A longstanding freelance web designer and developer who, of late, has made the move to creative photography and corporate video production. Now firmly committed to the Google Sites content management platform, he uses Posterous as both a personal and business blogging tool where he loves to write with frankness and opinion (but not always in the third person). An avid user of Twitter, too.

http://www.gregwallis.net



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November 30, 2009
 

How #OldMedia needs to fight back

Here's a great example of how Old Media needs to fight back and push the case for the simplicity, tactile delight, and practicality of physical media against the unnecessary complication of trying to replicate it in a digital environment. Digital's cool, sure, but physical (analogue) media such as newspapers, books, and magazines need to be embraced and supported to ensure their very survival and to avoid a fast approaching journalistic Armageddon.

Note to Rupert Murdoch: Stop this protectionist arrogance, and realize that charging for online content will never work, it will simply alienate people who will then neither visit your news websites nor buy your newspapers — they'll migrate elsewhere (and the Guardian Online is a likely destination in the UK). Simply make your newspapers better value, cheaper, and offer unique content, that will then be reason enough for ordinary people to buy a "daily" on a regular basis. It used to work; it still can. And yes, I know the above video is from News International, and I applaud them for it.

 

Filed under  //   Greg Wallis   Guardian   New Media   News International   Old Media   Rupert Murdoch   UK   analogue   digital   newspaper  

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November 18, 2009
 

vDSLRs: So who forgot the articulated screens, then?

It can't be a matter simple stupidity or a lack of intelligence, but someone in the R&D deptartment of Canon, Nikon, Pentax etc must have forgotten to build in articulated LCD screens to the new generation DSLRs with HD video capability. Shooting video often requires low angle shots and the ability to frame the subject whilst holding the camera close to the floor and looking into an upturned screen is what I would term a basic requirement.

Some "consumer" vDSLRs have them (Nikon D5000 etc) but why not the more up-market models? Fuji and Panasonic have shown that it's hardly difficult to engineer, and can't add greatly to the cost. Do the manufacturers think we're unusually supple and can contort our bodies into positions they're not made for? Because that's pretty much the only option (other than guessing) to frame a low angle shot. With photography it's a little different, and guessing is a fair option, as several shots can be quickly taken in quick succession, but with video? No, something's definitely wrong. And if you think it's me that's wrong, then just consider this: there's not a modern dedicated video camera in the world, be it consumer or professional, that doesn't have a vari-angle LCD screen.

The only reason I can think of, is that the manufacturers of the DSLR division have been told in no uncertain terms that if they make them too attractive to the customer, with too many video features, then they won't sell many of the dedicated video cameras produced by the video division. Internal politics, with the consumer coming off worst, as usual. Well take note Mr Manufacturer, the days of the video cam are coming to an end, and as the customer demands greater flexibility, features, and device convergence, so you'll need to provide it in the form of very well specced and versatile vDSLRs — if not, you can be sure your competitor will.

Filed under  //   Canon   DSLR   Greg Wallis   HD   Nikon   Panasonic   SLR   articulated screen   digital   vDSLR   video  

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