A Genuine Same Day Edit Wedding video

Same Day Edits are very difficult. At it's worse it can be a videographer's most horrific nightmare and at its best, it's controlled chaos. The truth is that it is nearly impossible to create a very polished and flawless video with a couple hours to edit. 

Today, actually it was about a few hours ago, this video was played for a couple at their wedding reception. There are lots of imperfections because of the limited editing time, but is still shares a beautiful story of Shelly and Del. (I did about 5 mins of some audio and color tweaks. Sorry.)

A lot of companies don't post their Same Day Edits as they were shown at the actual wedding reception, but rather a video that has been re-edited significantly. We refuse to do that because we want to give our potential couples a realistic idea of what they can expect, but more so to be real and honest with ourselves as artists with the given limitations. 

Please enjoy. 

Shot on Sony a7s, Sony a7ii, and Canon 5d Mark iii with various Canon and Sony Lenses. 

Mitakon Zhongyi 50mm f/0.95 Day 1

Mitakon Zhongyi 50mm f/0.95 Review Day 1 from Makai Creative on Vimeo.

I just got my Mitakon 50mm f/0.95 lens! I used it one day and made this little video. Paired up with a Sony a7s or a7ii and this is an amazing set up. Music: Licensed via The Music Bed. Software: Graded and Edited in Final Cut Pro X FPCX using Color Grading Central Color Finale

I just received the new Mitakon Zhongyi 50mm f/0.95 lens. First of all, the box it is delivered in has a lot of wow factor. Secondly, as soon as you pick up the lens, you know it's not some cheap plastic lens; this lens is built like a tank and is really heavy. In fact, when I used it in my water housing that was previously buoyant with my Sony 28-70mm lens, this 50mm lens would sink the housing. 

This is a completely manual lens and the iris and focus controls are buttery smooth, but a little stiff. I prefer it be a little hard to turn so you don't get the jerkiness that some lenses have. It is a de-clicked aperture ring so it's even more buttery. 

After day 1 with this lens, I can't think of any cons. It's exactly what I expected and more. I used my Sony a7ii in this video to help with the stability. This fast lens coupled with the sony a7s is the low light king. I can't wait to include this in the Hawaii wedding videography and wedding photography scene. This will sure be a very dynamic piece of glass to add to the arsenal. There will be more videos and photos to follow with more depth in specifics, but I just had to get this short video out. 

A Hike: Bringing Stability to the Bumpy Trail with the Sony a7ii

Sony recently released the second generation of their full-frame mirrorless a7. The a7 mark ii or a7ii has many new features, but the most advanced feature is that the large sensor sits on a 5-axis stabilization system. This new feature is great for photography because it allows for lower shutter speeds while taking handheld shots, but is more advantageous for videography and cinematography where handheld shots are commonly rendered useless because of the camera shake. 

In this video, every single shot is handheld! If you have any experience with handheld video shots, you will understand how much this new stabilization works. I did a variety of shots: panning/slider, rack focus, combination of both, following shots were I was walking, and normal stationary shots. (Disclaimer: I did add some stabilization in post.)

Additionally, this camera has sLog2 options which is a setting that allows a lot of flexibility in post. My favorite feature of the s Log 2 is that it allows for a dramatic dynamic range. If you notice the shots that have subject and the clouds, I purposely framed that image to show the clouds because you can see the details in the bright clouds while not improperly exposing the subjects. Thanks to Denver Riddle at Color Grading Central for the new Color Finale that is perfect for color correction. 

Overall, this first real life test has confirmed that purchasing this little camera was a really good idea. I am so excited to bring this to the Hawaii wedding photography and videography realm.