I've talked about these lenses before, but today we're going to go just a bit deeper into what they are, why I love them, and why my new set has really changed how I look at scopes generally. This is a LONG video, so if you don't like rants, run now. If you enjoy the details, buckle up cause this one's full of them :-) Things mentioned in the video include: The Scope Series by Media Division: https://www.youtube.com/@MediaDivision/search?query=scope "Anamorphic Channel" by Tito Farradans: https://www.youtube.com/@AnamorphicChannel/videos New Life Cine: https://newlifecine.com/ The Keep Camera: https://www.thekeepcamera.com/ The Keep Camera Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the.keep.camera/ Northwest Camera Co: https://www.youtube.com/@NorthwestCameraCo/videos V35 Project: https://www.v35project.com/

Another quick look at some lenses from the showroom floor at NAB Show 2025. I didn't get a lot of time to test them, hopefully that changes some day soon :-)

Ever wondered what it's like to go from indie filmmaking to working for Amazon Prime? Let's talk to Shea William Vanderpoort who directed the series finale of Harlem. My thanks to Shea for sitting down with me for this interview about his journey, directing, and all things filmmaking. You might not have expected this channel to turn into a long-form interview format, but it's well worth the change of pace for the amazing stuff in this chat. I hope you all enjoy it! Find Shea on instagram at https://www.instagram.com/sheawilliamvanderpoort/

Apologies for the slightly hot/saturated audio. Keep checking back for more from the NAB showroom floor. Hope you're enjoying the coverage! #NABShow2025 #NABShow #NAB #cinematography #lenses #dzofilm

Just a quick look at the Blazar Mantis 1.3x anamorphic from the showroom floor of NABShow 2025. Plenty of test footage including a close look at the flares, and my thoughts on these lenses, Blazar as a company, and the budget anamorphic space generally. Enjoy! And stay tuned for more NAB 2025 coverage.

For those of you who have been following along, this is a HUGE step forward in my journey towards completing my first independent full-length feature. This block of shooting was a BLAST, and I cannot wait to get the remaining pages in the can and start editing! Thanks for all your support.

A really fun update today featuring some very unique lenses from Laowa. Enjoy!

About to start shooting my first feature, using this setup. Wish me luck!

Full review of the Simera-C lens set in M Mount. I know there isn't a ton of demo footage here; I only received the lenses about a week ago, and I just wanted to get this video out as fast as possible. I'll probably post more footage from these gems as I continue to shoot with them. Below are links to some things I mention in the review. Feel free to hit me in the comments if you want to know anything else that I didn't cover. Get the Simera-C set here: https://www.thypoch.store/?ref=NICKSALAZAR - use code NICKSALAZAR at checkout for free shipping. Here are the adapters I'm using (they had the least play of everything I tested): TTArtisan E to M mount (for Sony cameras): https://amzn.to/42qmi4G TTArtisan RF to M mount (for Canon and RED cameras): https://amzn.to/42iEQUs Comparisons of Simera to Leica lenses: Phillipreeve.net: https://phillipreeve.net/blog/hands-on-thypoch-simera-28mm-1-4-and-35mm-1-4/ Fredmiranda.com: https://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/1878983/ and https://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/1825553/ How to correct for vignette in Resolve: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8lEkgZ9ptM

I preordered these a while back and now they’re here. “But Nick,” you say. “Didn’t these JUST become available for preorder?” Why yes dear viewer, that’s true. But the lenses were shown at IBC back in September, and I absolutely hounded Thypoch/DZOFilm for weeks and weeks until they took my money for an M mount set. And now that my set is here, I can’t wait to start shooting and tell you why I think these are some of the most important lenses in the market today.

Some silly test shots from a little New Year's celebration at the Salazar household. I wanted to see, for myself, how much anamorphic lens flare is "too much?" Some people go by a rule of "one flare per edit." But for me ... the limit might not exist, especially on the Xelmus lenses ;-) Happy New Year everyone!

Three strikes and it's out for this one. Maybe this camera works well for some folks, but here's why I don't recommend it.

Just one of those little parts I needed to exist, but didn't ... so I made it! Get yours at https://www.fzerocamera.com/plastic

Here's a very fun little experient I did with the legendary Xelmus Anamorphic lenses. Again, a BIG thanks to Riley Hanlon for lending me these lenses, and letting me experiment with them. Check out his ShareGrid rental listing, which is (as far as I know) the ONLY set you can currently rent with the ability to mount rotated: https://www.sharegrid.com/denver/l/337363-xelmus-apollo-anamorphic-prime-lens-series Or check out Xelmus in general, at https://www.xelmus.com/

Big thanks to Riley Hanlon for loaning me these lenses. Check out his listing for them on ShareGrid: https://www.sharegrid.com/denver/l/337363-xelmus-apollo-anamorphic-prime-lens-series Or check out Xelmus in general, at https://www.xelmus.com/

Okay, this one is me in full-on rant mode. If you prefer to see fun demo footage from a new lens, that's next week's video. If you like hearing an old man be grumpy on YouTube, then this one's for you.

Fair warning - this one really does drone on for a while. If you don't want to hear me talk aimlessly, feel free to move on. I won't hold it against you :-)

As I start to get familiar with my new Sony A9 iii, I’ve been trying to find out how to make it play nicely with some of the stuff I use on my larger RED camera. This little beauty from Breakthrough Photography helped seal the deal! Since lots of folks keep asking: the right-angle USB cable on the LiDAR and focus motor is a DJI product, which I bought right here: https://amzn.to/3YLQ3uK

Just another useless test that you probably wish had been conducted differently. Enjoy!

I took a flier on this thing, and so far it's been very rewarding. Not perfect, but a lot better than the reviews had led me to believe. Here's why this might just be my new favorite small camera.

This rant has been in my head for a WHILE now. I hope it doesn't offend too badly, but even so I feel like it needed to be said.

As usual, this one is a bit of a rant. Enjoy :-)

I wasn’t thrilled with the standard DZOFilm lens caps, but found a solution with a combination of Aliexpress and 3D printing. I got the 95mm caps on Aliexpress. They're absurdly inexpensive, fit great, and they're very well made (metal lined with flannelette): https://www.aliexpress.com/item/3256803952269152.html Here's the STL for the lens cap toppers I designed, for those of you who want to print them yourself or play around. https://www.nicksalazar.com/files/95mm-cap-toppers.zip Or, if you want to go for custom caps, you can get them from Simmod or Cordvision. They appear to be basically the same construction as the Aliexpress caps, but with nice custom graphics options and still very decently priced. Simmod: https://www.simmodlens.com/product-page/95mm-o-d-custom-lens-caps-all-brands Cordvision: https://www.cordvision.com/shop/95mm-cine-rings-and-caps/95mm-deluxe-cine-lens-cap-optionally-marked/

I’ve been playing with the DJI Lidar system and it is really fun. But with my set up getting heavier and heavier, I wanted to see how far I could push the Ronin RS3 Pro. Turns out it’s pretty robust. 

For those of you who want to see more sample footage from my Raptor X or the DZOFilm Arles, enjoy! For those of you who think I talk about Arles too much ... well, this video may not be your favorite. I fell in love with the 50mm and 100mm demo lenses I got to review, so I bought the full set. This video explains why, and includes demo footage from all focal lengths.

A longer-form view of my take on this very interesting lens. Big thanks to XEEN for letting me take a look at it. Stay tuned for more gear stuff. It's an exciting time if you like nerding out about cameras.

This underappreciated lens set has been on my radar for a while now. It's a modern, VERY fast, clean set by the folks who make what has been one of the most popular budget cine primes ever (the original XEEN set). While the original XEEN lenses are getting a little long in the tooth, the newer Meister line definitely caught my attention. What are they like? Let's find out together. This is just my first look, and I'll be going more in-depth with them, so let me know if there's anything in particular you'd like me to test.

Sometimes, I really want a stripped down ultralight camera rig. Canon's tiny RF lenses and other modern glass fits the bill really well, with some very impressive little optics. They even have their own integrated focus motors. So why can't we leverage those motors with wireless follow focus products? The ONLY obstacle is software. Canon, RED, Sony, Nikon, Fujifilm, Olympus, etc... can you make this work please? So far RED is the only one who has even dipped their toe into this space, but it requires an iPhone and is cumbersome to say the least.

At first, this is a quick tip on using Power Windows for vignette control, and then we get into a slightly deeper dive on when, how, and why this is helpful. Lens design, exposure, and noise floor all come into play. Also, for more information on the F-Zero Camera demonstrated toward the end of the video, head to https://www.youtube.com/@fzerocamera or https://www.fzerocamera.com

By request, here's a bit of a breakdown of how I tend to shoot with the RED V-Raptor [X]. Come to think of it though, "RED V-Raptor [X]" is becoming a bit of a mouthful. I've seen "X-Raptor" used as shorthand and I think I like that, but I worry it might be confusing. Any other suggestions? Just "Raptor" maybe?

This is a long one, so here are the topics: 1. Lens Compression doesn't exist. 2. Equivalency of Lenses exists, and it's important. 3. Anamorphics don't work as commonly described. 4. If you have some time to listen to this overlong rant, I'd love your opinion on my "lens quest" and the idea of buying just one exotic lens. If you want to look deeper into Equivalency of Lenses, then I highly recommend digging into the Depth of Field calculator by Points in Focus, which you can find here: https://pointsinfocus.com/tools/depth-of-field-and-equivalent-lens-calculator/ Also, if you dig the shallow depth-of-field thing, or want to look at more great adapted lens projects, here are a couple that have inspired me: Media Division (I LOVE this guy and all his work is fantastic): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-4uzyhbDFas DIY Perks (this project got a lot of buzz): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9cT0jXI7l4E And you can see the F-Zero Camera at https://www.fzerocamera.com

I had the opportunity to play with the Laowa Proteus anamorphics, a set of no-holds-barred cine primes that deliver a gorgeous 2x image that is rated as Super35+, but covers full frame on the V-Raptor. Thank you Laowa for sending me these lenses to play with, thanks to my wonderful family for playing dress-up with me for the test, and a huge thanks to YOU for watching! I absolutely love playing with this kind of equipment and making these videos, so thank you for your time and support. Enjoy! Quick note: toward the end of the video I mention that the Nanomorph lenses in PL mount protrude too far back to use a VND adapter. After reviewing the specs on the Laowa website, it actually looks like everything from the 35mm and longer WILL fit the Breakthrough VND. I'd have to check to be sure, but the specs line up, and given my experience with the Athena primes, it appears that using spec sheet math for that particular adapter is reliable. So I'm curious to find out. On the Nanomorph zooms, they don't have a spec sheet, but from eyeballing it, I'd *guess* that the 28-55mm doesn't fit, but that the 50-100mm would fit with the Breakthrough VND.

Thanks to SmallRig for helping me put together this little Frankenstein battery. I certainly didn't invent this idea, and you'll see similar concepts at work in a lot of modern productions. Generally the operator wears an Easyrig vest with a bunch of stuff bolted to the back (batteries, Teradek, etc), then the power and SDI cable go together in a single cable sleeve over to the camera, either handheld or on a gimbal or Stabileye. This was my first time trying something like this, and it works really well. The SmallRig batteries let me daisy-chain for 6 hours of runtime and keep the weight in my hands relatively low, even with bigger lenses. Here's what I used in the video: SmallRig VB212 Battery: https://amzn.to/4clmcxC 10-foot DTap to LEMO (for V-Raptor or Komodo X): https://amzn.to/3L65syw

See the rest of my Arles review videos at https://www.youtube.com/@nick_salazar/videos

Here’s a quick demo for those who have wondered about this combination. The breakthrough DFM is my go-to match for the Nisi Athena primes. It will clear all of them and works perfectly. It is the only twist on adapter with a drop in VMD which will clear these lenses.

Just some more of my thoughts playing with these beastly beauties. I don't think I'm finished exploring these lenses, and should have more to say soon. Any questions? Feel free to ask. Thanks for watching!

So this afternoon, the 50mm and 100mm Arles arrived at my doorstep. At the same time, DZOFilm published more information about the lineup, with details on all ten lenses. In my short time with these lenses, I am ABSOLUTELY BLOWN AWAY. These are my jam. Yes please.

Another set I really enjoyed looking at during Cinegear 2024. With the 65mm IRIX Cine lens finally shipping, the set is nearly complete. I'm sure they'll add one or two longer mid-tele lenses eventually, but for now IRIX users have to make do with a big gap between 65mm and 150mm. Other than that, the uncommon focal lengths, and the lower iris blade count, these are very strong choices in the budget space. I liked them a lot.

I finally got my hands on them! And although these demo shots are still pretty sloppy (my apologies for that), I'll soon take delivery of two demo lenses for some more careful testing. Enjoy this first look and interview.

In my continued journey down the lens rabbit hole, it was inevitable that I would arrive at the venerable and legendary Cooke Optics. As I take a quick look at their lenses, let's talk a little about the landscape of what matters, what might not matter, and how I would encourage you to think about these things. Enjoy!

In my neverending quest for the perfect lens, I found my way to the good folks at V35 Project and Northwest Camera Co. They're doing some really interesting and amazing things, and it has been a pleasure to meet them and play with their wares. They've got a really nice point of view, and I've really loved watching the evolution of this line. Check them out at https://www.v35project.com and https://nw-camera.com/ and https://www.youtube.com/@NorthwestCameraCo/videos

Okay, this is one of the coolest but simultaneously most bizarre things I saw at Cinegear 2024: the Lenswork Legacy anamorphic set. They had this front and center on their very public display, but wouldn't say anything officially on camera about it. So here I am, part of the hype machine, lapping it all up. But as it is a high-resolution rotating astigmatizer design, I'm happy to do so. This looks very interesting.

My first coverage from Cinegear 2024. I've got several more videos to come with some GREAT lenses. DZOFilm, Cooke, V35, and more. This was a FUN TRIP. Stay tuned.

Today's mirrorless cameras are amazing tools, getting ever closer in qulaity to their larger cinema counterparts. And while I'm not ready to say that they are totally fungible, footage from small cameras can certainly be intercut quite convincingly with footage from larger ones. Some of you have asked how I color-match footage from my RED V-Raptor [X] with the Canon R5 C, and this video is an example of how I do so. To be clear, it's not always the same from one project to the next. I sometimes change methods within a project, or update methods as I learn and grow. But here's a quick experiment I did yesterday out on a hike with my wife, and a demonstration of how I graded and matched the shots. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask! Enjoy!

I'm a HUGE fan of movie magic (and not just the epic mid 90's TV show, which I also loved). This video shows you how I'm going about shooting, cutting, and coloring my feature film, The Game of Life. Enjoy this early preview! And thank you all for watching.

I bought a RED V-Raptor six months ago, then upgraded it to the new global-shutter X variant as soon as it was announced back in January. Here are my thoughts about why I bought it, how I like it, and whether I'd buy it again today. As always, these are just my personal opinions, ramblings, observations, and emotions. Enjoy!

I've been googling these lenses every day since I learned about them, and new nuggets keep appearing. The more I learn about them, the more excited I get. I'm really hoping to get my hands on these soon - at least I'll get to see them in person at Cinegear in a couple weeks. Enjoy!

There are some terms that have cropped up a LOT recently in marketing langauge, and they're often used in misleading ways to manipulate an uninformed public. Let's talk about what these terms are, what they really mean, and how they're sometimes used deceptively. If you want to hear me on FULL rant mode, this video is for you. As always, I could be massively wrong, so feel free to incinerate me in the comments.

When I recently showed off the prototype I called my "Wireless Backpack," a number of you said you'd love for that solution to be publicly available. But I wasn't satisfied with the prototype. So it was back to the drawing board until I had what I wanted. This is the solution I came up with, available now at https://www.fzerocamera.com/plastic

The most popular Plastic Fantastic product is, without a doubt, our Low-Profile Monitor Clamp. This clamp lets you take a massive rig and make quite a bit more compact. These clamps work on the DSMC3 Monitor, all SmallHD monitors, and any third-party monitor using the SmallHD two-pin mount standard (Feelworld, Osee, etc). Today we announce a slightly taller version to give more clearance options. Get yours at https://www.fzerocamera.com/plastic

Yup, I'm fully obsessed, and googling these lenses every five minutes. The CVP Lens Coverage tool I mentioned is here: https://cvp.com/tools/cameralens The UK website with early pricing is here: https://www.cinegearpro.co.uk/products/dzofilm-arles-5-lens-bundle-set-vista-vision-cinema-prime-lens I'm really excited to learn more about these. Wanna do me a huge favor? Then email marketing@dzofilm.com and tell them you want me to test these out! :-)

I completely missed these at NAB, but now I'm a little bit obsessed. Here are my first thoughts on why these might be a BIG DEAL.

Okay, so as usual this is all just my opinion. Even moreso than usual because I'm not stating much in terms of technical information, but I think this is still worthy of discussion. And many of you will burn me at the stake for this one. Flame on!

Just some more exploration of lenses, rigging, and how to get the most out of the magical tool we call a cinema camera. Specifically the V-Raptor X, possibly the best camera of all time in my humble opinion. As usual, everything in this video is just my off-the-cuff rant, feel free to ignore me completely :-) Thanks to my kids and Paisley C. for modeling in these quick test shots. Oh, and Oscar too (my parrot). Great job all around, everyone!

Some thoughts, rants, and opinions on cinema technology, stills vs digital, and more. Just me thinking out loud and talking unprompted into camera. Enjoy. Also, read everything by Peter Zeihan: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Peter+Zeihan

This video is at the request of a viewer, and it's VERY quick and dirty. My apologies for the hectic and unplanned footage. Also, technically this video shows the RS3 Pro, but the max payload is the same on both models, and actually the new RS4 Pro actually has stiffer motors, so the positive result holds for both gimbals. Cheers everybody!

Just a question to myself that I decided to explore via video. Fair warning, the intro is weird, and I apologize. Enjoy!

UPDATE: NOW AVAILABLE at https://fzerocamera.com/products/wireless-backpack-system https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wj2bdHmA_lk This is my prototype solution for mounting a wireless video transmitters on a very compact RED V-Raptor X setup. This finally ticked the boxes I need, and is still reasonably elegant (if you don't mind the gaffer tape).

Dan Kanes from Atlas Lens Co was kind enough to sit down for an interview with me. This isn't your typical fast-paced YouTube consumable content. There are some real gems here, perhaps the greatest of which is just how much LOVE goes into this company and the outstanding products they make. After getting to demo some of the most amazing, exotic, expensive lenses on the planet, I just kept coming back to the Atlas booth over and over again. These lenses are something special. The feeling I get when looking at the world through Atlas lenses is hard to describe, but undeniably real. BIG THANKS to the folks at Atlas, thank you for your time and all your hard work. Watch Part 1 of my NAB coverage here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GdKrcCwTwUY&t=718s

An overview of my time at NAB 2024. Stay tuned for a more detailed look at the Mercury and Orion lenses, and an interview with Atlas co-founder Dan Kanes. Enjoy!

The Game of Life starts filming THIS WEEK! My first feature film is coming to life, and I couldn't be more excited. We will be shooting on the RED V-Raptor [X] and NiSi Athena spherical lenses. This piece-to-camera was shot on the Canon R5 C (our B-cam) and the 50mm RF f1.2 lens. For those of you following along, here's what's new in our pre-production process. Enjoy! If you want to try your hand at screenwriting or storyboarding, here are the Word template files I made for myself during to make life easier. There is no metadata or any restrictions, they're free for you to use however you wish. Screenplay Template: https://www.nicksalazar.com/files/2024_Empty_Screenplay.docx Storyboard Boxes: https://www.nicksalazar.com/files/2024_Storyboard_Boxes.docx

You asked, so here they are. Introducing the ultralight, curiously strong, wonderfully ergonomic components for RED V-Raptor and Komodo series cameras. Available now at https://www.fzerocamera.com/plastic

Just testing out a number of different ways to approach color grading. Da Vinci Resolve is an extraordinary tool that gives you SO many options. Here's my current approach to processing footage. HUGE shoutout to the Mononodes Utility DCTL, which has made my life SO much easier in this regard. Enjoy!

Just a little homebrew filter attached to my Nisi Athena lenses. I REALLY like where this is going. I might try to dial it back just a bit, but mostly this looks like what I want. I love this kind of thing. As for what it is -- right now it's my secret recipe, but I can tell you it's a combination of a couple different things, but simpler than you'd expect.

I've been going down an absolute rabbit hole in search of my "perfect" lens ... but sadly it doesn't seem to exist. In my ideal world, I'd get the optical performance of Viltrox Epic, plus the flares from Xelmus Apollo, with the form factor of Atlas Mercury. I really like the complex, multi-layered flares from lenses like the old LOMO, the Atlas Orion, and Xelmus Apollo, and I can't stand the single streak kind of most modern budget anamoprhics. The Atlas Mercury seem to have most of what I want, but I wish they were blue and not amber. I also wish they weren't $8k per lens. Anyway, I thought this Vazen might be an interesting lens. The flares seem a bit more complex than a simple streak (though not as cool as Atlas or Xelmus), but I'm not sure I like the look overall. I've got a diopter coming so I can test closer focus situations. This test shows close to minimum focus in most shots (2'8").

I really wanted to add a 15mm rod clamp onto my Red V-Raptor X, right in a spot where one wasn't meant to be mounted. So ... I got out the drill. Let's see what happens! And to be clear, I didn't test anything beforehand. I literally drilled out the part, then hit record as I tried switching everything on again for the first time. To be fair it was a very low-risk modification, but you still don't want to do this at home kids, it will definitely void your warranty. Enjoy!

I just upgraded my RED V-Raptor to the new V-Raptor X version. So how's the shadow performance? I needed to know. Here's a very quick and dirty test for you to look at. In short, it still does VERY well.

So, I bought a V-Raptor X recently. Then they announced the new X version, and I've published a couple videos with some thoughts on it here: https://youtu.be/cAUH5141fKo and here: https://youtu.be/O5YruzJodPw Now is just a basic and very unnecessary unboxing video where I open a cardboard box, then attach my basic handheld kit. But when the video got interrupted by a very cute 2-year-old, it became 10x better. Enjoy!

Want to use my sample screenplay format? It's a free download with no metadata or restrictions. Get it here: https://www.nicksalazar.com/files/2024_Empty_Screenplay.docx I also made a template for drawing storyboards. It's just a grid of eight boxes, with a little room for notes in the margins. It's right here: https://www.nicksalazar.com/files/2024_Storyboard_Boxes.docx

Okay, back on track here. My first two videos were mostly about a new RED camera. This is what I originally intended to make this channel about. I'm working on a film, and I'm going to document the journey here. This video is basically the "table of contents" as to what the remaining videos will be about. Next video will be all about the screenplay. Enjoy!

A followup from my earlier video here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cAUH5141fKo This camera is a BIG deal to me, but not for the reasons most folks are excited about. For me it's basically the "endgame" of cinema cameras, at least as I use them, and for the foreseeable future. On one hand, for the fee to upgrade you could make a lot of other choices about lighting gear, support/gaffer equipment, etc. But on the other hand, for me this is the last camera I will need for years, and I am HERE for it. Keep in mind, your mileage may vary, and I may be a complete moron and wrong about everything I say here. So take with a grain of salt! If you like these kinds of rants, feel free to subscribe, I have plenty more on the way as I work through the process of filming my first full-length feature.

Sorry for the mildly clickbaity thumbnail, I don't actually have the X yet. I have the original VV, but I'm upgrading. These are just my ramblings about what makes this camera special, new, and VERY exciting to me. Feel free to tell me I'm wrong or misguided. I'm new to RED, but I've been thrilled with my Raptor, and I immediately signed up for the upgrade to X. Anyone else got ideas about this thing? Feel free to chime in. Watch pt 2 here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5YruzJodPw