barefoot_dp

This is why I bought the Nanlite over an Aputure. Sure, with Aputure you might be paying for more brand recognition and longevity - but at the rate we're moving all these lights are going to be obsolete in a few years anyway.

I'd rather spend AUD $500 on something that breaks in two years, than $2000 on something that I can't even flog for half of that after that same two years. I think we're just seeing the beginning of affordable LED's, and in another couple of years we'll really be spoiled by choice.

Already there's 1200W fixture announced from Nanlite, and I'm sure a few others will be looking to compete in the same space soon too.

Used it on a shoot for the first time today. I was slightly worried about the fan noise beforehand but didn't even notice it on set. Certainly not enough to make me want to perform surgery on it and if there is any hum in the recordings, it should be nothing that a bit of noise reduction can't fix.

I had a setup that was pretty much worst case scenario - a moderately wide shot looking out a window in to midday sun on a very bright day. It maxed out the FS300 but I was able to get a decent amount of wrap and fill on the subject. Lost the sky due to shooting in Rec709 (client request) but managed to keep most of the detail in the trees. I feel like if it had been log I could've saved the sky... maybe.

It's a lot of light output for the price!

 

Clar 350 on sale for $399. Not sure about the fan noise on that one but looks like it could be a good alternative, I like the remote and the PSU looks ok.
But there's 3 fans and a fan in the PSU so... good luck if you want to change anything.
I'm sure next year there will be even better lights! But at these prices, fighting daylight has never been more accessible.
I put 4x 300w through a full grid, getting around 11.5-12EV. Finally can light against windows!

I had a similar experience with the external 2K.

Solutions are: (a) shoot in 4K with the Shogun series, or, (b) use the Odyssey7Q recorder which has a internal down-scale function to take the 4K raw feed and scale it to HD for Prores recording. The problem is that the 2K Raw stream uses line skipping, whereas the internal HD is scaling down the full image for a cleaner result.

The 4K Raw/prores image is fantastic though using an external recorder. I looked back at some of the stuff I shot about 2 years ago and it looks amazingly good for a 2012 camera.

 

Hi all,
Just wondering if anyone has any input for on set power solutions? In particular experiences with block batteries versus generators. I'm looking for something to power a laptop and a v-lock charger, as well as LED lights (up to ~600W total) when required.

A battery seems like a much simpler solution and has the ability to have a data/charging station setup in a car or van. And because my work car is also my family car I like the idea of not having it stink like petrol for a week after every shoot just from carting around the generator and petrol can. No problems with sound either if I go the battery route.  However a generator does have the ability to run for much longer because you can keep topping it up, whereas a battery solution would only last a few hours and require charging overnight.

Has anybody had this same dilemma, and what direction did you go in the end?

Everyone: Please Sony, give us an A7sIII with professional video features! If you do I will buy at least seven of them.
Sony: Ok, here it is!
Everyone: Meh it's just a rehashed A7sIII. This is lame and I'm not buying it. 

Perhaps a combination of the two or a mix of solar in there as well ? Some of those modern generators are pretty small, efficient, and surprisingly quiet. I see caravans and motorhomes in the local showgrounds all the time with little generators. I have to go past them to get to the local mens shed. 
After a recent encounter with having a fuel container in the back of the car and the fumes associated it, i have vowed never again. On a separate issue, I'm looking at a  6x4 trailer with solar panels on top. For my modest electrical needs, when i take off for the weekend. 
I have a mate who has a converted toyota van, he pretty much lives in it due to circumstances outside the scope of this reply. I think he has 300 watts on top with a another 300 watts in one of those folding panel thingies. Pretty sure there's two large amp hour 12 volt batteries in there somewhere. So long as its a nice sunny days he's ok, if not so sunny, he needs to either plug in or run the van for awhile after about three days. Of course everyone's needs are going to be different. 
I presume nobodies going to want genies running while shooting. At this point i'm almost giggling with the thought of ironfilms jumping up and down in an agitated state 🤣. As mentioned you could run a generator between takes and at the end of a day to counter any issues. If you do get a genie make sure it has a dc output for charging batteries and 240 volts. 
Is a trailer out of the question ? With a 6x4 trailer,  you could get, two batteries, inverter and generator plus fuel and have room for lights and other things. If your running from batteries you could park the trailer as close as you can and run a lead as one option, then fire up the genie as required. You could probably free a bit of room up in the car as well no doubt.
I should probably also mention, i recently had a visiting electrician tell me off, for plugging two leads together to extend the range. Apparently that's becoming a no no. Voltage drop and things.

I say NOOOOOOOOOOOOO to noisy generators!!!!
 
 

Yes, we're often camping and working out of vehicles - plenty of lights on the 4WDs, as well as flashlights, headlamps, firelight, etc. Plus needing to light a scene does not always mean it is nighttime.
I do a 4WD Adventure show and we usually rely on the hero vehicle's dual battery/2kw inverter, but sometimes we're away from the main cars for a day or two (eg somewhere that is only accessible by boat/helicopter) and need another solution.
 
IV - Interview
PTC - Piece to camera.

We've got plenty of light off camera. No problems there. This is just specifically for the lighting for remote IV/PTC setups. 600W would be the max if all lights are running but that would not be 100% of the time - just for the 30mins or so to record that piece.
 
If I went the Generator route, I'd be looking at at least 2KW.
If I was in a position that I could run a cable then I would, but it's hard to find a power outlet when you're sometimes 1000km+ from the nearest town!

Hi all,
Just wondering if anyone has any input for on set power solutions? In particular experiences with block batteries versus generators. I'm looking for something to power a laptop and a v-lock charger, as well as LED lights (up to ~600W total) when required.

A battery seems like a much simpler solution and has the ability to have a data/charging station setup in a car or van. And because my work car is also my family car I like the idea of not having it stink like petrol for a week after every shoot just from carting around the generator and petrol can. No problems with sound either if I go the battery route.  However a generator does have the ability to run for much longer because you can keep topping it up, whereas a battery solution would only last a few hours and require charging overnight.

Has anybody had this same dilemma, and what direction did you go in the end?

As much as I love my ZCam (E2-S6), if you're not the type of person who likes to rig and customise their camera, then the ZCam's are probably not for you. These cameras kind of require you to be a bit of a camera nerd - if you know what you want and why, they are fantastic because they most likely will do what you need. However if you want something that you can just pick up and run with straight out of the box, then these are way off the mark.
Lots of people end up having problems (and complaining on the very helpful user Facebook page) about things like skipping frames on SSD's or frying the HDMI port, because they did not do their research on the correct media, cables, power solutions, etc.

As much as I love my ZCam (E2-S6), if you're not the type of person who likes to rig and customise their camera, then the ZCam's are probably not for you. These cameras kind of require you to be a bit of a camera nerd - if you know what you want and why, they are fantastic because they most likely will do what you need. However if you want something that you can just pick up and run with straight out of the box, then these are way off the mark.
Lots of people end up having problems (and complaining on the very helpful user Facebook page) about things like skipping frames on SSD's or frying the HDMI port, because they did not do their research on the correct media, cables, power solutions, etc.

As much as I love my ZCam (E2-S6), if you're not the type of person who likes to rig and customise their camera, then the ZCam's are probably not for you. These cameras kind of require you to be a bit of a camera nerd - if you know what you want and why, they are fantastic because they most likely will do what you need. However if you want something that you can just pick up and run with straight out of the box, then these are way off the mark.
Lots of people end up having problems (and complaining on the very helpful user Facebook page) about things like skipping frames on SSD's or frying the HDMI port, because they did not do their research on the correct media, cables, power solutions, etc.

Keep in mind that run-n-gun does not always equate to small and light. In fact, often quite the opposite as more weight = more stability when shooting handheld. So often those run-n-gun shooters don't mind the weight that comes with a proper cinema camera.
 
Funny, I'm the total opposite. I want my footage to look obsolete in 5 years, that way the client has to hire me to re-shoot the exact same thing.
 
The big problem there is patents.

You can't just take the Prores Raw (or some other similarly compressed format) and put it inside a camera, because Red's patents don't allow it.
 

Keep in mind that run-n-gun does not always equate to small and light. In fact, often quite the opposite as more weight = more stability when shooting handheld. So often those run-n-gun shooters don't mind the weight that comes with a proper cinema camera.
 
Funny, I'm the total opposite. I want my footage to look obsolete in 5 years, that way the client has to hire me to re-shoot the exact same thing.
 
The big problem there is patents.

You can't just take the Prores Raw (or some other similarly compressed format) and put it inside a camera, because Red's patents don't allow it.
 

Unfortunately you find yourself in a small niche that not many of the brands are likely to cater to (due to my previous comment of it making the products prohibitively expensive/complex for the majority of users).

I think you're likely left in a position where you need to decide whether you actually need the things you think you do (ie raw, 10-bit) for what you're doing, or whether they're just imaginary goalposts you've put up. What exactly is it that you think you're missing from the current generation of cameras, that would be better if you were shooting raw?
 

I love my E2-S6 and am considering adding an E2-M4 as a b-cam for gimbal & long lens work.

I love my E2-S6 and am considering adding an E2-M4 as a b-cam for gimbal & long lens work.

I love my E2-S6 and am considering adding an E2-M4 as a b-cam for gimbal & long lens work.

Exactly, this is one reason why recently I've had a change of tack and I'm trying to get more jobs as a Boom/Utility rather than a OMB Mixer. 

Although, not quite working out like how I'd have hoped on the current 12 week long job, as I'm a more knowledgeable/experienced drama mixer than the guy I'm working under. 

I'll just add that I am in no way looking down on people who aren't in the 'actual' film/commercial industry. Most of the time I am not there either, and I'm doing corporate work or branded content for local businesses. The resources and gear available today make it possible to create amazing content even as a solo shooter.

However when it comes to improving, those times when I do step in to a larger crew - even if it's just a 1 day TVC shoot, are without a doubt the times when I learn the most.

 

I'll just add that I am in no way looking down on people who aren't in the 'actual' film/commercial industry. Most of the time I am not there either, and I'm doing corporate work or branded content for local businesses. The resources and gear available today make it possible to create amazing content even as a solo shooter.

However when it comes to improving, those times when I do step in to a larger crew - even if it's just a 1 day TVC shoot, are without a doubt the times when I learn the most.

 

Well yes - there's a reason why, in the *actual* film industry, nearly every DP started as an AC, every gaffer started as a grip/best boy, every producer (actual producer, not exec) started as a runner, PA and line producer. There is absolutely no substitute for hands-on learning surrounded by people who really, really know what they're doing.

Yeah... again, I think you've kind of missed the point of my posts.

My point was that, even as a DP, still working as an AC lets me see how other people do things, where they were more efficient or more effective, and where they were less so. There's many ways to skin a cat and if you get caught up in your own ego and think that your self-taught way is the best and only way, then you're severely limiting yourself.

You can go out and shoot endless films by yourself but if you're doing the same thing over and over and over you might just be getting better at doing things in a less effective way.
 
This comment makes me think you have no idea what a 1st AC does.