Bionic hand shot on the 7D

Bionic reconstruction from Johnnie Behiri on Vimeo.

Check out the full gear list at Cinema5D

More fuel for the discussion of user experience: "iPhone Might Kill DSLRs? Um, Not Quite"

Article at: Photography Bay

Camera phones won't replace DSLRS. What the vice president of Nokia meant to say is that camera phones will replace pocket point and shoot cameras. If you remember back to my first post on user experience, it's how it works, not what it can do that is most important to many working professionals.

Hybrid tripod for hybrid cameras

Manfrotto Photo-Movie Head by Drew Gardner from Manfrotto on Vimeo.


From the makers themselves:





My only concern is that there seems to be limited movement available to the camera in the photo mode. It seems as if the camera can tip to the left but not the right because of the design of the head. Maybe I'll have to investigate in person...unless Manfrotto would like to send a sample our way! Here at the Lab, we could really use a hybrid tripod, especially with the increase in the amount of HDSLR animation we're doing.

Old Tyme

If I Was The Sun from Ryan Hargrave on Vimeo.

USB Follow Focus for Canon DSLRs

Up until now, DSLR shooters have been modifying their DSLR rigs with a traditional lens gear based follow focus systems. Now, through Okii Systems comes a $400 USB solution. While its actual design might need work to feel more like a traditional follow focus, this system would allow for digital control of the lens during shooting.

The biggest visible limitation for the device is that there is no rail mount, but above all else, we're seeing innovation that will only help DSLR shooters and push the manufacturers to develop the technology further.

Canon love.

Dragon Stop Motion

In preparation for upgrading our animation program, I've spent time exploring Dragon Stop Motion software. Currently, we've been using iStop Motion from Boinx with SD camcorders. In an effort to match the output quality of our animation program to our other classes, we're moving to HD. While iStop Motion is a simple software with a clean interface (one-button-capture/live preview) it's HD offerings were zero and iStop Motion Pro 2 is not much better. iStop has a preference for HDV camcorders and has very little support for other camera systems, specifically no Live View from video capabale SLRs. Live view is one of the most important features during the actual animation process.

I had first encountered Dragon Stop Motion during our Spring 09 semester and decided to give it a try. Everything from the interface options to the camera control was outstanding. Its Cinematography Window allows the user to control shutter speed, aperature and ISO directly from the computer (requires a DSLR). Using one of our Canon EOS Rebel T2i's I made a few short test clips and really got to experience a lot of what the software had to offer. The image below was captured through the Rebel using the test shot feature in the Cinematography Window:

 Click on above the image for an expanded view at 5184×3456

Dragon Stop Motion allows for Live Preview by locking the mirror of a video capable DSLR. With clever/intuitive features, a logical file organization system and updated camera support, Dragon surpasses my expectations. I'll continue to experiment with the software, but the love affair has begun - a romance if you will.

Vincent Laforet

After posting about the Canon Expo I wanted to go a bit further in depth about Vincent Laforet. Starting out as a photojournalist, Mr. Laforet spent years telling stories through a single image. After moving towards motion capture with the advent of the Canon EOS 5DmII, we have the opportunity to see how a photographer can tell a story with motion. We're moving past one image to tell a story and now telling smaller pieces of a larger story with multiple shots and movement.

Here are some samples of his photojournalist work:

And some fantastic tilt-shift photography(which started the trend and led to an iPhone photo filter):

And then there was video:




This video was viewed so many times (in the millions) when it first appeared on Canon's website that it crashed their servers.

Canon Expo (Sept 2-3, 2010)

I spent the end of last week attending the Canon Expo at the Jacob K. Javits Center. The show was much less about Canon's new technology itself and more about it's practical integration into the workplace and creative industries. There were some interesting technologies on display, such as Canon's new 4k consumer video camera as well as new projection systems, on-site printing presses and 3D technology.

Most interesting to me were the seminars featuring industry professionals. Alex Buono the director of Saturday Night Live's video production arm spoke in great detail about the use of HDSLR technology on the show. Vincent Laforet spoke later in the day about his work with the Canon EOS 5DmII and his move from photojournalist to filmmaker/director.

 From left to right: Vincent Laforet, Alex Buono, Steven Poster and unknown. Photo: Russell Peborde.

On the second day I took part in a seminar featuring a panel of cinematographers, including Buono and Laforet who continued to speak on the application of HDSLRs and what they mean for the industry. They spoke of the cameras as learning tools for aspiring cinematographers and as a tool and a resource for cinematographers already in the field. The importance of the Canon line of HDSLRs as teaching tools has not entirely been explored and is a topic I will be discussing in more detail in future posts.

HDR Video!

Check out this sample of HDR video technology.



HDR Video Demonstration Using Two Canon 5D mark II's from Soviet Montage on Vimeo.