mkabi

There is a lot of those types... And, I get it... I know Engineers (Civil, Mechanical, Electrical, etc.) who take up photography as a 'hobby', but instead of practicing photography they practice comparing spec sheets. Zooming in to pixel peep and complaining about DR... isn't really an art form (but thats just my opinion).

At the end of the day, its about how you sell yourself (and that has every bit to do with how much you value yourself too). If I was in either the Real Estate biz or even the wedding biz, I would create a tiered pricing approach - along with a demo reel to help the client see what the difference is between what you offer in terms of service (for each price point). For example for real estate: Bronze package: 2 hour shoot - 1 day editing - $500 - Demo reel showing what is included in this price range. Silver package: 4 hour shoot - 1-3 day - $1200 - Demo reel showing what is included in this price range (if the customer is not able to see that much of a difference here, then explain). Gold/Platinum package: 8+ hour shoot - Multi-day editing - $3000 - Demo reel showing what is included in this price range. This is not newbie (I know it all) pricing.... this is.... I've been here for a while, you obviously heard of me and/or seen my work pricing. Obviously, you try to do your best on every single package - don't skimp, because you want to retain a customer, you want repeat customers. At the same time, figure out what you are capable of doing within the set parameters, don't apply nd filters on the window if you only have 2 hours. Nonetheless, you go the extra mile for the Gold/Platinum package - use your own creative facilities for this.... I can't teach you vision and/or creativeness... that's all you. But here is a tip, people have a hard time envisioning themselves in a space and how to fill a space, this is why they have staging (they put rental furniture) to fill a space. Go the extra mile by... I don't know... hire actors (they are a dime a dozen willing to work for cheap - try mandy.com... audition first, Rolodex the good ones for repeat performances, just don't do the same crap in every video), here is an example: get a couple that are engaged in a conversation with a mug of coffee - laughing it up. You don't have to have a real dialogue going on, mute them out and have your choice of music overlayed. Have children running around, or a teen browsing on the ipad nestled on the couch... This is how you sell yourself... BTW, for the gold/platinum package only (actually the best videos in this category), stamp your name and/or company logo on it. Because, if its a good video, people will associate the video with the person creating it not the real estate agent selling the home, thereafter - depending on the demand - you adjust the price. Editted to add: If you are new to this.... I would throw in some stuff for free the first few times.... its like how drug dealers throw it in till you are hooked on it approach

Quick question, which camera do you currently use? Does the screen black out when you attachment SDI or HDMI?

Really? I do.... Like, for example here:

But its the same sensor, may be the IBIS can be the culprit, but I still believe that they will be able to correct it with a firmware update.

So it depends on the lens. Need to correct that in the next firmware update.

I never understood the need to do these rolling shutter tests... Even in high action shots... Speaking from a audience member perspective, what information do they see in the fast pan? I'm not going to pause in the middle of a movie and say see.... That skew? Why can't you just edit the shot out? Edit the fast pan out? And if there are a lot of micro movements say a runner deeks left runs right comes against a cornerback spins left... Sure if you are doing a close-up of that you are going to have to pan fast, but I suggest you set up a secondary cam that is capturing the entire game with a wide angle. Then cut, splice and throw together in post.

I'm confused how is that different from the current A9 with a grip???

Agreed! And there is a reason for the high shutter speeds, because you usually double the shutter (180 degree) to match whatever current fps you are shooting at... so 24 is 48, 30 is 60, 60 is 120 & 120 is 240 and so on.... but the trick with Twixtor is that you're doing a hypothetical 240fps, 500fps or 1000fps or more.... but you are only really shooting say 4K @ 60fps so you set the shutter speed to say 1000, 2000 so it works with Twixtor to get that 500fps or 1000fps. Sometimes its better to even set shutter speed at 4000, but think about how much light you are losing. Also, thanks for the heads up on the new plugin to treat motion blur... I also agree on this as well... Just to be clear, I wasn't promoting Twixtor or other slo-mo softwares, was just responding to @Geoff CB when he said that the creator of the 'Dark Side of the Lens' - "Completely ignores the shutter speed rule, contrasty as hell, warp stabilizer everywhere". And, as @Matthew Hartman pointed out, that you need to plan for it to be really effective for its intended purposes. I think that the creator of 'Dark Side of the Lens' was intending to use Twixtor to some effect, but its hard to really plan it out on a run and gun - nature type video. So he set it @ 720/60p - recorded as much as possible and as fast as possible with high shutter speeds (or not) and did the rest in post. Also, "it seems shooting super-slomo at super shallow DOF + a LUT gets instant mojo approval" - I don't know so much to say that... what I can say from the video that I posted with the BMX bikes - yes... there is this cool/awesome factor, but notice that there in lies the problem with Twixtor too. The image quality becomes some blurry soft mess, hence you thought this super shallow DOF, when in fact those rain drops are SFX/CGI add-on courtesy of After Effects and Red Giant's Trapcode Suite, placed there to mask the problem or to get the viewers to set their sights away from the problem For those interested in Twixtor, Phillip Bloom has some really good advice on it: http://philipbloom.net/blog/twixtor/

@pszilard Can you compare the FHD of the X-H1 to the D750 (Because I've heard great things about the D750), better/worse/on-par? Also compare it to X-H1's 17:9 FHD (which is the DCI 2K). Size wise, with the grip does it feel as big as the D4? Without the grip as big and as heavy as the D750?

First time I saw that one. No doubt that that video is nice, but I know why you see all the stuff you see there.... I don't think it was deliberate though... He is using 720/60p from a Canon in many of his shots there. Most likely using Twixtor too.... end result.... Here is my favorite use of Twixtor:

You sure that the GH5S is capable of 10 bit DCI 4K at 60p? I thought it caps at 8bit no 10bit. Same as how GH5 doesn't do UHD 60p at 10 bit, they did the same here with DCI this time.

This! lol.... I was thinking it, but you said it and articulated so perfectly. Thanks.

I wonder myself, never owned a Panny so someone can probably answer this with more confidence.... I feel Continuous AF may be the culprit as opposed to pure MF. People want amazing IQ but don't want to work for it.... Tsk... Tsk... Tsk.

Don't look to the X-T3 to fulfill your needs. As per one reviewer, it's not going to have IBIS nor the video features of the x-h1... Because it only covers that side of the market where the X-T2 sits at - so may be 1080/120p (my guess) but nothing else in terms of video and a sensor upgrade.

As I've said before.... What I like, you might not like... etc... etc... I think that instead of over analyzing the word "mojo" and what that word refers to.... You are better off trying to replicate a scene from a movie that you specifically like.... So, pop in that DVD find that scene that you like, pause it.... Take a screenshot and try to copy that.... Now... If you feel that you are not able to copy that after your first attempt.... Don't give up... Try different settings..... Come as close as you can in-camera before moving on to post.... Adjust in post, but don't over do it. If after a hundred attempts, you are not able to copy it exactly.... See if someone with more experience and better grading capabilities can use that camera to replicate that scene and learn from that...if after all that... It's not to your expectations..... May be then you can blame it on the camera and may be try a different camera...

I don't know man... you seem to be settling-in.... you know.... in that comfortable - convenient zone. From full frame to mft.... from leica primes to 1 standard zoom.... pretty soon a point and shoot would be good enough... dare I say it? An Iphone will be good enough? Add the 1dc in there too for good measure and we are golden.

I've been wanting to answer your question for a while now (from other threads/posts)... every chance I get its sorely interrupted with things happening around me. I feel that you want someone to either define characteristics so that you can understand image quality better or you want to debunk the myth behind image quality altogether (good luck with the second one) The problem with this is.... you are asking questions that can not be answered properly, especially in words. What I find pretty, you might not find pretty.... what I love, you might not love, what I like to eat, you might hate to eat, etc... etc... And, how many words can you really use to explain to me why you love your wife and kids? You can write books and books on the reasons of why you love your wife and kids, and I still would not be able to understand, simply because I don't love your wife and kids (btw... this is a joke!) However, there can be a general concensus of what looks nice.... like the Mona Lisa, the starry night, venus de milo... Remember, in the other thread, you said that you can't trust me in that nobody wants to see wrinkles... it was a generality.... you're a student of psychology (an assumption as you said you wrote articles for Psych)... whats it say in Social Psych. about Romantic Attraction? Other than familiarity and proximity... Age is a factor no? Youth is more attractive than Age Old.... and nothing shows age more than wrinkles... nobody wants to see wrinkles... why else are there make-up and anti-wrinkle creams? You have to be your own barometer in judging what you like.... and not like... if you like sharp, detailed over saturated pictures.... then you like that or not... don't let the rest tell you otherwise. For me, I have a barometer of my own... I know what I like... but it comes from years of watching movies.... and its not just the recent oscar winning movies like you mentioned the Revenant, etc. But years prior.... and sometimes you can tell what doesn't fit that schema, you know.... you watch those movies and then you film something with a VHS camcorder and then you compare footage and its not really comparable.... Here is a good example, but I doubt you will be able to experience it... the Hobbit was released in theatres in both regular 24p and 48p - I saw them both and I really really hated the 48p version. It was hyper-real and made the costumes, props and make-up look fake. So, if I had to go as far to say that even though both were made for cinema... the 24p is the more standard format and the more cinematic version of the 2 different versions.

Hear, hear. Cheers.

Please.... give us your honest opinion as to what you think of the camera... ergonomics... image quality... etc.

I'm confused here. So the 5D2 has mojo or not? Also, you hated the 5D2 because of the ergonomics? I feel that you will hate the 1DC for the same reason... almost same ergonomics as the 5D2.... no touch screen, no DPAF, everything is manual.

No this is true too. The C300ii is still cheaper to rent and easier to work with (plug-n-play) than any mid-tier Red cam and definitely any Arri cam.

What no love for the 2.5K BMCC?

Don't buy a C300ii... It's too expensive... And the demand for it will lessen faster, because it's been on the market for a while now. You have a safer bet with the C200. I see a real potential in Kinfinity cams, especially 6K... It's also an exotic import that people will try in the rental realm. Even the blackmagic 4.6K is potentially something people would rent. How about this... You go talk to one of the rental houses near you. Ask them advice about which camera you should invest in.. and see if you can strike a deal with them too. I had the C500, and I sold that too. But that guy was telling me to sell it and invest in an $8K follow focus cause that would be rented out more often than my Raven. In any case, I walked out of this with amazing connections. Most of my jobs are through this Rental house, and from time to time I rent my equipment on a discount.

See... That's the thing... It's always need over want right? Everyone wants 8K, but then end up renting the C300ii or a lower end Red 5K or 6K, because it's out of their budget or they don't have supporting systems to edit it. The guy was talking about getting an Alexa Mini, but for as long as I was part of it - that mini never became part of his portfolio. Funny thing is he had some Canon DSLRs and even some Sony mirrorless cams as well. He talked a big game about getting out of renting these small cams, but in my opinion, he should have these various affordable options available for the dreamers that come in with that 8K dream ?