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Sméagol

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Status Updates posted by Sméagol

  1. I had ideas for a similar themed mafia a long time ago, but abandoned it. It was (to be) a unicode mafia. So I’m very curious to see what you’ve done with the roles!

  2. I haven’t kept up with Canon news, but I looked into it, and the 600D is simply the 550D’s successor, the new model in Canon’s entry level DSLR series. It has the same sensor and image processor, so image quality is the same. If you like the few new features the 600D provides, like the swivel screen, then go for it.

     

    Not being someone with hands-on experience, I don’t know anything about custom firmwares, if you want to experiment with those, well, it’s your risk to take ;).

  3. Oh, just got reminded on what I think could be an disadvantage of DSLRs (and similar cameras): rolling shutter. I’m pretty sure the camcorders won’t have this problem. Go Google it if you don’t know what it is, but it’s pretty noticeable if you’re aware of it. That said, it's nothing I’d be concerned with. Especially if you’re dealing with slow movement.

  4. Post a pic in the “what have you bought?” thread, so I can lust over someone else’s new hardware ;).

  5. [part 2]

     

    The video you linked.. The video maker commented on the used lens in the video, which was probably the 18-50mm. If you satisfied with this kind of quality, I’d just go with that kitlens. It has Image stabilisation, which will help in low-light conditions, when using a steady hand (and well, it’s useful in daylight as well ;)).

     

    Which leads me to another thing, you mentioned “over-the-shoulder” shots. I assume meaning following someone around at a walking pace. This will lead to a “shaky” video look, like Blair Witch and Cloverfield. Perhaps you want that. If you don’t, and prefer a more steady shot while walking, you’ll have to look at steadycams and rigs, which are expensive. That said, your kitlens has image stabilisation, which should already help with that, though I don’t know to what extent. For now I’d forget the steadycams, and use your kitlens as is. If you decide you need better stabilisation you can look into better options.

     

    [the end]

  6. [part 1]

     

    Not much response on that forum, though, there are some tips, and things I can gather from the video you linked.

     

    Another options for audio would be the Rode videomic.

    http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/363083-REG/Rode_VIDEOMIC_VideoMic_Camera_Mounted.html

    You can hook this up directly to your camera, so no need for adding in the audio. Personally I’d still go with the Zoom (or similar).

     

    [to be continued]

  7. It would help if you could be a little bit more specific in the tyope of shots you want. Indoor, outdoor, and and what range? I’ve said I think you’re probably looking at close range and indoor mostly for now, since you’re looking into dialogue driven shorts.

     

    First tip is a reviewsite about camcorders specifically (http://www.camcorderinfo.com/), and the general tip that a extra/high capacity battery is probaly also one of the things you should look into.

     

    Here’s a video of the first camera on the frontpage of that site that caught my eye:

    http://vimeo.com/26525647

  8. It would help if you could be a little bit more specific in the tyope of shots you want. Indoor, outdoor, and and what range? I’ve said I think you’re probably looking at close range and indoor mostly for now, since you’re looking into dialogue driven shorts.

     

    First tip is a reviewsite about camcorders specifically (http://www.camcorderinfo.com/), and the general tip that a extra/high capacity battery is probaly also one of the things you should look into.

  9. Ah, dialogue driven shorts? That’s good, you won’t need a rig and stuff to stabilise your frantic shots on the go ;).

    Prime vs Zoom: well, zoom says it all really. A prime doesn’t zoom. It’s optimised for a specific distance range. It requires less glass, and therefore lets more light in, but you sacrifice some versatility. But if you’re going to shoot 2 people talking mostly, I think you won’t need a zoom for now, or at least not a crazy zoom. But I’ll ask around.

     

    Also, did you already have some sort of external mic?

  10. No, I’m glad to be of help when I’m able to.

     

    Let me know what kind of shots you’re primarily into. Parkour videos? Following close behind or also zoomed out shots?

     

    I’m not very knowledgable on lenses myself unfortunately, due to my lack of hands-on experience. As far as I can gather, 50 mm is a good allround lens, good for close-ups/wide shots or medium range. I personally would have a preference for primes since they have a better performance in low-light conditions, I don’t know if that’s important to you. So I’d personally get the bundle with the 50mm kitlens (€ 618,- on a Dutch site).

     

    But again, if you want, I can ask around! Let me know your budget (£800,- you said), the hardware you already own or can borrow, and what kind of videos you intend to shoot mostly.

  11. For fuck’s sake, again too long :rolleyes:

     

    Must.. Make.. Short..:

     

    First and foremost, a good tripod, with ballhead in case of video. In the high-end market, Manfrettos are all the rage, but you may not want to spend that much. But keep in mind, since a DSLR is lighter than a camcorder, you can make do with the cheaper ones.

    There is a specific Chinese brand of camera accessories, but I don’t know from the top of my head which one(s) or where to find them, I’ll ask around. I’d also get a gorillapod for the Zoom, if you’re getting that. If you’re not getting it right away, I’d use the money you’ll save on a good tripod. Also, obviously, the audio-recorder can make itself usefull outside of video production, so it’s an excellent investment.

     

    And this is probably just going to make you drool even more, but this site is excellent for cheap accessories for video: http://www.cheasycam.com

  12. For that budget, you could look into buying a seperate, dedicated audio recorder, I hear the Zoom H 4 N is excellent, and you could combine it with a Canon EOS 550D with kitlens (although, you’ll need some accessories as well). You’ll have to change your workflow accordingly, i.e. you’ll have to add the sound in editing. But that’s how I’d do it.

     

    I also know the Sony NEX cameras have mic accessories, but I don’t know how good they are, and they use the hotshoe.

     

    Perhaps you should consider joining a tech and/or video site/forum, you can get help from real experts there. I’m on tweakers.net, a Dutch site, but I don’t know a UK equivalent unfortunately.

  13. Geez, need to keep this within 1000 characters.. -->

     

    Keep in mind I’m by no means an expert, I get my info from the reviews and hands-on experiences.

     

    Advantages:

    - excellent image quality in a relatively tiny package (i.e. more portable)

    - better suited to take still images as well obviously

    - interchangable lenses

    - generally much cheaper with kitlens (if you buy better lenses, this advantage evens out)

    - better depth of field

     

    Disadvantages:

    - (pro-)Camcorders are better featured out of the box for shooting video, with handles, pro-inputs & outputs, etc.

    - it seems camcorders generally have better audio quality

     

    Universal advice:

    Simply go to Vimeo or Youtube, and search for videos shot with the cameras you have in mind. Let the image quality do the convincing.

  14. Hi, no, it’s no problem, in fact, just before the forum went down, I had one very long post prepared, but I got the message it was too long.. I think I killed the forum. Anyway, I had the post saved in notepad, but I have to shorten it, and I have to leave now, so you’ll get my comments later!

  15. Yup, love the slo-mo as well, but I don’t know any cheap solutions for that unfortunately.. Well except for the software solution. Anyway, let me know when you’ve done a new parkour video ;).

  16. Haha.. Eventhough I don’t have a job, and can’t even afford the cheapest cameras? I keep up with the tech news. I know what I want, for when I do get a job. Apart from this site, Engadget is one of the sites I visit daily. So yeah, I’m reasonably aware of the latest cameras, although I’m most interested in the MILCs (like m43, and the Sony NEX) at the moment. So yeah, eventhough a high framerate is out of the question without a professional camera, there are plenty of options when you simply want great video quality within a reasonable budget, and I figured you’d be interested in those as well.

  17. I edited my post, wasn’t sure if you’ve seen it, so I wanted to point it out without posting again.

  18. A bit yeah, but that was a few weeks ago. Perhaps I haven’t been posting much, but I have been around. Perhaps you just miss me in the mafia games ;).

  19. Sorry dude, I can't sign-up after passing up Tales’ game, that would be such a dickmove ;). It's not anything personal, or a lack of interest, I was interested in both your games (Tales' game even a bit more), but I'm not in the mood to play right now.

     

    If you'd wait a couple of weeks ;).

  20. To be precise, I'm from Schiedam, The Netherlands ;).

    26 visits? Haha.

  21. Oh well. I only see the pic when it starts, then I go back to surfing. I don't stare at the pic for the full length of the song ;).

     

    I don't have any contact with my Polish family members. They're either old, dead, or, well, in Poland ;). Just do a Polish course would be easier, but then I'd prefer to study German and French (and Spanish) first.

  22. Frightening? It's just lo-res, she looks pretty good in my opinion ;).

     

    And no, I don't. You? It's funny, because I actually have a little bit of Polish blood in me (amongst other things.. You couldn't tell from looking at me).

  23. I found the 2 songs that stood out to me (although I love her voice in any of her songs so far):

     

    Broadcast Yourself
    Audio

     

    Broadcast Yourself
    Audio

     

    (problem with the last one is it's a live recording again, and one of the last songs of that particular concert I guess, since she's going through the credits)

  24. I'm glad to hear it! I wish I had the money for her albums, she has quite a few out. But I'm listening her songs on Youtube instead. I heard a few other songs which I love, but I don't know the titles from the top of my head.

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