picoFlash anyone?

[Godfrey Kirby]

I have been trying my hand at 'flying' a Lumix GH2 on a Opteka stabiliser, with mixed results - mainly due to 'pilot error'. But in the course of doing this, it occured to me that a very small recorder could be mounted on the camera's top shoe mount. I admit I tried the Nano but it was too large and heavy for a small stabiliser like the Opteka. So here's the drift - a picoFlash! Much smaller & lighter, single small format card, maybe with fixed record rate & file type. And supplied with a short flexible HDMI lead. Or the picoFlash has an alternative input socket, Lemo or similar.

Anyway, just thought I'd throw the idea in the air to see if it would take off. Now back to 'WobblyScope'

[Dan Keaton]

Dear Godfrey,

Thank you for the idea.

For your current situation, could you mount the nanoFlash off of the stabalizer and use a flexible HD-SDI cable to feed it instead?

[Godfrey Kirby]

Hi Dan, thanks for the prompt 'getback'. I think everything has to fly. Any connection that comes off the stabiliser and can exert a force, however small, would cause the camera to pitch and/or yaw.
I have not found a light and supple Mini HDMI to HD SDI BNC cable, in fact, does such an animal exist? If it does, I would be happy to give it a try.

I can hear a lot of peopls saying 'Hack the camera!' but I have to admit I'm a bit of a girl when it comes to attacking the firmware of my GH2.

[Dan Keaton]

Dear Godfrey,

I overlooked the fact that you needed a HDMI cable, not a HD-SDI cable.

I do not know of a small, thin, flexible HDMI cable, at least one flexibile enough for your rig.

There are no mini-HDMI to HD-SDI cables.

There are HDMI to HD-SDI adapters.

We offer 18" HD-SDI cables which are very thin and very flexible.

[Godfrey Kirby]

Dear Dan - what you have to put up with!

Mini HDMI to HD SDI adapter? As in MINI HDMI to HD SDI? (The 'Mini' bit is underlined or in bold - whatever) Can you name names?

Where can one purchase your silky thin HD SDI cable, assuming said person lives in the 'Great Wen' (London)?

Had an idea! (groans from crowd) - use the nanoF & battery as the counterbalance! Might be a bit too heavy, won't know unless you try........

[Dan Keaton]

Dear Godfrey,

You will find HDMI to HD-SDI converters.

They will allo have full size, (Type A) HDMI inputs.

You just need a mini HDMI to Full Size HDMI cable (Type C to Type A HDMI Cable)

Examples:

HA5 - AJA Video Systems

Blackmagic Design: Mini Converters Models

There are others.

Any of our dealers can supply you with our very thin HD-SDI cable.
They may have to order it from us. We usually make this in 18" (0.46 meters)

[Rohan Dadswell]

Hyperthin HDMI cable - don't know if they do mini HDMI so you would need adapters at both ends.

HyperThin - World's Thinnest, Most Compact and Most Flexible HDMI Cable

[Godfrey Kirby]

Thanks for the tip Rohan, will follow it up. Presently working out how to tap the inner part of the lower arm to take a nano & battery bracket. Maybe not too difficult, Hawk Woods seem to do all the parts needed & I can go to their workshop to try out ideas & offer up the bits. I will report back if the idea is a 'go-er'

Dan - still think the picoFlash idea has legs, lots of video DSLR's out there.......

Regards G.

[Jack Zhang]

picoFlash with XQD. XQD is only slightly bigger than a SD card, so naturally that's where this could head. (and you can use the same card in a F3)

[Gints Klimanis]

In previous posts by Dan Keaton on this forum, I've that the Nanoflash is mostly limited by the area required to house the Sony MPEG-2 Codec module.

Given the prevalence of GoPro cameras in professional HD productions, I would really like to see these POV cameras with better compression schemes. The ProTune firmware update at 35 MBits/second (+ neutral color output) is supposed to be available at the end of the summer. Waiting ...

[Dan Keaton]

Dear Friends,

The Sony Codec Module is what makes the nanoFlash so versatile, and the image quality so great.
Being able to record SD at various frame rates, and HD from 18 Mbps to 35 Mbps at 4:2:0, and also recording 4:2:2, from 50 to 280 Mbps takes a lot of computing power. And the Sony Codec Module allows us to do it drawing only 5.8 watts total (max).

Thus, we like using the Sony Codec Module in the nanoFlash.

It is actually not very large, our main circuit board is larger. Thus, it does not fill, edge to edge, the space inside the nanoFlash.

[Gints Klimanis]

Sorry, Dan. My memory of your posts regarding the munchkinization limits of the Nanoflash is hazy. So, is a Picoflash is possible if some connectors are not included ?

I'd go for a Picoflash for $1000 with HDMI input/output (OK with single connector that switches from menu) and single SDXC or CF, though a small SSD would be preferable. This would target DSLR and GoPro.

[Dan Keaton]

Dear Gints,

It would be possible for us to build a smaller version of the nanoFlash.

And, if and when we did, we would look very seriously into the proper media for the new device.

Please note that I am trying to be helpful, as we really do listen to our customers.