Setting up the Convergent Design nanoFLASH with the Sony PMW-EX3

I am really impressed with the build quality of the Convergent Design (CD) nanoFLASH. It looks and feels absolutely rock solid. The aluminium casing has a matt black finish which makes it easy and comfortable to hold. All the connections are high quality.

It is obvious that Convergent Design put a lot of thought into the design of the nanoFLASH. One thing that springs to mind is how the buttons for ejecting the compact flash memory cards are at opposite ends of the slots. This is a great feature as it will make it easy to eject to correct card when ‘Hot Swapping’, unlike the design on the PMW-EX3 where both buttons are so, so close to each other. ‘Hot Swapping’ isn’t yet available on the nanoFLASH but I believe it will be in December’s firmware release.

In this post / article I am going to talk you through how I set up the CD nanoFLASH on my Sony PMW-EX3. It really is a simple procedure. That’s one of the great things about the nanoFLASH is just how easy it is to use this powerful tool.

Setting up the nanoFLASH

NOTE: This is based on the Convergent Design nanoFLASH Firmware Version 1.1.150.

Power the nanoFLASH

The first thing you need to do is connect the nanoFLASH to a power source. The power socket on the nanoFLASH excepts a 4-pin Hirose plug. You can use the Power Supply (100 to 240 VAC Input; 12V DC @ 1.25A Output) that is included with the nanoFLASH or purchase one of the following;

• 4-pin Hirose to D-Tap
• 4-pin Hirose to XLR
• 4-pin Hirose to 2-pin Hirose
• 4-pin Hirose to flying leads (Pigtails)
• 2 Cell Lithium ION Battery with a 4-pin Hirose attached (Includes Charger) One charge lasts about 3 hours.

Once the power cable has been connected to the nanoFLASH it will automatically power on (as the on / off switch has been disable, unless you own a pre-October 2009 model).

Menu Navigation

The menu navigation on the nanoFLASH is very simple and easy to use. It is simply a case of using the cursors to go; up, down, left and right. In the centre of the cursors is an OK buttun which is effectively the enter button.

You need to press the OK button after changing your selection to apply the changes otherwise it will remain as it was before. An example on this with setting the time, shown below.

The nanoFLASH has a Main Menu and Sub-Menus. The main menus are;

• System
• Video
• Audio
• Play
• Loop

I will look at the Sub-Menus for ech main menu below;

SYSTEM MENU

Time

For example; you’ll want to set the time in the nanoFLASH (which is the first thing you want to do anyhow.

Go to Systems and press the right cursor key. In the Systems Menu to will see Time (HH:MM:SS / Temperature). With ‘Time’ highlighted use the right cursor to move to ‘HH’ and set the hour (it is in 24-Hours), for example 13. Press the right cursor key again to ‘MM’ and set the minutes, for example 32. Again press the right cursor key to ‘SS’ and set the seconds, for example 55. Now in order to set the time 13:32:55, you need to press ‘OK’, if you do not the time will not set and you’ll have to repeat the process again.

Date

So once the time has been set you’ll need to set the date, which follows the same procedure as above.

File Format

The next thing to do is choose the file format. In this firmware version the file formats are;

• QT (QuickTime | .mov)
• MXF (Material Exchange Format | .mxf)
• MPG (MPEG – Moving Picture Experts Group | .mpg)

In my case I am shooting MXF as my chosen NLE is Vegas Pro 8 and 9

Max File Size

The default is set at 100% and I have chosen to leave it at that for the time being.

Unit ID

The default is 01 and I’ve left it as that as I only have one nanoFLASH at the moment. If I get a second nanoFLASH then I’ll set it as 02. This is the first two digits shown in the timecode. You can set it from 01 to 99.

Pre-Record Buffer

WOW! This is awesome! Love this feature as it enables 4 to 7 seconds of internal storage of video before the recording session starts. Basically it will record 4 to 7 seconds of the past!

Why, 4 to 7 seconds?

Well it is determined by the chosen bit rate. With bit rates up ro 100Mbps then the pre-record buffer is 7 seconds, while 140Mbps will record 4 seconds. You can only use Pre-Record Buffer with bit rates up to and including 140 Mbps.

Just a couple of things to note about using the Pre-Record Buffer;

Because the nanoFLASH begins recording at 4 or 7 seconds in the past, you need to be aware that it can take up to 10 to 30 seconds for it to catch up with the present moment. When the recording is stopped, there is a short delay while the internal buffer is cleared out. This delay could be as long as 25 seconds if the clip is very short.

The other thing, which stands to reason, is the additional draw of power during idle state (non-recording) when the nanoFLASH has the Pre-Record Buffer enabled. This draw is about 1.5 watts, however please note that there isn’t any effect with the power consumption during recording though.

Trigger

This allows you to select the how you start and stop recording. You can only slect one at any given time. The trigger options are;

• None
• Timecode
• Remote
• Record

Let look at each in turn.

None

This basically prevents the unit from recording. I only select this for playback only.

Timecode

This is the option I use 95% of the time. This trigger allows me to start and stop the recording to the nanoFLASH from my PMW-EX3, which is great when the cam is shoulder mounted. How it works is basically by starting recording when an incrementing time-code is detected from the HD-SDI input. It will also stop recording when a time-code is not incrementing.

The only thing is that I need to have either a Sony SxS Pro Memory Card or a MxR with a Transcend SDHC Memory Card in the camera to enable the record function. I though this was going to be a PITA. However, I decided to turn it to my advantage and think of it as a back-up recording. I know it’ll only be 35Mbps at 4:2:0 instead of say 100Mbps at 4:2:2 but it’s a better back up than zilch!

Remote Switch

This is great for when I am using long lenses on my PMW-EX3 such as my Nikon 200-400mm as I can now remotely start / stop recording. Recording is simply triggered by a remote control tally switch.

NOTE: In this mode, the keypad is disabled during the recording session.

Record Button

Recording is started by pressing the Record Button on the unit and stopped by pressing the Stop button.

Duration

Not a feature I’ll be using. Basically to enable this feature simply dial in the HH:MM:SS (just like setting the time) and each record session will last for the specified HH:MM:SS duration.

Timecode

With the nanoFLASH you can select the the timecode source from either;

• Embedded
• Internal
• LTC

Embedded

This is the one I have set. Embedded timecode is extracted from HD-SDI stream from the source (Sony PMW-EX3 in my case).

Internal

The internal timecode is generated internally in the nanoFlash.

LTC

LTC timecode from external LTC input.

Source

This enables you to select the video input source. You have a choice between SDI and HDMI. In my case I am running a HD-SDI cable from the PMW-EX3 to the nanoFLASH, therefore have enabled SDI.

Format

This basically enables you to format the cards in the nanoFLASH. Never format in the computer, always in the nanoFLASH. You must have a card formatted in the nanoFLASH before you record. By performing a format the nanoFLASH will delete everything from the card and put a folder titled }CLP{.

Power Saving

There a couple of power saving options of the nanoFLASH that you can choose from. The choices are;

• Auto Sleep
• Auto LCD Off

Auto Sleep

When you select auto sleep the nanoFLASH will drop to a low power mode after 1 minute of inactivity if no SDI input is present. Note that this feature does not apply to HDMI input. In low power mode the nanoFLASH draws around 0.3 watts. The LCD remains active with a ‘Low power mode’ message displayed.

I have set my nanoFLASH to auto sleep as it increases my battery life. I can bring the nanoFLASH back to full power simply by hitting record on the camera. Basically the nanoFLASH powers when the SDI input resumes. Other ways to bring the nanoFLASH out of low power is to press any of the keys on the keypad or if you are using a remote tally, the simply press the record button.

Auto LCD Off

By setting the auto LCD off switches off the LCD backlight after 15 seconds of inactivity which saves approximately 0.2 watts of power.

If you combine both the Auto Sleep and Auto LCD Off a total saving of 0.5 watts is saved. This is useful when hanging around for a shot yet when you got to go you got to go, as you know it’ll power up fast yet saving your battery power when not needed.

Restore Defaults

This restores factory default settings.

About

This is a great little feature that lets you know the current firmware version number.

Convergent Design nanoFLASH

VIDEO MENU

 

Bit Rate

This is one of the main reasons for me getting the nanoFLASH. Being able to select a bit rate great than the 35Mbps that my Sony PMW-EX3 churns out is ‘absolutely fabulous’! The nanoFLASH allows me to to set the compressed bit-rate of the video being recorded. The nanoFLASH can record in both HD (High Definition) and SD (Standard Definition).

HD Bit Rate (QT and MXF)

• 18 and 35Mbps = Full-Raster (1920 x 1080 / 1280 x 720) 4:2:0 Long-GOP (XDCAM EX)
• 50, 100, 140 and 180Mbps = Full-Raster (1920 x 1080 / 1280 x 720) 4:2:2 Long-GOP (XDCAM 422) (100 Mbps and above = Master Quality)
• 100, 140, 180, 220 and 280Mbps = Full-Raster (1920 x 1080 / 1280 x 720) 4:2:2 I-Frame (XDCAM 422) (180Mbps and above = Master Quality)

SD Bit Rate (QT and MXF)

• Standard Def: 50 Mbps IMX 4:2:2 (720 x 486 / 720 x 576)

NOTE: Not every bit rate is supported in all NLE’s.

HD Bit Rate (MPG)

• 19, 25 and 35Mbps (1920 x 1080 / 1280 x 720) 4:2:0 Long-GOP

SD Bit Rate (MPG)

• 5 and 9Mbps 4:2:0 Long-GOP

The sweet spot for me is the HD Bit Rate (MXF) at 100Mbps = Full-Raster (1920 x 1080) 4:2:2 Long-GOP (XDCAM 422). I have my Sony PMW-EX3 set at 1080/25p.

CODEC (Long GOP and I-Frame)

This is where I can set the XDCAM 422 CODEC format. There is a choice between;

• Long GoP
• I-Frame

The nanoFLASH utilises the high quality Sony XDCAM 4:2:2 CODEC for video compression. The two formats that are considered to be master quality are;

• 100 Mbps Long GOP (this is considered the sweet spot)
• 180 Mbps I-Frame

The highest quality video from the nanoFLASH is the 180 Mbps Long-GOP, which is due to the greater efficiency of Long GOP recording vs. I-Frame. Basically the Long GoP codec compresses 12 or 15 frames at a time, sharing the information between the frames. This results in greater efficiency in part by throwing out duplicate information.

Whereas the I-Frame codec compresses each frame separately. This is thought to be more useful for certain types of editing such as green-screening.

Long GoP Bit Rates;

• 18 Mbps
• 35 Mbps
• 50 Mbps
• 100 Mbps
• 140 Mbps
• 180 Mbps

I-Frame Bit Rates

• 100 Mbps
• 140 Mbps
• 180 Mbps
• 220 Mbps
• 280 Mbps

Record PSF->Progressive [ ]

I have this item checked as (which means it is ‘ON’) to enable me to record progressive input video as progressive. i.e. 1080/25p

I would only turn this ‘OFF’ (or uncheck it) if I was going to record in interlaced, which is rare these days.

Play Progressive->PSF [ ]

I have left this ‘OFF’ (unchecked) as my monitor is full 1080p.

Remove 3:2 Pulldown

This function has no bearing for me. However, when enabled it simply preserves 1080/23.98p frame rates from a 1080/23.98p source which is outputting as 1080/59.94i with a 3:2 pulldown by removing the pulldown.

NOTE: Be sure this feature is turned ‘OFF’ if the source does not have 3:2 pulldown.

SD Aspect Ratio

Again this feature isn’t one that I am using but this enables me to select pixel aspect ratio of either 16:9 or 4:3 when shooting in Standard Definition. Basically it allows the setting to match the camera’s aspect ratio.

E to E Direct

I have this disabled as my monitor is full HD (1080p).

Time-Lapse

This is an I-Frame only feature at the moment. I would love to see this feature work with Long GoP. The Pre-Record Buffer cannot be used in time-lapse mode, but hey why would you want to anyhow.

HDMI Rx Color (HDMI input only)

Well not a feature I am using but it allows the user to choose between either ‘Full Colour’ and ‘Legalised Colour’. Most HDMI based cameras are ‘Full Colour’ whereas computers and game consoles are examples of ‘Legalised’ HDMI video sources.

AUDIO MENU

I’ve mot really had a chance to play with the audio setting yet but it looks pretty straight forward for now. You have the option of choosing an embedded or analog source. I have mine set-up with embedded for now.

Embedded

This is what comes from the camera setting over SDI on 2 channels at the moment.

Analog

This is where the audio is accepted over 3.5 mm analog audio input that is found on the nanoFLASH. This can be either consumer line level or mic with either 1 channel balanced or 2 channel unbalanced stereo.

Analog Settings

• Mix In | Select either Mono Balanced or Stereo Unbalanced Analog Audio Input
• Preamp In | Analog audio input; set to 0 for consumer line level and set to greater than
  0 for mic level input. NOTE: You can’t use phantom power for microphones, as it’ll wreck them.
• Gain In | Adjusts gain for analog audio input.
• Gain Out | Adjusts gain for 3.5 mm headphone output.

PLAY MENU

Play (filename)

With HDMI Out, you can only play HD. However with SDI Out , you can play both HD and SD. Its simple to use, as you just select the file to begin play.

You can perform File Skipping by press the right cursor key to jump to the next file. By pressing the left cursor key you can jump to the previous file. You can pause by pressing play while playing and again to resume.

To fast forward simply press and hold Play button for 1/2 second for 2x, 1 second for 4x and 2 seconds for 6x. Fast forward is limited to;

• 50 Mbps = 6x (If using SanDisk Extreme III the it is reduced to 4x)
• 100 Mbps = 4x (If using SanDisk Extreme III the it is reduced to 2x)
• 140 and 180 Mbps = 2x (If using SanDisk Extreme III the it is reduced to 1x)
• 220 and 280 Mbps is 1x only

LOOP MENU

When playing out of the nanoFLASH you can select either;

• All – This will play all clips over and over
• Off – This will play all clips just once (This is what I have selected)

Convergent Design nanoFLASH

Setting up the Sony PMW-EX3

 

I have the PMW-EX3 set-up as I would when shooting to SxS cards. I nearly always shoot 1080/25p these days. The only thing I need to ensure is;

• SDI set to HD in the others menu
• SDI Out Display to the ‘OFF’ position (WARNING: Failing to ensure it is ‘OFF’ will result in you recording all the viewfinder information as well! Doubt a client would be happy if you did that!
• Disable the iLink or you won’t get a signal out of the SDI.
• Connecting the Sony PMW-EX3 to the nanoFLASH

• SDI out of the PMW-EX3 to SDI in on the nanoFLASH using a HD-SDI Cable
• SDI out on the nanoFLASH to Swit S-1070H 7″ LCD Monitor
• 3.5mm Headphone Socket on nanoFLASH to Sennheiser HD25-1 II Headphones

The nanoFLASH is mounted on the back cold shoe with a small ball head. While the Swit S-1070H 7″ LCD Monitor is mounted on the front cold shoe with a small ball head. I am working on better mounting options but this is working okay for now.

Powering the Sony PMW-EX3

I am using a Protec ST-7 Shoulder Mount (with the VF Gadgets Reinforced Plate still attached) which can be used with V-Lock Batteries. I am using a Protech DC-EX3 Power Supply Cable which plugs into the PMW-EX3. For the back I had an IDX A-E2DT-2 is a V-Mount to V-Mount plate with 2 pin D-Tap connector and an IDX Endura 10 Lithium-Ion Battery.

Powering the nanoFLASH

The Protech ST-7 has a powered XLR socket which I am connecting the nanoFLASH to at the moment using the Convergent Design 4-Pin Hirose to XLR cable. Not cheap but high quality. I do have a Convergent Design 4-Pin Hirose to D-Tap that I can use if the need arises.

Powering the Swit S-1070H 7″ LCD Monitor

I know my monitor has a battery mount and can except either the Sony BP-U30 or BP-U60 Batteries but I am trying to cut the weight down. Therefore I am powering the monitor from the D-Tap on the battery.

If I can get a D-Tap to twin D-Tap then I’ll run both the monitor and nanoFLASH from it leaving the XLR free for an onboard light.

The Protech ST-7 Shoulder mount can be fitted to any tripod that has a Sony VCT-14 Quick Release Tripod Plate fitted.

I will try to upload so images of this rig in the next post. The biggest hurdle I am having is where to put everything to keep the rig balanced nicely. I have thought a putting a Matte Box on just to make the front end a little heavier.

Well that how I have everything set-up for now but it is very much work in progress. I will be look at the image quality with the PMW-EX3 / nanoFLASH rig in the next week or so. So stay tuned!

Happy shooting,

Paul