Ty Harper

I used the C300 professionally for a while and loved it (and the C100), but for my personal projects I'd prefer the option of either building up a cage (I've got the Wooden Camera one) with an external recorder and monitor, or travelling light with just the DSLR. DPAF is the one thing I really want but not a deal breaker. A7S II just seems like the practical move but again I feel like the 1DC might be one of those unique looks that become vintage in the future.

Hmmm, did you go back to the 5D MKIII Raw? Maybe I should just buy another 5D III and be content with 1080 raw.

There's a few used 1DC I'm seeing going for about $3800. Should I... Sell my 5D MKIII and pay the difference on a 1DC? I already have a ton of CF cards and my lenses are all Canon (except for a Nikon 35-70mm) + I'm used to the large file workflow. The lack of DPAF and other features is frustrating but I don't see myself ever being able to justify buying something like a 1DX II. I also think as far as long term investments go, a 1DC is fairly future-proof and it's scarcity amongst documentarians (compared to other popular DSLRs) will likely make it a unique vintage look to have in your arsenal moving forward (am I wrong about this?). Keep my 5D MKIII and just buy an A7S II? The A7S II seems like the practical option but I'm a fan of the Canon out the box look (I'm a documentarian first so I'd rather focus on story than worry about becoming a better color grader) so I'm not really looking forward to constantly having to color match. Thoughts? Anything I'm not taking into consideration? Now that it's discontinued do you think the 1DC price will drop or rise?

Yes that would be frustrating. My Hackintosh has no Internet capabilities so that won't be a problem. Honestly the only reason I'm considering going the LTO route right now is a colleague is offering me the HP LTO5 Ultrium 3000 drive for $500. I'm nowhere near the data range that makes LTO a necessary backup option but the buy-in just seems too low to turn down (am I wrong???). I figure even if it doesn't work on my Hackintosh I can either use it on an older mac desktop I have or just sell the LTO drive. Thanks for your advice!

Thanks Marco. I definitely know that with a Hackintosh you have pretty limited OSX upgrade options. Does the BRU software allow for better access to files as far previewing files on a disc or faster file transfers if you wanted to move a file from LTO disc to a regular hard drive?

No one?

Woah, good to know! I've had mine for less than a year with no issues but I can totally see how all those connecting parts could become a problem over time if it wasn't constructed well. Thanks for putting this out there!

I highly recommend the Sirui P204S. I had the Manfrotto video monopod for years and it was good for what it was at the time. I actually sold it on kijiji for more than I bought the Sirui for new. Manfrotto was great for breaking new ground with the video monopod concept but the Sirui has built on that template and is just better, with much more features.

I've seen people extolling the virtues of using LTO drives for long term archival purposes. But I haven't seen a lot of info on whether it works with Hackintoshes. I was looking to pick up an HP LTO5 Ultrium 3000 and connecting it to my Hackintosh via an Atto SAS/SATA bus adapter. https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/760459-REG/ATTO_Technology_ESAS_H680_000_ExpressSAS_H680_8_Channel_SAS.html My motherboard is a ga z97 ud5h and I'm running Mavericks. I've got Windows running on it too so I was going to set it up on that side as well cuz I've heard searching for archived files is much easier via Windows. I'm going with the LTFS format. Does all this seem doable? And are there any other things I should be considering before going ahead with this? Any constructive insight would be sincerely appreciated.

Good to know! No question Zoom's pre-amps have gotten consistently better over time (I was down with Zoom for a minute. Had the original H4 and then the H4N), and what they lack in sound quality they make up for in very practical features and portability. But if audio quality is your priority then the Marantz PMD661 (Version 1 or 2) and the Fostex FR2-LE are still the best bets in the sub $500 price range imho. Unless you really need 2+ XLR mics. And actually the Marantz goes for like $300 used nowadays. I just got a 2nd unit with the Oade Mod for $300 (which makes the amp's even better). It's interesting cuz these two units hardly get mentioned on video-centric blogs, even though they've out performed Zoom's newer H line releases on sheer sound quality over and over again and have maintained their rep (particularly the Marantz) in the pro audio/run n gun radio broadcast world. All that said, I wouldn't mind seeing some proper F8 comparisons to the PMD661 and the FR2-LE because I'd love to downsize + have more than 2 XLR mic channels at my disposal.

I know the Zoom line has pretty much become the go-to recorder for prosumers, and even a lot of pros, but the preamps on these units have always been disappointing imho. Then again I'm looking at capturing audio that sounds great as part of a larger visual/soundscape and equally as great solo for radio broadcast where there's nowhere to hide. I still recommend the Marantz pmd661. Its amps are way better than the Zoom line, the sound is broadcast quality level, but it isn't as big or expensive as one of the Sound Devices units.

Hey all, I thought I had everything figured out. But now I'm realizing there's also an ExFAT/FAT32 formatting issue with these cards and Canon's in-camera formatting process. I've got a 5D III with ML 1.2.3 installed on a 32GB SanDisk Extreme (60 MB/s) SD card. The SD card is formatted in ExFAT and stays that way even when I format it inside the camera. I have a 256GB Lexar 1066x CF card formatted in ExFAT and it stays formatted as ExFAT when formatted inside the camera. This is not the case for my 128GB Lexar 1066x CF cards. Whenever I format them to ExFAT on my MAC (and my PC) they get formatted to FAT32 when I format them in camera. Is the current conclusion that the 256GB Lexar is the only Lexar 1066x CF card that maintains its ExFAT formatting when formatted inside the camera? Any updates, suggestions or insight on this issue would really be appreciated.

Short EPK I did for Toronto activists/musicians LAL, who are close friends of mine. Constructive criticism is welcome. Shot, edited and produced by Ty Harper. cameras: Canon 5D III, Canon 5D II lenses: Canon 50mm f/1.2 L, Canon 100m f/2.8 L, Canon 28mm f/2.8 IS, Canon 80-200mm f/2.8 L, Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 audio: Sennheiser G3, Marantz PMD661, Sescom line out to mic in audio cable with attenuation additional equipment: Lowel Rifa-Lite EX88, Konova K5 slider with the Basic Pan/Tilt controller, Glidecam HD4000 shot using Magic Lantern's RAW hack and edited entirely in DaVinci Resolve

Thanks, really appreciate all your advice! Did you have issues adapting the lens to your 5D and was there a particular K-mount to Canon EOS adapter you'd recommend? I've been seeing conflicting reports about the K mount lenses and its ability to fit on a Canon EOS camera.

Cool, just saw one for about $150 and am really considering going for it. Any experience with the Zeiss C/Y 35-70mm f/3.4 and how it might compare to the Pentax and Nikon?

Which one do you think would give better overall video IQ on a 5D MKIII?

Ran some tests and yes, the issue was me not having the "Files > 4GiB (exFAT)" option turned on. I had checked for it in the past but was looking in the Card settings menu. For anyone else interested, you get to this option by.... (i) pressing the trash can to access the ML menu and scrolling across to the Movie section (ii) scrolling down to RAW video (MLV) (make sure RAW is actually engaged if it isn't already... you do that by pressing the "SET" button on the camera) (iii) pressing the "Q" button on the camera (just above the "SET" button) (iv) scrolling down to "Files > 4GiB (exFAT)" and pressing the "SET" button to turn it on Thank you all for your help!

Actually no worries found it! Hopefully that was the issue. Will run some tests now. Thanks for your help!

Thanks Rob! I'm also using 1.1.3 on my 5D III. Where in the menu is this exfat setting located?

Definitely been shooting at 24p. I'd chalk it up to a defective card but I got two Lexar 256GB cards bought at different times from different sellers giving me the same recording times. Not sure how to trouble shoot this one.

Thanks! So yeah looks like I should be getting about 48.8 minutes with these cards.

Any idea how long I should be getting with one of these cards?

I know most of you have moved on to leaner 4K pastures but I still run with the 5D III/ML combo. I just picked up a couple Lexar 256GB CF cards for cheap and have been consistently getting a max recording time of 38 minutes and 34 seconds for both cards. The camera also freezes up and I have to take the battery out to get it going again. This is with global draw off and on. I should also say these cards seem to work fine as long as my recordings are under the 38:34 max. And the cards were purchased at different times from different sellers. I feel like I read somewhere that I should be able to get around 48 minutes with these cards. Anyone that can confirm or deny this? And if I should be getting more minutes out of these cards, anyone got advice on what I might need to do to get more time out these cards? The only features I have enabled are Global Draw/Live View, custom Cropmarks and False Color (RAW RGB, Log) and as I stated I got the same max recording times with Global Draw off and on. Any constructive advice/thoughts would be greatly appreciated. Ty

Should I assume that the DS1 Beholder is the best handheld small 3-axis gimbal option available for 5D users right now?

This looks really promising... best I've seen so far.... but with a max load of 1200g looks like a 5D III + lens (I use a 28mm F/2.8 IS for steadicam/gimbal stuff) would be pushing it.... and that's not even including an ND filter :-(