DSLR Filmmaking Blog

BeachTek has something exciting up their sleeves for BMPCC users...

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 27 Jun 2014 04:06:00 +0000

...and it's called the DXA-Pocket.

It also works on the EOS-M too, in addition to virtually any other camera with a mic input jack and no AGC:

And yes, you can mount it on a hot shoe too, if you prefer. It's unbelievably versatile and simple, not to mention that it works really well with a light camera such as the EOS-M outfitted with a small lens. Everything you need in a pint-sized package.

The unit shown is a prototype, but the final product won't differ much from what you see here.

More on the DXA-Pocket soon...

-Kurt
"Man with the 5D...and BMCC...and a few others"

The DXA-POCKET shown here was supplied to me by BeachTek. No monetary compensation was provided for this review. The comments above were not screened by BeachTek prior to publication and reflect the actual views of the author's experience with the product.

Man with the 5D is now the Man With the BMCC

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 23 Jun 2014 23:07:00 +0000

Face it: James Bond is cool, but nobody would have cared without a camera to film him with.

Let the 13 stops of dynamic range fun begin - and look out for an upcoming review of the latest Bond camera gadgetry from ~~Q-Branch~~ BeachTek.

-Kurt
"Man with the 5D...and BMCC"

Repairing a Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS - DIY Disassembly & Rebuild

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 23 Jun 2014 02:00:00 +0000

I know many have been waiting for this video - and yes, it has been far too long in the works - but it's finally here - a how-to DIY repair guide for taking apart (and rebuilding) the Canon EF-S 18-55mm IS (both the IS v1 and II) to fix the stripped focus ring gear issue.

Stripped focus ring gears are all too common on these lenses, and costs no more than $10 out of your wallet and 15 minutes of time to fix:

WARNING: By viewing and/or following this guide, you accept full responsibility for any malfunctions or damage that may be caused to your lens in the course of any service you may attempt to perform on it. Following this guide will void your warranty.

Enjoy!

-Kurt "Man with the 5D"

You like videos...now, do you like Mustangs?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 03 Jun 2014 13:34:00 +0000

Just finished this video for a Mustang contest. It was shot in two days, so it was a bit rushed, but it is nevertheless a decent effort:

That said, if you want to learn all about the lenses and equipment used behind-the-scenes, click "LOVE IT" at the bottom of this page to help me win. If I win, I'll post the how-to video along with a blog entry:

http://bet.votigo.com/fbcontests/showentry/Ford-Contest-1/137096

Man with the 5D: A Quick Update

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 29 Apr 2014 02:59:00 +0000

Followers of MWT5D will note that I haven't posted much since my review of the DXA-Connect.

Since I've moved from freelancing to a steady 9-to-5, I've found less time to experiment and more time to put equipment to use. Unfortunately, this has also slowed down reviews such as those I have done below.

Nevertheless, the 18-55mm lens video will soon be complete, and two exciting reviews are on their way.

Stay tuned.

-Man with the 5D

BeachTek DXA-Connect DSLR Audio Adapter Review

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 02 Dec 2013 22:53:00 +0000

This is BeachTek's latest, portable DSLR audio preamp - the DXA-CONNECT (one of the first batch, as a matter of fact):

Brand new, out of the box.

If you're familiar with other BeachTek adapters, the Connect looks nothing like any previous offering. Strange appearance notwithstanding, it is an ideal unit for users of Canon cameras with Magic Lantern, those who utilize Zoom H4N/H6 external recorders, and any other DSLR that has onboard preamp control and shutoff.

DXA-CONNECT - LISTEN TO IT:

For those who want to hear it before anything else:

DXA-CONNECT - INTERNAL TECH:

DXA-CONNECT at left, DXA-SLR at right

As an indirect successor to the DXA-SLR, the DXA-Connect improves upon it by providing a comfortable range of gain with three selections: 0dB, +20dB, and +30dB; individually adjustable on each channel. This amplification alone (the DXA-SLR has a maximum gain of +15dB) is worth the price of admission for those users running cheaper dynamic microphones due to cost, and allows one to ramp down the camera's preamp to 10-20%.

The Connect was designed with the latest generation of equipment in mind and the execution of such is evident. Though we lose the AGC Disable function of the earlier BeachTek units, the point is moot with the number of cameras that now have AGC shutoff included directly in their firmware, plus the Canon bodies supported by ML.

Phantom power is available in 12 and 48V, with a single switch for voltage selection, and an on-off switch under each gain knob to control phantom power supply per individual channel.

DXA-CONNECT - USABILITY:

Standing tall and proud on the 5DM2

The DXA-Connect does away with the bottom-mount orientation, and slides directly into your flash shoe. Though this new mount takes a bit of getting used to - mainly because I'm accustomed to the old design - the new position is far more workable over the old "box-on-the-bottom" ergonomics.

To begin with, the removal of the unit from the bottom keeps the weight of the camera low (43cm lower than when running a conventional DXA-SLR under the camera body), providing a significant benefit in weight distribution.

Secondly, the DXA-SLR gets in the way of any follow focus rings mounted close to the camera body. The DXA-Connect doesn't even come near them.

Perhaps the best benefit of all is that you don't have to pull the camera body off the unit to change a battery. What a joy!

The loss of one flash shoe is irrelevant, because you get FOUR MORE from the one you had to give up. You can mount ANYTHING to this thing (light units, microphone receivers, audio recorders, hood ornaments, worry beads, and Donald Trump's ego, to name a few things - though I wouldn't necessarily suggest trying it), and in just about any direction.

The DXA-Connect does not have an onboard V/U meter, but with the number of cameras that are coming with live view meters (plus those supported by Magic Lantern), you do not need a superfluous display to begin with.

However, we have since lost the ability to monitor the audio directly from the DXA-Connect without plugging a TRS 1/8" T connection between the adapter and the camera. It may not be live monitoring, but being able to double-check the adapter's output against the camera gives me some peace of mind.

The only thing that I've yet to get used to is the orientation of the controls vs. the XLR input plugs. Quite logically, the left channel controls are to the left, and the right channel controls to the right. This is repeated on the opposite side with the XLR input plugs.

Problem is, this means the left XLR plug's direct opposite are the controls for the right channel, and the right XLR plug is opposite the left channel controls. Given the unusual shape of the unit, I envision the controls based on their vertical placement on the unit, rather than from the side, which leads to a fair amount of confusion:

Erm...

As simple as this was to figure out, I was completely mystified for the first 5 minutes of using it and I'm still getting used to it. You'd think the clear-cut "LEFT" and "RIGHT" markings on the unit would make it easy, but the human mind is sometimes less logical than the conscious efforts of careful engineering.

I'm sure that there are many others who would feel the exact opposite if the adapter had been set up the other way around. To each their own.

DXA-CONNECT - FINAL THOUGHTS:

HAL9000 or a new Pixar character?

For me, the DXA-Connect does all I could need in the field. It may appear to be stripped down at first glance, but - for the most part - in all the right places.

For those of us with cameras and audio recorders that feature gain correction control, the DXA-Connect is amongst BeachTek's best. Functionality is just as good as previous models, and the 30dB of gain is reason enough to have it.

-Kurt "Man with the 5D"

The DXA-CONNECT shown here was supplied to me by BeachTek. No monetary compensation was provided for this review. The comments above were not screened by BeachTek prior to publication and reflect the actual views of the author's experience with the product.

BeachTek DXA-Connect Review - Coming This Week

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 23 Nov 2013 01:37:00 +0000

Just arrived today - looks every bit as good as I had expected.

The hot shoe mount is also excellent (the entire DXA-Connect exudes a reassuring feel of solid construction) and despite this heft, poses no problem when mounting to the 5D Mark II or the EOS-M. I dare say the same applies to most all Canon DSLRs.

Look for a complete review this week - subscribe if you wish to get an email update when the review is posted.

-Kurt "Man with the 5D"

One production sample of the DXA-Connect was provided by BeachTek for evaluation. No monetary compensation was provided. The commentary I have made on this product are of my own personal experiences with it - whether favorable or unfavorable, my comments are unbiased.

Repairing the Canon EF 35-80mm f/4-5.6, DIY style

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 17 Nov 2013 15:00:00 +0000

While waiting for the replacement gear for the 18-55mm, I thought I'd post a complete teardown and rebuild of the first-generation Canon EF 35-80mm f/4-5.6:

Note that though this video covers the original v1 lens, the II and III models contain virtually identical internal designs and disassemble in nearly the same fashion, short of the front element being retained by three screws on the circumference of the barrel.

Enjoy.

-Kurt "Man with the 5D"

A little something to come...

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 15 Nov 2013 15:00:00 +0000

Ever needed to repair your Canon EFS 18-55?

We'll soon have a full video update on the complete disassembly and reassembly of this lens. Stay tuned.

-Kurt

Telephotos for DSLR Video: Old vs. New

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 11 Nov 2013 15:00:00 +0000

I'm often asked by DSLR videomakers - "What's a good older telephoto zoom for someone on a budget?"

The answer is simple: None of them. It has nothing to do with zooms not being cinematic (they can be just as cinematic as any other lens, but zoom technique is another story), but more with the manner in which a given lens operates.

Our latest video examines this subject in detail:

Kurt - "Man with the 5D"

Manfrotto MVH502A Fluid Head - Long-Term Review with Video

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 06 Nov 2013 15:00:00 +0000

MVH502A with built-in 75mm ball head

Manfrotto's MVH502A and its flat-bottom cousin, the MVH502AH, are amongst Manfrotto's latest fluid tripod head designs. The model is no longer new, having been released earlier this year (2013), but I thought that it would be best to review them only after experiencing their reliability in the field over the past 7 months.

While it is true that Manfrotto's prosumer fluid heads are generally very much on par with their professional broadcast cousins - given their relative affordability to Sachtlers and Vintens - the MVH502A/AH are not a part of this high point of professional quality.

To begin with, it is amongst the first of their Pro series of tripod heads to bear the dubious distinction of a "MADE IN CHINA" label - hidden under the body where nobody will find it unless they're looking for it:

Now, contrary to what is popular to espouse when you are a blogger on his or her high horse, I have no problem with Chinese quality, when said quality is at a proper level (as for the labor situation, you can take that to a political or human-rights blog).
Contrary to popular belief that all Chinese-made anything is garbage, such is not the case - the quality is up to the brand that designs the product and the price point they demand from the Chinese manufacturer. Case in point, Fotga's 15mm rail systems are a perfect example of quality from China, just as most of the off-brands are a perfect example of the opposite.

But I digress. The fact of the matter is that Manfrotto designed and approved a substandard product to be manufactured by their subcontractors in China. This is an excellent summation of the few glaring issues that prevent this otherwise good design from being just that - good.

In the interest of fairness, the design does have the following high points:

Adjusting the tilt lock is very easy and quick. A very careful hand may be able to open it from a closed position when shooting and get away with it - if your lens has IS. This can save a take.
The control arm has virtually no give in it. The grip is also a nice piece, though it slides a bit.
Yes, it holds the weight of the 5D Mark II, and just about any other DSLR you throw at it. Even a 5D with an Anton Bauer battery pack will be supported, as will a JVC GY-HD110 - also with an Anton-Bauer battery pack.
For all of the faults, both of my MVH502A's have survived harsh field treatment (even though one tripod did not) without developing any issues (no added slop, no stripped threads, etc.) - no more than when they were brand-new, anyway.
Very few other brands exist that produce an equivalent product at an equivalent price, short of used Manfrottos.

With that said, here are the negatives (not all of them - read on):

Adjusting the panning lock is the opposite - in terms of ease - to that of the tilt lock. Getting your fingers between the tripod head in front and under the unit is an ergonomic frustration. Don't expect to do so in the middle of a candid take - IS or otherwise.
The following problem only affects users with external batteries or shoulder supports that hang from the back of their 15mm rail systems: You won't be able to see the level indicator.
And the big one: Every single one of these MVH502's have about 0.5mm of unobstructed play at the ball when the pan head's resistance is at a minimum. This applies to both the 75mm A model, and the AH. This is unacceptable. Not even my simple (and by comparison, tiny) 701HDV ever had the slightest of play.

My very first MVH502A (quickly substituted with another) was also plagued by uneven drag in the panning function - panning in one direction was dampened far more than if the head were spun in the other, depending on the amount of resistance dialed into the head. Even heads operating properly seem to contain minute, uneven drag depending on the direction of one's panning; possibly due to some friction with the drag adjustment mechanism itself.

Nevertheless, the 0.5mm of play in the ball head remained unacceptable. I contacted Manfrotto about this problem, at which point, they sent me a second MVH502A. If nothing else, this was a very courteous gesture to which I greatly appreciate - but the replacement was no better.

Since then, I found multiple flat-head MVH502AH's in local stores, all of which with the same issue - so I had to conclude that this flaw affects all MVH502's.

Luckily, I generally dial in a generous amount of resistance in my work, so this problem has yet to be a field issue for me. Nevertheless, this will not always be the case for all shoots.

The other significant complaint I have is with the tripod plate on these units. The deep, black satin finish characteristic of Manfrotto's earlier tripod plates has been replaced with an interpretation of this same finish by their Chinese manufacturer; a beadblasted, flat black finish.

This finish is reproduced in grey on the top of the tripod head, and the combination of the plate and head results in the most friction-prone plate insertions I've ever had to work with. At times, I've had to struggle for 30 seconds just to get my 5D out - and the location of the release button doesn't help.

Now that the finish and high spots have worn smooth after hundreds of cycles, I've had fewer problems with it, but it still does not come close to the smoothness of earlier Manfrottos.

I also had one case where the release button return spring jammed in its housing, which required disassembly of the top half of the unit with allen keys - with the camera still mounted on top - just to get the camera off of it. Luckily, this happened early on and only once, and I've put both heads through much abuse since with no further issues.

Admittedly, my MVH502A's have worked for me in conditions ranging from quiet art galleries to dusty construction sites - though the perfectionist in me is far from satisfied. Whether the flaws of the MVH502 are of equal concern to your purchase of one is completely your call - the above is simply a guide as to what you should expect.

-Kurt
"Man with the 5D"

No monetary compensation was provided for the mention of any of the above products. One MVH502A head was provided to me as a courtesy by Manfrotto, following my complaints.

Choosing follow focus gear rings

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 22 Oct 2013 14:00:00 +0000

Canon 5D Mark II w/Fotga DP500 II follow focus and generic 60-70mm fixed diameter ring

The cinemazation of DSLR cameras have created a need to add 0.8 pitch follow focus gears to standard photography lenses. Many such gears exist on the market; however, not all are created equal - a fact that is not immediately apparent until you've already experimented with a few.

The prevalent types of follow focus gears available to the prosumer cinematrographer today come in three different variants:

Left: Plastic, adjustable diameter gear ring with friction lock and lever
Center: Rubberized, adjustable diameter gear ring with tooth lock
Right: Fixed outside-diameter ring w/10mm variable inner gear ring diameter (various sizes available), made by Cinematics and others

I've used all three in the field - following are my thoughts on each:

Semi-hard plastic, adjustable gear ring with lever

The adjustable plastic gear ring is my least favorite in that the toothed reverse of the plastic isn't that grippy. I've yet to have it slip, but it does not inspire confidence. Likewise, the lever locking mechanism of the lever is cheap, damages the gear teeth, and the lever gets in the way of follow focus units unless oriented to the opposite side of the rig.

On the other hand, the plastic gear teeth engage well with follow focus units, and it is especially handy when using an older, manual telephoto prime for focus control.

Rubberized adjustable gear ring

The rubberized gear rings can are soft enough to grip a lens - and grip well - but this also causes the teeth to flex while meshing. The toothed receiver also works well to keep the ring tight.

Unfortunately, coupled with small-diameter lenses and a follow focus mounted in certain places, these rings will jump teeth - and visibly so on screen. Nevertheless, they are effective on larger-diameter lens barrels.

Cinematics 80-90mm at left, generic 60-70mm at left

These fixed-diameter rings are my personal favorites, having the ability to reach a follow focus unit with ease, regardless of lens barrel diameter. This style of gear ring is presently available as a generic (only one at present, it seems) and by Cinematics with slight differences between each. Both companies produce inner diameters ranging from 60-70mm up to 108-116mm. In my experience, the generics have enough adjustment to fit barrels down to 57mm comfortably; possibly smaller.

The generic's plastic-knob bolt is durable, despite its cheap appearance.

Cinematics' units have a smoother finish than the generics and have an allen head bolt with a proper steel nut, but otherwise show no superiority over the generics in operation or durability. Unlike the generics, they are available in red and blue (I've also seen purple) as well, which is fine if you're a hipster who must color-coordinate your camera rig to your fixed-gear bicycle and Macbook. Personally, I see no point to it - why call more attention to an L-series lens by putting red gear rings on it?

Additionally, a pair of these rings can provide both focus control and a precise zoom control for lenses with fixed zoom rings - such as Canon's L-series. Given the lack of perfect video-quality fluidity in even the L-series lenses - not to mention the fact that most photography lenses are varifocal - controlling zoom through a second gear ring and follow focus unit can be a stress-free method of ensuring a perfect take on the first try.

-Kurt "Man with the 5D"

No monetary compensation was provided for the mention of the any of the products mentioned or shown in this article.

CMOS Rolling Shutter Removal - Plugin Shootout!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 16 Sep 2013 14:00:00 +0000

I'm getting away with whip pans like these.

Or just about, anyway.

That said, I'm not going to bore you with an explanation of what rolling shutter is. Chances are that - before you reached this blog - you already went through the torture of a few hundred posts and videos of everyone else demonstrating rolling shutter - without the slightest suggestion of a good CMOS skew and jello removal tool.

You can relax now, for I'm going to show you a comparison between the five filters that are available for doing just that, and the most professional one of the lot.

Better yet, the best one isn't even the most expensive.

Following is our list of candidates:

The DeShaker plugin for VirtualDub:

Free; requires that you convert your footage to AVI before importing.

Adobe's After Effects' Warp Stabilizer, available since CS5.5:

Requires purchase of one of the Adobe suites. Not necessarily cheap.
Note: CS6 is equipped with a dedicated rolling shutter corrector, but I did not have time to download CS6 to try it.

ProDAD's Mercalli PRO Version 2

$249 from the ProDAD website
Sony Vegas - since version 10 - contains a simplified version of Mercalli; we'll cover only the standalone.

New Blue FX's Video Essentials III plugin, which contains a rolling shutter removal tool.

Works with Adobe After Effects, AVID Media Composer, and Sony Vegas, amongst others. $130, plus the cost of your editor.

The Foundry's Rollingshutter plugin for Nuke and After Effects

A cool $500.

Do note that I'm taking this from the point of view of PC's, though MAC users have a rolling shutter removal tool in Apple's Final Cut 10, and the Foundry's plugin is also MAC compatible.

Seeing as there is no better way to see the results than a video, I prepared three rolling shutter examples and ran them through each of the five filters:

Though not covered in the video, program usability presents a concern as well; after all, a timely workflow is essential to smooth editing.

Conclusions:

DeShaker is an absolute nightmare to use. Besides having to convert footage to AVI (I used Pazera MOV to AVI to do so - it was quicker than Adobe Media Encoder) before even importing it, setting the plugin up in VirtualDub is a hassle, and it takes ages to analyze the footage. You'll wind up with some pretty big AVI files to clean off your drive too unless you install and compress with the x264vfw plugin.
Warp Stabilizer, along with the New Blue FX and Foundry plugins run the same as most other effect plugins for After Effects. New Blue FX had a tendency of crashing AE at times, while The Foundry's plugin can become a long and drawn-out process.
Mercalli is ridiculously fast, and arguably the most user intuitive. It almost looks too simplistic and mainstream to be a professional tool, but - as proven by the footage tests - it is superior to everything else as a general-purpose tool.

At best, the only further improvement would be to correct individual extreme skew issues with New Blue FX before importing into Mercalli. With certain footage, this workflow could remove rolling shutter skew entirely.

One last option remains for CMOS skew removal (exclusively - this method will not correct for jello/jitter), if you do not mind a bit of DIY: Layer seven or eight feathered copies of the problematic footage over each other, with each successive clip (from top to bottom) playing progressively slower than the first - thereby correcting for the top-to-bottom scan delay in most CMOS sensors.

Mike Huetz on Vimeo has a brilliant video tutorial of this method: http://vimeo.com/10130633

Regardless, a powerful filter does not negate that one can ignore CMOS rolling shutter when shooting, expecting that you can fix everything in post. That's not a reasonable though - you simply cannot walk into a shoot and expect to get away with it.

If absolute perfection is what you need, the Black Magic Production Camera 4K - with global shutter - should be your next purchase, rather than a rolling shutter corrector.

In fact, I fully intend to become the Man with the BMPC 4K someday, but that's the future.

Where did I leave my DeLorean?

No monetary compensation was provided for the mention of any of the products listed. All were tested during product trial periods or were purchased by myself.

Filters Continued: Polarizers and ND's for video

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 11 Sep 2013 14:00:00 +0000

Today's post comes in video form:

For those curious, most of these tutorial videos are shot with the Canon EOS-M in addition to my 5D Mark II.

I generally run the EOS-M with the Compact Macro EF 50mm that I featured on the 9th:
Compact Macros & DSLR filmmaking

Enjoy.

-Kurt "Man with the 5D"

Graduated ND filters for bright skies

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 09 Sep 2013 14:00:00 +0000

If you've ever shot a video with a bright sky in the top of your shot and dark foliage below, you've undoubtedly experienced the problems of exposing an image for such a situation - and it usually winds up with your clouds blown out to bright white in order not to underexpose the rest.

Since it is difficult - and often impossible - to post-process multiple exposures with video (as is sometimes done in photography), bracketing techniques are not an option.

For this reason, you might have already dug up these little critters - graduated grey ND filters which screw onto the front of your lens and gradually shut out light where you don't want it:

Unmarked 52mm on the left, KOF Concept 72mm on the right.

Unfortunately, they don't work. Not well, anyway.

Why?

1.
The location of your gradient is fixed. You can rotate the filter 360 degrees on the front of your lens, but that won't help you much when your horizon line isn't in the upper-third of your frame.

2.
The amount of reduction is minimal. Normally, a non-graduated ND filter is marked by the number of f/stops it reduces exposure, e.g.: ND2, ND4, ND8, etc. The two examples above are not marked with anything (nor are they sold as having any particular reduction), so the amount of ND reduction you're getting is unknown. Tiffen's graduated ND filters are sold as ND0.6, so we'll assume the 52mm Chinese knockoff is a copy of the same.

As there is nothing better to illustrate this than an example, following are a pair of comparison shots, taken at the same exposure:

Without 52mm graduated grey ND0.6 filter

With 52mm graduated grey ND0.6 filter

The filter does help, but I could have used at least another stop of reduction (if not close to two, if the palm trees at the left were not present). My experimentation with the 72mm KOF Concept filter did show much of a performance difference to the generic 52mm.

3.
You can't use these with step-up adapters, because of problem #1 - the fixed gradient. If you were to put the 72mm filter on a 52mm lens (shown at right), the 52mm lens will only see a small portion of the gradient - not enough to make a difference.

This is where the alternative steps in - Cokin P-style, slide-in, graduated ND filters:

Given that the design allows one to put the gradient wherever they please (and vary the amount of reduction depending on the ND glass used - my set came with ND2, 4 and 8), it is considerably more versatile than the screw-on type (and it isn't affected by step-up rings).

Following are the results of a few minutes of experimentation with the graduated ND8, all shots taken at ISO 125, 1/320 shutter, with my Nikon 50mm (with a 52mm thread stepped up to meet the adapter's 72mm threads) at f/4:

No filter

Filter approximately centered in the holder

Filter level with top of filter holder

I'd say the centered ND8 is about as even an exposure one could ask for before going to color grading. Definitely better than the results from the thread-on filter.

-Kurt "Man with the 5D"

No monetary compensation was provided for the mention of the any of the products mentioned or shown in this article.

Aperture Flicker: Why you should have a manual aperture zoom lens...

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 07 Sep 2013 14:00:00 +0000

...and why electronic, variable aperture zoom lenses are a poor choice for DSLR filmmaking:

Aperture flicker is a phenomenon of zoom lenses with variable apertures at the open end. For the purposes of this explanation, let us consider the following Canon EF 28-135mm zoom lens - it will run open as low as f/3.5 when at 28mm, but will close to f/5.6 when the focal length increases to 135mm.

As the lens has an electrically controlled aperture built into the body, the lens will automatically stop down from f/3.5 to f/5.6 when zooming, causing an abrupt reduction in light as the iris is closed in individual clicks/stops.

It is the same look you'd get if you operated the iris/aperture of a manual lens that had not been de-clicked for film/cine use.

Now, at this point, you're probably saying: "Wait - what if I simply stopped down to f/5.6 for the entire shot? That makes perfect sense, doesn't it?" It certainly does, and you'd be dead wrong, despite what many DSLR photographers (as opposed to videographers) would like you to believe.

In short:

Even if you stop down to an f-stop that works across the entire focal length of the zoom lens, IN MANUAL MODE, the electric aperture will flicker anyway.

The problem lies in the hard-coded programming of DSLR cameras, which checks at each of the critical stop-down points in the focal range to see if the aperture needs to be stopped down when you zoom, activating the iris mechanism for a split second, thereby causing the momentary darkening of the image. It will do so even if you already stopped down the lens to prevent the system from stopping it down for you.

That's right - so long as you have an variable aperture zoom lens with electronic iris/aperture control (more or less a Canon EOS and M43 issue), you cannot use the zoom on your lens without getting completely uneven light.

For those of you who want to see this as a video, following is a direct comparison of an all-electronic Canon EF 28-135mm zoom lens - with a variable f/3.5-5.6 max aperture - against a 1980's Tamron 28-70mm zoom. Just to make the comparison more stark, the Tamron is also a variable maximum aperture lens (f/3.5-4.5, specifically), but it adjusts mechanically - and therefore does not distract from the image.

Obviously, aperture flicker is not a problem for still photography, but it proves to be a severe issue for videos.

DSLR filmmakers are left with three options to get around aperture flicker:

Use zoom lenses made for your existing mount that will run a constant open f-stop across the entire focal range

Some common zoom lenses are manufactured as described (the EF-mount Canon 24-70mm f/2.8 L - both the original and the II - and Panasonic's 35-100mm f/2.8 for M43 come to mind), but this may needlessly restrict your lens options.
Note that if you are shooting telephoto-length lenses, using a modern, constant aperture lens is your ONLY option, due to the requirement of image stabilization and a fixed zoom ring. Admittedly, this solution is pricy, I cannot think of a better excuse to justify a 70-200mm Canon f/2.8 L IS to your significant other.

Use a lens made for your existing mount that has manual iris control.

To my knowledge - short of Cinematics' customized (and pricey) cine lenses - non-existent at the prosumer level. Rokinon/Samyang's budget cinema lenses for EF mount are all primes, as are Noktor's SLR Magic series for Micro 4/3.

Use an older manual zoom lens with an adapter, preferably de-clicked.

Redrock Micro's LiveLens MFT

But there is a fourth way too:

Granted, this option only exists for M43 users who wish to use EF-mount lenses, but it is an option at any rate: Redrock Micro's M43-to-EF LiveLens MFT, shown at right.

Upon request, Redrock was kind enough to report that the LiveLens controller does not cause aperture flicker when used with a variable aperture lens. Specifically, the LiveLens was tested with a Canon 20-35mm f/3.5-4.5; when set at at f/8, the lens exhibited no aperture flicker when zoomed and retracted.

One last note: Obviously, photographers don't need to worry about this problem, but it hasn't prevented a number of discussions about aperture flicker to appear on photography forums. Be forewarned that a good deal of the advice written on these forums - though well-meaning - are often misleading, or do not apply to DSLR filmmaking.

Kurt K. - "Man With the 5D"

No monetary compensation was provided for the mention of the LiveLens MFT for this article. LiveLens MFT image and data was provided by Redrock Micro upon my request.

Mounting Nikon lenses on the Canon 5D Mark II, EOS, M43 and others

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 05 Sep 2013 14:00:00 +0000

Amongst the trends of DSLR videomakers is to mount older, manual Nikon/Nikkor F-mount lenses (amongst others) to the front of their Canon EOS cameras.

It is a good trend; one that keeps you from the aperture flicker nightmares described in yesterday's post. These older Nikons are also known for their buttery smooth, long-throw focus rings, as opposed to the ultra-minimal throw of most Canon EF lenses (those that are not outrageously priced, anyway).

Nikon's Series E 50mm f/1.4 (with Nikon-EOS adapter) and Nikkor 28mm f/2.8 - two fantastic lenses.

For the more involved (or determined) user, documentation exists for de-clicking Nikon aperture rings for fluid exposure adjustments too - a more involved task that I won't cover, just yet.

Mounting these Nikon lenses is as simple as an adapter ring off of eBay, and said adapters are not necessarily expensive either. Not all of these adapters are perfect, but the choices are varied (more on that later).

Using Nikon AF lenses:

One thing that was never made clear to me until I tested it myself: Nikon's later AF lenses with autofocus motor contacts will also fit a 5D Mark II (provided the rear glass element clears), as the autofocus contacts do not sit deep enough into the body to contact the shutter:

Using other lens brands:

Adapters are also available for Olympus OM-mount lenses, M42 lenses, amongst many others. A number of these will work, though there are also some combinations which are either incompatible or require modification.

Even Nikon G-series lenses can be used with full (though manual) control of the aperture as well with Fotodiox's Nikon G-to-EOS adapter, which adds an external control to control the iris lever at the back of the lens.

The only caveat to this suggestion - and I'll repeat it as much as the rest of the internet:

Make sure the back element of your lens clears the shutter of the camera.

By that, I don't mean sticking the lens in your camera body, turning it on, and waiting in tense anticipation of whether the shutter will snap upwards or snap into pieces when you hit Liveview. I mean making absolutely sure that this won't happen at all.

Due to a very similar shutter design, some 5D Mark II owners keep a 35mm Canon EOS 650 body ($15-20 on eBay - this is the 35mm EOS 650 SLR I'm speaking of, not the current T4i/650D DSLR) on hand for these tests.

Documentation as to compatible lenses is spotty, but I've tried to assemble a rough guide from my experience and collective information from forums. This chart is by no means complete, but it is a handy, general guide to compatibility:

Mount

Compatibility with Canon EOS and others
(Details given are for the 5D Mark II, though this also applies to most EF and EF-S-mount cameras)

Nikon F

Most all, with a few exceptions. Early lenses may have protrusion issues.

The 20mm f/4 AI* will not fit without modification, as possibly the 24mm in both f/4 and f/2.8 variants.

*Note that the 20mm f/2.8 AI-S is compatible, as is the later 20mm AF-d (part of the Nikon AF group below) is said to work without issue.

Nikon AF

Most all

Nikon G

Most all - use Fotodiox's Nikon G adapter for aperture control.

Full-frame users - beware of DX-series G lenses, which are for crop sensors only.

Olympus OM

Most Zuiko OM lenses will mount; OM-mount Vivitar/Tokinas are usually safe as well. Other aftermarket OM-mount specifications are unknown.

Pentax M42 (screw mount)

Luck of the draw - some may interfere with the shutter, others may work fine. Proceed cautiously.

A partial compatibility list is located here.

Many inferior adapters are made for this mount - see this forum thread for a comprehensive overview of M42 adapters.

Tamron Adaptall/Adaptall II
Adaptall II shown below w/aftermarket EOS adapter

To my knowledge, all Adaptall lenses are compatible when used with the Tamron EOS Adaptall mount. Original EOS mounts are scarce; aftermarket alternatives are available on eBay.

Note:

Adaptall II 28-70mm CF Macro f/3.5-4.5 will vignette at 28mm when used on full frame EOS with EOS adapter.

Contax RTS, Kalimar (C/Y bayonet)
Planar/Sonnar/Tessar/Distagon

Kalimar 50mm with C/Y bayonet

Some fit, some will interfere with the shutter.

The following Contax models and focal lengths will not fit without shutter interference. Some may fit with modification:
(Documented from posts at:
http://forum.mflenses.com/5d-mark-ii-lens-compatibility-chart-t15761,start,150.html)

Distagon T*:

15mm f/3.5
18mm f/4
28mm f/2
35mm f/1.4

Tessar T*:

45mm f/2.8 (varies depending on production run)

Planar T*:

50mm f/1.4

Mutar II T* 2X extender

Lots of good information about the RTS lens range documented at RedUSER.net

Note:

Some budget-range Kalimar lenses use the Contax/Yashica bayonet mount. Some of these lenses are marked "Y" on the rear to identify the mount.

Contax N

Completely electronic auto-focus design in the fashion of Canon EF. No adapters available; direct modification to lens necessary. Expensive.

Minolta AF / Sony A

Electronic design with camera-controlled, lever aperture (no aperture ring) and a backfocus distance almost identical to EOS, requiring an optical adapter with a manual aperture control ring.

Will work with extension tube adapters (no optics) on M43/EF-M.

Leica-R

Some yes, some no. Full list here.

Fujica X, Contax G, Konica F, Leica M, Minolta MD, Miranda

Referenced from:
http://www.bobatkins.com/photography/eosfaq/manual_focus_EOS.html
http://photonotes.org/articles/eos-manual-lenses/

Backfocus distance (lens to sensor/film) shorter than Canon EOS (44mm). Ineffective if used; causes macro effects.

Will work on M43/EF-M bodies due to extension tube adapters.

Canon FD

Same back focus issues as with the lenses above; however, Canon used to sell an optical multiplier to interface with EOS; worked only with select telephoto lenses - a detailed list is here.

Usable on M43/EF-M.

Pentax K (PK)

Incompatible on full-frame EF without modification - aperture lever interferes with shutter.

Usable on M43/EF-M.

I am open to updating this list with any additional experience that readers may have encountered.

An very comprehensive list is available at the MFLenses forum:
http://forum.mflenses.com/5d-mark-ii-lens-compatibility-chart-t15761.html

M43 / EF-M users:

Regardless of compatibility with the full-frame 5D Mark II, most all of the lenses listed above are adaptable to cameras utilizing the Micro 4/3rds mount*, or Canon's EF-M (specific to the EOS-M at this time).

Panasonic GH-2 shown with M43 adapter (mounted to GH2 body).
Photo by Eduardo Morales - used with permission

The mirrorless design of M43 and EF-M cameras allow the sensor to sit very close to the front of the lens body, thereby allowing for lenses of shorter backfocus distances to be used as intended - with the proper adapter. These adapters are essentially extension tubes due to this design, which also solves the issue of clearing the auto/manual tabs that would otherwise hang up the mirror on a DSLR.

Note that an exception exists in Canon's entirely electronic EF lenses, which do not have a physical lever to operate the iris blades. Though this does not pose a problem with Canon EOS crop-sensor cameras (direct fit), nor the EF-M mount (Canon's EOS to EF-M adapter has pass-through contacts for controlling the lens), M43 cameras cannot inherently control these lenses.

In such cases, the only manner of mounting EOS to M43 - while retaining aperture control - is Redrock Micro's LiveLens MFT, shown here:

Redrock Micro's LiveLens MFT

Adapter quality and thickness:

Some cheap Nikon adapters have had the distinction (or lack of it) to be machined too thin. Though there remain some inferior adapters out there, the culprits are no longer common on eBay - and the difference between the two can be spotted easily.

Just the same, a snug fit is essential - whether you get it from an expensive Cinevate adapter, or something less pricey.

Case in point, the adapter to the left (in the photo below) was packaged in a DLG-brand box. Who actually made it? Anyone's guess, but it is a quality, one-piece CNC stainless steel adapter. My Nikons fit tight on it, with zero rotational shift. $40 at the local camera store, and I can't find any of its kind on eBay for a similar price.

The one on the right is a Chinese generic that came in a white cardboard box. Unlike the DLG, it is chrome plated steel, and will wear over time. Granted, my Nikon AI-series lenses fit equally tight on it (AF lenses not so), though there is about 0.5mm of rotational play in this adapter (which one can shim with adhesive clear acetate). Price was $10 on eBay.

Which one is better? You'll have to choose what takes precedence - the savings of $30, or the assurance of zero rotational play. It all depends on whether you want to trade fit for cost.

Nevertheless, most users seem to like the standard Nikon F-to-EOS Fotodiox adapters, which can be had on Amazon.com at prices just as competitive as any of the off-brands. The difference in price is negligible, and they prevent quite a bit of guesswork and frustration.

A word of warning to the starving artists:

If your plan is to use your camera rig to keep the rent paid by freelancing everything in sight (a.k.a. = "If you are on a budget and have to take the lousy jobs too...") do not let this blog post convince you to buy exactly one, glorious Nikon prime lens to cover every possible situation you may find yourself in.

If this describes you, I still stand by one of the recommendations I made in my Top 5 list - get yourself a cheap Canon EF kit zoom with IS (image stabilization), such as the Canon EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM, which can be had for $200 used.

Yes, I hear the experts shouting "BLASPHEMY!" and whining about loss of precious image quality from every direction - even I am no fan of this lens either due to sharpness dropoff on the corners, amongst other reasons - but it'll cover a reasonable range without requiring lens swaps.

Granted, if you are lucky enough to have saved up a lens budget in the $700 range, the Canon 24-105 f/4L IS is the best choice you could make of any Canon lens, as the constant aperture and smoother zoom ring gives you the ability to zoom reasonably smoothly while shooting.

Most importantly however, if you get that Freelance Job from Hell that requires you to shoot smooth shoulder-mount footage in the midst of a mob resembling the Pamplona running of the bulls, that precious little IS button just might save your footage from becoming a tribute to The Bourne Ultimatum. Nevertheless, make sure to look into ProDAD's Mercalli Pro for stabilization.

Yes, you can wait for that Nikon lens if you have to.

-Kurt "Man with the 5D"

No monetary compensation was provided for the mention of any of the above products. LiveLens MFT image has been provided by Redrock Micro upon my request.

Counterfeit Canon EOS rear end caps - how to avoid them.

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 03 Sep 2013 16:30:00 +0000

As we all know, there are various easy-to-manufacture Canon bits out there that are counterfeited. Some work, others don't.

Lens caps are amongst the most popular of these ripoffs, though most copies are honest enough to strike the Canon logo from the back end. Nevertheless, there are a few Chinese industrial thieves out there who make copies bearing the Canon logo, the following being one of them:

Given that whoever ripped this off was armed with an AutoCAD designer and at least one injection molding machine, it should perform its function as intended.

<voice="Dom DeLuise_blazingsaddles">

WRONG!

</voice>

I wound up with three of these after ordering a set of what was advertised as unmarked blanks on eBay. I received three Canon-badged counterfeits marked "Made in China" on the plastic packaging and the part number D00564.

All three varied drastically in fit on both Canon lenses and the adapters - one wouldn't even fit the adapter - and all three caps fit different when tested on one single lens.

By comparison, two genuine Canon caps (one marked "JAPAN" with a matte inner finish and the other "CANON INC. MADE IN TAIWAN" with a high-gloss inner finish) fit every lens and adapter of mine with no issue, in addition to an unmarked Canon EOS clone cap from eBay seller Digitalgoja (ironically enough, marked "MADE IN CHINA" on the reverse).

L-to-R: Canon (Taiwan), Canon (Japan), Canon-badged counterfeit (China, unmarked), generic (China)

Reverse of the above - same order

That said, there is a slight difference in finish and shape of the counterfeits to the two genuine Canon caps (which differ amongst themselves), as there is between the counterfeit and the unmarked clone. Unfortunately, the multitude of castings make it difficult to identify the clone while juggling an unknown in a store:

Can you spot the fake? I'll give you three guesses.

Probably the easiest way to detect the counterfeit are three ridges that are cast on the inside of the cap:

Convenient garbage indicator.

For the record, the counterfeit caps came from eBay seller Worldokit, who advertises them as unmarked blanks with this photo:

Worldokit - you took my money, so I'll take your photo.

Caveat emptor.

-Kurt "Man with the 5D"

Compact-Macros for DSLR filmmaking

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 09 Aug 2013 16:30:00 +0000

Of the various Canon EF lenses I've experimented with for video use, the only one that has consistently impressed me (surprise) as an unusually good value - as a used lens on eBay - is the Compact-Macro 50mm f/2.5:

No, Canon did not pay me to say this (sadly).

Granted, we're still referring to a lens that has aperture limitations for cine use, as - like all Canon EF lenses - the iris is controlled electronically from the camera body and cannot be de-clicked.

Yet, the lens has a beautiful bokeh, and a price range of $150-200 on eBay.

I'd say that's a pretty reasonable expenditure for a lens that can give you images such as these - almost consistently through its range to boot:

These were taken as photos (and were the most convenient example images I could locate when writing this post), but they're no less representative of the results the C-M 50mm yields for cine use, with exception to overall resolution.

In short, it is quite difficult to ruin a shot with it, so long as you're not transitioning from a dark to light environment or vice-versa - which wouldn't seem to be the most common shot to use a 50mm macro for to begin with.

Granted, the need for a lens of this kind on a shoot is uncommon, but when you need a close-up lens to emphasize the slightest detail when shooting a detective thriller, you'll thank your lucky stars that you have it.

My only criticism - and it seems to be shared by most users of this lens - is that the focus ring is one of the worst in existence. It either feels like a cheap toy, or it binds like a cheap toy - but not enough to become a problem if you're not pulling focus during a shot. So be it; seems to be the case with most of Canon's lenses, save for the L-series (and even then, the L's do not come close to the feeling of precision that one gets from most mid-range lenses of 30 years past).

-Kurt - Man with the 5D

I love it when a rig comes together.

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 23 Jun 2013 01:03:00 +0000

The last bits to (satisfactorily) complete my 5D Mark II rig arrived today:

Though I've run it in various configurations previously, the final setup is nothing short of a joy to use.

-Kurt

Lens sharpness does matter, Mr. Ken Rockwell.

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 21 Jun 2013 15:00:00 +0000

Warning: This is a controlled rant alert.

When I first started with a DSLR, one of the first websites I found was Ken Rockwell's lens reviews. Chances are, you've seen his site too - seeing as they rank highly on Google - and he's pretty darn good.

Nevertheless, there is one article on his site that I beg to differ with: Lens Sharpness Doesn't Matter.

Well, Ken - sorry to disagree with you, but sharpness does matter. Sure, lens sharpness may be overrated - especially when comparing some of Canon's mid-range zoom lenses to L series offerings with shockingly similar performance - but it is a topic worthy of some finesse.

Thing is, sharpness is not an all-inclusive definition of a lens. Sure, a lens may be sharp in its center, but that may be the only place it can claim that fame.

Two, older EF-mount lenses prove that point:

Canon 22-55mm f/4-5.6 USM

Tamron AF Aspherical 28-200mm f/3.8-5.6, EF mount

Though both of these lenses are no longer on the market, they're generally quite affordable on eBay - making them appear to be quite attractive to the DSLR filmmaker looking for a dirt-cheap starter lens.

Sucker alert.

If lens sharpness did not matter before, these two lenses ought to change the course of things. There's a certain manner that both of these lenses handled areas out of focus and those areas supposed to be in focus that the line became quite blurred (pun not intended) between what was what.

That, and vignetting (darkening of the edges) occasionally proved to be an issue as well.

Cases in point - from the Tamron:

It's not that this photo isn't sharp (though there is enough purple fringing on all the edges to make it appear as if the camera was shaking slightly during the exposure), but the sharp areas and blurry areas all look about the same.

Technically speaking, the difference between these areas are known as the "circle of confusion" (explained very well here: http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/depth-of-field.htm), but - for the purposes of this basic explanation - let us just call it for what we see in the photo: It is a circular, muddy mess, with vignetting to boot.

Mind you, this is a photograph taken in RAW, not video or .JPG, so you can imagine what the results would have looked like with the extra compression (or reduced scan lines as the 5DM2 uses for 1080P). Not so good.

The Canon didn't fare much better:

Aside from obvious fringing, the out-of-focus areas in harsh sunlight look as if the camera was mounted to a pogo stick. Granted, I could have put a gradual ND filter on it for these photos, but I doubt if I would have improved anything other than the exposure.

It's neither sharp, nor pretty - it's muddy.

In closing, lens sharpness does matter, though the overall sharpness of an image is more a result of whether the lens does a nice job of separating the out-of-focus areas from those that are in focus.

Be mindful of what you're buying, and remember this when you find a low-end lens for cheap:

"In the field, bad lenses are worth half of what you paid for them."

-Kurt K. - "Man with the 5D"

Follow focus jumping teeth? 5D Mark II won't sit straight? Try this.

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 20 Jun 2013 15:00:00 +0000

First of all, let's get the legally-binding blog disclaimer over with: Nobody sent me this doo-dad free (or paid me) to review it.

Too bad.

Bleeding pocketbooks aside, one of the other endless oddities about DSLR filmmaking is that us fellows in the 5D Mark II camp have only one 1/4"-20tpi threaded boss at the bottom of the camera to work with. It doesn't even have a recess to accept the pin supplied on basic tripod plates either.

That's where CoolLCD came in and designed this handy little solution for us 5D Mark II users, called the CoolPlate:

The plate centers itself with a pair of nylon screws, which fit into a pair of recesses in the bottom of the Mark II, along with a 1/4" screw at the center. The CoolPlate is drilled for two 1/4"-20tpi mounting locations and one centering pin, which makes it ideal for most camera plates, and eliminates any shifting that may be an issue on some rigs:

What's more, the Cool Plate adds not much more than 1/4" in height to your rig, so it isn't much of a bother for the convenience:

For Mark III users, a similar product called the CoolProtector - a CoolPlate with an accessory retainer bracket - was available, but is presently out of stock. CoolLCD stated in an email to me that the "...CoolProtector is out of stock because we are designing [a] new version."

In the meantime, us Mark II owners can pick up the earlier Cool Plate for $10 off the eBay price by going through the CoolLCD site. Not a bad deal at all.

-Kurt K. - "Man With the 5D"

Powering a BeachTek audio adapter with an external battery source

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 15:03:00 +0000

I run my rig off an Anton-Bauer Dionic 90 battery (through a 3rd-party battery adapter), a 3-hour-rated lithium-ion setup which has more stored power than I know what to do with. Given this convenient power source (with 5v, 7.2v, 12v and 15v connections on the adapter), I prefer that all the accessories on the rig run off the same power source to avoid last-minute confusion as to what on the camera has fresh batteries and what doesn't.

That, and it sure saves on batteries.

Amongst the accessories on my rig is a BeachTek DXA-5Da audio adapter, which - unlike my monitor - does not have any source for power other than a 9V battery box. Granted, the 9V power source is used only for the VU meter and headphone amp - audio devices hooked up to the unit will pass the signal to the camera with or without a battery - but it's nice to have these features at hand without worrying about battery life.

Granted, in the time that I've run it, I've used alkaline 9V batteries, not lithium - which probably account for my assessment of 9V battery life in any electronic equipment. You mileage may vary.

The unmodified BeachTek DXA-5Da

With that said, I contacted BeachTek about the voltage requirements of the unit, ~~wherein I found out it will run equally as well on 12 volts as 9, with no issue.~~

EDIT: The 12V source caused an unreasonable amount of static and electronic noises when shooting. I later installed a 12-to-9V step-down adapter in the box, which I have added to the list below.

As my Anton-Bauer adapter has a 12v power source, I figured I'd take advantage of it - in a home-spun method.

Anton-Bauer adapter plate w/12v output

I located a power plug and wire off a useless Chinese doo-dad that would mate with the cable provided with the adapter and stripped the wires for soldering to the BeachTek:

Donor 12v wire

So, out came the screwdriver, and apart came the BeachTek.

WARNING:
These photos are for example purposes only. Opening up any electronic device as shown will void its warranty and most certainly cause possible injury or death to your person and/or others. Doing so will also ruin your sex life forever. Do not try this at home or on the moon. Your stupidity will never be my responsibility in a court of law, because you free me and everybody else in the world of liability by opening your electronic stuff.

Now that that's over with, let me continue.

The DXA-5Da comes apart via the four screws at the base (hidden by four adhesive caps). Not much room to work with, particularly as the battery leads limit your ability to move the bottom half of the box aside to work in.

One drill bit later:

After a bit of debate, I decided that this location near the battery door would be the most ideal location to place the wire. Nothing would be in the way inside, and it'd be equally free of the controls at the front.

Adapter wires soldered - note tie wrap to keep the wire from pulling through

Soldering the wires into the existing 9V leads couldn't have taken more than 30 seconds.

EDIT: These procedures show the 9V unit being connected directly to the 12V source. Due to the issues relating to this combination, I purchased a 12V-to-9V step-down converter on eBay and wired it in-line with the 12V power input. The step-down unit would not fit in the BeachTek without modification, so I cut a hole in the 9V battery box, and glued the unit in from the back as shown:

It's a convenient and quick way about it, but given that there is no switch to re-direct the source power from the battery leads or the wire, I'd be hesitant about allowing someone other than myself to use it - combining a 9V battery and the 12V power source on the same circuit could be a nice invitation to fry something (probably the most expensive thing on your rig, as Murphy would have it).

EDIT: Now that the step-down unit takes up the area where the 9V battery would otherwise be, there is no risk of someone running the unit off of the 12V lead and a 9V battery at the same time. I did not solder the new leads to the 9V contacts either, so it wouldn't work even if one jumped it with alligator clips.

From the outside, neat and clean.

At any rate, it works perfectly off the 12V from the Chinese A-B adapter, with the step-down unit installed in the BeachTek. Excuse the funky look of the VU meter; it looks normal in person. Must have had the polarizing filter set wrong.

Success!

During my discussions, BeachTek informed me that they are working on a new adapter for release in the future that may interest me. No word of what it is.

I'm already going nuts in anticipation.

-Kurt - "Man with the 5D"

The Top 5 DSLR Video Accessories You Need, Mr. Beer Budget Filmmaker

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 15:00:00 +0000

Lots of articles have been written online about what gear you "need" as a DSLR filmmaker, most of them quite useless, e.g.: "Buy a memory card!"

Yes, dear, we will.

Hence, I present the following list of what will truly help you as a budget DSLR filmmaker, and - most importantly - the reasoning behind these suggestions so you may make an informed decision.

FYI - the following items are related to camera accessories only. You should already have a good lighting kit.

Drumroll, please.

1. A good fluid head tripod

This seems obvious - unless you don't have one. Basic, fluid head Manfrottos are generally a good bet and easy to find on eBay or Craigslist. The Manfrotto 501HDV or 503HDV are generally more than enough for most needs; simply check the weight ratings and choose the one that best suits the rig you intend to build (in short, do not cheapen out on yourself and buy a head that will support your existing camera, but not the endless 15mm rail system you are planning to get in the future. You'll be surprised how quick the future arrives).

While I do not recommend the Manfrotto MVH502A - shown here - it is more or less a good visual example of what to expect.

You would be wise to stay away from the new, Chinese-made Manfrottos such as the 502HDV (MVH502A) - which are quite troublesome, for what they're worth (more on that in a later blog post). Ultra-cheap Ravelli/Dynatran (amongst others) "fluid" heads bundled with tripods are even worse, as they get their fluidity through greased nylon bushings under pressure. These bushings do not last long, and - as a result - neither will your tripod head. This is one place where cheaper isn't always better, and used is an advantage.

2. A lens with image stabilization (IS)

It seems as if every single DSLR photographer on the internet will swear to you that IS bad for video. What they aren't telling you is that they've never used their DSLR for video. Ever.

Though most Canon and M43 IS-equipped lenses are not primes (Canon, we want that 50mm IS-equipped prime. Now), you'll thank your lucky stars for having an IS zoom lens on hand if you find yourself in need of a shot that cannot be done with a tripod.

Why? An IS-equipped lens is its own built-in Steadicam.

Don't believe me? Here's some footage:

Not a single bit of the IS footage was stabilized in post production, and the only other thing assisting me in those shots was a handle on top of the camera. I didn't make much of an effort to hold the camera steady in either shot. Pretty neat, eh?

3. An audio adapter and a good microphone*

I don't care if you've just shot something that makes Roger Deakins' Skyfall look like a clip from America's Funniest Home Videos (and you didn't) - if you used onboard AGC audio from your DSLR as your one-and-only microphone, you might as well dub Yakety Sax to your footage as a soundtrack.

One of the cardinal rules of video making is to make sure your audio is just as good as your video, if not better. Even mediocre SD 480P can be made to look better than it is if the audio has a professional sound to it.

In short, onboard camera audio is home-video territory. Don't go there.

The BeachTek DXA-5Da.

If you've made the effort to invest in a DSLR, consider an onboard, XLR mic audio adapter part of the package. A used BeachTek DXA-SLR can be had on eBay without much fuss (the one in the photo is a BeachTek DXA-5Da, and it can be mounted directly under your camera if you don't have a rail system, as can the DXA-SLR). Both adapters have a pair of XLR outputs, and connect to the camera with a 1/8" or 1/8"-to-1/16" audio jack.

You can set one up with a pair of Rode NTG-2s (which are about the best you can get in a high-quality budget microphone) and have excellent sound that will last you a long time.

*Ok, ok - that's two things. But one doesn't work without the other.

4. A focus LEVER - not a follow focus unit

No, you don't need to go rushing out to buy a follow focus unit just because everybody else is.

First of all, most sub-$150 follow focus units are poorly made to the point that you're better off without them. Second, you'll find that a focus lever will pretty much do everything you want for less than $20 - which is a heck of a lot better than plunking down $150+ on a follow focus unit, plus the price of a rail system to support it.

Yes, this little doohickey will do just as well for the time being, and will even serve as a spare gear ring once you do save up for that follow focus unit:

Lumiere LA L60400 - not great, but it does the job.

If you can't afford anything else because you blew whatever you had on your camera and lenses, heed this bit of advice. Get the lever and hold off on the 15mm rail jazz that only serves to make China a bit richer every day.

5. A decent external monitor or eyepiece

Pulling focus on a DSLR is more difficult than you think, especially if your monitor doesn't swing out (case in point, all Canon 5D models to-date). If so, I hope you won't have to shoot any shots from ground level.

At any rate, an external monitor - despite appearing to be a frivolous expense - will save you quite a bit of time and embarrassment re-taking shots that you flubbed up due to pulling focus incorrectly. Find one that runs on a common rechargeable camera battery (unless you're running an external battery adapter, in which case, see if you can find one that will run off the external feed).

Feelworld FW678-HD 7" monitor. More than you'll need, but I chose it because I wished to power the monitor from my Anton-Bauer battery with an XLR4 power input. This turned out to be the cheapest monitor available with the feature.

If all else fails, just get the eyepiece - it's cheap, and it'll do the trick.

-Kurt K. - "Man With the 5D"

P.S.: None of the companies listed above have paid for the above mentions, nor provided their products for testing. Most unfortunate, for me.

The importance of framing: Jib shots

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 15:00:00 +0000

FreddieW on YouTube once remarked that the camera you use is not as important as how you use it.

Being a film-look perfectionist, I can come up with a few hundred reasons why that is not always the case. Nevertheless, provided one has the talent for it, this statement is - in essence - true.

A perfect example can be seen in a recent test video I shot when I was checking the usability of the second-hand 8' jib crane seen here:

Not in the mood to smash my 5D if something was to go horribly wrong, I shoved my tried, tested, and thoroughly beat Flip Ultra HD crash cam on the rig.

We're talking about a camera that is best known for its mediocre 720/30p home-video look, and an automatic iris and rolling shutter that just won't quit.

And this is where framing comes in. Despite some obvious "this camera is running on full-auto mode, and we can tell" moments, it looks like a million bucks:

Yep. Framing is everything.

-Kurt K. - "Man With the 5D"