"You are my Density!" exclaimed Crispin Glover to Lea Thompson in the 1985 sci-fi adventure hit, Back to the Future. My preteen imagination of DeLorean time travel never included HD DSLR film making and all the essential tools like a variable Neutral Density filter.
The buzzing pursuit of the ideal DSLR video settings like a 1/50th to 1/125th shutter speed, ISO of 160 and a wide open aperture led me to a vital film maker's tool on the internet. HD DSLR pioneers, LaForet and Bloom, tout the necessity of a neutral density filter to reduce the incoming light and modify DSLR video settings for an ideal moving image.
A quick Google search displayed a plethora of variable neutral density filters. Unlike fixed ND filters, a variable ND filter replaces several ND filters all in one device. The convenience of rotating the variable ND filter to darken and lighten the image on camera is absolute ease. With benefits come drawbacks and not all variable neutral density filters are made the same.
Variable ND filters made in China, Japan and even Florida scour my Google search. Brands a plenty such as Singh-Ray, Genus, Light Craft, Fader and various EBay knock-offs compete for your coin. Which one is the best value? Better yet, which variable ND filter keeps good color and minimizes lens vignetting?
With the help of my ChadSorianoPhotoBlog friends, North Tampa Photography and The EditWizard, I began my practical review and video test of a mid price range variable neutral density filter. For a street price around $200, the Fader ND Mark II Variable Neutral Density Filter placed itself between the Light Craft and the higher priced Singh-Ray. Vincent LaForet endorses this Fader ND Mark II and you will soon see why.
I mounted the Fader ND Mark II by Fader on my Canon EOS 1D Mark IV paired with a Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L lens. My video test on Youtube shows the Fader ND Mark II keeps great color throughout the variable ND stops and keeps lens vignetting to a barely noticeable level. The Fader ND Mark II is well built and the rotating filters has a solid and very smooth feel. I am confident the Fader ND Mark II can withstand hardy use out in the field.
Considering the price, the Fader ND Mark II in 77mm does not come with a lens cap. Well, all you need is a 82mm lens cap because the Fader ND Mark II front rotating glass is one size bigger than the lens filter size. Otherwise, the Fader ND Mark II by Fader is a must have in your HD DSLR film maker's bag.
Another potential ChadSorianoPhotoBlog fan emerged into this digital world with open arms to the Canon EOS 5D Mark II. My sister in-law's newborn son gazed into my "L" series lens in Full HD 1080p resolution. Infant Keelan looked forward to the 5D Mark II Full Frame "bokeh" and 21 megapixel resolution. My son and daughter only anticipated another playtime cousin to the family.
Did I mention 1080p video resolution? Yes, I captured video at 29.97fps and edited with Final Cut Pro. I used Compressor at best quality and utilized the Canon E-1 Movie Plugin to transcode to AppleProRes422. There is nothing cuter than a sleeping baby and all the adoration that comes with it. I can already smell the dirty diapers.
You can view more Canon EOS 5D Mark II photos in my Baby Keelan Gallery. I used the Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS and EF 50mm f/1.2L prime lenses for stills and video.
My trip to New York City would not be complete without a visit to The Bronx Zoo. I just completed my Canon EXPO 2010 Visual Journey at the Javits Convention Center and looked forward for more sights and sounds of the Empire State.
The Bronx Zoo is the largest urban zoo in the United States. I felt every step as my family pounded the pavement of this "Jungle in an Urban Jungle". Bronx Zoo patrons are transported into a lush environment filled with species contained in natural barriers. From elephants, gorillas, every type of bird, butterfly and of course a petting zoo for kids. I almost forgot about the Sea Lions too!
The best exhibits at The Bronx Zoo were the Petting Zoo, Butterfly Garden, the World of Birds and finally the Wild Asia Monorail. My kids saw prairie dogs up close, every type of deer and a Red Panda that looks more like a fuzzy red fox.
Just like I was "Eyes Wide Open" at the Canon EXPO 2010, my family was enthralled by all the Bronx Zoo wonders. My son said he wanted to live at The Bronx Zoo forever!
You can view more photos and videos in my The Bronx Zoo 2010 Gallery. Shot with the Canon EOS 5D Mark II with the EF 24-105mm f/4L IS lens.
This is a 1080p video shot with the Canon EOS 5D Mark II at 29.97fps. Edited with iMovie'09 and compressed with Quicktime. I used the Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS lens.
Glitzy Fashion Runway Models, the latest Canon High Tech Gear and the best collection of HD DSLR Filmmakers like Vincent LaForet made the Canon EXPO 2010 in New York City a spectacular event.
The Canon EOS 60D made its physical debut this Labor Day Weekend at the Javits Convention Center. This gave me ample opportunity to get my hands on the new 18 megapixel Full HD DSLR with high resolution swivel screen, manual audio control for video and wireless flash control like the Canon EOS 7D.
At the retail price of $1099 for body only, the 60D is arranged to be a glorified upgrade to the Rebel T2i and an inexpensive alternative to the Canon 7D. It shares the same 9 AF points like the Rebel T2i and the discontinued 50D. The 7D has 19 AF points with a faster 8 frames per second.
The Canon EOS 60D is bigger in size than the T2i but smaller than the 7D. It is an entirely new form factor for the Canon DSLR lineup. The 60D fit my hands comfortably especially with the slightly larger grip. Great features like Full HD video resolutions and variable frame rates, wireless flash control like the 7D and a stereo audio input with manual audio control make the Canon EOS 60D a winner in my PhotoBlog eyes. The SDHC memory card for image and video capture has troubled the prosumer market but I do not mind because this camera is not meant for speed. If it were destined for shooting sports, the 60D would have 19 AF points like the 7D as well as the faster compact flash form factor.
I also handled the new Canon EF 8-15mm f/4L Fisheye zoom lens. A zoom fisheye is a L lens first for Canon and I am excited to use the lens for unique video capture.
I could not miss the chance to use the new version II of the Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS II lens. It is supposed to be sharper and lighter than the previous version but unfortunately more expensive. The Canon rep told me the retail price is around $6000. Yikes!
As you noticed in the Youtube video, there was a mock Fashion Model shoot with a runway and techno music. Definite eye candy! Latest Canon gear and SuperModels are must shoot material for Canon HD DSLR's. When the Canon EOS 60D hits the store shelves before October 1st, 2010, I will give my Video Review and Verdict of this much anticipated camera. You can view more in my Canon EOS 60D Video Preview at Canon EXPO 2010 Gallery.
The inevitable day finally arrived after two and a half months of past your bedtime schedules and watching hours of daytime cartoons on television. The first day of school hit the Soriano family like a freight train.
Get up before sunrise, drink coffee, assemble school lunches, get the kids dressed while they complain they are still sleepy and drive through morning rush hour traffic through several school zones to get to school on time. Sound familiar? I forgot to add one more step to my morning process. Dress myself and look somewhat presentable to the other rushed parents at school!
Return to normalcy! Comparing summer vacation to World War I is quite a literary stretch, but I had to say it. Single file lunch lines and hallway lockers coin the phrase "back to school".
I am not a morning person as well as my family. Night dwellers unite! My Dunkin Donuts ground coffee from Costco is my medicine to jump start my day.
May the 2010 school year be filled with unbridled knowledge, homework, recess and fantastic field trips. My cameras are waiting patiently to capture the moment.
Irony just fills the pages of my PhotoBlog! I mentioned to my wife that she is just moving the dust around and not really removing it.
I used the Canon EOS 5D Mark II with the Canon EF 24-105mm f/4 IS L lens for this shoot. You can view more photos in my First Day Of School 2010 Gallery.
Filipina Superstar Toni Gonzaga performed in Orlando, Florida to the delight of many at the Osceola Performing Arts Center on Saturday August 7th, 2010.
Toni Gonzaga is on a United States Concert Tour from her native homeland of the Philippines with her sister Alex Gonzaga. Her next destination is Houston, Texas at the University of Houston.
My daughter enjoyed the sights and sounds of the TGIF! She especially liked the Toni and Alex Gonzaga's version of "Love Story" by Taylor Swift and "Baby" by Justin Bieber. The night was complete with an autographed CD Album Magazine "All Me" and a picture perfect photo with the sisters.
I photographed the concert with the Canon EOS 1D Mark IV with the Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8 L II lens. I shot 1080p video with the Canon EOS 5D Mark II with the Canon EF 70-200mm f/4 L II lens.
As for my audio setup for the video capture, I used two shotgun microphones. The Rode VideoMic was attached to the Canon 5D Mark II with manual audio control and the Azden SGM 1X attached to the wireless Sennheiser G2 EW100 transmitter and the wireless Sennheiser G2 EW100 receiver attached to the Canon 1D Mark IV. The wireless setup was needed for mobility because I was shooting pictures and video simultaneously. The 5D Mark II was on a Bogen 501HDV head with Manfrotto legs and the 1D Mark IV was handheld during the entire production. You can read more post production details in my Toni Gonzaga Youtube Video.
The peak of summertime doldrums hit a roadblock with water time fun in the backyard. Slip N Slide fun came into HD DSLR fruition with the Canon EOS 5D Mark II and my anxious children.
Art Camp also filled my kid's itinerary this summer. Arts and crafts with other attention starved youths kept them busy. The first day of school is soon approaching and the fun will come to an abrupt end.
Canon has fallen prey to the Summertime Blues. No fabulous product announcements or releases in early June like in previous summers. (Like the Canon EOS 1D Mark III in June 2007 and the Rebel T1i in May 2009) Patience is a virtue. The Canon Expo 2010 is soon approaching. Mark your calendars for the first week of September for the latest Canon product announcements.
There was rarely a moment during our Italian family vacation my wife did not reference the movie "Under The Tuscan Sun" with Diane Lane. I smile and nod my head accordingly when she says "remember that in the movie when..."
I would like to remember our arrival to Positano after a long 6 hour drive from Florence as "Under The Tuscan Moon". The drive was a bit rainy through the mostly single lane road along the Amalfi Coast but I was more than entertained by the spectacular views when the night sky cleared.
It did not take long before my son befriended the local canine population of Positano. We would travel to the beach, get off any bus stop and walk down almost any flight of stairs and my son's "Puppy-razzi!" appear to greet him with licks and whimpers. I guess they could sniff my son's chocolate and fried food aroma from a mile away.
This Positano video inspired me to produce another sights and sounds of Italy immediately. It uses both the Canon EOS Rebel T2i and the 5D Mark II cameras as well. Shot in sunset and evening of Florence and Rome. Consider this a video preview of my next Italian PhotoBlog post. Enjoy!
Florence, the birth place of the the Italian Renaissance. Micheangelo and da Vinci roamed these cobblestone streets in pursuit of their artistic masterpieces. The Soriano family journeyed across the Atlantic Ocean to seek out fine Italian leather goods,gelato of many flavors and HD dlsr photo and video comparisons.
Florence was our first destination in our Italian itinerary. After a good sleep to burn off the jetlag from the six hour difference, we hit the streets to absorb all the Florentine culture. First stop, gelato. Second stop, the Duomo of Florence right in the front steps of our apartment.
You will soon learn that there is a Duomo in almost every Italian city. Some are bigger and more grandiose than others but they are still Cathedrals. The more famous ones feature artistic masterpieces as well as the burial site of a legendary Italian artist.
Positano, Italy is our next destination and upcoming PhotoBlog post. We loaded up our Ford Fiesta and drove 6 hours south on the Autostrada to the Amalfi Coast. It was well worth the 4 Euros for a liter of gasoline and the one lane road with hairpin turns!
Bless me Father for I have sinned, it has been 23 days since my last PhotoBlog post. My hiatus may have puzzled my PhotoBlog followers on my whereabouts. There is no need to worry, I have been on a family vacation in Italy.
Our journey began with a transatlantic flight to Rome and a fuel efficient rental car to pursue everything Italian. The odyssey started with Florence, Pisa, Positano, Capri, Pompeii and finally Rome.
With the Canon EOS 5D Mark II and the Canon EOS Rebel T2i HD dslrs on my shoulders, I was on photographic and video mission to document the sights and sounds of Italy. I failed to mention one more item to my mission statement. Eat everything I can get my hands on.
Food was only secondary to my vision quest. My back and shoulders were sore from all the gear I was carrying because I wanted to have an informal and practical test and comparison of these very capable HD dslrs. In one hand, you have the Canon EOS 5D Mark II with its astounding full frame sensor. In the second hand, you have the remarkable entry level Canon EOS Rebel T2i with 18 megapixels and fully manual 1080p video capabilities. Both very excellent HD dslrs at very different price points.
This initial PhotoBlog post kicks off my photo and video series of the sights and sounds of Italy. Over the next couple weeks, I will have links to 5D Mark II and Rebel T2i video and photo galleries for everybody to view.
Over 1300 raw photos and hours of video between two cameras, I have much work ahead for me. Do not panic! I can appease the impatient with another Canon EOS Rebel T2i video test. Shot with the Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS lens and edited with Final Cut Pro 6. It is a 1080p video compressed to 400mb h264 video file.
As expected, Canon introduces another "L" lens that does not disappoint even the most critical of camera gear junkies. The Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM arrived at North Tampa Photography and with a quick wipe of my drooling face I acquired my next piece of camera gear to evaluate on my PhotoBlog. You probably noticed in the picture above I placed Canon's original workhorseEF 70-200 f/2.8L IS USM version I next to the revised version II to physically see the difference in these lens monsters.
Let us review the obvious differences quickly. It is more expensive. Not just a little bit, but almost 30 percent of the price of version I. A quick Google Search of prices online yielded $2499 for version II and around $1799 for version I. The difference is not double but it is a significant amount of coin to spend on something else.
The noticeable physical changes are minimal but easily seen to my critical eye. The rubber focus ring is wider for a better grip. The extra fluorite element makes the fore end of the lens barrel slightly wider but does not increase the filter size of 77mm. This of course makes it about 2 ounces heavier and reduces the overall length by mere centimeters. These small variances are overshadowed by the sheer size of this glass. I have used version I extensively and a couple ounces and centimeters will not matter. Bulky is still bulky, but I sacrifice my shoulder for optical excellence.
The Lens Hood ET-87 is a welcome change. The days of the finger print prone Lens Hood ET-86 of version I are history. The Lens Hood ET-87 has a better shape and a quicker push button release mechanism for a smooth mount and dismount. The Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM in the picture above is mounted on a Canon EOS 1D Mark IV. I used this camera for the duration of this lens review.
Before I get into the meat of my lens review, I want to give a brief background history of the Canon EF 70-200 f/2.8L IS USM version I. Canon's lens workhorse was introduced in parallel in 2001 with the 4 megapixel Canon EOS 1D. The original 1D combined the professional film body with digital capabilities. It also introduced the APS-H 1.3 crop factor sensor to the photographic digital world. 9 years is a long production life for a lens. Technology over those years has exponentially increased megapixels, sensor size and overall image quality. Digital image quality have surpassed conventional 35mm film. The version I of this lens was engineered and targeted for the APS-H sensor and not intended for the unforeseen high resolution full frame digital cameras of today. Canon is slowly on a lens revision campaign for its emerging resolution demanding hardware.
So the ultimate question remains unanswered. Does the version II live up to its price and improvements compared to the venerable version I? It seems version I has satisfied the professional photographic community for over 9 years and I have a permanent place for it in my collection. Too be honest, I was very skeptical when a lens of this stature prompted replacement. How can they improve on the best and for that price point? Let me give examples of the version I at work.
Great color, contrast and optically sound. What else could you ask for? I used version I at my nephew's ranch farm birthday party and with amazing results. I prefer portraits with a combination of ambient and back lighting. It gives my subjects separation from the background as well as a good hair light. You can view more examples of version I and you can view original files for all the pixel peepers out there in this Gallery.
Focus characteristics of version I does not let me down. As a born again youth sports photographer with my kids, AI Servo tracking is critical to get the shot. The picture above was located a local park with a water playground. I had my kids run towards me in the water spray to freeze their expression and sprinting action. You can view all the water park pictures in this gallery.
Now for examples of the Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II (version II). Believe me, you are not going to be upset or disappointed with the results and you are not going to blown away with amazement either. I put version II through my normal paces this weekend to justify the improved lens claims and extra expense. I turned the AI Servo on to see the new and improved focusing algorithm by Canon in version II. As you can see in the challenging bird tracking image above, the algorithm worked well.
I am not Rob Galbraith. I do not have Olympic hopefuls as my test subjects shot with massive white L lenses. I just have my kids. You can view more Lido Beach images in this Gallery. Again, the focus did not fail as expected. Impressive but not astonished.
So for 30% more money, does one receive 30% improvement of version II over version I? Yes, you get substantial improvement such as better optical resolution catered to full frame sensors with the addition of more elements, better focusing algorithm for faster Mark IV cameras and a couple of centimeters of shorter focusing distance for versatility. A big NO on value for the money, especially if you have already a version I workhorse in your camera bag. That 30% is a big difference in my opinion. For current version I owners, the monetary disparity over the version II improvements is a personal decision. Canon made a great lens greater in my lens evaluation.
My PhotoBlog would not be complete with a HD DSLR video to finish off my lens review of the Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II. I used version II in the production of this Beach Days Are Back Again HD video shot on location in Lido Beach, FL.
Chad Soriano brings more than 20 years of experience as a television news photojournalist and still camera photographer. Chad worked at Tampa’s Fox Television station, WTVT. His primary role there was in the special projects, consumer investigation unit. His assignments ranged from general news to consumer fraud. His skills in news gathering and camera-work combine to create a strong tool in developing and promoting a unique visual style.
