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Showing content with the highest reputation on 02/02/2015 in all areas

  1. Keep in mind that Deakins (or any other Hollywood director) very likely does not think about s35 in terms of it's crop factor vs full frame. Full frame is not a cinema standard- this is where I think a lot of people get tripped up. To him, s35 is a 1x crop and if he happens to use a 5D on a shoot, he probably thinks of that as a .7x crop!
    2 points
  2. What's more it's completely killed my appetite to upgrade. I've always been restless on other cameras. Hankering for more. With the 1D C I can see myself still using it in 3 years and not really caring about what else has come along by then. 10bit? Meh. I can't tell the difference. Global shutter? Nice, but not essential. Depends on the shoot. And beyond 4K resolution, I think is just sheer overkill for everything but large scale stadium or public event screens, outdoors. No way is 8K going to take off indoors, in cinemas or in the home. 14-15 stops dynamic range? Again nice but difference is subtle for most shots. It's rare you have a shot that requires more than 12 stops. So, hard to see where to go after the 1D C to be honest. I think progress might flatten out in the traditional sense. The emphasis will switch to other things. AI, new focus systems, organic sensors and more nimble lighting & rigging. The image quality pixel peeping wars are almost over.
    2 points
  3. Here is another Promo we recently shot with a set of Kowas (40, 50, 75, 100mm) that I though some people might like to see. Any thoughts or feedback welcome.
    1 point
  4. M Carter

    Light stands

    This grew out of a discussion over on DVX user, thought I'd add it here if anyone is interested. A poster asked "what is the best c-stand" and my reply was "usually, not a c-stand". C stands are designed to get small lights and flags into a maze of light stand feet. They're not intended for overheads or big 2K fresnels. They tip easily, they're hard to pack, and the way the column meets the base at a single point makes them even more prone to tipping. For some reason, "c-stand" has become a sort of knee-jerk must-have for people starting to build a kit. I like having c-stands, but especially on a tight budget, I'd shop for stands that are more versatile, can hold more weight with greater stability, are easier to pack, and could reasonably be used for, say, an 8x8 overhead in calm conditions, and (hopefully) cost the same or less. Something that can take an XL softbox or a big octagon without 3 sandbags and prayer. I'm comparing stands here to the Avenger Turtle-Base (unless you are 100% studio, you really don't want 1-piece C-stands - I feel they're a pain to pack). And turtles do give you the floor-stand option with a butt plug. Yet I'd take a Beefy Baby over a c-stand any day, in most cases. So - Stands in the $200 or less range you should consider. In the US, all the stands below can be found with free US shipping. There's probably a few more choices out there, but here's what's top of my radar: BEST VALUE: Matthews Steel Kit Stand 25 lb load, 37" footprint - 9.5 ft. tall (Actually better height, load and footprint than the Beefy Baby) $87, free shipping Not as heavy steel as Beefy Babies (and thus lighter to pack)... and, DUDE, eighty seven bucks!! That's two c-stands!! THE KING OF AFFORDABLE STANDS: Kupo Master Combo HD $156 88 freaking pounds max. load! 55" footprint! ELEVEN FEET high. baby pin AND junior receiver. Leveling leg! Cons: a very very wide footprint (very stable) that might be overkill on a tiny set. OR SAVE A FEW BUCKS: Kupo Master Combo Alu Senior Stand $144 26.5 lb load at a maximum height of 12' 4". Footprint: 46" - still pretty big. Aluminum construction, a triple function universal head and a leveling leg. THE KNEE JERK C-STAND, (most agree) THE BEST VERSION AVAILABLE: Avenger turtle base c-stand $169 9.8' feet height, 3' footprint, 22 lb max load, baby pin. Anyone who puts 22 lbs. on a fully extendedd c-stand may be asking for trouble though... If you shoot strictly in the studio, you can save some money and get 1-piece (non turtle) c-stands. Which are a pain to pack. If you use turtle base stands, you should invest in some butt plugs at $20 or so each. Makes a great floor-level stand. Or buy the narrower turtle base and a butt plug. BEST ALTERNATES TO THE C-STAND In addition to that $87 Steel Kit Stand... Matthews Beefy Beefy Double Riser $173 8.5' height, 22 lb max load 33" footprint. An industry standard. Essentially same price as the best c-stand. (Was manufactured with a 12' aluminum column for some time, and those show up cheap on the used market - I wouldn't extend those fully or use in the wind, as the column is weaker than steel. I have two of the aluminum stands and I feel the column could buckle with enough stress. Great lightweight stand to get smaller flags up very high though, great for big softboxes at reasonable heights.) Matthews Beefy Beefy Triple Riser $203 12 ft height, 20 lbs max load 33" footprint. A killer stand. WANT WHEELS ON A KILLER STAND? Kupo Junior Roller $199 17 lb max load - 45" footprint - 8.8' high With super useful and good-sized braking wheels - bigger wheels than the Matthews roller in fact, which don't have brakes (well, mine don't). (Avenger roller is same price, 1 foot shorter, only 28" footprint.) The giant footprint of the Kupo roller suggests it could be used for smaller overheads in calm conditions if big height isn't needed. This type of stand is a dynamite thing to have - I use them for microphone booms, they're sturdy and reposition fast, rarely need sand bags.
    1 point
  5. noa

    Exciting time to come

    With Sony you never know, they breed like rabbits but in the end you can't wait forever, if you are planning to get the a7s tomorrow and it does what you expect from it just start using it and don't visit the internet anymore so you won't be disappointed if the a7sII is announced in 2 days.
    1 point
  6. kinda wish it was a short with dialogue rather than a music video. Wonderful images here, and a lovely theme too. though I think it deserves around 20 mins and some dialogue:)
    1 point
  7. noa

    Exciting time to come

    ​25p on the EM1 and EM5, how hard can that be...
    1 point
  8. SOLD to Chris Elkerton - Couldn't have gone to a nicer guy.
    1 point
  9. ​ since the red dragon sensor is rather a lot bigger than s-35 at 30mm wide in 6k mode, if I had the PL mount version of the dragon I'd be looking at these in PL as a viable option. Using s35mm lenses on the dragon in 6k will be pushing the lenses too far beyond their working limit and thus the need for 'full frame friendly' APO lenses becomes very important if the acquisition of 6k data rates is to be worthwhile.
    1 point
  10. PL mount is for non-speedbooster users obviously Steven!
    1 point
  11. Speaking of technology switching to other things, shot side by side with fs700 raw (for the 4k hfr) at a skijoring event (ski racing with dogs on a course) this weekend and I have to say the 1DC was Incredible. I mounted the 1DC on a DJI Ronin with a Cinemilled adapter on top of a monopod. I could hoist the monopod over the crowd and direct the camera with a twist of the wrist, or go inverterted and have the 1dc skimming on top of the snow close to the dogs. The 1DC is light enough that I didn't need any other rigging. (6"2 200lbs though) When I did tire, I could rest the mononopod and once again a slight twist of the monopod gave ultra smooth pans. Controlled camera functions over a usb controller attached to a Zacuto evf. Highly mobile with very solid footage. Focus control was lacking but I stopped down and shot wide as my remote follow focus was tied up on the fs700. Will definitely use this setup in the future.
    1 point
  12. ​My view too. I bought the 1DC when it first came out - I chomped down and bit the bullet and paid the premium. Even though the price has gone down, I have had a few years using it. With exchange rates, the difference will not be as steep. It takes time to understand how powerful this camera is. It is a lot better than most people realize. Like I have said in the past, when used properly, it is very close to matching film. Cheers.
    1 point
  13. Andrew said: "The emphasis will switch to other things. AI, new focus systems, organic sensors and more nimble lighting & rigging. The image quality pixel peeping wars are almost over." I so agree . . . with that and all of the above you wrote. And Andrew, cannot thank you enough for all of your time, effort, and posts. You have educated many, many people like myself . . . some of us pretty quiet online and relatively unknown . . . either just starting or evolving their trade . . . but your time and effort do NOT go un-noticed. It means an awful lot to those of us who really depend on people like you to help us get the best, use the best, and make the best that we possibly can. Thank you for all of your effort. Richard
    1 point
  14. ​This is exactly how I feel about the 1D C's image. It is that image I wanted most and it's different. It is like having best attributes of the BMCC, A7S SLOG2 and 5D3 raw in one camera but in 4K. And compared to the BMCC it is far better ergonomically. Compared to the 5D raw it is more reliable on a shoot. Compared to the A7S it is 4K internal, that matters a lot. The image is silky in the blacks like the BMCC. You can raise the blacks so much and there's nothing, I repeat nothing, nasty in them... no crushing, no digital noise, just organic texture and smooth velvety tones. Canon LOG with the view assist is so easy to work with. Nobody wants to show talent on a shoot the B/W jerky raw playback mode of Magic Lantern or grey SLOG 2. It's a different beast to the FS7. It is smaller, you throw it in a tiny bag with your lenses and off you go. It is a stills camera, my main one now. I can't use the FS7 as a stills camera and therefore I can't use the FS7 in places where only stills cameras are allowed, like Buddhist temples or in other sensitive situations on location. And who wants to attract the attention of officials on public transport asking for permits because the FS7 makes you look pro? What a hassle. The GH4, NX1 and A7S all have far more compressed looking blacks and more macro blocking in the shadows. 1D C has a silk like image that is the closest you can get to film right now on digital. It really is up there with the Alexa. I just shot a music video in anamorphic with it. I lit for ISO 1600, didn't need to touch ISO throughout the shoot. Even here the blacks are like silk, or ISO 200 on GH4 but without the compression and I had 2-3 stops of dynamic range to spare in the highlights. Only the BMCC would have come close but it would have been ISO 400 or noisy, and I would have struggled with the 2.3x crop vs almost full frame on the 1D C. That makes a HUGE difference, even over typical Super 35mm stuff.
    1 point
  15. Just know that lenses have a focal length measurement (millimeters) and it doesn't matter what camera you try to attach it to, that number is what it is. the distance between the center of a lens or curved mirror and its focus.No reputable lens manufacturer is going to put inaccurate "equivalency" numbers on their lenses. They're going to put down the number that represent the actual physical measurements. The no reason to do it any other way It's kinda odd how any notion otherwise got stuck in your brain, but I know for someone starting all this imaging stuff and jargon, it can be discombobulating. FWIW, I've been shooting motion images and still for decades with cameras of all "sensor" sizes. 8mm up to 4x5. This FOV stuff is so second nature to me now that I just kinda visualize the FOV in my head based on the glass-mm/camera-format-size and carry on.
    1 point
  16. Canon 1D C is $7999. Just to recap - that's cheaper than the C300, it's a DSLR and it shoots 4K. ​If you think expensive camera = job security, you're wrong! Talent, knowhow and effective commercialisation of both = job security.
    1 point
  17. I don't get the obsession with 85mm lenses for cinema use. It's a little on the long side for a proper MCU, but not quite long enough for ECU/shallow focus/compressed perspective/detail shots like a 100mm. If you've never used a 75mm, borrow someone's APS-C camera and try a 50mm. My friend lent me his Sony 50mm f/1.8 OSS and A6000 for a 48 hour film project once, and I almost never felt the need to switch to my Minoltas--in fact, we shot the entire feature with nothing but that lens. When voting on these focal lengths, think outside the box that photographic lenses may have trained you into. You may be surprised.
    1 point
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