The Life Project

City On A Hill Productions is producing a film series created to persuade women with unplanned pregnancies to carry their babies to term. They are shooting on the Canon 5D.

"In order to maximize the effectiveness and usefulness of "The Life Project," we were advised by various women's resource centers to triple cast our story. So, last week we filmed essentially the same story with three different principal casts: white, African-American, and Latino/Spanish-speaking.

While I was excited by the prospect of working with three different casts, I must admit that, at first, I faintly wondered, in the back of my mind, if filming the same scenes three times would be monotonous drudgery. It was not at all! It was an incredible experience to watch these wonderful actors bring their own gifts and insights into the scenes." ~Richard Ramsey

For more pictures and information about the project CLICK HERE

DSLR Rig Suggestions

If you own or are looking to purchase a DSLR, I would highly recommend checking out this article by Peter Salvia.

He covers everything from SD Cards, batteries, and lots of lens choices and suggestions!!

WANTED - Short Film

Trouble is brewing in the small town of Bandera, Texas. A young sheriff is put through a test of fire when he learns that the candidate for Mayor is a criminal from the north. The villain's charisma is rapidly gaining support in the town, and his promises of prosperity spark hope in the weary townspeople. With so much at stake, the winner will take all.

This project was launched by a small group of dedicated young men, committed to bringing you a classic tale of justice and tyranny. Using some of the latest in independent film technology, we've put this together with lots of perseverance and hard work.

Shot completely on the Canon EOS 7d.

Visit WantedWestern.com for more videos including Behind the Scenes and bloopers!

First Impressions of the Canon Rebel T2i

"Canon's Digital Rebel T2i is the latest addition to the still young video dSLR market.  These cameras are designed at heart to take still photos, and thus do have a few limitations during video capture when compared to your average prosumer camcorder.  However, the benefits of the dSLR cams can often outweigh the limitations if used correctly.

The biggest advantage is the ability to attach 35mm lenses to the camera which produces that shallow depth of field "film look" that everyone is after.  Up until now it was necessary to attach a 35mm adapter on the front of a camcorder to achieve this look (which is what we used while shooting "The Penny").  Another thing that has really stood out to me in my limited work with the camera so far is it's amazing low light capabilities.  Ethan's wedding took place in a VERY dim sanctuary which would have been impossible to shoot with a normal camcorder.  The T2i on the other hand was not only able to capture it, but with an acceptably low level of noise as well.  As a bonus the camera takes really nice still images as well.

For now I can say that the T2i has met and exceeded my expectations up to this point.  If you're willing to work around the camera's limitations nothing else at this price point ($800 body only) comes close to shooting footage this good." ~Nathan Webster (Filmweavers)

- - - - -
Source Article

Canon 5D Mark II - FIRMWARE UPDATE

The 24p firmware update for the Canon 5D Mark II is live on Canon’s site.

- - - - -
Source Article

Canon Comparison - 7D vs. T2i

Three years ago, I would have never dreamed that I'd be shooting video on digital SLR still cameras.

But the technology is here, it's happened! dSLRs have become quite popular for shooting video, and for good reason. Their larger CMOS and APS-C sensors are much better than 1/3" and 2/3" CCD sensors normally found in professional/prosumer video cameras and they can take practically any lens. They're small, compact, and comparatively inexpensive.

For example, because of their large sensors and use of SLR lenses, dSLRs can achieve a shallow depth of field that video cameras simply can't get without using 35mm lens adapters. After buying a video camera, 35mm adapter, and one lens, one could be spending well over $6000. A dSLR costs half that.

Canon is leading the way in the HDSLR movement. They currently make four cameras that are some of the most popular for dSLR video right now: 1D Mark IV, 5D Mark II, 7D, and the 550D T2i. Of these, the 7D and the T2i are both under $2000. In fact, the T2i is under $1000.

A lot of people right now are thinking about switching to dSLRs, and aren't sure what camera they'd like to go with. For most, the 7D and T2i are the first options, because of their price tags. A couple of my friends recently acquired both a 7D and a T2i. I've had some time to work with both, so for those who are wanting to know what the difference is between them, this is my comparison.

Tech Specs

7D
From Canon's official specs list on the 7D:
- Sensor size = 22.3x14.9mm (APS-C)
- Recording Media = CF card
- Sensor type = CMOS
- Pixels = 18.0 megapixels
- Video codec = MOV, h.264,
- Linear PCM audio
- ISO Speeds = 100-6400, one-stop increments
- Shutter Speeds = 1/8000 to 1/60 sec.
- Monitor size & dot count = 3.0 inches, 920,000 dots
- Weight = 29 oz. (body only)
The 7D can shoot 1920x1080 HD video at 23.976 frames per second (it can shoot other frame rates and sizes, but this is the one we're interested in). It has a bitrate of 48 megabits per second (which is really good).

T2i
From Canon's specs list on the T2i:
- Sensor size = 22.3x14.9mm (APS-C)
- Recording Media = SD card
- Sensor type = CMOS
- Pixels = 18.0 megapixels
- Video codec = MOV, h.264,
- Linear PCM audio
- ISO Speeds = 100-6400, one-stop increments
- Shutter Speeds = 1/4000 to 1/60 sec.
- Monitor size & dot count = 3.0 inches, 1,040,000 dots
- Weight = 19 oz. (body only)
The T2i can also shoot 1920x1080 HD video at 23.976 frames per second, at a bitrate of around 44 megabits per second (source — bitrate info at the bottom of the page)

Compared
So, as you can see, there's not too much of a technical differences. The sensors are the same size, video capabilities are pretty much exactly the same, etc. The main differences are the weight, the monitor dot count (T2i actually has a better LCD screen resolution than the 7D), ISO control (7D has more ISO options), and the 7D has dual Digic 4 image processors while the T2i has one. Oh, and the price (T2i is almost a thousand dollars less than the 7D).

The 7D has a few more manual controls, as well. There are more ISO options than the T2i, and the ability to choose a specific color temperature for white balance. That's the tech specs, though.

When it comes down to a decision between the 7D and the T2i, it comes down to the outside of the camera.

The Outside

For one thing, the 7D is bigger than the T2i, at 16 cubic inches larger. For people with larger hands, like me, that's a good thing. The weight, too — the 7D is 10 oz. heavier than the T2i (without lenses). Generally, weight is a good thing, because it deadens shakiness and movement.

The 7D puts more of its control on the outside of the camera in buttons and dials than the T2i.

Take a look at the back of the 7D:

And here's the back of the T2i:

The first thing that stands out is the lack of the clicker wheel on the back of the T2i, replaced instead by buttons. It's actually amazing what all can be done with that clicker wheel. For one thing, it's a lot simpler than the four buttons that replace it on the T2i. In manual and video shooting mode, it controls aperture.

The layout of the buttons is different, as well. The 7D's menu buttons are on the left. The T2i's menu button is on the left, but everything else is on the right.

Take a look at another angle. 7D:

T2i:

The 7D has an incredibly useful display on the top which shows aperture, shutter speed, ISO, white balance, battery level, etc. The T2i has the mode dial on the right side (7D's is on the left side), and no display on top. The 7D also has white balance, ISO, auto-focus drive select, and LCD backlight buttons. The T2i only has an ISO button. The 7D has a switch right beside the viewfinder to switch from stills mode to video/live-view mode.

It's pretty easy to see that the 7D offers more physical manual control over shooting. The T2i was simply made more compact, and as such can't have as many external buttons or dials.

Personally, I would choose the 7D over the T2i, simply because of its size and external control. The video features between the two are almost exactly the same, so the T2i does make a great choice for anyone wishing to spend a bit less on a camera of the same image quality.
- - - - -
This article was written by guest blogger - Chad Stembridge

A Day At The Races: Canon 7D With Cooke PL Primes

"We had a great crew. Jarred from Cinema 5D who provided the fantastic Cooke lenses as well as a RED zoom and a Century Optics zoom as well as the Matte Box and filters. Chuck with his litepanels (which we didn’t need in the end), RAWworks owner Neil who is organising the event, Creative Director Jeremy and sound man Bobby…very very odd Bobby!

I mostly shot using the 25mm and 100mm Cooke S4 T2 primes. What a GORGEOUS image these lenses give you. Yes it was a lot more fiddly and time consuming using these lenses with a mattebox for NDs than my normal “run and gun” set up but it was worth it. The images below speak for themselves!

Jeremy is going to do an edit together of the material and we will premiere it my HD-DSLR masterclass on Saturday on the Warner Bros lot in Hollywood. I saw the venue today and it’s fantastic. There are still some places left so please come. You don’t need to own a camera to come, just have an interest in these camera. We will be projecting lots of cool stuff on a great big screen Your chance to see how well these cameras hold up.

One very cool thing is Illya had a wide zoom that I used on one of the frame grabs of the horses walking in circles…this is a Tokina 11-16mm modified into a PL mount lens and now cost $3500. Same optics though…show you how good that lens is!"

Below are some screen grabs of the shoot and some BTS pictures taken with my GF1 and the new Noktor.

- - - - -
Source Article

Canon adds 24p to the 5D Mark II

In the 18 months since Canon announced the Canon 5D Mark II, you’ve written, you’ve called, you’ve left comments here and on Vincent Laforet’s blog. You politely but firmly harrassed Canon personel at trade shows. Perhaps most significantly, you put your money where your mouth is and bought 7Ds, showing Canon that 24p is even better than Bokake.

It delights me to no end to read these words in a Canon press release:

Developed following feedback from photographers and cinematographers, Firmware 2.0.3 further enhances the EOS 5D Mark II’s excellent video performance. The addition of new frame rates expands the camera’s video potential, providing filmmakers with the ability to shoot 1080p Full HD footage at 24fps (actual 23.976fps)—the optimum frame rate for cinematic video. 25fps support at both 1920x1080 and 640x480 resolutions will allow users to film at the frame rate required for the PAL broadcast standard, while the new firmware will also change the 30fps option to the NTSC video standard of 29.97fps.

Read the full press release at dpreview.com.

- - - - -
Source Article

Canon Rebel T2i, AKA the 550D

"It’s an 18 megapixel entry-level DSLR for $800. It features all of the video modes of the Canon 7D and 1D Mark IV: 29.97, 23.976, and 25 fps at 1080p, along with 50 and 60 fps at 720p.

In fact, depending on how it performs, the Rebel may just be the new sweet spot. In the same way that the 1D Mark IV’s $5,000 price tag accounts for a bunch of pro stills features that don’t net much for the filmmaker, the shortcomings that put the Rebel at half the 7D’s price are most likely all in the stills department as well. If video is your primry interest in a DSLR, the Rebel could well represent the most bang for the buck." ~Stu Maschwitz

Amazon's pre-order price is listed at $799.

- You can read more info on the ProLost blog.

- Also, here is another take on the new camera by The Frugal Filmmaker.