Category Archives: video

What the new Canon C300 can do

By Michal | Published 30/11/2011

I honestly cannot believe the Canon 5D Mark II has been around for three years already. What a camera. The impact it’s had on photography – and videography – is immense.

And while it’s not cheap, it’s likely to remain the king (queen?) of full-frame HDSLRs for a while.

Unless you’ve participated in the 17-month simulated Mars mission, you probably already know that Canon has recently announced its latest baby. The Canon C300 offers film-makers an unbelievably advanced tool – at an ubvelievable price too.

As the camera has not yet been officially released, there have only been a handful of videos showing the camera’s output. The latest video, however, is slightly different from the more cinematic samples we’ve seen so far. As its author, Jonathan Yi, admits, “Canon, not thrilled with my sense of humor, does not credit or condone this video, but I think it shows a lot of the camera’s strengths.” It certainly does.

If you are a serious filmmaker – and have £14,000 to spend – here’s what the money buys you:

For more technical specs see here. Also, the British Journal of Photography has published an interview with Peter Yabsley, responsible for business development at Canon Europe, on how this camera was created.

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If this Fuji ad is genuine…

By Michal | Published 09/11/2011

…it may be the most striking camera ad I’ve ever seen.

Possibly even the most striking ad I’ve ever seen – in general. Some of you may have already seen it as it’s been on YouTube since June, but somehow I’ve only just discovered it.

Be warned, it’s age-restricted, partly explicit and therefore possibly NSFW.

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Something for the weekend: London Bus Tour

By Michal | Published 04/11/2011

Currently my favourite London video. Shot on a Sony HD camera with a homemade 35mm adapter.

Moritz Oberholzer, the author of this video, spent 30 hours over several days filming the footage from various London buses. The resulting video is very simple, but mesmerising and nicely edited.

The whole project reminds me a bit of the From the Upper Deck project Przemek Wajerowicz has been working on for years now. Who knows, maybe one inspired the other?

Thanks Natalie for the link.

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The best iPhone 4S video so far

By Michal | Published 01/11/2011

Just don’t roll your eyes. Yes, the latest iPhone does have a really impressive 8-megapixel camera capable of shooting HD video. Get over it.

After the initial avalanche of let-me-be-the-first-to-show-you-how-good-it-is videos and images, first *really* impressive iPhone 4S videos begin to emerge. Like this one, called “Framed”.

There’s a mini story, very lovely cinematography and the filmmakers relied on the iPhone’s image stabilisation to make the shots look really smooth. They also relied on an additional Glidetrack slider and a tripod for smooth panning shots and movement.

The film was edited in Final Cut Pro (you can’t do more than some basic edits on your iPhone, unless it’s some casual footage) with some Magic Bullets colour grading. Which is what you would do with footage from other, more ‘professional’ cameras. The iPhone has now joined their ranks.

I’ll say it again: get over it.

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Two new tools for video makers of all abilities

By Michal | Published 18/10/2011

Woah. How do you keep up? Just days after Apple released its latest iPhone, the 4S, Canon announces its latest high-end DSLR, the EOS 1 D X. No, they probably won’t compete, but in terms of video, both the consumers and the pros have just been given two extraordinary tools.

There are two links you should explore if you want to know why.

The first one is this really mind-blowing (in terms of the unexpected outcome) comparison video, where Canon 5D Mark II’s footage  is compared side by side with iPhone 4S’s HD output.

Yes, I know – the latter is in no way a replacement for the former, but even with its really basic controls (AF/AE lock and image stabilisation), the iPhone achieves stunningly good results. Professional filmmakers won’t swap the 5D for the 4S, that’s for sure (although many will no doubt experiment with it – and the results can be amazing), but amateurs on a budget and video enthusiasts have now a really powerful tool in their hands. No wonder the phone is likely to become Apple’s fastest-selling gadget ever. (refresh the page if the vid below doesn’t load)

iPhone 4S / Canon 5d MKII Side by Side Comparison from Robino Films on Vimeo.

At the opposite end of the spectrum – where the professional crowd gathers – we have Canon’s latest creation, the 1D X – yours for £5299 on pre-order. Here’s a camera which dramatically improves on what Canon’s high-end DSLRs already had to offer, but also adds solid (although not groundbreaking) video capabilities.

DP Review does a good job of analysing the major features of the upcoming camera, but what you really want to read is Dan Carr’s 10 Awesome Things About The Canon EOS 1D X You Might Not Know. A dual CF card slot, automatic movie file creation (to bypass the 4GB CF card limit), on-screen audio levels – just a few features many film makers will welcome with open arms. (Although the 5D Mk II and 7D still remain fantastic – and much cheaper – alternatives for most DSLR video makers).

There’s no doubt that shooting stunning video – at least technically stunning – will now be much easier than ever before.

This is exciting.

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You’ve seen the pictures, now watch the video

By Michal | Published 10/07/2011

Better late than never – the video I shot during last week’s Gay Pride parade in London is ready at last.

It was my first video edited on Final Cut Pro X and I quite enjoyed using it, but then again it was a relatively easy and straightforward project. I do hope I’ll be saying the same after more complex projects too.

The images from the parade are here.

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Videos that don’t suck

By Michal | Published 07/06/2011

This guy definitely tries to practise what he preaches. His name is Steve Stockman and he put this short video together to promote his book called “How to shoot video that doesn’t suck”. I haven’t read the book, but based on the video I assume it’s aimed at all casual iPhone, Flip, camcorder etc. users who want to make better videos.

This sneak preview video focuses on five really basic rules:

  1. Think in shots
  2. Don’t shoot until you see the whites of their eyes
  3. Keep the brightest light behind you
  4. Treat your video camera like a still camera
  5. Keep your video short

Watch the video to get more info on each of those points. (He did keep it short.)

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The Slo Mo Guys

By Michal | Published 10/05/2011

Meet The Slo Mo Guys. They have a camera which is capable of filming stuff at 5000 frames per second. And they are absolutely mental.

They set up a YouTube channel, where they upload videos of everyday stuff bursting, colliding, breaking, etc. – all in extreme slow motion. Such fun.

I think the last minute or so of this video is priceless, but watch the whole thing too:

More from them on their YouTube channel.

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How to shoot DSLR video

By Michal | Published 07/05/2011

If you own a relatively new DSLR, chances are it is capable of shooting high-quality video – and indeed many photographers, myself included, shoot short- and long-form video using their DSLR.

But for many the switch photography to videography is not easy. Not everyone has a great guru to teach them or enough patience and determination to discover how to use their camera’s more advanced features. Sometimes we even neglect or ignore the basics.

But thanks to the University of Waterloo in Canada and its Digital Arts Communication course in particular we have now access to a brilliant series of ten short videos explaining the basics of DSLR videography. The series was produced in July 2010 and, although made using a Canon DSLR, most of these short tutorials should satisfy any budding videographer, regardless of what DSLR they are using.

The first video in the series explains the advantages of shooting video with DSLRs (great quality, switchable lenses, shallow depth of field), but also points out the disadvantages – or rather challenges (not really built for video, the need for an external microphone).

The whole series can be found on the brilliant Vimeo Video School page (which is, by the way, very useful if you’re interested in more advanced tutorials too), but here are links to the remaining individual parts of the above series:

2. Lens assembly
3. On-off, recording, movie mode
4. Focal length & Prime vs Zoom
5. Perspective
6. Shutter speed and FPS (this one is particularly good)
7. Aperture
8. Depth of field
9. ISO
10. White balance

So these are just the basics. I would suggest you watch Philip Bloom’s series for Vimeo too – it also covers the basics, but Philip also explains many other useful things – including camera settings, timelapses, filming at night and dealing with sound.

If it wasn’t for his really annoying sidekick, this mini-series would be really fantastic:

Introduction to DSLR Cameras with Philip Bloom from Vimeo Staff on Vimeo.

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The Milky Way

By Michal | Published 18/04/2011

I remember the first time I saw The Milky Way. Not an image in a book or online. In real life. Right in front of my eyes. Or rather way above my head. It’s a mind-blowing experience, something we never see in big, light-polluted cities like London.

I was in South Africa, in the middle of the African bush, and one night while sitting by the fire we looked up and saw this:

It does put everything into perspective. You realise where you are in the Universe, or rather how insignificant you are in the context of what’s around you.

I had my DSLR with me, but I didn’t have a fast lens. I was ready for animal shots in the bright African sunshine, but not for long exposures in the middle of the night. That’s why the above image doesn’t do The Milky Way I saw any justice. It was multi-coloured, really rich, dense and indescribably beautiful.

If you’ve never seen the Milky Way in real life, the following timelapse video is a pretty good substitute.

It was filmed between 4th and 11th April 2011 by Terje Sorgjerd atop El Teide, Spain´s highest mountain. As he wrote, the mountain “is one of the best places in the world to photograph the stars and is also the location of Teide Observatories, considered to be one of the world´s best observatories. The goal was to capture the beautiful Milky Way galaxy along with one of the most amazing mountains I know El Teide.”

And the result is breathtaking. As always with Vimeo, go full screen and don’t miss the Sahara sandstorm some 30 seconds in:

The Mountain from Terje Sorgjerd on Vimeo.

And if you liked it, here’s another video Terje shot – at the famous Maeklong Market in Bangkok, where market stalls share their space with a railway line. Life on this planet has so many amazing aspects…

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