josdr

Shot 70% shot the C70 and 30% A7SIII.  More coming soon! 
 

Merry Christmas to the Eoshd massive!

Merry Christmas to the Eoshd massive!

Great news. Well you know what to do 🙂. footage!!!!!
 

Have loved the Panasonic G6, such a big upgrade from the original Panasonic GH1 which I started this filmmaking journey with (although technically it was my girlfriend's Nikon D90 or my sister's Canon T2i that I borrowed for the first handful of shoots), but in recent years I've been considering an upgrade. First to the Panasonic G7, simply to get 4K, but as the price of the Panasonic G85 kept on coming down on eBay that tempted me instead for the better low light, the live HDMI out, and of course the IBIS! But this is a slippery slope, because as I wait... then the Panasonic G9 got that big 10bit firmware update, and their prices were coming down with time too. (& more firmware updates came out too, such as better AF for the G9, and being a USB webcam for the G9)

Never really seriously considered the Panasonic GH5 or GH4, as they always got the most attention, thus I felt they always kept up the highest prices on the secondhand market, compared to the value that the Panasonic G series offered instead. But I still kept half an eye on the GH4/GH5 sales, just in case. Even considered a few alternative options such as Fujifilm, or for instance the Panasonic S1 that I bid on last week until the price shot up far too high for my tastes. In the end I kept on coming back to Panasonic MFT as offering by far the best value for money. (& the fact I already owned MFT lenses helped too)

However, today I won an action for a Panasonic GH4 for only NZ$417! (less than US$300)
That was a price too good to ignore (but I doubt I'd have bid a penny higher), thus to my surprise I find out I've settled with the old Panasonic GH4 as the upgrade from the G6 I'm going with. Even though I'd like the IBIS / better high ISO / etc of the G85 or G9, it isn't such a bad thing to have settled for this cheap deal of a GH4 because it is just going to be for casual vlogging usage to create simple content for my YouTube channel. 

One very small benefit of going with the Panasonic GH4, is that when the price of the Panasonic G9 finally tumbles down to sub US$300 (right after the Panasonic G12 gets released?), then I'll be able to use the same Panasonic DMW-BLF19 batteries in both! (which wouldn't have been possible if I'd got a G7 or G85)

Now, how many more years until I upgrade my "big camera", the Sony PMW-F3? The F3 is a truly fantastic camera! I still think there isn't a better 1080 camera at this price point (but the world is moving onto 4K). Had it a fair few years, unfortunately the F3's popularity didn't last too long because the Canon C300mk1 got released shortly after and the C300mk1 just *dominated* the low / mid end professional work for that generational cycle. (interesting how the secondhand F3 has seen a bit of renaissance in 2019/2020 thanks to Caleb Pike & others)

Been wanting to do the natural upgrade to a Sony PMW-F5 for a while now, but can't justify it because as a Sound Mixer I don't do a high enough volume of camera work. The FS7/FS5 or even a secondhand FS700R might very well make more sense! (I like for instance all the work done with the FS700R by this guy: https://vimeo.com/paulbates However the FS700 isn't as nicely ergonomic as the FS5! That compact size is fantastic)

Just keeping my eyes open for the right secondhand deal, in absolutely no rush whatsoever. (as I'm still primarily by far a Production Sound Mixer, as what I do day to day)

Hey guys, my C70 arrived just in time for Christmas so I took it out for a spin.. here's some test footage: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_v9wE9ReaAc&ab_channel=ManavS

120p out of this camera is really nice!

Another year over and what a shit one it was, to be quite frank about it. We all deserve a bit of peace and happiness at Christmas after this, to get our spirits up so that's my hope for all of you - have a good one, and cheers for your EOSHD-ing all year through thick and thin, keep the passion and let's keep our heads above water!
And I hope all your front rooms look as great as this...
 

No, there's nothing complex here. You just attach to the X-T3 (once TC box & field recorder are synced together), check you haven't completely screwed up levels, then you're done. Nothing more needs to be done while you're shooting, you don't have to do anything else when you're turning on/off or doing battery swaps or whatever. 

They really lost a lot of sales there. An F4n would have been a very easy choice. The zoom F6 is a mess ergonomically and at that price point you will buy a mixpre. Just came back after test recording external sounds.. Unbelievable. I recorded birds chirping like they were next to me (with negligible ancillary noise), waves from about 10 meters away and a stream about 5 meters away like I was next to it. Unbelievable clarity in all recordings. I tried to use the 32 bit float function just to have an idea (starting my car with full gain ), but you know what? The 24 bit mode plus analogue limiters is so good that you must be a total dick in getting an unusable recording. 
Cant say you are wrong there. "Cheap" redefines itself quite a lot as you progress with your film making lol.  So how would a tentacle be used with a mixpre and an X-T3 or any other mirrorless for that matter, if I cannot jam them together?
The camera cannot be synced to the mixpre (no timecode input), so do you sync the tentacle to the mixpre output timecode and then jack the tentacle into the camera?

Yup, if you put the mic in the right place (at the right time) and kill any competing noise sources then you're most of the way to great sound!

But that's often easier said than done. Is like saying "all you need to do is put the camera in the right place (at the right time) with the correct exposure across the scene and you've got great cinematography!"
 
Aside from Panasonic's S1H and GH5S, there are zero hybrid mirrorless cameras which can accept timecode. 
The standard workaround hack is to drop the TC signal down from line level to mic level, and to write it to an audio track on the mirrorless camera. Then in post transform that into timecode for the files. Which once you've got this set up and done it before, is an easy workflow. 

But in your case you might have an even better option: an HDMI cord from your X-T3 to your MixPre3, then (assuming Fujifilm is sending out a record trigger that the MixPre3 can read) your MixPre will automatically start/stop with your X-T3 and already with the same timecode as is in the camera itself. 
 
From a recent historical context, the Tentacle Syncs are extremely small and extremely cheap compared to everything else that came before them! They were revolutionary game changers in their niche. 

And if you ever need your camera and field recorder to be disconnected from each other, then you must must must use a timecode box.
Yes,  "Update timecode from audio track" is exactly what you should do. 
Or use the supplied software that came with the Tentacle. 
(unfortunately Premiere is still stuck in the dark ages, even the dinosaur Avid has this feature)

It is VERY annoying giving money away when you have the primary function available and one part of the chain is not cooperative. The day has 24 hours, and we all try avoiding wrestling in post. Waveform matching has been good for me but when it lets you down it takes too much time to get a decent result.
The mixpre II is unbelievable after owning a tascam 60d ii. The sound is so clean you cannot believe it.  In a somewhat controlled environment the 24bit mode is all you need really, Its limiters are analogue as well and they work great.  I will test the 32 bit mode during the holidays.For run and gun and small crews that do not necessarily have great sound skills the 32 bit could be useful. I got it a couple of days ago so all my tests have been rudimentary . I believe it is well worth its money although I initially was very mindful of its price . I do not really think an independent film maker needs more and if he does need it, he will have the budget to hire a professional sound engineer anyways..  It is a great bit of kit. Very clean sound . The mke 600 sounds great and it made even the ntg2 sound better than I was used to. Before that, with the Tascam, izotope was my friend..

You're welcome!
You can send a mix from the MixPre to one channel on the XT3, and LTC to the other. Or potentially send a mix from the Mix Pre to the XT3 and HDMI TC the other direction.
I wouldn't say the wrong way. It's better than nothing, but it is a workaround compared to pro cameras that have proper timecode functionality. I would explore the HDMI side and see if that gets you where you need to be, and otherwise take some time to work out the workflow sending TC via audio. Once you have to down, it's not difficult, but there's so little information about it that it is indeed difficult to figure out how to make it work. Most people seem to be either pros and cameras with proper TC, or don't use it at all.

Even if the MixPre can do this, it's not advisable. The purpose of timecode is tgetting that time stamp into metadata, and LTC on an audio track is just a workaround to do it. The only reason you'd want LTC in an audio track is if you A) can't put it in metadata, like on DSLR's, or B) need stretch and warp the audio to compensate for drift during the takes which I haven't ever personally seen anyone do, though it is technically possible.
Wireless LTC is the simplest way in my opinion, but Imake sure you have scratch audio. My last big project with an XT3, I used a 3.5mm splitter, and ran LTC into one audio channel and used a $6 mic for scratch audio in the other. I used wireless lav transmitters to carry LTC from my Zoom F4 to the XT3.
I am not sure if they are compatible, but it seems worth a test to me. See the answer below, jamming the timecode via HDMI might be a good combination of cheap/easy if the drift is acceptable for your work.
If you are writing LTC into an audio track, then yes, it needs to be constantly connected.
If you are jamming the internal clock to an external source, then typically, no, once you disconnect the timecode source then the internal clock takes over from that same place. That means it is subject to drift once they are disconnected, and you would have to be sure that both are in free run. Definitely do some tests with the devices you own to see how much drift you're dealing with, whether the clock stops when the device is turned off, or other model-specific "gotchas."
I'm not sure, I use Resolve exclusively. However it is possible to use 3rd party software to update the file's timecode metadata, which is what I do. I don't know of any ready-made solutions as I wrote the one that I use, but it's a simple ffmpeg command batched across all my files. In my opinion this is a better solution than doing it in your NLE, since the metadata will be ready for use in any software.

The LUT is made so you expose at normal exposure. Exposing higher will result in cleaner footage though I would say it’s not necessary like it was on Sony cameras with Slog. 

There are exposure conversions for -2, -1, -.66, -.33 and the same with overexposure. Of course you can expose lower it just doesn’t guarantee the same color accuracy. 

If you want to match your camera to an Alexa it’s the best tool for that job. I personally love it on my Panasonic S1. Makes saturation and highlight roll off really pleasing.

Still working on getting familiar with the metabones adapter. I used it to get a little b-roll for a mini-doc on Tuesday. I just received an EF 50mm F1.4 that I bought for my daughter's birthday (she picked up my 80D when I got the T4) and I'll throw it on the T4 and maybe my T3 for some quick tests before I give it to her.
On the overheating side, I used the T4 for the doc shoot Tuesday, recording internal at 1080 and externally at 4k DCI. I typically do that so I have backup files that don't take up as much storage space - post-production is all in 1080. We recorded interview footage for about an hour, doing 5 to 15 minute takes, with b-roll recording before and after. The T4 definitely got warm to the touch but it never overheated or gave me any problems. We were outdoors in temps up into the mid 90s F/30s C, in the shade as much as possible. That's encouraging to me, because that's my typical shooting scenario. 
With even the new A7S III having some reports of overheating already, I think the T4 will meet my needs. Overall, it's a good package and with a Metabone and a Ninja V is up there with the new full frame offerings in terms of performance for the price (unless you want RAW) with a lot more flexibility.

Definetely do teh metabones review. There is lots of cheap used EF glass with great quality, so it may be worth the investment.

If you had an understanding of the actual camera in question and Fuji's Acros profile along with actual use of the said profile compared to Lut's etc I think you would reconsider. Your advice is sound in a general  manner but it is not applicable in this case.  Acros (with its four variations) is that good. You can dismiss it as a "baked look" but I have not seen anything better in B&W .
Since he wants to use B&W it is the best option in his case. I am currently shooting a short film that includes B&W scenes , and with all the testing we did compared to f-log,  Acros came on top whether shooting with the actors or shooting locations.
He can of course do his own tests and decide for himself but having gone through the proces of shooting acros along with f-log and comparing, I would not bother with f-log. There is a tonality and coherence of the image with Acros that cannot be possibly reproduced with an external LUT.  Fujifilm is the undisputed leader in this.
Please do not construct my words as unduly harsh or dismissive of your well-intended remarks,  since I am not including smilies every three words. 😄  Alas the written word comes across too harsh when trying to make a point

I actually  have an X-T3 and shoot B&W so this is not from the horse's rear end (sorry tupp ,could not resist the joke 😄)
Acros will be great if exposed decently. You are not going to get the same result with a lut. Fuji's secret sauce is especially strong with Acros. 
Even in photography, Acros camera-derived  Jpeg's are not the same as files exported from raw into acros jpegs (que long discussion and people saying otherwise 😆)
I could add a lot of pretentious paragraphs about highlight rolloffs , curves and other technical mumbo jumbo but it just is. The rest is silliness as far as I am concerned
 
Fuji has 4 Acros modes that will satisfy all your requirements although human conceit may make us think that we can do better adjusting sliders  .

If you had an understanding of the actual camera in question and Fuji's Acros profile along with actual use of the said profile compared to Lut's etc I think you would reconsider. Your advice is sound in a general  manner but it is not applicable in this case.  Acros (with its four variations) is that good. You can dismiss it as a "baked look" but I have not seen anything better in B&W .
Since he wants to use B&W it is the best option in his case. I am currently shooting a short film that includes B&W scenes , and with all the testing we did compared to f-log,  Acros came on top whether shooting with the actors or shooting locations.
He can of course do his own tests and decide for himself but having gone through the proces of shooting acros along with f-log and comparing, I would not bother with f-log. There is a tonality and coherence of the image with Acros that cannot be possibly reproduced with an external LUT.  Fujifilm is the undisputed leader in this.
Please do not construct my words as unduly harsh or dismissive of your well-intended remarks,  since I am not including smilies every three words. 😄  Alas the written word comes across too harsh when trying to make a point

I actually  have an X-T3 and shoot B&W so this is not from the horse's rear end (sorry tupp ,could not resist the joke 😄)
Acros will be great if exposed decently. You are not going to get the same result with a lut. Fuji's secret sauce is especially strong with Acros. 
Even in photography, Acros camera-derived  Jpeg's are not the same as files exported from raw into acros jpegs (que long discussion and people saying otherwise 😆)
I could add a lot of pretentious paragraphs about highlight rolloffs , curves and other technical mumbo jumbo but it just is. The rest is silliness as far as I am concerned
 
Fuji has 4 Acros modes that will satisfy all your requirements although human conceit may make us think that we can do better adjusting sliders  .

The new 84 year old president will now deem that 720p line-skipping is more than enough for the R5 and will give relevant firmware instructions...
 
Is it really health problems or a means to save face? My best wishes to Mr Maeda nevertheles..

Fuck the full frame "look" (Respectfully) 😃. That is for conceited brides and bokeh whores that cannot stage a photo to save their lifes. I(f he buys a 35 1.4 with the X-T3 he has all the bokeh a whore needs, let alone a 56mm 1.3 or a 90mm 2.0 if portrait is his thing- The 35mm 1.4 can be found reasonably priced secondhand, has magic pixie dust and is the most versatile of  teh three ). The X-T3 can take great pictures and Fuji colour science is at the same level or better than Canon's... The video is comparable to a pocket 4k unless you are a "I only shoot raw snob" and has better "filmic" colours than more recent BM colour science.
Not talking against you Django, I am writing all the above with a degree of jest 😃.
 
 

Had a play at local camera store where they have R5/R6 to play
The guy said R5 is the final production while their R6 is still pre-production one
My u3 card last 4 seconds on 8kIBP, on 4k50p ibp it is fine , guess u really need UHS-II for All-I or 8K IBP.
Auto focus is really good, can detect person's eye against the light (window) even though the person is really dark on the camera
IBIS on the 85 DS is much more smoother than the A7R4 we had with us. 
I can definitely fake a few gimbal/slider shot with the R5/R6 vs with my R. 
R6 with the 24-105 7.1 focus quite fast inside the shop at 7.1 aperture.
And after playing with 28-70 i m never gonna get this lens at all, it is just too heavy and big. The 70-200 2.8 RF is surprisingly light on the other hand.