B. Sean Fairburn, SOC HD Cinematographer  rolemodel@earthlink.net   Ponchatoula, LA.

Having had the opportunity to use the DSC Labs CamAlign charts on every HD project I have ever done, I would say that I can't do a job without them. I take my images very seriously, and "tuning or tweaking" the camera is always necessary to create and maintain consistent performance.  DSC Labs' charts give me that consistency. I regularly use the Gray Scale and Color Bar chart now with the Cavity Black. It's a great reference device for not just me in the field but all the way through post and to film out. I liked DSC Labs charts' durability so much I had them build 2 complete sets for a feature in Mexico. David was also gracious enough to create a custom Back Focus chart that has a pattern specifically designed to help me see what I need to see for critical focus using the Peaking knob on the HD camera. If you get nothing else from DSC, you must get a Back Focus chart. Just because I'm shooting HD doesn't always mean I'm shooting a 16x9 aspect ratio, so with the 1.85 framing lines inside the 90% safe area I can use it as a frame and focus chart as well as a color reference tool. 1.77, 1.85, 2.35, are now available, and on all my charts. As a High Definition DP, there is too much that can go wrong for me to take chances in the field.

"It's better to insure success rather than hope for it". That's why I use DSC Labs' charts.

Dana Liman
President
Liman Video Rental Co.
New York, New York

We use DSC's test charts to ensure the highest level of image quality that our customers expect from us. All the charts DSC has made for us have been magnificent!!!

Our company services field cameras for nearly a thousand network shooters across the US. DSC's Ambi/Combi has contributed greatly to our business success over the past decade. It enables us to improve the quality of our clients' video images, match cameras, and achieve film and other special looks for them.

During three years of testing, we used Ambi/Combi to develop the "Macie Uniform Standard", our unique procedure for camera set-ups. It enables us to match and improve the look of nearly every camera we set-up, and has a true 100% client satisfaction rate. The Ambi/Combi has allowed us to set the standard for network news and magazine shows in the US.

Dateline is an important account for us, and NBC's Susan Franks ranks optimizing the show's visual quality as a top priority. "We want good looking pictures for Dateline and we want the show to have a cohesive quality, and consistent 'look'. High production value is our mandate. When a freelancer buys a new camera I always recommend they call Roger and have him set it up, thereby ensuring me that a: the camera is in good condition and it will run well, and b: when I send the shooter into the field, matching pictures with another crew will not be an issue."

"Roger is a genius, and a real pro. I trust him implicitly and my policy, if someone has had a camera problem, is that they must send their rig to Roger and have him look at it before they work for Dateline again. It's for all of our protection."  

"When there is breaking news, I can have any two or three crews on a story, and if their cameras are set up by Roger, I know the pictures will be "Dateline standard". I know that we will save time and manpower in the field because we won't, necessarily, need an engineer to tweak the pictures. On a breaking news story we can't always take the time to play with the pictures, and it's precisely in this situation that we need to be insured against any problems that need fixing in post because the air date is almost immediate. Macie servicing saves us time in post and manpower in the field."

Jay Ballard
Senior Video Engineer
American Broadcasting Corporation
New York, NY

I have been affiliated for many years with major US networks based in New York, where Ambi/Combi is used in daily alignment of studio cameras.  Initially, we began using Ambi/Combi in the laboratory, where earlier illuminators had greater shading errors than any of the lens/camera combinations under evaluation.  This non-uniformity could result in the cameras being misadjusted.  When demonstrated in studio operations, the Ambi/Combi System was embraced by some of the most critical users and placed into service on major network programs.

Steve Lucas
Quality Control Manager
Burbank, California

We need charts that are accurate, readily available and ruggedly constructed - and CamAligns fit the bill.  We use CamAligns to service HD and SD cameras.  Necessary tests - gain, gamma, flare comps, black level, colorimetry, detail level and white shading - are completed quickly and precisely with the charts.