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Showing content with the highest reputation on 05/25/2016 in all areas

  1. Since I am a run & gun type of guy I can tell you about my experiences with The LX100, the RX100 IV and the GX80. In my opinion, the whole choice boils down to the following aspects: - how important is a zoom for you? - how important is size for you? - how important is focus pulling / grading for you? I first started with a GM1 in combination with a fully manual prime. Loved it, but due to GAS i thought i could even ante it up. Then I had a odysee of different cameras: A7s, which I liked for low light and hated for the price and the color (although one can achieve pretty good results out of the box with manual WB and a good profile). Went with an A6000. Liked the Zebras, the punch in zoom (in fact i liked the functionality), didnt like the colors that much. Then I went with the LX100. Perfect compromise for a small package with decent DoF and a good stabilized zoom. Didnt like focus pulling, started to hate fly by wire. However, although I did know better, GAS once again striked back after reading the awesome review of the RX100 IV by Andrew. Bought it, it has amazing features, but the image just dont feel right. In the end, i kept on tweaking and tweaking and did not take the camera for many shots with me because I just was not satisfied. And DoF just sucks. Really, if you want decent DoF control, dont go for it. After using both the LX100 and the RX100, i kind of went back to the roots. Rebought my Voigtländer - back in prime land. Bought the GX80 and I love it. Awesome stabilisation and the image feels right. Long story short: RX100 iV if: you need 120fps you need the smalles package you dont need DoF you dont mind fly by wire you somehow are able to grade Sony cameras LX100 if: you need a compact package with zoom and stabilisation you somewant need DoF but it is not on your primary list you dont care about shitty focus pulling due to fly by wire GX80 if: you dont necessary need a compact package with a zoom that has a better f-Stop than a kit lens you like stabilisation you like manual lenses you like easy grading capabilities you like changing lenses in general In general I can sign all the people saying they dont "feel" the Sony image. I tricked myself by telling "i can surely do better". However I dont. In fact I like the Panasonic image.
    8 points
  2. Hello everybody, I own an NX1 and I was thinking if it were possible to implement some Custom Cropmarks and black bars in the Mod, like in Magic Lantern. If I remember well, in early versions of the original fw there were no lines or cropmarks, so maybe comparing new ones with that ones we can find the way. They would be veeeery useful to frame correctly for a cinemascope look, or to avoid shooting on the "safe area" - In case we have to stabilize footage in post. What do you think? Is it possible? Thank You
    5 points
  3. Kisaha

    Where can I get a New NX1?

    I from the other side just consider getting the 16-50S and/or the 50-150. I am reconsidering my options very dynamicaly (almost real time!) and I do not see anything better with similar, or slightly more cost, than a NX1+16-50S combo. The practicallity of this, is just priceless. IBIS is the only thing missing, but the NX1 is perfect size/weight wise, for the most image stabilizers (e.g Ronin), and I do not see any APS-C camera surprass it anytime soon, and when it will, it won't be cheap (including glass), so I huess I am good for at least a couple more years, which is a lifetime for equipment of this sort. Together with the NX500, is just a perfect combo for 4K low budget jobs, and if I want run and gun 1080p, I go C100mkII.
    5 points
  4. http://www.theverge.com/circuitbreaker/2016/5/25/11767134/xiaomi-mi-drone-release-date-price-specs-features very exciting times with all these amazing devices dropping so much in price.
    4 points
  5. You are right. The genre of documentary was invented in 2016. Before that it didn't exist. TV news does not exist. 100% of the people here that shoot events etc use AF 100% of the time. Every documentary ever made is AF or with a huge crew. This is fact and thank you for teaching me. I will call my latest client and tell them the doc I did is illegal because I didn't use AF and must be deleted. I'm sorry for saying MF is usable. It was a lie. MF is only for Nazis.
    4 points
  6. Mattias Burling

    5D mk4 Spec

    Its nice that they are getting 4K, but imo, an old 5Dmkiii with ML still beats A7sii/rii, GH4, etc and probably will trump the GH5 as well. So there is a big chance the new 5Div will get its ass kicked by its own predecessor.
    4 points
  7. heres the link for more info : https://vimeo.com/167441134 Shot with the Panasonic Lumix GX80 / GX85 while testing it for hybridcams.fr Handheld + Stabilisation applied in post 4K UHD - 24p - MP4 Panasonic 12-35 mm f/2.8 | Panasonic 35-100 mm F2.8 | Panasonic 100-400 mm F/4.0-6.3
    3 points
  8. My temporary rig...
    3 points
  9. Kidz, happy to see ypu stai in the nx1 camp. I still wonder how good a nx1 mk2 could have been. Possibly too good to exist :-D
    2 points
  10. I would say it is, blended with other genres (a crime thriller/ drama), and with some good character development (similar to "The professional")... muscle & brains mix well. And if it isn't action, I would say it's got one of the best action scenes ever filmed. I agree Jonesy, Matrix is right up there too... and it's also a mix.
    2 points
  11. Yes, the 1DX II's touch screen PDAF is very useful. The tracking is decent, though appears to use some form of feature/corner tracking such that when the object changes significantly, it completely loses track of the object. For example, I was filming a show dog walking on hind legs and spinning. After locking track on his face, when he fell down, the track was completely lost and focus immediately went to the background. This ruins the shot. Instead, the algorithm should default to tracking near the last track at the same spatial depth (the dog was still in focus- it should have stayed and picked up a new track based on the pixels already in focus). I write image processing algorithms for my day job, and I'm surprised they didn't implement it the right way. We also use the C300 II, and I'm finding the 1DX II more useful for location shoots as it's much smaller and lighter than the C300 II (fully rigged with top and side handles). In 4K, the 1DX II is also a 1.33 crop vs 1.5 for the C300 II (1DX II is FF in 1080p). While the C300 II has Canon Log 2, which produces ARRI-like highlight handling (and along with other settings has similar colors so ARRI 3D LUTs can be used etc.), it cannot do touch-screen AF as with the 1DX II. However, it can do WIFI device touch AF with the WFT-E6A (the 1DX II requires the newer WFT-E8). One nice thing about the C300 II is the 1080p is excellent, and the 50Mbps IPB is not only very small, but still looks great for low-camera motion shots. The 1DX II's 30Mbps 1080p is good, but not really 1080p (perhaps someone will do resolution tests) and has aliasing and Moire (note the C300 II has aliasing and Moire on very fine detail fabrics, for example. Something else to look forward to improvement for the next cameras (capturing at 8K (or more) and filtered down-sampling to reduce and/or eliminate aliasing). In summary, the C300 II is a superior camera to the 1DC in every way (except perhaps size/stealth and crop factor), and we find the 1DX II to be a superior camera than the C300 II for certain types of shoots. The 1DC is still an amazing camera, however the 1DX II is superior in real-world shooting (remember shooting -1EV + using a log-like profile (Cinestyle or your own) + HTP gets you the same level of highlight detail as the 1DC in CLog (see earlier post in this thread showing the results in actual video with the 1DC). PDAF is indeed a massive help for focus, but still needs work (could be improved via firmware, though Canon doesn't do firmware updates very often). For the show dog example, manual focusing with a single operator (handheld) is nearly impossible as both zoom and focus must be done at the same time (with a balanced shoulder rig and lots of practice it should be possible, however will never be as good as a computer (when the software works properly ;)).
    2 points
  12. Yes, please, teach me everyting about how to become dependent on lots of stuff instead of getting the job done. Speaking of horseshit... If you can't pull focus on the run with a 1DC you need practice, not a focus puller. No need to be a dick just because thousands of people out there can pull focus on everything from DSLRs to BMPCCs. No need to debate this, I just wanted to point out to newcomers that your opinion was just that, an opinion.
    2 points
  13. Was that shot with IBIS? If so... Damn. If not... Damn that's a nice image for such at tiny camera.
    2 points
  14. Mad Max: Fury Road!!! Amazing production design. Tom Hardy is the man.
    2 points
  15. gh2sound

    Narrative VR filmmaking

    Currently working with BBC on audio integration for VR - they're taking it very seriously especially nature programming.
    2 points
  16. Kung Fury is 31 flavors of awesome!
    2 points
  17. Léon A.K.A 'The Professional' is not only my favourite Action film, but probably my favourite film all round. Young Luc Besson at his finest, drawing upon his real life admirations from an illegally young girl...add guns, Portman, Reno and a crazy ass Oldman performance all in glorious Anamorphic, you have a winner right there.
    2 points
  18. Me when randomly switching TV channels and Die Hard has just started...
    2 points
  19. Die Hard is great at any time, but especially during xmas.
    2 points
  20. Hey guys, I recently moved from my Canon (EOS 5D MKII) to Sony (A7R2), and I got quite upset, that I could not use the VisionLOG profiles on my RAW files in ACR/Lightroom anymore to grade my stills in Photoshop by using LUTs. I couldn't find a alternative on Google - so I found a way to modify the original VisionLOG files to go with the SONY A7RII. I'd happy to share that with you guys: https://www.dropbox.com/s/6gul128sjkqozc0/VisionLOG_A7RII.dcp?dl=0 I am very curious how many people there are who were waiting for that. I can't be the only one who grades stills via LUTs. All the best, Calvin
    1 point
  21. I just found out that a new Predator movie is being made. It's supposed to be a reboot of the franchise so I'm somewhat excited. The original is easily in my top 3 action movies ever and I still find it fun to rewatch every once in a while, as opposed the new crop of action movies from Marvel, DC and the likes which were fun to watch in the theater once but soon forgotten after. Is it just my nostalgia at play i.e. it was the movie I grew up with or is there really something special about classics like Predator, Terminator 2 or Die Hard that make them still enjoyable to these days? Please also tell us what your favorite action movies are and, if possible, what you think make them stand out?
    1 point
  22. 1 point
  23. Have any footage of this? Would love to see it.
    1 point
  24. So, I had my first full day with the micro and... Wow it really is a fun camera. It is a little cumbersome using a small rig and the buttons are hard to push but the image is just amazing. It seems like you can underexpose, overexpose or nail the exposure and you have a lot to work with in post. And the colors... Nice. Obviously not the most amazing images in the world, but for a first time out with it... I am pleased.
    1 point
  25. I'm not so much for ff cameras. I mean, ok, they are cool, but I still prefer a high end apsc to a mid-end ff. Of course 1dx mk2 is incredible, but imo nx1 is better than most ff under 3000$.
    1 point
  26. What was the moving object.... a tectonic plate? F1.2 on a 50mm is about 2" of focus leeway!
    1 point
  27. The 85mm is not worth it, focusing is bad. 50-150 is incredible and well worth the cost.
    1 point
  28. Compacts like that tend to have a lot of compromises that get in the way of effective shooting--no headphone/mic jacks, no nd, no filter threads, lousy battery life, limited zoom, flimsy build, no hotshoe, etc. The absolute fastest run and gun camera I've worked with is the RX10 (II). Fast aperture, comprehensive zoom range, 3 stop internal nd, filter threads, mic and headphone jacks, excellent stabilization, decent preamps, very sharp 1080p, solid hfr, not bad in low light, weather sealed, evf, articulating screen, and okay battery life. It just gets out of the way and gives you the shot. The original RX10 can be had basically new for ~$450. If you're okay with the bridge camera form factor instead of a compact, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.
    1 point
  29. Hello guys, The video promote military training organized in Warsaw (Poland) for the French (it's forbidden in France) I'm a newbie, I've just started shooting photo and video 9 months ago. There's a lot of flaws in my project, colors and contrast are not matching between the scenes, Bad light set up, etc... I've shot everything with a Nikon D5500, hand guns scenes has been shot with a 5DmkIII raw (not by me), AK POV scenes with a go pro. I did all the editing on adobe premiere I wish to improve reading your advice on this forum.
    1 point
  30. I have used A7 cameras, A7Sii is great, but only using it as a sensor (as we use the black magic cameras, no ergonomics whatsoever), the battery life is the worst ever fro pro work (together with black magic pocket!), menus/button placement just terrible, screens (back screen, EVF) not that great, and I am against full frame sensors for video (I do not like the aesthetic and practical problems it creates). Also, maybe A7 cameras are smaller than NX1, the lenses are big and heavy, so I can't really see any advantage there, in the contrary, with such big and heavy lenses you need a sturdy dSLR like style body. If you earn money from the NXes, the investment is just minimal, maybe for a hobbyist ia not very wise to invest (actually, I am resisting too), but as a short term investment, is not that bad (considering that the S lenses are 2 to 3 times cheaper than similar ones in other systems). GH4 ergonomics are really far behind NX1.
    1 point
  31. The Killer (Dir. John Woo) - mind blowingly amazing & a must if you like action/gangster movies (American films just pale in comparison). Best action sequence - the opening 10mins of 'Hard Boiled' (John Woo again). Don't know how many people die, but its a lot & the gun play is out of this world.
    1 point
  32. Hey! With compacts such as LX100 it´s tricky with manual focus, since it´s fly by wire. I myself handled the LX100 in a store. From that though limited experience I must say, I didnt like the fly by wire focus, neither the ergonomy, neither the EVF for videoshooting or updating from my cheap G6. Jase has quiet some experience shooting with it so maybe he can say more about handling and focussing. For professional filming with little time I think GH4 is just great. Battery life, large EVF. Don´t sell it unless GH5 comes up:) Maybe you like the handling and stabilization of the GX80. But still GH4 with Hdmi out, long battery life, mic input, things the GX80 doesn´t have. cheers
    1 point
  33. Yesterday by mistake I pushed the record button on my camera while having a drink on a terrace in Tokyo (28c here). The camera was on the table and 30 minutes later when I took the camera I was wandering why it was "hot"... have been recording for a good half hour by mistake!! So to answer your question, it can do FOR sure record 30 minutes without any problems and this despite being under Tokyo's sun!
    1 point
  34. You can get more business only if you work more on selling yourself and your business.
    1 point
  35. This is the worst argument and everyone who tries to defend it sounds foolish. Maybe we're not talking about the same type of shooting, but documentary shooting/run and gun is extremely difficult, and anything to aid in that is huge. We're not talking about shooting static shots of grass in the wind or even film where you could use focus markers. We're talking about run and gun doc work where you need to get as much coverage as you can in a very short amount of time. I'm not saying pulling focus is impossible, but the "thousands of people," comment is ridiculous. This is why a black magic pocket camera and a bag full of step rings and some ND filters does not cut it for a lot of work. People think auto focus = amateur, not the case with these cameras…
    1 point
  36. Also with IBIS move past the point you actually want to stop, if you get a wobble from the sensor settling down it won't ruin the shot. As always, slower is better, even with 5-axis.
    1 point
  37. For wide angle adapters - I have a ten dollar Neewer one and like it. Mostly for portraits.. close up it's sharper, and there's added "character" especially wide open (some barrel distortion, edge softness, haze, goofy bokeh). Gets a lot sharper at 5.6, but still probably not perfectly acceptable for everyone. I use it on a 50 mostly, distortion is worse on a wider lens. I also use it on a full frame lens and a crop sensor, would be less confident on full frame for the edges. It also makes the minimum focus distance closer by like a couple feet, but I think keeps infinity.. near infinity on the lens. Doesn't seem to affect the color or contrast of the lens. I forget the large, pricey one that was suggested once here. The DSO one seems like a better performer than mine too, but again, plenty of character. Also, something that should be noted, because it's not sensible.. I have no idea what the multiplier number on the adapter refers to. Mine says .45x, but is more like .74x for focal length. Sorry if that was wordy
    1 point
  38. Oh Cannon... Revenge of the Ninja... Gotta love Sho Kosugi. Also loved Chuck Norris in The Octagon.
    1 point
  39. IMO it's dependent on whether you;re willing to invest in a speed booster ultra for the a7rii. if you can handle the extra $500, the a7rii wins for both video and stills unless you;re shooting 6400iso and higher all the time.. 12mpx isn;t quite enough for still photography IMO. it's ok for shallow dof stuff, but when you want a wide shot with everything in focus I find the 42mpx makes for way more pleasing images - particularly landscapes. I had an a7sii temporarily and decided the low light advantage and s-log3 wasn;t worth getting rid of the a7rii. I'm a still photography hobbyist who earns money from selling tifs for prints, and sometimes do wedding stuff, product photography etc. and for this the a7rii is king. the fact that the s35mm mode on the a7rii is one of the best internal 4k recording images available is a bonus for when I need to shoot video for the day job
    1 point
  40. @kidzrevil Here's a grab from the G7 with Voigtlander. I think I shot that natural with -2 contrast, -5 sharpness, -5 nr, -3 saturation. Graded with FilmConvert
    1 point
  41. Iirc, the Contax Zeiss 28mm lenses and the 28-85 f/3.4-4 all have really nice big focus throws. I would guess the Leica R 28mm elmarit is similarly good, but I haven't used it and don't have a good enough connection here at work to Google it.
    1 point
  42. Parker

    Lenses

    @kidzrevil that's too bad, mine works perfectly and I've never had any problems with it, I guess their quality control must not be up to snuff! But either way, @Mattias Burling that's a really good idea I never thought of before! It seems like you're always after the quickest, most efficient ways to do things (I bought both the edelkrone quick release one and the xume magnetic filter system based on your videos)
    1 point
  43. Yes. Die Hard all the way.
    1 point
  44. I just watched this video that I thought some of you might like regarding video compression. most if not all of you will already know this but it a cool video demonstration none the less. Side note I like it when he throws his coat out of the Ae screen. Cool little effect lol.
    1 point
  45. More people looking for that better image should focus on other things. I'd stick with your current gear and pay attention to other areas... lighting, composition, grading, ideas, style, feel. As this sounds like a business choice, ultimately the purchase needs to increase your ROI. If your current gear is fine for your business purpose, stick with it. Get something later when there is a demand. If it's an emotional thing, you need to have the disposable income to feed it. A lot of the time, my emotional relationship with certain cameras doesn't necessarily mean they are the right cameras for the business. That's why i haven't got a Digital Bolex. I can't justify the purchase at the moment when I have other more important business priorities. If it's just too overpowering, I'd sell the lot and go for a 1DX ii. Great stills, great video. Done!
    1 point
  46. Of course you can, I've shot several documentaries all manual. All single operator. Are you guys kidding? Never heard of a "cameraman"?
    1 point
  47. I 100% absolutely feel you would get new clients with either the C100 Mark II or Ursa Mini 4.6k. You can easily do interviews, documentaries and weddings with the C100 Mark II. Many people do not like DSLR's being used and prefer professional cameras which the C100 Mark II is. The Ursa Mini 4.6K imo is a specialty camera where you definitely can get work doing Music Videos, Events or even small short film projects and commercials, just need to build up your reel and people will DEFINITELY note the quality. With lesser cameras like NX1, GH4, etc. People from my experience really don't value those tools and you're looked at like an over glorified hobbyist. A C100 Mark II will cut perfectly as a B cam with a C300 which are used for a lot of tv shows. Make the step and don't be scared, it can honestly be the BEST decision of your life!
    1 point
  48. I'm sure Andrew will do more comprehensive tests and show some artistic footage later. All I have time for right now is little tests. To users of the G7, this may be kind of old news. But I'm finding with 4k and the improved processing compared to the GH4, you can raise shadows more cleanly than ever before on a Panasonic mirrorless camera. In this test, I shot at ISO 200 and exposed to just before the 105% zebras started showing. The first clip is the raw footage, the second is with raised shadows and the third is graded. With this method you can easily get a shot with the same tonality as what your eyes see and have absolutely minimal noise.
    1 point
  49. What Don said is correct. a GTX980 or 1070 will probably only help scrubbing if the stuttering is caused by effects. H264 decoding is mostly a CPU task and there are only two ways to meaningfully accelerate that (1) Quick Sync, or (2) Proprietary decode hardware such as nVidia's NVENC or AMD's VCE. In either case the software must use those APIs. Currently Premiere CC does not use Quick Sync, although Adobe made some ambiguous statements at NAB about Iris Pro graphics which might imply this is planned for a future version, but they also said Windows only for now. Note that most Xeon CPUs do not have Quick Sync hardware. I don't know if Premiere CC uses NVENC or to what extent. There are several versions of NVENC, each with varying capabilities. Except for Quick Sync, NVENC or VCE, I don't think GPU-accelerated XAVCS (which is H264) transcoding is possible. Some utilities may advertise this but the fine print usually says "only for effects". So if your timeline has lots of unrendered effects and you transcode that to an output file, the GPU can accelerate the effects rendering but not the encoding. Note NVENC/VCE are bundled into GPU cards but they are architecturally not part of the GPU. They are a separate block of ASIC logic (Application-Specific Integrated Circuit): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nvidia_NVENC The good news for Premiere users is Adobe knows this is a problem area and they will be adding significant performance improvements to Premiere, including integrated proxy media, Metal API for better effects performance (Mac only), and possibly Quick Sync (Windows only for now). Until those improvements are available your best best for smooth H264 4K editing is using a manual proxy workflow. Tony Northrup describes the procedure here: http://www.rangefinderonline.com/features/how-to/Getting-Acquainted-with-Offline-Video-Editing-to-Ease-You-Into-4K-8988.shtml Re smooth scrubbing in Premiere CC on 4K XAVCS using a 6700k or 5820, my 2015 iMac has a 4Ghz 6700K, and it is definitely not smooth, nor is my 4Ghz Windows PC, but that has an older i7-875K and GTX-660. I will be testing a GTX-1070 pretty soon and will report any differences. Unless Adobe uses NVENC I really don't see how the GTX-1070/1080 by itself will help sluggish 4K H264 scrubbing since that is an decode problem not an effects problem. However most edited content has some effects so a faster GPU is useful for that. As bad as these issues are for H264, it will get even worse in the future if H265 or VP9 become more widely used, since those are even more CPU intensive. The Quick Sync on Skylake and later CPUs can accelerate H265/VP9 and I think nVidia's most recent version of NVENC can do this. The issue is software must take advantage of these features.
    1 point
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