matt2491

Canon cameras sell very well because they make people look great by creating very pleasing skintones. Apparently for technical reasons (silicon sensors, etc.), Canon makes skintones look great at the expense of color accuracy. ARRI is the undisputed* King of Color Science and reading about how to make a C300 somewhat match an Alexa may be helpful in setting up new cameras such as the GH4 and A7S to produce more pleasing skintones (at the expense of color accuracy): http://provideocoalition.com/aadams/story/color-matching-a-canon-c300-to-an-arri-alexa
 
Art noted that digital cameras do the best in daylight (~5500K) due to sensor response to blue. While I too have noticed that Sony, for example, does much better in sunlight, I've found that cameras also do well in Tungsten (~3200K). While Tungsten doesn't have much blue, it is a continuous spectrum light, and that I believe is the most important issue.
 
Cameras have the most trouble in mixed light (fluorescent + incandescent + LED, etc.) or light sources with large gaps in the spectrum (some fluorescent and many LED lights). I had no idea what kind of light this was, however AWB with the A7S wasn't too far off (minor WB adjust in post: still a bit magenta but that's the look I wanted):

 
In the Art Adams article above, he had to make custom profiles (mostly the special Color Matrix) for each desired color temperature (two provided). This makes it clear that getting pleasing (and/or accurate) color for a wide variety of color temperatures and light sources is a very challenging technical problem. Face/skintone detection is one way manufacturers try to deal with the problem (regardless of race, all skintones have similar color properties (along the 'skintone' line on the vectorscope: ).
 
It's not likely there's anything we can do to picture profiles on cameras to improve color performance vs. factory settings for general use. If we tweak colors for a particular WB and light source, it won't be correct for another light source with different spectral properties. Thus, if someone posts a tweaked color profile that changes WB colors or general color matrices, keep in mind those tweaks might not work correctly for your particular situation.
 
 
* this is the internet, so the likelihood of disputing is much greater than zero. The Sony F35 and F65 can produce great color, and the new RED Dragon and associated color science is looking very good. The camera system most people prefer in terms of color is the ARRI Alexa (now +Amira).

Shot this yesterday as a means to test out a camera truck I'm building. GH4 nestled in an Movi M5 gimbal, rigged to the truck.
 

Motion cadence is a phrase I use to make clients think I'm a pro.

Motion cadence is a phrase I use to make clients think I'm a pro.

I am upgrading some members to moderator status. If they choose to exercise their newfound abilities, this upgrade comes with the ability to delete and lock posts as well as the all powerful, all conquering ability to ban members who misbehave!
 
Thanks for their positive contributions to life here at EOSHD I am promoting RichG101, mtheory and jonpais to moderator status for the main forum and all sub-sections.
 
It carries no extra work or obligations - exercising their privileges will be entirely at the discretion of the moderator. I'll continue as the main admin. But I think having extra eyes and ears plus a few more trusted people with the ability to clean up posts and ban members will help me a lot.
 
Also since they expressed an interest, JohnBarlow will moderate the Anamorphic forum and Andy Lee will get his own sticky thread on lenses and lighting which may build into it's own forum section if it is successful.
 
I'll create the moderator privileges later in the week. Any objections or any opt outs please have your say on this thread!

Above: Prospect, a short film shot on the 2.5k Blackmagic Cinema Camera

The Blackmagic Cinema Camera was the first foray for the company into the camera market and was announced 2 years ago this month. I know many users were expecting more from firmware updates in the meantime to add basic features and also features promised by Blackmagic themselves. Many were expecting these to be announced this week at NAB. Instead Blackmagic revealed new cameras, one in particular the URSA being packed with new features.

So I asked Blackmagic some tough questions and here are the answers...

Read the full article here

One of the enigmas emerging from the A7S is whether you can shoot 4K in APS-C crop mode as well. This would allow the use of standard Sony E-mount / NEX lenses, Canon EF-S and Nikon DX lenses, even PL cinema lenses on the full frame sensor.

Sony's information (above) implies that is the case with "both resolutions available at both full frame and APS-C size".

I dug a little deeper to find out more...

Read the full article here

Atomos have just sent me some info on their upcoming 4K recorder, primarily for use with the A7S and GH4.

Read the full article here

My goodness - your sample frame grab looks INCREDIBLE!
 
All this news is overwhelming. Magic Lantern for the effing win! I've donated two times in the past already, but will be making it three times right quick!

Picture: EOSHD Forum, by Orangenz

Panasonic have confirmed that the GH4 (quite amazingly) outputs 10bit 4K 4:2:2 from the onboard micro HDMI port without the YAGH external HD-SDI unit.

However there are still benefits to using the HD-SDI outputs.

Here I have more details on how this whole thing works and what external recorders might be in the pipeline to offer 4K recording on the GH4...

Read the full article here

http://vimeo.com/88826657

>NEW: The EOSHD Music Challenge - pick tracks from up and coming singers and bands to suit the mood of my cinematography pieces and future camera tests!

In my opinion the Canon 7D is currently the best budget solution for shooting raw video. There's plenty of used 7D bodies here on eBay for around $750 - and that is practically a steal for 14bit raw video from a Super 35mm sized sensor... Stills camera is a mere bonus!

So to the big question - does the Mosaic Engineering VAF-7D filter completely cure the 7D's raw video of moire and aliasing?

Read the full article here

The industry is definitely at the brink of figuring itself out.  We're buying cameras with grips suited for photography, but to shoot video.  These companies don't necessarily want to overshadow their dedicated video line of products, which usually turn out to be less capable, but more expensive (at least when looking at the value/dollar).  People are not sold on dedicated video form factors like the 4K cameras that Canon just rolled out.  But people are comfortable buying a SLR-type cameras that shoot good video.  
 
Even though Canon seems to think the logical upgrade is a dedicated video camera, I don't think a dedicated video camera will ever be the next logical upgrade for a lot of users who plan to shoot a lot of video for the foreseeable future.  There is something great with being able to take video with a SLR form factor.  The compactness, the discreetness, and the familiarity of working with the type of gear and lenses we already own.
 
There are rogue companies like Black Magic that's playing to exactly the needs what people like me are looking for, but they lack the decades long experience with things like firmware, UI, human-device-interface interaction.  The lenses available always seem to come with a compromise.  
 
The future....Black Magic cameras can only become better, and the price seems right for the market that I find myself in (The prosumer market).  They can build the perfect camera as their products mature.
 
Canon on the other hand is in a position to offer this functionality at a flip of a switch it seems.  But they refuse to do it because they want to sell different lines of cameras on their own agenda at a price suited for a different market that I'm in.  I don't plan on getting hired to shoot a episode for a major TV network or a film for a major company, so I will never have the budget to spend $10k on a camera.  Canon has all the tech and systems in place to produce the perfect camera, which would be all the specs and price of a Black Magic camera, except with full electronic compatibility with their lenses, better focus system, better battery life, and better UI and controls.  
 
In a few short years I think this camera will definitely be here.  Whether it's by Black Magic Design continuing to improve, Panasonic by cranking out the most specs that can be had with consumer components inside the camera, or Canon just simply just choosing to assemble the camera and not put in old parts as in ways of controlling the hack-ability of their firmware.  
 
Black Magic Design appears to be young and brash.  Panasonic seems to be eager to please.  Canon, they just look greedy and condescending.  It sends the message that they are trying to milk us, think they know what's better for us, don't think we're smart enough to see the handicapping they are doing to their own products, or just don't care enough about the this niche market.  
 
These are exciting and frustrating times...

Sample footage! You can '>download the full resolution 3840 x 2160 Ultra HD file from Vimeo here if you're a 'Plus member'.

Keep an eye open for my Production Camera review in a forthcoming issue of Mac User magazine available at all good newsagents in the UK.

I am currently shooting 4K with the Blackmagic Production Camera on loan from their British office which features a global shutter and Super 35mm sensor for $3000. Yesterday I found myself at an aeropark built in 1930's Berlin, thanks to a suggestion from Lars Rehm of DPReview who also finds himself in Berlin for some reason! The girls are shot opposite an old wind tunnel and a giant egg shaped concrete structure which the Germans used to test the aerodynamics of fighter planes in, until the Russians came and nicked the fan. Part of the wind tunnel still has an inscription from the invading Russian forces noting that it's "free of mines" which cleared the way for them to take all the advanced technology back to the Soviet Union with them.

Today the aeropark is part of a university campus and parts of the Charlize Theron movie Aeon Flux were shot there. This shoot was my own experiment and not a commercial one.

Read the full article here

Red Epic (M642) w/ Ti Canon Mount
16-35mm & 50mm L-Series Lens
 
 

Be sure to check out the GH4's new trick - internally recorded '1080p' 4:4:4 with 10bit luma, at EOSHD here

One of the first to receive a Blackmagic Production Camera in the UK (hoping to get mine next week for a review, shipments allowing) is James Miller, Philip Bloom's friend and frequent shooting partner. As this impressive footage shows even though the camera is designed for general production rather than cinema, I am not missing that BMCC dynamic range here. The footage looks wonderfully cinematic and the camera appears to be a powerhouse of image quality, given the right handling, good light and material.

Read the full article here

Hey guys,
 
Been following EOSHD for ages, and sometimes get to implement things I've learnt on here, at work (for a small DLSR based production company). I wanted to share a recent experience we had in the office when testing out the DitoGear OmniSlider which we saw the review for on the main EOSHD blog. 
 
We were playing around with the "repeat movement" programming we stumbled across a pretty cool technique - something we then went on to use on a paid client job! Check it out:
 

The Sony PROduction Awards is a short film competition, and a chance to get your work noticed and win some pretty nifty Sony gear. Filmmakers from around the world will be pitted against each other and go up against a judging panel which includes myself, Andrew Reid of EOSHD, Shane Hurlbut ASC, Philip Bloom, BAFTA winning dramatist Tony Marchant and others!

Enter your film now at the PROduction Awards competition website or read on for more details...

Read the full article here

Good God how awesome a jail broke 1DX would be...

Found this mock up comparison, thought some might be interested.
 
http://wolfcrow.com/blog/a-fun-comparison-between-the-late-blackmagic-production-camera-4k-and-the-rumored-panasonic-gh4-4k-camera/

Very cinematic my friend.

I've been testing this today and indeed the dynamic range is insane, proper Alexa league stuff.
 
The problem is, I don't believe the image is usable yet.
 
http://www.eoshd.com/uploads/5d3-hdrx.jpg
 
Alex says he will optimise it but it needs very complex maths.
 
The problem is, some sites out there have jumped on this like it is a free pass to 14 stops of DR. It isn't. That's what happens when the people writing the hype-articles never shoot or test anything with their own two hands before blogging it.  :wacko:

Spielberg recently said he felt the multiplex cinema filmmaking industry was heading for implosion, where someone making a $250m popcorn movie forgets to add a compelling reason for an audience to see it. A string of massively costly flops follow, bringing the system to its knees. The soft opening of Lone Ranger (a western with Johnny Depp by the makers of Pirates of the Caribbean) points to Spielberg being right on the money...

[url=http://www.eoshd.com/content/10747/signs-of-spielbergs-predicted-crash-and-burn-as-lone-ranger-bombs]Read the full article here[/url]

[media]https://vimeo.com/69294861[/media]

Turning red blood green with raw on the 5D Mark III

Andrew Wonder (Undercity / blog) has just released a narrative short film shot in anamorphic (a modified Iscorama called the Wonderscope) on the 5D Mark III in raw. Here is a guest post from Andrew on the making of it and his take on the DSLR raw revolution.

[url=http://www.eoshd.com/content/10697/skin-first-short-film-to-use-5d-mark-iii-magic-lantern-raw-a-guest-post-by-andrew-wonder]Read the full article here[/url]

Thanks Jim.
 
That is the idea really - a one stop. It is getting harder and harder to read the spider web of forum and search engine info. The stuff in the book is my own hands-on research. I sat for like 2000 hours solid in front of software and cameras to make the guide and the $19.99 goes towards the 99% of what EOSHD outputs on the blog - which is FREE.
 
Cheers

Just bought it as well!
 
Question: As the 5D3 raw landscape inevitably changes as we move forward (we are still in the early stages of its development), will those of us who have already bought this first edition have access to future new editions without having to pay again?