QuickHitRecord

15 hours ago, PannySVHS said:

There aren't any small mechanical 2x or 3x zooms for 16 or S16 unfortunately.

Actually, that 12-36mm lens I mentioned earlier seems like it might fit the bill, if you are willing to make some modifications. I posted a question about it on another message board and a member named Boris Simović actually had one. He shared these photos (attached), taken with his E-M1 Mark II. To get the lens to work with his MFT body, he removed the rear plate and just screwed on an MFT adapter in its place. It won't focus to infinity at the longer focal lengths yet, but he's going to see if he can work with the adapter a little more to make it work.

He says it's somewhat heavy and feels like it needs more lubricant, but I think that the images look very promising.

It's available as the FOCtek C-M1236IR in the US for around $300, or $160 on AliExpress (without coupons applied). I am seriously struggling to keep myself from picking up a copy. But maybe you would be interested?

5 hours ago, mercer said:

I'd love to mess around with ML on the eos-m, but it seems my camera is broke and won't turn on any more. It could be that all of my batteries went bad... I used to buy really cheap ones.

There are some pretty long threads of things that other users have tried in the EOS-M Facebook group. Maybe something in there will bring your little camera back to life?

5 hours ago, mercer said:

Here are a couple shots that didn't turn out terrible...

These look great! I have always enjoyed the look of the Takumar lenses. What is your film about?

9 hours ago, mercer said:

I just checked the zoom lens I used to use with the eos-m years ago with magic lantern and it's a Cosmicar 12.5-75mm f/1.8...

But with that S8 crop, it's hardly a wide angle. I remember it being okay enough optically though.

I have a similar unbranded lens that's f1.6. With the 2.5K crop mode, it's almost perfectly usable throughout the range. It's a fun little lens, and very versatile. The only downsides are the rotating filter threads, slight vignette at certain focal lengths, the zooming mechanisms/runners showing up in bokeh when shooting wide open, and spikey party-favor bokeh when closed down. So, there are some compromises.

I was looking around the ZLKC storefront on AliExpress and there are lots of neat 1.1" c-mount lenses on offer. I would imagine that they would cover S16, but I can't find any reviews.

Have you installed Crop Mood yet? The M becomes a whole new camera.

8 hours ago, kye said:

It was this one:

I modified my SJ4000 action camera with it:

When zoomed out the lens doesn't have great close-focus but about 2/3 of the focus range is past infinity, and when zoomed out it can only focus past infinity by a tiny little bit but is perfectly capable of focusing on the dust on the front element and then of going even closer and focusing on the dust inside the lens.

Ah, yes. I remember that mod. It was one of my favorite threads on this site. Once you start getting into 1/2" lenses and smaller, it really is uncharted territory. Too bad there aren't many interchangeable lens cameras that can work with them.

21 hours ago, kye said:

On my lens, moving both the zoom and focus rings together maintains a broadly-similar focus distance as the zoom changes.

That seems quite bizarre! Which lens is this?

Quote

...but I'd see if you can find a review first, so you know what you're buying.

I can't find a single review online, so it's anyone's guess what it would be like to actually use.

On 6/1/2023 at 5:45 PM, PannySVHS said:

I wished there was a small mechanical S16 2x or 3x zoom as a carry around lens for my OG Bmpcc and Bmmcc. There are none.

I've been looking for pretty much the same thing and I think that this might be the answer IF it can fit into a c-mount adapter, thought the base of this lens looks flat and too large. It might have to be shaved down.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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 hours ago, kye said:

That's very promising looking footage, and definitely the right sized cameras - 80 x 80 x 50mm and under 400g (3.2" x 3.2" x  2" / 0.89lbs)

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.

Octopus Cinema is pivoting to focus exclusively S16 cameras now. Check it out:

@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.

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)...

On 1/29/2024 at 6:48 PM, kye said:

The TL;DR is that you're incredibly valuable to any office environment, but the challenge is that compared to the average (borderline useless) office worker you're so different that the entire system won't be able to see your value, so the challenge is how to get in the door and then get your bearings.

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?

On 1/29/2024 at 9:40 PM, IronFilm said:

Everyone's pathway out of film would be different, and they need to look hard at what are their own unique strengths and background. 

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?

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:

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• Digital Marketing Specialist: Video content is a powerful tool in digital marketing, and individuals with video production skills can create engaging promotional videos for products or services.
• Social Media Content Creator: The demand for visually appealing content on social media platforms aligns with the skills of freelance video producers and editors, who can craft attention-grabbing videos for various platforms.
• Online Course Content Developer: E-learning platforms benefit from high-quality video content. Freelancers can contribute by creating instructional videos, enhancing the overall learning experience.
• Graphic Designer: Video production skills often overlap with graphic design, making individuals proficient in both areas valuable for creating cohesive visual elements across various media.
• Web Developer (Multimedia Focus): Websites with multimedia elements are more engaging. Freelancers can contribute to web development by integrating videos and interactive content.
• Virtual Event Producer: With the rise of virtual events, individuals with video production expertise can manage and produce high-quality video content for conferences, webinars, and virtual gatherings.
• Creative Consultant: Freelancers with a background in video production and editing can offer creative insights and strategic advice to businesses seeking innovative ways to showcase their products or services.
• Public Relations Specialist: Crafting compelling video stories is beneficial in public relations to convey messages effectively and engage the target audience.
• Branding Specialist: Video content plays a vital role in building and reinforcing brand identity. Freelancers can contribute to brand development by creating visually consistent and impactful videos.
• Advertising Copywriter: Collaborating with copywriters, individuals with video production skills can create multimedia advertising campaigns, enhancing the overall impact of promotional content.
• Multimedia Journalist: Traditional and online media outlets often require multimedia content. Freelance video producers and editors can contribute to news stories by providing visually compelling coverage.
• Corporate Communications Specialist: Many businesses use video for internal and external communications. Freelancers can assist in creating corporate videos, training materials, and other communication assets.

And of these roles, here are the ones that it deems the most future proof in this AI age:

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• Digital Marketing Specialist: Human creativity and understanding of diverse audiences are crucial in crafting effective digital marketing campaigns. While AI can assist in data analysis, the creative aspects of marketing are likely to remain in human hands.
• Social Media Content Creator: Building and maintaining authentic connections on social media heavily relies on creativity and understanding of human emotions, areas where AI may struggle to fully replace human intuition.
• Online Course Content Developer: The ability to create engaging and effective educational content requires a nuanced understanding of human learning, making this role less susceptible to automation.
• Creative Consultant: Providing strategic creative insights involves a deep understanding of human culture, emotions, and trends, making it a role less likely to be automated by AI.
• Multimedia Journalist: While AI can assist in data analysis and basic reporting, storytelling, investigative journalism, and connecting with human experiences remain crucial skills that journalists bring to the table.
• Corporate Communications Specialist: Effective communication within a corporate context often involves conveying complex messages with empathy and clarity, areas where human communication skills are essential.

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?

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.

2 hours ago, Emanuel said:

And I've already bought a couple of them before!

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!

1 hour ago, Marcio Kabke Pinheiro said:

Of course, when you are restrained, temptations rains from everywhere.

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.

On 1/5/2024 at 9:13 PM, kye said:

Posted before, but I shot in SD for the last cheap camera challenge with the mighty Fujifilm J20, a point and shoot from 2009.

The fact these often shoot only in 30p gives the "opportunity" for a slight slow-motion effect, which is just enough to make the footage a bit more surreal, which I think lends itself to the already slightly-surreal aesthetic that comes from the footage being so low resolution.

I find these images to be emotional in some way that I can't explain.  The nay-sayers put forward the argument that it's just nostalgia for the past and that if the past was in 12K then we'd be nostalgic for that instead, but I don't think that's the full picture.  TBH, I don't think highly of the past and I'm not nostalgic for it - on the contrary actually - I tend to think of the past as sort of uncomfortable and dirty, like when you visit old people and they haven't cleaned their houses properly and everything is dusty and gross.  My life has also gotten a lot better over the decades and the thought of going back is not a desirable one either, so my associations for the past are not positive, which rules out nostalgia as the single explanation for these aesthetic associations.  I wonder if dreams might be a factor - they are often vague and surreal but are sometimes highly emotional and definitely the language of connection to our semi-conscious and unconscious minds.

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:

On 1/5/2024 at 11:36 PM, MrSMW said:

Then you assume wrong as I have been making a full-time living from photography and video for over 20 years…just not in the commercial world.

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.

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.

On 1/3/2024 at 11:45 PM, MrSMW said:

And some things just do not make any sense such as for me, I have never been able to make any form of commercial photography or video work financially. Ever. Despite being surrounded by dozens of peers who can and do. 

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!

On 1/4/2024 at 1:30 AM, kye said:

Cool showreel, some nice shots in there.  I'd suggest uploading it in 4K - the 1080p upload had glitches and stuff that I think are YT compression artefacts.

Funny, I thought I had uploaded it in 4K. Thanks!

On 1/4/2024 at 6:35 AM, IronFilm said:

I've been wondering that too, how long until the rise of AI slashes down the relevance of my job by 80%. And what should I move on into instead?

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:

On 1/4/2024 at 7:40 AM, Clark Nikolai said:

Wow! Very impressive reel. Bravo!

Thank you! That is much appreciated.

On 1/4/2024 at 10:13 AM, mercer said:

Sorry to hear about your troubles, but glad your wife seems to be on the other end of her cancer!

Well, your loss of work cannot be do to your skill set! That is some of the nicest work I've seen posted on this site! Really top notch!

I love the Super 8 film/emulations and the B&W baseball footage! Is the C70 your workhorse? I'd love to know every camera used for every shot because we all know it's all about the camera...

Btw, I'm pretty sure I still owe you a c-mount test. It's been a rough year for me and I have considered giving up on filmmaking altogether. I've definitely shifted a lot of my effort back to writing and I've been working on some audio dramas.

With that said, I did get a chance to go out and shoot a little over the holidays and I am getting the bug back, so we'll see. I have a bunch of stuff to sell... cameras and lenses but I'd like to do that c-mount test with the BMMCC before I sell it. Does the C70 have a S16 crop mode?

Also how do you like the Scarlet?

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.

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:

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.