Category: Camera User Groups

04 November 2016

Production Notes: Election Day Edition

Written by Paul Moon

Heading into Election Day, most Americans are feeling low (count me among them). Between some songs that I had the honor to document when Denyce Graves gave a hometown concert in September, American Anthem by Gene Scheer really stuck with me. In 1998, she sang its premiere to Bill and Hillary Clinton, then later at the inauguration of George W. Bush. But it transcends partisan politics and speaks to who we are, heroism at the middle. When Denyce sent her warm approval today, the timing couldn’t be better. It’ll resonate with Election Day and the complicated term of a new President, but whatever the outcome, I want to think that we’ve still got a lot of life left in us.

PRODUCTION NOTES

I’ve been shooting with The Phillips Collection in Washington, D.C. for years, but lately I’ve shifted my kit to something less hearty than the old workhorse Sony NEX-FS100. Since that was a “real” camcorder, it required less rigging and had actual “pro” ports, but I couldn’t resist the allure of upgrading to 4K resolution these days, not to mention the continued improvements in low-light sensitivity accorded from full-frame sensors. It’s incredible to think that for a very long time, the purpose-built Super 35mm sensor of the FS100 was a low-light beast, and practically the best you could get until Canon Cinema EOS came along. If nothing else, I was pretty happy to see it kill off the bain of our existence a few years ago: aliasing.

Yet now, the only full-frame cinematography option happens to be a toy. Well, sort of. The Sony a7S II has the form factor of a purse camera, but no other acquisition device on the market (besides something totally beyond reach like an ARRI Alexa 65) combines a full-frame sensor with credible LOG-color cinematography (though maybe the FS7 II launching next week will up the game, breaking from its predecessor’s Super 35mm sensor size). Full-frame sensors don’t assure optimum quality — I’ll take an ARRI Alexa over an a7S II any day — but in a pinch they certainly guarantee quicker options for manipulating depth of field, and using practical lights.

Problem is, you end up with the monster kit seen above. That’s what I used to shoot the concert up top, as my A-camera. For this style of shooting, one typical no-no in cinematography — zooming! — becomes something of a necessity, thus the full-frame Sony 28-135mm f/4.0 power zoom cinema lens is a godsend. Since it’s practically parfocal, tack-sharp focus doesn’t creep off as you zoom in and out. That’s really important when you’re shooting alone, without someone doing dedicated FocusPulling. (The name of this whole website community is sort of tongue-in-cheek, at least for me.) Even so, the continuous f/4 aperture on a full frame still guarantees a fairly shallow depth of field, making it necessary to adjust focus even during a zoom toward your focal point destinations — and for that, I’ve got a shockingly cheap-o gadget made by Fotga plugged into the USB port on the a7S II that controls the power zoom lens, strapped onto the tripod handle, so that I can simultaneously pull focus using a D-Focus gear locked into the teeth of the cine lens barrel. I’m feeding power to everything using a V-Mount MAXOAK high-capacity battery, on a CAME-TV plate, via an IndiPRO Tools battery adapter, as further described in my power rigging video at YouTube. I’ll get into more of these physical rigging details in an upcoming dedicated video that follows up the “viral hits” I created on Rigging the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera and Rigging the Panasonic GH4.

SHOOTING IN LOG, EVEN WHEN YOU’RE NOT SUPPOSED TO

Speaking of which, since I’m an indie who can’t just expense stuff out to a media house/corporation, I didn’t have two additional perfectly matching a7S II’s to cover my other angles. So, those old BMPCC and GH4 workhorses filled in the gaps, since they offer that one wondrous common denominator that brings parity between cameras these days: LOG color profiles. Controlling highlights has become a pet peeve of mine, to preserve dynamic range and attain that elusive “film look,” so I’m still stubborn about still shooting in LOG even where there’s low light. I even committed the worst infraction, choosing S-Log3 for my a7S II A-camera, which struggled with noise in the shadows well beyond the profile’s native design. But, that shortcoming aside, the primary virtue of LOG color is its flexibility in the color grade, especially when dissimilar cameras are in the multi-cam mix: as long as they all shoot LOG, there’s a fighting chance to match them, especially using my tool of choice FilmConvert that aligns distinct camera profiles with a common film stock emulation.

IT STILL OVERHEATS

A common myth is that Sony solved its overheating fiasco even after updating the a7S II (and a7R II) firmware. That’s only partly true, as they merely raised the heat threshold to some higher amount before shutdown (which was an expedient compromise that might someday be proven to damage internal components, a remaining concern in their same strategy for the upcoming a6500). So: the desperate bag of tricks to keep the a7S II cool are to use an external battery, and an external recorder. At left, you can see the Atomos Shogun hooked in, which of course doubles as an excellent full-HD monitor given the lack of a good loupe, and it also records in a “better” (even though it’s Apple) codec direct to SSD. The a7S II delivers 4:2:2 sampling to the Shogun, instead of 4:2:0 into itself, which is a nice little bump up but still not 10-bit.

You can probably guess which of the two remaining angles used which camera: after all, the camera on the piano keyboard stays fixed (Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera at 1080p) while the wide shot (Panasonic GH4 at UHD-4K) zooms in and out slightly, almost always cropping me out from view as camera operator. It’s the classic bonus benefit of 4K acquisition in a workflow that’s eventually output to 1080p anyway: you get all that cropping latitude, as if you’re an active camera operator in post, even though it was just sitting there on sticks during the shoot.

The concert audio is fantastically above my pay grade, as it’s professionally recorded (by ace Edward Kelly), and I just throw his 24-bit uncompressed audio files into PluralEyes for the multi-camera synchronization in Premiere. The tinny, awful sound quality from each of the cameras’ internal microphones is more than adequate for nailing sync.

YOU CAN DO IT ALL

I’m pretty happy with how it turned out, given the things that I couldn’t control like the dim mix of outdoor versus indoor lighting, and poles obstructing a view that I had to edit around. I think the weakest link is that rear wide shot, from the Panasonic GH4, which really struggled using an f/2.8 aperture to capture enough light in V-Log using 1600 ISO: I had to crank up Denoiser II in post to 200%, which compromised image quality of course. Classical music concerts are a tricky environment to manage these technical strategies, because there is little room for re-configuring things after the curtain goes up, to preserve silence and uninterrupted sightlines. But those limits also make multi-camera shoots from a single operator (e.g., me) surprisingly feasible — all this stuff fit in one backpack and one shoulder bag, and I carried it all home on the subway. So I guess these tiny little cameras aren’t so bad after all.

November 4, 2016 Blackmagic Cinema Cameras, FocusPulling Original, Panasonic GH4, Sony a7S Leave a Comment

27 September 2016

While we wait for the GH5: Review of the VARY-i GH4 & GH3 Viewfinder

Written by Paul Moon

Is it just me, or did that GH5 announcement at Photokina seem a bit rushed? What they brought was only a caged, not-working shell, which amounts to showing up empty-handed. Panasonic did commit to announcing a few upgrades from the GH4: internal 4K 30 frames per second recording at 10-bit 4:2:2, and 60 frames per second at 8-bit 4:2:0; and something mostly useless to filmmakers called 6K Photo (burst mode, basically). What they could not commit to is fixing two Achille’s heels of the GH4: in-body image stabilization, and improvements to the light sensitivity of the necessarily small Micro Four Thirds sensor. Betting odds are in favor of them actually delivering on those two critical features (as if they have the choice now, in this market). But we have to wait until 2017.

What does this mean for the GH4, and the GH3 for that matter? Well, their non-working GH5 shell certainly looked a lot like the GH4 body, which was almost exactly like the GH3 body, so maybe they’ll keep it going. That would be great news for those of us who invested in accessories to rig up our cameras. I created a widely-circulated guide to rigging, in the below video.

One of the themes in my video was that the G-Cup eyepiece created by Miller & Schneider (still the best you can get) adds a critical third point of contact, to stabilize shooting hand-held. And another key point: Zacuto didn’t quite get it right with their adapted Z-Finder system on the GH3 and GH4: over-complicated, expensive, and cropping the view. I explain this starting from the 3:48 mark (you can click this link to go straight there).

Thankfully, just like Miller & Schneider, another independent entrepreneur has created a large-sized loupe that performs better than the Z-Finder using the rear LCD screen, as an alternative to the more portable G-Cup that attaches to the cameras’ smaller eyecup display. Fitting both the GH3 and GH4, it adds a diopter for eyeglass wearers, more points of contact for steady hand-holding, and sturdy protection of the swing-out LCD screen. (Indeed, when I got one of the first GH4s arriving to market, the rear screen flickered badly, as if a loose connection, and required replacement — straight out of the box, not because of rough treatment, suggesting that the swing-out LCD screen is delicate.)

The VARY-i costs €229.75 Euros, and if you’re in the United States, after shipping it’ll cost you about $275 USD. If you do any serious hand-held shooting with your GH3 or GH4, I think it’s worth it.

Something you’ll notice from this top view is that there is a red diopter ring that twists into a lens correction that might or might not match your eyesight, without wearing glasses. It’s not as advanced as Zacuto’s, also lacking their patented anti-fog coating, but it’s a great bonus if it you normally wear eyeglasses. That said, I found that regardless of the diopter, I was able to use the VARY-i comfortably with eyeglasses on, too. Another thing you’ll notice is a switch next to the diopter ring: it activates a snappy, sturdy shutter over the loupe to protect the glass as well as the rare possibility of direct sunlight getting magnified and damaging the LCD screen.

The VARY-i is somewhat “modular”: you first attach a proprietary baseplate to the bottom of the camera, as seen in the above pictures from several angles (click each to enlarge). You’ll notice a molded simple lens mount on the surface, which might further stabilize but actually can cause a bit of trouble: you’ll see in the last picture that it can skew everything off-perpendicular (I moved the set screw as far as I could), but that small amount didn’t cause any problem. Moreover, it’s not an adjustable height, so you may have lenses (like the one you’ll see in these pictures) with a wider lens barrel, fitting differently than any slimmer barrel. That said, the main purpose of the baseplate is to slide your camera into position onto the loupe’s bottom bracket fitting into the slot you see, then lock it there using the red thumbscrew (which is a little hard to turn with any lens in-place, butting right up against the barrel, but it has a flat-head screwdriver slot for tightening too. You’ll see in the picture at right that the baseplate includes both 1/4″-20 and 3/8″ threaded sockets for mounting options, so that you can leave the VARY-i attached while using a tripod.

As seen at left, the rear LCD screen slides into a protective sleeve, and once everything’s in place, it’s surprisingly sturdy. There’s one more thumb screw (seen at right) to tighten, further reinforcing the bracket’s connection.

The below pictures give a wider view from below of how the VARY-i hooks onto your camera.

One of the great features of the GH3 and GH4 is its articulating LCD screen, which means that it can flip out and turn in all directions (compared to, for example, the Sony a7 series which is comparatively limited). The VARY-i takes advantage of this by also letting you adjust the angle of the viewfinder loupe, as seen below. You can pivot it up, to look down while pointing forward, or pivot it down, to look up while pointing forward, as you’ll choose whatever gives you the best leverage for different shooting conditions. The knob seen at right tightens the angle.

And finally, another great feature is the latch built into the VARY-i that lets you flip up the loupe, revealing a direct view of the LCD screen (seen below). Come to think of it, that’s necessary: unlike other cameras such as the Sony a7 series, we’re talking about touchscreens here! It’s a bit of a stretch, poking fingers into that box to reach the surface of the screen, but it’s short enough for any adult-sized fingers to reach it comfortably.

Summing up, having a good viewfinder often gets taken for granted. You’ll always find them on old-school shoulder-cams, positioned just right, while the bad wrap against digital cinematography using a photo-camera body is that it’s hard to nail critical focus and other adjustments when you’re fighting against the sun and peeking into a tiny hole. Investing in a viewfinder can be expensive, and the VARY-i is not a small investment. But with the GH3 and GH4 having more life left in them, and that GH5 looking hazy on the horizon (while maybe even compatible with the VARY-i if its body dimensions stay the same), this thing can really pay off. Blowing focus or framing can lose you a priceless shot, but a good viewfinder has got your back. This is the best one you can get for the GH3 and GH4.

September 27, 2016 FocusPulling Original, Panasonic GH3, Panasonic GH4 1 Comment

25 August 2016

Announcing the Canon 5D Mark IV

Written by Paul Moon

Canon’s true flagship camera has been its 5D series, and that’s the all-important theme, when it comes to assessing their next move into the Mark numbers of that lineage. As a camera relied upon by probably more working professionals than any other, it has got to take good photos, in a weather-proof and durable body, even if it adds video features that keep pace with what’s going on in moving picture technology.

Today’s announcement of the new Canon 5D Mark IV brings at least one sigh of relief: it shoots 4K video. Of course! But in some regard, this video upgrade is really just a re-housing of the great Cinema EOS 1D C, because the internal video recording codec is still limited to 8-bit 4:2:2. At least it’s not the 8-bit 4:2:0 of the Sony a7 series, but even so, the marquee feature of the 5D series — its full-frame sensor — doesn’t get leveraged for video the way it does in, particularly, the Sony a7S II. The gigantic crop factor of the Canon 5D Mark IV takes us right back to the constant guessing game when it comes to using full-frame lenses that cannot deliver — remember Metabones and its progeny of focal reducers? Problem is, the Canon EF lens mount leaves no room for a focal reducer, because of the Canon body’s flange distance to the sensor.

But something in particular (already in this first hour) that all the blogs and media sources are avoiding is this extraordinary oversight: no log recording! Whatever the claimed specification of dynamic range, a camera’s true measure of latitude in video capture is its ability to shoot in log, requiring even just a minimal conversion to REC.709, etc., in post-production. In 2016, log video capture is a bare minimum technical requirement. I mean, even the sub-$1k Sony a6300 has got it.

But the theme remains as always: this is primarily a stills camera. And for that, it’s all good news: a 30.4 megapixel CMOS sensor with high exposure latitude, Dual Pixel CMOS auto-focus and a new Dual Pixel RAW feature. Also underestimated and finally arrived is GPS metadata recording, which is especially vital to the core 5D customer who engages in things like photojournalism and research (where the archival value of ascertaining the precise location of a photograph is invaluable: I learned that using a simple point-and-shoot with GPS capability through this fascinating episode in geology).

But coming back to video, my experience shooting with a Mark III revealed two very specific shortcomings: “soft” and “punchy” video, primarily caused by its anti-aliasing filter and default color profiles. I did everything else I could: uploaded the Technicolor profile to get the color space as flat as possible (angling to simulate log), and avoided shooting wide focal lengths for the usual reasons, then applying a sharpness boost in post. Has the Mark IV gotten better at this? The videos seem to suggest it, but of course they are demos meant to show the camera at its best (and naturally, 4K capture increases evident sharpness).

But it’s early, isn’t it? Next come the reviews, and that’s where/when all’s revealed. For quite a few shooters, though, the Mark IV is an automatic upgrade. To that end, pre-orders are already available at B&H Photo and Video, and at Adorama, to name a couple. I can think of a few people who will jump immediately, and when it comes to the most important value for working professionals — familiarity with an esteemed product line’s interface and behavior — today’s feature improvements are fantastic news and there’s no hesitation.

Ironically, I’m writing this in Cologne, Germany during a conference on film music called SoundTrack_Cologne, starting to see all the signs for Photokina going up around the city for next month’s big show. The drama builds: what’s next?

August 25, 2016 Canon EOS 5D Mark III, FocusPulling Original 1 Comment