QuickHitRecord

It's exceedingly rare that a client will ask for an aesthetic that allows me to dust off my vintage lenses. And on the passion project side, I've shot four of five of my last narrative shorts with Canon zooms. The next one will be with a Canon zoom as well. That decision was based on speed, convenience, and the fact that I trust modern AF much more than a friend who has been given an hour of instruction on pulling focus, changing lenses, and calibrating motors. Of course, I'd rather have a professional 1st AC and some more interesting lenses. But there aren't that many of them around anymore (at least not in my market) and the pros that we do have usually don't want to cut their rates to work on a no-budget film. It's the same reason that I sold my RED cameras. They just weren't getting any use.

I always enjoy your posts, Kye. Threads like this are keeping this forum alive. This new Resolve plugin seems relevant to the discussion. I just downloaded a copy of this last night and had a play. It can't really affect bokeh much without a depth map (as shown, you can have AI generate one for you in Resolve), but even without it, the other characteristics can help create a unique aesthetic. It's a handy tool to have for those projects that won't allow for real vintage glass to be used -- which at least for me, seems to be most of them these days.

Thanks for the heads up. Maybe the new LP-E6P batteries are the way to go. How many do you typically find that you'll use up in a day? Is the LCD bright enough to use outdoors in the sun? I've had no problem using my C70's LCD on all but the very brightest days.

I have a lot of respect for the skill involved with shooting weddings. I did two about ten years ago and decided that it wasn't for me! Yeah, no thanks. I appreciate you mentioning that. I'm not willing to take that risk! I bit the bullet and ordered a used R5C. $2400 a 22K shutter count, and a cage included. I don't expect this to become my primary camera over the C70 but will be nice to have when photos are also needed. I think I might re-buy the SmallRig v-mount plate so that I can power it off of my Intellytech mini v-mounts, and then just uncouple it from that setup and run it off of the regular battery for stills (I really like an EVF for stills). In the interest of keeping things small and lightweight, I probably will not bother with a separate monitor.

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I don't know how you wedding shooters routinely manage these kinds of logistics! This is interesting. Thank you for sharing! I hadn't really considered the R7 because I don't love the way that Canon has implemented an all-or-nothing approach to IBIS and IS. But I didn't realize that it was actually pretty good on the overheating front. It's worth a second look. Since you own both the R5C and the R8, is the 24P 4K from the R5C that much better? Is the DPAF better on the R8? And is there a way temporarily disable autofocus on the R8 by holding down a button? Good to know!

Interesting. Though for narrative, there are lots of long breaks. There are breaks during the b-roll I shoot too, but I'm often in the hot sun. I'm kind of tempted to give the R8 a try. Josh Sattin's videos suggest that it can roll for over two hours continuously in 24P. That goes down significantly in 60P, but I tend to shoot about 70% of my b-roll in 24P. I've been trying to do the same. Four years ago, I was lugging around a pair of 575w HMIs(!). Now I have a rule that if a client wants more than what I can fit on my cart, they need to budget for my gaffer too. But getting hired for photo + video is always a problem for me because it means multiple bodies, multiple lenses, etc. I've held off because I don't think the quality is really there, but at this point I am willing to make some sacrifices.

Other than the pricey R5C, of course. Also, I don't think my EOS-R has ever overheated. But it has a significant crop. Maybe the 1D-C, 1D-X ii or iii? I don't care about 30-min recording time limits. This would only be for b-roll and photos. Asking because I almost blacked out during a paid video + photo shoot out in the sun today. When I came home and weighed the gear I was hauling around (rigged up C70, EOS-R, tripod, lenses, batteries), it was 32lbs. I can't put this off anymore. It's time for a hybrid. And yes, I am too invested in Canon to consider any mount other than RF or EF.

Not pictured: the Lumix FZ47.

Brought mine along on my honeymoon in Ecuador a few years ago. Kind of a slow camera to work with and not my usual keeper rate, but I do like the shots that I was able to get:

I kind of agree with the original post in that we have lost something. But I also wonder if that "something" was the innocence of youth. I remember being completely immersed in the blockbusters of the 1990s as a kid. It takes a lot to even approach that feeling decades later. Nostalgia is a powerful thing. I remember watching Phantom Thread (2017) for the first time. I was completely immersed by the understated beauty of the visuals. When I looked to see what camera they had used, it was Kodak Vision3 200T and 500T. That being said, I've generally been ditching the multi-node grading workflows of Resolve in favor of simple global adjustments in Premiere (my native platform). No windows, which were not readily available in the days of celluloid. The resulting images have an honesty to them and don't seem to by vying for anyone's attention.

Someone on this forum is actually producing work and putting it out into the world?! I had to watch and I am glad that I did. I thought that the visuals and editing were really nice. I loved the energy you created in the opening; it was riveting right off the bat. Hal is a memorable and interesting character. I tend to think of raptors as generally solitary so seeing such a magnificent series of "rivers" was a real treat -- I had no idea. I am by no means a wildlife documentarian, but I'd like to offer a little critique. You've got a great setup but then I was waiting for an obstacle. Something that raises the stakes. Is the solar farm or other development being pushed through? What happens when Hal steps down? Or (and I really hope that this doesn't happen), what effect will the new strain of avian flu have on these birds? I think it might be worth keeping in touch with these folks because any one of those scenarios would add the drama that a piece like this needs to get into the bigger festivals or broadcast. Or if it just doesn't look like the story will evolve much more (or you're just ready to move onto the next thing), I'd recommend cutting it down to a very tight 20-25 minutes. Maybe the climax is when the influx of birders come out in response to the email. There was good tension in that scene, like the citizen scientists were about to lose control of the mob. Now a couple of questions. I saw in another post that you shot this with something like a dozen different cameras. What was the reason for that? Did any of them prove to be particularly documentary-friendly? It seemed like you had a LOT of people wearing lav mics and you caught some really choice soundbytes that added a lot to your story. What was your approach to audio? And how many times would you say that you've been out there for a shoot? One last thing. The screener was only in 480P but that didn't stop the story from coming through at all. 4K be damned. Great job on this and thanks for sharing. It was the most compelling share I've seen here in quite a while!

I've cycled through a lot of cameras to get here (including Blackmagic, Sony, and two REDs) and ended up selling off about a dozen cameras last year. I think I'm finally happy. I can't think of anything else that I really want and I haven't purchased a camera in almost two years, which is a record for me: WORK/DOCUMENTARY/NARRATIVE CAMERAS Canon C70 x2 FUN/EXPERIMENTAL CAMERAS Canon 5Diii with ML Canon EOS-M with ML Lumix GH1 (hacked) Lumix FZ47 STILLS CAMERAS Canon EOS-R Olympus E500 Fujifilm E900 Canon Elan (Film) If I could snap my fingers and add a camera to this list, it would be the Ikonoskop A-Cam. Or, I'd probably buy an Octopus16 if they ever get around to releasing it.

I think you're onto something. Getting people out of pixel peeping and into actually making (and sharing) stuff is an unmet need. Think about all of the hobbyists who caught in a cycle of constant upgrading and never shoot anything other than their cat or their significant other making coffee. I know that EOSHD has done this at least once in the past. DVXuser used to do it too. A couple of brainstorms that I may have shared before: 1) A monthly challenge that imposes a creative limitation each time (i.e. shoot everything at f/8; use only natural light; shoot in standard definition; shoot something in the style of Wes Anderson; use a pre-2012 camera; capture a short scene about a conflict between two joggers, etc.). The prompts can come from Andrew or member suggestions. 2) Old camera "round robin". Established members pitch in a low-value camera body and ship it to the next member, who tries to get the best footage possible out of it before shipping it to the next member, etc. All results are shared and discussed. Maybe there would have to be several of these going, one for each continent.

I have my two C70s dialed in so precisely to my needs that even after ~5 years, I can't imagine replacing them. One of them is built up for handheld operation, and the other is stripped down for travel. So, I really don't need anything else at this point. That being said, an updated version of the Canon EF-S 17-55mm f2.8 in RF mount would be a no-brainer for me. They could even use the same glass from the older version and just update the AF.

There is a list of models compatible with PageOS 5 (which introduces EL Zone) on SmallHD's website. If memory serves, the 510 cannot be upgraded to 5, but the FOCUS monitors can.

I have a Focus 5 OLED. Nice colors and 1080P (vs 720P on the original Focus, which is brighter). And you can upgrade the firmware to take advantage of the EL Zone exposure tool. Once you've used that, you'll never want to bother with any other exposure tools. I also have the SmallHD Indie 5, which checks ALL of the boxes for me. If you can stomach the price or maybe wait for a sale, I see no reason why it would not be the last monitor you'll ever buy.

I've shot quite a bit with the FS7 and extensively with the C70 (I currently own two). I'd say that the C70 is definitely worth the extra money. It's smaller, more intuitive, has great autofocus, better color, impressive dynamic range, and is remarkably clean in low light. I like mine so much that I really haven't been tempted by the C80 or C400. Plus, using the Arri LogC to Rec709 on CLOG2 footage is a nice starting point for a grade. But I suppose it really comes down to the lenses that you already own.

I've been paying for the "Pro" plan for the past ten years. With the 'Review' video function that Frame.io copied from them, it's been a great collaboration tool for working with clients. I still have all of my search functionality and can click on usernames to see their bios and highlighted videos. The one thing I don't love but I can't say that I'm surprised by is that I now have a 1TB limit on my total storage. If I want 5TB, it's double the price. I've written to them asking if they could give us a "finalize video" button that will purge all of the drafts that it is currently saving -- I don't need them after delivering a video. This would allow me to bring my storage needs way down. They said that they would look into it. It doesn't seem like the platform is flourishing, but I haven't looked into switching because it serves my needs and I have a couple hundred videos uploaded (all are backed up locally).

Interesting post. I'm not familiar with him, but he's in my city (Portland, OR) and I ride the Max often. As a full-time freelance videographer for the past ten years, I just did my end of year accounting for 2024 and I can officially say that my income has been on a downward trajectory since the pandemic. Video production is just not considered a specialty skill anymore. 2023 was so bad that I almost threw in the towel. 2024 was better, but still barely a living -- probably around half of what my friends with office jobs made. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, I'm currently underperforming the average income for other videographers in my area by a wide margin, but I have to wonder about the accuracy of their numbers. A lot of my local colleagues have been exiting the industry just as Airview has. People with genuine talent. One trend I've been noticing in the past couple of years is that I'll show up with a car packed with lighting, multiple cameras, dolly track, etc. and yet some of my clients will often just tell me to hurry up and get the shot with no lighting or movement. And then we wrap early, which is nice. But overall, I feel like my work has been going downhill and this is really bothering me. And then there are discussions like this taking place on Reddit, so I know that I am not alone. Overall, I'm pretty discouraged and I need to figure out whether to ride it out or try something new.

I don't have any plans to upgrade in 2025. Two C70s is plenty for me. If anything, I want to shoot more little passion projects with c-mount lenses on my EOS-M. I've also joined a screenwriting group and purchased an old AlphaSmart word processor which seems a much better place to spend any time and energy that is not sucked up by work.

I'm all about smaller sensors for passion projects in 2024. The EOS-M, GH1, and FZ47, specifically. I strive for a deeper depth of field, yet somehow a bit soft. After all of this trial and error over the past 15+ years, that's what looks best to me. And the shooting experience is a lot simpler and more straightforward than with modern cameras, which I feel is more fun and makes me more creative. Funny how it has come back around full circle to some of the first sensors I've ever used...

Cinematch?

Unfortunately, no. But I think that the EOS-M is getting pretty close. I only bought mine for the 16mm/S16 crop modes. Those are really unique features and I love the look when combined with interesting c-mount lenses. It's been pretty stable since the "Crop Mood" hack came out. The latest news is that developers are working on a whole new UI similar to BlackMagic's to make it a lot easier to use. Also, there is a new "dual mount" for EF-M mount cameras in the works that will allow the use of both manual E-mount lenses and MFT lenses (with the use of a third-part MFT-E adapter) on EF-M cameras. It's cool stuff.

Come on built-in NDs!