Selling second hand a Sigma 18-35mm f1.8 Canon fit Art lens with a Metabones Canon EF to Micro Four Thirds T Speed Booster XL 0.64x, both in full working order with original box for Sigma lens.

As usual why not email me with your offer to smallvideo@me.com, preferably bank transfer I will give you my bank details when we strike a deal.

For all your video production needs in Scotland, get in touch with Small Video Productions

The Focal Easy Guide to Final Cut Pro X3rd edition
The newly revised third edition of Rick Young’s The Focal Easy Guide to Final Cut Pro X is the ultimate mentor for getting up and running with Apple’s professional editing software, regardless of your skill level. In this step-by-step, full-color guide, Rick clearly explains the key concepts and essential knowledge needed to edit your project from start to finish, providing clear, time-saving instructions on producing and outputting using Final Cut Pro X.
This new edition includes:

• A thorough introduction to Final Cut Pro X and the philosophy by which the software works
• Complete coverage of the post production process, including setup, importing and organizing media, editing, audio and output
• Additional sections on Multicam Editing, working with Proxies, effective Media Management, the Magnetic Timeline, Batch Share and Effects Production
• New chapters, covering in detail: Roles, Color Correction and the Touch Bar
• Instructions on encoding, distributing and archiving your completed projects
• And an accompanying eResource featuring downloadable video footage that you can edit with using the techniques covered in the book

Packed with tutorials and real-world examples, The Focal Easy Guide to Final Cut Pro X will take you through the ins and outs of the software and have you editing and outputting your movies in no time!
Now available:

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As Spock would say “fascinating”, all Hubble pictures start out black and white and are coloured during post production. This You Tube video explains..

For all your video production needs in Scotland, get in touch with Small Video Productions

Finally the lens that we have been waiting for the Panasonic 10-25mm f1.7 has arrived.

I will give you a full assessment of this lens working mainly in video ASAP.

For all your video production needs in Scotland, get in touch with Small Video Productions

I was only 9 years old when man first stepped on the moon and I loved everything to do with space. I had posters, books and an Airfix model of the Saturn 5 rocket and the LEM (Lunar Excursion Modul). NASA took the bold decision back in the 1960s that everything photographed in space would not be copyrighted because only a minority of people will ever get the chance to go into space and for that reason all photography was to become public domain, a great decision.

Commemorating the 50th anniversary of the historic Apollo 11 moon landing, Hasselblad proudly celebrates its role as the cameras chosen by NASA for space photography, and even more so, the cameras that documented the historical moment of the first humans on the Moon. In honour of this momentous occasion, Hasselblad launches the limited 907X Special Edition, which includes the 907X camera body and CFV II 50C digital back, both in matte black with commemorative “On the Moon Since 1969” anniversary text.

Considered one of the most iconic moments in history is the 1969 Apollo 11 mission to the Moon – an event so extraordinary that saw the first humans step off our planet and onto another celestial body. Taken down to the lunar surface, attached to astronaut Armstrong’s chest, was a silver Hasselblad Data Camera (HDC) fitted with a Zeiss Biogon 60mm ƒ/5,6 lens and 70mm film magazine which had never actually been tested in space before. A second black Hasselblad Electric Camera (HEC) with a Zeiss Planar 80mm ƒ/2,8 lens was used to shoot from inside the Eagle lunar module. A third black HEC was used by astronaut Michael Collins aboard the Command Module Columbia in lunar orbit. Standing up against the intense temperatures and lack of gravity in space, the Hasselblad cameras captured this once in a lifetime moment flawlessly, letting the rest of Earth see what astronauts Aldrin and Armstrong experienced on the Moon. The resulting images taken with the HDC and HEC have not only provided scientific insight but have proven to be legendary marvels recognized the world over. It was the HEC used by Collins that was taken back to Earth, while the HDC and HEC used on the lunar surface and lunar module were left on the Moon to meet narrow weight margins for successful return. As far as we know, they’ve been on the Moon since 1969.

Hasselblad proudly celebrates being the camera that documented the historic Moon landing with the 907X Special Edition. The limited-edition kit includes the 907X camera body and CFV II 50C digital back, both in matte black, just as the HEC that made it back to Earth. On the digital back is the text “On the Moon Since 1969”, commemorating the HDC and HEC left behind on the lunar surface fifty years ago. Together, the 907X and CFV II 50C connect Hasselblad’s photographic history into one system.

Coupling the CFV II 50C with Hasselblad’s smallest medium format camera body ever, the 907X, creates a highly compact mirrorless digital camera. This combination offers a truly distinct photographic experience, including the classic waist-level shooting style of the V System enabled by the CFV II 50C’s tilt screen. With the 907X attached to the CFV II 50C, the photographer gains access to all the high-quality XCD Lenses, providing autofocus and electronic exposure control. Coupled with the XH Adapter, all HC/HCD Lenses can be used on the 907X, along with XPan and V System Lenses in electronic shutter mode with the XPan and XV Lens Adapters, respectively. In addition, the 907X enables compatibility with a wide range of third-party adapters and lenses in electronic shutter mode.

Reminiscent of the classic V System film magazine design, the modern CFV II 50C also works as a stand-alone digital back. Compatible with most V System cameras made from 1957 and onwards, the CFV II 50C can also be used on third party technical or view cameras. Price $7500

Key features of the 907X Special Edition include:

• Large medium format 50MP CMOS sensor
• Up to 14 stops of dynamic range
• Captures 16-bit RAW images and full resolution JPEGs
• High-resolution 3.0-inch 920K dot touch and tilt screen
• Smooth live view experience with a high frame rate of 60fps
• Focus peaking, enabling more accurate focusing (especially advantageous on the manual-focused V System cameras)
• Intuitive user interface with swipe and pinch touch controls
• Internal battery slot with the option to recharge in-camera via the USB-C port (same battery used on the X System)
• Dual UHS-II SD card slots
• Integrated Wi-Fi and USB-C connection
• Portable workflow with Phocus Mobile 2 support

For all your video production needs in Scotland, get in touch with Small Video Productions

The race for bigger megapixels has started again with the new Sony R IV at 61MP.

• Unprecedented Highest Resolution and Widest Dynamic Range for α – Alpha System, Combined with High-speed Performance and a Lightweight, Compact Body 
• World’s first 35mm full-frame 61.0 MP back-illuminated Exmor R™ CMOS image sensor with latest-generation BIONZ X™ image processor
• 15-stop dynamic range at low sensitivities, resulting in smooth, natural gradations ranging from deep shadows to highlights
• High-speed continuous shooting at up to 10 fps with full AF / AE tracking for approximately seven seconds in full-frame mode with an increased buffer memory, and approximately three times as long in APS-C mode.
• 567 focal-plane phase-detection AF points covering 74% of image area and 425 contrast AF points 
• Debut of Real-time Eye AF for movie recording and advanced Real-time Tracking plus Real-time Eye AF for still image recording
• Features an APS-C crop mode delivering stunning high resolution images of 26.2MP
• 5.76 million dot UXGA (Ultra-XGA) OLED Tru-Finder™ electronic viewfinder with outstanding detail, brightness and contrast
• Upgraded connectivity and operability including high-speed Wi-Fi support, wireless PC remote connectivity, FTP wireless transfer, faster data transfer via USB and more
• Professional 4K movie recording functionality including full pixel readout with no pixel binning in Super 35mm mode, S-Log3, HDR workflow support
• Multi Interface Shoe™ with digital audio interface delivers the high-quality sound recording with Sony’s new microphone and XLR microphone adaptor 
• Additional enhancements to the body design include an improved grip and button layout for improved control with compact, lightweight body

Sadly it does not have a full size HDMI socket nor 4K 50p internal filming, benchmarks we have come to enjoy with Panasonic GH cameras.

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As you may appreciate I am no longer a fan of the GoPro range of products therefore I am selling my GoPro7 with 1 spare battery and a double battery charger (No boxes) for £150 plus special delivery.

The camera is in perfect working order so if you want a bargain send an email to me at smallvideo@me.com

For all your video production needs in Scotland, get in touch with Small Video Productions

The one update feature that caught my eye was the ability to produce smooth apertures, great for video work till you discover that this only applies to one lens the Panasonic 10-25mm f/1.7 LEICA DG VARIO-SUMMILUX.

1. Improved compatibility with the Panasonic LEICA DG VARIO-SUMMILUX 10-25mm / F1.7 ASPH. (H-X1025) digital interchangeable lens.- Smooth aperture control is available during video recording.- [Aperture Ring Increment] has been added with which users can choose the control method of the aperture ring from [SMOOTH] or [1/3EV] in photo shooting.
2. Improved compatibility with the Panasonic Remote Shutter DMW-RS2.- The video REC switch on the Remote Shutter can be disabled in the camera’s custom menu.
3. Improved operational stability- There were cases where the headphone volume did not change in real time when [Headphone Volume] registered in “My Menu” has been changed. This bug has been fixed.

You can download the new firmware here…https://av.jpn.support.panasonic.com/support/global/cs/dsc/download/index.html

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I used this Canon EF to MFT adapter with my JVC LS300 but works well with the Panasonic GH5 (Checked today).

I no longer have my JVC LS300 which is why I am selling this adapter for less than half price. It’s in pristine condition, with original Metabones plastic box.

Send me an email if you are interested to smallvideo@me.com

Note. Postage will be added to the price but will depend on where it is being posted too.

For all your video production needs in Scotland, get in touch with Small Video Productions

In early 2018 I renewed my long relationship with streaming live video thanks to an encoder that for me revolutionised the process – the LiveU Solo, the sort of jobs I had been taking were growing from short corporate streams to day jobs, to festivals and ultimately to this.  The Solo is a reliable system, it’s easy to use with one touch streaming and super fast setup with little tech knowledge required.

But with any good story lets go right back to the beginning, in this case over 20 years ago to the 1990s where as a young chap I worked for a company called OpTex who had just bought a couple of satellite news gathering vehicles.  These vans were at the time cutting edge and I enthusiastically managed to get involved with a number of jobs they were booked on.  These jobs saw me travel as far as Monaco for the Grand Prix, to France for the World Cup and ultimately to Westminster on the eve and during the day of the funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales. 

These satellite trucks ignited a spark, an interest that had been niggling me ever since.  Back in 2018 armed with cameras and my LiveU encoder I was streaming video live to platforms such as Facebook Live and Youtube.  The Solo is a great piece of kit and enables you to bond, i.e combine the data from a number of connections.  The Solo allows you to bond four connections, they are 2x USB modems for 4G SIM cards, 1x Ethernet and 1x Wifi connection.  By using mobile hotspots you can use SIM cards by ethernet and wifi also, giving you a mobile encoder that works on 4x mobile data 4G connections.

I live in Norfolk, it’s beautiful.  As I type I can hear cows in the field behind my garden, pheasants and rabbits wander free, deer eat my neighbours roses and my view is of trees and sky.  I live in a rural location and whilst it is very nice neither high speed internet or reliable mobile signals have made it the half mile from the village to my home.  I knew I wasn’t alone and this limited my ability to stream video locally.  I needed a solution…

It was on a hot and sunny summers afternoon that I pitched the idea to my wife whilst we were relaxing in the garden.  Our young sons played in their paddling pool and into the  conversation I dropped in true Blackadder style that I had a cunning plan.  My plan I explained to my long suffering wife was that I was going to build a satellite van with a difference, the difference being I don’t like vans and I was going to use the smallest car I could find.  Why?  Because it was quirky and fun.  At this stage and in the form of a disclaimer I should add that a Smart car is technically smaller but that was just not going to happen.  Later that afternoon after some convincing I headed off to my nearest Mini dealership to buy a used car.  

I had of course already done my homework and knew the Mini would be an ideal fit.  Road tax, fuel consumption, boot space and especially where I was going to drill holes through  the bodywork were already researched and planned.  As was the specification of the satellite system that was going to be fitted.  It was almost time to put it together.

Many other digital satellite trucks use the hardware system that I use, most commonly the BBC who have a number of vehicles built by the same company that modified and built the system into my Mini.  The satellite system in use is the KA-Sat system which provides a satellite internet connection across Europe, my contract gives me download speeds up to 50Mbs and upload of up to 10Mbs.  It’s a very simple system that works brilliantly.  My wish list for my satellite mini included:  Auto pointing dish, self powered for a number of days without a generator, wifi network, external waterproof CAT5 network port on the body of the vehicle and a router internally.  I can happily say all these specs were met.

Unlike other satellite trucks which have rows of monitors, audio and video mixers, recorders and more the diminutive Mini is setup for far simpler streaming jobs, the boot mounted rack can be fitted with and has been fitted with Blackmagic recorders and television studio mixer if the need arises.  At a recent festival I used a number of cameras to cover the stage, interviews and mixed on a Blackmagic Design desk which fed into my LiveU encoder before sending the stream down a CAT5 cable to the car, parked 50M away which transmitted live to Facebook.

The versatility, quirkiness and reliability of my setup led to the phone call that saw me offered the opportunity to spend three days stranded on an tidal island in the blackwater estuary with 450 female beauticians.  Naturally I said yes.  My job was to work with a video production company who I already knew to provide high speed satellite internet connections to allow them to stream a conference to multiple destinations.  Being on an island and despite the two windows to get on and off each day I knew I needed to be fully self sufficient and have a backup, backup plan.  Like a veritable Tardis I loaded the Mini with spare modems, dishes, other satellite system parts as well as my tent, sleeping bag and other necessary items.

In the end the job went like a dream with me providing satellite internet via the vehicle mounted dish, I also ran a manually setup flyaway dish that provided wifi access to the technical crew and was my backup incase of any technical issues – although it wasn’t needed.  

My satellite Mini is not only a great fit for jobs on islands or in remote locations around Norfolk but also provides a reliable connection in towns and cities where 4G mobile phone signals may be impacted by the number of users in the area, demonstrations, concerts, events etc.  By using the LiveU Solo I can combine 4G data and satellite data to offer a hybrid service where available and reduce satellite airtime costs.  

Further details from www.uplinx.tv

For all your video production needs in Scotland, get in touch with Small Video Productions