Hal Smith

I read that some 16mm film-makers have experimented with recording a DTS time code sync track in place of the analog optical sound track. On paper, it should work. In practice? Who knows. DTS System

Without a long list: The 7D has two Canon DigicIV processors, the T2i has one. The 7D is a smarter camera in many ways. Having said that, if one is on a budget, the T2i is a fine camera. I own a 7D but if I couldn't afford the extra money, I'd buy a T2i in a heartbeat.

Yes, it's an older Angenieux motion picture camera design. For years it was the "weapon of choice" on Mitchell BNCR's shooting sitcoms which is why a lot of them were in BNCR...like mine. It's a big and heavy lens, I'd have to go get it out of its case and measure it for sure but I'm going to guess the overall length is around 16" and the front element is around 5". It weighs maybe 6 pounds. Used with a DSLR it can't be hung off the camera, it's going to need rod support. I've got an Ultracam mattebox and rod setup designed for it with a zoom motor and remote controller.

In the US electrical wire size is referred to primarily by AWG number, #10, #14, 000 ("Three Aught"), etc. There is a secondary system where it is sized by an area based measurement, Circular Mils. Circular mil area size enables describing the current carrying capacity of shapes other than circles like the rectangular buss bars found in distribution panels.

My EF-S 17-55mm extends when zoomed. As I've posted elsewhere: It's a gorgeous lens but being a still lens you can't shoot docco style, no zooming in to focus then zooming out to frame. My Angenieux 20-120mm T2.9 does not extend when zoomed, the zoom mechanism is internal.

At least one Angenieux zoom lens in BNCR will go on a minimally modified 7D. My 20-120mm T2.9 is retrofocal design, there's almost zero room needed behind the rear element. The Arri standard and bayonet mount versions of that lens would project well into the mirror box, it might be simplest to have a lens tech change a std/bayo mount lens to PL or BNCR. I see no reason why one of the PL/EOS adapters that install in the EOS mount itself wouldn't work on an unmodified 7D with a retrofocal lens. I suspect the 25-250mm is the same basic design but I don't have one in hand to look at. I'm buying one of the Polish BNCR/EOS adapters that require removing the EOS mount's four screws to install their adapter. There are new Angie zooms that are retrofocal and are obviously PL mount. Angie had short zoom on a 7D at this year's NAB, it produced an awesome image. Anyone out there who has tried a modern PL mount Angie on a 7D? One huge advantage of a motion picture zoom lenses over Canon lenses is they're parfocal, you can zoom in, focus, and then zoom out. That doesn't work with still photo zooms. My otherwise killer little EF-S 17-55mm F2.8 drives me nuts when shooting documentary style. I've got the docco habit of always zooming in to focus, then out to frame...which of course never works with a still zoom. :o

Nice. Good choice of music and very pretty pictures. I just got in from a long day diagnosing a client's FM radio station's transmission line and antenna meltdown, your video was exactly what I needed to unwind. If you're a fan of "Music From the Hearts of Space" on public radio you'll know what I mean when I say that your video is right in the spirit of that show's ambience.

One of the "old school" methods for messing with an image is Vaseline smeared on a clear filter on the lens. If you Google "vaseline on a lens" you'll get hits with examples.

That is a very astute thought: With the shallower focal distance, moire prone objects in front and back of the focal distance would be less resolved.

They're definitely overloaded, I got my Paypal invoice today.

Phil, You might write a little primer on codecs including which ones are robust vs the ones that are designed only to be used for "retail" viewing. I've been dealing with this for many years with audio. There's a very large number of otherwise professional audio people who think a low bit rate mp3 is broadcast quality. Fortunately for audio I can import it into an editor like Sound Forge or Pro Tools and show them just how smashed the dynamics are. They whine when I tell them to BUY a good mp2 codec and stop using mp3's for anything other than final deliverables to a low quality system like an iPhone, iPod, iWhatever. If it's headed for high end audio, film, broadcast radio/tv, etc. do not, repeat do not, use mp3's.

Hi Isabelle, I've read a few early reports that imply it's pretty good on film/video. Another company zeroing in on film/video friendly LED lighting is Gekko Technology. Their Kezia lights are pretty darn good. In Gekko's case, they're sophisticated enough in their understanding of LED technology that they actually make two versions of the Kezia, one "tuned" to be film/video friendly and another for live stage use. http://www.gekkotechnology.com/kezia.html A fascinating report to read is the results of LED lighting film tests produced by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences scientific staff. Have a read and you'll see why implementing LED technology for professional use isn't easy. http://www.oscars.org/science-technology/council/projects/ssl/index.html

My ex-wife the Anthropologist spent many years in village India. She used to talk about her village's excitement when the film vahaka would come around on his rounds, toting his ancient projector and generator to show Bollywood films. The projector and generator arrived on a cart pulled by a bullock.

Who needs reencoding? In the third world a DVD manufactured from a DV tape shot off of a television set or monitor is a pretty saleable product.

The Internet computer equipment and software sales company CDW has a government and education division www.CDWG.com. There are many software companies who distribute educational copies of their products through companies like CDWG and provide huge discounts. You and/or your school can establish an account with them by providing them your credentials (ID cards, a letter from one of your administrators on the school's letterhead, etc). Once you've got an account established you can buy any of their educationally licensed software. The prices can be highly discounted. For instance: The educational version of Adobe CS5 Production Premium is as cheap as US$350, the commercial version of the same software costs over US$1000. Several of my regular clients are universities and as a result I qualify for CDWG educational pricing on software directly related to my services to the schools. I've saved a lot of money over the years buying software through CDWG.

So was mine until people started to slander cml. This Forum is useful, cml is essential.

EXACTLY! But since I'm such a nice guy, here's a link for Kamil that might help: Royalty Free Music Performances There are other sources of royalty free music performances on the web that some patient Googling will find. The Silvis Woodshed has a large collection of choral midi files that you can use with a good Midi editor. I personally use an ancient Midi editor written in the Windows 95 era that still runs nicely on XP. Back in the day software writers knew how to write efficient code that obeyed all the rules of compatibility therefore had long service lives.

Set up a "cml" email subfolder plus a rule that looks for "cml-" in the SUBJECT line and moves mail to that folder. If you want more finely tuned sorting: Set up a set of rules and subfolders looking for "cml-hdlsr", "cml-general", etc. in the SUBJECT lines. I use Outlook and have absolutely no problem with sorting cml mail. I've also used Outlook Express' rule routines in the past with good results.

Not unlike a participant or two in the "Feature on a 5D" thread in cml-hdslr, there are also a few over here who take five cents worth of knowledge and think they can buy a Ferrari Super America with it. PS: For those who don't understand what's up with cml using email as its primary messaging system read: LISTSERV (cml uses Lyris but this article will give a feel for a listserv's function.)

There was a major screwup on Kodak's website concerning the last day. Kodak's website stated the last day for processing would be December 31st, as we all know Dwayne's cut off accepting Kodachrome at noon today. I found out about this Wednesday in time to get four rolls off via FedEx morning delivery (they got there at 9:02AM today) but lost my last day project which was to drive up to Northern Oklahoma and shoot winter wheat fields in their gorgeous, Kodachrome loving, yellow-green color. At this time of year wheat farmers graze cattle on their wheat fields with the potential for a breath-taking photo or two. Two reasons to hate the Koda-Grinch: Discontinuing Kodachrome AND passing out bad information about Dwayne's drop dead date.

Good bye Kodachrome. I shot four rolls of KR135-36 today with my Pentax Program Plus. Two of my brand new, born yesterday, first grandson and his family at the hospital, one of a fairly decent Oklahoma sunset, and to send K64 off to its reward, I chased my cats around the house and shop for an hour. I shot most with my 50mm f1.4 SMC lens and a few with my 28-50mm f3.5-4.5 SMC compact zoom. I dusted off, and used my old Braun 440 Studio strobe for the interior shots. FedEx got the four rolls at their north OKC station at 7PM and they'll be in Parsons, KS in the morning. The official cutoff is noon tomorrow.

Try to find an original Eventide Harmonizer 949 to play around with. A combination of pitch change, flanging, and reverb may get you what you want. Eventide has a Pro Tools "Clockworks Legacy" plug-in that emulates the early Harmonizers. I don't have experience with it but since it's the people who created the original, it's probably pretty good...it's also VERY pricey. You've got me thinking however, I think I know where there's an unloved H910 sitting in a junk box!

Makeup and Costume? Darken the actor's skin and hair and costume them with something in a grey tone. That way you can blow out everything but the actor. You will get bleed into the actor if the contrast difference is too extreme but a stop or two should be okay. As always: Test, Test, Test.

LED at the most basic level are a rectifier, feed one with AC and you'll get pulsations. The only way to avoid this is indeed to feed them with DC, either from a battery pack or a well filtered source of rectified AC. I'd start with a industrial "brick" power supply, they're cheap on eBay. The transformer types are more reliable in rough service but they are quite a bit heavier than chopper (inverter) supplies.

Double system sound is best. It's more complicated, usually requires slates (see current thread in "Assistant Cameraman" sub-forum ( Slating ), and more crew but is well worth the effort. I always recommend reading Tomlinson Holman's "Sound for Film and Television" as a first point in learning how to record professional quality sound. His initials are the "TH" in THX, he developed the system. I'm now using the new Sound Devices USB Pre 2 outboard sound card with a netbook and Sound Forge Studio for recording. It's working extremely well. Not cheap but still more than $1,000 less than a standalone Sound Devices or Nagra professional digital recorder