When it comes to organizing your footage, including transcoding, logging, reviewing and tagging, Kyno is hands-down one of the best options out there. Lesspain Software just released Kyno 1.5 with new features and a brand new addition to their lineup: Kyno Premium. So now we are dealing with not one but two new versions of Kyno. A Standard and a Premium one. While Kyno 1.5 Standard packs quite a bunch of new features in comparison to the former 1.4 version, the all-new Premium sibbling is clearly aimed at higher-end production studios. Those usually handle things with larger teams and more flexibility is needed for their specific workflows. Kyno 1.5 – Standard and Premium Editions Since a picture is worth a thousend words, let’s have a quick look at what Lesspain Software has in store with their latest version of Kyno: Major new features for this version include the ability of tweaking the timestamp after the footage has been recorded. This can help you organizing your footage for a smooth postproduction workflow. From time to time you just forget to set the clock correctly on your camera (or sound recorder) and therefore end up with messy timestamps. This neat feature tackles this problem since you can batch-correct all of your incoming clips while retaining the relative time differences between individual takes. You now (finally) can drag & drop a bunch of clips with metadata over to Final Cut Pro X and Kyno 1.5 is also capable of playing back those MXF ProRes files created in FCPX. Furthermore, exports of XMLs for Final Cut have been upgraded to version 1.6 of the XML standard. If you happen to be a Premiere Pro user, you can relax as you haven’t been forgotten, either: When sending matadata-enriched clips over to Premiere Kyno now can auto-create bins for you, even based on the existing file structure. A new thumbnail column makes it easy for you to observe all the nerdy technical metadata while still be able to get a good visual overview on the clips themselves. Furthermore, transcoding presets can now be imported and exported so you can share these with friends and/or colleagues. In terms of file support, Kyno 1.5 adds support for WebP images as well as RAW stills created with the Panasonic GH5s. IMX/D10 files are now supported, too. Also, you’ll find more filter options for metadata, improved batch naming comtrols, better audio channel selection and improved render quality in the player. All in all this is a solid but not groundbreaking update. But wait, there’s more! Kyno Premium Let’s do this like we did before and start with an overview video, shall we? Kyno 1.5 Premium sports all the features of the Standard version, of course, but it doesn’t stop there. Kyno Premium packs additional features, aimed for larger teams and more complex workflows. For example, TV stations or large production companies have often set up complex workflows with several team members in order to handle a large number of projects very efficiently. Therefore Kyno Premium adds the ability of putting together packages of material (complete with metadata, of course) and send them downstream to colleagues next door or even abroad. FTP/FTPS support is built in, other, more exotic (i.e. high-end) options like FileCatalyst or Aspera can be added, too. But this would require a bespoke solution which Lesspain Software offers as a custom package deployment (CPD) order. Predefined and customized orgization- or department-wide transcoding and/or naming presets can be added to that order, too. That way, large organizations can build their own perfectly suited version of Kyno Premium. Metadata can now be pre-defined for incoming SD cards so all the metadata is there once the actual footage from the card gets imported. A handy feature for complex team workflows. The whole idea for Kyno 1.5 Premium is to cater for the needs of larger teams, so you tweak all aspects of Kynos metadata management, such as a shared cache location or the way matadata is stored which was entered by different Kyno users. In terms of supported filetypes, Kyno 1.5 Premium adds the support for P2 camera structures, the creation of MXF files (in XDCam and DNxHD Codecs) and the ability to transcode to Avid’s DNx (HD, HQ & HR) family of codecs. Audio tracks and channels can be configured freely for easy and efficient (automatic or individual) channel mapping. This goes for batch operations, as well and even video denoise filters can be applied, if necessary. Pricing and Availability Kyno 1.5 Standard is 159€/$ and includes one year of free updates. Afte that one year you’ll have two options: Keep your version which will function uncomplainingly or pay another 79€/$ if you want to get the latest updates for another year. Kyno 1.5 Premium is 349 €/$. There will be a discount for the next four weeks in order to let you guys try the new features for yourselfes at a reduced price. I think this is a smart move by Lesspain Software since our line of work is pretty diverse and different shooters/editors/producers have very different needs and workflows when it comes to organizing, transcoding and tagging footage. All the features you’ll most likely need can be found in the Standard version of Kyno 1.5. But if you need more or need a custom version for your specific workflow, Kyno Premium is here for you. That way, Lesspain doesn’t have to raise the overall price and is still able to satisfy the needs of more demanding customers. Links: Lesspain Software What do you think of this business move by Lesspain Software? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

The guys behind Artlist, a subscription-based music licensing platform, have been thinking about how to streamline the search for that perfect track, and have developed a completely redesigned user interface for their platform. They also added hundreds of fresh tracks. A fancy workstation and a decent NLE is only half the battle for your post-production workflow. You will most likely need some suitable music for your editing and the search for that perfect track is probably very time-consuming. The New Artlist Let’s face it: Searching for music that fits your story (and edit) perfectly is a pain. So providers of music licensing platforms are working hard to tinker with their search routines so that you can find rather than search. Artlist has now rolled out the latest update to the platform, which sports a completely revamped UI, new search features based on multiple tags, artist pages and much more. Check out the official video for a full rundown: Before we look at the new features, let’s talk about pricing. If you’re unfamiliar with Artlist, you might be surprised that this is not a pay-per-track-and-usecase service. It’s way more simple: You pay $199/year and you can download whatever you want. All the tracks are cleared for private and commercial use and they are also pre-checked for Youtube monetization. New Features There are quite a few new features, not to mention the completely new user interface, which looks streamlined and pretty cool, indeed. Similar song and album feature Artist Pages Spotlight Collections Song version lists A new music panel The best new feature is undoubtedly the display of similar songs and albums based on your search results. That could be a real time saver! Each artist now has his/her own dedicated artist page. From there you can explore other works of that artist or browse through artists with a similar style. Furthermore, the team behind Artlist has put together so-called spotlight collections based on themes and styles. These can be a good starting point on your hunt for that perfect piece of music. Pricing From the beginning, Artlist was and is $199/year all-in. If you are not sure if it suits your needs, you can sign up for a free trial that gives you access to the entire catalogue. You can also download preview tracks and see if they blend in nicely with your edit. Links: Website | previous coverage on cinema5D One thing that’s still on the list of many (including me) is a dedicated app for browsing the Artlist catalogue on-the-go in style. That way you could add potential tracks to your wishlist, take notes, preselect artists etc. Maybe that’s the next big thing for Artlist? We shall see! Do you use Artlist (or any other music licensing service)? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

If you’re shooting outside with a DSLR-like camera, you most likely run into problems. These cameras often lack ND (neutral density) filters and therefore, you end up with weird f/22 exposures. You know the drill, though: Use a screw-on variable ND front filter and you’re all set. Or – even better – take a look at the new PowerXND Mark II series over on Kickstarter. This set of two filters offer a total ND range of 11 stops. There are numerous variable ND filters out there. The PowerXND mark II series, however, stands out a little. It’s a matching set of two filters: the PowerXND 128 (1-7 stops) and the PowerXND 2000 (5-11 stops). Both share the same specs, some interesting features and various thread sizes. PowerXND Mark II For Aurora Aperture, the company behind these new filters, it’s  not the first successful crowdfunding campaign. Their PowerXND series I was a hit, already. So they pushed hard to improve things and here we are: The Mark II series campaign is now live on Kickstarter and it’s already funded by 160% with 16 more days to go. Watch the video below: Aurora Aperture seem to have observed the market closely and they’ve managed to implement a number of neat features to their latest filters. Both, the 1-7 stops and the 5-11 stops filter offer hard stops, a lever mount option, advanced nano coatings and front filter threads the same size of the filter itself. This is very handy if you want to use your original lens cap, for instance. Lots of other manufacturers fail to offer a filter thread the same size. Oftentimes the front diameter is bigger than the variable ND filter itself, resulting in the inability of using (the original) lens caps. Both filters offer a ND range of 7 stops (1-7 stops and 5-11 stops). They are also equipped with hard stops, which is very practical, as variable ND filters tend to create strange effects when you rotate them through 360°, due to their design. Furthermore, you can attach a lever for smooth operation. The applied multi-layer nano coating helps keeping your filters clean and also reduces light reflections. Quality SCHOTT B270 glass is being used for these PowerXND Mark II filters and they come in various thread sizes, ranging from 37mm all the way up to 150mm. Series II (left) vs. Series I (right) The guys behind these filters have managed to keep the profile low. The PowerXND Mark II filters are as thin as the original series I. Furthermore, they sport a direct and double reading scale for easy operation. Pricing and Availability The Kickstarter campaign will run for another 19 days and is already funded by almost 160%. The price depends on your choice of thread size: One filter (PowerXND 128 or 2000) with a thread size of 37mm, 39mm, 40.5mm, 43mm or 46mm is $45. For filter thread sizes of 49mm, 52mm, 55mm, 58mm or 62mm you pay $75 and for large filters with thread sizes of 67mm, 72mm, 77mm or 82mm you pay $109. PowerXND Mark II filters in comparison to a reference fixed ND filter (blue line). The larger filters cost a little more. 86mm thread size: $145, 95mm thread size: $189, 105mm thread size: $279 and 150mm thread size: $419. According to Aurora Aperture, production will ramp up shortly after the campaign has ended and the filters will be shipped in September 2018. Keep in mind that Kickstarter is not an online shop but a crowdfunding platform. Anything can happen and even if everything goes smoothly, you might need to wait a little bit before your filters reach you safely. Check out the Kickstarter campaign page for various bundle offers and to mix’n’match your dream kit. Links: Kickstarter | Aurora Aperture What do you think? Do you already use Aurora filters? Let us know in the comments below!

Are you an iPhone shooter? Are you happy with the quality of the built-in camera module? If not, you might want to check out the Eyemore S1 crowdfunding campaign over at indiegogo.com. This device acts as an outboard camera system for your iPhone. The Eyemore S1 is a camera. Well, half of a camera to be exact here. It contains a 4/3″ CMOS sensor with a claimed dynamic range of 14 stops, a MFT (micro four thirds) lens mount, a built-in battery and several connectors on the back. Furthermore, the whole image processing pipeline is included in the device. In order to monitor, control and record the eyemore S1 you’ll need an iPhone or iPad an an accompanying app. Sorry android users, this is an iOS gadget only. Eyemore S1 Camera System The campaign over at indiegogo.com claims that this device will elevate your iPhone’s camera capabilities to the level of pro DSLRs. Whether this is true or not remains to be seen, we will soon have a test device at hand to check it thoroughly. Have a look at the campaign video: The iPhone is hooked up via a USB-Lightning cable and a dedicated app needs to be loaded in order to control the Eyemore S1. You have to stick to this app, no other app will function with the Eyemore, unfortunately. The claimed dynamic range of 14 stops is impressive and so is the maximum ISO of 400,000. If these specs can hold up to their promise I don’t know, of course. But just because of the size alone the 4/3″ CMOS sensor surely outperforms the tiny built-in sensor unit inside of the iPhone. Specifications The Eyemore S1 camera system sports some interesting features, such as the aforementoned high ISO and its impressive dynamic range. There’s no 4k recording, though. And the Eymore S1 is limited to 1080p video.  Incoming video is being recorded to the phone directly so you can edit and share your video right from your phone. The whole device is clearly aimed at novice shooters who have an urge for better quality video without spending too much money on dedicated gear. Several accessories are available such as different handles. That way you can conveniently mount your phone and still have both hands free for operating the Eyemore S1. Pricing and Availability The Indiegogo campain is in full swing as we speak so you can help funding this device by “pre-ordering” one on their site. Remember that this is (just like Kickstarter) a crowdfunding platform, not a shop. The early bird price  for one Eyemore S1 is $699, the regular campaign price is $799 and the regular retail price will be $1,299. The campaingn ends on June 16th. The (regular) price of $1,299 is not cheap and I wonder if a 4/3″ CMOS sensor plus image processing but without recording, controling and monitoring capabilities is worth this amount of cash. $699 is a differnt pricepoint for sure but I’d rather test this camera prior to purchasing it. What about you? Links: Indiegogo | website What do you think of this (half) camera? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Sometimes sophisticated but complicated pro applications are simply superfluous if you only need to convert some videos into web-friendly formats. Meet macXvideo, which makes tedious video conversion easier. Some pro codecs and features are missing, but you’ll find some fun ones instead. And it’s free! MacXvideo is clearly aimed at novice users but that’s not a bad thing as such. It actually offers quite a lot of features for a free to download app. macXvideo Video Transcoder / Editor You might know MacX Video Converster, a Mac app for transcoding video files with support for a vast number of codecs and devices. MacXvideo could be its little brother in terms of supported codecs but at the same time it features an updated UI and some other cool features such as cropping, merging, effects and basic editing of incoming video. The interface is clean and simple. Everybody should find their way around easily. In terms of supported codecs, the new macXvideo app runs a little short in comparison to macX Video Converter but that app is $29.95 while macXvideo is free. Sure, apps like the famous MPEG Streamclip offer more sophisticated tweaks, settings and pro codecs but the latest version 1.9.2 is dated 10/08/2008 so you might want to think about alternatives. And if you only need web-friendly codecs as an output, macXvideo might be the solution. The app asks you to register when you fire it up for the first time but you don’t have to if you don’t want to. The whole UI is pretty straightforward: input your video, choose the desired output format, add filters, effects and/or crops to taste, output the video, done. Furthermore you can merge multiple videos into one file or even tweak a video with some basic editing tools. You can preview your finished work before outputting it, which is really handy! The app makes use of the GPU for dedicated hardware acceleration, which is very neat when it comes to 4k transcoding. Tasks like this can be a bottleneck on certain systems if only the CPU needs to do the heavy lifting. Conclusion Is this app really necessary? Most modern NLE’s have already the capability of outputting dedicated video files for several social media and/or video platforms such as YouTube or Vimeo. But if you need to transcode an already encoded video and maybe need to add some effects or a crop, macXvideo might be a decent tool to look out for. Think of it as a nice little addition to your full-blown NLE of choice. And hey, it’s free. Links: Website Which tools do you use for your transcoding workflow? Might macXvideo be an alternative/addition? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

The MotoCrane Ultra has been revealed. This beast is a remote camera arm which can be mounted to a car (or elsewhere) and offers a giant 12′ (3,66m) arm, active gyro stablization, passive 3-axis nose dampening. Plus, it can handle massive payloads of up to 55lbs/25kg. Let’s take a look! A gimbal is a cool device and you should have one at your disposal on every job. A crane might be even cooler (although a little inconvenient to transport). So what about a fully-fledged gimbal on a crane, on top of a moving car? Now we’re talking! Meet the MotoCrane ULTRA, an insanely feature-packed remote camera arm. MotoCrane ULTRA A monster Porsche painted in matte black and equipped with a Russian Arm is definitely a cool thing but only few of us will get the chance working with one on an actual set. It’s way above any budget I was working on, ever. But there are quite a few clever eningeers out there, developing alternatives. Such as the MotoCrane ULTRA. It’s ahead of its competition in terms of arm length as well as strength-to-weight ratio. At least on paper, that is. The whole thing packs to several cases with an overall weight of just 160lbs (72,5kg). That’s pretty lightweight in comparison to the requirements the MotoCrane ULTRA needs to meet when you pull off a high-paced car-to-car shoot with it. The arm itself is actively gyro-stabilized and there’s an additional adjustable passive 3-axis nose dampening to isolate the head and camera package from the arm itself. No need for an additional CloudMount here. 3-axis nose dampening. Speaking of the camera head: The MotoCrane ULTRA is capable of handling giant gimbal systems such as the MoVI XL, MoVI Pro, DJI Ronin 2 or Shotover G1. The MotoCrane ULTRA mounts to TÜV (Technischer Überwachungs Verein – German Association for Technical Inspection) certified speed rail clamps. That way you can mount the arm almost everywhere: On a boat,  on a truck, on a UTV, you name it. Furthermore you can quickly mount a temporary speed rail grid with just a few suction cups. I would test this beforehand, though.. The MotoCrane ULTRA is IP66 rated, which means that neither pretty heavy rain nor loads of dust will bring it down. A newly designed remote control can be used to control the whole unit. It features two dedicated sticks for precisely controlling the Swing and Lift axes and a 7” touchscreen display for real-time position feedback, limits, and system diagnostics. Furthermore, the system features a CAN-BUS expansion port for future integrations with other accessories. Pricing and Availability The MotoCrane ULTRA starts at $39,950 and will be available from August 2018. Accessories such as the speed rail mount kit or a power supply won’t be part of the base package but can be ordered seperately. You will need to bring your own gimbal system, of course. If you are a MotoCrane Classic owner, you can reserve your ULTRA version for a trade-in discount of $20,000. Links: MotoCrane.com If you had a really giant gear bag.. would you buy one of these? Let us know what you think in the comments below!

Life-long learning. Since education is key for almost all aspects of life, this is also true for our craft as indie filmmakers. Especially in a line of work with such a fast-paced development of new gear, fresh techniques and so many skills to be learned. MZed now offers a 4 day summer sale (Ending June 4th), so you can make use of the vast expertise of their hosts – for a discounted price. We don’t need no education? Nah, of course we do. All the time! And for the next four days you’ve got the chance of landing a pretty decent deal over at MZed for their vast catalogue of filmmaking related online courses and masterclasses. MZed Summer Sale Both the individual courses and the MZed Pro subscription plan will be reduced in price for the next few days. So if you played with the idea of registering for one of these courses but felt it was too expensive so far, now is the time! Philp Bloom’s Cinematic Masterclass (screenshot). The MZed Pro plan is on sale for $300 for example (regular $399). This option includes Philip Bloom’s Cinematic Masterclass as well as access to the whole MZed catalogue for a full year. Read our review on Philip Bloom’s Cinematic Masterclass here to get an idea of the content. If you don’t need access to the whole thing, rest assured as the summer sale includes individual classes too. Philip Bloom’s Cinematic Masterclass is on sale for $129 (save $70), and our own Ollie Kenchington recently put together a course called Directing Color (read our review here). It’s yours for only $39 (Save $40) over the course of this summer sale. Ollie Kenchington – Directing Color (screenshot). Learning by watching videos. Is that worth it, one might ask. My personal answer is a resounding yes! Before MZed Pro was even here I purchased some courses from MZed and I learned a lot! But, and this is important, it only works out for me because I can go out and use the freshly learned skills on my real-life jobs. It’s the mix that works great for me. Only watching movies and assuming that you now can pull off a major Hollywood movie would be megalomaniac, of course. But learning a neat trick here, a new technique there and make use of it on your next job? That makes a lot of sense to me. Conclusion Since this sale only lasts four days, you have to make a quick decision. I think there are some great offers at MZed. Just browse their catalogue and find the course that suits you best. Or go all-in and get a discounted rate on the 12-month MZed Pro Plan, which includes all available courses and of course upcoming ones. MZed Pro annual membership $249 (save $50) MZed Pro plus Philip Bloom’s Cinematic Masterclass $300 (Save $99) Philip Bloom’s Cinematic Masterclass $129 (save $70) Directing Color $39 (save $40) Brows all other MZed courses   My suggestion would be to head over to MZed’s website and have a look around. Philip Bloom’s Cinematic Masterclass, Alex Buono’s Visual Storytelling, Vincent Laforet’s Directing Motion, Adam Epstein’s The Cutting Edge, it’s all there. But don’t forget to go out there and shoot something. Education is key but it’s nothing without deploying it in real-life jobs. What do you think? Will you enrol in some of the courses? Let us know in the comments below!

Canon and Nikon continue to lead the digital camera market. It’s not enough for Sony to be “just” third, and they’re about to invest $9 billion to change that. Sony’s goal is to be the leading camera brand by 2021. A couple of days ago Sony’s new CEO, Mr. Kenichiro Yoshida, has presented a three-year roadmap for their business portfolio. Among other things these two facts stick out when it comes to digital video/photo cameras: 1) The company aims for the crown in the digital camera market, and 2) they are about to invest a huge amount of money in order to achieve that goal. We’re talking billions here, $9.000.000.000 as a matter of fact. Sony Invests in Its Future We’re not going to cover the whole presentation the company held earlier this month on their Sony IR Day 2018 but a few slides of that presentation might be very interesting for the digital photo and filmmaking community. From light to display and everything in between | image credit: Sony The company wants to be the market leader when it comes to L2D technology: Light to display. Sony has you covered with everything you need to capture a given scene. They want to expand and strenghten their G Master lineup of high quality lenses. They will invest heavily in new and improved sensor tech and the underlying image processing pipeline. Their three-year roadmap really covers everything from light source to final display. Analyze the market and react. | image credit: Sony A core segment of Sony’s initiative will be mirrorless cameras. Since other competitors, such as Canon Panasonic and Nikon, are intensifying their (full-frame) efforts in order to tackle the very successful a7 and a9 lineup of mirrorless cameras, the company will invest even more dollars in order to stay ahead of the pack. Mind you, Canon and Nikon are still leaders in terms of market share here. Sony also intends to invest in its professional support program in order to expand it. This is a good way to get in touch with professional users at events such as the Olympic Games or other major events worldwide. Canon’s strong CPS (Canon Professional Services) presence at such events remains an important reason for professional photographers to stick to the brand. Conclusion This is pretty big news, indeed. Not in terms of new products or actual new tech but as an investment in the future. This investment underpins sony’s attitude that they have come to stay. Sure, Canon and Nikon are still market leaders in terms of market share but for how long? These are interesting times and we’ll see a lot of competition going on. For us, the filmmakers, competition between major brands is always a good thing because it keeps the companies stay hungry and innovative. Both Canon and Nikon have rumored full-frame mirroless camera systems ready in 2018. Let’s hope for the best and let’s see where we are in three years from now. Links: IR Day 2018 Presentation (PDF) | Sources: PetaPixel.com and sonyalpharumors What do you think? What about Canon’s and Nikon’s rumored full frame mirrorless cameras? Share your thoughts in the comments below!