Hasta La Gadget!

We all drool over the hi-res video shot by cameras like the RED EPIC, but for indie-film types, processing the massive files produced takes a lot of time (and therefore money) and not everyone has an ARRI ALEXA to do native recording compression. Enter the Atomos Ninja and Samurai HD recorder / monitor / playback devices that take your 10-bit video and compress it in Apple’s 1080p ProRes QuickTime format to make your post-production life a little easier. The Ninja pulls video through HDMI and deposits it on your choice of 2.5-inch HDD or SDD storage, does playback via a 4.3-inch 480 x 270 touchscreen, and has continuous power thanks to dual hot-swappable batteries (available in 2600, 5200, and 7800 mAh varieties). Meanwhile, the Samurai matches the Ninja’s specs, but swaps out the HDMI connection for HD-SDI ports and adds SDI Loop-Through to connect an external monitor, a larger 5-inch 800 x 400 display, and 3D support (if you get two Samurais genlocked together). Both units have FireWire 800 and USB 2.0 and 3.0 connections for offloading your vids. Those with Spielbergian aspirations can pony up $995 for the Ninja right now, or pay $1,495 for the Samurai upon its release this summer.

Atomos Ninja and Samurai HD video recorder / monitors bring compression jutsu to pro filmmaking originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 26 Mar 2011 11:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Using your smartphone to take regular, or heck, even 3D images, is so last-gen — thanks to Microsoft’s Interactive Visual Media Group, we shall soon be able to use its new app to generate virtual 3D models. For example, if you want to capture that Ferrari on your neighbor’s driveway, you’ll need to circumambulate it while shooting around 40 photos. The final product, which is compiled using some beefed up PhotoSynth magic as each shot is uploaded to the cloud, is a beautifully crafted 3D model that can be panned around surprisingly smoothly. Hit play on the video below to feast your eyes on Redmond’s new trick.

[Thanks, @scienceben]

Continue reading Microsoft application creates 3D model using a cellphone, blows our minds

Microsoft application creates 3D model using a cellphone, blows our minds originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 24 Mar 2011 08:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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All we really knew about Fujifilm’s FinePix X100 was that its looks (and pricetag) could kill, but Photography Blog has discovered that the gorgeous magnesium machine takes fantastic photographs too. You won’t actually be able to see any of them at this very moment — as it seems the website’s images are down — but the publication liberally praised the sharpness and lack of noise afforded by that F2 Fujinon lens, calling the X100 “right up there with the best APS-C sensor cameras on the market” in terms of image quality, and with “the best build quality of any camera that we’ve ever tested,” too. Strong words, to be sure, but the camera’s not without its quirks, including an obvious one — that 23mm lens is fixed to the camera’s front. Without a zoom, you’ll need to get up close and personal with your subjects to get that perfect shot, and yet it also lacks a mechanical focus ring (it’s a focus-by-wire affair here), which can make it difficult to quickly get your bokeh on. The publication remarks that both autofocus and manual focus are fairly slow, there’s no manual option at all when recording videos, and focusing macro shots requires switching to a separate mode that switches off the the optical viewfinder. Still, if you weren’t sold at first sight, you probably are now. Kiss your tax refund goodbye, folks — it’s been spoken for.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Fujifilm FinePix X100 reviewed: a stunning shooter through and through originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 18 Mar 2011 11:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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By now you’re probably familiar with the $58,000 RED EPIC-M and what it can do, but it’s hard to properly admire its hand-machined beauty from a distance. We can’t ship you a unit, of course, but we’ve got the next best thing: close-up footage of the compact 5K beast shot with another RED camera — the original 4K RED ONE M-X. Lousiana post-production company Digital FX lovingly fondled EPIC-M #98 on camera, not to mention goodies like the Bomb EVF and 5-inch touchscreen LCD, and you can watch, drool and share your oh-so-envious thoughts with us right after the break.

Continue reading RED EPIC-M stars in gorgeous vid, RED ONE jealously shoots the footage (video)

RED EPIC-M stars in gorgeous vid, RED ONE jealously shoots the footage (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 14 Mar 2011 06:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Smithsonian captures 201,000 wild photos with automated cameras originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 11 Mar 2011 17:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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