Scott says that the AVSForum has been redesigned so that it's easier to get the editorial content. Scott also says that there's a lot of HDR movies coming in theater including The Martian, PAN, and the Maze Runner Scorch Trials. Scott's really looking forward to The Martian. The book is fantastic, and according to reviews from the Toronto Film Festival, the film is really faithful to the book.
Doug just got the Sony A6000 camera with a kit lens and he thinks it's a great entry level camera. Amazing camera, especially with video. It shoots though in AVCHD, which is new to him. Leo says it's a very standard format. It's essentially Sony's own version of MPEG4. But don't worry, every editor can import it. If he wants to convert it to a more familiar format, he can try Handbrake.
Elliot wants to get a new camera and he can spent about $500 to $800. Leo says that the Sony DSC-RX100M II is a great point and shoot. It's the best out there because it has a 1" sensor, making it great in low light. It's also great for video too. Canon makes a good one as well, but Sony is really making the best stuff right now.
Brian wants to get a new high end tablet, but he's not seeing much in the higher end out there any more. Leo says that may be due to sales lagging now, like the wave has crested on tablets. But there are still some good tablets out there including the Nvidia Shield, the Sony Experia Z4, and Samsung's Note series.
Mike has a Canon 20D with three lenses, and was either looking at a Canon 7D to keep the same lenses or get the Canon 5D and get new lenses. Leo says he could keep his lenses with the 5D, but there would just be a crop factor to it. If he's considering getting all new lenses, it may be time to go mirrorless with the Sony A7S.
Dave has a Canon 5D Mk. II, then he saw the Sony a7 II. His neighbor is willing to buy the 5D for $1800 along with the kit lens. Should he do it and buy the a7 II?
Bruce is a pilot and he bought a Sony DSC-RX100 as per Leo's recommendation. But it tends to focus on the windshield of his airplane, and not what he's trying to photograph. Leo says that the RX100 does have manual focus. He can set it to program mode, enable DMF, and turn the ring on infinity.
Dave is looking for a good camera for taking pictures of paintings. Leo says he'll want a good camera that has a wide angle lens, but he won't want it too wide because it will show some barreling. Detail is even more important, and a great lens makes a huge difference, as does accurate color. A large sensor helps with that. Sensors in camera phones are really tiny. A camera has a larger one and the bigger the lens, the more costly. Ideally, he'll want a full frame sensor.
Sam bought a new Sony Vaio with Windows 7. What should he do about antivirus software? Leo suggests going with Microsoft Security Essentials. It comes bundled as Windows Defender in Windows 8, but he'll have to download and install it separately for Windows 7. Antivirus software won't protect him from his own behavior, though.
President Obama along with the FBI confirmed that the Sony Pictures Entertainment hack did indeed originate from North Korea. Security experts are questioning this conclusion, however. It's very difficult to determine the origin of a hack. This attack, like most attacks, was routed through up to 6 countries before getting to Sony. There are a number of articles saying that this couldn't possibly be the North Koreans, and yet the FBI says they know for sure that it is. We don't have all of the information they have, however, and they may have the smoking gun.
