The Anvil – Hands-On The Blackmagic URSA

Blackmagic’s URSA weighs a ton, but delivers a professional 4K RAW workflow

By Neil Matsumoto

For the past few years, Blackmagic Design has been the most forward-thinking company in the industry, creating innovative cameras, software, i/o devices and more. After purchasing DaVinci Resolve five years ago, in 2012, they released the Blackmagic Cinema Camera—a box-like camera that featured a 2.5K sensor and could capture CinemaDNG RAW files,... Read more

The DSLR Evolution

DSLR, mirrorless and compact camera innovations have created a new generation of accessories for motion capture

By Clint Milby

Back in 2008, Canon released the EOS 5D Mark II, which forever changed the way we shoot video. It was an act of rebellion, as novice and pro shooters alike traded their dedicated video camcorders in lieu of video-enabled DSLRs. Thus, the DSLR Revolution was born, and with it, an entire universe of support gear. Fast-forward six years, and DSLRs are... Read more

Sony a7S

Could the $2,500 compact camera be the king of dynamic range and sensitivity?

By Neil Matsumoto

Main Features Of The Sony a7S • Full-frame image sensor (35.8×23.9mm) • Wide ISO sensitivity (ISO 200-409,600) for movies • Captures 15.3 stops of latitude • Captures XAVC S files at 50 Mb/s • S-Log2 gamma expands dynamic range by up to 1300% • Can output UHD (3840×2160)... Read more

Light It Up

Taking a look at some of the latest lights and lighting tools for your production

By Ian Blair

A decade ago, no one was talking about the problems of lighting for digital because traditional Tungsten and HMI lights were dominating the market. What a difference a few years can make. Although Tungsten and HMIs are still popular with cinematographers, a new generation of LEDs has flooded the marketplace, as well as sets. Lighting equipment has... Read more

At A Glance: Hive Lighting Bee Plasma Flood

Plasma lighting is an efficient alternative to hard-light systems like HMI and tungsten

By David Willis

Consuming only 276 watts while outputting roughly the equivalent of a 1000W tungsten or 400W HMI, the Bee Plasma Flood is the first open-face model from Hive Lighting, a company rapidly growing in infamy for its line of high-quality plasma lighting solutions. With a high CRI rating of 94 and consistent, flickerless daylight output of 5600K, the Bee... Read more

Workflow Special: Stepping It Up

The Nikon D750 delivers a better video experience than its predecessors

By Neil Matsumoto

In the stills world, one can argue that Nikon is the gold standard in the industry, with professional photographers coveting their camera bodies and Nikkor lenses. In terms of their sensors, Nikon currently occupies six of the top 10 positions in the DxOMark.com sensor ratings scale, which is based on performance in color depth, dynamic range, low-light... Read more

At A Glance: Hive Lighting Bee Plasma Flood

By Lisette Rose

Hive Lighting’s Bee Plasma Flood is an open-face, 276-watt light that outputs the equivalent of a 1000-watt tungsten or a 400-watt HMI. Consuming only 276 watts while outputting roughly the equivalent of a 1000W tungsten or 400W HMI, the Bee Plasma Flood is the first open-face model from Hive Lighting, a company rapidly growing... Read more

Compact Broadcaster

You may have read reports that the camcorder is dead.

By Lisette Rose

You may have read reports that the camcorder is dead. After all, the masses are now shooting video with their mobile phones, and the rest are shooting motion with DSLRs and mirrorless cameras. Even with vast improvements in DSLR technology, if shooting video is your primary function, a camcorder is still your best bet, offering features... Read more

Last Action Hero

GoPro lives up to its name with the release of the 4K HERO4 Black

By Neil Matsumoto

GoPro was founded in 2002 by Nick Woodman, who was looking for a cheaper way to capture pro-quality surfing shots. Thanks to the rise of social media and digital camera technology, GoPro is now a public company worth billions, and even has aspirations of becoming a media company, as well. The micro action cam has put our new "selfie" culture... Read more

December 2014

The Super Sonic wave Motor drive, iris and autofocus have all been constructed for silent operation while the lens itself also includes dust and moisture resistance.

By The Editors

LIGHTWEIGHT SHOULDER-MOUNT Offering 10-bit, 4:2:2 AVC-ULTRA alongside low-bit-rate formats for high-speed wireless transmission, the Panasonic AJ-PX800 shoulder-mount camcorder with a 2.2-megapixel, 2⁄3-inch-type 3MOS (RGB) sensor is a new shoulder-mount solution ideally suited for ENG and documentary crowds. At a weight of slightly more than... Read more

The DSLR Evolution

Back in 2008, Canon released the EOS 5D Mark II, which forever changed the way we shoot video.

By Lisette Rose

WOODEN CAMERA 4K MOD + PL MOUNT; REDROCK MICRO RETROFLEX Back in 2008, Canon released the EOS 5D Mark II, which forever changed the way we shoot video. It was an act of rebellion, as novice and pro shooters alike traded their dedicated video camcorders in lieu of video-enabled DSLRs. Thus, the DSLR Revolution was born, and with it, an... Read more

Sony a7S

For photographers, mirrorless cameras have come a long way.

By Lisette Rose