Buyers’ guide
STORAGE: SAMSUNGT5 2TBSSD £328
SUPPORT: HAGUEDSLR MOTIONCAMSTABILISER £132
Getting smooth shots from a handheld camera is a tough ask, especially if you want the camera to be moving. Movement from your body will be transferred as vibration to the camera making footage look jerky. Motorised gimbals are available from the likes of DJI, and can be excellent, but for a filmmaker on a budget, or one just starting out, Hague’s handheld camera stabilising system, the DSLRMotion Cam is a top choice, and it has been specifically designed for DSLR andmirrorless cameras. haguecamerasupports.com
Working with video files you’ll need a good portable fast drive.
Look no further than Samsung’s T5 2TB SSD, a USB 3.1 Gen 2 compatible, sleek and shockproof little number that allows read and write speeds of up to 540MB/s. It’s palm sized, weighs only 51g, and the all metal design acts as a heatsink to maintain optimal performance, while with no moving parts and a tough exterior it can stand up to drops of up to 2m. samsung.com
LENSES: SAMYANG50MM T1.5XEENCINE £1599 Samyang’s Xeen range produces pro-quality full- frame movie lenses in a wide range of mounts, and the 50mm T1.5 is a great place to start. The large T1.5 aperture allows low-light shooting and creates superb bokeh effects, and Multi-Nano-Coatings are on hand to minimise lens flare and ghosting. The focus gear ring and decoupled aperture allow follow-focus rig use. intro2020.co.uk IRIXCINE 150MM T3.0MACRO 1:1 £550 If you’re serious about video, it’s well worth looking for lenses that are designed with that in mind. This full-frame lens from Irix, available in MFT, Canon EF and Sony E mounts, has movie-friendly features like a clickless, geared aperture ring and smooth, 270° manual focus and minimal breathing to stop the composition changing as you pull focus from near to far. Luminous markings are on hand for low-light work, and there’s a detachable 1/4in-20 support foot. swains.co.uk
G-TECHNOLOGY G-RAIDWITH THUNDERBOLT3 FROM £435 If you’re shooting high- res video you’re going to
AUDIO: RODENTG-1 SHOTGUNMIC £169
They know a thing or two about making great microphones inAustralia and the Rode NTG-1 is one of the best andmost popular shotgunmics for videographers, whether they’re just starting out or with years of experience under their belt. The NTG-1 has great build quality, delivers brilliant audio and is not too expensive. It’s a workhorse that will last for years. In fact, it may be the only shotgunmic you ever need. rode.com
need lots of storage. G-Technology offers plenty of high-spec desktop solutions, so for lots of flexibility and reliability you could opt for the G-RAID with Thunderbolt 3, a dual 7200RPM hard drive storage system featuring multiple RAID options. This drive allows transfer rates of up to 500MB/s and with its removable drive bays design you can get 8TB, 12TB, 16TB, 20TB, or 24TB versions. westerndigital.com
Wireless audio is brilliant for filmmaking, allowing your subject to wander, and Sennheiser’s XSW-D Portable Lavalier Set lets videographers go wireless with ease. Cables are replaced with compact transmitters and receivers that AUDIO: SENNHEISER XSW-DPORTABLE LAVALIERSET £275
SUPPORT: KENRODOUBLE DISTANCE SLIDER £185
Having a range of motion effects in your filmmaking arsenal is something that’ll really improve the look. For smooth and controlled tracking shots a good slider is vital, and Kenro’s Double Distance is a great choice. It can be used like a regular model when laid flat, but mount it on a tripod using the central point and its counterbalanced belt drive effectively doubles the range of movement from 38cm to 76cm. Top-quality gearing means motion is smooth in either direction and its aluminium build will take a load of 6kg on the flat or 3kg on a tripod. kenro.co.uk
work on 2.4GHz for worldwide, license-free operation, and operate up to a range of 75m. Up to five systems can be used simultaneously and the transmitter and receiver units can be recharged via USB, running for up to five hours on a single charge. Though the XSW-D range comes with several options, this Lavalier Set includes an ME 2-II clip- onmicrophone so you’re ready to start recording right out of the box. en-uk.sennheiser.com
CAMERA: FUJIFILMX-T3 £1349
SONYA7 III £1763
With the X-T3 Fujifilm created a camera that’s just as exciting for video as for stills. Its 4K credentials are impressive and it’s also capable of capturing higher-quality 4:2:0 10-bit video internally, and when an external recorder is used via the X-T3’s HDMI connection, this rises to 4:2:2. fujifilm.eu/uk
Sony’s ‘general’ full-frame mirrorless camera, the 24.2MPA7 III, is also a top choice for those wanting great video options. 4K footage is supplied at 30 or 24p, but most importantly, the whole of the sensor is used for capture, and this ‘oversampling’means quality is very high. sony.co.uk
Issue 70 | Photography News 41
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