By Johnnie Behiri

Recently I was lucky enough to have a Nikon D4 (pre production model) for 24 hours. My original plan was to shoot a short feature with it and by doing so check its strength and weaknesses, but the short notice left me no choice but run a very simple test (one that might not satisfy all…)

I’ve divided the test into night and day shots. Neither video is colour-corrected. I wanted to share exactly what I got out of the camera with the community. To my eyes, up to ISO 1000 the camera produces clean video images. Also, please take a look at “24h in25p”-night, 0:49min. Surprise – the “rolling shutter” effect is almost a thing of the past!

Obviously, having the camera for such a short time did not allow me to master it. I truly hope some of the shortcomings I discovered are due to my lack of Nikon experience and are not really shortcomings after all.

I chose to shoot mainly with 2 prime lenses, in part to see how useful and functional the crop function is. So everything you see (but the Capoeira shots) was done with the Nikon 20mm+85mm lenses.

24h in 25p-day Shot with Nikon D4 from Johnnie Behiri on Vimeo.

What’s to like about this camera?

I liked what I saw, though hoped I could get a slightly sharper image. I would love to experiment more and get even better results if possible.

- Audio quality: Very nice. I dare to say that the D4 is producing a cleaner sound than my Tascam DR-100 audio recorder.
- Needless to say, having a headphone socket is a real treat.
- Crop factor: I can’t say enough good things about this function. Simply put: AMAZING! Nikon representatives told me that the best video quality produced by the camera is at the 2.7 crop factor setting. You are able to toggle between full screen and 1.5 crop factor as a second option.

Things I would love Nikon to review and hopefully change in a firmware update if possible:

-It is unfortunate, but sound levels can not be adjusted after starting recording.
-When switching the camera on in video mode, there is ALWAYS a need to press the LV button BEFORE being able to actually shoot video.
-Clear HDMI output is great but when an external EVF is connected, there is a need to see some information there. I couldn’t find a way to “overlay” the info in my Cineroid EVF for comfortable shooting.
-Also, when shooting with an External EVF connected to the camera via HDMI, I could not find a way to turn the camera LCD off. At times I don’t want others to be able to see what I’m shooting, or would just like to save a bit more of the battery life.
-In some occasions, there is a delay after pressing the record button between the LCD screen and the external EVF. The EVF will go blank for a second or two before you see what you are recording.
-There is a way to assign two front buttons for a smooth aperture control [power aperture]. This is a nice feature. The problem is that the changes are so quick that I ended up pressing the button in steps so the end result was like using a “clicked” aperture ring on a manual lens. It is a welcome feature, but I wish it had a “slower response”.
- Crop factor changes: As amazing as this feature is, there is no way to operate it “on the fly”. There is always a need to fiddle within the menu to access and change the settings. This feature should definitely be more accessible.
-WB settings: There is no way to see the WB settings on the LCD screen, only down at the battery pack compartment window.

One more point: my Cineroid EVF showed 1080i signal before hitting the record button and 720p right after pressing it. So I guess clean 720p signal can be out put to an external device if you are interested in recording HD ready resolution while simultaneously filming into a memory card.

24h in 25p-night Shot with Nikon D4 from Johnnie Behiri on Vimeo.

All footage was shot in natural picture profile setting in1080/25p

Equipment used:
Nikon D4 pre production model with firmware 1.0
Lenses- Nikkor 20mm f/2.8, 85mm f1.8, 14-24mm f2.8, 70-200mm f2.8
Rig-O’Connor (apart from a Vocas handle)
EVF-Cineroid
Tripod-Sachtler DV8 SB
Camera bag- Kata DR-465i and FlyBy 76
Filter – Light Craft Workshop Fader ND

A special thanks to my trainee assistant Claudia for helping during this long day! Also, a big thank you to professor David and his team for performing a short Capoeira theme for us. Find out more about their school here www.suldabahia.at

Johnnie Behiri is a BBC freelance cameraman operating from Vienna, Austria.
When not working for the BBC, Johnnie films documentaries, commercials, music videos, and testimonial/marketing videos for other broadcasters and clients.

I’ve been wanting to get my hands on the Sony HX9v since it came out and now I’ve finally done it. I wanted to test if this modestly priced tool could be a legitimate alternative “B” camera in cases where I need one - especially when on assignment away from home.

On paper, the little video mode of the Sony is almost fully automated, but it caught my eye because of its high 1080 resolution and progressive frame rate (50p for PAL countries and 60p for NTSC). Also, I won’t deny that the ‘price was right’.

In a previous post on dslrnewsshooter Jeen De Vos showed a beautiful short piece demonstrating the power of this camera in professional hands. His demo was shot from a stable tripod and proved that in certain conditions it can deliver surprisingly good results. 

My aim was to test hand-held shooting, the optical stabilizer, the “follow focus” function and how good the slow motion is.

First, I had to find a solution for viewing the LCD during day light. I instinctively went for the Zacuto Z-Finder to see if it fitted the little Sony. It does, sort of….the finder on a Zacuto Gorilla plate will seat a bit higher than the camera and about 1mm away from the screen. It was fine for the test. I could now have better camera stability by holding the Z-finder against my eye while gripping the camera and shooting.

Today in Vienna it was the ‘Rainbow parade’. It gave me the opportunity to go out and test the HX9v. Unfortunately the sky was very grey and the parade started late in the afternoon – so it became darker earlier. The consequence was that the video mode of the camera, which is only automatic, boosted the ISO and thus the noise – this affected the overall picture quality. Later it started to rain…that was the time to end the test since the camera is not weather sealed.

Shooting with the HX9v and Z-finder (Photo by Nino Leitner)

So how is it to film with this little camera? It is a mixture of fun and frustration…Fun, because it is so small and together with the Z-finder it is almost like the “ultimate run&gun” ENG-style camera (sure, I’m exaggerating, but look at the footage and see those amazing smooth, steady shots). Also, the zoom lens works a treat. Frustrating because there is no real control of anything. You can set where the exposure starts and assign the custom button on top of the camera to adjust the image brightness (+) or darkness (-), but you can’t lock the exposure.  If only there was a way to do this and lock focus this camera would have been a real jewel – but then what do you expect from a compact anyway?

Some of the scenes are a bit longer then I would normally edit. The reason is to show how the focusing holds. Footage (1080/50p) was converted with Cineform and dropped into an Adobe Premiere CS2 1080/25p timeline for the slow motion effect. No colour correction was done so you are able to see what came out of the camera.

Johnnie Behiri is a BBC freelance cameraman operating from Vienna, Austria.
When not working for the BBC, Johnnie films documentaries, commercials, music videos, and testimonial/marketing videos for other broadcasters and clients.

By Johnnie Behiri

Bionic reconstruction from Johnnie Behiri on Vimeo.

After two years, the VDSLR has become my main working tool. True, I do have access to many other video cameras, but what convinces me is the fact I have to THINK every time before pressing the REC button. I feel it has made me a better shooter and storyteller. Sure, I was thinking before when using a conventional ENG camera, but I’m talking about the extra care when shooting with VDSLRs.

So what is there to think about?  Light, lenses, aperture, depth of field, movement, audio recording, audio levels, are all equally important to achieve the best possible result when working with a “far then optimal” big sensor photo camera that shoots high definition video.

When Neil Bowdler, the BBC science correspondent, came up with the idea of doing a “bionic reconstruction” story, the obvious working tool for me was a VDSLR. Neil was excited and open-minded about exploring that possibility.

Shooting with the 7D, Neil Bowdler (L) and Prof. Aszmann

The story is about an Austrian resident who has chosen to have his dysfunctional hand cut off so that it can be replaced with a bionic limb. His Vienna-based surgeon believes elective amputation and what he calls “bionic reconstruction” can give some patients with traumatic injuries the best hope of regaining bodily function.

My goal this time was not to achieve the super shallow depth of field “film look” that some regard as optimal. I felt in this case there was no point of having a completely blurred background when Neil is talking about a situation happening behind him….

The Bionic hand can do many things that a real hand can

We did some nicely lit interviews but unfortunately did not use them in the short version of the story for BBC World news. Those were used later in the longer version done in London for BBC Newsnight which you can see here.

Equipment used:
Camera: Canon 7D
Lenses: Canon 17-55 f2.8, Canon 70-200 f4.0, Tokina 11-16mm f2.8
Audio: Tascam DR-100 recorder, Sennheiser G2 EW100 wireless mic system, Sanken Lav mic, Cos11D
Rig: Vocas
Electronic VF: Cineroid
Tripod: Sachtler DV8 SB
Light: Litepanel 1×1, Viso PH 5502 (Kino style flo light)
Editing: Adobe Premiere CS2 with Cineform Neo4k
Color correction: Cineform “FirstLight”

Johnnie is working in Vienna, Austria.
Johnnie also films documentaries, commercials, music videos, and marketing videos when not working for the BBC.

Kata’s VDSLR bags highlight review from Johnnie Behiri on Vimeo.

I’ve been working closely with Kata for many years, testing their bags and filming testimonials by other professionals who use them too. So I was happy when the request came to make a short video highlighting their latest VDSLR bags vintage range.

There is no perfect bag and every assignment may require a different carrying solution. That’s the reason I’ve decided to explore different options, from a full load of equipment to a camera-only bag solution.

I felt the video deserved a bit of an extra footage to make it a bit more entertaining and I was lucky enough to meet grand master Chen Shi Hong and his Viennese Kung-Fu class. Their beautiful movements were captured with a Canon 7D in 720/50p and I later manipulated the footage in Twixtor Pro within Adobe Premiere to achieve “super slow motion” effect. I kept the shutter at 1600 to avoid blurring images.

The second Canon 7D used for capturing my piece to camera was operated by the talented Stefan Nutz.

Equipment used:
Tripod: Sachtler DV 8 SB
Rig: Vocas
EVF: Cineroid
Lenses:
Canon 17-55mm f2.8
Tokina 11-16mm f2.8
Samyang 8mm f3.5
Samyang 85mm f1.4

Audio:
Tascam DR-100
Sennheiser EW100 G2
Sanken COS 11D wireless microphone

Johnnie Behiri is a BBC freelance cameraman operating from Vienna, Austria.
When not working for the BBC, Johnnie films documentaries, commercials, music videos, and testimonial/marketing videos for other broadcasters and clients.

Johnnie and his latest DSLR rig

Peripheral video camera equipment devices are not always cheap. Their aim is to let us cameramen work freely in a way that we can concentrate doing what we were paid for – bringing the best image we can.

Since the appearance of VDSLRs manufacturers became very creative by adapting their existing products or inventing new ones in order to let us to shoot HD video comfortably with those photo cameras. The countless projects and documentries I have made with my Canon VDSLR have caused me to search for a better, more useable way to work with these cameras. They require you to add the right kind of support.

Almost any device I buy surrounding my VDSLR can be use with any other pro video camera too. When the time comes to upgrade I will not have to re-invest, hopefully just update!

The evolution of a VDSLR “ENG style” rig from Johnnie Behiri on Vimeo.

I’ve put together this video of my latest VDSLR “ENG/documentary” rig, made with the following items:

Camera rig: Vocas
Mattebox: Vocas ​
EVF (Electronic View Finder): Cineroid
Microphone: Hosa tech
Audio recorder: Tascam DR-100
Camera light: Rotolight
​

The new Cineroid EVF on Johnnie's rig

Johnnie Behiri is a BBC freelance cameraman operating from Vienna, Austria.
When not working for the BBC, Johnnie films documentaries, commercials, music videos, and testimonial/marketing videos for other broadcasters and clients.

One Day on Earth Participant Trailer from One Day On Earth on Vimeo.

On October 10th, 2010 the records of filmmaking history will have a note called “One Day on Earth”. The United Nations, over 70 nonprofits from around the world, and thousands of filmmakers have teamed up with ‘One Day on Earth’  to film in EVERY country in the world in 24-hours on  10/10/10.

The project, which started in 2008, created an online community to accomplish this global task: www.OneDayOnEarth.org

They have asked filmmakers, students, humanitarian workers, and inspired individuals to take part in creating a shared archive of video. While the archive will be accessible for all to view, it will be downloadable for those that participate (for non commercial use, with credit). Enabling all who share video to sculpt their own story of One Day on Earth.

The project has gotten unprecedented support from the UN. Filmmakers in areas of low bandwidth who can get their footage to UNDP offices (located in nearly every developing nation) will have their videos safely transported back to the UN Headquarters for pick-up by the One Day on Earth team, which will then upload and share. Vimeo has partnered with the project to provide the necessary bandwidth and promotion to their community.

Many non-profits are asking the growing population of 7000+ filmmakers to help document issues that are important to their cause. With partners like the World Wildlife Fund, Oxfam, 350.org, water.org and the American Red Cross, there is certainly no shortage of inspiration. Additionally, the filmmaker is directly linked to their videos, so the site provides a possible avenue of communication to investigate and learn about the issues being shown — no middle man to what is happening on the ground.

The website is also build for filmmakers to collaborate on topics of interest for the 10/10/10 shoot date. Groups that have started include everyone from expecting mothers who will film their child’s birth (30 soon-to-be mothers from around the world so far!), to underwater photographers swimming with whales.

With the archive, One Day on Earth promises to edit a feature length film representing every country in the world.

What will you share with the world?

Sign up to participate here: http://www.OneDayOnEarth.org

BBC freelance cameraman Johnnie Behiri shoots his second commercial film for National Geographic bags.

NG “Africa” from Johnnie Behiri on Vimeo.

Following my last National Geographic bags film ‘Desert Adventure’, I was asked to produce, direct, film and edit ‘Africa’, to be shown in megastores, at exhibitions and in shops. The initial idea was to film in Africa, however budget and time constraints forced us to come up with a more creative idea. We thought how about making a nice, easygoing, fun music video? It may be 180 degrees away from National Geographic’s DNA but why not?

We began by asking Carol Alston-Bukowsky, an amazing singer and jazz teacher at Vienna’s State Opera Ballet School, to help create a dance that would “bring Africa into our urban jungle life” whilst featuring the new National Geographic Media Bags collection. Next, we chose our talented dancers, all but one recent graduates of the State Opera Ballet School.

We needed an original music score, so turned to Yehuda Ashash, who did a great job on “Desert Adventure”. Endless nights of back and forth exchanging of ideas evolved into a musical masterpiece which I love!

Rebecca with National Geograhic bag rain cover practicing turtle position

Having fun pretending to be monkeys

After two weekend rehearsals and a lot of time negotiating location permits, the day of the shoot came. While Vienna is a great place to live and very photogenic, the weather can be unpredictable, and the partly cloudy sky lost us some valuable shooting time. Originally I considered a multi-camera shoot but with some careful preparation I decided to shoot it solo.

Where is Johnnie?

Here's Johnnie

Equipped with the Canon 7D, Zacuto Z-finder, Canon 17-55mm f2.8 IS USM, Canon 70-200mm f4 IS USM, MkII Fader ND and Vocas DSLR shoulder rig (all nicely fitting into Kata’s Resource 61 bag) we met early morning ahead of a long shooting day. Joining me on the set were Cpm3 who shot the “making of”, and Alfred who assisted when needed.

The location I chose for shooting had the two things I was looking for: a highly reflective bright floor, to help enhance the colours of the clothes and the relatively dark bags; and a lot of people. It was an extremely busy place full of people during weekends. My aim was to “feel” the people but not to “see” them, with a background made up of moving, anonymous figures. The 7D and the lenses I chose helped me to achieve that.

The clip is made from two principal sequences, the main one shot in the full sunshine at 1080/25p. The other, shot during late afternoon to help get a rainy feeling, at 720/50p to be slowed down later in editing

Take a look at the “making of” video below, I hope you see that this project was all about simplicity and fun!

NG-”Africa bag collection” making of from Johnnie Behiri on Vimeo.

Editing was done on Adobe Premiere CS2. All files were converted to the Cineform codec using the Neo 4K plug-in prior to editing. Colour enhancement was done with Cineform’s “First Light”.

Johnnie is working in Vienna, Austria.
Johnnie also films documentaries, commercials, music videos, and marketing videos when not working for the BBC.