Over the past five years, cameras have gotten more compact in size and lower in cost. Accessories that allow highly specialized production shots have followed suit. Today, jibs, dollies, stablizers and sliders that used to cost thousands of dollars are accessible to most videographers.
Today, video and still cameras, tablets and even laptop computers often rely on memory cards for data storage. Each electronic device specifies a unique kind of memory and choosing the right card for the application can be challenging.
For most people working in pro audio, phantom power is fed through a mic cable from a mixer to bring electricity to condenser microphones. That’s what they know — period. However, working pros in the audio field know there is much, much more to this “phantom” power flow. It pays to know the subject to avoid the “gotchas.”
Until recently, the most cost effective option for videographers backing up video files in the field was a portable hard drive. Hard drives have a large capacity, are small in size and very inexpensive. But now, hard drives are being challenged by much faster and lower cost outboard SSD drives.
The 5 cm band is essentially the top half of the 5 GHz Wi-Fi band. Until recently, its use was restricted because of potential weather radar and military RF interference. New dynamic frequency selection (DFS) technology is opening these wide bands for exciting new physical layer (PSY or layer 1) uses, such as IP video. Think of it as an invisible cable.
Tripods and heads are essential gear for all videographers. However, which type to buy for a given application can be a challenge because there are so many brand and price points from which to choose. A quick overview on the latest in tripod and heads might be useful.
A major new development in battery technology promises to store more energy and allow thousands more recharges than with today’s cells.
Though they often take tremendous abuse in daily use, microphones are the most delicate and important part of the pro audio chain. To keep microphones working properly, there are a few things the audio engineer can do.
