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aaa123jc

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  1. Like
    aaa123jc reacted to EthanAlexander in Z Cam E2 will have ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY FPS in 4K??   
    Thought I'd share some grabs from some 4K60 I did last year. These are graded WITH added film grain. It was too clean without it ?
    Don't mind the lack of sharpness - I was shooting wide open at T0.95 on an SLR magic

  2. Like
    aaa123jc reacted to newfoundmass in What cameras are you currently shooting with?   
    Sony I think is strongest with YouTubers that can't live without AF and think they need shallow depth of field while standing in front of their "sets" that all look the same. 
    I don't think this site attracts those types. The Sony shooters here I've found to be pretty competent videographers/filmmakers. Sony's offerings provide the YouTube crowd good bang for their buck and quick results right out of the box. They're not too concerned with a lot of the things we care about. They do minimal, if any color grading, etc. 
  3. Like
    aaa123jc got a reaction from noone in What cameras are you currently shooting with?   
    The Sony A7M3, because it not only has decent video, it also has great photography capability.
    Before that, I am using GH5 with speed-booster. My favorite mirrorless setup by far. Image quality wise, I think the BMPCC4K is a little bit better but the GH5 is still very impressive. However, as I am doing more photos than videos nowadays, I have to switch back to the Sony. 
    I started doing paid jobs with the Sony A7S so I guess the Sony system is like home to me. Even now  I am thinking about getting an used Sony FS700 for shooting A Roll for performances. 
  4. Like
    aaa123jc reacted to kye in The video that shows Blackmagic Pocket 4K RAW image quality is same as GH5S 400Mbit   
    I've posted this before, but here's a clip I tried to push to breaking point, but it seemed pretty much unbreakable.  This is the GH5 150Mbps 10-bit mode, so not even the 400Mbps All-I.

    When I was playing with ML raw I compared the 10-bit to the 12 and 14 bit modes, and although I could see a slight difference between the 10 and 12 if you pushed it hard, I concluded that 10 bits was enough for me.
    In terms of the GH5, the dual ISO is one feature that would be great to have, but the IBIS more than outweighs it, and in comparison to the S1H, the smaller size and cost more than outweigh it for me.  Literally, if I became a billionaire tomorrow, the GH5 would still be the best camera available for what I do.
  5. Like
    aaa123jc reacted to kye in What cameras are you currently shooting with?   
    That's how I shoot all the time, grabbing a quick shot then running to catch up.  Or getting shots of the family while they're doing their thing.  For me the strengths of the GH5 really help with that.  IBIS for walking while shooting (trying to simultaneously do the ninja walk and also not walk into a pole or anything) or for standing and grabbing a faux tripod shot.  The 10-bit for being able to significantly push the image due to no control of lighting and little to no time to work the scene.  Etc...    My other approach is just to get volume, as not only does it mean you get lucky more often, but the practice increases your hit rate too.
    Here's some random GH5 shots from filming at the speed of life...







  6. Haha
    aaa123jc reacted to Thomas Hill in Sony A7R IV - can confirm colour is still SH**!   
    Pentax fanboys: Even WE have IBIS!
  7. Haha
    aaa123jc reacted to Django in Sony A7R IV - can confirm colour is still SH**!   
    Panasonic fanboys will tell ya: Real Men don’t use AF.
    Canon fanboys will say: FF is overrated, crop brings you closer to S35 ciné standards.
    Sony fanboys over any criticism: My favorite company is #1. Na-na-nana-na.
     
  8. Like
    aaa123jc reacted to IronFilm in Sony A7R IV - can confirm colour is still SH**!   
    Nikon fanboys: but we do better stills! And we were first for HDSLRs....   why oh why has the filmmaking community forgotten us?  ?
    Fujifilm fanboys: You want IBIS?? Ummm errr... look over there, we've got the X-H1! It's all good, stop hassling us about IBIS, if you want it, we've got it. Oh, you want a bigger sensor? Ummm errr.... look over there, we've got the GFX 100! Now please stop hassling us, and just appreciate the pretty Fuji colors :-) 
    Samsung fanboys: yes, we know it is 2020 (and we've technically be so called "dead" for years), but we're still THE BEST! 

    Pentax fanboys: who? 
     
    Edit, a recent update for Nikon: Nikon fanboys in 2019 (errr... and 2020, and... when is it going to arrive???): but we have RAW!  (errrr....  "soon", eventually, one day, sometime?)
  9. Like
    aaa123jc reacted to Andrew Reid in Sony A7R IV - can confirm colour is still SH**!   
    I think if Deakins was let down by his Alexa and dreadful skin tones, he'd consider it a big waste of time.
    And I think that way about Sony's cameras. A big waste of time.
    I can spend hours dialling in the right settings which look great for one subject, but awful for another.
    A7R IV is a camera that does well for landscapes, but naff for human subjects... And if you dial it in for skintones, suddenly you have problems elsewhere, or it lacks impact.
    The white balance system seems to use the sensor, it doesn't handle mixed light. If anyone can figure out how to stop it from making a 3200k lit interior look like Donald Trump's face when there is a 6500k laptop screen occupying 1/100th of the shot, please write the answer below.
  10. Like
    aaa123jc reacted to EphraimP in How is this funded? Mega rich YouTubers   
    I agree. When McKinnon started out, for instance, I'd watch his videos the second they dropped, guaranteed. It was bound to be an interesting tutorial with a bit of Pete's fun personality thrown i. Now that he's a big successful brand, I don't watch nearly as much of his content. For one, his fun personality has grown a bit obnoxious and I don't need ANOTHER tutorial on how to shoot b-roll of making a cup of coffee in some exotic location. He, and others like him, have gotten a little navel-gazely about their success with their blogs. But that's fine, there are always other channels out there to discover.
    YouTube is still a great Skillshare platform. You just have to look harder for it. I think the fault lies with YouTube, not the creators/influences who are charismatic enough and clever enough to have figured out how to make a successful career off of the platform post Adpocalypse. When YouTube decided to slash the ad revenue going to channels and aggressively demonetizing them, it changed the platform. 
    We all know how much work it takes to produce good videos. If you can't earn enough ad revenue off of your creative content to make it pencil as a business venture, you either have to figure out how to get other revenue streams, hence the growth of the channels we're talking about, get off of YouTube, or only due it as sort of a hobby. Some folks, like the Crimson Engine guy, are figuring out ways to split the difference. He for one, posts a fair bit of gear review, but he also posts some technique stuff and interesting content about the business side of making indie films and other content. YouTube is sort of a jungle; if you want to find worthwhile content you just have to keep hacking a way at it. Sometimes you'll find interesting trails to follow (channels) and they may take you somewhere awesome and they're just as likely to peter out.
     
    That's my take on it, anyway. 
  11. Like
    aaa123jc reacted to Andrew Reid in How is this funded? Mega rich YouTubers   
    The attention seeking, race for sensations, lifestyle vlogs, all that has somehow crept into many of the channels about enthusiast and artistic subjects.
    I don't think it makes a very good bedfellow to the arts.
    If you are constantly going bigger, bigger, more more more, I think it is greed, always looking over one's shoulder at a competitor or another youtuber and trying to outdo them for attention.
    I am not against spending lots and lots of money on camera gear, I do it myself.
    But I am against the internet becoming a exclusive walled garden and a show-off's playground.
    It is also a very personal and persuasive form of 'consumer advice'... well, consumerism.
    I probably own 10 headphones due to one channel I liked, Z Reviews.
    He was charismatic, knew his stuff, an incredible enthusiast.
    but the HYPE... oh the hype.
    Then you see the comments under it, all backing him up and saying, yeah, get this... get that... it is a recipe for bankrupting your audience.
    It gets boring fast, all this hype. If every release, every week, every day, is AMAZING then it becomes monotonous.
    I'd prefer to see a more level headed approach but still with the HYPE and excitement - only when justified. Just turn the fucking dial down a bit, pleeeeease.
  12. Like
    aaa123jc reacted to EphraimP in How is this funded? Mega rich YouTubers   
    I think one thing to remember is that flashing/reviewing/showing off all the new gear is part of the business model some of these YouTubers use to make their living. It's the affiliate links. The key for channels like Potato Jet, Matti Happoja, Crimson Engine, Peter McKinnon, Kai W, etc, etc, etc, is to get reviews up as often as possible, especially when flashy new gear comes out, to pull in viewers. Yeah, they only make pennies per view, but they make a lot more through affiliate link purchases. 
    The next $ tier up is the big brand deals that people like McKinnon get to  fly somewhere posh like Dubai and shoot ~10 minute advertorial/blog videos about products. And the bigger the channel gets, the more likely big companies will loan or give away gear for a video review and little/new/Chinese companies will just send random product to them in hopes of getting a mention. Matti Happoja has mega swag-opening sequences pretty regularly on his channel that highlights this phenomenon. I wonder how much of brands' marketing budget has shifted from TV commercials, magazine ads and other traditional media purchases to social media placement. For marketing people, it's all about the impressions per $ spent.
  13. Like
    aaa123jc reacted to IronFilm in Canon EOS 1D MKIII specs revealed   
    Should've used the Panasonic batteries instead of V mount! As the EVA1 can be quite a small camera 
  14. Like
    aaa123jc got a reaction from IronFilm in Canon EOS 1D MKIII specs revealed   
    Yes, the Neumann M149 is for recording vocals in our little home studio. My girlfriend has been wanting to get this mic for a few years. Seriously, for $6499 I can even get a Tube-Tech CL 1B Compressor, a nicer addition to the home studio IMO. But we are not doing it professionally, so it is hard to pull the trigger. 
    The appearances matter phenomenon is really strong in Hong Kong. I guess people are so used to the images of cinema cameras and TV Cameras that they think anything smaller is not impressive enough for them. A Sony FS700 and an external monitor is like a perfect combo for me. For shooting A Roll for performances, it is more than adequate. 
    As for B Roll, mirrorless is so much better. Much lighter and more mobile. I've shot a charity event using an EVA-1 with a big V-mount battery, mostly handheld, for ten hours. My client was impressed, I was not ?.  
     
  15. Like
    aaa123jc reacted to IronFilm in Canon EOS 1D MKIII specs revealed   
    Indeed! Sub $1K
    Wish there was an "Atomos Samurai V", would be the perfect partnership.  Currently, an original Shogun is the cheapest pairing. 
     

    It's true that "appearances matter", unfortunate, but true. Handy to have a "big pro camera", even if it is just for the sit down interview stuff. 

    Then grab a secondhand a7Smk1 or a6x000 to run around and grab the B Roll / gimbal / specialist (such as crane / car rig) shots. 
    Probably what I'd do if I got back into the camera dept side of things. 
     
    Saw the Panasonic EVA1 for as low as US$3.5K-ish brand new greymarket on eBay a year ago, sadly prices seem to have gone up since then. 
    For studio work? As on location shooting a Neumann KM185D + Neumann KMR81i would be far far more useful Neumann mics to have. 
  16. Like
    aaa123jc got a reaction from IronFilm in Canon EOS 1D MKIII specs revealed   
    Looks very impressive! I can't believe Canon actually allows RAW recording in their non-cinema line. And as long as there is Canon Log and DPAF, I will be very happy. Oh, wait, it's $6499. Can't afford ?.
    With this money I can get a proper video camera. I'm looking at an used Sony FS700. It is quite cheap on eBay now. It also looks very massive and bulky which my clients always like. I can even get a new EVA-1 or C200. I can buy lenses. I can buy pro audio equipment (a neumann M149 will be very nice). Or I can pay rents for a few months. I guess I'm just not professional enough to own this kind of camera. 
    I can see why this can be considered as one of the best hybrid camera, but I don't think mirrorless like A7R4, SH1, Z7 or even XT3 are much inferior to it to justify the price difference.  
  17. Like
    aaa123jc reacted to IronFilm in Canon EOS 1D MKIII specs revealed   
    Let's say you're a pro earning $50k/yr, you want to live on a modest $35K/yr. 
    That leaves $15k/yr to put into your business, which needs to cover running your website / advertising / repairs / transport /  software / training courses / insurance / legal / etc and all the other gear purchases you might want to make that year. 
    Suddenly it starts to make you pause and think which to choose when you're considering a camera bodies which will cost you $700/yr vs $1200/yr. 

    This is true across all businesses. (especially business which are in the same areas which people do for fun, often the serious but rich amatuers are using nicer gear than the hardworking pros!! Unless the pros are getting gear sponsorship, which for example in the case of sportspeople is often the only reason they can afford gear nicer than what your casual weekend warrior is using)

    For example in my own world of production sound mixing, there is a shockingly large number of people (working on big shows too!) still using Cantar X2 / Sound Devices 788T / Zaxcom Deva 5.8 as their main production recorder. Doesn't mean they're not still spending heaps on of repairs and new gear each year, just its not being focused on their recorder. (kinda like working pros who are not bothering to upgrade their main camera body every single cycle)
     

    Yeah, no mention of that. The Panasonic S1H will hold onto that crown of being a "Netflix Approved" DSLR/mirrorless for a long time before Canon joins them. 
     

    What is the over/under on the bets that this is the hidden "gotcha" easter egg Canon has hidden away for us? There always is "something" that Canon screws up. 
  18. Like
    aaa123jc reacted to bluefonia in Which video editing software?   
    Talking about colorgrading: The colorgrading tools in FCP has been much improved in the latest versions. Watch this run through by Denver Riddle:
     
     
  19. Like
    aaa123jc reacted to sanveer in Your gear of the decade?   
    Is there any noticeable difference between the dynamic range of the Zoom and Sound Devices 32-bit recorders? I am asking this, because reviews are one thing, but real life use helps way more. And you're into professional sound recording. 
  20. Like
    aaa123jc reacted to IronFilm in Your gear of the decade?   
    Haven't posted my #1 "gear of the decade" yet, as it seemed like such a tough choice, so so so many very very good options!

    But then I realized the answer is clear: Zoom F8!! 
    As perhaps I don't need to struggle over if the Panasonic GH4 or Sony FS7 or Sigma 18-35mm f1.8 or whatever is more significant, as those will likely all get mentioned anyway, but on this extremely camera focused filmmaking forum the Zoom F8 is unfortunately likely to be overlooked. And it shouldn't be!! Maaaybe it isn't THE gear product of the decade, but it 100% deserves to be mentioned and in the running. So I'll say it: ZOOM F8 is "the product of the decade"! 
    Zoom F8, reinvented what was possible with the sub $1K recorders. Both in quality and features it was a big leap forward. (then you got the F4/F8n/F6 following afterwards, and even Sound Devices had to respond with their Gen1 and Gen2 MixPre series)
    The term "game changer" gets thrown around loosely a lot with every new product launch, but the Zoom F8 truly deserves the title of "game changer".
    Beforehand I was using a Sound Devices 552 / Tascam DR680 combo, which for the "Pre Zoom F8 Era" (maybe I shall call time "BF8" and AF8" now! haha, the current year is now 5AF8 ) was a pretty damn good low budget setup indeed!
    But switching over to a Zoom F series was a massive leap forward! Wish I'd done it earlier (I was skeptical and didn't believe / understand the significance of the F8, but when the F4 got announced I leapt on that immediately).
     
  21. Like
    aaa123jc reacted to RawZion in EOSHD Sony a7iii ProColor 3.0 Demonstration   
    Here is a little travel video of my family and I going around the East Coast of North America: https://vimeo.com/373737780
    Shot with a Sony a7iii using Andrew Reid's ProColor 3.0 settings (specifically his HDR color using the HLG3 Gamma), then graded in Premiere Pro CC using basic Lumetri Color effects (curves, fine tuning with exposure/temperature, etc.).  I used adapted Nikon lenses on the Sony, and it was mostly on a DJI Ronin-SC (a little bit of handheld and tripod mixed in).  There are a couple quick clips from phones but they'll be obvious. 
    I just bought Andrew's Procolor 4.0 so I'll shoot further demos with that in the near future.

    Enjoy!
  22. Like
    aaa123jc got a reaction from noone in Your gear of the decade?   
    If we are talking about workhorse gear, I'll choose the Sony A7M3. It does everything well enough which is important because I do both photography and videography. For photos, it is very very good. Not quite like the D850 but good enough for my professional work (event and performance). The video codec is decent enough and the color is not too bad. And once you are used to color grading the footage, the process becomes much easier and faster. All in all, exceptional camera which is good for almost anything. 
    However, if it is about fun, my choice will be the Canon EOS M. I brought it really cheap during the $200 challenge. In my opinion, it has even better color than the current Canons. The white balance simply works. The codec is quite decent actually and held up much better than I had expected. But I will not use it for professional work, probably, but who knows? 
  23. Like
    aaa123jc reacted to heart0less in Your gear of the decade?   
    I was a bit late to the whole photo- and videography party, so at the time I was picking up my first camera, GH4 was already available.
    So was Resolve, Canon ML, Sony A7S, etc.
    None of these were considered by me as groundbreaking, since I simply didn't realize what people had to struggle with before.
    That's why I'll refrain from choosing anything video related, simply because I don't think I'd be objective.
    BUT, my nomination goes to...
    SanDisk Sansa Clip+
    This little bugger has been with me for almost a decade, day in, day out. Hasn't failed me, yet.
    And you know what? Even after all these years, nothing can surpass it. People still can't find any DAP (Digital Audio Player) that could be called its rightful heir.
    It plays everything I throw at it. Battery lasts for over 20 hours, still. I can clip it to my belt loop or keep it in any of my pockets. Operating it doesn't require looking - almost if I was typing a text with Nokia 3310 - pure muscle memory.
    And the memory card I use it with (128GB microSD) cost more than the player itself.
    It's madness.
     
    *Yeah, I may be a millennial, but I'm not going to listen to music on my phone anytime soon. Who ever thought it'd be comfortable? And wireless earbuds? Nah, plug me (and my 3.5 mm jack) in.*
  24. Like
    aaa123jc reacted to PannySVHS in Your gear of the decade?   
    BMCC 2.5K and original pockets image quality made my jaw drop. GH2 was the mysterious affordable super cam I never came to own. GF1 for being the most beautiful camera body in poor mans digital leica land. GH5 making awesome image quality a super common thing. And most definately Davinci Resolve. Exuse my diction, it´s late over here and time to go to sleep.
  25. Like
    aaa123jc reacted to MurtlandPhoto in Your gear of the decade?   
    My gear of the decade is also the gear that started my career: the GH2. That camera came around at the precise moment I started making the transition from photography to videography. It offered superb image quality with the hacks, but it wasn't magic. You still had to work hard for it to deliver the goods. It sucked in low light and had sub-par audio. I was a poor college student so I had to learn how to light with work lights and shower curtain diffusers and sync audio from a handy recorder. The GH2 made it all worth it though. 
    I've always said that I couldn't have gotten my start at any other time in history. Any earlier and I wouldn't have been able to commit to the time and energy of cutting together DV clips. Any later and things would be too easy and I wouldn't be at the level I am today. The GH2 was the catalyst to everything for me.
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