» Posts Tagged ‘dslr’
Anthony E. Zuiker (CSI) is currently releasing a series of “digi-novels” under the Level 26 banner. A digi-novel is a book that also has online video tie-ins; each chapter in the print book contains a code that unlocks a chapter in a corresponding web series. The latest installment of the transmedia franchise is entitled Dark Prophecy, and will be released in October. To film the project, Zuiker et al. went with the 5D Mark II, which is interesting given they shot the previous installment on the RED. Editor and B Camera operator Joshua Caldwell’s post about their experiences using the 5D is a worthwhile read if you’re planning on shooting narrative content on a DSLR. More »
I was being overly harsh when I said Sony was bringing a knife to a gunfight with their forthcoming NEX-VG10 — the camera does feature interchangeable lenses, a big ‘ole APS-C sensor, and video-shooting ergonomics that will presumably put DSLRs to shame. But its lack of 24p (which Sony is saving for a yet-unannounced pro version) will mean most people interested in shooting narrative material will have to look elsewhere. Or will they? As it turns out, there may be a way to get 24p out of the camera yet. More »
The Digital Cinema Society’s website is a bit outdated, but there are a number of free video workshops that may be worth checking out if you’re interested in topics such as “PL Cine Lenses — What Cinematographers Want and Need to Know” or “HD DSLRs for Cinematography.” The links are non-embeddable Quicktimes, but there are a number of ultra-qualified presenters including reps from ARRI, Redrock, Sennheiser, Schneider, Zeiss, and more. More »
The Sony DSLR-killer we heard rumblings about before now has a model name, full specs, and a release date. The internet is already lauding Sony’s announced of the NEX-VG10 as a game changer, and in many ways it is: after all, it’s an interchangeable lens camcorder from a major manufacturer that will ship with a host of features missing from today’s DSLRs. The camera utilizes the same Micro Four Thirds APS-C sensor found in Sony’s new NEX cameras — presumably without employing the same line-skipping tricks as Canon’s current crop of DSLRs. It includes full manual control over video features, has a swivel LCD screen (and a viewfinder), comes with a legitimate built-in microphone, accepts E and A-mount Sony SLR lenses, and will actually record to SDXC and SDHC cards (in addition to Sony proprietary Memory Stick Duo cards). Furthermore, the camera will arrive very soon (September) with a very aggressive street price ($2,000). However, it’s missing one crucial feature that immediately knocks it off my list. More »
For a long time I’ve been looking for a way to shoot handheld with BOTH hands on the camera support handles, to maintain a balanced handheld aesthetic similar to that of indie cinematographers like Andrij Parekh (Half Nelson, Sugar, Cold Souls). It looks like Redrock has this functionality in mind with their crazy new microRemote wireless follow focus, which is why I picked the thumbnail at left; however, the real star of the show (certainly from a wow standpoint) is their ingenious use of an iPhone as a control surface. This is a follow focus like you’ve never seen (unless, of course, you’ve seen it before): More »
Canon, Panasonic, and other electronics companies are showing “concept” cameras in Shanghai right now as part of World Expo 2010, and Canon has seemingly made the biggest splash with their vision of what a camera will look like in 2030. Camera technology is changing so rapidly these days that it’s hard to imagine what video and still cameras will be capable of in five years, much less twenty. But here’s Canon’s concept — which looks an awful lot like the tip of an otoscope — which they’ve dubbed the “wonder cam:” More »
This is a guest post by Alexander Fox, founder of 5DFilmMaking and Vid35.
Thanks to the rapid adoption of HD-enabled DSLRs, many photographers have discovered that they like working with video. However, they don’t necessarily like working with video on a DSLR. Now that the novelty of cinematic depth of field has faded, it’s a good time to take a quick look at the other options available for capturing “motion pictures.” More »
If you’re looking to shoot stills this July 4th, here are some great tips for doing so. But if you’ve got a DSLR of the movie-shooting variety, there are some additional things to keep in mind: More »
Are you happy with your DSLR support system? I’m not — for a number of reasons — but chief among them is the issue of front-heaviness. As much as possible I’d like my 5D to behave like a 35mm (motion picture) film camera, which would mean moving some of the weight of the camera (and the lens, and the matte box, etc.) off the arms and onto the shoulder. Viewfactor’s CONTINEO powered cage looks like it might be a nifty way to do this, by virtue of hooking up the DSLR to a Anton Bauer brick battery — which can be positioned behind the shoulder as a counterbalance. Here’s a quick preview of the CONTINEO from Cinema5d: More »
Get while the getting’s good: episodes of Zacuto’s terrific Great Camera Shootout 2010, previously confined to the Zacuto site, are now available to download from vimeo. Because they’re at vimeo, it also means they’re finally embeddable. If you haven’t caught these handy comparisons betwen 35mm film and DSLR footage, here they are: More »
New details have emerged about Panasonic’s “DSLR killer” (my words, not theirs), the AG-AF100. First announced in April, the forthcoming camera will be priced around $6k and will use a Micro 4/3 sensor paired with an interchangeable lens mount. While the leaked document is marked “preliminary,” I’d imagine that the specs listed in the document are all but final: More »
I recently stumbled across planet5D’s calendar of DSLR workshops and tutorials, which is a great resource for anyone looking to attend free workshops for learning DSLR tips and tricks. Coming up soon are DSLR filmmaking post workflows, Color Grading Hollywood Style with Apple Color, and Avid Media Composer 5 Bootcamp For Final Cut Pro Editors. These three are hosted at NewMediaWebinars and are free to watch live, and $25 to watch archived (which also includes bonus project files, etc). Thanks to Mitch at Planet5D for putting together the calendar. planet5D Event Calendar »
As part of today’s free Adobe workshop on HDSLR feature film workflows (I’ll update that post with a link to the archived presentation), one of the commenters brought to my attention a promising DSLR post-production plugin called 5DtoRGB.1 I’ve called DSLR color-correction on a Mac a clustercuss, not just because of the 4:2:0 color space, but because of Quicktime gamma inconsistencies (often related to YUV to RGB conversion). Rarevision’s 5DtoRGB plugin, currently in beta, just might be the solution to these problems. More »
- Sorry, whoever it was who commented about 5DtoRGB — I lost the chat thread when my Flash plugin crashed for the dozenth time. [↩]
Short answer: no. Long answer: the GH1 is now a viable tool for filmmaking, whereas before I didn’t view it as such. So, what is this hacked firmware? As I mention on the new Choosing a DSLR page of the DSLR Guide, the Panasonic GH1 recently got its own Magic Lantern-eque hacked firmware. As spotted at EOS HD, this firmware enables two very important features for filmmakers: More »
The second NYC DSLR Meetup takes place this Thursday, June 17 at South Street Seaport (Pier 17, Fulton & South Streets, New York, NY 10038). The gist of it: “Anyone shooting video or photo with the Canon 5D Mark II, 7D or T2i are welcome to join and meet throughout NYC on a monthly basis to share ideas, workflow, shoot and showoff their gear.” I’ve got two other events the same night but will definitely hopefully stop by — it’s a good chance to spread the word about the DSLR Guide! Anyone else going? NYC DSLR Meetup »
Letus Direct is well known for their 35mm adapters (I’ve shot with their top-quality Letus Ultimate paired with a HVX-200), but they’ve been conspicuously sitting out the DSLR accessorizing game until now. Their recently announced DSLR products look like a combination of Zacuto and Redrock Micro products and are shipping later this month; the question is whether Letus will bring anything new to the game. Here’s what I think is missing from the market: a rig with a shoulder support that’s not tremendously front-heavy. This would allow shooters to treat DSLRs more like 35mm cameras, which would enable the kind of handheld camera movement I’m going for. LetusDSLR »
In the DSLR Guide I originally wrote, “One could write an entire guide on choosing a DSLR, but that is a never-ending and ever-changing debate that I can’t resolve for anyone; each shooter’s DSLR choice comes down to availability, price point, and their own particular needs.” While I still believe that, I’ve gotten a number of emails in the past few weeks asking questions to the extent of, “Canon 5D or 7D?” and “Canon T2i or Panasonic GH1?” This made me realize the guide jumps right into talking about buying lenses and support systems without offering an overview of the relative strengths and weaknesses of each DSLR when it comes to shooting movies. I hope this update answers these questions and forms a better starting point for the rest of the guide.1 Choosing a DSLR »
- As I was writing my own DSLR comparison, to my chagrin Philip Bloom came out with a similar post last week; feel free to check out his post, as we’re answering the same questions. [↩]
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