Peter Emery

Hi do you still have the Leica Van Diemen set? If so can you tell me more about them? Thanks

Hello, Has anyone used the new Schneider Cine-Xenar III primes? I'm investing in mid cost primes and on paper these look good. But I can't find them at any UK rental house. Any thoughts or experiences with them appreciated. Peter

Hi, Does anyone know who makes the best PL converters for a Canon C300. Ideally something with a back focus control. Thanks Peter

I have just bought a HPX371. Broadly speaking it's superior to the EX cameras on every level. When comes to build quality it makes an EX3 look cheap. Only a little more expensive and the newer P2 cards, although expensive, aren't much more than Sony's sxs cards. However I have found one issue. It seems to smear on very fine complex detail when panning. Most of the time it's lost in motion blur, but it is an issue. It seems to be a problem on all formats whether 'I' or 'P'. Has anyone else found this?

Thanks Brian

I feel like I should know this but I don't... I've just bought a Sony LMD-940W monitor as a field monitor. I have the option of setting Colour Space to 'off' 'EBU' 'SMPTE-C' or 'ITU-709'. I work in the UK. Thoughts?

Oh yes thanks - I should look harder. Thanks kindly

Hello, I'm looking to shoot Red and anamorphic as a combination for the first time. Apart from Panavision does anyone know any hire companies that cater for this under one roof in the UK? Thanks

I wonder if will be incorporated on all the new Panasonic cameras? I am thinking about buying a 301 camera.

Hi Ken, I can't answer your questions here but I've been looking into the 301 in the last few weeks with a mind to buying one. I think the 301 is a big technological step forward from the 500. The 301 is a proper full raster HD camera. Whereas I understand the 500 despite being 2/3" wasn't. The only, and serious, issue with the 301 is rolling shutter problems. I was shocked how bad it was and really surprised Panasonic released it that way. I understand the new firmware fixes it but I need to see it with my own eyes before buying it. That aside I've used it a few times and I'm very impressed for the money. Nice and light too with Variable Frame Rate. I imagine good for wildlife. I know that converters are already available if you want to use the HJ lenses (MIT Corp London). I was thinking the same thing. But due to the chip size a wide angle HJ11 would seem the best choice to maintain a wide angle view. This is a bottom end proper camera and so putting a pricey HJ lens on, which I don't have, seems out of balance in terms of money. That is unless you own one. I'd like to know what optics exist for less than £5k that would be an improvement over the stock lens. A new 1/3 HD spec or an older second hand SD lens. Any thoughts on that would be good to hear. I'm planning to do some tests. I'd like to see what a top notch lens can do on a tiny 1/3" at full HD. Best Peter

Hello all, I'm thinking of getting a lighting field monitor. It has to have a scope and SDI. Around 8" The contenders so far are the Astro WM-320 or Panasonic BT-LH900AE. Cost is a factor, but I'm looking to get something goooood. Any thoughts?

Can anyone help. I want to refit the cable on some of my lights. I wish to use the same high grade 16amp cable that ARRI and other lighting companies use. But I don't know what that is or where to look. Help much appreciated. This is for use in the UK.

Thanks. I'm going to pass that information around!

Yes I think it is. I think they essentially work the same way as a film projector. The projector is a mysterious black box. Even the projectionist didn't really know the details of how it worked.

Having now shot the project I though I'd answer my own question in case anyone is interested. I shot a cinema screen with a 35mm camera at 24FPS. The screen was projected onto by an industry digital cinema projector. Unlike shooting a TV, set changing the phase shift made no difference to the image. Therefore I just shot it straight. The results were perfect. No phasing. Perfect. image. I'd like to hear thoughts from a projectionist about this?

I'm shooting a 35mm cinema promo destined for a cinema screen. I'll actually be filming in a cinema and showing the screen in the promo. I'll be shooting at 24FPS and making a 35mm print. I have to separately shoot some imagery to show on the screen that will be filmed. I'm planning to do this on video; to then be projected using a digital cinema projector. Should I be concerned about sync scan issues? I could shoot the video image on at 24fps on a JVC camera. Is that a good idea. Input appreciated..

It's looking like a Spectra. It seems you can only get them as an import from the US.

I have a Gossen Starlite worth over £400. I don't trust it, it gives strange readings from time to time. I also feel that its cheaply made. I have friends that own the Sekonic cine meters. I think they are cheaply made too. I've noticed bits falling off and the surface text rubbing off. These are expensive bits of kit. I don't understand, why can't someone make a well made quality instrument that reflects the price. Something that I can trust and will last. Does anyone agree? What are the best meters? I need a new one Peter

I am shooting a S16mm feature film. There is a chance the film may get a theatrical release with a 35mm blow-up. We've not decided whether to shoot 1.85:1 or 2.35:1. This highlights my concern that there may be too much grain. I'm hoping for a DI but I suspect this is out of our budget range. Some texture is good but not over grainy. I need to be using a reasonably fast stock for some scenes. I am currently planning to use Kodak V2 7218 but I was wondering how Kodak V2 7217 pushed a stop may look? Anyone done this? Cheers Peter

Thanks Richard I'll have a really good read of that. Peter

Just to answer various points that have come up. My stills camera shoots NEF RAW (A Nikon Raw file) I used JPEG as I have to convert it to something. I guess a TIFF may have been a wiser option. I might try that. Although I'm not sure how much difference it would have made in practice. The bulb was bought from a company called PH Miracle on Ebay. It's made by Miscansu Checking the CRI perhaps is the way to go forwards. But how can I find this information out? In terms of mounting it in a china ball. I just hung it from a good flex with a brass/ceramic ES lamp holder. If it all goes well I was thinking of building a triple mount and using a larger china ball. My Gaffer Bernie is talking about making a lighting tube using them; although I'm not sure how. Peter

This posting is about a bulb I just bought and a domestic way to colour check it I've bought a photo balanced 105w 240V 5500K fluorescent bulb from Ebay with an ES screw. The idea is it could work in place of a photoflood. But run cooler, less power and at 5500K. You could even run a cluster of them as a large low power soft source. It's made by Miscansu. It is supposed to kick out 525W tungsten equivalent. It actually gives about f2 500ASA at 3m through a china ball. My gaffer said I should check the colour output I took a shot of a colour/grey card with my pro digital camera. One lit from bulb and one outdoors. Then I took them into Nikon Capture (my photography software) and using the mid grey off the card in the images I matched the grey point of each. Then converted them to JPEG and imported them into AVID. I put the images on top of each other in the time line. I then shunted between them and watched the vector scope for differences. This is the result of the fluorescent compared to daylight Green - bang on Blue - bang on Cyan - bang on Yellow - very very slightly low Magenta - very very slightly low Red - very very slightly low It's a really good result I think. I'm not an expert of colour checking. I'd like to know if anyone can spot a flaw in my method. Also has anyone tried these bulbs? Peter

You need to be careful shooting greenscreen with DV as the format is low on colour space. It was never designed for such things. If at all possible shoot on digibeta. The guy keying the green out in post will thank you for it.

Just buy some large Chinese lanterns from IKEA. Then get some brass/ceramic fittings and high temp cable. That will allow you to use 275 or even 500w Photofloods. I would leave a air gap at the top. But you can put some 216 diffusion over the gap at the bottom of the lantern. I also I spotted some 105w 5500k energy bulbs on ebay that will provide around 525w of lighting power but produce less heat. ES Screw mount. I've not tried them but I might... http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...mMakeTrack=true hope that helps Pete

Really that's great to hear. I was only just telling a friend last week how I was impressed with the moon light in that film. Thanks, I'll hunt the article down. Peter