Digital Video - October 2008 - (Page 12)

IN REVIEW EDIROL F-1 VIDEO FIELD RECORDER closely as possible. However, scrolling through the menu, I stumbled upon a “sync record” function. After selecting it, I learned that triggering the Canon triggered (and stopped) the F-1 simultaneously, which greatly simplified recording. However, this meant recording on tape as well as on disk, which adds some cost and also means that you have to interrupt shooting every hour or so. To avoid the latter, I used the F-1 record controls to start and stop recording while connected to the Canon on standby (via FireWire). To switch back to the “synch mode,” (i.e., simultaneously triggering both the A1 and the F-1), I had to reselect “synch rec” in the F-1 menu. Either way, I only had to operate the controls on one recording device, whether recording with one or both. Switching from HDV to DV recording was effortless, as the signal input changed automatically via FireWire, which can only transmit the signal it is fed. The F-1 apparently is able to make this adjustment on the fly — or very quickly — and without any adjustment in the menu. It can do the same when switching from 1080i HDV to 1080 24p or to 720p, etc. Switching HD formats in-camera is rarely so easy. Unfortunately, field playback wasn’t quite so simple, at least the first time around. After connecting the F-1 to an Ikan V8000 HD VGA monitor using the provided harness, I began selecting clips displayed in the bin to play. I tried several playback approaches — all standard practice on VTRs, other digital video recorders and NLEs — but I couldn’t get a single clip to play. I feared that perhaps somehow I had only recorded the first frame shot, so I connected the camera and squeezed off a few more shots with both the F-1 and Canon A1 recording the clips (on tape). Once again, they wouldn’t play. This was clearly a tech support issue, and I considered myself lucky to get help on a Friday (especially with Edirol on a skeletal staff due to IBC taking place in Amsterdam over the time of my test period). In the end, it turned out that you can’t play back clips on the video monitor from this heft more than doubles once V-mount battery brackets and an IDX Endura E-80 battery are attached. In terms of design, the F-1 resembles a VTR more than it does a dockable video hard drive, especially with its XLR inputs and audio switches. It features a 6-pin i.Link port, and both standard and mini highspeed USB ports. It has familiar-looking VTR controls with the fast-forward and reverse buttons doing double duty for menu navigation, as well as a 15-pin RGB display port for output to field monitors and a 4-pin 916V DC-in power port. Installing the removable 120GB hard drive is a snap as it loads only one way, smoothly sliding inside the F-1 body, where it plugs into the front USB and FireWire ports once fully inserted. The drive's plastic handle (for easy removal) quickly drops down to enable the body's rear hatch to lock shut. The same applies to the similarlooking NiCad battery pack, which fits above the drive. I opted to use the IDX Li battery V-mount adapter package instead, which replaces the NiCad battery pack with an inverter. It is all pre-wired with tough, rubberized coatings and carefully measured to preclude loose wire loops. After mounting an IDX Endura E-50 battery and attaching a 4-pin/6-pin FireWire cable to the F-1 and a Canon XH A1 camcorder, I was almost ready to begin shooting The final step was sliding the F-1 and battery into a compact daypack for comfortable transport. After connecting the FireWire cable to the F-1 and the camera, I did some test shots in HDV and DV. I recorded two different ways: by depressing the record button on the F-1 first and then on the Canon, and vice versa — trying to synchronize them as SCORE EDIROL F-1 VIDEO FIELD RECORDER PROS: Tough, tight design, hot-swappable drives, 4-channel audio, 9 to 12 hours of sustained recording time. CONS: A quick-start guide would be helpful, as some functions are not as intuative as they could be. BOTTOM LINE: A great new option for tapeless shooting. MSRP: $2,995 CONTACT: www.edirol.com 12 dv october 2008 the F-1 in the field. However, you can view them on the camcorder’s displays, either in the standard or flip-out viewfinder. The monitor is for selecting them via thumbnails, but they can be selected and played by the clip number displayed in the F-1 display. They play in the camcorder monitor and can be deleted afterward — on the F-1 to conserve space — if needed. Edirol provides free utility software geared to simplify capture, playback and cuts-only editing on the desktop without having to load clips into any particular NLE platform (PC or Mac). This software can be downloaded from their site, or via a CD that accompanies the F-1. There is only one catch: you need the latest version of Microsoft DirectX, which is also free from Microsoft’s download center. Despite some unexpected glitches and hurdles, most of which could probably have been avoided or solved by thoroughly reading the F-1 manual, I found the recorder interesting and easy to use — with a few footnotes. The video quality matched that recorded on tape with the Canon XH A1: top-drawer HDV 1080i. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to test one of the F-1’s most salient features — the ability to record without file size or time limits. Doing so with multiple F-1s (and cameras) all LAN-controlled on a desktop holds great promise for low-budget, multi-camera projects I like the F-1’s tough, tight design, which is fairly user-friendly. If the F-1's floating hard disk proves as shock-resistant as advertised, it could greatly enhance the options available for tapeless and dual-system shooting — especially with four-channel audio. DV www.dv.com http://www.edirol.com http://www.dv.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Digital Video - October 2008

Digital Video - October 2008 Contents First Look: Creative Suite 4 D800 Raid Edirol F-1 Video Field Recorder Universal Dolly BT-LH1760 Monitor Bench Test: XDCAM EX PMW-EX1 Camcorder The Dead Can Dance Cutting Crew Unrest In Peace DV101 Production Diary

Digital Video - October 2008

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