benymypony

http://***URL removed***/interviews/4663212665/interview-with-three-time-oscar-winning-cinematographer-emmanuel-lubezki
He sure loves dynamic range.  Can't say I disagree.  Interesting that he feels film still has superior dynamic range.. my impression was that digital had caught up, at least at the highest level.

10bit 4:2:2 internally would be great.
As would CinemaDNG storage (to start an ACES workflow to match cameras)

Hello, Few days ago I made a free set of LUTs to convert LOG profiles to standard (Rec.709) and standard profiles to generic LOG.
This library of conversion LUTs includes :
Alexa Log-C to Rec.709 BMDFilm BMCC to Rec.709 BMDFilm BMPC to Rec.709 BMDFilm BMPCC to Rec.709 BMDFilm URSA to Rec.709 Canon C-Log to Rec.709 Generic LOG to Rec.709 Generic Rec.709 to LOG GoPro Protune to Video Panasonic Cine-D to Rec.709 Panasonic V-Log to Rec.709 REDLog to Rec.709 REDLogFilm to Rec.709 Sony S-Log2 to Rec.709 Sony S-Log3 to Rec.709 Technicolor CineStyle to Rec.709 I'm open to all feedbacks for improvements and new profiles.
Hope it will be useful 
Download (ZIP 10MB) : http://lut.lu/conversion

Hello everybody,
I just made a free iPhone app to apply some cine looks on photos, inspired by 35mm film prints renders.
The app is named GAMMA 35mm : https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/gamma-35mm/id1071684697?l=fr&ls=1&mt=8
The filters are inspired by real film prints, like the Kodak Ektar 100, Kodachrome 64 or Lomography CN 100 or Kodak Vision3.
Inspired only, not the exact emulation.
GAMMA is fresh, published only few days ago, and completely free without annoying ad.
In future updates I'll create more filters and improve the existing ones.
Feel free to post photos on Instagram with the hashtag #gamma35mm.
Feedback and suggestions appreciated 

  

Hello, Few days ago I made a free set of LUTs to convert LOG profiles to standard (Rec.709) and standard profiles to generic LOG.
This library of conversion LUTs includes :
Alexa Log-C to Rec.709 BMDFilm BMCC to Rec.709 BMDFilm BMPC to Rec.709 BMDFilm BMPCC to Rec.709 BMDFilm URSA to Rec.709 Canon C-Log to Rec.709 Generic LOG to Rec.709 Generic Rec.709 to LOG GoPro Protune to Video Panasonic Cine-D to Rec.709 Panasonic V-Log to Rec.709 REDLog to Rec.709 REDLogFilm to Rec.709 Sony S-Log2 to Rec.709 Sony S-Log3 to Rec.709 Technicolor CineStyle to Rec.709 I'm open to all feedbacks for improvements and new profiles.
Hope it will be useful 
Download (ZIP 10MB) : http://lut.lu/conversion

http://menexmachina.blogspot.com/2018/07/rec709-luts-fuji-color-profiles.html

Underlit and not at all flattering. :/

Dang, he does look like Ed O'Neil. Ha. 
It looks great. Your LUT really cuts through that sLog. I happened upon one of your free LUTS... Aspen maybe? I forget which one it is... I got a lot of free ones on the same morning... But I like it a lot.
I am trying to learn to do basic color corrections/grades without LUTS, but when I feel confident enough to go back to them, so I know how to properly tweak them, I will definitely give your pack a go.

Wow.  Ed O'Neil is playing guitar in a Raleigh North Carolina bar band?
Seriously though, good capabilities.  I'd stop that 1.2 down a touch though.  It's actually kind of amusing to see "night" shots a bit over exposed.  Technology these days is impressive.

Test in low light :
 

It would be great if Sigma would make a speedbooster version of their new MC-11 Eos to E-mount adapter. Would be great to gain a stop of light from full frame Sigma lenses and get the most out of them on both APS-C and FF. I asked Sigma on their Facebook page if they would consider making a speedbooster version, but so far no reply. They certainly would be able to. :-)
 
 
I'm exited about the Sony a6300 which may become my first Sony camera. I've asked a few online reviewers about a potential issue with the camera that I'm concerned about, and I'd like to ask the a6300 owners in this forum as well. Could you perhaps test if the "soft skin bug" is present in the a6300 or if it has been resolved? Apparently, in some other Sony cameras [a5100, a6000], the "soft skin" filter is coupled to the face detection feature in video mode, which means you can't use face detection auto focus without having a soft skin filter smearing facial details and thus making the talents skin look like wax. Is this bug also present in the a6300?
Also, if you don't record internally but instead use HDMI-out, it appears there is no easy way of turning off the soft skin filter effect, even if you turn off face detection altogether. Is this also the case with the a6300?
Mark Gilden demonstrates and describes the bug in detail in the below links:
http://community.sony.com/…/Please-let-us-disa…/idi-p/538535
 
And here a demonstration by John Moore:
 
I've posted the above questions in a Facebook group and so far I have had one person reply, and he did not see any skin smoothing going on when face detection auto focus was being used in video mode. So I am hopeful that this issue is not present in the a6300, but I would appreciate further confirmation.
Thanks! :-)

Regarding LCD dimming, it doesn't let you change the LCD brightness while set to 4K recording. The option is literally grayed out - kinda strange. Is it a heat or power consumption issue? 
 
 
Also, how's everyone feeling with overheating? I used my A6300 exclusively on a 5-camera (All others were A7s I and II) live studio shoot with a top 40s pop artist and was overheating all day. Our workflow was to capture a 10-song live album, so we'd roll cameras, run one ~4 minute song, take a 30-45 second break, and then run another 4 minute song. The camera started overheating on the third song, and for the rest of the day I'd be doing this:  
 
for as long as possible before we ran through the next song. This generally did the trick but obviously garnered some odd looks from the band, though they're used to our shenanigans with pulling good stuff out of tiny cameras.  Heat levels were extremely high way up in the battery slot so pulling the battery and blowing cool air right up there seemed to do it as a preventative measure. 
 
As for the shoot itself, I am absolutely floored at the autofocus. It's insane. I can't share any footage but when it comes out I'll upload a raw A6300 take - the moves it allowed me to do while simply handholding the camera, going from macro shots of hands on keyboards to medium shots of the musicians, passing instruments in the foreground, etc. Holding down the AF/MF button lets you quickly lock focus in case you know you're going to be making a move that will trip it up, and also enables the focus ring on the lens so you can hold the button down, fly in manual focus for a few seconds, let go, and it's back in AF mode. 
 
The image, too. Absolutely bonkers. Rolling shutter sucks super hard(and you can even see it on closeup shots of hands and stuff where the camera's not moving), but the camera is an absolute dream otherwise and I've been able to shoot around it. 1080p mode also sucks. It's not unusable, but it's of a level of detail I'd expect out of a 5D Mark II. Loving the 16-70 Sony Zeiss OSS lens and the 24/1.8. Has anyone used the 18-105 F4? Does it compare? 

I've just finished up a shoot using the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera on a professional shoot, so I thought I would share my experience with the camera in this environment. (I will post the video when its finished up)
 
The Shoot
 
My business was hired to shoot a music video for a concept on Green Screen. It was a parody of infomercials, so the task was to film various models and comedic hosts demonstrating several very silly products. I was the DoP/camera operator, and we also had a director, 2 assistants, 2 photographers and  a make up artist.
 
The Gear
The Blackmagic was mounted on rails in a Wooden Camera Cage, with just a Follow Focus. I had 4 x Sandisk Extreme Pro SD cards, 3 batteries, mic, charger and AC adapter. The camera was connected through HDMI to an external monitor. The green screen was lit with 2 Kino Flo 4-Banks, and the models with Kino Flo Diva 401s and Dedolights. 
 
I would not recommend the Wooden Cage. Its just ok. The screw holes all over it make no sense. The battery charger was the worst piece of kit I've ever used in the history of video production. Cant remember the brand (begins with a H), but lots of companies are selling it with the camera as a bundle. You can put AA batteries in it and its so fiddly. It sucks. 
 
Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera Feedback
Whilst I was impressed with the BMPCC, I did have various issues with the camera - mostly with the lack of in-camera formatting and batteries. I will display these through Pros and Cons. 
 
Pros
+ The build is solid and of high quality
 
+ The back screen is nice and clear, a very decent size!
 
+ Very simple to use meaning you can focus on creating
 
+ Image quality is fantastic. Compared it with the GH3 in flat profile and the difference was staggering
 
+ Skin tones are beautiful, very organic
 
+ Not much dynamic range to see, but the roll-off was very smooth on the models
 
+ The size makes it easy to handle and not a pain to shift around. Nice and quick.
 
+ Zebras are very useful. Wish I had these on my GH3!
 
Cons
- This camera eats memory cards for breakfast, lunch, and dinner! Used all of the 4 x 32gb cards. So the cost of running this camera at a professional level could be quite costly.
 
- Battery life is dreadful. The shoot was 8 hours long and we went through 9 full charges. 
 
- No ability to format cards in camera. Completely unacceptable. We ran out of space, backed up the cards and tried to format one to exFat on a Mac. Camera wasn't having it. 10 mins left til close. So had to use GH3 for last 2 shots. Director wasn't happy. 
 
- No indication of recording time left. No idea if 1 second left on 60 mins! Again, this is unacceptable. 
 
- Auto focus is absolutely terrible. I don't use it much, but its useful when you are against time in a studio. Just doesn't work. Why bother Blackmagic? Your features HAVE to work. 
 
- Focus Peaking is temperamental. It works, then sort of does, then doesn't at all. Maybe something wrong with this unit? 
 
- Manual focusing with the Panny zooms seemed to be a lot more fiddly on this camera than on the GH3. It seems to be much more intricate and I have no idea why that is. The director agreed. 
 
- No articulated screen. Its 2013. I don't want to sit on the floor or bend over in front of models to see the screen. 
 
- Moire. Can't handle fine lines. 
 
Conclusion
Having only use the camera once for a studio shoot, its hard for me to give a full opinion on this camera - but from my experience there are some definite quirks that I feel are a major issue for its use in a professional (and general usage) environment for its target 'DSLR video user' market. 
 
Ok, it shoots in 10 bit ProRes and has a beautiful image. It will shoot RAW soon. Its cheap. But...
 
For professional use, the fact you cant see how much recording time you have left or even format a card is a completely ludicrous omission and causes issues. Issues that take more time, more work, more stress, more stuff you shouldn't have to deal with in a camera. Blackmagic need to sort this out, it cant be difficult. 
 
The fact the the camera is labelled 'Pocket' is mind boggling. Batteries constantly need charging, and its always a worry. If you were to really carry this round in your 'Pocket', expect to need a bagful of batteries. Or you are screwed. 
 
The focusing area of the camera also seems unfinished. Auto focus doesn't work, and peaking just can't be arsed half the time. Didn't they test the camera, or is it a good-egg, bad egg thing with the production line? 
 
My opinion so far is that this camera isn't completely ready for use in a professional environment, and is better suited as a hobbyist item for (very) short films. If you can afford lots of storage, 60 billion batteries and a ton of memory cards, and dont mind a few workarounds then you should enjoy it - its a cool gadget with a beautiful image that a video DSLR really needs. 
 
Its very quirky and needs more work, which is expected of a 1st generation model. Lets hope for more improvements and a Blackmagic employee facepalm about essential little features that are unacceptably missing. 
 
I like it. Its just a pain in the arse. Like my fiance. You might just have to put up with its issues just because its so beautiful ;)

Hey Jordan
No way! It kills me to have a misunderstanding like this
I am an avid follower of your videos at The Camera Store, I absolutely love then
I featured your video on the blog purely out of love for what you do and to draw attention to it.
I'd have a hard time passing that off as my own!! Berlin might be cold but it's not that cold!! I do not have a stunning beard. I do not have Chris's strange accent either
The PR comment wasn't aimed at you guys
*At all*
I get involved with the manufacturers and try to build a relationship, I go to the events organised by PR companies to try out the cameras early when I can fit it in, nothing wrong with this and all reviewers do it. I didn't realise you and Chris just got back from a Sony press event so it was a really stupidly badly timed comment on my part.
No one can deny there's generally a subversive whitewashing going on due to so much PR in the consumer electronics world but YOUR reviews are NOT like that... I like to think we remain balanced about negatives and unbiased and thinking of our content rather than our relationship with the manufacturers and this is totally what sites like ours do... We shoot from the gut and we are outspoken.
I can't tell you how sorry I am for this misunderstanding it is terrible...
I'm up for a chat on the phone if it helps solve any issues
Sorry - Andrew

Awesome test Geoff did - try to guess the lens.
Some are $70,000 glass, some are $600 glass.
http://cinematography.net/CML-CMIR-Lens-Tests.html
Also great article on clinincal glass look vs round - http://yannickkhong.com/blog/2016/2/23/the-problem-with-modern-optics
Partly why I love the Leica R glass so much.

So yep... I've been shooting with the A7SII pretty extensively on a bunch of music videos. 
This particular video is narrative-only, shot in Whitby UK within 6 hours with a crew of 5 people including make up artist. 
My duties? I wrote the idea, shot, lit, graded and edited the video in FCPX. 
Most of the video was shot in natural light. One night scene was lit with Lupolux Dual LEDs and Scorpion Lights, powered by batteries (lifesaver!). The sun was going down quick and we used the A7SII up until ISO 12,800. 
Picture profiles were custom Slog2 profile and also custom Cine2, shot in 4k 25fps. 
We used the Sony CLM-FHD monitor on the camera (very useful). Would never used the camera without a monitor again unless desperate. Camera remains light and easy to use. 
Gimbal shots were on the Ronin-M, with the full IBIS activated with the Sony Vario-Tessar 24-70mm - operated in upright mode. Fantastic combination. 
Handheld lenses were Sigma 18-35mm (used at 35mm), Samyang 14mm and Helios 44-2 85mm (bloody well hard lens to focus!). 
This video wouldn't of been possible to shoot in 6 hours without the A7SII. The aesthetic helped the video with it's murky look, and the portability with IBIS was awesome. Helped keep us on our toes and be creative with the shots. 
Issues? I went through 9 batteries and er, the zip on my coat broke and er... I got a wet ass?... that's about it. 
I'll let you guys decide what you think the story is about and all that jazz. 
Hope you enjoy it!!
 

Here is a guide about how to use LUTs in Photoshop CS6 and over : http://www.photoshopessentials.com/photo-editing/color-lookup-cs6/

Going to get mine on Thursday now, Sony had a delivery technical issue so they are coming in a few days late here.
Looking forward to it.
I do wish Sony would change their menus, ergonomics, skintones, colour, LOG profile, jello, banding, macroblocking, edge tearing, etc. quite a long list isn't it? You can be assured my coverage won't be a PR smoothie unlike ALL OTHER SITES SEEMINGLY IN EXISTENCE.
Can I just say that Sony have some SUPERB PR people.

After ejecting yet another Sony camera that looked great on paper (RX10ii) I thought I'd make a little comment about this...
its been replaced by a Canon XC10. On paper a crazy idea, but in reality it's an upgrade. No ultra high speed, but no problem TBH. Slow lens? Yeah, but great colour great battery life, brilliant menus and autofocus...
If you look on paper at the specs and the choice looks silly, but actually use the cameras and all becomes crystal clear.
Sony menus are so bad they ruin the experience of the cameras for me. The build quality is also questionable, probably partly due to an obsession with miniaturisation that is becoming counter productive.
The colour is so obviously Sony because it's always missing something. The F65 looks great, but once you get down to consumer/pro crossover level I'm afraid it's just a bit piggy unless you want a kind of odd bluish Kodak emulation on everything.
its not that you can't make it look nice, it's that it restricts you to a certain look that isn't always suitable, so I find unless the situation is very controlled I can't cut it with Canon C footage to my satisfaction.
its so disappointing because Sony specs are great, and their innovations like the memory CMOS for high-speed footage, as well as continuous ND are brilliant.
But every time I get one of these things into a high-pressure situation or back into post I just feel let down.
i actually WANT to like them, but I don't! So I'm venting.
ill add some XC10 footage to the pinned thread shortly...

Yes you can use Luts in Photoshop.
When you open a raw in Photoshop you will get the ACR window. At the bottom it will say "Adobe RGB (1998), 8bit, etc..." click on this. Now select 16bit, and also click "Open in Photoshop as Smart Objects".
This simple step will give you the best quality and let you do RAW adjustments after opening the file in PS (just double click on the thumbnail on the layer window).
Now you can make an Adjustment layer called "Color Lookup" which will let you select a lut. (you can do this without the first step)
 

I have been using the rec709 LUTs from @benymypony to grade RAW files for quite some time. 
My process is Lightroom for basic editing, then edit in Photoshot to set the LUT. 
In my opinion film packs have neither the quality or range of LUTs and are crazy expensive for what you get. 

Hi everyone,
I have a site up with free music that you can use in your videos. It's all original...all my own work. All I ask is to be credited as indicated on my homepage:
http://soundimage.org/
I sincerely hope my tracks are helpful. Any and all feedback is welcome and always appreciated.
All the best,
Eric
 
 

I dont give two shits if they are women or not. And I was a hard core fan as a kid in the 80s.
But seeing the comments and disslikes. And people like all the other CGI crap that gets rebooted. So to my eye the only difference is that its girls.
In a way it makes me even more happy Sony whent this way. You know, spite. Sticking it to those irritating troll kids.
So in a way, Sony used one of the most mainstream, mearchendise pushing genres, that I normally avoid for a good deed
Good for you Sony. Might buy a RX100iv after all. Just to support.
Thoughts?
 

Yes, my fault ! I used the wrong file (the H.264 and not the original .MOV as I thought...) 
I made another test of color grading and no macroblocking or banding. Also this time I have not used a LUT to "delog" but I did it manually.