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The Interview has now got a limited release and is expected to be shown on Sony owned VOD channel Crackle. With the intervention of the US government, Seth Rogen is now the poster-child for freedom of expression. First of all Crackle's the wrong place for this trash. Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee, Jerry Seinfeld, that's the Crackle target audience, much better. Their regular audience is not dumb, not one whooping at butt jokes, jokes belittling race, jokes belittling gays, jokes encouraging bullying and racism in the guise of humour, which essentially is what I think The Interview boils down to, in a similar vein to The Hangover Part 2. "I do not agree with what you have to say, but I'll defend to the death your right to say it." - Voltaire "When the monkey nibbles on the weaner, it's funny in any language" - The Hangover, Part II What I discover when I talk to the mainstream about these films and Seth Rogan's brand of humour is that so many people just don't spot the jingoistic nastiness in these films nor the blatant racism. This really baffles me, why can't they see it? Perhaps they've never travelled or fallen in love with another culture that isn't their own. Different cultures have different sensibilities. What's not offensive to Americans might be much more offensive to everyone else. When a country is trying to improve ties with a rogue state in order to diffuse tension and to eventually shut down their nuclear weapons programme, the last thing you want is a film like The Interview and the potentially unpredictable consequences, not least for Sony. Creative freedom is worth defending, the question is whether the 'creative freedom of Seth Rogen' is worth defending? Look at the early reviews for The Interview & the trailer, it's not hard to work out what it is. There's plenty of nasty passive aggressive stuff in it disguised as humour, pointed out in these reviews from people who HAVE seen the film - "Kim loves basketball - with the hoops lowered so he can dunk" "Much is made of Koreans rumoured to be starving to death." "Franco mugs shamelessly to make sure we understand that he's being funny, which he's not, and the script as a whole turns a satirical - or at least farcical - premise into sour buffoonery." "It feels as though the filmmakers targeted North Korea, one of the world's least-loved countries, because no one important would object to their mocking, almost sadistic treatment of its leader." "If the would-be butt jokes and gay jokes were funnier, I'd be willing to let it slide, but they are not." It's the ultimate sign of our times that this is now a film President Obama has ended up defending, championing it as an example of freedom of expression, but then he's been put in a difficult situation as well. If he rewards the hackers by backing Sony's original decision not to show it, more hacks and cyberterrorism will be encouraged because they will have the scent of a reward, an incentive to try. If he does fight back and reverse Sony's decision to show the piece of trash, that's hardly a "win" for anyone either. The political circus around this is more ridiculous than anything because it implies that under freedom of expression, filmmakers have no responsibilities whatsoever. We do. We can't be as offensive as we want with a major release and cause dangerous diplomatic tensions under the banner of 'creative freedom' and butt jokes. With power goes responsibility and Sony Pictures need to take some responsibility for the mess and damage as well rather than blaming it entirely on North Korea. It's not fair to say "it's only a joke" when there's undertones of Western supremacism all the way through the film. The joke about the basketball hoops needing to be lowered isn't about North Korea, it's about a race of people, that the filmmakers get a kick out of portraying as weird small people who speak funny...guys this isn't humour, it's bullying and something that reinforces plenty of real world bullying in every school in the west. The Interview was always going to be a blatant publicity stunt designed to stir up a diplomatic rift between the US and North Korea and Sony should never have green-lit it. The irony is The Interview is exactly the kind of trash Sony producers in the leaked emails were so keen to stop doing. Finally, here's a quote from the review in Time Out New York - "The Interview confirms Rogen as the most ambitious mainstream comedian in Hollywood. In the unlikely event that it proves to be Sony's downfall, at least they'll go out with a bang." Not so unlikely... and really? Was it all worth it for some crass jokes at the expense of Asians and gays?

Great job Cosimo!...that is the way to do it. Before anyone attempts to go 'Dexter' on their lenses without knowing for sure what to do, please watch the video below. There should be NO reason to take a drill/ hacksaw or lathe to any lens!...the suggestion alone made me feel a bit unwell, so I made a short and basic video explaining how to remove the focus ring/cowl section to get the outside diameter reduced for the FM lens. (I know many here already know this...so bear with me). This removal process will be quite universal to lenses of this type/size (kowa 8z/sankor/elmoscope etc) - I suspect that some variants will fit within 71mm diameter so if you have one of these there will not be an issue. This video shows a non-destructive disassembly method providing care is taken and the correct tools used. Being able to return the anamorphic to it's original condition is the goal here. Cosimo has a great idea of wrapping the uncovered section with plastic wrap before taping into the infinity position - this ensures the helicoid grease will remain contaminant free and enable the lens to be re-assembled if needs be without any ill effects from the disassembly and re-mounting process. This video is meant as a visual guide only...do not attempt yourself if it looks too risky. Edit: As I previously mentioned on the older FM thread, you can make your own version of the FM mounting tube for smaller anamorphics by getting some stock exhaust/ tailpipe tube in the correct diameter (all you need to do is cut it to length). These are made from stainless steel and have a thinner wall thickness than the FM aluminium version - allowing a bit more room inside for an anamorphic to fit: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/321033449391?_trksid=p2059210.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

I keep wanting my "photo" cameras to suffice as video cameras (Nikon D600, Sony a7, etc.) but I'm with fuzzynormal and Oliver--The Panasonic GH3/GX7/GM1 cameras make shooting video easy and fun (I have the GM1). If everyone could afford it, I'm pretty sure the GM1 would be in every videographer's bag. I didn't think much of it as a sills camera until I acquired a Olympus 17mm/1.8. The way you can easily go from auto to manual focus with the Oly lens is brilliant. I wanted to move away from MFT in 2014, but it didn't happen. I gravitate more and more to the GM1 and I bought a BMPCC again. Here's a video I did in between taking photos with various still cameras around my neck. The GM1s are around $500 now. If you have money to burn, you will not be disappointed. The GM5 has stabilization I think. So if you have even more money to burn I've also enjoyed EOSHD even more this year. So thank you Andrew!!!! This video is the worst that the GM1 will do! Every shot was an afterthought to stills. I have an a6000, and as nice as it is, it is bigger and less video-friendly. Even though Panasonic didn't fix the mechanical shutter on my GM1, I can't get away from that camera!

For me it has to be upgrading my cameras. I got a BMPCC for £366 in the summer sale and a GH4 for £899 on black friday weekend. Together that's the same amount of money I paid for my D5300 and G6 a year ago. But I've moved from two excellent enthusiast hybrid cameras to two professional video cameras. It really has been a big and worthwhile leap for me - not least because I'm done buying and researching cameras for at least a couple of years now. I'm going to focus completely on making actual films for people other than fellow camera boffins. That's the big moment for me. Merry christmas and a happy new year everyone! I hope 2015 brings good filmmaking to you all!

​The 28-70mm is ****ing incredible. Just picked up a second copy. I can't believe how cheap people are willing to sell them for.

Great thread everyone, really wonderful stuff. I recently got a Nikon 28-105mm F3.5-4.5 AF-D. Not an expensive lens it cost 150 euros. If you are looking for an affordable full frame zoom, this thing is astonishingly good. Really surprised with it. It's sharp, very little distortion considering the range. Less distortion than most £600 modern Canon or Nikon zooms. It's parfocal, so focus doesn't shift when you zoom out. Very rare trait in such a cheap lens and great for video shooters. It's macro abilities are INSSSSAAANE!! 2:1 macro at 105mm at the flick of a switch. Macro range goes from 50-105mm. What modern zoom does this? The only downside is that it doesn't focus as closely at the wide end, 28mm. F3.5-F4.5 becomes a much more attractive aperture on a Speed Booster. On a full frame sensor it's fine because you're still getting a very shallow DOF and these sensors tend to have very good higher ISO performance as well - in that respect F4-ish isn't too far off F2.8 if compensated by raising the ISO a bit. It has a manual aperture ring so you can use it via a cheap passive adapter on pretty much anything, even my Samsung NX1 likes it. I use it on my Nikon D750 the most, often for stills where the AF isn't too shabby for an older lens. It dates back to 1999. Highly recommended.

​You will need some sort of lens support bracket that clamps to the rails and screws into the 1/4 hole on the FM ring clamp. I would highly recommend a support that clamps/ locks to both rails - as most quick release lens support brackets only lock to one rail and are not totally secure when holding the full weight of the FM lens. After trying two different lens support brackets this is what I went for, as it enables height adjustment for different cameras, allows locking of the 1/4 screw pillar (many supports like this don't lock against twist) and it's made from a quality supplier: http://store.berkeysystem.com/lens-support/ there are cheaper alternatives out there that will do the job for sure...if the jag35 baseplate allows decent height adjustment, it will be fine to use a rail lens support that is at a fixed height. There are many rail/ lens support brackets out there...might be useful for others to share what works for them?

Appreciate the test! I just received my FM yesterday but still waiting on my rail system now. Should i buy any other clamps or accessories or will the jag35 baseplate/rail system + FM be all i need?

Thanks Hans, this is just a quick video I did with the Sankor 16D inside the FM, nothing special. It's just to show that the hack was worth it.

​It was extremely targeted. Not sure how any IT security folk can sleep at night. Their networks will be penetrated no matter how well they patch, obfuscate or airgap their systems.

to come back to the main issues of this thread, here are the results of my personal shogun tests and experiences: 1) do i need a shogun? yes, except a too glossy display it seems to be a great, useful, future proof product which is a great companion to every camera even only as a monitor. if they implement 4k60p as promised it could still be in the bags alongside with future camera releases in 5 years. 2) is the shogun better than its competitors like the (new) odyssey? yes, when it comes to shooting good 4k footage. aside from several detail features mainly because it has the only 1080p screen, which is helpful for 4k quality. 3) do i need the shogun for a specific camera? for the a7s it's essential, as otherwise there's no 4k. for the 1DC highly recommended because of all the peaking tools and having a flexible screen, although it doesnt work as a recorder. for the gh4 it could go without as the onboard screen can do a good job, and the internal recording looks the same in real world. for a c500 it technically would not work as a recorder. for all 1080p cameras a cheaper monitor would do it. the only 1080 job that makes sense with the shogun is on red cameras, who have a massive internal sensor crop when shooting 1080. the shogun can finally allow 1080 wide angle shots with a scarlet or epic, although not with red raw codec. 4) which camera is the best companion for the shogun? aside from the price, for lowlight and overall features it would be the canon 1dc. for more than 5k and higher frame rates, it's the red epic (not dragon because of noise and redcode limitations). as the red onboard monitors have some more camera-specific features, i would only use a shogun for wide angle 1080p master recording (see above). 5) which budget camera is best for the shogun? right now sony a7s, because it tops the other competitors with its full frame and lowlight abilities. 6) after buying the shogun, which camera should i buy that i don't have yet? probably none. if sony comes up with a sony a7s2 that has internal stabilization as the new a7, that would be a very useful new feature that tops the old model. canon did show that they can deliver top quality (like with the lowlight abilities of the 1dc already two years ago), it's just a question of time when they make it available in cheaper products. i think it might happen in 2015! two days ago i received the new 100-400 lens, that is so good and sharp that i really think about selling my 200-400/4. it mainly did show that canon now is willing to charge only 1/5th of the price of the same quality they did offer in expensive products two years ago.

Actually it really wasn't that sophisticated, which goes to show how serious this problem can become in the future; it's not limited to media companies or first amendment issues. This was a test post btw. Testing Testing..

​Nahua, I haven't drilled holes to the FM itself, but to the metal tube that came with the FM (see the attachment photo), I am sure if I showed you a video tutorial you wouldn't be so scared At the end of the day only I did was taking the focus ring apart with a little screw driver like Hans said, the little screws came off easily, then you need to unscrew the 2 rings, once the rings were out I decide to put a little plastic bag around the sankor, cos was quite greasy, I went with some tape around it to secure the plastic wouldn't move. Set the Sankor to infinity by pulling the top part that moves all the way up, stopped it with more tape and infinity was fixed. After that half of the job is done, you have to find your way around it to clamp the sankor. I was lucky to have the right stuff with me. I used 2 redstan clamps , one actually is a filter clamp, ( see the 2nd photo) I put the sankor inside the FM, and from that I find my way to clamp it. The end part of the sankor was sticking out, good, so I had room to work on it, so I set the metal tube inside the sankor, then I took the black filter clamp and that went right around the metal tube, drew with a pen through the filter clamp's holes to be drilled into the metal tube,I took everything out , drilled the holes into the metal tube, I put back inside the FM, the black plastic screws now went right through the metal tube , they reached and stopped the sankor in the right position that was inside the metal tube. After that the only part I had was just the end part of the sankor sticking out, so I took the other redstan clamp the red one and I attached it to the taking lens. I hope this will help everyone with a Sankor, please forgive my english.

Yeah, this is unfortunate. They shouldn't have advertised it as compatible with Kowa/Sankor lenses. I was hoping to put it on my Kowa 16-H (8Z), as it is a very sharp and wide projection ANA, without the distortion that comes with the ISCO/Schneider "gold" style lenses. I may still if others confirm that it's possible (with modification), but for now, I'm going to sit this one out. The 16-H/8Z is the sweet-spot of anamorphics, other than the fact that it is double-focus. You can eek by with as wide as 50mm on full frame (if cropping to 2.35), and it has smooth blue flares. It can look crisp, clean, dirty, Hollywood or Russian depending on what taking lens you use. If someone proves that it's doable, I don't see why not. I mean, once you get a lens set inside the FM, there's no reason to remove it. But all this disassembly malarky is rather disappointing.

My biggest moment was bringing my A7s to Germany to visit my father in law. He had been stricken by Lassa fever in Sierra Leone eight years ago, rushed to Germany, was in a coma for 6 months, and ended up in a wheel chair for eight years. But then my wife and I got word he started walking in September. So we rushed out from Brooklyn to visit him in Germany. I took my A7s to shoot photos and film this amazing development. But I had to be mindful as he's a proud man (a physician and African Chief). I needed something that would be discrete and unobtrusive. With the silent shutter, ability to shoot from the hip and with no lights or flash, the A7s caught some of the most beautiful moments that I couldn't with another camera. Then when I showed him the technology and what it could do he was completely blown away - and of course got up and walked for the camera.

Personally I think Sony just want the film to die. A massive ball ache for them.

My biggest moment was this summer when I got my first job as a DP on a childrens feature. It is the second biggest cinema opening of an Icelandic film in Iceland ever hehe(the kids love these guys and this was their 4th movie) Shot with C300 and C100 with Atomos Shogun and Ninja. Canon Cine Primes. Shot this summer, premiered 31. october Sorry, no english subtitles.

​It just didn't make sense for me, been using MPC for years, tried it with h.265 for sure, it didn't use hardware acceleration and was as slow as VLC. But they did improve h.265 playback in v.1.77: LAV Video: HEVC decoding is up to 100% fasterTicket #4783, LAV Video: Experimental support for hardware (CUVID and DXVA2) assisted decoding of HEVC streams (disabled by default)Have to try DXVA with it.

​I am not an expert when it comes to taking lenses apart, it was a nightmare for me too, I took the risk. It took me 3 and half hours do the job, with kids going around and my wife complaining, I was lucky to have the right pieces, 2 redstan clamps and some ingenuity, I had to drill some holes to the metal tube that came with the FM, but now I can say it was worth it. I can also say that I thought it was going to be more difficult. I actually had difficulties to understand how to clamp it. I tried severals ways, finally a good idea came into my mind. Another problem that I wasn't aware of was to keep the anamorphic to infinity, once I unscrewed the metal focus ring I thought it could stay at infinity, it didn't, when I placed the sankor into the FM, the whole focus shifted, so, I had to find a way to keep the anamorphic at infinity. I managed to put tape between that space and it didn't shift anymore. If you don't like to go through all this, just go the isco/Schneider route, both ways are worth it, believe me. Thank you Nahua

Premiere with Colorista II and Filmconvert(I don´t do heavy grades) for editing and grading. My rig consist of bits and parts of a Ginirig but the shoulder pad is from Shape. I use a Lanparte v-mount power supplier to run my Zoom H6 and my Art Dual Pre........and of course my wonderful new Samsung NX1(used to be a gh2 on there). I know.....it is heavy...but, I come from the t.v. industry and have shot mostly with ENG cameras like the Panasonic P2 3100 so I am used to it.......and I dislike microjitters and shaky cam, I like to be smooth in shooting.....so a correctly balanced a bit heavy rig for me

yeah post up some footage! need to know if it's worth doing to my kowa poor kowa

​This is my test with the GH4 + Tokina 28-70 + Kowa 2x. I think the GH4 has the most potential, and it works even better with 4K photo mode recording. The video was shot 3:2 aspect ratio. I also had a hacked GH2 then a GH3. The GH4 by far is the best of all them.

PS. I was torn between Ronin and a Letus Helix so I purchased both knowing I'd send one back. They both arrived about the same time. Though I love the concept of the Helix's design better after one look at all the software hoops I'd have to jump through, I packed it up and sent it back. Buy both cameras if you can afford (or do it on credit), do some simple flesh, chart and motion tests and send the loser home.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9KvdklMpGLE Atomos Shogun + GH4. I've been looking around for images shot from the combo. The image looks really clean even with Youtube compression.

Hi Andy Just a brief note...won the 28-70 AF-S, and though it came at a high price ($960), it was described as virtually unused and in "new" condition...like you I am a big fan of shooting long....an intimacy level with the actors can be achieved that is rarely there when you're right in front of them...Thank you so much for your guidance with this...I've seen stills these lenses produce and of course the Bourne and Bond films...can't wait for this glass!!!....all the best!! Fritz

Biggest part of the year for me is not getting sidetracked by the latest technology, and just shooting most of my stuff with what I've got - a GH3 and loads of FD & M42 lenses (and an SLR Magic). Not a single complaint by any client. ideas made this successful, plus hard work and preparation. Next year will see a few major upgrades technologically, but again, strong ideas and creativity is the No.1 focus. Always.

The CION is now shipping. http://www.newsshooter.com/2014/12/23/ajas-cion-4k-camera-begins-shipping/ Will anyone be trying it? Let me know and I may put you on the blog as a guest poster.

looks like 'Real anamorphic'. Like real lenses shotting on 4 perf 35mm film. the locations are wonderful. And the weight of the entire rig appears to be translating into a rather solid look to the handheld shooting.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/oa3tmrtw8d3stn6/Screen Shot 2014-12-22 at 9.43.18 PM.png?dl=0 https://www.dropbox.com/s/6v9z5z6eim4kc88/Screen Shot 2014-12-22 at 9.42.56 PM.png?dl=0 https://www.dropbox.com/s/9rcnqo8etwrcwfh/Screen Shot 2014-12-22 at 9.43.27 PM.png?dl=0 Screenshots and the video should be live below shortly.

​I wish they actually tried different lenses to see which really fits. I saw the demo so I kinda knew I'd have to get an Isco or Schneider. Still my anamorphic collection is growing. I'd really like to pare it down and I sure hope the FM works well.

I also bought the Tokina 28-70 2.6 as Mr. Lee considered (his suggestions are priceless - thank you very much!). I immediately liked the lens very very much. And it is a wonderful match for the Isco 54. This combo brought me back from small gauge film to have some (much cheaper) fun with my "old" GH3. This brings me to a point: There are so many discussions about 'filmic' look and the lack of it - particular with the GH4. I also think the GH2 looked better than the GH3 but maybe I will buy the GH4 as this Tokina makes me trust more in the lens for some look instead of the camera. So with all my old lenses (Canon FDs, M42's) it could be possible to have a nice and warm look (or whatever filmic is...) with such a modern camera like the GH4 or am I totally wrong? Again thanks a lot for all the great infos! PS I thought the Tokina is an old lens - but mine (I bought it from ebay) was sold new in a store last year (according to the bill in the box)?!

​I got this Tokina on Andy's suggestions. Really great lens. Has a soft focus look until it's sharp, and the F2.8 works really good with speedbooster. I just wish the focus ring could be locked, kinda wonky push pull for manual/AF "toggle". I also wish it was single coated, but still flares well. Very good for people shots with the soft look.

@Andy Lee - will the Century Optics 0.7x wide for Panasonic DVX100 work? Also will it work with anamorphics to give a wider angle of view?

​I'm really bummed by this. Might have to buy an Isco then. I was really looking forward to this working with my Kowa.

I like having both the Nikon and the Tokina even though they are the same focal lengths they both have very good looks that are uniquely different . The Nikon I like to think has a look like an Arri Zeiss Master Prime - a very modern clean strong blacks v sharp wide open modern cinema glass look like Fincher uses (they did use this lens on Bourne) where as the Tokina has a certain Mojo about it that is probabally more filmic than the Nikon , it just makes everything looks great!! - I always shoot both lenses at f2.8 inside , outside day or night!! get the Tiffen NDs on it !!

LOL This is much better Gotta love those Canon colors, what say you? ;)