Another 1st: The Arri Alexa comes to Central Ohio!

Another 1st:
The Arri Alexa comes to Central Ohio!

I have never seen an avalanche of cameras like the one I have witnessed this year.  At Ohio HD Video we have added 9 new cameras to the inventory since the beginning of the year! From the  Panasonic’s AF-100,  Sony’s new PMW F3 CineAlta, Sony  FS100 and now the cherry on the top the Arri ALEXA.  Once again Ohio HD Video is proud to bring the most relevant gear in our industry to our local market.  The Arri ALEXA is becoming the most widely accepted camera used to acquire high-end digital images for commercials and features.  In addition to it’s amazing image quality, we are most excited about it’s potential to streamline the post-production workflow.  The ALEXA has three main post paths: Shoot to Edit (ProRes), Uncompressed HD and Uncompressed RAW. Each has its virtues and each is well supported today.


Perhaps most compelling for our market is its ability to shoot to SXS cards using two slots internal to the camera.  ALEXA calls it a Shoot to Edit workflow, which in the language of ARRI means finished video already compiled into a codec that can be loaded directly into an edit system for post. Currently, ALEXA uses ProRes in both 422 and 444 varieties. In compression quality, it is second only to master-level formats such as HDCAM SR. ProRes is a native format for Apple’s Final Cut Pro and can now also be used natively on the latest version of Avid Media Composer.

ALEXA records ProRes onto Sony SxS cards, the same compact and reliable media Sony uses for its XDCAM EX cameras. A 32GB SxS Pro card can hold about 20 minutes of ProRes 422 or 15 minutes of ProRes 4444.  Recording in ProRes, ALEXA is a compact and self-contained camera. The SxS cards can move directly from the camera to an edit system, and post work can begin immediately with no capturing or recompression.  This can cut hours from your post workflow and make the ALEXA a very affordable option for your next shoot.  Call us to arrange a time when we can show you all that this impressive camera has to offer or check out the Arri ALEXA web resources to learn more.  You can also check out Andy Shipsides, Able Cine blog on an ALEXA/FCP workflow.

ENG Powered Zoom!

ENG Powered Zoom!

B4 to 35mm PL Adapter & Sony F3 viewfinder adapter: One of the big challenges we face today is trying to shoot "ENG Style" with all the new 35mm sensor cameras.  Sure these cameras make great images working off dollies, sliders and tripods, but it gets a little trickier when trying to follow live action and shooting off the shoulder.  One of the cooler items we picked up this year can help greatly with this.  It's an optical B4 2/3" lens to PL adapter which lets you make use of some great 2/3" HD lenses from Canon or Fujinon that have an integrated powered zoom motor.  This adapter only uses two stops of light and makes ENG shooting a breeze.  Viewfinders have also been a challenge in the brave new world of large sensor cameras.  One of the most popular of these cameras is the Sony F3.  Our latest adaptive solution will let you use a traditional Panasonic HD viewfinder with the F3 to ensure crisp focus and a more ergonomic way to work with the camera.

WiFi Video to your Ipad!

WiFi Video to your Ipad!

Teradek Cube Encoder/Decoder: Last year Ohio HD learned about the Teradek Cube and bought one to try.  At that point the technology was very new and we had to return it because the video latency was too long to be useful on set.  This year we gave the Teradek another try and it has proven to be amazing.  The Teradek is a box about the size of a deck of cards that mounts to the camera and connects to the SDI output.  It then encodes the signal and generates its own WiFi network.  In this configuration it can send a wireless signal to up to three Ipads with less than a 1/2 second delay.  It can also be setup to stream the video to clients in another part of the building or across the country.  We see all kinds of cool aplications for this device on the set.  The gaffer or the art director can have their own monitors for making quick lighting adjustments, and directors and clients are no longer stuck in video village.