One of the worst things about tiny little screws is they’re easy to strip or get stuck, but very hard to remove. And they’re usually inside something very expensive so you don’t want to use too much force or you might break something you’ll regret.
I love my FS7, and I love how easy it is to mod depending on what I need of it. For example, — depending on the job — I tend to adjust or swap the monitor rod more than most users probably do, so the head of the little screw in the top handle that holds the monitor rod is starting to strip. That screw requires a bit of tightening to keep the rod in place or else the weight of the EVF will make it tip onto the lens. One day, it will strip, and a stripped screw is no fun to remove. Me no likey. Thankfully, the thoughtful geniuses at SmallRig have come up with a solution for this exact problem.
The SmallRig playset comes with everything you see here. Batteries not included. GI Joe action figures sold separately.
I purchased the “SmallRig SONY FX9/FS7/FS7 MK2 Top Handle Special Screw 2844” kit via B&H and it arrived in a tiny little box. It comes with the special screw and a hex key. First, you remove the Sony screw from the top handle.
Look how bare the head has become!
Next, you simply replace the Sony screw with the SmallRig special screw. Done!
I wish it were black.
Very straightforward. The special screw also has the same hex receiver for when you need some more torque.
Apparently, the hex key is sometimes called a spanner. Must be a European thing.
Easy peasy. Now I no longer have to worry about one day stripping that little Sony screw. I just wish the new screw was black so it doesn’t stick out on my all-black rig.
Next project: painting the SmallRig special screw!
The RED Digital Cinema name has always been synonymous with the rugged, albeit wealthy, independent filmmaker life. Since founder Jim Jannard’s original RED ONE left their Irvine, California factory floor in 2007, the studio system has begun to take the RED name seriously. Today, more and more Hollywood films are Shot On RED™ — as the branding goes — than ever before, and more and more studio directors — such as David Fincher, Steven Soderbergh, and Terrence Malick — use them extensively or almost exclusively.
For years, RED has been giving the established brands of Arri, Panavision, CineAlta (Sony), and Varicam (Panasonic), a run for their cine business, but they’ve also had their eyes on the prosumer market from the beginning. Back before SCARLET, RED had envisioned “4K for $4K”, a feat which didn’t exactly come true when SCARLET came along. The brain simply wouldn’t work without a lot of extra stuff that made the price tag go way, way up.
Today, RED has finally achieved something in a similarly catchy way: “6K for $6K.” The RED KOMODO is effectively a 6K mini RED DRAGON that actually works right out of the box at $5,995. Users who would be most interested in KOMODO, probably, are Canon C-Series owners who would already own Canon EF or RF lenses, a few CFast cards and Canon BP-9xx-class batteries. RED also offers a couple of kits to help fresh-starters (like me) who are not already committed to the Canon line. I’m up in the air about either the Starter Pack or Production Pack.
KOMODO is the newest entrant and the latest innovation in the RED family of cinema cameras. Not only does it boast a shockingly small form-factor along with a 6K global shutter sensor, but also allows users to take advantage of a versatile RF mount for maximum lens choice flexibility and the latest evolution of RED’s REDCODE RAW Codec. The KOMODO also features a high-resolution touchscreen for navigating menus and reviewing footage, phase-detect auto-focus, 4K output, and compatibility with the all new RED CONTROL app for wired or wireless control.
RED’s official statement regarding KOMODO
I like boxy.
Sensor
RED KOMODO has a brand new 19.9 MP Super 35 CMOS sensor, called KOMODO, that features a global shutter. That global shutter alone is worth the price tag. Nothing says “not very cinematic” more than a great-looking image marred by the jello typical of rolling shutter cameras. KOMODO, a proper cinema camera, doesn’t do that. No bent helicopter blades, no skewed telephone polls, no more warbly whip-pans, and no more Jellyvision on digitally stabilized footage.
Also of note is the reported visual dynamic range of 16+ stops.
RED’s Image Processing Pipeline (IPP2) color management is very easy to work with, and I’m looking forward to actually finally owning a RED so I can really dive into it their color science. I like the way RED handles shadow detail when properly exposed.
REDCODE
Also exciting is the ability to shoot 2.4:1 at 48 fps in 6K using REDCODE MQ.
KOMODO’s R3D settings come in three different flavors: HQ, MQ, and LQ. HQ (High Quality) is for VFX, extreme-detailed scenes, and stills from motion. MQ is for non-VFX cinema and high-end TV. The lowest setting, LQ, is for TV, online content, docs, interviews, and long takes. I would mostly use MQ which would give me 48 mins on a 512 CFast 2.0 card.
The majority of my music videos, and slow-mo narrative work, are shot for 2.4:1 at 48fps in 4K on my FS7M2, which maxes out at 240 Mb (megabits) per second for a 24p base frame rate. KOMODO maxes out at 280 MB (megabytes) per second, which means a gargantuan difference in image detail. Remember: 1 byte is worth 8 bits. Yuge.
If I need it, KOMODO will do 120 fps at 2K 17:9. It also has ProRes 422 HQ for quick 4K and 2K work.
Lens Mount
KOMODO uses a non-changeable Canon RF lens mount, the newest from the esteemed Japanese camera manufacturer, intended to compete against other manufacturers’ electronic bayonet lens mounts for mirrorless cameras. KOMODO will ship with an RF-EF adapter for those of us who use EF lenses (I do: as a stills photographer I use Canon EF bodies and lenses). KOMODO’s RF mount unfortunately does not have a positive-locking function, however, adapters for EF and PL (I’m interested in PL) often come with a foot used to affix the adapter to the same plate the camera is. This prevents unwanted rotation of the adapter during focus pulls. I am highly interested in the Revolva RF/PL adapter by Kippertie.
There are also RF-EF adapter options that feature “speedboosters” which would allow the KOMODO’s Super 35 sensor to behave as a 135 format sensor for “full frame” EF lenses, as mine are. My PL mount SLR Magic APO Hyperprime cine lenses are also rated for 6K “full frame” sensors. Perhaps there will be a RF-PL speedbooster one day.
Power
For Canon C-series guys, KOMODO will accept their BP-9xx batteries. For me, I prefer my V-mount bricks. They work extremely well on my FS7M2 and I’d want all their benefits for my future KOMODO. Therefore, I am very interested in the V-mount plate for RED KOMODO by Core SWX.
Rigging
I am confidant my existing collection of rigging will work for KOMODO, however I am considering KOMODO-specific rigging from Tilta. Because of the Kippertie Revolva with chinstrap to nullify unwanted lens rotation, the sides of the KOMODO near the lens will be occupied. I am interested in the Tilta accessories Top Plate ($15), QR Top Handle ($59), and Adjustable Cold Shoe Mounting Bracket ($26) for KOMODO. This kit equals $100 in total.
Costs
RED KOMODO body: $5,995 RED CFast 2.0 512 MB card: $529 RED CFast 2.0 card reader: $110 Core SWX V-mount battery plate: $199 Tilta rigging kit: $100 Kippertie Revolva RF/PL + chinstrap, and cartridges A & B: £1,830.00 ($2,545)
Total (not including shipping or tax): $9,478
KOMODO vs FS7 Mark II
Not a fair comparison as they are different cameras intended for different purposes, but I do own an FS7M2 which does 99.9% of my work and has paid for itself many times over.
I am very happy with my FS7M2. However, there are times I wish it’s image weren’t so noisy in the shadows, I wish it’s native color science was a bit more reminiscent of film, I wish it’s highlight rolloff was more gradual, and I wish it did not have a rolling shutter. I also wish it did 6K for very nice looking 4K, like FX9 or EVA1 does. For docs and interviews and other broadcast/reality work, FS7 is amazing. It does a great job pretending to be a cinema camera, but no matter how good the image is, it occasionally just looks like video.
KOMODO vs FX9
I am still extremely interested in FX9 to replace my FS7 as A camera. FX9 is a Swiss Army Knife of a camera and certainly better suits my filming style as far as being the camera I use for everything. KOMODO would not be used for reality and documentary work, but FX9 most certainly could and would. FX9 has a ton going for it, but there’s something about owning a RED that would also, conceivably, put more food on my plate.
Owning both FX9 and KOMODO would be the optimum solution, of course – both cameras would give me 6K, and the KOMODO would certainly be used on higher-end work, whereas the FX9 would be more of a run-and-gun tool. Again, FS7 would be demoted to B camera (or C if filming with KOMODO and FX9) in that scenario.
Conclusions
The ability to acquire footage in true 6K for extremely clean 4K or 2K, with a global shutter, and RED’s cinematic color science, is very appealing to me.
KOMODO is pretty exciting. I’ve used RED ONE, RED SCARLET, RED EPIC, and RED RAVEN, but never owned any. With KOMODO, RED has finally made a camera accessibly-priced for professionals in my tier, but hasn’t watered down the name in favor of mass appeal. People who suck at cinematography on an iPhone will still suck at it with a KOMODO, or an EPIC.
KOMODO is literally intended as a B-cam or crash cam for the more expensive RED cameras. Since I have a lot of experience working with RED, KOMODO will be a walk-in-the-park for me, and a breath of fresh air as far as image quality goes. The ability to acquire footage in true 6K for extremely clean 4K or 2K, with a global shutter, and RED’s cinematic color science, is very appealing to me.
If I do decide to buy a KOMODO, it will be my first personally-owned RED camera. It would be what I use for high-end work including narrative films, TV commercials, and music videos, replacing my FS7M2 in that capacity, but would also serve as a B-camera on multicam gigs with FS7M2. Although the waitlist is somewhere around 3 months, I’m definitely looking forward to possibly owning a RED KOMODO soon.
Update: I purchased my Komodo October 7, 2022, receiving it October 10.
Happy National Entrepreneur’s Day! I am eternally thankful to my parents for sharing their ambitiousness and enterprising spirit with me.
I am a small business owner in the independent film industry. It takes a lot of risk, courage, stubborness, creativity, brinkmanship, and business savvy, to do what I do in an industry that rarely flourishes outside of Los Angeles or New York City. I love producing corporate films, commercials, music videos, short films, and features, and have been fortunate to photograph many great clients over the years.
I have come a long way since starting out over 23 years ago as a freelance photographer. In 2005 I founded Jason R. Johnston Photography. After becaming a cinematographer in 2008, I founded my digital cinema production company Fifty Oars Motion Pictures in 2012.
The agencies and clients that trusted me at least as far back as 2005 still work with me today. I am very grateful to all my clients like the business leader Jimmy John Shark for trusting me with their brands and products for so many years, and am excited for the future.
Come talk to me about your next cine project, or if you ever need video or photo services. I look forward to hearing from you!
Working on a recent spot for a client, I was required to produce a shot of a phone receiving text messages. I prefer to create effects in-camera as much as possible for the sake of realism, however, the text messages needed to match the client’s current marketing graphics (view this blog to know more about this concept in detail) and be animated, so this would have to be accomplished using visual effects.
If you don’t know, motion tracking is part of creating special visual effects. Remember that scene in Jurassic Park when the dinosaurs were running past the actors in the field?
Motion tracked tennis balls help create a digital grid on a virtual ground to aid the animation of dinosaurs. The actors’ eyelines were also tracked so the animators knew where to place the dinosaurs.
In the final shot, the motion tracking and digital dinosaurs come together and all the actors, both real and digital, appear to share the same space together.
The special effects team made a grid on the ground with tennis balls so they could recreate the field on their computers and animate the dinosaurs into the shot so it appeared they were really there. They did that by tracking the location of each ball in the field against a digital field with digital balls. Doing that insured the dinosaurs’ feet was accurately touching the “ground” and that when the camera bounced around, the dinosaurs also moved correctly as if they were sharing the same “real” space as the actors.
What I’m trying to accomplish is no where near as complicated, nor as dramatic as a field of stampeding gallimimus, but the gist of accomplishing the same motion-tracked effect is the same even 27 years later. Except faster and less expensive.
This is actually my second attempt. My first attempt was a bit frustrating but it was completed, the job was approved, and now it’s done, but I didn’t record any behind the scenes information. Because I wanted to try again, I decided to revise my methods and share the experience with you.
First, I had to create a motion tracking marker guide to display on my phone. After a bit of research I created a template in Photoshop. The centers of the markers are at precisely 50% of the area of the screen, so after you’ve done the motion track, you only have to scale up your comped media 200% to fit. I’ve made my guides available here for your HD smartphone motion tracking needs in PNG format with two backgrounds: Chroma Green or Chroma Blue.
I got the shot with my Canon EOS 6D Mark II, and some easy lighting design. The 6D’s auto focus came in very handy since both my hands were already in use.
After ingesting the footage into Final Cut, I used the FCPX Auto Tracker Perspective plugin from Pixel Film Studios to do a corner pin track of the phone’s screen.
After successful export of the tracking date, I then used the Draw Mask tool in Final Cut to remove the tracking markers. This became time consuming because of the length of the shot and how much movement I was performing.
After a simple chroma key using the Keyer tool in Final Cut, I was then able to replace the screen with anything I wanted. For this example I am using a photo I created for the same client back in 2018 in Austin.
With a bit of finessing to get the image to fit the screen, I then layered the image underneath the footage of the phone, and I finally got the results I wanted. The entire post-process took approximately 10 minutes this time, and about an hour on my first attempt as I figured everything out.
And there it is! I don’t like how the image seems to be “in front” of the phone. It’s Z axis, for some reason, is off, and I can’t fix it using the plugin, even though there is a control for that axis. I think it’s a bug. But, it’s not obvious for a quick shot that doesn’t move very much as is the one I originally produced for the actual spot.
In the end, the client was very pleased and quickly approved it. Here it is below, my first effort at motion tracking this way.
I hope this overview shows the potential of motion tracking in Final Cut Pro X. I also hope my 1920×1080 Motion Tracking Marker Guides above come in handy for you one day. Cheers!
Hindsight is 20/20: I could have done the animation, rendered it, shared it to my phone, and played it off my phone with my fingers synced with the animation action and accomplished the entire shot in-camera, but that’s not what happened! Instead, I wanted to try out a new motion tracking plugin for Final Cut Pro X I hadn’t put to use yet.
I recently uploaded a Top 10 list of some movies that mean something to me. This inspired me to revisit a post I had written back in 2013 and update it just a bit. So, here is my list of personal favorite [major] villains from all thirteen Star Trek feature films, in order from least to most favorite. First up is the worst villain from the nearly worst movie, Khan (the stupid one).
13. Khan (Benedict Cumberbatch), Star Trek Into Darkness
It’s not that Cumberbatch is a bad actor; it’s the fact that Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman, and Damon Lindelof are awful writers, and J. J. Abrams is a terrible director. The not-clever-at-all idea to use Khan in the second movie again is lazy, and having the plot being everything that happened in the superior The Wrath of Khan, almost word for word, but this time, Kirk and Khan meet and punch each other, then Spock and Khan meet and punch each other on a flying train, but then, plot twist, Spock has to save Kirk from behind a glass wall. Except Kirk doesn’t die. And there’s no Genesis planet. And this movies sucks. Just a pale imitation of a much better movie.
12. Sybok (Laurence Luckinbill), Star Trek V: The Final Frontier
Not a slap in the face to actor Luckinbill, but the writing for the character was rather tepid and the idea of Spock having an “evil” half-brother is lame. I think the movie would have actually been rather interesting had it not been set in the Star Trek universe, but as a Star Trek movie, even canon doesn’t acknowledge its existence.
11. Nero (Eric Bana), Star Trek
There’s a lot of villains in the Star Trek universe whose motivation is paralleled by Melville’s Captain Ahab and his quest for vengeance against a certain white whale. Nero was the least developed, and least interesting of them all.
10. Krall (Idris Elba), Star Trek Beyond
It’s not that Elba is a bad actor, or that Simon Pegg is a bad writer, or that Justin Lin is an incompetent director. They’re not. But, ultimately, after two terrible Abrams movies, Star Trek Beyond is a good try, but too late, and fairly forgettable. Also, this concludes our Star Trek movie villains who were also in Marvel movies. And what is it with Star Trek villain names and the letter K?
9. Dr. Tolian Soran (Malcolm McDowell), Star Trek: Generations
Not really a bad guy, Soran just wanted to return to paradise and was so tired of trying that he didn’t care who had to die for that to happen. McDowell is great, but his misanthropic antics came in a vast fifth place to all the other shenanigans going on between the other characters (the script seemed to think Data’s cat was more interesting). In the end, Soran was more of a slight nuisance than a great villain.
8. Ad’har Ru’afo (F. Murray Abraham), Star Trek: Insurrection
Some nice, evil moments from Abraham as the sadistic (and tragic) Ru’afo who wanted to pull the magic carpet out from under Aladdin and ride it himself. Both parts revenge and jealousy-driven, Ru’afo could have been a great villain but was hurt by not being developed enough to feel sorry for, a humanity that the character needed for depth; a humanity later shown between his lieutenant, Gallatin, who is forgiven by his mother.
7. Praetor Shinzon (Tom Hardy), Star Trek: Nemesis
Even with the borishness of underdeveloped villains, there is such as thing as over development and that’s what Shinzon ultimately suffers from. The writers tried too hard to give Picard his equal in evil; his nemesis — says so right in the title — but despite some excellent work by one of my favorite actors to bring us a rich and ultimately flawed (in a good way) character, we’re given someone that we have to think about too much and, as such, we can never full appreciate the character and let him be what any good villain should be: fun.
6. Borg Queen (Alice Krige), Star Trek: First Contact
The exact opposite of Shinzon, Krige’s villain is fun in all the right spots. From her grand entrance to her gruesome demise, the Borg Queen oozed smart, sexy and sinister in one finely crafted skin-tight latex package. The Queen was the devil, for all intents and purposes, and her use of lust and greed to lure poor Data into a twisted affair is just pure evil, and very well done. It’s too bad the movie itself is nothing more than dumb action schlock, which ultimately renders a sexy, and nearly interesting, Borg Queen actually quite boring. She winds up being much less interesting or scary as the next movie villain.
5. V’ger, Star Trek: The Motion Picture
That’s right; the big cloud from the big first movie is a more intriguing antagonist — in my opinion — than any of the villains from the alternate timeline movies or the Next Gen ones. In the end, the big cloud, and the gigantic ship lurking within, was actually the ancient Voyager 6 probe, having achieved sentience, returning home to Earth. It sets up some very expensive-for-1979 special effects sequences giving realization to some very heavy-for-any-year science fiction notions of humanity and love and whatever else the movie is about. It’s very much on the edge of soft sci-fi trying to be hard sci-fi, and sometimes it’s brilliant, but usually it’s so dry it’s a bit boring. But, boring in a good movie is fine. That’s called slow burn. I like this the older I get. It makes me care about what’s happening since I’ve grown to like the characters near the end. My overall opinion of Star Trek: The Motion Picture has improved over the years, but it’s nowhere near as much fun as the next four films.
4. The Probe, Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home
That’s right! The big black space sausage is a better villain than V’ger, and more interesting than the sexy OG Borg Queen. Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home is frankly the best of all thirteen movies — in my opinion — due to it’s charm, sense of humor, and the plot taking seriously the very real threat of man hunting animals to extinction, namely humpback whales. Something that winds up biting humanity in the ass one day in the 24th century. The idea that this probe has presumably just dropped by from some distant sun to say hello to it’s old whale friends (who have been long extinct on Earth), and whose search for them is literally destroying all life on the planet, is brilliant. It’s a solid plot device for the crew of the now destroyed Enterprise to slingshot around the sun to travel back through time in an effort to repopulate the species. It’s very intelligent, it’s classy, and it’s the best movie. All just an excuse to have Kirk and company waltzing through the streets of 1986 San Francisco saying “double dumb-ass on you!” Cinema gold. I love that giant black space sausage. It’s so friendly.
3. Commander Kruge (Christopher Lloyd), Star Trek III: The Search For Spock
I love Kruge. Not only is he played with absolute demonic glee by funnyman Christopher Lloyd whose only previous work had been the sitcom Taxi, but Kruge thought the rest of the Klingon Empire was run by a bunch of bureaucratic wimps and decided to take on the entire Federation all by himself. Then he murders his hot Klingon lover because she knew too much, and had Kirk’s son killed just to prove he was “sincere” about being an evil badass. Then when a gunner gets a lucky shot and blows up an enemy ship when he wanted prisoners, Kruge whips out his pistol and incinerates the dude right there in front of everyone, and then calls the dead guy an “animal”. Kruge had the tenacity to attempt a sneak attack on the Enterprise which, he admits, outnumbered him 10 to 1. Later, Kruge totally didn’t care about dying in battle with Kirk on the erupting Genesis planet, and he had a badass evil dog pet that he loved more than anything. He also gives Kirk the chance to give him one of the best deaths in any movie, ever: Kirk yelling “I…have HAD…enough of…YOU!” as he kicks Kruge in the face until he falls backward to his fiery death, immolated in molten hot magma.
2. General Chang (Christopher Plummer), Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country
Having Christopher Plummer play a Shakespearean-sized villain next to Shatner’s Shakespearean-sized Kirk was brilliant. Brilliantly written, cast and directed, Chang not only shared the same motif with Kirk as a larger-than-life celebrity hero of his respective culture, he also quoted actual Shakespeare in a tactless battle of wits as he showered the Enterprise in cannon fire from an invisible warship. “In space, all warriors are cold warriors” he reminds Kirk with schoolboy giddiness. Chang wanted to mess up Kirk right there at the dinner table, but couldn’t because he had bigger and meaner things in the works, like conspiring with Federation and Romulan agents the complete destruction of the Federation by forcing the Klingon Empire into galactic war. Chang gets Kirk arrested and out of the picture, completely humiliating the Federation into doing anything the Klingons wanted. This dude had it comin’, Beverly Hills Cop-style, with a banana shoved up his tailpipe. And by tailpipe I mean his cloaked Bird of Prey’s exhaust port. And by banana I mean a heat-seeking photon torpedo.
And, of course, number one is…
1. Khan (Ricardo Montalban), Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
What can I say? Have you ever heard the Klingon proverb that revenge is a dish best served cold? It is, as Khan correctly points out, very cold in space. As far as Ahabs and white whales go, Khan was the Moby Dickest. A one-time prince of the world, beaten back and sent off into the vast wilds of space in cryo freeze to go be some other planet’s problem, Khan is found decades later by the sweet, trusting Enterprise and Khan begins his reign of terror again by taking over the ship and lovin’ all the hot lady crew peeps whilst Captain James “The Greener The Better” Kirk watched. But, ah!, a battle of wits ensues and both Kirk and Khan are so badass that they can’t out-badass the other. So they call a truce: Khan gives Kirk his ship back and Khan gets his own planet and the pick of the hot Enterprise nurses. Khan, obviously given the sweetest deal, shakes hands with Kirk as the captain promises to check up on him from time to time.
Well guess what? By the time we get to Star Trek II, Kirk didn’t do a thing for Khan! While Kirk was gallivanting around the stars getting promoted, Khan’s neighboring planet exploded and shifted the way his planet spins, causing the whole thing to become a desolate, bleak, inhospitable desert world that would make Dune look like a Caribbean beach resort.
When some Starfleet science flunkies decide to investigate Khan’s solar system for a crappy planet to play with their new toy upon, Khan takes over their ship, slaughters the crew and turns the toy into a weapon that could destroy everyone, everywhere. But he only wants one thing: to kill the man who betrayed and caused the death of his crew and his beloved wife: the pick of the hottie nurses. What a waste. Even his mates tell him, “dude you’ve saved us and proven how badass you are. You don’t need to kill Kirk” and Khan’s like, “hey, man, I’ll burn the universe looking for this guy”. And when he finally catches up to Kirk he doesn’t even kill him, he toys with him more, leaving him stranded on some lifeless asteroid somewhere. “I shall leave you as you left me, as you left her; marooned for all eternity in the center of a dead planet… buried alive! Buried aliiiiiiiiiive…!”
Khan would have won but as Spock pointed out, he was inexperienced behind the wheel of a starship and his blood lust for Kirk ultimately blinded him to the bitter end. The parallels between Khan and Ahab are completely opaque as he quotes from Moby Dick his last words: “To the last, I will grapple with thee… from Hell’s heart, I stab at thee! For hate’s sake, I spit my last breath at thee!”
Brilliantly conceived, written, directed and performed, Khan was the penultimate performance of the late Ricardo Montalban and one of the greatest movie villains ever portrayed. They don’t get better than Khan in Star Trek. Some get close (Chang), some try too hard (Shinzon) and others miss the mark completely (Nero), but there is only one best Star Trek villain: and that is saved for Ricardo Montalban’s Khan. Not that other one.
An image from ten movies that mean something to me, once a day for ten days, with explanation.
I was nominated by fellow filmmaker Charlie Brenner to post on my personal Facebook page an image from ten movies that mean something to me, without explanation, once a day for ten days. I did so from May 18—27, 2020.
However, exclusive to my blog, I shall offer explanations to my selections. This will hopefully give you insight to my personality and the reasons why these films are meaningful to me, both as a professional filmmaker, and as a human being.
Jaws (1977)
Director: Steven Spielberg DP: Bill Butler Anamorphic Eastman 100T 5254
Day 1 of 10 — Jaws is my favorite movie. No other film has inspired me to be a filmmaker more than Jaws. There is not one thing about Jaws that I don’t love. It is literally film school 101 to me. It is as important to me as a filmmaker as Citizen Kane is to the art of film as a whole. But as amazing as it is, the seminal Orson Welles film doesn’t inspire me to make movies; Jaws does.
Blade Runner (1982)
Director: Steven Spielberg DP: Jordan Cronenweth Anamorphic Eastman 100T 5247
Day 2 of 10 — Ridley Scott’s sci-fi film noir classic is not only a great detective story and dissection of the human experience, but it’s also a fine example of style serving substance. The gorgeous cinematography by Jordan Cronenweth is one of the main sources of my inspiration to become a cinematographer myself. The story isn’t terribly complex, but the visuals give the plot more meaning, and a base for the viewer to visually meditate on the metaphors presented while exploring the plot.
There are several versions of the film, most notably the 1982 original theatrical cut, the 1992 Director’s Cut, and Scott’s preferred 2007 Final Cut (also called the 25th-Anniversary Edition).
Die Hard (1988)
Director: John McTiernan DP: Jan de Bont Anamorphic Eastman 400T 5295
Day 3 of 10 — Fantastic cinematography by future Speed and Twister director Jan de Bont elevates this adventurous John McTiernan film that made the entire world rethink the standard Hollywood action movie. This is the movie that made me fall in love with anamorphic lenses. I’m pretty sure Die Hard 3 is the superior film, but the original is still the one that left it’s mark on my. I wanted to tell complex, fun stories the way McTiernan and de Bont did with this compelling, awesome, badass film that almost entirely takes place in an office building.
The Hunt for Red October (also McTiernan and de Bont) was also considered for Day 3. As a side note: Die Hard is also my favorite Christmas movie; next to Gremlins, naturally.
Fiddler on the Roof (1971)
Director: Norman Jewison DP: Oswald Morris Anamorphic
Day 4 of 10 — This movie always gives me the teary-eyed feels. Director Norman Jewison’s sprawling adaptation of Sholem Aleichem’s Tevye and his Daughters, filmed on-location in Yugoslavia by veteran British cinematographer Oswald Morris, with Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick’s music adapted by the phenomenal John Williams, opens with the introductions of our delightful characters, then punches us in the gut with the harsh realities of the treatment of Russian Jews by the state around 1905.
Simultaneously a celebration of life, and a commentary on the human condition, Fiddler on the Roof is as important a story to me as a Christian and fellow citizen of this planet on the 100th viewing as it was on the first viewing. Ossie Morris’ inspired cinematography made me fall in love with soft, earthy lens filtration and has informed many of my filter decisions over the years, from Tiffen Black Magic Pro Mist to various strengths and colors of stretched pantyhose behind the lens as I did on the short film Oz.
The DVD of Fiddler contains the fantastic 1971 documentary Norman Jewison: Filmmaker — which should be required viewing for any student of film — serving as both an intimate look at the director on the set, but also as a terrific behind-the-scenes look at the making of Fiddler.
Robocop (1987)
Director: Paul Verhoeven DP: Jost Vacano Spherical
Day 5 of 10 — Once again, “sci-fi as a commentary on the human condition” informs my life as both a person and a filmmaker. Some people may view this brilliant film, directed by Paul Verhoeven and lensed by frequent collaborator Jost Vacano, as just a silly action movie, but it’s impact on me as a commentary on humanity is profound. The gut-wrenching music by Basil Poledouris appropriately heightens the drama.
Robocop is not as visually stimulating as Blade Runner, the simple visuals serve the not-so-simple story, and there are some striking visual moments in this deceptively simple tale of a man attempting to regain his humanity. Why distract the viewer from the complicated story by overly complicated visuals? It’s the opposite of Blade Runner: appropriately simple cinematography to not distract from the complicated lesson of the story.
In second place for Day 5 is the very similar Verhoeven/Vacano collaboration Starship Troopers.
Empire of the Sun (1987)
Director: Steven Spielberg DP: Allen Daviau Spherical Eastman 125T 5247, 400T 5294, 250D 5297
Day 6 of 10 — Probably the most underrated of all of Steven Spielberg’s films, the sumptuously filmed coming-of-age drama starring a 12 year old Christian Bale was lensed by Allen Daviau who had previously collaborated with Spielberg on The Color Purple, and E.T., as well as Spielberg’s first short film, Amblin’. Empire of the Sun explores many adult situations from the point of view of a child, and had a profound affect on me as a child. Daviau’s cinematography on this film continues to make me feel the wonder the young protagonist experiences viewing the horrors and complexities of war.
In second place for day 6 was E.T. the Extra Terrestrial.
Seven (1995)
Director: David Fincher DP: Darius Khondji Anamorphic Eastman EXR 50D 5245, EXR 200T 5287, EXR 200T 5293
Day 7 of 10 — I must really enjoy modern film noir. I definitely do love crime thrillers. This is Blade Runner without the flying cars, takes place in an anonymous city over the course of seven days, and has some nearly fantastical elements, but in the end the bad guy is “just a man.” Director David Fincher’s incredibly moody crime thriller features scrumptious cinematography by Darius Khondji and it’s still my most favorite work by either of them. As superior a film as Fincher’s Zodiac, Seven is still the film that kicks me in the gut the most.
Bonus: Seven being the seventh film chosen was not a coincidence.
Patton (1970)
Director: Franklin J. Schaffner DP: Fred J. Koenekamp Dimension 150
Day 8 of 10 — I love Patton. I definitely respect and admire General George S. Patton of whom this film is a character study, and I love the Oscar-winning portrayal by George C. Scott, the direction of Franklin J. Schaffner, the script by Francis Ford Coppola and Major Edmund H. North, rousing music score by Jerry Goldsmith, and 65mm “Dimension 150” cinematography by Fred J. Koenekamp. I love the bigness of the movie, while keeping the focus squarely on telling the story of the personally flawed but brilliant World War II general.
Bonus: I chose this film and this image since Day 8 fell on Memorial Day.
Alien (1979)
Director: Ridley Scott DP: Derek Vanlint Anamorphic Eastman 100T 5247
Day 9 of 10 — I wanted to avoid entries by duplicate directors. For example, there are so many films directed by Steven Spielberg that affected me as a person and informed my decision to be a filmmaker myself, but there are just too many for this project. I could easily post 10 films by Spielberg that mean something to me. So this is a duplicate because Alien is incredibly important to me as a filmmaker. Ridley Scott’s film just before Blade Runner, the 1979 (year of my birth) film applied the “ten little indians” (alternatively, “and then there were none”) style of mystery and horror combined with the middle of space where “no one can hear you scream.”
It’s unsettling in it’s BAFTA-nominated beauty by cinematographer Derek Vanlint, and creepy AF music by Jerry Goldsmith, the confident direction by Scott and realistic performances by the fantastic cast makes the sci-fi setting melt away, allowing the horror and mystery elements explode effectively to the front. This is the film where I learned it is more important to know when not to do something, like when not to use music, and to be confident as a director is making your decisions.
Bonus: I’ve learned so much about filmmaking listening to Ridley Scott’s audio commentaries on Alien, Blade Runner, and Gladiator.
Apocalypse Now (1979)
Director: Francis Ford Coppola DP: Vittorio Storaro Anamorphic Eastman 100T 5247
Day 10 of 10 — Francis Ford Coppola’s incomparable spiritual descent into madness based on the 1899 novella Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad. This is the film Orson Welles couldn’t make, and decided to make the more produceable Citizen Kane instead. Insert head exploding emoji here.
Originally, George Lucas was intended to direct, but backed out because he didn’t want to get “lost to the jungle” like the villain Kurtz. The harrowing production of the film, co-written by Coppola and John Milius, nearly actually killed both Coppola and lead actor Martin Sheen, took 238 days to film, and nearly cost Coppola his family and fortune. Ever heard of Coppola Wine? That would have had a different owner had Apocalypse not worked out.
The documentary Hearts of Darkness — exploring the personal struggle of Coppola in writing, casting, directing, producing, paying for, this film — is absolutely required viewing by anyone desiring a career in filmmaking. In the end, Apocalypse Now is one of the greatest films ever made, and is probably the most important independent film. The celebrated cinematography by the great Vittorio Storaro, editing by Richard Marks, Walter Murch, Gerald B. Greenberg, and Lisa Fruchtman, and music by Carmine Coppola (Francis’ dad), create the creepy, existential tone prevalent throughout the entire film.
It’s easily one of the most entertainingly depressing films ever made, and is certainly one of the most effective anti-war films ever made, next to Platoon, Full Metal Jacket, and Paths of Glory. And if you really like the film, there’s an extended Redux version that presents an additional 49 minutes of material. However, Coppola’s preferred version is the 2019 release Apocalypse Now Final Cut.
What do you think of my choices and their explanations? Let me know in the comments.
Happy Easter! Here’s my list of personal favorite Jesus movies to celebrate this special stay-at-home Easter weekend.
5. The Robe (1953)
After a drunken game of dice, the Roman tribune who commanded the unit responsible for the Crucifixion, is tormented by a guilty conscience when he wins the robe of that crucified jew. Starring Jean Simmons, and Richard Burton, the Robe is directed by Henry Koster, and photographed by Leon Shamroy, and is the first feature film photographed using the anamorphic process. The film explore’s the aftermath of the Crucifixion and the toll it takes on the Roman tribune who believed Jesus was innocent. There’s also a 1954 sequel called Demetrius and the Gladiators, which continues the story of the early Christian church within the Roman Empire.
4. Ben-Hur (2016)
Not at all a bad version of the timeless story. It still hits home, and the ending works for this version. Competently directed by Timur Bekmambetov (Night Watch, Day Watch), with some pretty good performances from Jack Huston, Toby Kebbel, and Morgan Freeman. Not as awesome a production as the much beloved 1959 version, but out of the other four films based on the 1880 novel, this is at the top. Though they just don’t make chariot race sequences like they used to.
3. Risen (2016)
A Roman tribune is tasked with finding the body of a rabbi who apparently rose from the dead. Directed by Kevin Reynolds (Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, The Count of Monte Cristo) and starring Joseph Fiennes and Cliff Curtis, Risen does a terrific job of approaching the resurrection of Jesus from the point of view of a Roman skeptic.
2. The Passion of the Christ (2004)
The infamous “still not as violent as it actually was” account of the Crucifixion, Mel Gibson’s extremely stylistic and sincere (and very Catholic) project is one of the most controversial films in history, but went on to become the highest grossing foreign language film in US box office history, the highest-grossing rated R film in US box office history, and the highest grossing religious film in worldwide box office of all time. The landmark performance by Jim Caviezel as Jesus, with the entire movie’s dialogue spoken in ancient Aramaic, Hebrew, and Latin, and with lush cinematography by Caleb Deschanel, The Passion is a bold, unyielding statement at the torture Christ endured on the cross, to give us the gift of eternal salvation.
I’m Just Going to Leave This Here: King of Kings (1961)
A biopic of Jesus of Nazareth and not really about the Crucifixion, and therefore not really an Easter movie, but it’s big and epic and a good companion piece to the other films here if you’re not interested in only experiencing the horrible murder part of the Jesus story. It’s a very Catholic “Jesus has blue eyes and sounds like an American trying to sound like an ancient Jew”, but it’s heart is in the right place. It’s also totes a stylistic rip-off of…
1. Ben-Hur (1959)
After a Jewish prince is betrayed and sent into slavery by a Roman friend, he seeks to regain his freedom and come back for revenge. Starring Charleton “Ten Commandments” Heston and directed by William Wyler, this third filmed version of the 1880 novel, by former Union general Lew Wallace, is the most prolific and most profound.
Ben-Hur has everything: a cast of thousands, gigantic sets, death-defying stunts, vengeance, adventure, implicit romance, implied former gay romance to antagonize the plot, action, gore, lepers, fantastic music, the audience going “woah, so THAT’s what this movie is about?!” at the end, an entirely whitewashed cast to annoy liberals, the most epic subdued filmed version of Jesus, and the most awesome depiction of a chariot race ever committed to film. The ending really is almost as big a mindscrew as the plot twist in Fight Club. Ben-Hur is easily one of the greatest motion pictures ever made.
What do you think of my choices? Does anyone have other Easter-ish movies to share?
Looking for a companion for my FS7M2, I’m giddy with excitement about Sony’s upcoming “full-frame” camera.
Cameras are my thing, but they don’t always impress me. The last quasi ten-thousand dollar camera that did impress me was Sony’s PXW-FS7 Mark 2. Even the first version of FS7 did not hold my interest, but the Mark 2’s additions of a locking-lever E mount and electronic variable ND made me reconsider the line. I reconsidered it so much that I eventually bought my own.
Ahead of IBC 2019 earlier this month, Sony announced a new line of XDCAM 4K camera nudged between the FS7 and their flagship large format 6K CineAlta VENICE, the PXW-FX9, and it is a beast.
Sony PXW-FX9
The Chewy Outside
As an owner/operator of the FS7M2, I am already very comfortable with the layout of the FX9. I’m a fan of buttons and this new camera has a ton of them; several of which are customizable. I appreciate how there are now buttons for switching through the filter presets, the headphone volume controls, and the Playstation-style controller for navigating the menus.
Many FS7-compatible accessories will work with FX9 as both cameras share similar spec on the top and bottom. The FX9’s top handle actually looks like the exact same one from the FS7M2! Speaking of compatibility: the FX9 uses the XAVC-I codec so the internal recording media are the exact same XQD cards that work with FS7. Speaking of recording footage: the SD card slot which is used by FS7 only for saving configuration data, is capable of recording proxies on FX9. Very sweet.
One of the things I am very happy about is Sony’s locking-lever E mount makes a return. It was such a clever addition to the FS7M2 that it made its way into the flagship VENICE camera and now here it is in the new FX9. I don’t think it’s going anywhere any time soon, and that’s a good thing. Anyone complaining about needing two hands to change a lens are stills photographers who pine for wobbly bayonet lens mounts and have probably never worked with proper cine lenses.
Some other nice bits that lift FX9 above FS7 are the new 1080p viewfinder, TC in/out and genlock without need of an extension unit, improved ergonomics, beefier build quality, and the world’s first “full frame” electronic variable ND which gives you filtration from 2 to 7 stops with nearly step-less transitions. One of the little things about the ND is there is now a glass element at the Clear setting so the back focus isn’t thrown out of whack. Neat!
Sony PXW-FX9
The Creamy Filling
But the juicy parts are what’s on the inside.
The 6K oversampled “full frame” back-illuminated Exmor R 35.7 x 18.8mm CMOS sensor packs more than 15 stops of latitude, features dual native ISO of 800/4000, and inherits the S-Cinetone color science from the VENICE digital motion picture camera. The sensor downsamples its 6K image for a very sharp, true 4K image. FX9 will do 120 fps in FHD from 2K FF at launch, and with a future firmware update will be able to record 4K up to 60 fps from a 5K mode, and FHD will eventually go up to 180 fps. With an XDCA-FX9 extension module, the FX9 will output 16 bit raw.
The dual native ISO is very exciting to me as it means FX9 allegedly has a much cleaner image than FS7’s very noisy one. The FX9’s native 4000 ISO is cleaner than the FS7’s native 2000. With my FS7M2 I always get a cleaner image when I record around ISO 1000. That cleaner image (from the oversampled, larger sensor) at 1.5 stops greater sensitivity than the FS7’s cleaner 1000 ISO means the FX9 will have a nearly noiseless image in very difficult lighting environments over FS7. That’s great for filming in a variety of documentary situations. When you don’t need the extra light sensitivity, you can switch over to base ISO 800 and limit the need for ND greater than 1/128 (ND 2.1).
There is also enhanced Fast Hybrid Auto Focus that will work (and apparently extremely well) with E mount lenses such as the SELP28135G. I’m not a fan of AF while recording, but the videos I’ve seen so far online have been making me reconsider for certain jobs. Also, is the built-in gyro which records meta information that can be read by Catalyst Browse or Catalyst Prepare software and used to digitally stabilize the footage, a feature which Sony hopes third parties will add to their NLE’s. I’m looking at you, Apple. Of some interest is the fact that the FX9 features 5GHz and 2.4GHz Wi-Fi to remotely transfer footage or control the camera.
Also of note is the upcoming FE C line of “full frame” E mount cine lenses. First one out of the gate in Spring 2020 is the FE C 16-35mm T3.1 G. Designed to be both for auto focus servo zoom documentary work, and fully manual cine work, these new lenses look like they’ll work extremely well with both FX9 and VENICE.
Conclusions
I believe the Sony PXW-FX9 will make a great companion to my PXW-FS7M2. I think the FX9’s large format juiciness could be the cinematic big brother to the FS7’s Super 35 reality and documentary style, while complementing each other well on multi-cam projects. I’m looking forward to Sony fulfilling the FX9’s firmware roadmap and seeing how the camera matures over the next several months upon its release at the end of 2019.
Here is a list of other websites where you can research the FX9 yourself.
In case you’re wondering, I dislike the term “full frame” when discussing 135 Format or VistaVision-sized sensors. It’s meaningless Canon 5D marketing speak and makes zero sense at all. Thus, I put the annoying term in quotations because I’d be making air ones if I were to speak the term in person. Unfortunately, the term has found its way into the popular lexicon and it doesn’t look like it’s going away any time soon.
My first 9:16 vertical video advert. Produced for South Texas Independent School District. Envisioned as a highlight film of collected reality events (no planning, no direction, documentary-style) scheduled throughout the summer of 2019 and shot in both 16:9 and 9:16 formats, then married with 16:9 footage created the standard way (planned, lit, block, directed, etc) for previous spots. Throw some cool music and graphics and you have this spot!
Director, Cinematographer, Editor: Jason R. Johnston Producer: Amanda Odom Writers: Jaclyn Garza, Jason R. Johnston, Amanda Odom House: Fifty Oars Motion Pictures
A 6K, Super 35, BRAW, EF lens mount, tiny little powerhouse.
Last April, Blackmagic Design announced the 4K Micro 4/3″ update to their popular Super 16 Pocket Cinema Camera. This month, Blackmagic has announced the 6K version upgraded with a Super 35 sensor and a bayonet EF lens mount. The new camera records Blackmagic RAW for full sensor and windowed sensor formats, as well as different flavors of ProRes for scaled formats. Using BRAW the Pocket 6K records 6K, 6K 2.40:1 (Cinemascope), 5.7K and 2.8K 17:9, plus 3.7K anamorphic.
My gripe is with the EF mount. Sure, we’re stuck with EF because that’s the mount of choice for a lot of photographers-turned-cinematographers and the Pocket Cinema Camera line is directly aimed at that demographic. Why use your Canon DSLR when you can use a proper video camera? It makes business sense, and I get it. It’s just too bad because I would have preferred at least a locking-lever EF mount to prevent wobble whilst racking focus or zoom. Of course, a user-replaceable mount would have been ideal, but I’m sure Blackmagic doesn’t want the Pocket to compete with their own Ursa Mini line.
I opined that the Pocket 4K was a winner last year. My thoughts on the upgraded 6K version are the same, albeit with shallower depth of field. I wound up not purchasing a Pocket 4K, and I might not purchase a 6K, either, but I do think Blackmagic aiming for an affordable, tiny, 6K Super 35 camera that records raw internally, priced around $2,500 USD, is one hell of an industry-disrupting move. This will undoubtedly force the other digital motion picture camera manufacturers to change some of their upcoming plans.
These STISD adverts are always a good challenge. I am generally hired on as a one-man-crew and handle everything from pre-production to post. I always collaborate with my clients to give them the most bang for their buck.
I use my Sony FS7 Mark 2 camera package extensively nowadays. Recorded in April, this shoot took advantage of my Rayzr7 300w LED fresnel lighting kit, and cinema-grade PL lens package, though I only used my 25mm T2.2 prime lens.
Me recording STISD RSA students working with one of their robots. BTS photo by Jacky at STISD.
I’m trying to keep up with the RSA football players while framing the shot, keeping it in focus, and not dying. BTS photo by Jacky at STISD.
I’m on the floor getting a shoe’s POV of the ladies in a huddle. BTS photo by Jacky at STISD.
My Sony PXW-FS7 Mark II taking a break in the RSA gym.
On this particular shoot, I had only two 8-hour days to shoot everything I needed with myself as director, DP, camera operator (and the rest of the camera department), gaffer, best boy and key grip (and the rest of G&E), and sometimes PA. I always have great help from Amanda and Jacky, the STISD Public Relations crew. We’ve been working together since 2012, and they trust me enough to let me go crazy on just an idea of what the adverts could be.
The “Up For the Challenge” advert campaign was another great time on set, and was fun to figure out in editing. I always look forward to these STISD projects.
Director, Cinematographer, Editor: Jason R. Johnston Producer: Amanda Odom Writers: Jaclyn Garza, Jason R. Johnston, Amanda Odom House: Fifty Oars Motion Pictures
One of the reasons I love my Sony FS7 Mark II is the fact that, other than a media card, it shipped with everything in the box I needed in a camera kit. I love that the supplied LCD came with both a collapsible shade and a loupe which effectively turns it into an EVF, and a LANC smart handgrip with extending arm, and a few other things. But, there’s always room for improvement.
What I don’t love so much about the handgrip is that it’s not intended to be removed from the arm. Attached to the body via the arm’s Arri rosette, I can only position the handgrip so close or so far away from the body, and even at it’s closest, I still wind up jabbing the handgrip into a mattebox. I also can not angle the arm positive when extended forward which means the handgrip will always be in the negative and cause the entire rig to roll to port when sitting it on a flat surface. It can never rest flush with a flat surface with the handgrip/arm assembly attached.
The handgrip is intended to be positioned about chest-level in shoulder-mount mode, but I find that method of operating uncomfortable and unresponsive. I am not a human tripod…even though sometimes I have to be. Because the handgrip is affixed to the arm, my options are limited. I don’t like that. I need to be able to position the handgrip wherever I want.
After a bit of research I discovered that I wasn’t the only FS7 owner/operator who felt the same way. We love the handgrip, but hate being stuck with the arm. Thankfully, there are a few solutions. The one I settled on is from Chinese third-party manufacturer of camera accessories, SmallRig. Their “Handgrip Rosette Adapter for Sony PXW-FS7/FS7II 1887” kit converts the base of the connection between the handgrip and the arm into an Arri rosette so you can mount it anywhere, including directly to the body of the FS7.
SmallRig Handgrip Rosette Adapter for Sony PXW-FS7/FS7II 1887
It comes with 4 tiny, two bigger screws, one tightening thumb screw, and hex keys.
Assembly is straight forward. First, I needed to remove the handgrip from the arm by gently removing the four hex screws from the assembly. They’re glued in so you have to make sure you don’t break the head off or strip them. Thankfully, the process went without issue.
The handgrip removed from the arm.
The four Sony hex screws and one of the SmallRig replacements.
Next, I needed to align the first part of the adapter assembly to the two locking pins and attach it with either the four replacement screws or the OEM ones. I decided to use SmallRig’s.
After the first part of the assembly was affixed, I then needed to attach the final part containing the thumb screw via the two larger hex screws.
The completed assembly. Piece of cake.
Now I needed something to attach the handgrip to. I had considered this when ordering the parts and thought the SmallRig 15mm Dual Rod Clamp with Rosette would work well.
SmallRig 15mm Dual Rod Clamp with Rosette (M6, 31.8mm) for Camera Shoulder Support 1898
The FS7M2 handgrip with SmallRig’s Rosette Adapter attached to their Dual Rod Clamp.
Wanting to continue to keep the spirit of a low camera profile, I wanted the ability to operate the FS7 either with it’s built-in shoulder pad, or on a VCT-14 shoulder pad, but without having to disassemble anything. With this in mind, I also purchased a SmallRig Camera Base Plate with Rod Rail Clamp for Sony FS7, and Manfrotto 501-style dovetail.
SmallRig Camera Base Plate with Rod Rail Clamp for Sony FS7, Sony A7 Series, for Canon C100/C300/C500, for Panasonic GH5 1674
SmallRig Quick Dovetail Base for Manfrotto Standard for for Manfrotto 577, 501, 504, 701,etc. 1280
I attached the base plate to the bottom of the FS7.
Then attached the dovetail using the provided 1/4″-20 screw, and an additional one I had laying around. I made sure to keep the aft parts flush with each other so they don’t potentially dig into my shoulder if positioned underneath the shoulder pad.
I was pretty happy with both assemblies and decided to keep building out my rig to see how it all fit together.
The new bits on my FS7, and all of that on a SmallRig VCT-14 shoulder mount baseplate. Those are 9″ aluminum 15mm LWS rods and way too long for most of my lenses, so I ordered a pair of 6″ aluminum ones painted black, also from SmallRig
It’s a very tight setup. I really like being able to position the handgrip wherever I want, and in tandem with a left-hand grip for extra support. I found this method much easier to support various front-heavy lens weights as I can extend the handgrip wherever I need it to accommodate whatever the situation. The best part is the handgrip can be positioned right at the mattebox which is where I like to put my hands to be able to kinetically operate the camera as organically as possible while shoulder-mounted.
Sure, I could have just used any handgrip, but the ability to have the Sony smart handgrip is huge for being able to have LANC control over the camera and certain lenses. Why buy an expensive new LANC handgrip controller when I can just slightly mod the one that came with the camera and save a lot of money? In the end, the entire endeavor cost about $155, shipped (free shipping with Amazon Prime). I order everything on Tuesday, and it all arrived today except for the 6″ rods which arrive Monday. I can’t wait to try out the new equipment on my next shoot.
What do you think of my modding exercise? Have you tried modding your FS7 handgrip? What are your experiences with modding your FS7? I want to know in the comments below!
