Grapesoda

here's a question I'm puzzled about: focus and hitting marks... I saw the gizmo posted yesterday that allows easy access to the focus ring and also allows 'focus marks' with hair clips... but how in the hell do you get a model to hit marks?

it's not like blowing Bobby Jo in the back of the Chevy is actually training to work in front of the camera and hit marks. I shot a girl yesterdday that couldn't hit a 3 foot square on the floor to take a fucking picture... and this is NOT uncommon... so how in the hell can I expect to pull focus on a DSLR shooting vid? back them into a corner?

shoot at F8-F11 with a wide lens at 100-200 iso so there is no motion blur etc...? then what's the point of DSLR?

EukerVoorn

I don't know what you mean by hitting marks, sorry. If you mean keeping your subject in a certain imaginary box in which everything is in focus... use a follow focus and put distance marks on the marking ring and practice and learn to estimate distance between camera and subject properly and adjust follow focus accordingly. Also what really helps is putting a large LCD screen on your ridge but if it's a handheld ridge it can get too heavy easily. I've been sweating like a pig and coming home with back pains when shooting like that. The AF100 has a great focus assistant on the LCD screen that puts red edges around everything that's in focus. And no you can't trust your model to help you with this, is there anything models can help a photographer with apart from being no-limit sluts in front of cam? I don't even want them to do the dishes because they'll use half your bottle of cleaning product for cleaning three plates and two pans :-)

tony286

In porn to hit marks if your shooting semi gonzo style is hard. In manistream, everything is story boarded out, They have doubles come in, the same body type of the stars. Block it all out,measure it and the marks are set. So when Tom Cruise comes in,he knows this is the mark he has to hit in the scene. Plus they get coverage.Which means they shoot the whole scene with a long shot,then do it from actor a's pov then actor b's pov. Running the whole scene each time. Imagine shooting a scene where you have to break down and then have to do it over and over. That's why it takes months to shoot a 90 minute film.
http://openauditions4actors.com/acto...ks-for-actors/

Grapesoda

Tony I worked films and TV for 15 years. and I have spent hours and hours and fucking HOURS getting shoots. I'm really aware of single camera shooting this is why I know that trying to shoot gonzo porn with a DSLR is costly at best

Grapesoda

a redline monitor is anothrer costly expense for sure...

tony286

Im sorry I was trying to be helpful.

EukerVoorn

Why do you want to shoot with DSLR then? You want to follow a trend?

Red edge monitors are about $500. I find their weight a bigger problem, and if you're working with a tripod you might as well get a cheap full LCD TV and use that as a monitor, when it comes to monitoring your focussing, nothing beats a large LCD screen.

Cherry7

You answered your own question there, there is no point in shooting with a DSLR with that type of work. The whole point of the camera was a cheap way of getting a feature film look, large aperture, shallow focus etc... need to be working with cast and crew who understand that way of working, for what you say your shooting the Sony EX1 would be much better.

The days of the DSLR are now over with the new large aperture cameras now out.

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Grapesoda

you are helpful....

Grapesoda

was trying to get a nice setup that I use for both my shooting situations... can't afford to dump funds into a dslr type cam and not be able to use it use for 'main job' as well. I shoot small industrial products as well on occasion.. never really been too concerned about being trendy.

and BTW I can adapt the nex fs100 over for 35K+/-

SmutHammer

The quality of video from a DSLR is unmatched "with canon and good Glass" I've been shooting video with my eos 7D since last December. the more you use it the better you will do with it as anything else, but it never becomes easy... I had to change my whole style of shooting, and you have to edit alot more than before. If I could find a "Video Camera" that could produce the queality "exspecially colors" of My DSLR It would be a no brainer to switch back to a "Normal video camera"

maybe this can help you a little. I used it in the begining, then figured out what options I liked and didn't like. I usually shoot a iso 400 on mine 30fps and the highest FStop I can. usually around 4.5

https://youtube.com/watch?v=62wx5... 5&feature=iv


good luck.

Grapesoda

thanks, what are you shooting?

SmutHammer

are you wanting to see a sample of my work? main site I have been shooting is for www.lilcandy.com the newer stuff is on my DSLR most what you would see in the tour is from a sony fx-7, " I sold it right away after seeing the quality from my 7D. I can send you something if your looking to see how the quality is, o yeah, make sure you use custom white balence for your vids!

SmutHammer

oh, just watched the tour video, alot is also from my dslr, but I think it was before I learned to white balance, and the quality is very compressed there.

Grapesoda

okay, I watched the trailer.... I'm not so interested in 'what you're shooting' so much as how your shooting it. I'm really not seeing any advantage from shooting with a DSLR. my impressions from what I've read here and seen is that you might as well be shooting with a vid cam and wide lens.

I understand the 'perceived higher quality from DSLR' however from my point of view, the work flow: i.e. the money is being dumped into an area with only disadvantages, and no real upside.

the very best thing that can happen is you'll have a video that could be shot basically on your phone and the other side of that is a video with soft focus that the members will bitch about.

the reality is I'm working a minimum of 14 hours a day now, be very hard to justify adding to my work load with no positive return.

and although I do have a definite need for a 'film like look' for a project I'm working on right now, in order to buy a system, I need to be able to incorporate the "system' in content production. the current DSLR systems aren't up to that standard yet. the weak area being the auto focus in the DSLR lenses.

as is stands now I'll just rent what I need.

thank you so much for all your time guys....

SmutHammer

Yeah man, it is alot harder, and you never wanna use auto focus, if your shooting that many hours u don't wanna use a dslr, many times when filming b/g scenes i have had to take breaks for the camera to cool off, "about 30 minutes in" I have even been keeping compressed air to blow into the camera to cool it faster, I'm going to switch back to a pro-am camcorder at some point, just havn't seen anything that matches the quality yet, and thats a big investment to downgrade my quality....

EukerVoorn

I also shoot with the 7D and I agree with you, the image is great, but did you never have a problem with the moire? You might see it in things like nylon stockings. Once you see it it gets really annoying even though your customers wouldn't care probably. Cams like the AF100 have anti moire filters which is the reason the image is less sharp than that of the 7D. As for colors, some claim they matched the AF100 colors to the 7D colors.

Grapesoda

yes, dealing with the situations I have now is hard enough

Grapesoda

I've reached a point where I shoot for members... if they don't care, I don't care... (and it's more important to make coin and support my family than to be a bromosexual on an internet forum)

thank you for all your help, most appreciated

SmutHammer

I have seen that in the full 1080P but i think it goes away after you convert it for the web. do you know what camera is claiming to match the color quality? is it under 5k?

Grapesoda

I think the cam to watch is the new Nikon mirror-less that just came out... be interesting to see if they have solved the focus issue on DSLR. not up to pro quality yet but a possible foot in the door

EukerVoorn

What happens if you ignore the overheating warning in the 7D? I always ignored it... does image quality go down?

Grapesoda

can't be good for the chips in the body

DAMNMAN

YEP, what he said.

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ZMASTER

One less god!!!
I contend that we are both an atheist. I just belive in one fewer god than you do. When you understand why you dismiss all the other possible gods, you will understand why I dismiss yours.

EukerVoorn

Yes that's right, if you downsize it, it may go away, but I think even if you aren't publishing fullHD today, you might want to re-publish your material in full HD in the future. That's what I'm doing. In that way you sell the same material twice :-)

What cam: it's the Panasonic AF100. It's the first DSLR like camcorder. So its a camcorder with DSLR sensor. It's under 5k I think and you can use your canon glass on it using adapters. Birgen is coming with a Canon adapter that will provide you with electronic aperture and focus control. I used it with Panasonic 14mm and 22mm pancake lenses and shot pretty decent material.

I bought this cam early this year but sold it again because I find the image a bit blurry (due to the moire filter) but I guess that was a matter of taste. I also found it too big and heavy (I prefer to shoot handheld) and I was already shooting with the Pana GH1 and now GH2 for a year which is tiny and light and IMO has better image quality than the AF100. I'm working with two GH2s now which cost me like $1500 all together so the decision to get rid of the 5000 euro AF100 was easily made (things that cost $5000 in the US cost 5000 EUR in Europe, god damned!).

After the AF100 Sony came with a few DSLR-camcorder models and I haven't looked into them yet, they might have a nicer image than the AF100. In general in find Sony cams on the warm side (red) and Panasonic cams on the cool side (blue/green), especially when you're shooting with fluorescent lighting (videssence etc).

EukerVoorn

The cam costs something like $1000.... when I'm shooting a $10,000 production I'll do everything to get my shots, including burning my camera :-)

I read about it at www.dvxuser.com in the past but I forgot what happens exactly when you ignore the warning but I don't think the chips burn... mine still works fine and I've ignored the warning many times.

EukerVoorn

I hear you. I have the same when editing my videos in post. I used to be a nitpicker about every little thing but you know how fixing 10 seconds of audio (take out directive talking) can take 20 minutes or more if you're having bad luck... slowly I learn to stop trying to make things perfect, the customers will only be jerking off on it, they might even fast forward through most of your movie. We're not shooting Hollywood stuff being viewed at the Cannes film festival by movie experts :-)

Grapesoda

as long as you have a spare who cares is my thinking, but with a spare, just swap bodies when they heat up

Grapesoda

SmutHammer

it's a bit exspensive so i try not to ignor it...lol, if you do, it will shut itself off. I havn't seen anything else other than that. quality stayed the same.

DAMNMAN

Hope this helps.

Killing 2 birds with 1 stone. I also bought Canon DSLRs to shoot all of my adult and non-adult videos with. A 5D and 2 60Ds. (7Ds get smokin' hot and you better have 2 on hand to switch every 10 minutes or they will eventually burn up)

After I did this for a few porn scenes I bought a new pro 1080P video camera to shoot porn on and left the DSLRs for my many non-adult, movies and projects. (and photos of course)

Shooting porn with the DSLR changed my shooting style so much that I wasn't getting the flow and camera movement that has become my trademark. Scenes became more static in order to pull good focus and keep it that way. Scenes weren't as fun for the talent as they took longer to shoot, this came across in the video. I hated it. Yes I can do it as I'm a very serious shooter, but it sucked balls and caused stress.

I don't need the depth of field "blah blah, blah" in porn as much as I need less grey hairs these days.

Also DSLRs are all manual focus if you want to use the best lenses. I have a seven inch HDMI monitor "SmallHD" and follow focus and it definitely helps, but you'll go insane trying to pull focus as you move or as talent moves in unexpected ways. Your eyes will strain to get focus right and none the less after 20 minutes you'll be jogging the follow focus wheel back and forth (this is a no-no) doubting your own eyes as focus becomes less easy.

Bottom line and no one else is gonna tell you this is that DSLR is a fucking pain in the ass for shooting porn. Yes, it's cheap and it will be high quality video, but the scenes will not be easy. Nor will there be the changes in distance that are easily possible with a video camera which makes a scene interesting.

DSLR is awesome for projects where you have tripods and follow focus points worked out and the quality is the best for the buck. All of my non-adult productions these days are shot on DSLR and they look great.
DSLR is not for gonzo porn. Yes, there are guys doing it and they are pretty good at it. I can do it if necessary, I don't want to or need to do it. It's way easier not to shoot DSLR porn.

I would never recommend that anybody buy a DSLR for shooting porn video unless you are shooting full feature films and have planned moves where it's done just like a non-adult production.

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ZMASTER

One less god!!!
I contend that we are both an atheist. I just belive in one fewer god than you do. When you understand why you dismiss all the other possible gods, you will understand why I dismiss yours.

Grapesoda

good point, I have some scripted single camera coming up and was hoping to get a system and use the system for the scripted and the porn...ain't gonna happen... I did find that a DSLR, like the nex fs100 (which although billed as a video cam with interchangeable lens is in reality more of a DSLR) can be adapted to shooting with HQ/HD video lenses for 35K +/- and that will then provide the film look with video performance...

DAMNMAN

I have a few friends that now use the Panasonic Af100 and they really like it. However they don't shoot porn.......... If you have it worked out and it's only gonna cost you 35K to do it, well just buy an EX3 and poket the difference.

__________________
email: zmaster (at) earthlink.net
ICQ: 196678616
ZMASTER

One less god!!!
I contend that we are both an atheist. I just belive in one fewer god than you do. When you understand why you dismiss all the other possible gods, you will understand why I dismiss yours.

DAMNMAN

Also as far as film look and depth of field are concerned most of the productions I shoot are indoors in regular size houses. The only depth of field I'm gonna get is the guys face out of focus and her face giving him a BJ is in focus. WOW ain't that creative film work?

__________________
email: zmaster (at) earthlink.net
ICQ: 196678616
ZMASTER

One less god!!!
I contend that we are both an atheist. I just belive in one fewer god than you do. When you understand why you dismiss all the other possible gods, you will understand why I dismiss yours.

Grapesoda

EukerVoorn

lol I used it in summer last year in sweaty sunny France in July, it was soooo fucking hot inside that house, I was sweating like a pig, I was using a handheld rig with the 7D and an LCD screen, it was really heavy, my back hurt, the models were a pain in the ass, I missed most games of world cup soccer (Holland vs Spain in the finale) and the 7D kept getting hot and giving me the overheating warning over and over again.. maybe it shut itself off a few times, but all the time I thought it was due to flat battery

I'm really happy shooting with the GH2 now, for me it's the best cam ever.

EukerVoorn

I don't get this, are you talking about $35,000?

Also putting a video lens on a DSLR doesn't change the depth of focus. Depth of focus is inherent to these 3 factors: aperture, sensor size, and focal lenght. If you want larger depth of focus you either need a smaller sensor (which is bad for light dynamic range) or more light. My plan is to get a lot more light and shoot with f8 maximum. I've been shooting with f5 this year and then the DOF is so narrow that it drives you crazy (I shoot solo and g/g porn, not gonzo style but not hollywood style either). Then for the really fancy shots, for example girl is on her back and plays with toy for 20 minutes and squirts, I can put the camera on a tripod, dim lights (or use HD filter), use f1.4 and get a very beautiful arty shallow DOF shot.

Grapesoda

yes $35,000. price some HDHQ video lenses sometimes... the bottom of the barrel, dirt cheap lenses start at 14K, then you need a hand built custom adapter to get the lens onto the nex fs100 etc... the venders are quoting 35K but that includes the 6k for the nex fs100

get HMI's, you'll thank me later

Grapesoda

I was also told to get the fs100, get the adaptor made and rent the lenses as needed...

EukerVoorn

Ok but what's the purpose of using HDHQ lenses? Are they that much better than Nikon and Canon photo lenses? The only advantage I see in video lenses are motorzooming and no focus pumping... but if I was going to invest $35,000 in a lens I wouldn't be using a nex 100, I would go for the Arri Alexa. (look for samples on vimeo, it's awesome).

And what's HMI? Do you have a link?

And about renting: I've been shooting on locations for 2 years now because I didn't have my own studio and I decided to get my own studio now. I'll never work on locations or use rented geat again, I don't want to depend on others or having to pick something up or drive elsewhere or move stuff around before shooting. I want to sleep next to my studio, get up, have breakfast, and start shooting. I make long days like you so I especially like to mop the floor after shooting, turn-off the light, eat something and go to bed, rather then having to bring rented gear back to where it belongs. Or do you get stuff like that brought and picked up by UPS?

Grapesoda

pro HD/HQ video lenses have better actuators/servos and stuff so the lenses will pull focus smoothly, a DLSR lens will stutter just like it does on a DLSR. DSLR lenses have not been designed to work up to level or smooth flowing focus... think about watching a football game and see the lens stutter?


hmi: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/search...125+4291330038 I have 3 200's, 1, 400 and a 1200 + 2, 220 biax which are the mole-richardson kino flo equivalent. you will NEVER regret getting and using HMI

Grapesoda

here is a PRO video cam http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc...Camcorder.html -80K with no lens


and here's a lens for 20K http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc...30_80 mm.html

so 35K isn't really that much considering

EukerVoorn

Are you sure you're a pornographer and not shooting hollywood stuff? lol.

Ok you were talking lights... well at the moment I don't have the sales to afford buying stuff like this, same goes for the camera's and lenses and I don't feel like investing and having to write it off in 10 years 4 times HD resolution is already around the corner. I'm shooting with DSLR not only because they have nice image, it's also because of low prices. But thanks for all the info dude, I'm going to keep an eye on you and follow you on twitter
Am VERY curious about what cam you used for that b/g shot you posted (2 light setup).

Grapesoda

d3x , 2 profoto 600r's w/umbrellas. i shoot at 500 asa, F7.1 @ 125th when possible... keeps the shadows out and I TRY to only shoot in the day time with windows in the rooms

EukerVoorn

Man I must stop smoking heroine I thought it was a video grab

Grapesoda

I get good video grabs though shooting 60i it's hard to pull a crip image. plus I use a $1000 sony consumer cam... makes the members happy

LiveDose

Great thread. Thanks for all the info. Love hearing what others are shooting with...

__________________

Grapesoda

it is pretty interesting for sure...

Cherry7

I was following this with interest, I always find the threads on shooting of use.

I was puzzled that no shooter posted in the thread about video quality not being just about bit-rate, but all the other factors, and why review sites have such a perverse rating.

I would have thought it important to have video quality recognized to encourage the investment in good shooting.

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My Neighbour Butterfly PORN-The Musical The Long Goodbye


Cinema Erotique