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IronFilm reacted to Jedi Master in Help me decide: Canon C300 Mark III or Sony FX9
I spent some time learning more about color management and think I have a better system for color grading in Resolve.
I create two nodes. The first one is an ACES transform and converts the color space from that of the camera into ACEScct, like this:
The other node is also an ACES transform that converts from ACEScct color space to Rec.709 for display on a monitor, like this:
Then I set the timeline color space to ACEScct, thusly:
I then create additional nodes between the node that converts camera color space to ACEScct and the one that converts ACEScct color space to Rec.709 and make all adjustments to those additional nodes. That seems to be a much better way to color grade in Resolve, and the HDR color wheels seem to work much better and more predictably.
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IronFilm got a reaction from zlfan in Red DMSC1 Cameras vs Modern Sensors
Ha! I don't think anybody owns individually 3x Sony BURANOs
But if you're part of a wide production, say just shooting a few days on a doco or coming in as an extra camera on reality tv series or doing a pick up day on a feature film, then yes, what camera you are using is very important.
As you're just one small cog in a bigger machine. (maybe that's one of the big differences vs a lot of photography, there is no "machine". Or if there is, the photographer is a much bigger cog in the machine, or even more likely the driver of it)
I'd say there is are two very different classes of DoP:
Those who own a camera vs those who don't and just rent in the cameras for a project as is necessary. (although, anybody owning an ARRI ALEXA Mini kinda fits into that second category. Just the difference is whenever they want they can access "a free rental" of their Mini from the rental house where it is being stored. As they probably won't have it being stored at home, or at least that's been the case with people who I know who own one)
And those in that first category are very much so are broken up into different tiers depending on what sort of camera they have.
Side note: there are people in the second category who own a camera, but still sit in the "second category" because that's how they portray themselves and do most of their work as. Their RED Raven or Sony a7S or whatever that they own is merely just their play thing, and something to do occasional passion projects with. So even though they own "the same" camera as someone in category one, they're still in a very different position, as their personal camera isn't one they daily work with. It's almost more like their hobby camera.
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IronFilm got a reaction from FHDcrew in Red DMSC1 Cameras vs Modern Sensors
Ha! I don't think anybody owns individually 3x Sony BURANOs
But if you're part of a wide production, say just shooting a few days on a doco or coming in as an extra camera on reality tv series or doing a pick up day on a feature film, then yes, what camera you are using is very important.
As you're just one small cog in a bigger machine. (maybe that's one of the big differences vs a lot of photography, there is no "machine". Or if there is, the photographer is a much bigger cog in the machine, or even more likely the driver of it)
I'd say there is are two very different classes of DoP:
Those who own a camera vs those who don't and just rent in the cameras for a project as is necessary. (although, anybody owning an ARRI ALEXA Mini kinda fits into that second category. Just the difference is whenever they want they can access "a free rental" of their Mini from the rental house where it is being stored. As they probably won't have it being stored at home, or at least that's been the case with people who I know who own one)
And those in that first category are very much so are broken up into different tiers depending on what sort of camera they have.
Side note: there are people in the second category who own a camera, but still sit in the "second category" because that's how they portray themselves and do most of their work as. Their RED Raven or Sony a7S or whatever that they own is merely just their play thing, and something to do occasional passion projects with. So even though they own "the same" camera as someone in category one, they're still in a very different position, as their personal camera isn't one they daily work with. It's almost more like their hobby camera.
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IronFilm got a reaction from kye in Help me decide: Canon C300 Mark III or Sony FX9
If you want even higher, there are lots of options with browser extensions if you want to go say 3x or 4x speed.
For example:
https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/youtube-playback-speed-co/hdannnflhlmdablckfkjpleikpphncik/
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IronFilm reacted to seanzzxx in Blackmagic Update - 14th September 2023 19:00 CET
I can't stress enough how much I believe external recorders suck, it's just one more thing to fail (and I've seen them fail multiple times, whether it was due to a bad cable, a cable getting yanked, an Atomos locking up, an output setting from the hdmi being checked/unchecked) etc. Sometimes it won't even register until there's playback.
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IronFilm reacted to QuickHitRecord in Red DMSC1 Cameras vs Modern Sensors
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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IronFilm reacted to newfoundmass in Panasonic S5 II (What does Panasonic have up their sleeve?)
So...
I was diagnosed with kidney cancer on September 5. I had my right kidney removed on October 13 and am now cancer free (and if my scans show nothing in April I'll be considered cured!). During that entire period though, I didn't do any jobs and just focused on recovering, but had decided to dip my toe back into the water and had a small job planned for a friend this week.
As I was just going through my equipment in preparation of getting back into the swing of things my pup Teri knocked over my main S5 and IT BROKE. Now, it doesn't impact my job because I have two extras of the same cameras, but obviously it left me needing to get a new camera. Sooo...
I bought the Lumix S5IIX instead of getting another used S5. I swore I'd never buy a camera brand new again, but the used price isn't that much less, and I was able to get a decent deal on it with a lens. With all I've been through (having my kidney removed was, without a doubt, the most painful thing I've ever experienced, just FYI) I figured I'd treat myself.
This is a long way to ask a couple questions while I wait for it to arrive tomorrow:
1. how easy is it to match the original S5 straight out of camera or with a little tweaking using the standard or natural color profile? I will use log, but for certain jobs it's just easier to skip that part.
2. why is there no third party battery grip? has anyone heard why?
3. I have a couple third party batteries. Wasabi and Newmowa brands. Has anyone encouraged any problems with third party batteries? I have like six OEM batteries but I've heard the S5II and S5IIX's battery life isn't as good as the S5.
4. what are the best settings? I've seen tons of YouTubers but I'd prefer to hear it from people that do more than film themselves in their spare bedroom/garage and actually are out there getting the most out of their camera.
5. This one is most important: I just want you all to know I love you all. My ordeal has given me a greater appreciation for life, the interactions I have with other human beings, and just everything, really. Thank you @Andrew Reid and everyone else that makes this place special.
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IronFilm reacted to MrSMW in Panasonic S5 II (What does Panasonic have up their sleeve?)
Great and the Sigma 28-70mm f2.8 is a compact high performing zoom and this pairing is my go to for ALL run & gun, indoor, outdoor, after dark…
I have had several 4/3 cameras and lenses including the EM5ii and the most recent OM-1 and whilst they may have marginally better stabilisation, performance-wise, beyond that, no contest, the full-frame S5ii is just better everywhere, stills and video.
Even with the f1.7 lenses. Nah, weight and IBIS aside, the S5ii kicks any and all 4/3 backsides.
GH6 and G9ii users may disagree. Get in a ring with the S5ii though and we would see who the real champ is 😉
My other choice would be the S1H which are now available at very decent prices on the used market, below new S5ii’s I think and you essentially trade a more compact, lighter, better AF frame for a better built (tank) unit with far better rear LCD, beautifully damped shutter and sound (for stills and important in theatres I reckon without resorting to electronic?) and a more ‘filmic’ image.
Funnily enough, I have and use both…
Gone over to Nikon for stills but can’t give up my Lumix for video…
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IronFilm reacted to Davide DB in Panasonic S5 II (What does Panasonic have up their sleeve?)
In the meantime, in a galaxy, far, far away...
https://ymcinema.com/2023/08/24/panasonic-develops-a-variable-built-in-electronic-nd-filter/
I don't know if the choice to go on a larger "uni-body" could help to have this feature on all lines...
I think this feature could go live on a next S1H II
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IronFilm got a reaction from kye in Blackmagic Update - 14th September 2023 19:00 CET
And guess what... you'll be surprised how many productions still shoot in 1080!
I think I work on 4K productions more often than "less than 4K" productions (so including 2K for instance here as well).
But I'm honestly not sure!
4K might be losing out. (but if 4K isn't in the majority yet, I get the feeling it will be soon. Can just depend on a bit of random chance, what type of productions I've been working on lately)
This just gives you an idea of how slowly things can change, it's certainly not 4K+ only and always being used everywhere.
And why ProRes is still the most popular choice, and won't be going away any time soon.
Things change slower than you think.
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IronFilm got a reaction from Jedi Master in Your fav late 2023 cams?
Have they ever???
Even when REDs were more popular on production, a few years back, it was still easy enough for producers (especially in big markets such as LA or NYC) to demand the latest. Because there was a big oversupply of RED shooters vs jobs suitable for a RED.
Their RED Raven and RED Komodo pushed them rather close to consumer territory
RED even at the best of times never really gained heaps of traction.
Their market segments were:
1) RED fanboys
2) cutting edge experimenters, who would dabble with the the RED ecosystem when it was new. Probably got burnt by RED. And would move along to abandon RED as soon as something better was available. Be it a Sony PMW-F3 / Sony FS700 / ARRI ALEXA / or whatever.
3) people who needed a compact cinema camera , be it for a drone / gimbal / crash cam / whatever
4) people who want "higher quality" but can't afford the best. (i.e. ARRI ALEXA cameras, or Super 35 film, or something similar-ish such as Sony F35 or F65)
#1 has been in decline for years.
#2 has completely disappeared.
#3 got very gradually chipped away at with the likes of better mirrorless cameras + BMD's BMCC & BMPCC. But the release of the ARRI Alexa Mini almost completely demolished this niche for RED. Then the P4K / VENICE / FX6 / etc killed whatever small teeny remaining niches RED might still have in this market.
#4 initially this gap for RED to live in used to be very big. As when the RED ONE was released the ARRI ALEXA didn't exist at the high end, not even the Sony F35 existed yet. And the HDSLRs didn't exist on the low end. So RED had all to themselves a massive huge market between the likes of Panasonic DVX100 etc on the low end and shooting on Super 35mm (or perhaps the Sony PWM-F900R) on the high end (which is VERY expensive!). Maybe RED's most direct competition was Super 16? (it's a middle ground between DVX100 vs S35) So it was easy to make a strong case for RED.
But within a couple of years things very quickly changed:
ARRI ALEXA & Sony F35 etc got released, which meant the very high end for digital was no longer RED's.
HDSLRs & HD camcorders such as the Sony EX3 got released so that the low end HD was no longer RED's.
But as each year went by, it became worse and worse for Sony.
As quickly you got RED being squeezed and attacked from all directions:
1) HDSLRs / mirrorless got better with 4K and even 10bit, killing even more of the low end market for RED. A filmmaker that in the past might have been happy to financially overstretch themselves to the max to try and get Scarlet-X for their thesis film, is now happy to shoot it on a newly released Panasonic GH4 with an Atomos recorder.
2) Mainly Blackmagic (but to a lesser extent ZCam/Kinefinity/AJA/etc as well) killed off a lot of appeal for RED in the low end raw/ProRes niche of the market. And even attacking them hard in the mid range once the URSA Mini came out. Plus once the likes of ALEXA XT etc got released, making older ALEXA Classics increasingly more affordable to rent, then that too killed away the mid range for RED>
3) The low/mid end for slow motion got killed by Sony FS700, and once the Phantom cameras came out they killed the high end for RED. And with time this just got worse and worse for RED, as more and more cameras could do better and better slow motion.
4) compact cameras (for gimbal / steadicam / crash / cranes / etc) on the high end got killed once the ALEXA Mini was released, and had already been chipped away at by the mirrorless and BMPCC on the lower end
5) the low/mid range for documentaries / corporate / advertising / etc got massively eaten away at with the release of the Canon C300mk1 & C100, and then full on demolished once the Sony FS7 came along, almost no point for using RED at all.
What was once a big area for RED between S35 level vs DX100 level filmmaking when the RED ONE was released has shrunk now to almost nothing.
Remember too, that the camera rental is a very small part of an overall budget for a production in many cases. The difference between renting a RED Gemini vs an ARRI Alexa Mini is a rounding error for them. So why choose the RED??
And if someone is super strapped for cash, will they want to splurge on renting a RED Gemini or will they be happy to settle for the likes of an URSA Mini Pro or a Sony FX6 or Canon C300mk2 etc? (and probably, these cameras will be even better suited to the nature of this type of filmmaking)
Indeed, you might have missed the boat on getting your hands on your dream camera! They're unaffordable now.
ah right, two totally different sensors
Would make more sense to compare a Epic-X vs Scarlet-X that are both using the same MX sensor.
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IronFilm got a reaction from PannySVHS in Blackmagic Update - 14th September 2023 19:00 CET
That's the dream, a BMD camera with a mirrorless mount and NDs!
So very few affordable cameras do this. You're either looking at ones secondhand, or likely paying for at least as much as a Canon C70 / Sony FX6.
So if BMD kept the L mount but added in NDs (either eND, or at least a clear + 3 stages of ND), say boosting the price up by a few hundred but still sub US$3K then it would be a pretty easy win as the best camera for me at that price point. Ahead of Sony FX3 / Panasonic S5mk2 / etc (I might still rate a preference to get the Sony FX30 instead though, it would after all be half the price. Is why what I really want to see is the standard P4K with ND!)
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IronFilm got a reaction from kye in Blackmagic Update - 14th September 2023 19:00 CET
Just NDs thanks! I'll throw my SmallHD Focus on it as a monitor
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IronFilm reacted to gt3rs in Help me decide: Canon C300 Mark III or Sony FX9
FX9 or C500 II would be more comparable.
Still why not a C70 i think for a one man band is a better buy than a C300 III?
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IronFilm reacted to kye in Help me decide: Canon C300 Mark III or Sony FX9
Are you using colour management of some kind? ACES / RCM?
Once you've learned that, almost all footage is the same. I can't believe that people still grade and don't do this - I was never able to get anything to look good until I worked this out. Sadly, it took me far longer to realise this than it should have!
I think this is why there are 50,000 YouTube videos from amateurs on "How I grade S-Log 2" and "How to grade J-Log 9" and why every second video from professional colourists (the few that share content online for free) is about colour management. It used to drive me crazy hearing the same thing over and over again until I realised that it's the key that unlocks everything, and that getting really good results is incredibly simple once you've figured it out (getting great results becomes super complex again because colour grading is an infinitely deep rabbit hole, but that's well beyond these discussions).
The other variable is what the individual shots were. It's not uncommon for me to go shoot something, with one camera and one lens, and then some shots just drop into place and look great and other ones are fiddly and I can never get them how I want. This is a hidden trap for downloading footage other people have shot.
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IronFilm reacted to TomTheDP in Help me decide: Canon C300 Mark III or Sony FX9
I have definitely found RED easiest to work with color wise. But the C300 MK3 is way more run and gun friendly. Have you considered the URSA 12K. I know BM doesn't get the hype that RED, Canon and Sony do, but the image is really good. The crop of the camera is 1.3x, between S35 and full frame. I'd download some footage from that and see what you think.
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IronFilm reacted to kye in Help me decide: Canon C300 Mark III or Sony FX9
Translation: the people who graded the Sony footage aren't as good at colouring than the people who coloured the Canon and RED footage.
Seriously - there's the Dynamic Range, Bit Depth, Low light, and Frame-rates, but the entire rest of the equation is the skill of the people in pre, prod, or post. Ungraded and poorly lit ARRI Alexa footage looks like home videos until the colourist gets involved.
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IronFilm reacted to Hans Punk in Shane Meadows using BMCC on This is England '90 (Channel 4, UK)
D.I.T Hell
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IronFilm reacted to zlfan in Sony PMW-F3 with 2500 hours on it. Should I buy it?
i followed cranky's channel for some time now. i accidentally stumped on his video on amira, which he thinks the best eng cam.
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IronFilm got a reaction from PannySVHS in Sony PMW-F3 with 2500 hours on it. Should I buy it?
That's why a lot of the Sony EX3 shooters would pair with with a nanoflash recorder for more premium shoots.
Of course the Panasonic AJ-HPX3000 doesn't have that problem with its 1080p 10bit 422 😉
Correct!
Yeah, it's always a trade off somewhere with these older cheap cameras! 😞
1) very lightweight codecs (sometimes you can work around that, with external recorders. Or it doesn't matter, as you're using it for live streaming purposes)
2) teeny sensors (well... even 2/3" is "small", but it's "large" relative to this, and what I'd prefer. But I'd like at least 1/2" like the EX1/EX3 is, not any less)
3) only 720p and/or 1080i (this is a very common issue with the Panasonics, they were slower
4) not worldwide (you can't do both 25 & 30)
5) no SDI (quite a few of these older / lower end ones would only have RCA as the video output, or might have SDI but only SD not FHD over SDI)
6) no interchangeable lenses (ideally B4 mount, but something like EX3's mount I guess I could live with that gets adapted to B4)
It's quite hard to find an older camera which hits all of these points and stays well under US$1K in being easily able to find
Sooo true! I need to resist.
Today a mate on Instagram (he's an EOSHD user too) asked me about what gear I had in mind to get:
Me:
On the topic of Sonys, if you know about anybody looking to buy a Sony FS7 I've got one for sale
Time to sell it and buy more sound gear instead
Oops, slip of the tongue
I meant, and NOT spend more money on gear 🙄😅
Him:
Ohh what gear u looking for next 😏
Me:
Thinking I might move a bit more over from Lectrosonics to Sony Digital
Might also change my Lectrosonics IFB setup from running in blk22 to blk20
Although ugh, that's such a big hassle as I've got so much stuff in those frequencies
But these Sonys are so wideband , blk22 creeps into the bottom of it, and I'd rather keep my Lectrosonics IFB transmitters going out of my bag far away from my incoming receivers frequency range
Also why I want to buy a RF filter I think, turn my wideband into narrowband ish.
I kinda want two of these: https://www.rfvenue.com/hardware/rf-accessories-and-parts/band-pass-filters But they have nothing in the frequencies I need it to be in 😞 This is a new product, not in production and available to buy yet, however I think it could be the closest to what I need: https://www.audiowireless.co.uk/online-store/DIGITALLY-TUNED-DUAL-ANTENNA-FILTER-DT-BOOST-2-p481882216 Just waiting on specs/price I guess, fingers crossed!
Him:
Oops I shouldn't have asked 😂
Me:
haha, and that's just scratching the surface!
although yeah nah, I need to resist spending any more money this year. But I earlier this year upgraded my boom audio to having two Sony DWT-P01N transmitters (for the last several years my Boom Ops would use Sound Devices MM1 running into a Lectrosonics Digital Hybrid bodypack transmitter), as I felt that was a better path than going with Lectrosonics DPR or Shure AD3 transmitters which were the other two main choices for digital wireless that I was considering. However that then just opens the door to lots of other changes I want too
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IronFilm got a reaction from PannySVHS in Sony PMW-F3 with 2500 hours on it. Should I buy it?
Just got to have plenty of light and be ok with deeper DoF! And be ok with FHD, and not 4K. And not need slow motion.
Both traits/requirements that are perfectly fine for the gigs that The Cranky Cameraman was on in those videos.
His channel in general I think is quite a good watch for lots of people who visit EOSHD who are at that sort of level (doing solo or very small crew work, but still making a very good living from that).
Here is another video talking about EX3 vs FS7:
The evil camera gear GAS bug bites me in wanting a Sony PMW-EX3 as well. (or the even cheaper EX1)
Or hey, I've been commenting a bit lately about the Panasonic Varicam LT & Panasonic BS1H, so maybe I should look more into the Panasonic equivalent?
I don't know the Panasonic range so well though, what would be the Panasonic equivalent to the EX1/EX3 from Sony?
Perhaps the Panasonic AG-HPX250? (kinda equivalent to the EX1?) Or the Panasonic AG-HPX300 / 370 (kinda equivalent to the EX3??) Or go nuts for the big beasty Panasonic AJ-HPX3000, with 1080p 10bit 422 (body only is US$1.5K on ebay right now, but no lens / cards / batteries )
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IronFilm reacted to zlfan in Sony PMW-F3 with 2500 hours on it. Should I buy it?
Actually I like EX1/EX3 color better than FS7/FS5/FX9/FX6 etc. That CCD vintage wine tastes well.
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IronFilm reacted to BTM_Pix in Help me decide: Canon C300 Mark III or Sony FX9
12K and Broadcast G2 only.
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IronFilm got a reaction from kye in Help me decide: Canon C300 Mark III or Sony FX9
Ummm... all of them?? (except maybe RED Ranger???)
Although the more modern ones will do better. The RED ONE of course being the worst, I was on a shoot where they draped frozen bags over it.
Like I said, RED is infamous for this. Hated by the sound department, as we'll go over and ask for them to turn their fans down, and they'll whine "no we can't, otherwise it will overheat".
But in you case, you'll be using the more modern-ish DSCM2 body, and you don't need to care about the sound dept, you can just happily crank up that fan to go at max noise all day long.
Yup, this is why I think there is a strong argument for a Blackmagic Design, or Panasonic Varicam LT (or even EVA1 / S5 / S1H / BS1H ) or Fujifilm X-H2S or old ARRI ALEXA rather than a Sony or RED
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IronFilm reacted to PannySVHS in Help me decide: Canon C300 Mark III or Sony FX9
It's super nice and highly educating to read about all the different alterations of Red bodies and sensors. To read about Geoff Boyle is a very beautiful thing @IronFilm He was one major inspirations to me with his hands on attitude and to the point avdices he shared on his forum and in various interviews and videotaped:) workshops. I remember his evaluation of the Varicam. I remember him very dearly as one of the most impactful and supportive public figures of the arts and craft of cinematography.
The original post of this thread has been narrowed down by og poster to be privately filming landscapes with 60min of footage per trip. A S1H will be perfect for that or a used S5.
But you can of course buy a Red package for the amount of money you wanna spent and share your findings with us and maybe some of your filmed and edited material. Looking forward to it. Or get an Amira, if your hobby is worth to you a dime or two. @Jedi Master