I've spent weeks researching, and I've decided to turn to some aficionados.

First up, Camera: I've found that the GH2 is the best price/performance camera. Is this still true today, or are there better ones, such as the Olympus E-M5? Or, would it be best to wait -- do you think there will be anything extraordinary worth waiting for in the first few months of 2013?

Lastly, Lens: I've seen some people use old TV SD 2/3" Lenses, like B4 and C-Mount, etc. Are these worth it? I've heard that (for the most part), the IQ isn't very good, and there's a large amount of work (modifications) to get them to work.

Should I instead be looking at native lenses, like the Leica 25mm? Lots of people talk about anamorphic lenses, and the Voigtlander f/0.95. It seems like almost everyone raves about the Voigtlander, and while it seems expensive, is it truly worth it (price/performance) over say the Panny 20mm or even the Leica 25mm?

Thank you for taking the time to read this, and I hope this topic helps others as well! -Josh

I understand that the price is important but if I want to go with the Lumix GH3 I have to buy the Rig and all accessories so it will end up with the same price as C100 camera with lenses as will as FS100.

Lets get every one and Pro film makers opinion...

I managed to use my school's dolly to pull off some test shots for smooth camera movements. Take note that I used and controlled everything singularly: I pulled focus, performed pans, and physically pushed the dolly itself. It was difficult, but I managed to get some usable footage. With one or two extra grips I can easily pull off great looking, smooth shots. I'll be shooting more with the dolly this week. I like grain.

• GH2 w/ Driftwood Hack
• Canon FD 50mm f/1.4
• Sigma 30mm f/1.4
• 16mm grain overlay

Brett Plank 2012

Sony EVI-H100s seems reasonable from the spec sheet but it seems impossible to find any footage from it.

I´m sure there are other options out there as well.

(edit: Vitaliy, feel free to move topic if you think it´s better suited elsewhere)

Read my topic about using this microphone on the GH2: http://www.personal-view.com/talks/discussion/4450/akg-c747-premium-quality-mini-shotgun-works-on-gh2

http://www.personal-view.com/faqs

Feature highlights include:

• 13 stops of dynamic range
• Large 2.5k sensor
• Integrated solid state drive recorder (SSD)
• Ability to capture CinemaDNG, RAW, ProRes and DNxHD files
• Touchscreen for metadata entry
• Compatibility with EF and F mou
• SDI and Thunderbolt connectors
• Includes a FULL copy of DaVinci Resolve and UltraScope software

First videos:

http://vimeopro.com/johnbrawleytests/blackmagic-cinema-camera

Full specs

Videos:

Links:

http://www.blackmagicdesign.com/products/blackmagiccinemacamera/

http://johnbrawley.wordpress.com/2012/04/17/blackmagic-cinema-camera-lets-take-it-from-the-top/

If this camera delivers, this is going to be my next camera. BlackMagic Design is gong to deliver what RED promised with the original Scarlet announcement. Thunderbolt connector, free Resolve, Touchscreen for metadata entry!

This happens when honest companies like BlackMagic Design, which don't have to artificially protect their high-end gear (I am talking about you Sony, Panasonic, Canon) start entering the camera business. If the image quality lives up to the specifications, this is going to be THE camera to get. Sony, Canon, Panasonic won't be happy in that case. The 5D Mark III could do the same but Canon doesn't allow it because of C500/C300. Same for Sony, Panasonic. If BlackMagic delivers, I will respect them so much!

I won't be surprised if BlackMagic Design will launch their own NLE down the road as well.

Here is some info about a new cage. Similar to Rewo and Gini cage.

I have just had built a GH2 cage with the help of the engineer from Panavision New Zealand. I have made 1 of version 1 (that had a hotshoe mount) and improved it to version 2 which I have made 4 of. Im keeping 2 but have 2 to sell. I have made a few products before, one of which was the PIX240 Video Assist Bracket by DVANZ. I have sold all 40 of them. See http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10150928803712977&set=a.10150928803697977.522345.105987732976&type=1&theater

If people are interested in a DVANZ GH2 cage, Version 2, then you can purchase these from me. They are flatpack, include the top handle and the Hoga right angle audio adapter. If I get more interest I can make some more. I just got sick of waiting for the Rewo cage so I built my own. To recover costs, im asking for US$400 per cage plus $40 shipping, payable via Paypal. If someone wanted 2, then shipping would be $60.

I hope you like the cage. 2 rubber strips at the base and 4 rubber recessed points that hold the camera very stable. Annodised alloy with 1/4" threads everywhere and 2 x 3/8" on top too.

Cheers,

Nigel

• 16.0 megapixels
• 20x zoom
• 1920 x 1080p30
• Wi-Fi

Nothing spectacular.

Previews and specs:

• http://www.dpreview.com/news/2012/07/25/Fujifilm-announces-F800EXR
• http://www.engadget.com/2012/07/25/fujifilm-unwraps-finepix-f800exr-camera-with-wireless-sharing/

Thanks,

Josh

• During news coverage of Australia's 2009 bushfires, ENG crews needed small CMOS cameras they could pack away, run with, and if necessary lose to the flames;
• Journalists to trouble-spots choose easily-concealed cameras which until now have been either too expensive or which sacrifice image quality to conceal-ability;
• We have already seen how the GH2 is an affordable, high-quality choice for hexacopters. Not only is the GH2 light enough and the image good enough, but in case of an accident the camera can be crashed and damaged, but, like the copter itself, the footage can be valuable enough to make the calculated risk worthwhile.
• A feature film shot on RED or Alexa might need footage from a crash-camera which still cuts-in with the HD footage

DSLR in a Crash Cam Box Made out of a Pelican 1300 Case

For most of us, our GH2 is a precious, one-off acquisition. But, if a camera has to be crashed, it's best to protect it. One rental company http://revolutioncinemarentals.com/pelican-1300-crash-cam-case/ has a DSLR crash-cam case easy enough to build from a Pelican case, some rods and T-receivers:

Read more at

http://www.hurlbutvisuals.com/blog/2012/03/crash-cam-filmmaking-inside-the-box/

first impressions were that the r3d footage made the gh2 footage look like I'd turned my contrast all the way up in the gh2 I couldn't believe how contrasty the gh2 footage looked in comparison. and I used smooth -2,-2,-2,-2

anyone have any experience using an ultra con filter to flatten the gh2 image?

also, noise @ 320 in the darks on the gh2 was pretty bad. about 2 times worse than the epic. maybe it was the iso bug we'll have to test again. or maybe i need to turn noise reduction up it was pretty much a dealbreaker as far as planning to use the current gh2 to make the feature

good news was sharpness was on par with the 5k image. In fact, I actually added sharpness to the epic footage to match the gh2.

is there anyway to flatten out the gh2 in the matrix?

UPDATE: turns out my friend's monitor was exaggerating the difference between the cameras. I color corrected, sharpened and denoised the clips to match each other. Check out the vid and let me know which u think is which:

and here's the evidence that it really is epic footage vs. gh2 footage

I've got a new GH2 from Amazon and wanted to check the difference between two hacks on two GH2s with same lenses (20mm Pana). I have 3D rig, so they can start recording simultaneously.

My intention was to check the difference between unhacked camera (just got from Amazon) and the one with Sanity5 patch. The result was somehow unexpected, since the files from a "new" camera were larger in average. I've checked them with StreamParser and here is what I've got from freshly bought camera on Amazon (see the first picture). The already hacked camera (with Sanity 5) resulted with the file which parameters are shown in the second picture.

Am I right that the newly bought camera was already hacked? There is 30min time limit on this newly bought camera, but it doesn't look to me the original FW. Does anybody know which hack is used? GOP seems to be 18 and all I frames are 1170000 bytes in size (in my opinion quite large). The cameras were in 24H mode.

As noted above, it was false alarm. Left picture is Sanity 5, and right picture is factory default video.

http://usa.shop.lomography.com/the-lomokino-mubi-edition

Just thought I share.

The LomoKino Movie Camera in general (http://microsites.lomography.com/lomokino/features)

http://leicarumors.com/2012/05/10/leica-m-monochrom-the-future-of-black-and-white-photography.aspx/#more-15088

Something that would make it to every photo you took via EXIF information. I think it would be very useful if we could use PTTools to define a small text signature (ex: "This camera belongs to John Doe, 1000 - Planet Earth, North Pole: john_doe@earth.org").

This way, if your body gets stolen and assuming there is a 50% chance that it ends in hack ignorant hands, you have a meaningful chance to see some traces of it surfacing the Web in the form of pictures taken with that camera.

P.S. - I posted here because my searches for feature requests threads were fruitless.

I think most striking thing to me is how involved Spielberg is in camera operation! I wonder if he still does most of the camera work on his more recent films. I can't see why not. I guess the man just loves film making that much.

Anyone know what other directors are famously hands-on versus video-village dwellers?

Hope you all like it. Thanks

I am about to get into moving camera shots such as with sliders, glidecams and tripods thus looking for a general stabilization to master all kind of situation.

I'de be happy if you'd share your experience with the gear you are using.

Symptoms: Procrastination, indecision, anxiety, shortness of breath, pacing, racing heart, nail-biting, hair-twisting

Treatment: FOMO treatments vary by patient, ranging from De-Teching to logging onto Facebook.

Side effects: More FOMO

Fear Of Missing Out (FOMO) is the uneasy and sometimes all-consuming feeling that you’re missing out—that your peers are doing, in the know about or in possession of more or something better than you. FOMO may be a social angst that’s always existed, but it’s going into overdrive thanks to real-time digital updates and to our constant companion, the smartphone. Once social media makes people aware of things to which they otherwise might never have been privy, it can spark a sense of vicarious participation or motivate real-world behavior. Conversely, it can be a curse, fostering anxiety and feelings of inadequacy.

FOMO is the sometimes energizing, sometimes terrifying anxiety that you are missing out on something absolutely terrific. It could be a TV show, it could be a party, it could be a gadget, it could be that really good burrito from the food cart. The important thing to keep in mind with FOMO is that it’s not just a state of mind; it is also a physical reaction. So as a FOMO sufferer, I can report sweating, itching, pacing and compulsive refreshing of my Twitter feed.

The acronym is infiltrating vocabularies as more than just an am using expression. FOMO encapsulates an increasingly pronounced phenomenon in the age of social media—an ageless concept that’s reached a tipping point. With 845 million-plus active users on Facebook, not to mention Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and other social platforms, today’s unprecedented awareness of how others are living their lives is predisposing more and more people to FOMO. While the fear of missing out has always been essential for mar keters to understand, it’s grown more significant for brands, since today’s intensified FOMO drives behaviors on social media sites and, s ubsequently, real-world consumer actions and self-perceptions.

Read very interesting report:

http://www.jwtintelligence.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/F_JWT_FOMO-update_3.6.12.pdf