Messages

31

EOS Bodies / Re: Big Megapixel Camera in 2014

« on: February 15, 2013, 08:04:41 PM »

46 Megapixels

For some reasons my guts tell me something about 39.32(+ perhaps whats needed for phase detect on sensor)MP - involves meeting mastering/broadcast standards for 4K video, one could get 4:4:4 data with the proper interface. Or 61.5 for the next (almostl) clean sample binning.
Not that it would be a deciding factor, with all the other potential practical limits around.

Just don't be cheap at the metering, or include some arbitrary limitations...

32

Lighting / Re: Weird ettl ec behavior - is this just me?

« on: February 14, 2013, 06:10:40 PM »

The weird behavior I am experiencing: When changing *camera* ec a little from 0 to +-1/3 the background exposure changes a *lot*, while the following 1/3 steps are relatively minor -

In my experience minimal changes in composition can throw exposure of - to you it looks the same, but some AF points lock/see something while others don't and that factors in the metering. (iFCL made me appreciate the handheld flash meter even for continuous light photography, and ETTLII doesn't give you a warning via the values in the viewfinder.)
And don't remind me of ETTL and obtuse angles or anything specular...

33

EOS Bodies / Re: Canon Cinema EOS C50 [CR1]

« on: February 13, 2013, 06:34:07 AM »

$6500 is too much money to spend just to show my family bad films on Vimeo. I’d really like a video camera that costs about half that with an EF mount. I could be in the minority on that one, but I much prefer to shoot video with a video camera as opposed to a DSLR.

I feel its not a matter of the form factor, but an effect from the larger sensor. With the common video camera one can just point the camera at the subject. A DSLR requires much more nursing in terms of focus and -to make that worthwhile- overall production value.
A C50 as an entry level device would require more automation to make it attractive to casual users, with all the problems that brings. The price of the C100 is less of a problem, renting it for the short actual period its used during a production is cheaper then the busted bulbs due to misshandled lights for example.

34

EOS Bodies / Re: *UPDATE* EOS 70D is Coming, The Future of Pro APS-C Will Change

« on: February 11, 2013, 10:43:53 PM »

It was severely soft in the outer 2/3 of the image, had poor contrast and dull color. 

Mine had similar problems OOC - turned out to be a CA related problem. I.e. the color seams cancelled each other out, but the brightness information got smeared.
OTOH its still behind the 16-35 at similar aperture, and lets not think about the TS-Es or the current 24-70s.

35

Lighting / Re: Constant lighting vs strobe

« on: February 11, 2013, 05:55:29 AM »

--- one thing i gotta say is shooting under continuous light (when there is ample EV) you can motor shots with not needing to wait for strobe recycle...

Just make sure the discharge lights have electronic ballasts that support a square wave/flicker free mode. Older magnetic ballasts cause flicker problems. The lack of genlock on the VDSLRs makes even filming problematic.

36

Lighting / Re: An open letter to Canon regarding the Canon RT system

« on: February 05, 2013, 07:14:19 PM »

I meant wide open as in set to its largest aperture - That 24-70IS set to f/4 or f/5.6 should be faster then the 50/1.2 set to 3.5. (assuming similar mechanics)

For the other points: the 1Dx has that CF that switches between constant shutter delay and fastest release. Which suggests there some kind of artificial regulation in effect; and the max difference indicates about 10-12ms(IIRC) for aperture actuation. About a quarter of that cameras overall release time.

37

Lighting / Re: An open letter to Canon regarding the Canon RT system

« on: February 05, 2013, 06:36:44 PM »

That depends on the camera - estimate about 1/10s for the blink reflex, that time has to accomodate the release lag and the exposure time. I.E. the extremly fast 1Dx with a wide open lens allows for longer second curtain exposures then its cousins with more muted mirror slaps and an aperture that takes its time to close. For me 1/15 works most of the time with the 1D/7D series. YMMV.

38

Lighting / Re: Constant lighting vs strobe

« on: February 03, 2013, 02:36:15 PM »

Portable cont. light? Dedolights come to mind, ideal for location or delicate work & they are manageable in terms of power consumtion/waste heat. You can even run them off a car battery (or two for 24V). Add in a few PAR cans in case you need more punch/broad strokes or want to create soft light via reflectors. The latter tend to be cheaper to buy there then to pay the overweight luggage fees.

The most important thing to consider: You want to think in terms of cine/video lighting. The basic ideas are similar to its photographic counterpart, but the best practices are different. Any technique that relies on the massive output of strobes is out, those jobs have to be done differently.

39

Lighting / Re: An open letter to Canon regarding the Canon RT system

« on: February 03, 2013, 02:04:01 PM »

In hindsight, Canon's rt system probably isn't designed for large studio setups, but as a more reliable version of the old optical system plus the "group flash" feature to quickly set up some flash lighting on the road as an added incentive.
[/quote

I consider it quite handy for large setups - more groups and autoflash to uncouple strobes within a group. The  latter making it easier to get even illumination from ex. ambient lights.
Also the lack of a zoom function is reduced to a side note once you introduce any kind of light shaping.

Not having to fall back to PWs for motion studies would be convenient, though.

40

Lighting / Re: When do _you_ use a bare bulb diffusor?

« on: January 31, 2013, 03:04:35 PM »

Whenever the flash is supposed to fill a volume with light instead of throwing it at something.

41

Lighting / Re: Anything a STE-3+600EX-RT can do that a YN-622+430EXII can not?

« on: January 31, 2013, 03:00:33 PM »

RT can control 5 flash groups instead of just 3,  and it supports autoflash (Metering via the sensor integrated in the flash instead by the camera. I.E. it gives me a certain LV regardless of flash/subject distance as if every unit were a independent ETTL group but without the randomness ETTL introduces because of framing and in focus detection).

42

EOS Bodies / Re: Patent: Noise & Aliasing Reduction for Small Pixels

« on: January 20, 2013, 02:17:50 PM »

...except for the high ISO noise.

And  no support for the new flash system, even with the big firmware update. They really like to leave out those small handy details.

43

EOS Bodies / Re: taurians upgrading to 5d mark 3

« on: January 15, 2013, 10:19:32 PM »

...thus, I upgraded to the 1D X.  Can you tell I'm a Libra?   

Only if you had followed in my footsteps and complemented the 1Dx with a D800: matching assignment, gear and whim. 

44

Lighting / Re: When (and if) does a "gold" colored flash diffuser make sense?

« on: January 12, 2013, 09:04:30 AM »

Instead of cc gels I'd rather go with the straw/amber-flavors, they also cange the green/magenta axis. But eventually thats a matter of taste.

The tinted diffusors, well, thats copying from the umbrellas where gelling is indeed cumbersome. But for anything I'd use a diffusor that doesn't change color and gel it to actual requirements.

45

Speedlites, Printers, Accessories / Re: Which second speedlight should I buy?

« on: January 10, 2013, 06:05:10 PM »

Somehow I must have missed the requirement to disable AF on all EF lenses, otherwise my point would be perfectly valid...

Thats the crux: one single C legacy flash and there goes the whole RT functionality. Neither as TTL nor as a simple trigger like the PWII(I) or Strato. I.e. should someone consider using RT w/o going all in he's better off buying 3rd party flashes as they remain viable.