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Hello From Beijing at the BIRTV Show

I am always looking for new products, better ways to do things and cutting costs … that’s why I am the Frugal Filmmaker. With so many products now coming out of China I thought why not go there and see what they are doing. And no place better than to start with the BIRTV (Beijing International Radio & Television) show in Beijing. I was asked by Personal-View.com to cover the show for them and their YouTube Channel. Similar to the NAB in Las Vegas, this is a huge show for Chinese manufacturers of broadcast and filmmaking equipment. In four full … Continue reading →

Just Attended Cine Gear 2017

This time I went to Cine Gear 2017 at the Paramount Studios to report for Person-View.com again. Here are some of my reports for the YouTube channel. Please subscribe to the channel as that is where my reporting is being done.

I Was At NAB 2017

I was the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) 2017 for the Online Filmmakers Forum and YouTube channel Personal-View.com. The following is a playlist of the interviews I did at the booths for them.

Insta360 Nano Unboxing

A camera has arrived here at frugalfilmmakers.com and it is for my iPhone. The Insta360 Nano. A very small 360 degree camera. Lets see what it is. This little camera mounts in the iPhone lighting connector with the phone upside down. It is easy to set up and use as you will see. Here are my first samples of it in action: Photos with my 360 degree Camera Posted by FrugalFilmmakers.com on Saturday, April 15, 2017 Here is the video it can produce:

GH5 DMW XLR1 Audio Adapter Setup and Tests

With my new Lumix GH5, I bought the DMW XLR1 Audio Adapter to add XLR connector audio to the camera. This optional adapter is powered by the camera with no cables. It slides intro the hot shoe of the camera and makes a direct connection. It is very lightweight and compact. The are all the controls that one needs for getting great audio. This the first still hybrid camera that is a true video (motion picture) camera because of the audio adapter. On the unit there is plenty of controls. It has 2 XLR inputs with line, mic and mic plus 48 volts for … Continue reading →

Its Here! The Lumix GH5

The camera has arrived. The Lumix GH5 is here. Panasonic has pulled out all the stops on this one. They did not hold back. They did give us the farm. This is the camera that has changed the independent filmmakers dream. At $2000 it is not a cheap camera but thousands less than the competition. This the first still hybrid camera that is a true video (motion picture) camera. It can record as long as you want with a long lasting battery. There are two SD card slots so relay recording (swap cards out while recording) can be done. It has … Continue reading →

SLR Magic 8mm f4 Review

This is a review of the SLR Magic 8mm f4. It is a new lens from SLR Magic, a Hong Kong based company. They gave an opportunity to review this lens. The first thing that strikes one is how small and light this lens is. It is like a 16mm lens but covers the full Micro FourThirds image sensor. I seems very well made with all metal construction. I has a click less aperture ring which is designed for video recording. The whole lens seems designed for video and drone photography as the focus ring is lockable. It is designed to … Continue reading →

GH5 First Look

Mark Toal from Panasonic was at Kenmore Camera on January 23 to demo the new Lumix GH4. This is an exciting new camera from Panasonic introduced at Photokina and revealed at CES this January. This is a preproduction sample. He had 2 for being looked at. These cameras were still being finalized and had beta firmware. Some of the menu items did not work. The camera will be available at the end of March for $1999.99. The camera is bigger and a little heavier than the GH4. The camera no longer has a built in flash. They have added a … Continue reading →

Blackmagic Video Assist 4K Settings, Audio and 720p on the GH4

In this second review I show most of the settings on the Blackmagic Video Assist 4K. Also the XLR adapter cable arrived so I could test out the Mini XLR audio. I did some tests in the most space efficient mode, 720P PR Proxy. 1 hour and 18 minutes is possible on a 32 GB HC card. Also is shown how to format a SD card. A 32 GB HC or smaller cards need to be reformatted for ExFat from Fat32. They will no longer work in the GH4 formatted as ExFat. 64 GB XC cards are already formatted as ExFat. Cards formatted … Continue reading →

Blackmagic Video Assist 4K UnBoxing and the GH4

The new Blackmagic Video Assist 4K was introduced at NAB2016 this year and is now available. Quite a lot of features for the money: UHD 4K recording, SDI and HDMI inputs and outputs, Mini XLR audio, ProRes Proxy, LT, Standard and HQ recording, Canon LP-E6 batteries, a mental frame all with a 1080p touch display. Watch this to see it on a GH4 and some early tests. This is the first video and covers some of the basic operation. There will be more that cover cards and audio. The Blackmagic Video Assist 4K can be ordered through Adorama for $895.00 … Continue reading →

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