josdr

What a great idea Andrew!!! Footage from the X-T3-X-T4 vs BM. I am still amazed at the latitude the Fuji footage has in Resolve comapred to what I was used to my a6000 and X-T2

Andrew, do mention in your interview with Fuji that they should do the decent thing and give us a firmware upgrade for the X-T3, especially for AF/video improvements. It will buy a lot of customer goodwill when the X-H2 comes along... Customer choice will also include new Canon and Sony  cameras at that point so customer goodwill will matter. Thanks!

#no_connection Thank you very much for your answer. I am not really into youtube "reviewers" and so I wanted to ask fellow enthusiasts that have experience in the trenches.

#rawshooter. I have never read about the black nylon bag trick. I will do this test and report back. Thank you very much for the idea P.S i would presume it turns out brownish rather than actual brown?

Hello Eoshd community. i would like your experience regarding the use of a UV filter along with the Variable ND's I am using to shoot footage with my X-T3.

Would a UV filter be something that will help the quality of footage or should I not bother and save the money for something else? I will be shooting outdoors during the summer.

Thank you in advance.

A belated thanks for all your help! Sound is a difficult theme to master!

13 minutes ago, Andrew Reid said:

 

If I delete some bullshit comment it's not censorship, it's standing up for the truth.

I

Nope, that is censorship Andrew, do not delude yourself. Respectfully. 

On 6/1/2020 at 12:57 AM, IronFilm said:

There are two main perspectives here:

Production Sound Mixer:
32bit is pointless, and non-standard.
Heck, there isn't even a single professional field recorder in existence that does 32bit!! Not one.
Needless it say it is not desperately needed by a PSM.

One man band videographer who does everything himself, including even audio post:
Their attentions are being pulled a million different ways during a shoot, as they're trying to do too much, and thus mistakes might be made. And they don't need to worry about surprises in the post workflow, as they're handling this all themselves. 

An alternative opinion, if you're a OMB videographer:

The MixPre3/6 is a very compact form factor for mounting under a mirrorless camera, and worth the so called "upgrade" just for that alone. 

 

Your last two paragraphs are very true. Usually you are alone with one or some actors and/or have a technically ignorant helper/s who you have delegated to the sound department after setting everything up and entrusting him to hit the record button.

Adjusting gain on the fly, moving the microphone to a better position outside the evolving shot or caring about wind noise picking up are usually (and rightfully) beyond his understanding. It is a paradox but the 32 bit magic is more needed for OMB's and their illustrious helpers rather than seasoned pros that know what to do.

Your recommendation about the blimp is good, (lol the pricing for the other ones) so I will get one as soon as I can. Are they really that much better in squashing wind noise than the cat-fur? (do you also use the cat fur inside the blimp for better results?).

Lots of questions but I think we have touched subjects that should interest a lot of people in the long run

PS. I got a shock mount and a mic crane, yayyyy!

17 hours ago, KnightsFan said:

The biggest issue F4 has for me is that battery life is quite bad using 8 AA batteries. I affixed a large 12V battery on top, but it's an ugly, heavy solution. However, most recorders have pretty bad battery life in my experience, especially older ones. The F6 is very attractive to me for the simple reason of having a built in NPF battery sled and (supposedly) really good battery life, along with 32 bit recording of course.

Thank you for your very helpful advice . I got caught up yesterday on reading on this 32-bit float magic and the F6- mixpre-3 ii implementation of it.. It was fun reading... The funny thing is that such kind of features are probably more useful for hobbyists rather than seasoned sound engineers that know how to record keeping post-processing in mind

6 hours ago, IronFilm said:

From the sounds of it, getting a blimp (be it a Rode brand or whatever) should be a much higher priority for you than an F4/F6/MixPre3/whatever

What exactly are you recording and how? If it is say sit down interviews outdoors, then getting a C Stand and boombuddy so you can position your shotgun right on the frame edge should be a high priority too. (again, a higher priority than replacing your Tascam DR60Dmk2 with anything else)

I am quite sure that my tascam has hardware related noise that exhibits itself even in very quiet environment so it is getting the chop one way or another. I got it second-hand and it is not behaving as it should.Even if this was not the case I understand that mic placement is paramount of getting better sound and thus welcome your advice. I did not know about the boom buddy for example but we make do with a wooden broom handle etc 😄. The amount of sound gear you need in cinematography if you record dialogue is unbelievable. I have learned to appreciate how difficult it is to record clean sound but I do have to draw a line due to cost. It is a hobby after all for me.

The cost of the rode blimp is ridiculous but in the long run I will have to get one . You do pay through the nose for these things. I have a c-Stand, the magic wooden broom  handle and lots of duct tape 🤣

2 hours ago, IronFilm said:

Watch a few video tutorials to learn more. Get the mic in closer, how far away are you? Is the mic on axis? Are there other ambient noises in the room? etc etc
(if you can, see if you can get a friend with another DR60Dmk2, or even say an H5/H6, to see if yours sounds similar of it is broken or perhaps you just got a setting wrong)

Have you got the Rode WS6? That really is the bare minimum for wind protection, and if the winds are a bit heavier you really do have to get a blimp if you're working a lot outdoors. 

 

 

Yes, I have the WS6. I try to follow guidelines as per mic placement but 90 % of my shooting is outdoors so wind is always a hassle. Thank you very much for your advice , I now understand that the Zoom F4 and the mixpre are a giant leap ahead for my amateur needs and should serve me well for the years to come. I will put the blimp in the want-one list.

Thanks to everybody that answered.

9 hours ago, KnightsFan said:

I

And, to bring it back to the original suggestion, I've had a Zoom F4 for a few years now. It is superior audio quality to either the FR2 or the DR60 Mk2 by a significant margin. Even more importantly, it has better ergonomics than the FR2. The headphone preamp is much cleaner than Tascam's rather terrible one, and the construction is another league from the DR60.

Thank you for this KnightsFan. Your experience with the F4 and you kindly commenting on its use is something that I am interested in. I will strive for a used  zoom F4 I think since sourcing a mixpre-3 mk1 will be way more difficult. Thank you.

If I may a last question. Is the zoom F4 easy enough to use on the go or does it take too much fiddling through its UI (hunting around for a low limiter cut for example in submenus ).

P.S As for the fact vs opinion I am always weary of people just quoting numbers and proclaiming as undisputed facts... I see that all the time in my professional capacity and also see the resultant retractions and mental gymnastics in trying to defend a rapidly sinking ship.. Snarky comments are easy to make, making a well structured case for something less so.

10 hours ago, independent said:

It’s not anybody’s job to help you. Some posters are giving you opinions. Some are giving you facts. Help yourself. 

 Providing  uncorroborated numbers as "facts", whose source,  independent test settings etc are not provided along with them  is hardly a help.  Even if they stand  they can never be  the sole precursor of truth and in explaining an inanimate object or the interaction between its user and its functions. Something which matters to me and to most people . Your sole contribution in this conversation is a personal attack against another poster. You are not the sole purveyor of "facts" and surely your job cannot be one where bad manners are exhibited.

3 hours ago, independent said:

 

What's that old saying? Be wary of the internet self-styled sound man who's trying to sell you an easyrig.

This is not good manners to say the least... If you can add something constructive to our conversation please do so  but not in this manner. Thank you. You are supposed to try and help me 😁😁

9 hours ago, IronFilm said:

From my perspective as a production sound mixer (note: my perspective isn't the same as everyone else! For instance in my eyes the F4 is clearly massively preferable to the MixPre3mk1, while for a solo OMB videographer they'd want the MixPre instead):

No.

 

Wind should be almost next to meaningless for your recorder itself. 
So the issue is your mic, so get proper wind protection. 
Do you have a blimp?
What exactly is the setup you're recording usually?

Ι have the rode cat fur but the price of the rode blimp put me off so I do not have one of those. I always try to place the mike as close as possible to my subject etc. But even in a room environment I am getting noise that should not be there so I think that there is something wrong with the tascam. I never gelled with it really

Ironfilm you are a wealth of expertise mingled in with good humour. Thanks for taking the time to chime in to my question. I do get the poor technique syndrome, I am a culprit in my early days 😃.

I mostly do external locations and as luck has it , there is always wind (too much of it) to take to battle. Despite all necessary precautions I reach the limit of my mic and recorder combo without really meaning to... This is just a hobby for me but from  the precious free time you put into it, you would like some return. I will keep my eyes open for a mix pre first gen and a used zoom f4.

PS. Do you think a zoom h5 would be an improvement over the tascam?

2 hours ago, KnightsFan said:

There's one on ebay from Adorama at the moment. I think it ships internationally

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Zoom-F4-Multitrack-Field-Recorder-with-Timecode-6-Inputs-8-Tracks-SKU1256834/254610621129?hash=item3b47f9c2c9:g:q2gAAOSw0Yxez7qE

Thanks for that. Unfortunately import taxes plus extraordinary courier handling charges make this a no.

2 minutes ago, bjohn said:

Can you not find any used first-generation MixPre for sale? Now that the second generation is available with 32-bit floating point, a lot of people have been selling their first-generation recorders. Having 32-bit float can be useful for location sound when level changes are unpredictable, but plenty of people managed just fine for decades without it. I'm still using a first-generation MixPre 6 and have no plans to upgrade to the new generation.

Lol I did not even know that there was a first gen one 😄. I can buy something that is Europe sourced but first i will have to find it and apart from ebay and these forums i am unsure on where to look

I keep reading about the mix pre's but have never handled one so I have no amateurish idea on how good they really are at this price level 😄. I cannot afford one for now so that is that. I had a look for  zoom F4's, cannot find any used ones at the moment. Some vendors have them marked as end of life products...weird.

No I definitely do not need more channels 😄😄 and I must confess that a used zoom f4 was on my mind . I may perhaps have a faulty tascam since my noise level is too great and I have been put off in keeping it. Thank you very much for your detailed suggestion. I appreciate that you took the time to formulate it and advice me. 

On 4/7/2020 at 12:05 PM, Papiskokuji said:

Hi !

The eterna LUT is to use if you don’t have a color checker. You could actually use it before applying the color checker correction nod but there’s no point to it.

For the gamma question, I can’t remember what gamma there is in Resolve. You can try gamma input « slog2 » as it’s not far from flog gamma and I usually do a blackmagic 4k gamma output as rec709 crushes everything. But most of the time, I put the same gamma Space input and output so the color checker only corrects colors and put me back to some rec709 color Space, and I adjust the gamma curve myself in another nod, so I have more control.

But overall, if you don’t have to match your XT3 with other cameras, I’d suggest You apply the fuji WDR lut (the one which only affects colors, i can’t remember the exact name) so you’re back to a rec709 colorspace but with fuji’s touch. And then in another nod, you apply a custom curve. I have gorgeous results with this simple workflow.

and finally, another method is to use color transform and put « gamma input flog » « color Space input rec2020 » gamma output « blackmagic 4k (same as above) » « color Space output rec709 ».

There You go, 3 methods to normalize your flog image. I encourage you to use the second one if you wanna keep fuji colors.

 

Thank you very much for this informative tutorial. I appreciate it.

Hello, I have a Tascam 60d mkii paired with a rode ntg-2 mike. I am not very happy with the tascam and would like to replace it without breaking the bank .  I cannot afford new mix pre 3 so that is out of the question 😄, but could you recommend a recorder that is a step up from what I have now (either new or used)? 

Thank you very much in advance.

Hi guys I am a bit confused regarding Davinci resolve, X-T3 F-log footage and the use of a Colour checker in the Color match process.

In the source Gamma portion of the Colour match process there is no option for f-log. should I use auto , rec 709 or something else?

As a side question , I usually apply the Fuji eterna lut in a different node and make whatever other changes I want from there. Should the colour matching be done at the f-log level or after the Lut is applied (which of course influences the footage). Sorry for the newb questions but colour "correction" is something new to me.

9 hours ago, androidlad said:

Old news by now, but just to let everybody know, X-T4 uses a new battery NP-W235, likely to be 2350mAh (compared to X-T3 W126S 1260mAh).

It is good news of course but watch this space when people start complaining that the camera is too big now  :) Fujirumors , which is the defacto site for official fuji leaks is adamant that this is not the X-H2 and X-T combined and that the two lines (X-T and X-H) will remain separate, but it sure looks like a good effort  for a new X-H2. Androidlad do we have any idea about the bitrate used. Will its still be Hevc at 400mbps ?

19 hours ago, Attila Bakos said:

Since 16.1 it's possible in the studio version. It's under Workspace -> Video Clean Feed.

@@@@@@@@@@@  Thank you for that!!!! I remember blackmagic throwing up  a stink for not making this available. Just found it.

18 hours ago, Jay60p said:

Excellent. Thank you.

You are welcome. Thank you for the exchanging of views.

2 hours ago, Jay60p said:

 

 

Well, the 2018 Mac Mini i5 has been working fine for me for a year, no timeline stuttering and fast export times here.

So what I expect is ... it will work again today.

I don't use an external GPU. I thought I'd need to add more memory, but so far I don't. Just needed to add a big external hard drive. I only use the internal SSD for system and apps. 

Premiere seems to work fine in the 2019 iMacs too, according to Anaconda in a previous post. I haven't tried one.

I'm not part of a team so I'm not sure what you mean there.
I'd assume a team would be a group of professionals who would be using $5,000 systems and don't need recommendations from us!  The amazing thing is I can do everything I want in 4K video on a $1,000 mini.

I don't quite understand what you're saying besides bashing Macs.

What hardware are you using that works for you?

 

Hello and good morning. I can only presume that the medium of the internet loses some of the intended message between us. So let me start from the bottom. I am not bashing macs, I have been using them for almost two decades. Nevertheless they have some glaring shortcomings when it comes down to video processing, in the case of the mini the absence of a dedicated gpu, which for such an extensive product should have been there.

You are of course correct about the need for huge external ssd's and a raid filesystem to keep everything in order

As far as Premiere and Resolve are concerned when used in my mac mini configuration (resolve being better in that regard) , footage shot at h265 All-Intra 400mbps stutters and the timeline is not smooth. As for exporting said footage, it does take a lot of time.Granted,  Premiere does need to update its codebase but it has certain characteristics when sharing projects between team members and organising lots of footage that other editing software lacks.  I like resolve but why  the monitoring screen cannot  detach and be used separately in another monitor is astonishing. I work with a mac mini at home and with an Asus Rog and a pc rig (both with ge-force cards at work). If you can afford it I would suggest that you get an external gpu case and a compatible gpu to use with your mac. The difference will be spectacular. Have a nice day!