As a busy 2015 full of new gear comes to a close, it's time for our yearly wrap-up of our most popular CineTechnica posts over the last 12 months. As usual, a broad range of topics are represented, including product announcements, our lens & accessory guides, service tips, how to build a DIT cart, and scene files. Our Top 15 blogs are listed below in no particular order, so make sure to check them out, and let us know in the comments what you'd like to see us cover in 2016!
Lenses & Accessories for the Sony FS7
Sony's FS7 has proven itself to be well-suited to a variety of projects and applications. Our FS7 accessory guide takes a closer look at some of our favorite rigging options, from lenses and lens adapters to support systems and external recorders.
The Anatomy of a DIT Cart
We offer several DIT and Engineering workshops, but after a number of questions about the specifics of a DIT cart, Andy put together this six-part series covering cart choice, color management, scopes, and much more.
ALEXA Mini: Multiple Configurations & New Accessories
Ian teamed up with Snehal Patel at ARRI in Burbank to cover various ALEXA Mini builds, including options for gimbals, handheld and shoulder-mounted shooting, as well as a studio configuration.
RED WEAPON 8K Lens Options
The RED WEAPON 8K's 40.96x21.60mm sensor (8,192x4,320 resolution) had many asking about what lenses would actually be able to cover it. In this blog, Andy discusses some of the options from Zeiss, Angenieux, and others.
At the Bench: Canon C100 Mark II
In this video, Jeff goes hands-on with Canon's C100 Mark II, which features the same Super 35 sensor as the C100 but with a number of welcome upgrades. He also discusses Dual Pixel AF, which now comes standard on the Mark II
Sony a7S Scene Files from AbelCine
We've received many requests for custom scene files for the popular a7S, so we've put together some in our usual flavors. These files are also designed to make matching the FS7 and other cameras easier.
Zeiss Lens Lineup & Compatibility
Our Zeiss CP.2 Lens Lineup presents all the CP.2 lenses in an easy-to-read chart, while our Lens & Camera compatibility chart makes it even easier to match lenses with your preferred camera body.
Service Tips: How to Clean a Dirty Sensor
Debris on your sensor can be a real problem in any shooting situation, so in this video, Juliet sits at the bench (literally!) and explains one simple way to clean your sensor of dust and smudges.
RED Digital Cinema Camera Lineup
Our RED Digital Cinema camera comparison chart gives an overview of the full RED lineup and compares specs side-by-side to make it easier to choose the right camera for your needs.
High Dynamic Range Explained
HDR (High Dynamic Range) is more than just the latest industry buzzword. In this blog, Andy gives a thorough explanation of why HDR might actually be the next big thing in acquisition and displays.
New Sony FS7 Scene Files from AbelCine
Our custom scene files are always popular, and now we have a number of our favorites -- including JR45CINE, JR45VIDEO, ABNORM, and more -- available for the Sony FS7 and F5
Choosing a Focal Length with the Zeiss CP.2 35mm T1.5 Super Speed
Choosing which focal length to use for a given shot can be an art unto itself. In these videos, Megan uses the Zeiss CP.2 35mm to show how certain considerations can come into play in different shooting situations.
Canon Cine-Servo 17-120 Multiple Camera Configurations
Canon's Cine-Servo 17-120 has proven to be quite popular, and in this video Ian discusses how to adapt and use it with various cameras such as the Sony FS7, Canon C500, and ARRI AMIRA.
ALEXA Mini Brings Breakthrough Mobility to the ALEXA Family
The ARRI ALEXA Mini was announced earlier this year with the same S35 ALEV III CMOS sensor found in the ALEXA and AMIRA. The Mini also includes several features that make it especially useful for many camera mobility applications.
The Curious History of Virtual Reality
VR is currently at the forefront of discussion among content creators but 360-degree viewing has a long history. The idea of surrounding viewers with moving images to create a Virtual Reality has been around for a while -- since at least 1897, in fact!