For Cinematographers

I often get e-mails with questions from other photographers and videographers, so I have posted some of the more frequently asked questions here:

What kind of equipment do you shoot with/recommend?

 

Its important to note that gear doesn’t solve everything. In most cases, it creates more problems. Whether you shoot on your cell phone or a an Arri Alexa, it all comes down to your personal vision and the story you want to tell. These are are just tools to further your stories.

Cinema and Still Cameras:

Canon 5D Mark II – Our primary still/cinema body. Full frame with gorgeous coloring.

Canon 1D Mark IV – This camera rotates with the 5D. The crop is perfect for ceremonies and pretty much everything else. The colors rock like the 5D and still has a great amount of shallow DOF. Its really the perfect HD-DSLR because of its weight, sensor, and low light abilities.

Canon 7D – A good B-camera for video. The crop of 1.6 is your best friend and worst nightmare. Great for ceremony coverage, but other cameras do a better job at close range.

Sony FS100 – This is our new wide ceremony camera. It replaces the 7D for the ceremony as you can run audio and have amazing shallow DOF, which I love. Its a low light king and while we only use it for certain things so far, its an incredible asset for us.

Leica M9 – Digital Rangefinder. Simply unbelievable images and a different way of shooting. Its not for everything or everybody, but it fits perfectly into my workflow and look.

Leica M6 TTL 0.85 – My personal film rangefinder. Its light, silent, and produces beautiful images. Its the perfect camera for travel and it allows me to experiment more with film.

Canon EOS 3 – My workhorse film camera. Used for the ceremony and reception. Its like a 5D, but film based. Plus, its only 279 used. Gotta love it.

Cinema Gear:

Manfrotto Video Monopod – This is hands down our best investment. 90 percent of our shots are with this.

Steadicam Flyer LE (I love this setup. You can achieve incredible shots, although its very pricey. The arm and vest is very nice).

Cinevate Atlas 30 Slider – The best slider I have ever used. We use this for all of our dolly shots.

Miller DS-20 Solo (This is the primarily tripod setup that I use. Its completely rock solid and the head on it is amazing. It feels like you are moving a much heavier camera, which in turn makes for super silky movements. Ever since I messed with Philip Bloom’s DS-20 at WEVA, I knew I had to get one and I am so glad I did.)

Zacuto Z-Finder (This piece of kit is essential for shooting on the 5D Mark II. It turns the LCD into a proper viewfinder and is a MUST HAVE for critical focus.

Lenses:

Canon – Each lens has a special purpose. We use primes for their speed, image quality, and durability. I also think zooming with my feet creates better images.

24mm 1.4 – A beautiful wide angle lens used for receptions and establishing shots. Its my go to Steadicam lens. 

35mm 1.4 – This lens produces a really editorial look. Little distortion and great for formals/journalistic shots. Its on my Mark IV 70 percent of the time. 

50mm 1.2 – My go to lens for just about everything. It produces beautiful portraits and detail shots with lovely bokeh. You should own this and the 35.

85mm 1.2 – The best portrait lens ever made. Its simply perfect for knocking down backgrounds. Not so great for video because of the loose focus ring, but still a great lens.

100mm 2.8 IS – Essential for close detail shots. I wish I had more uses for it.

135mm 2.0 – A fantastic lens to compress your subject. Its small and light. Its much better to carry than the 70-200.

70-200mm 2.8 IS – The only zoom I carry. Its used for the ceremony only due to its quick flexibility. If you want to own an amazing zoom, this is it.

Leica

Stills:

50mm Summicron – 50 is a great length for the Leica. Great for landscapes and portraits. Fast at F/2

35mm Zeiss Biogon – Great alternative to Leica. Very sharp with an almost 3D rendering. I love it!

Cinema – FS100:

35 2.8 Elmarit – Great length for the FS100

50 Summicron – A little tight on the FS100, but great for interviews. Extremely sharp.

35-70 3.5 – Great ceremony lens for processional/recessional

70-200 F/4 – Three shot lens for the ceremony. Its a little bit slow, but the FS100 makes up for that.

Lighting:

Canon 580EX II Speedlights (Great speedlights in combination with the Pocket Wizard Flex and Mini) – We prefer natural light whenever possible.

Arri Fresnels – The big guns. We have these in a few wattages. Perfect for creating depth and separation.

Litepanels Micro LED video light (Used in receptions and for ring shots to get a soft light on the diamond)

Pocket Wizards (Radio transmitters used to fire the flashes. MUST HAVE.)

Storage/Transport:

Pelican Cases (I use these cases for my video equipment, memory cards, and computers. They are dust-proof, waterproof, and bomb proof. They are the best and I cannot recommend them more for protecting your gear).

Shootsac - Essential for shooting with all primes. This bag keeps things light and close. MUST HAVE.

Post Production:

Adobe Creative Suite 5 (Photoshop CS5 is essential and so is Lightroom (not apart of the CS Suite, but well worth buying separately)

Final Cut Studio (I edit all of my video projects in Final Cut. You could cut a feature film on it. Its seriously the best, but there are separate plug ins that I could not live without.)

Do you offer mentoring sessions?

Please contact us for more information on pricing.