Nick Hughes

I don't think many GH4 users have external recorders - I know the reason I initially bought the camera was so that I wouldn't have to buy a recorder. Most of the chatter on this forum seemed to be critical of noise, banding, etc with V Log internal, and while that hasn't scared me away from buying it, it certainly hasn't put me in a rush to spend the money.

Your only exposure controls are ND, aperture and shutter speed, to be used in that order IMO. If you're using LUTs in-camera, you can control how the dynamic range is spread out by 'rating' it at different ISOs, but ultimately the camera is still recording at 2000. It becomes tricky in low light situations since you can't raise the ISO, and underexposing SLOG can lead to lots of noise. 

Sounds like you've already done a bit of research, so using the camera shouldn't be too much of a shock. Spend 30 minutes digging through all the menus, customizing your user menu and assignable buttons and you'll be good to roll. Shooting 180fps continuous is a joy. 

Those are values from the Canon white paper. I've never graded C-Log, so I can't say whether or not those values are truly best. Definitely worth trying the ETTR method that Ebrahim suggests.

In C-Log, 90% white falls around 63% IRE. Set your zebras around 65% IRE and don't let exposure go above it (generally- there may be many exceptions). If you're shooting in a controlled environment, use a white sheet of paper to set exposure- the paper should just slightly be hitting zebras (or be slightly below). 

That's one method of exposing at least. There are many different schools of thought on the matter.

Abel's right down the road. 

My 24-105 definitely loses focus zooming in. I've been shooting with a 70-200 2.8 IS (not sure which model), and while it might not be completely parfocal, it does seem to retain focus pretty well when zooming in.

I personally like the look of Canon lenses. The clean, modern look appeals to me (depending on the project). The 24-105, however, is probably the lowest tier L lens they have. I think renting a set of primes would really do you well. 24, 50, and 135 (or 85) would be a solid combo. 

The FS7 is not that bad to use. There are certainly much better designed cameras and menu systems, but once you wrap your head around where everything is (and set up your user menu), it's workable. It can definitely shoot solid handheld out of the box, but can get to be a little painful after hours and hours of shooting on your shoulder. I've been working on a show recently that has the Zacuto recoil built onto the FS7 and it's been a dream to shoot with. 

Recording times for XQD cards. 

You could lock it down on a manfrotto tripod, but you'd want to keep and eye (or hand) on it at all times. 

If you do decide do go with the FS7, I highly recommend renting this Master class by Doug Jensen. It's a hefty $85, but you get six hours of detailed lessons on how and why to set up the camera in certain ways. I watched the whole thing before starting the show I'm on and was up and running with the FS7 right away.

He did a pretty bad key in the first place - look at the top of his forehead and bottom of the neck. It looks like he's wearing a v neck!

I generally prefer a flat day rate for anything under 12 hours. For me, there's not a whole lot of difference between a 3 hour or 8 hour shoot, since my day is already booked and I can't take other gigs. When clients are watching the clock trying to save a few dollars, the shoots tend to get rushed, which usually means more time in the edit trying to fix problems that could have been solved on set by taking your time. With clients that really want an hourly rate, I'll charge a fee just for showing up, then bill hourly.

"X-Rite ColorTRUE Color Management for iPads, Tablets, Smartphones"

Can you upload in 1440 but limit playback to 1080?

Good thing you're using scopes because that warm light and window can spell disaster for CC!

Nice solutions for maximizing space with three monitors (+ 2 for audio) and a control surface.

This Polaroid chest stabilizer was the first I ever got. It's not pro quality by any means, but it's so damn cheap that you could replace each individual component with better parts from SmallRig and still be happy with your bank account. The form factor is nice and small. Biggest problem with it is that none of the wingnuts ever seem to lock down completely. The camera plate is also pretty bad, but again, everything could be replaced pretty easily. Essentially, you're buying a $60 shoulder brace.

While it may be possible to implement tweaks to NR algorithms, etc. through firmware updates, ultimately the low light performance is tied to the sensor (and processor?). If the low light capabilities are hindering your work, you need to figure out a way to light your scenes (doesn't seem likely from what you've described), invest in noise reduction software such as Neat Video, buy faster lenses, and/or upgrade to a camera that has better low light performance, such as the A7s or C100. 

Found the one I was looking for - Doug Jensen's Master Class. Only the 45 minute intro is free - the whole class is 6 hours long and costs $85. 

The Andy Young video looks pretty enlightening as well. Guess I've my Saturday all planned out, then.

I'm starting on a series soon that will be using the FS7 and I'm looking for a web seminar that was floating around for a while. The guy gave an in-depth presentation about using the FS7 that seemed to cover a lot of bases. The video was 1-2 hours long I think. Does anybody have a link to this? Or other similar videos as well?

For final delivery, HQ should be fine. Even LT is probably good enough if you reaaally need to save a couple GB.

I have that cage. Bought it after the micro-hdmi connection started failing on the second shoot I ever used it on. It's expensive and you can't tilt the screen at all when installed, but the hdmi port is solid. It even ships with a second port in case the first one breaks. They also make a baseplate that lets you screw into a speedbooster, locking it solidly into the camera mount. I definitely recommend it.

If you can't detect a beat (or rhythm) in a song, it probably means:

-The song is poorly written

OR

-The song is atmospheric,experimental,etc and shouldn't be edited to a beat

OR/AND

-You should practice more at detecting rhythm, as it's one of the most fundamental tools of editing

Who exactly are you addressing with this post? I don't think any of the members of this forum are going out and shooting a film with one card and battery. And if they are, they should be banned.

Yes, I believe all the EF-M43 Speedboosters and adapters work with AF now.

While I don't disagree with the point you're making, Sony has released some pretty substantial firmware updates. XAVCS on the A6000, ProRes internal on the FS7, 4k on the F5 (but only after a hack did the same). I suppose that makes it all the more bizarre that they won't enable the shutter button to record video on the A7s or fix other easily-fixable quirks.

I've definitely been enjoying AF on the GH4 with my canon glass. Wouldn't count on it for non-repeatable moments (sports, weddings), but it fares well in most situations. 

Vegas doesn't have LUT support? That's crazy!

I prefer Aaron's original grade. Skin looks more natural to me. I also prefer a warm grade over a cool one, but that's purely personal.