Cinematic Sony FS5: things to like and not to like
Sep13

Cinematic Sony FS5: things to like and not to like

When you look at the FS5 it seems like the perfect marriage between size and function, it has the right buttons, the fantastic variable ND. It comes with ‘real’ audio, the Mi hotshoe that can plugin your wireless receiver. It has the right picture profiles, two SD card slots and a nice rotating grip that can be extended. The overall idea behind the camera is excellent, but there are a few things that don’t work as well as I would have liked. I didn’t buy the FS5 because it is cheaper than the FS7, I knew I was going to spend more money on the FS5 with all the extra’s than on an FS7, besides, I already own the PZ 28-135 FS7 kit lens

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Cloudy with a chance of 4K: Black Magic Production Camera
Apr03

Cloudy with a chance of 4K: Black Magic Production Camera

Today was a full 4K day, given the circumstances, I probably should start the day now with a Special K breakfast just to get in the mood. Packed two V-mount batteries, an S160 and S90 (160 and 90Wh 14.4V), a bunch of Canon L glass: the 70-200, the 100-400 and 16-35. Two Tiffen variable nd’s: an 82 for the 16-23 and the 77 for the other two lenses. Left the Zacuto half cage at home because it flexes too much and just took the Axis EVF mount. This can be used with the NATO rail on top of the Black Magic Production Camera (BMPC). Got a 90 degree angled BNC connector for the BMPC SDI out so it doesn’t poke me in the face whenever I go ENGangnam style with the recoil. As a bit of a joke and because I don’t like the hard coax cables I put an old yellow plugged video cable between the BMPC and the Alphatron EVF. Seems to work fine and the thin cable is nice and flexible, which is good.

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4K is the new Black
Mar03

4K is the new Black

If you have ever build your own computer you what it’s like: buy a lot of parts, drop them in a box and in the end you have a workstation. The Blackmagic Production camera feels a bit like buying a motherboard in a box, it has a sensor, interface screen and a recorder sandwiched in between. To turn it into an actual camera you need to go all Meccano on its ass and bring your own everything else.

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