mercer

The consensus with the NX was that contrast was supposed to be at -5, so that's where I left it for months, but the colors were off, no matter what I did with saturation I couldn't get a uniform look. Either the blues or the reds were off. The yellows, and greens never looked right. Then I saw a video and the guy left the contrast at 0 and bingo, the colors looked great. The classic black and white is pretty nice too. Do you shoot any black and white, if so, do you get it in camera, or in post? But then again, Ed David was shooting with -10 contrast and he was getting some pretty good looks.

Thanks man, you weren't kidding about vivid. I had heard so much about underexposing on the Samsungs, but it wasn't until I started ettr that I started getting a better feel for it. Like you said, it's insane how much information is in the highlights and with just the slightest of tweaks you can pull it out. In fact, I think the zebra's are a hair too sensitive on the 500. I've been getting the best color, for my tastes, with contrast at default.

Are you saying no screen is better than the screen the pocket came with? Lol.

Here's a grab from a clip I shot earlier in Vivid. I think the adjusted settings are Saturation -4, Sharpness -10, and Contrast 0. I used a Minolta MD 50mm f2, wide open with an ND. I tweaked the curves a little, and then added Fuji rec709 LUT to it at about 50%. Here's another Vivid, but with this one I used the Minolta MD 28mm f/2 lens and the M31 LUT from Impulz at 100%

Yeah, as I said before, I have the NX500, so I lack the DR Gamma update the NX1 had, but I thought the same way as you about Vivid, but after seeing what Kidzrevil has done with it, I gave it a try... And it looks great.

I don't know, even with Vimeo compressing the file again, I think 1080p from 4K still looks better than both regular 1080p and straight 4K. But yes, the micro cinema camera looks great... Just wish it had an LCD.

Sounds awesome. Am interested in D5500, would love to see some footage from the D7200 though?

I messed around with vivid for a little bit today, nice profile. The colors looks great, weirdly less "vivid" than I thought. I remember an older post where you commented about treating the picture profiles as their own film stocks... I think you are definitely onto something there.

Good to know, I assume the 500 does it too. For some reason I thought you needed a native lens for that function. I imagine that would be great when you don't have an nd, but you still want to shoot wide open. Amongst other scenarios.

Yeah they are. So, you can do +/- exposure with manual lenses on the NX1?

The shot of the lifeguard stand looks like a vintage post card. Wicked. And the dirt looks great. The texture and details are great.

Looks great!!! The decomposing fish looks like the beginning to a revelations based horror film... With vibrant colors. The shot of the bobber next to the dead fish has an interesting juxtaposition. I really like that camera. What are they going for now? I feel like Canon was a little off with the pricing, but if any cheaper, it might take too much of a chunk of their higher end Rebel business away from them. Oh yeah, even with a small sensor, you've managed some nice depth of field.

It seems like Ed was using the NX1 before the FW updates and to my eye, that test, with those settings, look way better than anything I've seen with Gamma DR. Of course, Ed wants a more stylized image, and I appreciate that more than a cookie cutter, clean, event look. I don't have the NX1, but I do have the NX500. Although different cameras, I wonder if 500 behaves like the NX1 prior to the Gamma DR update. Again, different cameras, but one thing that took me a while to adjust to was the minor effect different lenses has with it. The in camera settings seems to affect the picture look more than the lens does. Coming from a Canon Rebel background, I was used to obtaining different "looks" just by using different lenses. I wonder, if with Ed's settings, the varying looks of different lenses returns while still having some leeway to grade. Anyway, interesting post and it's nice to see the Samsungs being discussed again. I guess with all the rumors of Samsung ending their camera line, the NX series has become that boring ex that has moved on, which magically makes her a lot more interesting.

Thanks for the link. The D7200 does seem like a nice upgrade to the D5500, but for the extra money, for my needs, the D5500 would probably do. How is the audio with the Nikons? I would love to be able to plug in a shotgun mic and get usable sound.

Yeah, the flat profile looks great. I used to shoot with a t2i and eos-m and I miss the ease of the post work, but their image just isn't good enough anymore. I have recently been messing around with ML Raw on my eos-m. With the 3x crop, I can use a set of vintage c-mounts I had bought when I thought I was going to get the BMPCC. So, that's been kinda fun, but too tedious for any real work. I'm interested in the Nikon for a web series I want to shoot next year and thought the quick turnaround would be a better fit than the 4K. Plus there is just something so filmic about that Nikon image. And, last but not least, I have a small set of Nikkor lenses that I'm excited to use natively. I only have vintage lenses, so it might be nice not to have to worry about adapters. Do you know the main video differences between the D7200 and D5500... To save me a tiring Google search...

No problem. I shoot with the NX500, so the native files are h.265. I have to convert it anyway, and I have just always been a fan of 4K converted to 1080p, I think it has a weightier image than straight 4K, which I find can sometimes look brittle. Also, the h.265 files are so compressed that they are pretty big when I convert them to prores, by turning it to 1080, I save some file space. The NX500 already has a 2.5x crop, so I have no interest in any further crop. Plus, my goal is narrative filmmaking, so I try and plan my shots. Of course, if I do need a crop, I guess, I can just bring in the 4K version. I use EditReady to convert my files to prores and then I import them into FCPX for correction grade and edit. I use the Color Finale plug in for LUTS and any color work... of course, I am a newbie with a lot of this. I have edited straight 4K and didn't have a problem at all, so with the specs for the MacBook Pro you posted, everything should work fine. Definitely with the D750, probably with the 4K from a gh4. I've never edited native 4K mov/MP4 files, but I can't imagine it would be a problem. How do you like the D750? I never shot with a Nikon, but I have really liked what I have seen from the D5500, so I may pick one up if they go on sale at Christmas.

I have a late 2014 MacBook Air SSD i5 with 8gb Ram and I have no problem editing 4K prores LT on FCPX. But I usually convert my 4K footage to 1080p prores before I bring it into FCPX. Also, ICYW, I just updated to El Capitan and haven't had a problem with it at all, in fact, the update has actually fixed a couple issues I was having with the computer.

I have the NX500, but not the NX1. The main difference, in my opinion, is the lack of DR Gamma in the NX500, but it seems some people aren't using that function with the NX1, but most are. I don't use any of the native lenses with the NX500, so that's a question for someone else.

I watched the other two this afternoon. Good stuff. Loved the first shot in Face the World. Just something as simple as her in focus in the foreground and him pacing out of focus in the background, with his muffled voice, while she looked on was very smart. With that one shot I knew the story. It's funny though, Favorites and Face the World were a little more dialogue oriented, which actors love, but the strongest performance, in all three was your lead in Not There, which was more of a director's piece. Not that the other actors/actresses were bad. There was no bad acting in any of those shorts. Living in LA must be great for the talent pool alone. In South Jersey, where I'm from, you'll get a first time actress who won't work unless she is getting scale... And she isn't even union... Or that good. Anyway, good work. I love seeing people making quality work.

Yeah, she was great! She has a familiar look too, I kept thinking I have seen her in something else. Even more impressive that it was shot in 3 hours. Kudos. Sorry I wrote kudos. But seriously, with the set ups and make up, 3 hours is admirable. What did you have a 2:1 shot ratio? Did you shoot it with the gh4? Lenses? I assume you used lenses, which ones?

Do you think Samsung could make a camera that writes, directs and edits a movie for me... Now that would be a camera. Seriously though, I think it would be a great move if Samsung released an updated NX that shoots 2.5k raw.

A beautiful blonde left it in a cab in Tokyo... That right there is a great beginning to a story... Or a tragic ending. Either way, yeah I am really happy with it.

Yeah that Sirui does seem versatile. I have an Alzo Smoothy Pod that fits in the same kinda category for me - inexpensive enough to have around for those few times it will be extremely useful. Btw, I watched NOT THERE. Good job. Well written and directed. You did a lot in 3 minutes. The idea of what was real or imagined... or even wished, was woven in well... Right down to the shirt the killer was wearing. Great stage punches too!!!

I don't need Bogen legs, I just like Bogen legs. Most equipment I buy is used and I know, even if rode hard, Bogen legs last. That Sirui looks like a great tripod, perfect for travel. I need something with a little heft, but still lightweight. I am shooting my first feature this winter, if I can get the script done, and I want to be able to trek a mile into the woods knowing that my stix will not have any issues. I know with Bogen legs, they'll work every time without any issues. I'm sure, other brands are fine, I just know what I like.

Whirling dervish. I love the t2i. Make a short.