Visual Fizzle - Photography & Cinematography

Lenses to use with the BlackMagic Design Cinema Camera…

Fergle Gibson — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 17:59:09 +0000

OK, so BlackMagic Design dumbfounded the world of cinematography during NAB 2012 with their new 2.5K RAW “Cinema Camera” for an incredibly inexpensive $2995. That’s cheaper than a freakin’ Canon 5D Mark III! But, with the Cinema Camera’s huge 2.3x crop factor when using the “active” part of the sensor — that’s the part you’re recording, by the way — what lenses do you choose from? Wide angles are certainly out of the picture. Hah! Geddit? Picture? OK, never mind. BUT! Don’t fret, there are still options for standard focal lengths, and more telephoto options than you can swing a blood soaked baseball bat at. Here are a few of those lenses I’ve selected for you to use with this camera…

FOV / Millimeter Conversions…

35mm FOV = 15.21739130434783mm Lens
50mm FOV = 21.73913043478261mm Lens
85mm FOV = 36.95652173913043mm Lens

FF35 Equivalent 35mm FOV…

Zeiss ZF / ZE f/2.8 15mm Lens (34.5mm effective FOV)
Canon EF 14mm f/2.8 L II USM Lens (32.2mm effective FOV)
Samyang / Rokinon 14mm f/2.8 IF ED UMC Lens (32.2mm effective FOV)

FF35 Equivalent 50mm FOV…

Zeiss ZF / ZE f/2.8 21mm Lens (48.3mm effective FOV)
Canon EF 20mm f/2.8 USM Lens (46mm effective FOV)
Sigma 20mm f/1.8 EX DG Lens (46mm effective FOV)

FF35 Equivalent 85mm FOV…

Zeiss ZF / ZE f/1.4 35mm Lens (80.5mm effective FOV)
Zeiss ZF / ZE f/2.0 35mm Lens (80.5mm effective FOV)
Canon EF 35mm f/1.4 L USM Lens (80.5mm effective FOV)
Canon EF 35mm f/2.0 Lens (80.5mm effective FOV)
Samyang / Rokinon 35mm f/1.4 US UMC Lens (80.5mm effective FOV)

This camera is going to cost you a grandiose fuckton if you want a 35mm FOV. So, unless you’re made of cash — and let’s face it, this camera is aimed at those who aren’t — my advice to you is, stick with a 50mm FOV and upwards. Your wallet will thank you.

Fergle Gibson,
Writer, Director & Cinematographer.

Glidecam HD-Series Docking Bracket…

Fergle Gibson — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 09:00:47 +0000

I used to own a Glidecam 4000 Pro, but ended up selling it because it took ages to set up, I could never get it perfectly balanced, and it was just too cumbersome to use without the Smooth Shooter or the X-10 stabilization vest, neither of which I owned, because they were and still are pretty darn expensive. I’ve heard the successor to the 4000 Pro, the 4000 HD, is leaps and bounds ahead of its predecessor, so is probably worth checking out if you’re in the market for a less expensive alternative to a Steadicam, and / or didn’t like the 4000 Pro. Anyway, the main reason for this post, wasn’t to compare Glidecams, but to mention a cool little device that I hadn’t heard about before, called the “Glidecam HD-Series Docking Bracket“…

What this device does, is affixes to any stand with a 5/8″ post, and allows you to mount your “HD-Series” Glidecam to it, so that you can balance it properly, and as perfect as possible. Before the HD-Series Glidecams came out, you pretty much had to hold your Glidecam Pro with one hand, and with the other hand, fiddle around with the various screws and bolts in an attempt to level it. After a few very frustrating hours, it still wasn’t right, and your mind started to wonder what would happen if you used your Glidecam as a tire iron instead.

I don’t know if the Glidecam HD-Series Docking Bracket will work with the “Pro” series, but it should make things a lot easier to configure with their HD line, which already has a much improved, updated and practical design (based upon user feedback) anyway. Check it out…

http://www.glidecam.com/product-hd-series-docking-bracket.php

Fergle Gibson,
Writer, Director & Cinematographer.

ARRI L-Series LED Fresnels…

Fergle Gibson — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 16:01:49 +0000

Awesome new cameras do it for most people, but for me, it’s lighting… Although, I do like awesome new cameras, too! Priced to rent, and not to own (unless you have bottomless pockets), Arri debuted their “L-Series” line of LED Fresnel fixtures at NAB this year, and damn, do I wish I had money to burn!

Just check out some of the specs on these bad boys…

http://www.arri.com/l-series/index.html

One of the main things that caught my eye, was the ability to change the COLOUR of the light on the fly, just by turning a knob. Goodbye gels, hello future! Now… Who do I have to weigh down with lead boots in a deep river to review one of these?

Fergle Gibson,
Writer, Director & Cinematographer.

Steve Jobs, 1955 – 2011…

Fergle Gibson — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 16:50:28 +0000

The world has lost one of the most inspiring, visionary geniuses of modern day. A man who pioneered much of the way we, as the human race, lead our lives today. A true entrepreneur and warrior, who stopped at nothing and for no-one to realise his dreams and ambitions, no matter the cost, right until the very end. Being perfect wasn’t good enough – It had to be better.

Rest in peace, Steve Jobs – You will be sorely missed, but never forgotten.

Sent from my iPhone.

Fergle Gibson,
Writer, Director & Cinematographer.

Small HD’s “DP4 In Review” video…

Fergle Gibson — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 21:55:53 +0000

Old news to most, I’m sure, but something I wanted to post, anyway. SmallHD‘s “DP4 In Review” video, where CTO Dale Backus, and CEO Wes Philips talk about their awesome new DP4 preview monitor / EVF, and round things off with their own kind of “Drop Test”, or as I like to call it, “Total Obliteration” test, which involves them throwing the DP4 at various hard surfaces, and driving RC cars into it. Kinda makes the drop test conducted by Steve Weiss for Zacuto’s “Z-Finder” EVF look a little… unimpressive now. Steve, next time, instead of climbing that ladder and dropping the Z-EVF from the top, I want to see you pick up the ladder, and use it to try and beat the living electrodes out of the Z-EVF, whilst screaming… Preferably with some hardcore Thrash Metal playing in the background.

Digressing quickly…

With all those edits in SmallHD’s video, who’s to say the working DP4 they show you is the same one they’ve been flying RC helicopters in to? Oooh… Controversial! Just kidding, guys! Regardless, the DP4 looks to be a fantastic piece of hardware (as does its bigger brother, the DP6), which is highly praised by everybody who owns one, and just so happens to be backed by a group of really down-to-earth guys. As tempting as it may be, I’m not sure whether I’ll be getting one of these yet, as I need the bigger screen size and higher resolution of the DP6. Plus, I already have a Zacuto Z-Finder. But there again, you never know – I change my mind more often than a hooker’s underwear.

Fergle Gibson,
Writer, Director & Cinematographer.