AValive Begins Shipping the AG-HMC150 and the AG-HPX170 by Panasonic

September 30th, 2008

AValive has taken delivery of the new AG-HPX170 and the AG-HMC150 Panasonic video cameras and in turn has become one of the first dealers in the nation to begin filling orders. Take advantage of the FREE SHIPPING offer and order yours today while supplies last.

AG-HMC150
AG-HMC150 Shooter
AG-HPX170

Order Online: www.AValive.com
Order By Phone: 866-937-7628

AValive is Offering Free Shipping on the New Canon EOS 50D

AValive.com is now accepting orders for the new Canon EOS 50D as well as the Canon 50D Lens Kit Version which ships with Canon's 28-135mm IS Zoom Lens. Canon is expecting an early October release date but you can place your order online with AValive.com today and be one of the first to receive this amazing camera shipped to your door for FREE.

Canon EOS 50D Body
Canon EOS 50D Kit w/28-135mm IS Lens

Canon 50D Is Announced With Detailed Features and Specs

THE NEW EOS 50D DIGITAL SLR CAMERA

Canon's New DIGIC 4 Image Processor Fuels the 15.1 Megapixel Resolution,
Expanded ISO Range and Enhanced Noise Reduction of the New EOS 50D Digital SLR

LAKE SUCCESS, N.Y., August 26, 2008 – With the demand for digital SLR cameras reaching unprecedented levels, Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging, is answering the call with the announcement of the next evolution in advanced amateur digital SLR photography, the EOS 50D Digital SLR Camera with 15.1 megapixel resolution and Canon's new DIGIC 4 image processor. Designed to offer extraordinary quality and image control for the advanced photographer with a passion for the art, the Canon EOS 50D Digital SLR camera includes an expanded ISO range, improved noise reduction, and in-camera photo editing features. Canon has loaded the EOS 50D camera with a number of enhancements and some trickle-down technology from Canon's professional Digital SLR cameras, as well as a new Creative Auto Mode (CA) that gives users more creative flexibility to make image setting adjustments conveniently without the need to be a photo expert.

Order Your 50D Today at AValive.com and get FREE SHIPPING!

Canon has built upon the success of the popular EOS 40D model - which will remain in Canon's line - with the EOS 50D Digital SLR camera. Expected to be the camera body of choice for advanced amateur photographers this holiday season, the Canon EOS 50D Digital SLR camera carries over the EOS 40D's 14-bit Analog-to-Digital conversion process for smooth tones, and also includes enhanced noise reduction, especially at higher ISO ranges which will help bring those romantic nighttime shots into greater focus and clarity. Capable of shooting 6.3 frames per second (fps), the EOS 50D Digital SLR camera is ideal for shooting everything from beautiful night landscapes to fast-action sports.

"Advanced amateur photographers blur the line between the hobbyist and the professional, looking for professional features and capabilities in their equipment that will allow them to capture that awe-inspiring image. Canon is constantly striving to provide these shooters with the most advanced imaging technology, like the new EOS 50D Digital SLR camera, to fuel their passion for photography, and help them achieve their creative potential," stated Yuichi Ishizuka, senior vice president and general manager, Consumer Imaging Group, Canon U.S.A.

Improved Image Quality
The EOS 50D Digital SLR camera's 15.1-megapixel CMOS APS-C size image sensor has been improved thanks to the use of newly designed gapless microlenses over each pixel to reduce noise and expand sensitivity up to ISO 12800. The faster processing speed of the camera's DIGIC 4 image processor contributes to the fast 6.3 frame-per-second (fps) continuous shooting capability (for bursts of up to 90 Large/Fine JPEGs or 16 RAW images on a UDMA CF card), to give shooters the tools they need to capture that perfect moment in perfect clarity.

The Canon EOS 50D camera provides ISO speeds from ISO 100 up to ISO 3200 in 1/3-stop increments, along with two high-speed settings - H1 and H2 - of ISO 6400 and ISO 12800, respectively. Along with a wide ISO range, Canon gives shooters more tools to help maximize clarity and color. The EOS 50D Digital SLR camera offers multiple levels of noise reduction during high-speed shooting. Users can choose from one of four settings- Standard/Weak/Strong/None - to help reduce digital noise that can result from poor lighting conditions.

As part of the camera's internal image processing, the Canon EOS 50D Digital SLR camera conducts peripheral illumination correction, which automatically evens brightness across the image field, making an image of a blue sky even toned throughout, a function previously accomplished through post-processing software on a personal computer. Thanks largely to the DIGIC 4 processor, this automatic adjustment can be made in-camera during shooting with JPEG images or corrected in post-photoshoot processing with RAW images through Canon's Digital Photo Professional (DPP) software, which is supplied at no extra charge.

Order Your 50D Today at AValive.com and get FREE SHIPPING!

Helping to ensure each picture's subject is clearly visible, Canon's enhanced Auto Lighting Optimizer analyzes the brightness of subjects and automatically adjusts dark images so that they appear brighter, perfect for subjects in shade or in backlit situations. The Auto Lighting Optimizer on the EOS 50D Digital SLR camera has been updated not only to optimize images while they are being taken, but can also optimize images post-capture, during playback, to help ensure the subject of each image does not appear too dark. This is especially helpful when an amateur photographer uses the camera, because post-capture enhancement can help maximize image quality without the need of a computer.

A significant upgrade to the Canon EOS 50D camera is its large, clear 3.0-inch Clear View LCD screen which features 920,000 dot/VGA resolution, four times the pixel count of the EOS 40D camera's screen, for better clarity and color. To help show off those fantastic shots, the EOS 50D camera includes an HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) output to display crisp, clear images on a High-Definition TV. The EOS 50D recognizes the needs of today's photographers, and the faster processing speed of the DIGIC 4 processor helps support UDMA cards for faster writing of image files.

The camera is also equipped with a high-performance viewfinder featuring 0.95x magnification and the same high-performance Autofocus (AF) system as the EOS 40D camera with nine cross-type sensors for accurate target subject acquisition with lenses possessing maximum apertures of f/5.6 or faster and a high-precision diagonal center cross-type AF point that's effective with f/2.8 and faster lenses, helping photographers ensure better focus of their targets. The AF Microadjustment feature, originally introduced last year with the Canon EOS-1D Mark III professional digital SLR camera, has also been added to the EOS 50D for maximum control over focusing precision.

50D Features at a glance:

• 15.1 Megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor
• 6.3fps continuous shooting, max. burst 90 JPEGs with UDMA card
• DIGIC 4 processor
• ISO 100-3200, expandable to 12800
• 9-point wide area AF
• 3.0” Clear View VGA LCD with Live View mode & Face Detection Live AF
• Magnesium alloy body, with environmental protection
• EOS Integrated Cleaning System
• HDMI connection for high quality viewing and playback on a High Definition TV
• Full compatibility with Canon EF and EF-S lenses and EX-series Speedlites
  

Canon Gets Creative For Advancing Amateurs
Canon is taking steps to give advanced amateurs more flexibility with a new "CA" Creative Full Auto setting on the EOS 50D Digital SLR camera's mode dial. This new setting goes a step beyond Full Auto, by allowing users to make adjustments before shooting while still in an Automatic mode, without needing to know the meaning of technical terms such as aperture, shutter speed, etc. In this mode, the camera menu on the back screen spells out options in common language for average photo enthusiasts, allowing them to "blur the background" or "lighten or darken the image." These easy-to-comprehend image options will help amateur photographers improve the shots they are capable of taking, while helping them learn new techniques. When in the new CA mode, users will be able to adjust flash settings, brighten or darken images, blur the background, set the camera's drive mode, and select a picture style directly on the camera's LCD screen.

Better Live View
For photographers who prefer to frame their shots using the camera's 3.0-inch Clear View LCD screen, Canon has improved the Live View function of the EOS 50D Digital SLR camera to include "Quick Mode AF," "Live Mode AF," and "Face Detection Live Mode AF" that detects up to 35 individual forward-looking faces for better focus and clarity when taking group or portrait shots. The camera's Quick Mode AF setting flips the mirror down and carries out regular phase-detection autofocus, while the Live Mode AF and Face Detection Live Mode AF use the camera's CMOS image sensor for contrast detection autofocus. Two detailed grid displays have also been added to Live View shooting as optional settings for easier composition.

Two Small RAW Formats
In addition to the RAW and JPEG image capture modes that photographers are accustomed to, the EOS 50D Digital SLR camera now offers more manageable resolution settings and file sizes with two sRAW recording formats, sRAW1 and sRAW2. At the sRAW1 setting, resolution is 7.1 megapixels with a file size that is approximately 25 percent smaller than a standard 15.1 megapixel RAW image. With the sRAW2 setting, resolution is 3.8 megapixels at less than half the file size of a standard RAW image, retaining all of the flexibility and creative possibilities associated with full-size, conventional RAW images. The EOS 50D is the first Canon Digital SLR that allows the use of RAW and sRAW settings in Basic Zone as well as Creative Zone shooting modes, even further improving the camera's flexibility.

EOS Integrated Cleaning System
The Self-Cleaning Sensor Unit for the Canon EOS 50D has also been upgraded and now includes a fluorine coating on the low-pass filter for better dust resistance. The Self-Cleaning Sensor Unit uses ultrasonic vibrations to shake dust particles off of the low-pass filter in front of the sensor each time the camera is powered up or shut down. The second part of the system includes a software component where sensor spots are mapped and saved as Dust Delete Data that is attached to the image file for removal during post processing using Canon's DPP software.

Pricing and Availability
The EOS 50D is compatible with the full lineup of Canon EF lenses as well as the Company's ever-growing line of affordable EF-S lenses created specifically for Canon Digital SLRs with APS-C size image sensors. The Canon EOS 50D Digital SLR camera is scheduled for October delivery and will be sold in a body-only configuration at an estimated selling price of $1,399.00*. It will additionally be offered in a kit version with Canon's EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM zoom lens at an estimated selling price of $1,599.00*.

New EF-S 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 IS Lens
Canon has answered the call from advanced amateur photographers looking for a solid all-around lens with the introduction of the new EF-S 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 IS zoom lens. With an incredible focal length range equivalent to 29-320mm in the 35mm format, the new EF-S 18-200mm lens will make an excellent addition to any camera bag, and it gives shooters a great lens to capture both standard as well as telephoto images. The new lens features Canon's built in Optical Image Stabilization system which gives the equivalent effect of a shutter speed roughly 4 steps faster, for better image clarity, even in shaky shooting conditions. With a minimum focusing distance of 0.45m/1.5 ft. at all zoom settings, this new lens should prove to be ideal for those situations where swapping lenses isn't an option. An ideal complement to the EOS 50D SLR camera and all other EF-S compatible EOS SLR cameras, the EF-S 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 IS lens is scheduled to be in stores this October at an estimated selling price of $699.00*.

Order Your 50D Today at AValive.com and get FREE SHIPPING!

AValive-Panasonic Set to Ship the New AG-HPX170 in Sept

Purchase The Panasonic AG-HPX170 at a great Introductory Price Here



The introduction of the HPX170 marks the next generation of Panasonic’s, full production quality, 4:2:2 1080/ 720/ SD P2HD Hand-Held camcorders. Based on the recently introduced
HVX200A, this completely solid state P2 handheld offers some important feature
enhancements as well as an industry leading 5 year warranty. (1 year + 4 additional years after
registration). Unlike its brother, the AG-HVX200A a transitional camera perfectly matched for the customer that wants to continue using or delivering venerable DV tape. The HPX170 is for
the customer that has fully embraced the tremendous advantages of P2’s file based workflow. The HPX170 is a P2 solid state only camera that includes many extra features and benefits

Starting with the front end of the camera, the HPX170 uses a newly-developed 1/3-inch progressive 3- CCD imager system which substantially improves signal-to noise (S/N) ratio, enhances low-light performance and prevents smear. Using exactly the same imager system as the HVX200A, this camera will produce similar images and is an ideal shooting partner. The HPX170 utilizes the highly- reputed Leica Dicomar 13x lens roughly the equivalent of 28 mm in 35mm still photography terms. It ranges from 3.9mm to 51mm with a filter diameter of 72mm.

Adoption of this new wider lens and the use of P2 cards instead of dual P2 and tape as storage media have brought about the reduction of the body weight by 20% from the AG-
HVX200A, allowing more mobile HD shooting. The HPX170 weighs in at 4.2 lbs, just slightly more than a DVX100B.

The AG-HPX170 has a number of new features that truly make it one of the most advanced camcorders in its price range. Many customer suggestions have been incorporated
into this camera design along with state of the art technology like the new CCDs and lens assembly. Manufactured with a magnesium aluminum alloy just like the HVX200 series, the camera is highly durable and comes ready to work. It will be packaged with a 16GB P2 card and an updated book from Barry Green that references both the HPX170 as well as the HVX200 series of cameras.

Important new features that really make this camera a next generation leader are HD/SDI (also allows for SD) output, improved LCD performance, and a useful waveform monitor and vectorscope function. The HPX170 also includes three different advanced focus assist functions, all of which respond a little differently so that you can choose the one that is perfect for the shooting scenario. Additionally, your customer can now enter metadata in the field, just like the HPX2000/3000 P2 cameras. AG-HPX170 AG-HVX200 WFM Display Vector Scope

New Features:
All solid state - P2 cards, 2 slots
HD/SDI – (including SD)
6 pin Firewire with locking connection. (no power out)
Color Bars with 1kHz Tone
Metadata input - like the P2 Gear
Camera Playback format can be changed without going into menus
Additional Neutral Density filters, ¼, 1/16, 1/64
Additional Functionality of the User Buttons, Delete Last Clip, Pre-
Record and Variable Frame rate
WaveForm Monitor and Vectorscope
Dedicated Slot Select Button
Three Focus Assist functions, 2X blow-up,
Histogram, and Focus Bar
20 Variable Frame Rates, 12, 15, 18, 20, 21, 22, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 30, 32, 34, 36, 40, 44, 48, 54, 60
DVX-Style Navigational Tool
Security Cable Attachment Hole
Dynamic Range Stretching in 60I/60P HD, replaces News Gamma
Iris/focus ring assignment switch so that focus ring can be the iris
Time & date stamp burn-in, perfect for Legal Video work
Most cables facing rear to reduce conflicts, Audio connections in the same place
Manual Focus Assist, camera will hit the last critical focus point
LCD Screen can be flipped for use with 35mm adapters
10X, 5X, 2x Digital Zoom

This is not an exhaustive list but as you can imagine this camera has many technologies that have been adopted from some of the larger cameras to be in this newest addition to P2HD. So starting with Dynamic Range Stretch, we would like to elaborate a bit on what the technology does for the image.

Panasonic-AValive to begin Shipping AG-HMC150 Camera in Sept 08

Pre order the Panasonic AG-HMC150 Here

Every once in a while, a product appears that completely re-defines its market segment, offering entirely new features and price performance levels. The critically acclaimed DVX100 was such a product and is still selling well almost 6 years later! Your customers were successful with it and so were you.

HD aspirations revisited in the spirit of the DVX100

The cooler than cool AG-HMC150 drew big crowds at the NAB Show. Why? Simply because it offers an unheard of Bang for the Buck, in a 1/3” three-chip hand held tapeless HD camcorder, while retaining the core versatility of the DVX100B. The HMC150 sports a 28mm lens right out of the box and a new PH Record mode (21 Mbps) which offers higher resolution with a host of recording formats including 24p. Add to that,amazing low light performance, long record & battery time and professional Audio capabilities at a price that will make it an instant hit with a wide range of AV Shooters, Indie Creators and Event Video professionals.

The AG-HMC150 represents a major step forward in the introduction of a next generation solid state HD camera that extends the six year successful track record of the popular DVX100 plus a lot more. The HMC150’s lightweight (lightest 1/3” 3CCD available), well-balanced professional design features a high performance wide-angle Leica 13X zoom lens, 24 and 30 frame progressive capture, both in 720 and 1080 formats, making it perfect for even high level projects. Designed from a clean sheet of paper with much customer input to our product development engineers, the HMC150 sports a Die Cast Alloy chassis and a Three year warranty (upon end user registration) that further endorses its reliability.

Full range of HD formats
1080/60i, 1080/30p, 1080/24p (Native); 720/60p, 720/30p, 720/24p (Native)
Higher bit-rate recording than consumer models (21 Mbps PH Mode)
Three latest design 1/3” CCD Progressive Imagers
13X Wide angle 28 mm lens out of the box (35mm equiv.), MOD .6 M, 72mm Ø
(Shoot in confined spaces with no need to buy an accessory lens)
Time Date Stamp for Legal Depositions or surveillance
Waveform Monitor, Vectorscope plus two Focus displays for accurate, quick focus
Professional XLR audio input connections
Time code (DF, NDF, REC RUN, FREE RUN) and USER BIT
HDMI out, Component Out (mini D terminal), Composite Video Out and RCA Audio Out jacks
External Time Code Link (Slave & Master Preset) uses the Composite Video Out terminal
USB 2.0 for file transfer (no need for a VTR)
3.5-inch LCD monitor displays thumbnails for quick non-linear access to clips
Remote control connection for Zoom, Focus, Iris, and start/stop functions
14 bit A to D converter and 19 bit Image processing
Cinelike Gamma & DRS Dynamic Range Stretch (Filmaker requested features)
Three Neutral Density Filters 1/4, 1/16, 1/64
Pre-Record (3 Seconds), Digital Zoom 2X / 5X / 10X (in 1080/60i & 720/60p only)
Three User Set Buttons with 11 choices for customizing Camera to Shooter
AG-HMC150

CalDigit Ships RAID Card

CalDigit has announced that it is shipping its RAID card for PCI Express (PCIe)-equipped Macs. The new card costs $549.

The CalDigit RAID card works on both Macs and PCs running either Windows or Linux, and can also operate in a Boot Camp-environment, according to CalDigit. The card can support up to four internal drives using two x4 internal Mini-SAS connectors, and can works with another 12 drives externally using three x4 external Mini-SAS interfaces.

Powered by an Intel XScale processor, the card features 256MB of on-board cache. It supports RAID Levels 0, 1, 5, 6 and JBOD — Just a Bunch of Disks. The card optionally supports battery backup. It also comes with software to help you monitor disk operations, controller cache, fan, temperature and power supply conditions.

Peter Cohen, Macworld.com.

Buy the new CalDigit Raid Card here at AValive.com

Convergent Designs Flash XDR (Alpha Units) to Ship this Week

Flash XDR (Alpha Units) to Ship this Week
The long awaited and much anticipated Flash XDR Portable HD/SD Recorder/Player will ship this week (at least to alpha customers). Record and playback at 50 Mbps 4:2:2 in 1080i60/50 as well as 720p60/50 will be initially supported. Many additional features such as 24p removal, 1080p formats, and higher bit-rates will be enabled in the coming weeks via firmware updates. (In-the-field firmware updates via code download from our website and upload to the box from Compact Flash cards has been verified).

If you have ordered a Flash XDR please look for an e-mail shortly with more details.

Also, we now have the weight of a fully loaded Flash XDR: 2.7 lbs / 1.2 kgs (without battery).

QuickTime Support Coming Soon
We now have an official QuickTime license from Apple. We anticipate release of a Flash XDR firmware update in August to enable QuickTime files to be directly written to the Compact Flash cards. Soon, you will be able play and edit clips directly from the CF cards via a Firewire-800 reader. More specific details will be available next month.

SD-SDI and ASI Support in September
All the code to support Standard Definition video recording and playback (IMX MPEG2 format) has been developed and will soon go into debug. We are anticipating a September release. Bit rates up to 50 Mbps 4:2:2 will be supported in 480i and 576i formats.

Additionally, we should release ASI support (in HD and SD) sometime in early September. We will undergo field trials in August at a TV station which will test our complete broadcast chain from encode at the camera to decode at the local TV station. Our ASI implementation will include selectable bit rates from 17.5 to 100 Mbps in 4:2:0 and 4:2:2 formats.

64GB Compact Flash Cards Due Later This Year
Reports from several manufacturers indicate that 64GB Compact Flash cards will be available later this year. Microdia has already announced a 300X 64GB Compact Flash card due out in September. Four of these cards would enable 34/42 minutes of uncompressed video capture in 1080p24 in 10/8-bit 4:2:2! But, we anticipate that these high-speed 64GB CF cards will carry a heavy premium price.

However, slower speed (133X / 266X) 64GB CF cards are also expected later this year. Hopefully, the price premium over the equivalent 32GB card will be modest. Four of these 64GB cards would enable an amazing 9 hours of record time at the high quality level of 50 Mbps 4:2:2.

nanoFlash Design Update
The nanoFlash design is moving along well through PCB (Printed Circuit Board) layout. We anticipate receiving our first boards next month with production units in late September. A considerable amount of development has gone into reducing the size (under 20% the volume of Flash XDR), power (we’re targeting under 8W active, 0.5W standby), and weight (we targeting 1.5 lbs / 0.7 kgs).

We Appreciate Your Patience
Thanks again for your patience waiting for Flash XDR delivery. We understand that for some applications, Flash XDR may be the only viable tool to record High-Def video. We are trying our best to ramp production quickly to meet your schedules.