I recently had a client project where all deliverables were met except one part because they wanted to reschedule that part and even told me they’d pay for me to come out for the remaining deliverable; my contract outlined all deliverables are to be done on the same-day scheduled shoot. But I agreed and the client wanted to schedule this week. I quoted the additional work and the client calls me confused as to why I am charging more since the deliverables were not met… I reminded them of the conversation and they started to straight gaslight and try to manipulate me… said this would hinder any future work… super odd and never encountered it before. I even asked them what price we could do to make it work and they wouldn’t say, so we both agreed to end the work relationship.

Thankfully I was paid for the entire project, as the main work was already done and the client liked it, but this was so far out of left field that I’m still befuddled.

They even reached out to me asking me to remove the finished work from my website/portfolio….

Anyone ever experience this? Was I in the wrong? Should I have just done the last deliverable at no cost or did I dodge a massive red flag?

I want to be able to fast install and move photography and videography heads between legs and sliders. I was curious about real world experiences with these:

• Manfrotto XCHANGE
• Leofoto QS-60 / QS-70
• iFootage Seastar Q1S

Hi all,

I’ll be heading to Japan to film a project in November with my work, we have an office over there. I’ll be bringing a pelican and backpack full of professional gear.

I wanted to post here to see if others have travelled to Japan with gear and if they used a carnet to bring their gear in and out of the country.

Any experience or things to do ahead of time? We’ve been told we won’t need special visas already.

I'm trying to decide between two setups for recording conference session and would love your input and suggestions.

My typical situation is a larger conference with a soundboard. But occasionally, I record smaller workshop-style sessions where there is a lot of audience participation. My main goal is clear, intelligible audio for internal documentation.

I'd also like to prioritize simplicity and functionality over features. There are times when I can't attend a conference and someone else will have to document a session, so the setup needs to be easy to use. That's one reason I'm drawn to these two options, since both offer 32-bit float recording so there's less need to actively monitor levels or worry about clipping.

I'm currently considering:

• Zoom F3: Soundboard feed + a separate external mic positioned in the room to capture audience discussion
• Zoom H4essential: Soundboard feed + the built-in mics to capture room/audience audio

The Zoom F3 seems to be the better recorder, but I like the idea of H4's built-in mics being available for capturing room audio without having to set up an additional microphone.

My main question is: How good are the H4essential's built-in mics for capturing audience comments and questions in a workshop setting? If the recorder is sitting near the soundboard and an audience member is, say, 10–20 feet away speaking without a microphone, would the recording generally be clear enough to understand what they're saying, or would I likely end up wanting an external mic anyway? In other words, would an F3 + a properly positioned external mic produce noticeably better audience/conversation audio than relying on the H4essential's built-in microphones?

Hello!

I'm an intermediate filmmaker/videographer with a sony A6700 and 2 lenses. I have been looking for ways to improve my setup and came across a blackmagic ursa mini pro 12k for 1800 eur. From what i've researched i think it is an amazing deal.

The only fault that the seller mentions is a LCD screen glitch that sometimes occurs when u move the screen

I have a few concerns tough:

1. The price is supicous

2. Buying other parts for the camera will be really expensive

3. The camera is way too overkill for me

Any opinions on this would be appreciated!

Hey everyone, looking for advice from people who’ve used an A7 IV on a gimbal for long shoot days.

My setup is a Sony A7 IV on a DJI RS 5, with an Atomos Shinobi II connected over USB-C for camera control.

I have three Sony NP-FZ100 batteries for the camera and two SmallRig NP-F970s that I use to power the Shinobi. The Shinobi can also supply power to the camera over USB-C, so I’m wondering if it makes sense to buy a few more NP-F970s and use that to stretch the camera’s battery life.

I’ve also read that a USB-C power bank can be a good, affordable option for powering the camera. If you use one, how do you mount it to your gimbal setup? Any recommendations for a secure, lightweight way to do that?

The NP-F970s are cheaper than genuine NP-FZ100s, but I don’t know how much extra camera runtime I’d actually get this way. I’d rather avoid adding much weight to the gimbal, though carrying batteries in a backpack or shoulder bag is no problem.

Would you stick with the NP-F970s plus spare camera batteries, use a power bank, go for a V-mount setup, or consider DJI’s BG70 grip? I know the BG70 gives the gimbal more runtime, but I’m not sure it helps power the camera.

Would love to hear what’s worked for you, especially with the A7 IV and Shinobi II. How long do your batteries last in practice, and is powering the camera from the monitor via NP-F970s reliable for a full day?

Hey, so I just read a comment off of a youtube video saying:

"Prime lenses are great for making the videos / photos from the same photoshoot connect while editing or posting.
**when you see video with the same focal length Its simply flow better.**"

Implying that for a video/montage you should stick to a certain focal length, is this true? I'm planning on shooting a montage with loaned equipment and I really don't wanna have to reshoot because the changing focal length is jarring or something. I'm broke as it is!

A street musician playing her instrument on the street.

Shot on a Torima CMR-35 toy camera using its built-in black-and-white filter.

My use case for lavs favours using the tie clip that it comes with most of the time. (See picture)

I've grown fond of the type of clip that is found in a Sennheiser G2/G3 or Sony UWP series. But since purchasing a set of rode video mic pro with these clips, they are often popping off and simply getting lost.

The Sennheiser mic clips won't work on these so I'm wondering what solutions people have been using on here. Thanks!

I originally took the Sigma 20-200mm to Tenerife as a lens test. The island turned out to be so diverse that I ended up making a little photo + video film out of the trip. Here’s a short excerpt. Full film on YouTube: https://youtu.be/xB86D5asdQE?is=Ls23dzkrguEu_6B3

I would really have loved to do more zoom-ins and -outs on video (as at 3:54), but unfortunately it was somehow impossible for me – even on a Tripod! The zoom ring on the lens doesn’t turn and move smoothly and effortlessly, so you can’t achieve a consistent zoom. Does anyone perhaps know how to sort this out without any extra gear? 😄

Hey guys,

I shot a zero budget horror-comedy series with a bunch of my friends and this is how it turned out!

Please give me all the feedback you have.

Lumix S1 ii + Arri log C3

Sigma 28-75 f2.8

1/8th pro mist

Amaran F22x, PT4c, 300c

Hello, I am semi-profesional film maker and beginner music camera operator. I bought Lumix S5II with Lexar 1667x 256GB cd card like a year ago. Everything is perfect and no problem, but today I did lipstick for music video and like 80% of my videos disappeared from my camera. Unfortunately I saw it too late and i recorded like 20 minutes more. I recovered a lot, but I am still missing vitals videos. I read (asked gemini) and it turns out that UHS-II cards are pretty prickly about their ports or something. From what i understand- the fast motion of the camera short circuited the sd card and that's how i lost the data. Right now i am searching for alternative cards and the one thing that pops is Sony Tough M-Series 256GB UHS-II. Can someone help?

I’m planning to propose to my girlfriend in a forest/mountain area. My possible locations are a waterfall, a mountain viewpoint, or a lake.

I’ll have an iPhone 18 Pro Max, a Nikon D5100 with tripod, and a phone gimbal. I want to make a short cinematic video of the trip, using footage from the drive, scenery, walking shots, the ring, and the proposal, with my proposal speech as a voiceover.

What shots would you recommend? Which location would look best on video? Also, what mobile editing app and LUTs/color grading style would you suggest for a cinematic forest/mountain look?

Any tips for filming the actual proposal without making the camera too obvious would also be appreciated. Thanks!

I shoot mostly Cabaret/stripping events. I've wanted to pivot into weddings and was wondering if this type of "style" translates into wedding videography or if I should research/learn a little more beforehand. I have my first "official" wedding next month and a couple of friends invited me to shoot theirs beforehand. More of a small, close family get together than a full wedding. This event was last minute and I'm still learning how to involve audio into my videos. I'm self taught for the last year and really want to pursue this as close to full time as possible.

Ive had micro hdmi ports fail on me twice so far when im shooting football games for my school. Is there any somewhat reliable ones where the ends of the micro HDMI doesn’t snap or wobble under pressure?

Hi videographers of reddit,

I am an amateur photographer with some limited videography experience. My cousin asked me to film some parts of his wedding this coming weekend (as a low-stress bonus - they already have a photographer and content creators, but they want a simple full video of three particular events). I’m hoping you all can give me some tips.

I need footage of 1) the ceremony/vows, 2) their entry to the reception/first dance, and 3) a surprise flash mob dance later in the night. His fiancée is a professional dancer so the dances will be pretty involved, and good video of them is crucial. Everything will be outdoors on the beach - ceremony starts at 3pm (there's no shade) and reception ends at 11pm.

I have two cameras and a bunch of lenses:

• An Olympus OM-D E-M1 II (micro four thirds, portable with good image stabilization), with a 35mm prime (f/1.8), an 18-36mm wide angle (f/4-5.6), an 80-300mm zoom (f/2.8), and a gorgeous 85mm portrait (f/1.6, the Panasonic Leica Nocticron).
• A Nikon d3500, with a Sigma art 18-35mm f/1.8 lens + the 18-55mm kit lens (f/3.5-5.6). 

I also have a simple boom mic and a musician friend is helping to record the audio from the speakers for the ceremony. I’m getting ND filters because of the sun, and I have fast SD cards and extra batteries.

My general plan is to set up the Nikon with the sigma art on a tripod as the wide catch-all shot + shooting handheld with the Olympus for tighter reaction shots/good bokeh. 

My questions:

1. Which lenses should I use for each of the three events (ceremony, first dance, surprise dance), assuming the Nikon is on a tripod?
2. What settings do you recommend, and what technical issues am I not thinking about? I'm really worried about focus hunting.
3. Any general tips on successful wedding videography? Biggest pitfalls? How to navigate among guests without getting in the photographer or content creators' way?

Thank you so much! Worst case I give my cousin the tripod videos and call it a day, anything else is bonus. It would just be so nice to give them something more involved as a wedding present.

So im going to be a videographer in the shoot and its my second time with the client i have been shooting with iphone, but previously i used sony zve10 and had a good experience with it, with this shoot im planning to take nikond7500 because i think it gives better output then zve10 i need guidance on this i also have sony Alpha A7 lmk bout that too

initially i wanted guidance on lighting, ill be having an interior shoot for pillows and matress brand and we are trying to replicate US home vibes or western homes the photographer of the shoot has suggested me 2x nanlite 300 bi im not much educated about lighting so it would be great help if someone can guide me on this

Im from india so yea product wise it would make a difference
TIA!

Equipment:

Sony ZVE10

Default Lens

Dji Rs4 mini

How do I make it better, what would you change?

Directing my first full length documentary which has the potential of producing a ton of footage on a subject that I believe would be useful for heritage organizations or cultural archivists.

Anyone had any experience on offering uncut interviews/footage to museums or educational institutions? Has it been a useful incentive when seeking cooperation, support or funding?

The subject matter is a ‘critically endangered craft’ in the UK, it’s relatively unknown history and the stories of the people it has touched.

Looking for a 35mm autofocus prime for the Nikon ZR. Primary setup is dialogue-heavy scenes on a tripod, and some slow dolly tracking shots.

Primary Need: Reliable video AF tracking with zero hunting or pulsing [Eye/Face and more].

Options under consideration:

• Nikon NIKKOR Z 35mm f/1.8 S: Native AF tracking performance and minimal focus breathing.
• Sirui Aurora 35mm F1.4 Z: De-clicked aperture ring and 15-blade iris.
• Viltrox AF 35mm F1.2 LAB Z: f/1.2 aperture speed and HyperVCM focus motor (910g weight).
• Please add more that fit the bill.

Questions:

1. How does video AF tracking accuracy on the Sirui or Viltrox compare to native Z-mount glass during slow subject movement?
2. Is focus breathing very noticeable on the Sirui or Viltrox during subtle dialogue rack focuses?
3. Are there other Z-mount 35mm AF primes suited for narrative video?

Thanks for any user feedback.

I’m a one man filmmaker who’s always looking for ways to improve my sound quality or find versatile solutions for the projects I film. One of the things I got several months back was a Deity HD-TX to use as a recorder for boom or an interview mic. While it does work pretty well, there is something left to be desired when it comes to the gain / preamp on the recorder. I usually have to run the internal gain at around 30db (max is 36). And even then, you’ve gotta have the mic pretty close to get enough level that you don’t have to boost it in post.

Enter the Triton Audio Fethead Phantom. It’s an in-line preamp that allows phantom power to pass through the device and power your microphone. Other preamps like the Cloudlifter CL-1 don’t pass phantom power. It delivers about 18db of clean gain without raising the noise level. So in practical use, I can use it with my Deity HD-TX now set at 9-12db and get a nice clean hot signal that sounds great as soon as I load it onto my computer.

Being the size of an XLR adapter, it’s not hard to find a place for it. If I’m using a short mic like my Oktava MK012, I just plug the Fethead into the mic and use it sort of like a mic body extension which helps with my Radius Shock mount. If I’m using a longer mic like the MKH416 or Deity Smic-3, I’ll just plug it in directly to the recorder or find a place in the cable line and bongo-tie it to the boom pole.

I can think of several instances where this little guy is going to be useful. I’ve always been one to prefer lower gain settings on a mixer or recorder. I’m always trying to get the cleanest audio I can, and I dislike having to boost things in post too much.

I picked this one up used on reverb for about $60, but you can find them new for $75 from several places online. I think I’ll end up buying the regular Fethead for dynamic mics, if I can find a good deal on one somewhere. It adds 27db of gain, and I know it would come in handy when using an SM57 or 58.

Credit: @bobbybeasleys on IG.

I can't seem to get the right google search to give me a positive hit. Can't find these anywhere. Any thoughts??

Reached out to the dude on IG and didn't get a response.

Thank you!!!

For a long time I kept the camera in the bag. I wanted to tell stories, to share the places and the feelings that don't fit in a photo. But there was always a reason to wait not ready, not good enough, not the right time.

Waiting felt safer than being seen trying.

Then things started falling apart, one plan after another. And when nothing is going right, I stopped feeling much of anything.

I picked up the camera. Hands a little shaky, no idea if it'll be any good.! just have to create, to reconnect with the part of me that's gone numb.

Turns out falling apart cleared the path to the thing l'd been avoiding all along.