Whenever a new camera is released, accessory manufacturers scramble to make the various plates and supports we all crave to build out our kits. Every camera's shape is a little different, but in the end we always want to get the cameras to integrate in similar ways.

Creating custom scene files for cameras is an on-going tradition at AbelCine, and there have been quite a few requests from users of the Sony PMW-200. I created some looks for the PMW-200 based on a few of the most popular ones that we created for other cameras in the past.

In our industry, most people hear LED lighting and think of small low-power lights that can be mounted on a camera or stashed in a corner. What does not generally come to mind is "high output," as most people believe that large tungsten or HMI units are still the only choices for real punch.

At our recent AbelCine EXPO: Innovations in Lighting, cinematographer David Mullen, ASC spoke about the more unusual lighting challenges from some of the feature films and television series he has photographed. In the excerpt above, David explains how he dealt with the stylized photographing of an exterior daytime landscape that was actually a huge indoor set while shooting The Smell of Success.

These days a camera is only as good as its last firmware update. Sony recently announced the release of v1.1 firmware for the PMW-200, and one of the most exciting new features is the addition of auto back focus adjustment to the camera.

Blackmagic Design has done a great job making DaVinci Resolve 9 both full-featured color grading software and a dailies generation tool. Even more impressive is that they offer a free version called Resolve 9 Lite.

At least once or twice a week I'm asked by clients if Super-16 lenses can be used with the Blackmagic Design Cinema Camera. It's understandable that they ask; the camera is an interesting and affordable new option but the sensor size is unique. Plus, many people have excellent S-16 glass gathering dust on the shelf. Marrying the two would be convenient and cost-effective.

Since the Canon EOS C300 and C500 share the same sensor and offer identical internal recording options (MXF), many folks have asked us if our C300 custom picture settings are compatible with the C500. After investigating, we've discovered that with a little bit of work, the picture profiles are interchangeable between cameras.

On November 20, AbelCine held the first event in its new EXPO series: Filters for Digital Cinema. Tiffen, Schneider Optics, and Formatt participated and scores of clients attended or watched via Livestream. One of the more significant discussions was on the topic of IR pollution control.