Dal Neitzel

On syncing up interview... I understand you are not headed in this direction...but...Maybe in the future... I recently shot an interview on a DSLR that required quite a bit of coaching with the subject between actual takes. I was using a wireless lav attached to a Marantz PMD660 for main audio and a Rode mounted on the DSLR for back-up. I started the Marantz at the beginning of actual shooting and did not turn it off until the end of the shoot some 35 minutes later. However I did not let the DSLR run continuously. I started and stopped it as needed to eliminate all the coaching between useable answers during the interview. At the end I had 12 clips on the DSLR that matched up with audio somewhere on the Marantz recording. I then used the auto audio sync feature in Final Cut Pro X to match the various clips with the Marantz recording. It did a perfect syncing job with each clip in just a few seconds. I was surprised and delighted. Syncing clips is not the time consuming demon it once was.

Snow Falling On Cedars

Try this with your T2i: In October I was shooting a wild salmon run in the late afternoon with my 7D. The setting was autumn beautiful. The fish were cooperating. The weather was perfect. I was enjoying myself and getting some very nice footage when I noticed a beautiful fish near the shore that had spawned and was now dead. This may sound a little creepy but that fish was just gorgeous in the late afternoon sun. Silver against sand with the clear water gently lapping and slowly undulating the floating carcass. I saw something I wanted to capture. I had planted the baby legs partially on the beach and partially in the water, had the camera mounted and decided to switch to a 100mm macro for a tight shot of her lifeless tail. I turned to grab the 100mm from my case and as my back was facing the camera and fish I heard a horrible "splash". As I looked back in terror the tripod was on its side and the 7D was under about two feet of water. I couldn't believe it. I grabbed the camera and pulled it out. Water seemed to be pouring out of it. I quickly turned it off and ran back to the truck and started mopping and drying it as best I could. I sped back to the motel, removed the lens and card and battery and put the body under a tungsten lamp for its dry heat while I worked on wringing out the lens and cleaning up the rest of the gear. The next morning the chamber of the body seemed clear. I cleaned it thoroughly and examined the sensor. I could not see anything inappropriate. The lens was far less promising, with water and bubbles and sand between the elements. I assembled the camera with a different lens. Turned it on and everything seemed normal. I tried to muzzle my enthusiasm and took a batch of test stills, some test footage and examined them closely and to my absolute astonishment, all seemed perfect. Now, two months later and after a factory check and cleaning (they didn't find any problems) the camera is still operating perfectly. I am very impressed by the build quality of the 7D. I don't think things would have turned out as well if that had been a T2i.

F&D has a nice review of the AF100 today at: http://www.fdtimes.com/news/?p=2780

I tend to agree with Phil. I just purchased a 7D in May and tested it for few days before I actually used it on a shoot. I was very impressed with the exposure latitude and what could be corrected in post. I had no issues correcting from 2 stops over and 2 under. Its important that there are no whites that are blown out in the over-exposed footage. Of course we really are not messing with H264. At that point, its ProRes. I guess it depends on what you're comparing it to and what results you consider acceptable. Its not RedRaw.

I recognize this is a cheap shot...but.... When I think of the contribution that 3D has made to the art of cinematography I am constantly reminded of those horrible velvet paintings of Elvis and the meaningless contribution they have made to the world of art. Then, I remember how many of those gawd awful things were sold and I realize that its not about art...For many its about money...and new ways to make it. As we are told over and again by reviewers like Ebert, feature films are aimed at the mindset of 13 year old boys. If this is true, why then would we be surprised to see producers want 3D.. Excuse me while I go look for that old velvet painting I bought back in '76...

In my humble opinion the technical differences are not at issue and not really germane to JJ's reaction. His failure to predict the world wide demand for such a middling tool as DSLR video is. Further, his own inability to cope with the inevitable uninformed attacks from DSLR lovers is somewhat tiresome. Every reasonable person out there understands that there is no comparison. Its like comparing a Lexus to a Toyota Prius. Other than the fact that they both have wheels and an engine they are not and never were intended to serve each other's drivers. This, of course is exactly what JJ is tired of telling people who don't have the capacity to listen. But what he may not get is that much of that irritating anti-RED monologue comes as payback for the endless delays RED has foisted on its followers. JJ is like the boy that cried "wolf"...or more contemporarily, "You can fool me once...". Realistically, very, very few folks who buy 7Ds would have ever purchased a RED if the 7D or any other DSLR did not exist. They simply could not afford it...but they like to pretend they could. Maybe uninformed comparison is payback, but its what he reads every day on all the plethora of mal-intended opinion that use the blogosphere. Two way communication is a bitch. Its an unfortunate part of becoming a "public" figure with a forum. Rather than fight it (which only encourages more) the smart guy would either embrace it or ignore it. JJ is certainly a smart guy..so why??? No one could have predicted the stunning alignment of the visual storytelling planets that occurred when a reasonably priced HD production option (DSLR video) paired with a free worldwide distribution method (Youtube, Vimeo, etc) became available. 99.9%of what's being shot with a 7D will end up, at best, on the web or a DVD. Where, quite frankly, it looks quite satisfying to the teeming multitudes who can finally afford a DSLR and have actually figured out how to use it (and to a greater extent the hundreds of thousands of consumers who now own 42" or larger LCD screens thanks to Costco) How many RED users will be satisfied using their (seemingly endless) RED investment on imagery destined only for Youtube? I think JJs displeasure with the 7D crowd is completely misinformed. He should be delighted at this turn of events because it means more interest in the tools that he is trying to sell. Many in the DSLR video crowd won't be stopping there. They will practice their skills, study, train and some day be ready to produce for bigger screens or 3D screens or whatever display we have in our homes in five years...and when they are, it might mean they will be looking at whatever RED is manufacturing..an immensely improved, high quality and reasonable priced professional toolset.

Maybe someone will build an iphone app that lets the director call-in to the wireless device on my camera and view the video and hear the audio. Then the director could be in Peru and still direct the shoot in NYC... or not :lol:

Although users that operate both cameras side by side have all suggested that the imagery of the T2i/550D is identical to the 7D there are gross ergonomic differences between the two cameras. First off, if you liked the "feel" of the 7D you will be disappointed in the "feel" of the T2i. Its lighter and plastic and feels more like a toy than the 7D. Additionally the T2i has fewer surface controls so it sometimes requires a different method to make an adjustment. There is one entire dial missing so you have to press a button while turning the dial to change f-stop...rather inconvenient. There is no top LCD readout panel, so its not as handy as the 7D to see what your settings are. You can't "dial-in" the fine white balance like you can on the 7D. There are also fewer ISO choices..the in-betweens are missing on the T2i. The short of it is that it might appear to have the same image quality but you pay $500 less and you are getting $500 less in ergonomics..to some that's not an obstacle..to others its a deal breaker since DSLRs are somewhat cumbersome to start with... Webisode2 at the Zacuto shootout is supposed to include the T2i along with the 7D, 5D, Lumix, 1D, D3 and film stocks.. Its supposed to be available on their website May 7th and should shed some light on the quality of the imagery that the T2i/550D puts out compared to other DSLRs. http://www.zacuto.com/shootout

Zacuto staged a fascinating test using film stocks 5217, 8553 against several DSLRs..including the 5D, 7D, ID, D3 and GH1.. I was surprised by how good these cameras looked and apparently so were the folks who set-up the shoot and analyzed the results.. I must have missed the part about what Zeiss lenses they used.. Same lens on all cameras throughout a test? Which lens? What stop?..etc etc.. They plan more tests and will add the T2i.. http://www.zacuto.com/shootout

I imagine that everyone knows about the 5dmii firmware upgrade that was announced yesterday (May 27). It is supposed to add the following: Full aperture selection ISO speed: Auto, 100 – 6400 and H1 Shutter speed: 1/30th – 1/4000th second It will be available for download from the Canon site on June 2nd. The DPreview website has all the info: http://www.dpreview.com/news/0905/09052701...kiifirmware.asp There is also a programmer on the Cinema5d board that has reported success (and demonstrated it with a video clip) hacking the 1.0.7 firmware to remove AGC on the audio input and to also add an audio meter in the viewfinder. His intent is to make more changes and this success was proof that the firmware can be hacked. Its interesting that I saw the clip that demos the hack over the weekend but now it seems to have disappeared..or moved to somewhere else and at any rate, I can't find it anymore.