John Dimalanta
Freelance Photographer/Cinematographer
Who am I? I am a freelance cinematographer/photographer based in New York, working primarily for non-profit organizations. I have approx. 10 years of experience in the production field ranging from small corporate projects, documentaries, & mid-sized indie features.
I have held numerous positions in production – from a grip to production manager, technical coordinator, and cinematographer. Most recently, I’ve coordinated training for production personnel.
However, my passion has always been on the creative side of things. I did not receive any formal training in filmmaking or cinematography. My “education” has been from watching those with more experience, spending hours on the Internet scouring for every nugget of knowledge, and through trial and error.
Throughout this process I’ve discovered something…I really love this craft!
NFS Score
463
(Sophomore)
Boards Comment
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Lenses: What focal lengths do you need starting out?
4 years ago
Mervyn,
For me lenses are a very personal matter. Each person will have "their" preference.
That being said, on Super35/APSC formats, I've always personally leaned towards a 35mm as my "go-to" lens. However, recently I've been doing more mixed media (stills and motion) and since then I have found myself gravitating towards a 23mm more and more. Moving on from there, since I do a lot of landscape and architectural, my next focal length would be a 12mm (on S35/APSC).I would say at this point in my career, if I could only have two lenses, it would be a 12 and 23mm.
Obviously, for a full project, I would always try to acquire a standard set of focal lengths (12/18, 23/28, 35, 50, 85, + 135).
I would recommend determining the one focal length you absolutely cannot live without and start from there. Happy shooting!
Boards Comment
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Looking for a good camera for film and stills.
4 years ago
Elizabeth,
While I try not to promote one device over another...I just recently purchased a FUJI XT20 and I am thoroughly loving it!
While I use mostly for personal/family projects, I can compare it's IQ to other systems I've used for more professional work (SONY A7s, SONY FS7, CANON C100/300), and have to say I am impressed!
The stills quality for FUJI cameras have been praised for quite some time now but the video capabilities of the 2nd gen bodies (XPro2, XT2/20) are impressive.
For a true hybrid STILLS/VIDEO system, that offers professional level STILLS and VIDEO, I think you'd be hard pressed to find any better.
Boards Comment
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Help with kit list for corporate film
4 years ago
1) My personal preference is to always invest in lenses first. These will retain their resale value better and will often outlive cameras. That being said many 3rd party manufacturers make acceptable lenses for CANON bodies (http://www.the-digital-picture.com/News/News-Post.aspx?News=19056).
2) While it is true that DSLR/Mirrorless Cameras are not optimized for audio recording, recording on-camera can still acceptable within reasonable expectations. For one it does eliminate the need to sync sound later in POST. That being said, I have always run the mic through a preamp of some sort before recording on-camera. Something like a H4N can do that and have the added benefit of having a secondary file just in case. If you just want to have a preamp, there are many options. Here are a few budget options I've used and liked, the Saramonic SmartRig+ and Saramonic MixMic.
Article Comment
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Shootout: ARRI Alexa Mini vs. RED Epic-W Helium
4 years ago
Couldn't agree more on LUT's. That's why I have since gone to an ACES workflow on all projects I can (Geoff's test were done using ACES).
Since ACES uses a standardized transform, it takes this whole proprietary color management out of the equation.
It's the only way I test cameras, since I feel its the most accurate. That being said, I don't think there is an IDT for the Helium Sensor yet.
Article Comment
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Shootout: ARRI Alexa Mini vs. RED Epic-W Helium
4 years ago
Thanks for the tests. Results seem to be in line with tests I've conducted and those done by others, notably George Geoff of www.Cinematography.net.
Here is link to his tests, though in his case back in 2015 it was the Dragon Sensor and not the Helium, but it does show that RED, among other manufacturers, "over-state" their sensors dynamic range - http://cinematography.net/edited-pages/CML-UWE-tech.html.
As far as the difference between Dynamic Range vs Exposure Latitude, for most working cinematographers, I think they are one in the same. I've never been too concerned about how many chips I can see, in as much how much information I can retain and manipulate.
That being said, I have seen the work of others and have personally been able to produce images I am very pleased with on BOTH systems. Tests like these simply help me to maximize the capabilities of each system.
Edmund,
Here are some things to consider...
1) Format: 1" vs Super35/APSC
The Panasonic uses a smaller 1" sensor vs the Super35 sensor on the Ursa. Here is a rundown on the impact of format: https://acinematographersjournal.wordpress.com/2016/08/16/part-3-1-captu...
2) Fixed vs. Inter-changeable Lenses
The Panasonic has a fixed zoom lens. The Ursa allows you to mount different types of lenses.
3) Cost.
While on paper they may seem to only a small difference in cost, in reality it could be quite more. With the Ursa you'll also need lenses (see above), and EVF of monitor, batteries, camera rigging like a baseplate, etc. This can increase you overall cost by a few thousand dollars unless you already have these items.
4) Use.
Last but not least, these cameras are intrinsically designed for two different applications. The UX180 more as a documentarian camera while the Ursa a Cine or Production camera.
Hope this helps. Happy shooting!
https://acinematographersjournal.wordpress.com