Volker Schmidt

All Blackmagics are really, very nice cameras - in this case too!
- The NX1 is the big surprise of the last months... - A exceptionally cinematic (4k) Camera out of the box... (in my opinion).

I´ am filming with 5d MLraw and the NX1 is the only camera I would like to use in addition... if I would have the money:)
 
 

Here is a NX-1 test including 1080 vs 4k, Isotest, rolling shutter, 120fps and autofocus-test (at the end).

In my opinion, the NX-1 outruns its competitors (A7s & GH4) with its cinematic rendering of colors and details.
 
 pneus-online.c 
 

Here is another Promo we recently shot with a set of Kowas (40, 50, 75, 100mm) that I though some people might like to see. Any thoughts or feedback welcome. 
 
 
 
 

I'm an old salt. I've worked in film most of my professional life, primarily in labs (gigantic and small) , post-production and editorial. The past fifteen years, I've been in film restoration. I have literally seen and handled hundreds of millions of feet of film in my life, dating from the early 1900's to, well, negs shot just a couple of years ago.
In my work, we use traditional photochemical and digital technologies hand-in-hand. There are things digital can't possibly achieve, and things traditional photochemical processes choke on that digital wins as undisputed champ. And I LOVE my digital tech. I'm no luddite.
In the end, though, I feel posts like this one (and on other blogs) re: the film issue are an exercise akin to arguing how many angels can dance on a saltine cracker. Or, to put it more directly, "You can't argue taste." It's a tool in the arsenal, just like why someone would shoot video with an 8-bit codec at 720P. Because they can/need to/like to. Right tool for the job. Everything else is academic. If YOU, the media creator, make the format choice that you believe is correct from an aesthetic, technical and budgetary standpoint, so be it. You are the artist. If it is to be 4K HFR 3D, great, if you want VHS, okay. If you want film, rock on.
As to the dated, anachronistic aspects of the film medium, I agree it can be frustrating, unwieldy and time-consuming. I also happen to think performing live music with a band is a pain in the butt just for the sheer aggravation of moving a truckload of instruments, cabling, amps, etc. around, setting up, tearing down, but I would never advocate trashing it all for a keyboard and sampler just because it is cheaper, more convenient and "is just as good."
Just one man's opinion...

again to my eyes, It's underexposure that creates noise, not high ISOs. 
- this is my experience also! 
I have just tested two Minolta-lenses (on my 5dmk2-MLraw) with a external sekonic exposure-meter and I was very surprised by the quality of the pro res 422 Export files!
No noise and a film-like grain - with 800/1600 ISO!
Precise exposure is definitely a guarantee to avoid Noise - more than ISO Settings!
Here´s the test, but the H264 - and Vimeocompression, is a bit disappointing:).
 
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Shot this tonight - frame grabs:
http://eddavid.tumblr.com/post/107859567039/screengrabs-from-upcoming-film-shot-on-samsung-nx1
http://eddavid.tumblr.com/post/107859626819/screengrabs-from-upcoming-film-shot-on-samsung-nx1
http://eddavid.tumblr.com/post/107859682869/screengrabs-from-upcoming-film-shot-on-samsung-nx1
Very excited by it's night capabilities.
 
and in two weeks with the new firmware - will be even more amazing.
added grain and heavy grading.
 

Skin tones are definitely something people notice perhaps more than all other aspects of a camera (rez, DR, etc). When the skin tones are off (magenta, green, etc), it cheapens the look.  When I screened an ABC blind test on a 20 foot screen to my producers and director, they all chose the Alexa (over RED and F55) primarily because they like the way the skin looked. If the color of a tree or building are off it's of little consequence but the face is a different story. It's why when we do tests to judge the parameters of a camera it's always with a face and a color chart.

At least some sense on this resolution and spec upset forum. I have been saying more or less the same thing for the last few weeks. This green/magenta bias on skin tone is really bad. If I would rank camera I would put Nikon higher than Canon and add the blackmagic cinema camera up there in the list of very good looking skin tone/colour science. When I say Nikon higher, I mean it is very close with a more golden/orange look to the Nikon but still the Canon is very very nice and would be easy to grade them very close.
 
Now what I have seen of the Sony is perhaps the worst about skin tone. Even with the kholi settings on dvxuser his first example with the girl has still a lot of the green magenta colour. What is strange is what I would call solarisation effect like on her cheek where you have the magenta that makes a brutal change as if sunburn. If it was not the a7s I would say bad makeup but I have seen the same thing in the little girl video shot in slog. People are saying this is because the person did not shoot XYZ setting but until now I did not see one nice video with some natural skin tone and not graded like orange and teal.
 
What is funny is that people are dismissing the C100 mark2 on another threat, because it does not have XYZ spec, but that is the same camera that shot film like Adele blue is the warmest colour that won the Cannes film festival and that looks very very good with a naturalistic colours. When people will understand that colour is by far more important, more so when shooting people, than 4k for example, it will be a big advancement for shooters here. We human beings are much more prone to colour than for example resolution. How many time when you are discussing about an image be it video or photo with somebody will he be saying how crisp it was... or will you hear most of the time how the colours were beautiful.
 
A last thing about grading. I just made the experience lately shooting with some tiffen ND. Guest what with the green bias it becoming really tedious to correct all those shot. Even if I was able to get the green cast out in post the hassle is too much. I am going to buy some 82 mm Hoya pro ND filters. The cost in this case will far outweigh the time spend correcting every shot in the sun.