Christopher Bell

Here's one method: http://www.petergray.org/speedramping.html There is a ramping unit out there too, but I can't remember who makes it. Try a google search. You can always overcrank everything and ramp in post. Chris Bell

Very well cared for Panasonic Varicam AJ-HDC27F. Low hours, most recent software updates. Camera Body, tripod plate: $14,500.00. Pics and more info available upon request. Optics available, inquire. chris@spotshooter.com

Carefully compare your exposure in Red Space with the the Raw view. I have found Red Space to look significantly brighter than the Raw. The result can be underexposure (noise) if you are not careful. Test exposures, and review in Red Cine. What you see is not necessarily what you get.

Here is the shot of the car with only some chroma added and the black levels dropped a bit. It was exposed towards highlight.

The lack of color comes from the fact I desaturated the images and shifted the color to blue/green. I shot plenty of "kodak moments" with the camera. It produces vivid color. In no way are these camera originals. They've been altered to please one person: Me.

I would not put too much analysis into the posted shots. They are jpegs taken from half res quicktimes. The only filter I used was a #1 Harrison Streak in the shot of the woman, otherwise no filtration. The images have gone through basic FCP color correction and some vignetting. I pushed the highlights out in many of the shots, so I would not use these images as a guide to dynamic range. In 1080p the images are strikingly sharp and resolved. Do you really have an R8?

I am going off what the buyer told me. He's a smart guy. It's a rare ebay purchase where the seller had no idea what he had. Rarely is anything that good on ebay... except for the cherry BMW I bought a couple of years ago on ebay. While I can't vouch for that set, my set of Zeiss T2.1 primes look fantastic on my Red. I've shot 2 commercial spots with them, and could not be happier. They match nicely with my Angenieux 10-1 HR as well. Modern Zeiss glass will have a long shelf life. Shameless plug: My friend Charles Pickel has both a set of std ziess T2.1 primes and a set of T1.3 superspeeds for sale. They are in nice shape and just serviced. www.seriousgear.com Chris Bell

Hi All, I recently got my Red camera. I put together a few models, a nice car and the help from local crew to do a test shoot. I was particularly interested in learning how far I could push the camera. Here is the gear I used: Red One, w/ Red Raid Zeiss T2.1 Prime set Angenieux 25-250 HR We had a bunch of 1200w pars/ fresnels, 12x12 bounce and natural light. Impressions? Well I must say I am a convert. Like many of you, I was skeptical of the Red. There was too much hype. Well, I think the hype is mostly deserved. It produces very sharp, high res images. The results have a film-like quality far beyond HD video. There is decent dynamic range, but you have to protect the highlights. Learning the histogram is mandatory. Don't trust your monitor... it will lie to you. Don't underexpose either... the image can get quite noisy if you try to push a dark image in post. But that would be the same for film or video... so, no surprises here. My camera is running well for the most part. It gets hung up now and then and requires a reboot. If you shoot with a Red, expect these things to happen from time to time. Its a computer with a lens mount. The Red system will continue to evolve and get more stable. I've shot lots of film, but market demands changed and I sold my soul to HD video a few years ago. Now I feel like I can bring film-like quality to my HD productions. I am having a blast shooting Red. Here are a few still images from my test shoot. Chris Bell

Actually, the buyer of those lenses got a good deal. The buyer had first hand knowledge that the lenses were in NEW condition. No mold, no problems. New old stock. They will benefit from a relube. Considering the price of a set of S4s or Ultraprimes, 30K for a nice set of standards speeds is a fair price. Chris Bell

I should add that the Leuts includes mounting hardware for an HVX-200.

Letus 35 adapter w/ PL mount. Used once. Like new condition. Selling due to recent Red Camera purchase. Other mounts available from Letus. Please consult their web site for details. Priced to sell: $1000.00 Please send email: chris@spotshooter.com

Letus 35 for sale. Used once, like new condition. PL mount, HVX-200 mounting. Due to delivery of a RED camera, I don't have a need for this. Additional mounts can be purchased from Letus. $1100.00 obo Send email to: chris@spotshooter.com Photos available upon request. Shipping + Insurance extra. Item ships when payment clears. References available.

I think the most important distinction between the two cameras is the Varicam's adjustable dynamic range. This is a feature I use everyday in my shooting and I find it to be indispensable. It's a tool where I can decide how much highlight compression I need for a specific lighting scenario. 200%-300% is where I mostly have it set, but there are situations where I use 500% to capture the widest tonal range. Chris Bell

You need to format the card in the Varicam first. This procedure is in the write/read menu. Then load the scene file onto the card. Chris Bell PS: If you are using a Mac, here is a cool program to create, modify, and convert scene files: http://www.abelcine.com/static/files/Scene...er_v1.0.dmg.zip

I rarely white balance. Only when I have to deal with a green spike from Kinos, or tinted glass do I perform a white balance. Occasionally I will white balance daylight at the 3200 setting (ie no cc filter) This gives me an extra 2/3 stop. I use the RGB gain to warm up or cool off a shot. Good tool to balance skin tone too. Some people just look green. Chris Bell Varicam owner/op

Sachtler 7+7, Good shape. Includes tie-down, quick release plate, pan handle, case. 150mm bowl. Hi-Hat in picture not included. $2000.00 Email: chris@spotshooter.com

Picture:

Picture:

Here are some pics, the hi hat is not included.

For Sale: Aaton Time Code Cable: Lemo to XLR. Mint Condition. $100.00 Contact: Christopherbell mac com (add an @ and a . to the address)

For Sale: Arriflex 35-3 Ground Glass. Combo TV, 1:85 Mint Condition. $375.00 Contact: Christopherbell mac com (add an @ and a . to the address)

For Sale: Sachtler Studio 7+7 Head, 150mm bowl, Pan Handle, Case Cosmetically worn, but functional. Sold as is. Served me well for 10 years. Just replaced with Oconnor 2060. Pictures available upon request. $2350.00 Contact: Christopherbell mac com (add an @ and a . to the address)

While there was a great deal of detail, the image was still very video like. The images suffered from poor dynamic range... it looked like HD, only on a huge screen. I could have done without the Times Square footage... come on NHK, there are far more beautiful things to shoot in the USA. The Japan footage (cherry blossoms, Mt Fuji) was far nicer. I found the presentation only so-so. If you want to be blown away, check out an IMAX 3D movie. Film still rules. Chris Bell

Here is a good resource: http://www.proapptips.com/proapptipsvideot...D444C00B92.html

Download your footage to the P2 store while on set, or a powerbook with a PC card slot. I suggest that you do a P2 import via FCP rather than transferring the MXF files over. It's significantly faster. You can edit native DVCPRO HD on a powerbook, as 720 24p is only 40mbs. The G5 will have no problems. Chris Bell HVX/Varicam Owner