Look Out World! I'm 'Bout To Get Nomadic & Cinematic... =)
I'm kinda freaking out here!
I just pulled the trigger and purchased a Canon EOS C300 EF Digital Cinema Camera!
I don't know where to begin...
To do this I had to part ways with some BTS, and some STEEM.
So I want to thank both communities from the bottom of my heart!
Divesting from any portion of my stake in BTS or STEEM, my two main holdings until EOS goes live, is really a hard thing to do... so I thought long and hard about it, and finally decided to make the move.
Here's the quick backstory:
I'm a film-school dropout from the late 90's. And I mean film. You know digital wasn't a viable shooting medium at that point. We were editing celluloid by hand and film cameras were huge and unwieldy. Not like the really old days of film... but you get my point.
I left film-school to go work in the film industry in Los Angeles, where I gained a lot of great experience as Assistant Camera, Boom Operator, and Sound Recordist. At some point I grew weary of Los Angeles, and I left it all behind, along with a budding career in the film industry.
For 20 years I wandered the earth on one zany adventure after another... I sailed across oceans, working as a deckhand on ships and boats of all kinds, I studied herbal medicine, I grew ganga in California, and after all that, I ended up completely broke and massively in debt...I returned home to Minnesota in the Fall of 2007 to put my life back together.
Ten years have passed. I'm 40 years old now. I'm financially solvent for the first time in a decade, and shit is about to get real!
I'm fully cognizant that I stand on the shoulders of giants. I have been helped by so many people along my winding journey thus far... And now it's time to give back!
The Canon C300 - What's the big deal @lovejoy?
Ok, look. This camera was $16,000 brand new in 2012, and it's a small miracle of a pro video camera that produces some exquisite footage.
Well, fortunately, due to the rapid advancement in camera technology, the price has come down considerably. So today I finally took the plunge and purchased a used Canon C300 in Excellent condition, with very low hours and a single owner, for $3100!
I also purchased a used Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM Standard Zoom Lens for $569.
This is going to be my workhorse. There are a few more items I will need to make this rig 'run and gun' ready, but I will keep building my kit until it's just right!
When @roadscape and I made the Bitshares P2P Tour mini-documentary, we shot the whole thing with the Canon 5D mark ii, the Canon T1i, and a GoPro. We recorded sound on a Zoom H4N recorder and a Sennheiser MKE 600. Much of our trip was made possible by @xeldal and @onceuponatime, and those in the Bitshares community who believed in our journey. I think considering we were just running from city to city improvising everything it turned out pretty good!
The Canon 5D mark ii is still a great camera, likely I will want to acquire one as a second camera, but it's not really designed primarily for video. When it comes to cinematography, the C300 is in a whole other league.
Here's a list of projects which have been filmed with the Canon C300
And here's the C300 in action with another filmmaker that, strangely enough, I used to work on ferry boats with back in San Francisco. Rick Rowley DP on "Years of Living Dangerously"
What Does This All Mean For Steemit?
I've been dying to begin producing some great content for Steemit, and all the up and coming projects on the Steem blockchain. I've made a few short videos with my phone camera, but it's just not the right tool for the job. If we're going to make killer videos to share the power of Steemit, we need to have some serious production quality behind it.
On August 31st, the lease on the house I've been renting in Minneapolis is up, and a whole new world is about to begin.
Before I leave this house I'm throwing a massive Steemit party... And there will be video evidence to share. :)
We are T-minus 70 days until I'm untethered from the world of rent, and I am able to hit the road with my newfound friend, the C300. :)
What will that look like exactly? I'm going to keep you waiting a bit longer on that.
A few hints though...
- I'm bootstrapping my own film production company to cater to all the up-and-coming projects in the Graphene Ecosystem.
- I'm working with @agoric.systems to help kickstart the blockchain revolution in Detroit.
- Rumors of a Steemit P2P Tour are being whispered... and the world is our oyster.
- I will be in Lisbon, Portugal for Steemfest 2
- @roelandp & @firepower - please count me among your film assets at the fest! (although I will try to not just be holding a camera the whole time!)
- And who knows what happens after that... ;)
In a few days I will share my grand vision for the rest of 2017.
I hope to see you at some point along the journey!
What kind of video content would YOU like to see :)
Let me know, and stay tuned!
@lovejoy
Great purchase! Looking forward to seeing what you can do with it.
Me too!! :)
KILLER. Now if you haven't already, check out some Rokinon lenses! Super cheap, super beautiful.
Awesome.. Thanks! I'm pretty tapped out at the moment, but I will certainly check out the Rokinon lenses!
They've very affordable, great quality EF-Mount cine lenses.
EF?!
http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/Canon-EF-24-105mm-f-4L-IS-II-USM-Lens.aspx
https://www.adorama.com/ca24105afu.html
Oh I'm aware of this lens ;)
Just surprised to see DSLR lens being used for video, was told this is not ideal.
Ahhh... well it's either an EF or PL mount on the C300... So... this way I have access to lots of lenses at an affordable price... otherwise the PL lenses.. whew! they are PRICEY!
Wow ! Pretty cool shots , enjoyed reading the post :)
Know im thinking to invest in new camera 🎥
Keep it up ! Following you know
Great! Yeah.. I've been pretty lonely without a decent camera by my side. :) Thanks for the follow! Checking out your blog now!
Wait, is this one of the lenses we used?!
At first, when you commented, I thought I had purchased the wrong lens! :P
Such a great all round stock lens, and cheap as chips. You can pick up a good second hand one from MPB.com i know i sold mines. If you're looking for something a but more sharper, i'd go for the 24-70mm. Amazing lens, nevertheless.
I like my gopro :) all i need. Great read thank you
I have a GoPro 3+ black and a million hours of editing and upload... did the math. 114 years.
Thanks! I'll definitely be picking up a gopro as well, at some point. :)
That is a well worth it investment right there my friend! I just bought a Canon EOS D100 and am so much more proud of my photos now than when I was shooting blog pics with my phone. :)
Yeah.. it's truly amazing what you can do with a camera phone nowadays... but, they have some very definite limits. I'll check out your photos! Cheers.
Thanks so much. I do not plan to be a pro photographer but clean clear images make a heck of a difference. If you look at my old blogs from months ago compared to recent ones there is a stark difference. Quite remarkable like night and day.
I find phone images are always so flat and never have nice blurred out backgrounds or any focus. Once you eye is trained to notice it, phone pics become cringeworthy in comparison!
Congratulations on being financially stable, and also congrats on that monster of a camera! I'm sure you'll be making some great content with it :)
Oh.. it's been ten long years in the making, so thank you!! -- I will do my best to make some beautiful films! =)
Good news!!!
Thanks.. I'm stoked! =)
There are few places where you meet more interesting characters than in Crypto land, and Steemit has certainly got its fair share. Will we get to meet @berniesanders?
Since I first saw the p2p tour of bitshares I have been dying to see a Steemit version. You did an awesome job on that and I would love to see behind the scenes on Steemit.
Have fun with the new camera.
Thanks! Yeah I hope to bring everyone some great 'behind the scenes'. :)
You got me at 92% :D good job
haha! awesome, thanks! :)
Great buy, waiting to see, some nice pictures from you in the future.
Soon! =) The camera and lens will both ship tomorrow!