The new Sony NEX F3 camera has been announced. The feature set is very similar to the popular Sony NEX 5N. This entry level interchangeable lens camera packs a punch with 60 fps in full 1920 X 1080 HD. It is also super cheap at just under $600 with the 18-55mm kit lens. The only major drawback I can see is the lack of interchangeable batteries. This would be a huge misstep for Sony.

Correction: There is a removable battery. The camera has an internal battery charger. A external battery charger is not included in the $600 kit price. That could be a bonus for travel.

Here is a rip from the Slash Gear post.

Follow @goforjared

“The NEX-F3 has many of the features that we saw in the leaks last month: a 16.1 megapixel sensor, 18-55mm lens, 180-degree tilting screen, pop-up flash in the body, and 1080p/24 video recording. The camera is designed to replace the NEC-C3 which will reportedly be phased out in the near future. It’s not as fast as the NEX-5N, but otherwise has a similar feature set with a 1/4000 shutter speed and a max ISO of 16,000. A word of warning though: there’s no external charger, and you have to send power to the camera over microUSB. A full charge apparently takes around five hours.”

Product Highlights

• 16.1Mp Exmor APS HD CMOS Sensor
• Tilting 3.0″ LCD Display
• BIONZ Image Processor
• Full 1080/60i/24p HD Video Capture
• Up to 5.5 FPS Continuous Shooting
• 3D Sweep Panorama viewable on 3DTVs
• Optical SteadyShot Image Stabilization
• Auto HDR and Dynamic Range Optimizer
• Accepts Sony E-Mount Lenses
• Adaptor Accepts Sony A-Mount Lenses

Source: Slash Gear, BH Photo.

Philip Bloom checking out the Kessler Crane Shuttle Pod Mini in NYC

High-speed and time-lapse are sort of the opposite but make a great pair to write about.  One is hundreds of stills recorded per second and the other is generally one frame per second or longer.  I chose to write about both as both are of great interest to me.

I have had a lot of opportunity to shoot with high-speed cameras for well over a decade now with my first experience being on a Photo-Sonics ActionMaster 16mm which shot film at 500fps using 400′ mags.  It only gave you about 30 seconds per mag but at the time there wasn’t any other way to shoot high-speed outside of film.  Since that time I have been blessed to use other high-speed cameras from companies like RedLake, Teledyne, Vision Research, Fastec Imaging, etc.  I have also had the opportunity to train people on the Phantom Flex and Fastec TS3Cine which has been a great experience to show everyone just how easy it is to use.

Basically the way true high-speed cameras work is they use a buffer system that is RAM based that you trigger to record an event.  This event is temporary and then needs to be told where its permanent home is.  Usually the camera will have a built in or removable storage system that you then dump that event to.  You also have the option of sending that event out of the cameras video output (HD-SDI or HDMI) to go to an external recorder.  Ideally you want to take the event that is recorded (an image stack) and go to the built in or removable storage on the camera in a RAW format or the highest quality setting you can.  If you keep the group of stills (image stack) intact as stills you have greater flexibility in post production to then change the video frame-rate, adjust color temp, etc.  So for example if you are shooting with a Phantom Flex for a commercial or feature, you would want to take the .cine files and use Glue Tools software to convert the files, etc.  If you shoot with the TS3Cine ideally you would dump from the buffer in the camera to the built in SSD as Cinema DNG RAW files (DNG image stack).  You would then take those files into After Effects, Resolve, etc to leverage your image as best possible.  The Sony NEX-FS700U handles high-speed in a different way.  Instead of giving you an image stack or RAW .Cine, etc files you get an AVCHD file that is whatever frame rate you set the camera to (example 23.98, 29.97, etc) Once the frame rate is selected you cannot change it later in post and the video is baked if you will, meaning it is what it is.  AVCHD does not correct in post as well as a RAW file, but the FS700 is a great option for lower budgets that do not require a specialized camera.  I was able to use and shoot with the FS700 last week and played with the 240, 480 and 960fps frame rates.  240fps looked very good and was 1080p but 480 and 960 use line skipping and doubling from much lower resolutions to achieve these speeds.  This works much like the Casio cameras but at a better quality level.  Weiscam HS2, Phantom Flex (Miro, Gold, 65, etc), and Fastec cameras all use their native resolutions throughout their frame rates and do not use line skipping and doubling to achieve their frame rates.  This means there is no interpolation or artifact and they maintain the details in the image. One thing that the FS700 does have over them is that it is a day to day use camera which these are not.  All these cameras have their pros and cons and I am glad that there is high-speed for every budget.  I will not get into if high-speed is overused or will become “tired” etc as the audience will judge what is done with these cameras.  I suspect there will be hundreds of face slapping videos coming out when the F700 is released to the public but have a feeling that will go away quickly and cool content will follow.

Time-lapse.  I got into time-lapse at the beginning of this year, when everyone said it was done to death.  I had all the gear, the motion control, etc to make a great time-lapse but was stuck in 24fps and high-speed doing commercial work, marketing videos, etc.  I missed out on what some say was a trend and overdone, etc.  Me not caring decided I would learn time-lapse while others focused on high-speed.  In my early 20′s I had done a few stop-go claymations shot on a Bolex and with super 8 cameras like the Canon 814, Braun Nizo’s, etc.  I had always loved animation and the idea of capturing a subject at 1 or 2fps instead of 24 or 30 had always been appealing.  You can make the most ordinary subject come to life when shot at one frame at a time over an expanded period.  I have always loved photography so time-lapse and stop motion always felt natural.  Having had a 5DMKII since it was available I am amazed I had not tried it before. Its a lot of work but well worth the reward in the end.  I think because it is tedious that many avoid it or dislike it.  Spending 15 minutes to a full day to capture a 30 second event requires major dedication and most of all patience.

Mid last year I had seen a few videos from experts like Tom Lowe of www.Timescapes.org , Shawn Reeder, Preston Kanak, Philip Bloom, Eric Hines, Steve Bumgardner and Tyler Ginter to name a few so I decided to use the equipment I already owned and finally just do it. I did a simple test but decided if I was going to shoot time-lapse I might as well go big or go home so I hatched a plan to shoot a project that would require several months and seasons to complete. This is how the idea for Operation Origami was born. I have been working on this project with my girlfriend Heather @miss_h_bomb for the past five months using motion control by Kessler Crane (Stealth, Philip Bloom Pocket Dolly, the Shuttle Pod).  For cameras we have decided to go a little traditional and non-traditional using most of what is currently in the market today. Outside of the obvious Canon 5DMKII and MKIII we have used the C300, F3, FS100, Go Pro Hero 2, Arri Alexa, XF105, AF100, Epic X, etc.  For locations we have shot in NYC, Vegas, Boston, NH and are shooting a scene in LA.  From city streets to mountain tops and ocean sides, its been a project of the heart which is why I do not care if time-lapse is considered passe, etc.  I have learned a lot about lenses, camera motion from a frame at a time point of view, and more importantly about being prepared and the art of patience.  What these guys (time-lapse shooters) do is amazing and keeps me in a state of wonderment.

High-speed and time-lapse are both great additives to standard cinematography.  They also stand on their own and with the right artist behind the story, directing, cinematography, editing and color they can make for some fascinating works of art.  I will continue to use both regardless of what others say. Be true and focus on what you want to do and show.  Personally I can’t get enough of either.

Mike Sutton @MNS1974

Follow @MNS1974

p.s. Full disclosure, I work for a company that sells both the TS3Cine, Sony FS700U, and Canon line.  We also rent the Phantom Flex and Alexa Plus with 120fps option so I am biased.

Camera movement is something we all take for granted this past half decade.  We used to have bigger cameras, heavy dollies, camera cranes etc that required a large crew to man and rig. Cameras now of course are much smaller, lighter and allow us to get shots we couldn’t with say a MovieCam Compact or a Arri 4BLs.  Because cameras have changed so much we have access to tools to help move the camera in ways we never could before.  New filmmakers who haven’t been in the business past this last decade have an almost unlimited amount of options to get the camera from point A to point B. There were a handful of should mount rigs, reason being that most cameras already had that form factor built in.

Dollies (forward/backward, side-to-side) :

Back in the day, dollies where the only way to do a tracking shot unless you had a lot of money or knew a Steadicam Operator.  Setting up dolly track was a long and tedious process.  Laying down heavy steel track, unloading the Fisher dolly off the truck, etc required more than two people and required a lot of space. Renting a dolly was expensive.  Dollies featured hydraulic booming, crabbing wheels, etc.  Even a doorway dolly took up at least 3 feet of space and could barely move through a doorway.  Setting up a tracking shot in an small apartment for example wasn’t doable unless you built a pipe dolly or your own contraption to make it happen. Now we have great options from companies like Kessler Crane, Camblock, Ditto Gear, etc.  Shots I used to use a Mathews doorway dolly for in the past, I now do with a Kessler Crane Shuttle Pod System or K-Pod Dolly with flexi track.  Set up takes less than 10 minutes and transport is simple and easy.  I no longer use a truck to transport my camera support instead I load up my car and still have ample room.

Steadicam (any direction including slight booming shots):

Not many people had access to a Steadicam.  Fifteen years ago there were really only two Steadicam options.  Steadicam brand and George Paddock Industries GPI.  For the most part you couldn’t rent a Steadicam rig as no one dire hired and the rigs were significantly bigger and heavier (since pro cameras were 15-65lbs).  The other major reason was that Steadicam operating is a high end skill that requires extensive training and practice.  So the option was to hire a Steadicam Operator with a rig and their assistant.  This was expensive. I know as I am a Steadicam Operator for over 15 years.  After the Steadicam patent ran out it opened the doors to other companies to make rigs.  Glidecam, XCS, MK-V, GPI, Movcam, etc started making rigs and opened up the offerings.  At the same time cameras started to become more compact, the quality improved and they became lighter.  This allowed Steadicam and other stabilizer rigs to become lighter, easier to use and much more affordable to the masses.  A Steadicam rig back in 1997 was $60,000 +.  A Steadicam now a days is as little as $599.  It was only the past four years that cameras like the 5D MKII allowed for very light weight rigs like the Glidecam 1000-4000HD series to become viable options for smooth run and gun shooting.

Shoulder Mount Rigs (for mobile semi-stabilization):

Cameras film and video had a much different form factor of the cameras of today.  Cameras like the Aaton XTR Prod, Arri SR2, and others had magazines that extended that balanced out the weight of a lens and matte box on the front of the camera.  Due to that fact a shoulder mount rig really wasn’t needed.  Cameras also had Arri Rosettes so you could attach handles to the camera body.  Cameras these days lack these features and tend to be front heavy and lack ergonomics for shoulder mounting.  Now a days there are over 20 shoulder mount systems and more being manufactured everyday to make up for the lack of rig-ability, form factor and balance.  Zacuto, Red Rock Mico, Shape and Letus being the major stand outs in this group.  Almost every shooting including myself use a combination of a few different companies to make the best solution for their style of shooting and accessory rigging needs.

Cranes and Jibs (booming up/down, side-to-side:

Cranes and jibs were beasts till about 15 years ago.  Camera cranes were clunky, huge, heavy and required a crane operator in most cases.  They were meant to hold much heavier cameras and in many cases a camera operator w/AC or robotic head.  Crane shots were almost unheard of in independent films unless you built one yourself or knew someone.  Jibs were also fairly heavy duty and were far and few between.  There were only a few companies that made them and there were expensive.  Now we have Kessler Crane, Glidecam, Libec, Matthews, etc making affordable solutions for today’s cameras.  Jibs and cranes also are now made with space and storage confinements as considerations in mind.  They fold up, pack tight and can fit in most passenger cars.

Robotic Heads (pan/tilt and sometimes roll):

Robotic heads were rare on low budget commercials and features. There were only a few options and they had to be rented out of LA, NYC, Miami or Chicago.  No one I knew owned a Power pod or Libra head or anything close.  Usually these were two axis heads and you could add a third axis for a large price jump.  These heads were over $60,000 and required a skilled operator to use them.  With improvements in technology and lighter cameras the doors have been opened up.  You can now buy a robotic head with a controller for under $2,000 which is amazing when you think about it.  You can repeat shots and do basic motion control for 1/30th of the cost.  Now everyone can set up decent composite shots that were unattainable even ten years ago outside of having a Hollywood budget.

With all the tools we have now have available and at prices that most can afford there is no reason why we can’t have fluid and dynamic shots on projects of every budget.  Take advantage of these tools and use them wisely.  Most of us would have had to put aside a decent portion of the budget to get the perfect crane, steadicam or dolly shot.  We can do this for next to nothing now that rental companies and friends all own this once unattainable gear.

Mike Sutton @MNS1974

Follow @MNS1974

We have a limited supply of these cold shoe adapters for the Sony NEX 5N camera. The adapter is made of aluminum with a black hard coat anodizing that is scratch resistant. One small set screw is included with a velvet carry pouch. The WOC Sony NEX 5N cold shoe adapter is $35.00 US with free shipping for US customers only.

The DSLR revolution has been beneficial to most starting out in the business and to existing working professionals it has caused some distention.  Affordable, compact, high quality cameras have opened up doors to many and has encroached on the turf of others. We have always seen the jack of all trades filmmaker in our business.  The director/actor/writer/DP/camera operator/composer/editor/producer, etc etc etc has been around for decades but this amalgamation of roles has certainly become more prevalent over the past two years.

Now its great as a beginner or the only game in town to diversify your portfolio of offerings.  It will help you find your niche in the end and in the interim will make you some dough to get you started on your way.  What it doesn’t allow you to do however is to become something more.  Someone of high demand, a way to stand out of the crowd.  I am often asked by many how they can break into the business and make a living as a shooter, director, editor etc.  My response is always the same.  You need to specialize.  You need to offer something others do not.  Everyone can offer twenty different roles with a varying degree of mediocrity, but reality is we all know that expert ________ who is the resident pro at what they do.  Be it the professional crane operator in town, the Steadicam go to guy, the Resolve or Smoke editor in midtown, etc.

You need to find your calling in a time where everyone claims to be an expert at every aspect of filming.  In the world I live in only a focused professional gets the gig and when they do its at a prime rate.  There is no bartering rates as a specialized pro. Your rate is your rate and because there is only a handful of you (the expert) doing it the rates are protected in your field.  I happen to be a jack of all trades who happens to specialize in two categories.  Steadicam and high-speed.  Yes I have been a DP, shot rigger, editor, producer, director, yada yada yada in the past, but there are a few things that I do well and decided I needed to focus on what the clients know me for and what I excel at.  By specializing in Steadicam for example, I have been able to command a rate of $3,500/day that includes my rig and myself operating.  I do not dry hire and I do not work for a penny less.  The reality is that as a specialist I am afforded, and take advantage of the fact, that I am one of a select few in my state (New England area) that offer Steadicam services.  Having been established over the past 15 years as an operator, calls come to me.  I do not have to hustle and ask for work.  When a steadicam job comes to town, they call me and four other guys, not fifty etc.  They also do not call jack of all trades or guys who have operated steadicam and could probably pull off the shots.  This is just one example of why you should have a focus on what you do.

There is a great opportunity for you to take advantage of the playing field and become an expert.  Look at what you enjoy and what you would like to do for a career or focus and go full force.  Becoming a high-speed specialist or tech is a great example.  There is a very limited amount of high-speed techs and operators, which means big money opportunities for you.  Train up or buy the piece of equipment you want to focus and be expert on and live, breath and obsess on it as much as possible.  Make it your everything.  How do you do this?  Take a job at a rental house or make friends with someone who has the equipment you want to be proficient at.  Offer your time even if its free to get whatever time you can with the gear you want to master.  Do whatever you can to be “one with the trade” you are planning to be the resident pro at.  Couple that with a focus on verbal, social and event marketing to get your name out there and in a matter of no time you will be the go to guy (or gal) at _________.

The business is becoming clouded with people who all claim to be pros at everything in the business.  The few who stand out are the ones who are undoubtedly unquestioned in their knowledge set and making real money in the business.  Yes you can make money being a “do it all” but the reality is that its only a fraction of what you true earning potential and professional potential yields.  Look to industry vets and others and think about why there are where they are and why everyone calls on them when they need a professional.  Stop bargaining yourself down and driving down the rates for everyone. Its a temporary solution that will pigeonhole you into a hack of all trades role.  Time to be taken seriously.  Save the do it all roles for personal projects and focus professionally on paid gigs. Don’t be a hatchet man (or woman).

Mike Sutton @MNS1974

Follow @MNS1974

Follow @goforjared

Here is a funny little interview with Harris.

Click here to check it out.

Follow @goforjared

“Coumba and her little sister Debo are the first to leave their family’s remote African village — where meals are prepared over open fires, water drawn from wells and baobab trees dominate the landscape — to attend school in the bustling city.

When an accident threatens the family’s survival, their father plans to sell Debo into an arranged marriage. Torn between deep-rooted traditions and her dreams for the future, Coumba hatches a secret plan to rescue Debo from a fate she did not choose.

Inspired by true stories and the first feature film in the Pulaar language, Tall as the Baobab Treepoignantly depicts a family struggling to find their footing at the edge of the modern world… where questions of right and wrong are not always black and white.

This the first full length feature directed by Jeremy Teicher, a finalist in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences 38th Annual Student Academy Awards.”

 

Click here to check out the website for “Tall As The BaoBab Tree”.

Here is a little BTS of the crew shooting in Africa.

Tall as the Baobab Tree – Behind the Scenes from Jeremy Teicher on Vimeo.

Follow @goforjared

]]>