Snowfun

Done... Excommunication will follow shortly.

Debating whether I dare post a picture taken with my iPhone of the Hydrogen controlling the P4k on h4vuser... it might incur the wrath of the faithful few.

Once I figured out how to get Bluetooth to connect it works seamlessly. Superb. Now I need to get a cheap zoom/AF lens to play with. Highlight of the forum for a very long time.

After you have delivered the Sock Puppet short to Kye’s desk... I want a three minute short called “My Town” posted here by next weekend. You don’t need a set or actors or a planned story - it’s all happening out there. Be a director and tell us your story about your town. You decide how to edit and cut - fast paced or slow. Day or night? Handheld or tripod? Get music from Eric’s site soundimage.org. Improvise. Create. Direct. Think of this not as some stupid suggestion on an Internet forum (which it obviously is) but as a commission - your first - so try to show off your talent. Who knows if you do it, someone might take notice and the first career building brick might slip into place.

I suppose the easy answer is simply to start directing. You mentioned that within your local community there is no passion for filmmaking. So identify what are the local passions and exploit those by making a film relevant to local interests and concerns. Find a local business with an Instagram account and offer to do a film for them (limit of 60 seconds so it’ll focus the mind). And do it again. Reputation grows slowly - your experience and skill set more rapidly. The people skills will develop too as you relate to those you work with/for. Set up your own Instagram account and shamelessly show off your work. Progress to Vimeo or YouTube but don’t expect huge viewing figures. Be realistic. Remain optimistic. With a hint of idealism thrown into the mix. Possibly the most important thing (others will know a lot more about this than me) is to do something - anything - to get you started... And have fun along the way.

This and the new Sony Xperia 1 show just how dated the RED Hydrogen was always doomed to become... despite having a body designed to outlast the average volcano.

So that’s €10 post Brexit...

Reassuring that Mattias has positive things to say. I’ve backed it.

I think I might risk it...

Solo 75.

No complaints about my Miller Air. Reasonably lightweight and fits into checked in baggage easily. Far more practical than the Kessler Hercules I also have... only good for bruising the shins.

I had mine out in Lapland filming aurora last night (-25) and it performed superbly. Was shooting 6/25 so approx 4x speed. I’ll try real time possibly this evening. I might have knocked the cable but the recording switched from SSD to cFast which is something I need to check. Once it arrives you’ll enjoy it!

Could be me being stupid and not finding it but is it up yet? (Definitely in the “if BTM_pix wants us to wait then HE has a good reason and I want to wait” camp so no hassle!) Hope it’s going well!

I use my cameras in Lapland at down to -35. Condensation is unfortunately unavoidable if used outside for hours. My habit is simply to take the batteries out and then leave the cameras alone - occasionally wiping excess moisture away and eventually things clear. I never remove the lens. I don’t go outside again until the camera is dry otherwise (I assume) there’s a risk of ice damage. The only camera which didn’t like the cold was the original Pocket - it switched off very quickly. The A7S was dropped into powder snow occasionally and (again making sure it was dry before switching it on) was fine. The biggest problem was the Micro - impossible to use with gloves on so fingers got very very cold. I must be one of the few who has got a Sony rx100 to shut down due to cold... The P4k is perfect having a plastic shell and given the price isn’t going to cause me absolute panic if something does happen. I’m sure professional rigs use heated jackets (covers with hand warmers) but other than a plastic bag if it snows heavily (pulled down over the tripod) my cameras are naked. There must be a degree of heat generation internally which is protective during operation. I think the most important factor is time - let the camera adjust naturally.

Ok. So I fell for the Hydrogen hype. And perhaps the 2d camera module will be superb. So final judgement suspended. RED have released a screen protector for Hydrogen. It costs $40. Tax is extra (shipping to UK is rumoured to be an additional $50 but that’s irrelevant). I posted (on h4v) that the price was “interesting” (given the razer phone one fits perfectly well and cost me a fraction of the $40. For two.) Outrage. And the best defence to date is that the RED one has “high transparency”! Yes, folks, it’s see-through. I’m starting to look in the mirror and ask whether I look stupid. But once the module is released all will be wonderful and I’ll have roses growing in my drive. $40...

I feel the need to apologise to our community for being a cluess (sic) and classless troll.

Obvious question... what is it called? Tried searching “BestAppEver” but it doesn’t show up. Will it be available on schedule? Previously I joked about calamities and we now know what happened to Jose so... I’ve charged my Hydrogen so everything is ready to go...

The Sony chaps are but mere amateurs. Now over on RedUser one sees the real professionals at work.

The interesting thing about this topic is the range of responses. From the Zoom F8 (which seems like overkill given the original question as posted - notwithstanding that it may also be the “best” solution) to the F1 (cheap and apparently very convenient) via various other solutions. Clearly, there is no one correct answer although there may be several wrong ones... Is in-camera recording really that bad? Is a Zoom F1 with the supplied lav really better than, say, a P4k with a professional quality lav mic (eg Sony ECM77B sort of thing) plugged in? It’s all very well saying that the best sound requires a sound man/woman. Yes. But in the real world, the question “what should single operators do?” remains.

May winning the vote. Jose resigning. My wife forgetting to make my espresso. Buzzcocks losing their lead singer and inspiration... Calamities can happen. Please make it the 21st!

Fabulous! Now I can justify my Red Hydrogen!!!

Just can’t believe how cheap this camera is. Pop it in a cage (I’ve got the 8Sinn one) and it feels absolutely fine. And it’s still cheap!

And, since we’re all in a good mood & appreciating the lighter side of life, I can’t believe they haven’t sent one of each to Andrew for testing and an independent review...

The time lag in a wireless doorbell makes (door) framing more difficult.

Some of the 3d (h4v) photographs are truely extraordinary. By no means perfect but an astonishing experience. They genuinely capture a scene in a way not previously possible with this level of convenience. Biggest problem is that it’s not possible to share them or view them on anything other than the phone. Not sure how that will be addressed. Not sure I understand why there are so many negative if not vitriolic reviews.