David Speranza

Latest Work

USA Today!

Talk about long tails. My September '09 B&H article on DSLR video (see below) was recently noticed by Jefferson Graham, the tech writer at USA Today, prompting him to interview me for his own piece on the subject. I wasn't alone, of course—nor the only "authority"—but it was fun being asked my views on such an exciting (to filmmakers) subject. The 3.5 million potential readers didn't hurt, either. (And, no, B&H did not give me a raise!)

New Sony Camcorders

Sony, debuting two sleek new consumer camcorders, is finally learning to play well with others (SD cards? For real?). They still don't offer 24p—a deal-breaker for us "film-look" folk—but they offer just about everything else you could reasonably expect for under $1,400. My two cents (and 1,500 words) on Sony's new, post-Memory Stick world.

Movie Review: Moon

For fans of thoughtful, '70s-style science fiction that's more about humanity than explosions (but still gets creepily under your skin), check out Sam Rockwell in Moon, which played all-too-briefly in theaters last summer but is now out on DVD. On Popshifter.com, my humble tribute to a film that's truly out of time—in all the right ways.

Older Stuff

Tricking Out Your Digital SLR

Got one of those fancy new DSLRs that shoots video, but don't know how to make the most of its amazing high-def imagery? Want to make your footage of soccer practice and Christmas morning look like it was shot by Ridley Scott? Sorry, I can't help you. But, I can give you some hints about what you'll need to get as close to a professional film look as possible without mortgaging the kids. Give it a peek here.

2010 Student Buyer's Guide

Speaking of kids, B&H's 2010 Student Buyer's Guide has hit campuses, and I was fortunate enough to contribute two full-length pieces. First up is my profile of cameraman extraordinaire Sam Griffin, who regularly hefts battery pack to shoulder to bring all manner of entertainment to your living room—from high-impact sporting events like football to the even higher-impact exploits of the former Jon & Kate Plus 8. 

There's also my overview of the many ways one can stabilize a camera, told in as interesting a manner as possible without resorting to nudity. (Apologies for the large PDF file, I still need to fix that.)

About Me

I was born in Philadelphia and went to film school in Philadelphia, but pretty much everything in between (and afterwards) happened somewhere else. That includes lengthy tours in North Carolina, Alaska, Colorado, and even the Czech Republic (but not in that order). Mostly I've been in New York City, learning the byways of Brooklyn, Astoria and the Upper West Side, not to mention the art of walking briskly through Times Square without looking like a tourist. Along the way I've done some writing, some photography, and a fair amount of video. I'm currently doing a little of all three while working as a Web writer for B&H Photo—the world's biggest electronic bakeshop—where I'm daily faced with an assortment of cool new toys that I can never afford, much less eat.

And if you still want to know more, there's always my resume (finally updated).