Cinematographer Yang Zitao's Notes

From KineRAW-MINI, KineMAX 6K, TERRA 6K, TERRA 4K to today's MAVO S35, cinematographer Yang Zitao (KT) has always been a devoted fan of Kinefinity cameras. "I've always been fascinated by the exceptional image quality and color science that Kinefinity cameras deliver! Beyond the compact body and low power consumption, the manufacturer engages in in-depth communication with customers and continually refines their cameras based on user feedback. And of course, the lightning-fast after-sales service is another important reason I've consistently supported Kinefinity!" In this article, KT discusses equipment choices and configurations from both solo and team shooting perspectives, using a lingerie commercial as his case study.

Angel Wings

Yang Zitao (KT Yang) — Cinematographer & Colorist, Senior Kinefinity Camera User

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Five years ago, I was working in the editorial department of a local TV station, uploading various commercials—which meant I got to watch a large volume of TVC productions from Beijing and Shanghai ad agencies every day. Since my background was in graphic design, I was fascinated by advertising visuals, so I secretly started shooting my own material. But I couldn't find my footing and didn't know which camera was right for me. After researching online, I bought a BMPCC Pocket Cinema Camera and started teaching myself video production. But the sensor was too small. After much deliberation, I settled on a refurbished KineRAW-MINI. When I got it, the footage quality blew me away! My close friend runs a lingerie factory that regularly needs high-quality short film productions. After a test shoot with the KineRAW-MINI, they were very satisfied, and we've maintained our collaboration to this day. Through that relationship I met a solid team, and together we made many short films. After leaving the TV station, I joined that team to shoot TVCs and narrative films. Over the past five years—whether shooting solo or as a team—Kinefinity cameras have been our primary workhorse! This is thanks to their modular design, which handles a wide variety of shooting scenarios and lets cinematographers stay composed in any situation—no more choosing between portability and professionalism! Below I'll walk through my equipment setups for both solo and team shoots.

Solo Shooting

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The MAVO is actually a very well-suited camera for solo work. The body height is roughly the same as a pack of cigarettes, and with the sliding plate and iron-head handle, the weight and feel are excellent. I added a sliding-plate bracket to the 7-inch monitor for quick attachment and removal—this whole setup basically requires no screwdrivers. The KineBACK-Lite is very lightweight; using it as a power interface significantly reduces the burden during shoots, and even after multiple consecutive shooting days, your arm won't feel exhausted. The FUJI MK18-55 is my most-used lens—although it's a Sony E-mount, it's a true cinema zoom in the strictest sense. It was designed for the Sony FS5 and FS7, but Kinefinity's E-mount adapter perfectly captures this 'bonus'—such a compact cinema zoom is ideal for solo work! I also keep a Samyang 21mm T1.5 for low-light indoor or gimbal situations, and a DULENS APO 85mm as a telephoto complement. That's basically all I need. The 1000-nit KineMON-7H high-brightness monitor is plenty in most conditions; for intense sunlight I'll add a sun shade, and if that's still not enough, I have the EVF.

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Although 98% of the time I'm shooting handheld in slow-motion, I occasionally use the Accsoon solo gimbal. I've done the comparison—a MAVO with the slim back and a V-mount battery isn't much heavier than a Canon 5D with a battery grip. The 135Wh battery powers the MAVO for close to four hours, so I only need to bring three batteries per shoot—and I often don't even use the spare. The MAVO's power consumption is perfectly suited for long outdoor days! Due to Chinese airline regulations allowing no more than two lithium batteries above 100Wh per person (and none above 150Wh), whenever I fly to a location shoot I can only bring two 135Wh batteries plus one 98Wh backup. The MAVO's ultra-low power consumption is exactly what lets me handle these out-of-town shoots with ease. The MAVO's thermal management is also excellent! I often shoot from 9am until sunset in 35–38°C direct sunlight, and the MAVO has never crashed—operating temperature always stays within a reasonable range. Very reliable. During handheld shoots, I habitually use a saddle bag to maintain energy and smooth camera movement—I've been using that bag for over three years, a great companion on set. Highly recommended! For casual location shooting I typically record in ProRes LT; occasionally in color grading you'll notice slight compression artifacts, but sharpness is essentially on par with ProRes HQ. A 500GB SSD is easily enough for two days of shooting.

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Team Shooting

This is the most frequently used configuration when our team works together. Since I prioritize compact, high-quality, reasonably-priced lenses for everyday use, the lens choices are essentially the same as my solo setup. Occasionally I'll use the LAOWA 12mm wide-angle or a Canon 70-200mm telephoto, but those situations are relatively rare.

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The biggest difference from the solo setup is that I swap to the KineBACK-W, which features a full range of professional ports for better compatibility between various pieces of equipment on team shoots. This back supports the Movcam DarkTower wireless video transmitter—I tried it once and it was very convenient—but since I wanted to invest that budget elsewhere, I went with the Vaxis Storm 600FT instead, which is also very stable. For the top handle, I use the SmallRig universal top handle—wide, comfortable grip, and both sides of the rail support 15mm rod clamps, giving the body more attachment points for accessories. I'm very happy with this handle, though since it can't mount on the Movcam top plate, I don't use the official top plate. The KineMOUNT and its adapters are all excellent—the screwless adapter-swapping mechanism is very sensible, letting me freely swap between Sony E-mount and Canon EF-mount on set, or even Leica M-mount or Nikon mount. I love shoulder-mount shooting—it adds a subtle breathing quality and allows interaction with characters and story. No accessory replaces the directness of shooting shoulder-mounted. In shoulder work the EVF is critical: it eliminates eye strain from a close monitor, prevents neck strain from a high monitor, and adds a third contact point making the rig more stable. I've been tinkering with EVF setups for the MAVO for several years—from the Cineroid EVF4 to the SmallHD 501 to a modified Blackmagic EVF—wasting around 30,000 RMB in the process—until Kinefinity released their own. The latency from MAVO output to KineEVF is extremely low, meaning I no longer need to shoot with both eyes open to avoid tripping—haha. If I were to rate each MAVO accessory, the EVF would absolutely get my highest score.

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In this configuration, the KineMON-7H essentially serves as a playback monitor. I usually mount it on the side of the camera so the assistant can watch during the take, and after the take I flip it up to review playback myself. The KineMON-7H has a built-in accelerometer that keeps the image right-side-up no matter how the monitor is rotated—just like the ARRI small monitor. It may seem like a minor feature, but it significantly improves shooting efficiency. Firmware version 6.3 also added false color to both the monitor and KineEVF, which works essentially the same as on ARRI cameras—meaning those of us who also rent ARRI cameras have absolutely no learning curve with this feature.

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A Shoot Story

For projects with modest budgets, I prioritize the art department first—because production design is strictly one cent, one quality level, and if it's inadequate, no shooting skill will achieve the desired result. Next I satisfy lighting needs; for outdoor shoots we generally use more budget-efficient lighting approaches. Only then do I consider cameras and lenses. I believe this is a rational way to allocate a budget. For the Salani 2020 spring/summer lingerie commercial, I chose the MAVO LF as the A-camera and the TERRA 4K as the B-camera. Due to budget constraints and limited time, this two-minute commercial needed to be shot in 16 hours.

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Because this commercial required rapid shooting, I used the MAVO LF on the Ronin-2 as the primary setup—for outdoor moving shots this saved us the time of laying tracks. The Ronin-2 performs excellently with comprehensive connections and great compatibility with the MAVO LF. Because the Movcam bottom plate for the MAVO LF can slide forward and backward, rebalancing after attaching a matte box or swapping lenses only requires simple front-to-back adjustment—very efficient! The MAVO LF doesn't need to be wired to the stabilizer externally; all signals run internally through the Ronin-2, eliminating cable snag risk. For power, since I was concerned that sharing a battery with the Ronin-2 might affect its runtime, I used a dedicated 135Wh V-mount battery for the camera. The TERRA 4K served as a close-up camera fixed on a tripod, with both cameras sharing one set of prime lenses. During the night shoot, since model fees were very high we needed to accelerate. With insufficient lighting, we only had portable LEDs on hand—but fortunately both the MAVO LF and TERRA 4K have dual native ISO, which got us through this emergency. Back at the office reviewing the footage, the signal-to-noise ratio was genuinely excellent—it saved me. I was quietly grateful I'd rented the MAVO LF rather than using my own MAVO S35. In terms of color, the LF and TERRA 4K are very well matched—at the extremes, the LF shows slightly better noise performance and dynamic range, but matching the footage is nearly effortless. For this project, the color grade was determined during the pre-production meeting—since the first half takes place in a dream world, I applied atmosphere-enhancing filters and shifted the colors away from realism to evoke a sense of searching within a dream. However, the client wanted more lingerie detail shown, which is somewhat at odds with a narrative-driven commercial, so we decided to shoot everything at high frame rates, then let the editor speed up sections advancing the story and keep the slow-motion for the aesthetic showcase sections. All Kinefinity cinema cameras maintain their peak image quality at high frame rates—which is exactly why we chose to shoot entirely overcranked! The higher the frame rate, the more latitude it gives post-production. The first half received heavy stylized treatment, yet skin tones remain natural and true. With Kinefinity cinema cameras as my foundation, I can direct more of my attention to the script, composition, camera movement, lighting, and art direction—pushing past my own limitations and seeing a broader future. Kinefinity has been quietly working for many years, consistently dedicated to solving the cinematography needs of small and medium studios, independent teams, and solo cinematographers. I'm glad China has a camera manufacturer like this, and I hope the road ahead is even longer.