C100: Canon layoffs

[Eric Coughlin]

I met one client a few days ago. He asked me how costly is my camera. Then he told me don't you have that 40,000 USD camera? Someone has told him good camera costs that much. So C300 can't fit in. It was a cool job. Nevertheless I am fine as it is very difficult to overcome such a perception barrier regarding cost and someone may feel that your work is not good enough. These days everybody shoots video with their phones. So video is not a mystery anymore. To add to it newbies who call themselves professionals use their DSLRs with a rode mic on top to do video. So I guess either we remain at the high end or be in the mud with the crowd as most of the people don't know how to rate your quality.

Often when people ask me the cost of my camera I say something like, "With the lens it is..." Slap say a 17-120 on the C300 and then you've got a $40k camera setup.

 

[DLD]

https://www.engadget.com/2019/08/07/xiaomi-phone-108mp-camera/

Xiaomi is announcing that they are working on a 108 MPX smartphone. The sensor itself is from the Isocell line by Samsung.

One has to assume the maximum resolution is from a pixel-shift, probably a 6x18. Currently, Samsung has a 4x16 Isocell, also inside a Xiaomi phone. Likewise, on an ILC front, Sony and Panasonic do a 4x in S1R (187 MPX) and A7 R IV (240 MPX).

Eh, nothing like a medium format smartphone.

 

[Paul F]

At nearly a million phones built per day (Samsung - 7 days a week), there's probably a few bucks to do some sensor research.

Ouch. Apple is tanking; down 30% over last year. That's huge.

 

[DLD]

An average replacement is now around 4 years from just under 3 a year ago and, much like he case in the photo-video world, the middle-class phones such as Pixel and OnePlus are good enough for most users. Plus, the Big Three Chinese companies (Huawei, Xiaomi, Oppo) and Samsung are beating iPhone on the newest features. It helps Apple that there's a trade war going on, as it dominates the US market, but there may be a recession on the horizon in the US to counter that. IMO, if they crash, it will be spectacular.

 

[Guest]

At nearly a million phones built per day (Samsung - 7 days a week), there's probably a few bucks to do some sensor research.

Ouch. Apple is tanking; down 30% over last year. That's huge.

What is the speculated reasoning? SLR sales cutting into iphone sales?

 

[Guest]

Often when people ask me the cost of my camera I say something like, "With the lens it is..." Slap say a 17-120 on the C300 and then you've got a $40k camera setup.

I go the opposite sometimes. Though, since i primarily rent, i don’t bother much anymore. I have covered logos on newer models, and when someone asks, i say it is an older camera, practically has rocks inside. The person frowns. In hindsight, probably a bad idea. I’ll do what you do from now on.

 

[Run&Gun]

Often when people ask me the cost of my camera I say something like, "With the lens it is..." Slap say a 17-120 on the C300 and then you've got a $40k camera setup.

I go the opposite sometimes. Though, since i primarily rent, i don’t bother much anymore. I have covered logos on newer models, and when someone asks, i say it is an older camera, practically has rocks inside. The person frowns. In hindsight, probably a bad idea. I’ll do what you do from now on.

I always used to love the reactions when normal people would ask and I’d tell them. I remember standing outside a hotel waiting on valet one morning and this older couple started talking to me and asked me about my camera(my original VariCam). The gentleman said, what’s it cost, about 3 or 4 thousand? I said, as it sits, about 75. He said wow, $7500. I said, no, $75,000. The look on his face was great. Of course, you don’t go spouting stuff like that off to just anybody on the street...

 

[Stills2HDConvert]

I go the opposite sometimes. Though, since i primarily rent, i don’t bother much anymore. I have covered logos on newer models, and when someone asks, i say it is an older camera, practically has rocks inside. The person frowns. In hindsight, probably a bad idea. I’ll do what you do from now on.

All of my SLRs have their logo taped over.
But with a cinema camera you can't tape over the form factor.
You can't really make a Lamborghini look like a Prius.
I used to really short with people who would approach me and ask me who I'm shooting for.
Now I just try to be a little nice and polite, but not tell them a whole lot.

 

[Eric Coughlin]

I used to really short with people who would approach me and ask me who I'm shooting for.
Now I just try to be a little nice and polite, but not tell them a whole lot.

What is the point of this? I've worked with people who do the same, act all secretive about what they're shooting, but 9 times out of 10, I feel like there's no good reason to hide what we're shooting from random people. It's not like it's actually a secret shoot or any of us signed NDAs.

 

[jamedia.uk]

I used to really short with people who would approach me and ask me who I'm shooting for.
Now I just try to be a little nice and polite, but not tell them a whole lot.

Why? I find that it always helps to be polite and make friends.
I am always surprised how helpful local people can be.

 

[Run&Gun]

What is the point of this? I've worked with people who do the same, act all secretive about what they're shooting, but 9 times out of 10, I feel like there's no good reason to hide what we're shooting from random people. It's not like it's actually a secret shoot or any of us signed NDAs.

Why? I find that it always helps to be polite and make friends.
I am always surprised how helpful local people can be.

Yep. Unless you really are doing something that you can't reveal the true nature of, why be a Dick? Sometimes it can help you.

 

[jamedia.uk]

Yep. Unless you really are doing something that you can't reveal the true nature of, why be a Dick? Sometimes it can help you.

Even then you can be friendly you just don't tell the the actual reason you are filming.
Though if it's that secret/sensitive it's a bit late if they have caught you filming!

 

[rob norton]

You don't ever need to be rude but it's still no one's business, though this changes the more you're taking over a public space. The same person asking about the video shoot wouldn't approach someone on a park bench responding to work emails on their phone and ask what the project is. I think the most professional response is one that ends the conversation the quickest, while still being polite about it.

 

[NorBro]

I think people lie because it's a sensitive world and some may feel like they are going to get in trouble for filming.

Most don't have the luxury of a closed set.

 

[jamedia.uk]

But again, why? Like, my theoretical son is with me on the shoot, a random pedestrian who poses no threat to the production comes up to me and asks what I'm filming, not because he's a creepy snooper, but just a curious harmless pedestrian. I'm filming a documentary on suicide prevention, but I tell him instead that I'm filming a reality TV show on basketball. Because? Uhm? The public can't know what I'm filming? Because? Okay...and now my son has learned that pointlessly lying is a good thing. Cool. I then ask my son if he heard me lie, he says no, but I know he's lying because he learned from the best.

I'm telling ya'll, I've seen this pointless lying on film productions before where there no was good reason to hide the truth, and it just boggles my mind. I think people just want to act all cool and secretive cause they feel that's cooler than telling the truth, and can then laugh with their co-workers about how that "dumb" pedestrian believed their lying story. But no, I'm going to raise my theoretical son to be an honest boy. No more lies.

A couple of months ago I was at the Old Severn Bridge near Bristol. (bit like the Golden Gate Bridge but a bit smaller.) There was a 4 person Drone team there. I spoke to them they were friendly but said they could not tell me the name of the project they were working on. We discussed flying/filming around a bridge over an estuary. Mainly wind and lighting problems. Also that they were (obviously) doing B roll on tracking shots of a vehicle crossing the bridge.


They just said the could not name the movie or give any more information on it.
I pointed out that perhaps they should have a working title on the sticks not the actual name of the film.......

Wikipedia has a page on the book and noted that this year a film was due to be made but had no other details. The plot of the film is set in the area the bridge is in and the story takes place on both sids of the river.

I don't know why they could not identify the film.
If it was just the Drone crew SOP or instructions from the producers but other than giving the name they were quite friendly and polite.
If a little stressed due to the wind/weather and fading light.

 

[puredrifting]

What is the point of this? I've worked with people who do the same, act all secretive about what they're shooting, but 9 times out of 10, I feel like there's no good reason to hide what we're shooting from random people. It's not like it's actually a secret shoot or any of us signed NDAs.

90% of my client work is under NDA. Pharma, Entertainment, Lobbying Groups in DC, Military, etc. My own work, I share as much as I can if it's something worth sharing.

 

[Alex H.]

Not sure how we went from Canon layoffs to lying to the public about why we’re shooting on location to... whatever that was, but this thread took a dark and very inappropriate turn. Please leave politics and religion out of it.

 

[Alex H.]

I have deleted more posts, made since the last round of cleanup. I thought I was clear. Apparently not.

Thread closed. There will be no more public warnings about religion/politics for the folks involved here.