The News

Answers to some questions about the new top-of-the-line Nikon DSLR
NIKON D4S – OUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED | News Shooter
How does the video quality compare to the 5300?
The video quality of the Nikon D4S compares favourably to the Nikon D5300.  Combined with the outstanding ISO capability and EXPEED 4 image processor, professional photographers are able to harness these camera features to produce higher quality images and video.


I take a stab at explaining what VP9 is:
The Future of Compression: Google Attempts to Replace H.26X… Again | Filmmaker Magazine
For a second time, Google is attempting to pitch a compression format as the replacement for an H.26X compressor. They tried to do it three years ago for HD video when they pitched VP8 as a replacement for H.264 and had little success. Now they’re back with a new angle: VP9 is the format for 4K, and they are putting it up against H.265, the new 4K compressor that is also referred to as HEVC (High Efficiency Video Coding). Should you care?


Mysterious Bolex-style camera appears from Japanese camera manufacturer – Bellami HD-1 | EOSHD
Now it seems other manufacturers have taken note of the ‘Digital Bolex’ craze and we have the first ‘clone’. It has a vintage Bolex / Super 8 style form factor and is from non-other than low end consumer manufacturer Chinon of Japan. Very unexpected… but nothing else is known about it aside from this picture and that it will shoot 1080p.
Chinon Announces The Bellami HD-1 Digital Super 8 Camera | Wide Open Camera
About US$830 (80,000 Yen), which puts it too close to a BMPCC in price I think for this to be a competitive choice (unless Chinon manages something unexpected). Am hoping it at least has a CCD global sensor like the D16 which is its main competition?


Animated Music Videos | Stylus/WBUR
Benjamin Ettinger is on a mission. A fan of animation, he’s trying to collect all of the world’s animated music videos in a single place: a blog called (you guessed it) Animated Music Videos. At the time of this posting, he’s collected over 900 videos on the blog, and he’s certain there are many, many more to discover.


This is the year of 4K - Sony announces a phone that records in 4K
The Sony 4K future just started: Sony Z2 can record 4K video. Sony 4K mirrorless camera coming soon | SonyAlphaRumors
Sony 4K: One of the few certain things we know for 2014 is that Sony will add full 4K video on many of the this year new A and E-mount models. And yesterday Sony announced the new Xperia Z2 (specs here at Amazon) which shoots 4K videos!


The Manfrotto SYMPLA Clamp-On Remote Control for Canon DSLRs ($279.90) can be used to remotely control Canon DSLR cameras:
Manfrotto DSLR Video Remote Review | DSLR Video Shooter
USB controllers aren’t as good as LANC controllers, but it is the next best thing for DSLR shooters. I’ve found the Manfrotto version to be very good for DSLR work.


BC VFX Owner: BC Subsidies Exploited To Send Work To China | VFX Soldier
Last year Greg Vernon closed his VFX facility Tinderbox in British Columbia and left for Seattle. In the interview he talks about the challenges he was facing with work going to China. Mr. Vernon claims that because of a lack of oversight and auditing there are very shady practices exercised such as shell companies being opened in BC specifically for subsidies but sending all the work to China.


Carl Zeiss Lenses - Making-of Escape (BTS)

Escape is a show reel shot with ZEISS cine zooms CZ.2 28-80/T2.9 and CZ.2 70-200/T2.9 in combination with ARRI/ZEISS Ultra Prime and ARRI/ZEISS Master Prime lenses. Den Lennie the UK based Director of Photography used a RED Epic camera. This Making-of video explains the work with the ZEISS lenses during the shooting.

Free Motion Tracking Clips for Training (Non-Commercial)

VFX artist Adam Everett Miller and Imagineer Systems are pleased to offer these free clips to use for motion tracking training with mocha AE and mocha Pro. You can also view and purchase the clips with pre-tracked After Effects projects

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