In use: 3lt and Oly 14-54

Now that I'm on a professional shooting assignment, here are some updates on gear that I wrote preliminary reviews on.

Atomos Ninja

This ProRes recorder was so crude with my GH2 I returned it to B&H on the 30th day of a 30-day money back guarantee. I tried it on a few professional shoots and finally gave up. The sporadic flickers made the footage unusable. B&H refunded the entire amount of $995 and I will not buy another ProRes recorded by any maker. I'll keep the two items that didn't come with the Ninja: short HDMI cable and Intel X-25 160gb SSD. I might put the SSD in my aging MacBook Pro.

Three Legged Thing

What surprised me about the 3LT tripod in the field is how easily the screws loosen. They don't fall out, but the looseness makes the tripod wobbly and unstable. It's a compact tripod for travel, but it's dead weight if I don't carry hex wrenches with me to tighten the leg screws.

The other part that loosens are the tabs. However, to tighten those requires removing the legs to access the screw, then it's really cumbersome to reach.


As expected, I can't use the AH1 ball head with my DSLR cage because of a minor detail: the quick release plate is threaded, and thus, it won't tighten on my rig.

I prefer the traditional Manfrotto plate with retainer ring. I'll henceforth use a Manfrotto 494 mini ball head with RC2 plate.

The AH1 will mostly remain dormant, or eventually sold.
I've been using my obsolete $75 Manfrotto 3021 with 128RC fluid head more than the 3LT. The 128RC is decent with the 3LT and center pole removed, but it won't fit inside the case (can't invert the legs). The Manfrotto 494 should rectify that snafu. Also, the 3021 is stable at 7' whereas the 3LT isn't.

Olympus 14-54/2.8-3.5

My studio tests showed that this beasty lens is noisy with video, but I surmised that out in the field signal-to-noise ratio and faraway mics would quell the noise, and they do.

I find that the focal length (equivalent to 28-108mm) and relatively fast apertures are ideal for headshot interviews and narratives. Also taking into consideration that the Panasonic 12-35/2.8 won't be released for about a year, the Olympus with Panasonic adapter will more than suffice until then. Ironically, I don't think a 12-35 (24-70mm equivalent) will be appropriate for headshots because I often shoot the Olympus at the longest focal length.

Autofocus is surprisingly fast and efficient, and the zoom ring is smooth. I read that using a 4/3rds lens on a M43 body with adapter hinders AF response, but it seems OK for my purposes. It probably won't cut it for sports, but I don't shoot sports. After shooting significant video in the field professionally, the Olympus 14-54mm turned out to be a decent lens after all.

Revitalizing old products

During my periodic housecleanings, I had earmarked some old gear for a yardsale, but ended up using them recently and will likely keep them for future shoots. I have two ART mic splitters and one ART mic splitter/combiner. I've used all three for recent gigs to send pristine mic sound to a PA and Zoom, or combine two wireless mics.

I never thought I'd find the ME66's original foam cover very useful, but because I've been deploying both the MKH416 and ME66 concurrently, with my sole Rycote Softie on the 416, I had to recommission the ME66 foam. It's a lot better than using the ME66 nude, by adding some protection and wind blockage.

My mic stands are in storage since I closed up my project studio to focus on video sound. Well, as serendipity goes, thanks to horrific wireless ceilings I need a boom mic stand that can reach near-ceiling height to record off the speaker. Also because of wireless ceilings I dug out my hardly-used boundary mics for a forthcoming panel discussion. I haven't used these two mics since 2007 and almost sold them. Between miking the ceiling and table, I should get OK sonics, but nothing compared to close-miking. Damn wireless ceilings!

I thought my Zoom H1 would put to rest my old H2. Instead the H2 continues to be a mainstay in my gear arsenal. Two major H2 advantages over the H1: it sits upright and it runs off AC with the included adapter. Although obsolete, the H2 is still a workhorse.

I find that acquiring stellar sound requires a lot more equipment and technique than shooting video, especially talking heads. In fact, if I were to shoot video with no regard to audio, I could do it with just a GH2 and tripod, a la YouTube. But all my pro shooting requires stellar audio, and I embrace the one-man crew concept because I have complete control over video and sound with proven technical compatibility. Of course, my shoots are fairly niche, documentary/ENG style without gimmicks such as sliders and GlideCams.

I would say the biggest gimmick I use is a DSLR with adjustable depth-of-field. Although producers and filmmaking connoisseurs prefer only the Canon 5D Mark III, the Panasonic GH2 produces stunning depth-of-field when equipped with fast lenses.

Wireless ceilings fiasco

The latest trend in multi-purpose rooms is a wireless mic system integrated with ceiling speakers. This technician-free approach allows anybody to hold events where venue staff merely issue a wireless mic to the organizer who can instantly be heard through ceiling speakers.

Naturally this is a disaster for sound recording. Technically it is possible to tap into the signal, but logistically and politically it'll rarely happen. These newfangled self-service systems are not designed at all for recording and those who attempt it get horrible sound, strewn with ambient noises and echoey distance.

Because I have no way to record clean sound, I prefer to decline such gigs. If I find myself in this horrific snafu unexpectedly, I'll immediately notify the producer of the hellish situation and do the best I can to get usable but highly-compromised sound. My first encounter with a wireless ceiling was at a press briefing in a public library room. Of course I was totally appalled. There wasn't time to ascertain alternatives, so I swiftly placed a Zoom H2 on the table where two persons spoke. Surprisingly the sound was good: warm and close up. TV reporters covering the briefing got nothing!

I tried the H2 approach recently while shooting for the Crossroads Irish American Festival at the University of San Francisco, Fromm Hall, Maraschi Room with speakers embedded in 30' high ceilings. With wireless headphones connected to the H2 I monitored in real-time annoying paper shuffling and podium pounding by the presenters. The sloppy stage presence hoodwinked the recordings. I figure the producer will just have to live with all that podium noise from the H2 recordings since I tried my best.

USF McLaren MC250 meeting room-from-hell. Aim a mic at the ceiling and take what you can.

I have one more Crossroads gig at USF in McLaren MC250 with horrendous wireless ceilings. It's a round table discussion with four persons where the H2 on the table isn't practical. Thus, I plan to place two boundary mics on the table and hoist a wireless shotgun mic on an extended mic stand pointing to the ceiling speaker. That'll have to be good enough. Unfortunately, if there are more gigs like this in the future, essentially the producer will have to take what I give them in accordance to circumstances. Ultimately, however, I'll avoid these gigs, although the USF ordeal was part of a six-week events package, whereas other venues produced good audio.

I emailed USF events management inquiring about a possible feed in MC250 with no response. The small USF tech crew apparently like wireless ceilings because they don't have to do anything. My impression of USF is that the staff is lazy. The producer had to call events management 30 minutes before the show because there were no provisions for the audio and visual requirements stated in the contract. The lone person who finally arrived was truly lackluster and ill-prepared, with dead mic batteries and carefree about dirty dishes strewn in public areas.

Producer: proactive or lazy?

Some intrepid wedding shooters have devised awkward approaches such as taping their own mic or recorder onto the existing mic, trying to intercept the wireless signal, interject pink noise, etc. Others resign to the point-mic-to-ceiling technique. Before trying any of that tech stuff, I simply tell the producer they'll get what they can and we can't be fussy in a horrendous situation.

If an organizer is meticulous about recorded sound, they should choose another venue with a traditional mixing board configuration, be proactive with the venue to tap into the wireless receiver, or arrange for an external mixer. Organizers should be trained to see the entire picture when scouting a venue. Unfortunately, most have narrow vision and thus the lowly sound person grapples with the anomaly. If the venue is more important than the final product, then all persons must be forewarned and accept perpetual bad audio in their movie that will be viewed by current and future generations. The sound recordist should not be the fallguy and perhaps include a clause in the written agreement to forego liability and leave the name off the credits.

Reception room-from-hell. Take what you can get. Or have an assistant aim a wireless shotgun mic at talkers for in-your-face grabs:

ENG approach

I've seen reporters tape wireless lavs to a speaker cabinet or place a mic on a table and endure ambient noise: rustling, pounding, coughing, echo, the whole gamut of unwanted sonics. ENG differs from event productions because ENG is tolerant of gritty audio, given the situation, and soundbites are short. ENG emphasizes the comment, and news producers select the most important bite, bad quality and all. Fortunately, the segment is only broadcast for a day, then abandoned, unlike wedding and event videos which stay around forever.

Learn from politicians

Politicians are sound-consious and commoners can learn a lot through observation. For example, the California Public Utilities Commission has ceiling speakers but also audio outlets with carefully crafted sound, since reporters often cover controversial meetings there. City Hall assigns suit-adorned staff to carry a mic, mic stand, and XLR junction box for pop-up press conferences to provide clear audio to assure accurate soundbites and elude misquotes. Commoners and rogue organizations are not savvy like this, and of course they are frequently misquoted and misinterpreted. Wireless ceilings, with low signal-to-noise ratio, are a liability ready to happen, sending unclear messages that go public.

Single mic connected to XLR juncture box for pop-up political press conference with no misquotes.

Autonomous

Dependence on external resources often results in incompatibilities and disaster. The ultimate approach is self-sufficiency. Sometimes I'm summoned to setup a small PA and record sound and video. Although this is more work, recorded audio is pristine since I configured the entire system. For on-the-spot documentary and ENG interviews the mic-in-face approach works best.

PhotoRec audio recovery

The Zoom H1 failed on me while serving as a backup device for a trio of bands being recorded for a music video. By coordinating with the FOH sound tech at Bottom of the Hill, I was able to secure a stereo feed off the club's Yamaha PM3000C-40 mixing console. Two XLR line-level outputs connected to two of my ART mic splitters to feed a Panasonic HVC200 HD camcorder and my Zoom H1 backup recorder.

During the show I recorded and monitored the first two bands (The Nice Guy Trio and The Gomorron Social Aid & Pleasure Club). The HVX wasn't running during those times because the target band was headliner MegaFlame, a cabaret set that included luscious ladies in era attire.

During MegeFlame's set I monitored off the HVX and scrutinized level meters on the HVX and H1 to avoid "brickwalling" that the producer indicated did not want. Well, I don't strive for distorted peaks either, so I maintained the H1 between -12 and -6 db, and assured the HVX did not hit the red.

During the show it all looked and sounded good, and I swapped out the H1 battery before MegaFlame even if it wasn't low, just to guarantee ample juice for an anticipated long set. The set was indeed long and at 2 a.m. I packed my gear and headed to Sparky's, a 24 hour eatery that's packed during weekend wee hours.

Because it was a Friday night/Saturday morning, Sparky's was packed, but as usual as a solo patron getting a seat at the counter was simple. It was there while waiting for French Toast I listened to MegaFlame (track #17) on the H1 and it sounded stellar. The soundman, Adam, did an excellent job and one of the rare times I was provided a stereo mix. I listened intently, then turned off the unit while it was in play pause mode. Perhaps I should have hit the big red button on the H1 to take it out of play mode completely, but previous times I've done that I never had a snafu...until now. (I will henceforth take it out of play mode and put it in idle mode before turning off the H1).

Once safely in the studio to offload the files, much to my dismay tracks #13 to #18 were gone. Only previous tracks from earlier non-related sessions recorded at 48/16 remained. I wondered what zapped the files: if the bands' recordings at 48/24 was overwhelming, that MegaFlame's non-stop 129 minute set spanned two files, and/or that I turned off the unit in pause mode. Perhaps I should have erased the 16gb class 4 PNY MicroSD beforehand, but I figured I'd want to save previous files and I had lot of space.

The disk showed I had 3gb remaining on the card and could only access 6gb so I surmised the files were still on the card. I opened muCommander that reads Mac and PC files and folders (H1 is FAT32) to no avail. On my PC I tried to recover the files from R Studio, but the recovery application did not show the missing files. I opened Mac Disk Utility and hit repair disk and all it did was change available space from 3gb to 7gb. I began to wonder if the files were truly gone. I would have noticed if the H1 or the computer deleted a 2gb wav file....it would have taken some time. With the H1 I made a quick recording to see if the missing files would show up, but all it did was add file #14. In retrospect it was a mistake to record since it'll overwrite file #14 if it still existed.

On the internet I researched possible approaches by entering keywords Zoom H1 and recovery. After reading testimony I discovered a multi-platform open source recovery software called TestDisk. This is not an enticingly attractive application as it opens in Terminal on a Mac. Instructions use tech jargon and menu items are cryptic for non-geeks. Hence, I experimented with several options while treading cautiously to avoid overwriting anything on the MicroSD card and to heed to TestDisk's warnings and "dangerous" implications.

After several hours I had gotten nothing and was ready to contact the producer that my Zoom files failed and to be meticulous with the HVX P2 files since this is all we have. The soundboard audio was the gist of the show; the two roving cams near the stage captured only reference ambient audio. The producer also paid me a bonus because of the H1 backup which I didn't mention beforehand (and paid me also for using a 7' Manfrotto tripod to keep above the crowd's heads). So contacting the producer about failed backup files was a last resort.

Bundled with TestDisk is another recovery application called PhotoRec. Initially I hadn't considered this app because of the name....I thought it was for JPEG recovery. Well, it is, but it's also for mutlimedia files, including WAV.

I grappled with PhotoRec while reading the online instructions and devised and implemented an approach. PhotoRec, like TestDisk, bypasses header information that Finder, Windows Explorer, and R Studio require, and by doing so revealed two previously unseen partitions, one labeled FAT and the other called whole disk. I went through several menu items as shown in the step-by-step instructions. Here are four of about 10 hierarchial menu windows in Terminal:

My first attempt recovered some band wav files, so that was very optimistic. For the first time, wav files from the club were on my computer. They were not the MegaFlame set I needed, but I observed a 2gb file with the suffix .Apple that could very well be my target file. I duplicated it and changed the suffix to .wav but Amadeus couldn't open it.

I recalled seeing a menu option to save corrupted files.

I selected yes to Keep corrupted files ("keep files even if they are invalid in the hope that data may still be salvaged from an invalid file using other tools") and launched a folder from which to extract files. Finally a large wav file was being recovered and estimated process time increased. I figured the longer the process time the better, since I wanted PhotoRec to produce a 2gb wav file. After about an hour all recoverable files were presented and a PhotoRec prompt indicated the task was complete. Low and behold the MegaFlame wav file was one of the batch, and all was well.

FCPX resource hog

Since the release of FCPX in June 2011, there has not been a major upgrade of any Mac computer. There have only been rumors: Ivy Bridge is on the way, MacPro is discontinued, MacBook Air/Pro will combine, etc. Ivy Bridge is reportedly a GPU-intensive chip on an Intel processor, and only marginally enhances CPU according to industry watcher AnandTech.

The uncertainty and waiting has created a massive population of FCPX users grappling on yesteryear's Macs, many from 2007 and 2008. It's always a bad time to buy a MacBook Pro with outdated technology when a new generation is on the horizon. Furthermore, prices of used MBPs on Craigslist are unrealistically high. Dual-core MBPs are around $1k+, quad-core cost $1500+, and anything beyond 256 VRAM is rare. Sellers are trying to entice unknowing buyers to procure obsolete technology for outrageous rates. When new Macs are announced, value of used product will immediately plummet substantially. Few people are buying Macs right now, most are waiting for the new stuff or to get a great deal on old models. I prefer to struggle with my 2007 MBP and hold onto my currency while patiently waiting for forthcoming announcements. The caveat, of course, is how to edit if FCPX chugs along, Firewire 800 and fast drives notwithstanding.

During my research I discovered that not only are there methods to bring FCPX up to a workable speed on a vintage Mac, but also that the application creates a lot of large useless files that swiftly eat up expensive storage space. Six months ago before the Thailand floods 2tb drives were as low as $60. They are now 2-3 times that, including Seagate drives which are manufactured outside the flooded region but the company undoubtedly capitalizes on the calamity. My most recent 2tb 3.5" 5900 rpm SATA Seagate was $125 from Tiger Direct, and I was able to find a 2tb 7200 Seagate for $115 on eBay. That should hold me for a while, but equally important is to trash garbage from FCPX. How?

Turn off everything!

ProRes is a decent editing format that Apple wants to hang onto instead of editing native files as Premiere does. Hence, FCPX triplicates files and performs background rendering to emulate native editing. It isn't native, and an old Mac feels the pain....the agony of slowness while chewing away drive space.

In preferences, my Editing tab looks like this:

My Playback tab:

I turn off major "features" that FCPX is known for, notably background rendering and proxy media. If I don't turn off these resource wasters, I end up with three huge redundant files of the same content while editing at a snail's pace and watching the spinning ball of death. In fact, I don't always transcode MTS in FCPX. I use Voltaic HD which lets me specify resolution (and thus file size) and location (keep MOVs and MTS in the same folder), while retaining original name and timestamp. If I'm in a hurry or need only a segment of a clip, I will transcode in FCPX (faster than Voltaic), but will clean out all the unused crap from the Finder.

The third and final tab under preferences is called Import. I just leave all that stuff unchecked. If "Create optimized media" and "Create proxy media" are checked, FCPX will transcode each MTS file to AVC1, ProRes, and Proxy. To avoid triplication, I use "Import from camera" which creates AVC1 files that reside in Original Media. In Event Library I right click thumbnails and select "Transcode Media..." to create ProRes files which reside in Transcoded Media/High Quality Media. Background Tasks and the circular percentage counter show the progress of the transcode, which could be lengthy. Once transcoded, AVC1 files can be trashed from Original Media in the Finder.

I don't use proxy media, although it might be helpful for resource-intensive tasks such as multicam editing. FCPX will swiftly fill hard drives, so user comprehension of media management is essential to elude clutter, as well as an understanding of nomenclature: Original Media = AVC1. High Quality Media = ProRes. Create optimized media = ProRes. (The user selects ProRes 422 or HQ). Proxy = proxy, the only consistent nomenclature that makes sense.

I definitely don't want FCPX to freely copy, import, create, or replicate anything, especially if I've already transcoded MTS files to ProRes MOV. Because I turn off Background Render, there should only be short-term rendering of small thumbnails which reside in Render Files. Even on long videos thumbnail accumulation shouldn't be more than 200mb, and there shouldn't be any rendering of every little adjustment I make on the timeline.

Arrow icons in Original Media means FCPX references already-transcoded MOV files and shouldn't create proxies unless specified to do do. Even on my old MacBook Pro I can directly edit ProRes files with acceptable speed and keep my hard drive redundant-free.

If all is well, editing should transpire with the Background Tasks window completely idle.

Before I discovered this trick (turning off rendering), FCPX would constantly render and show a low percentage of completed tasks, then add more tasks for perpetual rendering. I had no idea what was going on, and exporting took up to ten hours because it renders as it exports. Stop! This is what I want to see at all times while editing:

Compressor caveats

There are no in/out points on the FCPX timeline. Intrepid users say to duplicate the Project and crop the new timeline. I tried that and it is truly bogus. FCPX was so slow in duplicating as it created excessive fluff and kept rendering even after I cropped 90% of the timeline. I thus select in/out points in Compressor but not without caveats. I tried to denote in/out points in Compressor by precariously moving the blue slider handles but I got the spinning ball of death followed several minutes later by a crash. Hence, in the timeline I use what's called a pencil and paper to write down my in/out points and type them into Compressor.

Well, on my ancient laptop preview is black and the in/out digits I entered disappeared, but as long as the duration is accurate, it's ok. I then press Submit and wait a while, or go do something else in the meantime.

Unfortunately, I can't batch in Compressor with FCPX like I did in FCP6 unless I want the spinning ball followed a few minutes later by a crash. In fact, Compressor easily gets finicky, so the app needs to Quit (or Force Quit) when it gets tired.

Dual-audio

Because I often use dual-audio and dual-cams, I grappled with Compound Clip and Multicam Clip unfortunately to limited avail. With Compound Clip I expected to see video and audio aligned but on different tracks (a la Plural Eyes) to adjust levels and apply plug-ins autonomously. I'll revisit this pursuit in tandem with X2Pro (when released) and export AAF to Logic Pro or Pro Tools for precise sonic editing outside FCPX. Multicam Clip seems suited for real-time quick-cut music video editing using Angle Viewer akin to directing a live show, so that feature is not helpful for my projects. I only have two cams and prefer each cam be on its own track. It's easy enough to sync two cams manually on the timeline, so that's my approach for now.

Don't use an external monitor

Old Macs only have 256mb VRAM, the minimal required for FCPX. With two monitors that's 128mb per monitor. No! The timeline will struggle with paltry VRAM. I'm hoping the forthcoming Ivy Bridge MBP has 2gb VRAM, but that might be overly optimistic. Furthermore, I don't multitask, not even Chrome, because old Macs have a tough enough time doing dedicated FCPX editing.

Epilog

On my ancient laptop FCP6 stalled on transitions. Miraculously, FCPX is ok with transitions, so that's good news. Also, the Contour Shuttle Xpress finally works in FCPX after a hiatus since June. There's a new command file that puts the Shuttle back into operation, which is handy for edits.

Rumors predict Ivy Bridge MacBook Pro release anywhere from early April to late September. I'm hoping I can tolerate editing with less-than-ideal hardware until then. Nevertheless, even with a new machine I'll continue to approach FCPX as described above. Constant rendering and hard drive bogarting is horrendously inefficient.

No on Ninja

I tried to like the Atomos Ninja. It was all I hoped for with the Panasonic Lumix GH2's clean HDMI output. The video image quality was stellar, albeit interlaced. Ninja is small, lightweight, good on batteries, and mounted well on my WaCru DSLR cage. The bitrates were fantastically high and being able to shoot and watch and edit video immediately right off the SSD was a luxury.

But one major caveat induced me to request an RMA number on the 30th day or experimentation and ship it back to B&H for a full refund: flickers.

The video would playback nicely, great colors, sharp, and other good attributes, except the damn footage would flicker periodically and make the clip totally unusable. Initially I thought it might be the HDMI cable, so I juggled it around in live view and there was no disconnection. I tried various ProRes settings - LT, 422, HQ - with the same results: flickers.

I contemplated using Ninja for gigs with DPs who shoot with the AF100, D800, D4S, or other clean HDMI camera. But ultimately on the 30th day of a 30 day money back guarantee I surmised the Ninja is not reliable enough for serious shoots. What if somebody pays me to connect to a DSLR or camcorder and Ninja still flickers? It's not worth taking that risk, and I don't own anything other than a GH2. I figure if it flickers on a GH2, it could flicker on any other camera.

The few Ninja reviews from GH2 users is that HDMI output is "crippled" by virtue of being 60i. I don't consider that crippled. If it's interlaced, that's fine as long as it records well. I can always de-interlace in post, or merely put it on an FCPX timeline and de-interlace it on export in Compressor. In May 2011, EOS HDsaid this about Ninja and the GH2:

In my opinion, a bug was purposefully inserted into the HDMI output of the camera to prevent the extraction of high quality 24p 4-2-2 on an Atomos Ninja. The purposeful bug interferes with the timing pattern of the 60i interlaced signal. Due to HDMI TV standards, 24p is transmitted inside an interlaced wrapper. Normally software can perform 3:2 pulldown removal and de-interlacing to extract 24p from this wrapper, but the timing interference makes this impossible. I believe Panasonic purposefully programmed the firmware to have a random cadence pattern, because HDMI outputs and formats are too well understood for it to be a genuinely accidental flaw.

I wish my snafu was merely a de-interlace issue. Initially, it seemed like a good idea to at least use Ninja as a backup, but it's dependent on the host camera that it doesn't even make a good backup. If the camera screws up, Ninja stops. If Ninja stops, the camera goes crazy.

I gave it a run, it was good for times in between flickers and all it's other annoyances, but it's essentially unusable. There's no future in my video career with Ninja - a $1,000 brick - so it's en route to the vendor B&H Photo Video. At least I tried, and I will report my experience on user groups and retain the flicker videos as demonstration of my failed endeavors.

So long, Ninja!

Pro Tools MP9 no big deal

In anticipation of procuring a Lion laptop by summer, I bought Pro Tools M-Powered 9 from Sweetwater for the discounted price of $99 plus $2 FedEx signature delivery. There was a lot of hype when PT9 was released November 4, 2010 about the much anticipated ADC (automatic delay compensation), integration of DigiTranslator for AAF and OMF import, and opening Pro Tools to any Core Audio interface. As shown in the comparison chart, only ADC applies to M-Powered 9.

If not for Lion, I would have stayed with Version 8. But there is only one Pro Tools M-Powered version compatible with Lion, 9.0.5 beta. There likely will never be an official Lion release for MP9, as Avid drops legacy versions after a new release, which is V10 (October 21, 2011) and V11 is in the works as Avid announced TDM is end-of-lifed after V10. Fortunately I have a DigiTranslator license I bought in January 2010, so I'll continue to use that until V11 expected in 2013 that should have offline bouncing.

Essentially there is only one useful feature that I can use in my $99 purchase: Lion compatibility. There is virtually no difference from version 8, and I'm not a heavy beatmaker to take advantage of ADC and the slightly improved Beat Detective. Wow! $99 just to use Pro Tools with Lion! And I still need my M-Audio interfaces until I pay $499 for Pro Tools 11 in 2013. Well, at least at that juncture I can finally get the much-needed offline bounce and use 'Tools with non-Avid audio interfaces, particularly helpful when mixing on a MacBook Pro in the field. No need for my Transit interface, but I'll still need two dongles: Pro Tools and Reason.

It's too bad Reason didn't go the iLok route, then I could put all my licenses on one dongle. Dongles are very old but effective technology to thwart piracy. For a while Reason used disc confirmation but there are so many rogue Reason users that necessitated hardware protection. Apple and its App Store can probably get by without dongles since purchases are tracked. Perhaps more importantly for Apple is that even if a single user installs an app on multiple computers, that's big bux for Apple since each computer is a Mac.

For example, LaVar buys Logic Pro 9 from the App Store for $199. It installs on his $2,500 iMac. Now he wants to mix in the field so he buys a $2,500 MacBook Pro. He installs LP9 with the same license. Apple actually allows two computer installation on a single license. However, LaVar's friend Geordi wants to remix LaVar's tracks and needs LP9 to do so. Geordi buys a $2,500 MacPro and installs LP9 on LaVar's dime.

Let's add this up: $2,500 x 3 + $199 = $7,699. Although Apple loses $199 via LaVar's "generosity" by giving Logic to Geordi, Apple gains $2,301 from Geordi's MacPro purchase. Furthermore, Geordi is enthralled by the huge selection of after-market loops and beats on the App Store, he buys thousands of samples for hundreds of dollars. Apple gains a lot. And when LaVar and Geordi part ways over artistic differences, Geordi buys the next version of Logic Pro and a new MacBook Pro, iPad, and iCloud subscription.

Olympus 14-54/2.8-3.5 zoom, 4/3rds mount

This 28-108mm (equivalent) lens has reasonably fast apertures for indoor use. It is appropriate for interviews, narratives, and events to adjust the focal length on-the-fly in lieu of committing to a fixed lens. The mount is standard 4/3rds but the Panasonic Micro 4/3rds adapter provides ƒstop control and AF. A tripod is best suited for this lens, especially towards the long end. It lacks OIS (optical image stabilization) on my DSLRs, but wide-angle handheld and monopod might be OK. This lens is big and heavy, with notable compromised functionality. But fast AF zooms do not exist for M43. Far from being my ideal choice, the Olympus is an interim solution until the rumored Panasonic 12-35/2.8 is available, or a similar zoom by Sigma or Tamron. It usually takes a year for Panasonic to transcend from rumor-to-reality...Q1 2013 at the earliest.

My uses:

• Shooting in varying light from dark to bright
• Wide-to-portraits for talking heads, ENG, and scenics
• Individual and group people shots

Tests: I bought this lens 21-Feb-12 second-hand from an AF100 user. My initial synopsis is not favorable, and I surmise further use will be equally dissolute. Unfortunately, because a fast M43 AF wide zoom is only in the rumor stage, the Olympus will have to suffice for about a year. Standard 4/3 represents a nearly obsolete mount and this lens has unenviable characteristics of yore. In fact, the most recent reviews I found were from early 2011, with the bulk of reviews from 2009. Back then, DSLR video was novel and shooters were tolerant of compromises. This Olympus lens is evidence of such tolerance. AF is noisy. It searches and doesn't lock focus on the intended subject until the shutter button is depressed halfway. All that noise gets picked up by the mic, especially internal. Thus, workarounds are imperative. If there's anything positive to say about this lens, it is sharp at all ƒstops.

In addition to noise, there is flickering during zoom. According to DVXuser, the iris changes (flickers) according to focal length, even with "manual" aperture. That's the caveat with modern-day electronic apertures as opposed to physical aperture rings, which Canon plans to bring back and Nikon maintains on several current lenses. Electronic apertures apparently do not lock in. In aperture priority, the iris should stay set. Only the stepless shutter speed should adjust accordingly. It seems to do that with Lumix lenses, so I was taken aback to see flickering on the Olympus zoom. Perhaps a possible remedy lies in technique: zoom to the intended focal length and crop the offending transition in post, or use the lens as a variable prime: zoom-focus-record. Or post-production tricks such as overlays, transitions, or other effects to cover-up the annoying flickers. Lamentably, I plan to grapple with this lens while awaiting a suitable replacement. That will be a long-time-coming for Panasonic, so if Sigma or Tamron get to market first, then I'm in.

Varying scenarios to exemplify or suppress autofocus and iris noises from the Olympus 14-54/2.8-3.5 4/3rd lens on a GH2.

silence:

Sennheiser 416 > MixPre > GH2 (auto gain)

ambient music:

Sennheiser 416 > MixPre > GH2 (auto gain)

silence:

internal GH2 mic (auto gain)

ambient music:

internal GH2 mic (auto gain)

silence:

Sennheiser 416 > MixPre > Ninja (manual gain)

ambient music:

Sennheiser 416 > MixPre > Ninja (manual gain)

The Sennheiser 416 shotgun mic is mounted atop a DSLR cage with shockmount. The GH2 sits below the mic in its cage. Although the mic is directional and facing forward, lens noise is loud enough to get picked up by the mic, even during the music. Auto gain on the GH2 amplifies lens noise even during music, making the internal mic totally unacceptable.

Workarounds

Thus far, these are my approaches. More will be added and devised as the lens is put to use under diverse conditions.

• The manual gain Ninja doesn't amplify lens noise, although it's still there, but it doesn't come forward as auto gain does. Thus, a possible configuration for a cage-mounted shotgun mic.
• Lav, manual focus, and limited zoom is a usable approach for interviews, especially if the subject is several feet away or there's room or ambient tone to superimpose lens noise.
• High decibel environment, such as a loud talker, increases dynamic range and signal-to-noise ratio. Lens noise could be concealed by the environment.
• Garner audio from other sources, such as a mixing board during public speeches or performances. AF noise won't matter, but still can't zoom much because of flickers.
• In post-production insert dubstep music. Lens noise can gel with the beats. It'll sound like a scratcher rapper.
• Visual flickers when zooming ruins B-roll. Use the lens as a variable prime. Zoom-focus-shoot. Otherwise add post-production effects to make flickers appear as creative intent.

Conclusion

Bottom line, the Olympus 14-54mm f/2.8-3.5 four-thirds is a troublesome lens for video. Now is a big chance for Panasonic, Sigma, and Tamron to produce a comparable M43 zoom with all the fixes. M43 users are absolutely hungry for a fast wide AF zoom! How long the wait?