Picture Stories by Stephen Alvarez

Cambodia Hyperlapse video, time lapse with extreme movement

It was all shot on a Canon 7d by Andy Blalock, no dollies, just a tripod and the photographer moving around. This is a long way from the slick, produced time lapses that we've all become used to. 

-Stephen Alvarez

5D MK III footage from Shanghai Expo

 

Shanghai Expo Timelapse Machine has posted some 5D MK III footage shot between ISO 2000 and 25000. In his comments he says that anything below 10,000 seems good. Shooting video with a still camera at ISO 10,000. I wish this camera was around last year... Read his full comments on DSLR newsshooter here.

Stephen Alvarez

Lexington, VA

New Firmware for the Canon 7D 1.2.5

I don't shoot the 7d anymore, but for those that do here is the new firmware mac and windows from the UK site.

-Stephen Alvarez

Working in Video how do we collaborate?

 

Of the 3 major projects that I have to do in February 2 of them have big video components. Every commercial job that I bid on theses days has a video portion. The convergence of stills and video has happened.

There has been lots written about how to use dslr cameras to produce stunning video. Take a twirl around my 5D MK II above and see what how mine is set up. Juicedlink DT 454 preamp, Rode NTG1 shotgun, Zacuto finder, and a Manfroto 501 HDV video head all make shooting video easier. 

But what about after the shoot when you have to show things to your client, how do you do that? A couple of online tools make life easier.

Canon to offer locking mode dial on 5d MK II and 7d

Today cannon announced it will offer a modification to the 5D MK II and 7D. For a $100 fee they will ad a locking mode dial (see the announcement here). This fixes a flaw in both cameras. I can't tell you the number of times my 5D MK II has changed out of manual mode accidentally. 

I don't ever remember Canon offering a modification on an existing camera and I think that this is significant for those waiting for the Canon 1ds MK IV.

OK lets face it the 5D MK II is the top of the line camera. Yes there is a 1ds MK 3, but almost every pro canon shooter I know uses the 5D MK II. It is just a better camera. Also I've found that with the sensor in the 5D MK II I am running up against the resolving power of my lenses. Really I am seeing issues with my lenses that I never saw with the 1Ds MK 3. It is one of the reasons that I have mostly gone back to primes. 

What I am arriving at is that the replacement top end camera isn't going to compete with the 35mm equivalent cameras we are using now. It will be significantly different, it might even look different. It certainly will need to have new series of lenses. Also in this economy I wouldn't look for it anytime soon.

-Stephen Alvarez