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Posts posted by Matthew Hartman
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The Z Cranes (all 3 versions) are solid gimbals.
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7 hours ago, Django said:
Don't know if this is user error or early firmware but in this test the H1's AF is miles behind the XT2's and basically fails which of course doesn't make sense.:
Oh dear. Hopefully that is firmware. That's simply unacceptable. Nice image though.
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2 hours ago, tupp said:
Barring compression variables, the "bandwidth" of 8-bit (or any other bit depth) is largely determined by resolution. Banding artifacts that are sometimes encountered when pushing 8-bit files (uncompressed) are not due to lack of "bandwidth" per se, but result from the reduced number of incremental thresholds in which all of the image information is contained.
One more time in English.
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1 minute ago, Allen Smith said:
Do you think with the release of the A7iii that will be of better value than the NX1? It is the closest thing I have seen that is close in price to NX1 with generally good features. Only thing I dislike is no slow mo in 4k mode other than that everything seems great on paper. Actually the time limit is only 30mins per recording but that will likely be hacked.
I honestly don't know. I'm not sure what the reported dynamic range is on the A7III. Hopefully, someone with more knowledge of this model can jump on and help you out there. Also, I'd watch out for reports of battery life and heat dissipation. Hopefully, Sony has worked that out for all it's latest models going forward.
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Whatever source is providing the ambient lighting, there looks like there's some serious diffusion going on. The shadows have a very soft falloff rate and thats complimenting the modern structures and decor. It's giving it a "clean" look. I'm sure with modern interior design, these types of videos sell the cool factor all on their own.
In some of the shots the sky is on the verge of clipping so it tells me they shot to the right a little. I don't do real estate so I have no idea if this is a common trend or technique, but I'm guessing seeing the details of the property is pretty important, rather than say the sky?
On your own example you need to work on your gimbal skills a little. The movement is not seamless and steady. You seem to speed up, then slow down at various intervals, it stood out to me right away. Also, you pan rather quickly, compared to the other example video, is that intentional? When you walk with the gimbal, are you doing the heel to toe method?
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4 hours ago, Kisaha said:
In no way that would be a substitute for a real and proper monitor, I have expressed about the monitor thing excessively here, you can't cut cost on monitors and tripods, but it could be cool to have the ability for a second, or backup one.
Despite the lag issue, if you have a phone with a 2k AMOLED screen it will have better resolution and internal specs, and power solutions than most monitors on the market in terms of resolution, pixel density, performance and portability. I suppose these were the main selling points of this product. Remember, this product would have equally worked for tablets as well so it cover the large screen spaces as well. I have a performant 10" Asus Android tablet, I was looking forward to the progression of this product.
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1 hour ago, Alex Uzan said:
Actually, well exposed you can do wonderful things with 8 bit, if you choose the right software.
But if you shoot log/HLG or plan to do a lot of grading/keying/vfx insert, and don't want any banding or artefact, 10bit is nessecary for perfect results.
That being said, "perfect" depends a lot of your sensitivity, your eyes, and of course, the broadcast media.
Since I have a GH5 with its 10 bit, my videos are not fundamentally better, but I'm more satisfied about what I can do in postprod
8bit has very little bandwidth to be pushed around in grade. 8bit cameras are setup by the manufacturer through internal testing to capture the optimum image gradiation for it's respective sensor encoding. Just because an 8bit camera offers log or exposure tools doesn't mean that the image is that mallabe.
The 8bit HEVC images coming out of my NX1 are vibrant and brilliant stock, and I notice very little artifacts as is. But I have little room to push channels in Lumentri before I break it and see artifacts, banding, macroblocking, noise, etc.
Thankfully, Neat Video comes to the rescue and does a stellar job at cleaning up that mess, which is exactly what it was designed for. When I then view those results on my 10bit monitor, the image holds up rather nicely.
For those with 8bit systems, don't feel discouraged or left out of the conversation, you have viable options.
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4 hours ago, mkabi said:
First time I saw that one. No doubt that that video is nice, but I know why you see all the stuff you see there.... I don't think it was deliberate though...
He is using 720/60p from a Canon in many of his shots there. Most likely using Twixtor too.... end result....
Here is my favorite use of Twixtor:
I'm a tell'ya, if you have a shot you plan for Twixtor, record with a very high shutter speed, even if your FPS is 24 or 30. Twixtor is using subsampling (1 or 2 frames before and after) and it does'nt treat motion blur too well. You can always dial back in motion blur after the fact with various plugins like this:
http://revisionfx.com/products/rsmb/
All this stuff is proccesor intensive, so plan accordingly.
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4 minutes ago, mkabi said:
People want amazing IQ but don't want to work for it.... Tsk... Tsk... Tsk.
This is the statement everyone of us should print out and paste on our bedroom ceiling to go to sleep to and wake up to every day.
If you're run-and-gun listen to the following tentatively, or not at all.
The best looking films curate the living joy out of every scene. Nothing is left to chance or served up the "we'll fix it in post" line. That's lazy.
Great, critically acclaimed images take considerable work, even with a full crew. The mentality of getting the shot as quickly as possible, as in checking off a shot list only serves business objectives, not creativity.
If you care about your storytelling, care about and get passionate and intelligent with the tools you use to tell it. Get your hands dirty. Don't rely on your camera or editor. Scrutinize what every element in your scene is speaking to your audience. It all matters.
You get out what you put in.
- mkabi, webrunner5 and molle
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On 3/1/2018 at 7:26 AM, sam said:
fun isn't it?! now that phones can be used in the same sentence as cinema!
just wait till someone makes an app that simulates kowas, cookes, hawk vlites etc.
Tape some fishing line vertically over your smartphone camera lens. Boom, horizontal optical flares. You're welcome. ?
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On 2/28/2018 at 10:06 PM, hempo22 said:
Unfortunately my best video can never be released publicly due to a fall out between myself and the band, but that didn't stop me from completing the video and showcasing it for my skills.
Shot on hacked GH2 (Flowmotion) with a set of vintage Nikon AI/AIS lenses. No budget, simple gear and a couple of friends.
PW: MyVersion
Are you sure you should be showing this? If this band ever breaks, their label can retroactively come after you unless you have signed paper with the band saying it's cool to use this content for your reel. Be careful bro.
On 3/1/2018 at 11:50 PM, hempo22 said:@Mark Romero 2 Sure, bud My only short to get into a couple of big festivals. Also a no budget project with a few friends, shot on a hacked GH2 (Flowmotion) with vintage Nikon AI/AIS lenses.
Is it me or did the previous versions of the GH series have way better motion cadence than the GH4 and GH5? The GH2 was 1080 correct?
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8 minutes ago, jonpais said:
I also expect ppl in these forums to descend on me like hawks any time I make a reasonable statement.
I've seen you make several good points in this community and if others don't, or can't or are unwilling see that it doesn't diminish your wisdom one bit. Some people just haven't worked it out for themselves.
You've challenged one of my misconceptions about how the industry treated the NX1, and I thank you for helping me to become a more rational and less reactive being.
There are some others here who are good people, but could use a little humility too.
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For the NX1 at least, the difference between 4:2:0 internal and the 4:2:2 external via HDMI (all 8bit) is negligible. This might just be testimate to the HEVC codec though, so for those cams that code to h.264 might see some benefits or advantages going external to Prores.
Everyone I know that went with external recorders on the NX1 has regretted it. No preceiveable benefit, waste of cash. That and you lose some features of the camera as soon as you plug anything into that micro HDMI port. You cannot control the camera with any of them as well, like you can on other cams. Samsung crippled the hell out of that port.
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On 2/28/2018 at 10:42 PM, Waynes said:
Thanks. I have since read they are preparing a next version of the camera to come out, with good features.
Be careful with this, it's not verified by Samsung. It's still a rumor.
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3 minutes ago, jonpais said:
@Axel I studied German for two years in college, but have forgotten almost everything. I had to use Google translate to read the thread. I’m guessing none of the commentors have ever watched a film on an OLED television?
Not me. Just a phone and computer monitor. I should be investing in an 60" OLED HDR 10bit 4k TV though, I mean if I'm serious about this filmmaking stuff and being relevant in the future. ?
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20 minutes ago, cantsin said:
I found exactly three references for this equation, all in camera forums, and all posted by a forum member called tupp...
But seriously, I see the point that in analog film photography with its non-discrete color values, color depth can only be determined when measuring the color of each part of the image. Naturally, the number of different color values (and thus color depth) will increase with the resolution of the film or the print.
In digital photography and video, however, the number of possible color values is predetermined through the color matrix for each pixel. Therefore, in digital imaging, color depth = bit depth.
And this is where my creative brain sucker punches my technical brain. ??
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This is going to vary on workflow. I personally do VFX after grade to ensure I'm matching the correct contrast, depth of field, tones, saturation, etc. of the final. Sometimes if I do VFX on the log footage, it doesn't match up when the grade gets applied in post.
These days I'm sending the VFX shots from Premiere to After Effects via dynamic link so I don't risk exporting a different color gamut.
I've been watching some Hitfilm Pro tuts, which is like having Premiere and After Effects in one application. Also, the real 3D space in Hitfilm is way more powerful and intuitive than After Effects. Adobe should get the message already.
Honestly, there's no right or wrong way. The key is just making sure everything blends well into the scene.
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On 2/26/2018 at 7:58 PM, bmusikaudio said:
I also use rolling shutter repair on most clips. It helps with motion cadence in my eyes.
The fight scene was shoot last year. Again, another rough cut.
Lighting and color harmony is on point. There's a lot of skill and messaging being displayed here. The acting is also convincing. Were these trained actors?
However, I'm not entirely sure what your motion is communicating? It doesn't seem to be tied to the narrative? Maybe I'm missing it. Although, I do like how you shoot the male actor "through" the workbench. It gave that scene some dimension.
Can you please share your rolling shutter repair settings? When I apply the plug-in' s default settings, I don't see the difference? Is there settings that are specific to the NX1? I've not been able to crack this one.
The rolling shutter is my least favorite thing about the NX1's sensor readout in 4k.
Great work. I'm looking forward to the finished product!
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2 minutes ago, Jonesy Jones said:
Home Depot and Lowes sell a TON of led lights that are affordable and many or most claim CRI's of 90+. I just bought a flat panel from Lowes that outputs a pretty decent amount of really nice soft light and could easily be fitted with a pin to mount on a c-stand or whatever. The biggest issue is finding true daylight temp, which there is nearly none of.
I also just found a fixture at Costco that can adjust from 2700 to 5000 with a remote.
Just keep your eyes open at Walmart, Costco, Lowes and Home Depot.
Yes, actually Costco has some really good options. My Home Depot seems limited.
As far as outside the U.S., I'm not sure what the local hardware chains are in those regions.
These are also great affordable investments:
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5 minutes ago, Kisaha said:
@Matthew Hartman I guess, he thanked you for your noble effort replying to this thread and not referring to any specification!
Thanks bro! ?
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Whatever light you end up getting just make sure it has a CRI of 92 or above. Go lower and you risk bad color rendition and flickering.
Also, don't be afraid to mix and match color temps. In color theory, the play on cool and warm contrast is highly desirable. We see this in Hollywood films all the time.
Other features to look out for is sturdiness, which is the main factor that seperates pro from DIY. Trust me, cheap shit breaks in no time. Some grips are really hard on the gear and you can't always monitor what they're doing.
If you find you're not getting the skin tones you want use a good old halogen for your key light. Yeah, it gets hot and sucks up power, but the color rendition is spot on.
Also, pick up some white and black foam core for bouncing and flagging. Most of the magic in good lighting is controlling the spread.
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15 minutes ago, Kisaha said:
If this is a scam, I would be very sad about the community (the lack of it actually), not about the product of course (I have a SmallHD) but for the trust issues that created.
The truth is that people asked for refund for 3-5 months now, and that didn't happen, and no one replied or anything. The ones that got it, were only a few in the early days when everything looked optimistic.
Damn. Not cool. Luckily, I've been fortunate that any crowd sourcing I've been involved in has been legit. The way this one was handled was most unprofessional.
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1 minute ago, anonim said:
@Matthew Hartman
"An operator is going to point his camera towards the talent at eye level. A visionary is going to find ways to do anything but that."
Another one operative suggestion where to search and how to maybe reach mojo as - many already here suggest - add of personality touch.
Thanks. Ask, exchange question and answers, and always say thanks for nice human answer as noble effort - (precondition for awakening truly "personal process and journey").
My friend, I'm not going to lie, what the hell did you just say? ?
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On 3/2/2018 at 7:12 AM, kye said:
In terms of some mojo coming from the operator - I too suffer from creating bad output from good cameras, but it can't be that all the people that bought a 1DC or BMPCC were good operators!
A bad operator will make any camera look like crap, that's why we see so much crappy smartphone content. Good technical specs do nothing alone. But in the hands of someone with a little skill and a lot of vision, (and some ingenuity) this is where good technical specs shine.
Give a concert violinist a crappy violin and a world class violin and she's going to make them both sound amazing. But the better violin will still sound better and bring out more annotation, resonance, dynamics and expression.
Anyone with a basic knowledge of photography and maybe a couple hours of training can operate a cinema/video camera and probably surmise a decent exposure. But you can't teach vision. Because vision a personal process and journey. This is where most of the "mojo" exists. An operator is going to point his camera towards the talent at eye level. A visionary is going to find ways to do anything but that.
are those gimbals a good buy?
In: Cameras
Posted
@Dan Wake
Please understand that if you've never used a motorized gimbal before, do not use it without some practice first. These things are great, but they're no magic bullet. Keep your knees bent and walk heel to toe. You'll look like a complete derp, but your footage will thank you in post.