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Showing content with the highest reputation on 08/04/2019 in all areas

  1. BTM_Pix

    Lenses

    That would be a great website wouldn't it? Put in a film you like and it tells you what lenses were used and the nearest suspected stills equivalent.
    3 points
  2. aaa123jc: "hopefully I won't lose my new camera" -- don't worry your camera's quite safe, I've just uploaded my entry:
    3 points
  3. It looks like real 10 bit output with Photoshop or Premiere can be had also with non Quadro GPUs https://www.engadget.com/2019/07/29/nvidia-studio-laptops-10-bit-photoshop/?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAGYGcJqCpsN6fZxkxecMFrPJtczQ9mncPXZHZmdgAkLeLW2YDeqtjR5Eea17GeC701xju_Af38TpovgAoGX-M0FnBSg22cXNQyiqPdpz0EvowgMS83xOCU4g4Q3JEp5HYiATA8iMNN_jlXmrchwknTOaCHkyvnbWIxx3ZyWmNBN5 https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/geforce/news/studio-driver/ Glad to know and share since I am building up my desktop!!
    2 points
  4. BTM_Pix

    Lenses

    In the great equaliser of the granite worktop and colourful booze bottles then it would likely be Samyang again This 50mm lens shootout is about as comprehensive as it gets and includes the Cooke Panchro. http://www.mikkotimonen.com/50mm-shootout
    2 points
  5. heart0less

    Lenses

    Couldn't agree more. Right now I'm browsing through a ton of free (or public domain) stock footage and almost all the shots I like come from ~WW II or 1960s. They are more detailed, more flexible, more good loking than anything shot at the beginning of 21th century. Really recommend taking a look at pond5's The Public Domain Project (https://www.pond5.com/free)
    2 points
  6. mercer

    Lenses

    I think there’s a middle ground. There’s a reason why the Sigma 18-35mm is the most widely used lens by members of this site. If you go to the Red User forums or to the Cinematography dot com forums, you’ll find a different discussion. So, sometimes, at my level and skill set, you have to balance priorities. Would I like to use a set of Cooke Panchros or Zeiss Super Speeds? Of course I would, but it’s just not realistic. Is the Leica Summicron 50mm f/2 a better lens than the Helios? Yes, without a doubt. But at $400+ is it that much better than the $150 Zeiss Planar 1.7 or that much better than the $85 Nikkor 50mm 1.8? A lot of the most respected films of all time were shot with one lens. In FF terms, they were mostly shot with focal lengths between 28mm and 50mm. So there is something to be said for finding your favorite focal length and spending some money on it. But also, at my level, the likelihood of my work even being seen is a long shot and if it is, it will most likely be viewed on a phone. And the biggest takeaway, for me, from that test... is that phones are a big equalizer. With that being said, I think most shooters would benefit from finding what they like in an image and buying the best lens they can afford that offers those qualities. In the end, story is king and most audience members will never notice, nor care about the attributes or flaws of the lens used. But filmmaking is a visual art, so if the swirly bokeh of the Helios can evoke an emotion or have an effect on your story, then there’s no reason not to use it. Or if that’s all you can afford, go make the best movie you can make with it.
    2 points
  7. Yes, but Otago Street in Glasgow, Scotland, rather than New Zealand I'm afraid
    2 points
  8. well the topic was kind inflammatory and considering andrew did a review of it not so long ago and gave it a thumbs up. i think people should take a more considerate approach to potential forum titles. and leave the clickbait titles to bloggers
    2 points
  9. Sorry, no way I am going to try to read all of that in it's present format. Appreciate the effort though.
    2 points
  10. mercer

    Lenses

    It’s not about embarrassment, it’s about legally being allowed to shoot at the places I’m shooting at. You need permits and insurance to shoot a film. In a lot of places, you can’t shoot a film in your own house without a permit. Now I would assume that 7 out of 10 times, nobody would care, but when I need to get a shot on a crowded boardwalk, without a bicycle cop giving me grief, I need to be as fast and as inconspicuous as possible. Hell, when I have my Rode Micro and deadcat attached to my camera, I get more looks and atttention than you can imagine... Getting this shot handheld, outside of a motel room, ended in a 5 minute conversation from someone who thought I may be a Peeping Tom... Also, you mentioned earlier about never needing to shoot with an f/1.2 or 1.4 lens... well when you shoot in public, if you get a bystander on video, you would need a release form from them granting me permission to use their image in your film. With a fast lens, they’re so blurred, it doesn’t even matter.
    1 point
  11. webrunner5

    Lenses

    You have to grow some balls and do it like it is suppose to be done. Anyone can half ass it. A crew using bounce lights, Audio and believe me you can get by doing it. Everyone gets out of your way and lets you do it. They will be fascinated by you and your crew. Trust me. People that make stuff happen make stuff happen. They lead. Best advice I can ever give you. Look like you know what you are doing and go forward. That is how you get though life. Lead, don't follow. Go for the ring. Don't suck hind tit. You will always be lacking if you slack off and do the least. But treat everyone equal, everyone is not a leader, they are looking for one. You will reap the rewards even in your video stuff. I am not saying step over people. Just learn your craft, use the best stuff there is you can afford and go for it. You can't never be best at every aspect of Video, never happen. If all you can do, and do that great is one aspect of video you are way ahead of the average person. Have others help you. That is why Hollywood exists. Combined skills in one area with one goal.
    1 point
  12. Well I would imagine he has Snapped a few snap peas in his life. Really like it. Well done. I am sure he has a ton of knowledge to enjoy, to soak up.
    1 point
  13. mercer

    Lenses

    Thanks for the link, I’ll check that out. I love anything from the 50s through mid 80s. The image doesn’t feel like real life but it’s still detailed and vibrant and breathes. Another aspect of still lenses that I find very interesting is that a lot of lens manufacturers used the same glass and coatings on their still lenses that were used with the cinema lenses. For instance, for Taxi Driver, Scorsese used Zeiss Super Speeds to shoot that film. The triangular bokeh in the night scenes where Deniro drove his taxi cab is a pretty famous visual. Well, Rollei Zeiss lenses share the same glass, with the same coatings, and the 35mm and 85mm 1.4 lenses even share the triangular iris as the super speeds. With modern Zeiss lenses the ZF Zeiss Classics share the same glass and coatings as the much more expensive Zeiss CP.2 lenses. Canon K-35 cinema lenses, which Canon won a technical achievement Oscar for, are believed to be cinema versions of their FD aspherical lenses. I think it’s pretty damn cool that some of the lenses that the Gods that came before us used are attainable to us mere mortals in their still versions on the used market. There’s a historical pedigree we get to be a part of... a visual appreciation to the Masters that came before us.
    1 point
  14. webrunner5

    Lenses

    Yeah but like it has been said, it is not desirable to add sharpening in Post. So I want the sharpest camera output and the sharpest lens hanging off the thing. If I Need soft that day put a filter on it, rub your greasy fingers all over it, or correct it in Post. But you can't get back what you never had. And then there is no consistency to using all these odd ball lenses if you need to change focal length. True Cine lens sets have the same T stop and the same look through the whole lens line other than extremes at each end. Some sets are all exactly the same diameter for ease of focus pulling rigs. There is good, valid reasons Pros use them. Rental Houses don't have a bunch of odd ball lenses in their inventory. Sure for Photo you can use nearly anything. You can spend 4 days in Photoshop fiddling with that one shot if you desire to. Video is a different beast. What good is having 50 odd ball lenses when you really only need 3 or 4 damn good Cine lenses. The total cost in this day and age is probably about the same. Even for Anamorphic I think the Leica Summicron R 50mm f2 is a Way better lens to use than the Helios 44M 58mm f2. The Leica is in a whole different league.
    1 point
  15. maybe you stay in Europe first!!! https://c7adapters.com/en
    1 point
  16. kye

    Lenses

    Yeah, that's why I said "modern looking" and "vintage looking" They sure knew how to make a great lens, even back in the day.. It's interesting reading the lens threads on reduser and the language they use when talking about CP.2 or CZ or Takumar or Russian lenses. In a sense they're even more sensitive than we are here and I imagine it might be because they're shooting in RAW (and possibly in a higher average resolution and with higher average DR than us too) so the character of a lens in terms of sharpness and micro-contrast would be more apparent. If we take @mercer shooting RAW but only in 1080, or we take many others here shooting 4K h264 with cameras that don't allow disabling of sharpening then we require a lens with more softness in order to get the same aesthetic because the lens either has to be softer across larger pixels (1080) or first has to overcome the sharpening (h264). Lenses are part of an image pipeline and need to be matched to the other elements at play to get the desired final image. I still haven't worked out if I like the 4k h264 or 5k h265 mode in my GH5 yet, and I'm also yet to use some of the lenses I've settled on in the field on a real project (for example, the Konica Hexanon 40mm/1.8 which is rumoured to be one of the sharpest lenses ever made, although who knows if that's true) so footage of that is still basically theoretical. I am still learning to grade, and also still trying to figure out what I like in a final image (although I seem to pick the highest bitrate / most expensive cameras in blind tests so there is that) so in a sense my entire image pipeline is still in flux. I go back and forth around wanting a lens that is neutral and gets out of the way because it's sharp and has excellent performance in the corners and wide open vs a lens that lends focus by being softer and duller in the corners and has flattering of micro-contrast by being softer overall, especially when wide-open. In this perspective I'm kind of lucky because I bought what I bought and don't really have the budget to justify going in a different direction with my choices! I've ended up with a variety of lenses and so in a sense I've just given myself problems in post to match them, but in a way that's also a good thing because playing on a harder level of difficulty is what sharpens the mind and the senses
    1 point
  17. Alright I have done a lot of research on light, physics, electricity, metals, and have passed high school and gotten an associate's degree. I have also used a camera for many years, and now I am going to try to explain how a camera works in technical detail that I hope is very logical and sound. We all know how the big bang works, gas is emitted and forms electrons,protons, and neutrons. This gas create compounds and elements scattered and found on Earth. There are certain elements and compounds which have more protons, or more electrons, or more neutrons... What I'm getting to are the elements and compounds that have more electrons. Anyway, these items that have more electrons are like silver. Create a reflection from the protons that the radiation of light has, which comes from the gas of the sun or the gas from a light bulb.The silver then is picked up and screwed in and placed with other materials like silicon and that's the camera sensor... Which of course silicon is made from sand like glass... Glass is found in mirrors. The silver is combined with several other materials that are sensitive to light. Sensitivity to light is like the materials found on a mirror. Anyway these materials are metallic and thus can have a electronic signal. The electronic signal from a battery source which is formed from chemicals that are stored energy with acid. Anyway this energy from the battery source creates an electronic signal.The electronic signal passes and goes through the metal etched surfaces of the circuitry in the camera with the sensor. Anyway the sensor from the electricity have a negative charge that is powerful enough that once a button is pressed on the camera... Light strikes then bounces off this negatively charged sensor... Thus forming an image. How is the forming done? Well... A lens with glass elements like how our eye works... Has a front part which corrects the refraction and reflection of light rays.The middle part is the part that affects how big the front element can see the landscape you are pointing your camera at. Anyway light reflect and refracts through these glass elements that are concave and convex they go through a diaphram that chooses how big or how small light can go through. The light rays travel through these glasses and go into the diaphram, which is a hole for the light to travel to form the reflection of the image that is on the sensor... Thus forming the image... Like how a mirror works.... Well if that is the case then why is the lens necessary? Because...The lens reflects light onto the only part of the camera most sensitive to light which is the camera sensor on the camera. The lens is the gate that is opened for light to travel through and meet it's point where it is formed on the sensor. And that sensor is very small and is a metallic surface.The camera collects these protons on the photosites of the metal surface of the camera like how a solar pannel works. And these signals that are reflected protons and electrons become numbers.The numbers inside the circuitry in the camera become pixels.And soon those pixels have color from the combination of the three layers of blue red and green on the sensor and some coding... Three pictures of each a color red, green, and blue combine and form a color image from the pixels.And this is all in the circuitry which collects and stores memory in special metal combinations and etched in from drills, special lasers, and all other sorts of factory equipment. Anyway the pictures from the pixels form through the display where LEDs create for each pixel from the picture and thus your image is made. After all it also is stored on memory flash or any other special connectivity that stores infromation. Where you can now see your picture of a cat. How all of this equipment is put together is through special plastic from oil and special materials.screwed in and glued together. Markings are made from special equipment, and special oils combined to make paint are on the camera to show you what setting you can use affecting the electric signal of the image like ISO. And that's all, thank you.
    1 point
  18. Reminds me of a blogpost of mine once upon a time... (a friend asked me to explain him the basics, so I figured, might as well write some shit down and put it online). Including the 'WORK IN PROGRESS. CONTENT WILL BE ADDED. EVENTUALLY…' haha, yeah, like that ever works out. ? Does contain Dracula, a love triangle and sunglasses tho.
    1 point
  19. kye

    Lenses

    Although it's too late to reply without knowing the lenses, I did look at them blind and my observations were: B and D were obviously more modern looking glass (the contrast on the whiskey screen left was telling) A and E were obviously more vintage looking with sharpness falling off towards the edges of the frame C was interesting because it wasn't modern, but still had quite strong contrast on the colour chart with bright whites I'm not surprised that @mercer liked the softer rendering of A and E, and TBH I'm not sure what I would prefer. If I had to choose (blind) then I'd have picked B or D because I can always soften them in post if I wanted to. I have two samples of the Helios and even on MFT where the corners are cropped, they're both still Jekyll/Hyde performers being sharp in the centre and soft on edges, and then sharp as hell when stopped down sufficiently. Cool test - thanks I was going to say that in reflecting about all the vintage lenses I bought, I think the Takumars are the best IQ for the money if you're into a softer rendering lens. I shot my "this is not an official entry" film I posted in the $200 film challenge with the 55/1.8 on a SB on my GF3 and I really liked the rendering and the flares. The problem for me is they focus the wrong way for my muscle memory. If I was on FF I think I'd be tossing up between a set of Samyangs and a set of Takumars. The Samyangs suit my "get a neutral image in camera then process it heavily in post" philosophy and the Takumars suit my observation that "you can't simulate everything in post" !! If you want to buy a job-lot from some sucker who bought a bunch of vintage lenses and is too lazy to sell the ones he doesn't want then just let me know. Asking for a friend.
    1 point
  20. Well the Z system lack 10bit internal, which Panasonic has (both MFT and FF). I think Nikon Z series is already arguably "the best" mirrorless at the moment, but if Nikon implemented 10bit internal then that would make their case even stronger. And this is why we'll see a Nikon DX mirrorless sooner rather than later. Because we're in the transition period to the new mirrorless era, and if Nikon wants to keep on dominating the low end market (which is key to do! As today's low end buyer might be your professional or keen enthusiast of the future, get them hooked while they're young!) then they'll need DX mirrorless cameras in the future.
    1 point
  21. ha! No I just changed my profile pic last night (which I don't even remember doing.... I was out drinking last night) That was a photo from NZ's Beard Contest last year (this year's one is a few weeks away), the beard looks shorter because it is braided in that pic?
    1 point
  22. no idea what a vat tax is, however its probably included on top of every other tax we already pay. you could probably build that wall that you want a litle higher and all the way around. Dont any of the specialness seeping out now do we.?
    1 point
  23. er... me too, how about a short youtube video that may be more watchable, you could even make it for the $200 camera challenge then your guaranteed and audience. Even if you did lose. i seriously doubt anyone wants too take a camera off an aspiring director. i dont but then i might be more chivalrous than the rest perhaps not knocking your zeal dude, but unless you tell a good story and can animate that story somehow, maybe not. I think there is a reason why we have categories like users and other categories like makers.
    1 point
  24. That's a bit of a low blow andrew, as host of this site and a mentor with much experience and alot to offer the rest of us. I,d expect a more tolerant attitude. Comments like this do not grow your website. regardless of whether he's right,wrong or a complete idiot. I know you have this persona of telling it like it is and thats fine. However making it personal and smiting some one down with derogatory comments makes you no better than the schoolyard bully
    1 point
  25. If you are young, I am too old to do it for a couple of reasons, too old too dig, too old to live long enough for them to grow, start planting Hanging Trees lol. You will need them down the road trust me. It is Only going to get worse.
    1 point
  26. thank you @webrunner5 ????
    1 point
  27. You do know you are allowed to use Paragraphs. Novel concept. Looks like you Did pass typing.
    1 point
  28. Half the whole damn world has turned into a rip off, knockoff bunch of Whores. Never make me King I can tell you that. The over population problem would be solved quickly.
    1 point
  29. Here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1DCwfsMDQhA8m0v7XXdE5Ja-Jhq3hPQfL/view?usp=sharing
    1 point
  30. When it comes to anything Apple power/ charger related - It is often best to avoid the cheap Chinese knockoffs. Always better to go for the expensive versions made in the factory next door.
    1 point
  31. noone

    Lenses

    The Sony Zeiss 55 1.8 has spoilt it for me so not looking for 50ish lenses anymore. I agree that age and condition of an individual copy of a lens means you can not really compare two lenses and have that representing ALL copies of those. That said, I have had a LOT of them and from memory would rank them for my liking something like- 1) Canon FD 50 1.2 L best legacy lens by far (though a long way behind the Sony Zeiss). 2) Sony 50 1.8 APSC stabilized AF lens if it was full frame it would be 1 3) Pentax 50 1.2 K second best legacy lens by far (I used it for around 20 years and it fell to bits from overwork and being tossed around my bag a lot even though it was extremely well built) 4) Nikon 50 1.8 AF (non D made in Japan) A lot better than its price. 5) Canon AF nifty fifty (I just never really got to like that much though it was ok). Below that all the rest (and there are a few) are pretty much about the same . Not rating a ancient Biotar 58 f2 I had (tiny, lots of blades, only a single coating and no click stops). Very sharp but very low contrast. I liked it a lot but would not use it for many situations.
    1 point
  32. From my experience, the really cheap ones are all as good/shit as each other so my rule of thumb is to get the one with the largest number of positive reviews and the least number of reported fires. This one fits the bill in that respect. https://www.amazon.co.uk/SIXNWELL-Compatible-Macbook-Charger-Magsafe/dp/B07R3T53YG
    1 point
  33. Mako Sports

    Sports videography

    https://www.abelcine.com/articles/blog-and-knowledge/client-profiles/last-chance-u-ready-for-anything-on-and-off-the-field Good read, Last Chance U is on a Netflix with 4 seasons. Looks like they used F55 as the A cam for all seasons, Varicam for some low lightstuff and fs7/fs5 for any run and gun situations.
    1 point
  34. Nah I think you are wrong a some of your points. Right now I don't even Have a camera at all, because my stuff got stolen. But you know what even if I had insurance for it, or even won the Lotto not sure I would even buy a real camera now. It was just so much of a hassle to try to take something compared to just reaching in my pocket and bamm, it done. Is it as good, no, but for the average person it is More than good enough. And the average person is who your going to show the footage to to boot, even if you own an Arri who really is going to see it? Heck maybe 4 people on here even post footage at times. Here in the States there is just about Zero camera stores left. Wal Mart, Best Buy have nothing but cheap, useless P&S cameras. Even the average person know their phone is just as good except for the silly 400x lens on the P&S. 10 years from now you might not be able to give away a real camera. I don't have a clue how camera manufactures are going to even be in business down the road. Sure a few super high end Cine cameras dedicated to Blockbuster Movies might be left, but that is like a 100 cameras a year to sell If you are lucky. 10 years from now there probably won't even be real Actors. So you might not even need ANY cameras for movies or even Soap Operas. All done in computer. Nah if I was Canon right now I would pick up my marbles and just go home. I really don't think there is a future for what you call real cameras down the road. Why bother fighting the inevitable. There is no money in it anymore. Phones have just flat killed cameras like it or not.
    1 point
  35. portrait mode gets rid of the need for most people to have telephoto glass. they do have different aputure settings in the pro app programs. smartphones have a one button click to go into photo mode. it's really not any slower, for most people. and I've been fooled by the iphone portrait mode so many times now on instagram. And I work in this business . Cinema and semi pro photography will continue, but will be more and more niche. just as film still hangs on. You are right. I am theorizing about leica. If Mattias you are able to make a prediction, do you think the new-gen leica will offer something more to casual rich people that gets them to want to chuck out their current phone, now that the iphone portrait mode is getting to be "good enough" for most people, and it's one less thing to bring around? Also aren't you a big Leica enthusiast? I have no skin in the game. But I do wish Leica survives, as I do with canon. I think their glass is really amazing. I haven't ever used one of their cameras, but I am sure they are quite amazing as well. the rich are getting richer for sure. And watches is a status symbol for many rich people. High end cameras are not. I think the iphone x is a status symbol moreso. Shooting with a camera is dorky, and will always be dorky. Never sexy. Unless it's a film camera then rich hipsters drool over that. But I don't think rich kids notice whether another kid is shooting with a leica or a sony. And without the #leica hashtag on a instagram post, no one is probably going to notice the difference between that and most other high end cameras like sony, nikon, canon, and iphone portrait mode.
    1 point
  36. It is a terrible design with awful ergonomics and engineering. I would rather have any other small camera that exists. I am recording 73 straight minutes on the NX500 on scorching Mediterranean heat and has never overheated to me.
    1 point
  37. Sorry, it's not a modified or regular Helios. Sorry, it's not a Fujinon 1.7 c-mount. Funny, it's sounds like a TV show game, and now behind the curtain I will reveal the mystery lens... it's a... wait, I cannot say anything until Monday 5th August at 20:00 GMT+0.
    1 point
  38. The A6500 is so thin body wise you can barely hold it. I am surprised it doesn't overheat in 1080p. It is an amazingly small body.
    1 point
  39. This one was shot with BMPCC4K, Helios 44 and Hypergonar S. T. O. P. https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=381338402710980&id=196512047679611&refid=18&ref=content_filter&__tn__=*s-R Another one from BMPCC4K and Helios. This time Elmoscope II was used: Even though I'm not a big fan of Facebook groups, I have to admit that Anamorphic Shooters group (apart from everyday 'just showing how my gear looks like' posts) is a great source of knowledge and inspiration.
    1 point
  40. Hugh Brownstone helps people wake up on the good deal that the Z system represents... Now having completed the basic trio 35-50-85/1.8, in lightweight, weather sealed, razor sharp, relatively affordable packages. IF they also deliver on proresRaw as promised in September-ish than I suspect we will be talking about Nikon for a while.
    1 point
  41. Parker

    GH5 to Alexa Conversion

    Still getting the hang of this lut, I'm liking what I'm getting though! Nice, soft highlights and pleasant colors. Just have to make sure to remember to always custom white balance with my grey card, I tend to get lazy, especially when I'm running and gunning. Here are some shots from a recent shoot:
    1 point
  42. Wow Olympus like output on Steroids lol. I like it!
    1 point
  43. I wanted to share a run and gun vacation travel film in Costa Rica. I took a Baby Hypergonar 1.75x with Voigtländer 40mm f2 and Bolex 8/19/1.5x with Jupiter 11a f4 135mm. I had a ProtoDNA variable diopter in front of both combos. GH5 scenery setting. Finished in 5k.
    1 point
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