Max Field

I actually stumbled across the Miller Solo-Q tripod series. https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1606239-REG/miller_2520_solo_q_100_3_stage_carbon.html 66 pound payload and legs individually lock without the need of a spreader. Anyone have hands-on experience with this model?

Would you happen to have any specific model for the legs themselves? I googled the product numbers and only saw fluidheads with no legs.

I could write you a short comedy script if you want one

Hey all, Assuming it can handle a payload of at least 20lbs, what is the most convenient pair of tripod legs you have had the pleasure of working with? I currently use Manfrotto 545B legs and once they are in place they don't buckle or have stability issues but adjusting from shot to shot as a self-shooter can feel very tedious when it comes to balancing the legs, loosening and tightening each spoke of the spreader, etc. Let me know what you guys have used!

If you're a run and gun self shooter the camera is not worth it. I did that in 2019 but this was before the Pocket 6K (and other options) was out. The Arri Amira is one I just picked up for a couple thousand dollars more than what an Alexa would go for and it is that amazing imager with all of the design flaws solved. The 5-pin audio breakout on the Alexa being right next to the lens is a confusing design choice regardless of what kind of crew is using the camera. If the camera is solely being on sticks in outdoor environments like this and you have no need for audio sync or anything it would be a good buy. But for narrative self-shooting it will fatigue you really quickly and I don't mean the weight. Just all the little annoyances.

Arri Ultra Primes on one of the smaller Sony E-Mount cameras (APS-C of course).

I was thinking about trying my new prime set on a few small APS-C sensors but was trying to figure out if this would lead to a major drop-off in outer sharpness of the image or create CA issues. Is there a brand of adapter that you prefer for S35 image circle PL lenses? Should I avoid anything with speed boosting properties since it is another layer of glass? Thanks for any experiences.

What are the hours on it?

It's on the tip of my tongue. I've seen these on eBay a couple times over the years, it is a very old model of Tungsten light housed in this bright green metal. Looks like a barrel. They have one on display at the Museum of the Moving Image in Queens NY. Anyone have any clue?

So with the DSMC2 generation of RED, if shooting in Redcode you can't go down to 4k resolution without the sensor cropping in on your lens. 8K resolution is very excessive for what I do but I was curious if shooting in 15:1 8K and then bouncing out a 2K finish would still leave noticeable edge artifacting. Is the equation as simple as 8k 10:1 = 4K 5:1? Thanks for any input.

Is there anything I lose (other than money) by opting for the Zeiss Super Speeds?

Would someone be so kind as to explain the difference between Cooke S4 and Cooke mini S4/i? Are the differences solely size without image quality changes? Thanks.

I think I would need just Super35 coverage. Anything north of a 6K super35 sensor feels like overkill to me. Yes, I think having the ability to crank it wide open is a lovely convenience. Also a short close-focus distance proves to be quite handy as well. For sure, I do not want something too heavy or cumbersome. Currently I own a set of Zeiss CP2s which feel like a lovely weight, however I could go slightly heavier if it means stunning quality. Typically my philosophy is paying more for something up front that leads to less expenses down the line. So service friendly lenses would be nice however in my decade of shooting I have never once found myself in significant need of servicing a lens. During the majority of my time learning I would always hear about the "Cooke look" and they do look amazing. How could they have gone "out of fashion"? Has lack of full frame coverage really thrown these to the wayside that much?

Hello all it has been a while, I've been out of the shooting game for a few years because other creative ventures have been leading to far more profit however I would like to get a live action department back into my company operations. Digital Cine Cameras are a lovely depreciating asset that I have my pick of the litter on but I really want to get a premium lens set to buffer the looks of what I'm shooting on. A few options I have seen around are: Zeiss Ultra Prime Zeiss Super Speed Zeiss Master Prime Cooke Panchro Cooke S4i Leica Summircron-C ...Over the years I have heard of all of these from various members here but I wanted to know which set should be my Moby Dick? Alternatively, has the desire for super pristine glass decreased over the last 5 years? Some of these cheap Chinese and Korean PL cine lenses have looked quite nice in some regards but lack some of that feel of depth to me (going off of tests shot by others). I know we should always pick the best tool for the job, but all of these set above feel like they do a relatively similar job. Would love to hear from any of you! Thanks!

Was looking into upgrading my battery loadout if I ever buy another Arri camera and looked at this 600 dollar juggernaut: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1474107-REG/fxlion_fx_hp300a_15a_300w_high_power.html What would be the drawbacks of an off-brand battery like this? Is there a better battery with high capacity that I should be looking at instead? Or maybe a high capacity gold-mount battery that all the industry veterans usually flock to? Thanks for any input!

Either have lots of friends on real film sets who can nepo you in or develop your own audience by posting (good) content online. Good thing you can't afford film school because film school in 2024 is a scam for 99.8% of universities. You will need to actively manifest the completion of every project you start. The game is "can I progress quickly enough to a sustainable film career before the burden of real life bills forces me into a day job permanently"

The digital camera is Canon 5Dmk2 The film stock one is Kodak Gold 200 (2 decades expired)

I've been shooting raw but have still ran into RGB clipping with party gels Versus when I shoot hard party gels with film and the rolloff is magnificent

Hey everyone, I know we usually talk about motion pictures, but I figured there would be some crossover in disciplines since a lot of corporate gigs will require video and stills done on the same shoot. I have not looked into digital stills cameras in about 10 years. Are there any with awesome digital 35mm sensors which avoid ugly RGB clipping and have a lovely highlight roll off? If my only job is still I usually bring out film and scan 4K however that isn't always time-friendly. Thanks for any thoughts!

If you need a camera for some ENG capture style stuff, or you need to do films with a global shutter then I'd say a price point of around $2,000 for a shoot-ready F55 is a solid deal. Woody Allen used it for a few films and those pictures looked good enough to me. If those above features are not something important to you then Blackmagic Pocket 6K is far more the way to go. As it will cost almost half the price of the F55 with cheaper accessories across the board. For some odd reason there is a bubble of around $1,500 that high end digital cine cameras never drop below no matter how ancient they get.

Yeah being bluntly honest, if you have internet and access to used equipment then you really don't need formal schooling in this era. Create a bunch of shorts to learn how to block for sequences and watch a lot of movies you like the look of and diagnose how they created those looks, use the short films you create as a means of practicing said looks. If you are genuinely passionate and researching the how-to's of learning techniques online the vocabulary will come to you if you have a mind to Google anything you might not understand. And industry connections are really the only thing that matters for jobs, you could be a relatively boring artist who makes a lot of mistakes but as long as connected people like and know you you'll find a way to keep getting hired. I'm not exactly sure if there was a time like 20 years ago where experience heavily mattered, but in 2024 America it means next to nothing for finding work.

Many of these reasons are why I decided to focus my time on production. People who are more concerned with making connections at parties over developing their craft end up getting the mid-range jobs.

Yeah I'll be honest, a still shot really only works if you have some thoughtful set design or blocking. For a lot of music videos without great set design still stuff feels boring. Interviews look like they're from 20 years ago if you don't have the camera breathing in some way. Of course motion can be overused but if someone just needs to hand-hold the rig and stand there with minimal set-up plus their shot has the essence of more action/life there is incentive to do things that way. I'm not so sure it is video game influence as it is video productions are proportionally given less and less money as the years go by and convenience ends up ruling. You'll need to call a hit on AI developers and nephews with DSLR cameras who will shoot for $50 if you want this trend to change.

Could you please link a couple video examples of these shots you have a gripe with? I'm trying not to conflate all drone, slider, and jib shots with "video game" stuff by mistake.

I hope he can get it off the ground with most of the quality of life features one could expect with modern cameras. At the same time I don't understand where any of you are finding the money for color film when the middle-class production budgets have been shrinking more and more every decade.