silvertonesx24

What do you think about the quality of the display?

I have a Video Assist HD, and while it's a decent device the monitor has a sickly green cast and a emits high-pitched whine when powered on.

I found their 12.1-12.3 versions to be bug-infested. Auto-save would crash the program = unusable.

I know everyone complains about bugs, and it is free software, but if they want to make it a viable alternative to CC then I hope this version is cleaned up. And find some alternative for database project management.

23 hours ago, M Carter said:

Remember the ad for some local gym? A buff girl is walking around in her panties and approaches a bowl of nuts. She sticks a nut between her butt cheeks and we hear a CRACK - the's so tough, she can shell nuts with her ass. The camera pans to her gym bag, which has the logo of the gym on it. Not a single word spoken. That's pretty damn creative, legitimately funny (and went viral and was shared, like, 10 million times). They didn't talk about their pricing or classes or schedule or locations, but got massive attention. One actress in one location, too. 

Step back and think about the market and what the business wants to achieve.

This particular piece that highlights an issue I have with so much of the advertising out there today.

You remember every shot of the girl, but do you even remember the name of the brand?

Is the message unique to that brand, or could every other gym out there slap their logo at the end and would it mean the exact same thing?

Not very effective advertising TBH. "OMG 10M shares/likes/views" really doesn't mean much when you can't even recall the name and the only obvious reason for its virality is the topless model.

8 hours ago, TheRenaissanceMan said:

Depending what kind of work you do, I'm not sure that's an upgrade. Cineform has better compatibility (I'm a Windows user) and is more robust then 422HQ.

I agree, Cineform raw is a far superior codec. Smaller file sizes than Prores 444 and retains all raw metadata. I think there are a lot of people who just prefer Prores though for whatever reason as it was mentioned several times.

13 hours ago, Hanriverprod said:

Is the kinemon port a proprietary port for their kinemon monitor?  Also, I'm assuming the hd port type A is hdmi. Trying to figure out if I need the kineback.

I would be careful of their battery life estimates. Their old version of Kinegrip for the KineMini and Max never lasted anywhere near the claimed time in the manual despite optimizing power settings as instructed.

On 5/22/2016 at 3:18 PM, Jimmy said:

I actually fear a little for horror VR.... I was watching reactions of people using the paranormal activity game on Vive and some were breaking down in panic.

Super real immersion combined with horror could be a recipe for disaster

Maybe, but consider this from The Great Train Robbery, 1903

"The final shot of a gun being fired toward the camera had a profound effect on audiences. As cinema was in its infancy, many people who saw the film thought that they were actually about to be shot."

39 minutes ago, Snowfun said:

Where Eagles Dare.

A great story.

This.

KineMax is getting a free ProRes upgrade this summer.

likely, a completely new form of art will emerge for the technology. Something that combines the gaming and film narrative experience. Imagine Myst/Riven as a VR experience...

It's funny as I was thinking this just the order day. Even as a producer of the medium itself, I have come to hate how video is used as a learning/tutorial/review tool.

I can buzz through a text tutorial and get right to the problem I am trying to solve. How do I know what sound the Phantom makes after the firmware has been updated? With a text article, I can Google/control-f right to my answer. 2 seconds and done, it's there or it's not. With video, I find nothing but 20 minute firmware update video that spend the first 5 minutes explaining how to unzip a freaking zip file and have to guess click around until I find what I want, if it is even there in the first place.

Or with a lens review, I might just want to see how bokeh renders in high contrast areas, not sit through a stupid 2 minute intro for your channel personality or a total of 3 minutes of footage cut in between 17 minutes of your ugly mug. With a longform text article, I can breeze by everything and get right to what I'm looking for. I can consume the content at the pace I desire.

That's why I've always gone to EOSHD at least, in the way reviews were well outlined and presented, and also how it seems to stay away from the Buzzfeed/clickbait style headlines that fill up almost every other site out there.

Wow, looks like these lenses will help me make great deals. The best deals. Such good deals you wouldn't believe.

4 hours ago, Jonesy Jones said:

This is great intel. Thanks silver.

As much as I like these guys, Kinefinity has many unknowns still to me, number 1 being distribution/support.

I understand that it's part of the lower cost and to be very fair their cameras have been solid for me so far. No crashes, the little bugs there have been have been resolved in firmware updates, and just the one weird HDMI issue on the new one.

I'm not a fan of Blackmagic, but when I had a problem with my Video Assist I was on the phone with advanced tech support in under 10 minutes. They followed up and even though the issue wasn't resolved (high pitched whining sound out of the monitor), they at least provided the kind of support you'd expect from a  company serving professionals.

I have Chinese clients, I've dealt directly with Chinese vendors for products beyond cameras before, so it's also not like I've never dealt with these kinds of language/time/culture barriers and expect unrealistic Genius Bar support. I think Kinefinity has exactly two English-speaking guys working part time for them and if they want to be a serious player in the US that needs to improve.

18 minutes ago, TheRenaissanceMan said:

Interesting. Most of the Kine owners I've spoken to are pretty happy with the support. Can you expand a little on your experience with them?

At first it was good, they were prompt to answer questions (considering a the 11-14hr time zone delay for me)

But over the last 6 weeks I have had an ongoing case- KineMini in for mount swap, and purchased a KineMax which came with a non-functioning HDMI port. To be fair, this is the very first hardware issue that I have had with my cameras which have been rock solid. I do not find 48+ hour response times acceptable, especially when the camera is over there for service or I have a pressing need on an issue. This also includes a response time of 8 whole days during this inquiry- despite repeated requests for updates as we had a shoot approaching.

I understand that there will be additional time to respond with the time difference (and this is part of what I'm not paying for), but to qualify for amazing support, response times should be no longer than 24 hours.

47 minutes ago, TheRenaissanceMan said:

And you're saying this based on...?

Being the owner of a KineMini and a KineMax for over a year.

6 hours ago, IronFilm said:

From what I've read following it in the FB group for Kinefinity it sounds like their support is AMAZING!

It's questionable, at best.

If they want to expand in NA they definitely need a domestic service center and support team.

There is a strange purple haze around the subject's eyes when they turn to profile that is only present on the KineMax.

Edit: watching it again, whatever that light source is behind the subject is slightly flaring the lens on the KineMax.

1 hour ago, localstarlight said:

Spent an hour or so reading about the Digital Bolex, feel like I want one, can't afford it right now.

Battletested KineMini sounds great! Not available though... Will have to keep an eye on that one.

And then after reading the article on underrated cameras (thanks Jimmy), I'm now revisiting the 5D2 ML raw, to see if I can avoid upgrading the camera after all...

But only 9 seconds of shooting at 1920 x 1076 ?! That doesn't seem very workable. And the reasonable resolutions only work on the crop mode, which seems impossible to monitor properly – granted I've only just started looking into this, but how is anyone shooting anything serious with this? Perhaps someone could point me in the direction of a decent guide to shooting raw on the 5D2?! Feel like I must be missing something, because I can't imagine shooting a real project on this. Hope I'm wrong!

We have used the 5D2 raw for professional work across more than a dozen projects. Some of the quirks can be annoying, but the 14bit raw image quality is unmatched. The 5D2 does not shoot 1920, it is actually 1880. There is a framing guide option in Magic Lantern.

The 5D3 does shoot 1920 and can also do slow motion due to the faster speed of the CF card controller. And if you don't have one, the 5D2 needs an OLPF filter as moire will be far more apparent with raw.

10 minutes ago, andrew berekdar said:

If you can get them while they're in stock...

I just traded mine in for a KineMAX, so there will be at least two of them.

It certainly is a step up from the DSLR format the OP requested

15 hours ago, IronFilm said:

Personally I think the A7s mk2 is in a tough price spot, as that is such a large chunk of change to buy an A7s mk2 when an FS5 would be so much much much better! Yes the FS5 is even more expensive, but by the point you're at this level, the extra overall cost vs the revenue you'd earn from it in the next couple of years, I don't think it is such a big difference (of course the FS5 is itself in a tough spot...  when the FS7 is only a little more than the FS5! And so the slippery slope continues.... I've seen F5 go for amazingly good prices secondhand? Or how about that F65....).

However.... A7s mk1 are now going secondhand for heaps cheaper than A7s mk2 would cost. And as you just want good quality HD, and don't care about 4K. Then it seems A7s mk1 is the obvious choice over the A7s mk2. 

 

The BMMCC is the most interesting of them all. It is very new so not that much info out there, but already a few interesting ways to rig it up:
http://cheesycam.com/custom-mods-for-blackmagic-design-micro-cinema-camera-w-diy-remote-handle/
And with time even more and more will be made, by third parties such as Zacuto or Wooden Camera (and then knock offs from China after that, at a fraction of their price). 
Am especially looking forward to rigs with handles that communicate with the BMMCC!

Plus the BMPCC has already been favorably compared with and shot with RED cameras, the BMMCC is following in the BMPCC's heritage, I'm sure you'd like the BMMCC in some role or another. It would make for a great B cam on RED shoots as well! (such as an action camera, or drone camera)

Final thought for high quality 1080 footage:
Sony PMW-F3 with BMD Video Assist (or Samurai Blade). 

Don't think there is a better bang for buck 1080 camera than that! (can go for as little as US$1500 or less secondhand)

Is the one I own and frequently shoot on myself. Together with a BMPCC (and have a Panasonic G6 for the ultra low budgetshoots :-P ). 

 

EDIT: Final final thoughts:

How about a Kinefinity KineMINI 4K? A battle tested one loaded with all the options is available now for a mere US$3.5K!! :-o 

That is a downright insane deal for so much camera! It has the option of interchangeable mounts, raw 4K, slow motion, uses cheap standard off the shelf SSDs, can use focal reducers to get that VistaVision / Full Frame look. 

Could be perfect for a RED shop where the productions doesn't have the budget to use their RED.

This. I would say if you love working with great raw images than either 5D3/2 with magic lantern or a used Kinemini 4k is the clear choice. More so the 5d as with the Kinemini you will need a D-tap power source and a monitor.

A7s makes no sense to me unless you need 4k. Currently cutting a project shot on both 5d2 raw and A7s mark II and it isn't even comparable.

Never used the Micro but the cinemadng workflow is exactly what you will get with Magic Lantern and MLVFS.

On 4/25/2016 at 11:26 PM, Liam said:

Kine mount is just a shorter PL mount I believe? Not sure all the options, but in theory should be really adaptable. The electronics for canon glass doesn't work with autofocus, but does work with iris control, not sure about IS.

Correct. If you want M42 glass, you have it with EF mount.

I'm not sure about the mount but my camera has a m4/3 sensor mode as well.

> they're speed booster/enhancer is $300

Must be integrated into the EF mount body on order because I paid 700 for mine (KineMount->EF)

Ask them about my KineMax which is supposedly there at NAB waiting to be shipped to me.

I have a 1st gen BMVA and will not buy into the hype with them.

As a dedicated run-and-gun recorder, this may be OK, but as a monitor, this thing is straight awful. It badly needs user-customizable color settings because it just looks horrid and is unusable in a professional cinematography setting. It also eats power like you wouldn't believe making it tough to use even as a wireless directors monitor.

So many funny things about these pictures.

Why were they taken at an airport?

That Klingon Coke

I wonder if the iPhone is real.

The camera itself looks stunning.

On 4/9/2016 at 2:16 PM, Anamatis said:

I've been looking at the Kinemini stuff actually looks promising but I was bummed about being stuck with RAW 4k. If the Terra provides a pro res option that'd be the cam for me.. How much is final price?

You can shoot 2k Cineform on the Kinemini.

Cineform raw >>>>> Prores anyway.

If you're looking for out-of-the-box-and-off-the-card editing, Canon is your choice.

When you can shoot Cineform Raw, you don't care about Prores.

More Kinefinity work- all shots on this are with the KineMini (except for sports footage, which was archive stuff)