The Blog of Derek Kovacevic

When I bought my first prosumer camera, I made sure to purchase a quality bag to protect and transport the camera. I ended up selecting a Lowepro bag and I’ve been very happy with it. It has velcro dividers inside for customization, detachable side pockets, and a deployable rain cover (for the bag, not the camera). It has served me well.

I only wish it was cheaper. I paid roughly $275 for it.

Hey, it’s a great bag, but let’s not kid ourselves here. It’s still a bag, and, in my opinion, is highly overpriced. But, of course, because it’s designed for video, it has to come with a “designed for video” price tag, right?

Right.

A while back, I bought a second camera, and since then, I’ve been toting it around in the bag my Steadicam Merlin came in. It’s done the job but I definitely wanted something more suitable to the camera. I just didn’t want to pay $200+ for another bag.

And then I found the solution, inside a Wal-Mart flyer, no less. Go figure.

It was a blue bag made by Canadian Airline “Air Canada.” Take a look at it in the above photo. Now, tell me, does it not look like something PortaBrace would make?

It’s not as big as my Lowepro, but I didn’t really need another bag that size. It fits the camera comfortably and has a decent sized pocket in the front for accessories.

The best part is the price.

Would you believe I paid $20? It’s true. And while I was shopping, I came across the bigger black bag you see in the photo. It is perfect for some of my other gear, especially since it has a pull-out handle and wheels. It was only $45.

So the lesson here is that you don’t always need to spend “designed for video pricing” if you do your research and think a little outside the box (pro video gear at Wal-Mart?!).

I’ve had a hankering for a 35mm adapter for quite some time. Everyone is getting that really shallow depth of field look with them, and I want in on the action too, especially since I want to start making films now.

But which adapter to choose?

There are three popular choices: Letus, Red Rock Micro, and Cinevate. I decided to go with the M2 Encore from Red Rock.

Why?

I was initially leaning towards one of the Letus products, either the Extreme or Elite (no way would I shell out $4500 US for the Ultimate), as they seemed to be the most popular lately. My friend owns a Cinevate Brevis and says that constantly having to clean the dust inside the unit has made it almost unusable.

That didn’t sound too appealing, so I quickly ruled out the Cinevate Brevis.

The same friend had worked with the original M2, and said it was built very well, but had issues with vignetting, sharpness, and light loss was around 1.5 stops. Not great.

But Red Rock recently rolled out a new M2 called the Encore and it seems all those issues have been addressed. Better image sharpness, no vignetting, and only half a stop light loss (that’s WITH the flip accessory)!

So the unit itself looks great, but the nail in the coffin for me was the quality of the Encore’s accessories. The follow focus looks great, and it too actually is a new and improved edition of their original one. In addition, Red Rock Micro has good shoulder mount and matte box options. So you can really complete the cinematic experience with those add-ons.

I ordered mine a little more than two weeks ago, so I’m getting a little antsy. The web site says lead times can be up to 15 days, so hopefully mine ships very soon. I already bought a 50mm Zeiss lens, so I just need the Encore.

I’m looking forward to receiving it and testing it out. I’ve never worked with a 35mm adapter before so I’m very eager to get my hands on it. Stay tuned for sample footage.

After I bought my first prosumer camera (Panasonic DVX100), I quickly discovered how many accessories were available to complement the core item. Some were necessary (tripod, microphones) and some were more in the “it’d be cool to get that later” category (rain cover, jib arm). One add-on I was never really keen on was the wide angle adaptor, especially when I knew the DVX100 had one of the widest lenses in its class. And if I ever needed to go wider, couldn’t I just back up? Why would I want this thing?

Now it is probably the number one thing on my wish list.

Why?

Veteran shooters will already know this, but in case you’re not a videographer, when shooting handheld, all the shakes and movements you make become much more pronounced the more you zoom in. So, ideally, you do all your handheld work at full wide angle. As you gain experience as a shooter and become more discerning about your work, you will want your handheld shots to be smoother. Adding a wide angle adaptor can give you a 30%-40% wider view, and therefore, makes your handheld shots even smoother.

Sometimes you’re at full wide angle but it isn’t wide enough, so you just back up. That works, right up until you back into a wall and still don’t have the shot you’re looking for. It’s generally possible to get closer, by zooming in or by physically getting closer, but you generally can’t create additional space. This is when a wide angle adaptor can save the day.

Using a jib arm (crane) allows you to get some fantastic aerial footage that has a very cinematic look. Getting those sweeping overhead shots just blows people away. But sometimes you wish you could get higher. Now you can. Adding a wide angle adaptor can make your 10 foot crane look like a 14 foot crane, and you didn’t even have to assemble extension arms!

So if you’re looking to add an accessory to your camera, don’t overlook the wide angle adaptor. I get the feeling that after I get mine and use it a few times, I’ll wonder how I ever worked without it.

Panasonic HPX300

In case you missed it, Panasonic recently announced a new camera, the HPX300.

Basically, it’s an HVX200, but in a shoulder-mount form factor with interchangeable lenses. These are nice features that old-school shooters have no doubt been clamoring for. I’ve only used the more handheld prosumer cameras (DVX100, HVX200) and I’ve certainly learned how to work with them, but I wouldn’t mind trying the larger ENG style.

Why upgrade?

The image quality in the HPX300 doesn’t appear to be any better than the HVX200. If it is, it’s negligible, so I wouldn’t upgrade for that reason. I think the biggest reason a shooter would upgrade to this camera is because they just want to “look” and “feel” more professional.

Certain discerning corporate clients who have worked with videographers might see an HVX200 (or similar camera) and think it looks small and amateurish. Of course they’d be wrong, but if you walked in with the HPX300 instead, that thought would probably never enter their mind. Aside from that, veteran shooters who have worked with shoulder-mount cameras are accustomed to more knobs and buttons and less menus. This is understandable, as I am not crazy about menu surfing myself, but I take the good with the bad.

Pre-orders are available at B & H for $8500.

Maria and Matthew were married July 26th 2008. They chose my company, Delirium Media, to film their wedding video. After they received the final product, they told me how happy they were with the video. This is their testimonial.