Tools for capturing images and sound.
One of the greatest things about the Sony F55 is that I can shoot S-Log2 inexpensively. One of the worst things about it is that I can’t see what I’m doing. Here’s how I worked around that. In my last…
Last Friday saw the release of Version 2.0 firmware for the Sony PMW-F5 and F55 Large Single Sensor cine cameras. The new firmware brings many enhancements such as higher frame rates, ‘scopes in the EVF, and 2K XAVC (disclosure: Art Adams and…
There are 28 things an assistant is supposed to do to this camera before every take. In practice there are really about ten that absolutely need to be done every single time, but miss one and you’ve killed a shot… or maybe a series of shots on the same roll of film. In spite of this some of the greatest movies in history were shot on the Bell & Howell 2709 by cinematographers and their crews who knew the camera’s limitations and worked within them… and every once in a while found ways to push themselves a little further. In this sense the FS700 is equally capable: if you know what it can do and use it for what it’s good for, you’ll make some amazing images. The trick is know where you can’t cut corners.
The HM650 really is a very clever camera, packed full of features that make it a great choice for news shooters. It has multiple codec and recording options, great for when you need to pool or share media. It has WiFi and 3G/4G connectivity via a USB host port where you can add wireless dongle. Brilliant for uploading material via ftp or (via a future firmware update) streaming your footage live. It has a 23x zoom lens, so it offers both a wide angle field of view for press conferences, color shots and GV’s as well as a long telephoto range for capturing those distant stories behind the police lines or security barriers.
Director Ian McCamey and I have done a lot of spots together, and when he calls I know he’s going to have some crazy fun idea that’s going to keep me up nights trying to figure out how to pull…
At NAB 2013, Sony announced the raw upgrade for the NEX-FS700, allowing this $7500 camera to send raw 2K and 4K video to external recorders. In the middle of May, Sony sent me a prototype raw-enabled FS700 camera, an IFR5 raw adapter, and an AXS-R5 recorder. After ten days of frantic shooting, grading, and editing, Art and I presented “FS700 in the Raw” at Cine Gear Expo. Most of what Art discussed he’s written about here; what follows is my part of the presentation.
I’m a member of SMPTE, and as such I receive the SMPTE Journal fairly regularly. The latest issue contains an article that’s backed by the best intentions but, in the long run, poses an unintended threat to the film industry.…
Here at NAB 2013, Replay XD is showing some new accessories for their action cameras. The new $39.99 dive housing is waterproof to 60 meters(197 feet). The standard lens is made of acrylic. An optional all glass lens is available…
The big buzz on Day One at NAB 2013 comes once again from BlackMagic Design. Definitely not resting on their laurels, they’ve raised their game a couple of notches. At the high end, is the official debut of the Cinema…
When Canon lent me and Art Adams a 1D C and a C500 for review, they also left us three cine primes and a compact cine zoom, all in EF mount. Here’s a quick look at these lenses.