Bolex-Rolex: An Unusual Pairing of Swiss Precision Timekeeping Tools
October 03, 2022
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The venerable Bolex Rex-5 16mm motion picture camera was and still is a mechanical timekeeping marvel, engineered to intermittently pull 16mm double-perforated motion picture film through a precision spring-wound movement at highly-accurate frame rates ranging from 12-64 frames per second. It combines a versatile 3-lens turret with an improved 13x...
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Canon EOS R5 Ultimate Cinema Rig
September 27, 2022
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In my seemingly never-ending quest for the perfect mirrorless hybrid stills/video camera, I have found, at least for the moment, nirvana in the form of the Canon EOS R5 camera and the following plethora of cinema rig-building accessories.
I use the R5 and 5DS R for stills, and I wanted the R5 to perform a dual role. For video, I shoot mainly inter...
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EyeDirect - It’s Personal
September 27, 2022
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Why are visual media content creators and, especially, documentarians still conducting off-camera interviews with invisible hosts? I ask this rhetorical question out of annoyance with the often unchallenged conventions and ‘standard practices’ used that are neither motivated by common sense nor objectivity.
The off-camera news-style interview so c...
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Tentacle Sync E MkII Review
September 27, 2022
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These tiny sync boxes are incredible problem solvers. With their built-in rechargeable batteries lasting 35-hours on a single USB charge, you can mount them anywhere and cable them to virtually any device with an audio or time code input (including phones). They sync via Bluetooth to an app you install on your phone/tablet or can be jammed to an ex...
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Canon EF 400mm f/2.8L IS USM Lens Review
April 11, 2021
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As a portrait/headshot photographer, it’s not often that I get to use lenses greater than 200mm, so when I had an opportunity to try the venerable Canon EF 400mm f/2.8L IS USM Super Telephoto lens, I was awestruck.
This lens is a BEAST! It has a front element that measures nearly 6.5-in diameter, weighs just shy of 12-lbs, is built like a tank and...
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Mini Review: Canon EOS 5DS R
October 07, 2020
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The 50.6 megapixel monster —Canon 5DS R.
Offering what amounts to medium-format quality in a DSLR body is a truly remarkable accomplishment. For those seeking extra “pop” or who like to crop, this camera delivers. The full-frame sensor captures massive amounts of detail due to its pixel density and low-pass filter rendered neutral.
With all those...
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7Artisans 35mm f/2 Lens Review and Comparison
October 14, 2019
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Recently, I had the opportunity to compare the Chinese-made 7Artisans 35mm f/2 to the Leica Summarit-M 35mm f/2.5 lens.
Based on the Zeiss Sonnar design and affectionately dubbed the ‘Chinacron’ (after favorable comparisons to the Leica 35mm Summicron), the first thing about the 7Artisans that struck me was its solid build-quality and heft. Weighi...
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Leica M8: Less Can Be More
September 20, 2019
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For me, great photography is a communion between the subject and the photographer. You have to give something in order to receive. You have to be present in the moment —open, thoughtful, reactive. Some of the best photos I have ever seen are representative of this process. They are like great paintings.
New product sales reps and photo-tech influe...
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Abstract: The Art of Design (on Netflix)
July 27, 2018
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It’s not often that a documentary series about art and design can leave me wanting for more, but the Netflix series Abstract: The Art of Design did just that. The series explores more than just the great work of artists and designers the likes of Platon, Christoph Niemann and Paula Scher, among others. It masterfully exposes their talents, methodol...
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Fujifilm XT-2 Mini Review
July 27, 2018
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I have a confession. I love cameras. And I have used quite a few of them throughout my career. Problem is, nowadays it’s hard to find a standout. Everything seems so... vanilla.
As a longtime Canon user, I had downsized my multi-purpose stills/video shooting package to the venerable 5D Mark IV and a handful of fast L-Series lenses, and seemed quit...
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