From The Desk Of DV Dude

The 5D Mark III Cometh - Finally

2012-03-02T09:53:00.000-05:00

A heavy sigh of relief around the DV Shop as Canon announces the
long-awaited much-anticipated 5D Mark III. Finally, people will stop asking
us when the 5D Mark III will be announced, as they have been doing on an
hourly basis for the last 18 months. I'm not joking - hourly, for 18 months.

Unlike the gangsta Nikon D800 announcement, this is more of tweakage update
- better sensor, better video, better low light, but not a jaw-dropping,
oh-my-god-the-world-has-changed announcement. Some will be disappointed, as
their expectations (4k uncompressed video, 40mp sensor) were not met.

I'm sure Canon will argue that their 22mp sensor does more with less than
Nikon's 36mp, and Nikon will argue the opposite, but we'll leave the
pixel-peeping to others. Both are going to be excellent cameras, and both
will be shipping soon. Getting one will be another matter, as the waiting
lists will be long.

I give it about 60 days before people start asking us about the 5D Mark
IV...

Sony NEX-7 User Review

2012-02-29T13:29:00.000-05:00

Brought to you by HikakinTV. Get more info on this camera here

Amaran LED AL-198C: Bi-Colour LED Video Light

2012-02-29T11:48:00.000-05:00

This Video LED light fits on the shoe on top of your camera and offers bi-colour lighting for easy and quick adjustments on the fly. Learn more here

Gear in Action: Hague Camera Slide

2012-02-29T11:37:00.000-05:00

Here's a good overview of the Hague Camera Slide from Dom Bower Photography.

Get more info here

Gear in Action: Nikon D7000 - Latest Nikon User Videos Feb 2012

2012-02-25T12:27:00.000-05:00

We think the best testament to what a camera can do is told by the videos that real camera owners post online. Enjoy.

Nikon D7000 Commercial 02 from Tim Long on Vimeo.

Video Portrait: Ciarán Hewitt from Jenny May Finn on Vimeo.

Inés en el parque from Ivan Saez on Vimeo.

Home Work from Sean Luo on Vimeo.

University Medical Center "Look At Us Now" (Director of Photography, Editor) from Chad Beaty on Vimeo.

Soup from Steve mat cam on Vimeo.

Street Style @ The National Portrait Gallery from TPWP on Vimeo.

SuperHero Birthday Party from eric heistand on Vimeo.

Filmmakers Demo Reel Shot on a D7000

2012-02-25T12:07:00.000-05:00

Demo Reel from Matt Weidner on Vimeo.

Postcards from Ancient England At The Auto Show

2012-02-24T13:30:00.000-05:00

Every year at the Auto Show, one auto manufacturer is highlighted, and cars
from its history are on display. This is always the highlight for DV Dude.
Over the years, we've seen exhibits showcasing Rolls Royce, Studebaker,
Corvettes, and others. This year it is British car maker Triumph.

How quickly we have forgotten these incredibly stylish, and unfortunately
incredibly un-reliable, sports cars.

An early Triumph dating from the 1930s.

This was the coolest car to own when your Dudeness was in high school.

So, if you're heading off to the Auto Show this weekend, make sure you make
time for the Triumph display in the South Building.

Postcards from Asia At The Auto Show

2012-02-23T13:27:00.001-05:00

One of the more popular concept cars at the Auto Show - the Acura NSX.

Mazda always does interesting concept cars, and this year is no exception.

Kia lately has been doing some pretty impressive concepts, and this car is a
beauty.

Interior shot of a Kia mini-van concept - very Jetson's like. Also very
impractical, but cool none-the-less. Those seats don't look like they'd be
comfortable very long...

Postcards from the Germans At The Auto Show

2012-02-22T19:40:00.000-05:00

Time for more photos from the Auto Show, currently happening at the Metro
Convention Centre in Toronto until Sunday. Today we show some German concept
cars. BMW is first up.

Wild interior of the BMW concept car.

Volkswagen keeps trying with these van concepts. Maybe one day they'll actually
make one.

While technically not German, this Cadillac concept feels like it belongs
here.

Asian concept cars in the next post.

All photos taken with the Fuji XS-1.

Postcards from the Auto Show, Part I

2012-02-18T11:23:00.000-05:00

Your Dudeness of DV once again sacrificed personal comfort to wade through
the crowds at the Auto Show to test the new Fuji XS-1 camera.

Today's entry is on two cars you'll never ever have to worry about owning in
you lifetime, ever - the Lexus LFA and the Bugatti. Unless you win the
lottery, or come up with a killer iApp, these sculpted pieces of metal will
never grace your driveway, drive up your insurance premiums, or break your
heart when they get keyed.

Star Wars Post of the Day

2012-02-17T10:05:00.000-05:00

C'mon, you know you want it...

Fujifilm X10 Product Preview from the Fuji Guys

2012-02-11T11:14:00.001-05:00

Here's a walk through from the Fuji Guys:

Fujifilm X-S1 Hands on Preview from the Fuji Guys

2012-02-11T11:12:00.000-05:00

Get more info here

Fujifilm X100: One Hot Little Camera

2012-02-11T11:07:00.000-05:00

There's a reason Ken Rockwell's loving this camera. It's got the looks and the features performing well above what you might expect in a compact camera.

Check out some user videos:

Fuji X100. Short Test from indfilm on Vimeo.

Heng Ann + Jessie Yong from Andrew Leong on Vimeo.

X100 B&W kids @ Stan's from Stef UK on Vimeo.

Fujifilm X10: Fuji Goes Back To The Future

2012-02-11T09:53:00.004-05:00

Fuji has come out with some very cool retro-looking compact DSLRs. We recently got in the Fujifilm X10 and you can see from the styling and features that Fuji wants to make this more than just another high end point-n-shoot.

Here's one of the promo videos for the English speaking market:

And here's the promo Fuji released in Japan for the X10:

Check out some video shot by an X10 user:

Great Product Photography Is Hard Work

2012-02-10T16:55:00.004-05:00

Sean is our designated product photographer in the store and sometimes he really has to go to great lengths to get good shots. Photographing something black and/or shiny for example can be a real challenge but when you get it right the results can be amazing.

Nikon D800 Video Shooting Features

2012-02-10T15:31:00.001-05:00

With Nikon's introduction of the D800/D800E they have ushered in a new era of HDSLR video!

Some of the really cool features are:
- Optimized CMOS Sensor for better control of rolling shutter
- Simultaneous view of both the built-in LCD and External HDMI Display
- Recording can be triggered by the shutter button, allowing for remote video recording
- Uncompressed 1080p HDMI (8-bit 4:2:2) output
- Incredible low light video capability
- DX Mode allows the use of Nikon's Nikkor DX Lenses, designed for crop sensor APS-C sized senors, gives existing Nikon APS-C users the freedom to upgrade to the D800 without buying a new set of FX lenses
- Manual audio control with up to 30 steps of control
- Headphone jack for audio monitoring

Get more info here

Genus Pana Wide Mattebox

2012-02-10T09:57:00.008-05:00

Yesterday we had some fun testing out the new Pana Wide Mattebox Kit from Genus. Here's what's included in the kit:

Pana Matte Box
Genus French Flag for Pana
Genus Side Flags for Pana
Genus Height Adjustable 15mm Bar Adapter
Genus Nun's Knickers - $69

Other gear used to configure this rig:

Sennheiser ME66/K6 Shotgun XLR Mic Package
RODE WS6 Furry Windsock
Rode Suspension Shock Mount SM3
Hague Double Shoe Bracket
Panasonic BT Mount
Switronix PowerBase PB70-VBG
Panasonic AF100
Marshall Field Monitor
Manfrotto 526 Tripod Kit
Zeiss Distagon T* 25mm f/2 ZF.2 Lens for Nikon
Genus Bravo Deluxe Follow Focus

Sean Channels François Truffaut

2012-02-09T17:30:00.000-05:00

Sean plays with an AF100 and lots of accessories.

The Fuji Guys Unbox the X100

2012-02-09T11:19:00.001-05:00

Gear in Action. New User Videos For The Sony NEX-VG20!

2012-02-09T09:58:00.000-05:00

People are finding a lot of ways to get creative with this great little camera. You can check out more videos like this on the Vimeo Users Group for the VG20 here

Nikon Unleashes a Can of Whup-A** On Canon

2012-02-07T09:27:00.002-05:00

Nikon is keepin' it real, putting MEGA back into mega-pixel, yo!

36 biatch-slaps to Canon!

Panasonic AG160 - User Test Video

2012-01-23T20:00:00.000-05:00

Chris Carbonel Films: "Shot in auto mode at 1080/50i, shutter 1/50. No color correction and sometimes using n/d filter. The last clip of Fire is zoomed X2."

Get more info on this camera here

Cool Computer Stuff At CES 2012

2012-01-23T09:31:00.000-05:00

While at least half the exhibit halls were full of iPod cases and headphones, there were some computer exhibits at CES 2012. Intel and Microsoft had huge and crowded booths, and there were plenty of ultra books on display, but since your Dude brought his MacBook Air to CES, ultra books were sooooo 2011. Been there, done that, got the T-shirt. But these two items did catch the Dude's attention.

OWC was showing a prototype drive array system - Jupiter. Based on a mini-SAS back-bone, this array gives you all the benefits of fibre arrays, at a much lower price point. The benchmark tests they were showing in the booth were insanely impressive - read 1719 MB/s and write of 1578 MB/s. WOW. DOUBLE WOW. There will also be an upgrade path for switches to make this an affordable SAN. The blue case design will change, and it is targeted for an April launch. The Dude is excited.

Your Dudeness normally doesn't pay attention to Windows computers, being a committed Mac head, but this caught his eye in a big way. The Xi3 is about 4" square, and is the computer that the Mac Mini should have been. Besides its nice styling, and the cool different colours it comes in, is the genius of the upgradability of it - all the internal components are on removable modules, able to be swapped out down the road with different modules with newer components.

The Xi3 features an AMD processor, 2 eSATA ports, 6 USB ports, dual monitor
support, ethernet, and a SSD drive. And it only draws 20w of power. Because
it is so small, it can be attached to the back of a monitor, or hidden in
places you normally could never put a computer.

Because it draws so little power, it can be ganged together in small places
to be a render farm. Mmm.... Hats off to Xi3, a Utah company, for making a
better Mac than Apple.

Cool Photo Stuff at CES 2012

2012-01-21T16:40:00.001-05:00

There wasn't a ton of photo announcements at CES this year, but your Dude saw three cool products that he'd like to share with you.

Of all the cameras I looked at, this one surprised and impressed me the most - the new Fuji X-S1. Feels great in the hand, insane 24-624mm zoom, no shutter lag... Part of Fuji's acclaimed X line. This is worth looking at instead of a Canon Rebel or Nikon D3100. DV Shop should have stock shortly.

The biggest hit in the Canon booth at CES - took forever to get my hands on this to play with. Slightly larger than a Canon G12, but with a much larger sensor, this is Canon's answer to the mirrorless cameras coming from Panasonic, Sony, Olympus and now Nikon. And I think they may have done the smartest job. No, you can't change the lens, but unless you need super wide or super telephoto, the 28-112mm zoom will suit most people's needs quite nicely. A perfect "pocket" camera for SLR owners, or someone who wants better images than the point-and-shoots deliver, without the bulk of a SLR. Coming at the end of February for around $799. Going to sell well. My only
nitpick on this - same lousy optical viewfinder that plagues the G12.

Let's face it - what's cooler than using your iPhone to control your SLR? With this cable and app, you can use your iPhone as a remote shutter release, and even do time lapse. Canon version coming in February for under $80. Nikon version will ship in April.

More Cool Things At CES

2012-01-20T12:28:00.000-05:00

Been a little busy catching up at work to blog. Here's some more cool things
the Dude saw at CES.

This had line-ups at the Sony booth to try, and have to admit, it was cool.
This Star-Trek inspired device is a Personal 3D viewer, and it does work. I
always have felt 3D in the home was going to centre on gaming, and what I
saw at CES reinforced that.

More stylish than a Go-Pro, this wearable video camera from Panasonic is
interesting.

Very cool product from GigaPan Systems. This robotic camera mount automates
panoramic images by taking tens, hundreds or thousands of photos, then using
their GigaPan Switch software, combines the images into one mega panoramic
file. The GigaPan can do 360 degrees, and uses NASA based technology. If you
do this for a living, this might be worth the money (under $1000).

Postcards from The North Hall at CES 2012

2012-01-18T06:00:00.001-05:00

The north hall at CES 2012 is a lot of fun, because it has car stuff in it. There are the very cool concept cars that we already blogged about, but it is also the section of CES that has car audio, and you know, if it's a trade show, and you have car audio, then everyone has to compete with everyone else on who can do the most over-the-top car audio displays. So without further ado, here are some of the best DV Dude saw, and yes, his eardrums did survive.

I always felt having a single speaker in the car door is just so ...
restrained. Here is what every car should be like.

Now we're talking! This is taking it real man!

You know you want one.

Gear in Action: DVTec DSLR Rig with Canon 7D

2012-01-17T17:32:00.001-05:00

User posted video shooting with the DVTec DSLR Rig and Canon 7D

Gear in Action: Foton Shoulder Rigs

2012-01-17T17:23:00.000-05:00

These well-priced shoulder rigs are perfect for smaller cameras and DSLRs. Get more info and compare the Foton Rigs with the competition here

Gear in Action: SteadyTracker with Canon 7D w Fisheye 8mm, etc

2012-01-17T15:33:00.001-05:00

User posted video using the SteadyTracker with a Canon 7D and FIsheye 8mm, 17-50, 50mm and 35mm lenses.

SteadyTracker DSLR DV Camera stabiliser review

2012-01-17T15:23:00.001-05:00

Great demo from PRoTogPhotographic Australia.

Gear in Action: SteadyTracker with Canon 7D

2012-01-17T15:21:00.002-05:00

User posted video using SteadyTracker with a Canon 7D

Gear in Action: SteadyTracker with Canon DSLRs

2012-01-17T15:19:00.004-05:00

User posted footage using SteadyTracker with various Canon DSLRs

Gear in Action: SteadyTracker with T2i

2012-01-17T15:17:00.002-05:00

User posted video using the SteadyTracker with a Canon T2i.

The Weird & Wonderful At CES 2012

2012-01-17T09:26:00.000-05:00

Sure, one could talk endlessly about Crystal vs OLED TVs, the upcoming wave
of Ultrabooks, or numerous other serious CES subjects, but really, it is so
much more fun to show you the weird and wonderful your Dude discovered at
CES 2012.

Possibly the least appealing iPod dock seen at the show. With the speakers
built into the eyes, how could one go wrong buying this for that special
someone in your life?

I kept waiting to see if R2D2 was creating this hologram, but no. The image
is about 7 inches in height.

The one licensing deal that didn't make sense - Jack Daniels' guitars.
Really? You're going with that?

I can't make a caption up for this.

Now these are SPEAKERS! They were taller than the Dude!

"Lost in a Blur" - Music Video Shot on TM900

2012-01-15T16:36:00.002-05:00

Gear in Action - Panasonic TM900

2012-01-15T16:34:00.000-05:00

Short "silent" movie shot on a TM900.

Gear in Action - Contour+ Helmet Cam

2012-01-15T16:14:00.000-05:00

Contour+ captures beautiful 1080p video. The 2.8" aperture, 170° wide-angle rotating lens delivers the truest, high quality image with minimal distortion and fish-eye. It records and streams Full HD in all its glory - all from Contour's unique, award-winning form-factor. Stunning footage is what makes the shot, and the Contour+ is specifically set up for capturing the perfect visuals. The reason is a market-leading mix of camera technology, from a six-element glass lens and 1080p video quality, to adjustable white balance for dialing in the details of each location. The Contour+ also expands normal perspective with an F 2.8, 170° superwide-angle lens, integrating peripherals and backdrops that would get cropped with a narrower focus. In addition, we incorporated a 270° rotating lens to allow you mount or position the camera in an infinite number of ways. Contour+ enables live streaming - via HDMI, creating a direct connection to film shoots, event coverage and contest runs. Whether for broadcast or simply building a following, this capability allows videographers and athletes to provide an inside window into the action.

Get more info here

Gear in Action - Contour Roam Helmet Cam

2012-01-15T15:57:00.000-05:00

The Contour Roam keeps things simple for capturing high-quality action video while the world is rushing past you at high speed. Flip the switch to turn on the rugged camera, and you're already recording 1080p full HD video. The rugged-bodied aluminum camcorder is impact-resistant and even waterproof to 3' (1 m), so you can find yourself helmet-down in a large puddle or small pond and maintain confidence in the integrity of your Contour ROAM. The wide-angle (170° coverage) lens of the Contour ROAM rotates in the body so that you can mount the camera at any angle, using either the standard tripod thread or the integrated TRail mount that plays well with all of Contour's optional accessories. Then, with the help of the Contour ROAM's high-precision laser leveling, adjust the orientation of the lens to level out the horizon. The Contour ROAM features an audible signal to let you know that it's recording, so there's no second-guessing. You can keep it mounted on your helmet (or surfboard, or windshield, or handlebar, etc.) and have peace of mind that you're getting the shot. Get more info here

Prueba ContourRoam from Alfonso López on Vimeo.

Concept Cars At CES 2012

2012-01-15T13:00:00.000-05:00

Concept Cars! Nobody told me about this! Cool! Maybe I will come back next year!

This is from Audi.

This is from Ford.

Wild one from Kia.

Mercedes.

This isn't so much a concept car from Panasonic, but more an experimental one - and yes, it really works. Environmental issues were a big issue with the Japanese companies - they all were touting how much less power their new models of TVs use over their older ones.

PMA@CES 2012 Notes and Observations

2012-01-14T09:32:00.001-05:00

It was the most successful CES ever - over 150,000 attendees, 3100 exhibitors, 1.861 million square feet of exhibit space, and apparently over 20,000 new products announced, though I think that last figure might be overstated - someone announcing 100 new iPod cases is an easy way to get to 20,000 new products.

But for those going for the PMA portion of CES, your faithful writer among them, the show was a disappointment. Very few photo products were announced, and a lot of the usual suspects at the old PMA shows didn't show up this time, or if they did, they didn't bring much photo gear, thinking it was a consumer electronic show. So I know I"m not alone in the PMA contingent in being disappointed in the lack of a larger photo presence. Certainly there was some, but not what one is used to for a photography trade show.

What there was a lot of, an insane amount, an amount beyond any human comprehension, was iPhone, iPod and iPad cases. In fact, it became the joke of the floor whenever I'd talk to other people - no one could believe there are so many companies making cases. Of that 3100 exhibitors, it felt like half of them were case companies. I'm not exaggerating. It may have been called CES, but really it should have been called Apple Case Show With Some Other Stuff Too.

The other insanity was headphones. There were slightly less number of headphone companies than case companies. Again, it was beyond comprehension. Does the world really need 58,000 headphone companies? These lovely Sennheiser headphones, in the photo above, only cost $1200.

But enough complaining. Here are some random observations:

3D Is Not Dead Yet
While 3D has not caught on with customers, the TV companies are not giving up - in fact, they are doubling down. There is an excellent chance the next TV you buy will be 3D capable, whether you use it or not. Some prototype glasses-free 3D sets were shown - they worked, but their field of view is very narrow.

4K Is Coming - Everyone Get Busy
JVC showed a 4K camera, Sony and JVC showed 4K home projectors, and I'm sure there was a lot more 4K stuff if I looked for it (I'm sure NAB is going to have a ton of 4K stuff). I sat through a JVC demo, and have to say it was impressive. Their new 4K projector on a 150" screen looked amazing. Heavy sigh - here we go again.

Dials Are Cool Again
After the Japenese got rid of all the dials on cameras, they are coming back thanks to Fuji and Canon.

TVs Are Thinner Than Angelina Jolie
It is amazing how thin the next generation of TVs coming this spring are - razor thin thin thin.

Zombie Companies
Two classic names have come back from the dead - Polaroid and Vivitar. Both are shipping new products that they are picking up out of China, and putting their names on them. You will be able to get Polaroid TVs and other CE products soon.

Elevator Music
Discovered that the Venetian Hotel plays the music from Phantom of the Opera in all its elevators. No one would join me in a sing-a-long though.

In the week ahead I will detail some cool stuff I saw on this blog. The photo stuff has been covered very well by others, so I won't concentrate on that so much. Instead, I wll showcase some neat new stuff, and some ... interesting ... things as well, that the mainstream web universe ignores.

The Canadians Are Coming! The Canadians Are Coming!

2012-01-13T13:21:00.000-05:00

One of the surprises of this year's CES was some cool products coming from Canadian companies - I'll spotllght 3 here - two from Quebec.

This was probably the coolest thing your Dudeness of DV saw at the show. I'm not into gaming, or 3D, but I gotta say, this ROCKED. The VRX iMotion Simulator. Anyone who tried it was blown away. From beautiful British Columbia. You can see more at http://www.vrx.ca/imotion.php

This Quebec company was previewing this cute little device. Expected to retail for $200, and anticipated summer delivery, this is going to be one of those impulse buys that could be a lot of fun. Tamaggo is Japanese for "egg", and captures 360 degree panaromic images with a 14 megapixel sensor. If it works as advertised, this could be a big seller. Learn more at http://www.tamaggo.com

The ultimate desk/chair combination. Feel like you are commanding the Starship Enterprise with this "office chair". At $6200 (without monitors), it is a niche product, but what stockbroker wouldn't want to work in this? Sure beats sitting in a cubicle.

The Robots Are Coming! The Robots Are Coming!

2012-01-13T09:13:00.000-05:00

One of the more fun categories at CES is robotics, and there were a plethora of vendors showing their latest wares. This is obviously technology that is only going to expand and become a bigger part of our lives. At least untily they hunt us down and kill us, just like "The Terminator" foretold.

This little guy dances! He did a better job dancing than DV Dude could with Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean." This got a lot of attention. Will post a video when I return.

This is the ekoskeleton of a robot dinosaur. It moved quite well.

Mmm... not so sure about this one.

At first I thought this was just a little too creepy (you had to see them move), but then I realized these robot seals are used in therapy in hospitals. So maybe a little less creepy.

Just what every household needs - a robot air purifier, that wanders around the house like a smaller version of R2D2, purifying here, purifying there...

JVC 4Kcam GY-HMQ10 at PMA@CES 2012

2012-01-12T13:46:00.000-05:00

Some raw footage of the new JVC 4K video camera taken by one of the attendees at PMA@CES2012.

Hello Kitty at CES

2012-01-12T11:06:00.000-05:00

One of the many sights and sounds at PMA@CES2012.

DV Dude's First Dispatch From CES

2012-01-12T09:33:00.002-05:00

Greetings from Las Vegas, where your Dudeness of DV is suffering greatly to see the newest products and find undiscovered gems. It is the annual CES show, which now incorporates the photo-centric PMA show. This is the Dude's first CES, and is simply dumbstruck that a show could be bigger and busier than NAB. Look at the photo above of the Sony booth. All the big booths (Samsung, LG, Panasonic, Canon, etc) were like this.

One of the more impressive spectacles was the LG booth, where they had a huge 3D video wall.

Think your 36" TV is impressive? Not compared to this 80" LCD from Sharp. Yep - 80 inches. Why? Because they can. And yes, this is the largest LCD TV on the market today. Panasonic does have a 103" Plasma though.

By far the funkiest booth was for the new line of Bob Marley audio products (headphones, speakers). With a live DJ playing Marley tunes, backed up by a drummer, this was THE booth to hang out in for a while.

Biggest print seen at the show? This 24 foot panaromic shot of the Hong Kong harbour.

More to come, including some cool new products, and concept cars!

Genus Bravo Deluxe Follow Focus

2012-01-11T11:29:00.000-05:00

Bravo Deluxe Follow Focus from Genus Products on Vimeo.

Get more info here

Fuji Guys First Look at the X100

2012-01-11T11:21:00.000-05:00

Farewell to Joshua Tree

2012-01-10T10:05:00.000-05:00

DV Dude is heading to Las Vegas for PMA@CES to see all the new photo gear. He leaves Joshua Tree National Park, which has a lot of .. Joshua Trees. The Dude has gotten his long-festering desire to take pictures of Joshua Trees out of his system. After taking over 1000 pictures of Joshua Trees, he never wants to take a picture of a Joshua Tree ever again. Ever.

Genus Fader ND with Den Lennie

2012-01-09T17:24:00.001-05:00

Genus Fader ND with Den Lennie from Genus Products on Vimeo.

Greeting From Joshua Tree

2012-01-09T10:16:00.001-05:00

On The Road to Joshua Tree

2012-01-09T10:14:00.001-05:00

On route to Joshua Tree National Park, had to pass through Amboy and the famous Roy's Cafe on Route 66. There is a law that everyone who drives on Route 66 has to take a picture of Roy's.

DV Dude's Postcards From The Edge

2012-01-07T09:50:00.010-05:00

DV Dude is winging his way to PMA@CES for a fun filled week of pounding the trade show floor. Stay tuned. We'll be posting messages and photos from the Dude as he ruminates on the new products being debuted at the show.

Nikon Gets In The Game

2012-01-06T09:27:00.001-05:00

Nikon Rumours just posted some sample videos shot on the new Nikon D4.

Gear in Action: Hague Mini Table Dolly

2012-01-04T19:54:00.000-05:00

Some of our customers have dubbed this clever little piece of equipment the "pocket dolly" and while you'd need a rather large pocket to carry it in, the portability and affordability of this gem is undeniable. Get more info here

Toronto Film and Video Forum

2012-01-04T19:46:00.000-05:00

The Toronto Film and Video forum is a moderated online message board for filmmakers in the Greater Toronto Area. You don't have to be a member to post your film related events, screenings, casting calls, crew calls or users group meetings. Membership is through YahooGroups or opt-in email.

Best Christmas Video Ever!!

2011-12-23T15:22:00.000-05:00

Nothing quite says Joyeux Noel like Spinal Tap.

Enjoy!

And have yourself a very Merry Christmas!

The Desk of DV Dude Mark II

2011-12-20T11:35:00.004-05:00

It's a rare site to see the Dude's desk completely empty. But on this rare occurrence (the 2nd time in 10 years) the cleansing was to facilitate the revamping of the helm.

A custom cut out keyboard tray on an articulated arm has been installed in the desk.

Check out the pictures below...

It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year!

2011-12-13T16:41:00.002-05:00

This time last year we were knee-deep in renovation hell and frantically pulling our hair out getting ready to move the store. Flash forward to December 2011 and things are a lot less hairy. The new store is a huge hit with our customers and we're cruising into the holiday season with a spring in our steps and smiles on our faces. Even Chuck and Buck, the store spokesmanequins are getting into the spirit of the season. DV Dude has been walking around with his clipboard and red pen cutting prices. You can see the results of his labour on our Sales Page here.

A Sad Video

2011-12-01T15:59:00.001-05:00

Filmed with a 5D Mark II

Because We Can...

2011-11-16T15:31:00.002-05:00

32 cores of raw editing power. 27-inch Displays, built in hardware RAID5 with 48GBs of blazing fast storage.

Go-Pro-Orama!

2011-11-16T10:09:00.000-05:00

ProVideo Coalition has a good over-view of the new Go Pro Hero 2 camera that
we just got in stock. Clip above is true doggie cam - tongue included!

Worth the read -
http://provideocoalition.com/index.php/lightscameraaction/story/the_gopro_hd
_hero2/P0/

Coolest Time Lapse Video EVER!!

2011-11-15T09:24:00.000-05:00

Wow.

We've put up a few time-lapse videos over the past while, but this one takes
the cake - from the International Space Station.

Shot with a Nikon D3s by-the-way.

Duck Tron

2011-11-07T14:19:00.002-05:00

This amuses the Dude...

Announcement Overload

2011-11-04T09:56:00.000-04:00

The video gods decided that November 3rd was going to be the day that everyone would made major announcements - Avid with Media Composer 6, Red with Scarlett, and Canon with C300.

Too many announcements! What is a poor DV Dude to do? My poor little brain can't take anymore... Make it stop! Make it stop!

Hard Drive Shortage

2011-11-03T17:21:00.001-04:00

Over the past weeks the world has changed. The flooding in Thailand has taken it's toll on everyone. Countless people lost their lives and homes. Technology companies that have manufacturing plants located in the flooded regions are posting gloomy outlooks for being able to produce.

One of the major industries that have been impacted is the storage industry, With most manufacturers having plants in Thailand, we are now in the worst hard drive shortage since the earthquake that devastated Japan. Our hard drive shelf is nearly bare, with no clear word on when it will be restocked.

Although not even a brush stroke when compared to the bigger picture. People were killed, homes were lost and a country that the world relies heavily on is in the wake of a natural disaster.

Our thoughts go out to all of those who are suffering. It seems silly to fixate on the shortages when there are bigger issues at hand.

With analysts predicting the start of recovery as early as December, hard drives can wait, let the people recover and get their lives back on track.

The Brilliance That Is Shatner...

2011-10-21T17:20:00.001-04:00

Has left us speechless once again...

Steve Jobs and the Digital Hub

2011-10-21T09:58:00.000-04:00

We've been posting clips from various Steve Jobs keynotes, and here is one that had a profound effect on your humble narrator. It is from the January 2001 Macworld keynote, and it is my most memorable keynote - mainly because it solidified my decision to open The DV Shop.

In this clip, Jobs talks about his vision of the Digital Hub. It was in this keynote that Apple introduced the Titanium Powerbook, but more importantly to me, iDVD. Seeing the simplicity of iDVD, how it could let anyone make professional looking DVDs at low cost and was insanely easy to do to boot, convinced me to go ahead with the idea that had been percolating in my head for two years - a store dedicated to helping people make movies. So shortly after watching this keynote, I was convinced I was on the right track, and decided to jump off the cliff into the great unknown. We opened The DV Shop 4 months later.

Sony Nex-VG20: Now With 24P!

2011-10-19T10:25:00.000-04:00

An interesting first look at the Sony VG20. Get more info here

Whatever Happened to the Mythical Canon 5D MK III?

2011-10-19T09:45:00.000-04:00

Virtually from the day the Canon 5D MK II came out, people were already looking forward to how great the MK III might be. The question was asked continually, "When is the MK III coming?" It was the equivalent of the kids in the back seat of the car on a family road trip pestering their parents, "Are we there yet? Are we there yet?"

Well, now we have an answer of sorts. No MK III in the foreseeable future but there is a new camera coming in March 2012. You can read a good overview here.

New! Panasonic AC-AG160

2011-10-15T15:11:00.000-04:00

Panasonic's Jan Crittendon gives an overview of the new Panasonic AC-AG160 AVCHD camcorder at DV Expo 2011 courtesy of HowToSellYourVideos.com

Get more info on this camera here

Nobody Rocked a Keynote Like Steve Jobs

2011-10-08T09:50:00.000-04:00

The Insanely Great Life of Steve Jobs

2011-10-06T10:37:00.000-04:00

There is already a ton of articles commenting on the passing of Steve Jobs and as an Apple user since 1989 and an Apple Dealer since 2001, I thought I'd add to the pile.

Few people in life achieve greatness. For the rarified few, the vast majority achieve one great thing. Steve Jobs achieved many, many great things, which puts him in a very unique class of individuals. And what makes him even more unique is he achieved three great things after his initial diagnosis of cancer - the iPod Touch, the iPhone, and the iPad. Just one of those would be an amazing accomplishment in life. This was just the final act in a too-short life of 56 years.

Some people call him this generation's Edison, but that's not quite accurate. Steve didn't really "invent" things - he had a very talented team of engineers do that for him. Yes, his name is on a number of patents, but he was more of a conceptual over-seer with a vision who pushed those poor engineers to heights they would have not accomplished on their own.

Steve Jobs' genius was user interface. When you look at the sum of his life with Apple, what made him and his products stand out was the way technology interacted with humans. He didn't invent the keyboard and mouse, he didn't invent cell phones or touchscreens, but what he did was make them easy to use, and more than that - fun.

The legacy of Jobs exists in so many non-Apple products. The Macintosh changed computers forever. The iPod Touch has revolutionized touch-screen - everything has to be touchscreen now, whether it be cell phones or video cameras.

Apple, in the end, is an user-interface company. The same way Honda is really an engine company, and Nikon is a lens company, Apple is an user-interface company, and the success of Apple is applying their genius to different products (computers, MP3 players, cell phones, tablets). And at the core of that genius was Steve Jobs.

The video at the top of this post is the commencement speech he gave at Stanford in June 2005. It is a touching, insightful and philosophical speech. It's worth the 10 minutes out of your day to watch it.

Zoom H2n First Impressions

2011-09-29T10:47:00.000-04:00

From Rick VanMan

World's Smallest Camera?

2011-09-21T17:18:00.000-04:00

This is reportedly the world's smallest digital camera, measuring 1" x 1" x 1". It has
a 2 mega-pixel sensor, and captures video too! Writes to microSD card.

Sells for a whopping $99. Lifetime warranty. This company (Hammacher
Schlemmer) also sells a high def video pen.

Sometimes Parody Works

2011-09-19T09:43:00.000-04:00

The horror, the horror...

A Heart-Warming 9/11 Story

2011-09-12T09:41:00.001-04:00

With all the recollections of 9/11 floating around this weekend, this is one
story I had never seen before. It is the incredible story of a boy from
Kenya who wanted to be a doctor, and who ended up in New York on September
11, 2001.

http://globalpublicsquare.blogs.cnn.com/2011/09/10/remembering-911-an-unexpected-gift-to-america/

DV Dude will return to his normal cynical self shortly.

Bryce Canyon and the AF-100

2011-09-07T11:03:00.000-04:00

Bryce Canyon (in southern Utah) is one of the more spectacular places DV
Dude has had the pleasure of visiting, and this video, shot on the Panasonic
AF-100, shows some of that. Nice video work here from Erik Naso on Vimeo, utilizing a slider to good effect.

Highly recommended place to visit, and photographs and video don't quite do
it justice. Most impressive in person.

Need Speakers?

2011-09-01T14:58:00.001-04:00

I'm sure that this has happened to many, but for some it's just a myth or urban legend. A story that they heard from a friend of a friend. But it's true, both DV Dude and myself have been approached as potential "marks" for the Speaker deal of a life time.

It will happen when you least expect it, in the parking lot of a Canadian Tire, or a Gas Station or anywhere that unsuspecting people can be approached without cause for concern.

2-3 Men in a commercial van or small box truck will pull up beside you...

"Pssst... Hey buddy, come here, I got something to tell you.... Due to a warehouse packing mix up, I've got an extra set of $XXXX value speakers, I need to get rid of them before I go back to the warehouse...."

Then the con, they will offer you the speakers for pennies on the dollar, a $2000 set for $150 bucks....

Check it out, it's even on Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_van_speaker_scam

Greatest Hits of Steve Jobs, Part 57

2011-08-30T13:27:00.000-04:00

Steve Jobs is legendary for his Macworld Keynote addresses, and rightly so.
This one is from January 2001, and features the introduction of the
PowerBook G4. While it seems quaint now, at the time it was a mind-blowing
announcement.

It's a trip down memory lane, and to see the Steve Jobs Reality Distortion
Field in full effect.

Best Quotes of Steve Jobs

2011-08-26T09:32:00.000-04:00

With the not-unexpected resignation of Steve Jobs as Apple CEO this week,
the Wall Street Journal complied a terrific collection of Steve Jobs quotes.

Read them here -
http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2011/08/24/steve-jobss-best-quotes/

It's a rather long list, but breathtaking in many of its predictions.

I've always felt that Steve Jobs was the visionary, Bill Gates the toady,
and these quotes fulfill that. Jobs could always see 3 pieces ahead on the
chess board, Gates was always 1 piece behind. For example, he was predicting
"The most compelling reason for most people to buy a computer for the home
will be to link it to a nationwide communications network. We're just in the
beginning stages of what will be a truly remarkable breakthrough for most
people - as remarkable as the telephone." This was in 1985.

More blog posts on Steve Jobs coming.

Gear in Action: El Prezidino & M:O.R Promo Video Shot on VG10

2011-07-28T11:26:00.000-04:00

Promotional Video for El Prezidino and music production company M:O.R (Music Over Recognition). Video shot on a Sony NEX-VG10 using a 50mm 1.8 Nikon lens with adapter. Song production, Film, and Editing by Eliezer Lee (elee@3fingersglobal.com). Video courtesy of 3Fingers Music Group.

Gear in Action: Wedding Video Shot on the VG10

2011-07-28T11:23:00.001-04:00

Sony VG10 Camera Test with Film Riot!

2011-07-28T11:15:00.002-04:00

Gear in Action: Summer in Corfu - Shot on Sony VG10 & GoPro

2011-07-28T11:10:00.000-04:00

Gear used:
sony nex-vg10
gopro
tokina 11-16mm
canon 50mm
sony 18-200mm

Gear In Action: Crooked Saint's "The Big Easy" Shot on the VG10

2011-07-28T10:56:00.000-04:00

Second Single from Crooked Saint's debut EP 'Every Angry Inch', available on iTunes.

Final Cut Parody of the Week

2011-07-27T19:24:00.000-04:00

Found this very amusing article at Pro Video Coalition - What if Cupertino
ran NASA?

Enjoy.

World's smallest user manual

2011-07-26T17:17:00.000-04:00

Sony Nex VG10 New User Videos

2011-07-21T14:13:00.001-04:00

People are doing some pretty amazing stuff with this little camera. More info on the VG10 here

Shoot through umbrella vs bounce umbrella

2011-07-21T13:55:00.000-04:00

Tips from Dom Bower.

Using Light modifiers

2011-07-21T13:53:00.000-04:00

Lighting & Equipment Tips : How to Use Umbrellas

2011-07-21T13:46:00.002-04:00

Erin Neumeyer offers some umbrella lighting tips.

Videomaker at CES 2011: Panasonic TM900 3D Camcorder

2011-07-21T11:42:00.000-04:00

Panasonic TM900 Magic Bullet Test

2011-07-21T11:35:00.000-04:00

Panasonic TM900 Test Footage

2011-07-21T11:33:00.000-04:00

Gear in Action: Panasonic TM900

2011-07-21T11:18:00.001-04:00

Short Film: "The Remote."

The Lion That Yawned

2011-07-21T10:15:00.002-04:00

Apple unleashed their latest OS yesterday, and we installed it on one of our
demo machines, and played with it briefly.

My thoughts - zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

Not quite as radical/iPad-ie as the buzz would make you believe. The $29
price point makes a lot of sense now, because it isn't worth much more than
that.

As with any OS update, it is going to break a lot of software/hardware, so
upgrade carefully.

The Droids We're Looking For...

2011-07-18T14:41:00.000-04:00

Storm Troopers feeling lucky...

Panasonic GF2

2011-07-14T17:54:00.000-04:00

Get more info here

Gear in Action: Sony VG10 Music Video

2011-07-09T14:15:00.000-04:00

Ted Park: The Show Goes On Music Video. Edited in Final Cut Pro/After Effects. Filmed with Sony NEX VG10.

From The Desk Of DV Dude

The 5D Mark III Cometh - Finally

Sony NEX-7 User Review

Amaran LED AL-198C: Bi-Colour LED Video Light

Gear in Action: Hague Camera Slide

Gear in Action: Nikon D7000 - Latest Nikon User Videos Feb 2012

Filmmakers Demo Reel Shot on a D7000

Postcards from Ancient England At The Auto Show

Postcards from Asia At The Auto Show

Postcards from the Germans At The Auto Show

Postcards from the Auto Show, Part I

Star Wars Post of the Day

Fujifilm X10 Product Preview from the Fuji Guys

Fujifilm X-S1 Hands on Preview from the Fuji Guys

Fujifilm X100: One Hot Little Camera

Fujifilm X10: Fuji Goes Back To The Future

Great Product Photography Is Hard Work

Nikon D800 Video Shooting Features

Genus Pana Wide Mattebox

Sean Channels François Truffaut

The Fuji Guys Unbox the X100

Gear in Action. New User Videos For The Sony NEX-VG20!

Nikon Unleashes a Can of Whup-A** On Canon

Panasonic AG160 - User Test Video

Cool Computer Stuff At CES 2012

Cool Photo Stuff at CES 2012

More Cool Things At CES

Postcards from The North Hall at CES 2012

Gear in Action: DVTec DSLR Rig with Canon 7D

Gear in Action: Foton Shoulder Rigs

Gear in Action: SteadyTracker with Canon 7D w Fisheye 8mm, etc

SteadyTracker DSLR DV Camera stabiliser review

Gear in Action: SteadyTracker with Canon 7D

Gear in Action: SteadyTracker with Canon DSLRs

Gear in Action: SteadyTracker with T2i

The Weird & Wonderful At CES 2012

"Lost in a Blur" - Music Video Shot on TM900

Gear in Action - Panasonic TM900

Gear in Action - Contour+ Helmet Cam

Gear in Action - Contour Roam Helmet Cam

Concept Cars At CES 2012

PMA@CES 2012 Notes and Observations

The Canadians Are Coming! The Canadians Are Coming!

The Robots Are Coming! The Robots Are Coming!

JVC 4Kcam GY-HMQ10 at PMA@CES 2012

Hello Kitty at CES

DV Dude's First Dispatch From CES

Genus Bravo Deluxe Follow Focus

Fuji Guys First Look at the X100

Farewell to Joshua Tree

Genus Fader ND with Den Lennie

Greeting From Joshua Tree

On The Road to Joshua Tree

DV Dude's Postcards From The Edge

Nikon Gets In The Game

Gear in Action: Hague Mini Table Dolly

Toronto Film and Video Forum

Subscribe to filmvideotoronto

Best Christmas Video Ever!!

The Desk of DV Dude Mark II

It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year!

A Sad Video

Because We Can...

Go-Pro-Orama!

Coolest Time Lapse Video EVER!!

Duck Tron

Announcement Overload

Hard Drive Shortage

The Brilliance That Is Shatner...

Steve Jobs and the Digital Hub

Sony Nex-VG20: Now With 24P!

Whatever Happened to the Mythical Canon 5D MK III?

New! Panasonic AC-AG160

Nobody Rocked a Keynote Like Steve Jobs

The Insanely Great Life of Steve Jobs

Zoom H2n First Impressions

World's Smallest Camera?

Sometimes Parody Works

A Heart-Warming 9/11 Story

Bryce Canyon and the AF-100