Vidya Revolution
A week or so ago I purchased a spanking brand new DJI Osmo Pocket 3 camera - a strange looking device with a 1 inch sensor that captures video in 4k at 60fps with log footage. The log format is one which works by creating a very un-contrasty clip which can be manipulated in the post production process rather than depending on the inner workings of the camera itself.
Before selling all my old video kit, I thought I’d better use it on a proper job just in case it didn’t meet my needs for professional purposes. I needn’t have worried as the video below exhibits.
Emberside in my home village of Warkworth is a newly-renovated house which is now one of the highest-end holiday homes in the area. The day of shooting was pretty grim in terms of weather, and the owner was happy with interiors only. I’ll head back in late spring to capture exterior stills and footage.
The stills shoot was quite challenging in some areas of the house, as I had little ambient light to work with. Trying to keep things looking natural needs a gentle hand with artificial light. After a couple of hours it was time to break out the Pocket 3. Everyone was curious about the little device I was using as they were used to seeing a huge DJI Ronin rig and Nikon camera with a monitor screen attached.
This thing will change the whole vibe of my video work. It captures a view equivalent to an 18mm lens as opposed to the ridiculously wide 12mm Laowa lens on my Nikon Z6ii setup. I never liked the ultra-wide view beloved of estate agencies everywhere, and using a tighter field of view forced a more careful approach to composition which suits holiday home work by focusing on detail rather than space. The low-light capability of this thing is amazing, and in darker environments, there’s a specific low-light mode which is nothing short of miraculous. I didn’t have to utilise it on this occasion, but it’s there if I need it.
The only thing I had a bit of difficulty with is ensuring accurate focusing using a tiny screen. I inadvertantly did something on the screen which knocked my focus off during the kitchen sweeps, and the resulting clips were totally unusable. It just meant a five minute re-visit the following day to get the footage again. Operating the camera is a cinch, and by changing some settings like the speed of the gimbal movements, you can achieve smooth footage easily. My ninja-walk needs some practice, but I’ll get there.
The D-log footage didn’t need much work at all in Adobe Premiere Pro, as I quite liked the low-contrast results straight out of camera. I just added a touch of contrast and saturation, tweaked exposure here and there, and straightened a few wonky angles to get the clips I needed. Putting the final edit together took an hour or so, and off it went to the client. Job’s a good’un.
I’ve still got some improvement to make in capturing and editing video, but once I’m completely at home with this new camera, it’ll be a wonderful tool to get the results I want at a modest cost to my clients.
In time, I might even create some social media video presence. I’ve recorded bits of vertical video footage for potential future posts, so we’ll see.
