[Dylan Hargreaves]

Built in follow focus sounds awesome – any pointers/tutorials on how that works?

Also, are there any tables anywhere that give the q-scale bitrate equivalents? It’s a bit guesswork-y at the moment!

Oh, and as an FCP user, I transcode everything I shoot on the 550 to pro-res for editing. Does the bitrate preserve on transcode?

[Dylan Hargreaves]

Answers to all the above questions: After installing ML1.0.9, then install latest build for increased menu options.

[Dylan Hargreaves]

Hey,

So I’ve done another little test. Pretty much the same set up. The picture sharpness the first time was dialled all the way down, however, after watching a blog on fxguide about cinestyle, I dialled it in to +2.

The camera’s standard picture set up produced no moire at all, but obviously at the expense of the flat grade you can take anywhere.

The out-of-the-camera cinestyle was perhaps not as clean, but certainly smooth enough to the naked eye as to not be too noticeable.

The graded cinestyle was again, quite noisy in the midtone shadows, although not as noisy as the first test.
I think the problem is pushing the gain in the grade beyond where cinestyle wants it to go. However, as I do a lot of shooting in xdcam conformed to pro-res, I’m used to there being quite a lot more latitude in the grade than there appears to be in cinestyle.

Not too sure what to make of this. I deliberately underexposed the cinestyle by a stop or two to maintain the highlights but if the resulting picture then requires more of a boost in the grade to compensate, where’s the sweet spot?

[Dylan Hargreaves]

So you’d recommend it then?

Does seem to have a lot of cool features – and the noise reduction sounds sweet.

[Dylan Hargreaves]

Thanks Pete. Just the answer I was looking for.

Re Magic Lantern and is it the case you have to ‘install’ the firmware every time you boot the camera up?

[Dylan Hargreaves]

We may be getting our moires mixed up. The type of moire that cinestyle produced on my quick test was the green and red noise in the midtone shadows rather than jaggies or that weird strobing effect you get when pointing the camera at a brick wall.

As the standard settings didn’t produce the moire when I tested it out on the same shot, it does leave me to conclude it’s something to do with Cinestyle, but cheers for the link. I’ll check it out!

[Dylan Hargreaves]

Thanks Bob,

Will have a play with the sharpness settings but very surprised to hear that the loudly trumpeted Cinestyle is actually moire-hell. Think I’ll just carry on with the camera’s standard settings dialled down.

[Dylan Hargreaves]

Hey Danny,

Thanks for putting the pointers on installing this for your t3i. Don’t think I would’ve worked that out for my t2i without your post!

Roll on the first shoot with Cinestyle this Friday!

[Dylan Hargreaves]

Thanks Pete – I’d not seen that one.

So it looks like you need the whole set then… Great, another $500 I’ve gotta run past she who holds the purse strings…

[Dylan Hargreaves]

I made it clear to the client that I would not be undertaking the job at the price were offering. We’re established enough with enough work coming in that we don’t have to work for cheap jerks.

My little rant was just that. Venting a bit about this company’s lack of scruples. I also left the young lady’s best line out.

Me: “So your marketing strategy for the viral is just to get it up on YouTube? You’re aiming at a very defined audience – technology buffs – I think you should consider a targeting your approach more.”

Her: “Yeah, but it’s a pretty niche audience. There’s probably not that many places out there for the viral to go.”

I kid you not.