I was supposed to post this a week ago, but you know how Real Life can be. So here, better late than never, is my second (and final) roundup of all the filmmaking gadgetry shown at Cine Gear 2011 (part one is here). This time, let's check out a whole bunch of stuff from Cinevate, D | Focus, Sekonic, and more.
Before we get to the videos, Mike Curtis of HD for Indies fame showed some Sony F3 S-Log footage at Cine Gear; as one of the participants in the Single Chip Camera Evaluation, had this to say about the F3:
I have looked at a lot of F3 footage very closely - the F3 was one of the dozen cameras we tested for the SCCE (Single Chip Camera Evaluation), but we’d tested it in 4:2:2 mode only, not 4:4:4 and not S-log (those features were not released when we tested). The low light performance was amazing during that test in Rec709 4:2:2, but the highlight rolloff wasn’t very pleasing. THIS CHANGES THAT. The camera is instantly, notably improved in highlight response (the point of S-log), and if you weren’t happy with the F3 before, it is time to look at it again. Come out and see - it is almost a different camera (well, the same, just better).
Four grand for the firmware upgrade can be an expensive pill to swallow for individuals (rental shops, on the other hand, won't bat an eye), but the S-Log footage looks worlds better to my eyes as well. Onto the videos:
For DSLR filmmakers, one of the cheapest follow focus units available (at $139) is the D | Focus, which the guys from FreshDV take a tour of:
NextWaveDV takes a look at the low-price Sekonic light meters that are a great match for HDSLR filmmakers (namely, the L-308DC model, though they also look at the higher-end L-758C):
FreshDV looks at a prototype of Cinevate's motion control system, which runs an additional $500 on top of their slider cost. This is already a very low price point for a motorized system that works for compositing and VFX work, but stay tuned for the latter part of the video where Dennis talks about releasing a system that will work with hardware store-bought pipes (disclosure: Cinevate is an advertiser on No Film School):
Cameradepartment.tv takes a look at the low-cost Rotolight, always a viable solution for bargain on-camera lighting:
This doesn't apply (yet) to DIY filmmakers, but I've been on the lookout for LED lights for quite some time given my environmentalist ideals (LEDs use a fraction of the power of traditional lights). One of the problems with LED lights, however, is that they cast uneven shadows because there are so many (hundreds) of light sources. Here's an interesting look by FreshDV at a solution to the problem by Aadyn, which runs $9k, but hopefully the technology inside will make its way down the line:
And finally, because I'm personally enamored with the system, here's another look at Tessive's Time Filter, from Cameradepartment.tv:
