nofilmschool » cameras

Hacked Shootout: Panasonic GH2 vs. 5D Mark III RAW & Magic Lantern Gets Playback/Audio Working

Joe Marine — Fri, 17 May 2013 23:51:55 +0000

I don’t recall in recent memory any sort of software with this many updates in such a short period of time, but the folks over at Magic Lantern have been working around the clock, and we’re getting almost consistent updates thanks to the incredible people working on the RAW video hack. Basic capabilities from regular H.264 video are being ported over, and it looks like both playback and audio are working in at least a basic form with RAW video mode — so we should see those at some point. We’ve also got a great little comparison from Luke Neumann showing the RAW Canon 5D Mark III against the hacked Panasonic GH2. (more…)

How to Get Started with Magic Lantern RAW Video on Your Canon Camera

Joe Marine — Thu, 16 May 2013 21:00:59 +0000

If you’ve been reading these Magic Lantern RAW video posts and watching the clips, and you’d like to get in on the action, we’ve got just the tutorial for you. Luke Neumann, who has been testing the Canon 5D Mark III with Magic Lantern and recently posted a clip of his own, has put together a great video that runs through some of what you’ll need to do to get up and running. We’ve also got another great test video to whet your whistle, so head on down and check everything out below. (more…)

Will the Magic Lantern Canon DSLR RAW Video Hack Kill Your Camera's Sensor? Short Answer: No

Joe Marine — Wed, 15 May 2013 19:21:58 +0000

Long Answer: Nope. There seems to be a lot of misunderstanding about what is actually happening with the new Magic Lantern hack in development that enables RAW Video output on Canon DSLRs. While it seems like some sort of magic on the surface (and it basically is), the reason this is possible is because of the RAW data stream that the camera is already outputting during normal operation. Read on for a clear explanation as well as some words from the Magic Lantern team on how this affects your camera. (more…)

BMCC vs. Canon 5D Mark III: Did Blackmagic Just Get a Full-Frame RAW Video Competitor?

Joe Marine — Tue, 14 May 2013 21:13:25 +0000

Even though Blackmagic announced two more cameras at NAB, the original 2.5K BMCC is still shipping in limited quantities. While the company has been working hard to address the situation, an unlikely competitor has come along thanks to Magic Lantern: Canon’s year-old 5D Mark III. It is now the only DSLR to shoot RAW stills and video, and even though the hack is still in the early stages, it’s becoming clear that it will be a force to be reckoned with at this budget level. The guys over at cinema5D have been working with the hack, and they’ve now posted the first test comparing RAW video from the Blackmagic Cinema Camera and the Canon 5D Mark III. The results are interesting, to say the least. (more…)

These RAW Video Clips Will Make You Want a Canon 5D Mark III (Unless You Already Own One)

Joe Marine — Tue, 14 May 2013 16:45:27 +0000

The Canon 5D Mark III has become a true cinema camera. That’s a bold statement, but some of the footage that is currently being shot with the new 14-bit RAW Magic Lantern hack is absolutely night and day when compared to 8-bit H.264 footage recorded in-camera, and there is no doubt it rivals much more expensive cameras just in sheer image quality. We’ve got some impressive samples from cinema5D, Luke Neumann, as well as a few others below. Click through for the head-exploding videos. (more…)

1080P RAW Video Now Possible on Canon 5D Mark III & Real Anamorphic Shooting with the New Hack

Joe Marine — Sun, 12 May 2013 22:36:53 +0000

Not only do we have news that RAW video at 24fps is possible on the Canon 5D Mark III, but we now know it’s possible to get a full 1920 x 1080 image with 1000x speed cards. The first samples were possible by cropping the image to 1920 x 820, but g3gg0 from Magic Lantern has unlocked a way to get the entire image — the full 1920 x 1080. This makes the Mark III the first full-frame (36mm x 24mm) camera to shoot RAW video at 1080p. Also, now that we’re capable of getting really high-quality custom resolutions, a whole new world has potentially opened up for anamorphic shooting with the camera. (more…)

Canon 5D Mark III is Now Shooting RAW Video at 24FPS

Joe Marine — Sun, 12 May 2013 06:38:38 +0000

The team at Magic Lantern has been able to do some amazing things with Canon’s cameras. Late last month, we learned it was possible to get a burst of RAW still images from the camera without the shutter moving at reduced resolutions — which yielded more resolution and dynamic range. Some people working with ML were confident we could get RAW video at usable frame rates (since they were only getting 5-15fps at best) with these images at some point as long as the cards were fast enough, and now that has become a reality: the Canon 5D Mark III is a RAW-shooting video camera. Click through for the first video samples. (more…)

Aaton to Be Taken Over by New Owners, Shifting Focus to New Documentary-Style Digital Camera

Joe Marine — Sat, 04 May 2013 23:27:56 +0000

We reported recently that French camera maker Aaton was in financial trouble thanks to issues with sensor development on its Penelope Delta digital cinema camera which has yet to see the light of day in any real numbers. Confirming these issues, Jean-Pierre Beauviala, Aaton founder, explained in a statement what’s happening with the company, and what they plan to focus on going forward — which includes a new audio recorder and a new documentary-style digital cinema camera. (more…)

1080P is Better Than 4K (Or Why I Chose the Canon C100) with Ryan E. Walters

Guest Author — Fri, 03 May 2013 09:22:10 +0000

This is a guest post by Cinematographer Ryan E. Walters.

After many years of owning a wide range of camera systems, including a RED ONE and an EPIC, I decided to sell it all and rent. So for the past three years I have been exclusively renting cameras on a per project basis, that is, until recently when I made the plunge and bought the Canon C100. Little did I know how many eyebrows and questions it would raise when I posted a picture on Facebook. Here is why I chose a 1080p, 4:2:0 camera over a 4k RAW camera. (more…)

How to Shoot Slow-Motion Aerial Footage on the Sony F55 with Andrew Wonder

Guest Author — Thu, 02 May 2013 20:05:11 +0000

Great aerial footage seems simple enough to capture in theory, but there is often a team of people or years of experience backing up the terrific shots. In the post below, we have Andrew Wonder to take us through his process of capturing aerial footage of a female rugby team on the Sony F55.

This is a guest post by Director/Cinematographer Andrew Wonder.

If you were at NAB, then you already know that 2013 was the year of the drone. You could barely walk around the convention floor without the risk of getting a haircut by someone’s spin on the aerial rig. Though they look like toys, it’s easy to forget that operating a drone is an art that should be carried out by professionals. Like a Steadicam, you can’t just pick one up and expect cinematic results. Understanding how to balance and control these crafts is the difference between that perfect shot and ending up in the river. (more…)

Canon Finally Releases Firmware V1.2.1, Enabling Clean HDMI on the 5D Mark III

Joe Marine — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 17:25:27 +0000

With everything going on with the 5D cameras over the last few days, you’d think the clean HDMI firmware had already been released — but today Canon finally took the wraps off the firmware update they announced all the way back in October. While the headline feature is definitely the clean/uncompressed HDMI, they have introduced a number of other fixes as well. Click through for more from Canon about the update. (more…)

Aaton, Maker of the Penelope Delta Camera, is in Financial Trouble, Plus a RED DRAGON Update

Joe Marine — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 04:05:10 +0000

We’ve mentioned the Aaton Penelope Delta a few times, not only because it is a seriously impressive piece of machinery, but also because it comes from a long line of well-designed cameras from the French-based company. While certain manufacturers are going small and/or modular, a few — namely Aaton and Arri — are still making cameras that are well-balanced and can be thrown on your shoulder right from the factory. Unfortunately, the company has faced a few setbacks with their still unreleased camera, and now it looks like those issues have put them in serious financial trouble. We’ve also got an update about the RED DRAGON sensors, and why we’ve yet to see any footage (even though the hardware is done). (more…)

Canon 5D Mark III Clean HDMI Firmware Leaks, Plus More from Magic Lantern Regarding RAW Video

Joe Marine — Sun, 28 Apr 2013 04:25:32 +0000

It seems like it’s been all about the Canon DSLRs over the last day or so, but we assure you there are plenty of other things happening. Even though it’s not set to be released for another few days, it looks like an official firmware update for clean HDMI on the Canon 5D Mark III has leaked to the internet, version 1.21. We wanted to make sure this was the real deal and wouldn’t brick any cameras, but it definitely looks like this is an official update — but whether this will be the final release is unclear. We also have some more information about the RAW video hack that the guys are working on over at Magic Lantern. (more…)

First RAW Video Sample DNGs from the Canon 5D Mark III with New Magic Lantern Firmware

Joe Marine — Sat, 27 Apr 2013 04:26:41 +0000

We just told you about what Magic Lantern is doing with the RAW liveview image, and now we’ve got some of the first samples for you to play around with. Luke Neumann has been testing the new firmware with A1ex over at Magic Lantern, and he has produced a spectacular sample that really gives you an idea of what this firmware is capable of. First, here is a video from Luke walking you through the process he went through to get these samples: (more…)

Magic Lantern Unlocks RAW Video on the Canon 5D Mark II and Mark III

Joe Marine — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 23:43:59 +0000

Every day it seems things get more and more interesting with what these Canon cameras are actually capable of. It would be interesting to know if Canon is actually aware of what their cameras can do, or if some of these are happy accidents for the team over at Magic Lantern. They have made significant discoveries trying to enable full uncompressed HDMI, and not only do we have RAW still images from the liveview video stream, but they’ve actually managed to get RAW video working on Mark III. (more…)

First Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera Footage Released, Same Look as the BMCC in a Smaller Package

Joe Marine — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 09:24:28 +0000

Blackmagic announced two cameras at NAB 2013, but on the floor at the show, much of the buzz was not about the 4K camera, but actually the smaller Pocket Camera. Truly a first of its kind, the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera with its Super 16mm-sized sensor will be recording ProRes and RAW 1080p footage in a package about the size of most mirrorless cameras, all for $1,000. I got to play around with both cameras a bit, but it’s always nicer to see a camera outside of the NAB show floor and really get a sense of what it’s capable of. John Brawley, who has worked closely with Blackmagic to develop their cameras, has posted the first footage from the Pocket Cinema Camera. (more…)

Sony Teases Concept 4K DSLR and Octagonal-Shaped Cameras at NAB 2013

Joe Marine — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 01:34:26 +0000

While Sony didn’t announce any large sensor cameras at NAB 2013 as some had speculated, they did show off some concept 4K DSLR-type cameras with heavy-duty positive lock mounts (only one of the cameras actually takes standard PL lenses, the other is an A-mount) that may or may not find their way into the hands of shooters. Even though they are far from completed cameras, they do speak to where Sony may be looking for the future. Check out this video below from Engadget, who was at the Sony event where these were being shown: (more…)

RED EPIC DRAGON & SCARLET DRAGON Specs, Upgrade Pricing, Warranty Information, and Price Drops

Joe Marine — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 05:29:38 +0000

As we await the first footage from the DRAGON sensor (we’ve already been given some still images, but nothing was shown at NAB 2013), upgrades are already happening. Some of the first cameras to be upgraded, EPIC-Ms, were given the royal treatment right on the NAB floor where RED set up a clean room to give attendees a glimpse into the behind-the-scenes of what goes into camera upgrades. It was definitely one of the more spectacular displays of just how far the company has come since their first appearance at NAB 2006. We know RED is upgrading sensors for current EPIC and SCARLET owners, but what exactly will this cost, and might it actually be more cost-effective to sell your camera and buy DRAGON brand new? Click through for specs and a complete analysis on all prices. (more…)

Welcoming Next Generation Broadcast Imaging in the ARRI Ikegami HDK-97ARRI

Micah Van Hove — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 15:00:14 +0000

Built with an ARRI Super 35mm CMOS sensor, the HDK-97ARRI intends to pave the way for large format sensors in a broadcast environment. The lovechild of two giants in the industry — Ikegami and ARRI — this imaging machine is business up front, party in the back, and vice-versa. Check the all-important specs and details below. (more…)

RED Dragon is Finally Here: Upgrade Schedule Announced, SCARLET Will Get Dragon Upgrade

Robert Hardy — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 19:50:42 +0000

RED is on a roll. With a stream of new products just announced, it seemed that they had done their damage for the day. However, now we’ve also got confirmation that not only is the Dragon finally ready, but that the Scarlet will be able to be outfitted with the new sensor. This is huge news for both EPIC and SCARLET owners alike. Read below for the scoop on the new update program. (more…)