Ron Shook
Forum Replies Created
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Randy,
[Randy Burleson] “About the 35mm adapters…
Letus or Brevis or do you recommend something else?”I don’t have the direct experience to recommend anything, but my research indicates that the Letus is the adapter of choice. If anything is available for rental EXs, it’s the Letus.
Do as was suggested on several recent threads and go to Philip Bloom’s website and look at some of his Letus/EX stuff in full HD which you can download. I don’t know if I would want to fool with it, but, he has some startling shots with the Letus adapter using a tilt/shift 35mm lens where only one subject is in focus where there are multiple subjects on the same focal plane. For example, with the camera 90 degrees perpendicular to a park bench, only the middle person of 3 on the bench is in sharp focus even though each are the same distance from the camera.
[Randy Burleson] “Not sure that I would use a steady cam but a good idea nonetheless.”
Don’t toss that idea out without further thought. One of the revolutionary values of these small, relatively light, but potent new camcorders is the ability to use specialty camera support for much less $. It’s a lot easier to justify a $5k steadicam like device for occassional use than the $25k device for 20-30 lb. cameras. I’ve got an old but nicely rebuilt wheelchair that I picked up at a resale store for $75 and fixed up to a total cost of
$200. With a steadicam like unit and that wheelchair, I could be a near instant dolly that involves no track laying or demand to follow a track. And…, I can do nearly 3 foot of jibbing in the course of any shot, dollying or otherwise.Didja know that to get a color viewfinder for the 700 that equals or beats the one on the EX3 costs $10k? (g) Don’t look at the EX3 as something to settle for, but as an upgrade in many respects over the 700, particularly with the XDR/Nano.
Ron Shook
Shoulder-High Eye Productions
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Randy,
[Randy Burleson] “Would the Fujinon HSs18X5.5BRM or the Canon KH20x6.4 KRS
be worth the money to put on an EX3.
It costs as much as the whole camera and included lens.
I will be using this ENG Style in the studio and in the field. In a variety of situations. Just trying to find the best “one size fits all” kind of lens.”IMO, the best one size fits all lens for the EX3 is the one that comes with it, because it’s the most flexible way to get the most out of the camera in varied situations and is very good. Probably not quite as sharp as the lenses you mention, but if there’s one thing we’ve learned from the HVX200, “resolution isn’t everything.”
[Randy Burleson] “My first Choice is the Sony 700 4:2:2 XDCAM HD but Option 2 depending on what I can get approved… would be the EX3. I just want to beef up the EX 3 with a good all purpose lens that would be better than the 14X supplied lens.”
Use the money to beef up in other ways. Get a 35mm adapter as discussed on numerous threads here, and a range of 3 or 4 used lenses (around $3k and you’ll be able to get depth of field control that far exceeds the stock lens and the 700 as well. Get a Steadicam type support for around $5k. You’ve spent the cost of one of those alternate lenses and increased your capabilities immeasurably more.
[Randy Burleson] “I am also looking into the Convergent Design Flash XDR box to record the HD-SDI signal. (Shipping begins Monday, I hear) So that I can get the cleanest signal out of the EX-3.”
A nice addition and once again you go beyond the 700. I think I’ll wait for the Nano which is improvement enough for me at 2/3rds the cost.
Ron Shook
Shoulder-High Eye Productions
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[Mick Haensler] “Canon HJ18ex28B-ITS e-HDxs 18x 2/3″ High Definition Telephoto Remote Motor Drive Lens with 2x Extender”
LOL! Since you’ve got to be kidding, I’ll reply in kind. Best for what: Spying on Iran from the Space Shuttle?
Your reply get’s your point across. Whatdawantashoot, then we’ll tell you what’s best.
Ron Shook
Shoulder-High Eye Productions
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Don,
[Don Greening] “You might want to email Phil Bloom in the U.K.”
I did ask Philip that exact question about 6 months ago, so I can answer to Joe. With a 35mm adapter like the Letus you will obtain roughly the same field of view as with a 35mm still camera. It might even be a touch wider. So, for instance, if you had a Letus adapter with a 35mm Nikor lens on it, you would see about the same field of view on an EX as you would with the standard lens zoomed to nearly full wide, but with considerably less depth of field.
Ron Shook
Shoulder-High Eye Productions
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Don,
[Don Greening] “I’m walking over to your side of the ring on this one”
Run don’t walk. More dynamic! (g)
Ron Shook
Shoulder-High Eye Productions
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John,
[John Alder] “was it obvious to the eye when played back real time? (for the ‘background vertical lines “bend” when the camera tracks a running player.’)”
Let’s put this CMOS slant artifact discussion into the context of the abstraction of reality that is video. First, I would say that the vertical lines “slant” rather than “bend,” and yes, it’s noticable, if you take pains to notice it, rather than the player which everyone else is noticing. The player is slanting as well, but his/her organic shape makes that slight slanting virtually un-noticable.
Is this “bad?” Maybe, maybe not! It’s different from CCD’s and is certainly a further abstraction from reality, but there is a sense in which that further abstraction is “good,” in the sense of adding to the dynamism of the imaging. As a gross example think about comic book art, where speed and movement is depicted by gross slanting of the verticals and subjects. We sense dynamism in the slant, are conditioned to it, and I would suggest that the natural dynamism of sports may perhaps be slightly enhanced by the slight slant of CMOS, an unintended consequence.
I don’t know if I could take this to the bank (or if it would cause the bank to fail), but maybe it’s worth considering. (g) My guess is that lots of folks would sense the CMOS sports images as slightly “better” than the CCD sports images as long as you didn’t point out the “bad” reality stuff.
How’s that for tripping lightly around the holes in the ground? (g)
Ron Shook
Shoulder-High Eye Productions
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Rick,
[Rick Diamond] “How is it to shoulder-hold?”
Just my experience from a trade show, but I found it exceptionally stable and comfortable to hold against the shoulder. Of course your shoulder is taking only about a 3rd of the weight, but it makes it lighter than the EX1 to hold and much more grounded, and zowee, lookin’ into that great LCD/viewfinder makes my old eyes sing and not water.
It really felt like I could shoot longer and steadier with the EX3 than my 20lb. BetaSP rig, and with the addition of a waist pod to take nearly all of the camera weight, shoot forever.
Ron Shook
Shoulder-High Eye Productions
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João,
[João Rodrigues] “Seeing the movie you will understand.”
Sorry, I don’t understand because the movie is too low rez to read what you type on the Vegas screen, which I assume is your explanation of what is going wrong. If you wanted the “example” to show on the white screen then it has to be above the white screen, not below it where the white screen covers it up. I coouldn’t understand what you wanted from multiple instances of the “example” clip. What were you attempting to do?
Ron Shook
Shoulder-High Eye Productions
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Howard,
[Howard Newton] “The pumps don’t work because the vandals took the handles.
Well, that’s what Bob Dylan said anyway.”
I’m satisfied. (g)
Ron Shook
Shoulder-High Eye Productions
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Kim,
[Kim Nance] “Everyone into the lifeboats.”
Perhaps we should plead for some subtlety and patch that oversized hole in the ship, at least to the point that the pumps can handle things. I don’t look forward to rowing, and boiling under the sun.
Ron Shook
Shoulder-High Eye Productions
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