FilmConvert is adding new camera profiles practically faster than the cameras themselves can be made. This time around it’s DJI’s latest micro four thirds drone camera, the Zenmuse X5.
“Drones have revolutionized the shooting world in the past couple of years, and the Zenmuse X5 is the next evolution - the first Micro 4/3rds camera sensor built specifically for aerial photography and cinematography … and with the new FilmConvert profile, you can create beautiful, cinema-quality images (with the Zenmus X5) with a few simple clicks.” - FilmConvert press release
The drone camera (which can also be used with the DJI OSMO handheld gimbal) can capture in 4K or 1080p at up to 6o frames per second. The nice thing about this micro four thirds drone rig is that it captures a very cinematic 12.8 stops of dynamic range, which will give FilmConvert a tremendous amount of latitude with which to create a proper film look.
Since the Zenmuse X5 is very similar in design to the original OSMO X3 camera, it’s likely that FilmConvert just made a few tweaks of their OSMO camera profile, which came out a few weeks ago. Both can shoot in 4K Raw, along with 12 megapixel stills.
“The large number of built-in camera profiles allow you get the precise look you want, whether you are shooting in log or rec709. Also, these profiles allow you to match the color grade of different cameras more easily on multi-cam shoots. Simply, no other grading software gives such great results with such little work.” - Mark Wyatt, Winner of FilmConvert Competition 2014
If you’re not familiar with what FilmConvert does, they create camera profiles based on every film emulsion out there and then customize them to the digital characteristics of the cameras they create them for.
“We work with a wide range of popular cameras to deliver the most precise picture profiles available,” the website says. “We then use those profiles to match to your chosen film stocks to create a stunning and accurate result, allowing authentic Film Stock looks across a wide range of cameras and settings.”
The camera profiles they create are based on nearly 20 different film stocks including the Kodak Vision 3 series, Fuji H300 Pro, Velva and Super X, as well as numerous black and white negatives. They use a complex grain algorithm that doesn’t just put a layer of grain on top of the image, but calculates that impact on the underlying colors as if the grain was directly within the matrix, just like regular film.
It’s available as a free 30-day trial, and you can download it here, and since each stand alone license is $149 (plugins are $50), you may as well buy the whole thing at but at only $220.
The FilmConvert bundle offers:
- Cross Platform
- Adobe Plugin (+Photoshop)
- Final Cut Pro
- OFX Plugin: DaVinci Resolve, Scratch, Sony Vegas
- Avid Media Composer Plugin
- FilmConvert Stand-Alone
Available for just about every NLE as a plugin or stand alone, and in both Windows and OS X.
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