SPRING 2018
OPINION by Adam Duckworth
FROM THE EDITOR
EXCUSE ME, I HAVE GAS
It feels good to be working on an issue with ‘Spring’ in the title, and we’ve already attended our first trade show of the year, in the form of the excellent BSC Expo, so it feels as though we’re rattling through the new year already! I always enjoy the buzz these events create, and the chance to hear first hand about everything that’s going on. As always, there’s plenty of new gear for us to take a look at, with reviews in this issue including cameras such as Canon’s latest XF405 4K UHD camcorder, boasting a 1.0-type CMOS sensor and 15x zoom. We’ve also got an eclectic selection of premium, budget and vintage 50mm lenses from the likes of Sigma, Samyang, Zeiss and Nikon, action cams from GoPro, Sony and YI and a group test of pro-spec audio recorders. On the feature front we’re profiling George Motz, whose love of the great American hamburger led him to produce an iconic film and to found a truly innovative food film festival in New York, while Richard Seymour tells us about his amazing exploits with a drone at dusk, that followed and illuminated a road racing cyclist. We’re also taking a look at the rental market and asking whether it’s possible to make cash from that gear that you might only be using on an irregular basis. Lots to catch up on then and I hope you enjoy the read!
They call it GAS: Gear Acquisition Syndrome. The urge to buy the latest kit that you persuade yourself will transform your films. And actually, as most of us admit, it gives us a bit of a thrill to actually own. I know, because I have a bad case of GAS. The BSC Expo in London is a honeypot to a gearhead. With everything from helicopters to film from, truck-mounted extendable camera booms, massive drones, 8K full-frame cameras and anamorphic lenses, it’s a wonderful shop window for the very best our industry can make. Fine if you’re a big-time DoP looking for something new for your next blockbuster. But for a typical filmmaker, spending the sort of money on a camera and set of lenses that would buy a very nice house is just not on the cards. It’s easy to get a little disheartened knowing the latest kit is way out of reach. Which is why putting together this issue’s Buying Guide is a real antidote to mega-priced kit. For £3500, you can buy a complete kit with a full-frame mirrorless camera outputting to 4K to a monitor/recorder. With a lens, mic, tripod, LED light, 500GB SSD card, stabiliser and a bag to keep it in. And it’s all new and all top brand names. Buy used and you could do it for even less. And edit it in free DaVinci Resolve software. That’s a stunning set-up you could use to get you working professionally at a very high level. And best of all, having limited kit means you can focus on what’s really important, which is telling a compelling story. Using one camera and lens means you often work harder to really figure out what’s important to the viewer. The new filmmaking minimalism, you might say. I still won’t be going on my next shoot without three cameras, lots of lenses and mics, motorised gimbal, jib, drone and action camera though. And probably spend more time setting up and breaking down kit than anything else. That’s GAS for you.
TERRY HOPE, EDITOR
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