Firmware 1.3 better audio performance

Being a pro photographer for 15 years I can tell you that in reality, Auto Focus sucks. The most advanced AF systems on the planet...that only have to focus for a single frame or series of small burst...FAIL occasionally. How can you depend on a system that might fail when you're shooting video/film? $50K takes...oops, need to reshoot, AF missed the shot.

This is why most cinema production is manual focus. You can count on the skill of a trained FP more than any type of automated AF.

I know it's a pain, but the best thing you can do is learn to focus on the fly and practice. That skill will never lose it's importance any time soon!

I have a similar custom loom:
http://instagram.com/p/X_76pkNhUC/

Cool, thanks for posting.

This interests me, Chris. Can you post an image of the custom cable you're using?

It's basically exactly the same as Adam's.

IMG_3226.JPG (199.39 KiB) Viewed 6833 times

IMG_3227.JPG (215.5 KiB) Viewed 6833 times

Being a pro photographer for 15 years I can tell you that in reality, Auto Focus sucks. The most advanced AF systems on the planet...that only have to focus for a single frame or series of small burst...FAIL occasionally. How can you depend on a system that might fail when you're shooting video/film? $50K takes...oops, need to reshoot, AF missed the shot.

This is why most cinema production is manual focus. You can count on the skill of a trained FP more than any type of automated AF.

I know it's a pain, but the best thing you can do is learn to focus on the fly and practice. That skill will never lose it's importance any time soon!

I completely understand - but you'd never use the FOCUS button for critical focus, it's more of a quick starting point.

If we were talking an Alexa or F55 obviously this wouldn't even be a discussion point. If you're shooting with a focus puller, or if you have a follow focus on the rig - again, it's not an issue. However, I'd imagine there will be a huge amount of people using these Blackmagic Camera's for run-and-gun documentary, home videos, school concerts, corporates, weddings, etc.

There's a reason why they included auto-focus on the RED Scarlet/EPIC - and it actually works really well. We use a EPIC + Canon stills EF glass all the time - and the auto-focus is incredibly handy for run-and-gun.

Would I use the FOCUS button every shot? Hell no. Would I use it on a documentary where I've only got a very small rig (i.e. no follow focus and Canon EF glass) something just unexpected happens and I just need to quickly start rolling? Hell yes.

It's just another tool for the job. If I had this option, then I would be able to get away with just pulling the focus straight off the Canon EF glass - rather than either "cine-fing" the lenses and using a proper follow focus, or strapping on a "temporary" follow focus.

My 2c. I'll stop banging on about it now! It is an audio thread after all!

To the development team.

- Format the SSD directly from camera. (Mac & ExFat) VERY IMPORTANT
- Be able to write labels the SSD (important for DIT, Data Wrangler, avoid overwriting errors).
- Remaining recording time in SSD (percentage or time options) and alarm display. VERY IMPORTANT
- VUs for audio. VERY IMPORTANT
- Remove clips directly from the camera.
- When playing the clips, the display information is for the clip (ASA, fps, # clip, etc), in version 1.1 shows the camera settings. the PLAY arrow could be green.
- Play any recorded clip. Whether you've recorded on the different options (Raw. ProRes, DNxHD), currently only played clips of current camera selection.
- If you record in RAW, with Film color. if change the Video, when I play previously recorded clips, they affect reproduction. In my personal opinion, I think that should not happen, or be optional.
- Possible to have transparency for the menu interface. in areas that do not have information, (solid gray, gray background I mean).
- Option to access by key combination to view the current firmware version and other information of the camera hardware and camera settings. (Ex. push STOP for 5 sec or push and hold STOP y next PLAY)
- Choice of different colors peaking
-White balance manual option (Ex. change in values ​​of 100ºK).
-More pictures. 48fps, 60 and more.
- Option to select the information superimposed on the screen, and the SDI output independently (Audio VU, TC, guides etc).
- Waveform, Histogram.
To use the USB port to copy the material (I know, it's so slow USB 2.0), but from experience can be an interesting and util option.


I will continue making suggestions.

Thank you very much.

Being a pro photographer for 15 years I can tell you that in reality, Auto Focus sucks. The most advanced AF systems on the planet...that only have to focus for a single frame or series of small burst...FAIL occasionally. How can you depend on a system that might fail when you're shooting video/film? $50K takes...oops, need to reshoot, AF missed the shot.

This is why most cinema production is manual focus. You can count on the skill of a trained FP more than any type of automated AF.

I know it's a pain, but the best thing you can do is learn to focus on the fly and practice. That skill will never lose it's importance any time soon!

Agree 100% there is no such thing as auto focus for video, give that dream up, well not entirely just for a decade or more, it's going to take awhile before it's perfected in a camera!

There is some still photography technology (having a brain fart) I can't remember who is doing it, that allows you in post to refocus your subjects, but it's a post effect and not real focus from the camera/lens and photographer, maybe this can come to light in video, but it's going to take a long time before it replaces a Fp.

Based on the couple of hours that I spent testing audio with the latest firmware, you need to increase the gain in the camera to get a usable level. That, in turn, raises the amount of background hiss to a level that is not usable (in my opinion). If I had any hair, I'd be pulling it out right about now...

there is no such thing as auto focus for video

Did you ever use a Sony TRV950 MiniDV?

Robert Rozak from Juiced Link has now weighed in on the setting for the camera on firmware 1.3.
Seems to me from his review of current settings is that Black Magic Design engineers took a raw approach on resetting the camera, figuring that you will adjust sound in post just like you adjust the image.

http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/blackmagic- ... ost1793449

Robert Rozak from Juiced Link has now weighed in on the setting for the camera on firmware 1.3.
Seems to me from his review of current settings is that Black Magic Design engineers took a raw approach on resetting the camera, figuring that you will adjust sound in post just like you adjust the image.

http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/blackmagic- ... ost1793449

I agree with Robert Rozak that BMD made a mistake when they applied the steep low frequency roll-off curve to audio sources connected externally.

I agree with him that it makes sense for the camera to apply a hi-pass filter to the internal mic's audio because of that mic's close proximity to the camera's fan, but it makes no sense whatsoever for the camera to apply a hi-pass filter to all audio sources connected externally (unless BMD were to include a user preference "switch" for it on the touchscreen GUI).

Hopefully BMD will correct this audio issue ASAP in a subsequent firmware update.

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Seems to me from his review of current settings is that Black Magic Design engineers took a raw approach on resetting the camera, figuring that you will adjust sound in post just like you adjust the image.

That's one way to interpret it. However, I'm more with Peter - in that BMD have made a mistake that needs to be fixed in a later firmware release.

Given their long track record in designing high-end audio products (DeckLink, UltraStudio, Intensity, HDLink, Audio Monitor, SDI to Audio adapters, etc.) - I'm really surprised that these issues with the BMC firmware seem to be slipping under the radar.

I know I keep saying this, but when I get a chance to breathe, I'm going to do some audio tests of my own, to compare the recordings on a BMC to either a SD744T or SD552 - as well as comparing the results to microphones connected directly to the camera.