ANyone using Serious Magic ULTRA 2 for greenscreens?

Yeah I just did a brief test with AE and Primatte (didn't use a chroma blur or anything extra to compare how Primatte stacked up against Ultra) and I got a surprisingly good key from the base footage posted above. No holes or anything. Damn that software is impressive.
 
Just talked to a guy who did some VFX on Munich and he said he actually did a lot of work in After Effects. He also swears by Primatte.
 
I love Combustion and their Diamond keyer watered down from The Flame works really really good. I havnt tried Ultra yet but I have an old version I got before it became so popular. It came with a cheesy plastic table cloth to use as a greenscreen.
 
Neat thread, I've been debating this issue over what I should use in my production company. After Effects is nice, but I do like simplicity. However, ULTRA2 is pretty expensive on its own, I doubt I'd need or want any of the 3D background packages. So I figure I'd be better served with AE as it can at least do more than just chroma keying. But this argument is moot since Adobe is releasing a new version of their video line next year, meaning I still have to wait and weigh the pros/cons. Both would be ideal if I wanted to have flexible options, but there's the issue of new equipment (ie. camera and computers) to be weighed along with other software expenses. More than likely, I'll end up with After Effects in the Pro Video Collection package but I'll have to see what my next projects demand.
 
From my limited experience working with Ultra, it is really an incredible piece of software simply from how easy it makes keying. In the test that I posted you can see that I used a forest green background, lit with just a single light. The shadows are harsh in the original footage with some spots bodering on a deep grey or black. It is the worse possible scenerio to have to work in. You can also see that the camera is handheld and bouncing, that there is no spill control, and the model is 4" in front of the background. It is awful, and then within 2 minutes of keying how well the software works.

Ultra is expensive, but it keys better than any NLE. I like it, too bad I don't do greenscreen at all.
 
Personally, if I were really into pulling fast keys (which I'm not, quality is much more important here, most times), I'd probably choose Motion / dvMatte Blast. Failing that, there is a plug-in which will allow you to bring in live footage to After Effects, so you can check your key as you shoot. I can't remember what it's called now.
 
Post EDITED: Did my research in the archives. I see that for Vegas it's Chroma blur and 2 pixels... then experiment with the sliders but beware it's a render pig. Don't know what I'm talking about? Are you a Vegas user? Search "greenscreen" in the Vegas forum and it's very enlightening. A post from Jimerson calmed all my fears. I like PROOF when people say something... and the man gives it.
 
I think it would be fascinating to put together a short article comparing various keying software in different situations. Maybe have a few varied greenscreen shots that are keyed (by people who use the software often) and then compared. That would rock!
 
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