barefoot_dp

4 hours ago, independent said:

I see way more gimbals or just handheld

I can't imagine anybody doing a full day shoot handheld with a fully rigged Alexa mini, let alone with it on a gimbal. Shoulder mounted is great for run-n-gun doc work and eng, and certain scripted scenes where you know every thing will be at eye level, but you lose a lot of flexibility with height.

4 hours ago, independent said:

On that note, why would so many Australian DP's own those two things (and just those two), an easyrig and smallHD monitors?

Because it's familiar and comfortable. The easyrig is adjusted for them already. The foam padding is broken in and perfectly fits their shoulders and hips. And they might feel it is more hygienic as well. A monitor can be pre-loaded with LUTS and set up exactly how they want their custom functions, so no matter what camera they are shooting with they can be sure they are getting a consistent image, and always have the same focus and exposure tools available.

Sure, production will rent those things if they ask for it, but they often prefer their own because it's already set up the way they like, every time.
 

6 hours ago, independent said:

That’s remarkable. You see more easyrigs than tripods and dollys? Where are you based?

I didn't say I'm seeing more of them - every shoot has a tripod there, even if it's just for resting the camera on. But in terms of what they're actually using on set, I'm seeing a lot more DP's/Directors that prefer to shoot the currently in-vogue handheld look, as opposed to the sticks & dolly style. And when they're shooting that style they use an Easyrig 100% of the time.

This is in Australia, most often shooting on Alexa mini, occasionally a F55/Red. Haven't had the fortune to work on an LF or Venice shoot yet but I imagine they'd be used in exactly the same way. What types of shoots/cams are you observing in New York?

It's looking like a bit of my work this year is going to be effected by Coronavirus.

One of my clients is an international sporting tour who normally give me about 2 months work a year (including travel to the events). They might be cancelling several of their competitions due to Coronavirus.
 

I also know a lot of guys & girls who are working on the Olympics. If they get cancelled they'll be missing out on a huge chuck of work/income for the year.

On 2/29/2020 at 11:32 AM, independent said:

Enjoy your easy rigs! Not for me.

I don't see them as default anything here in New York City. 

What sort of cams/shoots are you observing? You don't see them often in broadcast TV or sit-coms which are often shot multi-cam as-live, but on most other stuff they're pretty common. When shooting drama or commercials, I'd say most guys are using an easyrig more than a tripod or dolly these days, given the handheld look is very in vogue (this is coming from a 1st AC perspective). I worked with a lot of DP's who only own 2 bits of gear - an easyrig, and a SmallHD monitor. Everything else is rented but those two are the constants that they use on every shoot.

Relating it to the thread at large, I think the Cx00 series are about the heaviest cams that aren't regularly used with an easyrig or shoulder-mount. Though the C300mkII was horrendous to hand-hold as the weight was high up and far forward. Hopefully that's something they fix on all the cameras moving forward.

9 hours ago, independent said:

Want steady shots with pans and tilts? Sticks.

Four points of contact and a dynamic look? Shoulder mount.

Redistribute weight and get smooth shots and movement? Steadicam.

Sure, there are some (very specific) situations where they make some sense, and a few DPs and operators do like them. 

But in my opinion, there are generally better, tried-and-true options. 

Hell, Christopher Doyle shoots with a pillow, so whatever floats your horse in the shed. 
 

Sticks don't give you the freedom of movement. It's a totally different look and feel.

Shoulder mount doesn't give you enough height variation.

Steadycam is for specific shots and not good for run-n-gun.

There's a lot more than "some (very specific)" situations where they work. They're usually the go-to default tool for DP's getting the handheld look. I don't think I've done a single shoot on Arri or Red where the DP didn't use an Easyrig. You might not be a fan of them, and that's ok, but that doesn't mean that they aren't one of the most widely used tools on film sets worldwide.

On 2/27/2020 at 10:28 PM, gt3rs said:

So massive in sales that canon decided not to bring a new model in the last 6 years....

Why release a new model when your old one is still selling so well?

19 hours ago, independent said:

Yes easyrigs do take the weight off, but...that's essentially it. They don't do much to cut out jitter, shake, or vertical movement. I do hear good things about the Serene arm, but at that point, I'd go for steadicam.

Easyrigs are great for removing jitter/shake because they let gravity do the work. It's easy to shoot steady even at 135mm without IS. They also add a third (or fourth) point of contact no matter what angle you shoot from. They also make the camera the fulcrum so when the operator turns the camera, it is an actual pan or tilt. With handheld cameras, the camera operator often has to turn their entire upper body and the camera moves in an arc which can look very strange. The downside of easyrigs is they actually add shake when the operator walks. You do get a pretty wide range of movement though and you can simulate a push/slider/crane shot while still keeping your feet planted.

A steadycam is a very different tool with a very different purpose. You lose the abilty to zoom quickly, you cant touch the lens or camera to adjust things without ruining a shot,  you're limited in how much you can change the camera height without stopping and flipping into under-slung mode, and you're usually shooting on a pretty flat plane (it's hard to shoot a low angle looking up, for example). Easyrig and steadycam each have their own issues, but neither is a direct replacement for the other.

6 hours ago, thebrothersthre3 said:

Yeah I get that though slapping a vmount on kind of kills the small camera vibe you get buying an E2. Some vmount batteries are probably almost as big as the camera itself lol.

Not everyone wants/needs the small camera vibe though. For a lot of stuff, a bit of weight helps as it gives smoother footage. I'd much rather have the convenience of one battery powering the camera, monitor FF and TX at the same time.

Obviously others feel the same as there was a prototype of an integrated mount floating around, I just can't remember who made it so don't know if it ever came to market.

4 hours ago, IronFilm said:

That would kill off the C300mk2, would be a "C300mk3"

Yeah, that's kind of what I was suggesting - a new C300. But as I said, what do you add to a camera in that price range that doesn't step all over the C500mkII, but is still an improvement over both the C200 & C300mk2? Which is why I think that camera in the rumor (between C200 & C500mkII) is unlikely.

The low end, as I said, makes sense. I agree with you that a C100mkIII would probably stay 8 bit - but it would still clean up in the low end market competing against the FS5.

I struggle to see how they'd slot a camera in between the C200 an C500mkII. I guess the only way it would make sense is if it is a broadcast-focused version with 10-bit and 4K60, but then where is it priced that it won't simply be overlooked in favour of the C500mkII. And what do you leave out to reach an acceptable comparative price point? Raw? FF?

I think a C100 replacement does make sense. It's a no brainer, really. C200, but without raw.

 

3 hours ago, thebrothersthre3 said:

Yeah I don't think you'd need V-mounts. Plus you'd not need a metabones either, the C200 is S35 as well. Metabones is just a bonus option that the C200 doesn't even have.

V-mounts are certainly nice to have on a professional shoot. It's nice being able to swap long-lasting batteries between cameras, lights, and mixers.

Metabones was more related to the E2, you're correct I wouldn't need it for the S35 version though.

10 hours ago, FreshGiant said:

But recently I've thought about going the other direction and buying 3 Z Cam E2

I've been intrigued by the Z-cams too - mainly the S35 version. But by the time I price up a full build (including ND's, a sound solution, metabones, etc) it starts to cost the same as a C200/EVA1 anyway.

What are your plans for sound with the Z-Cam, and how would you mount V-lock batteries? I've seen some teasers for an integrated mount but not sure if it's made it to market yet.

Well despite telling myself I'm saving for UMP G2 and have to save money, I accidentally just went out and bought an a6400 as a b-cam. It should be here next week along with a couple of accessories.

I know it has horrible rolling shutter in 4K but it'll be a tripod mounted b-cam most of the time. I also got it to use in a water housing as it's one of the few models that has an inexpensive pre-made surf housing (as opposed to dive housing) available. For that purpose it will mostly be used in 1080p slow mo, or sometimes for photos.

I also kind of wanted something small that I can pick up and shoot family stuff with or just carry with me. My current FS700/Inferno rig is made for proper shoots and takes a day to charge up all the batteries, so I wanted a little setup that I could just grab and go if I need to. Gonna use it with a Sigma 18-35 and will use a Tilta Mini Matte Box for ND filters. I've ordered the Titla MB but it's going to take at least 4 weeks to arrive due to Coronavirus delays.

12 hours ago, Geoff CB said:

Yeah I saw this yesterday and I agree, on big budget films this is the future.

I think it will find it's way into a lot more applications than just big budget films.

I'd imagine in a decade or so instead of booking a cyc wall studio, you'll be able to book a similar though scaled-down setup like this. You'll be able to select from a couple dozen pre-loaded environments or load your own if you've got the budget to create the virtual set (and eventually there will be a market for the sets). Perhaps not quite self-funded short-film budget level, but much cheaper than flying a crew to 3 different locations for a commercial.

The interesting thing about this is it brings a lot of the post-production work into pre-production instead.

Wild!

It looks like they have a few hidden cuts in there to break it down into smaller individual stunts, but nonetheless there is a lot of stress, risk and trust involved.

I'd agree with IronFilm.

If your not already booked on enough shoots to pay for it upfront, then it's not a wise business decision. Save up for gear and rent as required in the meantime.

11 hours ago, Andrew Reid said:

Compared to this Blackmagic's only camera-related "innovation" is to come up with a low price for a sensor in a box that happens to shoot ProRes and RAW internal whereas other cameras tend to stick with compression, and much smaller file sizes with a small trade off in image quality.
 

Swappable lens mounts? Over-sampled sensor (4.6K) for better 4K quality? Recording straight to affordable SSD drives (either via USB-C or an integrated module)? Cheapest camera to use V-Locks natively? One of the best viewfinders available today? Internal compressed raw recording that avoids Red's pesky patent? One of the best UI's of any digital cameras ever? Larger internal displays (though admittedly the one on the Pocket is not that good - perhaps even as bad in daylight as the one Panasonic put on the EVA1)? Prores recording to SD cards (appeared first on the Video Assist monitors)?

It's ok not to like their products. They've certainly had their issues over the years. But it makes you look rather silly when you ignore everything they've done and denigrate all their achievements because of some grudge.
 

Kinda shooting yourself in the foot when you try to deny that Blackmagic are innovative... and then you go and post this.

12 hours ago, Emanuel said:

P6K to come soon if they won't release a FF this NAB or around : -)

I'm thinking (hoping) they'll have one of two things at NAB (or just before, like their announcements for the past few years):

1) USRA Mini Pro LF 6K

or

2) URSA Micro - the P6K sensor in a small, brick-like body with more I/O options.

15 hours ago, IronFilm said:

 

I'll often have a back up right here with me. 

Sure, I don't have a second Sound Devices 833 (or say a 2nd PMW-F3) but I do have a spare Zaxcom Maxx (or a BMPCC, to carry on giving a camera analogy). 

Ah yes, for sound gear it probably is a lot more common for an owner-op to have backups. But they're probably hired more often as an all-in-one package, are they not? Whereas on a commercial the 1AC will go and pick up all of the camera gear the day before a shoot and return in the day after, I've never met a soundie who had to do the same, because they've all have their own gear!

6 hours ago, IronFilm said:

Arguably I'd say owner op gear is a better choice, as they know it better and look after it better. 

However going the path of rentals does kinda CYA ("cover your ass"), giving you a scapegoat to point your finger at if something goes wrong. 

Owner-ops generally don't have a back-up ready to be hand delivered if anything goes wrong though!

54 minutes ago, Andrew Reid said:

Brand new professional cameras are ready for pro work, that is why people buy professional cameras at high prices. The Pocket 6K is nearly $3000. It's a professional camera.

Just thought I'd point out that one of the many reasons that major productions prefer to rent cameras rather than buy/own is that the rental house has already tested/updated/cleaned the camera and made sure it is reliable and ready for use.

They understand that with any camera (and even more so with high end gear like a Red or Arri), it is unwise to expect it to work straight out of the box on day one.

9 hours ago, Andrew Reid said:

Exactly. Fuji are wrong. The whole thing is a travesty. They are dragging his name through the internet outrage machine, too scared to defend him in case they lose a few camera sales.

If they really stood up for artists, rather than abusing them for profit, Fuji would defend him. As usual it tells us far more about Fuji's marketing men than it does about Suzuki's supposed "predatory" behaviour.

Again we see, sadly someone (@barefoot_dp) stating the obvious and because they consider it normal, it is somehow justified. Sure, companies can do whatever they like for profit. That's not news. Is it right? If they perceive edgy art to be a PR gaff all of a sudden is it ok to chuck one of your best known Japanese street photographers under a bus? When will you people get it, christ fucking wept.

In reality is not a kill-switch controlled by the company at their advantage, it is a reactionary hysterical kill switch controlled by a few outraged idiots on the internet.

Companies need to get a fucking GRIP IMO.

Appreciate you calling me out personally (rather than replying directly to the content of my post) because you don't sure my opinion or worldview. Very mature approach.

I don't see how they've thrown him under a bus though. Throwing him under a bus would be leaving the video links live so that the PC army can have a field day with it.

I'd be interested to know your opinion though, (seeing as you seem to have a lot more inside information about the story than was published in the original post) - how does the artist himself feel about all of this? Is social commentary not one of the goals of his art? And in that sense would you not say his goals might have been boosted by all of this backlash and media attention ("any news is good news", etc).

20 minutes ago, Django said:

It doesn't really matter how you perceive this artist.. I  just find it really lame that Fuji aren't standing behind their ambassador.

Exactly... it doesn't matter what I think. All that matters is how Fuji thinks it will effect their bottom line. If they perceive that a partnership or endeavor is no longer in their best interests, they can and will terminate it to whatever extent legally possible (according to the original contracts). It happens all the time with brands.

You ever seen how much marketing content gets pulled early or left on the cutting room floor of big companies? Projects, partnerships and initiatives get started and cut-off midway all the time. It's their prerogative as a commercial enterprise to control their marketing and PR however they decide. Every project has a kill-switch that they can hit if they think something is not having the desired outcomes.

 

23 hours ago, Django said:

This is plain wrong if true:

Fujifilm Removes Tatsuo Suzuki from X Photographer Program after his Controversial Street Photography Shooting Style in X100V Video

How is it wrong? They're not preventing him from creating his art, they're just deciding not to publicly support him for it anymore (if true). Companies will always do what they think is best for the bottom line and any artist with an ambassador role needs to understand that.

You could argue that the only thing that's wrong about it was the mixture of art and commerce/advertising in the first place.

I think the guy is more of a performance artist, to be honest. It's about the process and the interactions, and the social commentary that comes from that. He's provoking a reaction intentionally, and the fallout is all part of that process and reaction.