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The Hollywood Distagon at f/2: A Single Daffodil and the Contax Zeiss 28mm on the Sony A7RV
April 28, 2026
Contax Zeiss 85mm f1.4 A7S Test
For regular all around shooting, I find the Contax Zeiss 85mm f1.4 Planar to be a bit too long for my video tastes. I have not spent nearly the time shooting this tight of a lens as I have with wider angle lenses. On my other hybrid storyteller hand, for still portrait work the Contax Zeiss 85mm f1.4 Planar feels just about right. Shooting street portraits or client portraits on the street, the Sony A7S it is a dream come true. ISO settings from 3200 to 12,800 are clean, so there is seldom a need to go below or above them so your always dialed
Read moreAtomos Shogun: With An A7S, You Want One
Atomos Shogun Introduction from Atomos Video on Vimeo. It has been a long time coming, delayed several times, and still is not functionally complete but finally the long awaited Atomos Shogun has started to arrive to fill dealer backorders. What this means to people like myself who are using a Sony A7S is that we will be able to record to the external Shogun in 4k video for the very first time. Hurray! But Sony users are not the only ones to benefit. Panasonic GH4 owners benefit from being able to record their 4k video externally to the Shogun in
Read moreDo I Need A Teleprompter?
Coming from the wild “Mirrorless Madness” world of Still Photography, I find many strange things are used in video production that at first blush made no sense to me at all. It was only after my video experience started to catch up to my enthusiasm that I begin to realize how much I actually do need some of the video only specialized pieces added to my normal “minnimal-is-beautiful” still photography kit. A video monopod. A good, shoe mounted small shotgun mic. A battery powered LED fill light. Wireless or wired Lav. A teleprompter is another one of these incredible time savers, if you’re shooting informational videos, producing educational materials, or anytime you want
Read moreWhy You Need iPHOCUS.
If you are like millions of other photographers, the personal work usually ends up getting shot on the one camera you always have with you – your phone. If that phone happens to be an Apple iPhone capable of running IOS-8+ Santa Clause may have just come early for you this year. So what does iPhocus do for you? Traditional camcorders and heavy Pro DSLR’s are typically carried when you have serious client work to do, but today it is very common to use the cameras in your phones for doing your home videos, full movies on a tight budget
Read moreSony A7II Review: Hands On With Paul Gero
A7II Hands On Review Video Introduction by Paul Gero, Sony Artisans of Imagery Program from Paul Gero on Vimeo. Ladera Ranch wedding and portrait photographer Paul Gero is no stranger to the regular readers of TheCameraForum. Paul has appeared in several of our stories, the latest of which we got to enjoy seeing Paul open the box of the first Sony A7II any of us had ever seen. When he is not busy with his active photography business in Orange County, Paul also works as one of Sony’s Artisans of Imagery. As part of that Sony program, Paul will be
Read moreZeiss Planar 50mm f1.4 A7S Test
Cousin Kate & The Light In The Darkness from TheCameraForum on Vimeo. We’re working on another music video project, this time for LA’s hot new Pop music sensations, Cousin Kate. These gals and guys are always so much fun to work with! We decided to film some B roll for the project at their last rehearsal, so I brought out the cream of the crop, the Carl Zeiss Planar 50mm f1.4. This old Zeiss Planar 50mm f1.4 film lens has a look that is second to none in my book. I’ve probably used a couple dozen 50mmish lenses over the years. Most all of
Read moreSony A7II: First Look at the “Deuce”
Unboxing The A7II from TheCameraForum on Vimeo. There is always excitement and great anticipation when a new camera body is released, especially one with revolutionary features like 5-axis image stabilization, XAVC-S Codec, and S-Log2 from ISO 1600 up. To differentiate it in my mind, I have started calling the new Sony A7II “The Deuce.” Paul gets credit for the name. Join me in the first unboxing of the Sony A7II with Paul Gero as he receives his test camera. Paul is one of the Sony Artisans of Imagery, so he sometimes gets a look at these new Sony products ahead of
Read moreContax Zeiss 28mm f2 A7S Test
Looking for a used Zeiss lens? KEH Camera has the largest selection of used Zeiss glass in the United States. Every lens is fully inspected, graded, and warrantied. Worth a look before you scroll eBay. Browse Used Zeiss at KEH → Affiliate disclosure: TheCameraForum earns a small commission on KEH purchases made through this link, at no additional cost to you. We only recommend gear we would use ourselves. Looking for a great wide angle prime for your Sony A7S? Look no further. The Contax Zeiss 28mm f2 is a champion. One of the things that I always love
Read moreOld Man Take a Look at My Life
Black Friday was for much more than just shopping at Venice Beach November 29th, 2014. It was a crazy stoner kind of Friday late afternoon, so typical of Venice and its Endless Summer… and just perfect for a stroll with the Sony A7S fitted with the FE 50mm f/1.8. The more I use this combination, the more I grow to love it. After shooting Old Man Take A Look At My Life, it would be hard for me to argue against this being the best all around camera in the world for me. It’s the one that does everything I ask
Read moreSony A7II Full-Frame Mirrorless With 5-Axis IS
Want the full story on what 5-Axis IS does? Play this movie above and in two minutes find out. Only have thirty seconds to spend? Play the quick marketing overview piece below. The Sony juggernaut just never rests. First came the groundbreaking Sony A7, packing twenty four megapixels into a tiny body almost small enough to slip into your jacket pocket. Today, the refreshed Sony A7 II model was announced in Japan. Always great at keeping their announcements secret, the real news on this 24MP full-frame mirrorless is its 5-axis sensor-shift image stabilization – a first of its kind for a full-frame mirrorless camera.
Read moreDJI Inspire 1 – Flying 4k Video Drone
Published on YouTube.Com Nov 12, 2014 Redefining what it means to take to the sky and fly, the DJI Inspire 1 is the most advanced ready-to-fly system for everyone. Packed with the latest technology in photography, videography, and flight, this all-in-one platform empowers you to create stunning footage for any use. There is no question that the original DJI Phantom was a huge hit, not just with people wanting to fly them for a hobby, but also for serious videographers. However, the Phantom is limited in many ways that restrict what a new age filmmaker can actually do with it.
Read moreAtomos Shogun: 4k Recording Begins
Atomos Shogun IBC 2014 from Atomos Video on Vimeo. Oh Shogun, where art thou my Shogun? Today there is finally some news on the Shogun front. For those of you like myself who are anxious to begin shooting 4k footage on the Sony a7s, today is a monumental day in Shogun and a7s history. Atomos today confirm that their award winning 4K Shogun digital field recorder has completed its first production run so the Shogun will begin shipping to dealers shortly. Here is hoping they made that first Shogun run a Shogun sized large one, because the pent up demand for
Read moreWhat Cameras Come Next From Sony?
The gentleman who will be making the final decision on what comes next from Sony in the Alpha series of interchangeable lens cameras is Sony Product Manager for Interchangeable Lens Cameras, Mr. Kenta Honjo. Mr. Honjo was interviewed for this Creative Live video segment published on Oct 27, 2014 on YouTube.Com. For those who are unfamiliar with what a product manager does, according to Wikipedia a product manager investigates, selects, and drives the development of products for an organization, performing the activities of product management. A product manager considers numerous factors such as intended demographic of the particular market, the products offered by the
Read moreWhich Codec, AVCHD, ProRes 422, or ProRes HQ?
There’s no question we all wish to make the highest quality films possible using the various cameras available to us. A big part of that ultimate quality is determined right at the time of capture, by the capture codec we choose to use. What is a codec? Good question! I and every other aspiring digital filmmaker and hybrid storyteller needs to understand at least the basics of choosing and using various codecs. Your choice of which codec to use, and for what purpose, can have a huge effect on the ultimate quality of your final production. Hard to believe? It’s true, and here is why. A codec is a mathematical algorithm,
Read moreDia de los Muertos 2014
Dia de los Muertos 2014 from TheCameraForum on Vimeo. Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead 2014. One of the great things about the Sony A7S is the grading ability using Sony’s S-log2 profile and the flexibility it provides. While it is impossible to get our Sony NEX-5N footage to match the A7S, going the opposite direction we thought should be possible. To prove this hypothesis Suzanne and I shot both the A7S and the NEX 5N at Hollywood Forever’s fifteenth Dia de los Muertos celebration November 1st, 2014. We’ve graded, and intercut the footage. Some of the
Read moreThe A7S Visits Boney Island
Boney Island visionary creator Rick Polizzi doesn’t like to be scared. Neither do his two daughters. In his own words, “I’m basically a chicken and I have raised two chickens.” Unfortunately, when it came to Halloween entertainment for children in the Los Angeles area back in 1997 there were pretty slim pickings that didn’t scare. So being the producer for his children he has been for mine (Rick Polozzi in his professional life is also the Producer of The Simpsons) Rick decided to construct one of his own. As I understand it, what originally started out as a treehouse project with his
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