[Andi Lo]

These days when I watch a movie or a TV show I seem to notice things I didn't notice before, like how the shot has some purple fringing, or that the lens they're using has a six blade aperture from the bokeh Anyone else in the same boat?

[Nesster]

I noticed they were using a lens with an aspherical element in Gossip Girl, in an outdoor shot with oof lights in the background. The telltale signs were clear...

[Ratmagiclady]

I usually notice more the really bad camera handling of extras that they would put random camera gear on handle-mount flashes and have them mime being photographers with. You'd think *everyone* in the 80's was shooting news with Canon A-series an Sears/Ricohs.

If you ever rent a George Clooney-directed movie, though, check out the commentary track. He's not an expert photographer/cinematographer in terms of technical knowledge, but he's very interested and enthusiastic. I noticed this when I picked up a copy of 'Good Night and Good Luck' and noted the old-filminess of it and decided to see if he had anything to say.

[lithos]

All press photogs still use film MF Nikons. Some of these will have hammerhead flashes on 'em. No motor winder will be visibly attached, but there's one on there if your ears are to be believed. Lenses are stuck at infinity.

Most any camera in the world came be retrofitted with LED displays in the viewfinder. Leica IIIs can have electronic rangefinding installed.

Cameras are made by the same people who make the hero's gun: using technology they've perfected that involves giving any firearm unlimited ammunition, cameras now never run out of film, batteries, or memory.*

Anyone watch CSI? I wouldn't recommend it, not until Caruso pays off his orthodontist and gets him top and bottom teeth unglued from each other. And until Jerry Bruckheimer's found dead of autoerotic asphyxiation. If, however, you are unfortunate to catch a few seconds of it, you'll notice that the male characters, when taking photos, use the viewfinder. It makes them look like they're professional and knowledgeable. It's bad portraying females on TV this way, especially in any Jerry Bruckheimer production. Females use live view, so we can see their faces.

All cameras sound like SLRs with vertical-run metal shutters. This one bugs me the most, because now that sound signifies "camera." Hence, every bastard cameraphone has a bloody recording of this play whenever you take a snap.

With a Leica and a 50mm Summicron, you can shoot anything. See Blood Diamond, where what's-her-name, Love-Interest-Girl gets some nice close-up-ish snaps of refugees in a camp when they're about thirty metres away.

After dragging your camera through four wars, five revolutions, one thousand miles of desert, two thousand of jungle, a toxic chemical spill, and a night out in Ipswich, it'll still be fine. Finish won't even be scratched.

Any photojournalists (you know, the "cool" ones who cover wars and stuff, not the stiffs working for the papers) will have one camera. It'll be the least versatile camera you could pick: a Leica M.

And just like in real life, no one shoots Pentax .

*IMPORTANT PRODUCT NOTICE: The manufacturer of these weapons and cameras wishes to inform their customers that there have been reports of firearms jamming right when they've got that one clear shot at the antagonist, or in other tense situations. Similarly, there are reports of the cameras running out of film right when the alien spaceship takes off.

[stevebrot]

And just like in real life, no one shoots Pentax .

Unless the movie is a "B"-grade flick. What was that one where the ghost is only visible in photos? There is a scene where a guy is snuffed through his Pentax viewfinder.

Steve

(Live dangerously...use a Pentax...)

[Ratmagiclady]

Product placement....

[jsherman999]

These days when I watch a movie or a TV show I seem to notice things I didn't notice before, like how the shot has some purple fringing, or that the lens they're using has a six blade aperture from the bokeh Anyone else in the same boat?

Always. I kinda wish I didn't notice this stuff as much as I do. PF is everywhere.
I notice the cool techniques just as much though, and I have to say that there
are some brilliant photographers shooting film and video.

And I'm not just noticing it in the film/TV mediums. My wife overheard me reading
a picture book to my little guy before bedtime the other day:

"And this is a a mother orangutan and her baby. It seems to be tragically
underexposed and heavily cropped. This is a mother duck and seven ducklings,
quack, quack! Too bad about the ridiculously high ISO level and the feeble
attempt at noise reduction in PP. Quack, quack. Here's a mare and her foal.
Apparently that lens has some issues wide-open. Neigh! yes, neigh."


.

[krypticide]

I also see a lot of issues with focusing, though mostly on TV shows. The fact that shows are often in HD now makes the focusing issues even more noticeable.

[Andi Lo]

"And this is a a mother orangutan and her baby. It seems to be tragically
underexposed and heavily cropped. This is a mother duck and seven ducklings,
quack, quack! Too bad about the ridiculously high ISO level and the feeble
attempt at noise reduction in PP. Quack, quack. Here's a mare and her foal.
Apparently that lens has some issues wide-open. Neigh! yes, neigh."


.

This made me lol hard...

@lithos: interesting observations! it's just like the "hollywood stereotypes" but with cameras!

[ll_coffee_lP]

Always. I kinda wish I didn't notice this stuff as much as I do. PF is everywhere.
I notice the cool techniques just as much though, and I have to say that there
are some brilliant photographers shooting film and video.

And I'm not just noticing it in the film/TV mediums. My wife overheard me reading
a picture book to my little guy before bedtime the other day:

"And this is a a mother orangutan and her baby. It seems to be tragically
underexposed and heavily cropped. This is a mother duck and seven ducklings,
quack, quack! Too bad about the ridiculously high ISO level and the feeble
attempt at noise reduction in PP. Quack, quack. Here's a mare and her foal.
Apparently that lens has some issues wide-open. Neigh! yes, neigh."


.

Super Awesome Post Award!!!!

c[_]

[Mike Cash]

And I'm not just noticing it in the film/TV mediums. My wife overheard me reading
a picture book to my little guy before bedtime the other day:

"And this is a a mother orangutan and her baby. It seems to be tragically
underexposed and heavily cropped. This is a mother duck and seven ducklings,
quack, quack! Too bad about the ridiculously high ISO level and the feeble
attempt at noise reduction in PP. Quack, quack. Here's a mare and her foal.
Apparently that lens has some issues wide-open. Neigh! yes, neigh."


.

Now that is just being ridiculous. You can't reasonably expect a little kid like that to know a word like "tragically".

[Nowhere Matt]

I am sure I have seen more than a few crime scene investigators actually use the point and shoot type cameras held at arm's length in some of their work but on the tele and in movies, all use slr cameras (Nikons mostly) and choose the strangest times to use the pop up flash outdoors in nearly full sun while standing four feet above the subject or murder weapon. Yeah you see ring flashes and other hotshoe mounted flashes often as well.

Lithos has the good ones in his post though.

[Alfisti]

Purple fringing, i see it all the time now.

[Gooshin]

i'll always pay attention to the out of focus highlights, so much that i stop paying attention to the movie.

but its cool, cuz they are like traingular sometimes!

[mischivo]

The only people that should be paying attention to any of these details are cinematographers. When anyone else starts noticing, it's a telltale sign of a poor narrative.