EOSHD.com - Blogs

EOSHD.com - Blogs http://www.eoshd.com/blog.php EOSHD.com - the DSLR filmmaking blog, forum and news site featuring all the best video DSLR cameras en Tue, 07 Sep 2010 23:28:54 GMT vBulletin 60 http://www.eoshd.com/images/misc/rss.jpg EOSHD.com - Blogs http://www.eoshd.com/blog.php <![CDATA[Latest articles have moved - the EOSHD Filmmaking and HDSLR Blog & Forum]]> http://www.eoshd.com/blog.php?b=75 Tue, 13 Apr 2010 19:34:53 GMT You can find all our latest articles on the home page at www.eoshd.com (http://www.eoshd.com) The blog section of the site has been replaced with... You can find all our latest articles on the home page at www.eoshd.com

The blog section of the site has been replaced with the new design. ]]> EOSHD http://www.eoshd.com/blog.php?b=75 Fuji, Kodak, Sigma, Sanyo join Micro 4/3rds consortium, plan HDSLR and video cameras http://www.eoshd.com/blog.php?b=74 Thu, 01 Apr 2010 09:44:55 GMT

The deal is done.

April 1st is a strange news day by all accounts and it's good to have some fun, especially as the HDSLR news is a bit slow right now. But some of the real news today has been buried amongst the flurry of joking.

Well, out of the blue has come this -

After lengthy talks with Panasonic and Olympus, 4 new manufacturers have signed up to produce Micro 4/3rds product lines.

Fuji will make a Micro 4/3rds mount mirrorless HDSLR similar to the GH1

Kodak have also joined the consortium and will produce a smaller GF1 style camera with their own sensor.

Sigma will provide lenses for now but for the future my sources say a Micro 4/3rds camera based on their Foveon sensor is in development.

Sanyo has also joined the group, under owners Panasonic. Sanyo will manufacturer lower-end Micro 4/3rds mount interchangeable lens video cameras and camcorders.

Induvidual company announcements and a joint statement won't be available until their product plans are further advanced but you can see the official confirmation of this on the official Four Thirds consortium website under Supporting Companies.

http://www.four-thirds.org/en/contact/group.html

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]]> EOSHD http://www.eoshd.com/blog.php?b=74 (April Fools Joke!!) Panasonic GF2 to be released 1st July with Leica lenses http://www.eoshd.com/blog.php?b=73 Thu, 01 Apr 2010 06:09:32 GMT

Panasonic are to tap into the range finder market with the GF2, by offering a selection of new Leica glass. The lenses will be Leica's first in Micro 4/3rds mount and feature HD optimised AF in video mode.

Panasonic are said to be worried by the growing number of customers shunning Micro 4/3rds lenses and putting Zeiss glass on their cameras via an adapter.

The first Leica lenses to be released for Micro 4/3rds are:

Leica G Summilux 25mm F1.2 HD ASPH
Leica G Summilux 35mm F1.4 HD ASPH
Leica G Summarex 85mm F1.4 HD ASPH

There will also be a special edition bundle of the GF2 featuring a Leica kit lens (25mm), Leica badge on the camera rather than Lumix, and membership to Leica's Elite Camera Club.

For years now, Micro 4/3rds users have been shooting professionally with small equipment, up against cameras with real stature like the 5D Mark II. Apparently some of Panasonic's executives were laughed at while out taking photos of cats in Tokyo by a large group of Canon photographers. Panasonic therefore intend to leverage the respect of the Leica brand throughout the world. The GF2 Leica special edition kit will be available July 1st in a range of colours - pink, red, blue, green. Pink being standard.

Although the Leica range of Micro 4/3rds lenses from Panasonic are indeed Micro 4/3rds mount, they will 'not work' on Olympus Micro 4/3rds cameras in order to protect Panasonic's exclusive relationship with Leica.

The camera will also come with a Leica branded shoulder strap and an attachable body extender which enlarges the camera to 1Ds proportions, when a camera with stature is required like at weddings or on group photography tours.

EOSHD.com has also sniffed out some facts about the new GF2.

12 MP RMOS (Rangefinder MOS)
Titanium battery compartment door
Video wise it will feature 640x480 Flash recording format, so as not to compete with the forthcoming GH2.
ISO goes all the way to ISO 409,600 (however at the extended ISO the camera will display a blank image)
There will be no pop up flash as people complained of eye injuries from it whilst using the add on EVF
The LCD will be an AMOLED model, badged Samsung (due to patent reasons)
The camera will come with an instructional video by Philip Bloom
Comes with an optional replacement badge stating 'GL2' (L for Leica). This move was done in response to a focus group finding that regular GF model users were labeled as having a 'Girl Friend', and Panasonic did not want to risk a Girl Friend 2.
It features a greatly more complicated layout than the GF1
Ken Rockwell will feature in a launch presentation, with live music by Lady Ga Ga, who will be renamed for the day 'Lady GF'

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]]> EOSHD http://www.eoshd.com/blog.php?b=73 <![CDATA[Preview EOSHD.com's new site design]]> http://www.eoshd.com/blog.php?b=72 Wed, 31 Mar 2010 19:08:17 GMT

**Site news: I have been working on a new home page for EOSHD.com**

To view the preview, click on the 'HOME' button under the logo at the top of this screen.

I hope you like the new look, with the sidebars. These can include pretty much anything I dream up. Suggestions are welcome.

What do you think of the layout?
Any problems?
Does it fit on your screen?
Anything untidy that you dislike?

It would be great to hear your thoughts on this new layout and you may comment at the bottom of this article! :cool:

Also a thank you - to you. All 1000 of you who visit the site every day, on average. It's been a great start, and to have this many followers after 2 months is a dream come true in a lot of ways - and allows me to invest in the site more and more.

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]]> EOSHD http://www.eoshd.com/blog.php?b=72 Samsung also developing a global shutter NX? http://www.eoshd.com/blog.php?b=71 Tue, 30 Mar 2010 06:52:23 GMT

Samsung have apparently come up a global shutter design whereby two separate sensors work together with timed rows producing an electronic shutter that creates an image free of skew.

Whilst it's good to bare in mind that these diagrams may be fakes, they could as easily have been leaked from a patent, a semiconductors presentation at an industry conference or from a suppliers meeting. K-Rumors, the Pentax and Samsung news website which broke the story does not offer an explanation of where the source got the drawings.

The sensor is a large 12 megapixel APS-C sized CMOS.

To me, the diagrams don't make sense.

I can't work out whether this design represents a true global shutter or a work-around involving a synchronisation method for a standard row-by-row readout of the sensor. I also do not understand why it has to be divided into separate left and right channels, seemingly with two separate sensors. Current sensors are read vertically from top to bottom. Maybe Samsung are exposing continuously from left to right and at the same time performing timing adjustments?

Here is my interpretation of the diagram -

Row sT0 is the first to be activated (exposed), by that I assume it has an electronic shutter of it's own. I also think this row would be the last to be read and that the 'dual sensors' left & right will fire at the same time and offer multiple exposures right up to the point of the last row to be exposed.

By contrast row 9's shutter is delayed by a certain amount of time but I think that's the first to be output. So the diagram seems to be saying that the exposure is offset by the read-out timing and the correct row exposures from each sensor are chosen to be output.

But the problem here is that I simply cannot work out how you can achieve a global shutter by exposing each line at a different time with their own electronic shutter, regardless of it's 'dual sensor' design.

A mechanical shutter allows the whole chip to be exposed at once and then read-off line by line, a process which results in a frame rate too slow for video. Current HDSLR continuous shooting rates in stills mode are determined by how fast this read-out can be performed per second. So on average, just 7fps.

Perhaps someone else has an interpretation of the diagram which makes sense?

For now, I'd put this one down to make-believe.

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]]> EOSHD http://www.eoshd.com/blog.php?b=71 An Interview with Eolake Stobblehouse http://www.eoshd.com/blog.php?b=70 Sat, 27 Mar 2010 12:54:37 GMT

Eolake Stobblehouse is a Danish internet pioneer whose websites are viewed by millions. Eolake's DOMAI.com was one of the first nude art websites, having been around since 1997 and is still one of the few successful commercial sites to feature artistic nude photography rather than hardcore images.

Here we chat about the internet, being noticed as an artist, and making it a commercially viable living.

The iPad looks nice. Will it really change publishing and what role do you see video playing?

I'm excited about the iPad. To an embarrassing degree actually. I don't remember the last time I've been this excited about a new tech product.

I and other wanna-be visionaries have for many years been talking about the coming replacement for books and new media...

(All the way back in Arthur C. Clarke's book "The Fountains of Paradise" from the seventies, he predicted something like it, getting your news according to your interests, automatically, on a tablet, every morning.)

... the idea always was that it would update automatically, you could browse news and writings around the world from your sofa or a cafe, and most importantly in this light: *you could hold it in your hand!* This is the last bit which has been missing, and I think most people will not realize quite how important this is, until after they've used it for a while.

For example, I could read, say, the NYT on my Mac easily, using a leisurely hour doing it. But I *don't feel like it*, because a traditional computer, even a laptop, is made for work! You sit upright, using your hands. It's not meant to be comfortable.

So as a reader I'm excited about the pad.

I'm also excited as a publisher, as a writer, and as an artist. For just the same reasons. Web comics and eBooks have existed for a many years now, but they have not taken off as markets, and I feel in my gut that one of the main reasons is just the above: why would people pay money for content, when they don't have a platform which lets them enjoy it *comfortably*?

For video, I'm a little less sure. I'm sure it will be very good for video of various forms and lengths, but I'm not sure how married people are to viewing it on a big screen. For casual use and for *travelling* use, though, it's unbeatable. (Though I'm actually not sure if you can hook up a DVD player to it.)

I can imagine Playboy magazine going iPad-only and paper magazines disappearing altogether, do you think there is a whole new door opening here for videographers?

There's no doubt that all kinds of content will experience a massive exodus from paper to screen over the next couple of decades. How complete it will be depends on economics. If paper and gas prices keep going up, for instance, it'll very soon be very hard for paper publications to make any kind of profit.

Don't get me wrong, it'll still be hard for *any* kind of publication, but at least electronically, the starting hurdle is vastly smaller. Any family blog, if you think about it, is a "publication".

There has already been a big trend towards accompanying news stories with short video segments for the web, and there's no reason this should go away. Video is an entertaining and easy way of consuming data and news.

What do you think of Philip Bloom's HDSLR stuff?

There's a reason he's so influential.

I have artist friends who produce great work but never seem to be able to make any money from it. As someone who runs a successful website, what opportunities do you see for artists to make money from their creativity? Any advice?

Ouch!! We all have friends like that. In fact, sometimes it seems like *most* of my friends are like that. (And I am too. As a painter, commercially, I'm a failure.)

A few months ago, I suddenly started writing a little book called "One Hundred Tips for Success On the Internet". I'm unsure if it will be helpful, though, or it's too generic. It only has a few chapters so far, but anybody who will give me feedback on it can mail me, my googlemail.com address is eolake.

Anyway, this is a *huge* subject. Almost as huge as the human mind itself.

One thing is: I don't *know* why Domai is so successful. (So far as I'm aware, it's the only commercially successful arty nudes site in the world. I have friends who have failed in the same arena.) It has simply always worked for me, with very little advertising. There may be something in the tone of the whole thing, and the editing I do, which speak to people.

Another thing is: most of us tend to sabotage ourselves one way or another. For example, you often see that somebody becomes really good at doing something... and then they leave and do something else.

A friend of mine told me about a photographer he knew who had made an adult site (of the Goth social kind), but it was failing. My friend did not see why, so he tried to help. But it turned out that 1: the guy was actually not a good photographer: he spent many hours in Photoshop making his work look good. That's untenable. 2: he did not get along with people, he somehow managed to antagonize most everybody he worked with, models, everybody. That's also untenable.

So probably everybody has individual reasons for not being successful. It seems to me that the most common denominator for people who *are* successful, is that they 1: work very hard, have high production. 2: ... at something they are *very* interested in. If you are only motivated to watch football and getting laid, probably you won't get very far with anything else.

Computers and internet are changing the way virtually everyone makes a living. Do you see a point where the democratisation stops and the internet becomes controlled by just a few big companies?

I don't think it'll happen, or even could, for long.

The girls on DOMAI are spectacular - and I know you have you shot nude photography before and what was the experience like?

Well, for one thing, if you are interested in what you're doing photographically, and you should, then it's not a sexual experience at all. Your mind is too busy.

Yes, I'm highly pleased with our models these days. But this is actually also a result of the blessing of digital. Until roughly 2004, when good digital SLR's became affordable, I had the hardest time finding enough good tasteful nudes photos, because anybody good only did porn, pretty much. But since then, I'm daily offered much more than I can buy, it's a bounty.

What do you think are the people-skills needed to be a photographer?

Same as people skills in anything. Be gentle, be kind, be diplomatic, be complimentary, talk and joke. Be professional.

What do you think is the best way to make money from a website - via advertising or paid subscription?

Only the latter has ever worked for me. It also seems to me to be the most attractive. With a banner on my site, it no longer looks like my site to me.

But ads work well for others, I guess. Take my friends at TidBITS.com for example.

http://eolake.blogspot.com/2010/03/l...ewsletter.html

I must say: ads must not be disruptive or distracting; it will drive away your readers/viewers.

And TidBITS also have nice success in an excellent way with their "Take Control" series of technical eBooks: very targeted and well-edited specialized eBooks, at ten dollars.

I think ebooks could be huge on the iPad, if done right.

There doesn't seem to be very much nudity in mainstream cinema any more, even in R rated Hollywood pictures, any ideas as to why the industry has become so conservative?

Beats me, I hope it turns around. It's idiotic to be upsets at nudity, or at least to be *so* upset that you try to bar others from enjoying it.

Look at upcoming film "Kick-Ass". Tons of graphic violence. But imagine a single nipple shown in it! Panic!

One day I hope to make a film with no sex in it, but with lots and lots of nudity.

I think the internet has an influence on people's way of interacting. For example Vimeo seems be a more civilised place in terms of people's behaviour on the comments thread, than say YouTube. Why do you think there is a such a big difference in behaviour on the sites?

It's like Facebook is more trivial-chatty than Twitter, for example, which is more so than a blog. It attracts different people.

What is the average level of education amongst its visitors makes a big mark on any forum. And a site becoming hugely popular changes that level dramatically, per the nature of things.

Thank you to Eolake for the interview. You can read an interview with me about HDSLRs, on Eolake's blog

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]]> EOSHD http://www.eoshd.com/blog.php?b=70 Panasonic and Fuji representatives attended the Great HDSLR Shootout http://www.eoshd.com/blog.php?b=69 Thu, 25 Mar 2010 10:35:06 GMT

Images © Zacuto / Sara Collaton

The first episode of Zacuto's Great HDSLR Shootout versus 35mm film aired yesterday. Here are my thoughts on all the first episode and all cameras involved. It is very exciting stuff. If you haven't seen it yet I recommend you check it out before reading further. I won't give away the plot in it's entirety - rather talk about some things which stood out for me.

What's your favourite HDSLR? Be sure to have your say on the shootout thread in our forum.

"Wow" - the GH1 looked good on the bathtub scene

The little Panasonic appeared contrasty and sharp, with a wow factor in the first test - clearly a winner in some of the DPs eyes, eliciting surprise from the audience. The GH1 does resolve more detail in shots like this than the Canons (5D frame above - you'll have to watch the episode to see the GH1's result!). A little over-sharpened maybe, but it's definitely resolving more from the lens and more of it gets through the video processing algorithms. Video processing is an area Canon need to improve, and DIGIC 5 should be the answer.

No tweaking the GH1's picture profiles

The shootout had Canon's tech guru Tim Smith to advise on picture profiles, but the GH1 went through on default settings. There was a comment - and I don't know if I should read too much into it - that Bloom couldn't optimise the GH1's picture like he could the Canon, and yet the GH1 has sliders for contrast, sharpness, saturation and noise reduction under each picture profile. Were they overlooked? Bit of an oversight there, and the dynamic range test chart for the GH1 was hideously blurred and compressed. Not sure why - this was glossed over pretty quick. I don't think these oversights had any impact on the all important result though, and it's reasonable to expect some mistakes in a test as ambitious as this one.

Latitude unexploited?

35mm film (especially the Kodak stock) looked great on all the tests, because film has a large dynamic range. Highlights blew out more quickly on the HDSLRs than on film.

One thing I'd be interested to know is how this was corrected in post for the HDSLRs. Because if you underexpose the HDSLRs compared to film but keep the ISO low, you could save blowing out the highlights and hopefully keep enough shadow detail due to the low ISO and low enough noise, to really boost the low end in post - increasing the exposure of mid-tones and shadow areas.

The results of the bathtub scene in particular I am sure could be made closer to film than just the basic settings and numbers were capable of giving them, but not much was said of their process in the back room.

Much of the lower latitude of HDSLRs is down to the video processing and compression rather than the sensor. In fact, in raw (stills) mode on a full frame sensor like the 5D Mk II, the dynamic range is absolutely huge.

What about the real world? It depends on what you shoot, how you change the footage in software and also what picture profile is used (the GH1's lack of tweaking hurt it in this regard). With scenes shot at even brightnesses across the entire frame, even the GH1 has enough dynamic range and latitude to produce as good an image as 35mm film, with lots of subtle gradients ready to be ruined by H264 web compression!

The latitude test really shows the need for a greater future improvement in digital video processing technology than sensor technology. The HDSLR sensors are absolutely amazing compared to what we had 10 years ago at the dawn of digital video, but even the snazziest and cleverest MPEG variants of video compression has a long way to go if it is to compete with film especially in delivering content over the web.

Canon 7D (and 550D) versus 5D Mark II

We all know the 5D is capable of some very nice images and it takes some beating for shallow depth of field. But there is less difference than expected when it comes to the real world tests. So the price difference in terms of video alone, between the 5D Mark II and Canon 550D / T2i is astonishingly large considering the relatively small different in performance.

The 7D did very well in the test, but the 5D certainly lost much more from it's considerably better sensor in the video processing pipeline. In the future once Canon get the video processing sorted out, only then will a full frame sensor will be able to unfurl it's wings.

It does seem that a small yet high resolution sensor works well for video. 22MP to 2MP in terms of the 5D Mark II - well, you're binning a hell of a lot of resolution there. So it's resolution has absolutely no advantage in that regard for video. Panasonic said in interviews recently that they recognise this, and are attempting to cap their cameras, such as the future GH2 at just 12 megapixel partly to lessen noise and partly to help video, a little like Nikon are doing. I appreciate this approach.

A smaller crop sensor compared to full frame will always have one advantage over cameras like the 5D Mark II... With the same focal length lens, more detail is resolved from the lens on a crop sensor than on full frame - whereby such a lot of detail is lost in the greater downscaling process.

State of the HDSLR union. Panasonic and Fuji representatives in the audience.

There is a comment on the narrative that both of these companies had experts in on the test. Fuji's presense may be explained by the use of Fuji 35mm motion picture film on the Arriflex camera.

But as the Fuji representative (complete with fetching Fuji branded jacket!) looked on at the fabulous imagery from rival camera manufacturers knowing full well how many sales these cameras have garnered, could Fuji have had another reason for their involvement? It is not unusual for company experts to go on fact finding missions like this to reinforce research and development of new products and concepts - products like the first Fuji video DSLR.

The presence of Panasonic's representative meanwhile, is even more intriguing. Clearly this is related to the GH1 being in the test, and Panasonic have always been interested in digital filmmaking and professional video products ever since the DVX. But Panasonic are primarily a consumer A/V electronics company that sees professional digital video as a market which is coming more and more in line with their core electronics business - as such products get more and more electronic, so they can offer more to the market in terms of technology.

Optically they have a good partnership with Leica, as good as Sony do with Zeiss. Panasonic's own lenses are also improving at an incredible rate - some of the technology inside the 14-140mm GH1 kit lens is entirely revolutionary and not seen before. Sony's own video lenses aren't too shabby either. But in terms of the professional filmmaking market, do they realise what potential a Leica or Zeiss cine lens has for their HDSLRs in the industry? Massive. And not only that - glass is where the biggest profit margins are.

Meanwhile on the electronics side, it is the Lumix G team's stated aim to make an entirely electronic camera without any moving parts, and in interviews the product manager from Japan continuously states that a global shutter is a 'dream' of his. Could Panasonic's presence at the test indicate a greater future involvement with pro video customers and the HDSLR filmmaking market?

I sure hope so, because Canon's approach has been considerably more involved thus far and are pretty much out on their own in the pro-DSLR video market. Panasonic just haven't exploited the marketing of the GH1's video mode, in the way Canon are with the EOS range, and they have been hands-off in terms of communicating with filmmakers and professionals - at least in public anyway. They did get Philip Bloom to film on the GH1 back in April 2009 for a UK press launch event, and that seemed to be it. Since then, influential professional filmmaker after professional filmmaker has fallen into the hands of the 5D Mk II.

Canon meanwhile have kept updating the 5D with video specific firmware updates, and yes - it needed the functionality (especially manual control) to compete - but it's still quite a brave thing to do on a camera which is mostly bought by stills photographers. I'd like to see greater involvement in the future from Panasonic.

At least their involvement thus far, whilst low key has been greater than Nikon's!

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]]> EOSHD http://www.eoshd.com/blog.php?b=69 Zacuto introduce new Z-Finders!! Pro 2.5x, 3x and Jr. http://www.eoshd.com/blog.php?b=68 Tue, 23 Mar 2010 17:21:22 GMT

Zacuto today introduced 3 new Z-Finders, with some sizeable improvements.

The new Z-Finders all feature a lightweight alloy mounting bracket which connects the Z-Finder to the camera's tripod mount. No more stick-on mounting bracket. Horray!

Zacuto have addressed further areas. The Pro versions, whilst priced the same as the old V2, all feature anti-fog coated glass, an included lanyard and lens cap.

For more information see http://www.zacuto.com/z-finder-dslr-viewfinder

This is breaking news, and it's 1am where I right now. I'll return tomorrow with a more detailed blog.

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]]> EOSHD http://www.eoshd.com/blog.php?b=68 <![CDATA[Don't buy a new camera, calibrate your Macbook display!]]> http://www.eoshd.com/blog.php?b=67 Tue, 23 Mar 2010 17:07:45 GMT

Above: Canon FD 35mm F2 Rare Earth lens on the GH1 has some serious bokeh thanks to close focussing ability

Okay, a slightly sarcastic title for this blog! It's not advice to be taken literally, the point is - Not very many people calibrate their LCD computer screens. And as we're about to find out, it makes a HUGE difference.

For photography and video it's really important to have a nice neutral screen in terms of colour, contrast and brightness.

Too dark and you may brighten an image to compensate, revealing too much noise in a video for example.

Too light and you may loose shadow detail.

As for colour and contrast there are not just two options - different elements in a photograph or video react differently, and must be balanced on your display.

I scouted out locations today with a Canon FD 35mm F2 today on the Panasonic GH1 for my next mood piece short film. I don't want to sound too much like crazy Ken Rockwell here but my first reaction having taken a shot with this great lens was "f**k me, this lens is incredible". The GH1's screen and EVF aren't as good as on the Canon 5D Mk II but even so, the colour and contrast really was amazing. On the Macbook all this went away, and worse - there was more visible noise and banding!

Much of the issues people see with HDSLR footage on the web is not really down the camera at all. It's due to the way Mac OSX or Windows controls the amount of chroma, luminance and gamma on your screen. Like with contrast or saturation - something many people understandably see as simple - noise is deceptively simple as well but there's actually more than one type! Too much chroma, and 'chroma noise' in video or photos will leap out of the image, whilst it should by default be barely discernible below ISO 1600 even on the GH1.

Furthermore, the punch and impact an image is capable of getting from good contrast and colour is something many would pay thousands of dollars or pounds to achieve with lenses and cameras. The 5D Mark II and L lenses are an absolute prime example. Filmmakers go to such a lot of expense and effort achieving a good image, and grading their masterpieces - but guess what - it's all in vane, because most people don't calibrate their computer screens. You only have to download some HDSLR footage from Vimeo and play it on your TV set instead, to appreciate the difference this can make. If you're making a film which is mainly going to be seen on the internet, you really are at the mercy of all kinds of bolloxed up screen configurations. You may as well turn your velvet sunset scenes green and give up!! (Okay, it's not that bad, but it's still a bigger issue than, say, the difference between a good lens and a so-so lens, or an expensive camera and a middle-range camera).

Let's get down to the solution.

Chroma and luminance are strange things - they affect some parts of an image, not others, some shots in their entirety, others not at all. It's tricky to track these down and get a good balance which works for a wide range of different shots.

On the Mac, a good way to start in creating a reference display (a good balance of all display settings), is to open up some photos and videos, and then enter the Display Options in the control panel and turn on Expert Mode in the display calibration panel. You may then go through about 6 or 7 steps to fine tune the display and each time you will see some settings benefit some images more than others. Do the process several times and you'll eventually find the right balance in style. Therefore you can be sure that when you grade video footage on your display, it will be as balanced as possible and therefore work optimally on a wider range of computer display configurations. Finding that middle-point, is the goal.

Exactly what you do with the sliders of course depends on your screen, there is no catch-all setting that will work for everyone. It's probably going to be pretty different for everybody, even on Macbooks of similar specs. But try and it the affect will be marked. Detail you never knew existed might come from darker areas of videos, and black areas may suddenly look really inky - giving colours a real boost in saturation and making whites appear brighter.

Apple Prores always seem to look darker than it should - that's all down to the display calibration, where Quicktime take's it's settings.

I find Macbook screens tend to be quite dark by default anyway. Horrifically so on some of the older 2006 / 07 models. Give it a boost (you can always turn the default colour profile back, so there is no chance of messing up your screen) - and let us know the results by commenting below!

The best way to a solution that works for you really is just trial and error here… slide those sliders and squint at that Apple!!

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]]> EOSHD http://www.eoshd.com/blog.php?b=67 Ghost Girl - A British feature length movie shot on HDSLRs http://www.eoshd.com/blog.php?b=66 Tue, 23 Mar 2010 07:50:43 GMT

Ghost Girl is an ultra low-light low-budget film set in London. Is this the sleeper hit to take HDSLRs to the public?

It must happen soon - a breakout 'indie' film made for a pittance with ideas, actors and a story good enough to make it a major sleeper hit.

It's happened before, but the difference with HDSLRs is that for the first time an ultra low budget film can finally have the same production values of a multi-million dollar Hollywood production, and for all intents and purposes cinema goers would find them indistinguishable.

How will the established movie industry react? Certain parts of the industry were frightened enough when the Blair Witch Project was shot on grainy DV. If I were a talented director or DP, I wouldn't be worried in the slightest - but if I were working for Panavision, RED or in the professional camera rental business, I'd be as scared as a beanie hatted teen under torchlight by now.

Enthusiasts have been calling HDSLRs 'game changers' for a year now, but I think we've only yet seen the tip of the iceberg when it comes to just how big a change these cameras are capable of.

Ghost Girl has some wicked ideas, for example a scene set in the house of a blind man who never turns his lights on - a sure test of low light capability if I ever I saw it. :cool:

The crew used a Canon 5D Mk II and Zacuto rig, with Marshall monitor.

Principal photography has only just been completed in the last few days. Unfortunately the end of shooting coinsided with the release of the 5D Mk II 25p firmware update!! So the film isn't shot in 25p (PAL)

The shoot was originally planned for just 7 days, but in the end took over 2 weeks. I have yet to see a film whereby keeping to a schedule made it a better film. The more work you do - the better it is (up to a point!) That a film of this quality can even be contemplated for a 7 day shoot is pretty impressive anyway.

On the technical side, Director Dave Armstrong was in awe of the 5D's capabilities, and the only real issue he encountered was not high ISO noise or moire, but banding. I believe some of that may be due to the sensor heating up during long shoots - I've noticed banding before but only on the GH1 and even there it wasn't a major issue. I think the shortcomings of HDSLRs have been a little overstated on the web. Their pros have been overstated too, but frankly HDSLR pros cannot be overstated enough.

Dave is an experienced filmmaker, and his reasons for choosing the 5D are twofold - firstly, he says it looks pretty close to 35mm film. Secondly, due to the cost in London of renting the usual RED digital cinema equipment, the alternative was to buy the entire HDSLR kit (including some very tasty lenses) for less than the 1 week rental costs!! Costs which in hindsight would have only increased as the schedule ran over into week 2.

For me personally, I totally agree with his stance on buying. To me, renting has never made sense even from a business prospective when you factor it into the costs. It puts a price on your creativity, adds a steadily increasing cost to whenever you commit your vision to the memory card, and prevents you from really becoming intimately familiar with the cameras (and no, I don't mean taking them to bed with you at night!!)

Dave raised some concerns about handheld work, and although he's a fan of that style, he said that due to the camera being so small and light you really need a good rig to reproduce the look of handheld work that you can get with much larger cameras. He said that holding the camera's screen in front of you causes a lot of shake. I am wondering if he used a Z-Finder, or just the stabilising shoulder rig? In my view the Z-Finder is not just a focus-checker - it's a camera stabiliser. Your eye socket is a good mounting point when making films.

I will see if I can snag an interview with Dave soon, on the HDSLR film making process, using the cameras and the art of film making.

See more on Ghost Girl with the behind the scenes blog http://ghostgirlmovie.wordpress.com

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]]> EOSHD http://www.eoshd.com/blog.php?b=66 <![CDATA[Looking into the GH1 & 5D Mk II camera sensor 'deep field']]> http://www.eoshd.com/blog.php?b=65 Mon, 22 Mar 2010 06:51:13 GMT

Camera comparisons of noise in video mode aren't entirely accurate - there are too many variables. Even the picture profile can have a massive affect on percieved noise on the 5D Mk II. Just try setting Neutral, Adobe RGB and metering to spot focus and see what happens. This gives the image processor less to do and reduces noise significantly even at ISO 3200, but at the expense of detail even when noise reduction is turned off. It's strange stuff.

What I wanted was to eliminate all this in-camera software faffing bullshit, and the codec compression (the GH1's AVCHD mode does a great job of noise reduction) and to discover how the actual sensor is working.

I did not want light sources to interfere with how the sensor operates, or heat issues. I wanted a clear window on the electronics. So I illimated any light sources and made sure the cameras were powered up only for a few seconds to complete the short test. Heat is another variable which can affect noise, and I didn't want any variables at all.

Here is exactly how I did the test:

1. Lenses covered - caps on
2. Lenses closed right down to F16
3. Shutter to typical video rate of 1/30 and ISO to 1600, 3200
4. Shot RAW still frames, bypassing image processing - just the raw sensor data
5. Opened the 5D's CR2 raw and the GH1's raw files on Mac and boosted exposure and saturation simply using Preview. This was to highlight every spec of noise equally on both the 5D and GH1 shots.

Therefore, the type of lens, focus, shot framing, light sources, how the camera's react differently to light, camera settings and JPEG profiles - none of that bullshit mattered. This is hopefully as pure a test of the sensor alone as can be done.

Now, you can clearly see the electronic circuitry at work here - on the GH1 at ISO 3200 the boost on the sensor is producing a hell of a lot of noise, and far less on the 5D Mk II above it. The massive difference scared the hell out of me. The Canon sensor is doing something very special indeed at high ISOs like 3200 - or is it?

There wasn't any light to capture so the sensor size didn't really matter in terms of sensitivity to light - what matters was just the base noise generated by the sensor itself whilst powered on - the sensor size has an influence only in terms of how closely packed together are the electronic pathways and the stress they're under.

At ISO 3200 the 5D does have it's fair share of large red dots - but they're much less frequent and not in a banding pattern like on the GH1.

However, things start to look a lot more promising for the GH1 at ISO 1600. Here it is more closely matched to the 5D Mk II at 3200 and it's electronic circuitry is much much less stressed.

GH1 at ISO 1600:

But is there something else going on here? It has been suggested that the GH1 that at the same ISO as the Canon, the GH1 is brighter. The DXOMark tests back this up, the GH1 rated higher than the industry standard ISO 1600 when set to ISO 1600. So it may be that at ISO 3200 on the GH1 the sensor is being amped a hell of a lot more than the Canon at ISO 3200.

So maybe the truer comparison is ISO 1600 on the GH1 to ISO 3200 on the 5D, and in that case they perform similarly - as expected, since the technology and Panasonic's sensor factories are of the same generation and similar in design to Canon's.

You may wonder why I don't have a ISO 1600 frame from the 5D, the reason is the image was so clear of noise it was almost completely dark. Is it being under amped?

That the Canon sensor can be boosted all the way to ISO 1600 with so little base noise being generated by the electronics is either incredible or complete fakery in the numbers.

I believe both cameras product photographs and video from light on a similar level of performance i.e. their photo-sites are similar sizes, pixel density similar, and their design produces colour from light in a similar way - they're both camera sensors of the same generation and technology. How can they be so different at the same ISO?

Canon have clearly done a nice job of reducing the noise from electronic circuitry onboard the sensor itself but I don't believe the sensor is being amped as much as the Panasonic one at the same ISO.

If you run the camera for a while in video mode, the 5D's sensor heats up and the results are a lot more closely matched.

The sensor in the 5D Mk II is absolutely mighty but I still think they're under amping it. It'll be interesting to see if Panasonic will choose to calm down the compact sensor on the GH2 enough for it to improve noise, or whether the demands placed on it by the global shutter and faster image processor will create more heat and stress, resulting in more noise. But whatever the future holds, it's clear the GH1 is a great start (at ISO 1600 at least!) even when pitted against the world's most advanced full frame sensor.

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]]> EOSHD http://www.eoshd.com/blog.php?b=65 Rivers - A New GH1 Short http://www.eoshd.com/blog.php?b=64 Sun, 21 Mar 2010 20:14:46 GMT

I've always had a thing for how skies slowly change.

When I was young, my father used to take me out for bike rides. We'd ride the same paths and see the same sights every time. Our bike ride route seemed like something unique to us, that nobody else could imitate. Now as adults, people pound the same old roads and pavements every day and its clear their paths aren't unique, and the roads don't belong to them (unless you drive a 4x4 Audi). I remember looking at the clouds with my dad and feeling incredibly sentimental as it changed, and as clouds formed and separated. As you can see, sentimentality seems to be the order of the day in terms of this blog!

Anyway, when I look at the sky it's forever changing and unique, just like human lives. And when it changes it's never exactly the same again. That's what I hope to get across with the atmosphere of Rivers.

To make Rivers between 5.30am and 7am I took my GH1 down to the Chiang Kai-shek memorial hall here in Taipei city centre.

Coming from the UK, it's rare to find people on the street at 5.30am in the morning in English cities. If you do, usually they're either drunk or murderers, but in Taiwan it's very different. Here, there are old people doing yoga in the park!! Shortly afterwards the sun comes up and at around 6.30am many people walk or drive to work and even school-kids get up super early at 6am, to start classes as dawn breaks. The atmosphere in the park feels really strange but very refreshing - a mixture of laziness and supreme orderliness. A mixture of oldies participating in healthy activities, office workers walking to work, and school kids beginning sports lessons at 7am in the morning. Crazy stuff.

In short, it feels like an Asian tiger economy waking up, ready to pounce on the west.

But all I could do was look at the sky, point my GH1 at it and think of my father, somewhere up there behind it all. ]]> EOSHD http://www.eoshd.com/blog.php?b=64 <![CDATA[Panasonic LA7200 2.35:1 Anamorphic - Summary & Tips]]> http://www.eoshd.com/blog.php?b=63 Sun, 21 Mar 2010 15:28:29 GMT

Using the Panasonic LA7200 on the Canon 7D, Canon 550D / T2i and Panasonic GH1

This blog is really to pull together everything I've learned about using the LA7200 anamorphic adapter recently. I hope this article will be of use in the practical real world for you. Feel free to comment on the forum or below.

Part 1: is it sharp?

Yes.

Part 2: where can I get one?

Supply seems to have depleted recently but you can still find them on eBay, also try searching by LA7200G - note the G on the end. Same model just a different name. A good price would be around the $400 mark. Any higher and it would appear prices have been inflated recently. Good luck!

If you come across an auction for one with dust inside, buy it. You can easily open the back of the lens with just two screws and a PH00 screwdriver. The rear glass just slots out allowing you to clear any dust from behind the front element. Unlike normal lenses it is not dust proof or watertight, and cleaning fluid will leak into the lens from the back, so the occasional clean may be necessary anyway. The best way to find a LA7200 bargain is to get a dusty one because it's so easy to fix and not many sellers are aware of this.

Part 3: What extra stuff do I need?

PH00 screw driver
72mm to 77mm step up ring
A camera lens between 14mm and 35mm - depends on the camera. More on that later.

Part 4: Mounting it on your camera.

I recommend this lens for the GH1, 550D, T2i and 7D, plus any other HDSLR with sensors significantly smaller than full frame. On the 5D it won't deliver and you'll be better simply to use a wide lens and crop. The LA7200 is an anamorphic adapter lens, and it screws onto a prime lens.

You just need a 72mm to 77mm step up ring, to convert the recessed 72mm attachment thread on the LA7200 to a 77mm thread which can be grabbed hold of, then you'd just need a further stepping ring to covert the 77mm back down to whatever lens filter thread you will be attaching the anamorphic too.

The LA7200 need to be straight, so as it screws onto the prime lens you will need to adjust the rotation of the lens after it tightens. This is done by loosening the thumbscrew at the side and rotating the lens. A simple prior modification is required. Simply unscrew the rear plastic back, you will need a PH00 screwdriver as the screws are very small. Now remove this inner plastic disc and you will see it has a notch on one side which moves within two latches on the back of the lens casing to prevent a larger circle of rotation. Put the rear plastic cover back inside but with the notch pointing to the other side of the latches instead, and screw it back on but not too tight. Now the lens body will rotate through nearly 360 degrees allowing more flexibility to straighten it up on your prime lens.

If the LA7200 isn't straight or is upside down, you will get a very strange picture!!

Part 5: Tips for using the LA7200

Your prime lens (or zoom lens) should be stopped down to F4 or even further, to ensure sharp edges.

Your milage will vary depending on lenses. I strongly recommend the Canon EFS 10-22mm for both the GH1 and the Canon EOS cameras, as this has a filter thread which does not move as the lens zooms back and forth inside the barrel. It's also a nice and sharp super wide angle. On the GH1 you can pull it out as wide as 14mm and on the 7D you should go to 22mm.

The LA7200 also works fine at 14mm on the GH1's kit lens at F4, and another good lens to use with it is the manual focus Zeiss Flektogon 35mm F2.4 (M42 mount).

Does the LA7200 work at telephoto focal lengths? Not really, I would recommend keeping it for shots that are as wide and as panoramic as possible.

Have fun!

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]]> EOSHD http://www.eoshd.com/blog.php?b=63 Dot Canon domain name to go public? http://www.eoshd.com/blog.php?b=62 Sun, 21 Mar 2010 09:45:26 GMT

Canon Japan have applied to the Internet governing body for a '.Canon' domain name to be introduced. If granted, this will mean that websites can end in .Canon rather than the typical .com

This openes the possibility for photgraphy related websites to have domain name addresses like www.5dmkii.canon or www.photography.canon

At first glance, I'm not sure if this is going to be the greatest marketing gimmick of the 21st century, or the foundation for which all future website domain names are built. It's not just a corporate thing - should you run a website about cooking recipes, you may have www.fatboy.food

A shortage of good domain names has become a bit of a pain in recent years, as even the most imaginative ones are bought up in bulk by organised profiteers to resell at a costly fee. Some companies have chosen to tightly control use of their trademarks in 3rd party domain names by legal means, like Apple and the iPhone, an unpleasent legal activty which I personally believe is of no use their marketing and publicity engine at all!

The bad news for Canon fans is that initially the .Canon top-level-domain will cost the average punter £185,000 to apply for, followed by other undisclosed fees to actually register! I see this coming down dramatically as the concept gets off the ground. Presumably it costs Canon so much to get ICANN to introduce this to the internet framework in the first place, so they need some serious money coming in from the first few signees (probably huge commercial affiliates of Canon or photographic agencies).

Whilst it is dissapointing for everyone else that ICAN as chosen to use these long awaited changes to the internet's infrastructure as a complete cash-cow, I think it's an interesting concept.

Maybe www.video.nikon will go for significantly less until they get a decent HDSLR sorted out!!;)

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]]> EOSHD http://www.eoshd.com/blog.php?b=62 Canon EOS E1 Movie Plugin Released - Download Now! http://www.eoshd.com/blog.php?b=61 Fri, 19 Mar 2010 22:13:28 GMT

Final Cut Pro users now have a new (and official) way of importing footage from their EOS 5D Mk II, 7D or 1D HDSLR.

According to Canon the E1 plugin is twice as fast as using Apple's Log & Transfer.

"The E1 plugin enables quicker and easier editing of EOS MOVIE footage in Final Cut Pro. It converts EOS MOVIE footage to Apple’s high quality ProRes 422 codec at approximately twice the speed of Apple’s standard conversion. Additionally, users are now able to add timecode, reel names and metadata to footage quickly and easily – further enhancing the experience of EOS MOVIE users when editing their footage."

The plugin is available to download now. Visit the Canon site below, and select Mac OSX in the drop down box.

Canon drivers & downloads for the 5D Mk II

When this was announced back in February, Canon said that the March release would be a 'free beta version'. Should be an interesting ride! Get it now before they pull it!

Here is a nice guide to using the E1 plugin for the first time. It's pretty straight forward stuff for Final Cut Pro users.

Quickstart Guide in PDF format

**The latest 5D Mk II firmware is also available again after being withdrawn for a day due to audio issues. Grab it from the same page!**

PS - The name of the plugin seems to put paid to those Canon E1 EVIL camera rumours of last year!! :cool:

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]]> EOSHD http://www.eoshd.com/blog.php?b=61 Are HDSLRs even better than we thought? http://www.eoshd.com/blog.php?b=60 Fri, 19 Mar 2010 15:50:46 GMT

Above: Frames shot with the Panasonic GH1 and LA7200 anamorphic adapter © EOSHD.com

I think maybe we've been to harsh on the shortcomings of HDSLRs. The 5D has moire, the GH1 has a duff codec, the Nikons have jello. Blah blah blah!

Does any of it matter?

I used to be very critical of the GH1's colour and codec in particular. But is a low bit rate even an issue if you use a 2k cinema projector and sit 50ft away from the screen? Isn't one way to boost the colour and contrast of your HDSLRs is to use a decent display technology designed for video? Computer screens just don't cut it and yet that's the format many people use to benchmark HDSLRs before making a purchase.

If you're sitting 2ft away from a screen as high resolution as the average laptop screen, the flaws in an image will be magnified. The compression situation is made worse by the way content is delivered online. Vimeo is a fantastic site and the compression technology it uses is cutting edge, but the H.246 codec isn't know for delivering smooth gradients and subtle tones at web friendly bit rates. That's one of the reasons the EOS cameras have such high bit rates to begin with.

Many people use TFT LCD monitors. These are not a patch on even bargain basement LCD TVs. They're designed to be used close up - so they're not as bright and easier on the eyes. Colour and contrast is improving all the time but it still isn't even up to the levels of the previous generation CRT tubes. This is fine news for the sharpness of spreadsheets, bad news for video. Even the worst LCD TV seems to pump out better colour saturation than a laptop screen. I have never sat in front of my Macbook Pro, had my face bathed in velvet from a sunset, and said 'wow' at HDSLR footage. My brain says 'impressed' but my heart says 'computer screen'.

A humble plasma screen will deliver a huge step up in contrast and colour, and unless you're sat with your eyeballs up against the panel, detail will look finer too. It defies logic in a way - many people who've seen flawed HDSLR footage on a computer screen expect the flaws to be magnified on a large plasma or movie projector, but actually they become less noticeable and the image has 10x more impact.

If you have only ever up to now dipped your toes in the world of HDSLR video and been impressed by the output of talented film makers like Philip Bloom and Kevin Shahinian but only on your computer screens… now is the time to be amazed. Whist your wife or girlfriend isn't looking - hook your computer up the best screen in the lounge room. Download a few full HD videos from Vimeo (the original source footage) and prepared to be bathed in colour and contrast, whilst being completely unable to notice any codec flaws or smudged detail.

Longhan's People by EOSHD.com

Download the full HD file here!

A Day At The Races - Philip Bloom

Big file - but worth it. Full HD

The great RED ONE, GH1, 5D Mk II shootout by Birns and Sawyer.

Download the 720p version here (no full HD file available), and see if you can tell the difference between 720p and full HD on a 50 inch plasma or projector - the difference is smaller than you imagine!

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]]> EOSHD http://www.eoshd.com/blog.php?b=60 Thoughts on HDSLR versus 35mm Film (The Great Zacuto Shootout) http://www.eoshd.com/blog.php?b=59 Fri, 19 Mar 2010 09:12:49 GMT

Above: Shane Hurlbut discusses the outcome of a HDSLR screening, versus 35mm film. Image © Zacuto Films.

This promises to be the ultimate (so far) 'real world' camera test. Put away your charts, Barry Green.

The Great Zacuto Shootout is coming soon and there is now a trailer up at Philip Bloom's site: http://philipbloom.co.uk/2010/03/18/...hootout-promo/

I am really looking forward to this. The format seems really exciting and it's expertly put together. They have rounded up some of the cream of the crop of DPs, which is a great achievement in itself. These professionals all share a passion for the HDSLRs. But it's long been established that 35mm film has a huge picture quality advantage over digital.

35mm's legacy to the world is nothing less than remarkable. That is, the majority of cinema's history. Viewed simply, sure there have been innovative short films and music videos shot with HDSLRs, but this cannot compete against over a century of cinema.

Can it?

Well. Things are about to change. Not only will we find out the answer from the Great Shootout, it's a good chance to see definitively how the rivalling HDSLRs stack up against each other in situations that matter. If you're going to make a classic HDSLR full length feature you may as well pick the best of the current models.

What's interesting to me is what will be the best all-rounder, and what lenses they end up using. Same lens on every camera? I expect they'll use Arriflex PL mount cine lenses from Zeiss, or maybe even Nikon glass.

But due to the different sensor sizes, from the 5D Mk II to the GH1 it will be a challenge to shoot the same scene the same way on each camera.

It's also well known already that certain cameras have certain 'special abilities' that are obvious from the spec sheets. The Nikon D3s and 1D Mk IV should be astounding in low light, much better than 35mm film. The 5D Mk II will likely do well with shallow depth of field and it should trounce the Nikon for resolution. The inclusion of the GH1 is pleasing because this is a different camera to the usual SLR. I expect the GH1's strength to be in terms of resolving detail from the lens and (along with the 7D) will probably look most similar to 35mm film. The GH1 is a cinematic beast and it should be well up there in the image quality stakes with much more expensive cameras.

Baring in mind that by far the most exciting thing about this series is the simple question of pitting HDSLRs against legendary 35mm film and asking 'do they look good'?, there are some technically fascinating side-shows that I'd like to see as well…

Properly lit movie scenes which challenge the camera in terms of moire and aliasing. Here I expect the GH1 will have an advantage over the Canons whereby a lot of the 5D's, 7D's and T2i's detail and resolution comes from aliasing.
Energetic scenes with fast camera movement. The GH1 will probably go to hell on this but the Nikon and 5D Mk II should have their own issues - greater rolling shutter.
Beautifully shot scenes with plenty of colour to see which camera handles saturation, tone and highlight roll off best. I expect a few surprises here from Nikon. Oh, and I'm especially looking forward to the model in the bath scene!
Low light scenes - although the conclusion here is somewhat forgone, I'd be great to have a definitive reference point in this important area and to see how they stack up to 35mm film. Film will probably have a finer grain of noise and less chroma blotchiness, whilst the HDSLRs will probably reach higher sensitivities - the GH1 is rated higher than the Canon's at the same ISO.

Of course, it's not all about the cameras. The lenses are just as important, if not more. I feel that the GH1 has an advantage here, especially in terms of cost. Whilst the look of full frame on the 5D Mk II really does reproduce the look of the best 35mm photography in cinematic form, you have to have damned good lenses, and some of the more interesting left-field choices like Leica or Zeiss rangefinder lenses (some of the world's best 35mm photography lenses) and super-fast F0.95 or even F0.75 c-mount lenses are not an option with full frame.

Let's also not forget that 35mm film is closer in size to the 7D's APS-C sensor, and so full frame on the 5D Mk II will be really pushing the limits of the Arriflex PL mount lenses. I don't expect this to be much of a problem though, because these lenses are some of the best in the world and cost well into the tens of thousands of dollars. Personally I'd prefer to use a $250 Contax G mount Zeiss 45mm F2 - sometimes a LOT of extra money gets you very little actual gain.

Since many of the people involved in the series shoot Canon, I expect the 5D Mk II will win the shootout. Not because of any inherit bias, but because this camera is the all-out 'stunner' in terms of pure full-frame image quality, it covers all the bases - is good in low light, has a huge sensor, great colour and dynamic range. It will probably beat 35mm film. That is some statement. Also, since the experts in the shootout are used to refining their techniques and craft by shooting Canon HDSLRs, especially the 5D Mk II, they're bound to know how to get the optimal image out of it, rather than say - the Nikon D3S - maybe they'll miss a few tricks with the other cameras. I doubt it - they're geniuses after all - but it's possible.

It will also be interesting to see how much difference - if any - there is between the 7D and T2i, and how ultimately they compare to the full frame 5D Mk II. If the difference in actual movie scenes isn't very big between the T2i and 5D Mk II with lenses that work on reducing the differences in crop factor to get similar shots, with similar depth of field, Canon may have a job on their hands to convince cash strapped indie film makers to pay the extra for a full frame sensor!!

There is another dark-horse aspect of the GH1. It actually resolves a little more 'real' detail and it's crop factor is an advantage in terms of resolving greater detail from the same lens compared to the 5D Mk II. Put simply, if you have the same lens on both cameras at the same setting and point it at the same scene, the GH1 will resolve more detail, and because it has so much detail in reserve coming back from the lens, even if you pull it back and frame to produce exactly the same shot as the 5D Mk II (or 7D, T2i), it will still be sharper. I've verified this myself on many occasions.

The GH1 and T2i are the most exciting camera in the line up I feel. Firstly, both cameras are incredible bargains, and less demanding on lenses. The GH1 in particular has a huge scope for creating unique cinematic styles, all down to lens choice. From the radial bokeh of a Cooke Kinic, to the dreamy look of super fast 0.95 c-mount lenses, there are cinematic styles you can't produce on anything else (not even 16mm film that these lenses were designed for - the Micro 4/3rds sensor is larger and brighter).

I hope this isn't glossed over in the series for remarks on peak image quality whereby the 5D Mk II is bound to win.

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]]> EOSHD http://www.eoshd.com/blog.php?b=59 The sharpest GH1 lens in the world? Contax G on Lumix G. http://www.eoshd.com/blog.php?b=58 Thu, 18 Mar 2010 10:03:51 GMT Affordable lenses that can grace the big screen!

At first glance the Contax G rangefinder lenses of the 1990's would seem the perfect match for another 'G' system, of the 2010's… the Panasonic Micro 4/3rds cameras.

Carl Zeiss engineered a set of 35mm 'G' lenses for the rangefinder, which was insanely expensive at the time of release. It was positioned to rival the Leica M series for performance!

These lenses are better than Canon L for outright image quality and well underpriced on eBay (for now).

Now thanks to Hong Kong eBay sellers you can use the Zeiss G lenses on the GH1 for video. We have a 45mm F2, the most sought after, and described by Ken Rockwell as the sharpest lens ever made. This could well be the sharpest lens at F2 you can buy for the GH1.

Then there is the 90mm F2.8, also incredibly sharp (although I prefer the flexibility of having a faster 85MM F1.4 Contax Zeiss for video and stopping down for extra sharpness if required).

You also have the 35mm F2, but this isn't as sharp wide open as the 45. I'd recommend the radioactive Canon FD 35mm F2 instead.

Remember, with a super-sharp lens you don't just gain in sharpness, you gain detail.

Then you have the odd ones… the 28mm which doesn't fit on Micro 4/3rds because of a protruding rear element, and the 16mm Hologon F8… an über strange lens with globe like elements, which has minimal distortion for a 16mm full frame 35mm lens and of course is rather sharp. F8 and yet still fetches $2000 plus on eBay - must be either very rare, or very good in other respects (quite likely)!

The G lenses, Hologon apart, remain amazingly underpriced on eBay. The 45mm in particular is Leica surpassing in quality, yet it fetches between just $200 and $300. It's only until recently that the Micro 4/3rds adapters have become available. These cost £50.

Despite being 35mm full frame lenses, they don't fit the Canon EOS cameras because the flange back is too long. These lenses are a perfect match for Micro 4/3rds then, because like a rangefinder camera the the GH1 doesn't have a mirror box, and has a short flange back (the space between the back of the lens and the sensor).

45mm is a bit more handy than 50mm too, because it equals a 35mm equivalent 90mm on the GH1 - a lot closer to a 85mm portrait focal length lens on full frame (5D Mk II). Secondly, I nearly always end up stopping down my F1.4 lenses to F2 for image quality reasons anyway. So a lens which stops at F2 is no disadvantage as long as it's super sharp.

Built-in follow focus?

The Contax G1 / G2 cameras for which these Zeiss lenses were designed were a strange breed (typical of Contax) - pure auto-focus rangefinders, with lenses which lacked a manual focus ring!! However the adapter mimics a feature on the original Contax rangefinders, whereby focus is controlled by a small but precise thumbwheel. It sits behind your thumb on the bottom left of where the lens barrel meets the camera body. This may seem maddening but I've identified what could be a huge advantage for video. It works a bit like a follow focus. No longer would the camera be unsteadied by your hand on the lens. You'd hold the camera with two hands and simply thumb the wheel up and down to focus.

Like many Contax Zeiss lenses, the image is beautiful. Bokeh is creamy, you get bladed sunstars of light from lens flare like on Canon L series glass, the contrast and colour is spellbinding and the lens out resolves Canon L glass for detail and resolution. They have minimal distortion and are sharp in the edges at just about any aperture. They also have the floating elements for close focus, handy for macro shooting. Macro and corner sharpness are improved further because the GH1 is a 2x crop over 35mm full frame, so it uses only the magnified centre part of the image from the lens.

The 45mm F2 is quite a small lens, which takes 46mm filters. Perfect match for the also-sharp Iscorama 36 anamorphic lens, and the Panasonic LA7200 whom's glass is better in the middle section.

Watch out for a full review of the 45mm F2 G lens next week on EOSHD.com along with a new video showing it in action. Thanks to eBay user walkyria76 from France

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]]> EOSHD http://www.eoshd.com/blog.php?b=58 Exclusive Interview with Kevin Shahinian of Pacific Pictures, City of Lakes http://www.eoshd.com/blog.php?b=57 Mon, 15 Mar 2010 19:20:17 GMT *EOSHD.com today interviewed award winning film-maker Kevin Shahinian (http://www.zacuto.com/kevin-shahinian) of Pacific Pictures whose monumental... EOSHD.com today interviewed award winning film-maker Kevin Shahinian of Pacific Pictures whose monumental effort on reality / fiction hybrid City of Lakes is turning heads in the film industry. Steve Weiss of Zacuto has been championing Kevin and for good reason - his use of HDSLRs, in particular the Canon 5D Mk II and 7D have taken the technology to new heights as you can see in the trailer for City of Lakes.

Visit the City of Lakes trailer's Vimeo page here, or watch below...

Shot on the Canon 5D Mk II and 7D, as you will see there is no difference (even to pixel peepers) between City of Lakes and big budget 'Hollywood' film making at the highest level. To see what a professional like Kevin has to say on using the current HDSLRs to make City of Lakes, read on…

Andrew Reid, EOSHD.com [AR]: First of all Kevin, congratulations for such a creative approach to wedding videos. In a tough commercial environment, productions like City of Lakes have given you a vital edge. What is the future for Pacific Pictures, do you plan to move into purely narrative film making or are Pacific Pictures more interested in the hybrid of reality and art?

Kevin Shahinian [KS]: Thank you, Andrew. At this point its hard to forecast the future. I'm happy with where we are and don't see any drastic moves away from this genre in our future. If a new opportunity arises, great, but I really like the freedom & control we have on the projects we're working on now.

AR: The cost of HDSLRs are very competitive compared to RED's cameras and surely this is a compelling reason to use them on even large-scale paid work. But was there a purely creative reason behind your decision to use the 5D Mk II and 7D on City of Lakes rather than other cameras, specifically RED ONE?

KS: In terms of creative motivations, the low-light performance of the 5D2 was a major factor. The script called for a lot of night exteriors where additional lighting might not be possible logistically and the 5D2 was the natural choice for such a challenge. Logistically, the form factor was actually a desirable during travel and on many of our more precarious, conspicuous setups in large crowds.

AR: Video on HDSLRs is currently first generation technology. Did you encounter any serious pitfalls or image quality issues during the production of City of Lakes?

KS: The only pitfall was the overheating of the 7D, which never became a serious issue. We were proactive in covering the cameras with white towels and made sure to alternate between two bodies every so often. Although we got the warning, I don't think they ever fully shut down.

AR: Did HDSLRs help your team compose shots spontaneously and quickly, or were there times when their lack of usability as video cameras hindered you?

KS: They definitely helped us be more spontaneous. This was a unique production in that we were combining a live event shoot with a proper, scripted film production, so at times the only choice was to be spontaneous. With the best live event crew in the world, you still don't know what might happen. We had to be open to that, and still make it look fully planned.

AR: Were there any productions, small or large shot with HDSLRs that inspired you before making City of Lakes?

KS: The only footage I had seen was from my live event/wedding colleagues. I had heard Shane (Hurlbut) used them sparingly on T4 and was shooting a feature with the Navy, but I hadn't seen any footage per se.

AR: I love the 2.35:1 'anamorphic' aspect ratio used on City of Lakes. Please tell me more about how & why you reached a decision on this and would you consider anamorphic lenses in the future such as the LOMO 35mm cinema primes for PL mount, or will you continue to use Canon L lenses and simply crop?

KS: The crew and I already had a healthy inventory of L-glass, so the choice was an easy one. Being able to adjust the framing, and even add digital tilts to otherwise static shots was another benefit of matting in post.

AR: Have you ever used the Panasonic GH1, and if so did you feel it suitable for a professional large scale project like City of Lakes?

KS: I've played with one but never shot with one seriously.

AR: If you had a very limited budget and had to choose just a handful of lenses for the 5D Mk II and 7D, which do you consider the most capable for cinematic films? Any interesting choices from left-field?

KS: Definitely the 24-70/2.8 for all-around utility. The new 70-200/2.8 is another workhorse - I love the 24/1.4 paired with the 7D specifically on the jib and Steadicam. Most 85's have a lot of glass and the 85/1.2 is no different, very sharp. From left field, there is always the tilt shift, if you're going for a highly stylized, miniaturization effect; good for timelapses from a distance.

AR: The support equipment used on the City of Lakes is extremely professional and large-scale, and necessary for certain shots. How do you see the concept of future Canon HDSLRs panning out - as small but capable professional cameras to use with large scale rigs, or more toward spontaneous and lightweight guerilla documentary film making tools for indies?

KS: As long as DPs & operators on big budget commercial work like Shane (Hurlbut), Charles (Papert), Russell Carpenter, etc continue to adopt the DSLR into their workflow, the future for them is bright and the cameras will continue to evolve.

AR: Do you see HDSLRs like the 5D Mk II as a stop gap until Canon or Panasonic's professional video departments release new gear or do you think this style of camera has a longer future ahead?

KS: No, I see them as separate animals entirely. I don't believe there will ever be a "perfect" camera. There is the right camera for the particular application. I don't think its a good idea to wait for a camera to pop up with all the features you want. As soon as the issues of the previous generation are solved, some new technology arises, "Super HD" or something and the next cool thing becomes the must-have... Of course, with all its own issues. If you want to make films, don't wait.

AR: What improvements would you like to see on a Canon 5D Mk III and future HDSLRs?

KS: Certainly better handling of the jello and professional audio controls, XLR inputs, etc. Other features like peaking & improved focus-assist would be nice too.

AR: In terms of post production, what software was used for the most part on City of Lakes and on what platform (PC, Mac)?

KS: Macs loaded with Adobe Production Premium CS4.

AR: Please tell me more about the City of Lakes shoot - what is it like shooting on location in India, as Westerners in an Eastern culture?

KS: Lets just say it took a few years off my life, but the India shoot was an amazing & memorable experience. The cast and crew were a joy to work with and I look forward to doing it again soon.

EOSHD is grateful to Steve Weiss for introducing me to Kevin's work.

Indeed, the equipment used to support the tiny HDSLRs on the City of Lakes shoot was large scale and high quality. The production was helped by direct involvement by sponsors Cinevate who make some very reasonably priced professional DSLR rigs and follow focuses (check out these back-stage-technology teasers at Cinevate) but even so, to achieve the shots and to do the concept justice, it takes a serious commitment, a talented crew, an incredible location and a great deal of originality to produce a HDSLR film to this standard - all of which marks Pacific Pictures out as one to watch.

I sit firmly in the art-house, low-fi HDSLR film making camp at the moment. I love flat out good ideas that somebody new to film making can bring to life with the minimum of expense and crew. But projects like this really move the whole consumer HDSLR concept to new levels, pushing the current generation of cameras to their limit - and even more importantly, in terms of creativity you can say the same. From a real event - a wedding, City of Lakes has spun a completely convincing fictional motion picture without resort to a hugely expensive cast of actors.

Danny Boyle used similar tactics in the making of Slumdog Millionaire, and I really do believe that this mix of reality and fiction is going to be an important concept in cinema's near future.

Therefore, I'd like to coin a new term in the HDSLR community. Slumdog Shahinian :D

More About: City of Lakes

The production crew were: Kevin Shahinian of Pacific Pictures assisted by Patrick Moreau, Joe Simon and Casey Warren.

City of Lakes is shot in cropped 2.35:1 with the 5D Mk II and 7D. Rather than a straight-down-the-middle documentary or wedding video, it's a scripted feature film taking part during a live situation - a real life wedding in India. Founder of Pacific Pictures, Kevin Shahinian calls it a hybrid film, which I find very compelling. I believe this will become the next evolution of documentary features, with the focus on fictional story lines that emphasise with real events. For example, the director of recent Oscar winner The Cove is using a similar technique on one of his next motion pictures - a documentary about the history of Formula One motor racing between 1962 and 1982, using a hybrid of scripted fiction and real historical events.

Hear more from Kevin Shahinian on Filmfellas

Zacuto's web-series Filmfellas features Pacific Picture's Kevin Shahinian (plus Patrick Moreau) are in cast 5 can be viewed in HD here. The cast talk about challenging (or working with!) the establishment and original thinking versus mimicking others. It's a great watch with plenty of spontaneous rapid-fire banter and discussion.

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]]> EOSHD http://www.eoshd.com/blog.php?b=57 LA7200 Anamorphic Adapter Part 4 - How does it fair on the 5D Mk II? http://www.eoshd.com/blog.php?b=56 Mon, 15 Mar 2010 11:34:38 GMT Image: http://www.eoshd.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=158 Just how good is the Panasonic LA7200? How sharp is it? Does it slow down your lens...

Just how good is the Panasonic LA7200? How sharp is it? Does it slow down your lens by eating light? Does it work on full frame?

I've set about finding the answers.

The LA7200 is very sharp and doesn't slow your lens down at all. It contains just 2 pieces of glass! There is virtually no light loss.

Like any high performance machine, the 5D Mk II has a sweet spot. This appears to be between 45 and 55mm with the LA7200. Telephoto is out. More of a shame - super-wide angle is out.

The 5D Mk II is an incredible camera but it has a much narrower sweet spot than the GH1. It's entirely down to lenses.

The LA7200 anamorphic adapter is a perfect example. Here is a lens which was designed to fit the DVX100 camcorder, with it's tiny 3CCD sensors in 4:3. With the huge lenses required to feed a 3:2 aspect ratio 35mm full frame photography sensor, whatever adapter lens goes on the front is going to need a large area of usable coverage.

But the LA7200 is simply not designed to fit such a beast. It's peak performance is amazing, it just doesn't offer enough of it to fill the 35mm frame. This isn't a problem on the 7D, 550D or GH1.

The 5D Mk II uses the LA7200's rear glass right up to the edges and well past it's limits, resulting in an image which is often hopelessly blurred until a quarter of the way in at both sides, regardless of focal length. The GH1 however with it's 2x crop sensor compared to the 5D Mk II only uses the centre part of the LA7200 - the bit that is intended to be used.

On the 24-105mm L zoom lens on the 5D Mk II vignetting is present until 40mm. 24mm gives you a great view of the LA7200's plastic casing.

Between 45 and 55mm is the sweet spot but the edges are still quite blurry at F4, less so at F8. Between 60mm and 105mm it goes completely to hell. Proof that it's not always possible simply to zoom-through the middle portion of an adapter lens. At 105mm the light is still travelling through the edges of the LA7200 and bending horrifically, in fact the image is now not even in focus throughout. Whether this is an issue with the focus or the shallow depth of field, I am not sure but in this case, with the LA7200 and the 5D Mk II's kit lens, there is no solution.

1:1 frame grab:

The GH1 and 550D get away with smaller prime lenses, a smaller image circle projected back into the camera (especially true of the GH1). So even at 14mm on the GH1 you have edge-to-edge sharpness on the LA7200 at F4 and a truly wide image - 9mm when the anamorphic 1.33x effect is taken into account (equivalent to 18mm wide angle on a 5D Mk II).

An 18mm / 50mm sweet spot - that's a big difference if you need wide angle. Anamorphic wide screen suits wide rolling vistas. On a 5D Mk II a 50mm lens is not going to give you a very wide rolling vista.

Anamorphic 2.35:1 also gives you a newfound freedom to place characters in the scene close to the camera and yet still have the real estate around them to emphasise the rule of thirds. This look great on the GH1, the same thing isn't possible on the 5D Mk II with LA7200.

Below: Kerry shot on GH1 with LA7200.

Philip Bloom is using a 7D with it's 1.6x crop sensor and a 35mm L lens to get around this issue with the LA7200 on EOS cameras. He hasn't finished the anamorphic Skywalker Ranch project yet but I expect he'll reveal that he had to stop the lens down significantly to get a sharp image. Whilst the lens used is indeed a factor, the sensor size is even more of an issue, and larger isn't always better.

Also, the expense of a Canon 35MM L lens could be avoided entirely by choosing the 40 year old 35mm F2.4 Zeiss Flektogon - a lens so good it out resolves the L lens and has better colour and contrast to boot - for 1/10th of the price. This is backed up by Shane Hurlbut - his experience shooting with classic (and new) Zeiss glass was recalled on his blog. People on Flickr say the Flektogon is a 'highly regarded' Zeiss. Highly regarded doesn't even begin to describe this lens.

It's pretty incredible to think that in 40 years, lens engineering has not outpaced the ingenuousness of cost cutting. In the 1970's Zeiss were using blue jade and radioactive elements in their glass. No manufacturer today would rely on such exotic materials in place of modern engineering techniques to do a similar thing cheaper. The problem is, doing a similar thing cheaper is often not as good.

It's not that a great lens such as the 35mm L was the wrong choice - and this isn't a criticism of Bloom, I just think it's a needlessly expensive way of shooting. As it stands, it's getting hard to follow Philip's advice without deep pockets. The Flektogon, and indeed most of the Zeiss and Nikon lenses from years past are incredible bargains and their stock is going to rise well into the future. The Flektogon is a much smaller lens in terms of the front element size than the 24-105mm L and so performs better with the LA7200 even on full frame, yet still on the 5D Mk II you have to stop it well down to avoid using the outer edges of the LA7200 - the blurry parts.

GH1 and 5D Mk II comparison shots:

GH1 -

5D Mk II -

Example of 5D Mk II edge blur (un-squashed raw anamorphic JPEG frame)

So, the GH1 holds a massive advantage over the 5D Mk II when it comes to the LA7200 anamorphic lens due to it's smaller sensor. In terms of the 550D and 7D, their APS-C sized sensors improve matters compared to full frame, but still the sweet spot of the LA7200 almost perfectly matches the size of Micro 4/3rd's 2x crop factor. There is a very good reason why Bloom shot at 35mm on the 7D, and yet the GH1 can go all the way out to 14mm without any issues with blurry corners.

As for full frame, the only real option for the 5D Mk II (and it is a very nice option indeed) is the insanely expensive Iscorama 36 and 54, but unfortunately you have to focus both this lens and the camera lens to match perfectly, which is a very awkward process if you need to shoot guerilla style, ready to capture the moment as soon as your eye catches it. It doesn't therefore suit my improvisational docu-music video style, but in a controlled environment some people have been able to get very nice results with it.

The Iscorama does not have blurry glass at the edges, it's almost uniformly perfect. But it still vignettes at proper wide angles on full frame. The 36 especially is very sharp but it's a small lens. The 54 has a similar filter thread size to the LA7200 but it isn't as sharp. It has better sharpness at the edges, but you probably won't even use the edges on a GH1 or 7D, so it's only really an advantage for full frame. You'll also need a diopter to focus closely, whilst on the GH1 or 7D it probably won't be necessary due to the crop factor. LA7200 does not allow close focus on any camera, but the GH1's 2x crop is an advantage here too, allowing you to resolve objects twice as closely as the 5D Mk II with the same lens. To put this in some perspective, the resolving power of the GH1 with the same telephoto lens (300mm) when pointed at the moon outperforms the 22 megapixel 5D Mk II for resolution and detail.

There are some very overpriced options around for anamorphic shooting that people are falling hook, line and sinker for. On the one hand you have the 5D Mk II, but it just doesn't suit anamorphic lenses. You have the great Canon L lenses, but at what cost? The beautiful Iscorama is like Naomi Campbell. It has a very narrow operating window, it's awkward to work with and if you don't treat it perfectly you'll get a smack in the back of the head. You've got the half-way-house of 7D and 550D but you can't go as wide with the LA7200 with those as you can on the GH1, so why choose these for widescreen anamorphic?

The GH1 and it's kit lens at 14mm, LA7200, and the famous Flektogon at 35mm represent the best value for money indie film-makers have ever seen, and will ever see, for at least another decade until a new game changer arrives. I'd happily sell every other lens and camera in my possession if to keep just these items, go off and shoot just as good a film, music video or mood piece as I would by spending 10x more.

The GH1 impressed me so much in anamorphic that I even considered changing the name of this website!!

On the GH1 you really do need a good 35mm focal length option. The Lumix 20mm F1.7 is great. But it's 20mm - a bit too wide. A 85mm F1.4 Zeiss is lovely. But it's a telephoto on the GH1. A 50mm F1.4 Canon FD can be beautiful, but again it's just too long to be a flexible option, especially in confined spaces. On the GH1, the 35mm Flektogon is sharp wide open at F2.4 and with plenty of shallow depth of field, 70mm equivalent to full frame lenses. It's a brilliant compromise and costs just £140.

16:9 - I cannot go back

My future shoots will all be 2.35:1. Even if you have to crop and not use an anamorphic lens (my preferred option for the 5D Mk II unless using 35mm cinema prime anamorphic lenses which are also insanely expensive) it looks more cinematic than 16:9 and gives you tons of new creative options. New alleyways open up in the framing of shots and you get beautiful horizontal lens flare.

Anamorphic widescreen gives footage an exaggerated cinematic beauty.

As a result 16:9 is, I'm afraid, the new 4:3

If you have a 5D Mk II and are considering anamorphic, my advice is to bypass the lenses altogether and crop. This video proves what's possible, and 99% of people who view this will not be able to tell that it wasn't shot with anamorphic lenses. True, there is no distorted bokeh, no horizontal lens flare, and the resolution is a little soft, but it looks great because it's shot well.

City of Lakes

City of Lakes is an innovative concept, shot in cropped 2.35:1 with the 5D Mk II and 7D. Rather than a straight-down-the-middle documentary, it's a scripted feature film taking part during a live situation, in real life. Founder of Pacific Pictures, Kevin Shahinian calls it a hybrid film, which I find very compelling. I believe this will become the next evolution of documentary features, with the emphasis on a compelling story that emphasises with real events. For example, the director of recent Oscar winner The Cove is using a similar technique on one of his next motion pictures - a look at the history of Formula One using a hybrid of scripted fiction and real historical events.

Production crew: Kevin Shahinian, Patrick Moreau, Joe Simon and Casey Warren
You may read more information about the trailer above at Pacific Pictures

Below are more photos from the 5D Mk II and LA7200 combo to illustrate the main points raised in this article.

A narrow sweet spot (and focus plane)! But the LA7200 is capable of delivery a sharp image (1:1 view of 22 megapixel JPEG):

The whole frame:

Notice how just the right hand-side edge is more blurred than the entire distance of the tunnel. Depth of field is not a factor in the edge-blur of the LA7200 when used with the 5D Mk II.

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]]> EOSHD http://www.eoshd.com/blog.php?b=56 Zacuto, Steve Weiss looking into anamorphic Z-Finder http://www.eoshd.com/blog.php?b=55 Fri, 12 Mar 2010 15:20:21 GMT

Since anamorphic lenses results in a distorted image being displayed on a camera's live view display, framing the shot on-camera can sometimes be tricky with an anamorphic lens. What you see is not what you will get later when the anamorphic squeeze works it's magic. Whilst recording the wider 2.35:1 footage from the lens is squashed into 16:9 on the GH1 or EOS cameras and it's like looking in a fairground magic mirror.

I have been in touch with Steve of Zacuto today, partly to praise their rather good Z-Finder that I used on Alleyway 2.35:1 and to offer a few ideas. One of the ideas suggested was that the Z-Finder could be a perfect way to get 2.35:1 anamorphic live footage right there on the camera's live view screen whilst recording. Steve replied that Zacuto are interested in such a product, pending feedback from users.

So do you want an anamorphic Z-Finder? Get in touch with Zacuto!! Steve needs to hear from us if indeed the demand is out there. Let's banish 16:9 to the television!!

What difference would an anamorphic Z-Finder make? Quite a bit. Let's take a look at these frame grabs from Alleyway 2.35:1

The anamorphic footage squeezed in Final Cut Pro to achieve the desired 2.35:1 aspect ratio

The original un-squeezed anamorphic footage in 16:9 aspect ratio on the GH1 as you record and shoot.

What is required in any possible anamorphic Z-Finder is a reverse anamorphic lens to squash the image vertically between 33% and 50%. If the amount of vertical 'squash' could be made variable it would mean one Zacuto Anamorphic Z-Finder could work with a wide range of lenses, from the Panasonic LA7200 (1.33x), Iscorama 36 (1.5x) to the Kowa 8Z or Sankor 16C (2x - cinemascope). Another idea would be for the reverse anamorphic lens sitting behind or in front of the magnifying lens to slot out and let normal service be resumed.

In my opinion, it's hard to go back to the look of 16:9 once you have experienced the wonders of 2.35:1, and anamorphic shooting is constantly gaining in popularity. It really speaks 'cinema', you could probably shoot your back yard and it'd still end up looking like a scene from Laurence of Arabia. I really do love anamorphic footage.

The response to HDSLR anamorphics from the indie film-making community which began with the Iscorama on the 5DMkII has been huge, pushing the value of good anamorphic adapters higher than Avatar's box office. Maybe this idea for an anamorphic Z-Finder is a little early, but I am sure the demand will curve upward pretty quickly.

Secondly, for version 3 of the Z-Finder, the mounting frame could be made to fit the 3:2 aspect ratio screens of the 550D and GH1, or even fit around the 16:9 area for video recording. Zacuto currently only offer one size of frame designed primarily to fit the 4:3 screen on the 5DMkII, with blanking tape to block off the bottom when used with the GH1's 3:2 screen. Whilst the current mounting frame is very small and lightweight, I feel something slightly deeper is needed, with the same size of fixing joint for the main Z-Finder body but varying on the end which fits the camera, whilst acting like a short tunnel which doesn't let in any light.

An anamorphic version of Z-Finder is still just an idea right now and by no means is there a guarantee Steve will follow it all the way through to market in any given timeframe, or even whether it will be possible to implement such a product. Despite the pioneering efforts of people like Ryan Glover and many other indie film makers, it's still early days for anamorphic shooting on HDSLRs.

Of course, up until now at least, the mass-market orientated camera manufacturers haven't acknowledged the growing trend of anamorphic shooting and so don't offer a way to adjust aspect ratios in live view with what could just be a basic real-time distort filter in software. So Steve could have a big product on his hands if there is the demand.

The Z-Finder has become a must-have product in it's current form and Steve is an innovative and creative bloke who puts a hell of a lot of energy back into the camera community. I feel the idea will be safe with him and all potential opportunities explored to the maximum. :cool:

Checkout EOSHD's latest anamorphic film on Vimeo - Alleyway 2.35:1

Update: Steve emailed me this video, shot in 2.35:1 widescreen but without the use of any anamorphic lenses at all!! Watch it and then see which camera(s) they used. You won't believe your eyes!!

There is a blog from the production team at Pacific Pictures here on the making of the feature.

In related news…

Philip Bloom is again mixing it with the famous people at Skywalker Ranch, this time with the Panasonic LA7200 on the Canon 7D using Canon L lenses. He has got an anamorphic shoot together much quicker than I expected since it was only last week he took delivery of the adapter!! Work-a-holic!!

This weekend I will explore more lenses with the LA7200 on the GH1 and next week post footage from the 5DMkII with LA7200 as well. Not sure if the 5D's full-frame is the way to go with this adapter (which was after all designed for a camera with absolutely tiny eyeballs in comparison - the DVX100), but I will find out soon enough!

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]]> EOSHD http://www.eoshd.com/blog.php?b=55 Is THIS the Panasonic GH2 patent, with metal body? http://www.eoshd.com/blog.php?b=54 Thu, 11 Mar 2010 20:22:53 GMT

A new patent published today (March 11th) has come to my attention. In it are various technical drawings and a figure which looks very much like the GH1. The patent was filed in September 2009 - later than the original GH1's release. But this camera is not the G10 or G2 as it does not have a touch screen. (43rumors found a possible GF2 related patent today which shows a different camera, with built in EVF, but this patent is different as the figures show the larger GH1 style body).

The main claim of this patent is the 'heat radiators and heat conductors' inside a 'metal body' which remove heat from around the image processing unit and the CMOS sensor itself.

There are other things which caught my attention about this camera. To quote directly from the patent document:

The CMOS image sensor 110 is able to acquire high-resolution moving images used for recording, and to acquire low-resolution moving images used as through images. An example of a high-resolution moving image is a moving image in HD size (high definition size: 1920x1080 pixels). The CMOS image sensor 110 is an example of an imaging element that converts an optical image of a subject into an electrical image signal. The concept of imaging element here encompasses CCD image sensors and other such opto-electric conversion elements in addition to the CMOS image sensor 110.

(EOSHD note: A-C talk in great technical lengths about the workings of the heat radiators, I will list the first point and then move onto other more interesting items described in the patent)

(A)
In the first to third embodiments above, the heat radiating member 198 had the heat radiating plate 195, but if we only consider the effect of reducing the amount of heat transferred from the CMOS image sensor 110 to the main frame 154, the heat radiating member 198 need not have the heat radiating plate 195, and may have only the thermal conductor 196 instead…. Furthermore, the heat radiating plate 195 and the thermal conductor 196 are not limited to being integrally molded, and may instead be separate.

(D)
The shutter unit 190 is provided in the first and third embodiments above, but the shutter unit 190 need not be provided, and the same shutter function as the shutter unit 190 may be realized by drive control of the CMOS image sensor 110.

(E)
In the first to third embodiments above, the camera monitor 120 and the EVF 180 are both provided, but the configuration may instead be such that only one of these is provided.

(F)
In addition to the CMOS image sensor 110, the imaging element may be a CCD image sensor.

(EOSHD comment: in addition to or in place of? I think Panasonic are probably just covering their bases and there is no chance of a CCD sensor in the GH2 with global shutter)

(G)
In the above embodiments, the main circuit board 142 including the camera controller 140 is disposed on the outside of the heat radiating member 198. This is because the CMOS image sensor 110 consumes a relatively large amount of power, so it is the largest source of heat generation, and heat needs to be prevented from being transferred from the CMOS image sensor 110 to the main circuit board 142, on which many parts that are susceptible to the effects of heat (such as circuit parts) are mounted.

(EOSHD note: It is well known that CMOS image sensors heat up a lot - and noise becomes more apparent as a result)

The GH1 does get very slightly warm after long periods of use. But I never thought it particularly hot.

It seems Panasonic are going to be pushing the image processor and CMOS speed a great deal which would explain this patent for heat ejection and control.

GH2 with a metal body - that would be very hot indeed. :cool:

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]]> EOSHD http://www.eoshd.com/blog.php?b=54 News Roundup from CP+ Show in Japan http://www.eoshd.com/blog.php?b=53 Thu, 11 Mar 2010 15:33:58 GMT Check out our new forum (http://www.eoshd.com/forum.php) for some interesting bits of news from the Cameras + Photo show in Japan which is taking... Check out our new forum for some interesting bits of news from the Cameras + Photo show in Japan which is taking place right now.

Canon RAW video add-on module 'exists'?

New Lumix G lens 100-300mm is 'HD', like GH1 kit lens

Panasonic 14mm Prime for Micro 4/3rds becomes a F2.5 ]]> EOSHD http://www.eoshd.com/blog.php?b=53 Philip Bloom to blog on Anamorphics, uses LA7200 http://www.eoshd.com/blog.php?b=52 Thu, 11 Mar 2010 14:17:05 GMT *Here is some news on something I am really looking forward to at EOSHD.com* Image:... Here is some news on something I am really looking forward to at EOSHD.com

Philip Bloom has revealed via Twitter that he's taken delivery of a Panasonic LA7200, and intends to use it on the Canon 7D with a 35mm L prime lens.

It's great that Bloom has chosen the relatively in-expensive Panasonic anamorphic adapter over the much rarer Iscorama! The LA7200 is available on eBay for between $400 and $500, so get your order in on eBay now before everyone wants one!!

I'll post more in Part 3 of my anamorphic series, after Philip has written his blog and shot what should be some pretty amazing footage.

I am still waiting for the Panavision anamorphic lens to arrive from LA. This is a 2x anamorphic, so a lot wider than the LA7200. I still believe that 1.33x is the best way to go though.

One question remains…

Bloom's 7D has a 3:2 sensor and the GH1 has a 16:9 sensor. The 7D crops the 3:2 sensor to record in 16:9 mode. The GH1 is true 16:9 mode. So your field of view with the same lens in anamorphic 2.35:1 on the GH1 is actually wider than on the 7D.

Which camera will produce the best footage?

Let the shootout commence!

View Alleyway 2.35:1 on Vimeo by Andrew Reid - Panasonic GH1 with LA7200 anamorphic adapter. Comments welcome

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]]> EOSHD http://www.eoshd.com/blog.php?b=52 Panasonic to produce 3D Lens for GH1 / GH2 http://www.eoshd.com/blog.php?b=51 Thu, 11 Mar 2010 12:48:49 GMT

In a story first picked up by the US-Japanese website Akihabara News it seems Panasonic have a 3D lens in production for the GH1 and forthcoming GH2, with a Micro 4/3rds mount.

Not only is it perfectly feasible on a technical basis, but a 3rd party 3D lens for the Four Thirds mount has already hit the market from Loreo.

However Panasonic's lens will be designed along with the accompanying firmware in their cameras for better functionality and performance.

Featuring full AF in video mode on the GH1 and GH2 (GH1 will require a firmware update for the lens). The images it produces is also compatible with Panasonic's new line of 3D TVs (a nice 'halo' marketing affect there Panasonic!)

The lens won't be cheap and there are a few unknowns right now. Will the camera firmware have two settings, one for producing the Panasonic TV 3D compatible image and one for producing one which can be viewed with glasses on a standard screen? There is no information about focal lengths yet either.

According to Akihabara the lens has been shown in prototype form before, at a Japanese trade show. It is mentioned here, in an article about Fujifilm's first 3D compact here:

http://en.akihabaranews.com/39277/ev...were-a-big-hit

I am sourcing yet more info about this lens and hopefully some photos of the prototype.

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]]> EOSHD http://www.eoshd.com/blog.php?b=51 New Full Sized Sony HD SLR with AVCHD FULL HD shown in Japan at CP+ http://www.eoshd.com/blog.php?b=50 Thu, 11 Mar 2010 12:11:19 GMT Shown here at CP+, a camera from Sony so new it doesn't have a model number yet. It was presented simply as an 'advanced model'.

This is big news I feel, hence the separate article from the ongoing CP+ Japan show report.

Clearly visible on the top of the camera is a top-LCD panel and the AVCHD HD moniker.

Lower down you see that it features built-in steady shot.

It seems the GH1 is finally getting some serious competition in the video stakes.

As you can see, it seems to have a well built body more like the 5DMkII.

Oddly, the 'advanced model' lacks an articulated screen. The new 'entry level' AVCHD HDSLR from Sony has been seen before at PMA in February with a rotating LCD (great!)

Notice the hinge at the bottom of the screen.

It seems Sony views this more of a gimmicky 'consumer' feature not worthy of the top models. I disagree.

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]]> EOSHD http://www.eoshd.com/blog.php?b=50 <![CDATA[CIPA's first Cameras + Photography Plus show underway in Japan]]> http://www.eoshd.com/blog.php?b=49 Thu, 11 Mar 2010 12:04:54 GMT Constantly updated

The CP+ show is underway today. Panasonic are expected to show their G2 once again and representatives from their camera division will be on hand to answer questions about future products such as the GH2. More news as it comes in from our sources…

SONY
Once again the new Sony Alpha EVIL cameras prototypes were on display. Along with one of a Zeiss 500MM F4 G lens. That is one hell of a telephoto! The cameras will support Full HD 1080p recording according to Sony.

Also on display was a HD 'bloggie' 360 degree camera, containing a special lens for still images and movie recording of 360 degree panoramas in one shot.

The GUI of the new Sony EVIL GF1 clones has been pictured. Seems it is a touch screen with sliding controls for aperture and focus.

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1037&message=34763244

----

Story developing...

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]]> EOSHD http://www.eoshd.com/blog.php?b=49 Anamorphic Widescreen - Panasonic GH1 with LA7200 Lens - Part 2 http://www.eoshd.com/blog.php?b=47 Wed, 10 Mar 2010 14:36:06 GMT

Click here or on the image above to watch in 2.35:1 on Vimeo

I have some footage to show you from the Panasonic anamorphic lens on the GH1. I talked a bit about the rig earlier but here is part 2 of my anamorphic shootout for real.

So far I've concentrated on the LA7200 from Panasonic. It's available on eBay for $450 or £300 but prices vary by around $100.

Why use this lens? Well, it gives you a wider field of view horizontally. I've talked about the details in a previous blog but all you need to know is that it makes for a very cinematic feel. As big a difference as shallow depth of field or 24/25p makes to video footage.

Imagine it as an extension onto the sides of standard 16:9 widescreen. This allows the positioning of people and objects in the frame in a more stylistic way.

A few things to watch out for when shooting anamorphic widescreen (and one thing specific to any video recording on the GH1):

A must-do for anamorphic - shoot at F4 and above for best image sharpness at the edges
With the LA7200 and anamorphic shooting in general you cannot get very close objects in focus if you have a fast aperture
You can go as wide as 14mm on the GH1
Shoot in full HD, you need all the resolution you can get because it reduces vertically afterwards
The record button on the GH1 has a bit of a lag and is sometimes unresponsive - make sure it's recording when you want it to!!
You can AF with the GH1 fine through the LA7200 and kit lens
To attach the LA7200 you need to use a 72 to 77mm step-up converter ring because of the recessed 72mm thread, and tighten it by rotating hard against the rubber sole of a shoe or beach sandal

An anamorphic lens cannot rotate and has to be straight and the right way round. Otherwise your image will be skewed diagonally. An early frustration I had was that when the LA7200 screws onto your lens, you rely mostly on luck that it will be the right way round when it tightens. You then fine tune to get it absolutely straight, by rotating the lens through a 45 degree window of movement built into the lens itself, and fix it in position with a screw. 45 degrees is not really enough to get it straight if the lens is more than 45 degrees out when the thread begins to tighten and lock. So i removed the small screws on the back and opened the back of the anamorphic lens. You can clean out any dust or cleaning fluid which has leaked into the inside of the lens. And you can put the rotating back in so that the latch is to the other side of the 45 degree locking pillars. Now you have over 300 degrees of rotation even when the thread is locked tight, and the problem is solved simply by rotating the lens and using the thumbscrew to fix it in place!

Anamorphic footage straight off the camera (and whilst recording) looks squashed horizontally because the wide aspect ratio of 2.35:1 is squashed into a narrower 16:9 on the camera sensor, so to bring it out afterwards is really easy, you just put -33(%) in the aspect ratio box on the footage in Final Cut Pro 7 and when exporting which squashes the image vertically to achieve the proper 2.35:1 aspect ratio, check the box to maintain aspect ratio with a 'crop' and enter the custom dimensions, which can be anything as long as it keeps the aspect ratio. I used 1280x544. (Should actually be 1280x542 I think, because I appear to have 1 pixel black lines at the top and bottom of my video). This basic technique works great.

I used a Zacuto Z-Finder this time.

Enjoyed the experience of carrying just my camera (with extensions!) around and it looks very cool. But people seem more aware that you're taking video and not just a few photographic snaps. So - not as stealthy, but a lot of fun.

I hope you enjoy the video - no story, just a mood piece and a demonstration of how the footage looks. I believe it to be well on par with the 5DMkII and Iscorama, and if you need further convinving look at the price...

Canon 5DMkII Anamorphics

Iscorama 36 - $1500 (eBay)
5DMkII body - $2200
Zeiss Jena Flektogon 35mm F2.4 - $300 (eBay)
Z-Finder - $400
Total: $4400

Panasonic GH1 Anamorphics

LA7200 - $500
GH1 + 14-140MM - $1300
Z-Finder - $400
Total: $2200

And if you want to save more money consider this:

LA7200 - $500
GH1 body only - $700
Canon FD 28MM + Adapter - $100
Total: $1200

I honestly do not think the 5DMkII warrant's it's price difference over the GH1, especially when you consider the GH1 is a lighter and more usable camera which you can use a greater variety of lenses on. With the LA7200 you only need to focus the main camera lens. With the Kowa, Sankor and Iscorama you need to focus both the anamorphic adapter AND the main camera lens so they match perfectly, which sounds like a real pain and a shot-misser to me.

I have also done some footage with the LA7200 and 5DMkII which I'll post in Part 3.

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]]> EOSHD http://www.eoshd.com/blog.php?b=47 <![CDATA[Canon EOS 'E1' Mirrorless Hack for the 550D]]> http://www.eoshd.com/blog.php?b=46 Tue, 09 Mar 2010 17:19:43 GMT *So far Canon have chosen to stick with the old mechanical mirror-box and optical view finder whilst other manufacturers like Panasonic with their... So far Canon have chosen to stick with the old mechanical mirror-box and optical view finder whilst other manufacturers like Panasonic with their EVIL mirrorless cameras move toward greater electronic control of the image and eventually a global shutter. Well, one Canon user in Hong Kong loved the image quality of the EOS for video, and decided to do something about the mirror-box problem.

First he purchased 3 brand new Canon EOS 550Ds.

He then ripped the grip rubber off, and unscrewed the chassis.

He removed the AF sensor completely and took out the mirror box. Now there is nothing to come between the magnificent Canon sensor and the finest cinema prime lenses in the world, from Panavision.

Unfortunately the optical view finder no longer works and he doesn't have a warranty any more. ;)

But that's a small price to pay for using such a wide range of lenses on a Canon EOS for HD video. Almost as many lenses as on the GH1 in fact!

Nikon F
Canon EF / EF-S / FD (yes - FD lenses on a modern Canon body!!)
Leica R
Arri Standard / Bayonet / PL
BNCR
BNC
Oct19 (LOMO Anamorphic, etc.)
Aaton
Panavision PL (VERY nice)

Here, he offers an image of the camera in use with a beautiful Zeiss cinema prime lens.

Overall, a very brave hack indeed! The method does however raise a few questions:

How does the camera's firmware cope with a missing AF sensor and mirror mechanism?
Can he still use it for still photos - yes in live view, I expect.
Does the camera boot directly into live view when turned on?
How does he adapt FD lenses to the Canon EFS mount?
Is the OIS functionality of an EFS lens lost as a result of his modification?

EOSHD will attempt to find the answers before long.

Check out his original links (in Chinese) here:

http://www.oldlensclub.hk/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=2610
http://www.dchome.net/viewthread.php...&extra=&page=1

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]]> EOSHD http://www.eoshd.com/blog.php?b=46 RED Scarlet Finally Here! * http://www.eoshd.com/blog.php?b=45 Tue, 09 Mar 2010 15:56:56 GMT * Brain by Panasonic
* Lens by Canon
* Bomb EVF by Zacuto

(Above: Panasonic anamorphic 2.35:1 adapter lens on the GH1, plus Zacuto Z-Finder)

Forgive the title and don't worry. To get the ultimate in cinematics you no longer need to spend tons of money!! :cool:

As you'd know from balancing on the cutting edge of digital cinema over the last decade, your view from the top would look like this: big, RED and expensive. But businesses who bought into the RED philosophy exclusively lock-stock and barrel are now struggling in the face of competition from cheaper HDSLRs. The 'Real Film Makers' who are slow to adapt because they fund their hobbies by renting cameras or hiring their skills have been shunted aside by the 'cutting edge for everybody' philosophy of HDSLRs. Yet despite the fuss, these amazing tools are just tools. They're not a socialist evil, or a magic wand which can turn a bad film good. They're game changers, that's all.

RED need to compete against them, but they're finding it tough in this new game.

Their answer to the HDSLRs is a small interchangeable lens video camera with tons of add-ons and an expensive set of prime cinema lenses has been beset by delay after delay, to the point where 'Scarlet' becomes the fodder for jokes in internet blogs. (Cough). If Canon took this long to get new products to the market, they'd fall behind in terms of both sales and technology - and this is what's happening to RED.

Put simply, RED is dead. In terms of size, they cannot hope to ever match up to the R&D factories which power the latest Canon or Panasonic sensor. Hurting, bloodied RED have turned bitter, removing any trace and mention of HDSLRs from their REDUser forum, which was once a valuable resource for RED and HDSLR users alike.

Their ingenuity, experience and recognition of exactly what indie and broadcast filmmakers want can only get RED so far, sadly. And what indie and broadcast filmmakers want right now is an inexpensive HDSLR with access to a huge range of photographic lenses. RED cannot compete. Period.

Anamorphic shooting on the Panasonic GH1: Part 2

Much of the zeitgeist behind the HDDLR revolution has been EOS powered so far. But whilst Canon is quiet right now before their next great stride in HDSLR technology, I've been concentrating my attentions almost exclusively on the Panasonic GH1 because I believe it's been rather overlooked. From Shane Hurlbut to Philip Bloom, all you ever hear is 'Canon'!

I've been doing some shooting on the GH1 in the anamorphic format recently, using a Zacuto Z-Finder. Here is an introduction to the kit I settled on:

Panasonic LA7200 Anamorphic 1.33x lens.
This converts the native 16:9 sensor of the GH1 into a true cinema 2.35:1 aspect ratio recording device, with the use of optically corrective glass. The GH1 has an advantage for anamorphics over the 5DMkII, because the 5DMkII has a 3:2 aspect ratio sensor and requires a greater 'squash' to get the 1.5x anamorphic image out of an Iscorama so you loose more vertical resolution. The LA7200 is a very sharp anamorphic lens and I'll cover it in more detail later in the article. It works best with…

Canon 10-22mm EFS lens.
Choosing the right lens for anamorphic shooting is important unless you're using expensive anamorphic primes. You cannot really dip below F4 when using an anamorphic conversion lens and you need a relatively small front element. If the far edges of the Panasonic LA7200 are used to gather light, the image blurs dramatically at the sides. The old Zeiss Flektogon 35mm F2.4 is a good option too. I use the Canon mentioned above at 14mm. Anything wider than 14mm vignettes but that's much wider than you can go on the 5DMkII. True, this 10-22mm lens doesn't have a particularly small front element but at 14mm it appears to 'see' through the centre of the anamorphic adapter and not all the way to the edges. It has another advantage - a 77mm front filter size, which screws directly onto the 72mm to 77mm stepping ring I use to lock onto the recessed LA7200 72mm filter thread. The LA7200 simply screws directly onto the lens. I've tightened the stepping ring onto the LA7200 by twisting it against the rubber sole of a beach sandal so it doesn't get left on the camera lens when you screw the LA7200 off.

Zacuto Z-Finder V2.
The Zacuto, once you grow accustomed to it, really does change the way you use the camera. The GH1 feels a bit naked without it. It helps to steady the camera handheld and allows the LCD to be properly visible in direct sunlight. You're freed from a heavy tripod. Granted, it's impossible to hold it completely still against your eye, but it really does reduce camera shake compared to having to hold the camera out in front of you. Going back to the EVF on the GH1 is uncomfortable, and it seems so small after using the Zacuto. The GH1's built in EVF is actually larger than most optical view finders like on the 5DMkII, but the Z-Finder really does give you an absolutely huge EVF. There are a few improvements I'd like to see in future though, and one of those is on the camera side.

1. I think Zacuto need a way of allowing different aspect ratios of screen. The frame is designed to fit the 4:3 5DMkII screen, but the GH1 and 550D have 3:2 screens which are wider and narrower. The Zacuto Z-Finder fits quite poorly on the GH1 and the frame sits off the edge of the camera. The fixing glue is very strong but isn't much use hanging down below the camera body.

2. The gaps between pixels and the resolution of the camera screens need to improve, such is the level of magnification of the Z-Finder. I'd happily give up some of the magnification for a smaller view of the screen and less pixelation, though you do get used to it a bit.

3. International shipping for simple inexpensive things like further $6 fixing frames for the Z-Finder costs $60 on the Zacuto website. Surely they can find a slower, cheaper delivery method for us non-US film makers?

The glass on the Zacuto is very bright and extremely sharp. It is essentially a lens. The fun thing is if you hook the Zacuto to the front of your GH1 you can use it roughly like a 35mm F1.8 lens and focus by moving it backwards and forward!! Granted, the light leaks in around it but it does actually produce a sharp, bright image. Amusing.

The Z-Finder on the GH1 does add weight to the LCD's hinge, so you have to be a little more careful than with the 5DMkII, but the bonus is you can angle the viewfinder and point it upwards like a movie-camera VF. Handy when the camera is mounted on a dolly or tripod.

I really enjoyed shooting in anamorphic 2.35:1 widescreen on the GH1. It's a style I feel myself becoming accustomed to, so much so that I'd happily drop out of the shallow depth of field 'craze' for a while and concentrate on wide vistas and Terry Gilliam / Kubrick style wide-close ups.

The Panasonic LA7200 really is sharp from edge to edge on the GH1 at F4. It is actually sharp on faster lenses as well but I dislike the way out of focus objects are rendered with it. They look odd. And the shallower the depth of field, the less sharp the edges of the frame. F4 and above is a general rule of thumb for anamorphic shooting I'm afraid.

However as ISO 1600 is relatively noise free and the equivalent to ISO 2400 in real terms, whilst the 5DMkII at ISO 1600 is equivalent to ISO 1100 in real terms, at least according to DXOMark, you can get some decent low light footage even at F4 on the GH1.

You can also happily use the LA7200 on the 14-140mm kit lens, or 14-45mm but putting that weighty lens on the end of a zooming barrel is probably asking for trouble. Zooming is stiff as a result, and doing it too often will probably damage the lens. The great thing about the Canon 10-22mm is that it has an internal focus and zoom method, and the filter thread stays fixed ahead of the glass when it zooms or focuses.

Here are some preview frames from my upcoming anamorphic GH1 video Sleeping Tiger. I'll complete my current series of articles about GH1 anamorphic shooting when I post the video itself later today.

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]]> EOSHD http://www.eoshd.com/blog.php?b=45