Andrew Reid

Along with such disappointing video quality on both of Nikon's flagship models the D4S and D810, it's suggested by some that Nikon do not care about video on DSLRs because it is a small market. They make stills cameras! Video is a tiny niche. And so it goes, on and on (mainly from people on photography forums and not actual working pros)... So I was very much taken aback to see 34 mentions of "video", 14 mentions of "cinema" and 10 mentions of "broadcast" in their official press release for the D810. That compares to only 18 mentions of "photographer", 4 mentions of "photography" and zero mention of the word "still" or "stills" in the entire release. Read the full article here

  No, Nikon are not trying to market the D810 at all towards video users, judging by the press release sent out to stills sites like DPReview...   In the heading of the PR it refers to the camera as an "HD-SLR", delivering a TRUE CINEMATIC EXPERIENCE.   Then under that is a sub-heading which says:   "Powerful Video Features and Enhanced Performance, the New Nikon D810 is the Essential Asset for Pro Photo and Video Applications"   Another mention of video in the first line of the main text...   "Today, Nikon Inc. announced the D810, the next benchmark in D-SLR image quality for professional photographers and cinematographers"   And then references pro video 6 more times in the very first paragraph.   "The D810 delivers enhanced response and performance for a wide variety of photographic, cinematic and broadcast disciplines. Whether photographing weddings, fashion or landscapes, shooting documentary-style cinema or video for broadcast, this is the one D-SLR that provides the ultimate in versatility and capability."   And direct from the horses mouth in the next paragraph, says Masahiro Horie of Nikon:   "The D810 becomes a powerful storytelling tool to create images and broadcast-quality video with unprecedented detail"   I can only assume he is talking about a different model?   Nikon then mention no less than ELEVEN video features. (Highlights include ability to change aperture while recording, and zebras. Oh my!)   And it doesn't stop there, they want to sell us the lenses as well   "NIKKOR lenses: Cinematographers and filmmakers are supported with more than 80 NIKKOR lenses, many of which are a popular choice for cinema applications because of their brilliant optical quality and characteristics."   Then finally, the cherry on top...   "Additionally, Nikon will be offering two kits designed for videographers and filmmakers; the D810 Filmmaker’s Kit consists of the D810 body, AF-S NIKKOR 35mm f/1.8G, AF-S NIKKOR 50mmm f/1.8G, AF-S NIKKOR 85mm f/1.8G lenses, 2 additional EN-EL15 batteries, ME-1 Stereo Microphone, Atomos Ninja-2 External Recorder, and Tiffen® 67mm and 58mm Variable Neutral Density Filters (8-Stops)."   The next person to suggest Nikon aren't aiming their stills cameras at video crowd... will automatically be flagged as 'idiot' by the forum software which has a new idiot filter.

  I said so in the review sir... Set the dial to M stills mode and shoot movies in there like normal, but with the benefits of the stills mode. Just be sure to set aspect ratio of stills to 16:9 so you get the proper framing for videos.   I actually prefer to use M stills mode for movie recording than the actual Movie Mode on the dial. In movie mode you cannot use AF-S to grab focus quickly on an object and record video with it locked rather than continuous. Also in movie mode the manual focus assist is a bit soft and peaking a quite low res affair. Pressing the shutter won’t allow me to bang off a still in movie mode either, nor can the shutter button be used to record a movie! I have set my stills to 16:9 so I get proper framing of movies in the stills mode. When I need MF I get a crisper zoomed display and when I press the shutter button I can rattle of a raw still. Only at 120fps does the framing change when I hit record in this mode and I lose the option for the cropped ‘Active Stabilisation’ for movies too but the benefits of stills mode for movies outweighs those downsides.

Why not just use an A7R? Same sensor.

Whilst you lot have created..... what...   A bunch of astounding negativity on a forum!?

  I had one for a week for stills. Sent it back. Ergonomic issues and preferred the 5D Mark III.

Did you just quote YOURSELF!?

I am overflowing with glee.

Source: Trusted Reviews So far, so predictable. Like the Sony A7R the D810 will feature 1080/60p. And you may as well stop reading now! For all the claim to 'go after video pros' after the dramatic improvement we saw with the D800, the new D810 does the absolutely minimum to excite us. I really don't see the point of buying one, especially with the A7S release next week! I do currently have a Nikon D600 which satisfies my needs for stills and Nikon lenses. Video is terrible on that too. I think Nikon really need to up their game. I don't feel the need to add much more information at this time. Check back later for the official announcement and sample videos.Read the full article here

  You don't get it do you. At all. The video is supposed to have a raw, ramshackle, Manchester band / New Order feel to it. Why do you think they left the cars in the background towards the end and have the crew come out?   Of course they could have made it slicker like every other fucking music video... that is not the point...

There is some dodgy stabilisation going on (presumably all part of the charm) but it isn't rolling shutter you're seeing.   Creatively I think the video succeeds. Give the pixel peeping a rest on this one guys.

I don't know at what point OK Go's music turned into New Order but I like it just as much as their choice in camera! Here's the behind the scenes video of how OK Go made their latest video with the Panasonic GH4.Read the full article here

  Downloaded the 1080p version and there's nothing wrong with resolution from the camera... looks very sharply resolved to me. However the upload is too heavily compressed. A shame he did not upload it in ProRes LT.

Despite appearances the third RX100 is no incremental update. It is astounding that Sony have managed to put a built in ND, OLED EVF, 120fps and XAVC codec in a compact camera, not to mention the new 24-70mm F1.8 to F2.8 lens. Sharply detailed resolution in video mode round out the spec. But does the reality of shooting with it live up to the specs on paper? Read the full article here

Haha the wonky in reality curse strikes...   S-LOG 2 is ISO 3200 only, you can't shoot at a lower ISO. Good look with those NDs. I don't understand how Sony claim the dynamic range is optimal at ISO 3200 on the A7S which is why S-LOG 2 is 3200 and DXOMark claim it is optimal at the lowest ISO in all of their tests on all the cameras on the market either. Perhaps someone could explain?   Apparently the cameras which have shipped in the US are not NTSC / PAL switchable. Anyone got theirs yet?   But I have a feeling rolling shutter will be the main cause of wonkiness.   Let's see. Getting mine next week hopefully!

Speed Booster doesn't make bokeh taste of onions...   This was shot on my BMCC Speed Booster modified to fit Canon EF mount Speed Booster on GH4 (bit of a mouth full I know!)  

All lenses with aspherical lenses have onion bokeh, although Panasonic tried new technology to reduce it recently with the 42.5mm F1.2.   The onion bokeh is there with the aspherical lenses on my 5D Mark III without Speed Booster.   Samyang 35mm F1.4 is especially bad for it. But 99% of the time I don't notice it.   I like older lenses like the Canon FD 35mm F2.0 for the bokeh... no aspherical elements... smooth as hell.

  It is not officially shipping yet. These few orders were shipped by mistake.

Yes.   And more details are coming in the next post.

Blackmagic firmware Version 1.8 is set to be released for all cameras simultaneously. The good news is that the work to create a unified firmware seems to be done. This was the work which for so long was getting in the way of Blackmagic adding new features to their cameras (like histograms). From now on we could be seeing some more regular and more exciting updates. Straight off the bat with 1.8 there's a lot of new additions like 4K raw on the Production Camera and a new user interface for all cameras. Read the full article here

  It does not vignette but it does go very soft in the corners at 11mm. 16mm better but not wonderful.

  Just to be clear here, you just made that up.

  Yes as you have stabilisation and proper aperture control from the body. The Nikon mount adapter has no electronic contacts.   Regardless with the Canon mount adapter, you can still use Nikon lenses on it via an adapter ring.   So best of both worlds in terms of the optics.

Along with Philip Bloom and James Miller I have been testing a beta of the first Micro Four Thirds mount Smart EF adapter with Speed Booster from Metabones. Now the final version is available and it will start shipping end of June for $659 at the Metabones site. This version to be released imminently is designed ONLY to fit the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera. This has the lovely 0.58x glass which turns the 3x crop Blackmagic sensor into a much nicer 1.74x crop, approaching the Super 35mm standard size for cinema. James has shot some rather lovely footage with it. Do check that out at Philip's evil rival site to mine :) Read the full article here

I'm working with two musicians, Hauptman & Friendly in Berlin. They are composing sound tracks for filmmakers which you can license for your own work and avoid the dreaded Copyright Match on Vimeo. Pricing will start at just $19.99. The cinematography reel I have edited above showcases some of my cinematography along with the score "Chains" written by Ofer Hauptman. This is in the early stages... I'd love to hear your feedback about what you'd like to get from EOSHD Filmic Compositions and how you'd want to use it. We won't be going for quantity, but quality.Read the full article here