So when Andrew Reed at EOSHD posted a first look at the Sony A7sMk2 I really did have to ask why am I still filming with the Canon 5Dk3? Decision has been made. Accessories ordered. Waiting to pick up the camera at a local retailer rather than order form B&H. So why now?
120fps, Slog3, 4K UHD
Sure it is still an 8bit small photo camera, but with those features for $3K, finally have to pull the trigger. The plan is to use the Wooden Camera cage I have for the 5D which will beef it up a little. I ordered the Metabones standard adaptor for use with full frame lenses. For High frame rate or cropped sensor material I already own the speed booster ultra so I can use that for those. I can also use the metabones standard adaptor with my Tokina 11-16 in crop mode. I’m looking forward to that.
Looking forward to checking out this new camera for real.
Magic Lantern is not new. It is software, or rather a firmware hack for your Canon DSLR. So up until now I had resisted loading it on the 5DmkIII because it could void the warranty, cause the camera to act up, or possibly brick it. Why now? Why not? The features have really come along way since I tried loading it on the Canon T2i years ago. It has an intervalometer in camera. All kinds of waveform monitoring and peaking to help with exposure and focus if you’re not using an external monitor. It also allows you to under crank and over crank the fps. This is cool if you want that time lapse look, but record it straight to video. Of course it has the much hyped RAW feature. I tried this out on a clip and it was cool, seemed to work just great and I don’t doubt the added resolution, but is it really worth it? About 12 minutes of recording time on a 32 GB CF card and then the post on it was a pain. Conversion using some hard to find utility. Sort of reminds me of the early days of working with RED footage. Some useful tools and options for creative filmmaking and photography that Canon didn’t think you would need. Good luck!
I’ve given a lot of thought to lenses this last week. The reason being that I was filming with a 5D mkIII and my longest lens was the 24-105 zoom. I’ve spent most of my filming career using 16mm, various formats of digital video and occasionally 35mm. The long focal length in these formats were readily available or part of the zoom lens on video cameras. The Angenieux 12-120 on the old Arri SR covered wide to telephoto. My use of various lenses in different formats in still photography was pretty average. A 150mm in 4X5, the trusty 50mm on my SLR and the fixed lens on my Rollei was a 75mm.
So what is the point of this post? Well, I really need to think about the format I’m shooting with when heading out for the next shoot. On the wider end of lenses a millimeter or two really makes the difference, but on the long end it will take a lot more. Jumping from film and digital cinema focal lengths to the 5D is a big jump. 100mm is only slightly telephoto. See you soon Canon 70-200mm 2.8.
I’ve been shooting with the Rokinon 35mm Cine prime for a few weeks now. I have it on a 5D mkIII and it works great for the hand-held walking around stuff I shoot. Low light inside is easy with the fast T1.5. I love the look shooting near wide open. The field of view on the full frame is nice and wide, but not too wide. I also have the 85mm Cine but have used it less. That one I pull out for sit down interviews for a portrait style look.
Here’s was Mathew Duclos has to say about the quality of the Rokinon lenses. link
blog about things cinema related
