Comments on: Size Does Matter http://www.comstockfilms.com/blog/tony/2005/05/17/size-does-matter/ Real Talk About Making Real Sex Erotic Documentaries Tue, 06 Jan 2009 04:59:01 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc By: Size Matters More Than Ever! | The Art & Business of Making Erotic Films http://www.comstockfilms.com/blog/tony/2005/05/17/size-does-matter/#comment-85891 Size Matters More Than Ever! | The Art & Business of Making Erotic Films Thu, 12 Jun 2008 20:14:29 +0000 http://www.comstockfilms.com/blog/tony/?p=83#comment-85891 [...] posts: Size Does Matter (The Incredible Shrinking Focal Plane)  Size Still Matters (Kirby Ferguson’s [...] [...] posts: Size Does Matter (The Incredible Shrinking Focal Plane)  Size Still Matters (Kirby Ferguson’s [...]

]]> By: Tony Comstock’s Blog » Porn in HD, or Why When Porn Sucks the Media Sucks on it Harder http://www.comstockfilms.com/blog/tony/2005/05/17/size-does-matter/#comment-17319 Tony Comstock’s Blog » Porn in HD, or Why When Porn Sucks the Media Sucks on it Harder Tue, 23 Jan 2007 15:33:48 +0000 http://www.comstockfilms.com/blog/tony/?p=83#comment-17319 [...] When you combine the intense heat generated by CCD in HD camera with the ultra-critical back-focus tolerances that are part and parcel of shooting with a camera with a small focal plane, and the low-resolution view-finder, it’s hard to actually know if your keeping your image in focus, and critical viewers will notice that about half of MIAMI VICE is slightly out of focus. [...] [...] When you combine the intense heat generated by CCD in HD camera with the ultra-critical back-focus tolerances that are part and parcel of shooting with a camera with a small focal plane, and the low-resolution view-finder, it’s hard to actually know if your keeping your image in focus, and critical viewers will notice that about half of MIAMI VICE is slightly out of focus. [...]

]]> By: TC’s Blog on Comstock Films » Blog Archive » Size Still Matters http://www.comstockfilms.com/blog/tony/2005/05/17/size-does-matter/#comment-353 TC’s Blog on Comstock Films » Blog Archive » Size Still Matters Thu, 06 Apr 2006 19:17:30 +0000 http://www.comstockfilms.com/blog/tony/?p=83#comment-353 [...] About a year ago I made a post about the effect of small chip/focal plane imaging on the look of contemporary pornography, Size Does Matter, which was in large measure a self-serving (if true) rant on how and why the larger focal planes in film camera make it easier to create pleasing images of naked people. [...] [...] About a year ago I made a post about the effect of small chip/focal plane imaging on the look of contemporary pornography, Size Does Matter, which was in large measure a self-serving (if true) rant on how and why the larger focal planes in film camera make it easier to create pleasing images of naked people. [...]

]]> By: Tony Comstock http://www.comstockfilms.com/blog/tony/2005/05/17/size-does-matter/#comment-105 Tony Comstock Thu, 30 Jun 2005 18:12:00 +0000 http://www.comstockfilms.com/blog/tony/?p=83#comment-105 While primes are still the gold standard of sharpness, zooms have gotten good enough that it's not uncommon to shoot an entire film or TV show on one lens. My inventory includes a pair of 9.5~57mm, a 16-67mm, a 12-120 and a 12-240, along with a half dozen primes from 8mm to 300mm. Aside from the 8mm, I find a rarely mount a prime; zooms are more suited to the spontanious nature of what I shoot. High-end video cameras do have interchangible lenses, but for the same reasons as above, it's rare for a videographer to mount a prime lens. -TC While primes are still the gold standard of sharpness, zooms have gotten good enough that it’s not uncommon to shoot an entire film or TV show on one lens. My inventory includes a pair of 9.5~57mm, a 16-67mm, a 12-120 and a 12-240, along with a half dozen primes from 8mm to 300mm. Aside from the 8mm, I find a rarely mount a prime; zooms are more suited to the spontanious nature of what I shoot.

High-end video cameras do have interchangible lenses, but for the same reasons as above, it’s rare for a videographer to mount a prime lens.

-TC

]]> By: figleaf http://www.comstockfilms.com/blog/tony/2005/05/17/size-does-matter/#comment-104 figleaf Thu, 30 Jun 2005 17:54:00 +0000 http://www.comstockfilms.com/blog/tony/?p=83#comment-104 Ahah! All this helps explain why my older and smaller-chipped Olympus E-10 digital SLR still takes infinitely better photos than my much newer but much shorter focal-plane Pentax Optio. Doh! It doesn't hurt at all that all the glass in the E-10 lens was ground specifically for the chip either. Another difference between video and film movie cameras is that better quality film cameras can take different lenses for different situations. Can we ever look forward to high-end videocams with an option like that? Thanks very much for the explanation, Tony. Ahah! All this helps explain why my older and smaller-chipped Olympus E-10 digital SLR still takes infinitely better photos than my much newer but much shorter focal-plane Pentax Optio. Doh! It doesn’t hurt at all that all the glass in the E-10 lens was ground specifically for the chip either.

Another difference between video and film movie cameras is that better quality film cameras can take different lenses for different situations. Can we ever look forward to high-end videocams with an option like that?

Thanks very much for the explanation, Tony.

]]> By: Tony Comstock http://www.comstockfilms.com/blog/tony/2005/05/17/size-does-matter/#comment-103 Tony Comstock Wed, 18 May 2005 18:46:00 +0000 http://www.comstockfilms.com/blog/tony/?p=83#comment-103 Another thing to consider: Nearly all of today's video porn is shot on DV cameras. These camera have use a very small amount of data to record each frame; about 1/10th what uncompressed video uses. With <I>everything</I> in focus, the codec (compression and decompression) is trying to use that very limited amount of detail to record all the detail in the scene – the background is competing for data resources with the subject. As a result, everything looks worse. -T.C. Another thing to consider: Nearly all of today’s video porn is shot on DV cameras. These camera have use a very small amount of data to record each frame; about 1/10th what uncompressed video uses.

With everything in focus, the codec (compression and decompression) is trying to use that very limited amount of detail to record all the detail in the scene – the background is competing for data resources with the subject. As a result, everything looks worse.

-T.C.

]]> By: astroknight http://www.comstockfilms.com/blog/tony/2005/05/17/size-does-matter/#comment-102 astroknight Wed, 18 May 2005 18:02:00 +0000 http://www.comstockfilms.com/blog/tony/?p=83#comment-102 Hassleblad???? What the heck does this have to do with the guy from [i]Knight Rider[/i] and [i]Baywatch[/i]?????? But seriously, thanks for the lesson. :) Hassleblad???? What the heck does this have to do with the guy from [i]Knight Rider[/i] and [i]Baywatch[/i]??????

But seriously, thanks for the lesson. :)

]]> By: Tony Comstock http://www.comstockfilms.com/blog/tony/2005/05/17/size-does-matter/#comment-101 Tony Comstock Wed, 18 May 2005 13:50:00 +0000 http://www.comstockfilms.com/blog/tony/?p=83#comment-101 Digital camera are a marvelous tool, especially for learning. The instant feedback really helps a beginner get a sense for what they're doing. But especially in glamour and erotic photography you can see the evolution away from the foreshortenned perspective, shallow depth of field telephoto shot to a exagerated perspect, deep focus wide angle shot. From the gonzo videography of Jule Jordan to the avante smut of IShotMyself.com, this is the new look of porn. -T.C. Digital camera are a marvelous tool, especially for learning. The instant feedback really helps a beginner get a sense for what they’re doing. But especially in glamour and erotic photography you can see the evolution away from the foreshortenned perspective, shallow depth of field telephoto shot to a exagerated perspect, deep focus wide angle shot.

From the gonzo videography of Jule Jordan to the avante smut of IShotMyself.com, this is the new look of porn.

-T.C.

]]> By: Goneoffshore3@yahoo.com http://www.comstockfilms.com/blog/tony/2005/05/17/size-does-matter/#comment-100 Goneoffshore3@yahoo.com Wed, 18 May 2005 04:34:00 +0000 http://www.comstockfilms.com/blog/tony/?p=83#comment-100 tony: As a old film photographer and a newcomer to digital cameras, I want to thank you for your explanation of the differences between the two mediums. Over the last several years I've been seduced into the ease of point and shoot film and digital cameras. I've never really stopped to think about why or how the quality and finish of the pictures I was taking changed. I've delighted in the ease of using a small digital camera, and never stopped to think that it might be changing the way my photos came out. It was just another, easier way to shoot. I should have gotten my Practica repaired. That big Zeiss lens was better than I thought. tony:
As a old film photographer and a newcomer to digital cameras, I want to thank you for your explanation of the differences between the two mediums.
Over the last several years I’ve been seduced into the ease of point and shoot film and digital cameras. I’ve never really stopped to think about why or how the quality and finish of the pictures I was taking changed.
I’ve delighted in the ease of using a small digital camera, and never stopped to think that it might be changing the way my photos came out. It was just another, easier way to shoot.
I should have gotten my Practica repaired. That big Zeiss lens was better than I thought.

]]>