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Showing content with the highest reputation on 07/24/2014 in all areas

  1. Last week I used it as a b cam on a shoot and just let it run using the OEM bat... Ran for just over 60 minutes. 30p 1080.
    2 points
  2. Hi everyone, I shot my first music video, and I would greatly appreciate it if you could take a moment to check it out and let me know what you think. All criticisms and comments are welcomed! Shot on a Canon 60D, underwater shots were done on a GoPro Hero 3.
    1 point
  3. Here. Remaining time is top on everyone's wish list, very probably it will soon come for the smaller models. As histogram (a nice one!) and audio levels appear through the touchscreen-function 'Head-Up', they might be still missing for the Pocket, but let's be thankful that there are things to come (instead of the theory that BMD abandoned the BMPCC after clearing their storage rooms with the summer special).
    1 point
  4. Inazuma

    Lenses

    Hey guys, I just wanted to share a quick report on some new gear I have obtained: Sigma 18-35mm f1.8 (£550) Tokina AT-X 80-200mm f2.8 (£250) Camdiox Focal Reducer (Nikon to Micro Four Thirds) (£72) Handling When the postman delivered them was the first time I had seen either lens in real life. Both of them feel very nice in hand and look great. Pictures just don't do them justice. The Tokina is all metal, which makes it feel particularly nice. The Camdiox adapter feels pretty nice too. The aperture control is very smooth and is clickless, which I hear many video people like - though personally I have yet to find a purpose for that. The throw of the ring is a short 30 degrees (or around that). The Tokina's focus ring, when turned, rotates and moves forward the entire front barrel. So using it with a follow focus is impossible. Neither lenses are parfocal, although the Tokina is superior to the Sigma in this regard. For such a long lens you would think the focus shift would be higher. Both lenses have about a 90 degree focus throw. And the rings on the Sigma have more resistance than on the Tokina. And in both cases, the focus rings are smoother than the zoom rings - as to be expected. I do wish the Sigma's focus ring was smoother though. One fantastic thing about both lenses is that neither of them elongate when you change the focal length! The Sigma is around 850g heavy and the Tokina is 1.25kg. The Camdiox is about 150g. In practice, I would not handhold the Tokina but I would the Sigma. In fact it does not feel all that different to when I used to use the 17-50mm f2.8 with my Nikon d5200. The Camdiox's rear element can be rotated to allow you to adjust focus. I had to do this in order to achieve infinity focus. Unfortunately there are no markings or intelligible way to figure out how much to rotate it by. Luckily for me I got it right the first time. Performance With the lenses adapted, the performance is quite good. I have not used the lenses without a focal reducer so I can't say how they compare, but there is no noticeable vignetting and the CA is fairly well controlled (although definitely apparent when viewing 100%). The Tokina in particular impressed me because I have used several vintage lenses and they all have been prone to flaring, but this lens stays strong. The haze of the sun is only somewhat apparent and things stay contrasty. The blue spot problem does exist with the adapter, but it's really not at all distracting. it's not an opaque spot, but rather a very soft and faint blurred disc. The disc also appears on super bright light sources like the sun, not street lights. Both lenses are sharp enough wide open that I am able to find focus without too much trouble using the GH3's viewfinder (which btw I'm finding far superior to the GX7 and the NEX 6 I had before it). https://vimeo.com/101665729 Tokina 80-200mm f2.8 D mounted on Panasonic GH3 via Camdiox Focal Reducer. First image 80mm, second image 200mm. ISO 800. Auto WB. No iDynamic. Neutral PP -3 -5 -2 -5. Might have missed focus on the third shot. No sharpening has been applied and Vimeo makes video look softer than it is. Some photos straight out of camera. Lenses wide open. First two Tokina, second two Sigma. Click to enlarge.
    1 point
  5. I have a RJ lens turbo and it shifts my infinity focus a bit. I have to dial back to 10m instead of infinity sign to be able to focus on infinity. However, that adapter has focus adjustment. Look here. I haven't changed it yet as I wanted to try other lenses first.
    1 point
  6. elkanah77

    Lenses

    I second this. Extremely happy with my 28mm 2.8 AIS. Razor sharp throughout. Got mine for about $150 mint condition. Bargain imo.
    1 point
  7. That's uninterrupted recording, btw. I have a handful of 3rd party batteries that only do about 1/2 the juice of the OEM. Of course the 3rd party bats are a lot cheaper.
    1 point
  8. I said i wouldn't get an A7S based on my irritation at Sony for they lack of delivering good enough video quality on the a7r and a7 - at the time I felt it was on purpose to make the A7S more appealing and more likely for me to upgrade from my A7R - which i couldnt afford to do anyway. I then saw the camera advertised for £1400 shipped (£700 less than on the sony website!!!) and decided it was time to invest in something that I could realistically use for showing lens performance (for Dog Schidt Optics purposes), since the A7R hadn't come up with what I had hoped for in video terms. I wouldn't have bought it if it weren't £1400 and a piece of equipment that can be claimed against earnings, and even so, I will still be struggling for a while after paying for it on the credit card. What I will say is I 100% empathise with Andrews somewhat flippant disregard for other cameras since using the A7S. It is justified. It's a marvel having such dynamic range on tap. In a system that is so user friendly. Which doesnt need rigging or silly evf's added. It doesn;t feel real to me using this camera and seeing imagery I am used to seeing taking up 2-5gb per minute, and it's doing it in 300mb/min!, and doesnt need transcoding to a editable format for workability on my 2 year old hackintosh. Ultimately you should buy a camera that fulfils your requirements at the time. If something new comes along after you decide on a camera it doesnt mean you can no longer use your outdated (in blogging terms) equipment. Being gear heads we all fall fowl to the desire for the newest thing...- and if it upsets you, make it a rule to not read reviews of new gear otherwise you'll get caught up in the consumer side of things again. Instead pop out for a few hours and shoot something.
    1 point
  9. without SpeedBooster - yes with SpeedBooster - no
    1 point
  10. Flip a coin, choose a camera you can afford and what your computer can process without exploding. Stop reading blog posts about which camera is 'best'....none of them are perfect, they never will be.....ever. Everyone expects a 'unicorn camera' for nothing these days...it's crazy. I can only comment on shooting 5D3 ML raw and 35mm film. 5d3 raw It is probably the closest (and cheaper alternative) to shooting film In my opinion, slightly clunky processing and large file sizes demand that you shoot in moderation and forces discipline upon you. Dare I say it, teaching the considered craft of filmmaking as well as giving a great deal of latitude in the image to learn about grading and colour correction. A telecine from film negative is pretty much exactly the workflow with ML raw, but thousands of times cheaper! Well worth you trying Magic lantern on your 5d3 and see how you get on with it, this will be much cheaper option, as you already own that camera. If the workflow is too inconvenient to your needs, I'd personally recommend a7s as the next best thing for approximating the 5d3 raw look. GH4 if you want everything in focus and you like your images 'a bit too sharp' - I'm teasing, but I personally think the images from that camera are pretty dull. Probably decent choice for doco work, but only because of that small sensor making the depth of field large enough for Stevie Wonder to focus with.
    1 point
  11. I've been out in Dubai for commercial work, and in my spare time I used the 5dmkIII + raw to shoot a travelogue. Tried to capture some of the lesser-known parts of Dubai and the surrounding region. Enjoy!
    1 point
  12. It's all subjective. For me, a7s is also similarly priced as gh4: - gh4 nedds 400$ SpeedBooster to get closer with sensor size Lens options look better and can be cheaper for a7s - a7s native lenses are the same price as gh4 equivalent native lenses or little pricier, but better quality: 35/2.8 FF Zeiss vs 12/2 m43 Olympus 50/1.8 FF Zeiss vs 25/0.95 m43 Voigtlander 24-70/4 FF Zeiss vs 12-35/2.8 m43 Panasonic Not to mention lenses with adapters, even Speedbooster.. It is much easier and cheaper to get fast wide lens for a7s. And that what's important for me. It's just my point of view. Everybody want something else from their camera.
    1 point
  13. I'm not sure i understand the comments I've been reading of the A7s being a "different price bracket" to GH4... Cheapest GH4 bodies about £1200 pounds her in UK, cheapest A7S about £1400. That's the definition of the same league! When it comes to grading the footage of both, the A7S gives you so much easier a time from my experience so far, I don't think the 4K internal is really worth it, as the Panasonic loses out on every other useful point. The crop mode in A7S is 2.8k to 1080p Just like the Alexa, it's the closest you'll get to an Alexa for 1400! Dammit everyone, go buy em, show Sony this is what we want. Stick your old cameras on eBay before they're worthless paperweights ;)
    1 point
  14. Look guys. A blog is chronological. I will give you my objective opinion. I will inform. I will give you the facts. It is up to you to figure out what decisions to make based on your research of my site and of many others. The A7S wasn't available when I was reviewing the GH4. Everything positive and negative I pointed out about the GH4 has not changed. What has changed is that the competition has stepped up and offered something that is in many ways even more appealing. It will happen again, to the A7S. That's life! Enjoy your cameras. Enjoy shooting. And invest the most funds in lenses not cameras. There is always eBay for those who want to stay on the treadmill.
    1 point
  15. If people are buying a product based on a single person's perspective and then pissed after the original reviewer changed their mind thus infuriating the buyer of the said product, the buyer should see mental help ASAP. I enjoying asking questions, getting responses, and taking a long time to decide. But if I went out and bought an a7s based on Andrew's video and commentary alongside whatever Philip Bloom says, and realize my 5d3 was a better choice for me due to aesthetics in the video I would not be pissed at them and use it as a learning experience. Some of you give too much credit to individuals, it is scary. Then again this is how masses follow religion :)
    1 point
  16. andy lee

    Lenses

    Ok here is plan B Ive been doing this for the past 2 months since speedboosters came along cheaply now 28mm f2.8 AIS prime - Nikon - micro 4/3 lens Turbo speedbooster = 20mm f1.8 fast sharp wide prime cheaply the Nikon 28mm AIS 8 element lens is the best lens Nikon ever made it out performs all their lenses in tests http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/28f28ais.htm
    1 point
  17.   I agree with almost all of Erik's point in his blog, and some other points not... when will people realise on the internet that it's ok to differ! Different opinions do not need so much hatred attached.   Thanks Erik for coming on here and defending your views.   As Erik said in his article it wasn't a review but a look at the shortcomings and quirks. I have a similar article in the works as well.   It isn't a honeymoon period for me, the camera is delivering on the fundamentals in a big way, for my uses.   Agree on the battery life Erik. You really need the vertical grip to improve that. The ergonomics of that are quite nice but not ideal. The lenses are indeed too expensive and there are not enough fast primes. Sony seem to have compromised aperture size to get the size of the lenses down which is why there's no F2.8 zoom. They need to introduce one, and quick, and get the prices to a more reasonable level to compete with Sigma.   I have bought the Zeiss FE 55mm F1.8 for when I need AF. It is true that the other glass on the camera is a manual focus only affair which suits me just fine for video but not so much for stills.   I am having the same problem as Erik with the Metabones adapter and blank screen occasionally, it is an incompatibility with the adapter and Metabones are working hard to fix it.   Don't share the same view of Erik who prefers S35 to full frame. I love the look of the larger sensor for almost everything, especially 24-50mm range of focal lengths. For me it is about shallow DOF yet, but not how extreme you can get it, but that you can get any control over it at all at wider focal lengths or when your subject is further away from the lens. To have a little bit of subject / background separation when they are 5m away is wonderful. I can't get that with a smaller sensor unless I use a longer focal length and that changes the rendering of the whole scene.   Obviously the low light is a big attraction for me as that's just how I work creatively. I love using minimal light and natural light sources. I am not a broadcast guy like Erik or a studio shooter. I can absolutely appreciate why some people would not need ISO 12,800!!   As Erik and I both said in our articles, grading S-LOG 2 is indeed rather tricky. But the camera has extensive pro FS700-like control over the image. Switching colour mode to ITU709 for instance with S-LOG gamma makes it easier to get the correct hue in post.   It's definitely a valid observation that auto white balance and the exposure meter aren't really to be trusted a whole lot when shooting S-LOG. Do it manually though and you will end up with a stronger image, at the expense of maybe working a bit slower, which to some will be a deal breaker, to others not. There's no ONE way is right here!   Disagree Erik actually about the 120fps. I am really enjoying it! Good bonus feature and creative. I was just shooting 120fps by candle light at 1/200, getting a usable S-LOG image at ISO 12,800. How many other cameras can you name that can do that let alone for $2500?
    1 point
  18. Alright, I'm currently studying film in school. I love creating, and have a nac for telling stories. I also love operating the camera and editing, but all this technical stuff makes my head wanna SPLODE!!! So I just uploaded ML to my t3i, but I'm seriously just considering just buying the BMCC pocket version, until I can afford the 4k. Would you guys advise against or for it, & why? To me it seems the workflow would be less arduous with BMCC pocket...
    1 point
  19. Ha! Thats pretty funny! I'm not "narrow-sighted in the least. Maybe you should check out the rest of my blog eriknaso.com. I write more about other stuff than just cameras. I wrote about what I felt are issues with the A7s for me and I'm finding that others do feel the same. Not everyone of course. The single biggest issue is the price. It's a hybrid camera so for me I want it to work as one. If it only becomes a video tool then I prefer other cameras to use. I actually want to keep it for it's strengths but to really get the most from the A7s I would have to spend a whole lot more on Sony lenses to take full advantage of auto focus for stills and maybe even video. I think I made that pretty clear in my article. A little about that "Erik guy." I'm a broadcast DP in San Diego. I work in local broadcast shooting commercials and news image promos. I use a lot of different cameras to get the job done. At work it's the C300 and C100. I just added the GH4 too. I have lots of lenses for it since I also used to shoot with the AF-100. My thinking in writing the article was a wake up call for myself. It's good to know the bad things too right? Good to know how much you need to invest to get the camera usable for you right? Thats pretty much it. Thanks for reading the article.
    1 point
  20. This is a dilemma for me. I don't shoot professionally but have a 5d3 to make videos, which I enjoy very much. I'm very tempted with the a7s because of the image quality. The only reason I'm hesitant is that, Sony will probably release one in a year or so, with internal 4k and improved rolling shutter and I'm unfamiliar with the resale value of such a camera. With canon, you know that the resale value of a camera won't take a huge hit because of the enormous customer base they have. I'm not sure who you could sell the a7s to if a newer version with internal 4k comes out. I don't think photographers will be looking to buy a 12mp camera, and videographers will surely want to move on to the newer version. So what are your opinions on the resale value, do you think it could fall by 1k this time next year?
    1 point
  21. Hmmm such a big reduction screams "new product" to me! The pocket 2 I assume!
    1 point
  22. Wanted to share my first video shot with the V2's burst mode. I used in camera JPEG for this video. My girlfriend and I are on exchange to Singapore for half a year and I had to leave my desktop workstation behind. My 4 year old MacBook Pro doesn't have the power to cope with raw burst sequences and since I'm on holiday at the moment I didn't want to spend too much time editing this. Premiere Pro already crashed on me enough times during this project xD Next time I'd like to make some more 'longer' shots using e.g. Twixtor. I rendered a 4k ProRes proxy and uploaded the 2gb video to YouTube so 4k is available for people with a 4k monitor.
    1 point
  23. Finally got around to finishing this off. Was a bit of a nightmare due to hard drive space & a slow computer. Filmed on a Canon 60D, Helios 44-2 & Iscorama 54 (more details on Vimeo).
    1 point
  24. http://vimeo.com/77890312       Edited in iMovie (phone app) and shoot with iPhone 5S
    1 point
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