Hands-On Video Review: PhotoJoseph Tests The DJI Spark

Making spectacular images—“tiny planets”—with the mini-drone

PhotoJoseph

You’ve seen them before, those really cool images dubbed “tiny planets,” where your immediate surroundings are wrapped around a sphere into an impossibly small “planet” hovering in the sky! Typically produced by 360˚ cameras, they now can be generated by drones—specifically, the DJI Spark. I had an absolute blast this week flying the drone... Read more

Panasonic LUMIX GH5 Hands-On Review

With the release of firmware update 2.1, it seems like the right time for a detailed report on the 20.3-megapixel mirrorless camera that shoots 4K video

Jordan Drake

I’ve been a huge fan of the Panasonic GH mirrorless camera series almost as long as I’ve been producing TCSTV. As someone who regularly jumps between stills and video capture, yet focuses on video professionally, the concept of a capable stills camera that is optimized for high-end video production has always appealed me. I’ve used the GH3 and... Read more

Nikon D850 Hands-On Field Test

With the usability and image quality the D850 can provide video shooters and Nikon’s intent to deliver a pro mirrorless camera, videographers and cinematographers finally have a great reason to hang on to their Nikkor lenses

Jordan Drake

I’ve always been a huge fan of Nikon’s DSLRs for photography, but as far as using them for video capture is concerned, calling myself ambivalent would be generous. I’ve tried several times to shoot TCSTV episodes with Nikon cameras, but I’ve always come away frustrated with their operation and underwhelmed by the final image. With that background,... Read more

Action Camera Roundup For Video

With video quality increasing, today’s action cameras are finding their place in productions

David Schloss

Editor’s Note: This piece first appeared in our May/June issue and reflects the products available at the time of publication. The recent big introductions in this market include the GoPro HERO6 Black and Sony RX0 cameras. GoPro HERO6 Black When Felix Baumgartner stepped off of a floating platform at the edge of space in 2012, seven GoPro cameras... Read more

Hands-On Review: Sony RX10 Mark IV

This marvel of miniaturization features a 1-inch sensor, and combined with the speed of the Sony a9, you can easily fill an SD card and get your shot

DL Byron

It was just about a year ago that I reviewed the Sony RX10 Mark III for another publication. I was impressed then and even more impressed now. That’s because this update adds the a9 image processing to a compact body already chock full of Sony’s tech. If you consider the camera for more than the specs and where it sits in the marketplace, it’s... Read more

Revisiting NAB 2017

A look back at some of the best new products we saw at the industry’s leading trade show, a number of which we’ve since had a chance to review hands-on

David Schloss

Canon EOS C700 We’re taking a look back at some of the new products we got to check out at NAB 2017. We’ve since had a chance to review a number of them hands-on since this article appeared in print, so look for the links throughout this article. The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) Show in Las Vegas is a massive, sprawling affair each... Read more

Blackmagic URSA Mini Pro 4.6K

A look at the camera that ushers the company (back) into a new era of cinematography

David Schloss

When Blackmagic Design branched out from development of their color-editing and video-processing software to announce the Blackmagic Cinema Camera, few realized that it would signify the beginning of a range of video camera systems that would come to capture a large part of the budget-minded high-end cine and video space. The new Blackmagic URSA Mini... Read more

Slimming Down Your Video Kit

How to do more with less for one-man-band and small-crew shoots

Dan Brockett

Sony a7R II I recently had a conversation with a videographer who was searching for cases for his lighting kit. When I asked what kinds of lights he wanted to bring on his shoots and what kind of shooting he did, he replied that he was looking for just the right case to hold his ARRI 650w, 300w and 150w Fresnels, as well as two Lowel Rifa lights. In... Read more

Sony a9 Image Samples And Autofocus Review

We evaluate the images from the Sony a9 and its autofocus performance

David Schloss

The new Sony a9 camera arrived in a flurry of promises of image quality, autofocus speed and performance. When we tested the Sony a9 at the company’s media event, we found that the camera largely lived up to those promises. In my first testing of the camera, at two different sporting locations, we found that the AF was generally spot on, with the... Read more

Hands On With The Blackmagic Micro Cinema Camera

From aerial photography to remote control operation, powerful and versatile features in a tiny and extremely capable dedicated video system

By David Alexander Willis

With RAW video capture, the Blackmagic Micro Cinema Camera is a dream solution for special-purpose video needs, like hiding in a scene or aerial photography. Incredibly compact at external dimensions of only 3.25 x 2.74 x 2.57 inches, the 11-ounce $995 Blackmagic Micro Cinema Camera saw some POV usage on a fast-moving commercial for Mountain Dew recently... Read more

Canon EOS C700 GS PL Cinema Camera Set For July 2017 Release

Featuring a Super 35mm CMOS 4K sensor with a global shutter, the flagship camera is designed for a variety of shooting scenarios, from features to docs to episodic TV

Staff

Canon has announced a July 2017 release date for its flagship EOS C700 GS PL Cinema Camera, joining the EOS C700 EF and EOS C700 PL Digital Cinema cameras, which are available with a rolling shutter. Originally announced in September 2016, the EOS C700 GS PL features a Super 35mm CMOS 4K sensor with a global shutter for cinematographers who need quality... Read more

Blackmagic Design Announces URSA Mini Pro 4.6K Camera (And More)

The highlight of the product announcements is the new full-featured camera, where exceptional digital film image quality meets broadcast camera features

Staff

Blackmagic Design has been busy innovating—again. What’s exciting is the company’s announcement of the new URSA Mini Pro 4.6K camera, which marries exceptional digital film image quality with broadcast camera features, built-in ND filters, an interchangeable lens mount and more for a wide variety of applications. Among its many imaging features... Read more