Love this title sequence. Velvet Goldmine.

PRODUCT REVIEW: THE Z-FINDER EVF PRO by ZACUTO

Review by Gary Nadeau and Jason Koontz

As a Director I spend most of my time positioned beside the DP or standing behind a monitor. One problem with the Canon dslrs is that once you plug in an hdmi cord for an additional monitor it negates the built-in one.

I am personally not a fan of converting a small camera into a giant rig that needs multiple operators. I like my cameras lean and mean and ready to roll – especially when budgets are low and schedules are tight

Lucky for us Zacuto has produced a product that really hits the sweet spot; in both price and function.

The Z-finder EVF Pro.

I asked DP, Jason Koontz, to use and evaluate the EVF on a recent gig. Here’s his thoughts…

Jason Koontz: We used the Zacuto EVF on an overseas shoot that took us to Brazil and Spain. The crew consisted of only myself (as DP), an AC, and DIRECTOR Gary Nadeau. When we work in such small sized crews, speed and mobility are high priorities. We almost always work with DLSR’s stripped down to their most basic form: camera body + lens. This gives us the ability to move quickly in and out of setups. For this shoot, we had several people from the agency with us on location and we needed to provide them with a monitor while we were shooting interviews. We wanted to do this while still maintaining our simple setup. The Zacuto EVF was the perfect solution. It allowed us to run an HDMI line out to client monitor while still giving myself (as camera operator) a screen in which to work from. The EVF is small enough to fit right on top of the camera’s hotshoe, so no additional cage or rail system was required. The image on the EVF was something I could trust to give true color and exposure readings. The focus assist with peaking is perhaps my favorite feature. It is really tough to achieve critical focus on such a small screen, so the electronic sharpening makes it clear when you hit your focus marks.

When shooting outdoors, the Z-finder and exposure zebras were our biggest assets. The shooting schedule sometimes left us shooting mid-day in direct sunlight, which makes it nearly impossible to work from the screen on your DSLR. Being able to have your eye directly on a viewfinder is something I’ve missed since working with DLSR’s, but the Zacuto EVF brings that ability back. This in combination with the zebra function ensured our shots were in focus and properly exposed.

 I love when companies create products that actually fit the needs of a consumer. The ability to use Canon batteries to power the EVF is a great example of how Zacuto gets what a user has and what they need. Instead of having to carry around an additional set of batteries and chargers, you can use the batteries you already have for your DSLR. This not only saves the user money, it also saves room in the equipment bag. And when you’re traveling with gear all over the world, every last inch and pound is accounted for.

There are many monitoring solutions out on the market today, each having their own unique benefits. The Zacuto EVF can be used in many different setups. In my experience it is a simple, effective system that allows us to maintain our quick and streamlined style of shooting while giving us the ability to achieve proper focus and exposure while running a monitor out to client…

GN: I highly recommend the Zacuto EVF to my fellow filmmakers. It’s a super product that can adapt to your individual needs perfectly. Thanks Zacuto for making such a solid well built product and thanks for letting us take it out for a spin!

visit

http://www.garynadeau.com

http://www.zacuto.com/zfinderevf

ericmortensen:

This is what 2012 will be like. 

My Latest short on my friends Kenyan & Grace. 

imageoscillite:

Think Different

“Here’s to the crazy ones.” The words are familiar. They were spoken by Richard Dreyfuss in an iconic Apple ad. This version, narrated by Steve Jobs, never aired.

(via ericmortensen)

David Bowie - Space oddity (HQ) German tv 1969

Bowie’s first night in the USA (1971)

blakewhitman:

If I see another video with a girl walking through a field with her hand grazing the top of the grass I WILL kill myself. Brutally. 

kateoplis:

Venice Film Festival, then and now

An example how I fix perspective in post. I don’t like curved walls, or warped perspectives in my videos especially in architecture.

This screenshot is from my latest dwell shoot.

Jason Koontz (cinematographer) and I would prob rather use a wide TS lens but we don’t always have one on hand. So I carefully pull and stretch to eliminate distortions (and hopefully not create new ones).

I also don’t like blown out skies. 

So - I had Jason shoot the image at three exposures (a poor man’s hdr) once for the sky, the house, and the ground. I married shots by a simple crop using the rooftop as my dividing line and again on the ground surface. It’s not perfect but it’s a solution. Of course this can only work on locked shots. The end shot reps four layers.

This shot lasts four seconds (It’s not finished, I need to spend more time on color correction)

In dolly shots - I make sure the perspective is fixed at the end or beginning of the shot or where the dolly move ends or begins. Make sense?

GN

I find this shit fascinating… Hot Spots for my film Pizza Verdi courtesy of youtube stats.

Lovely

Closer look at some of my storyboards from Pizza Verdi.

Visit www.pizzaverdifilm.com to see the film.