HDTV Standards

Looking under the hood of Rec. 709

By Andy Shipsides

At AbelCine, we do a lot of camera matching; customers bring in their cameras, and we do our best to create matching scene files. Recently, two cameras were brought in with a simple request attached, reading, "Please match to Rec. 709." This may seem like a normal request to some of you, or it may have you scratching your head. The term Rec.... Read more

Getting It White (The First Time)

The importance of proper white balance

By Andy Shipsides

At AbelCine, we’re known for our custom scene files and looks. These can be powerful tools for manipulating your image, but oftentimes, getting the best result is all about getting the right white balance in your camera. White balance is one of those adjustments that seems simple but can really make all the difference to your image. I get a variety... Read more

Making The Match

Creating scene files to match camera looks

By Andy Shipsides

At AbelCine, we produce many scene files for a variety of cameras, each designed to improve both look and performance. We post these files on our website for anyone to try out, which has resulted in a lot of great feedback and many different questions. The most common question we receive is about matching the look of two different camera models. We... Read more

Sense And Sensitivity

Explaining ISO, Exposure Index and gain

By Andy Shipsides

Recently, a client who purchased a Sony PMW-F3 from AbelCine gave me a call with a "quick question." He had just updated his camera with the S-Log recording option and discovered that he now could set his camera’s sensitivity in a number of different ways. He could set the camera’s gain, ISO or, with the S-Log mode turned on,... Read more

4K Plug-And-Play

The process of shooting and playing back 4K at home

By Andy Shipsides

At AbelCine, we’re always trying to stay on the cutting edge of technological development in the camera world, so we often get questions about the latest cameras and workflows. Recently, a client asked about playing back 4K footage on his new Sony 4K home theater projector, which he primarily used for HD screenings. Now he wanted to be able to... Read more

Serial Digital What?

3G, 4:4:4 and HD-SDI explained

By Andy Shipsides

At AbelCine, we’ve embraced the trend toward external video recorders. Convergent Design’s nanoFlash, launched in 2009, was one of the first on-camera HD recorders that actually offered improved recording quality over what was found in the camera. Since then, companies like AJA, Atomos, Cinedeck, Codex, Blackmagic Design and Sound Devices... Read more

Going Soft?

Understanding back focus

By Andy Shipsides

At AbelCine, we have a great deal of experience in digital cinema, with a strong focus on optics. Lately, I’ve been fielding a number of questions relating to a lens’ back focus, more accurately described as the lens’ flange focal distance. In this column, I’ll address some of the subtleties of back focus and why it’s so... Read more

LUTs, Looks And Scene Files

What’s the difference?

By Andy Shipsides

At a recent AbelCine seminar introducing the new ALEXA Studio camera, I gave a presentation on ARRI’s Look Files and their online LUT generator. Afterwards, several people asked me to describe the difference between a Look File and a LUT. I explained that ARRI’s Look Files were more like Scene Files. It seemed like an easy answer, but it... Read more

Did I Judder

24p stuttering explained

By Andy Shipsides

As part of my responsibilities at AbelCine, I handle a number of technical support questions from our professional clients in the field. Recently, I had two different clients inquire about a "judder" they witnessed in their new cameras. They described a stuttering effect from frame to frame that was visible when shooting 24p. Both believed... Read more

I See Dead Pixels

Dealing with a dead pixel on your sensor

By Andy Shipsides

As part of my responsibilities at AbelCine, I handle a number of technical-support questions from our professional clients in the field. One such inquiry I recently received was in regards to a "dead pixel" on a CMOS camera sensor. A client of ours had recently purchased a Sony PMW-F3 camera from us, and he was troubled to find a bright... Read more