FHDcrew

27 minutes ago, IronFilm said:

With that lack of passion I doubt they'll be going far in the cutthroat real world after graduation.

Agreed.  The program here is much more broadcast oriented than is film.  Which is fine, because through my own experience, forum-reading, YouTube watching, and real-world practice I've found I can learn and mature the skills I need without college.  I have learned lighting pretty much solely based on my own research.  There are people in this program who are seniors and want to be "film directors", but I sit back and think "what have you actually edited?  Did you ever pick up a light during your 4 years here?"  Of course, they would rather spend their time in a fraternity or some other stupid thing.

8 minutes ago, MrSMW said:

I’ve been to uni twice and the greater majority of those people on any course, seemed to lack interest.

I suspect it has a lot to do with age as the mature students were always the most focused as I was second time round.

Very true a lot of them think they can sit around and just graduate and magically make it. Classes barely teach what you need there is so much I’ve learned about cinematography from YouTube that no one in the department will ever learn if they themselves don’t take advantage of online resources. Also they all shoot on crazy old canon vixia camcorders. And I’m over here shooting full frame mirrorless with a bunch of light. 

3 hours ago, IronFilm said:

Blackmagic ATEM Minis

Love this suggestion. Minimum switcher for me thoufh would be the ATEM Mini Extreme, or of course to continue with a software approach. You tend to need more than 4 inputs when implementing graphics, as you’ll need to either luma/chroma key or have 2 separate copies of the source running to your switcher, the key and fill. 
 

the mini extreme also has supersource which lets you layer and composite for picture and picture and whatnot. 
 

I’ll start a thread about it. 

3 hours ago, IronFilm said:

you can likely get some college classmates in to help you man the cameras at events for cheap)

Lol I brought this exact thing up!  Only like 20 of the 70 people in the department ever think of doing media things outside of literal class assignments Saturday, and even then would probably only do it for money, which at this stage I can’t promise. 

On 10/15/2023 at 1:57 AM, MrSMW said:

How about you? What plans do you have? Any direction changes you might be making?

First of all, hello guys!  It's been a while since I've posted, and honestly I haven't kept up with this forum as much as in the past.  Looking to get myself up to speed on what I missed lol.  Changes?  Honestly passion focus.  My main career will be corporate video (in college right now, got scholarships so it's cheap for me).  But I also love broadcast and lately have spent a lot of my time trying to learn more about that workflow, getting reps and networking with people in the field.  My goal is to direct or technical direct either live sports or corporate events.  Sucks cause those positions are very hard to get when it comes to bigger venues.  Smaller venues, more local corporate/college/high school sports events, it's definitely easier.  I've also considered starting my own production company upon graduation, trying to network and build clients and do smaller scale events.

Currently building my own video switcher, and for the work I do I need something much more advanced than a basic ATEM Mini.  At the university I attend we use a Newtek Tricaster 460.  It's a very interesting unit; in essence it is a PC running windows (windows 7 actually!) and Newtek's own proprietary switching software.  In essence this unit is a lot like a vMix or OBS PC, but using Newtek's own software.  I do really like the unit; it gives the flexibility of a software switcher with the workflow and familiarity inspired by a hardware switcher.  It has multiple M/Es (mix effects) which are essentially all layerable sub-switchers that can be used in tandem with the primary preview/program bus.  You can also use them as separate switchers within the actual Tricaster.  This, for example, allows one to cut a live-stream feed independently from an IMAG feed (IMAG stands for image-magnification; so displaying output on a projector at a venue).  You can also use these M/Es to create compositions, such as picture-in-picture, and hot swap the contents of the composition live.  Super useful!  These are all things you can't do to the same degree on an ATEM Mini.  I will say that the ATEM Mini Extreme is closer in functionality.

The Tricaster also has built-in media players and graphic banks, all of which are a lot more capable than ATEM units.

I've been trying to build sort of a DIY-Tricaster, using a PC I have on hand, as well as a Blackmagic Decklink Quad SDI (4 SDI input, 4 SDI output capture card).  I have been working on tweaking and configuring OBS to operate in a similar fasion to Newtek's software.  With the right plugins, macros and custom combination of features, I've been able to get OBS to work in a very similar fashion to a Tricaster, both in terms of functionality and workflow.  I can make sub-mixes for IMAG outputs, use downstream keys (overlays on all of your output), preview/program switching with multiview, custom transitions, and more.  I even bought a Tricaster control surface (a legitimate switcher controller with t-bar) and using software called Central Control use it to control OBS.  So the workflow is super nice for me.

Downside of software switching is the latency.  An ATEM uses FPGA chips to run everything, so your output latency is wayyyy lower than any software solution, be it vMix, OBS, or a Tricaster.  This makes them more useful for live venue feeds, and as such I will probably purchase a higher end ATEM switcher at some point.  Thinking about the ATEM Constellation 2 M/E, which gives me the ability to make a submix just like the software solutions, but with the low latency and reliability of a hardware switcher.

Word vomit.  Lolz.  Broadcast has really peaked my interest as of late.  I kind of need to re-ignite my passion for cinematography; feel like I haven't grown in lighting or color grading in a while.  Definitely have been complacent, so @kyemaybe you can whip me into shape!

I'm still using my Nikon Z6/Ninja Star kit.  It's doing the job, and since I'm investing in broadcast gear right now, I'm kinda in a standstill regarding any camera upgrades or even grip gear upgrades, which I do want to do at some point.  The Nikon ZF is insanely tempting; 10 bit internal, full-frame, nice and small, and I can use all my existing lenses while using the Nikon Z6 as a b-cam.

Looking forward to reading these posts and catching up!

18 hours ago, Andrew Reid said:

Just been playing with the H+ mode on the a1.

This gives an open gate 8.6K compressed RAW (13bit) at 30fps for approximately 6 seconds before the buffer fills up.

This is begging for a hack to turn it into an internal RAW video mode isn't it?

As it stands, my hack is to simply use this mode and combine the RAW frames in Resolve.

Should be an interesting thing to play with though.

And it doesn't need a CFe type A card to do the 6 seconds, any half decent UHS-II SD does the job although it does take longer for the buffer to clear (around 30 seconds!)

Wish it had the option for Medium and Small RAW sizes (i.e. 2K or 4K) not just the full res, then it could roll for quite a bit more than 6 seconds.

Love it. 6 seconds is definitely usable for lots of BROLL. Then just switch over to the 10 bit for longer form content, especially talking heads where you can light things. 

Personally I’d still go MotionCam RAW as it’s still more organic of a look, plus it’s achievable on less expensive android phones. 

I see significantly less oversharpening in Apple LOG, which is really nice. Seems like a good option now that that change has been made. 

This is awesome. Finally a cheaper Nikon option with internal 10 bit. Might be my next camera. And I could keep my Z6 as a b-cam. 

1 hour ago, kye said:

Yes, the video from the iPhone is no match for the RAW android video.

I suspect the BM camera app will be subject to all the same image processing that the normal app is subject to, just with adjustable compression ratios.  I'd love to be proven wrong, but I haven't seen any examples of third-party apps having less processing than the default app.

Yeah that is the biggest hurdle with iPhone video.  No matter what app you cannot undue the horrendous oversharpening.  And the "log" profiles feel very fake with no real benefit.  I've been tempted to switch to Android for both the increased OS customization as well as the DNG RAW video which trumps anything the iPhone does.

@IronFilmYeah it's going to be 5 years old pretty soon.

15 hours ago, Marcio Kabke Pinheiro said:

What app to use to record gyro data on your phone?

There is an app called "Sensor Logger" for iOS that works well for me.

23 hours ago, kye said:

I'm also starting to see the benefits of gyro stabilisation in the newer cameras.

My preferred camera is the Panasonic GX85 but if they released a successor that had internal gyro data (and the tools necessary to utilise it in post) then that would be an attractive feature for me - far more than 10-bit or log or other more technical upgrades.

Agreed.

Haven't been super active in a while, so I hope you are all doing well 🙂

Two big reasons I might consider this camera instead of sticking with my Nikon Z6 are:

1.  10-bit internal

2.  Internal Gyro Data

#2 is big for me.  I've realized how convenient gyro stabilization is, at least for me.  Allows me to get a wide range of awesome motion shots while having a convenient shooting experience.  Less weight, less setup time, no need to balance a gimbal or steadicam.  Well...it would be convenient if I had a camera that recorded internally.  I've done some stuff with gyro data on my Nikno Z6 by using a smartphone as a gyro logger.  This works and can work extremely well, but the workflow is a pain because you have to keep track of all the gyro data on your phone and match all of the files, not to mention having one more thing you need to attach to your camera.  The Sony A6700 as well as pretty much all of Sony's recent offerings seem very appealing to me for the sole reason that you can quickly get perfectly synced gyro data without needing any external devices.  You can process this footage in Gyroflow to get a lot of power, and can even use the Gyroflow OFX plugin in Davinci Resolve to get a very streamlined workflow.

The 10-bit internal is nice too.  Of course a billion cameras now offer that, and that feature is solely convenience-based for me.  I think I could rock the Sigma Contemporary Primes and sacrifice a bit of lowlight for these features.  IDK.  We'll see.

On 8/24/2023 at 2:15 AM, gethin said:

I shot my last vid in 8bit h.265 flat with active dlight cranked to the max, and I honestly think I got a better result than I've been getting with 10 but nlog.  Just looking at the histogram nlog was leaving big bands of nothing at either end so those extra 2 bits were probably going to waste. 8 bit was using the full histogram, and I think has some inbuilt noise reduction which saved me a bunch of time in post.  There were a couple of shots that I ettr'd a bit too much, but they were just about salvageable.

The post was so much quicker. I could chuck on all my presets from my z6, and the h.265 fell apart less.

But it leaves me wondering why I spent $7.5k on a new camera 🤔

They need to have optional noise reduction and dlight available on 10bit footage. Nlog is garbage.  I've not bothered with nraw yet.

Mostly shoot in 4k at 25,30,50,60 and a few 8k30 shots

 

 

 

 

 

I too have gotten good results from Nikon FLAT (on my Z6).  Try doing a CST to Arri LogC followed by the Arri rec709 LUT in davinci resolve.  Set the tone mapping to none.  Add contrast prior to the conversion.  You'll like the results:

19 hours ago, gethin said:

Can anyone point me to alternative luts I can check out?

I’m telling you. Color Space Transform. 1000% better. You can export the CST as a LUT in Davinci and use it in Premiere. I do that to monitor NLOG on my Atomos. 

2 hours ago, kye said:

I think you might be low-balling your estimate...  

Ok...99.87%

1 hour ago, newfoundmass said:

I find myself less passionate about the camera industry more and more every day

Same here. 60% of the YouTube camera space has become a giant ad. 

49 minutes ago, gethin said:

the highlight rolloff and lack of dynamic range make the 10 bit h.265 look worse than my 8bit z6ii

Interesting.  I'm curious, how are you converting to rec709?  Are you using Nikon's 3d LUT?  I shoot in NLOG frequently on my Nikon Z6, and i find that Nikon's 3D LUT has pretty bad highlight rolloff.  I get significantly better results if I use Davinci Resolve's Color Space Transform to go from Rec2020/NLOG to Rec709/Rec709.  Seriously, looks wayyy better than the LUT.  You should be able to get great results from NLOG; give Davinci's CST a try.

We also have 2 Panasonic FZ1000s which are solid camcorder replacements in their own right.

4 hours ago, newfoundmass said:

After my close friend decided to upgrade to the Lumix S5 II X he gave me an incredible deal on his Lumix S5 that I couldn't pass up. As a result I just finished packing up my trusty GH5, 12-35mm mk II, 35-100mm mk I, 25mm, and 14mm to ship off to MPB. For the first time in nearly a decade I will no longer have any M43 cameras or lenses. I think my time in the system has finally come to an (unplanned) end. 😞

I'm feeling some kind of way about it right now, honestly. I still believe in the promise of M43, I just don't know that Panasonic will ever realize it or if the market will ever be there to make it viable. It's a damn shame, honestly. I'll be happy with my full frame cameras, and having three of the same bodies will make things a bit easier for me, but I still can't help but wish there was a professional level compact M43 camera that could fit my needs and fit in with my two S5 bodies. I just don't see it happening. 

I had planned to always have at least one M43 camera in my kit. Eventually I was going to upgrade to the GH6 in a couple years, once they were even more affordable on the used market, but I couldn't pass on another S5 with kit lens for $750, so plans changed. It just didn't make sense to keep the GH5 and follow through with my original plans anymore, as these three S5 bodies will get me through until I can snag some S5 II bodies in a couple years when people upgrade to the latest camera.

The GH5 was a total game changer for me and my work. I'm sad to see it go, because in many ways it did things that I never thought a camera would be able to do. It really cannot be overstated how much the IBIS changed things for people like me. I no longer had to set up a cumbersome shoulder rig, I could simply hold it and get steady shots even as I rushed around a wrestling ring and dodged people flying all over the place! Life goes on though, I guess.

 

I have a Panasonic G7 collecting dust after upgrading to my Nikon Z6 + Atomos (haha)....I should probably put it to use as a B-CAM or something.  Still a great camera.  At my church we livestream with one of these, using a Tamron 14-150 MFT lens, giving a wide zoom range and image quality that blows a comparably-priced camcorder out of the water.  Clean HDMI up to 4K...can be hacked for no internal record limit...has microHDMI but that is easy to clamp...such a great live-streaming camera and/or a camcorder-killer.

On 2/17/2023 at 9:26 PM, mercer said:

Other than a quick test of an early eos-m ml build, the 50D was my first real foray into Magic Lantern Raw

I have seen the 50D go for under $100 on MBP these days…if you truly can afford nothing I think either the 50D or a GH1 are the ways to go. 

Speaking of OG cams…

Nikon Z6 - 1080p NLOG (oversampled)

5 hours ago, FHDcrew said:

I would give up all three as long as DR remained in the 12-13 stop territory. 

To add to my post, external recording is the biggest thing I would give up. Being able to record 12-bit RAW internally would be idea. I wish camera manufacturers would add uncompressed CDNG recording to their flagships. Compressed RAW is such a mess…patents and external workarounds…and then one does not necessarily have freedom of choice when it comes to what NLE to edit the RAW footage in…unless one converts. 
 

Give us uncompressed RAW to the card. Or give us Prores 4444 12-bit. The codec everyone has forgotten about 😆 

I would give up all three as long as DR remained in the 12-13 stop territory.