Macie Setups

[Shootblue]

Curious if you all could ballpark me a figure for a setup price for Macie. Does it vary from camera to camera? Roughly how much was yours and for what model?

[GTT]

We send our D-600s to Macie and he is the best!
$420 for Sony D-600. Obivously check with them for other models. 888-MACIEVIDEO (888-622-4384).

[woodberry]

is it possible to purchase a "pre-made" set-up card from Macie? I understand that no 2 cameras are exactly the same (even if they are the same make and model)...but I am wondering if he has basic set-up cards (low contrast, film look, etc) that would at least tweak a camera to a certain degree with out putting it on a bench. I am a staff photographer and I use a DNW-7 SX camera...Our engineers are willing to help us tweak our cameras, but unfortunately they are always swamped with other work and never seem to have the time to fool with such things. A pre-made set-up card sounds like it could be a good fix...many of us are not terribly happy with the factory set-up that these cameras arrived with.

thanks

[Shootblue]

The setup vareis from camera to camera based on lenses as I believe, so its not really practical.

[eugalc]

Shootblue is right. It does vary from camera to camera depending on the lens, and that the guts of cameras are so complex that each needs it's own tweaking and adjustments.

[Lensmith]

Macie does an awsome job...however your cost depends on the camera and lens. The set up is achieved by engineers working for an hourly rate of US$180 an hour. It's more than a one hour job. You also have to add in the cost of shipping your camera to and from the Macie shop which can easily add up to more than a couple of hundred dollars above and beyond the hourly shop rate.

The end product is well worth it...if you can afford it ;o)

[SHOOTFIRST]

Not to say I want to run anyone out of buisness.....BUT!!!! Hey I did some fooling around with the matrix setup in the engineering menus of my camera...(DNW 7)... I got some really nice warm colors out of it and it seemed to just punch up everything....

If you dont have the cash for set up cards...Most Sony cameras (I believe) have two matrix tables...A and B...I left one on the preset settings from the factory and tweaked the second menu...So when I am on a shoot I can flip over to it if it works for that lighting situation....

What might be interesting is if anyone else has done the same and has tried some settings for effect...why not post them here and basically start a collection of "reciepe cards" so you get to a shoot want a certain look, punch it into the table and BAM!! Nice look to shot....

Just a suggestion...

Cheers

[SHOOTFIRST]

P.S.

I do understand that each camera is different and by no means will this idea be a quick fix...but it's worth a thought right???

[woodberry]

shootfirst...

i think we may be on the same wavelength. I understand that to truely pump up a camera a qualified engineer (like Macie) or tech needs to put it on a bench and hook it up to scopes, etc. I am simply wondering if there are ANY common matrix settings (that are different from factory defaults), despite the lense, that a camera (such as a DNW-7) could benefit from? Again, I am an experienced staff photog, but I don't pretend for one moment that I have the "eye" or engineering prowress to quantifiably see the difference from a DNW-7 set up with a Canon lens to a 7 set-up with a Fuji. I am just wondering that if for a few denerios a fellow like Macie could possibly make a set up card (without putting the camera on a bench) that could help me achieve the look I am hoping for...?

[SHOOTFIRST]

Well....To say I have any engineering background...Well, I would be lying...Simply put...I took a production monitor that was calibrated by the engineers and used a...err..well a playboy calender FOR FLESH TONES!! Really!!! Strictly professional. Anyways...Set the poster up shot a 3200k light on it and when the camera was on preset settings...she didnt look as tanned...well, playing around with the matrix settings until she looked the smae in the monitor as on the wall..

I could post my settings...(do remember my settings were used for a particular spot...with a lot of faces...settings would need to change slightly for individual looks....) But if your interested to know my "reciepe card" let me know..

Cheers

[Tippster]

Originally posted by SHOOTFIRST:
...and used a...err..well a playboy calender FOR FLESH TONES!! Really!!! Strictly professional. Anyways...Set the poster up shot a 3200k light on it and when the camera was on preset settings...she didnt look as tanned...well, playing around with the matrix settings until she looked the smae in the monitor as on the wall...Pfft... rookie. Didn't you get the "Live Model Only" memo? ;)

[mknisely]

It's sad that you spend top dollar for a camera and it comes with really bad defacto settings. Roger Macie set up our cameras (Panasonic AJ-D610's) and they look awesome. Even though the "setup" is near true color reproduction, the greens and cyan's are not exceptional. However, I noticed on a day like today when I had crystal clear sky those colors of the spectrum really do POP compared to the factory or defacto settings. Gamma, Chroma, Skin detail and coring are amazing. It has taken our product from not being uniform in over image quality to total unity. It was money well spent!

Peace.
Matt

[Run&Gun]

It was a little over $400(?)if I remember correctly. I really recomend having Roger set your camera up, especially if you're shooting network. Skin tones are really beautiful after he gets done. He puts about 8 or 9 "looks" in your camera, some of which are very helpful in certain situations, especially the "high contrast" and "low contrast" set-ups.

If you're wondering about him doing a set-up card without the camera, just call and ask him(never hurts to ask). He'll be more than happy to jump on the phone and talk to you. He's a very nice guy and loves to talk about cameras. If he would be willing to do it, it may not be as "perfect" as the camera can be if you had sent it in, but it WILL be better than the factory set-up, especially if it's a Sony. As a matter of fact, he told me Sony is starting to loosely match his set-up on some of their newer cameras(that's why the D-35's and D-50's look so good out of the box compared to a D-600 or DigiBeta).

The way I understand it is, he needs the camera with the lens because every camera and lens is different and he is basically dialing the camera in until it matches an overlay of points on a vectorscope that correspond to each "look" that he's developed. I know that he does more to them than just that, but you get the basic idea. The nice thing about digital cameras is the fact you can't really mess them up too bad. If you want to play around with the look of your camera yourself and don't like it or create something horrible, just do a reset in the menu and you're back to square one. No harm, no foul.

Another plus about Roger setting up your camera, it's tax deductible! :)