Jimbo

Dibs on your Centavision!  hahahahahahahaha.  I know you said you would be buried with it in your coffin, so I suggest you arrange for a two man coffin, I'll be buried alive with your corpse, so I can spend a few hours with the lens (before the air runs out)  

Hey Everyone,
 
Last month I finished editing my last job with my T3i (since then i've upgraded to the Nx1), most of my jobs are weddings, even though I like doing some of them, I'm burnt from having quite a few this summer. So I've been doing some tests lately with Luts and finally decided to grade a job with it, I very much liked the end result, got a "cinematic" feel, but theres always room for improvement, so I'd like to know what you guys think of the video in general (editting, grading, filming and so on).
 
Password : Memoryshop
Thank you guys  

I just shot these 2 web promos with the C100mII and 17-55.

Thanx a lot TheRenaissanceMan!  My settings on G6 is -5,-5,-2,-2. The picture is really very flat. I do not use any LUTs or Magic Bullets looks etc. in Sony Vegas, all is graded shot by shot manually. Firstly I decrase colors by "black and white" function then use Color Corector + saturation+gain+gamma+offset, after I play with RGB color curves. I also use the film grain background to make the picture more "organic".
The lenses I mostly use are Panasonic 25mm F1,4 then Panasonic 14mm F 2,5, for longer shots Canon FD 85mm F1,8 and also Practicar Pentacon 135mm F 2,8. It is very important to use correct ND, I use only fixed ND 8 and 4 and 12. As G6 and also my lenses are not stabilised it is somertimes hard to make proper shots when climbing the Tepuy or when wading through the swamp in the jungle 
 

I'm on the mailing list of a site called Desktop Documentaries and recently received an email recommending a documentary kit for $1000. Uh oh! It included a Canon T5i and an H4n as THE basics for a cheap large sensor video camera package.
So with as much tact as I could muster, I replied and informed the site owner I didn't think it was very fair to be recommending this particular set of items in 2015 to people who don't know any better (the site is mainly aimed at filmmaking begginers). I expected to receive either a dismissive reply or at best be ignored.
What actually happened was I got a reply from Faith (the site owner) offering to pay me to write a better-informed article! So I did.
Here's my article, in which I discuss the evolution of hybrid cameras (from the 5D MkII to the latest 4K models) and recommend my own gear package for $1000 (including all the very basics you'd need to shoot a documentary): http://www.desktop-documentaries.com/cinematic-documentary-gear-package.html
I'd love to hear what you guys think of the list I put together (and my article in general!) and what you might have done differently ...
PS: You can also see a few films I shot a while back with the camera in question here: http://lintelfilm.uk/blog/affordable-cinematic-video
 

On topic: Great article! It really is a "true story". If I'd invest the time I spend on the internet to research new gear on actually taking images... well - I guess that would be more effective than buying the 3rd camera body this year.... ._.

I've been working with VLog and it is definitely the real deal, and at $99 a no brainer. It's a gorgeous flat profile that can be pushed around in grading. This is the first post I've done with VLog. It's a glamour film I shot a day ago with my wife for our style blog. http://www.togetherinstyle.com/stories/sequens-a-fashion-film
ISO's range from 800-1600 with very harsh lighting in a dark room. Also it's at 96fps so there is compression, but still beautiful none the less.
Color wise it's like having a mini Alexa. I simply used the Alexa Log C LUT in Color Finale and faded it to my taste. Nothing else was thrown at it in terms of grading. The two stops dynamic range is very real. Worth every penny.
I'll be doing a lot of work with VLOG from here forward and sharing in posts on Together In Style.

It's simply a dof adaptor on steroids.  a modified bmpcc inside a larger camera body, capturing an image from medium format lenses on n oversized medium format rear projection screen (made from ground glass) through a relay lens array and prism.  think of it as a macro lens filming a medium format focusing screen.  Before the 5Dmk2 came round, people were using similar things to get a 35mm format look.  it would appear even the best options back then were pretty bad quality, and there was a lot of diy stuff too.  It would appear not one of them were refined to the level they could have been.  i decided to go mental and make an ultra refined one.  its taken about 2 years of back and fourth, improving each element of the design. the most complicated part was the relay lens design getting resolution and even exposure accross such a huge area. i think the next version will be the final unit with the final refinements to make it a system suitable for dry hire use.  

Hi Chaps.
I decided to take my FORBES70 camera out to play last weekend.  I'm happy with the results but wanted to ask for some honest critique.
I'd love to hear opinions on the image quality - resolution, perceived dynamic range / highlight/shadow rolloff, colour, and general 'look' of the images.  
Please bear in mind that the current maximum res is full hd, but in terms of full hd res, how is the image looking?  
 
I'd also love to hear some views on the large format aesthetic the camera exhibits.  Maybe in comparison with the recent trailers for Hateful Eight and The Revenant.  Is the added expense over say a full frame camera and fast lenses justifiable?  is the current resolution cap of full hd a real issue?  
curious for your thoughts! - ps.  larger file available for download (and detailed info about the system) on the vimeo page

I don't think price is an issue for what you get with the URSA Mini. Some people are complaining about the price and forget that you get a 4.6k sensor, high frame rates, 15 stops DR, internal raw, ProRes codecs, strong ergonomic body, large 1080p screen, 1080p OLED viewfinder and other things. (all above and beyond in features to other systems in this price range). 
Then consider the Mini doesn't use proprietary media and accessories. Invest into RED or the F55 and you are stuck with the £££$$$€€€€ spent on those items, like REDMags and SxS cards. That's a worthy benefit too. 
Also consider the full version of Resolve 12 you get for free, which does have some significant benefits over the free downloaded version. 
Blackmagic have nothing on the history and reliability of Canon, Sony, Panasonic. But to achieve what they have done in just 3 years is fantastic for this industry. 
 

Interesting article and thanks Andrew for these tests.
I have had the GH4 about a year now, I had thought of selling it and getting one of the newer Sonys, but after quite a bit of reading and deliberation I decided to keep it and not go with the current flavors of the month.
The thing is Panasonic are a bit like Canon, a bit more cutting edge and obviously geared towards the hobbiest and film maker with not a lot of money, but they basically have the same conservative approach as Canon, point being when they build a camera its pretty much reliable and works well without a lot of add ons and cluttered menus.
The GH4 for example never overheats, doesnt chew up batteries, runs forever on a single battery, has decent rolling shutter performance, gives a great detailed image with room to color correct within reason and needs only a few lenses.
I have even shot bands at night with just the Panasonic 12-35 2.8 (obviously no speed booster) and have obtained a very nice image even tho it was underexposed.
I learnt a long time ago that the more hurdles you have to jump through in order to be creative and get something in the moment, the less you will be inclined to do so, because of the amount of work you have to do to set things up in the first place.
And this is where I feel Sony may be over reaching and in too much of a rush, they have made a great camera the in the A7RII...but it overheats, has bad rolling shutter in S35 mode, and a more or less has a difficult Log to use, complex menu system etc...it seems to me that they have great techs, great sensors, but are in too much of a rush to capture the market, and that may work for a short time, but in the long term I dont feel it will.
Now if the V-Log turns out to be as good as many of the testers say, then the poor old underdog GH4 may just be the hidden gem in the pack, (Some owners of Panny and Sony cameras are already saying that) but I guess we will see.
 
I read an article on News Shooter that I totally agreed with from a pro News Camera Man that I totally agree with, its an interesting read...here
http://www.newsshooter.com/2015/08/07/sky-news-cameraman-andy-portch-reviews-a-year-shooting-news-with-the-panasonic-gh4/
Cheers
 
 

We had a lot of fun making this one, three people in crew in total and a £500 budget for all the extras (props location etc) the kit is our own
Animation took a long time, and VHS style was tough to build! Happy to answer questions on production if anyone is interested!

This is disgraceful!
Keep up the good work Ebrahim. It isn't easy doing anything worthwhile, people will always be jealous.

Good point but the GH4 seems pretty rock solid, so it reflects badly on Canon if they are not able to do something similar. Heck my LX100 is limited by Panasonic to 15 minutes due to overheat concerns, but at least I have never had an issue shooting for 15 minutes straight, and I usually stop after a few minutes, start up again etc many times. I can handle a birthday party just fine with that camera even

Thanks for the awesome information as always, Andrew.
I do wholeheartedly disagree that the GH5 needs to be Super 35, though. Panasonic should stick to their guns and their strengths of a small hybrid with incredible video controls, features (like anamorphic mode that nobody else currently offers) and reliability. The smaller sensor and its better heat dissipation allows best-in-class battery life and limitless recording time which are paramount features for someone who uses the GH4 for their business like me.
The GH line has matured beautifully over the years and I don't think "bigger is better" on the sensor front. I would say a Super 35 sensor (or m43 sensor with 8 or 12mp) would make sense in an AF100 successor though.
Don't get me wrong, I'd love better lowlight capability and more DOF options in my GH camera, but not at the sacrifice of the aforementioned positives. This new Sony is a beast, no doubt, but it's probably still going to be quirky in places. However, I'm really watching Sony's progress with interest because on this trajectory the A7s II will probably be impossible to resist adding to the arsenal.
 

The m43 ULTRA version is for all intents and purposes optically perfect over the entire m43 format.  It's intended as a general-purpose Speed Booster for both stills and video shooters, and it replaces the original m43 Speed Booster.  As a general-purpose Speed Booster, the ULTRA can be mounted and used with all m43 cameras.
The XL version is more specialized, and gives the maximum possible focal length reduction for video shooters using the GH4 and a limited set of additional m43 cameras.  Performance is extremely good, but is not as good in the extreme corners of fullframe m43 as the ULTRA.

​Well obviously they aren't- because they have been through that stage at the beginning of their careers and have access to cameras like ARRI's, RED, etc. But many future Hollywood cinematographers are comparing specs between the GH4 and A7s. 
 
That demographic of "people who think it would be cool to shoot some video" are getting pretty badly ripped off. This package wouldn't be so bash-worthy if it was priced, say, 30 to 40% lower. Some here are saying "let Canon charge and market their products themselves however they want". Sure, they will- let us also laugh and bash their marketing however we want, too!
 
​
What would be far better is if they would buy this exact kit but separately- as already mentioned by Andrew. That way they could save a few hundred dollars for lighting, no?
 
​
This is the only thing that I agree with you on. I am trying recently to shoot more and read/ post less. Same goes for music recording. It is plain old laziness combined with actually being busy with other work. But fair point as I believe if people spent half of their forum time shooting and editing there would be a lot more interesting content out there indeed...

​
Oh lighten up. Canon deserve all the bashing in the world for selling such a POS package for that much money. As for the consumers... you can forgive some teenagers tugging at their dad's sleeve to buy this package based on the marketing. As for anybody else who isn't put off by the cheesy-ass box... 5 minutes of research on a smartphone will tell them to save their money and get a camera three times as good, a mic twice as good and still have money left over for a decent 64GB SD card...

I actually thought the article was brilliant and very funny, well written and very witty...jeez some people need to loosen up a little...honestly some people get so precious about this stuff.
 
 
 
 

Chill out people. Seriously. 

No sorry you miss the point of the article!
I own a 70D!
I am not laughing at people who use the cameras in the bundle deal... I am laughing satirically at the kind of people who might fall for the pathetic marketing ploy of an old camera in a new box with a very basic mic.

​Oh please. Canon deserve to be bashed for their laziness towards the pro-sumer/ indie pro video demographic. Get over it.
Even if I could afford a C300 Mark II, I don't think I would buy it. Out of principle, the price/ performance ratio does not even come close to what I think is acceptable in 2015, especially without HFR. And that's not just me. It's a lot of other people too.

Canon is repackaging a selection of their DSLRs to appeal more to video producers. Writ large with the phrases "FULL HD" and "SELFIE" the bundles come with one of Rode's cheapest mics and a 32GB SD card. The standard kit zoom (18-55mm) is provided as normal. Prices are anything but low end though with the bundles ranging from a hefty $899 for the T5i to a GH4/NX1 busting $1649 for the 70D.
Read the full article

Well, I guess that's what you get if you get your hopes up too high. The A7RII and A7SII with the RX10M2 will probably take over. But what the A7-series concerned... I come from a M43 background. I like the M43 lenses that are availlable, I like the adaptability, the compactness, the affordability. With the A7-series the body is not too bad, but you need to cover up that fullframe with some serious glass. Also, the step-in price is way up there. All in all, it's awesome, but you're going to be willing the drop the cash on the body and lenses and be okay with the size and weight of it all. I just wish there were more M43 cameras to get it right, but for the time it seems the GH4 is still the closest we can get.

Here's some stabilized footage I shot a few days back for a goofy corporate gig.  Might give you an idea how certain moves and some very basic shots can be enhanced with the technology: