Video
Is the New RED Weapon, the Weapon of Choice?
The choice is simple; are you cool, or are you boring? That has to be the big decision RED wants you to make, right? Sure, the argument could be made that you choose RED for the stunning 6K resolution that it offers, or the 16.5 plus glorious stops of dynamic range, but really you want it because…
Packing Photography Gear for International (or Domestic) Travel
For the last couple of years, I’ve become pretty good at packing my bags for travel, while making sure all of the gear I need arrives safely and securely. Certainly, packing bags and traveling effectively is an art form in its own right, and I wanted to take you through the process of my packing,…
Now In Stock: ARRI Alexa Mini & ARRI Amira
There’s no need to bury the lede on this one, so here it is: Lensrentals now carries the ARRI Amira and Alexa Mini. Some of our video clients, especially those with the benefit of higher budgets, may already have worked with one of these cameras. Many have also probably had experience with similar…
Focal Length Guide for Shooting in Large Spaces
There can be a lot of guessing involved when choosing gear for an unfamiliar venue. The techs at LR are consistently asked questions about the best focal length to use for an event. There are focal length calculators online like this one that can help determine which is right for you, and this…
Mythbusting: Parfocal Photo Zooms
About twice a week I get a call from a photo-videographer wanting to know which photo zoom lenses in a certain focal length are parfocal (stays in focus while changing focal lengths). It’s understandable why they would ask; a superb photo zoom is 1/10th the cost of a good video zoom. They get…
LensRentals Review of the Kessler Second Shooter Slider
Full disclosure: I watch a lot of cooking shows. Top Chef, Mind of a Chef, and No Reservations are some of my go-to’s, but my absolute favorite (and by far the dorkiest) is Good Eats. A sort of founding commandment or mantra of that show kept popping into my head over my last couple weekends when…
A Beginner’s Guide to V-Log on the Panasonic GH4
Back when it was released in April of last year, Panasonic’s GH4 seemed poised to lead the charge of the 4K mirrorless cameras. Since then, though, the Sony A7S and Sony A7SII have taken over much of that market, offering full-frame sensors, exceptional low-light performance, and higher dynamic…
Best Handheld Stabilization For Your Money? The DJI Osmo Handheld Gimbal
With offerings like the Nebula 4000, the Feiyu G4, and many, many more all being released around the same time, the handheld gimbal market is starting to look a little crowded. A lot of these products, though, are poorly made, badly designed, and just generally not worth your time. So how do you…
The Challenges of Transitioning into Video with your DSLR
Over the past couple years, video has become a major player in the photography world. Just a few years ago, the two markets were separated, where cameras largely either shoot video or stills, but rarely both. Since the announcement of the Canon 5d Mark II and the Nikon D90, video has become a…
What Amateur Filmmakers Can Learn From Professional Sets
Before I chose a life of safety and stability as a Video Technician at LensRentals, I was a Production, Locations, and Camera Assistant in Wilmington, North Carolina. For the most part, people know Wilmington and the surrounding area as the setting for countless Nicholas Sparks adaptations, but…
A Look into the Video Quality of the Sony A7sII
Well, we didn’t see the Sony a7sII coming. Just kidding, yes we did, from a long way off in fact. That’s OK though because it turns out it’s everything we wanted. As a recent Sony convert and a photographer that dabbles in the video world, this was an easy camera for me to get excited about. On…
Canon C300 Mark II First Impressions
This weekend, I had the opportunity to take the eagerly anticipated Canon C300 Mark II out for a test shoot in downtown Memphis. Here are some of my initial impressions. ## Design The original Canon C300 has always been one of my favorite products in our inventory. I do a lot of short documentary…