Blackmagic Design is known for creating high-end, robust cameras for content creators of all skill and experience levels. In this interview I sit down with Bob Caniglia from Blackmagic Design to discuss their latest cameral release — the Pocket Cinema 4K. We discuss who the camera is for, why they built it and some of the stand-out features they built into it that set it apart from other cameras in its class.

http://www.blackmagicdesign.com
Social Media
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Blackmagic_News
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blackmagicnewsofficial/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BlackmagicDesignOfficial/
Bob Caniglia Bio
Bob Caniglia began working in the film and television industry in 1985 as a part-time cameraman and editor on industrial videos. Bob finished school at night while working full time as a commercial producer/director at a local CBS affiliate.

Eventually, Bob found himself in L.A. as an editor for The Disney Channel and 525 Post Production, later working on music videos for Prince, Madonna and Michael Jackson. Bob also helped Gore Verbinski with his director demo reel, telling him that he would be a feature film director someday.

Leveraging his real-world industry experience, Bob made the transition to working with a variety of production and post-production manufacturers, including Panasonic, Quantel, Snell, DaVinci Systems and Blackmagic Design, where he currently holds the position of Director of Sales Operations. Ever the creative type, Bob is a professional comedian performing around the world under the stage name Bobby Zee. He also has a love for karaoke that just won't quit.



















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Panasonic and Leica have been hitting out of the park lately with some stunning lenses for the micro four-thirds platform. The latest being the Leica 200mm f2.8 lens.

The first thing I noticed was the small size and relative heft of the lens. The first impression it leaves you with is that it is solid, well-made and built for serious photography work.

One of the cool things I immediately noticed about the lens was the inclusion of a memory button. You can preset a focus distance, then immediately recall it at the touch of a button. I can see how this feature would be invaluable for situations when you’re relatively immobile, waiting for action to happen in a particular spot.


Stabilization
The fact that Panasonic seems to be making image stabilization standard on all of their cameras is fantastic. But never is it more important than on longer focal length lenses like the 200mm. And the fact that Panasonic has included IS in the lens means you can activate DUAL image stabilization for up to 5 stops of added stability.

The autofocus speed was extremely fast… with and without the teleconverter. Which I can see as a must for far away fast-moving subjects like cars or birds.
Accessories
Accessories that come with the lens include a 1.4x teleconverter that increases the effective range to 280mm at f4.0 - that would be 560mm on full-frame cameras. There’s also an optional 2.0x teleconverter that will increase the range to 400mm or 800mm on full-frame cameras.

A well-made plastic lens hood with a set screw. And an optional tripod mounting foot. Plus you get soft cases for the lens and the teleconverter.
Image Quality
The image quality coming out of this lens is just stunning. And unexpected for such a long focal length lens at f2.8 the image quality was very good. And at at f4.0 it was EXTREMELY good! I can see why this lens is so expensive. Plus the beautiful bokeh that you get at such long focal lengths makes almost every background into beautiful mush!

Like I said in the intro, this lens represents an important addition to the micro four-thirds lens line-up. The lens is built like a tank, but at the same time it’s much smaller than the full-frame equivalents.

However, this is NOT a cheap lens, at the time of this recording it’s priced at about $2,500 - that includes the 1.4x teleconverter.

If your genre of photography calls for long, fast glass — and you can afford it, this lens is a must-have for your collection. And even if you can’t afford it, you might consider renting one for those missions that call for this kind of reach.

Check out the Panasonic Lumix 200mm f2.8 on Amazon














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The Lumix G9 is one of the latest camera releases from Panasonic. It’s significant in many ways, one of the main reasons being that it’s squarely targeted at “stills” photographers (versus video shooters). Panasonic asked questions, listened, then implemented the suggestions for professional landscape, nature, sports shooters and others.

The result is a triumph in engineering. And I’d even go so far as to say the Lumix G9 is probably the best camera I’ve ever owned.
The Specifications:
So, let’s get some homework out of the way first. Some photographers (including myself) will say the specifications for this camera are impressive. Others will say it’s hamstrung by the small micro four-thirds sensor.

My response for the “small sensor” gripe is that what works for you and your genre/style of photography may not work for others. This camera works for me… and many thousands of others.

* 20.3 Megapixel Micro 4/3rds sensor with no anti-aliasing filter (same as GH5)
* 20 FPS burst w/continuous AF frame rate using the e-shutter (for ~50 frames)
* 9 FPS burst w/continuous AF using mechanical shutter (for 600+ frames)
* ISO 100-25,600
* Dust-resistant, freezeproof, splashproof - Magnesium body
* 5-axis in-body image stabilization with Dual I.S. version 2.0 (6.5 stops)
* Uses same batteries as GH3, GH4, GH5 and GH5S
* Wi-Fi + Bluetooth
* 1.04M-dot 3" articulating touchscreen display
* Dual UHS-II card slots supporting new high-speed 'V'-rated cards
* Assortment of 4K and 6K Photo modes and in-camera focus stacking

What's Different?
So, that’s enough about the specs… what makes this camera different from other Lumix cameras? Even from it’s siblings, the GH5 and GH5s?

* 80MP Raw and/or JPEG files using High-Resolution mode
* Top Plate LCD
* Nikon Style On/off backlight
* Buttons positioned perfectly
* Deep hand grip
* Well thought-out buttons and dials
* Good-enough Audio/video - 4K/60p UHD video capture
* Night mode
* Front custom switch
* HUGE 60FPS EVF, 3.68M-dot electronic viewfinder w/ up to 0.83x equivalent magnification
* USB charge and power capability

The Bad Stuff:
As we all know, there are no perfect cameras. And I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention a few quibbles that keep the G9 from being flawless.

* Sensitive shutter button
* Top LCD backlight turns off too quickly (not configurable?) On some Fuji’s the display stays activated constantly (not backlit) even when the camera is off.
* Low light performance (damn physics)
* Weight

Conclusion:
In short, the G9 is a triumph, especially at this price point. As I record this, you can snag a G9 (body only) for around $1,600US).

It’s the obvious result of Panasonic engineering listening to its base, watching trends, and aiming squarely at producing a camera that is created unapologetically for still photographers — while still maintaining video capabilities that make similar cameras in its class jealous.

I own a few Lumix cameras, and this is the first one that gives me that little electric feeling in the pit of my stomach!

In the upcoming videos in this series,

Drobo has established itself as the “understandable” RAID solution for people who need to store A LOT of data, and need to store it safely. With its “Beyond Raid” technology, the company addresses several concerns plaguing photographers. First, we are always creating MORE data! Giant raw files, 4K video, or just Photoshop documents with a bazillion layers. Over time, it adds up. And losing any of this data is non-negotiable. Secondly, photographers need storage that we can expand without copying all of our files to a bigger drive every year. And lastly (but not least) we need speed.

Drobo solves these problems with their drive enclosures, and they’ve just released an entry level unit called the Drobo 5C. It doesn’t have the Thunderbolt ports found on the more expensive models, instead it has a USB-C port. So, it's great for backup.

Like all Drobo's, the 5C protects your data from single, or dual hard drive failures. Drobo immediately starts rebuilding data on the failed drive to protect your data using available space. In the back ground Drobo does “data scrubbing” which means it reads your data looking for inconsistencies or corruption and does repairs.

The Drobo 5C also has a battery that protects all data in memory or cache. So, if power suddenly goes away, Drobo moves any in-transit data to onboard flash in your Drobo so it will be protected. The protected data will be moved to your disk drives once power is restored. This ensures your important information is safe and sound. The battery recharges itself and is designed to last for the life of you Drobo.

Drobo 5C will support up to 64TB drive sizes. But you can start with much less. Start with the capacity you need today, then when more storage space is needed, throw in another drive, or replace a smaller capacity drive with a larger one. You can just buy the best drive at the best price when you need more space.

Hard drives slide into their drive bays with no metal carriers or assembly required. The face-plate is easy to remove because it’s held in place with magnets.

Lights on the front tell you what’s happening – if you can read a traffic light, you’re already a Drobo expert. Each blue LED along the bottom represents 10% utilization letting you know exactly how much capacity is consumed. Green, yellow or red LEDs keep you informed of each drives status at all times. Unsure of what the lights mean? All the information is right there on the back of the magnetic cover.

Essentially the 5C is really a rebranding of the original Drobo. Since its birth Drobo has gone on to expand their product line, but it all started with this little puppy. And it’s still kicking after all these years.

If you’re looking for an easy to use, inexpensive back-up RAID solution. You should definitely give the Drobo line, and particularly the 5C a look.

* Drobo 5C at Datarobotics
* Drobo 5C on Amazon
* Drobo 5C at B&H





TheExplorographer.com.

I'd also like to welcome our sponsor for season 2 of All About the Gear, Zenfolio!

 

 

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[smart_track_player url="http://media.blubrry.com/thisweekinphoto/p/content.blubrry.com/thisweekinphoto/AAtG-003-Fujifilm-X100s.mp3" color="6a1915" title="Fuji X100s" artist="All About the Gear" ]In episode #3 of All About the Gear, Doug Kaye and Frederick dive into the famed Fuji x100s camera. Find out if this little beastie lives up to all the hype, and if it's actually the perfect walk-around camera.

This camera sports a fixed 23mm f/2.0 lens, an APS-C sized sensor, 16 megapixels, and cool retro styling. Could this be the next camera to grace your gear collection? Want to know more? Check out Doug's comprehensive written review over on his blog.

Here are a some images produced by the Fuji x100s, courtesy Doug Kaye.









Gear for this episode provided by Borrowlenses.com.

In this second episode of All About the Gear, Doug Kaye reveals his observations of the Leica M9. It's an expensive piece of kit, but some folks say it's worth every singe penny. Can this Bently of cameras justify its price tag? And does the image quality truly surpass shots created by "lesser" cameras? Find out all of this and more in this episode.

Be sure to check out Doug's blog post "The Leica Mystique" for a full and comprehensive review of the Leica M9.