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

Hands-On Review: LaCie 2big Dock Thunderbolt 3—2big To Be Ignored

To have this much capacity at this speed, with dock functions and without breaking the bank, it’s easy to be excited about storage

Michael Guncheon

I like storage. I really do. Most of the projects I work on are shot in 4K and beyond, so storage is important. It doesn’t help that directors don’t have much incentive to say “cut” as they might have done when they shot on film. A recent project tied up nearly 18 terabytes of storage during finishing. I’m always on the lookout for more storage.... Read more

Hands-On Review: Interfit Honey Badger Strobe

A tough, lightweight and powerful strobe/head lighting unit. Oh, and it’s bright yellow.

Chris X Carroll

A four-foot-wide, brilliant yellow snow shovel sat for several years in the corner of my studio. Without exception, men who saw it would get a kind of gleam in the eye and immediately start asking where I got it, how it was to use, and on and on, no matter the season. Oddly, in the three years I wielded it to great acclaim, not a single woman took the... 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

Smooth Jazz: Manfrotto Nitrotech N8 Video Head And Tripod

The new video head and tripod system drives like an Italian sports car with Anna Magnani at the wheel, and it’s a joy to shoot with

Chris X Carroll

In preparation for getting married, I strode into Barneys and purchased an Armani suit. Just resting on the hanger that fabric is otherworldly, with a drape like nothing else. Then you put it on, and it’s like armor protecting and enhancing your very being. Seriously, I walk differently when I’m wearing it. Way back there at Barneys, when they left... 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

Putting Canon’s Dynamic Lens Duo To Work

The CN-E Compact-Servo zoom lens line expands with the CN-E 70-200mm T4.4 joining the CN-E 18-80mm T4.4

Dan Brockett

I reviewed Canon’s then-brand-new CN-E Compact-Servo 18-80mm T4.4 zoom lens back in January of this year, and I found it to be an innovative take on the Compact-Servo zoom lens, inventing a new category, the low-cost, Compact-Servo AF S35 lens. I had a chance to put a prototype of the Canon CN-E 70-200mm T4.4, the new big brother to the 18-80mm,... Read more