OK, the eggnog is but a disgusting crust on the sides of the bowl. Only the shards of wrapping paper and stray empty boxes stand in testament to the recent consumption carnival. So as the Christmas dust clears what did Santa put in your video stocking this year?

For me, it was the 16x Manual Servo lens for my XL1s. It's really a nice goody.

Under the tree I found a new WGP Orracle paintball gun and a MS wireless keyboard and mouse set. Nothing in the video department though, although I did ask for a Cavision Matte box as an alternate gift if Santa din't have the bling bling for the paintball gun.

Don't forget to use your -- ahem -- protection the next time you use that new gun. (I remember your painful story.)

I got the book "Digital Filmmaking Handbook" by Ben Long and Sonja Schenk,,,,and some other non video stuff.

I just got drunk.

No pressies for me.
But for chanukah i got some new software for the comp.


Still Jewish.
zac

Well nothing video, but I got a top-of-the-line recumbent bike from Cannondale. It was a complete surprise (at $2K).

I cannot not tell you what I ate Christmas Day.

Hey Kermie, Happy Chanukah...

From me too, Kermie...happy Chanukah!

From one non-practicer to another-

I got a new tripod from my brother...but, it's one of those cheap ones you find in any store.

I hate being in this situation. I'm trying to get an order through for a Miller tripod and will not put the well-being of my XL on this thing, regardless of what the store said. The mounting plate is about 3"x2", and plastic. Aside from the aluminum legs, everything is plastic. My brother meant well, he knows nothing about video so I'm not annoyed, I just can't use it.

Aside form that, I got a fully adjustable TuffStuff weight bench, candy, and a sweater.

>>For me, it was the 16x Manual Servo lens for my XL1s. It's really a nice goody.<<

My guess is that the Santa looked remarkably like you, Ken!

How do you like the lens? Is this the one that, other than focus, can be controlled by the XL-1?

I've been intending to rent one from Glazers here in Seattle just to try it out.

BTW, I'm still awaiting the Jaguar delivery from MacMall.....

Happy holidays---

Vic

My wife bought me 2 pairs of socks, and then broke my right pinky on Boxing Day.

Vic,
The 16x lens is excellent. Yes, its zoom can be either servo-driven or manual. The only odd aspect to the lens is that the iris is run from the iris wheel on the camera, rather than from a barrel wheel (like the 14x), but it's not really an incovenience after you get accustomed to it. The lens also features 2 ND filters (1/6 and 1/32) which will be handy for outdoor shooting.

You'll also note that this lens is heavier than the 16x auto lens. The weight seems to be mainly in the servo housing, although it's difficult to pinpoint.

Since it has no image stabilizer I'll mainly be using it on mounted shots.

I think you'll find it interesting if you get a chance to try it out. It's certainly not the only lens you'll ever need but will be a handy addition to the tool kit.

Nice score Ken.

Well I got a really great present, removal of all 4 wisdom teeth a week before christmas that got infected and I was in agony most of the day :)

Regardless I got two books from me wifey

"The Great Acting Teachers and Their methods" (I'm an actor BTW)

and

"Feature Filmmaking as used car prices"

So I've got some good chrissie reading.....

Aaron,

I know what you're going through. I had the exact same thing happen once...all four got infected. They gave me some powerful painkillers that pretty much erased a week from my memory. I remember receiving a wristwatch in the mail the following week after I'd recuperated and finished off the painkillers...supposedly I'd ordered it from the Home Shopping Network and didn't even remember doing it.

So, before you pop another pill...hide your credit cards! Otherwise you might wind up with more DV stuff from after Christmas sales than you'd planned.

Hmmmm....pain killers........

I need to commit that ploy to my memory banks.....sounds like a sure-fire excuse to use when, upon arrival of the latest package from B&H or wherever, the "war department" says, "OK--What did you order this time....?" I can plead ignorance.

Cheers

Hi Ken,

Glad you asked. Santa brought me a Gossen Luna Pro S light meter. Now I'm wondering what to do since I'm not exactly "there" in my knowledge or experience yet. My mind is already reeling over terms like "reflective" and "incidental" light; I tend to want to trust my eyes and monitor.

I was told that we could use it to (a) light a green screen more evenly (b) light our subject the same as the green screen (c) help with multiple-location shoots.

Sounds okay to me, and I'm willing to learn how to use the thing, but do you know if a photographic meter (specifically, this one) works for video? I've read a few things on other threads that make me suspect this one won't do, but would appreciate a simple answer while I can still get a refund. BTW, the supplemental manual says that it used to have a cine scale, but it was removed 'cause nobody used it. Sounds like I just answered my own question, but what about the uses I mentioned above?

Oh, and, congratulations on your new lens!

Hello Lorinda,
I've not had much experience with chromakey production work so I can't really offer much guidance for using your new meter in that regard. Measuring reflected luminance from a chroma background sounds useful. But effectively replacing the chroma color with an alpha channel in post relies mainly on eliminating shades and shadows which would be readily apparent to your eye during production.

As noted in other threads that you've probably already reviewed, a video camera is really a giant light meter. The predictive capabilities of separate light meters are largely superfluous in this realm; the electronic "film" of a video camera, the CCD block, continuously tells you how you're doing. I have a few books that remark on the usefulness of using a light meter on a video scene, but not very persuasively. In the end, tape is so inexpensive (when compared to film) that re-shooting with several exposures costs nothing in terms of media consumption.

Do you ever do any 35mm still film shooting? The meter would be handy there!

Hey, thanks for your congrats and Happy 2003 to you! I've never been to Idaho but it's squarely on my list of places to visit. Years ago I bought computers made by Micron. They always arrived in boxes proudly proclaiming their origins in Nampa.

I've been to Nampa several times. On the outskirts of town are several silos that Prairie Falcons used to use to nest. I have hours of footage of the falcons flying and feeding their young.

But on to the matter at hand, light meters. If you do a lot of green screen work I would keep it and learn to use it. It helps to get the lighting very consistent. The meter can help you get it at least to 1/2 stop if not 1/3 stop difference. That could be time saving.

If you need to maintain a very consistent lighting ratio it can be helpful. For example you doing a series of interviews at different times and locations. You want the light on one side of the face to be 1 and 1/2 stops less than the other side. The meter would allow you to consistently achieve the same lighting ratios. That said, I almost never use them. My work doesn't require that type of accuracy anymore.

Jeff

<<<-- Originally posted by Ken Tanaka : Don't forget to use your -- ahem -- protection the next time you use that new gun. (I remember your painful story.) -->>>

I've never been shot in the jewels while playing actually. Unlike when you are filming, most of your body is behind cover 95% of the time. If you know how to play a bunker, you mostly just get shot in the face, or gun, which doesn't hurt. Sometimes the neck or arm. There, now I've sufficiently jinxed myself to get shot in the groin next time I go out. :)

Yep, Micron II lives just down the road from me; the mother of them all is in Boise.

If you ever do decide to visit Idaho, please let me know and I will roll out my best red carpet for you! I think you would be pleasantly surprised, and if you're into gorgeous white water and stuff like that, I could show you some places that would knock your socks off.

Thanks for your thoughts; I think the light meter will be going back to the store.

Lorinda Yamamoto-Norton

Whoa! I hadn't read Dylan's post before sending the above to Ken. Dylan, you were only 3 miles from my house!! And I'll think on the meter for a while longer. Thank you.

Oops again! That name should read Jeff (I think). Sorry, must be bedtime.

got a dvd box set of Akira Kurosawa.. oooh. along with "Dog town and z-boys."

<<<-- Originally posted by Lorinda Norton : Yep, Micron II lives just down the road from me; the mother of them all is in Boise.



Whoa! I hadn't read Dylan's post before sending the above to Ken. Dylan, you were only 3 miles from my house!! And I'll think on the meter for a while longer. Thank you.

Oops again! That name should read Jeff (I think). Sorry, must be bedtime. -->>>

Definitely Jeff, not me. I drove through Idaho once about 7 years ago, but only stopped to re-fill the gas tank. :)