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QuickHitRecord

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  1. Haha. The line! I know. It's so hard to stay on the right side. I'll admit that I've slipped a little and in a moment of weakness, I purchased a $50 point-and-shoot as an every day carry (big mistake; I was quickly reminded that I just can't get excited about cameras without a substantial grip). But other than that, I've been very disciplined these past four months. My interest in c-mount lenses revolves around the EOS-M. I enjoy the combination of 16mm glass with this little camera in 1:1 crop. There is an aesthetic there that is more interesting to me than anything I've been able to get from my S35 and FF cameras. My theory is that sampling from a smaller piece of the sensor in combination with tiny glass throws out enough detail and in turn, brings some mystery/intrigue/engagement to the footage that is missing from most digital S35+ footage. And this is coming from someone who ignored c-mount lenses until 3-4 years ago; I didn't see the point. Before my self-imposed embargo, I decided to put together the most economical raw-shooting camera package that I could possibly think of. I got there with the M and three Cosmicar c-mount lenses (I also have a set of three Kern Switars, but they were significantly more expensive). Working with such a lightweight, low-cost kit and yet fully functional kit is freeing. What I'm missing (though, not really) is an inexpensive zoom lens that can go wider than 15mm, but most have that ugly track that I can't get past. However, the Meteor is an intriguing lens. And they are still quite affordable. I think I can say that rigged up, the EOS-M/c-mount combo makes me want to get out there and shoot more than any of the other 30+ cameras I've owned (other than maybe my beloved FZ47). It's way more fun than any other cine cameras that I can think of. If I get a couple of nice shots with it, or I am able to crop in a little further in-camera to eliminate some vignetting on an otherwise overlooked lens, I feel like I'm breaking the rules. It offers just the right amount of limitation, which I find to be inspiring.
  2. Can anyone recommend any non-cinema c-mount zooms without the little dips caused by the internal runners when wide open? So far, I've only heard of two: Canon V10X15 15-150 f2.8 Cosmicar 22.5-90 f1.5 I'm still trying to make this a "no gear year", but that doesn't mean I can't look!
  3. Does the motion from Fujifilm cameras look really off to anyone else? It's so disappointing to me. The colors that those cameras produce can be so nice. I've never used one before and I wonder if it could be improved by shooting at 1/40.
  4. For years I was certain the global shutter was directly related to motion cadence, but I'm not so sure anymore. Most of the cameras that I like the motion from most have rolling shutters. I've shot with the Komodo and owned the Blackmagic Production Camera for a while. I was not blown away by either. And I did a lot of research into the Magic Motion mount for the DSMC1 cameras, and actually thought that the global shutter looked worse on those cameras than footage from cameras without it.
  5. I thought about starting a new thread, but there is already so much theory packed into this old discussion that I decided to revive it and see if the last nine years of camera releases might add to the discussion -- which always seems to bring up some high emotions (for those of you who feel an eye roll coming on, feel free to write me off as not knowing what I am talking about and move along). I'm coming at it from a deeply subjective standpoint. I always try to find wide shots with people walking in them as my baseline. More cameras than not look "off" to me. With that out of the way, which cameras produce your favorite 24p motion in 2024? My favorites are all older cameras: Motion Picture Film - The original and best. It pulls me in and almost puts me in a trance-like state. Red One MX - Honestly, the best digital motion I've seen. It looks better to me than any newer Red or frankly, anything from Arri. Ikonoskop A-Cam Dii and Digital Bolex D16 - Really nice. And some sleepers too: Canon EOS-M with Magic Lantern - It just looks right to me. Much better than my C70. Panasonic GH1 - Odd, I know. But yes. And it looks slightly better to me than the GH2.
  6. It's the first test footage I've seen in a long time that made me think, "Well, that's different!". The colors feel a little overzealous, but there's something immersive about the this footage (and I own that Cosmicar lens). At least to me. And they dynamic range test on the bus is remarkable. If they launch a pre-order, I may have to break my "No Gear Year" and put myself on that list.
  7. Octopus Cinema is pivoting to focus exclusively S16 cameras now. Check it out:
  8. @bjohnAssuming that this happened to you fairly recently and it wasn't your post, I've read about the Kingston cards dying before on another forum.
  9. 500w RGB lights for $109 each? https://www.ebay.com/itm/335002908209?_trkparms=amclksrc%3DITM%26aid%3D777008 But then I read further down the listing and apparently it's only 100w for daylight or tungsten, and 50w with a color. All built into the same body as their $500w light (and it does say 500w in a few places within this listing)...
  10. Thanks for your very thoughtful response to this thread, @kye. Your remarkable ability to distill and articulate is one of the reasons I still check this forum. I worked for a large corporation for eight years before freelancing, and I've "consulted" with dozens of other corporations since. What you've written above rings true. There are a lot of people hiding out under ill-defined roles and abstract goals who spend their days shopping online and watching YouTube. Their job, quite literally, is to create the illusion that they are accomplishing something. And yet, it's so hard to even be considered for one of those jobs. Something that I like about video work is that you always have something to show for it, and effort is evident. I think you are right about smaller organizations. If I make the switch, I'm more more interested in less pay for an organization that is actually trying to do good in the world than more pay for a company exists to increase wealth for the shareholders. Glad to hear that your sister is doing well in her new line of work. Do you know what her reasons for leaving were? And out of curiosity (and without knowing her role in the film world) have you ever collaborated on a film together? IT is for bigger brains than mine! It seems like you're really plugged into the film world in NZ. Are you seeing any noteworth trends? Do people tend to go into different careers at a certain age or life stage?
  11. I'm not saying that I'm going to make the jump, but it seems like a good thought exercise after fifteen years in this field. Personally, I'm just getting tired of cranking out so many dull, formulaic videos. I still do try to inject some interest or personality into most of my client work, but too often it gets stripped out during the review process. Whether I am being paid or not, I will always make films. However, the idea of only making the films that I want to make is pretty appealing. To clarify, I'm not necessarily trying to get personalized advice here, just some general discussion. And if you've made the transition, I think that it would be especially insightful to hear about your experience. Though most of the HR bots that are going to screen out your application might not see it, I think that this job requires a lot of different skills that would translate into other roles such as storytelling, project management, communication, flexibility/adaptability, technical proficiency, problem-solving, attention to detail, client relations, collaboration, marketing knowledge, time management, and continuous learning. And if you're freelance, you've got to be a real self-starter. I've seen video people leave and go on to make a lot more money in the IT field (there's been some recent discussion here about this). Communications also seems like a natural fit, though I wonder about the viability of that career path given the proliferation of AI. Speaking of which, here are the roles that ChatGPT recommends looking into: And of these roles, here are the ones that it deems the most future proof in this AI age: So, what are your thoughts on this? Have you made the transition? Would you like to? Or if you haven't/won't, how are you planning to adapt?
  12. Thanks largely to Andrew's original post, many people here already know that Shane Carruth shot 2013's excellent indie feature Upstream Color with a pair of hacked GH2s. At the time, aspiring filmmakers everywhere found inspiration that such a masterful film was created with such an accessible consumer camera. It still stands up today as a beautiful, challenging, thought-provoking film: I just happened across some behind the scenes photos on Reddit posted almost a decade after the film's release. I've always wondered about the technical particulars of how this film was made and even though what was posted is pretty low-res and deteriorated further with early Instagram filters, it does show some pretty bare-bones camera rigs and a lot of natural light. As I enter my forties and the dream of creating a meaningful narrative film in my lifetime seems to slip further and further out of reach, this is just the kind of inspirational kick in the pants that I needed. If 8-bit, 4:2:0 AVCHD from a Micro Four Thirds sensor was enough to create an immersive story like this in 2013, then the never-ending pursuit of marginally improved gear and software really is just a giant, capitalism-fueled distraction -- one that I know that I use to put off the very real possibility that when I buckle down to make something deeply personal, I might not have anything to say. But I also know that it will be my deepest regret if I never even try. If there's one thing I've learned, it's that my own thoughts and ideas aren't particularly novel or unique, so maybe others on this board will connect with this too.
  13. What do you like about the NX500s so much? I've always been curious about the bitrate/low rolling shutter hack. Have you tried it? Don't make it sound too good though, there are recovering gear addicts in this thread!
  14. The same thing is happening to me! All of these uncommon items that I haven't seen on eBay in years seem to be popping up right now. It's pretty uncanny. Oh well. Like you, I am still holding strong.
  15. I remember your original post and this is still some of the most compelling footage that I have seen on this site. My working theory is that I think less resolution allows the audience to subconsciously fill in that detail in a way that makes sense to them and sum of their life experience. And the very act of this can make a video more interactive and engaging, kind of like reading a book. And one can argue that this active participation is nostalgic in itself, since a lot of us grew up in the era of film projections and standard definition video. To me, the same idea applies to keeping the monster in your horror film in the shadows until the last possible minute. It is always going to be scarier in the imagination. It's also why we gravitate towards keeping half of the face in shadow. It's been proven that humans find symmetrical faces more attractive and very few people actually have them. But if you don't show half of the face, the audience creates their own idea of a face and oftentimes that is going to be more appealing than the actor's real face. This is why I think that some people look great on camera, but not so much in-person; possibly because we never actually see their whole face in flat light, as is more common in the real world. Here's the same video from the original post, without any processing. To me, it evokes a very different feeling than the original:
  16. You've been at this for even longer than I have. But I feel that the lines of "commercial" shoots have blurred a lot. I used to think the category of "Commercial" was reserved for high concept crewed shoots that were intended for broadcast. There are still definitely those that fall into that category. But I'm seeing a lot more single creators with no crew and a mirrorless camera shooting social media spots for some brands (of course, it's all professionally color-graded). I personally do a lot of product videos, usually as a crew of two plus a producer, and never with a storyboard. I've never felt comfortable calling them "Commercial", but lately it seems like I might be able to. They are, after all, designed to sell a product. Curious what your thoughts on it are.
  17. In the race to 8K, 12K, and beyond, how much resolution do we really need to tell a story? I brought my trusty FZ47 on a little New Year's trip to Arizona, and I think that 640x480 might just be enough: Technical: I scaled up to 1920x1440 (no "smart" or AI rescaling). I did not add any sharpening or softening to the image, and I resisted the urge to clean up the digital artifacts and just embraced them instead. I did however do a little color work. I was actually shocked by how good this footage looks, probably because it's progressive and not interlaced. I think I'd put this footage up against the DVX100, XL1/2, or comparable camera. And as we've seen in the 8-bit grading tests that @kye shared with us, it's kind of shocking how much you can push the image around in post (especially if you are either okay with some macro-blocking, or willing to soften/hide it). I think that's part of what makes this camera so much fun. Is there a unique aesthetic afforded by this low resolution? I'm not sure. I've degraded 1080P footage to have a similar level of detail in the past. The compression artifacts are definitely smaller and easier to hide. But in full motion, I feel like they add a nice texture.
  18. Assuming you aren't making a living at this? A keen business sense goes a long way in this industry but unfortunately, I don't have one! Funny, I thought I had uploaded it in 4K. Thanks! This is the million dollar question. Do you have any top contenders? I can't think of too many other fields that are equal parts technical and aesthetic like production is. I keep staring at this graphic, and trying to see what puts me in the center: Thank you! That is much appreciated. The C70 is my main workhorse, but a fair amount of my reel was shot with the original C100 and the C200. There's also some Red Komodo, 5Diii, and even something from my 7D. I've got a nice collection of c-mount lenses too, but like you, I haven't actually shot anything with them lately. I believe the C70 does have an S16 mode but as far as I know, it's available in slow motion only. That, and I haven't worked up the courage to put a c-mount adapter on mine. I'm leaning on my EOS-Ms exclusively for their ability to be used with c-mount lenses (and to achieve a 16mm crop, which opens up a lot more options than S16). But I would love to see a test! The Scarlet addresses so many of the problems that I had with the Red One MX, but the footage lacks the same "wow" factor in my initial tests. I'm not sure what it is. I know that I have to sell one of these two cameras, but I haven't made that tough decision yet. Definitely in 2024, though.
  19. As a full-time freelancer, it was a rough year for me. I made about 2/3 of what I did in 2022; it was the worst year I've had since 2018. I'm still trying to understand why. It was probably a lack of focus as I helped my wife through her cancer treatments, the last of which was in April (as far as we know, she is cancer-free). Also, I lost a large account -- a relief for my mental health, but it did account for a double digit percentage of my income over the past two years. And I took two personal trips, which meant turning down quite a bit of work (as they say, "take two weeks off, lose six weeks of work"). But yeah, it just felt really slow, especially the Fall/Winter. I've been watching the rise of AI and big jumps in smartphone technology closely, and I am wondering how much longer my skill set will be relevant. It may be time for a change soon, though I can't think of anything that I would rather do. Equipment-wise, I bought a second C70, two RF zooms, a Red Scarlet-X, and an M2 Mac Studio + BenQ monitor. I sold about 50 items that I just haven't been using. I probably have another 10 that I can let go of too. My new reel for 2024:
  20. I'm a career DP/videographer mostly working in the commercial/corporate space and this is my current kit: 2x Nanlite FS300B lights Two cheap "Travor/Fositan" bicolor 1x1 flex lights 2x Nanlite Pavotube 6Cii 36in and 48in parabolic diffusors + one fresnel I also have a round LED/lantern kit for travel, similar to this kit. This setup has done very well for me and I have rarely had to rent anything else. It's also important to me that my entire kit for a shoot can fit onto my cart. If more is needed, then I'm going to need to work with a gaffer. However, if I were starting over from scratch, I would probably get: Aputure 300x Aputure Amaran F22c Aputure LS 60x with Spotlight Mini Zoom Parabolic diffusors & large 5-in-1 reflectors This would be a very versatile kit that would cover most situations that I could think of. Nanlite also offers comparable lights at even better prices, but they currently don't have anything quite like the F22c. Godox offerings look good. Two years ago when I last updated my kit, I took a long, hard look at them and concluded that their big COB lights had a magenta hue that I did not care for. The B&H house brand GVM lights also look great for the money, but I've never used them. One other consideration: when shopping for COB lights, it's important to get a sense of how far they can be dimmed down. For instance, my buddy's Aputure 600c lights are great but even at 0.01%, they are too bright for some applications. This is the reason that I've stuck with 300w fixtures, and shooting at my camera's native ISO of 800, I've very rarely encountered any interior shot when I've wanted more light than what I can get from a 300w fixture.
  21. I'm offsetting my timetable by a month. I allowed myself to take advantage of Cyber deals through the end of November. If all goes according to plan, I'll be able to hold off on purchases until Cyber Week 2024 -- I wouldn't deny myself that opportunity!
  22. For me, it's a kitchen remodel and some new clothes. Your reasons are much less selfish. I'm two weeks in and still holding strong! Lol.
  23. I have so much (including cameras and lenses I've never actually even shot anything with) and yet how many narrative short films have I worked on in the past year? ONE. Something has to change!
  24. I have been spending too much money on equipment in recent years, and WAY too much time researching it. I really don't need anything else in terms of kit. What I do need is to replace my wardrobe and make some repairs to my home and my vehicle. Also, I'd like to spend more time producing passion projects. So, I'm making a commitment that I will not buy any new gear between November 30th, 2023 and November 29th, 2024 (got to give myself the option to take advantage of Black Friday deals). If I need a specialty piece of gear, I will rent it. The exceptions are expendables and direct replacements, should anything I'm using break down. I've never done this before and I'm posting this to help keep myself accountable.
  25. You're right, there's no money to be made. At least not in 2023. I don't even bother mentioning to my existing clients that I have two older Red bodies. If I do, it's basically to sell them on my C70s. And honestly, if hired me to use them without a crew, it would be a pain and more stressful to me without the conveniences of modern features. Also, I don't want to be hired for a passion project based on my camera. So I don't bring it up when networking with people in the local indie scene, unless they specifically ask. All of this being said, I enjoy owning the camera that produces footage that just looks right to me. And it will be ready to go when I finally helm another of my own passion projects.
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