively few bits of new info.


At the same time, Sony V1 is significant because it confirms Sony’s dedication to putting CMOS sensors on its prosumer line of camcorders instead of CCDs. This is an important change of direction as it affects light sensitivity, vertical resolution, and more importantly the “full 1080 HD” of FX7 and V1.

Let’s go quickly through Adam’s points:

• Design and form factor: Sony V1 is smaller than the other HDV camcorders and its form factor is close to Sony’s smaller DV models like the PD150/170. It’s also lighter than all previous prosumer models. The top handle has been moved a bit to the front which balances the camera perfectly. The LCD is on the side and has changed very little in practical terms.
• Controls: Here Adam seems to be enthralled by the new Sony: “This tight grouping of shooting controls puts them readily within reach of your focusing hand… In my opinion, this is the best Handycam control layout Sony has done.
• Audio: There’s little difference from Z1 and PD150 when it comes to audio. The camera features two professional XLRs.
• Video: The 1/4″ CMOS sensor is less sensitive to light but offers increased resolution (full 1080 HD). It also offers true 24 frame progressive mode – highly sought after by wannabe filmmakers who strive to shoot filmlike video.

Again, it’s a “sideways upgrade” because you lose some, you gain some. Here’s Adam’s conclusion:

Sony squeezed out some features in the quest to put HDV into a PD170-sized package: analog-in recording, 50 Hz/60 Hz switchability, low-light capability, and standard video connectors on the camera body. But the result is a compact, lightweight Handycam that shoots sharp, clean HDV while offering the best laid-out controls found on a small Sony, and true progressive capture to boot. Rolling shutter will be an issue for some, but overall, the V1 looks like a worthy addition to the choices available to HDV shooters.

I’m considering switching from my web cam to this baby. Here’s a short guide on how to select a web cam.

Here’s the scoop:

Pros:
Flexible P2 solid-state recording. Support for 480-, 720-, and 1080-line formats. Variable frame rates. High-quality DVCPRO intraframe compression. Full frame shown on LCD and EVF. FireWire and USB file transfer. Tasty 4.2 mm wide-angle zoom with minimal aberration.


Cons:
Expensive P2 solid-state record-ing. Coarse, low-res CCDs with noticeable aliasing. Side-heavy when handheld. Power zoom lacks slow, fast speeds. Hard to zoom smoothly. No 25 Hz format support. No letterboxed down-conversion.

Bottom Line:
The HVX200 “Manycam” offers unparalleled flexibility, shooting four image sizes in two aspect ratios at three different bitrates with 11 frame rates plus true single-frame. It records on tape and solid-state P2 cards, with Panasonic’s naturalistic image rendering. Its SD pictures are very good, but its HD pix lag the competition in fine detail.

Remember: You can already get REAL footage from the HVX200, even footage at 60p (frame rates supported by HVX200). The camera should be available in stores, so you might also want to get my recommendations for accessories for HVX200.

Things might have changed with the new generation of CMOS sensors from Sony. Just take a look at the graphic below.

Apart from the 45 degree angle of the pixel layout, Sony claims the new ClearVid CMOS chips have a new processor which interpolates the 960×1080 pixels of each CMOS to achieve “full 1080p” (i.e. 1920×1080p).

Normally, interpolation is looked upon because it implies smearing and artefacts (just check out your digital zoom). Sony, however, claims that the new CMOS setup actually results in more detail and less smear and has this pic to prove it.

As you can see, there’s a lot more detail in the brick wall. There’s also improvements in the way the new CMOS sensor reduces smear/flair and improves the dynamic range (see below).

I eagerly expect another camera shootout that will validate (or not) Sony’s claims as this could mean a radical shift from CCDs to CMOS sensors for high-end cameras as well (e.g. Sony V1U).

• Resolution: Sony claims FX7 now supports “full” 1080 HD
• Sensor: FX7 now sports 3 x 1/4” ClearVid CMOS
• Light sensitivity: worse by 33% (4lux)
• Zoom: increased to 20x optical zoom
• Lens/filter: decreased to 62mm
• Video out: FX7 includes HDMI
• Weight: FX7 now weighs only 1.6 kg (3.52 lb.)

The small form factor and the zoom increase are important for some applications but I do have concerns about the light sensitivity. First, it looks like the lens has gone DOWN in size which affects the light hitting the sensor. Second, the sensor change to CMOS also means worse low-light performance.

Most consumers who use cameras in that range usually don’t use professional lighting, so they often experience problems with underexposed video or video with too many artefacts.