The Great ND Test Of 2013 (Or is it really Neutral?)

The Control Frame for the ND Test

Neutral density (ND) filters are supposed to be devoid of color shift. Ideally they only affect the amount of light entering the lens, not the color balance. Unfortunately, it is very difficult to produce an ND filter that is truly neutral. This is why I set out to test four sets of filters. I wanted to see how neutral they really are. For this test I used ND filters from Schneider, Formatt, TruND, and the internal ND filters of the Canon C100. The results may surprise you, just like they did for me. Continue reading to see how these filters stack up, as well as to get access to the downloadable frames.

1080p is better than 4k. (Or Why I Chose The Canon C100)

After many years of owning a wide range of camera systems, including a Red One and an Epic, I decided to sell it all and rent. So for the past three years I have been exclusively renting cameras on a per project basis, that is until recently when I made the plunge and bought the Canon C100. Little did I know how many eyebrows and questions it would raise when I posted a picture on Facebook. Here is why I chose a 1080p, 4:2:0 camera over a 4k RAW camera.

Act Of Valor

Last night I had the opportunity to watch a prescreening of Act Of Valor, a feature film shot by Shane Hurlbut, ASC on the 5D and 7D, with some Arri 235 & 435. And I've got to say that this movie has heart. It tells the real story of what life is like for our men and women in the service, showing the struggles they encounter both during their missions and in having to leave their families. While it follows the storyline of the Navy Seals, it does a great job at honoring the sacrifices that are made every day by each one of our military personnel.

And The Next Superstar Is ...

November 3rd was a highly anticipated day by many. Months ago Canon announced that it would be making an HISTORIC GLOBAL ANNOUNCEMENT. Not a company that usually makes these kind of claims, many people projected that they were going to announce and release their next camera, the update to the Canon 5D MKII - the MKIII, and it would be 4k. Days later, and never to be one who is out done my hyperbole, Red Digital Cinema announced that they too would be making an announcement of their completely updated Scarlet camera. Jim Jannard himself said this battle was going to be the next "Ali VS Frasier". Now that the "fight" is "over" and the dust has settled - who one? And who is going to be the next superstar?