News Roundup: LumaTouch Mobile Filmmaking Certification, and new SIGMA 35mm F/1.4 Art Lens

LumaTouch has announced a new mobile filmmaking and content creation training and certification program. The three categories include social media content creation, mobile journalism, and advanced mobile filmmaking.

The training program will be taught by Caroline Scott, Glen Mulcahy, and Courtney Jones, all of whom are LumaFusion Certified Trainers. The workshops are broken down into beginner, intermediate, and advanced video editing. Those who attend will learn valuable marketing, filmmaking, video editing, and content creation skills, particularly with LumaFusion, which is getting a major update this summer.

The LumaFusion Certified Training Courses will launch on May 10, 2021 for the U.S., and will feature 8 virtual workshops over Zoom that feature in-depth training. More classes will be announced in May, and for those of you living in Europe and the EMEA, classes will be unveiled this spring. 

The 8-day course will be priced at $850 USD, and there are opportunities for group discounts. To learn more and register for the LumaFusion for Mobile Journalist course, click here; LumaFusion for Social Media Content Creators course, click here; and LumaFusion for Mobile Filmmaking, click here.

SIGMA unveils the 35mm F/1.4 DG DN Art Lens

For those of you familiar with the SIGMA line of Art lenses, you may remember one of their more popular models, and also the first Art lens, the 35mm F/1.4 DG HSM Art prime. It debuted in 2012, and now in 2021, the company has announced a successor, the 35mm F/1.4 DG DN Art Lens.

This fast Art prime is lighter and more compact than the original, and has a Sony E-mount and L-mount, but does away with other mounts (Canon EF, Nikon F, etc.). It appears to be geared more towards mirrorless cameras than a DSLR.

The new lens features:

• Minimum aperture distance: F/16.
• Minimum focusing distance: 11.8 inches (30 cm.).
• A stepper motor for fast and smooth autofocus.
• An AF/MF switch for those who want manual focus control.
• Aperture lock switch.
• Customized AFL button.
• 15 elements in 11 groups and aberration is minimized with 2 aspherical lenses, 2 SLD, 2 ELD, and 2 FLD.
• Dust and splash-proof, so it's perfect for the outdoors.
• And many more features.

The 35mm F/1.4 DG DN Art lens should be available by the middle of May 2021, and will cost $899 USD. You can still purchase the original for $100 USD less. Find out more at SIGMA's site.

Sony a7S III firmware update fixes picture profile issue

Sony has released a small firmware update to fix an issue where the Picture Profile is applied, even if the feature is turned off. Here's a list the Ver. 2.0.1 update helps with:

• Fixes an issue where the Picture Profile is applied, despite being turned off.
• Fixes a problem where an error message might appear during filming in high shutter speed.
• Fixes an issue where a saved file on a memory isn't loaded in the Save/Load settings.
• Improves operational stability using Imaging Edge Mobile or Desktop (Remote).
• Offers overall improvement to the Sony a7S III.

Learn more about the a7S III firmware update and download at Sony's site.

FilmConvert and CineMatch Release a iPhone 12 Pro Camera Pack

For mobile filmmakers using an iPhone 12 Pro, FilmConvert and CineMatch have released a new camera pack. You can download for FilmConvert here, and CineMatch here.

FilmConvert is perfect for post-production grading, while CineMatch helps to match cameras to create a more uniform look.

Check out this crazy video from the FilmConvert and CineMatch team that compares the iPhone 12 Pro and an ARRI Alexa: