If you’d like to see the time-lapse work we have delivered for others visit our website lamedia.co.uk and if you have any questions or think we got something wrong or simply want to let us know what we missed… e-mail us at [email protected].
In this time of super-tech, you might be considered a ‘crazy stuck in the mud’ to not be thinking seriously about mobile phone videography and what it means for the future of cinematic video. So as I am sure you are not a ‘crazy stuck in the mud’ you may have been as excited about the new iPhone 12 Pro Max as we were.
Huge screen, bigger sensor, lower f-stops, larger lenses, Dolby Vision HDR and the A14 Bionic six-core CPU…it’s all too much to take in at once. I would even go as far as to say that reading the specs for this iPhone was like reading some form of tech-erotica.
iPhone 12 Pro Max Gold next to its box
So if you want to get more from your mobile videography in the future then please read on and we will give you our pros and the cons and what we found out when we started shooting with the iPhone 12 Pro Max.
iPhone 12 Pro Max - Some Basic Info:
The main wide camera has a 26 mm-equivalent f/1.6 lens in front of a 12 MP sensor. It features a sensor-based optical stabilisation system, which is a first for Apple (most phone camera modules shift the lens rather than the sensor to offset camera movement).
There’s an ultra-wide 13 mm-equivalent camera and also a 65 mm-equivalent tele-module that offers a 2.5x zoom over the main camera. There is a LiDAR sensor for building depth maps. On paper, the iPhone 12 Pro Max has the most impressive imaging capabilities to date in an Apple phone.
So how does the iPhone 12 Pro Max perform?
The Dolby Vision HDR support does indeed deliver the high dynamic range it promised and there was pleasant tone mapping when our video was played back on a compatible display. Dynamic range displayed a wide improvement, though some highlights still clipped in extreme situations.
Texture and noise were well balanced, with low noise and plenty of detail present when shooting outdoors or in moderate indoor lighting. Light levels had to get quite low before noise became intrusive and the detail dropped. Colour was generally pleasant, despite some slight white balance casts that were sometimes visible. Autofocus was accurate and fast, with quick, smooth shifts when our subject distance changed. Stabilisation was very effective both when we were walking and running. Exposure is generally accurate.
Overall video performance - excellent.
The new larger lenses on the iPhone 12 Pro Max
Some negative Issues
It was only when we tried to use our third-party utilities such as lenses, gimbals and filters that we realised the price for Apple's secrecy around this iPhone was paid by third party support businesses which were mostly pushed off the cliff by Apple on the day the iPhone 12 Pro Max was launched.
DJI Osmo 3 gimbal
The iPhone 12 Pro Max was just too heavy for it to handle. While it did balance at a stretch, the gimbal simply collapsed when things started to move more sportily. Even using the available counterweights to try and spread the weight just made things worse.
Mounted on the DJI Osmo
Movi Cinema Robot gimbal
The iPhone 12 pro Max swapped the position of the wide camera (26 mm) to the inside of the phone body with the result that when the phone is mounted on the Movi Cinema Robot gimbal the centre motor post is visible in the shot. This is also the situation if you try to use the native ultra wide (13mm)
Movi Cinema Robot gimbal
Moment Lenses
to mount these onto the iPhone 12 Pro max you have to have a Moment case for the iPhone. The secrecy around this iPhone meant that Moment had no chance to have a case ready for when the iPhone 12 Pro Max was launched and are talking about Jan/Feb 2021 before they can supply the cases we need to mount our lenses onto.
Moment lenses and case
GOBO Filters
To mount these we needed our Moment Lenses and of course we could not mount them because there is no appropriate iPhone case available just now.
In Summary
The iPhone 12 Pro Max is a massive step forward on the journey towards achieving cinematic videography with a mobile phone and it’s a journey we should all enjoy. Any time I say something negative about this iPhone I simply try to remember that it is a pocket-sized phone/computer that has over 11 billion transistors inside it…crazy and amazing…just like the iPhone 12 Pro Max.
With the iPhone 11 Pro Max, anyone can become a photography superstar. But as great as the camera system on this phone is, I thought...why not try taking it to the next level.
So ‘Creative shooting...with a few juicy accouterments’ became my mantra and I embarked on a journey to find out how to ‘up my game’.
The biggest hurdle I faced was knowing where to start - so if you don’t know where to start then let me help you. I was instantly overwhelmed by the number of options to be considered.
From optics to filters, to stabilizers and so on - there is something for everyone and an option for whatever you need.
So to save you the leg work and preserve your sanity, I have done the legwork for you and pulled together some of the best add-ons I found. Let’s get into it, shall we?
Transform your lens options!
Same lens = same shots = boredom.
Your choice of the lens determines how you will view the world and as a creative you should always be looking to shake things up.
You could try being different from everyone else simply by using a fisheye - it will give you stunning distortions on all your shots.
An anamorphic lens that will make your shots look like those in Star Wars.
A telephoto prime will give you sharp, crystal clear detail on anything you focus on, while a macro will let you capture a close-up of a raindrop on a spider's web.
Any of these lenses will make your shots hugely different from those around you and they are not that expensive to buy.
There are lots of brands and types so whether you're an Instagrammer or a Youtuber - have some fun by transforming your lens collection.
The following M-Series lenses are now part of my own professional gear:
Each one of these has reshaped what I can do with my iPhone 11 Pro Max and I love it. I recommend that you should check them out.
The Transformative Power of Filters
While we all love a sunny day, it’s a challenge when eye-searingly bright sunshine is ruining your images.
You have to be able to control light if you want to shoot your best.
You could always move away from the sun... you could change your camera's position and get the sun behind you...or you could just go for delicious ice cream and come back another day, but the better option is - use a filter.
Filters will allow you to take control of bright light situations but it’s important that you understand what a filter does.
They can:
1. reduce the light coming into your camera
2. change your shot's colour when your creative demands it
3. eliminate glare from reflective surfaces like glass and water
Again, I would say there are lots of brands and types out there and with filters quality is important.
For my filters, I went to GOBE – acknowledged specialists in professional quality filters. I bought a 62mm CPL and a 62mm ND 2 – 400.
They were not cheap but are very high quality. I would like to say ‘bring out the sunshine' but I live in Scotland.
Stabilization!
For static shots I've always used a tripod to ensure my iPhone 11 Pro Max was steady while recording...it also allows my hands to be free for more other things - like sweeping away wasps).
However when I’m on the move...either walking, running or riding a bike that's when I want to have smoother shots.
The answer?
‘Stabilization’ - it's how to stop your camera from wobbling around.
The tool that can do this is called a ‘stabilizer’ or ‘gimbal’ and is often quite a small, handheld device into which you sit your phone.
Some simple balancing is required before they work effectively but it's not a very tricky job.
When you have done that you are basically good to go.
The DJI Osmo Mobile 3 - Available from Heliguy for £99 (click the image above to go the Heliguy website)
Now you have a stabilizer on your phone the difference will be quite dramatic, transforming your options of how you shoot things.
Apart from the price tag, 6 other things you may want to consider when looking at stabilizers are:
1. Is my phone compatible ?
2. Is it easy to operate?
3. How heavy is it to carry?
4. Are the motors powerful enough for my camera and lens?
5. Do I need to buy counterweights?
6. Operational running time before recharging?
I discovered that with my add-ons rigged onto my iPhone 11 Pro Max that I would need two stabilized setups to cover my options so I went for the ‘DJI Osmo 3’ and the ‘Freely Movi Cinema Robot’.
Check them out... both are truly awesome stabilizers and totally reliable.
The Freefly Movi Cinema Robot - Available for £279 from Heliguy (click the image above to go to the Heliguy website)
I went on a great learning curve with all the above and it has taken me time to get the best out of each.
But I'm happy to say I've been using my gear for a while now and I'm delighted with the results I'm getting from working with the iPhone 11 Pro Max.
As a professional filmmaker, I can honestly say that these 3 add-ons have been game-changing and have rekindled and inspired my enthusiasm for shooting with the iPhone 11 Pro max.
I hope they will do the same for you.
Visit our website lamedia.co.uk and if you have any questions or think we got something wrong or simply want to let us know what we missed... e-mail us at [email protected] or give us a call on 0131 622 0220.
Whether or not you agree with Black Friday is not what’s up for discussion here… The fact that you can get some serious price reductions, however, is! Here’s a very quick round-up of the top 5 deals we think are great!!
1. Black Friday Amazon Echo Devices
2nd Gen Echo Show - £169.99 (was £219.99)
Echo Spot - £89.99 (was £139.99)
All-new Echo Dot - £24.99 (was £49.99)
Some really serious savings here on all their devices. Go check them out!
2. LG (at John Lewis)
Save £2,000 on this insane television. I’ve seen one of these in action and they are incredible. Flexible and thinner than a table mat it really does feel like you have an extra window in your wall.
- LG OLED65W8PLA Signature OLED HDR 4K Ultra HD Smart TV, 65" with Freeview Play/Freesat HD, Picture-On-Wall Design & Dolby Atmos Sound Base Unit, Ultra HD Certified, Black. -
Now - £3,999.00 (was £5,999)
4 grand is a lot to spend on a new TV sure, but with manufacturers starting to release 8K TVs (I know, I know, ridiculous!), some great deals on the ‘older’ 4K top of the pile lot can be found.
Head over to John Lewis for this one.
3. Black Friday at Sonos
Some pretty decent savings here if you’re in the market for some new Sonos equipment. They’re obviously aiming at someone who’s putting together a home cinema set up here…
Sonos One - £174 (was £199)
Beam - £349 (was £399)
Sub - £599 (was £699)
Check it out here.
3. Lakeland KitchenAid Black Friday Deal
For any keen cook who wants to keep the retro good looks and solid reliability of KitchenAid’s Artisan 4.8 Litre Stand Mixer, but not has it dominate the room, this Matte Grey version is ideal. And so is the current price!
KitchenAid Artisan 4.8L Stand Mixer - £299 (was £499)
For all the best Lakeland deals click here.
4. HTC Vive
For gamers and VR enthusiasts, this HTC Vive deal is up there with the best. Save £100 on this puppy, if you have the computer to run it...
If you don't... see No. 4 below!
HTC Vive - £499 (was £599)
4. Scan Computers
If you’re keen on the above HTC Vive but have an aging computer, head over to Scan Computers and take advantage of their huge sale on everything from graphics cards to full desktops and laptops. Some very good savings here!
So that's it for this brief round-up. Happy shopping!!
Visit our website lamedia.co.uk and if you have any questions or simply want to let us know what we missed... e-mail us at louise@lamedia.co.uk or give us a call on 0131 622 0220.
In this blog we let our self-professed tech geek/ Mac guru/ computer enthusiast/ Senior Editor Michael Jameson guide you through his ideal specs for building the ultimate computer.
Mike is a bonafide computer aficionado he's been responsible for overseeing the building and expansion of LA Media's production edit suite. So what we're trying to say is he knows his stuff you can trust this man's opinion when it comes to computers!
Not only does he research this stuff as a hobby and read every issue of Mac User religiously, but he lives and breathes processors, memory storage space and video cards. Nobody at LA Media buys any sort of tech device without first consulting Mike.
Mike has graciously decided to share with us insights on how to build your own computer. Mike proves you can build a kick-ass machine that can be used for both editing and gaming (well, let's face it you can't work 24/7, after all...all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy!).
An introduction to How to Build the MOST powerful computer
Well… where to start...
Mac or PC?
Well, this is a very straightforward answer… Except for some limited build to order options on the Apple Website, you can't truly build your own Mac (Unless you want a Hackintosh - which I won’t go into!).
So PC it is… Let’s make this a money-no-object exercise. Fun!
First Things First, the Case
What are you looking for here? Looks? Size? Maybe you fancy some practicality?
Personally, I’d go for a bit of both. Make sure it’s big enough to fit everything you want, but not so big that you have 8 empty PIC-E slots for no good reason!
My favourite case for a Core i7 build is the Mid-Tower Corsair Crystal Series 570|X RGB. It really is a thing of beauty and also very practical. See below...*Homer Simpson drools*
Mid-Tower Corsair Crystal Series 570|X RGB
But in our ‘case’ we’re wanting a workstation/gaming monstrosity. So we shall look no further than the Corsair Obsidian 900D.
For the Motherboard!
Here there are a few options to start with. What CPU will you be stuffing in this powerhouse? Will you be using a monstrous Intel Xeon with 22 cores? Maybe two of them? A Core i7 6950X? The new Kaby Lake 7700K overclocked to 5GHz perhaps?! you might want to try out AMD’s new Ryzen CPU…
Ok.. so we want to build a workstation powerhouse that can also fly through the latest games at the highest resolutions.
So for us, we’re going down the Intel Xeon route. Plus being a Xeon it should last forever. The Asus Z10PE-D8 WS has everything we need here. See these stats below:
Quad Strength Graphic Power – 4-Way PCI-E Gen3 x16 link supporting NVidia GeForce SLI and AMD CrossFireX on demand
Supreme Power Solution – Premium components deliver industry-leading power efficiency
Unique BIOS for Dual CPU O.C. – Boost CPU’s overclocking performance up to 10%
Superb storage flexibility– onboard M.2 x4 and support for ASUS PIKE II cards
Easy maintenance–ASUS Q-Code Logger, an easy-maintenance button and Dr Power LED displays unusual power statuses
Let's Talk about CPU
Well, with the new Intel Xeon v4 Broadwell chips out now, the max core count has increased to 22. So with two of those you get 44 cores and 88 including hyperthreading. Wow! The only downside of this high core count (other than the £4,200 price tag) is the lower clock speed. 2.2GHz to be precise with the Intel Xeon E5-2699 v4.
The other option would be the 12-core Intel Xeon E5-2687W v4. Running at 3GHz you get higher single-core performance. With this in mind we’ll opt for this beauty as it will help with any gaming we’ll be doing!
Games typically only really benefit from 4 cores, so the higher we can get the frequency per core the better in our case.
As a side note - If it’s a pure gaming rig you’re after, then you’d be best getting a new Kaby Lake core i7 7700K and overclocking it to 5GHz. And rather amazingly, the whole system is around the price of one of our Xeon CPU’s. Crazy no?
The Perfect Cooling System for the Ultimate Machine
If you want a quiet system then the only way to go is water cooling. Plus it looks cool. End of.
The Corsair Hydro H80i V2 cooler with dual SP120L fans is what we want to have.
Damn it, Scotty, we need more RAM!
ECC, Registered DDR4 RAM is what goes with Xeon’s. No flashing LED’s or swanky colours, instead you get fast, reliable RAM in huge quantities. We’ll have 128GB, please.
We mean this type of Ram not the sheep kind!
What's the point if you don't get the Graphics right?
Now we could go down the ‘Professional’ route here and get something like a 24GB Nvidia Quadro P6000… but for what we need it for (Rendering/Encoding and gaming) we’ll do a lot better with consumer cards. 2 of ‘em… Enter the Nvidia GTX 1080 Ti. An outrageously fast card on its own… but with two with the option for SLI gaming…. Hell yes! See here...
Power Supply Unit - I'm giving her all I've got Captain!
Again as we’re not mucking about let’s go for a decent 1000W Corsair unit here that should give us plenty of headroom.
Computer Storage
Boot/OS Drive:
Firstly, we will need to have a boot/OS drive. Here we’re going for speed. The Samsung 960 Pro 2TB M.2 PCIe blade will tick all the boxes here. 2TB of ridiculously fast solid-state loveliness. Check out these specs below and drool…
Experience next-gen performance:
The NVMe™ interface of the 960 PRO supports PCIe® Gen 3 x4 lanes for enhanced bandwidth and lower latency than SATA SSDs.
You can experience massive sequential R/W (read/write) speeds up to 3,500/2,100 MB/s and random R/W speeds up to 440/360K IOPS, respectively*. This superb performance is enabled by an optimised package design.
Break storage limits:
Samsung provides advanced end-to-end integration, fine-tuning each component for optimal results. Individual chips are optimised to pack more in a package to maximise capacity. The 960 PRO enables you to store up to 2TB, which is unprecedented for NVMe SSDs.
Bank on solid reliability:
The 960 PRO boasts 1.2 PBW* for the 2TB model. For further reliability, DTG (Dynamic Thermal Guard) monitors and adjusts the temperature of the SSD, protecting data and achieving optimal responsiveness. Plus, the 960 PRO is backed by a 5-year limited warranty**.
Manage your drive like magic:
With the newly upgraded Magician advanced software solution, you can manage, monitor and maintain your 960 PRO like an IT professional.
Magician provides personalised firmware checking and additional functions tailored for individual user's drives. It even updates the firmware automatically to make sure that the drive's performance stays up to date.
Project Drive:
Secondly, we will want to have ample storage. This rather depends on your usage. As we’ll be editing, rendering, encoding etc... we’ll want a very fast external RAID that will give us plenty of space on our project drive.
I think this G-Technology GSPEED Shuttle XL with 24TB capacity will do nicely:
With 8 bays (including 2 EV Series bay adapters) you will get serious capacity and speed. Capacities range from 18TB to 60TB. Plenty. Don’t forget you will need a Thunderbolt card.
With all that material you will need a backup drive too!
Something similar but not as fast - The GSPEED Studio should do. Again with 24TB to match the project drive. If you think that’s overkill, you could RAID a load of internal SATA disks.
This will also require the above mentioned Thunderbolt card.
The 8TB Hitachi He8 (Helium drive) would work well. Four of those in RAID 5 would cover the 24TB with some redundancy and cost around £1K less than the GSPEED studio.
Might as well use all that space in our monolithic case eh?!
PCIe Expansion
I won’t go into too much detail here as there are so many configurations depending on what you need your system for. Essentially though as mentioned before, we’ll need a Thunderbolt card for the project drive.
Fast WIFI cards/Ethernet cards could go in here… Sound cards... Anything you want really!
As we’ll be editing let’s stick a Blackmagic Design Decklink 4K Extreme 12G in here too.
Optical Drives
As much as I’d like to NOT have one of these ancient devices, occasionally people may ask for things on DVD or BluRay. To keep these dinosaurs happy you should get a BluRay/DVD writer combo drive.
An LG re-writer should be fine!
Which Operating System should you choose?
Go for Windows 10 Pro 64-bit, unless there’a reason to have an older OS such as legacy hardware etc…
Dazzling Displays
As this will be your visual interface for this magnificent creation… let’s not skimp eh? How about a 34” curved G-Sync monitor… Mmmmm… Yes, please. Done!
The Peripherals
You’ll need a mouse and keyboard of course… You may want to get an edit specific keyboard from Logitech for Adobe Premiere, Avid or Pro Tools if you’re a musician… depends on what you use.
There is a raft of excellent mice for gaming that works very well in an editing capacity… One such is the Razer Mamba at £130.
Its expensive but you can programme all the buttons which will come in very handy for shortcuts etc…
Also in the same league is the excellent Corsair Vengeance K70 programmable gaming keyboard. Apparently used by one of the assistant editors on the new Star Wars movie. They also make some pretty sweet mice.
Conclusion - Yes there is, in fact, an ending...
Well, that’s it!! We’ve made one serious machine. At probably £15,000 it should last you a while. Hey, and if the Apocalypse does come to pass, those Xeon processors will still be chugging away - assuming you have a medium-sized nuclear reactor to run it.
There are some nice little extras that will help keep you drooling as you gaze through the gigantic window into your dazzling creation.
Some discreetly placed LED lights and coloured braided cables will smarten the whole appearance up to no end!
Try and get your graphics cards water-cooled… Overclock them too whilst you’re at it! They'll be quieter and more powerful! A no brainer.
Summary / Computer Shopping List
So let’s quickly consolidate what we have created here:
Case - Corsair Obsidian 900D, Black, Aluminium/Steel, 252x692x650 (WxHxD in mm)
Motherboard - Asus Z10PE-D8 WS, Intel C612 chipset, 8 x DDR4, 8 x SATA III 6Gb/s
CPU - Intel Xeon E5-2687W v4, Broadwell, 12 Core, 3GHz, 3.5GHz Turbo, 30MB cache
CPU Cooler - Corsair Hydro H80i V2 cooler with dual SP120L fans [Two CPUs]
Memory - Crucial/Samsung DDR4, up to 2133MHz, ECC, Registered, 1.2V, 128GB (8 x 16GB)
Power Supply - 1000W Corsair HXi, Modular, Silent, 80PLUS Platinum
Graphics - 2X 11GB NVIDIA GTX 1080 Ti, 1480MHz GPU, 3584 Cores, 11000MHz GDDR5X
Storage
OS Drive - 2TB Samsung 960 Pro, NVMe, up to 3500MB/s Read, 2100MB/s Write, 440K IOPS
External - G-Technology GSPEED Shuttle XL with 24TB capacity
Backup - 4X 8TB Hitachi He8 (Helium drive) Internal Drives in RAID 5 configuration
PICe Expansion Cards
Blackmagic Design Decklink 4K Extreme 12G
Gigabyte GC Alpine Ridge AIC Thunderbolt 3
Optical Drive - LG 16x Blu-ray Writer, 16x DVD±R, 8x +RW, 6x -RW, 12x RAM
Display - Asus PG348Q 34" 100Hz G-Sync Curved Monitor With IPS Panel
Peripherals
Razor Mamba Gaming Mouse
Corsair Vengeance K70 programmable gaming keyboard
Follow these ingredients and you will have a beast of a computer to play with! Although lengthy, and well done if you are reading this, it will help you get an idea of what you need to know when undertaking the task of creating a custom-built machine.
We hope you’ve found this blog helpful! Let us know what you think in the comments, tell us if we’ve missed something out. If you enjoyed this blog don’t forget to follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram for your daily dose of media, music, production & drone chat!
Visit our website lamedia.co.uk and if you have any questions, e-mail us at [email protected] or give us a call on 0131 622 0220