High Definition Video is Here!
We were the first Bay Area Video Wedding and Event Company to film
in Digital!
We were the first Bay Area Video Wedding and Event Company to edit
in Digital!
We were the first Bay Area Video Wedding and Event Company to adopt
HD!
We were the first Bay Area Video Wedding and Event Company to deliver
on Blu-Ray!
Now we are the first to adopt the 1080p level of HD with the new
Sony EX-1 Camera!
We Shoot HD, Edit HD, and Deliver HD on Blu-Ray High Definition
DVD's !
While others are buying their first HD cameras, we have been shooting
HD since 2005. 450+ events later we have mastered the art of filming,
editing, and delivering content in this incredible medium.
-------------------------- 
-----------------------------Standard Digital 4:3 ----------------------------------------------High Definition Widescreen
What is High Definition Video?
The original impetus for HDTV came from wide-screen movies. Soon after wide-screen was introduced, movie producers discovered that individuals seated in the first few rows enjoyed a level of participation in the action not possible with conventional movies. Evidently, having the screen occupy a greater field of view (especially peripherally) significantly increases the sense of "being there".
In Camcorders, this has translated to the 16:9 format & Cameras
with unprecedented resolution: 1080 lines to be exact. We now offer
this capability to you. What does this mean?
First, Do NOT confuse widescreen 16:9 format with HDV. Current
DV and DVCam camcorders are capable of 16:9 Widescreen - but
ARE NOT HDV. Their resolution is far below that of HDV. In
fact, compared to the most commonly used cameras in the Wedding
and Event Industry today, HDV Camcorders have 5 times the
resolution of DV cameras. HDV Cameras
film native 16:9 widescreen in outstanding resolution.
The Pros & Cons So Far
To date, the most popular HD camera choices for wedding
& event work have been the Sony Z1 & FX1, Panasonic HVX200, Canon
XH A1 & XL H1. These are all fine cameras and we have been filming
with the Sony Models for 3 years.
PROS
The great advantage to these cameras
are their terrific resolution when viewed in actual HD. Further,
they film in native widescreen. With the vast majority of consumers
now having widescreen TV's, this is a wonderful plus. High Definition
resolution is a sight to behold when used well. After all, you DO
NOT want every line in your face to be distinct. Our experience in
working with HD assists us in handling this problem with ease. With
plenty of light, these cameras are terrific, and we will continue
to use them in our standard packages.
CONS
Light. The one flaw in these first generation HD cameras is low light
performance. Quite simply, they struggle in low light. The Sony handles
the low light better than the others, not because it is any brighter
but because it doesn't exhibit the graniness the others seem to display.
RESOLUTION
While the resolution is quite high in these
first generation cameras, they DO NOT use true 1920 by 1080 chips.
They use 1440 by 1080 chips and use mathematical tricks to deliver
a very fine picture. This resolution is far greater than standard
DV. But it is not true HD.
TAPE
These first generation cameras record to tape.
This means the inevitable tape jam, data loss, drop-outs, etc. that
tape incurs. Further, the record times are just over an hour. This
means for the average wedding or event a tape change must occur somewhere
during the ceremony.
NEXT GENERATION ARRIVES
With the advent of the Sony
PMW-EX1 (EX-1 for short) every limitation
of the first generation cameras has been overcome. It is a stunning
low light performer, actually seeing images brighter than the human
eye. It has true 1920 by 1080 chips, 1/2 inch in size, and can shoot
true 1080p. This is actual HD resolution. It also uses no tape and
no hard drive. It records to flash memory. No tape change, virtually
endless recording times, no drop-out worries, no tape jams. This
camera, which we proudly offer first in the Bay Area is, in a word,
incredible.
Sony PMW-EX1 HD Solid State Compact Camcorder
Low Light Comparisons - EX1 vs current HDV Cameras: (Canon XHA1, Sony FX1, Sony Z1)
Cameras are set at identical settings. You can see that in low light the new EX1 (on the right) blows away the current group of HDV cameras.
Low Light Comparisons - EX1 vs current leader, Panasonic HVX200:
While the Panasonic (left) fares better than the others above, the EX1 with no gain just destroys the competition. The dim scenes above are very comparable to many dark Churches and Temples where no light is allowed. Can you afford not to get the best?
CANON 5D MARK II PHOTO CAMERA
But progress never ceases. The latest tool in our arsenal is DSLR Video - using Canon's High End 21 Megapixel Photo Camera to shoot brilliant video. I could talk at length about it's full sized sensor, it's incredible depth of field, or its low light mastery at some length. I could talk about its brutal limitations as well. Difficult focus, stability, 12 minute recording length, and non-professional sound. But there are ways to work around this and produce images like this:
These cameras function as our glamour cams, our "killer shot" tool, the magic bullet in our camera arsenal. The fusion between our High End HD Video Cameras and these DSLR HD Photo Cameras is breathtaking.
There you have it. Video Madness is the HD leader for
Bay Area event work. We shoot in HD, offer both standard, premium, and DSLR
camera choices, edit in HD, deliver Blu-Ray HD, and have filmed nearly
500 events in HD while others have just purchased their first cameras.
The choice is clear - just like the picture. Video Madness - The
Marriage of Art & technology.