Red Giant MisFire Setting Definitions

The problem with MisFire is that I have NO IDEA what the different settings of each thing do.  I end up having to look stuff up every time, and when I do, I usually end up at this page, so I’m reposting here (basically so it’s easier for me to find!).

Major props to whomever posted this information online at:

http://www.aemoban.com/Source_Files/AE-misfire.html

I can’t figure out what the aemoban site is (the top tier is in Chinese), so I’m reposting the information here (because who knows when that page will disappear).  No copyright infringement intended.  Just making the information available to the filmmaking community!

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MisFire Plug-ins

MisFire adds a host of tools to your effects arsenal to simulate film damage. The main MisFire plug-in is a single complete tool that offers 13 different effects. Each category of effect can be turned off individually using the category switch. The effects are: Fading, Funk, Splotches, Dust, Flicker, Vignette, Displacement, Grain; and 3 different types of scratches, Microscratches, Basic Scratches and Deep Scratches.

The main MisFire plug-in is accompanied by individual plug-ins for each effect category. For example, if you only want to apply grain and basic scratches, you can apply these as individual effects called Misfire Grain and Misfire Basic Scratches.

MisFire plug-ins are not a perfect duplication of every type of film defect. Film defects are wide ranging in their appearance and include problems caused by dust, dirt, film wear, duplication problems, splicing, irregular exposure or improper storage of the film medium. These defects can show up in the frame or be caused by improper projection. MisFire attempts to artistically emulate a number of these defects.

 

MisFire Fading

Fading causes an overall lightening of your image that is exhibited as lower contrast.

Fade Amount: The default value is 100, lower values will lessen the effect.

 

MisFire Funk

Funk provides for tone variation across the frame. This simulates a film negative with lightness variation across the entire frame that may be caused by improper storage or in an environment where fungus or mildew could form. This is similar to the splotches but occurs throughout the frame and will persist from frame to frame.

Funk Opacity: The default is 15%. High values may look unnatural but feel free to adjust to taste.

 

MisFire Splotches

Splotches manifest as a local dirtiness or discoloration of the frame. This can happen on any frame and will usually only persist for a frame or two at a time.

Number: Controls the number of splotches on any given frame where the scale controls the size. The Scale value at 1.0 will cover about 40% of a standard DV-size frame or about 16% of a 2K film frame.

Transparency: Controls the darkness of the discolored areas. You may need to lower the value on very bright footage (to make the splotch less prominent) or raise the value for very dark footage to bring out the effect.

Frequency: Determines how often a splotch will appear in a sequence. The default value of 50 will cause a splotch to appear on half of the frames. Try lowering this value if you want the splotches to occur less frequently.

 

MisFire Dust

Dust essentially draws bits of black and white material onto the frame. This is effect is similar to the small particles that appear on film that has been run through a projector numerous times. The defaults are meant to generate a small amount of both black and white dust that is very noticeable.

NOTE: While a number of categories include a Frequency control, each category determines its frequency separately, so splotches won’t necessarily appear at the same frame as dust or any other category of effect.

Black Dust Amount, White Dust Amount: Control the maximum number of black or white dust particles appearing in any one frame. For large frame sizes, you may want to make this value much larger to increase the appearance of the dust.

Opacity: Specifies the transparency of the dust particles. The default is 100%, which makes the particles quite noticeable. If you want the dust to look smaller in the frame, try lowering this value to between 40 and 60%.

Frequency: Determines how often a dust particle will appear in a sequence. The default value of 50 will cause dust particles to appear on half of the frames. Try lowering this value if you want the dust to occur less frequently.

 

MisFire Flicker

Flicker causes the image brightness to change from frame to frame. This is similar to the uneven brightness caused by the degradation of an old print.

Frequency: Operates the same as in the Dust or Splotches categories, where the value specifies the percentage of frames in a sequence that will have change. The default value of 50 means that half of the frames in a sequence will change in brightness.

Flicker Amount: Controls the degree of brightness change. The default of 10 will cause only a small variation.

 

MisFire Vignette

Old film tends to exhibit a lot of darkening around the edge of the frames, which is often a result of the lens and camera that were used to shoot the film. Vignette will mimic this aberration. Unlike other MisFire effects, Vignette does not animate or change from frame to frame.

NOTE: Magic Bullet Looks includes an integrated Vignette tool that you can use as a replacement for MisFire Vignette. The two produce similar results but Looks' Vignette can be integrated into a Look rather than applied separately.

Size: Controls the overall width of the darkening where a value of 0 will darken all the way to the center and value of 100 will not darken the frame at all.

Intensity: Simply changes the amount of darkening.

 

MisFire Displacement

Often old or mishandled film prints can exhibit a warping of the image caused by a physical bend in the film frame itself. Displacement offers a very simple control for warping the image.

Amount: Specifies the level of warping in the image. With this control, a little goes a long way. This category of effect does not auto-animate so you may want to keyframe the Amount value.

 

MisFire MicroScratches

MisFire offers 3 different styles of scratches. MicroScratches are very thin, faint black lines across the entire image. Film is often scraped as it run through a projector, creating faint black lines on the frame, and this damage is what is replicated.

Number: Does not correspond to the number of scratches, but instead is a measure of the density of the scratches—higher numbers yield a denser field of black lines.

Opacity: Changes the transparency of the lines. The Number and Opacity controls should be adjusted in tandem. If you raise the Number control, you may want to lower the Opacity, or vice versa.

 

MisFire Basic Scratches

Basic Scratches generates thin bright or dark lines that wiggle or move from frame to frame. Unlike the MicroScratches or Deep Scratches effect, Basic Scratches will not cover the entire frame but will gently fade toward the top or bottom of the frame.

Number of Scratches: The specified number of scratches that will be drawn on the image.

Maximum Duration: Controls the maximum length that any one scratch will appear on the image. The duration is determined randomly for each scratch and can be between 1 frame and the maximum specified number of frames.

Invert: Lets you specify either dark lines (when it is on) or light lines when it is off.

 

MisFire Deep Scratches

Deep Scratches generates a colored scratch that appears to have depth, and to wiggle or move from frame to frame. This colored scratch mimics a physical scratch on the film that has removed some of the film resist, letting light through that is pure in color. The scratches can shift left or right by a random amount that varies from 0 to 5-7 pixels, depending on the size of your image.

Number of Scratches: The specified number of scratches that will be drawn on the image.

Maximum Duration: Controls the maximum length that any one scratch will appear on the image. The duration is determined randomly for each scratch and can be between 1 frame and the maximum specified number of frames.

Tint Color: Specifies the color of the scratches. The default color is close to pure green, which is the color of real scratched film.

 

MisFire Grain

When most people think of film, they think of grain. While some film stocks do exhibit noticeable grain, this type of effect is best used sparingly. The Grain category generates more than just random noise. If all you want is random noise, a simply noise filter applied on top would work fine. The Grain controls go beyond this by letting you create the multi-colored clumps associated with true film grain. Grain offers ten different controls for specifying the amount of grain and where it appears on your image.

NOTE: Magic Bullet Looks includes an integrated Film Grain tool that you can use as a replacement for MisFire Grain. The two produce similar results but Looks' Film Grain can be integrated into a Look rather than applied separately and its speed is generally 3-4 times faster.

Color Noise: Lets you simply specify whether the grain is the same on all the color channels Red, Green and Blue. This control is on by default. If you turn it off, you will notice that the colored grain disappears and is replaced by a tinted noise, based on the Red, Green and Blue percentages.

Amount: Gives you control over the density.

Red, Green, Blue: These three controls specify how much grain appears and how soft it is. The Red, Green, and Blue controls are specified as a percentage and these bias the Amount setting. For example, the Red control defaults to 28.22%. This means that only 28.22% of the Amount value is used in the Red channel of your image. If these values are all the same, then the grain will have the same amount applied to each channel. They are interrelated and related to the Softness controls.

Softness Red, Softness Green, Softness Blue: These three controls let you soften the grain on each color channel. Smaller values mean harder edges, larger values add a more diffuse look. It is best to stick with small values in these controls. They are interrelated and related to the Color controls.

Suppression Black, Suppression White: These two controls determine whether the grain is drawn in purely white or black areas . The percentages specify the percentage of brightness or darkness in the frame where the grain will NOT appear. For example, 10% Suppression White means that the grain will not draw in the very brightest pixels in the image and will only appear fully in areas that are 10% or less of fully white pixels.

 

MisFire Gate Weave

When a film frame passes through a projector, sprockets outside the image area control the vertical motion of the frames through the projector. Over time, a film can be become warped or the sprockets can wear, causing the frame to appear to move side to side. This kind of motion is called Gate Weave and this effect mimics it.

Weave Frequency: Controls the speed of the left-right motion of the frame. Small values cause the frame to move slowly. High values will cause the frame to move quickly from side to side.

Amplitude: Measured in pixels. The default of 5 pixels will cause the frame to move left or right 5 pixels then return to center.

Noise Frequency: Varies the motion by the percentage you choose. Small values will cause a slight variation of the motion, while large values will cause the frame to appear to jitter.

 

MisFire Post Contrast

Film often appears with higher contrast than video. Over time the darkening or contrast change can be quite pronounced. The Post Contrast control lets you quickly add this effect.

Contrast: Applies a darkened high contrast effect. The default value is fine in most cases. Values beyond 50 will likely look unrealistic. Negative values can cause the image to appear to wash out.

 

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Adobe Premiere AudioPrefetch.cpp-87 Error

[UPDATE: 11-15-14] The “definitive solution” is at the end of this post.

The dreaded AudioPrefetch.cpp-87 error has been present in Adobe Premiere Pro at least since version CS4 and continues to wreak havoc through CS6.1 and possibly later (CC?).

Adobe has answered with everything from “simply cut and paste your timeline onto a new one” to “you must completely reinstall your software.”

Unfortunately, neither of these is necessarily the answer.

The issue has to do with playback and rendering the audio wave form (the visual representation of the audio wave). I assume the term “prefetch” means the program is trying to “fetch” the audio wave image before it is played back on the timeline.  When it cannot do this, the error is spawned.

The error seems to occur most often (if not always), when Premiere is trying to play a clip that has been conformed to a non-native format. For instance, if you have a clip that you shot at 59.97fps but then conformed to 23.976fps so the clip would play in slow motion, and if you are allowing the audio to play, you will eventually get this error.

If you minimize the audio clip (click the triangle to the far left in the timeline) so that the wave form is not being shown and therefore not being rendered, the error will not occur.  If you are not using the audio (most often if the clip is slomo, you will not be using the audio), you can simply “unlink” the audio from the video clip (right-click, unlink) and delete the audio portion of the clip.  The error will no longer occur.

If you are doing something weird (like I often am), and you actually want to PLAY the slow-motion audio and need to see the waveform in order to edit in/out points, key frames, volume, etc., you are simply out of luck and will need to keep closing the program (making sure to click “close” a million times on all the prefetch error dialog boxes that are likely stacked up behind your main edit window), then re-opening the project and working until the error occurs again.

The “copy/paste to a new timeline” fix has been the go-to answer for years.  The idea is that doing this will resolve any issue with a corrupt clip on the timeline.  While it’s not a total fix (it does seem to work sometimes), I have noticed that the “copy all the clips on the timeline to a new sequence” solution does seem to extend the amount of time you will have once you re-open the program to work on the new sequence/timeline.  Just be sure that once the error occurs, you copy and paste everything to a new sequence and then delete the old sequence without ever playing either the old or new timeline/sequence.  Bear in mind, this solution means you will lose all settings you had for the original sequence (track names, mixer channel names, key frames on the timeline (not key frames on the clips), etc.).

[UPDATE: 9-30-14] Now I’m getting an AudioPrefetch.cpp-99 error in CS6.0.5. It behaves exactly the same.

[UPDATE: 11-15-14] I have been working on a project with a lot of overcranked footage, and utilizing a lot of the overcranked audio.  As such, I have come up with what I will call the “definitive” solution to this issue.  The problem is a result of Premiere having to process “slow motion” audio in real time (on the fly).  Thus, I figured the solution would be to convert the slo-mo audio to “regular” audio.  Simply right-click any active slowed down audio on your timeline, open in Audition, resave as a “normal” file, and then import that file and replace the audio clip (highlight the new audio file in your bin, right click the slow motion audio clip on your timeline, right-click and select “replace with clip from bin”).  Golden.

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Some Motion Logos I Like

It’s time to create a more permanent Teahm Beahm motion logo, so I spent a little time today cruising through the work of others.

I’ve always really dug the Focus Films logo, and though I’m a little embarrassed to say I watch his films, I think Jerry Bruckheimer’s motion logo is one of the best out there.

Village Roadshow

 

Rankin Bass

Stephen J. Cannell

Sit, Ubu, Sit

Production Logo

Motion Logo

Vanity Logo

Splash Logo

Logo Bumper

Production Ident

What’s the Difference between Preset Bins and Custom Bins in Adobe Premiere Pro?

This question was kind of driving me crazy, as there didn’t seem to be any clear cut answer anywhere on the web.  So here it is…

Custom Bins simply store shortcuts to presets.

Preset Bins actually store the presets.

I mean, they’re both containers for data stored elsewhere, but this is how they function within the Premiere interface: one holds links, the other holds the actual presets.

Thus, Custom Bins allow you to organize presets while leaving them in their original location, which is useful when setting up a bin for commonly used presets.

Preset Bins are great for holding presets that are project specific.  For instance, I’m currently working on a project with some pretty bizarre color balance and level settings.  It’s not likely that I’ll ever use them on another project, so I’ve set up a Preset Bin named with the title of the project.

On the other hand, I use things like Cross Dissolve, Reverb, Brightness/Contrast, Colorista, and Exponential Fade in most of my projects.  Thus, I’ve set up a Custom Bin named “COMMON” with those effects in it.

And now you know.

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TeraCopy: Better than Windows Explorer but still lacking

I do a lot of file copying.  Most people do.  However, as a filmmaker, photographer, and recording artist, I do a lot of copying of massive amounts of data (my machine is currently running a >800GB transfer that’s been going for more than 20 hours).

The native Windows Explorer copy feature makes me nervous, because sometimes it drops data or runs into trouble with transferring data, and basically, for lack of a better term, just craps out.

A while back I finally found a copy program I like to replace the simple “cut and paste” in Explorer.  Checksum verification was the single most important feature I was looking for.  Basically this means each file is analyzed and assigned a number and then checked against the transferred file once copied.  From the ubiquitous Wikipedia: “A checksum or hash sum is a small-size datum computed from an arbitrary block of digital data for the purpose of detecting errors that may have been introduced during its transmission or storage.”

When I shoot photos or video, I need to be absolutely sure the data is not lost or corrupted during transfer.  Checksum verification helps mitigate this problem.  I never transfer anything important without running checksum verification.

For this reason, I love TeraCopy.

I also love that you can pause a transfer, and also that you can initiate several transfers that will run in the order you set them up (rather than try to run them all at the same time… though that options exists as well).

I wish you could pause a transfer or test, shut down your computer, and come back to it.  It doesn’t seem like there is anything that would prevent this from being possible (TeraCopy would just need to store the same “pause” information and then access it once the computer was restarted).  This would be AMAZINGLY helpful for when you’re in the middle of a large file transfer but need to shutdown or restart your computer.

My biggest complaint with the program is that Code Sector brags about how FAST TeraCopy copies files.  They say it over and over again.  It’s even their freaking TAG LINE (see photo).

In all my personal experience and in EVERY review I’ve seen online, TeraCopy is proven slower than just about any transfer program out there… including Window’s native “cut and paste.”

But the thing that has REALLY been annoying me lately is just how insanely slow the file check runs after the actual transfer takes place.  It actually takes CONSIDERABLY longer for TeraCopy to run the Checksum verification after the transfer than it does to actually transfer the files.

I would REALLY like to know what is going on there.

There have also been quite a few times where I’ve initiated a large file transfer and then left it to run overnight, only to come back in the morning to see an error from TeraCopy that states simply “TeraCopy has stopped.”  Uh, ok.  What about all the bragging on the TeraCopy product page about how TeraCopy will try again and again to transfer a file, but ultimately if it fails it will simply skip the file instead of crapping out (like Windows Explorer)?  From the product page: “In case of a copy error, TeraCopy will try several times to recover and, in the worse case scenario, will simply skip the file, not terminating the entire transfer.”  This has not been the case in my experience (on many occasions).

Still, though slower than Windows Explorer copy, I feel more secure transferring my precious data with TeraCopy.  Perhaps it’s a false sense of security, but at least I sleep a little better at night knowing that checksum verification has been run after the file transfer.

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What I Use to Shoot DSLR Film/Video (A Complete DSLR Filming Equipment List)

A couple of months ago, I did a post on what I thought I would need to get into the DSLR filming game (previously having always rented/borrowed other people’s equipment).  Well now that that has happened, I think it’s time to update the idea to what I actually use on a regular basis when shooting.  I’m helping a friend put together a purchase list, so this kind of goes hand in hand with compiling the list, so I thought I’d just do both things at the same time.  Also, I think we’re going to be upgrading to a Black Magic Cinema camera soon, so this is a good way to take inventory on what will be cross-compatible (I’m pretty sure it’s almost everything except for the 7D battery grip).

• Canon EOS 7D body
  I spent a long time deciding which Canon DSLR we’d go with.  Here is a post on the decision, but long story short, most cinematographers I spoke with actually preferred the cropped sensor, telling me the full sensor on the 5D has too much depth of field, believe it or not.  The 7D also has 60fps (for slo-mo) and TWO image processors (making it better than the 60D or T3i family).  Canon actually released a 6D at Photokina today –basically the 7D with a full-sized sensor and some more bells and whistles, but it’s $2,100 and I’m thinking the 7D is still the way to go (it’ll be interesting to see what Canon does with the 7DmkII).
• CF Cards and case
  I try and use only SanDisk class 10 cards.  They are consistently the fastest and most durable cards available.  That said, you pay a premium for SanDisk.  I do own a few Transcend cards that have never let me down and seem to be almost if not exactly as fast. For the case… Pelican makes great CF card cases, but they are ridiculously overpriced.  I use this one from Cowboy Studio.  It holds 4 CF cards (and/or SD cards) and cost $8 vs. $25 for the virtually IDENTICAL Pelican case. Here’s a previous post I did on CF/SD cards.
• Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 (77mm threads)
  This lens is a must have for Canon cropped sensor users.  From what I understand, at the 16mm end of the spectrum, it can even be used with the full sensor 5D. Here is a previous post on this lens.  I don’t often make this bold a statement, but: BUY THIS LENS!
• Canon EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 US IS (72mm threads)
  This was the kit lens from my 40D still camera.  I don’t use it very often, but I always take it along for use in a pinch.
• Nikon E series 50mm f/1.8 (58mm threads)
  Purchase via Craigslist for next to nothing (like $50). I actually took the lens apart and removed the click mechanism for the aperture ring to make it more like a cine lens.
• Nikon E series 28mm f/1.2 (58mm threads)
  Same as above.
• Vivitar 70-200mm 1/3.8 (58mm threads)
  Same as above.
• Nikon F Mount to Canon EF mount adapters
  Every now and then you’ll get a loose one, but they can’t be beat for the price (under $10 on eBay).  I recommend buying more than you need, that way if a couple are loose, you can just toss them and still come out ahead on price. Beat in mind these won’t transfer exif data or allow auto aperature and focus.  You can pay more (quite a bit) for adapters to handle these things from the camera body, but I prefer to just control everything manually.
• Rear Lens Caps
  I had to buy new Canon back caps for all the non-Canon lenses since I outfitted them all with Canon mount adapters.
• Lillput 7” LCD Monitor
  Here’s my previous post on this item.  For the price ($200), you simply can’t beat this monitor.  Having an external LCD for pulling focus is essential when using sticks.  It’s a little trickier (cumbersome) when shooting hand-held.  I haven’t purchased an LCD magnifier/loupe, but I really need to.  They are essential for pulling focus hand-held, especially in bright sunlight when the camera’s on board LCD is essentially useless.
• Extra Batteries for LCD Monitor
  Cheap and readily available via Amazon or eBay
• Cokin P Filter Holder with adapters for all lens sizes
  I like to have only one set of filters that can be used with all my lenses, and I like not having to thread them into the end of the lens each time I use them.  This is very similar to a matte box system.
• 85mm Square ND Filters
  You cannot shoot outdoors (in sunlight) without ND filters.  These are essential filters that (supposedly) don’t change the color cast of your shot while lowering your aperture so there is more depth of field to your shot.  These come in various darkness levels, with a “ten stop” (3.0) being the darkest glass you can get.  Here’s a previous post on the system.  I should probably update the post, since it sounds a little more negative than how I currently feel using the Cokin P size system.
• Bolton Hard Case
  These are FANTASTIC water tight cases, and beat the PANTS OFF the price of a Pelican Case.  You can read my full review here.  I purchased two sizes, the 18” and the 20.5”.  In retrospect, I think the 20.5” is overkill for my needs.  I will likely get another 18” and use only two 18” cases for my camera(s) and lenses in the future.
• Vivitar VIV-PG-7D Battery Grip
  When you take the battery out of the body and move it to the grip, you remove one of the hottest items from the camera setup and reduce instances of overheating (the other item being the LCD screen) .  Using the battery grip also allows you to power your camera on 8 AA’s if you’re ever in a pinch.  Bear in mind, using the grip ads girth to your camera, and will change the physical set-up of your rigs, rods, follow focus, etc. I actually ordered a different grip than this Vivitar, but the Amazon vendor ran out of the brand I bought, and they sent me this one instead.  The knob on the Vivitar that tightens the grip to the body remains loose even when the grip is tightened all the way, and thus rattles and creates some sound.  I have to tape it down to prevent this (pretty annoying).  That said, this non-OEM version is CONSIDERABLY cheaper than the Canon grip, and is virtually the same piece of equipment.
• Extra Canon Batteries
  This is the one place where I am sure to ONLY purchase OEM.  There are too many crap batteries out there to gamble.  Canons recharge quickly, retain their charge the longest, and last considerably longer than any of the knock-offs.
• XTG Dual Battery Charger
  I love having a charger that tells me how much charge is left on each battery (two independent LCD screens).  I also love being able to charge two batteries at a time, and the fact that it comes with a car charger as well as a wall plug is great when shooting in the field.
• Photography & Cinema Gear Box (GB-1)
  I spent about three weeks pricing simple camera rigs/cages and pricing parts to build my own.  Even when I was thinking about just buying aluminum or steel “blanks” and drilling/threading my own holes, I was just under the price of this rig ($79 as a promotional price, but it hasn’t gone up to the “MSRP” in the two months I’ve been watching the item).  It’s a solid camera cage for a fair price (not the bloated “fake” prices from some other manufacturers charging a premium because something is “professional”), and comes in just over the price of any decent DIY rig I’ve seen (and I’ve seen a LOT).
• Quick Release Adapters
  Having a “universal” quick release plate receiver on every device is a must for me.  I really don’t want to be messing around with threading the camera onto different equipment when I should be shooting.  By mounting a receiver plate to my crane, fluid heads, dollies, hi-hat, etc., I save a lot of time when switching the camera from one piece of equipment to another. I spent a lot of time researching which brand/system would be “the most” universal and cost effective.  I finally ended up going with P&C’s custom Fancier 717 system, because for the price of one Bogen 557, you can get THREE P&C quick-release adapters.  I haven’t used them enough (haven’t purchased the Fancier 717 fluid head yet) to say whether or not this was the best way to go.  I may still end up going the Bogen 501HD fluid head and Bogen 557/357 quick-release plates route, depending how the 717 stuff functions (if the 717 is not satisfactory, I’ll switch to the Bogen 501HDV and/or 701HDV heads).
• Two Bogen 3046 Tripods
  These are pretty heavy duty.  I actually use one as the legs for my Kessler Krane, even at 12 feet. I don’t extend the legs though. Hopefully this is just a temporary situation.  I’m still looking for a super cheap (I don’t care if it’s really old and heavy) industrial tripod to use with the Kessler Crane.
• Bogen 3047 & 3063 Heads
  Left over from still shooting. These use the same octagonal quick-release plates so they’re interchangeable.  They will soon leave the kit as I upgrade to fluid heads though. Actually, they’ll probably remain in the box for “emergencies.”
• Bogen 3221Tripod w/ Bogen 3030 Head
  This smaller tripod and head get used to support an LCD monitor, either the Lilliput 7” in video village, or sometimes a larger 24” LCD for video village.
• Hi-hat
  It’s a 16” circular piece of wood with a 3/8” bolt through the center and a quick-release plate receiver.  It keeps the camera stable when setting it on the ground or on the surface of a dolly (no sticks), etc.  It’s the best $12 you’ll ever spend.
• Skate Wheel Dolly
  You need to build one of these.  Here’s a post on the subject.  This version is really heavy duty (you can ride on it, even with a crane on the platform) and cheap to build.
• Ladder Dolly
  Similar to the dolly above, but a little lighter duty.  As the title would indicate, it’s a dolly that rides on an aluminum ladder instead of rails like the bigger dolly above.  This is good when you want to place your dolly higher up in the air (for a table shot, for instance) as you can simply set the ladder across two objects. (here’s a video from YouTube user “hawaiirod”)
• Sand Bags
  For keeping light stands and tripods in place.  These can also be placed under dolly track to minimize bounce and rattle.
• Apple Boxes
  You will invariably need to raise things up, whether it’s equipment or people.  You could always grab whatever is lying around, but it’s nice to know you have something solid and stable, and of a standardized size.
• Utility Cart
  This cart from Harbor Freight is absolutely the best way to go.  It’s super solid and cheap, and holds a lot of weight. For under $100 it simply can’t be beat.  You could go for the larger version (36” wide instead of just 30”), but you’ll likely run into problems getting it through tighter doorways.
• Laptop with Canon EOS software installed
  For monitoring the camera (if you don’t have an LCD monitor) and for transferring data from CF cards to hard drives.  You will also need the EOS software (previous post on subject) to install the Technicolor profile, which you ABSOLUTELY should do (previous post on subject).
• CF/SD Card Reader
  For transferring data to a hard drive when the cards fill up
• Clamp on Lights
  El cheapo lights that consist of a spring clamp, an aluminum reflector cone, a bulb fixture and a cord.  They’re $5 and can be attached just about anywhere (you’ll usually need to put a diffuser in front of them and/or flags around them). You can find them at Big Lots or Harbor Freight.
• Ikea China Balls with dimmer switches
  This is the best/cheapest diffusion lighting I’ve seen.  There is no easier way to control the overall “brightness” of a set.  Make sure you purchase dimmer switches made for higher wattage loads.  If you run a series of lights (several China balls or whatever), regular dimmer switches will overheat and sometimes burst into flames (seriously). Actually, the search I just did shows that Ikea doesn’t sell the cheaper ball shape anymore, just weird shapes that are a little pricier.  However, Filmtools sells something similar (identical?) to the old Ikea balls for cheap.
• Various Light Stands
  I always buy stands when I see them for super cheap at thrift stores and in the clearance bin.  You will eventually end up using them, so why not get them for super, super cheap instead of paying a premium in an “emergency situation?”
• Bounce/Fill reflectors
  I found some collapsible car windshield sun deflectors (some in gold for a nice warm tint, some in silver for a more neutral light) at Big Lots for super cheap and bought them all.  You can also just use white poster board.
• Lots of Extension Cords
  You’ll hear the term “stinger” on set.  I say extension cord.
• Lots of Clips
  Many people use wooden clothes pins (often referred to as C47’s), but I prefer to use metal document clips like you’d get from an office supply store.
• Cord/Accessory Bag
  For adapters, HDMI cords, and everything else that doesn’t have an “official” home.  I use an old, large, soft-side camera bag for mine.
• Extension Cord Bag or Bin
• Tape
  I am still looking for a good source for cheap Gaffer’s tape.  Gaffer’s tape (a heavy duty cloth tape) is WORLDS APART from duct tape, but you pay a premium.  It’s like $14 for a single roll!!!
• Sharpies, China Markers, Pencils
• Water Bottle
  Stay hydrated, kids!

Going over this list, I still need to buy:

• LCD Magnifier/Loupe
• Follow Focus
• Fluid Head
• 10 stop ND filter (3.0)
• I should probably make some flags for lighting.  Currently we just drape cloth over stands.
• Matte/Dulling Spray (for dulling bulbs and reflective surfaces)

 

Notice anything else I’m missing or something that’s in your kit that you couldn’t live without?  Lemme know in the comments!

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Taking the DSLR for Video Plunge (Part 3: Choosing the Right Accessories)

Taking the DSLR for Video Plunge
Part I: General Questions and Choosing the Camera
Part II: Choosing the Right Lenses for Canon DSLR Video
Part III: Choosing the Right Accessories

[I’m going to go ahead and publish this un-polished post, because it’s a work in progress and has a lot of valuable links that I want to get online; check back often, as this post will definitely be evolving. Please also feel free to make suggestions for additions in the comments!]

The MASTER LIST of what I think I need to get started:

• Rail Kit - some people will opt against this, but I’d like to utilize the stability of rails for my accessories)
• Follow Focus - the main reason for using rails, and yes, there are some good follow focuses that don’t need rails, but…
• External Monitor/LCD magnifier - most people recommend just starting with an LCD hood and magnifier (you need this for shooting in bright sunlight, and magnifying the LCD allows for sharper focusing
• Neutral Density (ND) filters – if you plan on shooting outside and want shallow depth of field, these are indispensible
• Universal Quick Release Plate – for moving your camera(s) from rig to rig
• Solid Tripod and Video Head
• Dolly (already made)
• Extra Batteries
• Battery Charger (with car adapter)
• Battery Grip – probably not a necessity, but since I found one with great reviews for $80 (vs. $300 for the Canon one) I decided to give it a shot

Right now I’m opting to not get a shoulder mount (I’ll be using mostly sticks, a high hat, a crane, and a dolly).  For handheld I’ll build a fig rig (see below).

 

FOLLOW FOCUS

Several fellow filmmakers have suggested I won’t need a follow focus, but after even just a few weeks of mucking about, I know I really want one.  I tend to rack focus a lot, and I also do a lot of wide pans that utilize shifting the focus, and trying to focus by grabbing the ring on a short Nikon prime without bumping the camera or jostling your shot is extremely difficult.

Phillip Bloom: best entry level follow focus (D-Focus V2)

 

RAILS/CAGE/RIG

Building your own rail system: http://blog.planet5d.com/l9x

9” cage with top handle and tripod mount:
http://www.thecinecity.com/eshop/product.php?productid=487&cat=299&page=1

http://www.indisystem.com/products/Bulldog.html

http://www.edelkrone.com/the-pocket-rig/

Redrock Micro Bundle Review on Creative Cow

90 degree clamp review: http://justbaslproductions.com/Just_Basl_Productions/90_Degree_Clamps.html

Bendable Fig Rig (this is the Fig Rig I went with –mistake, more on that later): http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthread.php?73078-My-DIY-rig-is-a-Figrig-plus!-%28Pics%29

DIY Rig handles:

http://filmmakeriq.com/2011/08/diy-dslr-rig-handles/

The Next Rig I’m trying:

http://filmmakeriq.com/2010/09/50-diy-dslr-cage/

Do it yourself shoulder rig:

http://www.diyphotography.net/convert-an-ikea-cutting-board-to-a-camera-video-rig

http://filmmakeriq.com/2011/05/diy-dslr-pvc-shoulder-rig-tutorial/

 

BATTERIES and related accessories

From my own experience, third party batteries are shite.  They don’t charge properly, they don’t hold a charge properly, they drain fast when not in use, etc., etc., etc.  The battery for my old Canon 40D was somewhat of a miracle.  I could shoot for WEEKS without charging that thing.  Thus, I have great faith in Canon OEM batteries.  They cost about twice as much as after market products, but in my experience, it’s worth it.  And you don’t want to get left in the field with no juice.

I am purchasing a dual charger as well.  B&H sells the Pearstone Duo, which received rave review, for $80, but I found what appears to be the exact same thing on Amazon for only $55 delivered.  It doesn’t have the name printed on the front, but everything else appears to be exactly the same.  I love that this charger has a digital read out, charges each battery independently, and even has a USB out to charge your phone!

UNIVERSAL QUICK RELEASE PLATE

Tripod Quick Release plate cross reference chart (this was great when I was trying to figure out how to make all my tripods/heads work together, and what universal adapter I was going to go with and invest in): http://www.tripodquickrelease.com/Bogen_Quick_Releases.htm

MATTEBOX

One thing that’s not on my master list above is a mattebox.  I keep going back and forth on this one.  When shooting outside, a sun-shade mattebox is pretty much indispensible (to keep direct sunlight from shining into your lens and creating flare and haziness), but you can always just use a card or bounce (though it would be awkward to hold the camera and the card, so an assistant is preferred) if you don’t have a dedicated sunshade mattebox.  But what I’m more interested in is a mattebox for utilizing filters (specifically ND filters).

The biggest thing preventing me from getting a mattebox is the price.  A decent one is around $500, and the RedRock Micro and Zacuto Petroff are $1,000 and $1,300 respectively.  More than a thousand dollars for what is basically a universal filter holder with barn doors?  I think the “pro-look” of a mattebox has grossly distorted the going market price for this item.

This brings me to:  universal filter holders.  I’m not sure why this isn’t discussed more among DSLR video shooters.  Purchasing ND filters for all your different lens sizes is cost prohibitive.  You can use step-up/down rings so you only need one set of ND filters, but if you go this route, it’s a serious PITA to switch out the filters (screwing them on and off) when you need to make adjustments.  Enter the universal filter holder.

When shooting stills I used to use the Cokin filter system.  Basically, there is a square holder that attaches to the front of your lens and can hold up to three filters.  I recommend the “P” system which uses 84mm filters and can accommodate lenses up to 82mm in diameter.  They make two bigger sizes, but they become cumbersome, and aren’t really necessary, supposedly the “P” system works great, even with wide lenses (I’ll be using this system with the Tokina 11-16mm).

I actually don’t recommend Cokin filters (they’re made of resin, not glass, and I’ve seen distortion and color problems, especially when stacking multiples), but I DO really like the universal holder idea.  Furthermore, there are other manufacturers (like Lee and Tiffen) making square filters for the Cokin P (84mm) system out of high quality optical glass (as noted below, even Hitech and Fotodiox are making square glass filters, though I assume much lesser quality).  Not only that, but there are plenty of knock-offs on eBay, which means you can get what is essentially a Cokin P universal holder, the 77mm ring that holds the holder, and even a square hood for $12 shipped on eBay ($16 on Amazon).  I can then get the appropriately sized Filter Holder rings for all my lenses and simply pop the holder onto whatever lens I’m using, thus making it possible to use one set of ND filters on all my lenses.

It’s probably worth noting that Fotodiox is making glass 84mm ND2 filters for the Cokin P system for only $6 a piece.  I assume they are crap, but for $6… might be worth it to someone on a super-tight budget… at least to get you by until you can purchase a $250 Lee ND filter. ( yowch!)

So once I have my universal filter holder and appropriately sized rings for all my lenses, all I need is a cheaper mattebox that I can use for the flags and barn doors (for lens flare).  I will be sure to get one that can “swing away” (instead of actually fastening to the front of the lens) so it’s easier to use with multiple length lenses.

UPDATE: (actually, this section on universal filter holders got too unruly for just a section of this post, and I created a new post for the topic)

Taking the DSLR for Video Plunge
Part I: General Questions and Choosing the Camera
Part II: Choosing the Right Lenses for Canon DSLR Video
Part III: Choosing the Right Accessories

The Technicolor Profile (Greater Depth and Range from your Canon DSLR)

Recently a filmmaker buddy turned me on to the new Technicolor CineStyle profile for Canon DSLR’s.  (You’ll need the Canon EOS Updater to install it; here’s a post on installing the Updater Utility if you lost or simply don’ t have the original disk from Canon.)

I came across Vincent LaForet’s blog looking up information, and I found this useful information in one of his posts:

Once installed  set the following settings in your picture style:
Sharpness: 0
Contrast: -4
Saturation: -2
Color Tone: 0
And as always, shoot in multiples of 160 ASA.  (i.e. shot 160ASA, 320 ASA, 640 ASA, 1250 ASA, 2500 ASA etc – NEVER 100 ASA, 200 ASA, 400ASA etc – this applies to VIDEO ONLY btw.)
You will get SIGNIFICANTLY better results.   You’ll find that something shot at 320 ASA has less noise than something shot at 200 ASA (sometime better than 100ASA!)  That’s due to the sensor’s native sensitivity (of 160ASA.)
Also turn off Highlight tone priority and auto-lighting optimizer.
Remember to never overexpose (or “clip”) those highlights.  You’ll never recover them.  ”When in doubt, underexpose” is what I suggest.  I routinely underexpose by 2/3 to 1&1/3 stops (in extreme situations) to make sure I don’t blow out highlights – I know I can easily open mid-tones and shadows within that range.   No one can recover the highlights however – ever.

You will notice that when using the Technicolor CineStyle profile, your initial footage looks more flat (like viewing an untouched  RAW file vs. viewing a JPG).  This is because your camera is capturing more information.  This means you have more to work with when doing color grading.  While things don’t look as shiny when you immediately view the footage (without making any changes), you will be able to get better final results when using this profile.

p.s. Here’s definitive proof of that “multiples of 160” if you’re not buying it.
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Help Increase Filming Incentives in CO

From the Colorado Film and Video website…

HB 12-1286 goes to the House Finance Committee this week, Wednesday February 29th, 2012, and we need your help to see it through! HB 12-1286 will boost the current Colorado film incentives from 10% to 20%, as well as provide a state guarantee for a senior bank loan for production companies (the first of it's kind in the country). You can more details about HB 12-1286 here.

Follow this link to the Colorado Film and Video website for information on how (and who) to write to help make this happen. http://filmincolorado.com/votesmart.html
A large part of why we shot our last feature (Leading Ladies) in Illinois was the IL Film Office film incentive program.  Making Colorado’s film incentive program competitive will bring more film productions to the state, increase revenue for the state (in the form of everything purchased while the production is here… which often ads up to hundreds of thousands, even millions, of dollars), and create more work for Colorado filmmakers and crews!
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Best SD or CF Card for Video

Because technology changes by the second, this post will likely be outdated the moment I post it.  Hopefully, however, you will still be able to glean some useful information to help you select a good card for your shooting purposes. (p.s. I will NOT be covering cards with wi-fi capability in this post; neither will I cover micro and mini cards).

There are two different data storage cards currently being utilized by Canon (and most other manufacturer’s): the SD card, and the CF card.  Canon T2i &T3i, and 60d use the SD card.  The 7D and 5D use a CF card.

The CF card is larger, thus easier to handle.  Most people also agree that the card is “sturdier” (it’s thicker and made of stronger materials) and less likely to fail for physical reasons.  The technology used to store the data is also different between the two.

SD card

CF card

SD CARD CAPACITY and SPEEDS

The SD card can be SDSC, SDHC or SDXC.  DO NOT try to utilize the SDSC card for your HD Video.  It is too slow and will absolutely fail you.  While SDHC and SDXC cards are faster, the terms don’t necessarily have to do with speed but instead the capacity.  SDHC has a maximum capacity of 32GB (the common sizes are 8GB, 16GB, and 32GB).  SDCX have a capacity of 2TB, but we aren’t really seeing anything much over 128GB on the market at this time.

SD card speed can be defined by several standards.  One is by “class” (2, 4, 6, 10) and is intended to correspond to the MB per second rates for minimum sustained writing (i.e. Class 6 achieves 6MB/s).  The “x rating” is a multiple of the CD-ROM speed rating standard (1.2Mbit/sec) and will be shown as 100x, 133x, 266x, etc.  There is a relatively new standard called UHS that actually supports a higher clock frequency and starts out around 50MB/s.  At the time of posting, only a few devices support this new SD standard, however.

It is important to note  that these standards are governed only “in house,” so many manufacturers will claim their cards adhere to a class 10 speed, for instance, while real-world tests clearly show that they only achieve speeds in the class 4 range.  You can spend hours and hours (I have) trying to make sense of various brands and class ratings, comparing cards, reading reviews on various websites where people have actually done speed tests, etc… this is exactly why I’ve created this post.  Note also that even among cards that appear to be exactly the same (same brand, same model, same class) there can be wild variance with read/write speeds.  The better the brand, the greater the standards, and the less likely this is to happen, but of course, the more expensive the card.

An example of the above is a class 4 SanDisk 16GB card blowing a class 10 Transcend 16GB card right out of the water with both read and write times.  Theoretically any class 10 card should be absolutely acceptable for shooting HD Video, but many users report many cards failing in this regard.  While sometimes cards rated at class 4 report stellar performance shooting HD video.

The discrepancies in standards is extremely frustrating.  Bottom line, prices, speeds, and capacities are ALL OVER THE PLACE, and can vary greatly from brand to brand, and even WITHIN each brand.

WHAT BRAND SD CARD SHOULD I BUY?

The “best” brand (the one the pros use) in the business seems to be SanDisk.  Their cards consistently meet their published speeds, often exceeding the published speeds (sometimes even doubling speed claims).  Of course, there is always room for error, but this is the card that most people will swear by.

Another popular brand is Transcend, but I think their popularity is largely due to price point, as reviews show that these cards also vary wildly in meeting the published speeds.

I have had good luck (price to performance and cards achieving the advertised speed) with PNY Professional (20MB/s), and others report success with Lexar Professional/Platinum (133x) and Kingston.

UPDATE: My PNY 32GB class 10 fails constantly trying to shoot video with a T3i.

With SD cards the general price rule is around $1 a gig for most brands at the class 4 & 6 levels, and the faster you go, the higher the price. Sometime 32GB cards are a little more than 8 and 16 GB capacities.

“Better” cards like SanDisk Extreme (30MB/s) often doubles this rule ($2 a gig), and going with the “super pro” cards like the Extreme Pro (90MB/s) can triple or quadruple the price, but all the reviews suggest that the price is worth it when shooting HD video.

The CF card you will want should utilize the UDMA (Ultra Direct Memory Access) standard.  Most regular shooters advise getting a SanDisk “Extreme Pro” UDMA 6 card.  This means it can achieve 90MB/s speeds.  However, at nearly half the price, the “Pro” is probably fine at 60MB/s.  Just know that you’re less likely to lose a shot if you spend the cash on the (much) faster card.

You will see Type I and Type II when looking at CF cards.  This corresponds only to physical thickness.  The Type I card is 3.3mm thick, and the Type II card is 5mm thick.

WHAT SIZE CARD SHOULD I GET?

Canon cameras can only shoot clips up to 12 minutes, thus I would suggest having multiple smaller cards is better than having one huge card.  Lots of data on one card means greater risk for loss of all data, and since you’ll never be able to utilize the space for one long recording… go the safer route!

CAN I USE A CF ADAPTER IN MY CAMERA SO I CAN KEEP USING MY SD CARDS?
CF adapters are meant to utilize SD cards in devices requiring the CF form-factor.  These will be tempting to users upgrading from devices that utilized SD cards (because you spent a lot of money on fast SD cards and you want to keep using them).  Unfortunately most CF adapters create a bottleneck.  The bus speed of the adapter is nowhere near as fast as the SD cards themselves, thus they prohibit the device from reading/writing as fast as necessary.  Note also that there are Type I and Type II adapters, just like with CF cards (type I and type II).  This corresponds only to size. Type I is 3.3mm thick, while Type II cards are 5mm thick.

Taking the DSLR for Video Plunge (Part 2: Choosing the Right Lenses for Canon DSLR Video)

Taking the DSLR for Video Plunge
Part I: General Questions and Choosing the Camera
Part II: Choosing the Right Lenses for Canon DSLR Video
Part III: Choosing the Right Accessories

When beginners are getting into the DSLR cinematography game, they tend to forget about the cost of glass.  Yeah, that Canon 60D is only around a thousands dollars, but you’re going to need to spend at least that much again on lenses to be up and running with any kind of versatility.

There are some really great lenses out there, but some of them are $2k a piece, even more.  For instance, this Canon EF 400mm f/2.8L IS USM retails for $18,200!!!

You would probably never use that with your 60D for shooting video, but on the realistic side, this Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8 L USM lens goes for $1,600 (street).  That’s more than a 7D.


Not only that, but the above lenses are mainly intended for shooting still photography.  Cine Lenses are the ultimate for shooting video, but they cost even more!  For instance, this EF mount (Canon) 85mm Zeiss compact prime goes for $4,000.


And this 30-300mm Canon Cine Zoom goes for a whopping $45,000!!!

What are these Cine Lenses I speak of?  Without going too deep into it, basic/general differences in “cine lenses” are greater turning radius for focusing, no “click” when changing the aperture, often more iris blades for smoother Bokeh, geared inner focus rings to reduce “breathing,” and generally better build quality and glass.

Where To Start
I want to put together a collection of “starter” lenses… good, solid lenses that will accommodate a wide range of shooting scenarios without breaking the bank.  I’d like to have a good set of “primes” and maybe one or two decent zooms.

“Primes” are fixed focal length lenses. You want primes with a low aperture number, or f-stop (meaning a “faster” lens that works in lower light and has a greater depth of field).  Generally a small set of primes will include something like a 14mm, a 24mm, a 35mm, a 50mm, and an 85mm.  Keep the “crop factor” (see below) in mind when making your list (with cropped sensor cameras like the 60D and 7D, your lens is actually “longer” than what it says on the side!)

Obviously 5 lenses aren’t always practical when considering the pocket book, and this is where a good zoom comes in handy.  Finding really good wide angle zooms (especially with a low f/stop) is more difficult than, say, a 24-70mm or even a 24-105mm, so you will likely want to purchase wide primes, and then let your zoom take care of your longer focal lengths.  That said, the first lens I’m dead set on getting is the Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8.

Here’s a good post on the topic of purchasing “first time” lenses for video:
http://www.lightsfilmschool.com/blog/best-lenses-for-canon-5d-7d-and-1d/887/

The Crop Factor
Most DSLR users already have this ingrained in their mind, but you need to remember that the T3i, 60D, and 7D are cropped sensor cameras, so when you slap a 50mm lens on the camera, you’re effectively using an 80mm lens (because the image is cropped, it’s virtually magnified). The T3i, 60D, and 7D all have a magnification factor of 1.6x. Click here for an explanation.

Here are some common lens sizes and their corresponding 1.6x “effective” size.

Full Frame	Cropped Sensor (1.6x)
10mm	16mm
17mm	27.2mm
20mm	32mm
28mm	44.8mm
35mm	56mm
50mm	80mm
105mm	168mm
135mm	216mm
200mm	320mm
400mm	640mm
600mm	960mm

Purchasing Older Lenses for Video
Older lenses can be nicer because there is often more distance in the rotation of the focus ring, thus it’s easier to focus manually (and often smoother than the newer lenses as well). Not to mention you can find older lenses for CHEAP!

Different lenses will have different looks. Some are “softer,” and there will even be a change in the image color from lens to lens. Thus, when building a set, it’s good to get lenses with similar properties.

On the “softness” topic: A lot of people feel that the sharpness of a lens doesn’t matter as much when you’re shooting video, because the image is essentially only 2MP (HD screen size). Still, it’s a good idea to test drive a lens to see what your image will look like before dropping a huge chunk of change on a lens. Some lenses may be so soft as to be unusable.
Different manufacturers have different “mounts,” so you need to be sure you have an adapter that allows your lens to be used with the Canon EF (EOS) mount.

When purchasing an adapter to use older, manual lenses, bear in mind that the adapter for using old Canon lenses (FD mount) contains a piece of glass. Your image will be softer, and more importantly, it can often be difficult to focus at infinity (the the distance from the piece of glass to your sensor isn’t exactly right). The Nikon to Canon EF (EOS) adapter is a simple metal ring, so old Nikon lenses are the way to go.

NOTE: You need to be VERY careful when using lenses that weren’t intended for your camera, because sometimes the lens can actually stick out too far and hit the mirror or other internal workings of your DSLR. My advice is to research online the specific set up you’re trying to use. Chances are, someone else did it before you did, and you can learn from their (often expensive) mistakes!

Here’s a post with lots of links and information about using Nikon lenses with a Canon camera from famed digital camera reviewer, Ken Rockwell:  Using Nikor Lenses on a Canon

Lens Mounts
Color Key: Good, Not Really Recommended, Do Not Use

Canon EF (EOS) (1987-present)

Canon EF-S The “s” is for short. more information at Wiki
Canon FD (1981-1987)
Replaced FL. Can be used with an adapter, but the adapter contains glass that will definitely soften the image and often makes infinity focus difficult or impossible (if the glass isn’t positioned at exactly the right distance from the sensor).

Canon FL (1964-1971)
Can be used on FD mount. Replaced Canon R. Same problem with adapters as above.

Nikon F In addition to Nikon's own range of "Nikkor" lenses, brands of F-mount photographic lenses include Zeiss, Voigtländer, Schneider, Angénieux, Samyang, Sigma, Tokina, Tamron, Hartblei, Kiev-Arsenal, Lensbaby, and Vivitar. F-mount photographic cameras include current models from Nikon, Fujifilm, Sinar, Kenko and Horseman. Numerous other manufacturers employ the F-mount in non-photographic imaging applications. (more information on Wiki)

Nikon G (2003-present)
G lenses are F mount, but they have no aperture ring. Starting in 2007 a company started making an EF adapter for the G lenses that introduces the aperture ring.

Pentax K
Be careful about K lenses protruding into the camera body and hitting your mirror/sensor! Many adapters (specifically glass-less ones) specify that they are for cropped sensor Canons only (not film and not full sensor).

Pentax M42 Screw Mount (be careful with mirror clearance!)
Many Carl Zeiss Jena Flektogon and Pancolars which are M42 mount seem to work great

Leica R (with limitation on certain lenses –see below) From CameraQuest: “R Lenses Which will NOT work: Strangely enough not all Leica R lenses protrude in identical ways into camera bodies. The following Leica R lenses are reported to have mirror clearance issues with most if not all adapted EOS cameras: 15/3.5, 16/2.8, 19/2.8 Second Version, 21/4 Mirror Lock Up Version, 35/1.4, 35-70/2.8, 80-200/4.5 First Version. The 24/2.8 and 28-70/3.5-4.5 (2nd version) will not work on the EOS 5D because the rear element protective guard hits the mirror. The 21-35/3.5 Aspherical and 28-90/2.8-4.5 Aspherical is reported not to work on the 1Ds Mk II. Keep in mind there are minor design changes during a lens' lifetime (most of which are not reported by manufacturers), and so the changes are unknown to the public. The first time you mount any adapted lens to any adapted camera, it only makes prudent sense to carefully check mirror clearance. The Canon 5D has a larger than normal EOS mirror, so take extra care mounting lenses. This list is not represented as complete. If you find other Leica R mount lenses which will not mount safely on the EOS adapters, let me know and I will add to this list.”

Contax/Yashica (often seen as C/Y mount) (With exceptions)
From CameraQuest: “LENSES WHICH WILL NOT WORK: Reportedly the following adapted Contax lenses are not compatible with the EOS 5D: 18/4, 85/1.2, and 135/2.  There have been conflicting OK/Not OK reports on the Contax 28/2.8, perhaps suggesting unreported lens variations.  Lens mount variations have been reported on the 28/2.8 MM and the 35-70 MM lenses.  These lenses may require about 1mm to be filed from the end of the brass locking latch,  before the lenses will lock on the adapter.  Take note that if you do this modification, the adapter may or may not lock on other Contax lenses.

Olympus OM

Winners (I’m definitely getting these, and will keep updating the list):

Tokina 11mm-16mm f/2.8 (around $700 street)
I’ve heard a few complaints (though very few) about minor distortion at the edges when shooting around 15mm; these people normally then state that they purchased the Canon 10-22mm EF-S instead, but it costs more and is f/3.5-4.5 instead of fixed at f/2.8 like the Tokina.

If price wasn’t an issue, I’d love to have the Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM for the next step in the focal length range, but it’s $1,600.

Carl Zeiss Pancolar 50mm/1.8 MC converted to “Cine Style” –slower grease and de-clicked aperture (around $170)

UPDATE: I actually found a couple of Nikon lenses on Craigslist.  Someone was selling their old Nikon camera, and these lenses came with it.  Not sure what I’ll be doing with the camera, but I now have a 28mm/2.8, a 50mm/1.8, and a 70-200/3.8 all for under $150.  They won’t likely remain my go to set of primes, but they’ll definitely get me started so I can take my time putting together my “real” lens kit.  I got on Ebay and purchased three of the cheapest Nikon F to Canon EF adapters at $10 a pop, and bought three back caps from Amazon for $4 a piece.  Everything arrived, and I got lucky because everything fits tightly (sometimes the caps or adapters will be a little loose, and thus no good).  I also purchased a set of JIS screw drivers (drivers for Phillips head looking screws which are slightly different and typically used in Japanese made computers and cameras) and took apart the lenses to de-click the aperture ring.  I’m still looking for a good grease to use for the focus and aperture rings, but I’ll write another post on that soon.

An interesting post comparing cameras and the human eye that I stumbled upon while researching this post:
http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/cameras-vs-human-eye.htm

Taking the DSLR for Video Plunge
Part I: General Questions and Choosing the Camera
Part II: Choosing the Right Lenses for Canon DSLR Video
Part III: Choosing the Right Accessories

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