Tim J Durham
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Posts posted by Tim J Durham
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All sold except Vinten Pro-Touch 5 Tripod with Canon quick release plate- $500 OBO + shipping!
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Does anyone know any houses that rent the ring light for the Varicam? So far I've found one for $600/day but that is really steep to me. We'd buy one if we could find it used or cheap.
Bryan
Hi,
Give these people a call. They would know who rents in your area. They also do rentals but are in SoCal, N. Hollywood. The ringlite kit costs a little over $2K to purchase, I believe. Rental? Don't know but less than $600 a day for sure.
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I haven't seen that before. It looks good in theory, but the thing that goes on your shoulder looks like it wouldn't be very comfortable since there is very little padding. Is it better than it looks? This may be a good solution. I'll look into it.
It's not bad. I also mounted a Varizoom LAN controller on the bend of the right side handle so I can zoom and hit the roll button while my hand is holding the grips. The shoulder pad is not much but you are splitting the weight between THREE points of contact as opposed to two so it helps.
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I have experienced the Safari Crash several times.
The good news is a "report box" to mac pops up asking if one wants to send a report, which I have done on a few occasions.
I think on the super-8 forum I was crashing everytime but on the General forum I was not, but I don't recall for sure.
The past week has been much better.
This sounds like the problem I was having with Safari and it was being caused by Java. If you disable it the problem stops but then you can't run Javascript. Here's how I solved it:
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=301380
Good luck.
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Another problem with this camera, of which there are many, is that timcode can never be synced to a slate or other cameras. It is always at least 8 frames off. I've been operating on a show with three cameras and it's a constant nightmare with timecode.
Brad,
Have you tried using one of the remotes to set the timecode on all three of the cams simultaneously?
http://www.dvinfo.net/canonxl2/articles/article11.php
Should work the same way with the XL-H1.
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Between myself, the other two operators, the DP, and the rental house rep, we've looked at and ruled out just about every option for one reason or another. We would like to have a shoulder mount fabricated so that we could add Anton Bauers to the back for counter balance, but by the time we get something made the first run of production will be over. I think it's the only option though if the series get picked up for more episodes.
I'm sure the camera looks nice (I haven't seen any dailes yet) but what a crap camera to work with! It won out by a slim margin over the P2 because of the recording medium.
That shoulder pad that someone linked sure looks nice for other handheld work.
Have you tried a Spiderbrace? $70.00. It looks ridiculous but I just bought one to shoot handheld with a Z1 and it actually helps. I attached a varizoom LAN controller to the right side handle and if you position it right, it works pretty well. You've got zoom and a roll button off the camera body, sort of like an ENG pistol grip.
It weighs nothing and it's MUCH better weight-distribution-wise.
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THE THIN RED LINE-1999
No oscar for best pic <_< ( again, malick is taken down by speilberg...?)
Also, EYES WIDE SHUT SHOULD HAVE AT LEAST BEEN NOMINATED in 1999 !!!!!!!!!! :angry:
"Shakespeare in Love" won best picture that year and it was 1998. Spielberg won best director. THAT is something that has always bugged me. Why isn't the director of the best film automatically the best director winner?
"American Beauty" won in 1999.
And I agree with the "Raging Bull" comments. As time passes, that film is now on most critics list of best films ever made while "Ordinary People" is absent, although I thought it was a very good film.
"Citizen Kane" is the most prominent example, I suppose, of the great film being snubbed by the academy.
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Book yourself a deep tissue massage for the end of every shooting week, and a visit to the osteopath/chiropractor of your choice for the end of the shoot.
I'm not being glib. I did a 12 twelve week reality show a few years back, and this was what got me through it.
I second the chiropractor. People think they're suspect because they don't get "cured" in one visit. Thing is, you keep injuring your back the same way again and again. Particularly shooting handheld. Massages are always good.
After a trip to Foam-Mart and hours spent trying to customize a pad for my shoulder, I decided that I wasn't going to do any better than a folded up towel. Another thing that helps is swaying as opposed to trying to act like you've got the cam on a tripod. I spose you need to work that out beforehand with the producer, though. I did.
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Hi,
This is off topic even for the off-topic forum, but there's a lot of LA residents here and I thought I'd ask - what's this odd formation:
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=LA...636,0.00339&t=k
It's in the strip of land between the edge of LAX and the beach (scan up and left), which looks like it once had a housing estate on it but which appears to have been abandoned, probably after the airport was built and the noise levels became intolerable.
Yes, I know this is a completely oddball request, but it's driving me nuts. Windsock, maybe?
Phil
Yes, there was a housing development there. Then after the airport consumed it, they found a rare species of butterfly. Now I think it's a wildlife refuge. Right next door is the Scattergood water treatment plant, then the Exxon refinery.
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We have already produced a movie and we want to make it better by bringing in Film. We already have the Canon XL2 and the Panasonic dvx b cameras.
I just want to bring that film look element back to this new DVD.
Otherwise.......maybe hiring a filmer for this year...who knows...i still have a few more weeks to make my final decision.
A filmer?
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cool, thanks, but if i was going to buy or rent what kit should i use.....
Post some frame grabs of film scenes you are trying to emulate. That makes it easy to suggest how it was done and what was used.
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Hey, i dont know what kit to buy, so naturaly im asking the board... i need to light a 12' x 14' room with enough light to be able to see, i am going for a dim look, but not to dim, i dont want harsh shadows.. the room is a set so i can light it however...
there is 4 people on the set...
what lighting kit should i buy... theres so many, i cant choose...
thanks,
adam
You can rent a kit to light this room for about $100 a day. Less than that if you don't want to do anything fancy.
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since its a small company i cant really ask for too much.
for the start we figured out a 148? per day payment, im working for them twice a week.
Hi Dominik,
When I got my 'big break', I was making $7.50 an hour so don't let these guys talk you out of an opportunity.
Just try to make yourself indispensible and once that happens, start sending your resumé around. Then you'll find out what they can afford to pay you.
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You need to hit the Picture Profile button, which is right above the Menu button on the back of the camera. Sony is a little weird in the way they lay out their menus, and that strange architechture extends all the way up to the F900. But once you get used to it you can find all the controls.
Thanks Mitch. That did the trick.
I would think that you could download a .pdf version of the manual from the Sony website.Yes, You'd think... but you'd (and I'd) be wrong:
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what is the general concensus on people with darker skin tones? if i rate my film faster would that take care of it or should i calculate an 1/3 of a stop over on their face?
I got a tip from Michael Nash (I think- it was a while ago) to use a polarizer when shooting black people. You can basically dial in the amount of reflectance from their skin by rotating the filter. It works great.
As for the "African American" thing, when I was at CNN, there was a discussion between the flavor-of-the-month news reader and a reporter doing a live shot from South Africa in which he referred to the "Blacks" and she got this stern look on her face and stopped him mid-sentence to suggest he not call them "blacks" but rather he meant to say "African Americans".
He just let it go.
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I currently own an Aaton LTR54 Super-16 camera package and a Sony Z1 HDV video package. Each was purchased and later expanded upon for specific productions that helped directly or indirectly pay for the gear. The Aaton was purchased a decade ago, originally for a long form documentary that covered nearly half its cost. Subsequent purchases for the package (lenses, videotap, followfocus, etc.) were made for specific jobs along the way. That package now has more than US$100K into it. The HDV package was bought last summer specifically for a 5-week shoot that paid for about 2/3rds of it. Within a week after finishing that job I had a corporate shoot that sent the camera well into profit, which makes that a pretty quick turnaround on investment.
I also own some sound gear, a teleprompter, some lighting and a jib arm. All were purchased for specific jobs and have made back their money and then some. I bought the jib before anything else, and only because at the time I had some clients who I knew would rent it from me. Still, I had spent months investigating and deciding which item I would buy and why, and only made the purchase when I had the rental in the bag.
Mitch,
Try as I have, I can't seem to get into the paint menus on the Z1U. I have no owners manual so any chance you could explain how to open these menus or does it involve joining the Freemasons?
Thanks.
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The original 47th St. Photo -- a highly reputable and well-regarded operation -- went bankrupt about 10 years ago. The new company is, well it isn't the original.
B&H Photo is the single largest photo & video equipment dealer in the world. It is a first class operation.
I am also a first-class operation:
http://www.cinematography.com/forum2004/in...showtopic=12600
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Hi,
Thought I'd give you guys the first shot at my very lightly used Canon XL-2 gear which I bought as b-cam for a documentary and has seen very light duty since:
Canon XL-2 body (16:9, 24p, 30p, 60i) w/945 battery/charger/AC power adapter
Anton Bauer Gold Mount w/d-tap (for monitor)
A/B Hytron 50 battery
A/B Titan Twin dual position charger
Canon 16x manual lens
Canon 3x wide angle lens
Century Precision Optics 0.6x wide angle adapter (non zoom-thru)
MA-300 XLR adapter
Porta-Brace CTC-2 camera case
Vinten Vision 5 tripod and 75mm head (Euro version of the Vision 6- kinda cheapo)
Canon TA-100 quick release tripod adapter and dovetail plate
Panasonic TC-7WMS1 on-camera 16:9/4:3 switchable LCD monitor with fitted Pelican case and adapter cable
No boxes so pick-up most likely in Silver Spring, Maryland or somewhere nearby.
Pieced out from B&H would amount to $8639.00 but all this can be yours for $5500.00
E-mail me @ timjbd (at) yahoo (dot) com
Thanks for looking,
Tim
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What is Phase Shifting when filming video and computer monitors?
How does it assure in cameras with shutter and pulldown mechanism are mechanically coupled? If its by means of specific speed, it will affect the exposure time and the motion in the video picture...?
How does it assure in cameras with shutter and pulldown mechanism are electronically coupled or independent (like in ARRI 435)? If its by means of shutter timing, it will affect the exposure time...?
Nesselsenez,
Not exactly sure what your question is but there is often a feature called "clear scan" on video cams that is basically a fine detail setting for the shutter. If you are in a 50 hertz country shooting 50i, the clear scan will work around 1/50th/s shutter speed in incrememnts of .01. If you are in 60 hertz countries (60i), it works around 1/60th of a second.
I have never had to use it when shooting in 24p so I'm not sure how/if it would work.
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I second that with David. I have used the SDX and DVX a lot. And yes, you will see a BIG difference between the 50mps and the 10mps. It' also important to think about what you are making. Car ads, either to sell a car or make a sale for a rental house, have a history of having good quality footage.
With the SDX you get WAY better lenses, movement of the camera, more on set options in the menu. And probably most importantly when you shoot at 50mps, you can do a lot more in post than you can with 10mps.
I believe the DVX-100A is 25Mbs but I've only shot with it once.
I don't know what budget you've been given, but if the cost is all a pass-through, I'd go with the SDX900 as well. If they are giving you a set amount, use your own gear and keep the rental money for yourself. It's not hard to top the quality of most local cable car dealer ads even with a DVX. Atleast the ones out here in DC.
And yes, if you set up both cameras as well as can be, the SDX has greater dynamic range than the DVX.
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I'd like to know whether the general public reacts to the Oscars the same way as my social set does, which is that almost nobody I know, other than me, watches it anymore.
I'd like to know whether I am right in my opinion that the quality of the films has been steadily deteriorating, contrary to the opinion of those who think that the films are getting better.
For example, Good Night and Good Luck reminds me of an extended version of Charlie Chaplin's ill-advised diatribe at the end of the Great Dictator, except that Chaplin had more sense than to harangue his audience for 94 minutes.
I went to an Oscar party in Hollywood and for about the first half hour, everyone was in chairs around the big screen TV watching. Then people started to peel away and would look over as they announced winners.
The same guy has been producing that show for years now and even John Stewart could not rescue this guys rundown. Try as he might've. So I watched some and looked over for the rest. Mostly pretty tedious with some downright embarrassing moments, as usual.
As for the quality of the films, I thought this year was a good one in being a very good year for political thrillers and politically motivated films in general, such as "The Constant Gardener" which I'm sure was overlooked because of the inane title (although Rachel Weisz won) also "Syriana", "Good Night and Good Luck" which was a much needed critique pointed at our sheepish national press establishment, "Munich" and "Enron- The Smartest Guys in the Room" which did not win but should have as best documentary.
So I felt the quality of the films was pretty high this year. No "Lawrence of Arabia" or "Battle of Algiers" but some good films. I don't know what you consider a great film so it's hard to comment on whether I'd agree that quality is deteriorating generally.
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Fujnon have this one for 1/2" CCD HD:
Yeah, 5.5mm is fairly wide with 2/3" chips. On 1/2" chips? Not too wide. If Sony suggests one of those crappy adapters as an HD solution for wide angle...
Does anyone know if either of the P&S adapters will work with 1/2 chip cameras?
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the HDXDCAM that will be seen this year is 1//2 chip set. 2/3 will not be seen until 07. Only two lenses on the offering block so far.canon may be incorporating the steadishot functon from XL H1 lens into the unit. Main reason for the push is that CBS wanted a camera now. BIG ORDER, so we got the cheaper 1/2 chip camera. same 24P ish ness that f900 has, they say. but heavier compression. reasonably price media. 1,000 rewrites.
Hi Craig,
Have you gotten a look through any of the available 1/2" HD lenses? I can't imagine Fuji or Canon investing a lot of effort into these lenses and I will be shooting with this camera a lot in the near future. Are either of the lenses you know about wide angle? The only lens I know about is a 19x9 that is made by/for Sony. That will be
conspicuously NOT wide...
This is what most people are going to be dealing with for the near term:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller...arch&Q=&ci=1885
A large selection of semi-pro SD lenses to get anything resembling wide angle.
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Has anyone else seen this one?
http://www.worldchanging.com/archives/004150.html
What do you all think?
Are you any relation to David Sheehy?
Sony PDW 350
in HD
Posted
This is shortly going to be my main camera but the big problem with it at the moment is that there are only two lenses available for 1/2" CCD HD cameras. Fuji will be releasing 3 more shortly. Remember, if you are planning to mount a lens meant for 2/3" CCD cams, you have to account for the fact that the 1/2" CCDs only see ~63% of what the lens is seeing so what you gain in telephoto, you lose in wide-angle.