At A Glance: Comodo Orbit

Twin-grip camera rig enables smooth single-shot cinema

By Neil Matsumoto

As you’ve probably noticed, cameras are becoming much smaller, not to mention better. Recently, Freefly Systems’ Mo VI rig transformed the camera movement industry by allowing camera operators to easily capture smooth shots without the need of a Steadicam (or Steadicam operator). Although the compact Mo VI rig has been a revolutionary... Read more

August 2014

Featuring a massive 10-inch viewfinder, four-hour internal battery, wired talkback communication, tally indicators and connections, including balanced XLR, SDI and optical fiber, the Blackmagic Studio Camera is built as an all-in-one, economic camera choice for live productions whether in the studio or in the field.

By The Editors

BLACKMAGIC STUDIO Featuring a massive 10-inch viewfinder, four-hour internal battery, wired talkback communication, tally indicators and connections, including balanced XLR, SDI and optical fiber, the Blackmagic Studio Camera is built as an all-in-one, economic camera choice for live productions whether in the studio or in the field. Available in two... Read more

At A Glance: Manfrotto Spectra LED Lights

Battery-operated LED lights for on-camera use on location or as accent lights in a scene

By David Willis

Manfrotto’s new Spectra family of LED lights is doubly useful as an on-camera light for event and live footage while also serving as very effective battery-operated compact lighting panels that can be hidden easily in a scene for accent lighting or even eye lights. Building on their previous line of Pocket, Mini, Midi and Maxima on-camera LED... Read more

At A Glance: I Can See Clearly Now

SmallHD DP7-PRO LCD

By Neil Matsumoto

A good field monitor is often the best friend a film crew can have. Although an operator is typically looking through the camera’s viewfinder, anyone from a first AC to a director to a script supervisor will check the on-camera field monitor for reference. But if you’re shooting a commercial, a very important person who might occasionally... Read more

Amira Up-Close

Can ARRI’s new doc-style camera capture a new style of nonfiction cinematography?

By Neil Matsumoto

In the cinematography community, there’s cause for celebration anytime ARRI releases a new camera. Founded in Munich, Germany, by August Arnold and Robert Richter in 1917, ARRI has been on the cutting edge of camera and lighting technology for almost 100 years. Cameras like the ARRIFLEX 16BL, SR, 535 and ARRICAM have been workhorses for cinematographers... Read more

June 2014

The AVC-ULTRA recording module is equipped with two expressP2 card slots and two microP2 card slots.

By The Editors

THIRD-GENERATION VARICAM Panasonic‘s latest VariCam HS updates the historic camera series with 12-bit, 4:4:4 AVC-ULTRA video acquisition, as well as efficient ProRes capture and "rampable" high-speed frame rates that promise slow motion at up to 240 fps in full 1080p resolution. The modular design of the VariCam HS includes a MOS 2⁄3"... Read more

Micro Filmmaking

The new low-budget filmmaking category puts motion capture into the hands of the masses

By The Editors

When the Vine video-sharing app was released in 2013, most people dismissed it as a filmmaking application. After all, Vine’s video quality was lousy because of the heavy compression, and you could only capture six seconds of motion. But in the year since its release, it has become the new "snapshot," with filmmakers and companies using... Read more

Glass Candy

The latest prime and zoom lenses for cinema production

By Neil Matsumoto

With high-end digital motion-picture cameras being cycled far more frequently, the window on getting a good return on your big investment is becoming increasingly short for cinematographers and filmmakers. With this in mind, having a good set of prime lenses or an all-purpose cine zoom might be a better bet. And now with 4K becoming the dominant capture... Read more

Out Of The Box

Cutting-edge gear that breaks the mold, but not your budget

By Dan Brockett

We all have our "normal," stock-in-trade tools that are used on a daily basis. You know, the camera and support gear you go to for the majority of your projects. But what about when you want to step outside of your comfort zone a bit, to try something a little different? In this article, we highlight technology that was conceived with a different... Read more

At A Glance: Sony DSC-RX10

A supercharged point-and-shoot video camcorder

By Neil Matsumoto

Do you really need a DSLR nowadays? That’s a question many photographers and video shooters are asking themselves due to the surge of high-quality mirrorless cameras hitting the market, including Sony’s full-frame a7R and Panasonic’s Lumix GH3. Some of the reasons for this surge include the compact size of the cameras due to the lack... Read more

In Their Own Words

Cinematographers discuss their lighting techniques and go-to instruments

By Ian Blair

Here at HDVideoPro, we talk a lot about the latest digital cameras. But ask any cinematographer—good lighting will always trump a good camera system. With artful lighting that serves the story, a great cinematographer can make a DSLR movie look exponentially superior to a novice filmmaker working with an ALEXA or EPIC. Ask cinematographers about... Read more

At A Glance: Zacuto DSLR Recoil Rig

Convert your DSLR or pro camcorder into an ENG solution

By David Alexander Willis

An entire industry has erupted around making video-capable DSLRs more capable for video. The diminutive cameras are ideal for shooting from small areas, but are absolutely uncomfortable for handholding during long takes, as well as difficult to use for fluid camera movements. Zacuto’s DSLR Recoil kit is designed as a shoulder-mount support system... Read more