No More B-Roll Please!

As cinematographers we’re fascinated by B-roll and what we can create with it.  It’s like this moment when we get to do our work without all the bothersome interruptions of dialogue, or characters, or costumes and makeup.  We get to focus on the beauty of the image. But over time we’ve lost touch what the term B-Roll actually means and how it evolved, and in doing so I think we’ve blurred its purpose, and frankly, we end up creating a lot of crap.  Too often, people use the term B-roll to refer to either filler (to help cover edits) or montage.  And these two terms miss the heart of what these silent clips were meant to achieve.

In the early days of cinema, B-roll was actually on a separate projection reel from A roll.  Most of the B-roll reel was black, and they’d start the two projectors at the same time. When it came time for the B-roll, they’d just switch which projector was being shown.  Believe it or not, in the beginning they did this live while the audience watched.  B-roll was mostly used to create continuity for interviews. As B-roll evolved, cinematographers realized that you could tell a story just with the images, and they began to edit sequences.  As the demand for “content” grew, modern day filmmakers spliced together visually striking clips of beaches and bridges and street corners and walking… oh, the walking—camera pointed down at the feet… and our videos became filled with forgettable beauty.
There’s one sure-fire way to make your b-roll better.  Stop shooting it.  Honestly, it’ll make your videos better.  Instead, shoot silent A-Roll.  The real difference between the two is that A-Roll is integral to your story.  Without those images, the film wouldn’t make sense. Here’s how to transform your B-roll into something powerful, and my challenge to you.

These days, people sometimes use B-roll to show a process, like how to cook something.  That’s usually a pretty good example of silent A-Roll.  You wouldn’t know what was happening, how to cook the dish, without the images.  The imagery tells us something vital to our understanding, and its progressive.  On the flipside, I also see a lot of filmmakers creating morning-to-night videos of a location... and no matter how beautiful the images or exciting the transitions, these are pretty forgettable.  And that’s because “Morning-to-Night” isn’t a meaningful concept, they’re just a montage of pretty images.  

Good B-roll tells a meaningful story.  That story can be narrative—with a sequence of events—or it can be an emotional journey. The stronger, the clearer the story, the better the B-roll.  The weaker the story, the worse the B-roll, and it doesn’t matter how beautiful the individual images are.  Tell me a morning to night story only if it will change me in some way.

There are a lot of elements that go into a good story, but essentially it takes the viewer from one point to another.  The person in the video changes and we journey with him, her, or them, or subject stays the same and the audience changes how they think or feel.  A story will always have a beginning, middle, and end.  How you shoot and edit it will depend on the story you’re telling, not a set of techniques and styles you like.  The greater the journey from A to Z, the more engaging the story... and therein lies the challenge for many creators.  If you work in the corporate videography world, many companies don't want to show the "opposite" of what they want to accomplish or who they are.  The journey is from W to Z, and as a result too many corporate videos have no stakes, no real threat of loss or promise of gain.  If you work in documentaries, an A to Z story can take an enormous amount of time, resources, and luck to film.  If you're a blogger (or vlogger), the challenges are similar.  But it's always worth it to make the journey from beginning to end as great as possible.

If you’ve been following this channel, you know I just bought a Z Cam E2.  To get familiar with the camera, I took it to the woods.  There was no purpose for the shoot other than to learn my camera, so it’s obviously going to be B-roll.  But I also wanted to put this idea of A-roll to work, so here’s what I shot.

It was my first day with the camera so I was just figuring things out; it’s mostly hand held, without a rig or handle. I was playing with different frame rates and file types and all kinds of crap. So there are a ton of technical problems with the footage.  But I wanted to show a story of some sort, in this case a procession from pristine woods (my beginning), to human disruption (my middle), to the loss of peace and harmony (my end).  Because it was about nature, I wanted it to feel organic, so I went handheld and I avoided flashy transitions.  I wanted the human disruption to appear callous, so I grabbed a pair of boots rather than my sneakers.  And the advent of disruption and loss it mirrored in the city-sounds that creep into the music.  In retrospect, I probably should have cut the opera, as it somewhat detracts for the sense of nature.

Is it a great story? No.  Within the context of something else—as true B-roll to some other A-roll—maybe it would be stronger. As is, it’s just an exercise in creating a story based on a location.

So here’s my challenge to you.  Pick a street corner, or a park, or any location, and tell a story about it.  Give it a beginning, a middle, and an end. You can decide your story ahead of time, or simply show up and take a moment to ask how the pieces of your location fit together to make a journey.  What ties together this peeled paint relates to that newly painted wall?  Use juxtaposition.  Limit yourself to 30 minutes.  In real life, we usually have to shoot quickly, so there’s a mental muscle that needs exercise when it comes to creating the best possible story quickly.

While the title of “No More B-Roll” might seem like irritating click-bait, I actually believe that the language we use changes our relationship to the process.  Many filmmakers don’t think twice about what they mean when they say “B-roll;” it’s natural and instinctual.  But for a lot of those filmmakers, the idea of B-roll doesn’t include the question, “how can I make a story out of this footage?”  And if you don’t believe that matters, then think about your favorite movie… filmed at a cost of $260,000 a day on set, and edited (at another astronomical figure) within an inch of its life.  Not a moment is wasted on an image that doesn’t move the story forward in a meaningful way, and at a significant pace.  For this reason, you rarely see characters walking (without talking), or packing up their gear, or starting their cars.

RVLVR Clutch Handle for Z Cam Review

The Z Cam is an impressive new camera on the market, and it has the added flexibility of being able to be controlled via Sony LANC cable. But, it’s new, so there aren’t many controllers on the market, and this is where the RVLVR Labs comes in.

The RVLVR Clutch handle is a beautiful looking grip, and it comes in two wood tones and they seem to be experimenting with others.  It’s also not cheap, with the least expensive model clocking in at a unnerving $350.  That's a handle that costs 17.5% of the camera it attaches to (in this case, the E2, though other Z Cam models are both more and less expensive).  The handle attaches via a rosette, so you’ll need to get a rosette adapter for your rig.  RVLVR Labs offers a slim line version for 40 bucks, though it appears to be designed to attach directly to the camera, and less elegantly to a rig.

The RVLVR has two flywheels.  Click either of the wheels and you can switch to another parameter, making it possible to control four parameters from the handle... Shutter, Aperture, ISO, and Focus for example.  They recently created an app to let you customize these options, and this includes the ability to have the click itself be a function.  If you choose this, then the flywheel only adjust one function because the click acts as the second.  I've got my front flywheel to control the Shutter speed, and if I click it will magnify the image. This new app satisfies one of my biggest complaints with the grip, which was not enough flexibility, so I'm really pleased that the folks a RVLVR released this upgrade.

What do I think of the RVLVR Clutch handle?  It’s beautiful, as I mentioned.  The functionality of the record button and flywheels are great.  It’s also very light, which is a mixed blessing.  I honestly thought it was made of plastic when I first picked it up.  That lightness goes away when attached to the camera, of course, because now they’re a combined weight.  And there’s an argument to be made for keeping the handle, and thus the rig, as light as possible.  With the Z Cam E2 fully rigged out, it gets heavy.  So after my initial dismay, I found I felt just fine about the weight.  But the lightness primed me to be more critical of the flywheels.  These feel a bit loose and flimsy, and it makes me a little concerned about durability.  Only time will tell, really, so keep an eye on those user reviews.

So do I recommend the RVLVR Clutch handle?  Well, if you come from the DSLR or Mirrorless world, you’re going to find this type of control almost essential for the Z Cam.  It can be frustrating to have to use the on-camera controls, and it's a considerably slower process.  Without a control handle, you have to re-grip the camera to change perameters, press once to enter into the right mode, then multiple times to find your setting, and then hit "OK" to return to the preview screen.  That's an awkward 5 seconds, and if you're rushed it's easy to make mistakes with the physical buttons on the E2, which are a little springy.  Currently the RVLVR handle is the only one on the market that offers control of the camera from where you hold it, so if want that level of control, it's the way to go.  With four parameters under your fingertips, you've actually got a little more control than the Mirrorless shooter standing next to you.   So, yes, I'm going to say yes, I’d recommend it for the functionality and the visual craftsmanship.

With the advent of Z Cam’s flagship line of 6k and 8k cameras, there are going to be other companies making handle controls in the near future.  I’d expect RVLVR to have some competition within the year.  To stay competitive, I really hope RVLR Labs tightens up the controller wheels and stress tests the unit to make sure it can survive being banged around a bag, set, and field.  If they can improve feel of the handle, I think they can keep their price tag… at least for the time being.

Want one?  You buy directly from RVLVR.

Info about the app bit scarce at the moment (they shared it on Z Cam's Facebook page) but you can download it here.

After posting the YouTube version of this review, Nick over at RVLVR (pronounced  Revolver, I'm told) reached out to talk about the dial issue.  It's great to see they have this on their radar and are taking steps!  Not many companies are that responsive.  He also shared that the wiggle in wheel is actual a manufacturing design that allows it to click, and not simply loose components.  That's a little reassuring.

F.64 Backpack Review - The Best in Big

I'm not hatin' on you, but here's the truth:  my bag be better than your bag.

If you love big bags (and who doesn’t) then my absolute favorite is the F.64 Large Format camera backpack. It is the best big bag at any price, and it costs less than any other bag in it’s size range.  

As a one-man production band, I like to keep my gear compact, and as easy to carry as possible.  This means one backpack for all my camera and audio gear, a rolling bag for lights, and a separate golf bag for stands and sticks.  I can get my full camera setup, complete with back up camera, three lenses, gimbal, audio gear, and drone into the F.64.  Or three cameras and four lenses.  Or... you get the idea: it's big and it's flexible.

I kept my eye on the F.64 for almost 3 years before I sprang for one.  It’s designed for large format film cameras.  This not only means more space, but it somehow avoided the rat-race of bag pricing.  This well-made backpack comes in at the phenomenal price of roughly $140 bucks.  I honestly can’t tell you how much more room you get for the dollar.  The Mindshift Gear 26L, for example, give you 20% packing space and costs $100 more.  Don't even talk to me about Manfrotto packs.  The base unit comes with two side bags, and you can purchase more for about $20 each. 

The zippers are pretty strong, the shoulder straps are probably not comfy enough for long hikes, but they’re great for getting your gear short distances. Much of the bag is double-stitched for sturdiness, and I expect it to last a least a decade. I'm told that the backpack minus-the-side-bags qualifies as a carry on, but it pushes the limit so you might want to check with your airline just to be sure.  Not all airlines (or all airplanes) have the same size limit.  How big is it?

The Specs:  

• Exterior: 23"x14"x7"
• Interior Lower compartment:  13"x13"x6"
• Interior Upper compartment:  8"x13"x6
• Maximum volume: 8.5lbs
• Bag weight:  6.3lbs

What’s it missing?  Well, there’s one aspect of the bag that may give some of you pause:  It doesn’t have a slot for a laptop.  Depending on how you shoot and what other bags you carry, this may be a deal-breaker.  For day-to-day work, I find that I never take my laptop.  Unless I'm re-creating a studio setup for a client (extremely rare), it's just too cumbersome.  For longer trips, though, the lack of laptop space could be an issue.  It also doesn’t have a tripod holder, if you like that sort of thing.  I don’t, because they’re usually not very good for larger sticks, and smaller ones are easy enough to strap onto the side of the bag.

 You can’t find them very many places, but B&H and Amazon both carry them.  And like any product that starts to get noticed on YouTube, supplies may not last that long.  Honestly, I almost want to buy a second bag just for the future.  I’m not an affiliate, so I don’t get anything by it, just tell you what works for me.

Z Cam E2 In-Depth Review Part 3

Welcome back to the Z Cam E2 in-depth review.  This is Part III.  If you missed the first two parts, you should check out find Part 1 and Part 2.

In today's post, we're looking at dependability (briefly), and our Conclusion.

Dependability

This is one topic I can’t answer yet, as I’ve only had the Z Cam for a few weeks now.  It’s comforting that the E2 feels like it’s built like a tank, and there have been very few reports of failure among users.  Hopefully, I won’t remember to report back on this topic.

Conclusion

I get the sense that Z Cam is positioning this camera uniquely in the market.  The hardware and software is excellent, but there’s not nearly enough documentation on the camera.  It’s a complicated camera, and the manual covers just the basics.  It took me 3 days to figure out how to get the full ISO range.   There are a lot more features and options than what I’ve covered here… things like a time lapse feature, dual ISO, file splitting, software, audio options, etc.  As I said in the beginning, it's a complex and very capable camera.

So who is it for?  Let's start with who I don't think it's well suited: bloggers and hobbyists.  I don't see the E2 as a great camera for blogger's because of the form factor.  Mirrorless, DSLR, and compact cameras are much easier to manipulate for self-filming.  And it's a too complex and beefy for a hobbyist.  Coming from a Sony a73 and a7s2, I miss the full-frame sensor and I'm overly conscious about how much attention it attracts... and how much slower it is to operate.  It's not a camera that I'd take on vacation, or to hazardous regions (i.e. places with high rates of theft and violence).  When you pick up the E2, you need to be a dedicated cinematographer in that moment-- not a tourist, someone's partner, or a "street videographer."  It takes time and attention to operate.  With the right attachments, the Z Cam can function as a "jog and gun" unit just fine.  It all depends on how you shoot professionally.  The E2 is an excellent camera if you want to upgrade your visual tools from a mirrorless, or enter into the professional filmmaking realm.  I see no shortcomings in the quality when used as a professional tool; I don't believe anyone could distinguish the E2's footage from that of a Red or Alexa.  It may not be on Netflix's "approved" camera list yet, but the specs and the performance are all there.  

Should you buy the E2 instead of the Sony a73? Yes, if you're planning on being a dedicated filmmaker; No, if you're a hybrid user or YouTube creator.  Should you buy it instead of the Blackmagic 4K? That really depends on the workflow experience you prefer and your need for a wider variety of recording options.  They're very similar in terms of image quality; they both have quirks in terms of handling.  Should you buy the Z Cam E2 instead of the Red Komodo? Yes, unless you have buckets of money....

Improvements I’d like to see:  I imagine this list will grow as I become more acquainted with the Z Cam, but there are some things I’d love Z Cam to address.  

• Port covers!  Please, make port covers!  The back is too exposed for working in deserts, mist, high wind, etc. etc.
• Custom file names.  I’ve yet to find a way to change the file naming system, and the current version (which lists the date and time) is ridiculously long and unhelpful.  I also want to see the file name on the preview screen.  Some professionals slate and take notes during their shoot and it helps to have the file name onscreen to confirm.  
• I’d love for proxy files to be available for all of the file types. 
• More documentation on the E2 and a dedicated employee for the Z Cam forum... or a forum created by Z Cam.  Don't rely on Facebook as a primary interface for customers.  Unanswered questions get buried in Facebook's algorithm, and that's no good.  I've created a Resource Page for the E2, with specs, links, mini reviews, and... um, resources, but I don't answer questions and I'm not an expert. 
• Custom cords.  I need a 6 inch LANC cable—not a 9-18inch springy cable.  Same for HDMI.
• Custom Menu page.  I know there's no space for it currently, but there are so many options-- and so many I know I'll never use-- that it would be nice to have a page with just the menu items I access regularly
• This last is really a next gen issue:  the LANC input is on the wrong side of the camera; if controlled by a handle, the cord has to reach across the back to reach the port.  The USB-C port can live on either side, so the two could be switched.  
  

Finally,I think Z Cam should look long and hard at their ZRAW format and decide what they want it to be.  Currently, it feels like an obligatory nod towards Raw file zealots who don’t understand that their obsession rarely produces a better looking image at final print. RAW is often considered the Holy Grail of file types when really it is simply one step up from ProRes HQ. In video, Raw files are never completely raw and almost always compressed. ZRAW subdivides that “one step” image possibility by being focused on detail rather than dynamic range.  

Z Cam has been aggressively improving their cameras, including updated features via firmware for their existing line like the E2.  This is an exciting company to watch, and I think their upcoming 6K and full frame cameras will shake up the landscape as much as the Sony a7 series, Blackmagic, and Panasonic cameras have done.  For me, I’m excited to explore the possibilities of this camera.

Z Cam E2 In-Depth Review Part 2

Welcome to Part 2 of our in-depth review of the Z Cam E2.  You can read the first part here!

In our second installment we're looking at Flexibility and Ease of Use.  I define these terms a little differently than most cinematographers.  Flexibility is the ability of the camera to take on different tasks-- it's technical adaptability; ease of use is how easy it is to work with in the field (i.e., does it set up quickly, screen functionality, app, etc.). Flexibility is physics, Ease of Use is workflow.

Flexibility

One of the great things about the E2 is how well it can work with your existing gear.  Being a modular camera, you’ll need a monitor, but an Android or Apple phone does just fine; you can connect via USB C or Wifi.  The batteries are super cheap Sony NPs, and there’s a good chance you already own some.  I had ten lying around.  If you have other NATO rail attachments, those will work for handles and monitor holders. 

But you’ll still need to buy some stuff you if come from the mirrorless world. CFAST cards are darn expensive.  A 128GB card starts around $120, and you use up space quickly with those high Mbps.  You can attach an SSD via the USB-C port. I discovered that the SSD’s I use for my Atamos recorder work well with a $15 case.  Between a 128GB card and 500GB SSD, my memory needs are set for both wireless hand held work and longer tripod setups.  I may buy an external hard drive with automatic backup that can transfer my CFAST cards on the road.  That way I can keep clearing out a single card, rather than have multiple cards.

With all of the quarter inch holes, you don’t need a cage, but you’re going to want one.   The Smallrig cage starts at $90, but it comes with a few quirks.  I love that it hugs the E2 so closely that it barely increases its size.  There are two NATO rails built into either side, keeping the unit small, but they also bring problems.  With the cage attached, it’s almost impossible to open the CFAST slot without a key or thin object.  And tightening NATO rail attachments is a fiddly process because there’s not enough room between the camera and the cage.  But these shortcomings are well worth the reduced size in my opinion.  

The other accessory you don’t need but you’ll want is a speed booster.  I originally bought a Viltrox for my Nikon lenses.  At $85 it was a fifth of the cost of the Metabones, and I’d heard good things about them.  After I bought it, I read a couple of reviews that claimed the Viltrox isn’t quite as sharp.  When mine arrived, I found that it was sharp but not snug; it wiggled on the camera.  So I found a used Metabones adapter for Nikon on Ebay for $150.  But while superior in fit, the Metabones speedbooster is actually inferior in other ways.   You can find a more detailed review/comparison of the Viltrox and Metabones here.

Having shot full frame exclusively for the last few years, the one thing I didn’t realize is that Speed Boosters don’t allow your Micro Four Thirds sensor to capture a full frame image from your lens.  It captures a Super 35 sized image.  While I’ve seen and heard numerous explanations as to why a Micro Four Thirds sensor with a speed booster is just as good as a full-sized sensor, it’s more complicated in real life.  My favorite focal length is 28mm.  It just looks right to me.  With the speed booster I need to use a 20mm lens to get the same angle of view, and these wider lenses often don’t have the same speed, compact form, image quality, and lack of barrel distortion.  And a fast wide lens is often pricier. As a Nikon user, I’ve got a solid option with the 20mm f/2.8, but I miss the “character” that comes with narrower lenses.  A lens shouldn’t just be wide or narrow, it should have a character that supports your visual aesthetics, and wide angle lenses tend to be pretty flat.

Another claim of speed boosters that doesn't hold true in my set-up, is that you get increased speed.  In other words, that your f/2.8 lens will act like an f/1.4.  When I compare the E2 setup to my Sony a7iii with a "dumb" adapter I get more than a stop less light.

Both images were captured using the same lens (the Sony is cropped in post) and settings.  I used the widest and narrowest apertures in order to make sure the adapter settings were consistent.  The only difference is the speed booster and sensor.  What's more, if you use a light meter, the Z Cam under-exposes the image.  Though to my surprise this image is less than 1 stop under.

Z Cam (top) Sony (bottom) exposure set by light meter

The loss of light is a bit of a mixed bag.  The Z Cam's lowest ISO is 500 (currently), and that's pretty high for daylight use; it actually helps that there's less light hitting the sensor.  But if you're shooting in low light, you want every stop you can get.

The E2 has HDMI out for a monitor, USB-C out for SSD or phone monitor, Wifi for phone/tablet monitoring, a mini XLR in, an Ethernet for live broadcast, and a LEMO port for tethering multiple cameras together.  The HDMI 2.0 Type A port outputs up to C4K @60fps 10 bit 4:2:2.  You can build up you camera into a full cinema rig with monitors, support, matte boxes, follow focus, etc.,  or strip it down to just a small battery and wireless phone-monitor to balance on a lightweight gimbal.

I give the camera a flexibility rating of 9/10.

Ease of Use

There are some clear differences from a use standpoint when compared to a mirrorless camera or DSLR.  While this modular camera can be quickly set up, it’s not a run-and-gun unit.  The menu is well laid out, but for gunning purposes, the buttons are too difficult to access, making things like changing your ISO a lengthier process.  You have to re-grip the camera and then slowly click up or down.  This works fine when you’re on set (and with a bigger crew), but as a one-man band with a client waiting, or on the street, or in harsh weather, these adjustments have to be quicker and easier.  And you probably won’t just pull it out of your bag fully assembled and ready to shoot.  Anytime you have to assemble your camera in public, attaching handles and monitor, you attract attention.  This is doubly true with such an unusual looking camera like the E2.  There’s nothing stealth about the Z Cam.  

If you want to speed up your ability to adjust your exposure parameters, the only option I’ve found is a beautiful but very expensive handle from RVLVR.   I bought it because I realized that I really needed a DSLR functionality to be fluid.  With it, the ease of use becomes a lot closer to that of a DSLR (which in my opinion is the high water mark).  I’ll have a separate review on the RVLR soon.

So while the E2 isn’t intrinsically easy to use from a physical standpoint, it’s really designed for “build up” ease of use.  Adding a handle, control grip, and monitor makes the Z Cam much easier to use.

The tiny screen is surprisingly clear, even for someone with my mediocre eyesight.  People say you can’t use it for focusing, and that’s mostly true.  At least, you wouldn’t want to.  But in a pinch, it can work.  My first trip out with the camera I forgot to charge the phone I was using as a monitor, and it died after 20 minutes.  I switched the Z Cam screen to black and white and turned on peaking because a Black and White image with red focus peaking makes it easy to quickly check and adjust your focus.  In this setup, I couldn’t evaluate the aesthetics of the image on the tiny screen, but I could see the framing and what’s in focus easily.  I’ve left it in this setup since then, even when using a real monitor.

So far, I’m very pleased with how the Wifi system works.  There’s generally low latency, though, it is variable.   I was surprised that I saw the biggest lag when in the woods, away from other signals. You can’t connect multiple phones or tablets to wifi, which is a bit of a bummer, but you can use both Wifi and HDMI out so your client can watch on their own screen.  I use a 13 dollar magnetic phone holder for my monitor that’s super convenient.  I can pull the screen off and walk on set to make an adjustment while seeing the change on screen.  It snaps back on in less than a second, and I’m ready to go.  And while it seems like unscrewing a monitor is no big deal, I’m surprised by how often that little act prevents me from doing something. Honestly, I live by these little time savers.

The newest version of the app is great.  You can not only monitor over wifi, but control the camera.  Monitoring includes all of the essential tools like Zebra, false color, wave forms, peaking, and de-squeeze display for anamorphic lens users.

There are some odd quirks that I hope get ironed out in future firmware updates, things like unwieldy file names that can’t be re-named, and the inability to see the file name while recording.

On the whole, I give the E2’s Ease of Use an 8/10.  The loss of two points is really due to the form factor, and this would be true of any brick-brain camera.  I’d rate the Blackmagic 4k about the same, even though it comes with a built-in grip.

Tomorrow: Reliability and Conclusion.

Z Cam E2 In-Depth Review

Z Cam has leapt deep into the cinema camera field with the E2.  In many respects, it’s remarkable that this Micro Four Thirds camera is as polished and ready for prime time as it is… after all, the E1 is its only predecessor.  In this review, I’ll be giving my general impressions of the camera, as well as a comparison with mirrorless and DSLR cameras, since many prospective buyers will be coming from this world.  I’m going to look at some of the questions I couldn’t find answers to before I bought the E2, how it might change your workflow, and some of the quirks you should keep in mind before you buy it.  It’s a camera with a ton of features, so we’re going to divide this review into three posts that will appear daily.

There are four basic areas that I believe a video camera should be evaluated:  image quality, flexibility, ease of use, and dependability.  Let’s dive right in.

Overview

The Z Cam E2 is a budget priced camera that packs a surprising amount of features and capabilities.  It has a MFT sensor with an ASIC chip that’s designed to run cool—an important characteristic in the tiny body of the E2.  The body is indeed very compact, coming in 3.59″ x 3.90″ x 3.50″, and the chip doesn’t need a fan to keep things cool.  It’s a “brick brain” form factor, which means no monitor, no internal battery, and no real place to grip the camera.  All of these need to be built on.  It does come with a 1”x1” preview screen that’s surprisingly useful.  (More on that in a bit.)  The price point is $1999 as of this post.

Form Factor

The camera brain – brick form is something you have to be ready to embrace.  It’s a much different workflow than a mirrorless system or a ENG camera like the FS5.  Unless you’ve got a weird shaped bag to pack it in fully kitted, it’ll take a couple of minutes of setup time.  It’s a pretty quick process, maybe 2 minutes, but that’s a big difference from a mirrorless that is up and running in 5 seconds.  The camera is more challenging to hold while making adjustments; it’s even more difficult to fish it out of your pack without a handle.  And I expect this awkwardness will translate into more scratches on the body.  It has an impressive plethora of ports, though please, Z Cam, make port covers for this thing.  You couldn’t possibly take it out into the desert like this.

The E2 has 4 programmable buttons, and that’s really enough.  You can quickly access the settings you change most frequently.  The menu organization is about average for a camera like this.  In some respects it’s organized more clearly than a DSLR or mirrorless, but there are so many options—some of which are dependent on specific settings— that it’s really a different kind of “lost in the menu” that happens.  For example, proxy files are possible in some resolutions and not others, so if want to have a proxy file you need to adjust the other parameters first.    

People say it, but it bears repeating that the E2 is a dense little brick, weighing in at 1.67 lbs.  It’s surprisingly heavy, and this can affect your gimbal use.  And because it’s not as wide as DSLR, mirrorless, or Blackmagic camera, it makes balancing the tilt angle a challenge.  With the Zhiyune Crane V2, I added a counter weight to make it possible.  A little Velcro makes it easy to take the weight on and off, but it also ads to the overall weight that the gimbal can support.   While I can do most of the basic moves without straining the gimbal motors, I hesitate to push the motors to far.  For smaller gimbal users, this is a definite consideration. 

The E2 can auto-focus native lenses, but, well… all reports so far have been that it’s not useable for continuous focus.  I don’t have any native lenses, so I can’t test for myself.  The short answer is don’t expect to take any selfies.

Image Quality

If you read the user reviews for the E2, people are almost unanimously happy with the build, functionality, and image quality.  There’s always someone who prefers the features or look of another camera, but that’s just people.  And truthfully there are some issues with ZRAW, their proprietary raw format, that I’ll get into, as well as some limitations with the image quality at 240 frames per second.  But if you want an overall assessment, I have to agree the other users. 

Without getting into the specs, I’ll say that it’s both impressive and comforting that the E2 can produce video files that are both higher and lower in bit rate and quality than most cameras, including the Blackmagic 4k. There’s huge amount of flexibility in file types.  You’ve got H.264, H.265, ProRes 422, and ZRAW which Z Cam claims is 12 bit, 4:4:4.  You can drop down to 10 megabytes per second in h.624 if you really want to save space, or push out 300Mbps in ProRes.  It also shoots 160 fps in 4K, and 240 fps in full HD, 10 bit, h.265 format.  There are over 100 fps/codec variations (check them out here) And unlike most cameras, it records audio at every frame rate. 

Out of the box, the 709 colors are quite beautiful.  They’re similar to Nikon DSLRs, which are slightly muted in comparison to Canon, but still true to their original hues and very easy to tweak in post.  Green is a slight exception here—those hues tend to be more saturated. 

Skin tones are exceptional.  By comparison, the colors on the Sony a7 series are a total pain.  I’ve begun to understand that image quality has two major characteristics: color rendition and roll-off.  A beautifully rendered scene can still appear harsh and 2-dimensional if the roll-off in the highlights and shadows is abrupt.  The E2 handles both color and roll-off exceptionally well. The images are sharp, too. You can see the image profiles and dynamic range chart for more info on the E2 setup.

Z Cam also has a 4K Low Noise Resolution option that I’ve yet to explore.  More on that, possibly, later.

ZLOG2 is a solid flat profile that’s easy to grade.   ZRAW is their proprietary raw format.  It’s 10 bit, 4-4-4, with a constant bitrate of 1.2Gps-- which in theory is great.  But Z Cam says it’s tweaked for maximum detail rather than dynamic range, so it’s not great for wide dynamic range scenes with a lot of shadows that need to be pulled up.  You’ll get noise.  This is a bit problematic, because one of the main uses of raw footage is heavy grading.  And being a new file format, none of the software editors can work with the footage. You have to convert it with Z Cam’s software.  This isn’t surprising, and I’m sure it will soon be possible to edit directly in your software as Z Cam develops relationships with Adobe, Davinci Resolve, and Final Cut.  Blackmagic went through the same process with BRAW, after all.  But in general it feels like ZRAW isn’t quite ready for general consumption.  It’s more for a niche use when you’ve got a well balanced scene and you want to get the best quality image.

Frame rates up to 160fps are consistently beautiful.  At 240fps, however, the image quality becomes inconsistent.  The camera is capable of gorgeous footage, but becomes noisy if under exposed, and it can have difficulty with high-detailed scenes.  Some users blame pixel-binning, but I’m not sure what’s going on.  I plan to do more testing.

Being a heavier camera, you experience less micro jitters when going handheld.  Rolling shutter exists, but its better controlled than my Sony a7 cameras and most DSLRs.

I give the image quality of the Z Cam E2 a 9/10, with the loss of a point being for those challenges at 240fps and ZRAW.  This is a bit unfair, because many similar cameras don’t offer either, so 240 is really a perk.

Tomorrow: Flexibility and Ease of Use.

How to Save 14% over Your Amazon.com Prime

If you’re in the photography/videography business, you probably spend a lot of money on gear… too much money.  And there’s a good chance you buy a lot of it on Amazon.com (and if not gear, well, then other stuff there).  And you’re probably an Amazon Prime user-- because who isn't?  This post is for you.

For the past couple of years I’ve been feeling like maybe, just maybe, Amazon Prime isn’t giving me the best deal.  And after some careful investigation, I’ve discovered that I can save about 14% using basically one simple trick: don’t join Amazon Prime.

If you’re skeptical, hear me out.  The first month I let my Prime account lapse, I tracked my spending. I monitored Amazon's Prime price, their non-Prime price, and how long shipping took for the items I bought.  In one month I purchased $565 of goods. On Amazon Prime it would have cost me $639.  That's roughly a 13% savings.  Add another $10/month savings from not paying for Prime and I've gotten a 14% discount on my purchases. I saved $95 in my first month.  Moreover, I didn't pay for shipping on any of the items.

The first item on this list is a pair of Moman LED lights.  Not only were they $14 less on Ebay, if I had bought them on Amazon I would have saved a dollar over their Non-Prime price, but paid $10 for my Prime membership. I did buy items 2 and 4 on Amazon, using their free shipping on purchases over $25 without Prime.  For these items, Amazon had the best deal.

To understand why Amazon Prime generally ends up costing you more, you need to understand Amazon’s business model. 

Obviously, the real goal of Amazon Prime isn’t to give you/me/the-consumer the best deal possible.  It’s to maximize their profit and dominance in the retail environment.  They do this a number of ways—but first let me point out their biggest deception:  they lead customers to believe that they have the lowest prices because they buy in huge quantities and don’t have a brick and mortar store with all the incumbent expenses.  While this is a factor, there are other more important techniques they use to separate you from the best deal. 

Amazon tells you what to buy.  When you search Amazon, you get a list of products that (weirdly) isn’t automatically ordered by price or customer reviews.  The order almost appears random… but of course it’s not.  Amazon knows exactly how far down the page most customers will scroll, so this top portion becomes prime real estate.  In this zone, you’ll find their own branded product (if they have one), and they also sell ranking spots—much like a Google search—to other retailers.  Add in a couple of the actual top selling/reviewed products and you’ve got their first two pages of search results.  If you're an Amazon retailer, you know the deal, but most consumers don't.  Amazon's  criteria for product order guides you to which products they want you to buy, and we—the consumer—pretty much go along with them.  If you want proof that there’s a whole separate eco-system of products on Amazon.com, search laterally, not vertically.  In other words, click on a product, then click on the recommendations/alternatives that are shown on that product page.  Do it again, and you’ll start seeing products that don’t appear in your initial search… unless you scroll six or seven pages in.  These buried products are often cheaper.  For example, I discovered the Moman LED lights, which are a clone of the popular Sokani x21 lamps.

Amazon Prime isn’t the cheapest Amazon Prime.  Another trick up their sleeve is that the Amazon Prime price on the product page isn’t always the cheapest Prime price.  If you consistently review the other buying options, you'll occasionally find another Amazon Prime dealer selling it for cheaper.

Amazon Prime products aren’t always the cheapest to begin with.  Somehow, I got it in my head that Amazon Prime was also the cheapest option.  Okay, Amazon put that thought there.  Remember, they control what products you see. Amazon.com tends to surround its products with more expensive and lower reviewed items.  Cheaper versions of, say, that can opener, exist much lower on the list.  

Amazon.com branded products are cheaper because they're killing off the competition.  If you search for a common tech product, like a USB cable, you often find that Amazon’s product is significantly cheaper than the competition.  Amazon.com's practice is to identify which products are selling best and then contract the manufacturer of the leading company and have them make an identical product.  They can sell these items cheaper because they have all the data, control the list order, and know that they’ll eventually force the competition out of that segment of the market.  And many of their competitors have higher prices because their forced to pay for ranking.

But let’s get back to how you can save 14% on your purchases.  If you don’t have Amazon Prime you’re not forced into the same product list (you’re forced into another one, but it doesn’t appear to be quite as rigorously controlled).  And without the easy convenience of Prime to lull me into sleep-buying, I found that I researched products better.  This not only meant I chose my items more wisely, but that I found cheaper prices.  I tended to do my product research on Amazon, but roughly 2/3rds of my buying elsewhere.  It's not that I buy nothing from them, I just look elsewhere first. It's also important to note that Amazon.com charges tax, now.  Adorama , on the other hand, offers free doesn’t charge tax to out of state buyers and shipping on most items.  B&H Photo will give you the tax amount back if you enroll in their program.  And Ebay only charges tax for purchases where the seller also resides in your state.  In the tech realm, those are three competitors that often have better deals.

So, the process in 5 easy steps:

1. Let my Prime membership expire without renewing
2. Think a week ahead on my purchases
3. Research my item on Amazon, YouTube, DuckDuckGo, and elsewhere
4. Compare the price at B&H, Adorama, Ebay, Newegg, and Google Shopping
5. Buy what's actually cheapest

One of the great things about this approach is that it doesn't rely on discounts, Black Friday, Cyber Monday or any other sale to work.  It an every day discount.

With Prime, what you’re really paying for (other than being brainwashed into buying the products Amazon wants to sell), is 2-day shipping.  Shipping isn't free because you paid $120 upfront.  Some folks would argue that they use way more than $120 worth of shipping in a year, so there is free shipping involved.  But for my purchases above, I never paid for shipping.  And on Prime items, you can get free shipping if your total sale is more than $25.  So the real question is, is it worth a 14% tax to have your item in 2 days?  I’ve found that the answer is usually “no.”  And if I want to feel better about my decision to cancel Prime, I can remember how poorly Amazon.com treats its workers, how many businesses it's bankrupted, and how it steals as much personal information on me and my family as they can.

CLAR Illumi Max 300 Light Review

"Light turns the ordinary into the magical" – Trent Parke

If you haven't noticed, I'm obsessed with lights right now.   Small ones, big ones, portable, cumbersome, hard, soft-- I've got to shape me some light.  I want a light that does everything.  Fit into a backpack, be hugely powerful, be accurate, silent, battery-powered.  Of course, no light can do everything, so you end up with a library of instruments to choose from.

Enter the CHAR Ilumi 300, a two-thousand watt equivalent LED at an amazing price.  This light challenges me in more ways than I’d like.  So let’s get into it.

www.HurricaneImagesInc.com

The CLAR Illumi 300 comes in three parts:  a light, controller unit, and power brick.  It also comes with a case that is, quite frankly, excellent, and a remote control that is cheap but functional.  It uses a Bowens mount for accessories.  You can power it with a V-pack battery, though they have to be huge, and it can be controlled via DMX.

What’s stunning about this light is that you get all these features and 2K watts of power for just $400.  That’s less than half the cost of the competition.  So how does it perform?

First, it’s as powerful as it says.  At one meter, it comes in at roughly 18,000 lumen, putting it on par with the original Aputure’s 300D.  It’s controllable in 10% increments, which is a little crude in theory but finite enough in reality. I don’t have a professional color meter, but my phone app rates it at 5400 Kelvin.  It’s also claims a CRI of greater than 96, but I don’t have a way to accurately test this. I did shoot a white card and analyze the color balance, and I was surprised to find it perfect.  My RGB was 246, 246, 246.    So that CRI is probably spot on, too.  The bottom line is that LED chip technology has been getting better and cheaper, making lights like the CLAR Illumi possible.

Noise is always a big concern with lights.  The CLAR is fairly quiet.  It has fans in both the light and the power brick, and between the two of them it’s audible but not intrusive.  Given that you’ll probably position the CLAR farther away from your subject than other lights, I don’t think fan noise will be a problem in 95% of the situations in which you’d use this bad boy.  For the other five you’ve got noise reduction.  One of the few shortcomings in the design of this unit is that the power cord is long, but the cord from the power brick to the controller is just 6 feet.  That puts the brick’s fan six feet behind the light.  This should be the opposite, with the longer cord being between the two units so you can get the power brick as far away from the mic as possible, preferably in another room altogether.

So those are the positives: great power, color quality, price, and relatively low noise.

Build Quality

The negatives for this light can be summed up in two words:  build quality.  Much of the housing is what they describe as “aircraft grade aluminum” which I think is just a silly marketing name for “aluminum.”  That includes the light housing, knobs, clamp, controller body, and power brick housing. The metal on the light is fine, the controller feels pretty thin.  But where the plastic meets the aluminum really feels flimsy and brittle.  The dial on the controller compresses a bit, and the rotation is a little rough.  This feels like it will break with regular use, so I’m thankful there’s a remote that can also control the light. Overall, the build quality is a little better than the ZUMA 60 I reviewed, and the build is where the budget aspect of the unit really shows.

To add to these worries, there’s some quality control issues at the factory.  The CLAR Illumi appears to have been made specifically for Adorama, and they're aggressively moving it into the market in different formats, including flexible panels.  But with quality control issues like this, it's difficult to predict if they'll grow into even a Neewer level brand.  Though mine arrived perfectly encased in boxes and plastic, it still had a dented reflector and a bit of odd colored dust on it.

These build quality issues would normally disqualify a light for me.  My biggest concern would be showing up on set and not having it function correctly.  But the issue of build quality isn’t quite as straightforward as it sounds, especially when it comes to something with a bargain price.  Drop the Illumi from a foot off the ground and you’ve got a 50-50 percent chance it’ll survive.  Those are bad odds. But if you drop even the best quality light from four feet you’ve only got about the same survival rate.  In reality, there's a big difference between the abuse LED lights can take compared to the old instruments we used to use. Old fashioned lights will break a bulb that you can replace, but LED’s will break a circuit board or fan or something integral.  The Illumi comes with a great case, so it’s protected in transit. It’s only on set that you need to be concerned about blunt trauma.  So if you don’t want to knock over any light, should you be concerned that you can’t knock over this one?

A bigger worry, though, would be that the components aren’t well assembled.  Did they use cheaper parts inside, or cut corners in manufacturing?  At this price point, though, you could ask a roughly similar question of a brand light: would you buy an Aputure 300D used for $400?  The answer is probably yes, but you don’t know what it’s been through—humidity, moisture, dust, stressful vibrations and being bounced around.  Could you really trust it more?

For me, I’d say the big difference between those two scenarios is that after several uses I’d trust the Aputure completely, whereas with the CLAR by the time I trust its internal build quality, I’ll probably start to wonder about it’s longevity.

I’d trust this most in a studio.  Studios are a controlled environment, and you’ve got alternatives right at your fingertips.

In the field, I’ll probably bring a backup light, just in case—at least for the first few uses.  I don’t have anything with the same power, and it’s a pain to bring an extra light, but that’s better than having nothing if it fails.  The truth is, I’ll hold onto this light just because I’m just so curious to see if it will last.  Would I recommend it to others?  With the big caveats I mentioned before.  Buy with your eyes wide open.

 Illumi 300 also provides some highly coveted features for less than half the price of brand lights.  Or maybe I should say “logo’d” lights, since nearly everything is made in a handful of shops in China.

And this brings me to a curious observation I had when testing this light.

I’d never used a light temperature meter before, and what struck me is how many different temperatures exist at once even with natural light.  The idea that 56K is daylight is a bit misleading. By the time the light reaches your subject, surface reflections create a broad spectrum of light on different parts of your face that can vary as much as a thousand degrees. Unless you live in a grayscale world, light is never just 56K. So is it really important that daylight LEDs are 56K plus or minus 200 degrees Kelvin?  I welcome your thoughts on that.

Aputure Fresnel 2X Review: Uh-oh.

I’m not usually the first one to buy a new piece of gear.  I’ve pre-ordered something maybe twice in my life.  But when I heard about the Aputure Fresnel 2X I thought… this is the kind of design mistake I can get into.

I was really excited about the possibilities of this tool.  The Aputure Fresnel 2X is designed to fit onto any Bowens mount light and increase its output anywhere from 2 to 14 times it’s maximum.  It’s a Fresnel, which means it’s focusable, from  40 degrees to 12 degrees—at least according to the literature.  It’s a design mistake, in my opinion, because it essentially turns any cheap 60-100 watt light into a monster, able to compete with the likes of the thousand-dollar Aputure 300d.

Of course, I was wrong about that… and that’s a big problem.

Video Review

Aputure implies that this will work with any Bowen’s mount light, and to be blunt, it doesn’t.  I don’t own the Aputure 120d, the light it was specifically designed for, so I don’t know how its construction differs.  But in my tests with two cheap lights, the Zuma LED60 and the RPS Studio 100 watt light, the unit just doubled the light, increasing by one full stop.  Now that’s not bad, and it’s within Aputure’s claims, but that wasn’t the only disappointment.  On the RPS Studio, it failed to act as a Fresnel.  The beam didn’t widen or narrow—it stayed at what I suspect is about 12 degrees.  On the Zuma I did get it to open up some, but not to a full 40 degrees.  And the Zuma light had another problem: you could make out the bi-colored LEDs when the Fresnel was zoomed in.  Really ugly.

12 Degrees Will Trip You Up

Now you may think, “well, it does double the light so it’s worth it.” But the 12 degree angle is a problem.  You can’t really shoot it into a scrim or bounce card, because the beam is too small at 3-5 feet away.  To fill up the card, you have to back the light even farther, thus reducing the amount of light that reaches your subject.  This takes away the one stop of light you gained. Remember, if you double the distance between subject and instrument, you half the amount of light.  And 12 degrees is less than a third of 40. The beam is so narrow at that distance, that I suspect it will even have problems in a softbox, when used on a third party light like the Zuma or RPS. It’s also a pretty big attachment, so it’s not something I’d want to carry around if it wasn’t a flexible tool.

At this point, I’d love to see some real world reviews of the light on the Aputure products to understand whether these limitations are just for other brands, or if it doesn’t fully perform up to spec.  There’s a reason Aputure makes such a wide claim of “2 to 14 times” the output.  The design of the Fresnel 2x appears to be based on a very specific light design. I’m sad to report these findings because I’m a big fan of Aputure.  They make quality goods at a decent price.  But the Fresnel 2X isn’t something you can use on non-Aputure products, and that’s extremely limiting.  Leave me a comment if you’ve had success with the 2X on other third party lights.