Zak Forsman

On 10/26/2020 at 8:14 AM, TomTheDP said:

I'd agree. Color is defiantly better than Sony however after using Z-cam I find the Panny colors a bit subpar as well.

I know the S1/S1H sensor is capable of 4K 60p 422 as well as 4k 120p. Z-cam is doing it. The S1H body is plenty big with fans, so I wouldn't think cooling would be the issue. Of course they are still great cameras I just don't understand the limitations. 

haha! yeah, I love my Z-Cam F6. it's amazing in so many ways.

2 hours ago, TomTheDP said:

Because the A7s3 does 5x the frame rate. They are now going to release an S1V probably at the same price point as the S1H. I mean at this point Panasonic is just riding Sony’s coat tails as they get all their sensors from them. 

4K high framerates and auto-focus aside, the S1H objectively delivers a better image on the whole. A7SIII still suffers from substandard color fidelity and baked in noise reduction that wrecks detail. The way i look at it is that the S1H excels at the minimum specs that i consider essential, while the A7SIII excels at some specialty operations, but doesn't meet important specs I consider essential. I was hopeful that the A7SIII would surpass the S1H but there are base operations that have to be met before I can get excited about 4k 120p (which is overkill for most situations, anyway. I find b-roll captured at 48-72fps more useful in the edit). I usually have to speed up 120fps for pacing.

On 9/15/2020 at 8:33 AM, Mmmbeats said:

The original EVA1 (which I've rented plenty of times, and really enjoy using) has serious styling problems.  It resembles a 90's camcorder, and not in a cool, retro way.  It might sound superficial, but that, and the build-quality problems at launch (wonky handle), really put me off buying one.

That is not a minor quibble when it comes to our clients' confidence in us. We don't need any more hurdles (big or small) to doing our job and "selling" a client (who only knows enough to ask for a Red) on a different camera package gets old fast. If the EVA2 looked more like a baby Varicam, I would be very happy.

Dear Panasonic,

I would buy this L-mount, FF, 4K 120fps, EVA2 in a heartbeat.

Signed,

a former EVA1 owner that is getting by with two S1H bodies at the moment.

I needed something that could get banged up traveling from shoot to shoot in situations where gear can get knocked around, so i didn't want to spend a lot. I bought this 2 years ago and have been very happy with it. Despite some battle scars, it's still kicking. $900 USD.

Lilliput BM150-4K

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1248684-REG/lilliput_bm150_4k_15_6_carry_on_rackable_4k_broadcast.html

On 7/10/2020 at 1:18 PM, andjo said:

Interested to see how well it works, have they posted any samples? (I don't have facebook)

Jason Zhang, the owner of the company, posted a test 4 months ago.

7 hours ago, Oliver Daniel said:

Not looked into them a great deal (Quasar). Looking for around 4 tubes, synchronised. Good output. What’s your setup?

Heard lots of good things about Nanlite’s range, especially the Forza range. They lack gobo support like Aputure though, it’s something I want in my new kit. 

Looking for portable battery powered stuff - powerful key lights, soft lights, some with RGB, some not. Ability to use modifiers. Like a complete ecosystem of lights without too much footprint and weight. 

I’m looking at a compromise between power and portability with everything I do, cameras to lights to grip. I want to be quicker and faster on set but with plenty of creative options. 

if the battery element is important, the Nanlites are definitely better there. Quasar Science offers batteries but they look clunky and dangle from the power socket. I think The Nanlites last about two hours? In terms of equivalency, I'd estimate you'd need 6 or 7 Nanlite tubes to match the output of 4 Quasar Science tubes. But that's matching full power. I have run into situations where a single QS tube at 1% is too intense and I've run a strip of gaff tape down it to cut it down further.

11 hours ago, PannySVHS said:

Hey Zak, would love to see some of your material lit with it, also some EVA1 footage. Do you still post these awesome little cam and lens tests on your vimeo channel?

it isn't much, but I set up a couple of the Quasar RGB tubes for this test of a Z-Cam E2, Speedbooster, modded Contax-Zeiss combo. Honestly, this was less of a test and more of a chance to mess around with new gear while chatting with my buddy.

Because of the price, I looked into the 4' Nanlite RGB tubes but remember some reviews saying they were underpowered. And the Quasar Science tubes had just gone on sale so I went with those and have been very happy.

6 hours ago, aramv said:

Did you keep both? Sell both? update

kept both.

12 hours ago, Zach Goodwin2 said:

I see, well what are your thoughts on distributing directly through Amazon and Vimeo?

I don't think you're going to make any money going that route. if money isn't a goal, that's fine. but even if it's to be seen, the film will be buried so deep in their libraries that almost no one will even accidentally stumble upon it. a good avenue for indies that want eyeballs and decent money (that aren't picked up by a mini-major for distribution) is still cable VOD. it outperforms all other platforms. not that you shouldn't also get it onto itunes, netflix, prime, hulu, etc. but cable VOD will account for the majority of revenue. the last time i released a feature, it was 79% of revenue. itunes was about 15%. all other platforms combined made up the remainder.

my advice is to submit it to small distributors that have strong relationships with cable providers across north america. do a day and date theatrical release of at least 15 north american cities, and make sure the cable providers know you're doing it, so that your title is listed under "new release" and "now playing in theaters" on their VOD systems. Otherwise you run the risk of going in as a library title where no one will find you unless they already know you title and browse alphabetically for it. a day and date theatrical release will give you premiere placement on cable VOD system resulting in 5-10x more revenue.

I've been doing this for a decade and 2017 was the first year that I cracked low six figures, before taxes. I shoot, edit, and color behind the scenes and EPK for the major studios. What I make after taxes is between me and my accountant. I live in Los Angeles so living expenses are astronomical. My advice: take care of your body. I tore my rotator cuff six months ago and lugging cases from job to job has been hell on earth. Still haven't fully healed.

3 hours ago, Anaconda_ said:

Zcam also have ProRes. 

EDIT:

Zcam will also have ProRes - Once they get the license from Apple.

No, I own a Z-Cam F6 and have since november. It has had ProRes from the beginning.

16 hours ago, kye said:

I can't speak for Zak, but wide angle lenses have significant stretching on the edges/corners and when combined with IBIS (and potentially other kinds of stabilisation) it gives the edges a strange kind of warping effect, kind of like the jelly effects of rolling-shutter but in a different way.  Depending on the motion involved it can look very very strange, and if you're doing pro work then it can absolutely ruin shots.

yep, this.

On 12/31/2019 at 12:13 PM, mercer said:

How does the S1H compare to the FF Z-Cam?

They are both fantastic. I love shooting full frame *and* having the option to switch over to a S35 crop anytime i need to. The S1H I reserve for run and gun doc work, behind the scenes on movie sets, travel or anytime I want a light setup. I'm also thinking of selling my EVA1 and buying a second S1H (or S1) for perfectly matching A-Cam / B-Cam interviews. Z-Cam F6 packs in much higher framerates, ProRes, swappable mounts: EF/PL with E and M coming soon, and its anamorphic mode uses the full height of the sensor. I'd choose it over the S1H for narrative shorts/features, or more "produced" doc work.

I fully intended to sell one or the other after auditioning both, but I love their individual strengths too much to let either go.

3 hours ago, crevice said:

I just purchased the 35mm and 50mm summicron. Looking to get the 90mm next. My serial numbers aren’t all in the same years - are yours all close in years and if not, have you noticed a shift in colors, etc?

my serials are all pretty close. but I wouldn't worry to much about color. any difference, if there even is one, is going to be a minor shift that's easy to account for in post.

On 12/29/2019 at 4:25 PM, mercer said:

Don't get me wrong, I'd rather shoot raw because I am a lazy shooter and I love the wiggle room that raw video affords, but as far as IQ goes... the S1H is my dream camera right now. Of course, being a lazy shooter... the IBIS makes it even more appealing.

This is my first camera with IBIS and it takes getting used to. When using manual lenses you have to remember to set IBIS for the correct focal length and I've managed to bungle that a few times already. I also learned (the hard way a few months ago) that IBIS is not something you want to use with an 18mm lens. Ruined more than half of my footage. Now, what I'm liking about the IBIS is that it doesn't feel like stabilization (unless you screw up the settings). It almost feels like the type of handheld camerawork you get with a nice heavy 20lbs+ cinema camera rig.

On 12/29/2019 at 2:58 PM, thebrothersthre3 said:

That is really awesome dude! What did he think of the netflix adaption of his material. That top frame is btw

Oh he was really happy with it. But he has a healthy approach to it. He sees it as a separate work of art and encouraged them to make it their own and to not feel beholden to make a straight adaptation. That being said, it's pretty damn faithful. Some shots are basically live-action recreations of his panels. I was surprised just how faithful they were.

I've had my Z-Cam F6 for a couple of weeks now. It's amazing what they have packed into this little camera. They gave me early access to the firmware they released yesterday which had a lot of color improvements. I also own an S1H and although i planned to sell one or the other, i'm keeping both. The S1H makes run and gun doc work easy. So when i'm hired to shoot behind the scenes footage by the studios, it'll be with the S1H. It will also serve as a B-Cam to my EVA1 for EPK interviews. The Z-Cam F6 on the other hand has strengths i'd want in a cinema camera that I'd use on productions where I'm not flying by the seat of my pants: shorts, features, dramatic documentaries. I'm loving the pairing of my SmallHD 702 Touch with the F6. I know they recommend the PortKeys BM5 because it can control the camera, but I wasn't a fan of the UI or the quality of the screen.

6 hours ago, EthanAlexander said:

The S6 and F6 preorders are shipping and in customer hands. Can't wait for the footage COUGH @Zak Forsman COUGH

 

Haha! This is a still from the first clip i shot on my F6. Leica Summicron-R 35mm f/2. Will post more when I have it. Bought an S1H too, so i'm looking forward to comparing them.

On 10/17/2019 at 4:58 PM, Trek of Joy said:

That looks great, raw or 10-bit? Been eyeing the E2c to dip a toe in before diving headfirst with one of the s35 or FF models. I really like what Zcam is doing.

Cheers

Chris

10-bit.

1 hour ago, billdoubleu said:

Very cool! What frame rates?

Starts at 23.976fps, then 48fps, then 72fps when the actor is sitting. Very last clip with text over it is 120fps.

A couple weeks ago I shot some test footage with my buddy, John. He's a great actor that has played lead roles in a few of my films. Anyway, to get the old creative juices going again, I invited him over so I could see how the E2 reacted under my Quasar Science RGBX LED lamps. I used a combination of daylight balanced and cyan. I intended to sell the E2 when my F6 arrives at the end of this month, but I think the E2 plus speedbooster will be an excellent b-cam to my F6 when I need high frame rates that the F6 can't reach.

Z-Cam E2

Metabones Speed Booster XL (.64x)

Contax Zeiss 35mm f/1.4 (2x Oval Aperture Mod)

Quasar Science RGBX 4ft LED Tubes

21 minutes ago, mercer said:

That looks pretty good. I wonder what lens they used. 

I believe it was the Panasonic 24-105mm f/4.

18 minutes ago, Snowbro said:

Just your typical liberals. The same ones who normalized intense violence and sex, now cry about it for political reasons. It's like when I was a kid and they were trying to ban lots of video games, saying that association is always causation. When in reality, there will always be outliers in statistics. So punish the 99.9999999999% that do not act out violently from watching a movie or playing a video game? If they want to stop innocent people from dying, why not start with hospital malpractice, that kills 31x more people per year than gun homicide. 

yeah, here's some more liberal trash blaming videos games... AND THE INTERNET!!!

3 minutes ago, KnightsFan said:

Thats a good idea. What strengths do you see in the E2 over the F6? Rolling shutter will probably be better, better high frame rate options, and of course it is smaller and lighter. Maybe better battery life as well.

Do you have any idea how timecode will work on the flagships? A long time ago, either Jason or Kinson implied there would be an adapter from the camera to allow a further stacking of their existing COM-BNC timecode accessory on top of that, but i hope that there is a simpler way.

yep, I've seen the F6 rolling shutter and it is on par with other full frame sensors in this pricing bracket. Meaning, not great. But you'd really have to purposefully induce it for it to be a problem. That being said, if you need to do a whip-pan, the E2 with a .64x speedbooster will get you nearly to full frame (1.2x crop) and be a good back-up for this, HFRs, etc.

Weight difference is only 100g. No idea about timecode.