As in December 26th, 2015. Everything in Redrock Micro's store..
Most interesting to me personally? Their new Mini Rigs, aimed at mirrorless shooters.
We Have a Winner!
It's not like I look particularly handsome in any case, but getting up early on Christmas morning to announce our winner -- without having coffee first -- well, I look like crap.
But totally worth it, because I'm really excited to announce the winner of our CAME-TV 7800 3-axis gimbal.
Please contact me as soon as you realize it's you at hugh.brownstone@3bmep.com so I can get an address for shipping (oh, yeah: I'm going to make you watch this - after all, I had to get up to film it).
Congrats!
Cheerfully Cheap: 10 Great Filmmaker's Gifts Under $50 - and a Shot at an Expensive One for Free
After we’ve ogled the Leica SL, the Sony a7s II, or the Canon 300mm f/2.8L IS and wiped off the drool, there’s still time to buy lovely but more practical gifts this holiday season.
11. Bonus: 3-Axis Gimbal Giveaway
You probably already know this, but if you want a shot at something that normally costs over $1,000 but have zero budget for it, I’m giving away the CAME-TV 7800 3-axis gimbal we tested back in January. If you've only subscribed to the blog, you can increase your chance of winning by subscribing to my YouTube channel as well. Good luck!
10. Apple’s iPhone: The Next Video Revolution – an eBook
I wrote this book as a result of writing hundreds of blog posts on the industry during the prior 12 months. You'll be shocked -- or have your suspicions confirmed -- when you read the details of how the iPhone has become a legitimate filmmaking tool.
9. MUJI Blank Mini Notebook Japanese Paperback-size Unruled (<$7)
This is my go-to notebook for client meetings. Cheap, nice writing surface – all the goodness of a Moleskin writing experience at a fraction of the price.
8. Casablanca ($4)
For ultimate inspiration, re-watch your favorite films — or watch a new one. I think CASABLANCA is the greatest movie ever made. I watch it at least once a year and learn something new each time. You may prefer something else, so check out your favorite movie on your favorite streaming device.
7. Mefoto MPH100K Smart Phone Holder with Camera Support ($30)
Think of this as a superlight ballhead for any smartphone smaller than the iPhone 6s Plus, and you’ll be spot-on. Great on top of a monopod!
6. Zoolander 27 x 40 Movie Poster ($17)
Put up posters of favorite movies as reminders of why we do what we do: make films. I’ve got Zoolander, The Philadelphia Story, Pi, Back to the Future, and True Lies on my walls. Of course, you may have a different idea of what constitutes great, so see if your favorite is available.
5. Google Cardboard Headset ($16)
If you haven’t seen a virtual reality video on YouTube 360 or somewhere else, buy this headset literally made out of cardboard per Google spec, and find out for yourself. Or, you can always go over to BestBuy and try on a Samsung Gear VR headset for free. This is not your father’s VR.
4. AA Rechargeable Batteries (8-Pack) (<$20) [B&H|Amazon]
You can never have enough AA batteries, but at least these are rechargeable – do the environment a favor and stop using disposables.
3. SanDisk Extreme PRO 64G UHS-I U3 SDXC ($43) [B&H|Amazon]
You can never have enough memory cards, and the newest Sony cameras – like the RX 100 Mk IV [B&H|Amazon] – won’t shoot 4K video with anything less than 64G. I found out the hard way.
2. Aputure A-Lav ($32)
Aputure has delivered the most thoughtfully designed wired lavalier mic on the market at the price – and it sounds pretty good, too.
1. Manfrotto PIXI Mini Table Top Tripod($24) [B&H|Amazon]
Apple’s not the only company with beautifully designed products. The PIXI Mini is perfect for landscapes and cityscapes when slow shutter speeds are required – or selfies and group shots when you want to be more than arm’s length away from the camera.
You can read the this post on planet5D, where it was originally published.
Is the Sony FS7 the Last Camera You'll Ever Need? A Five-Part Series
This series is the biggest hands-on evaluation of gear I’ve ever done with the most advanced gear I’ve ever used. I know it is incomplete, limited, and wrong – I just don’t which, where. But this also made it the perfect Three Blind Men and An Elephant project. It allowed me to see the FS7 from many different angles and thus get a little closer to some kind of objective truth not just about one camera, but the entire endeavor of filmmaking. Heads up: there is a TON of video and images in each episode, so stick with them!
But it wasn’t just the FS7 that we tested. The good folks at Zacuto, Atomos, Veydra, and CAME-TV lent us gear to fully kit it out as it was intended, with fascinating results:
· Zacuto Recoil Rig for the FS7 and Gratical-X OLED EVF
· Atomos Ninja Assassin 7” HDMI Monitor/4K Recorder
· Veydra Mini-Primes in Sony E-Mount
· CAME-TV Wireless Follow Focus Controller
Here’s a top level recap by episode, but I encourage you to visit planet5D where my original series was first published.
Episode 1: "Built Like a Tank" - I find out how tough the FS7 is when the entire setup crashes to the floor
Episode 2: "Brilliant Footage at the Cost of Ergonomics" - the footage looks amazing, but the menus and physical handling are tough for someone coming from the DSLR/ILC world.
Episode 3: "First Footage" - Did I say it looks amazing? I believe I did. But do I really need it? Want it, absolutely. But...
Episode 4: "Enter the Ninja Assassin and the Gratical X" - We respect the Gratical X and love the Ninja.
Episode 5: "The Answer" - We go a little nuts and compare 1080p footage shot with the Veydras on a Sony a6000, 4K footage shot on an iPhone 6s Plus -- and 4K 10-bit 4:2:2 footage shot on the FS7 -- to help get to a final verdict.
You can read the rest of this post on planet5D, where it was originally published.
source: http://blog.planet5d.com/2015/12/is-the-sony-fs7-the-last-camera-youll-ever-need-episode-5-the-answer/
Why An Amazon Ad on Facebook for Leica Accessories Freaks Me Out
During this holiday season, my significant other is presented with an ad from Amazon on her Facebook page proffering the perfect gift — Leica T accessories — not for her, but for me. Whoa, that’s freaky.
You can read the rest of this post on planet5D, where it was originally published.
RED Raven First Footage Looks Incredible – But Then It Would, Wouldn’t It?
RED Cameras are used by people and projects so far beyond my own capabilities – and budget — that I might as well be writing about rocket science. With its new entry-level Raven, however, RED enters the increasingly crowded sub-$10,000 4K market. The Raven’s footage looks, well, RED stunning just like its more expensive siblings.
Still, I’ve learned enough over the past 18 months to recognize the non-camera components of this footage that contribute mightily to it, from on-screen talent to lighting, styling, set design – and skill...
You can read the rest of this post on planet5D, where it was originally published.
DJI Hammers 3DR with Its Version of Smart Shots
It may have been 3DR’s “Smart Shots” which captured my imagination and gave me the courage to try the 3DR Solo [B&H|Amazon] and DJI Phantom 3 Professional [B&H|Amazon] , but it was the DJI’s superior flight performance and my sense that they’d catch up to Smart Shots faster than 3DR would catch up to the Phantom’s performance which led me to purchase the Phantom. With Intelligent Flight Mode now available on the Phantom 3 Professional and Inspire 1, DJI indeed delivers first.
In a case of "imitation is the sincerest form of flattery," we try out DJI's answer to 3DR's Smart Shots - their new Intelligent Flight Mode -- on a Phantom 3 Professional. Pretty great!
You can read the rest of this post on planet5D, where it was originally published.
Want to See How Magic is Done? Check Out this BTS Piece on an Old Spice Commercial
There's CGI, and then there's "practical effects." I had no idea how a commercial like this one for Old Spice could be created because I had no concept of the lengths to which filmmakers would go to make it. Now I do, and so do you.
I used to think that the animators who did FANTASIA were on drugs...
You can read the rest of this post on planet5D, where it was originally published.
Update on our CAME-TV 7800 Giveaway: Factory Warranty Extended to Winner!
The good folks over at CAME-TV have agreed to offer a full warranty on the 7800 we give away (see how to enter here) , which is pretty darned nifty - kind of like a car that is "certified pre-owned" with factory coverage.
But the fact is, we only used it for testing -- that's it.
Shout-out to Frank and the team for their support!
You Have to Love This - Iconic Bob Dylan Album Cover Wasn’t About Drugs, It Was Simply Cold Outside
A blurred image of Dylan by photographer Jerry Schatzberg – there were other, sharp photos from the shoot — was chosen by Dylan himself for the cover of “Blonde on Blonde.” It was taken in the Meatpacking District of Manhattan on a cold February day almost 50 years ago. Sometimes perfection isn’t measured in technical terms.
You can read the rest of this post on planet5D, where it was originally published.
Joy: One Part Harlem Globetrotters, One Part Cast Members of STOMP! and One Part One Take You Gotta See!
I LOVE the Globetrotters (even if it’s been decades since I saw Meadowlark Lemon or Curly Neal at Madison Square Garden as a kid), and I love Stomp. But I’m gobsmacked by the choreography and the filmmaking of this piece for NBC Sports which capture the joy, fluidity and percussive chops of both in a single take.
You can read the rest of this post on planet5D, where it was originally published.
Is the Sony FS7 the Last Video Camera You’ll Ever Need? Episode 1
You can read the rest of this post on planet5D, where it was originally published.
Canon C100 Shooter Jumps Ship for Sony FS5
This is the first instance I've seen of a Canon C100 shooter jumping to the new Sony FS5 [B&H|Amazon]. Fascinating.
What if Samsung is Buying Nikon?
Enter our holiday giveaway to win a CAME-TV 7800 3-Axis Gimbal!
It's that time of year!
We thought it would be cool to give away a CAME-TV 7800 3-Axis gimbal -- the very one we tested back at the beginning of the year -- and found to be a "credible alternative" to the MōVI M5 [B&H|Amazon] at a fraction of the price.
All you have to do is subscribe to our YouTube channel and/or our blog. You know the drill - the more you do, the higher the probability you'll win (we use Random.Org's sequence generator). Winner will be selected at random the morning of December 25th US East Coast time), and will be contacted for shipping details (I'll need your address -- if it costs more than $25, I'll ask you to pick up the balance. Fair?).
Good luck, and a happy/healthy/merry!
Strategic Coup? Rumors Surface Nikon has Acquired Samsung NX1 Technology
The rumor that Nikon has acquired Samsung's NX-1 technology makes a LOT of sense.
Samsung has, by all accounts, excellent sensor technology and user interface in its NX1 APS-C mirrorless camera [B&H|Amazon] - but very little mindshare with or lenses for the prosumer and professional market.
Nikon [B&H|Amazon] has oodles of mindshare -- a huge marketing presence second only to Canon -- and great lenses, but neither can stem the accelerating erosion of its DSLR-heavy sales.
If the rumors are true, Nikon's acquisition or licensing arrangement with Samsung would be a brilliant strategic move (and makes sense of the recent announcements by Samsung that it is withdrawing the NX1 from several European markets).
In one fell swoop, two highly complementary companies and brands would combine their DNA to leapfrog Canon [B&H|Amazon] -- and give Sony [B&H|Amazon] a run for its money -- by creating a serious mirrorless camera with Nikon's cachet and lens catalog .
You can read the rest of this post on EOSHD, where it was originally published.
Europe's Biggest Kickstarter Project Implodes
Noted as the largest Kickstarter funding to date in Europe, the Zano mini-drone promised too much – and has now tanked. Completely. But this is part of a larger pattern emerging in the imaging industry, as we now offer the next installment of what we’ve decided is a new series entitled, “Not Everyone Likes the Concept of Minimum Viable Products,” or perhaps “What Works for Software Companies May Not Work Quite as Well for Hardware Companies.”
After raising more than £2 million on Kickstarterplus taking additional pre-orders even before the Kickstarter campaign began, British company Zano was well-positioned to make a big splash in drone photography and videography.
As long as it delivered what it promised.
Epic fail.
The CEO has resigned and the company just announced they’ve halted the project altogether and are pursuing “a creditors’ voluntary liquidation...”
You can read the rest of this post on planet5D, where it was originally published.
This is the Best Price We’ve Seen for Canon C100: $2,999 NEW
I know people who love, love, love their original C100, and plenty of other people who think 4K is not where they want to invest their time and money. If you’ve been waiting for the price of a new, first generation Canon Cinema EOS C100 to drop to the bottom, this is probably it...
You can read the rest of this post on planet5D, where it was originally published.
Another Quarter Pounder (geddit?) for Canon - What Will It Take for Canon to Recover? We Have Some Ideas
Canon gets pounded in the third quarter of 2015. It is well to remember that while words tell a story, numbers tell it better in financial reporting, even when there are very few of them. We have some ideas, including splitting the camera body business from the lens business...
You can read the rest of this post on planet5D, where it was originally published.
Black Friday, Cyber Week deals up the whazoo.
Too many to keep track, but here are three from B&H!
