[Phil Balsdon]

I have some major reservations with this camera.

1) It’s not a Super35 sensor, it’s only approximately Super16 size which is about half the size. Anyone introducing a camera that doesn’t have a Super35 sensor today is way behind the pack.

2) It looks like a box designed by a post production technician and with no consideration for the cinematographer using it. No grips or handles to hold it, not even shaping of the body to grip it comfortably and securely. An LCD screen shoved on the back which can’t be angled for the user to see it and if hand holding needs to be held way out in front of your face.

There’s a whole lot more to a camera than tech specs, usability and being able to get the camera set up quickly and easily for the best angle for a shot is a major one,

It’s not very price competitive with traditional HDSLRs from Canon, Nikon, Panasonic and Sony and the BlackMagic has no track record in camera technology.

Cinematographer, Steadicam Operator, Final Cut Pro Post Production.
https://philming.com.au
https://www.steadi-onfilms.com.au/

[Phil Balsdon]

I’ve been using a Rode VideoMic Pro as a camera top mike, works well and there’s an inexpensive wind jammer available.
Got some amazing results in demanding positions.

When working with a boom pole mounted mike and no dedicated sound recordist I’ve been using Rode NTG 2 (normally with a Sennheiser plug on transmitter and a receiver on the camera). This way journalist, reporter or producer can roam with the mike on a grip free from cables. It would also be possible with a little ingenuity to adapt the Rode VideoMic Pro to this as it has its own built in shock mount.

I think I chose the Rode VideoMic Pro over the Sennheisser MKE 400 because of the quality of the shock mount systems, the mics are similarly priced and in performance quality.

Cinematographer, Steadicam Operator, Final Cut Pro Post Production.
https://philming.com.au
https://www.steadi-onfilms.com.au/

[Phil Balsdon]

I’d agree with Peter’s opinion too, but that’s still pretty excessive moire, what are sharpness settings on the camera scene file you’re using? Wind them right down. You can put a little bit of sharpness back in post if you need too. Proof that the Sigma must have excellent resolution too.

Cinematographer, Steadicam Operator, Final Cut Pro Post Production.
https://philming.com.au
https://www.steadi-onfilms.com.au/

[Phil Balsdon]

The fine pattern is the decorative moulding on the cupboard doors. Thats why the moire is occurring in long narrow bands on across the screen on that detail in the screen.

I’ve had it happen in all kinds of odd situations, often restricted to a patterned area where fine horizontal lines that are predominant on the screen just tilt enough to a slight angle in a small area to cause moire. This type can be the most difficult to detect when recording because you look at the image and don’t spot such a minor area in the larger pattern occupying the rest of the screen.

Cinematographer, Steadicam Operator, Final Cut Pro Post Production.
https://philming.com.au
https://www.steadi-onfilms.com.au/

[Phil Balsdon]

If they’re full frame grabs these shots are a slightly different size. Focus also looks slightly different, is the subject slightly closer to the background?
It can be triggered by just slightly different shot size or focus change.
The colour banding from blue to magenta is typical of moire.

Cinematographer, Steadicam Operator, Final Cut Pro Post Production.
https://philming.com.au
https://www.steadi-onfilms.com.au/

[Phil Balsdon]

Moire, it’s very common on HDSLR footage. It happens when fine line detail is at certain “frequencies” so zooming in or out can eliminate it, so can a slight adjustment of focus. It’s also more likely to happen when fine lines run at a slight angle like in your example.

It’s more predominant in HDSLR cameras due to the line shedding process necessary to get a 1920 x 1080 image from the high mega pixel CMOS sensor.

If you’re editing in FCP there’s a filter available online called “Moire Buster” but use it sparingly otherwise it’ll do strange things to the colour balance of the entire image.

Cinematographer, Steadicam Operator, Final Cut Pro Post Production.
https://philming.com.au
https://www.steadi-onfilms.com.au/

[Phil Balsdon]

Can never be sure of the future. I started shooting mts files and using Clipwrap 2.

Cinematographer, Steadicam Operator, Final Cut Pro Post Production.
https://philming.com.au
https://www.steadi-onfilms.com.au/

[Phil Balsdon]

Cinema Tools is an app in Final Cut Studio Suite separate from Final Cut Pro, you need to use it prior to bringing files into FCP. It also permanently changes the frame rate on your original file so you may want to duplicate first. Twixtor is another program altogether that used properly looks excellent creating slow motion by making inter frames.

Cinematographer, Steadicam Operator, Final Cut Pro Post Production.
https://philming.com.au
https://www.steadi-onfilms.com.au/

[Phil Balsdon]

There is a patch for this problem, it originates from here.
https://www.focusinfo.com/support/downloads.asp#answers

The Focus website isn’t very clear and it appears for the FS H200 you have to email them.

The first version I received (for the JVC DR HD100) didn’t work for me because I’m PAL format (it was also sent to me via another source). It’s a droplet that you need to use once only on each file. Fix is almost instant.

Hope this helps.

Cinematographer, Steadicam Operator, Final Cut Pro Post Production.
https://philming.com.au
https://www.steadi-onfilms.com.au/

[Phil Balsdon]

If you want smooth slow motion choosing a shutter speed of 1/1000th is wrong, here’s why.

Your camera is shooting at 60fps and on normal replay will show you 60fps, changing the shutter speed does not change this.
If you set a shutter speed of 1/1000th it will show you 60 frames per second each captured at 1/1000th sec.
This means that a lot of action will happen in the other 999/1000ths of a 60th of a second between the frames that is not recorded. (ie you’re missing 99.9% of the action). This causes a strobe like jump in the action as it moves in time from one, extremely sharp frame (if viewed as a freeze frame), to the next frame and when viewed in real time that appears more exaggerated as you slow the replay speed down.

Shoot at a shutter speed of 1/120th to no more than 1/400th then re-conform your footage to 1/30th or 1/24th before bringing it into your NLE. If you are using Final Cut Studio you can do this with Cinama Tools. (I have no experience doing this with other NLE’s but I’m sure something like After Effects would do it.)

A bit of motion blur will help your images “blend” smoothly from one frame to the next.

The only real way to shoot smooth slow motion is with a camera capable of shooting faster fps, but these tend to be rather expensive.

Cinematographer, Steadicam Operator, Final Cut Pro Post Production.
https://philming.com.au
https://www.steadi-onfilms.com.au/