[John Cummings]

If you want mounted options, you’ll limit your opportunities for cool angles.

If I were you. I’d rent a minivan that has sliding doors on both sides (as well as the big hatch in the back) Put a wide angle zoom on that camera and shoot out all the doors. Be sure to strap yourself in safely…then get the bikes to come as close as is safe, then you can reach out and get cool shots and angles from three sides of your “camera car.” No mounted camera will give you as many good shots in the same amount of time. The key is going wide and being close!

J Cummings
Cameralogic/Chicago
cameralogic.tv
HDX-900/HDW-730S/DXC-D50

[John Cummings]

Hey Tim,

I’m glad you cleared that up for us less-technical types..;-)

Slide rules aside, my point is that it didn’t look as good as it should have. I’ll put 80% of the problem down to transmission issues…which is something, as a program supplier, is completely out of our hands. That signal degradation in the broadcast chain (for lack of a better term) is something we should all have to consider during the post phase, I’m just not sure what can be done to make it any less horrible.

Here’s a tidbit from an article in documentary.org that might be food for thought:

“The images were composed in a 16:9 aspect ratio. The processed negative was scanned at 3K resolution and sub-sampled down to a 2K 10-bit digital log file at Goldcrest Postproduction, in New York. Final editing was done by Paul Barnes, who has worked on Florentine Films since The Statue of Liberty in 1985.

John Dowdell, at Goldcrest, was the colorist. He has served in that role on all Florentine Films from the beginning. Final timing was done in a theater environment with the images projected on a big screen. “Today’s technology allows us to isolate elements of frames, so Ken and Buddy could add painterly touches to the look,” Dowdell explains.”

My theory: Perhaps portions of the show were a little too “painterly” for the type of compression and datarate of the final distribution…? Could it be that what looks good projected doesn’t necessarily hold up well after it gets bounced around a few times before it hits the home screen?

J Cummings
Cameralogic/Chicago
cameralogic.tv
HDX-900/HDW-730S/DXC-D50

[John Cummings]

I don’t know…looks like two issues.

Going frame by frame, I do see the “partial frames” that look like cmos rolling shutter…but the fine horizontal black lines look like something else to me…not sure what, though…maybe derek nailed that about the recompression for the web.

J Cummings
Cameralogic/Chicago
cameralogic.tv
HDX-900/HDW-730S/DXC-D50

[John Cummings]

It’s easy math…just multiply the numbers: 39X10=390 hours.

I would call that a pretty low-hour camera.

Some cameras, like a betacam, could need major work (like drums or heads) as soon as 1500 hours. Other cameras, like a Panasonic DVCPro, have been known to make it to 4-5000 hours before needing the same work. Of course, those numbers assume regular maintenance and check ups.

As always, your mileage will vary.

J Cummings
Cameralogic/Chicago
cameralogic.tv
HDX-900/HDW-730S/DXC-D50

[John Cummings]

For camera straps, these are the best:

https://portabrace.com/category_61_9

I’m an old fanny pack guy, and I like these for tapes, batteries, stuff and water bottles…

https://www.mountainsmith.com/products.asp?productId=23&categoryId=4&subCategoryId=3&subCategory2Id=0

J Cummings
Cameralogic/Chicago
cameralogic.tv
HDX-900/HDW-730S/DXC-D50

[John Cummings]

Today’s Chimeras, Kino’s and LED’s make it very convenient to get beautiful results quickly, with a lot less work.

The “old masters” Dan mentioned certainly had the tools (with a little more work involved) available to them to achive the same “softer” look we see so much today, but you’d have to look pretty long and hard to see an example of a really soft key light used back in the day. I mean sure, they had some diffusion on those keys, but as far as I can tell, they primarily used fill to soften the shadows. In many cases, those DP’s might have used a little diffusion behind the lens, as well.

So why the hard light? Was it the film stocks? The high grids in those old studios? Perhaps the desire to “paint” the entire set without all that spill to overcome?

Seems to me that a lot of lighting after the late 60’s seems to have come off of the grid (and the ceiling) and onto the floor and through the windows, I suppose to give it a more softly natural, motivated look. Although not too many actors will complain about that, but it sure must complicate things when you have to block out a lot of movement through a jungle of C-stands.

There was indeed something magical about the old look…something about those strong shadows, the deep contrast and the inky blacks. The cool eyelights. And those crisp edges of the backlights and hairlights.

Those old-school guys did amazing things with a lot of heat.

J Cummings
Cameralogic/Chicago
cameralogic.tv
HDX-900/HDW-730S/DXC-D50

[John Cummings]

Interesting how the DP’s go to great lengths to achieve a period look for that show, but still can’t resist using more contemporary-looking soft lighting. To me, that seems to be the one missing ingredient for a convicing look for the show.

Some say the fine art of hard lighting died with the last generation to practice it…sometimes I wonder if that isn’t true.

J Cummings
Cameralogic/Chicago
cameralogic.tv
HDX-900/HDW-730S/DXC-D50

[John Cummings]

Chances are, Abel will just send it off to Panasonic.

If you want to skip that step and possibly save a few days, contact Panasonic service directly: (201)348-7975. Be sure to tell them exactly what you want done and include the same written directions and your return address on a paper inside the box.

They will give you the address where to send the unit in, including the building number and the tech contact’s name…

J Cummings
Cameralogic/Chicago
cameralogic.tv
HDX-900/HDW-730S/DXC-D50

[John Cummings]

Funny, my busted VF is in New Jersey after my HDX took a header off a 10-year-old Sachtler while I was shooting in Spain last week. A little gaffer tape and a few cable ties got me through the rest of the trip.

The filter wheel survived, however.

J Cummings
Cameralogic/Chicago
cameralogic.tv
HDX-900/HDW-730S/DXC-D50

[John Cummings]

Not overkill…just smart.

I think a 25-pound payload will be pushing the limits of the DV12 head, regardless of the advertised 30 pound maximum payload.

Also, you may want to consider that the DV12 has only 2.8″ of sliding range on the top plate, while the Video 18 has nearly double that. That is very important when it comes to properly balancing a fully-tricked out camera on a deep tilts.

And don’t cheap out on the legs. Undersized sticks (and heads) will wear out more quickly under the higher loads and will eventually dump your camera when you walk away from it. (Yes, I’ve learned that lesson the hard way.)

Bottom line: Get more capacity than you need. It will last longer, be safer and you’ll be able to accommodate larger cameras if you need them.

By the way, if you really want HD legs, give these a look:
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/201202-REG/Sachtler_5586_Speed_Lock_CF_Carbon_Fiber.html

The speed locks are very nice…I have the HD version.

J Cummings
Cameralogic/Chicago
cameralogic.tv
HDX-900/HDW-730S/DXC-D50