Mark Romero 2

I think a fresnel could come in handy when: 1) Bouncing light 2) Illuminating through a window or cookie for a hard light / hard shadows. 3) When you need to use more than one light for a diffused key, and you can shoot two (or more) fresnel lights through a scrim (since we can't really fit more than one light in to a softbox, can we???) 4) When you want a spotlight effect

I am a bit hesitant to suggest these since I am not sure how applicable they are to one-man band videographers. They do inspire me a bit though and I do at least learn "something" from them. Maybe the last one (Indy Mogul) would be most relevant. I really like watching the cinematography breakdowns on The Wandering DP's youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/wanderingdp/featured He tends to feature higher end work, and it can be disheartening when he mentions that they probably used a whole bank of sky panels for the key. But he does at least provide alternative ideas and seems to have a good grasp of how things were actually done. Plus he is funny. I also spend some time on the Epic Light Media YT channel as well for some of their "How To" videos: https://www.youtube.com/c/EpicLightMedia/featured While they do have a fair share of product review videos, they also have a decent selection of how to videos that could work for narrative, but seem to be geared more toward commercial / corporate videos. Tangentially, studying for my part 107 drone license allowed me to get my license and shoot drone video (and stills) commercially. I used remotepilot101 for studying, although technically, you don't have to use a paid class. I think the FAA has their own "courses" on one of their websites. (They have a "course" on their Re-Current test, which you need to take every two years to keep your license current, and only after completing the course can you take the Re-current test, which is only offered through the faa safety website). Studio Binder on YT is a good place to kill a weekend or two if you are interested in breakdowns of how some of the bigger directors and DPs work. They talk not only about lenses and angles, but also about color pallets, music, and set design. And Indy Mogul did have some good stuff, but I think they aren't producing any more new videos. Some of their really good videos were covering things like how to figure out what to charge clients / how to negotiate, and how to calculate production costs. But they also have some decent lighting and audio instructional videos. Probably the Indy Mogul channel would be the best fit for one-man band or a two-man band. Hoping this helps, or at least helps to seed the conversation.

Love the stills. Thanks for posting.

can't delete double posts?!?!?!

I think you are right about that. I think maybe minimum fs7 or Eva1 or Red.

Thank you for the input and for sharing your experience. I will admit one thing: Part of the reason I was interested in the EVA1 is because I saw someone on youtube (and yes, it is always "someone on youtube" who says these things), that said something like, "Sometimes you really need a cinema camera so the client has confidence in you." Of course, the person on youtube who was saying that using a cinema camera builds confidence in clients happened to look like he was 15-years-old and had a stupid haircut. I guess that is what i get by watching videos made by content creators...

Someone local to me is selling a kitted out EVA1 for $4,000 (about five batteries, zacuto view finder, Sigma 18-35 f/1.8, Tilta base / arm / viewfinder extender. I admit that my curiosity is piqued about it, despite my self restraint. But I can't really see a whole lot of benefit over my current setup of my A Cam (Panasonic S1) and B Cam (S5), and Tascam DR-60D II. People have said that the image out of the EVA1 is beautiful, but is it going to blow away the image from the S1 or S5? And the super 35 sensor has me worried about noise and DR. At this stage of the game, wouldn't a 6K Pro be a much better option? (Especially since my partner in crime / teenage son is still using the free version of resolve, so a license would come in handy.)

If we could go back to the "user-friendly" conversation for a moment... One of the reasons I went with the S1 instead of the BMPCC 6K (first version, not the Pro, which wasn't out at the time I got my S1), is because the S1 did look a lot more user friendly to me. Admittedly, the menu system on the BMPCC 6K seems like it is simplified / streamlined for video shooters. I wish the S1-series of cameras had a way to make a more dedicated video menu that was more like the one on the BMPCC 6K And most definitely menu diving on the S1 can be a pain. But the S1 sure has a lot of customizable function buttons. Off the top of my head, I have monitoring LUT, histogram, waveform, zebras, focus peaking, audio levels, and IBIS tied to custom function buttons, while there are already preset buttons for ISO, Exposure compensation and white balance. Then there is the quick menu where I have setup for things like Picture profile, frame rates and resolutions, and the file format because certain frame rate / resolution combos are only available in certain file formats / codecs. (I mean, why do I have to change the container format from MOV to MP4 if I want to shoot in 4K 8-bit instead of 4K 10-bit???) So, personally, I find the S1 to be a really user-friendly camera. I almost never have to do any sort of menu diving (either for video or photography, since you can have separate customizations for both video and photos). Am I missing something here? Most of my shoots are definitely "low-brow" stuff so maybe I just don't know what I am missing???

I have a lot of thoughts on this... and yet, not really a whole lot to say 🙂 1) Will other people watching really notice the subtle (IMHO) image quality differences? I mention this because most of my clients are watching my videos on SD 1080p monitors that probably haven't been calibrated since they left the factory, or on smartphones that, again, haven't been calibrated. And then the client's audience would be watching the videos on everything from desktop / laptop monitors to tablets to phones to TV's. 2) Would the differences in image quality really annoy you? I admit that certain things REALLY bug me. I used to shoot in Sony 8-bit S-LOG 2 and sometimes I would watch those older videos and say, "Uh... that isn't that bad," until I got to a point where the image was near clipping and the rolloff would annoy the heck out of me (and I remember all the hours I spent keying and trying to desaturate highlights only to see the key fall apart). Anyway, for me, that was a big reason I got an S1 and shoot in V-LOG. But I try showing my son (a budding videographer) the difference between nice highlight rolloff and nuclear rolloff and he really can't see a difference. So I guess we have to accept the fact that as videographers / editors / colorists, we are prone to tilting at windmills. 3) Will clients who hire you care about the name brand on the camera? I've only had one regular client ever say anything, and that was on a stills job, not video, when I showed up with my Sony aps-c a6500, and that was, "Wow, that's the smallest camera I think I have ever seen you use." Previously, I had shown up with my Nikon DSLR's. But then again, my clients apparently don't care (as noted above where they can't be bothered to own a halfway-decent monitor.) Maybe if my clients were more discerning, they would pay more attention to what I am shooting with. 4) How much does the S1 "system" add or detract from your projected usage? Are you really sold on using Canon EF glass? Have you looked at Panasonic L-Mount glass? It's expensive, but it is real good. Most of their lenses are sharp wide open and have minimal focus breathing and are parfocal. The primes are designed to take the same filters and are a consistent size so that any focus motors don't need to be adjusted if you are using a focus pull. Plus the size and weight similarities between primes means you should have to re-balance a gimbal if you are switching primes. There are a lot of conveniences the S1 line of cameras give that the regular 4K and 6K CC's don't give (IBIS, tilting screen, EVF, lots of dedicated function buttons, custom settings memory, an IR filter built in). Plus if you are using L-Mount glass on an S1, you don't have to go through each of your clips and adjust distortion and vignette because the camera already compensates for it. For what it is worth... I have been impressed by all the comparisons I see online between the 6K and an Alexa, but the colors ARE pretty different when people just slap a conversion LUT on to the footage. I think we can say that "The Alexa Look" is 50% camera, and 50% colorist.

I basically test it by getting a person's face up on my monitor and focus on it. Try putting a couple of faces on your monitor. I think you can either tap on the face you want, or you can use the joystick to toggle between faces. If you have portraits on your wall, you can try it there, too. Doesn't work with people wearing a covid mask though. I just assigned it to the function button on the front. A little cumbersome if on a gimbal, but pretty easy if going handheld.

This is to CONFIRM what you want tracked. It only works in a couple of focus modes as far as I know: Human / Animal Detect AF Tracking I thought it worked when using 1-area or 1-area + when combined with Human detect, but it seems inconsistent... Maybe it is because I am using an adapted Canon EF lens on the MC-21. The way you confirm the focus is to either 1) press the joystick inwards (into the camera body), or 2) use your finger to tap in the yellow AF box on the screen. If you tap on the screen OUTSIDE of the yellow box, it won't confirm tracking. Instead, it will MOVE the AF box to where you tapped. At least this is how it works for me.

About 90% sure it means Focus Peaking.

I like your sample video!!! I am envious: I have been feeling a bit lethargic lately. There is this art and garden center that is literally five minutes down the road from me with beautiful fall colors that I have been meaning to shoot the last three years and... I just can't be bothered. Instead, I spend too much time on youtube looking at reviews of camera gear that I know I am never going to buy... I like the colors, and I like the overall look, but I think that we are just headed for a world where everything has to be 4K sharp or nobody under 60 is going to appreciate it.

Thanks for the responses. Yeah, I don't really understand why Panasonic calls it 6K photo mode... Why can't they just call it 5.2K video mode? Are they worried that some photographers are so "anti-video" that they will never use it?

Thanks for sharing your experience. I really appreciate that. Most of the time, I don't even use the 5-inch HDMI monitor I have already, so I am thinking I would find it a pain to use the Ninja V. To be honest, I don't think I would like to add a cage and top handle. I really like small cameras (like my Sony aps-c cameras and my Olympus E-M1 MK II).

Does a Ninja V make sense for an S5 for a Resolve User on Windows? Since the S5 has a 30-minute time limit (and no internal 5.9K), wondering if a Ninja 5 at around $600 (with an AngelBird 2TB miniSSD) makes sense or not. I mostly do real estate videos (on a gimbal) but also trying to do more corporate interviews and small commercial businesses. S5 would I imagine be the B Cam to my S1. Or will the Ninja V just end up sitting on the shelf??? I know one or two users of this forum have mentioned that ProRes HQ looks better than the internal codec. But I couldn't take advantage of ProRes RAW with windows and DaVinci Resolve. And, obviously, can't record BRAW on the Ninja V. What would I spend the money on if I DON'T buy the Ninja V, you ask? Probably a wide angle APS-C lens for shooting 4K 60p. 1) Any real benefit to shooting corporate videos in 10-bit 4K with no time limit? 2) Any real benefit to shooting corporate interviews in 5.9K for panning / cropping in post? I would have a B cam anyway, Plus I already have a portkeys 5" hdmi monitor that is 1,500 NITS (but isn't a recorder) 3) Any real-world image-quality benefits? (I am already pretty happy with the internal V-LOG for real estate but if shooting in ProRes HQ would allow me to get better shadows, then maybe it is worth it? 4) Since I don't plan on going to a Mac (nor PremierePro) any time soon, should I just wait until people start selling Blackmagic Design Video Assist 12G recorders used?

There are a couple of head-to-head comparison videos out there. I will link to one (or two) below. I think that pretty much any and every ND filter is going to have color / tint shifts. I have been using a three-stop Hoya MC (HMC) ND filter and it definitely results in a blue temp / magenta tint shift. I always have to adjust my white balance slightly amber and slightly green. That's a filter that costs amount $45 for a 77mm size, so it is what I would guess you would call "mid-tier" in terms of pricing. In doesn't seem to affect sharpness in any noticeable way. Haven't noticed any vignette with the filter and there isn't too much added flare, but there is some increased blue ghosting when the sun is in frame or just out of frame. I use it outdoors when shooting in LOG (which requires ISO 640) so that I can open the aperture from f/22(where diffraction would be heavy) to f/8 (the sharpest aperture for my lens). Three stops isn't all that heavy of an ND, so maybe others who have shot with heavier ND filters will provide better information for you. Slightly Off Topic: For cameras that DON'T have a built in IR filter (or have a very weak one) you will want to get an ND filter with IR filtering, too. I know that Tiffen makes some. I am not sure what the R6 IR filter situation is. It might be great (most likely it is). I based my choice of the Hoya MC based on Griffin Hammond's video directly below. Also, I just watched the slanted lens review of some of the more expensive variable ND filters (Polar Pro, Syrup, B+W, and Tiffen) and their conclusion was that the best variable ND was to... use a couple of non-variable ND filters stacked. In THEIR conclusion, cheap Amazon single-density ND filters looked better than the most expensive variable ND filters.

Generally, lenses with an STM motor are optimized for video shooting, so the might be slightly slower than other lenses, but the focus is smoother, and I believe they are quieter. I don't know which RF mount lenses have STM motors though. I guess the only way to really know for sure though is to see if anyone has experience using that particular lens for video.

If I remember correctly, that Tamron lens is supposed to be pretty darn good, at least when used on DSLR bodies, and at least for photos. I have absolutely no idea how well it would work as a video lens. I have no idea how well it will do on an adapter mounted to an R6. Probably pretty well. As for MBP, I think their prices are competitive, but I don't like their shipping options. They don't shoot priority mail, so you either get very slow free shipping or very expensive faster shipping. I just did a quick google search of Tamron's warranty and they don't cover lenses that were bought used or "open box," so you should probably think about whether an extended warranty from one of the sellers is available at a reasonable cost: https://www.tamron-usa.com/support/warranty_statement.pdf Hope this helps. BTW: If you DO go for the 70-200 lens, I would definitely look at something in the 35mm range to compliment it (despite 35mm not being my favorite focal length). I mean, ideally you would have a 16-35 zoom, a 24-70 zoom, and a 70-200 zoom. But then again, we are living in the real world. I don't know how much a good 35mm f/1.8 would cost. I know Canon does have an EF 40mm f/2.8 STM which could work and would probably be a good video lens and sells used in the $120 area, if you could live with the f/2.8 aperture and the slightly narrower field of view (compared to 35mm). Personally, I probably wouldn't go with the 50mm f/1.8 because it is just a bit too close to the 70mm on the 70-200mm lens. Hope this helps.

One benefit of refurbished cameras over even NEW cameras is that they have had someone from the offical repair center go over the cameras thoroughly. When a new camera comes off the production line, they are going to give it a quick diagnostic test, maybe take a few frames with it, and that's about it. When you buy refurbished, it means someone has really taken the time to look into the camera. (At leas more so than when it rolled off the assembly line.) Back in my Nikon aps-c days about 6 years ago, I would buy refurbished from Cametta cameras (RIP). I was always happy with how the gear worked. (Bought two bodies and a couple of lenses form them). They used to have a lot of officially refurbished Nikon gear and it carried the same Nikon refurbished warranty. I also bought my Nikon D750 straight from Nikon Refurbished for about $1,400 or so when they were selling new around $1,800 and it worked fine. Nikon DID have some shutter recall programs where they replacing shutter boxes on ALL Nikon D750 cameras, whether they were having shutter problems or not. And they were perfectly happy to do the shutter replacement on my D750. BTW: I think Sigma has a good warranty / service on used lenses. I bought an old Sigma 10-20 used and it didn't have LiveView AF capabilities since the lens was made before Nikon had implemented LiveView (contrast-detect) AF. They said that even though I had bought it off of craislist, to send it in and they would update the firmware to get it to work with Nikon LiveView.

Hmmm... they might have something on their website. I would look in to their professional service plans. It MIGHT be overkill for you, but if you are dropping some serious $$$'s on equipment, you might feel better about having a service plan. But I am just saying this based on MY experience with Panasonic, and how if I had realized there was only about a $200 difference between a new S5 and the used one I got, and that there was the service plan for new bodies (and the free lens), I would have gone with new.

I bought my Panasonic S5 used, It really only "saved" me about $200. Not sure if it was much of a savings though. Didn't realize it but people who were still buying them NEW were getting the Sigma 45mm f/2.8 thrown in for free. Also, Panasonic announced some sort of discounted service plans, but to qualify, you had to have cameras you bought new. Sooo.... check to see if there are any sort of service plans from the manufacturer that may be tempting or if they are giving away items.

I have several Yongnuo LED lights and flash guns. Based on my experience with them, I would be VERY hesitant to buy a Yongnuo lens. I would worry that it would break within three months.

Depending on where you will be shooting from, and depending on how much you can crop in (for stills, anyway), an 85mm f/1.8 could be handy due to the darker conditions and less attractive backgrounds found in high school sports. So the shallower depth of field AND the extra stop of light COULD be helpful if you can get close enough and / or crop enough. It might mean however that you would end up shooting in 4K 30p / 60p and then delivering in 1080p for video so you can crop in enough in video. I don't know how fast the AF is on 85mm f/1.8 lenses is. It might be great! It might be mediocre, since it generally serves as a "portrait" lens. So it is worth looking in to first. Again, this is all contingent on you being able to get in close enough. EDIT: See @kye post immediately above with his observations about the volleyball shots. Off topic but possibly helpful: While a lot of photographers swear by 24-70 f/2.8 and a 70-200 f/2.8 for wedding photos, one of the best wedding photographers I have seen uses f/1.8 primes. I would assume though that the 70-200 f/2.8 would be the "safe" bet for most sports due to the distances involved. During daytime events when there is enough light, you might be able to use a teleconverter too on the 70-200 f/2.8 (I don't think all lenses are able to be used on a teleconverter). A 1.4X teleconverter will give you 50% increased zoom range at the penalty of one stop of light (and DOF, I think), so your f/2.8 would be an f/4 lens with a zoom range of 105-300mm. But I have no idea which Canon lenses are compatible with the various teleconverters. And again, it would probably only be beneficial during outdoor daylight shoots.

OK, to simplify things and to make sure that we aren't just giving you bad advice: What exactly is your budget? Also, do you anticipate a need for things like audio equipment and lighting and backgrounds and green screen and a computer rig that will handle the video? Because if you don't already have such things, they are going to have to come off the budget.