GearComments Off on Sony Unveils Wireless Shooting Grip for Mirrorless Cameras
Jan152020
In a continued attempt to woo vloggers and travel shooters, Sony today unveiled the GP-VPT2BT: a “wireless shooting grip” for mirrorless cameras that lets users switch seamlessly between shooting video and stills on the run.
The GP-VPT2BT is a “shooting grip with wireless remote commander” that’s compatible with all of Sony’s latest mirrorless cameras—the a9 II, a9, a7R IV, a7R III, a7 III, a6600, a6400, and a6100—as well as the RX100 VII and RX0 II, as long as you’re running the latest firmware. The grip allows you to securely use the camera at arm’s length, while putting control of key camera functions right on the handle.
GearComments Off on Sony VENICE Firmware V5.0 is Out Now – New HFR Modes
Jan152020
The Sony VENICE does not follow the common throw-away-get-a-new-one scheme of many consumer products. It’s a proper pro-camera, aimed at pro users and rental houses with deep pro-pockets. Sony just released the already teased firmware V5.0 for their flagship digital cine cam. This piece of software breathes new life into the VENICE hardware, enabling extended HFR modes, internal HD ProRes 4:4:4:4 recording and other niceties.
image credit: Sony
Not only the camera itself is modular, the software is modular, as well. Only buy what you really need. In this case we’re talking about the HFR capabilities the current firmware V4.0 offers: The upgrade itself is free of charge but if you want to use the extended HFR modes found in V4.0 you’ll have to pay. Firmware V5.0 is, again, free of charge. If you still need a paid license for using certain HFR modes is a bit uncertain for me at the moment. However, you can’t just download the FW package yourself, you’ll have to contact your reseller for that. And, very important: Your VENICE needs to be on FW V4.0 or V4.01 in order to upgrade. Do not attempt to upgrade from V3.0 or V3.01!
Cinematography, Gear, MirrorlessComments Off on Two New Canon Mirrorless Cameras Are Likely Coming in the Next Few Months
Jan152020
Canon’s mirrorless lenses have been quite successful for the company, offering impressive optical quality that sets the bar quite high. However, Canon fans are still waiting for a stronger mirrorless body that pushes the boundaries a bit more from the company. The good news is that it seems that will be changing soon, as the company is likely to release two new mirrorless cameras in the coming months.
GearComments Off on A Review of the Panasonic S1’s After 10 Months
Jan092020
The Panasonic S1 is a nicely balanced stills and video camera that brings with it quite a few top-shelf features all packaged in a rugged, versatile, and well-designed body. This great video takes a look at how the camera has held up after using it for almost a year.
Cinematography, GearComments Off on Nikon Gets Closer to a Z Mount Trinity by Announcing the NIKKOR Z 70-200mm f/2.8 Lens
Jan082020
Nikon has announced the launch of the NIKKOR Z 70-200mm f/2.8 VR S for its full-frame mirrorless cameras, filling one of the two gaping holes in its lens lineup for professional shooters.
Nikon says that this high-end zoom has been “reimagined” in order to exploit the newly designed lens mount. With a constant f/2.8 aperture, it brings Nikon a step closer to completing the trinity of fast zoom lenses that are regarded as critical to any system due to their quality and versatility.
The NIKKOR Z 70-200mm f/2.8 has a stepping motor for quiet autofocus and reduced focus breathing, a minimum focus distance of just under 20″ (50cm), a nine-blade diaphragm, weather-sealing, and five stops of stabilization. It’s one of two Nikon lenses to feature the company’s newly-developed Short-Wavelength Refractive (SR) lens element for better control of chromatic aberration.
Cinematography, GearComments Off on Dull, Brilliant, Disappointing, Fun: Fstoppers Reviews the Tamron 24mm f/2.8 for Sony
Jan062020
There isn’t exactly a wealth of affordable options when it comes to 24mm prime lenses for Sony full-frame cameras, so Tamron’s new lens is a welcome addition to the line-up, though it does have its idiosyncrasies.
Following on from the success of its two affordable Sony mount zooms made with some smart compromises (the 17-28mm f/2.8 and 28-75mm f/2.8), Tamron has launched a batch of f/2.8 primes. Prior to their release, fans were excited at the prospect of relatively quick glass that was compact and reasonably priced, so when Tamron announced this selection of f/2.8 lenses, there was a degree of disappointment.
In Tamron’s defense, with the 24mm f/2.8 Di III OSD M 1:2, it has released something relatively unique at this focal length. With one notable exception, all of the other options start at more than double the price, albeit with much wider maximum apertures, so if you’re looking for a compact, lightweight, low-cost 24mm prime that’s not going to get anyone excited, the Tamron may be a smart choice.
Gear, MirrorlessComments Off on Leaked Photo Shows Canon 1D X Mark III with Silver-and-Black Color Scheme
Dec202019
A low-res leaked photo published by Canon Rumors today purports to show a Canon 1D X Mark III… but it doesn’t look like any 1D camera we’ve seen in recent years. The color scheme looks more like a film SLR from years past.
The photo has been modified by CR to cut out the photographer holding the camera, but otherwise this is a real photo of a real Canon camera being used in the wild. The question is what exactly are we looking at? Either Canon is planning to differentiate the 1D Series by adding another color option to the mix with the 1D X Mark III—which is currently only shown in black at online retailers—or this is just an unpainted prototype currently being tested in the wild.
GearComments Off on SIRUI 50mm Anamorphic Lens Review and Sample Footage
Dec202019
The new SIRUI 50mm anamorphic lens is promising to revolutionize a territory that, up until now, was out of reach for many. For $700 this lens sounds too good to be true, so I took it for a short spin and I’m happy to share my thoughts with you guys.
SIRUI 50mm anamorphic lens on a FUJIFILM X-T3. Image credit: cinema5D
Earlier this year during IBC, we had the chance to talk to Sonny from SIRUI who was kind enough to share with us some details about their upcoming 50mm f/1.8 1.33x anamorphic lens, and while the idea of developing such lens was great, I was a bit skeptical in what the end product would look like or better said, how well it would perform optically-wise. Fast forward to the present time, and I have this lens on my desk. Now, before proceeding to talk about the lens, let me take a quick step back.
GearComments Off on Wooden Camera Sony FX9 Accessories Announced
Dec202019
Wooden Camera has announced their accessory kits for the new full frame Sony FX9 Camcorder. The Sony FX9 accessories range from top handle and 15mm rails to dovetail baseplate with monitor mount.
Sony’s new full-frame cinema camera Sony FX9 has been introduced during this year’s IBC show in Amsterdam and it will start shipping soon. If you want to know more about the camera, make sure to check our previous articles:
GearComments Off on Blackmagic DaVinci Resolve Editor Keyboard Review – Beautiful, Yet Not for Everyone
Dec192019
NAB 2019 saw the somewhat surprising introduction of the Blackmagic Design Editor Keyboard. A $995.00 keyboard for video editing, containing specialized keys and a multi-mode jog wheel, with functions that are hard to even imagine, much less assign to keyboard shortcuts, a mouse, or any combination of third-party control panels. We took a closer look at this keyboard and put it through its paces. Here’s our take.
Blackmagic has been offering their full-sized Advanced Panel for grading in DaVinci Resolve for years now and these have become standard inventory at grading houses all over the industry. But it was only a few years ago that Blackmagic started taking into account the needs of smaller production houses and individual filmmakers or colorists which couldn’t afford the $30,000 Advanced Panel, as well as the rather large grading suite to put it in, by offering the Mini and Micro Panels. However most major versions of Resolve since version 14, seemingly building on the software’s almost unchallenged dominance in the color grading realm, have been trying to improve on DaVinci Resolve’s usefulness to editors, VFX artists and sound editors alike, brushing up on the editing side of things by adding loads of features already present in other NLEs and integrating Fairlight and Fusion into Resolve without any additional cost upgrading. Consequently, versions 15 and 16 have, at least across Youtube and the Blogospheres, seen people announcing their switch to Resolve in troves, either from Adobe Premiere or Final Cut (arguably not as much from Avid though).
So is this new keyboard part of the same strategic push by Blackmagic Design to further differentiate and distinguish DaVinci Resolve as a full-featured editing suite for editors or teams without the dreaded, time-wasting round trips? And who would actually seriously buy a keyboard for a thousand dollars? We will try and return to these questions a bit later on.
GearComments Off on In Depth Comparison of the DJI Mavic Mini, Air, Zoom, and Pro Drones
Dec192019
With the latest Mavic Mini release, DJI now offers four drones in the Mavic line-up, ranging from entry level aircraft to professional grade quadcopter. But picking the right model might be confusing. Here is clear and comprehensive comparison based on direct, hands-on experience.
Criteria of Comparison
Price: The price point is an obvious criterion, but one must not forget all the associated costs of ownership, especially spare batteries which can run up to $159 each.
Portability: The drone size and weight will often dictate which model to buy. While the DJI Mavic Mini falls below the FAA registration threshold (250 grams), the Mavic Pro will take more space in your bag. The size also plays a role in public perception. Larger or louder drones look more intimidating to the public and attract more attention (visibility and noise).
Image quality: Larger drones tend to carry better sensors and optic. Entry-level models are often limited to lower video resolution format and can only record JPEG images.
Flight performance and features: While small aircrafts may struggle in windy conditions, larger drone can be more stable. The maximum speed may be an important feature when filming moving subjects such as racing cars and boats. The battery life is also a critical factor to consider.
Additional features: Anti-collision system, type of radio transmission technology, etc.
Apple, CinematographyComments Off on The Most Unfair Camera Comparison Ever: iPhone vs $250K TV Camera
Dec182019
You’d have to look long and hard to find a more absurd camera comparison than this. After putting together a very useful video that explains why broadcast TV cameras are so huge and expensive, YouTuber Zebra Zone pit this $250,000 setup against its most obvious rival… the iPhone 11 Pro.
As a quick refresher, the broadcast “camera” that is being used is a combination of several very expensive elements:
GearComments Off on SteadXP+ First Look Review – A Promising Camera Stabilization System
Dec122019
Five years ago, a little company from France called SteadXP shook the Internet with a “game-changing” small box and stabilization technology made for GoPro and DSLR/Mirrorless cameras. This box attaches to your camera and records all the motion data of your camera so that you can stabilize your footage in post-production. The concept was revolutionary back in the days. Nowadays, with action cameras that feature in-body image stabilization that works just as well – if not better –, SteadXP is trying to move to the cinema market with SteadXP+. But is this product and technology still relevant? Let’s take a closer look at it in this hands-on review.
GearComments Off on A Review of the Tamron 17-28mm f/2.8 Di III RXD Lens
Dec122019
Tamron’s 28-75mm f/2.8 lens has been a runaway hit for the company among Sony users, with its combination of a useful focal length, f/2.8 aperture, light weight, image quality, and affordable price making it highly popular. The 17-28mm f/2.8 Di III RXD is the accompanying wide angle zoom, and this great video review takes a look at the lens to help you decide if it is right for you.
Last week, we published our long “mirrorless camera of the year” post, and while there have been MANY contenders, the Panasonic S1 came out on top for its perfect price/performance ratio. And Panasonic seems really happy about this result – they got in touch offering an exclusive $400 discount for cinema5D readers, plus the V-Log Filmmaker Upgrade worth $199 for free!
GearComments Off on Samsung Is Making a Smartphone Camera That Should Make Astrophotographers Very Excited
Dec052019
Smartphone users might see an interesting development with the release of the Samsung Galaxy 11 next year as the phone is rumored to feature a camera sensor that is specifically designed for low light photography.
Like many smartphone manufacturers, current Samsung models feature “Bright Night,” a software-based feature that uses AI to stack multiple images to create a better exposed photograph. By contrast, this would be a dedicated low light camera on the back of the forthcoming Samsung Galaxy 11. It’s said that Samsung is also working on a “Night Hyperlapse” mode for capturing low light time lapses.
GearComments Off on Zeiss Milvus 100mm f/2M ZF.2 Macro Lens Review
Dec032019
I couldn’t find a great deal about this lens online, so I thought I would film a review with a of mixture of test shots and looking at how I have used the lens in my own portfolio. Here are my thoughts.
From a Canon shooters point of view, the Carl Zeiss Milvis f.2m Macros lens is a more expensive offering than the own brand’s pro line. It doesn’t have as many features due to a lack of true 1:1 marco, autofocus, and image stabilization. So, this lens is certainly not a versatile tool. However, it does offer a lot for a certain type of photographer.
For me, the lens offers incredible details as well as a beautifully rendered image, especially when wide open. The lens gives the image a look that can’t be achieved with the Canon offerings, partially due to the f/2 aperture, but also due to the way that Zeiss constructs their lenses.
Although the test shots don’t show any huge gains over something like a Canon USM or L lens, when put to practical use, the rendering, colors, and build quality are superb. What is really impressive is how sharp the lens is wide open and the way that the lens can control highlights. It wasn’t something that I noticed until I shot the same scene with some Canon lenses and realized that it was the lens causing the highlight to blow out in a rather unpleasing way.
Cinematography, GearComments Off on Aputure 120d MK II with Spotlight Mount Review
Dec032019
Our colleague, Nino Leitner, originally went hands-onwiththe Aputure 120d MK II back in April of 2018 at NAB and since then the light has shipped and we’ve even reviewed the 300D MK II, but it’s time to circle back and put the 120d MK II to the test. Along with the fixture, this is the perfect opportunity to try out the brand new Aputure Spotlight Mount. The full review of the light and new accessory is below:
I recently reviewed the MC series and the new 300D MK II and it seemed like an oversight to not spend more time with the 120D II. As a longtime user of the first generation 120D, I was particularly interested in the design updates in the second generation. Is it worth upgrading? Or, if you own the original 120D are you okay waiting? Let’s dive in.
On paper, the 120D MK II boasts a 25% output improvement over the MK I and it also balances out of the box to 5500 kelvin, versus the 6000 kelvin of the first generation. You could always correct that 400 Kelvin difference in the older version to “standard daylight” using gels, but I prefer a fixture that works out of the box in either 32K or 56K as it’s just easier to use in most situations and matches other light brands better. Also, color temp correction gels are feeling a little old school these days given the ubiquity of RGB panels that allow precise kelvin color temperatures to be dialed in with a quick button press.
GearComments Off on ZY Optics Mitakon 85mm f/2.8 1-5X Super Macro Lens Released – Extended Working Distances
Dec022019
ZY Optics announced a new Zhongyi Mitakon 85mm f/2.8 Super Macro lens. It offers 1-5X magnification and extended working distances. The closest working distance at 5x magnification is 3.93” (10cm) and at 1x magnification it is 10.7” (27.2cm). This fully manual lens is made out of metal, covers full-frame sensors, and comes in a variety of lens mounts. It is available now for $499.
ZY Optics Mitakon 85mm f/2.8 Super Macro lens. Background image credit: Richard Wong
ZY Optics (Zhong-Yi optics) is a Chinese company manufacturing affordable lenses under their brand Mitakon (Zhongyi). Their newly announced Mitakon 85mm f/2.8 lens brings 1-5X magnification macro feature with extended working distances. What are its features?
