Skiing and snowboarding with the GoPro HD

A STILL FROM THE GOPRO FOOTAGE (FOLLOWING TOMMIE, MY SON)

I'm in Austria: skiing for the first time in 15 years and Tommie, my 10 year old son is snowboarding for the first time in his life. Naturally the GoPro had to come along and capture us descending the slopes beyond the speed of light ;-)
I shot some great footage the first time out, circling around my son while he was sliding down the hills, low angle stuff just above my skies and high speed stuff just blasting down the hill by myself. But when I came back to the hotel that evening, I discovered I had made beginners mistake #1: not checking your gear before taking off for a shoot. And so I learned there was no SD card in the camera... (and I also understood at this time why there was no light blinking when recording...)
Yesterday was better but my MacBook Pro 1st generation will not play back these MP4 files without stuttering. Transcoding to ProRes does not help. I'll just have to wait until I'm back on my Mac Pro in Amsterdam.

SMILE! YOU'RE ON HD CAMERA... (OUR HOTEL)

 Tomorrow I will try and attach the GoPro to my helmet because going handheld is far from ideal when you're racing down a hill and need to keep your eyes open in all directions...
I can still ski after all these years and it's so much fun to see my son has a talent for the snowboard. Too bad I screwed up my (already bad) knee trying to see how fast my friends and I could go downhill yesterday. (normal pace: about 15 minutes. suicide speed: just under 5 minutes) I banged it around so bad I now have a swollen, pulsating knee and am taking a day's rest. My son went rolling in the snow naked after we went in  the jacuzzi last evening and he is in bed next to me with high temperature. Both of us should be good to go tomorrow. Got some more sliding & shooting to do... (hope to show you the result soon!)

Mailbox: Canon FD 20mm 2.8

CANON FD 20MM F2.8

I really needed a wide angle lens to cover the wide end of my Canon FD lens collection.An obvious choice was the Canon FD 20mm 2.8 because it is generally considered a very good lens and it's fairly fast. But I had my mind set on the Tokina RMC 17mm f3.5.  (more on that one soon!)
Little did I know that I was going to run into my former brother in law who -as it turned out after many years- is really big on prime lenses and has been building an impressive collection over the last 3 to 4 years. I visited him in his home and was delighted to see that the whole house seemed to 'breathe lenses'. The computerscreen showed the familar eBay-page with a big lens on it, there were lenses standing in every corner and cupboard and the livingroom table was turned into a little showcase of special interest lenses. It goes beyond the scope of this entry to delve into the various exquisite pieces of glass he showed me, but you can imagine there were some real rare beauties to be admired.

LIKE MOST LENSES FROM THE CANON FD SERIES: A VERY SOLID LENS

 The talk turned to Canon FD lenses and my brother in law disappeared into a closet and returned with 2 copies of the Canon FD 20mm 2.8. One of them looked like new and the other used, but very good. He had bought the 'like new' one for a very good price and said I could have the other for a good price. How could I resist? So... welcome to the family, Canon FD 20mm f2.8.
First thing I noticed with a big, wideangle piece of glass like this: you need a lens hood to resist flare and low contrast images. I can't wait to go into town to do some testing with this lens and compare it to my other prime 20mm: the Carl Zeiss Jena Flektogon 20mm f4!

FD 20MM INCLUDING THE FD TO MICRO 43 ADAPTER FOR USE ON GH2

Candid Camera (or how I learned to love my Canon FD200mm)

Mailbox: Canon FD 200mm F4

CANON FD 200MM F4: GREAT DOCUMENTARY VIDEO LENS

I found this addition to my -still expanding- Canon FD collection for €45,- and I was very curious to see how this lens would function on my Panasonic GH2 because of the crop sensor- this is a 400mm - serious tele-lensing! I was afraid that it would have a very limited use as a video lens because of the long focal distance. Every little jitter would be visible and I'd have to use a tripod 100% of the time!
But this lens really surpised me in a positive way and it has proven to be an absolute joy! First of all, it is very light, much lighter than it's more light-sensitive brothers and sisters... So that's a definite plus because you don't have to carry a rock around. It is a relatively inobtrusive lens and for street-shoots this is wonderful because no one notices you filming them! You are 50-100 feet away! And focusing is so creamy smooth that there is no jitter whatsoever. (although you have to use a tripod, of course)

Everyone's drooling over fast lenses but who needs a fast lens outside? This lens is sharp, has good color rendition, nice bokeh and a really nice feel about it. I shot a lot of iceskating with it the last few days and this lens shines! Never thought a telelens could be so much fun. For the money it's a no-brainer. A great video-lens for documentary shots where you like to observe people -or animals- in their natural habitat, unaware of camera's pointing at them. Highly recommended!

LOOKS HEAVY BUT IS VERY LIGHT AND PORTABLE

NICE WIDE GRIP FOR EASY FOCUSING

Major Final Cut Pro X update

Good news for FCP editors: multicam-editing and broadcast monitoring has come to Final Cut Pro X. It's a major step towards making FCP X a viable alternative to AVID, Adobe Premiere and Sony Vegas.

MULTICAM EDITING: BACK FROM THE DEAD

Motion 5 has also been updated:

• Improved speed and responsiveness of text editing
• Ability to automatically add animation keyframes when recording is disabled
• Keyboard shortcut for re-positioning animation curves or paths
• Ability to adjust the pan and scale of an image in a drop zone
• Enhanced look of the Keyframe editor for easier keyframe viewing and editing

BROADCAST MONITORING: MAJOR NEWS FOR PRO EDITORS AND POSTPRODUCTION FACILITIES

Mailbox: Canon FD 35mm

The Canon 35mm 2.8: good value at €27,- !

How to treat yourself without breaking the bank..? Buy an affordable prime lens! I got this little addition to my budding FD collection, the Canon FD 35mm 2.8, for a mere €27,-
I was surprised to find an ultra-light plastic/metal contraption in my mailbox, as opposed to the heavier Canon FD 24mm 2.8 and FD 50mm 1.4 I have. Definitely different build-quality but I believe the optics don't suffer from using lightweight materials... And if you want a portable 35mm lens on your camera; this lens will not break your back...
Now I am looking into a really wide angle FD lens to have that angle covered. I've been looking at the FD 20mm 2.8 but at €175 or more I have my doubts. For micro 4/3 20mm is not really that wide so I have made a bid on a Tokina for FD 17mm 3.5 that is supposedly an overall better lens. (although a stop slower.) At least some research seems to indicate that way: sharper overall, less distortion in the corners. And hopefully this lens will stay well under €175...
You have to watch out with this lens business; it is addictive. But the good thing about it is that these lenses retain their value. You can try them and if you don't like em, sell em without a loss!

Compact and lightweight

Mailbox: Canon FD 24mm 2.8

CHROME SNOUT VERSION

The wider a lens you search, the more rare and the more expensive it gets. This was the only 24mm Canon FD lens I found on a Dutch second hand site and at around €60,- not a real bargain compared to eBay prices but it looked very reliable and buying in Holland saves a lot of stamps. (plus the fact that I've been having some issues with TNT post here in Holland as far as overseas packages is concerned... poor delivery, bad service)
But to get back to this lens: it looks great, is the 'chrome snout' (love that word 'snout') version and everything works and feels great. This is one heavy lens, quite a bit heavier than my FD 50mm 1.4 and just as big. Nothing wrong with the build quality!
Only thing I've noticed is that seems to be a little slack between my adapter and the lens. No effect on the picture quality but I like a tight fit... for my gear, that is.

HEAVY METAL: CANON FD 24MM 2.8

Mailbox: Gini Cage

GINI CAGE WITH EXTRA RODS TO ACCOMDATE 550D WITH BATTERYGRIP

Got my Gini Cage in today after the postman attempted to deliver it yesterday but realized he needed to charge import duties and didn't have the paperwork with him. So today he came back and after I forked over 28 euro's he handed over the little box with Korean stamps. (Gini is a Korean supplier)
The Gini stuff doesn't disappoint: it looks and feels awesome, as always. Now I need to figure out how to configure this thing into a workable unit.
This cage is a bargain compared to the competition: $175 shipped vs $435 for the TrusMT cage, for instance... albeit that the TrusMT is much better thought-through product and includes a HDMI-clamp, for instance. I would really like the HDMI clamp but for the price difference I can live withouut it and the simpler design of the Gini cage.
I will write more about this cage once I have used it in a few different setups.

THE TOTAL PACKAGE

Mailbox: Canon FD 28mm 2.8

30 some years old and like new...

 I really like my Canon FD 50mm 1.4 prime lens and decided I'm going to build a collection of FD primes. I mean, they're not getting cheaper and lenses are a good investment. Both as gear and in case you want to sell it, it retains its value- or better, make you a little money. The first addition to my 50mm is a 28mm 2.8 s.c. (special coating). I got it for 33 euro's on a Dutch website for Used Stuff.
I bought it from an old guy and he took great care with the packaging: a shoebox filled with paper and bubble plastic. The lens was in it's original leather case with a little handwritten label on it and included the original front and rear cap. Focus is really smooth, aperture ring clicks like new, lens is impeccable! Isn't it great when people take good care of their stuff?

original case and lenscap included

Mailbox: Variable ND filter (77mm LCW Mark II)

LCW Vari ND Filter, shipped with lenscap

Since my Nature Fader ND filter is probably lying on some Chinese Marketplace after it got 'lost in the mail' somewhere between November and now, I had to order another variable ND for an upcoming project.
I decided to go with 'reliable Dutch postal services' (even though somebody screwed up here in the Netherlands as well, sending my package back to China without leaving notice...) and ordered the LCW Vari ND Mark II. I have a 52mm version and love that one so now I ordered the 77mm version for my bigger lenses.
Why didn't I go with the LCW right away as opposed to the Nature brand? Well, the Nature Fader ND is almost half the price, €53 for the Nature Fader ND against €97,50 for the LCW Vari ND. And I wanted to give the cheaper brand a try, after some decent experiences from other users. Maybe Chinese Postal Service is really slow and I'll still get it, somewhere this year...

Buy for the largest lens you have- and then buy stepup rings for the other lenses

I spent christmas at the bottom of a lake

If you want to know where I spent christmas and newyear's: at the bottom of a lake. Well, much of the time. The other time I spent in a large, comfortable kitchen drinking wine and eating great food prepared by one of my oldest and best friends. Or I was playing with fire, another favorite pastime.

I stayed at an old farmhouse in the Bourgogne, France, on the edge of Lac de Panneciere. The lake was empty and I spent almost every day walking in or around this eerie landscape. My dog and I, two cityslickers getting down and dirty in the mud & rain, feeling very much at home in these surroundings. Our senses on alert, eyes and ears pricked...
Of course I took the opportunity to shoot some footage, if and when the rain allowed for it. My new acquisition, the Manfrotto BHDV-1 monopod, was a godsend. It served double-duty as a stabilizer and walking cane!

Mailbox: SmallHD goodies

USEFUL ACCESSORIES FOR MY DP4

Filmersblog is back from the great French outback, where life passes without the virtues and vices of internet... Moreso, I didn't even have a phone connection! And did I miss that during the past 8 days? No! Not one bit!!

I had an incredible time treading through slush, mud, sucking in pure meadowland oxygen and walking the bottom of an emptied-out lake! Our cottage lay on the edge of what last year was a great lake and which is now a great valley. Quite surreal and I documented it all on video, ofcourse. More of that later...

 And when I came back in Amsterdam, a little package was awaiting me. Some neat little items from SmallHD, accessories for my DP4 monitor.

NEW EYECUP STAYS PUT AND PROTECTS AGAINST SUNBURN

REMOTE FOR THE DP4

SHORT CABLE, NO MORE CLUTTER!

LENSCAP TO AVOID FRYING YOUR SCREEN IN SUNLIGHT

THINGIES

Cinematic newyear's wishes from Filmersblog!

I have no idea if I'm able to post from where I'm going so things might be rather quiet for the next few days. But for now I want to thank all my visitors for their attention and wish you a great x-mas and an incredibly cinematic newyear!

My goal for 2012? To finish at least one (independent) film and have it broadcasted and/or selected for a major film festival!

HDR for video on Canon DSLR's?

Apparently Magic Lantern has created something Magical- again. Check the video.



and some sample footage:

Shooting Black & White

B/W straight out of camera

desaturated color image

I'm considering shooting part of a new documentary in black&white and am weighing the cons and pros of shooting black and white or shooting color and making it B/W in postproduction.

An obvious advantage of shooting color is the fact that you can decide later to go color or B/W. But I would think that shooting B/W would produce a better image for 2 reasons:

1. hardware and software work together to produce the same image
2. it's always better to shoot with final output in mind

On the other hand, I've read that the sensor is a color sensor and the processor turns it into B/W. In that case, you might as well shoot color. If you had a 'dedicated B/W sensor' it would be a different thing...

Here's a guy who's produced an interesting B/W image. The only drawback is that it requires you to shoot in EX Tele mode (100% zoom) on the GH2. With the APS-C crop-factor you need a wildly wide lens to be able to shoot indoors... But it's an interesting experiment:

Fade out for my Fader ND..?

My first Nature Fader ND in better days...

Will I ever see my Nature Fader ND filter..? It's been 2,5 months since I ordered it from China. A month earlier I ordered from the same company and it arrived within a month. (Unfortunately it also deceased within two weeks...) I received a tracktrace# that is not known by China Post nor any other mail deliverer, for that matter...
The seller tells me I'll get my money back if he receives the undelivered package... Customer service, China stylee..? I guess I'm going to contact PayPal to settle this one for me...

A Christmas present for my SmallHD DP4

SmallHD is offering some good stuff to their customers at less-than-wholesale prices! It's a bundle package for owners of a SmallHD DP4 monitor, consisting of:

1. a long awaited alternative battery plate (I opted for the Sony NPF-series plate but there's one for AA-batteries or Nikon batteries as well)
2. a wired remote control (nice!)
3. a protective lens cover (no more burning up your screen with old eyecup)
4. a newly designed eyecup (no more worries about sunburning your screen- very nice!!)
5. extra 1.5 ft hdmi cable
6. extra protective cover
7. plastic prying tool
8. cleaning cloth

And all of that for US $34,- including shipping worldwide! Needless to say I didn't have to wait long to jump on this offer! Why, Merry Christmas to you, too, SmallHD!

A 'documentary lens' for the GH2

THE LUMIX 14-140: THE MISSING LINK..UHH, LENS?

I'll be starting filming for a new documentary pretty soon and I am researching what lens would best complement some lenses I intend to use. My Panasonic Lumix 20 mm 1.7 is the one for wide shots, establishing, the Canon FD 50mm 1.4 for interviews and then I want a zoomlens for run 'n gun. I'm thinking the Panasonic 14-140 because it has received positive reviews (especially for video purposes), it's a versatile lens and with the new firmware (touch-)focus is supposedly even faster. It's not a fast lens at 4.0 but with the Pannie 20mm at 1.7 and the Canon at 1.4 I should have that base covered.
I'm primarily looking for a lens that will get me out of a tight situation, whereby I can reframe without moving and that will focus fast and accurately without external monitors. Another reason to buy Pannie lenses is because I think the 20mm 1.7 is a lovely lens. I love the 'velvety' yet sharp look.
The Panasonic 14-140 not what you'd call an affordable lens at €680,- but I should be able to get a better deal on a used copy on eBay. Or I can buy a body plus 14-140 lens because they are cheaper as a set and then sell the body...

If anyone has suggestions for a good zoomlens that meets above requirements, let me know!

Wrong bag, great price!

CRUMPLER 7 MILLION DOLLAR WON'T HOLD A SONY PMW-EX1 R

I bought the Crumpler Seven Million Dollar bag and just received it. One of the main reasons for buying it was that it would hold my Sony PMW-EX1R. But it doesn't... And I'm to blame because I didn't read the specs carefully enough.(it's a bit confusing because different sites will give you different specs.)
So now I'm stuck with a bag that won't do what I bought it for. I was going to sell it right away but I really like the look of this bag and it has some features my Crumpler 8000 doesn't have. For one, it's bigger. Secondly, it has more pockets. Thirdly, it has  a few nice other features like loops for hanging a monopod on and the choice not to use velcro (which makes a lot of noise when you may not want that). So I'll probably sell my Messenger Boy 8000 and keep this one.
(yes, Ton, you were right, don't rub it in! ;-)

Oh, and if you want to go ahead an buy this bag, I found it more than $10,- cheaper than the already great price I got at Oribags! 

A NICE FEATURE: TOP CARRYING HANDLE

MESH POCKETS FOR QUICK ACCESS

ATTACH A POD, MONO OR TRI (NO 'I')

These guys are giving away ALL their FCP tutorials...

One thing I've learned in all my years of FCP use is that you've never learned enough and there are many ways to achieve the same thing. So when you're still working with FCP 7, I'm sure you're going to get a lot of pleasure out of these tutorials. Compliments of Genius DV, who decided to give away all of their FCP and a bunch of Motion tutorials. Here's one for all the 'Trekkies' amongst us. (aka Star Trek-fans)