Canon 7D: My First Look January 19th, 2010
I recently added the Canon 7D DSLR camera body to my collection of photography equipment. I’m often guilty of impulse purchases, but in the case of the Canon 7D I’ve wanted to own this camera since it was first announced in September of 2009. My primary motivation for getting this camera is that I’ve felt it would be a great companion to my Canon 5D Mark II. Projects that I have in mind for the near future will require two cameras. One camera will serve as the primary image capture device, while the other camera documents the process. This will include both still and video projects. Up to this point my Canon G9 has served as the backup camera. However, the quality of imagery that I’ve captured with the 5D Mark II equipped with Canon L series glass has raised my expectations. Also the Canon G9 has limited video capability, which was an issue for me moving forward. However this doesn’t spell the end for the Canon G9 since it’s still a great point-n-shoot camera that also happens to shoot time lapse.
ikan V5600 Monitor with a Canon 5D Mark II January 7th, 2010
Recently I won an ikan V5600 HD LCD monitor courtesy of ikan Corporation and Dave Basulto from the indie filmmaking website filmmakingcentral.com. Dave puts on an annual live Christmas show for his Filmmaking Central podcast. I happened to be at the right place at the right time, and received the ikan monitor from Santa. This is great timing for me since I’m accumulating DLSR cinematography equipment for an upcoming film project.
Zone Project Shot with a Canon 5D Mark II December 11th, 2009
I just finished a project that involved creating 20 one minute video clips. This project, titled Zone Manufacturing by the creators, is to be an educational role playing game designed to teach students how a modern manufacturing facility operates. As the game progresses, players are encouraged to view short videos that reflect the current state of the factory. Unfortunately at the time of this blog post, there is no public website available so I am unable to share a link. Below is one of the assembly videos created for the Zone Manufacturing project. Read the rest of this entry »
How much for Red? November 14th, 2009
Many people have now heard of the Red camera. For those working in film production and visual effects, Red camera discussions are a hot topic. And with Red now posting updates about new products that are on the horizon, interest in this unique camera company seems to be accelerating. For some time now, I’ve been curious about the costs of owning a Red One. I’ve often read the price for a Red One is under $20K. However I’m sure there are other costs for accessories that are required to have a functioning system for production. Fortunately the Red website has the answers to such questions.
The Trouble Without Tribbles October 2nd, 2009
Star Trek fans of my generation will instantly recognize this image from the classic episode The Trouble With Tribbles. In this episode, Kirk and crew battle small furry creatures with only two purposes in life: to eat and breed. However it turns out Tribbles have another purpose in life. They make great microphone windscreens. Of course, you’ll have to hollow out and discard the innards since we are only interested in the furry exterior.
Audio Tests with a Canon 5D Mark II August 26th, 2009
Today I ran some simple audio tests with a Canon 5D Mark II. My plan was to record audio with the onboard microphone and with an external microphone. Recording audio with the onboard microphone is simple. One just points the camera at a subject and presses the ‘Set’ button to initiate video recording. The 5D Mark II doesn’t provide much in the way of manual audio controls. For example, there is no way to turn off the automatic gain control (AGC) which can lead to sound booming in the recording. Also there are no balanced inputs, so an XLR adapter is required to connect professional microphones.
Canon 5D Mark II: My First Look August 16th, 2009
So I now have the much hyped Canon 5D Mark II. No doubt this 21.1 megapixel camera takes great pictures, but my motivation for this new hardware is driven by the HD video capabilities. With the 5D’s full-frame sensor, the camera is able to capture full HD video with resolution of 1920 x 1080 at 30 frames per second. Given the camera’s large image sensor size and its ability to use high quality Canon lenses, suddenly shallow depth of field and low light capabilities are within the reach of budget challenged indie filmmakers. I’m excited about the possibilities with this camera. If it lives up to the hype, I hope to fully embrace DSLR Cinematography and leave behind video cameras for my future film projects.
Canon HV30 Low Light Tests June 4th, 2009
I’ve been contemplating using a Canon HV30 for my next film project. One of my concerns with this camera is its low light performance. I’d love to be able to recreate some of the great film noir style shots from the 1968 film Night of the Living Dead. Director George Romero shot this movie on 35 mm black-and-white film. Of course it’s not reasonable to expect a consumer video camera to perform like a 35mm film camera. However this did peak my interest in how well the Canon HV30 performs in low light situations.
Canon HV30 Exposure Control May 25th, 2009
The HV20/30/40 camera series from Canon is very popular amongst the indie filmmaker crowd. Priced well under $1000, these cameras are easily affordable by filmmakers who follow the ‘own the means of production’ philosophy of film making. Sporting features such as hdv and 24p, the camera series was an instant hit and continues to attract followers as can be seen by the frequent traffic at hv20.com.
My Green Screen Setup April 6th, 2009
I’ve posted a number of pictures showing pets laying on part of a green screen setup. I experimented with a number of rigs until finally settling on the setup I have today. I can safely argue that my current green screen setup at least satisfies the sleeping needs of a dog and a few cats.