How to control IRIS (*Aperture) with EF Lenses from the RED V-RAPTOR

 So you saved up and bought the NEW Red V-Raptor but what about EF lenses and more important if you already own a decent set of Canon glass how are you going to use them effectively on this monster of a camera that came with an RF mount!? Mainly how will you tackle the issue of no IRIS control??

Well there's some great news, a company called FOTODIOX made an EF to RF SMART adapter!

The best part, well it's only 74.95 !! This little adapter converts the EF electronics/command set straight across to the RF interface on your Red Raptor so you can now fully control the electronic IRIS, Hallelujah! So there's a lot of great used Canon and 3rd party EF lenses out there like the almighty SIGMA 60-600mm! So no need to start shelling out more big $$ for the newer RF lenses. 

Red, by the way created the same solution as the Fotodiox SMART adapter but it's only for the RAPTOR XL version and the cost is $1250.00 but in all fairness it is NOT an adaptor as it replaces the XL's lens mount and sits directly over sensor. 
However, those of us who could only afford the Raptor VV well here's the equivalent function and no longer a need to have a camera body around to set the IRIS to desired setting dismount, holding the button and then mounting again on Red right when the light is changing and "go back and do it again..."

Here's our setup we tested and it worked flawlessly, of course DON'T FORGET TO RAISE THE LEVER that tightens whatever you have attached to the Red's RF Lens port. That was a GREAT feature to add to the Raptor. It gives your lenses a POSITIVE LOCK, not quite a PL lens mount but yes the functionality to remove the play all EF and RF lenses are prone to by design.

So that's our review and solution for this week. NAB is just around the corner and we'll be there to checkout the latest and greatest REASONABLY PRICED solutions for low and high end gear, our goal for the months of April and May to showcase to you. 

*Iris and Aperture how do they differ??

IRIS:The Iris is the adjustable opening that can restrict the amount of light that enters the camera's sensor.It is comprised of mechanical elements, Shutters (blades) and springs, that actually open and close.

APERTURE: The Aperture is the size of the opening, the hole. The size of that hole is represented in values called F or T stops.

DRONE SOFTWARE INNOVATION and the ENVIRONMENT a 3 part series

 Technology has been advancing at a rapid rate and while learning and developing the skill level to put this tech to good use may seem daunting, I can tell you that the opposite is true. Through skillful programming from innovative hardware and software companies like AUTEL, DJI and SKYEBROWSE,  intuitive application design have made it far easier than one would imagine! 

Let's take a look at Skyebrowse in this first of a series on "Environmental" use for drones. Skyebrowse converts a drones video into a photogrammetric model, that's right a 3D measurable manipulated model.  It is able to render from captured video in close to real time. They accomplished this through their proprietary algorithms that converts video into photogrammetric images and provide a backend 3D rendering engine all based online. So what is photogrammetry?

1. Simply stated it is the use of photography in surveying and mapping to measure distances between objects. However in this case the model is created from video vs a series of coordinated still images.

Skyebrowse was designed specifically for FIRST RESPONDERS. What we are now seeing is a re-purposing of this technology for the Environment. A couple examples of this can be seen below.

Repurposing of Oil Platforms into wind and wave generator stations. Rincon Island in this example.

 Repurposing of Oil Platforms into wind and wave generator stations. Rincon Island in this example.

Marine Life: A beached adult Humpback whale. Use and analytical assessment of imaging to determine injuries and source such as propeller strike on this whale. The data also yields size which tells us if we are dealing with an adult or juvenile of a species.

Sea Level Rise: Measuring an area that may be impacted by sea level rise and keeping an eye on sand movement. Monitoring the depth between seawalls protecting a beach community.

Next month in part 2 of this series we take a close look at the use of autonomous drone flight to monitor and identify leaking oil wellheads off the coast of California. The work was done by Heal the Ocean for California State Lands Commission. The automated flights were programmed by Heal the Ocean field advisors to check over 30 different wellheads at a time (each flight) from a total field of over 192 offshore abandoned wellheads.

 SONY A7sIII, FX3, FX6-A quick summary on the advantages and disadvantages of each plus BTS on CHER shoot.

This is truly an impressive lineup from Sony. What their user base has been asking for has been answered. High frame rates at 4k, 10Bit, ProRes
422, AUTO ND ! So the big question is which one is right for you. As always having the right tool for the job is the most important issue. So let's dive in for a quick summary on each.

For the Pro, all 3 camera models fit the bill with the FX6 leading the way because of what we feel is an AMAZING feature... AUTO ND! This gives the ability to maintain bokeh as a scene progresses moving from a lowlight surrounding to a well lit surrounding during a single take. Contrast and focus on key subject of shot remain sharp throughout. This feature is NOT available on the A7sIII or the FX 3. The latter two are basically the same feature set cameras with the FX3 being touted as a more PRO bullet proof enclosure with plenty of 1/4-20 mount points.

Now the A7sIII has it's own advantage over the FX6 in it's ability to auto focus and track the subject simultaneously. The same is true of the FX3. To have a similar ability with the FX6 requires manual movement of the cursor on the EVF touchscreen. All cameras have the cool feature to vary the rate of focus when pointing the cursor to move to another area or subject on the EVF. 

Another cool feature is face detection. It works great with humans as the subject of interest but it failed with animals? Very curious as Sony did advertise it with both Human and animal recognition for following and focus. We hope that Sony gets some new firmware out there soon to correct this.

In our use of these cameras in the field we found the A7sIII to be the most impressive as it's form factor made it quite simple to use with both our drone and gimbal hardware. So if you can afford the A7sIII we recommend it over the 3 cameras.

If you are looking for a great overall cinematic camera in a small brick type form factor and that can match up to your main cinematic A camera then the FX6 is the choice. We just used the FX6 with a Sony F55 to shoot Cher and the loneliest Elephant for the Smithsonian channel. The footage from the FX6 was applauded by all for its beautiful tones and contrasts and Cher as well as her troop were very pleased with how beautiful the footage looked! We if course were very pleased as well!

That's it for now, we will have a more in depth review soon to follow.

Cheers,

Meet Colin Guinn AGAIN... Drone pioneer who has seen it all!

UPDATE on COLIN  GUINN...

Well I got to sit down with Colin again to find out what he's been up to since the last time we sat down and talked. Here's the 1st interview and standby next month for this update on Colin and the state of the drone industry in 2022!

and do a one on one interview with the colorful celebrity of the drone world at Interdrone 2019, none other then Colin Guinn! I, like most drone enthusiasts, have been watching Colin's career, his ever present exhuberant and passionate persona, on the "Drones Over America!" Check out the amazing insight Colin had for what drones would mean for society by reading some of his dialog:
internet and virtually all channels of media! Beginning back in 2012 Colin made DJI a household name and UAV/Drone communities formed around his evangelizing of such cool tech! His marketing messaging, training videos and multiple mainstream broadcast TV appearances were engaging and fun to watch as we learned about these 4 prop flying wonders with cameras and gimbals. Colin even shared the screen back in 2014 with Morley Safer on an episode of 60 minutes entitled "Drones over America." 

So yesterday there stood Colin Guinn at the podium, a keynote speaker at INTERDRONE 2019. I was compelled to once again connect with Colin and record an audio interview to find out just what he was up to now.  Some of the questions in the interview provided some closure on just what happened with him and CEO Frank Wang of DJI as well as the startup company 3DR where one of the most viral and sensational video ads ever was produced in-house, by Colin and friends for the drone industry!! I also ask Colin in the interview where he thinks the drone industry is heading now and the role his new consulting firm is playing in the industries future. So checkout some sound advice and get some direction regarding venturing into the drone/UAS industry. So enough said click video below and enjoy!

Oh wait one more thing before you watch. Speaking of the influence of DRONE's in societybe sure to also checkout the new drone based animated series:

 "The Adventures of Bad Drone and Arnold" 

Yeah Yeah I know a self touting advertisement plug for our new show here at OTW!

One thing before you press PLAY above a word up about our technical fun loving community... from  the box office hit "Revenge of the Nerds" remember "Geeks and Nerds are COOL too!" Oh yeah more drone industry widespread market influence! There's a new animated series in development entitled "The Adventures of Bad Drone and Arnold" Yeah Yeah I know a self touting advertisement plug for our new show here at On the Wave Productions...

Making a difference in the world of commercial drones

There are people in the drone/UAV industry making a difference with education and safety at the top of their list. Meet Marc Langley, CEO of Airborne Works and speaker at Interdrone. With an electricians background and specializing in Refrigeration, cryogenics, incubators and more, he entered into the world of drones and image mapping. In a mere 4 years he is truly a leader and evangelist of drone technology! A non-profit arm of his company will even donate a drone for a good cause!

Marc led an amazing eye opening breakout session on photogrammetry (the 2D capturing of landscapes and 3D rendering) for the EPA that also included infrared maps to trace water temperatures that would reveal areas of nitrate concentration, an indicator of harmful contaminants enetering a waterway through a cranberry farm. It was a perfect example that set the tone of his lecture. I for one walked away excited about this field and instead of being fearful to get out there and do it I became enthusiastic! Just another benefit of attending a well focused trade show like Interdrone!

I had a good laugh with Marc at the end of our interview and I mentioned some drone carnage, to quote Marc  "You're not a pilot unless you've lost a drone or two! " to which he confessed losing 2 in one day and I could relate! True words of encouragement despite loss of gear in this field of work. So get out there and fly and dive into the amazing world of drone tech...

INTERDRONE 2019 Celebrates 5 years for a good reason

Own a drone? Thinking of breaking into the vast and exponentially growing commercial market space? Search and Rescue, Law Enforcement, 1st Responders, trying to get drone programs started in your city? Construction, Agriculture? Science, Researcher, Innovator., Cinematographer, photographer...

 I can keep going here... if any of the above match your interests then INTERDRONE 2019 is a must conference for you to attend! Experts from all fields, FAA officials, the top of the field have all arrived at Interdrone ready to educate you in your field of choice. From building, programming, schooling, licensing, rules and safety, flying, mapping, cinematography you name it and you'll find that there's a session waiting for you! It's the best jump start to get into this market space now.

I am not affiliated nor am I being paid by the promoters of Interdrone but I am speaking as one of you. The amount of tradeshows with breakout sessions is startling and confusing when it comes to drone/UAV technology lately. You can do the research but I can tell you this....Interdrone is a highly focused event and it covers all aspects of this new industry and in my book this show is now a must see event.

"Is my DJI drone data being stored in China?" DJI's Romeo Durscher answers.

LIVE FROM INTERDRONE 2019
So your drone keeps insisting over and over again whether or not you would like to "SYNCHRONIZE YOUR DATA!" What does that mean? Am I to grant DJI rights to DJI to store the data from all of my flights? Big brother watching? All my data is going to China, where DJI is headquartered?


If you're a commercial drone operator the odds are you need to select YES , SYNCHRONIZE MY DATA, otherwise you will be unable to get the critical data needed for mapping, photogrammetry and more image type data collection and processing.



So tonight I had the opportunity to discuss this with Romeo Durscher of DJI who had just delivered a keynote address at Interdrone. Romeo explained this widespread misconception by stating that all the data goes into the Cloud, where it is simply stored for retieval by it's owner and never leaves the USA. Romeo also stated that DJI could be doing a better job assuring it's customer base that their data is indeed safe and not being used by any foreign power.  So I guess we can all relax and breathe a sigh of relief that there will be no future invasion based on complete mapping details of the contiguous 50 states from millions of USA based DJI drones!  Hey how do we know AMAZON isn't up to no good... to be continued


see related article: https://www.cnet.com/news/dji-denies-sending-drone-data-to-china/

INTERDRONE IS ALMOST HERE, SO WHAT"S NEW IN DRONES!!

Ok well the next drone show is coming up the 1st week in September and we'll be there to report on the latests and greatest drones out there. Will DJI be offering up anything soon to take the place of the workhorse Phantom 4 Pro or is everything shrinking and Mavic sized drones are king! Well of course that all depends whether you need IMAX footage from the big boyz or if current 1 Meg sensors are good enough for the niche you operate in...are the big drones like INSPIRE 2 and other competing products going away...?

We've been testing the DJI Enterprise Mavic with it's FLIR camera for additional InfraRed imaging and so far it seems more gimmicky (loudspeaker not 2 way voice conversation; search lights; beacon), than functional when that functionality is key in rescue operations by Search and Rescue/Sheriff scenarios. Our first look gives conflicting information over the accuracy of the GPS coordinates being displayed and that is quite serious when it comes down to locating lost individuals day or nigh time. We will have more on that after Interdrone so look for it around September 8th on this blog site.

ROBOTS on the REEF is the latest film from OTW Productions in the works for Animal Planet and we will also shed more light on that film and the technology being used to be able to determine the health of an ocean reef system. With climate change warming our seas we are seeing more and more coral reef systems bleaching and dying and the best way to monitor the situation and learn from it is coming from these new water based drones...standby!

Drones are being programmed to locate GREAT WHITE SHARKS in real time and send out information live...WHere: Why in Santa Barbara at UCSB's McCauley Lab.

All these great stories coming up for mid September so we will see you back here on the blog soon!

UNDERWATER DRONES-Powervision takes the lead with POWER DOLPHIN

Well you may ask yourself "Why would  I need an underwater drone?" Well sit back because the number of reasons are growing! Whether you simply enjoy watersports, underwater photography, professional videography, scientific research etc...oh yeah and how about even sportfishing?! The latter of which seems to be the most popular reason to purchase one!



Powervision came out early in the game with the first consumer and prosumer type product, the POWERRay and the newly announced tetherless POWER Dolphin both supporting their Fishfinder module, basically UNDERWATER SONAR, WOW!!



As a user of their products I can tell you they have been put to the test in the best and worse of conditions including keeping up with Great White juvenile sharks for our current and upcoming televised shows. You can check out some of the footage here.

On the scientific research side of things both products fit the bill for underwater research and mapping capability at a low cost point of entry. 

NEW FUJINON CABRIO 20-120. GREAT LENS GREAT PRICE !

Fujinon showed there new 20-120mm lens at NAB and it's performance was spectacular. It's predecessor, the Cabrio 19-90mm  sold for up to $35K and this lens is on special for $13.5K which is an amazing price for such a high quality servo enabled cinema lens. It doesn't quite measure up to the 19-90 as it is rated at T-3.5, so not quite as quick but the newer cameras more than makeup for this with their impressive ISO and low light performance capabilities. So we can overlook this a bit...
Features:

* T3.5 to T22 aperture with 9 iris blades for attractive bokeh

* Detachable, ENG-style, digital drive unit with zoom rocker switch

* Industry standard 0.8 film MOD gears for focus, zoom, and iris control

* Power & data/control connections to the camera via connectors in rear of the lens.

* 16-bit encoding supports sharing LDS and /i Technology lens data with the camera

* The barrel markings in metric or imperial measurements are switchable in the field

* Luminous barrel markings make it easier to read measurements

* 200° focus barrel rotation and 120° zoom rotation

* No shims are required to adjust the flange focal distance

* Macro focus function available

If you are thinking of using this on something like the new SONY Venice or other Full size sensors then YES you will get some vignetting at the wider end of the spectrum. 

Want to stretch this lens capability even more! Add the new DUCLOS 2.0 x PL extender to boost the lens up to a 40mm to 240mm.

SONY A9 amazing for photographers but currently no picture style for the 4K video. Firmware may be coming!

Well SONY is to be congratulated on an amazing action camera with features that will keep the competition on their toes to keep up. At 24megapixel along with a staggering 20 shots per second you will not be missing the action! So photographers this is a must have camera!

For videographers well it's quite a different story for now.
If you're thinking B camera well think again because without picture styles it's going to be a tough day in the field to get the look feel and style you're after and more importantly in post trying to match up the video beyond REC 709 specs with other cameras.

Bottomline there are simply are no cine-like, log type, gamma flexible type settings on this model. One has to wonder why not, especially at a 4500.00 price tag, by far the most expensive Alpha series camera from Sony. It's cousins like the A7R II heck even the A6500 ($1200.00) have "Picture Style" feature.

Will Sony have a firmware upgrade? Thats the $65 million dollar question as no one at Sony has  responded to the many forums and articles posing the same question. Are the A9's electronics even capable of supporting "Picture Style.".

Don't get me wrong here as Sony is an amazing company with state of the art, bleeding edge technology! The question: Is that enough to keep a truly PROFESSIONAL camera like the A9 flying off the shelves of their dealers minus this IMPORTANT FEATURE? Time will tell but for now we'll have to sit and wait and hope that Sony steps forward to it's dedicated professional customer base to shed some light on the subject!


UPDATE PICTURE STYLE:S-LOG may be on the near horizon !
According to B&H QA forum Anthony from Sony responded that while it will not have Pro Res 422 support they will be adding LOG in a future firmware upgrade. So the good news is that YES it does have the electronics to support this feature!

GREAT WHITES incursions on Santa Barbara County beaches increases.

For the last 2 weeks we have been monitoring juvenile White Shark activity along the Santa Barbara County coastline and specifically from Carpinteria beaches on up to Goleta beaches. You can view a brief video sequence by clicking here.

In one day alone we spotted 6-8 Great Whites sharks heading towards Loons. On two of the monitoring days we spotted juvenile whites less than 20ft. from the shoreline and in the lineup. At the same time three separate surf camps participants were in the water. We quickly evacuated all kids in the water at Santa Claus/ Padaro Lane twice during the week 7/9-7/15. The sharks made no aggressive moves as they ventured closer and closer to shore and were observe consistently in the 11am to 1pm timeframe over the course of 5 days. They always seem to come from the east along and headed up the coast. At one time 6-8 were observed near Loons. They appear to be looking for Rays and Grunion, both abundant right now. All were in the 5-7ft range and a couple around 10-12ft +. So mostly juvenile. The 2 recent attacks within 24 hours may be their testing their hunting skills for bigger game as they could be changing from juvenile into the young adult phase and luckily failing in their attacks.

USING 3rd Party LENSES & ADAPTERS ON DSLR BASED VIDEO-BIG ISSUE FOCUS BREATHING

What is focus breathing?
Change in focal length (magnification etc.) as your focal distance changes... that change is called focus breathing. 

Simply stated it is a phenomenon seen in video and most common on a rack focus where the image appears to breath as focus is being applied and is exaggerated through the use of Zoom lenses.. In other words the size of the image varies during the focusing from one object to another. This makes for undesireable imaging in your video. Is their a workaround with zoom lenses? Not really and this brings us to the issue of using adapters and 3rd party lenses deployed on another manufacturers camera body.


SCENARIO
The new SONY A9 is a fantastic camera but throw a metabones adapter and Canon EF L Glass ZOOM lenses on it and be prepared to deal with the breathing issue. Place the equivalent SONY zoom on the A9, A7 etc. and the problem is pretty much non-existent. So if you are considering switching from one camera manufacturer to another and are counting on utilizing your expensive existing lens collection through adapters, be prepared as you will need to think twice when it comes to shooting video.

THINK PRIMES, CINE LENSES

The best solution here of course is to use primes but if your existing lens collection for example consists of Telephotos, zooms like 16-35mm, 24-70mm, 70-200mm, etc. lenses then you really need to re-evaluate your decision to switch cameras and again this strictly applies to video on a DSLR, mirrored or mirrorless.

PRIME CINE LENS

CINE WIDE SOOM

WIDE ZOOM (BREATHING ISSUES)

FOCAL LENGTH DEFINITION
The focal length is the distance between a hypothetical single-element lens and a sensor required to reproduce a given magnification of image. This is unrelated to the distance from the sensor to the flange. 

SONY A9 vs Canon Mark 5D MarkIV, + link to Sony A9 manual

OK well we got our hands on a NEW Sony A9 and after being an avid Canon Photographer and user well it looks like the SONY A9 is the clear winner here.
First off here's the LINK to the Sony A9 Manual.

My first photgraphic camera was the CANON AE1, then the 10D all the way up the Canon chain to

the C300 and as of late the 5D Mark IV. Lets remember Canon pioneered the entire DSLR video market and I was on board from using it to train and to shoot video for documentaries and feature films, it was mindblowing! So Canon did dominate the space for quite sometime but it seems they are not keeping up with the competition. The innovative video side of the house really shifted to the C line of Canon cameras and they took their eye off the ball for the current DSLR and Mirrorless marketspace. The slide seemed to have started with the 5D Mark III which had noticeably softer images and a lower dynamic range than many of its competitors. Along comes the Mark IV with the 4K feature apparently to even the playing field but major issues with that feature. The 4K image is cropped!! So be ready to do the math on your lens focal length and matching up shots. The worse one is the ridiculous size of the media files (500mb/sec) along with the expensive FLASH Cards required to capture 4K. If you want a video camera that competes with what's out there then I personally do not believe the Mark IV is for you. Even the dynamic range was disappointing leaving very little detail in the shadows compared to even a Sony 6300.

So for the first time in over 45 years of shooting with Canon I have switched to the Sony A9. I still use all my Canon glass and it works great with the Metabones EF to E mount adapter. So for those of you on the fence like I was well it may be time to switch. I still have my Mark II as I just found myself unable to part with Canon 100%, yep ok an emotional, nostalgic decision I guess but I do still like the ergonomics of the Canon over the Sony. One note you can spend a rather high price tag of 129.00 for a grip accessory for the A9 for a bigger more natural handheld feeling.

COMMENTARY ON SONY A9 ACCESSORIES

AC POWER SOURCE

The Multi Battery Adapter Kit is a 4 battery DC supply IS NOT AN AC POWER SUPPLY TO POWER YOUR A9. It is strictly an extended running time for your A9.Bottomline if you need to run your camera all day with no ACA power available then this is the product for you. Bewarethough while it says RAPID CHARGER it actually take 8 hours to charge all 4 batteries when NOT in use as it charges sequentially and NOT all 4 at once.
 Come on SONY 398.00 this should supply power direct from AC to the camera same as you do for all your video cameras. What is SONY thinking here?? 

XLR adapters-598.00 and 698.00 both come with mics...Why? Would be nice to reduce the price substantially and NOT include the Sony mic. Juice Box and Beachtek will be happy as it really shouldn't compete with their offerings not at that price point.

MORE COMING SHORTLY...

GAME CHANGER-INEXPENSIVE CINE SERVO LENSES-Canon CN-E 18-80mm T4.4

The DSLR market changed the way we looked at video cameras in the field forever. The days of "Hey it just takes photographs" are pretty much over for those of you using Gorilla tactics to get your video footage, right...right! Seems that every camera shoots video these days and high quality to boot. 

So whats the next revolution in the DSLR camera space, why SERVO BASED zooms at a cheaper entry price! Take the latest ground breaker, Canons new Canon CN-E 18-80mm T4.4 COMPACT-SERVO Cinema Zoom Lens. with a retail price tag at 5225.00 is it time to re-think your prime lens collection? Well not quite yet after all too many situations still require a FAST lens in the F2.8 or lower range even with the outrageous ISO capabilities of todays cameras. So what gap does this fill? MANY. Cinematic shot techniques have now entered the house! Look Fujinon's Cabrio lenses are insanely great CINE lenses but at a price tag of 30000 plus its clearly out of reach for the bulk of indie filmmakers.

Here's the catch though, this will only auto focus with CANON CineCameras like the C100, 300 etc. Would be interesting to know if this EF lens will work with EF adapters on higher end video cameras like Sony's F55, FS7, FS5...As soon as we get one in we will update with that info. 

CINEGEAR IS GEARING UP BEGINNING JUNE 1st

Well as filmmakers this is the time of year to check out the latest and greatest innovations in our field. This years NAB in Las Vegas was no let down in that arena as we saw some incredible product announcements from Audio to Cameras to Lenses to Lighting to Wireless Video Transmission and more.

CINEGEAR is definitely one of the best venues to interact with vendors and get your hands on new gear without wrestling your way through the tens of thousands at NAB. Sure its a good sized crowd but we've found over the years of covering the event that it's no problem getting your questions answered quickly.

The event is well staffed by exhibitors and organized by category of gear which makes it very efficient when searching for the gear you had in mind. We'll be there again and hope to cover as much as we can and what a setting, on the lot of Paramount studios! See you there and stay tuned for our daily reports from the show!

For information on attending CINEGEAR 2017 click HERE
or paste this into your browser:
http://www.cinegearexpo.com/la-expo-attendee-registration

ZEISS CONTINUES TO INNOVATE WITH NEW CP.3 PRIME LENSES, WOW!

   Not to long ago we were fortunate enough to be loaned CP.2 Primes from ZEISS for an important documentary shoot about the Deepwater Horizon disaster. DSLR's were new on the scene and ZEISS was right there from the beginning to provide the best glass in that arena. Now enter the new CP.3 with a versatile field changeable mount, be it ARRI PL, SONY E-Mount, CANON EF and more!

The new eXtended Data Technology (XD),  offers information about the lens’s distortion and shading characteristics and are monitored and shared in real-time!

XD enables crew members on set, with the ability to monitor lens settings in real-time, complete with pre-vis modified images and included search functions and data wrangling. In post, the XD data helps with everything, including fine-tuning, editing, color grading, visual effects, virtual and augmented reality, multi-cam live productions, and projection or 3-D imaging. So in our opinion if you want to bypass obsolescence then the XD enable CP.3 primes are the way to go. 

PRODUCT HIGHLIGHTS

• Covers Full-Frame Format
  
• ARRI PL Mount
• T2.1 to T22 Aperture Range
• Geared Focus and Iris Control Rings
• Clickless Iris Ring
• 14-Blade Iris
• Classic Zeiss Image Rendering
• Improved Ergonomics Over Last-Gen CP.2
• New Lens Coatings for Reduced Flaring
• Lens Scale Marked in Feet or Meters 

STANDBY as we are hoping to get a set of these primes and shoot test footage on a Canon 5D Mark IV, SONY Fs5 and F55 cameras! So be sure to check back with us shortly.

Servo Control for DSLR Lenses ZOOM IRIS FOCUS like an ENG camera!

OK so here at OTW we shoot a lot of LIVE Performances and the big dilemma is always pinning down the LONG LENS rig for Close ups from the last row near the back of the venue. We usually get stuck with an expensive and lower resolution camera mainly a 1080i or 1080P capable camera using a B4 type lens. An even more expensive solution involves aSony B4 adapter for one of our F55 cameras. 

So in looking for a more economical method we began our search for a DSLR based solution. We have a CANON 5D Mark III and Mark IV (4K) cameras with several varieties of Canon EF L glass telephoto lenses like 70-200, 100-400 with 1.4 and 2x extenders. so with focal lengths in the 100-800mm range we had what we needed on the camera/lens side. So now we had to nail down the ENG/Servo type solution...what is available to solve this problem? Well we did some deep digging around and found these products:

From Alister Chapman - FOCUS, IRIS and ZOOM CONTROL !

"So here’s a little something I have been working on. This was born out of necessity and the reality of shooting 4K ENG style with a large sensor camera. Like many I needed a zoom lens with a good zoom range. 10x zoom was my minimum. While you can get some very nice PL zoom lenses, for example the Fujinon Cabrio 19-90mm this is only a 4.7x zoom. There are higher ratio zooms like the beautiful Angenieux 24 to 290, but this is a massive lens requiring a massive tripod and not at all suitable for ENG or handheld shooting. Sony F3 and F5/F55 users do have the option of the Sony SCL-Z18X140 which is an 18mm to 240mm servo zoom. It’s a good lens, not fast (f3.5 – f6.3) but useful, but quite a lot of money for such slow lens that is clearly based on DSLR optics. So, what about a DSLR lens? Well that’s what I started to look at, there’s plenty of choice, including the Tamron 18-270 a nice and useful 15x zoom range (just be aware that the Tamron’s focus back to front compared to most broadcast and film lenses). There are also the Canon and Sigma 18-250mm lenses."  

So as of this date the product is still unavailable! To read more click here .

ZACUTO: CONTROL GRIP and Z Motor:

The Control Grip was inspired by Zacuto’s Next Generation Recoil shoulder mounted rigs that place your camera over or behind your shoulder for perfect balance and comfort. This more traditional style of rig pushes focus, monitoring, and camera control further forward, creating a lighter and shorter rig. The Control Grip is a comfortable handgrip that offers the operator the ability to start and stop the camera, has three programmable camera function buttons, and a joystick for full menu operation on most cameras. Add the optional Z-Motor for a rocker servo zoom and iris control that uses only two cables, no control boxes, and has a self powered battery that lasts all day. The Control Grip is the most user friendly camera/lens control system on the market.

Rachel at Zacuto and we will get a close look at their control grip and see  the full set of features of this new product scheduled to ship this Summer!  Most of you are familiar with the high quality of Zacuto products and how they stand behind them. We have tested many of their products in the field including when they sent us DSLR support gear during our filming of the Deepwater Horizon disaster and I have to say I was very impressed with their products back then as well as today. So more to come after NAB..



MOVO:A SHIPPING SOLUTION

So we did find one company shipping a product and remarkably for under $400.00. The MOVO MFF400 Premium motorized follow focus and zoom control video shoulder rig! You can check them out HERE. They even have a lower cost product and both are available on Amazon.com. A Movo unit is on the way for testing and we'll let you know how it goes.



There actually were several solutions out there but most of them no longer ship similar product? One has to ask why and we can only assume that either:
A. These products were too early for market
B. Product demand is minimal ?? Seems hard to believe especially now with so many DSLR cameras being put to work!

Here's a few of them and a youtube link to product info on most of them:

TURRET "Zoom" for DSLR
Viztool HandiZoom
Eurocrane DSLR Zoom/Focus Remote System.
Several are of the DIY category using parts from Arduino, Celestron and other sources so if you're handy it's probably worth checking out and building your own solution.

THE MAKING OF A DOCUMENTARY on the DEEPWATER HORIZON DISASTER.

Preface:
"My intention in this particular story is to invite you into the world of documentary filmmaking! The Gulf of Mexico set the stage and off we went to work with some of the greatest on screen talent, researchers and scientists to capture the story of the worse environmental disaster ever to occur in the United States.So with limited crew,  myself and Mike deGruy, we set off on what was to be the first of many stops along 1500 miles of coast along the Gulf states.  So sit back and enjoy this first part of our epic journey!! 

Back in 2012 I had the privilege to work as a DP and AD in the Gulf of Mexico aboard the US NAVY and WHOI Research Vessel ATLANTIS! It was a journey beyond comprehension. Along with Mike deGruy we were heading out to capture the worse environmental disaster in the history of the U.S., the Deepwater Horizon tragedy. What we saw, captured and accomplished went far beyond what my imagination could ever conjure.

Using my Canon 5D MII and a Zacuto rig to capture Alvin in the hangar.

From our home base in Santa Barbara the prep work went on for almost 8 weeks. Funding, organizing, storyboarding the impossible. Sorting though our existing gear some of which was generously and thoughtfully donated by several sponsors. Some of the prep work included testing our underwater cams and housings by jumping into our freezing cold swimming pool  to to trips up and down the coast meeting with the experts on and expressing our concerns with their gear. This was to be a journey unlike any other film based project I had ever taken on and a complete and thorough understanding of what our gear was capable of was mandatory. Looking back I can say we pushed all of it and ourselves to the extreme limits of culpable, capable and how far before breakable. In the ALVIN all gear had to be smoke tested before it was allowed to take the voyage along with us to ver 5000 ft deep into the oceans abyss! Our knowledge and our equipment would play a vital role in our well being as well as the community we worked with aboard Atlantis.

Arriving late afternoon at the dock with our 22 Pelican cases which included the proverbial kitchen sink, we began our voyage into documenting the worse environmental disaster ever to occur in our beloved oceans. Up we went in a cargo net ready to start the daunting task of unpacking and organizing all the gear.

Off to our quarters and into our bunk beds, thinking about my wife and our 11 year old son Drake! This was to be the only night I can remember getting a miraculous 4 hours of undisturbed sleep for the next two months as our journey in the Gulf began. Hmm Mike's coughing... but finally slumbered off.  The lulling from the ships engines humming through the steel hull we headed out to sea in the wee hours just past midnite.

Woke up just shy of 4am to a brisk, chilly negative ion charged atmosphere with a positive effect. Day one had begun... I'm hungry and ready to go, off to the mess hall! After a 4am bowl of cheerios it was off to deck 3. All our gear unpacked and sitting on top of skid proof pads the assembly began. This was the age of the mighty tiny camera, the DSLR, support gear from innovative companies like Canon and new companies like Kessler and Zacuto. Jibs, Sliders, stabilizers, shoulder rigs, loupes, lenses, filters, laptops, RAID drives, batteries, LED panels, POV's, Diving masks with built-in lights and waterproof HD cams, bulletproof POVs from CONTOUR and GoPro, HiHats, Mounts, mics, field recorders. You name it we had it. By weI mean just Mike and I! Hey Mike was the vibrant on-camera talent and at times, hmmm several times, we'd have  three, yes three cameras trained on the scene at hand. Remember this is a DOCUMENTARY, things are set in motion over which most of the time you have ZERO control so you better be rolling on all to capture it from all angles and all at a microscopic moments notice! What I wouldn't have given for a remote control for the remote cameras. POV's MacGyvered all over the place including the A Frame crane that lifted the ALVIN Deep Submersible Vehicle from the deck of the boat and at times into the sea! From climbing ropes and ladders with the Boson watching my back those little POV camera mounts had to be rock steady and securely mounted in place.

OK we have been summoned to a safety meeting and off we go...