» Posts Tagged ‘gopro’
The GoPro HERO3 is a fantastically useful little camera for getting into all sorts of places, but there are major issues with the amount of control you have over the image. For starters, the camera is not all that usable on certain productions because of its automatic exposure settings. To combat this, Radiant Images, with the help of View Factor, built a custom HERO3 with an interchangeable C-mount called the Novo (not to be confused with the Novo 2K which is confirmed to be an SI-2K). The Novo has already been used on some major Hollywood productions, but if you were interested in purchasing one at some point (since they are currently rental-only), you might be disappointed. More »
Radiant Images, a rental house based in LA, but with other locations around the country, introduced a modified GoPro HERO3 a few months ago called the Novo. Developed with help from View Factor, the modification introduced interchangeable lenses and manual exposure options to the tiny compact camera. Now, at the Cine Gear Expo event in Hollywood, Radiant is introducing a brand new Novo that is capable of shooting uncompressed 2K RAW images, which should far surpass the quality of the previous camera based on the HERO3. More »
NAB Video: CineChopper on Modifying the DJI Phantom
If you thought you were safe from more NAB videos, well, you were wrong, as we’ve got a few additional interviews from our friends over at FreshDV. The DJI Phantom has certainly brought down the cost of entry for getting great-looking aerial footage — especially with cameras like the GoPro HERO3 — but right out of the box, there are some modifications that can be done to improve the steadiness. Here is Chris Newman from CineChopper on his modifications: More »
NAB Video: DJI Phantom for Flying GoPro Cameras
The DJI Phantom is DJI‘s first consumer product, a small helicopter unit designed for GoPro cameras, guided by GPS (from space!) for capturing aerial photography at an accessible consumer level. Hit the jump for the video coverage from our floor partners at FreshDV: More »
The GoPro HERO3 might be a relatively inexpensive camera that can be mounted anywhere, but a few more mounting points would make it infinitely easier to position and stand up to abuse over time. That’s why Jared and the team at Wide Open Camera have come up with a metal housing they are calling the Combat Cage. They’ve taken to Kickstarter to fund the project, so click through to learn more about it. More »
You’ve all seen first person or POV videos at some point — but the new Biting Elbows music video is something else entirely. Continuing with the Insane Office Escape Series (insane is an understatement), Ilya Naishuller (who is also in the band) directs another video with balls-to-the-wall non-stop action — giving movies like Crank a run for their money. Using a first person perspective, our hero fights his way through seemingly endless waves of suit-and-tie bad guys, with a little bit of teleportation thrown in for good measure. Check out the decidedly NSFW video below: More »
There has been an explosion in aerial videos over the last few years thanks to cheaper “drones” and “copters” and smaller and smaller high-quality cameras, but it still takes a tremendous amount of skill and patience to properly take these machines into the air and get usable footage. We’ve posted a number of these videos in the past, but GoPro recently shared one from Robert McIntosh that blew me away. Taking his GoPro to the Santa Monica Pier, Robert does a few maneuvers that had me expecting the worst, but his camera and the copter came out the other side unscathed. Check it out below: More »
When the GoPro HERO3 was announced, it quickly became clear that it was a huge upgrade from the HERO2, especially considering the addition of 2.7K and 4K modes. Some later tests certainly confirmed this, and while the camera packs quite a punch considering its small size, filmmakers are always looking for more control and more options. That’s where the Radiant Images and View Factor Novo Camera mod comes in. We’ve seen some mods for GoPro cameras in the past, but this is in an entirely different league. The Novo takes everything that’s great about the HERO3, and gives it manual control with a back-focus adjustable C-mount (a mount typically found on 16mm and security cameras). Check out some of the videos below to see this little guy in action. More »
Another DIY Bullet-Time GoPro Rig (This One's Handheld!)
We recently featured several practical but effective techniques for creating the (by now) famous Matrix-esque ‘bullet-time’ effect — accomplished, in more than one case, by using an evenly spaced array of GoPros and some post-processing elbow grease. Clearly, the availability and portability of such cameras is catching on beyond conventional ‘action cam’ uses, and inspiring creatives of nearly any budget to create shots only A-budget Hollywood productions used to be able to pull off. GoPros make sense for such arrays, because they are forgivingly frameable (and decently affordable as far as rentals go). Now, another project has demonstrated what’s possible with these simple but adaptable cameras — in this case, built into a rig that can also be handheld. More »
Can't Afford a GoPro? You Already Own One. Just Add G-Form's G90 Indestructible iPhone Case
The iLeatherman* for filmmakers is very real. Case in point: let’s say you can’t afford the $400 GoPro HERO3 (or justify the purchase for whatever reason), but you still need a tiny HD rig that laughs in the face of danger, damage, and almost certain death — and you do own a smartphone. Meet G-Form’s waterproof/impact-resistant technology — your freefalling iPhone will survive a 100,000+ foot drop from space with it. The thing about that of course is, that same smartphone also has an HD video-capable camera built into it… you can see where this is going. Say ‘hello’ to G-Form’s G90 ‘Action Sports Camera’ cellphone cases — including variants for Android models. More »
Several impressive videos achieved with minicopters have surfaced in the last year or so (pun intended). We’ve seen soaring ghost’s-eye views of hauntingly deserted urban nightscapes, and ninjas battling through ruined buildings in impossible ‘dolly shots’ — only made possible, of course, with such compact aerial shooting platforms. Now, the ‘King of the Action Cam,’ that is the GoPro HERO3, gets the sky-flying treatment — and if there’s any camera you won’t be too worried about strapping in to the DJI Phantom Aerial Quadcopter for blast-off, it’s the GoPro — check out the footage below. More »
How to Make Your Own Portable DIY Bullet Time Rig
When you hear the term “bullet time,” you probably can’t help but think of The Matrix. And if you’ve taken a gander at the behind the scenes footage from that film or similar productions, then you know that’s it’s an effect usually done in large warehouse studios, with a multitude of cameras on a huge rig, and run by a sizable crew, which all adds up to being quite expensive. Even renting a bullet time rig will more than likely be cost prohibitive, but with some elbow grease you can put together your own portable rig at a more indie friendly price: More »
Weapons of Mass Production Action Cam Shootout: GoPro HERO3 vs. Panasonic TS4
One could say that last year marked the occasion when GoPro really ‘went pro.’ How ‘pro’ does GoPro go? Well, 2.7K imagery (and even up to 4K in sub-FMV frame rates), almost universal mountability, and a toy-sized frame aren’t factors to mess around with in the action camera world. Similar offerings from competitors may actually have some advantages over the GoPro HERO3 line, though — and this is exactly what Kevin Good and Weapons of Mass Production have once again set out to evaluate — pragmatically, thoroughly, and entertainingly as usual! More »
GoPro might be the leader in action cameras, but there are plenty of other companies trying to get in on the action with competing products. Sony and JVC have both recently introduced cameras with a similar form factor, and of course, there are a few other players like Contour that have a number of models. Gizmodo recently got a few of the major brands together all on one rig, and put them to the test. Check out the comparison video below. More »
It’s very surreal to waltz through my local big-box store and think “Wow, I could make a real movie with that Canon.” It was even more surreal to see some of that same gear in the Black Friday ads. As we’ve seen with the “DSLR Revolution,” the democratization of filmmaking comes from amazing imaging devices becoming accessible (cheap) to the masses. Well, this year the revolution continued, as they say, as there were a lot of filmmaker-relevant deals going on for Black Friday. But what about a roundup of (still ongoing) Cyber Monday deals? Griffin Hammond of Indy Mogul provides a nice video of his “MEGA DEALS” after the bump: More »
So you’re thinking about a GoPro HERO3 but you already have a HERO2? We’ve seen some full 4K samples of the new GoPro HERO3 Black Edition, now we’ve got not only a comparison between the new and old cameras from Jeff Foster at ProVideo Coalition, but some samples of the brand new 2.7K mode thanks to Jared Abrams at Wide Open Camera. Click through to check out the comparison and some behind the scenes from Jared’s motorcycle shoot. More »
The GoPro HERO3 made an instant splash when it was announced last month, especially since the new camera was capable of not only 2.7K, but an astonishing 4K. The 4K mode is more useful as an undercrank for faster motion, and while the camera does not shoot 4K at a typical frame rate (15fps maximum), that does not necessarily mean it can’t be used. Jared Abrams over at Wide Open Camera was able to get his hands on the GoPro HERO3 Black Edition and perform some some tests with converting 4K into something that more closely resembles normal motion. More »
GoPro‘s surprise announcement of the new HERO3 product line included an unexpected model, the new HERO3 Black Edition, which is capable of 4K and 2.7K resolutions. Two other cameras were also introduced, the Silver Edition and White Edition, which are lower-priced versions that max out at 1080p. WiFi is also standard on all new GoPro models. You might be wondering, how much better is the image quality on this new Black Edition camera? Check out the launch video below for some samples and more information about pre-ordering the camera. More »
[Update: GoPro has announced three camera models, full details here] We knew it was coming sooner or later, but I don’t think many suspected that the new camera from GoPro would be quite this powerful. Industry pros and others were invited to a GoPro event in the Bay area tonight where the brand new 4K capable HERO3 Black Edition camera was introduced. Sony and JVC have been trying to get in on the action with their own POV cams, but when it comes down to specs, this new pocket cam from GoPro might be in a whole other league — and it’s even going to be compatible with the new Protune firmware upgrade that was just released. Click through for everything we know so far about the camera. More »
It’s been a long time coming for many users of the popular GoPro HD HERO2, but the Protune firmware update first announced at NAB 2012 is finally being released. This free upgrade provides a number of features necessary for matching higher quality cameras in a cinema application, like 24p, a 35mbps recording mode, and a flat color profile. GoPro is also releasing their iOS app, which will allow remote control of all of the camera’s settings and give you a live preview of the image, as well as a number of other features. Click through for more details on the release. More »
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