Video thoughts

[wlaidlaw]

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I have used the M240 on various video jobs for about three weeks. Yes, it has rolling shutter, moire, shadow noise, blah, blah, blah.... Just like all the other DSLRs we use (Panasonic GH2/3, Canon, and Nikon 800). However, the actual picture looks great. The clients like it.... which means we like it! We generally use Leica R zoom lenses (21-35mm, 35-70mm, and 70-180mm). The Panny and Canon are our first choice for low end work, but the M240 will be integrated into our work flow because the actual picture looks so good.

 

But there is one issue that should be addressed. The M240 does not have a video out, so, the director/producer can not see the action on a big external monitor. All the other video DSLARs have a way of sending a signal to an external monitor. The lack of this one feature in the M240 is going to relegate it to a B-roll camera.

 

Hopefully, Leica or a third party developer (Olympus) can make a module that sends a video signal from the M240 to an external monitor. Or perhaps, the M240 hand grip might send picture to a computer via the USB port. Even if sound did not get transmitted, the picture would be good enough for us. Otherwise, the M240 will be a B-roll unit or an "auteur" camera.

 

Ciao, Sully

 

Sully,

 

I have made exactly the same point on another thread about a missing HDMI out on the multifunction grip - I think they have missed a trick with this omission. I don't think they needed two flash sockets on the MF grip. The thread has not garnered a whole lot of support. I want the HDMI for an external LCD screen for use with tilt shift lenses for both stills and video. The message I was getting was, if I wanted HDMI, to use another camera but I now have nothing except Leica M's other than a small back up Oly EP-2.

 

Wilson

[AlanG]

Having video out in composite or HDMI is pretty basic and I think almost every digital camera has it. This was even available before some could shoot video so you could review images on a tv.

 

I would think that someone (Leica?) could develop a cord/adapter from the EVF port to some kind of method of attaching a monitor. But I don't know if there is enough demand/profit for a third party to do this. Maybe the usb could be adapted since it supports tethering. They'll need to seriously consider adding this basic feature.

 

By the way. if you want to see how steady these gimbal mounts are, check out this video where the camera looks back through the copter's frame to show how much it is moving around while recording.

 

http://vimeo.com/63976224

[mjh]

Having video out in composite or HDMI is pretty basic and I think almost every digital camera has it. This was even available before some could shoot video so you could review images on a tv.

Video recording as an option for digital still cameras has been around for a long time; I got my first video-capable camera in 1999. I don’t remember whether analog video output predates video recording, but it probably did. HDMI (and thus digital video output) only saw widespread support starting in 2008; there were just a handful of cameras supporting HDMI before that year. Of the models introduced this year, most had an HDMI port.

[AlanG]

...I don’t remember whether analog video output predates video recording, but it probably did...

 

Yeah the 5D had video output for image review and no video or live view. The idea was that you could examine your images on a large monitor pretty quickly after shooting them.

 

For aerial work, using HDMI (e.g. Sony Nex) forces us to add a small HDMI to composite video box to send an analog signal to a video transmitter to a receiver in the video goggles or a monitor. Most people disassemble these boxes and remove the case, sockets, and anything else possible then solder the wires directly. It also introduces a stiffer cable that may interfere with the carefully balanced gimbal. This box needs 5 volt power typically requiring a BEC (battery elimination circuit) to step down the voltage from the main battery and adds weight that is not needed for analog video cameras. GoPro 3s have stuck with an analog output which is much easier to utilize and companies make a cord that plugs into the GoPro's usb port to tap video and optionally supply 5 volt power to the camera via a BEC. HD is impossible to transmit with these small systems, not needed for flying, and might add a delay anyway. Keep in mind that we might have to rely on this video stream to know where we are going and to avoid collisions so it needs to be simple and bulletproof.

 

I have been using the GoPro 3 Black for several months and it is just a fascinating bit of miniaturized well thought through extremely easy to use technology. I posted a still image from yesterday on an RC Multirotor thread. I still may need a larger camera for stills in print, but if the images will just be used on the Web, the GoPro is fine.

 

http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showpost.php?p=24742387&postcount=7635

 

I guess you can tell that my interest in ground based cameras has been declining. I think if you feel you are not a video shooter, why not shake things up and give video a try? I avoided it for years and now I am really enjoying it even though editing is very time consuming.... BUT NECESSARY! You can tell a story much differently on video than you can with stills.

[jaques]

private video drones, 3 d home printers, internet/phone/augmented reality videoglasses... stuff is moving fast. Soon this drone thing will be a real issue of privacy and public health hazard issue. But I know I want one!

 

Back to the point at hand: it is a real shame that Leica don't have the video out. I am sure this camera will be of use to a lot of video people.The lenses are what really interest them... Leica put video in it- so why hobble it?

 

Perhaps a 2nd Generation grip could do it? Is the necessary information passed to the grip at all?

[wlaidlaw]

 

Perhaps a 2nd Generation grip could do it? Is the necessary information passed to the grip at all?

 

Whether the data is passed to the grip will depend on how Image Shuttle has to work. Does it just send a taken image to the tethered computer or does it show Live View - nobody seems to be telling at the moment (I posted a thread and got no answers). If it shows live view then the viewing data must be being passed to the mini-USB socket. The alternative would be to use the output at the EVF socket but that is not at very high quality (around 1.44 MP) or approx 1400 x 1050 in round numbers (remembering that the EVF-2 is 4:3 for an MFT camera).

 

Wilson

[mjh]

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The alternative would be to use the output at the EVF socket but that is not at very high quality (around 1.44 MP) or approx 1400 x 1050 in round numbers (remembering that the EVF-2 is 4:3 for an MFT camera).

Actually it is 0.48 MP or 800 x 600 – you only get 1,440,000 if you count the red, green, and blue pixels separately, as is customary for LC panels. HDMI would require four times as many pixels (2.07 MP or 1920 x 1080). I don’t know whether the EVF port would support the required throughput.

[wlaidlaw]

Actually it is 0.48 MP or 800 x 600 – you only get 1,440,000 if you count the red, green, and blue pixels separately, as is customary for LC panels. HDMI would require four times as many pixels (2.07 MP or 1920 x 1080). I don’t know whether the EVF port would support the required throughput.

 

Michael,

 

arrrghhh - so its worse than I thought

 

Wilson