mercer

Thanks! Being a hobbyist, I don’t have a lot of time to practice, so unfortunately it’s been a slow path but it’s good to hear I’m going in the right direction.

That’s not too bad, I guess. I’ve been messing around with B&W lately and the controls in LR dwarf what I can do in FCPX... well at least it seems a lot easier. I graded the top shot in FCPX and then saved the frame, sent it to my phone and opened it in the LR app to do the bottom B&W... I’ll have to look around, maybe there’s a plug-in for FCPX that has similar controls as LR. Or maybe I’ll get a trial of the Adobe suite and give it a go. Thanks for your help! Thanks, that sounds cool. Of course, I love the clarity slider in LR, but I guess it’s similar to Midtone Detail in Resolve.

On my iPhone, the grass looks like burnt out, dead grass like you see in the middle of summer. I’m not surprised it’s a result of FilmConvert though, that program can be a little wonky sometimes.

I’ve never used After Effects but the sliders in Lightroom are so much more intuitive than hsl curves and wheels. The simple sliders in the LR app for clarity and contrast would be a breath of fresh air in an NLE. The Raw adjustments in Resolve just seem too... mathematical. Thanks, Kye... it sounds doable. Do you have a subscription for Lightroom?

ML Raw would be CDNG.

On occasion I’ll save a frame onto my phone and then mess around with it on the Lightroom App. In fact, I find the controls more intuitive than the color tools in FCPX and Resolve. Does anyone know if Adobe Camera Raw works within Lightroom for video or can you create a preset in Lightroom that you can use in Premiere or export for other NLEs? I’ve never used the Adobe Suite, but I’m contemplating getting a subscription because I know a lot of people prefer the color from ACR than Resolve with ML Raw.

I think the 14bit files from ML Raw shine in B&W... especially since I’m not the best colorist.

Some more test shots with the 35mm 1.4. This time in B&W...

It looks good. Are you missing those Canon colors from the 5D3? Panasonic greens can be a pain in the ass. But I think you did a good job. Great detail. The music, shots and color grade gave the piece a melancholy, nostalgic feel. Your model is very pretty as well. What does this mean?

Yeah adapters aren’t as good as Edmika conversions. I’ve found that KF Concept is the best adapter for EF. But if you really like the lens, you may be able to find a permanent Leitax adapter for it.

Thanks this looks pretty nice. With the RC head, it puts me where I want to spend but the closed length and weight are pretty similar to the tripod I already have... I think a monopod upgrade is in my future... I think it makes more sense for my shooting style.

I won an auction for an “open box” Manfrotto tripod. It was a stupid price... $32. I thought it was just the legs but when it arrived it was brand new, never opened and it came with a head. Honestly, I forget the model because, like you, I rarely use a tripod but I recently tested the head (it’s one of their less expensive RC heads) and I was floored by the fluid pan. I may buy another head for a monopod to keep everything the same. I don’t want to spend too much on this because I may get a slider and a small gimbal for my BMMCC. I’ve never used one but they do look finicky... but like you said, if you need an impossible angle from an impossible mounting position... what other choice do you have? Great idea with the plastic cup... I think I’ll buy one of those collapsible camping cups.

That would be amazing. Keep me updated. I’ll even beta test it for you... ? Gotcha, but aren’t certain lenses faster to focus? For instance, I’ve heard that the Panny 20mm is supposed to be a great lens with sluggish AF, does that affect your system? If so, does the slower (af) lenses have more of a slow focus puller feel to them? And finally, can you control the zoom with in/out points? Could I set up a Jaws/Vertigo shot with it? If so, would I need a power zoom lens?

Well done @BTM_Pix !!! As you know, I recently bought a Micro on the cheap. It was a no brainer decision considering I am going to use my existing c-mount lenses with it, but after seeing this... I think I may invest in a couple native lenses for an eventual P4K purchase. I assume it works better with certain lenses? Also, does the camera have to move to obtain focus, or can you select your focus point on the screen?

That looks great Geoff. I love the color of your videos/grabs. I tend to always try to add some kind of BS stylized grade although I prefer a natural “cinematic” look. What camera was that shot with?

@Video Hummus that does look pretty slick... but I assume it’s fairly pricey? That looks pretty cool... I wonder how it handles sandy conditions.

And maybe I’ll pick up a decent tabletop/compact tripod for my low angle shots... Hmm...

Do you have any experience with the Miller Solo monopod? And does carbon fiber really absorb vibrations a lot more than aluminum? With my Benro monopod, I was using it handheld by putting the base into a tape measure pouch I have clipped onto my belt... it actually works great and maybe I shouldn’t second guess myself. But I may upgrade my monopod and attach a “decent” head to it. Right now, I have a Manfrotto RC tilt head attached. It actually works fairly well, but if I want to use the monopod more traditionally, it may help to have a panning head attached. Right now, I’m curious about the aforementioned Miller Solo and the cheap alternative is the Benro 38C.

Yup, I was searching for a small, hdmi evf for ages the first time I bought the Micro. A small handgrip, a tiny evf, a native m4/3 lens and the Micro would be the tiniest workhorse Cinema Camera around.

Nikkor 35mm 1.4...

Hah, thanks. The Sirui is definitely on my short list... I just wish it didn’t have twist leg adjustments. That’s the one negative I have with the infamous Sirui monopod. Part of me still would rather use a monopod, but after a couple cups of coffee and a half a pack of cigarettes, I think I need a little more stabilization. So I need the convenience of a monopod with a relatively fluid head and the stability of a tripod... that isn’t asking for too much, right? Yup, a solid monopod would probably be my best option. I have the Sirui and a Benro. Both are pretty good but I still get some movement. I doubt this is true but I have gravitated towards monopods with the feet thinking I’d get better stabilization but I am realizing that the joint at the feet tends to have a little bit too much wobble?

No worries, I haven’t had a chance to look at anything yet. Half of my “kit” recently went from almost completely handheld to mostly locked down but, due to my circumstances, it still needs to be “run and gun” in nature. One man band narratives are constant compromises and my equipment needs to reflect that. Thanks for the suggestion, and I’ll definitely check out the E-Image tripod. Thanks! A gorillapod may be my best bet for a tabletop tripod. I tend to shoot in some uneven terrains and prefer some obtuse angles for certain shots, so I really need some flexibility for height and leg adjustment.

Thanks for the suggestions, I’ll take a look at them. I have a manfrotto/bogen combo now that I like for controlled scenes, so I’m looking for something compact that I won’t mind getting destroyed or that will withhold the elements without getting ruined. Good idea. Do you know of any “cheap” fluid heads that I can pair with a basic pair of sticks? My current head has the Manfrotto RC2 plate, so I guess it would be smart to go that route since I am already set up with it on my monopod and tripod. With that said, I will probably have a small rig with a follow focus and rails and I’ll use it with a slider as well... so it can’t be complete rubbish. I also need a decent follow focus too, if anyone has a suggestion and a tabletop tripod.

Thanks they all look like great tripods but I should have added that I am using it for an on location tripod. Unfortunately, on location is at the beach, in the marshes, in the woods, etc... so this will get wet from salt water, muddy and full of sand. So ultimately I need something fairly inexpensive... less than $200. Does anyone have any experience with the Benro Aero 4?

Can anyone recommend a compact (travel) tripod for narrative work that is reasonably priced?