Real World Workflow

Hey Techs, I just got back from another location shoot and wanted to pass this along. I know I’ve been on a bit of ThinkTank worship here, but their Pixel Sunscreen v2.0 kicks major stray light butt. I think I’ve tried just about every shade combo under the sun (!) and they always seem to have some kind of drawback. The fit on bellows type is awesome for one person, but try to have an AD or two look over your shoulder and it’s damn near impossible. Laptop case/shade combos are handy for getup and go work, but they are a bit tight on the port access now that everything is FW800. On location it can be a bit tricky holding an connection while moving around, mainly due to that clunky huge FW800 connector. I usually resort to gaff taping where the FW800 connector meets the lappie, which is not pretty but works. Btw, Rick Allen has a more elegant solution using the Ethernet port and a stubby cable to hold the FW800 in. If I can find that link I’ll post it as it’s a quite brilliant solution.

This latest version 2.0 of TT’s sunscreen has some awesome features, such as side and rear access to ports with super easy access and setup and breakdown is super quick once you get the hang of it. There’s a side circle/doughnut that holds the shade in collapsed mode that also doubles as a handy stash pocket for cables, power supplies etc. Inside there’s two more pockets plus a clip to hold notes or your drink tab depending where on location you are. The bottom of the shade has non-skid stuff inside and out so the lappie and shade won’t slip and slide. Don’t even get me started about the construction. It’s first class all the way, and worth every bit of it’s 69.00 price tag. (Oh yeah, you and the AD also can edit while holding Mai Tai’s on the beach and both be able to see what’s going on.) TT says the fabric is not waterproof, but I’ve used it in some rain squally conditions and it’s definitely water repellent with some kind of hydrophobic coating. Honestly if it’s getting that wet outside, you might want to move indoors or have a pop-up tent handy.

This shade and my HyperMac external batt make the ideal run and gun combo for me. Many time I just put the batt underneath the lappie and am on my way. About the only thing I would add would be soft velcro strips on the bottom or some kind of quick release cable setup for attaching the shade to a laptop plate. Other than that this thing is just about perfect, and that’s coming from a grumpy tech that can find fault with just about any gear ever created.

Think Tank Pixel Sunscreen 2.0

Edit: To say my solution is elegant is maybe an overstatement but thanks E —- Rick

One of the things I’ve been seriously diggin’ on lately are the Cable Management series of organizer bags from Think Tank Photo. The construction is awesome, with fused zippers that can take a beating and I love how there is a pocket for your business card in case the bag is lost or misplaced. The smaller bags like the Cable 10 are perfect for stowing pocket wizards (remember to turn them off or get a nasty surprise next time you’re on location-see prior post!), and the Cable 30 is awesome for pocket HD’s, cables and basically all that stuff that goes everywhere and is never where you need it. My Cable 30 is set up to be the perfect location backup kit with HD, cables, Sprint Overdrive hotspot, chargers and the Color Checker Passport goes in the back zippered pocket. One case that I can grab and go and have most of my essentials in one bag. Think Tank makes all sizes from the Cable 10 to the Cable 50 and I’m well on my way to having the whole set and more than a few 10’s.

Check them out here:

Think Tank Cable Management

Think Tank also has a new version of their Pixel Shade out, which is awesome in many ways and I’ll try to post more on that in another entry, and if you haven’t had a chance, Erik Hillard over at Running Pixels blog, Talking Pixels has a review here of TT’s Logistic Manager rolling cargo case that is way cool. I think you could make an awesome location rig with the Location Manager as the foundation.

So yeah, I’m pretty jazzed about Think Tank. It’s pretty rare that something comes along that exactly meets or surpasses my Tech/Photo expectations, and these guys/gals seem to do it again and again.

If there is a benefit to flying back and forth across the country a few zillion times, it’s that on occasion, you get some perks, like being seated in first class. Somehow the Gods were on my side yesterday, and I got upgraded to first.

As I settled in to my relatively posh digs, I noticed that the guy next to me had that outdoorsy look and had a really cool vintage bag with a Jansport logo on it. Well turns out he’s Skip Lowell, on of the original founders of Jansport back in the 60’s. I told him how impressed I was that they recently replaced a five year roller I had sent in with a brand new bag. That, my friends is a pretty damn good warranty. We had a really fun conversation about a non-profit he works on that provides outdoor trips to urban youth, and I must say, it’s quite clear why Jansport has a pretty devoted following, myself included.

I mean, could you imagine if a MFDB manufacturer had a similar warranty policy? Yes, I know electronics are much more cost intensive, but to have them say “yes, our product is expensive, but we’ll stand behind it 100% and help you out because you are a customer and we want you to remain one for a long, long time.” I think that would be a major advantage over DSLR’s because you’ve drawn a pretty big line between amateur and professional, and many more might consider such a major investment if it was protected in the long run.

Just my 2 cents as I sit here 37,000 feet in the air. But then again, what do I know. My head must be in the clouds.

Hey Techs, Just wanted to pass on something from Miss Winnie. Seems that shooting tethered with a Leaf Aptus 5 and a 27″ iMac are not so compatible right out of the box. iMac’s FW port power is 7W and the Leaf needs about twelve to spark up and do it’s thing, so use a powered FW repeater when in Leafland with the iMac.

This is one spot where the Phase backs and their ability to use battery power while tethered come in handy. Just remember to have a ton of them and keep them warm if using in cold temps. Colorado was not nice to the batts on one of my last shoots. To be fair just about any battery is going to have a problem in freezing temps and Jon Gilbert over at Phase One has a great suggestion of using handwarmer packs taped to the batts to keep them going in cold situations.

I find it interesting that the iMac is so under-powered in the FW department. Hell my pre-unibody MBP spits out about the same power and I’ve never had an issue with connections on any Leaf backs though I have heard of notebooks not providing enough power as well. One thing for certain is not to try to shoot to an external FW bus powered drive and power a DB because the power is split among all the connected devices. (Eric I. will tell you that that style of shooting is just plain stupid anyway, and I agree.)

Anyhoo, many thanks to Winne Au for sharing this and here’s wishing a good connection to all of you in Techland.

as i’ve said many times on this site, I am a big fan of Lightroom ever since Capture one released that abomination of a software program – C1V4. Now Adobe has a beta of LR 3.0 out which you can find here: http://labs.adobe.com/technologies/lightroom3/

Should be even better than before. I’ll be giving it a whirl with the Canon 5dM2 early this week.

Ok, am on set with some new toys and wanted to pass on a few thoughts, mainly about how much fun new gadgets can be.

First off, X-Rite’s Passport is a hit with me, not so much for the 99.00 price tag as much as I love the case. Yes that’s right, no more greasy assistant hands on my color cards and you can place it all over a still set without having to prop it up with something. The grey patch is big enough to use with a real live model, but I still would prefer a three stripe version over the single patch. There’s much more to this unit in the way of camera calibration via DNG, but I’ve not had a chance to get that far yet.

The other cool tool is the Hassy HTS, which is a tilt-shift adapter for the H series camera. The 1.5x multiplication factor is a bit steep, but having a mini viewcam to correct/throw focus is just way too much fun. You can shift up to 15 degrees and 10 degrees tilt. The adapter is a solid piece of gear and I love how it rotates to allow different angles of focal plane as well. At around $5400.00, it ain’t cheap, but I’m digging the versatility it brings to the set.

I was trying to figure out tonight if Lightroom 2 has an overlay utility for overlaying other jpegs/pdfs/layouts. I didn’t happen to see one. Is it hiding somewhere that I’m not looking? Anyhow, after not finding one within the Lightroom software, I found this little app through a google search, and it’s so simple yet awesome that I had to post it. You launch the application, choose a file, then you can change the opacity, scale it to whatever size, move it around, and now you can overlay anything onto any window you’re running on a mac. Very awesome. Granted, most capture softwares have a built in overlay tool, but this is a very useful workaround to keep in your toolbox. It’s also a nice alternative if the overlay utility that your software has happens to suck.

http://www.colinthomas.com/overlay/

Check it out and enjoy!

Well this is an interesting piece of gear, comes with a variety of targets, and most importantly, a case that is not made of cardboard or vinyl.

MSRP is $99.00 and I’ll do a review as soon as I can get my hands on one. Link below:

ColorChecker Passport

Ok, I know I’m the biggest curmudgeon when it comes to OS releases and updates, but honestly there’s a few things I’m looking forward to in this release, mainly the streamlined install size and supposed finder revamp.

What I’m nervous about are the usual tech jitters with every release. What’s the compatibility? Especially with something like Leaf Capture, whose support is up in the air along with the app itself. If any of you out there hear anything please let us know. I’m on set for the next few weeks, but will post info as I get it.

Edit Again!!! First up is C1 4.8.2, not compatible. There is a workaround in DB mode, but seems like most of us will want to hold off on this until an official fix is out…

C1 4.8.2 and Snow Leopard

Please read the comment from JonG, says 4.8.2 licensed works fine, but 3.7.9 not so good.

In between baby feedings I’m going to try upgrading on a cloned drive and see what mayhem ensues with 3.7.9 and LC.

Wish me and Junior luck…

8.31.09 Update So much for the weekend. I had an urgent request from a client and that zapped whatever time I had set aside for my test session.

Do check out this link on software compatiblity by Lloyd Chambers, who is doing a rather extensive SL review and it’s photographer centric too:

http://macperformanceguide.com/SnowLeopard-Compatibility-software.html

Wacom drivers work, Leaf Capture has some crashiness, and Eye-One Match works, although until this is verified first hand I wouldn’t be touching a capture machine with a ten foot fuzzy leopard pole…

More to come, especially when I finish the eleven day marathon I’m currently working through. I’m very curious to see how Phase handles the LC update, since Leaf had been very responsive to OS updates in the past and had earned my respect. Hopefully Phase will continue that tradition.

So stay tuned techs, it’s been a very interesting summer…

Saw this thought you all might like it.

http://www.addonics.com/products/enclosures/AE25RDESU.asp