Top 3 most boring new cameras - Nikon D750, Canon 7D Mark II and GoPro Hero 4

I haven't written much lately, and readership has gone down as a result. It's not that there are no new cameras to talk about - it's that the new cameras are not very exciting - in fact, they are downright boring.

Some blogs, for example, are touting the full-frame goodness of the new Nikon D750, to which I say "meh."

So what if Nikon has finally figured out how to compress video without moire. They should have done it years ago.

And while others are promoting the Canon 7D Mark II as worthy successor to the 7D for video - I say...well, my answer isn't printable on a blog intended for polite audiences.  And as for Canon's latest marketing campaign, "See Impossible" - I won't dignify it with a response.

Nikon may have figured out moire-free compression, but Canon hasn't. And they'll nevertheless advertise this thing as a video capable camera and charge shooters $1800 for it.

Anyone who has read this blog for long knows that I have not been hesitant to promote new products (when there was actually something new and worthwhile about them), but I just can't bring myself to recommend these cameras for shooters who care about video - even if Canon has finally put a headphone jack on an interchangeable lens camera under $2000 - or if Nikon has finally eliminated full-frame moire.

Neither of these cameras gets rid of the major liability that comes with the reflex mirror - the lack of a video viewfinder, which is the dirty little secret of the DSLR. As I've said elsewhere, the lack of a video viewfinder is a hidden tax on filmmakers, who are often surprised to learn that they can't see their LCDs in bright sunlight and end up buying expensive and cumbersome LCDVFs and/or EVFs just so they can see what they are shooting.

Until these manufacturers give up on the mirror (and the 30 minute limit for cameras sold outside of the EU), it will be hard to take them seriously when they advertise the video features of their cameras.

As for the GoPro Hero 4 Black and 4K, there has been a 4K/30fps action camera on the market for over 6 months, it's called the Panasonic HX-A500, and no one seemed to care until GoPro released the Hero 4.

But some of it is the fault of Panasonic's marketing people. Here's Panasonic's tired and slow moving 4K A500 demo on YouTube, which has garnered a pitiful 9,200 views between March of 2014 and this post:







Contrast that with GoPro's fast moving Hero 4 4K demo video - which has had over 9.5 million views in a few weeks - over a thousand times more than Panasonic's A500 video:






To me, GoPro is a little like Canon - riding a wave of brand recognition while trailing Panasonic in innnovation.

All three of these cameras are the equivalent of "New Coke" for me - corporate marketing designed to sell repackaged version of old products rather than meeting the needs of contemporary consumers.  I don't recommend them, and won't be posting links to them, even if it costs me money.

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McDonalds’ “SuperGood” Ad Campaign Shot with Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera!

In a press release today (see link below), Blackmagic Design announced that the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera had been selected as the POV camera for an upcoming McDonalds ad campaign. During the shoot, the camera was attached to the mouthguard of a motorcycle helmet and recorded first person point of view video in 12-bit RAW, which was later transcoded and graded in DaVinci Resolve 10.

Production Company: Native Sons Films, Woodside, CA for Stern Advertising, LA

Interesting quote from Director and DP Joe Murray of Native Sons Films explains why he didn't use 8 bit cameras or a GoPro:

“I also wanted it to look authentic, as if you are looking through a human eye, not a camera, so the footage had to have a sophisticated, cinematic look. Even though it’s a roving, quick point of view, I didn’t want over sharpened, highly compressed images or barreling distortion with a fish eye look. I wanted a naturalistic wide lens look with correct corners and smooth, high quality images, and I couldn’t have done it with any other tool...” Not bad for a camera that costs less than $1000 !

Full press release with more production photos at soundandpicture.com here.

GoPro Hero 3+ Black In Stock on eBay

With Christmas coming up, the #1 Best Selling Camcorder on Amazon, the $399 GoPro Hero 3+ Black, is temporarily out of stock. No worries - if you need one right now, they're still in stock for $420 at motosportsgear via eBay!

Wedding Shooters - Don't Let This Happen To You!

Epic Fail

Thankfully, no one was seriously hurt - and I admit that I laughed when I found out the groom only suffered a few cuts.  But in all seriousness, flying a copter in close proximity to people on the ground can be a matter of life and death - and should not be attempted unless:

1. The operator is experienced - this means hours of practice, not minutes


2. The equipment is reliable and suited to the payload it is to carry - no DSLRs on a copter rated for a GoPro


3. Winds are relatively calm - strong or gusty winds can exceed the abilities of even the most experienced pilot.

This video has had over a million hits in a little over two weeks. My concern is that the media and attention-seeking politicians will use this video as an excuse for clamping down on copter-mounted cameras.

It behooves all of us who would like to retain the freedom to fly these small copters for personal and light commercial use to operate them safely - or at least not to post our accidents on YouTube or Vimeo.

There are safe, easy-to-fly copters that cost a little more than trying to build one yourself.  I recommend buying one instead of trying to lash together parts from hobby stores, hoping to save a few bucks.