Digital Camera News, Reviews and Tips
Check out this short video from Lens Pro To Go that shows us an overview of a commercial lighting setup in a bookstore. It’s a pretty simple setup but is a great example of how to get a clean, soft light setup in a tight space.
While the gear used is high-end cinematography gear, the same principles of diffusion and light placement can easily be translated to budget and DIY setups for both still and video shoots.
[via ISO 1200]
We know lighting can change the overall mood and feel of images. It is also amazing just how much it can change the appearance of a person. In this teaser for Opale’s Sparkles and Wine music video, the cinematographer moves the light source rapidly around the face of the star, which causes her face to change as you watch it. [Read more…]
Shane Hurlbut is the cinematographer for the new Need for Speed movie. A couple weeks ago, he had a contest to see who could spot the GoPro footage in the trailer. The contest is over now, but Shane put together an annotated trailer that labels all the cameras and lenses used in the trailer for each and every shot (…and there are a lot of cuts in there).
Along with the C500 and Alexa Plus, there are a few shots using the Canon 1D C in obvious tight quarters or crash cam situations. Notably, all the cameras are capable of 4K image capture (and were shooting 4K) even though the film was finished in 2K. However, the 4K frame gives plenty of room for reframes and stabilization, which makes sense when you’re shooting car sequences at 120mph. [Read more…]
Samyang has announced a new cine lens based on its 16mm f/2 lens, which will feature geared focus and aperture rings for smooth control using follow focus systems. The Samyang V-DSLR 16mm T2.2 ED AS UMC CS lens should arrive in early September for most DSLR and mirrorless mounts with APS-C or smaller sensors.
Retail price will be EUR 419. No word on US pricing yet; however, based on the price of other Samyang cine lenses, I would guess it will be in the $500-$550 range.
What would you do if you had a 1992 Toyota Paseo that you wanted to sell?
Craigslist. Right?
A handful of people might see your ad and you may or may not sell it. [Read more…]
RED has dropped prices on its EPIC, Scarlet and ONE cameras in what seems to be a response to increasing competition in the video markets – although RED tips the reason as lower production costs and improve efficiency.
Here’s how the new pricing breaks down: [Read more…]
Red Giant’s latest short, Form 17, takes on a 14-page script packed with dialog and shot in one day with multiple cameras and a Tascam DR-100. This combination made for a massive amount of footage and audio to sync up in post, which Red Giant made short work of thanks to its new PluralEyes 3 audio-syncing software.
If you want a closer look at the BTS after watching the short film above, check out the making of video here on Red Giant’s site.
ikan’s $10 Cinema Forms app is now available on the iTunes App Store. From the description:
Cinema Forms app is a powerful tool that allows you to create, manage, and share production worksheets and legal releases directly from your iPad. With this app, you can now create call sheets, break down sheets, talent releases, location release, and so much more directly on your iPad.
• Portable and convenient
• Extensive Library of Forms (90+)
• Interactive Smart Forms
• Share as PDF to Dropbox or Email
• Customer Letterhead
• Rich Text Editor
• Signature
• iCloud Backup
• Keyword Search
• Geotag
• AirPrint
• Intuitive Interface
The Apertus Axiom Camera is an open source project that looks to produce a 4K camera with a Super 35 sensor, Cinema DNG files, 150fps at 4K, a global shutter and 15 stops of dynamic range.
The plan is to launch a Kickstarter campaign in the fall to crowdfund the project at a target price “well below $10,000.”
If this camera actually comes to market with those features and price range, it stands to further disrupt the pro video market. Sony’s FS700 really stirred the pot when it was introduced as an $8,000 camera that will (at some undetermined point in the future) shoot 4K footage and capture high frame rate footage (something it will actually do now) in full 1080p HD.
Of course, performance, reliability and support are key components that the Axiom will need in order to become a real player in the market.
Head over to No Film School for a more detailed analysis of what this camera could mean.
SMAPP put together the above video that highlights 5 Canon lenses that are great for shooting video on Canon HDSLRs. While I haven’t used all of these, I found their insight to be particularly compelling for uses of the 14mm and 135mm. And, while I use the 24-105mm regularly, I hadn’t considered the 135mm + 1.4x extender as an alternative to the 70-200mm f/2.8 lens in my kit.
The full list of “killer” lenses is as follows.
Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM
[via FStoppers]