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A lot of people are viewing the GH4 4K material on 2.5K or 1080p displays and there's crude downscaling going on which results in an over-sharp image and even some heavy aliasing. A lot of the YouTube stuff looks thin and sharp because of compression and bad downscaling.   First time I graded the GH4 files I was pretty happy and yet we've only realised half the camera's potential so far. Once we get the Atomos Shogun we will be getting uncompressed 10bit 4:2:2 4K out of the HDMI port. DXOMark tested the raw output GX7's sensor (similar to the one in the GH4) and it rates for about 11.8 stops dynamic range, pretty much identical to the 5D Mark III.   The GH2 and 5D2 have been around for ages and the GH4 is a far bigger step up from the GH2 than the 5D3 is from the Mk II.   Michael - ignorance of the reason other people choose to shoot with the GH4 does not make a good debate. Also remember that the filmmaking world is small and you are using your real name on the forum, if you piss someone off, eventually it will come back round. There's no career advantage to behaving like a complete prat in front of half the digital filmmaking community.

PREFACE: I have been doing some testing with this lens for a while now, but lately I have been swamped with work. Also, there has been some sadness surrounding the girl who appears in the demo video (and several other anamorphic tests of mine), so anamorphic shooting has been on the back burner for a while now. But I'm seeing now that someone else has had the same idea, and is trying to make an unrealistic profit from it. And so I feel that I must post this write up, because this isn't a $1400 lens. The search for the perfect anamorphic lens is over (at least for me). Some months ago, I saw a post here from a member named frerichs. He claimed to have purchased a Bell & Howell 2x 16mm Anamorphic Projection lens (not the excellent Kowa model) for cheap and discovered that it was single focus, like the coveted Iscorama. I was skeptical, but since they can often be had for between $75 and $150 on eBay, I bought one to try out for myself. At first glance this lens does not look like a winner. It has neither the steam punk appeal of the Lomo square fronts, nor the timeless curves of the Iscorama. The impossibly long and narrow build of the lens suggests that this would never be viable match for anything but the longest taking lenses. And yet it works. The front element is a -7 diopter that focuses the other two elements in the housing as the head is turned, similar to the Iscorama. Unlike the Iscorama, the lens takes about five full rotations to go from infinity to close focus, which is limiting for practical use. But I have been working with a CNC machinist to resolve this, and I now have a prototype that allows me to do a full range rack focus in a one and a half turns: (Want to do this yourself? Ask a machinist to design a new front housing with a "multi-start thread" that will house the front diopter and screw directly onto the existing thread on the tube; this could also conceivably be done for Iscoramas to the same effect). We have also added a standard 58mm threading for easier filter mounting, and I've since installed a custom seamless ultra-wide delrin focus gear to add just a little torque for even easier focusing (not pictured). The Bell & Howell projection lenses that originally shipped with this lens were f/1.2 and f/1.4, so it is designed to be sharp at faster apertures -- and I find that it is. Perhaps not razor sharp, but as sharp as I'd ever want an anamorphic lens to be. And once you've removed the two limiting screws from the "head" of the lens, you can focus as close as two feet without diopters. Too much closer than that and the head will screw right off, but it's just as easy to screw right back on. Flaring is nice: The lens is not without its drawbacks. For one, it focuses to about 40 feet, not true infinity. That's not an issue for me, but it might be for some shooters. It's all-metal construction makes it a bit heavy which combined with its length will benefit from a lens support (which eliminates the shake that appears in my rack focus test). It vignettes when paired with wider lenses, so it is a better fit for smaller sensor cameras or Canon DSLRs with Magic Lantern raw crop mode enabled. For instance, I can shoot 1600x1200 with a Pentax Takumar 105mm f2.8 lens on my 5D Mark III and I don't see any vignetting before f/8. I also tested it with a Nikkor 50mm f1.8 AI-S on my GH2, and it was vignette-free so long as I cropped my 2x image down to 1.5x. So how does the footage look? Here's something that I shot with it: I am excited to add a sharp, easily rack-focusable, short minimum-focusing anamorphic to my arsenal. It won't be the right lens for every anamorphic user, especially those who want to be able to shoot as wide as possible, but for the price, it could make single-focus anamorphics more accessible to those who have not had a chance to work with them yet. Happy shooting!

Tom Cruise's new movie is out. For those interested, check out the camera man's rig. http://www.imdb.com/media/rm2594688768/tt1631867?ref_=ttmd_md_pv http://www.imdb.com/media/rm3836202752/tt1631867?ref_=ttmd_md_pv And of course the cameras specs: Arriflex 235, Panavision G-Series Lenses Arriflex 435, Panavision G-Series Lenses Panavision Panaflex Millennium XL2, Panavision G-Series, ATZ and AWZ2 Lenses Panavision Panaflex Platinum, Panavision G-Series, ATZ and AWZ2 Lenses

If Canon's recent commintment to product development is any indication the 7D mark II will have -20Mpix sensor same as the 70D -1 stop better noise control -mic socket -similiar 720p upscaled to 1080p as before but now with 60 frames as well. ( dont think about shooting video of water or brick walls) those will be fixed in 7d Mark III in the year 2019 -and the super duper feature will be WIFI AND GPS -multiple face detection and direct facebook upload. :o SOOO COOOL Canon will allso realease a new slogan that says. Canon you can .. if you wait long enough.

I'm just as curious I ordered the SLR magic diopter set to go along with the 1.33x anamorphot. But I plan to use it with my Isco 2x.

The 5D3 might be king of stills if you compare it to the gh4, but for the price difference you can buy fullframe cameras that give better quality than the 5Dmkiii.

you can get the Canon here in the UK on ebay new for £422 - bargin get that!! buy 2 for the price of the Sigma! then you have a spare! http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Brand-New-Canon-EF-24-105mm-F4-f-4-0-L-IS-USM-Lens-White-Box-/390851800799?pt=UK_Lenses_Filters_Lenses&hash=item5b00952edf

just bought some more terra for my files, which i keep for ever and in some cases backed up. Who wants to shoot and then delete his work? lacie,WD, etc will have sales soar from all of us buying new drives every week. How do you back up 4k raw files, the costs are enormous, for something that needs to be downscaled in order to work to 90% of screens at the moment. On the otherhand 4k is futureproof. i am a huge canon fangirl, but this has to do with the complete product sensor+lens. At the end of August canon will probably announce the 7d ii, with a new sensor, ... is the GH4 is hurting the sales of the MARK iii? dont forget the mark3 is aimed at photographers too not only video People who where about to buy the mark iii switched to the GH4 at the last minute, and the hype surrounding the GH4 at this time is the same as the one when the Mark 2 came out. i hope someone from canon reads this. i really dont wont to switch from canon...but i do hope all you gh4 lovers drive canons prices down can we have a cheaper version of the 1dc? i would be the first to buy :ph34r:

topic locked.

You are a LAZY reader...... you should focus on your reading comprehend skills a little better. I know a little more than I give myself credit for lets put it that way. I never said one was better than the other, that is a little straw man you created, after you introduced a different camera entirely! I would never say that in the company of such Panny-lovers! I don't know much, but I do know better than to hang myself in public. I choose my words carefully unlike you who are all over the map. I said the 5D3 has a more film like look, and GH4 a sharper image which looks more video like....... so shoot me! I have even read these very words by others here on this forum...... I also said, the 5D3 is better in low light, and please correct me if I'm wrong about that. This was said in context of the GH4 and the 5D3. The GH4 has the advantage of 4K. I never said one was better than the other, just responding to the number of post on this forum about the GH4, (almost every other post) in a joking manner, and you have a ballistic moment, and get all serious and Shit! Now to answer your stupid question as to why I bought a Canon 5D iii...... better resale, better image, and I mean figuratively as well as it improves my "image" with the ladies, and the fact I have a lot of money invested in some glass...... Canon glass! It would be pretty stupid of me to buy a D5300 which I don't want in the first place, and then have to invest in more glass. Something you never considered?

I will lighten up (not that im actually angry) when people stop making the same nonsensical/ill-informed arguments about why one camera is better than the other. My favourite is the "sharp = video" one, which makes no sense because I've never used a video camera that has been as sharp as DSLR footage. Unless we're talking about those ones that cost tens of thousands that are used in sports stadiums.

Arhmm... i think it's just the release lens button/lever. ;) But i know just as much as the rest of you guys :)

Sometimes raising the shutter speed helps: If you're going to rotoscope or remove a greenscreen, or you're generally capturing a video element for compositing If you wish to emphasise the violence of movement, such as in a fight scene or a chase, or for slow motion In both these examples, the less blurry, more distinct images can assist you. In general though, 180 degrees is good

red stan's sage wisdom and advice on good and shit anamorphics. 1.small optics give you an easier life and nice close focus. 2.focus test your anamorphic as soon as you get it if you cannot get a sharp picture get a refund or a discount. 3.do not take any crap bull from a seller especially if he has sold you junk costing over 250 dollars. 4.if your lens has major damage it may be beyond economic repair meaning it could cost 2-5 times it's value for the repair. 5.with repairs expect a wait from 6 weeks to 3 months any good repair guy is always busy. i had a nikon lens take 6 months for a complicated repair once. 6.explain to repair guy clearly what you think is wrong it saves time and money. 7.except the fact that some anamorphics are just not worth saving or repairing 8.many ebay anamorphic optics are the same optics being purchased fiddled with then sold on. if in doubt walk away. 9.if your seller can take a foto of the lens and put a lengthy cut and past bull shit discription with a price tag of a 1000 dollars plus. ask him why he has not bothered to shoot through the anamorphic is it because it is soft : ) 10.at least 35% of anamorphics need servicing why do you think rental companies and studios had camera lens service depts. 11.main problems optic to optic alignment issue giving soft picture. dried out focus helicoid grease. dirty internal optics, fungus and external coating problems. lens separation. a lens clean and service should optimize the system allowing use of faster taking lens. why get stuck in the 1950s hollywood rut of f8-16 12.remember repairing a car after a major crash is gonna cost a lot more time and money than a simple service. 13.quality shipping box within a box method is a must. bad shipping with several impact drops along the journey will give you a bad lens. 14.i did not like ending on 13.