I'm asked quite frequently by viewers of my YouTube channel whether they should get say, a photography lens like the Olympus 25mm f/1.2 or a cinema lens like one of the Veydra Mini Primes. There are dozens of differences between photography and cinema lenses, but I'm only going to touch on a few of the... Continue Reading →
Veydra: One Disappointed Client
I was really counting on being able to share some clips shot with the Veydra Mini Primes and my Fuji X-T2. I placed an order with Veydra on February 11th for a set of three Fuji X-mounts in the hopes of shooting a short documentary and alerting potential X-H1 owners that there exists a much... Continue Reading →
Scouting Locations in Saigon
If you're on the lookout for places to shoot models in Saigon that are safe, quiet and won't break the bank, here are a few suggestions. The Ho Chi Minh City Museum of Fine Arts in district 1 (above), built in the early 20th century by a French architect, has some lovely light. Admission for... Continue Reading →
Does the Veydra Fuji X-Mount Even Exist?
I've always thought the Fuji X-T2 would be a great narrative filmmaking camera, but it's taken a back seat to my Panasonics for the past year. As it happens, I'm planning to begin work on a documentary next month and it occurred to me that this would be a great opportunity to try out my... Continue Reading →
GH5s
Those who waste all their time in the online forums bashing Panasonic and saying the GH5 and GH5s aren't serious filmmaking tools should have a look at this exquisite footage by Filippo Chiesa. It’s nice to get a sorely needed respite from all the garbage virtuosic gimbal work, gratuitous speed ramps and drone footage that... Continue Reading →
Veydra Mini Primes Fuji X-Mount
It's been nearly a year since Veydra announced Fuji X-mounts for their Mini Primes, and as there hasn't been any footage whatsoever online with the combination, I thought I'd go ahead and order a set to see how I feel about them with an APS-C sensor. Below are some screen grabs shot with the Lumix... Continue Reading →
Reasons Not to Buy the Fuji X-H1
I purchased the Fuji X-T2 when it first came out, but haven't used it much, since I've found it's really not all that fun to shoot with. Just the same, i'm heavily invested in the Fuji lens system and perhaps a new, well thought-out video-centric Fuji could bring me back into the fold. With the... Continue Reading →
Light at the End of the Tunnel?
In my quest to come up with the easiest workflow for HDR, without the hassle of purchasing a half-dozen LUTs; investing in expensive reference monitors; complex project, rendering and delivery settings; HDR to SDR conversions; complicated scripts; and i/o devices costing as much as a brand new a7R III, I've run up against just one... Continue Reading →
Ninja Inferno Saga Continues
In spite of my messages to them, Mystery Box, without so much as verifying their claims, still insist that the Ninja Inferno, coupled with the BlackMagic Design Ultrastudio Mini Monitor, will work as a grading monitor with any computer: And since you’re working with a 1080 display and are managing the HDR interpretation yourself, you can... Continue Reading →
Rode Extension Cable Pure Trash
I've only used it a couple times in the five years since buying it and already the Rode VC1 cable, which retails for $18.00, has eight cracks where the wire is exposed.
Thoughts on the Fuji X-H1
I've already gone ahead and ordered a few Fuji X-mounts from Veydra for my Mini Primes, however - I'm not about to abandon my GH5 just yet! There's a reason why my X-T2 has been sitting in a dry box for nearly a year while the GH5 goes wherever I go. The audio meters on... Continue Reading →
The State of Apple Repair in Vietnam
So I'm told by the iService center here in Ho Chi Minh that my iMac will be in repair for a few more weeks because they're waiting on a part from Apple and it's the New Year holiday. Meanwhile, on my iPhone, I discover that YouTube has blocked access to the comments page of my... Continue Reading →
Ninja Inferno Input Not Found
This video illustrates the problem I'm having getting the Ninja Inferno to work with the Blackmagic UltraStudio Mini Monitor and Desktop Video Utility. If and when I find the answer, we can begin using the Inferno as a portable HDR grading monitor. https://youtu.be/zUCzAk5OSlE
Curves in Final Cut Pro 10.4
I've watched dozens of color grading tutorials, but one thing that always eluded me was how colorists determined which points on the curves to raise or lower highlights and shadows. If they wanted to reduce highlights, they'd just randomly grab a point toward the top; if they wanted to crush the shadows, they'd arbitrarily select... Continue Reading →
Ninja Inferno as Run ‘n Gun/Portable Grading Monitor Solution?
Atomos markets the Ninja Inferno as a professional tool for cinematographers, with a gloriously bright, 1,500 nit display, heaps of exposure and focusing aids, touch screen interface, a variety of codecs, XLR inputs, Atom HDR for obtaining perfect exposure with Log footage for HDR delivery, 4K 60p recording, as well as for use as a... Continue Reading →
Don’t Let Your Clients See the HDR Grade!
In one of Arri’s papers covering the basics of HDR, this stood out the most: Should I grade HDR or SDR first? There is no consensus in the industry yet, which color grading strategy is better. Both approaches are being used today by HDR productions. The advantage of first grading for SDR is that most... Continue Reading →
How to Stabilize Like a Pro
This is for the whiners complaining about the lack of IBIS on the GH5s. I'll stick with the GH5, thank you very much. https://youtu.be/DpbWhm17Xyw
How to Use the Ninja Inferno for Grading HDR Video in Final Cut Pro
Once you've set up your project in Final Cut Pro and installed Blackmagic Desktop Video on your computer, you're just about ready to grade HDR video using the Ninja Inferno as an external monitor. You'll probably want to edit your project in 1080p and export in 4K. Note: This section is a work in progress! I'm getting... Continue Reading →
Imagine a World…
Imagine a world where salespeople were well-informed and returned phone calls; where not all goods were grey market; a world with competent customer support; a world with functioning wifi that didn't drop out every minute of every day - and you'd begin to understand my predicament. I really wanted to post more workflows for editing... Continue Reading →
Speculation About the GH6 Runs Rife
The GH5 has hardly been out a year and the online community is already abuzz with wild anticipation - how will Panasonic's next flagship more closely resemble the Red Raven or Alexa Mini? I'm exaggerating of course, and I just might be able to understand all the speculation about the GH6 years ahead of its... Continue Reading →
The Daejeon Chronicles 