A look at the most innovative digital cinema gear that hit the market in 2020
Daniel Brockett
2020 was an unprecedented year for video professionals both in terms of the disruption to our industry and the technology available to us. The new production tools introduced this year have been unexpectedly groundbreaking, and we’re excited to highlight what we think are the most interesting and helpful tools for video and filmmakers. We’re going... Read more
Camera and digital imaging companies are delivering some impressive products
Text & Photography By Terry Sullivan
This image was captured with Fujifilm’s X-Pro3 mirrorless camera, a camera that emphasizes the process of shooting photographs.
2020 has been a challenging year for the camera industry and the photography world, to say the least, particularly as the effects from the coronavirus pandemic continue to be felt in so many parts of the world economy. It’s... Read more
How a new, versatile, compact OM-D camera body performed in the tropics
By Terry Sullivan
This past February, I traveled to the beautiful tropical Central American country of Costa Rica with Olympus to try out its latest mirrorless camera, the Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III. (This was more than a month before the U.S. Department of State issued a Global Level 4 “Do Not Travel” Health Advisory, on March 31, 2020, which advised, “U.S. citizens... Read more
Where does Sony’s latest XDCAM fit in today’s cine market?
Daniel Brockett
One thing Sony tends to do better than many of its competitors in the pro cinema camera market is to read and respond to market segment demand. I know because I’ve owned several Sony cinema cameras over the years and watched how the company has reacted to new technologies and format changes. It’s why Sony has become a powerhouse in the market segment... Read more
There have been quite a few mirrorless cameras introduced over the past 10 months. However, one of the hottest models of the past year in the world of cinema wasn’t a mirrorless camera or a traditional digital cinema camera at all. It was, in fact, a small, rectangular, 2-pound slab of carbon fiber polycarbonate composite known as the Blackmagic Pocket... Read more
The author puts the updated cinema camera to the test by using it in a real-world project
Daniel Brockett
Blackmagic Design introduced the Blackmagic URSA Mini Pro 4.6K G2 in March of 2019, which was a significant update from the original URSA Mini Pro, which was announced two years earlier, in March 2017.
Here’s a brief description of it from Blackmagic Design’s website: “The URSA Mini Pro 4.6K G2 is a next-generation digital film camera with... Read more
Some of the tools introduced this year helped redefine what’s considered ‘the cutting edge’
Daniel Brockett
In 2019, we saw some intriguing developments in the new digital video tools from this season: 6K. Full-frame sensors. Mirrorless cameras and mirrorless disruptors. Internal vs. external RAW. New camera card media formats. Shooting to SSDs. Ultra-bright monitors. In many cases, these technologies and features weren’t available to most just a year or... Read more
An overview of important camera trends and new ways of shooting
Daniel Brockett
It seems green-screen shooting has only grown in popularity in 2019.
I spend probably an unhealthy amount of time reading production forums, discussion boards and social media group forums that focus on production and camera work. For me, it’s a useful way to get a sense of some of the current as well as coming trends.
Below, I describe some of the... Read more
If you’re going to go with a one-man band approach, follow these tips and suggestions
Text & Photography by Daniel Brockett
This shoot pushed the limits of how much gear I could set up and manage solo.
An interesting and significant by-product of the digital revolution is that most of the gear used today to create television and film is now significantly lighter, smaller, less expensive and higher-quality than anyone could have imagined 15 or 20 years ago.
Many of us are... Read more
The Fujifilm X-T3 paired with the FUJINON XF16mmF1.4 WR lens.
There have been specific mirrorless cameras that have become popular with DPs and cinematographers shooting on various projects, particularly films that have limited budgets. Sony’s a7R III and Panasonic’s Lumix GH5 and GH5S are among the most notable. But some, like me, have found that... Read more