Ryan Orr
Forum Replies Created
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Panasonic GH2 or the AF-100…hands down.
The GH2 because it is comparable to the Canon 60D, but it has a clean uncompressed HD signal coming out of the HDMI, so an external recorder can take that beautiful sensor video and get a higher quality video out of it.
The AF-100 because it’s cheaper then the large sensor Sony camera coming out, and it’s more like a video camera then a camera that can do video. In all honesty, the AF-100 isn’t THAT expensive…but I do realize there are others out there where the GH2 would be more in their price range.
Whichever camera you’re trying to get, in general, the Nikon lenses are the best. Just get the right adapters, and you should be good.
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I’ve read this whole thread, and it seems to me that you are wanting a camera that does the following.
1) As inexpensive as possible.
2) Very thin DOF.
3) Capable of high frame rates.
4) Good quality.
5) As inexpensive as possible…Here is a list on BHphotovideo.com that is based around the Panasonic GH2. I have planned on getting in steps…
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/wl/3B372DBD70
1) It’s inexpensive…as in only $999, which is CHEAP considering you are wanting something that would cost you several thousands of dollars more…
2) It has a larger sensor, thus will give you that thin DOF you would desire
3) The GH2 gets you 1080p video (overcranking drops it to 720p though).
4) Nice swivel screen, so low angles are easier.
5) Did I say it was inexpensive? Not as inexpensive as a Canon 60D or T2i, but that swivel screen…blows my mindYou will see the flashNano in my list…that’s for better quality video files. The in camera compressed files stink…but the GH2 outputs clean, uncompressed HD video out of the HDMI, and when coupled with a nanoFlash, the quality of the video is supreme!
If you want a higher framerate, you aint gonna get it from cameras in the lower price range. You could fake it in post, using programes like Twixor or a free plugin in Final Cut Pro. It works, with various results…but still much cheaper then buying a Phantom or Epic…
But as others have suggested, the Panasonic AF100 (which has the same exact sensor as the GH2) could possibly be the best choice. It can do overcranking without downsizing it to 720p…it stays up at 1080p. You wouldn’t need to buy a separate audio recording device. The in camera compressed file still sucks, but with a nanoFlash, again it would be better.
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Not according to these guys (linked below). Not that I endorse the Smoothee thingy, or using the iPhone to shoot any serious videos…but there are many excellent examples out there that make you thing about, “using what you have now”.
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Now that’s an awesome product!
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While I agree that color grading is a nice chunk of the “film look”, there are some fundamental settings and practices that are absolutely essential for the film look as well.
Typically, film is 24p. Your Canon 7D does 23.976p, which is certainly close enough. Also, the 180 degree rule is typically the standard shutter setting. Whatever fps you are shooting, double it, and that’s the shutter speed you should be aiming for. For instance, you’re shooting a scene at 24fps…double that, and your shutter speed would be 1/48. With these cameras though, you can’t dial that specific shutter speed in, so just go to the shutter speed that’s the closes, which I believe is 1/50 for the 7D.
Camera moves are also important to get that film look. Classic and traditional cinematography veered away from “zooming” while shooting. In fact, they used prime lenses, which don’t do zooms. So if you need to get closer to your subject, you just moved in closer with your camera, or you changed your lens. To do it mid shot, they used nice camera stabilizing rigs, like Steadycams, or dollys, or jibs/cranes.
And that’s just the beginning…there are plenty of other things that get your shots to look more film like. As others have mentioned, there are things you can do in post that help too.
Good luck,
Ryan -
Hmmm…well I could only give you a theory. Since you shot the interviews twice the speed you normally would, you could increase the speed by 200% (whichever NLE you are using, you may need to do 50%…weird I know).
The result may produce a slight jitter, as you are essentially removing every other frame, but this is probably better then re-shooting. If you are doing this in after effects, you could select the “Frame Blending” option to try to smooth it out more. It could turn out to look great, or even worse if there is a lot of motion.
Hope this works. What does everyone else say?
Ryan -
Hey there Sohrab,
I was in your shoes about two or so years ago, when I was buying my first Canon EOS, and then more recently when the 5D and 7D came out. Knowing your stuff about lenses became more critical when these DSLRs started to do video.
Just a few notes about lenses for these HDSLRs.
1) Get one with a constant F-Stop. Some, if not most lenses will change the F-Stop when you are zooming/focusing, and will make your shot useless when the shot suddenly gets darker/lighter.
2) If you’re getting a longer lens, try to shell out a few bucks more some IS (image stabilization). Those shots won’t be shaky anymore, trust me.
3) Try to get a lens with a barrel that does not rotate/extend when focusing or zooming (especially when you want a matte box). This is one of the many reasons why Primes are so…prime.
4) With a few of these new HDSLRs, quick lenses are not as critical. The ISOs can help a lot with darker scenes…but yeah, go with lenses that are as quick as your budget lets you.
5) Canon L-Series, Sigma, and Tamron are good lenses.
For a T2i, I would suggest these lenses:
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/689620-REG/Sigma_583101_17_50mm_F2_8_EX_DC.html
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/533558-REG/Sigma_691_101_50_150mm_f_2_8_II_EX.htmlI would NOT suggest a lens like this (variable f-stop):
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/622383-USA/Sigma_686101_50_200mm_f_4_5_6_DC_OS.htmlHope this helps!
Ryan -
You could us a photoshop plugin called Blow Up 2 along with whatever screen grab you found. I’ve used it before, and it really can do a good job of resizing any photos beyond 200% with decent quality. Although not as good as getting an actual photo in the first place, it’s still a good “Plan B”.
Good Luck!
Ryan -
So, does that mean they all get maybe a 10% finder’s fee with your purchase? I mean…you did say you were sold on it 😉
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NBC used them for the show openings for SNL and Jay Leno…with incredible results.