Messages

31

Video & Movie / Re: Real Estate Listing Video 5D mkIII and 60D

« on: June 02, 2012, 11:27:56 PM »

Not to pry, but I will - did it pay enough for it to be worth your time and a good project?  I've always been a little worried to get involved with real estate agents - seems like they would never pay well and be difficult. 

32

EOS Bodies - For Video / Re: 5d3 2.35:1 crop

« on: May 19, 2012, 11:22:03 AM »

You can adjust the image in premiere, you don't need to export differently.  There are indeed external monitors with frameline generators (I have one on my steadicam) but they cost more than your camera. 

33

EOS Bodies / Re: 7D - buy now or hold off?

« on: May 19, 2012, 11:19:50 AM »

I bought a 7D in Jan of 2010.  I've done more than $115,000 worth of jobs with it since then, that I wouldn't have been able to do without it.  I'd say it's safe to say it's paid for itself.

34

EOS Bodies - For Video / Re: microphone

« on: May 13, 2012, 06:07:49 PM »

I was referring to the Rode videomic Pro, which I have.  I dunno anything about the stereo mic.  Of course all of these do sound better than the onboard mic but the onboard is not usable in any sort of professional capacity. 

35

EOS Bodies - For Video / Re: Need a tripod, any suggestions?

« on: May 13, 2012, 11:41:27 AM »

I use a miller solo.  Not in your price range but unbeatable for what it is. 

I would recommend you look for the weifeng 717AH head, and pair it with a good pair of legs, you can use theirs or a variety of others.  Price is very good on this head (less than $100). 

If you're a still photographer and don't have much experience in video, know that lighter is not better - most photo tripods do not have the stability or are rigid enough to properly stabilize during a fluid head pan. 

36

EOS Bodies - For Video / Re: microphone

« on: May 13, 2012, 11:34:36 AM »

I have a 7D and I have the same issue currently. In my research I have found the world of sound is just as complex as the world of light. You would need to think about what you are shooting since as with lenses and bodies there is n such thing as "one to solution to them all " So here is what I came up with

The Rode Video Pro is about $229 US - it is a shotgun style mic good for directional sound. Where you point it to is where you will get most sound
The Rode video Stereo mic is about $299 US and is better for ambiance sound.
Both of these connect to your camera and is pretty portable. And for a seriously over priced $40 you can also get a fluffy catskin thingy to remove more wind noise
If you shoot Studio the Zoom H2n is about $231 US and is excellent if you want a portable audio recorder. In Post you just need to align the video and Audio tracks. As a Stills shooter I still need to figure this out

Now I have no issue with other manufacturers, but these are on my shortlist. B&H, Davomrmac and a few others have nice reviews on YouTube.

You'll never get a good result with a Rode video mic and a 7D (trust me, I have both of them) because the 7D never did get rid of the AGC; it always sounds like crap.  You can use the Rode but it'll need to go into an external recorder.  The Rode works well with other cameras that have manual audio, like the 5d II or III or the 60D.  I still use mine (going into an external recorder, as backup to my wireless lav system in interviews) but it's just backup and was basically a waste of money.  As you said that you have the 5D it would work for what you want.

37

Software & Accessories / Re: NAB 2012: Singular Software PluralEyes

« on: May 07, 2012, 01:31:03 PM »

Just an update on this, I tried the new plural eyes for Premiere and it worked quite well.  Dual Eyes continues to be completely non-functional for me.  So in my experience, Plural eyes is worth it.

38

Lenses / Re: Which lens(es) to take to NYC?

« on: May 04, 2012, 04:50:00 PM »

I would take the 28-135 and rent/buy an ultrawide as well, or just the 15-85 I guess.

39

EOS Bodies - For Video / Re: Shutter speed during video???

« on: May 04, 2012, 12:00:40 PM »

Documentary / highlight roll, not a static 'coaches/spectator' view. We are putting together highlight footage and our regular videographer will be unavailable. I am hoping to learn more from him, but I don't meet with him regularly, and I appreciate the info I get from this forum too.

We capture isolated plays, emotions of the moment.

Currently, I use a Induro GHb2 gimbal head (or a  327RC joystick, or a 57 series ballhead) on a Manfrotto 055CXPRo 4 (or a 695 series monopod) to stabilze a 70-200 2.8 II on either a 1dIV, 5d3 or 7d. 

Also use any of my primes (135/2, 85, 35) if lighting is bad - which it usually is....

Need to decide soon on the value of getting the loaner pro camcorder or learning the 5d3 (or 7d/1d), but really hoping to have quickest learning curve to achieve least. amateurish looking video (despite the fact I am an amateur at video )

Links to readable resources on the basics of DSLR videos is appreciated, I read the Canon stuff, but am hungry for knowledge outside of the marketing....

First off, your tripod (head) is not suitable if you want any sort of motion (panning) because it's not a fluid head.  If it's not going to move, it doesn't matter what you use as long as it's stable.  The good news is there are some very affordable entry level "fluid" heads, if you're willing to spend about $70.

You don't need to rent a video camera - what you want to do can be done with a 7D.  I do it for a living.  In terms of focus, yes, you may have to stop down a bit for some of the action.  You have to practice focus pulling, and get fast at it.  Many still photographers I've worked with on video shoots are really really slow at pulling focus, because they are so used to setting focus, taking a single shot, and that's it.  Practice - sit down and let a little kid or a dog run around you and try to keep it in focus, ideally with a viewfinder (LCDVF). 

In terms of the frame rate, think of 24p/1/50th shutter as "normal" (for cinema).  If you want a more video look, go to 30p (1/60th), or if you don't mind dropping the resolution to 720, go ahead and shoot at 60, (with a 1/120th shutter) but it will look like TV - 60 frames is what most live television is shot at.  I don't use it but I come from a cinema background.   

If you're handholding, the 60p will be easier to deal with, and it depends on how close you can get, a 135mm prime is very hard to handhold even with a rig.  35mm is much easier.   In terms of capturing just a play, you have all the equipment you need, except perhaps a LCDVF (which also adds stabilization as it's pressed against your face) and perhaps a rig of some sort.

40

EOS Bodies - For Stills / Re: 5DMKIII - User mistake results in photo brilliance!

« on: April 29, 2012, 12:18:02 PM »

I use Auto ISO in Av mode all the time.  I think a lot of photographers and videographers are snotty and think that auto anything is somehow a mistake, and that it marginalizes their skills.  The fact is the camera gets it right more often than a lot of photographers do.  I do take a note of where the ISO is before I take the photo or start the video - if the auto is making it higher than I know will work noise wise I try to find a better lighting situation.  But auto iso works very well and is a very helpful tool.  With the 5DIII it is probably even more useful since the noise issues are less than other cameras.

41

Street & City / Re: what is it with the brits and DSLR cameras?

« on: April 24, 2012, 06:50:12 PM »

It happens in the US too.  I was shooting a documentary in Louisiana one time, just 2 people crew using DSLRs and got stopped 5 times a day for a week by police, sheriffs, private security, random rednecks with guns.  Always shooting in public places, and always shooting fairly boring things - buildings, streets, rivers, wildlife etc - never even shooting people.  We weren't scruffy or ethnic or anything.  Always talked our way out of it by explaining the whole project but we got threatened many times.  My favorite was the private security guy who came roaring out because we were shooting up a river, from a bridge, and there happened to be some sort of fuel storage somewhere along the river in a line where we were shooting from.  Said he was calling the sheriff and to "not move a muscle" with his hand on a gun the whole time.  I gave him the card of the sheriff, who had just given us a river tour on a police boat and just said "here's his number - I'm sure he'll remember us as we just left his office an hour ago."

Honestly don't have too good of an impression of the South. 

42

EOS Bodies - For Video / Re: CANON 1DC SAMPLE VIDEO (THE TICKET) IS ONLINE!!!!

« on: April 20, 2012, 12:32:33 PM »

Hmmm, I dunno, I was strangely unimpressed.  Partly that he even mentioned that the story was somehow amazing (oh geez!  He was only dreaming!  She's actually dead!) which was pretty trite derivative and been done a million times.  But color balance seemed messed up in a few scenes from the various lighting sources, and most of the production value came from the $100k steadicam rig and experienced operator and the other equipment.  The overall image I thought wasn't much different from what comes out of a properly operated and post processed 5d/7d. 

43

EOS Bodies / Re: New Extensive Firmware for the Canon EOS 7D? [CR1]

« on: April 20, 2012, 12:29:27 PM »

Just manual audio levels would make a lot of people (including me) very happy.  Increasing the record time would be amazing. 

44

EOS Bodies - For Video / Re: Is the EOSHD guy crazy?

« on: April 19, 2012, 04:15:48 PM »

Andrew's a little weird. 

But he's got some good points in this article.   There's a lot of frustrations in the lower end video segment that a lot of manufacturers seem to be intent on only aggravating, here comes a maker who's actually trying to address a market segment and only with the features they want, not protecting their other products.   

45

EOS Bodies - For Video / Re: Entry-level video production

« on: April 19, 2012, 04:13:04 PM »

I've formed many corporations.  The only benefit to the S corp structure if you don't have employees is the owner draw benefit you mention, although that falls away after $106,000 of income anyway.   The rest can be utilized by LLC's and sole proprietors just fine.  If you have employees the S corp is helpful because you'll be doing payroll anyway. 

I'm just saying it's pointless for people that this juncture to do this - it sounds like they don't have a clue.  There's only 2 rules in partnerships: 1)all partnerships end 2)see rule one.  I wouldn't get legally entangled with a bunch of people, especially very young people, in a corporation before they even started working.  80% chance after the first year some of the people don't want to be involved anymore with each other, 90% chance that after a year of doing video production some of them never want to touch a camera again.