Rodfather Mobile

I mentioned the announcement of this device along with a size comparison chart.

Also known as the Sony HDR-TG1, here’s an exclusive unboxing of Sony’s new ‘Full HD’ hybrid cam brought to you by Matt of Tracy and Matt’s Blog.

Big thumbs up for the built in ports. It includes USB, HDMI, component video, composite video, and a docking port as well.

It does appear a bit long. May not be fit well in jeans but should fit fine in a jacket pocket or cargo pants.

Tracy and Matt’s Blog :: Sony HDR-TG3E Handycam preview video (exclusive)

Want a quick and easy way to convert a video to H.264?

Copy the below text and save it to a batch file. I called this one H264_480_270.bat. Stick it in your SendTo folder which should be C:\Documents and Settings\<username>\SendTo if you are using XP. Of course, you’ll need VLC installed.

If you want to change the output resolution or bitrate, modify the appropriate values at the beginning of the script.

When right-clicking a video, navigate to “Send To” and then choose your batch file. After encoding is done, you’ll find a new file in the same folder but with “.mp4″ tacked on the end.

One downside is that the H.264 video VLC produces is not compatible with the iPod/iPhone. In order for it to work, you need to change the codec to normal MPEG4 (mp4v).

Note: The last three lines should be a single line.

For more information on encoding video for iPod, check this out.
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@SET vlcpath=”C:\Program Files\VideoLAN\VLC\vlc.exe”
@SET vcodec=h264
@SET bitrate=1024
@SET width=480
@SET height=270
@SET acodec=mp4a
@SET ab=128
%vlcpath% -I dummy -vvv %1 –sout=#transcode{vcodec=%vcodec%, vb=%bitrate%, width=%width%, canvas-height=%height%, acodec=%acodec%, ab=%ab%, channels=2}:standard{access=file,mux=mp4,dst=%1.mp4} vlc:quit

5×5 Windy Day from Rodfather on Vimeo.

First 5×5 Vignette. It was a very windy day so I took some footage of some plants & trees blowing in the wind.

Shot from Canon TX1 at 720P. The audio had a lot of wind noise even though I turned on the wind filter. It was ridiculously windy though so it was expected. My hat flew off twice during this time.

I did an experiment in post. Edited this with my 800Mhz Fujitsu U810 UMPC using Sony Vegas. While editing, the preview screen couldn’t really keep up but it wasn’t actually too bad editing HD footage on such a slow computer. I’m somewhat glad now that the Canon TX1 encodes to MJPEG. If it encoded to H.264, there would be no way I would be able to edit it since H.264 is so processor intensive.

I ended up encoding the final product to 720P WMV. It took 54 minutes to encode 25 seconds worth of footage.

I doubt I will edit HD footage on a UMPC in the near future, but it’s nice to know it’s even possible.

Download WMV from Vimeo page - 1280×720 30FPS (99MB)

One of big challenges for any videographer is reducing camera shake.  The need for stabilizers comes up very often.  I mentioned in another post a possible mini FigRig solution for the Canon TX1 using a Wii racing wheel.

I’ve compiled a list of links for cheaper alternatives to expensive solutions.  I’ll try to keep adding to the list as I find them.

http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~johnny/steadycam/ - $14 Steadicam “The Poor Man’s Steadicam”.  The most popular DIY Steadycam by Johnny Chung Lee.

http://www7.taosnet.com/f10/steadycam/ - More elegant looking steadicam/monopod using a cheap Walmart tripod.

http://www.cartala.com/diy.html - Modification of the $14 Steadicam.  Uses a longer cross bar with additional weight.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTR5EYO0rLc - Another variant of the $14 Steadicam.  Most interesting part is the there’s no drilling for the camera mount.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7TMa-v03aE - Another project by cinepegger.  Using a bicycle wheel for a Fig Rig.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/shygantic/129121710/ - PVC FigRig.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=T1aPbwcqquk - Zero Cost Steadicam.  This is what I’m using in the meantime. :)  All you have to do is extend a tripod and hold it in the right place.  It’s not perfect but the result is a lot better than normal handheld.

http://homebuiltstabilizers.com/greyhandheld.htm - List of DIY stabilizers for handheld cameras.

Cruise to bowling alley (unedited) from Rodfather on Vimeo.

Unedited.

My first video with my new Canon TX1. Took a cruise to bowling alley.

It was around 5PM, overcast, and raining. Basically just stuck in traffic. Somewhat of a good test to see if the autofocus would search all over the place. It wasn’t too bad though.

I had the camera mounted on a GorillaPod SLR. The video was very shaky but didn’t go into a mess of blur. The OIS did its job I guess. The shakiness was just too much.

I encoded the raw MJPEG file (2.48 GB!!) to H.264 at 3.5 Mbps with VLC player. VLC player is a very fast encoder but probably not the best quality. Especially since it only did 1 pass.

I did a bit of handheld toward the end. Someone was pulled over so wanted to see what the cops were up to.

Download MP4 from Vimeo page - 1280×720 30FPS H.264 3.5Mbps (274MB)

I ended up choosing the Canon TX1 as my next hybrid cam. It should arrive in a few days and I’ll post my reasons and thoughts leading me to this camera hopefully later in the week.

I’m just relieved I don’t have to go through all the research anymore. I am giddy with excitement.

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Since the TX1 is so small, I tried to look up any discussion on stabilizing a small digicam for shooting video. The TX1 has Optical Image Stabilization but I’d imagine it’s still difficult to keep stable using such as small device in a non standard form factor. To achieve a nice floating-like motion, gained from using a stabilizer like a SteadiCam, would be awesome on a tiny hybrid cam.

So how about a Fig Rig? This is a wheel-like anti-shake device created by Director Mike Figgis (Leaving Las Vegas, Time Code) to gain stability with DV sized cams. There’s a bunch of DIY projects trying to emulate Manfrotto’s expensive version. Here you can build your own with only $10 in parts.

Of course this is way too big for a TX1. So.. what’s shaped like a wheel and small???

The UbiSoft Wii Steering Wheel! These are basically shells to stick a Wiimote in to try to simulate the feeling of a real racing wheel. Call it air steering.. whatever.

This one comes with GT Pro Series for the Wii but there’s a few shady looking sites selling it separate for $10. There are other cheap wheels available as well.

I don’t have either yet but it might be worth looking into. You can probably screw in a bolt to mount the TX1 in the middle. It might just work!

So ya, anyone want to try to mod that into a small DIY Fig Rig?

I doubt this is scaled right, but you get the point..

Taking a cruise from Rodfather on Vimeo.

Taking a cruise along San Andreas Rd. Shot at around 6:30PM with about an hour or so left until Sunset.

Using the Aiptek A-HD at 720P 30FPS ~4Mbps attached to a GorillaPod SLR which was clinging to the dash of my Subaru. It was very shaky but speeding it up somewhat helped.

Edited with Sony Vegas 7 and rendered to 720P WMVHD at 6Mbps.  Original footage was 30 minutes.  Sped it up to a little over 7 minutes.

The fixed lens helps out when shooting from a car. The Aiptek is not meant for motion though.

Looking into a Sanyo Xacti HD1000 with its 60FPS 720P mode.

Song is Master of Puppets by Metallica performed by Apocalyptica.

Download source 720P WMVHD video (328.66MB)

Sanyo has been leading the way producing flash based, compact hybrid photo/video cams.

Now, they are trying to focus on marketing to women with their new, easy to use, compact, and stylish Xacti CG9 hybrid cam.

It contains a whopping 9.12 MP CMOS sensor and encodes video to max 640×480 at 60 FPS using the H.264 codec. I don’t know about you but H.264 and ‘easy to use’ don’t exactly go hand in hand.

This should be a great alternative if you are looking into the Sanyo VPC-CG65 but want something slightly more bulky and the option to shoot at 60 FPS.

The CG9 will be aggressively priced as an entry level camera. I’m guessing around $300.

Specs from Sanyo’s site:

• MPEG-4, H.264 Digital Video
• 9.12 Megapixel Still Images, CMOS
• 2.5″ LCD Display
• 5.0x Optical Zoom
• Video and Still Image Stabilization
• Real-Time Interpolation (12MP)
• High Quality Audio Recording (AAC-LC)
• Wind Roar and Red Eye Reduction
• Web Cam Function
• PictBridge Compatible
• USB 2.0 and S-Video Output
• Built-in Flash
• SDHC Flash Memory, Compatible, 40 MB Internal Memory (approximately 1 hour, 20 minutes video recording per GB)

Check out the video and gallery over at Akihabara News.

UPDATE (3/26/08):
I guess I was right about the price. Just noticed this on Amazon. Sanyo Xacti VPC-CG9 Retail $299.

This made my day.

YouTube - I went to Fry’s and got a technology enema