This month, The Digital Journalist, (TDJ) the monthly online magazine for visual journalism is joining with PDN’s Gear Guide to share the TDJ’s reviews and columns on video equipment and techniques. As the editor and publisher of TDJ, we have been talking and writing about the inevitable movement of photojournalism from still photography to video for nine years.
 
 At Visa Pour L’Image in Perpignan in 2006, I startled the audience when I flatly stated that in 10 years no photojournalist would be using a still camera. When the audience all groaned, I elaborated, and said, “No, I’m lying it will actually be five years!”
 
 Dave Metz, the former director of pro markets for Canon, has said that he feels the change from still to video will come three times faster than the change from film to digital.
 
The reason is very simple. Advances in reasonably-priced High Definition prosumer and professional video cameras have accelerated to the point where the new Sony $6,449 XDCAM EX1 boasts the same picture as their $100,000 plus Cine Alta camera used by filmmakers for major productions.
 
The move by newspapers to Web video is also picking up speed. I am writing this from the Houston Chronicle where the Platypus workshop is training the photo staff in video.
 
 Moving their photo staffs to video is of crucial importance to publishers. The simple fact of the matter is that the print editions of many newspapers will not make it through this decade. The tipping point has already been reached where declining readership and a massive loss of advertising have cut heavily into profit margins. Up until now, staff photographers have been bearing the brunt of job losses.
 
However, these same newspaper publishers understand that if their brand is going to survive it must be on the Web. The Web today is all about video, and the people on staff who are best positioned to produce these videos are the still photographers.

Besides it’s use value for moving footage, HD video technology makes it possible for newspapers to use video to shoot 24 frames per second (fps) images that with a few steps can be turned from a nearly 6-megapixel file to a still image of over 68 megs. This is amazing considering that most professional still cameras currently deliver 12 meg files at best. This means that any HD camera can deliver images that can be used for a full page in a broadsheet or a double truck in a tabloid.
 
It is not only publications that see video as being the key to the future. This is a value added proposition for portrait and wedding shooters too, not to mention those involved in corporate and advertising markets.
 
In December 2007 The Platypus Workshop, a program created to teach photojournalists the language of video, was invited to teach it’s first wedding video workshop for the photographers at Tropical Imaging, a Caribbean-based photo and video business specialized in weddings and portraits, located in Turks and Caicos.

Tropical Imaging was looking for a way to increase their profit margin in a competitive still photography market. They were increasingly being asked by their clients, "Do you shoot video, too?" A lot of very rich couples choose this tropical setting for their weddings. Money is no object. They want video, but it needs to be a professional production.

 After the workshop, Andrew Mann, Tropical Imaging’s owner and a seasoned image maker commented, "You got us from A to B—you gave us the tools to do the job—to be able to produce the work that we were aiming for at the resorts. The course was a lot of fun, and here we are several weeks later in an awesome position—producing work that our PAYING clients absolutely love and rave about.”

In order to maintain a competitive edge in today’s Web-centric world, photographers must expand the content options and the value-added services they offer to clients. One way to make this happen is to explore the use of new kinds of equipment. The Digital Journalist covers this bridge from stills to video with equipment reviews and columns that can help the readers of PDN’s Gear Guide to understand this new medium.
 
A taste of the Digital Journalist reviews can be found in the following round up and links to popular HD Video cameras from their archives. New cameras models for HD digital video will be introduced at the NAB (National Association of Broadcasters) show in Las Vegas in April. Stay tuned for excerpts from NAB Show coverage, including reviews of new HD video cameras from the Digital Journalist.
 
Sony XDCAM PMW-EX1: Priced at $6,449 this camera boasts the same picture as Sony’s $100,000 plus Cine Alta camera used by filmmakers for major productions. Although it is physically about the same size and roughly the same sort of shape as Sony's Z1, the PMW-EX1 feels substantially heavier and weighs in at 2.8kg (6 lb., 2 oz.) with lens hood, PB-U30 battery and one SxS card.

The EX-series of SxS solid-state camcorders are an addition to the existing XDCAM HD Optical Disc HD system, not a replacement. At the end of the day the full-size shoulder-mount XDCAM HD disc system will always be number one for the professional. The XDCAM EX and XDCAM HD complement each other perfectly as the PMW-EX1 enables shooting in certain tight environments where a full-size XDCAM HD camcorder could prove difficult.

The camera has a built-in Fujinon lens. Fujinon has really pushed the envelope in design, build quality and optical quality, with a design that is totally new for a camcorder of this type. Camcorders like this usually have an iris wheel on the actual body but this lens has a 'proper' aperture ring just like any regular pro broadcast lens. It is motorized and in manual mode it feels just like a pro lens with all the gearing and 'feel' you would expect.

The EX1 records to 1920x1080, an ever-so-slightly different format from the established XDCAM HD. Although higher-end pro models, the 1⁄2" XDCAM HD models record to 1440x1080.

This camera’s Super HD 1/2" resolution CMOS chip is a first for a non-shoulder-mounted camcorder of this size. The image quality, color saturation and highlight detail of these chips is absolutely mind-blowing. Overall, the pictures have a very filmic look and feel to them.

This is a solid-state-only camcorder, with no tape mechanism. Two slots for recording onto twin SxS cards allows for huge recording times that alleviates the need to archive or back up in the field. Much more robust than tape, these cards have many other advantages including faster workflow and faster import times into your computer system.

Towards the backside of the camcorder is the card slot, which takes two SxS solid-state cards, housed behind a protective door. Putting cards in and removing them is just like working with CF cards in a digital stills camera. The SxS cards have a WP (Write Protect) slider on them to prevent accidental erasure of clips. There is a Slot Select button next to the door and pressing it alternates between slot A and slot B. The cards are totally 'hot-swappable' meaning you can take out and replace a card once full, while continuing to record onto the other.

For archiving, Sony has a safer and more future-proof option than other companies in the form of the new PDW-U1 USB Professional XDCAM HD disc reader/writer. The PDW-U1 costs less than $3,075 and fits into any edit system perfectly. After getting back from a shoot and importing the footage from the SxS cards into your edit system, you can then dump the footage from the SxS cards directly onto XDCAM HD disc using the PDW-U1 via file-based drag-and-drop. The XDCAM HD disc can then be popped on the shelf and archived away safely. With a shelf life of a minimum of 50 years this system beats the competition's rather risky method hands down.

The menus are very comprehensive with scope for plenty of picture adjustment including: Gamma, Matrix, Color Correction, Knee, White Offset, Detail, picture profiles, Skin Tone Detail, Black Gamma, Low Key SAT and more.

The EX1 has an Interval Record feature for TimeLapse shot lovers, which can be set infinitely to pretty much any combination, and a Slow Shutter (SLS) function as well. This basically accumulates frames of light before recording that frame to the card. If you turn the Slow Shutter on and set it to, say 8 frames, it would give moving people a rather ghostly look as they blur slightly.

There's S&Q Motion, otherwise known as Overcrank and Undercrank, for superb slow motion sequences. It can also shoot at a variety of frame rates from 1fps up to 60 fps. If shooting 30fps, the resolution drops to 1280x720 to conserve bandwidth.

The PMW-EX1 is a HD camcorder only. It records only in HD modes including 720 and 1080; there are NO standard definition DV or DVCAM recording modes at all. However, down-conversion is possible via SD-SDI, Component, Composite & Y/C on the camera.
Tapeless recording is the future, and the XDCAM HD Optical Disc and solid-state SxS cards are the way forward in professional video production for everything from corporate to high-end, big-budget, blue chip productions.

Click here for the complete review of the Sony XDCAM EXI camcorder.

Canon XH G1 and XH A1: The Canon XH G1 and the XH A1 are essentially the same camera at different price points—the XH G1 for $6,000 and the XH A1 for $3,400. The more expensive version has a broadcast "jack box" (the Jackpack) built in.

Weighing about 4.5 pounds, the XH G1 and the XH A1 are meant to be handheld as opposed to shoulder-mounted. Like the Canon XL H1, they are a professional looking all-black. They shoot uncompressed HD in HDSDI, which means they deliver an image of 1440x1080, as opposed to competing cameras, which shoot 960X1080. In addition to a widescreen 0.57" color viewfinder, these models have an LCD panel which swings out from the top of the camera itself. The LCD is 2.8-inch widescreen, which displays approximately 207,000 pixels.

Both models come with a built-in Optical 20X Fluorite lens, which has the same resolution as the interchangeable model on the XL H1. A wide-angle lens adaptor is also available for $500, including lens shade. One lens feature that will make professional photographers happy is that iris control is on the lens barrel, right behind the focus ring. Previously this was only available on ENG cameras.

Even while set in auto focus, the lens can be immediately overridden to manual, using Canon's three point "instant focus" feature, by simply touching the focus ring. The zoom control can be adjusted to be very fast, just like on a professional broadcast camera. There is a built-in 2-setting ND filter and variable 16 preset zoom speeds.

The viewfinder is very brilliant, and the LCD can easily be seen in broad daylight. The auto focus is made for a documentary application. To start, it measures the distance by triangulation, which immediately puts the lens in the focus ballpark, then uses the through-the-lens system to finesse the final focus.

One of the things that suffered when the industry went from standard definition to high definition was low-light capability. This was true of all manufacturers. However, by waiting with its technology, Canon was able to maintain its low-light capability, and with its 36 db maximum gain this camera will do extremely well in low light.

For organizations that employ multiple cameras and want them all to match, there are multiple pre-set options (23 image adjustments, 22 of which are customizable). All you have to do is configure one camera, then transfer that information on a SD card to the other cameras.

The camera has a stereo mic built into the front of the handle, and also two XLR inputs on the side of the camera. There are switches above the inputs that allow the camera to be switched between XLR input 1 and 2, or to engage both. This feature, which is available inside the control door on the XL H1 and previous cameras, is now placed where it can easily be accessed during an interview. There is a secure bracket for an external mic such as a Senheiser MK 64 on the side of the handle.

The camera will capture still images at full HD resolution (1920x1080) and can be captured simultaneously as video and be transferred back to an SD card from video playback. You can also extract whatever picture information you need by choosing one of the progressive modes in playback. This enables users to shoot video then when you see a frame you want to grab in playback, just pause the camera, hit the photo button and the picture will instantly be recorded to the SD card. This allows for still editing in-camera, before you get to post. While talking about stills, you can put your EOS strobe in the hot shoe on top if you want.

The battery life is three times more efficient than prior cameras, at up to 7 1/2 hours. In the real world, you can expect at least 4 hours per battery.

Click here for complete reviews of the Canon XH A1 and XH G1 camcorders.

Panasonic AG-HVX 200: A hefty camera at almost seven pounds with battery, this $5,200 camera is a sturdy, fixed lens machine that can record HD video on solidstate P2 cards or DV video on MiniDV tapes. It also features variable frame rates (used for slow motion & fast motion cinematography) and a recording data rate of up to 100 Mbit/s. Of the under $10K high-definition cameras that have been introduced, the HVX-200 can be compared to the $65K cameras that are its genetic heritage.

The HVX-200 feels bigger than other cameras, but seems much more compact and better balanced, with an industrial, almost military feel. Its ergonomics make it easy to operate manually. Everything is in the right place, easy to use, and visible in the viewfinder. This lets users quickly adapt to changing situations and make any adjustments quickly and by feel. All controls are well-thought out—large, well-placed and clustered by function.

The HVX-200 has a fixed-mount Leica Dicomar 13X lens with a very wide angle of view (35mm equivalent range of 32mm to 422mm), minimal vignetting and an acceptable level of barrel distortion. All in all, the lens quality is excellent, and has sufficiently flexible add-ons so that the lack of a removable lens is not a detriment. The F-stop is displayed in the viewfinder so you can adjust the iris without taking the camera from your eye. This is a consistent characteristic with all controls on this camera.

The camera has the same image controls as current generation of high-end consumer and professional cameras for adjustment to qualities such as color palette image noise, edge detail, skin detail, dynamic range, color curves and more, with settings that can be saved to an SD card to match different shoot situations.

A three-position switch for Neutral Density—ND 1/64, 1/8 and off—corresponding to 7.5, 3 and 0 stops of light reduction, is useful to reduce depth of field. One of the biggest weaknesses of this camera, as with all 1/3" CCD cameras, is that it's very hard to throw the background out of focus unless you get very far away from your subject. Focus, motion, color, lighting are all much more critical than with SD broadcast recording. If you don’t bring lights or find lighting on-site, available low light shots may be disappointing.

Click here for the complete review of the Panasonic AG-HVX 200 Camcorder.


Canon XL H1: Canon’s first High Definition DV camcorder, the XL H1 has the XL modular design, but it replaces the signature red and grey body and lens with a sleek professional black. It also has a list price of $9,500. It is a true HD camera, which shoots at 1080i uncompressed High Definition video, just like the top-end ENG cameras. This is the equivalent of shooting RAW on a digital still camera. It can also shoot standard DV at frame rates of 60i, 30p, and 24p, which is basically what movie cameras shoot. It is a native 16:9 aspect ratio camera, which means that prime picture quality occurs at the wide-screen mode. You can shoot it at the old-fashioned 4:3 standard TV format, but why would you want to do that?

The camera weighs about 3/4 of a pound more than the XL2. Most of that weight is in the 20X fluorite L-series lens Canon has designed for it. When shooting in the 16:9 mode, it actually duplicates the wide 20mm angle of their former wide-angle 3x lens. By adding a Century wide-angle adaptor, you can really open up a room.

The viewfinder is bigger and the eyepiece can swing back to reveal a 2 1/2 inch LCD, which is great for shooting from a tripod or from low or high angles. The viewfinder of the XL H1 is also very bright, roughly three times as bright as the XL2. In interview situations, the use of a broadcast monitor is recommended. If you rely on the tonality of the viewfinder image to set the exposure, you will underexpose by about two stops.

The Canon XL H1 has a built-in Jack Pack on the bottom of the camera to allow for connections for Time Code In, Time Code Out, Gen. Lock and HD/SD SDI. This wasn't something most prosumers or VJs cared about in the past, but in the broadcast environment they are vital features, which allows cameras to talk to each other, and talk to engineers in the truck or studio.

A photo button on the XL H1 allows the user to grab still frames, which is useful when shooting inanimate object such as buildings or signs. Instead of being captured on tape, the image is captured on a memory card. It takes standard SD or MMC cards.

Canon has raised the bar much higher in the camcorder business with the XL H1; it has closed the gap between high-end prosumer cameras and broadcast cameras. This is a camera that a broadcast cameraperson can be comfortable with. However, this is not a camera for a backpack VJ or an ordinary videophile, it is just too heavy. This is meant for heavy-duty, hard-core (sic) professional use. If you are a filmmaker you can put those "prime" Panavision lenses on it, and the camera will do whatever you ask of it.

Click here for the complete review of the Canon XLH-1.

DISCLAIMER: CANON USA is a sponsor of the Platypus Workshops and The Digital Journalist, but has no influence over their reviews.


Dirck Halstead was Time magazine's Senior White House Photographer for 29 years. He is now the Publisher and Editor of The Digital Journalist, the monthly online magazine for visual journalism and a Senior Fellow at the Center For American History at the University of Texas in Austin.