Sorry, might be an American term:

spigot |ˈspigət|
noun
1 a small peg or plug, esp. for insertion into the vent of a cask.
2 a faucet.
• a device for controlling the flow of liquid in a faucet.
3 the plain end of a section of a pipe fitting into the socket of the next one.
ORIGIN Middle English : perhaps an alteration of Provençal espigou(n), from Latin spiculum, diminutive of spicum, variant of spica (see spica ).

I loved the new interview stuff. For me, this thread has become more about your talent, then the cameras ability to capture an image. A lot of the time people on filmmaking forums get lost in the numbers, not the content. Great job Philip!

Richard

all those plumbers terms. I knew I was in the wrong profession!

Very kind Richard, I see you have an HVX and EX1. How you finding the comparison?

I LOVED using my ex1 on this job. My producer was somewhat concerned over the lack of tapes or discs and she really was worried when I couldn't get an interview onto the mac that was split across two cards (still not worked out what is going on but found a way to grab it, would love to find out exactly what I am supposed to do) but she was loving the very light tripod!

I always have found without a 35mm adaptor using a smaller camera is a compromise in picture/ optics quality. For the first time I would happily use this small camera instead of a full size one. I still prefer the form factor and flexibility of my F350 but this little beauty performs stunningly. Ignore all the Long GOP and vignette fears. At the end of the day this camera produces stunning images.

Phil,
Interview looks great, as usual. Always a pleasure to view your footy. I guess I'm a real sucker for controlled DOF, though. I couldn't help wishing you had lugged the Letus and a few choice lenses so that you could have selectively focused my attention on the subjects.

Phil I just watched your "protestants whole sd.mp4"
You are a "true" artist my friend.
The EX1 looks unreal!

Then again, I bet you could take a $200 DV camera and produce nice stuff! LOL

I was planning on bringing it but I broke it after the Piccadilly Furs shoot, Hien sent me a replacement that same day but due to the weekend being what it is I didn't get it in time, close but not quite.

It gave me a nice chance to shoot with the EX1 clean for a change anyway. I shot the 4th short on Thursday back in London with a Jewish family. I used the extreme for some shots and the interviews. It looked amazing and added so much!

Oh and thanks again Steven!

Love your stuff, Phil, thanks for sharing.

To help fill the wait for the arrival of my EX1, I'd be interested to hear the process you're following from EX1 to broadcast - what format and resolution is the master you deliver to TV stations?

Thanks,

Fortunately as the broadaster takes XDCAM discs so I downconvert to SD and deliver it on that. Otherwise I would have to put it onto DVCAM or hire a digi deck.

Phil - for us in the UK, do you have the broadcast dates and times?

Cheers, Nick

hi Nick

I am still awaiting the schedule from Channel 5. But the first one goes out on Christmas eve then every day until Friday. I understand Sky News are taking them too to run on the same days.

There is a link to an HD version now too.

I have been asked for my set up details so here they are!
 

OK.

These are my main lenses.

16mm Zenitar f2.8
18mm Signma f1.8
28mm Nikon F2
35 Nikon F1.4
50mm Zeiss f1.4 and Zeiss Macro T2 and Nikon 50mm F1.4
85mm Zeiss f1.4
105 Nikon f2 DC
135 Vivitar f2.3
180 Nikon F2.8
I also have one Sigma zoom which I think is 28-70mm f2.8
Two f2.8 swing tilt lenses. One 50mm, one 85mm

I use the Letus support bracket on a set up mish mash rods that I am still perfecting.

The most solid I have come across are the Cinevate camera base and rod support. I actually use the carbon fibre rods from Cavision. Cavision supports are pretty good and very customisable. I did use my old Redrock one for a bit but it is SOOO heavy.

I used a Marshall 7" monitor when I need external focusing. Helpful but no longer essential with my ex1 and it's amazing LCD screen. But it is still easier to focus using an external monitor. The resolution on the screen can by a 100 billion pixels but it's still small and size is everything!

I sometimes use my redrock follow focus but this is quite rare. I am a fast worker. Constantly changing tools, constantly changing lenses and having a follow focus slows me down. What i do have is the gears on most of my lenses. It helps me to rack focus so much easier.

My tripod is a Miller DS20 solo. i CANNOT rave about this enough. It is a super tripod. It is lightweight but solid. It can go as low as my low boy manfrotto tripod and very high. it has a superb head that can take the weight of a fully laden down 35mm ex1 combo and monitor. It is also super smooth.

I have a few different radio mics. 2 Sennheiser evolution lavalier but not sure of the model number. They are affordable and good quality. I also have recently bought audio technica's dual receiver lavalier system which is great for my larger cameras as it powers off of the 12v camera output. The receiver is a little big for the smaller cameras but it works so well.

I have a wally dolly which is for me the best dolly I have used for the price. So smooth. easy to set up, doesn't need perfect surfaces and is cheap. Oh and it doesn't need a grip!

My main light is a rifa 55 500w soft box with a 45 degree egg crate diffuser. A superb soft key light and it goes everwhere with me. I also have 2 dedo 150 lights which I use for backlights etc. I have a projector and gobos for them. I have redheads and otherlights but rarely use them. I often try to make use of as much natural light as possible. For example if you look at my Anorexia section most of the interviews in parts 1-3 are with available light.

I have three matteboxes. I cheap Indian one which is fine. A cavision one, which keeps falling apart and a lovely Chrosziel one that lives on my DSR 450. I recommend buying the best you can afford as I didn't to start with and just bought cheap. They fell apart quickly. I have formatt and Tiffen 4x4 filters.

I think that's the bulk of my daily kit and set up.

How would you compare Nikon 50 mm F1.4 to Zeiss 50mm F1.4
Wonder if you ever tried Zeiss 85mm 1.4?
Regards.

The Zeiss 85mm is on there. I prefer the Zeiss 50mm to be honest!

Is it true that Zeiss has more color contrast, in 50 mm?
In regards to 85mm I meant if you ever compared it to Nikon 85 mm 1.4

I would agree with that. I sold my Nikon 85mm when I got the Zeiss lens. Even though they aren't true German made lenses I think they are superb and easily the best lenses in my kit.

Thanks a lot, look forward to get 85mm and 50 mm Zeiss lens, just ordered Letus adapter.
Was it your idea to do homeless people stories? I was inspired by that, when I have some time want to do similar in Moscow, we also have lots of homeless dogs.

Hi Phil,

Please tell me how big is in Megabaits ( or GB-s) Your Piccadilly Furs clip which runs on Your website?
I like it very much! Thanks for sharing!

Have a nice weekend!

Sulev

Hi Sulev,

I think it is about 35mb

Here is an update version of my Protestant short with magic bullet grading. It looks a lot more 35mm adaptor a like now even though it was shot with the ex1 clean. I will also post a link to my first short on a Buddhist family in the UK for comparison. It was shot on the XDCAM HD F350. One camera cost £20,000 including lens then other cost £4200.

http://aerialsfilm.com/bloom/protestantsnewgradesd.mp4 NEW GRADE 700x400

http://aerialsfilm.com/bloom/protestantsnewgrade720.mp4 NEW GRADE 1280x720

http://aerialsfilm.com/bloom/buddhism%20sd.mp4 F350 Short 700 x 400

Thank You, Phil!

For 3 minutes and 35 Mb looks very nice!
And format is? QT, WMV or FLV?

Sulev

It is .mp4 compressed in h.264 about 1300 kbits a sec.

Hi Phil,

As always your footage is fantastic. Something that made me laugh though - the final two shots of the clip are of the woman saying something to the effect of "My hopes are that my children follow religion the way I've followed.." and then it dissolves into that sped up footage of the sheep.

Was this a symbolic comment or just co-incidence?

-- John.

Phil, What are the swing tilt lenses you're using and how do you like them?

Phil, the Buddhist family story looks amazing, except two shots: one, with bicycle in the shot, another one with a yellow warning sign, (some blown highlights there), love the colors, was the lens wide open? It's probably the best stuff I've seen from 350. Makes me think of buying it instead of waiting for the Red One.
The protestant family has more problems with dynamic range, I could definetly notice more lost details in white, less dynamic range, less color, etc.
Great stories. Thanks again.
Could you post one image of Ex1 with letus in full res?

Not at all! But I can see where you are coming from. If anyone could have interpreted it that way it should have been me given my thoughts...but no, it's more about the passage of time...through the years etc! worried me there though. I hope other people don't see it like that!

Thanks Oleg. It's actually more to do with grading. Both have very different grades.

I have attached a still from the Letus/ Ex1 combo that is ungraded. I am editing it tomorrow.

Thanks again for prompt response,
So the difference just in grading, do you mean you consider 350 and Ex1 comparable in all kinds of lighting situations?

The EX1 is much more sensitive than the F350. The F350 is of course a better camera, but the EX1 is an impressive little beast. I am very happy with the results from it. More so that any other "small" camera I have used. It is the only camera of that type that I would consider using as an A camera when I could easily use the F350 instead.

Great! Look forward to see some more footage, possibly you could post few seconds in 2K?
regards, Oleg.

2k of what?

Now, this is a good one... A true artist vs. us -measurebators.

PS. Oleg, I meant no offence - I'm a technology-obsessed quirk myself:)

I meant 1080 by 1920 of EX1 footage, possibly wide shot with detail, street, field, etc.

I have posted stills on this thread.

I understand why but it's east to become obsessed with numbers and forget about why we use the cameras in the first place but don't forget numbers and stats aren't what it's all about!!

Ariel,
I don't at all follow your rez tests.
The sample charts were shot at an angle.
Also, they were not set up correctly to the correct marks; therefore,
the tests do not mean anything. In fact the HV20 was shot a lot wider FOV.
????????????????

it is not my site.

Sorry, then I'm not sure why you posted it.
Take a look at the large rez charts.. LOL... They're shot on an angle all at
different field of views.
Very strange.

*ahem*

sorry to knit-pick, but. . .

2k != 1920x1080
2k = 2048x1080

What I am really curious about is the EX1s 24p. What is the pulldown? Are we talking something akin to what Adam Wilt refers to as "24p Standard" (a la Panasonic DVX200 24p) or "24p Advanced" (a la DVX2000 24pA)?

If I'm going to be going out to film and want the easiest path in conforming to true 24fps, is this camera a contender (excellent image quality aside)?

Knit-picking is never a good idea on this site.

The difference between 1080p and 2K is so minimal that they may as well be synonymous terms, and sometimes for all practical purposes they are, as far as we're concerned here. Hope this helps,