Ty Harper

Hey all, Looking for feedback on the 5D RAW image's performance on a large screen projector. This is for a doc I've been working on for a bit about the history of Toronto's hip-hop scene. I mention it's a hip-hop doc because I'm also thinking it might be possible to use the 5D RAW image's limitations at that screen size for an aesthetic advantage (?) Additionally this doc is a political exercise, meant to show local communities - whose histories filmmakers/media companies consume for profit - can create, own, tell and watch their histories in a theatre without having to subscribe to the rules and exploitative tendencies of the established film and television industry. Any constructive feedback would be greatly appreciated.

I think budget, whether you will have daily access to power outlets, and whether you need to capture HQ audio, are key things to figuring out what's best and affordable for you. Based on a `once in a lifetime' 10-day trip I took a couple years ago where I didn't need HQ audio, I'd recommend: 5D Mark III with ML Raw Canon 28mm f/2.8 IS Canon 100mm L f/2.8 IS 72mm ND Filter 58 to 72mm step-up ring 67 to 72mm step-up ring Zacuto Z-Finder Pro 3.0x NEXTO DI ND2901 portable storage: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1061096-REG/nexto_di_nese_nd2901500g_nd2901_with_500gb_hdd.html (I'd buy the 500GB one and replace it with a 1TB SSD) NEXTO external battery (although it looks like these are discontinued????): http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/588817-REG/Nexto_DI_NENA_21112_ND_External_Battery.html#customerReview 2x128GB Lexar 1066x CF Cards 2x64GB Lexar 1066x CF cards 4xCanon batteries 1xCanon charger CarrySpeed Sportsling strap system (allowed me to switch lens without putting the camera down): https://www.amazon.ca/Carry-CS-Sport-Camera-System-Mounting/dp/B0095M789A/182-0140037-4406003?ie=UTF8&*Version*=1&*entries*=0 2TB My Passport Ultra (you can connect this to the NEXTDO without a laptop): http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1140711-REG/wd_wdbbkd0020bbk_nesn_2tb_my_passport_ultra.html And it all fit snugly into a ThinkTank Retrospective 5 (this bag's look does not scream EXPENSIVE GEAR INSIDE :-) : http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/847336-REG/Think_Tank_746_Retrospective_5_Shoulder_Bag.html Of course you're constantly offloading from CF card to portable storage to external drive, then repeating.... all while shooting. Also you have to remember to charge everything at the end of the day or you WILL be screwed the next day. This might be too tedious of a workflow for some and I don't know where it falls on the affordability spectrum but it served me well for what I needed. I got amazing footage, had no regrets, and would probably do the same thing again.

Just haven't switched yet.. is it that big of s difference? But more importantly, will it help me solve this workflow issue? :-)

Hey all, I've been doing all of my raw editing and grading within Resolve 11 Lite and this weekend decided to try a roundtrip with FCPX. However it was a nightmare to say the least. I keep getting a "timecode extents do not match" error message. So far the only way I've been able to relink the files when I bring the fcpx xml file into Resolve for final grade has been by manually force conforming each clip with the original dng files... which is obviously not practical. Does anyone have a tried tested and trusted settings for a 5D Raw to MLV Mystic to Resolve to FCPX (proxies for edit) back to Resolve (raw for final grade) workflow? I am totally the dude that prefers to figure things out on my own and hates asking for help. But I spent three days tinkering and trial and erroring and trying to figure it out to no avail. So this is my last resort. I honestly wish I could just edit/grade on Resolve bcuz I had fun doing my first edit in there, but the audio functions are really subpar and the inability to export just the audio is frustrating too. Anyways, any insight on this would be greatly appreciated. Sincerely, Ty And I've been adding reel numbers too.

Thanks Sekhar! I agree, it would've made sense to throw in actual examples of the photographer's work. Unfortunately this was more an exercise in shooting/editing/getting familiar with grading than sensible storytelling :-) 1st grade. Just did the interview shots. Password: Malvern https://vimeo.com/145587099

Hey all, Just shot/edited my first piece. I'm coming from a radio producer/documentarian background and have produced some stuff for television, but this is the first thing I've shot and edited myself. It was done strictly as a learning exercise. I've dabbling in video in my spare time (which has been scarce and so painstakingly slow) for about 5 years now and have learned a lot on these boards. I definitely appreciate the information and experiences shared here and would greatly appreciate any constructive criticisms and advice. Password: Malvern I did basic color correction as I'm just beginning to learn how to grade, and honestly thought it looked decent until it got uploaded to vimeo. So any vimeo tips would be appreciated as well. Here's a run down of the stuff I used: Camera: 5D MKII (ML Raw) Lens: Canon 28mm F/2.8, Canon 100mm F/2.8 L, Canon 80-200mm F/2.8 L Audio: Sennheiser G3, Marantz PMD661 Lights: F&V R-300, Lowel Rifa Ex-88 Conversion: MLVMystic Edit/Basic Color Correction: Da Vinci Resolve 11 Lite Export: ProRes 422 HQ (resized to HD 1920x1080) Password: Malvern <iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/145473746" width="500" height="281" frameborder="0" webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen allowfullscreen></iframe> <p><a href="https://vimeo.com/145473746">People I Know - Kevin Jones (No Grade)</a> from <a href="https://vimeo.com/tyharper">Ty Harper</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p>

​ From comments I made on a similar topic in a different forum: Personally, I went through the same search when I went on vacation a couple months ago. I finally just bit the bullet and picked up the Nexto DI ND2901 (1TB version) with the external battery. I also brought a 2TB WD passport that could connect directly to the Nexto for mobile/computer-free back up although I never needed it. I was shooting ML raw, not 4K. Also, I haven't really checked this further, but I figure you could probably buy the cheapest Nexto version and put your own larger hard drive in it later (although I'm sure it'll void the warranty). Anyways, I relied on it daily for 2 weeks, and it never let me down. It does present a new level of file management awareness, bcuz the Nexto drive and the external battery become another piece of equipment you have to make sure are both fully charged the night before + you'll want to know exactly how many transfers you can complete in the field before you run out of power. All that said, no regrets (yet) and media-wise it takes CompactFlash/SD/SDHC/SDXC cards, so I feel like I'm fairly well future proofed (as long as I don't end up with a CFast camera :-) http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1061094-REG/nexto_di_nese_nd29011t...

Cool, many thanks to you both, and everyone else, for your insights!

@Ebrahim Saadawi, @michaelfilm, any idea how much quality is lost on pictures taken when the filter is kept in the camera? Is it negligible?

Aaah ok makes sense.. thanks for clarifying!

@Ebrahim Saadawi and @michaelfilm, thanks for the input. Have you read Andrew's review of the Mosaic filter where he talks about sharpening in post? "I recommend putting sharpness to medium or high with the VAF-5D2 and avoiding the soft zero sharpness image that we’ve put up with to date. The amount of real detail is definitely closer to 1080p at this setting with the anti-aliasing filter to soften the images than using the internal processing alone to soften the image." http://www.eoshd.com/2012/02/canon-5d-mark-ii-mosaic-engineering-vaf-5d2-anti-aliasing-filter-review/ Just needed clarity on the sharpening bit, because what I get from Andrew's stance (at least at the time that he wrote that review, was that sharpening in-camera first was the better option. Thanks again for your thoughts on this!

Also Tom can you confim whether you have the original version or the newer B version?

Thx Tom, and great video. This was actually one of the few examples I came across prior to posting. Do/did you boost sharpening in-camera at all? Also, have you tried with wide lenses (past 28mm)?

Thanks @Ebrahim Saadawi :-) Yes, I shoot raw exclusively with the 5D Mark II and hope to pick up a Mark III once the price hits the sub $2000 range. Eventually I'll likely grab something from the A7 series, but till then I'm totally cool being a step behind the whats-hot-now-curve. Anyways, I really just needed more feedback on the B version as there isn't that much out there. My main concerns are the tradeoff in softness, whether Andrew Reid's suggestions to increase sharpness in-camera as opposed to in post have been tried by others, and whether wide angle lenses are still an issue with this new version.

​Thanks @Sekhar, I shoot with mostly primes except for my 80-200mm f/2.8, but that's definitely being taken into consideration. Aside from the positives of moire removal, how was the overall image quality for you? Also, did you have sharpness set at medium as suggested by Andrew Reid in his review of the original filter? Thx! http://www.eoshd.com/2012/02/canon-5d-mark-ii-mosaic-engineering-vaf-5d2-anti-aliasing-filter-review/

@BrorSvensson, you've seen lots of people discussing the first version or the newer, B version? I've only come across a couple mentions. I know the filter does those things, just interested in whether the new version is that much better, also interested in the claims they've made on the website regarding the newer version's wide angle performance: "For the Canon 5D Mark II: A solution for 1080p moiré and aliasing. Now revised for excellent wide-angle performance!This unique, precision optical accessory for the Canon 5D Mark II produces a profound correction of the 5D2's well-known 1080p video moiré and aliasing artifacts. The revised design of the VAF-5D2b provides the same excellent anti-aliasing performance as our original VAF-5D2. However it incorporate our newest and most advanced optical design: for excellent performance with wide-angle lenses, and minimal focus disparity." http://www.mosaicengineering.com/products/vaf/5d2.html

Hey all :-) Just wondering if anyone has had first hand experience with, or seen/heard any noteworthy reviews on, Mosaic's upgrade to their VAF-5D2. Was thinking up picking up a used one I found online, but not 100% sure it's even worth it at this point. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks for all the advice. I'd def like to sell the 7d at least but the 5D is imho worth just keeping. I was just really hoping I could get by with a new camera/5d Mark ii combo a bit longer. I've talked to pro-editors that feel like matching these cameras isn't a big deal but for now I guess I'll wait for more info. The A7s is def my first choice right now tho.

Mmmm, this sharpness issue is likely the same thing Ebrahim was getting at, although wouldn't sharpness be a relative issue regardless of which camera I choose? And wouldn't overall color matching be more of a potential distraction harder to compensate for in post? At least sharpness is something you can adjust a lot easier.

Ebrahim, thanks for your thoughts/suggestions. I've looked at the GH4, and so far what I've seen, look-wise, has not won me over. As for your other suggestions, I kind of figured sharpness would not be a key deciding factor when thinking about how well a 5D Mark II could match - look-wise, overall - against an A7s, GH4 (etc). Of course simply going for a Mark III would make the most immediately practical sense, given my outlined criteria, but working with its RAW files (when the need to up my quality arises in the future) would be cumbersome and comparatively limiting, it seems. The A7s is what I'm more gravitating towards, but having to rely so heavily on my ability to properly color correct and grade + match camera looks, this early in my understanding of that discipline seems a bit much right now, especially for efficient turnaround times.

Hey all :-) Looking to upgrade to a new camera. I'm not one to chase what's hot, new and trendy. In fact, I still use a 5D Mark II/7D combo as my A/B Cam (respectively). So based on my situation, if you were looking to pick up one new camera - primarily for short doc use - and wanted to keep at least the 5D Mark II in the mix as a B-Cam, what newer camera would you pick up right now? The GH4? A7s? 5D Mark III? Other suggestions? My main concerns are: being able to match the new camera's look with the 5D Mark II, overall work flow (like many, I'm a one-man band), the long-term value of any new camera I invest in, and the degree of 4K future-proofing I can attain with this purchase. I'm a newbie when it comes to color correction and grading, but my aim is to get better at it as I go along. Additionally, all my lenses (100mm Macro IS f/2.8 L, 80-200mm f/2.8 L, 24-105mm IS f/4 L, Rokinon 35mm 1.4, Tokina 11-16mm 2.8) are Canon mounts. Any thoughts on this would be greatly appreciated!