First Test Car Received: BMW 128i 'Vert

We hit Miami this weekend for video and photos plus a review of a 2010 128i Convertible. The littlest BMW we picked up came with a six-speed manual, the obligatory Sports Package, and (I think) Cold Weather Package. The color scheme was Titanium Silver on red leather - I think it looks great but it seems to be an acquired taste for some. The dark burl wood trim really adds a nice touch. This is my first press car for BMW and BMWBlog and I'm quite thankful for the opportunity to live with a car for a week to get a better impression of it.



Anyway, Saturday was crazy - woke up about 3:45AM and drove to Miami and arrived by about 9:20AM. We started out working off of Brickell Ave and Biscayne Blvd. That transitioned to the Old Grand Prix circuit which is sadly beginning to be taken apart for another park. It was a cool location to see -especially the old curbing of the circuit. We took up shooting at this place thanks to Jeff Ross.

After that we did a few runs over an overpass and headed towards South Beach - afterward landing in Key Biscayne off of the Rickenbacker Causeway. Beautiful area - I was there earlier in the morning before the sun started to beat down on the city and I've literally never seen more bicyclists in my life. There are hundreds traversing the bridge and water front.



In the process of all of this, I learned one important lesson: modern Toyota's are complete garbage. I've not driven something this bad in probably years. It is a bland, dull brand that has become faceless and without a personality. Bring back the Supra - have a pulse again, Toyota. The gas mileage was good - probably 32 to 36 miles per gallon - though it seemed like the tank emptied very quickly. The only plus I found of the Corolla was the slab-sided designs made it easier to mount cameras.

After we wrapped everything up for the day - I shot back to Jacksonville and kept the top down most of the way back and I think I might want a convertible now. More to follow on living with the 128i after we get our piece together for BMWBlog.

Video a go-go

Heading to Miami this weekend for a car video shoot. We're going to try out a few new ways to shoot video for the first time using a Nikon D5000 DSLR. As we're trying to add a more professional flair, we picked up some gear from FilmTools.com on loan to us for about 2 weeks to accomplish what we need to shoot.



The photo is a quick shot of my D5000 with the Zeikos battery grip and 35mm f/1.8 lens on one of the many configurable mounts from FilmTools.com. Clearly, the mounts stick to nearly everything and can attach to a variety of surfaces both concave and convex. After receiving a massive black, heavy-duty plastic container with the equivalent of an adult-sized erector-set. I did a quick test run of the gear last night and here are a few quick videos I took at 720p with the rigs. Keep in mind these have had no post work done and were quick set ups so they're less than ideal. However, you get the idea. Watch this space for more next week on the shoot and what we did. So far, I would highly recommend anyone who's interested in automotive photography invest in gear from Film Tools!


Keep in mind, the initial video is done only with a single mount so more vibration was present.