The Filmmaker's Spot

film and video production gear explained by one nice lady

[niceladyproductions]

Best Tokina Cine Lenses: Full Frame Vista Primes

You know as well as I do there are a lot of cinema lenses on the market, particularly now that we are in 2024.

So why consider the Tokina Cinema Vista Primes? My video review includes LOTS of footage to showcase just how amazing these lenses are. I think of Tokina lenses as having character while still being sharp. The Vista Primes have no focus breathing, beautiful flare characteristics, are fast at a T 1.5, have interchangeable lens mounts and can cover Vista Vision size sensors. Tokina Vista Primes come in focal lengths between 18mm - 180mm, so they really are a complete set.

Tokina has released a second set of these lenses called Vista-P with reduced contrast, swirly bokeh and a look that better reflects a set of vintage lenses. The plus of the P series is they are modern in physical design, so you get the vintage look but in a lens body that is easier for professional focus pullers and cinematographers to use than vintage lenses that might have challenging physical characteristics.

Enjoy the review and if you're interested in these awesome lenses use the coupon code CONLIN10 and save 10% off! Tokina Cinema lenses and filters through their USA store https://bit.ly/3RMnms4

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FoolControl iOS App Review for RED Cameras

One of the amazing things about the new RED DSMC2 camera bodies like the RED WEAPON, RAVEN and SCARLET-W, is having wireless capabilities built into the camera body. 

When RED Digitial Cinema opened up their ecosystem to developers, Mikael Lubtchansky released the FoolControl iOS app for controlling a RED camera via an iPhone/iPad app.

Check out the above video by The Night Factory for a GREAT intro into the features available in FoolControl app, including focus control for autofocus lenses, as well as the ability to change RED camera settings, all from an iPhone.

For more info, check out the FoolControl iOS website. Looking for more filmmaking app suggestions? Check out my blog post.

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F&V MG-3 Follow Focus Review

The F&V MG-3 is a relatively inexpensive ($480 USD) follow focus that features an all aluminium design, hard stops for setting different focus points, an interchangeable gear drive (for accommodating different gear pitches), a snap-on mount, and a hinged design, similar to the ARRI MFF-2.

There are a LOT of follow focuses on the market, and many newer wireless follow focus systems that I will be reviewing soon (stay tuned). What stands out about the F&V is that it’s build isn’t cheap. Most budget follow focuses are built from plastic, making them susceptible to damage with everyday use. I look at the Manfrotto Sympla MVA511FF follow focus in my review, as well as reference two of my fav follow focuses: the O'Connor Dual Mini and the ARRI MFF-2

Watch my in-depth review and comparison, including reasons to use a follow focus. I would love to hear your thoughts on what you think is the best one on the market.

Specs and Prices: In Canada, the F&V MG-3 can be purchased from: www.fvlighting.ca In USA: www.fvlighting.com

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Lens Comparison Review: Rokinon Xeen, Zeiss Milvus & Veydra Mini Primes

If you’re in the market to either purchase or rent some cinema lenses, the latest offerings from Zeiss, Rokinon (Samyang) and Veydra are likely on your hit list. Watch my full video review comparing the three models.

Rokinon Xeen

Rokinon released a set of cinema lenses in 2015 under the Xeen brand, available in multiple mounts (with all the same diameter and size of housing), in a range of focal lengths (24mm, 50mm and 85mm), and with more focal lengths being released soon, the Rokinon Xeens are well-priced compared to other cinema lenses on the market.

Zeiss Milvus

Knowing people have been using Zeiss photo lenses for video, Zeiss released the Milvus line of manual photography lenses that are a nice fit for videographers. Available in Canon and Nikon mounts, the Nikon ZF.2 version have a manual aperture ring that with a simple tool, can be declicked for smooth iris pulls. Duclos lenses in Los Angeles offers cine-moded versions of the Milvus lenses with a built in focus geared ring and a 80mm front lip with 77mm filter thread, for mounting to a matte box.

Veydra Mini Primes

Veydra Mini Primes are a breath of fresh air. They are purpose built for the micro 4/3 camera mount, but are now also available in the Sony E and C mount. A perfect match for the JVC GY-LS300 4K cinema camera or the Sony A7S II. The Veydra lenses are professional mini cinema lenses that are inexpensive alternatives for Super 35, APS-C size sensors.

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Canon EOS-1DX Mark II 4K Camera

Canon has matched--and in some instances--exceeded the spec landslide Nikon recently made with the Nikon D5, by unveiling the Cinema 4K EOS-1DX Mark II DSLR that shoots Cinema 4K video. The Canon camera records to CFast cards, thereby bypassing the 3 minute clip restriction inherent in the D5 that uses Fat32 SD cards. 

Check out my video spec sheet for the Nikon D5 here.

Canon went above the UHD specification with regards to 4K video, offering a larger area of the 20.2MP full-frame CMOS sensor to provide 4K video for DSLR video shooters, at up to 60fps. Autofocus during video and touch screen control, allows the camera operator to rack focus between two areas, just by selecting the areas of focus on the screen.

At $5,999.00, this flag ship model from Canon comes in at near $500 cheaper than the Nikon D5 offering. Having said that, Nikon’s sensor’s have historically offered superior dynamic range to Canon’s, so it will be interesting if this is still the case.

Canon 1DX-Mark II Video Specs

DCI 4K (4096 x 2160) video (better than UHD)

4K up to 60 fps at 800 Mbps (800 Mbps??? huh?)

Full HD 1080p shooting at 120 fps

4K at 4:2:2 sampling and 8-bit cooler depth via HDMI

Full HD 1080p footage at 4:2:0 via HDMI

Audio: 3.5mm mic jack

3.2" 1.62m-dot LCD monitor

wifi available via an additional add-on

1/8" headphone jack for audio monitoring

PRE ORDER

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Looking for a Quality Electronic Viewfinder? This is it!

It’s one thing to look at an item online, or to even hold it, but using it and witnessing its strengths and limitations is really where a person forms their ideas about a product. 

I’ve been using the Zacuto Z-Finder EVF Pro for years and it’s a consistent product that produces accurate colours, the Gratical HD OLED EVF however, is on a whole other level. 

Cinematographers, camera operators and hobbyists rely on quality imaging tools to prevent surprises in post. The Gratical’s features, like 8 programmable feature buttons, SDI/HDMI cross conversion (awesome for cameras that only have one type of output but monitors that use another) and excellent battery life, make this little nugget a winner. Not the mention the gorgeous, OLED screen, a feature lacking on other EVFs on the market.

Check out my video review of the EVF and let me know what you think.

Gratical Details and Price:  HD: bhpho.to/1ShIX9e X: bhpho.to/1nhTS6m

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KODAK Unveils a NEW Super 8 Film Camera

Kodak blew the top off of the 2016 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas with a new camera that is more analogue than electronic. Describing it as the Super 8 Filmmaking Revival Initiative, Kodak is showing prototypes of a totally fresh Super 8 camera that unlike old film cameras, has an electronic flip-out display for viewing the image while shooting, as well as onboard audio capture.

It’s been over 30 years since Kodak made a Super 8 camera. In the hopes of inspiring a whole new generation of indie filmmakers, Kodak approached Yves Béhar to design the camera from a totally modern perspective. Initial reactions? It’s dope. The release of a new Super 8 camera--and likely more new cameras from Kodak to follow--will have a BIG impact on the number of cinematographers and camera operators who choose to shoot film in addition to digital. If this camera performs as well as it’s designed it could have a massive impact on the future of film production, and that’s really exciting. Here’s the lowdown on the camera specs:

2016 Kodak Super 8 Camera Specs

Super 8 Kodak 50ft cartridges (15m)

Variable Speeds (9, 12, 18, 24, 25 fps) with Crystal Sync

Fixed RICOH 6mm 1:12 lens (Optional 8-48 mm lens)

Interchangeable C-mount

Manual focus & iris

Built-in light meter

3.5″ swiveling LCD screen with SD input

Internal battery, charges via USB wall charger

Release date: September 2016

Price: between $400-750 USD

Need a refresher on Super 8 film, how to shoot it and edit it? Check out the intro film below, featuring Steven Spielberg and JJ Abrams.

"The 8mm Revolution" - SUPER 8 Movie Featurette from Cinelicious on Vimeo.

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NIKON D5 & D500 4K Cameras Announced

As a Nikon DSLR video and photo shooter, I have been salivating, waiting for Nikon to release a 4K camera. Today, Nikon announced TWO DSLRs capable of 4K UHD video, both using newly developed 20 MP sensors, made by Nikon.

The Nikon D5 is Nikon’s new fullframe flagship camera. It’s big, it’s bold and it’s badass in low-light. The Nikon D500 is Nikon’s flagship crop sensor DSLR camera. The D500 uses the same Expeed 5 processor and totally redesigned autofocus engine as the D5. The D5 and D500 also take some of the amazing video and photo features previously seen in the recent D5500, D7200, D750 and D810 like WiFi, touchscreens, a flip out display (on the D500), Auto ISO for smooth exposure transitions (and incredible feature) and the Flat Picture style that demonstrates the FULL dynamic range of the camera. Moire and rolling shutter have been greatly diminished in Nikon’s recent cameras, due to faster processors and image improvements.

The Nikon D5 and Nikon D500 will ship in March and are both available NOW for pre-order through B&H Photo. Check out the overview video below of the video features and spec list. These are BOTH incredibly exciting cameras from Nikon. The main RED FLAG I see with the shooting capabilities is with the D5. The UHD clips max out at 3 minutes per clip, I assume this is to prevent overheating. Furthermore, the D5 shootings UHD at a 1.5 crop making it essentially similar to the D500. For video, the D500 looks like a better option. I assume when outputting to an external device, the clip max will not be an issue and you have the added benefit of 8 bit 422 files.

Despite the max files size restrictions (likely a non issue for filmmakers who shoot shorter clips), the D500 and D5 look to have incredible specs. I’m super stoked.

Nikon D5 Video Specs

20.8 MP format CMOS sensor

35.9 mm x 23.9 mm

4K/UHD 3,840x2,160 / 30 fps / 25 fps / 24 fps - 3 minute max clips (HQ) due to Fat32 restriction

NO camera clip limitation recording 4K footage to an external device

1080p /60 fps / 30 fps / 25 fps / 24fps -  10/20 minutes clips (HQ/Norm)

4K video is shot at 1.5x crop

Video compression: H.264/MPEG-4 Advanced Video Coding

EXPEED 5 image processor

Autofocus sensor with 153/99 AF points

Timelapse Intervelometer and built-in timelapse sequence builder (to MOV)

ISO 100 to 102,400 (expandable to Hi-5, ISO 3,280,000)

SnapBridge (Wi-Fi® + Bluetooth) photo sharing

Dual card slots - XQD and SD media

3.2″ touchscreen monitor

Flat picture style

Clean 8 bit 422 HDMI out for recording

12 fps photo shooting capabilities

D-lighting bracketing in video

Auto focus and VR when shooting video

Stereo mic and 3.5mm input

Nikon D500 Video Specs

20.9MP DX format CMOS sensor

23.5 mm x 15.7 mm DX Crop Sensor

4K/UHD 3,840x2,160 / 30 fps / 25 fps / 24 fps - 3 minute max clips internally (HQ) due to Fat32 limitation

NO camera clip limitation recording 4K footage to an external device

1080p /60 fps / 30 fps / 25 fps / 24fps -  20/29:59 minutes clips (HQ/Norm)

Video compression: H.264/MPEG-4 Advanced Video Coding

EXPEED 5 image processor

Autofocus sensor with 153/99 AF points

Timelapse Intervelometer and built-in timelapse sequence builder (to MOV)

ISO range of 100-51,200 expandable to Lo 1 and Hi 5 (50 – 1,640,000 equivalent)

SnapBridge (Wi-Fi® + Bluetooth) photo sharing

Dual card slots - XQD and SD media

3.2″ fold out touchscreen monitor

Flat picture style

Clean 8 bit 422 HDMI out for recording

10 fps photo shooting capabilities

D-lighting bracketing in video

Auto focus and VR when shooting video

Stereo mic and 3.5mm input

Nikon also announced a 4K action camera today, that goes head to head with the GoPro. They are calling it the Nikon Keymission 360 as it shoots 360 degree UHD 4K video footage.

[niceladyproductions]

Zacuto’s Gratical EVF — Is It Worth all the Fuss?

A few years ago I made a three part video series comparing the Zacuto EVF Pro to the SmallHD DP4. I’ve been a BIG fan of Zacuto’s EVF Pro; having used it now for a number of years without any issues. It’s solid, and the firmware updates Zacuto has continued to release, have been a welcome addition.

For a LOT of us who already own an electronic viewfinder, you might be wondering if upgrading to an OLED EVF like the Gratical is worth the upgrade. Head on over to www.zacuto.com/blog for the article I wrote on the Gratical EVF, where I hope to answer just that. Let me know what you think in the comments.

[niceladyproductions]

2015 Gear Reviews

2015 has been a GREAT year for camera gear, with a plethora of 4K cameras being released from manufactures and film gear makers upping their game with a more sophisticated product lines. In 2015 I reviewed 4K cameras from JVC and Pamasonic, as well as looked at the video shooting capabilities of the high dynamic range Nikon D5500.

If you haven't subscribed to either my YouTube or Vimeo channels I encourage you to. I have a LOT more gear reviews dropping soon, including a look at the Zacuto Gratical EVF, as well as Rokinon, Zeiss and Veydra lens reviews. I hope you've found my reviews helpful when purchasing or renting film and video production gear. Let's make more films in 2016!

[niceladyproductions]

RED Announces SCARLET-W & Unveils DSMC-2 Line-up Improvements

Jarred Land took to REDUSER.net this last few days to announce the NEW RED SCARLET-W camera and lay out the detailed improvements of the DSMC-2 line-up of cameras.

With the Scarlet-W announcement, RED has stopped building the previous models of RED camera bodies. There are now 5 cameras being offered from RED, in addition to Monochrome varieties, all utilizing the 16.5 stops of dynamic range Dragon sensor. From the $5950 RED Raven camera body offering 4.5K at 120fps to the $59,500 8K RED Weapon; the new line-up of cameras offers a professional, RAW capable cinema camera for a range of budgets.

RED really looked at what could be improved on the previous line-up of cameras and did just that. It’s all about the details with RED Digital Cinema, and the new camera body design proves that.

Stand Out DSMC-2 Body Features:

Smaller, lighter weight body

Built-in wireless for camera control via an iOS device

Lower REDCODE capable compression for cleaner files

Built in 2K ProRes for when you want to share dailies or do a quick 1080p shoot

Improved fans for quieter operation and better cooling

Cable less design (no cable snags ruining your camera ports)

Two ports for a RED monitor and EVF (one on the top and one on the side)

Swappable quick release OLPFs (except RED RAVEN)

Built in microphones for scratch audio

Back focus adjustment and auto black shading

3D LUT support

Open 3rd party support architecture

Fantastic new modules (slick Sidekick remote, handles, Base V-lock Expander with HDMI, SDI and audio)

RED Digital Cinema was smart to update their body design, even after already upgrading elements of their previous body design. The quieter fan and build in mics will make many sound recordist happy. Not having to use little screws to swap out OLPFs, having more than one port for an EVF and monitor, and having to buy a module to add ProRes support are ALL excellent additions.

Check out Jarred Land’s post for more information and RED.com for more camera specs and prices.

[niceladyproductions]

Bright Tangerine VIV Matte Box Review

It’s easy to underestimate the importance of a good matte box, especially if your camera has built-in neutral density filters or you want a small shooting package. In this video review of the Bright Tangerine VIV studio matte box, I demonstrate the role a matte box plays in achieving the best image your lens is capable of capturing. 

Bright Tangerine is a company from the UK that creates incredibly designed, extremely well-built matte boxes that come in a range of sizes. From the Strummer with a super wide 165mm diameter field of view, to the new Misfit ATOM, made exceptionally light and small for gimbal and steadicam setups.

The VIV matte box is a PERFECT combination; it’s rod based and clamp-on, made of carbon fibre so it’s really lightweight, and unlike other matte boxes on the market, it has a wide 150mm field of view to prevent vignetting. More trays give you more options. The VIV matte box has up to three filter trays in addition to a 138mm round filter tray.  Bright Tangerine’s matte boxes are modular in design, so you can add accessories like: trays, swing away adaptors and filter tilting adaptors, as you need them. For more information, check out bright tangerine.com

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JVC GY-LS300 Super 35mm Camera with Micro 4/3 mount

Filmmakers take note. This little camera packs a mighty big 4K punch for a $3500 price tag. Adaptors gallor enable the use of the micro 4/3 mount that covers the entire Super35mm sensor. This camera shoots full Cinema 4K at 23.98 and true 24 fps, as well as UHD and HD. 4K tops out at 30fps, so there’s no high speed shooting here, but if you don’t need that feature, this camera offers a LOT.

Watch my full review.

Pricing: http://bhpho.to/1QmvhK4

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Cheap 7″ Monitor from ELVID Provides Good Picture Quality

Check out my video review of the inexpensive 7" ELVID Fieldvision on-camera/camcorder monitor (OCM-7B-D) JUST $239 USD at B&H Photo: http://bhpho.to/1FSLAdx. If you are looking for a 7" monitor with more built-in monitoring tools, like False Color, Zebra and Histogram, check out the ELVID RigVision: http://bhpho.to/1Ok3pDf

[niceladyproductions]

RED DIGITAL CINEMA RAVEN Camera Announcement

On September 25, 2015, RED Digital Cinema officially announced a brand NEW camera and camera body called the RAVEN. Shortly thereafter, Jarred Land announced that the RED RAVEN would be 4.5K with a slightly bigger sensor area to be more in line with Academy 35mm and the APS-C field of view.

Here are the RED RAVEN specs:

The RED RAVEN will be RED’s most affordable camera body

PRICE: $5950 for the brain!!!

RED DRAGON sensor with 16+ stops of dynamic range

23.04mm x 10.8mm sensor (increased from 20.48mm size originally announced)

RED WEAPON body: smaller and thinner camera body than the RED EPIC and RED SCARLET

Just 3.5 lbs!!!

Built in ProRes!! records up to 60fps

4.5K video shooting up to 120 frames per second

Camera will record to RED Mini-Mags inserted into a fixed SSD drive on the side of the camera

Fixed Canon EF Mount

Redcode Raw: 3:1. So super clean

4.5K max resolution stills

Wireless capabilities

RED RAVEN Base I/O Package shooting package includes the brain, fixed SSD, fixed Canon mount, 120MB Mini-Mag, new 4.7" touchscreen monitor, new top handle and new v-lock battery expander for HDMI etc. is $9,950.00 USD. You can also buy a RED RAVEN Jetpack drone package or brain alone.

The RED RAVEN is set to ship in March 2016 with pre-orders now.

Here’s the FIRST video shot with the RED RAVEN using Zeiss Milvus glass. If you have a 4K monitor, make sure the YouTube settings are 4K.

RED has unleashed a little monster with the RED RAVEN. This camera goes way beyond the Blackmagic Design Ursa Mini in compact size and Sony FS5 in dynamic range, both of which have a slightly bigger Super 35mm sensors, but neither of which shoot 4.5K at 120fps. We are living in interesting times!

(this article will be further updated as specs are revealed).

In other news, GTECH has announced a NEW Evolution Series RED Mini-Mag card reader for $199 USD. More information can be found here.

I’ve been testing the Milvus 50mm f/1.4 lens and my first impressions are it’s incredibly sharp. I will be providing a full shoot-out between the Milvus, Rokinon XEEN and Veydra mini primes, so stay tuned for that.

[niceladyproductions]

Panasonic HC-X1000 4K Camcorder Review

What does the 4K UHD Panasonic HC-X1000 build quality, features and footage look like? Watch my in-depth review.

The HC-X1000 is an aggressively priced prosumer camcorder with a plethora of features, including true cinema 4K at 24fps, as well as 24, 30 and 60fps in 4K Ultra HD. Check out the full spec list and pricing here.

[niceladyproductions]

Blackmagic Design’s DaVinci Resolve 12 Beta is OUT

I downloaded my upgraded copy of DaVinci Resolve Studio today; it’s been a while since I’ve been this excited about a piece of software. Blackmagic has just taken a BIG bite out of Premiere Pro and the FCPX fanbase with their update to Resolve, adding a plethora of new tools to the interface with editors in mind, making this update of Resolve the most groundbreaking.

Adobe Premiere 2015 Lumetri Colour Workspace

Adobe recently updated Premiere CC with a MAJOR interface update of their own, incorporating the colour correction power of Speedgrade into Premiere Pro with the new Lumetri Colour tab. I’ve been using Premiere Pro CC 2015, and the colour correction interface is very nice, powerful and simple. If you’ve ever edited a photo in Adobe Lightroom before, the new colour correction tools in Premiere will feel very familiar. It’s a really nice upgrade for Premiere, but will it be enough to hold back people who aren’t fully satisfied by the rest of the Premiere workflow?

Blackmagic also now has Fusion 7, which goes head to head with Adobe After Effects for VFX work, making the need to stick to an Adobe workflow even less necessary, especially when the price of Adobe products are not free like Fusion 7 is.

What About Final Cut Pro X?

With the latest updates from Adobe and Blackmagic, Final Cut is now lagging behind in the colour correction space. The tools within Final Cut Pro X, although seemingly simple looking at first, are VERY powerful. I use FCPX all the time and at this point, generally prefer it to other NLEs. It has a simple colour balance and colour match feature (neither of with you can tweak--only add to--which is a shame) and does a good job at providing tools for secondary colour correction as well as masks. It’s also very inexpensive. Having said that, FCPX is more of an editing tool than anything, which is where DaVinci Resolve 12 steps in.

DaVinci Resolve 12

Resolve 12 is a FREE colour correction platform that can now fully handle non-linear editing, multi-cam editing and audio editing without leaving the program. Resolve has always been the most powerful of colour correction platforms, but with the addition to editing, it’s hard to see what exactly they have left out of the software, it’s just that powerful looking. Watch the videos on their website if you don’t believe me.

Owners of the paid version of Resolve can upgrade to the Public Beta, called Resolve 12 Studio, for free. Studio adds “4K output, motion blur effects, temporal and spatial noise reduction, 3D tools, remote and multi user collaboration tools.”

With all the new features, Resolve may end up taking the top spot in the non linear editing platform over Adobe and Apple. For now, I just can’t wait to start editing.