Tim Naylor

I'm using the small ones and got about four - five hours. Wasn't strictly timing it. Will know tomorrow as I'm going out to shoot. Being a small monitor, it's not a power pig. What I do like is the Arri style rosette. Found a cheap EVF mount on Ebay that mounts directly to the 15mm cross mount on the Movcam cage and it lines up perfectly especially for shoulder work.

I was checking out the transvideo Starlite HD. They make great gear, especially for steadicam (their Super bright line). Unfortunately, no HDMI. Also, something tells it takes HD in but the screen itself isn't as for the life of me I can't full specs on it. I suspect retina display (960x540). Also if you use Paralinx for wireless (which is part of my Ronin package), you need HDMI.

Andrew, this F&V isn't cheap but for what it offers I think it's a great value. As someone like you who travels a lot it's a no brainer. Though I initially bought it for my Ronin, I'll be bringing it on every doc job and leaving the 5.6 and 7" at home.

So I recently configured my Ronin and quickly realized that I needed another monitor. I relegated my DP6 as my AC's Monitor and went to hunt something that was small, lightweight, etc to mount on the crossbar of the Ronin. Weight being key, I looked for a 4.3 inch monitor. Lot of Movi Ops love the Small HD 4.3 which is nice but non-SDI and low rez. I was hoping when my new small monitor wasn't working on the Ronin, I could pop it on my A7s or some other camera just to have a small on board. One of the problems I've been having with the latest slew of HD on board monitors from Small HD or Marshall is that they ditched the 5.6 size and have gone bigger to 7" and 7.7". I prefer my on boards to be small and sharp. Zacuto's EVF having used it a number of times was a big fail for me. Crap colors, not sharp, etc. Cineroid and Alphatrons I find have poor build quality as well as resolution equal to my iPhone 4s. What I was hoping for was a 4.3 monitor with optional EVF attachment. Big enough as an onboard, small enough to work as an EVF. But it needed to be high rez (at least 720p), have HDMI loop through (because I use Paralinx, and SDI. I pondered TV logics 5.6 at 1080p. It's an amazing monitor but too big for my needs and costly. Then I came across some press releases about F&V's 4.3 Spectra (720p). It clicked all the right boxes but was somewhat pricey (1299.00 with EVF attachment). The ads also make it look cheap (C'mon F&V hire a decent photographer already). Their NAB promo clip was dull as dishwater. As it was so new, no one I knew owned one or rented them. So I took the plunge on spec faith alone (something against my nature). I bought it from a place with a great return policy (Adorama). After unboxing it from a very fancy magnetic lid felt lined box, I beheld an incredibly well built monitor. Built like a tank. Better built than Small HD if you can believe that. Without the EVF piece, it still has a small metal hood built into the housing which really helps with incidental sun but without having to look down a snoot. The EVF attachment is very solid with no distortion (unlike small HD's). But what blew me away was the IQ. Miles better than my DP 6. Sharp as hell and at 400 nits it's pretty bright. Accurate colors and great in low light. It cross converts from HDMI to SDI as well as loops through both SDI and HDMI. Very handy for more complicated sets. It comes with an array of cables for power (D tap, 5V, etc) and has a built in Sony NP adaptor. One NP 750 battery will get you to lunch. 170 degree view angle. 5 assignables. Fisher Price easy menu. False Color, Histo, Peaking, and all the other features you'd expect in a pro monitor. I estimate it'll be worth the extra cash as I'll be using it on just about every job. The only downside is lack of a waveform which may be a deal breaker for some. It has a histo, false color and zebras which is fine for me for exposure. There's talk of a firmware upgrade with waveform. For sharpness and detail especially viewed in EVF mode you'll find this hard to beat. As of now, they're the only HD spec 4.3 inch monitor on the market. Anyway, I'm not much of a review type person but when I find a piece of gear that truly fills a needed niche (pro build HD monitor that's small), I feel compelled to let people know. This being a site that promotes small lightweight one man gear, I think this monitor fits right in. Now my dream gear would be a 4.3 inch onboard 4k recorder or a 4k Ninja Blade to route to (Atomos are your listening?). http://www.fvlighting.com/spectrahd-4.html

A fellow DP friend of mine who has a very close relationship with Canon's Cinema division has told me horror stories of R&D / feedback meetings he's had with them regarding their approach to camera design. His first criticism of the prototype C300's was the EVF placement and he got nothing but confused stares. I'm hoping should Canon revamp their line, they start thinking like cameramen and not stills people. I'm hoping they unleash something that wipes the floor of the C designs. Compact, proper multi mount EVF, Iris wheel in the front, etc....

How about that Shogun? Regarding Guests posts. WTF? If you follow Andrew's purchases, review and criticisms their bias pertains to the way he like to shoot. I often disagree with his assessments on one thing or another, but it comes from my bias's of how I like to shoot. But that's what I love about this site is I see a perspective that is quite unlike mine but without a doubt full useful views. It got me excited about small cameras again. Anyway, keep it the good work in the New Year. Oh yeah, about that Shogun, love to see more comparisons with Odyssey should you be able to get your hands on both at the same time.

​Absolutely. The way I use it on my shoulder is with 18" rods, Wooden Camera Handgrips, small HD or F&V 4.3" monitor/EVF mounted to the Wooden Camera cross piece for the hand grips ,and a counterweight in the back (Jag 35 5 lb). I don't bother with a shoulder pad as it's still super light. It'll work perfectly with the 24-105 because of the Metabones support bracket. It'll be rock steady. For even better support throw a lens support on the rods (I use Lanparte lens support).

​Wait a minute I thought opinions on this film here were closed to those who haven't seen it.

This would be great if they develop a FF. mirror less global shutter. My worry is they may handicap to not interfere with their C series cameras or sell it at a premium price.

​Such strong opinions, you must have had a sneak preview that you're too embarrassed to tell us about. Regarding damaging politics, should've Satanic Verses and Animal Farm had been banned too? Regarding past atrocities both the US and the UK have plenty to account for, but conflating napalm in vietnam and the release of the Interview (or its non-censorship) as a war hawk policy is a desperate stretch at best.

​Atomos Blade

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.

​Yeah, I was hoping for the impossible. Most everything I can acceptably correct in FCPX except those types of shots.

While the US has its faults, unlike some "democratic" countries it has no strong tradition of banning media in the modern era (see Sex Pistols, Kubrick, James Joyce, Peter Wright and UK government). Obama's decision to defend what may or may not be a bad movie ascribes to democratic principles so eloquently put by Volatire: "I disapprove of what you say but I'll defend you to the death to say it." Quite the opposite of the craven position of Sony and its distributors. It's one of the rare moments that conservatives and liberals in the US agreed on something. What's left now is censorship's less official partner in prejudice - judging that which you haven't seen. It's a vile sentiment with a long history embodied by book burners, zealots, racists, movie boycott activists (see Passion of Christ), those who issue Fatwas, cultural snobs and the like.

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.

​It's a chunk of change. I'd rent them first if it's that close (or buy from a company that has a good return policy: Amazon, B&H, Adorama). I haven't used the nX1 but from what I've seen it's colors look great but you may have H265 workflow issues and less DR. I love my A7s. You definitely have to R&D the best in camera pre-sets to get a great color profile, but not impossible. Low light of course is amazing.

​How does it work when you have something with strong verticals passing by something else with strong verticals (ie. Train pulling into a station against a backdrop of pillars)? I find if you "straighten out" your train, now your back drop leans.

A7s. Movcam Cage. Ronin Gimble. I keep the camera in the cage all the time even on the gimbal for mounting wireless accessories.

Atomos looks mighty tempting. Definitely on my toy list to get. Regarding the Odyssey, I can't seem to find any brightness specs on it. The Atomos clocks in at 400 NITs which isn't so bad. OLED tend not to be as bright, but the colors/contrast are top. If someone develops 3rd party storage for Odyssey it definitely becomes more competitive.

Another thing to consider is what kind of work do you plan to do with it. I'd seriously consider the Sony Fs7. It may end up being cheaper than the Red 1. Even though the R1 may list cheaper once you add in support, media, drives, batteries/charger, accessories, you may end up spending more. The FS7 will give you 4k and better high speed options. Whether its IQ is as good remains to be seen. In terms of work, assuming the FS7's IQ is up to the task, it would probably work more as it's well suited to small crew/doc as well as narrative. R1 is not a good doc / run and gun camera.

I think a Red One is a great deal if your looking to get into cinema or commercial style shooting. Make sure it has the MX chip upgrade, EVF and 7" LCD. I've owned both an Epic and a R1. I sold them because I use many different camera platforms per job. But the R1 has a special place in my heart. I actually like the way it balances on the shoulder better than the Epic, its EVF is excellent, and I like not having to use the touch screen (I can't tell you how many times I've accidentally swiped it to the wrong setting - no lock on Epic!). The image quality is excellent with about 13 stops of DR. Perhaps the biggest disadvantage is that it's not a run and gun system or solo user friendly. Because of the size, components, and batteries, you need to shoot this with an AC. If I were to shoot a commercial and given the choice of BMC, URSA or R1, I'd shoot on the R1 in a heart beat. Keep in mind, being a heavier rig you'll need heavier / more expensive support. Here're some clips of something I shot on R1/ MX. http://vimeopro.com/user6325180/narrative

I agree there are some great advantages to 4k but my response is based on how many of its champions here seem to have little concern about flesh tone and color accuracy. There's more talk about specs than skin tone. I see "tests" here all the time without charts or faces. I've followed Hurlbut's camera tests and he does them right. He's essentially trying to keep everything constant except the variable he's testing. I find it great he lets the public see them free of charge. Most of my work these days is in episodic and re-creation TV, some movies. The biggest deciding factors from production heads and directors always boils down to faces, work flow, ease of use and cost. Resolution is quite far down the list. There's a reason why F5/55's are not a big hit. If it's colors were anything close to Arri or Canon it would dominate. I'm hoping the Fs7 does something special.

I have the Rokinons 24,35,50, and 85. They're a great bargain. Geared and perfectly smooth rings. Add a step up ring to the 85mm (72-77) and you have standardized fronts. The 50 is outstanding. Sharp wide open. The 24, I wouldn't take below a 2.0 (if anything 2.8). 85 is excellent as well. app 180 degrees of focus draw which is great if you're pulling off the barrel but short for more precision work. Super light and small as well. I'm also a big fan of Nikon AIS glass my favorites being (50 1.8, 85 1.4, 105 2.8 macro, 135 2.0 and 180 2.8). They're built like tanks and look gorgeous. Also worth looking into are Leica R glass. Great for portrait and interviews. Just gorgeous. If you're really on a budget but want something special check out Super Takamurs. Cheap and look amazing. Screw mount.

It think I'll try it tomorrow. Been steeped in cables and crap trying to configure a Ronin for prime time. I'll test it out with your profile. Thanks again.

No secret sauce settings out there?