Sony A7S Low Light, High ISO Test
Sony hired Director of Photography Den Lennie several months ago to put a prototype Sony A7S through its paces in Mid March, and to make an amazing demonstration film of just what this incredible A7S Low Light new camera was capable of. Mr. Lennie was a wise choice for Sony to make, as his work is meticulous as was his production technique with the A7S Low Light capability. While this A7S low light video has certainly stirred quite a bit of controversy, Mr. Lennie assures the skeptics in this follow up video that his prior effort is indeed real, and further that the
Read moreA Place To Call Home
A Place to Call Home / Mi Tierra, Mi Hogar from Preston Kanak on Vimeo. In January 2014, Brent Foster and Preston Kanak headed to Havana, Cuba to produce a short film about one man’s journey to find a place he could call home. “A Place To Call Home / Mi Tierra, Mi Hogar” is that short film. Their goal was to capture the essence of Cuba and create a portrait of the culture and people of Cuba. Preston states that, “what drives us to create and to tell stories is our desire to express ourselves in a visual medium. We
Read moreHappy Birthday, Dr. Land
I spent many an hour working with your products Dr. Land. Thank you for investing your life in their development. Edwin Herbert Land, the inventor of Polaroid cameras and film, was born 105 years ago today https://t.co/BiNKGSdjTq pic.twitter.com/t0EzCwnyxJ — IMPOSSIBLE HQ (@Impossible_HQ) May 7, 2014
Read moreGalaxy NOTE 3 versus 5D Mark III
This story was a bit of education for me. Of course, we all know that there is no way that a Galaxy note 3 cell phone is even in the same league as the industrial video workhorse, the Canon 5D Mark III, right? Well, right and wrong, depending upon what your needs are. If all you are looking for is the occasional video clips to use in hybrid storytelling, and you already own a great still camera, well you just may be in luck with the Galaxy note 3. In this quick camera test Alec Weinstein pits the venerable 5D mark III against
Read moreCreating a “Talking Senior Portrait” with Stills and Video
Creating a “Talking Senior Portrait” with Stills and Video from Sekonic on Vimeo. To a school portrait photographer, the very idea of video has to be a scary proposition. But there is a middle ground. What I call hybrid storytelling Joe Brady calls a “Talking Senior Portrait.” What’s the difference? Very little. Joe shoots primarily talking senior portraits where I tend to tell more atmospheric types of stories. My clients tend to be more entertainment professionals where Joe’s clients were Sekonic Light Meters and Benro Tripods putting this story together. I have no idea if you’re reading this as a professional looking to expand your
Read moreA7R Low Light: Workin’ on “Other Peoples Money”
Other People’s Money from TheCameraForum on Vimeo. One of my clients is the LA band “Cats With Class.” You could say I live with this band, since my wife Suzanne is the Bass player. Suzanne wrote and sings this original work “Other People’s Money” in a secret Burbank, CA location. Cats have Donny Baker, Studio Manager at ES Audio Services, www.ESAudio.com to thank for helping out with the tracking on this debut album. Suzanne is not performing for the camera, she is just feeling the music as she lays down the vocal track. The lyrics drip with sarcasm and dark humor.
Read moreLook Up, Shake Up, Wake Up
Published on Apr 25, 2014 How many times do you need to be told that the real Social is the social of meeting people face to face. That is why they call them “Socials.” Or we used to, I probably should say. Sadly, the days of being truly social are at an all time low, our lives instead consumed by staying “connected” to our mobile devices. So I ask you, are we connected, or are we enslaved? I think Gary Turk and I see the world in pretty much the same way. We see the world, not the fantasy some would
Read moreParis Photo Los Angeles
One of the wonders living near Hollywood is the number of opportunities that come up to see first class, top drawer creative works. The real deal, too, works from the world’s top creative artists. Much of it is surrounded by a lot of pomp and pageantry, and yes, much of that is quite pretentious. It is, after all, Hollywood. The scruffy little town with attitude, home to the largest corporate entertainment giants and much of the creative talent that keeps them there. This year’s Paris Photo Los Angeles was held on Paramount Studio‘s back lot. I’m told this is just the second year of a five
Read moreThe Leica T: A Working Mans Leica
There have been a few times in history when Leica introduced products I was very interested in. To be honest, the introduction of the Leica T intrigued me, but just from reading about it didn’t really ring my chimes. It looked nice, had nice specs, but wasn’t something I would have ordinarily considered for my own work. I already own an APS-C size sensor still camera, a Fuji X-E1, and two of the Fuji lenses both of which are very good. Bottom line, while not exactly a “pocket size” camera, the Fuji is a camera I can grab and go,
Read moreLaughs With a Polaroid
This might be the only mention we ever post of a Polaroid camera. We couldn’t pass it up. The woman is asking folks to take a photo of her and her husband. Enjoy! PLEASE RATE THIS STORY! [ratings]
Read moreFiilex Goes To The Movies
You or a Loved One TRAILER 1 from Rubric Pictures on Vimeo. As most of you know, I own and use a set of three Fiilex P-360 lights and one P100 light for my productions. I had the set out with me yesterday at a shoot though we never got to using them. At other times I have needed everyone of them. Your lighting setup needs to be flexible enough to grow as your needs grow. There is nothing worse than getting a larger job, where you need more lights, and having to deal with the rentals all being different and
Read moreThe Leica T System
Dr. Andreas Kaufmann: About the Essence from Leica Camera on Vimeo. Dr. Andreas Kaufmann, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Leica Camera AG, introduces the Leica T System and speaks on its design, real craftsmanship and ease of use – a symbiosis of the best. Leica – “das Wesentliche.” I have a few observations. So what is the Leica T System? It is a new APS-C size sensor camera system, long ago rumored to be in development. I can’t say much on the Leica T System ability to take photographs, as I haven’t actually seen anything yet save for the press
Read moreBlockhead – The Music Scene
“The Music Scene” from Anthony Francisco Schepperd on Vimeo. There are times when being a Blockhead is a very good thing. This is one of them. Expertly done animation choreographed to incredible awesome music. Awarded the Best Commissioned Animation at Ottawa International Animation Festival. Awarded Best Short Animated Film at Woodstock Film Festival. Official music video for Blockhead’s “The Music Scene.” An animated mind melt into a post human New York where TV and animals rule. All cast to the sincerely melodic soul of Blockhead’s “The Music Scene.” EXPERTLY Choreographed and Directimated by A.F.Schepperd Commissioned by Ninjatune Records Music by
Read moreThe Ultimate Focus Puller?
The Art Of A Focus Puller One of the least expensive and most versatile lenses in any filmmaker’s bag of tricks is the 50mm lens. Check around, almost every manufacturer sells a “nifty fifty.” Considered by many to be the default “normal” human vision equivalent, there are more 50mm lenses in existence than the next two focal lengths combined. If you look, every manufacturer has at least one to offer, and many have multiple options available for the 50mm focal length. Take Canon as an example, they still have three 50’s for sale, and have made even more varieties over the years. What’s the difference?
Read moreStandin’ on a Corner
Standin’ on a Corner from TheCameraForum on Vimeo. The footage isn’t pretty, it needs better stabilization or a more steady hand than mine at the time. Stabilization is something the A7R doesn’t come with and neither does the 55mm f/1.8 lens. Software stabilization for long clips is hit and miss also at times. As someone already pointed out, it is hard to hear things growing, so I’m not sure just what the native background sounds add to the production, if anything. Regardless of the video limitations, a compelling story must be told. The most populated state in the United States is facing
Read moreALVIN Changes The Rooftop AC Compressor
When you’re always on the lookout for good photojournalism styled documentary stories as I am, you never know when or where a story is liable to happen. The best you can do is be ready, and jump when you see the scene setting into place. Never leave home without a camera, always have the camera battery fully charged in anticipation of a rapid deployment, and make sure to have a clean card inserted, reformatted, and ready to go. This story was a good example, transpiring right outside my office window today. I grabbed my Sony A7R and Zeiss 55mm f/1.8 and ran outside for
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