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Hi Guys, If you are interested to check how gh4 works with old Nikon lenses. Comments are most welcome. enjoy

Using the Vizelex ND Throttle (Lens Adapter with build in variable ND) will change the character of the Lensflares. First image plain Adapter (Nikon G to M43) Second image with Vizelex ND Throttle. Both at f2,8. Vizelex @ minimum setting will take at least on stop, compensated here with shutter speed adjustment.

​I do big commercials. I'm on one right now. I also have an Emmy and just was in American Cinematographer. And brand loyalty is a big thing. We mostly use Arri HMI lights. Joker sometimes but Arri because we know Arri makes a damn fine light with the M90 or M18 - Joker 1600s never took off. I use the best camera for the job - but I have to have long talks with the producer sometimes about that. For instance, I just did a Lincoln commercial in Dubai and we shot on the Sony F55 - not the Arri Alexa or Red Epic Dragon. Why? - Got that question so many times. Alexa was too heavy - it was 16 hr steadicam days in the 110 degree weather - and Red Dragon - not good in heat - but I got slack - because Alexa and Red have better names. I also shoot dog videos on smaller cameras. I own the NX1 and the Sony A7S - and I work with film and own 2 f35s and red one mx and use alexas and red dragons and arri 416 and 435 on jobs - and there is so much goodness to come from using a small lightweight camera. So much wonder and beauty from using these little guys - it reopens wonder and ease and has improved my color grading knowledge so much. It's such a pleasure to have a lightweight camera where it is fun again, where it's not physically exhausting to reframe. So there is a differing opinion from me. Traditional DPs are now dealing with the new era, where young upstarts like me can rise up without being a loader, 2nd, 1st, , cam op, then DP. Or electric, best, gaffer then DP. I became a DP in just about five years. I was an assistant editor for 5 years going down the editing path and I switched because I was already shooting docs. And there is nothing wrong with that. My sense of lighting took longer to develop but my sense of the emotional space was more developed. Getting smaller moments. There is no right way to be a DP. Because I am so unconventional, I bring a childlike wonder to filmmaking. I bring a different perspective and wonderment to how I work - more innocence, more in the moment. There is no one right path. Older established DPs I have nothing but respect. Maryse Alberti, Gordon Willis, Raul Coutard, Jordan Cronenweth, Storro, Michael Chapman, Conrad Hall, Lance Accord, Nestor, Wexler - nothing but respect. Also the DP of IDA - the most beautiful film I saw in the past 4 years, was a cam operator - first time DP. The director said he was so good because he had no ego. So next time you watch an unlit video of a dog - think about how much fun the DP was having. How casual it was, and how beautiful that can be.

I just wish the FM unit was a £1500 piece, with glass better quality. using better glass the focusing optics could be designed to do their thing with less extension and the whole thing could have been less length, wider internally and with a kowa for bell and howell or kowa inflight 1.75 would be one of the best anamorphic solutions in the world, having no problems dealing with 85mm f1.4 on full frame.

Well, that is most definitely their loss. I find you, your words and your work an inspiration as I'm sure, do many other people and your name next to a post is a sure mark of quality.

You guys are acting like a bunch of kids. It's really painful to watch.

So reduser just deleted all my posts because of my thoughts that brand loyalty is bad for film making - and also that reduser is bad for red. The moderator told me that posting on reduser is like coming into red's living room and talking poorly about Red's wife. They are so crazy there. But it's good because spending all day on a message board is a waste of time. Part of what is great about EOSHD is we can praise or trash talk any camera, lens, light, or anything and no one seems to care too much. They are all just tools and objects - sure someone might get mad if you make fun of their brand new car but really - this isn't about cars it's about a thing that records footage to tell stories. Like do you think people got upset if you made fun of their typewriter back in the day? No, you talk about what their typewriter writes.

g

    ​I was a contributing writer on this review (along with my footage) and I think it is spot on about the a7S as a video tool. DP Review are mainly a photography site but this is the best review of a video orientated hybrid camera they've yet done. You can read my case for the camera at DPReview here! Read the blog post here

I shot on RED twice and made some very average music videos. I switched to my GH3 for the shoots afterwards and I had a lot of fun and the videos were great! In the last 2 weeks, I've shot on the FS7, FS700, GH3, Blackmagic, GoPro and iPhone. My best video was shot on the GH3 because the idea on the GH3 was better than the others, had better lighting and better composition. What a shocking discovery!!

​I love cats too. Maybe they need more camera tests made of them.

To be fair, my neighbor's dog is really cute.

Just did some research and the Iscorama's single focus mechanism patent is expired. Hopefully this will lead to some creativity on the part of new anamorphic designs.

You shouldn't sharpen a letterboxed image- add the crop after you grade and sharpen. Low-contrast images can be very nice, but that doesn't mean high-contrast (or really, normal contrast) isn't filmic or cinematic. Sometimes when I'm watching a film, I'll realize halfway through that there are a ton of crushed blacks or just high contrast in general, especially often for movies shot on film. And it's still beautiful. I personally think ultra-low contrast imagery will start to look dated at some point, so I try to make sure not to go to far down that path. Striking a balance is (usually) always best.

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^ He's actually really good about answering questions on lighting set ups and offering tips. His whole philosophy on lighting/cinematography is great. I liked him before but my like increased ten-fold after browsing his forum.

​ Holy god damn f*cking shit. This man operates a forum and even replies on it?!?!?!?!111one Thanks infinitely Ed. I had zero clue he had a forum.

you are right, I'm done with their conflict of interest. The connection between the president of Red owning BMCuser.com and DVXUSER.com is not healthy for this industry. I ask all of you to take those sites with a grain of salt. Anything bad they say about Andrew Reid can be said a million times against Jim Jinnard and his Reduser reign of terror. And he's a billionare. Andrew Reid is just like you and me - just a guy who is trying to improve his cinematography skills. I will not be bullied by a billionaire and his army of "Yes Men" and "Board of Bros." I hope all of you guys can see this too. It feels good to not be the only one disgusted by how they run their camera forums. UPDATE - now I feel sorry for the mod who deleted my post. He is moderating with 27,000 posts a website owned by the president of a multibillion dollar corporation and has to pay for his little ads for his books on sound etc - So you spend countless hours on this forum and have to pay for your ads? On a forum that is owned by the president of Red camera which is a multimillion dollar corporation owned by a multi-billionare?Wow okay I'm sorry for calling you a liar. But now I feel sorry for you. Originally Posted by David JimersonYou did call me a liar. Which is an insult. It's also untrue. I haven't lied about a thing. I do pay for my ads, not that it's any of your business. Have from the start. Do you pay for the link to your own website in your own signature? (No.) Why is that link there? By your own reasoning, doesn't that make you a "paid employee" as well? If not, why not? RED is not our parent company; Jim Jannard sets absolutely no rules about how we moderate DVXuser, and Jarred has no involvement here anymore. (He could if he wanted to, but he doesn't.) These are all facts. Your refusal to believe them don't make them any less factual. I don't have anything to say about Andrew. Like I said, he can say whatever he likes. Originally Posted by eddavid Originally Posted by David JimersonI am no more a "paid employee" of this site than anyone else who runs ads on it. Lowel runs ads for lighting systems -- are they paid employees? I will admit to a chuckle when I read that. Originally Posted by eddavidNo actually it does. You are generating income from the site. Therefore you are a paid employee - you get paid in advertising. As a paid employee, you are consciously or subconsciously following a code. Because you have a vested interest in these forums. Originally Posted by David Jimerson'Coz I don't wanna. Has nothing to do with anything. Originally Posted by eddavid Originally Posted by David Jimerson Originally Posted by eddavidAnd you like to sell books.I was a mod here for years before I had anything to sell. My participation here isn't necessary to sell anything, anyway.Then why don't you get rid of your banner ads? I don't have thick skin. I did call you a liar. But that's not an insult, it's the truth. Lowel pays for their ads. Do you pay for your ads? Jim Jinnard runs Red camera which Jared Land, CEO of Landmine Media which owns reduser dvxuser etc is the president of. Don't you see the conflict of interest? Anyway I am glad you chuckled. That takes the air out of it. For you thinking that I was threatening you. When I wasn't threatening you. I am very, very, very curious to hear your take on Andrew Reid. He already told me his take. Please do tell.

​You can order a FF58 version that is readily fitted to use with an Iscorama anamorphic adapter. If you don't have an Iscorama, you can also order just an FF58 with the custom options you want: color of flaring, amount of flaring etc. I have two FF58's. One lens with more flaring and less contrast, as well as one lens with less flaring and more contrast. They are fun lenses for creative shooting. I like mine since they tend to produce a look that doesn't seem as digital, boring and strict/perfect as my modern Nikon lenses. I use mine both as standalone lenses as well as paired with the Iscorama. If you want to experiment with different looks, I can highly recommend getting an FF58 with less contrast and a bit of flare an tint. Very affordable way to get a different vintage look on your footage and stills.

Wait... WHAT?? The president of RED also owns bmcuser???? :-o OMG, I could see how if you're not careful that could be a huge huge conflict of interest. I suppose it is kinda ok when the BMCC still fell very short of of a RED (no 4K or higher resolution, no higher than 30fps frame rates, just to mention a couple of aspect) but now with the URSA, you have to wonder if Blackmagic Design continues to push into the high end but at radically under cutting prices.... how will this impact bmcuser when they're owned by the president of RED?? Imagine if BMCC announces at NAB a Super 35mm camera which does 6K @ 240fps for $5k? Then a year later drops that price down to $3k? (I doubt either of these things will happen, but possibly.... when you look at what surprises they've pulled already with the BMCC and BMPC4K, and the price reductions they've had with the BMPCC and also the BMPC4K. Heck, the BMPC4K got its price reduction before it even shipped!). This could put the admins of bmcuser in an awkward spot whenever they need to make judgement calls.

​I just hope Andrew here doesn't censor me or I'll have to complain about it on No Film School . And then if they censor me there, I'll have to go to Roger Deakin's forum. Freedom to speak about cameras and gear is important for all of us to grow.

This kinda reminds me of this:

I do think Ed's post reflects a time that's been a long time coming, has arrived, but some may not have adapted to it yet. And ics is right on target too. Basically, the gear is beyond good enough and it's so cheap that anyone from almost any economic class can acquire one. Let's be honest. If you have the chops you could make a smartphone movie as artistic as anything out there. Maybe not likely, but possible. In the past with video equipment, having a new gear really could make significant difference. Investing in that gear was cost prohibitive for beginners. These days, since just about anyone can afford the stuff, the only thing that's really going to make significantly noticeable improvement to a video production is one's skill and artistic level. Yes, the pros will always have better cameras and lenses and many will covet that rare exclusivity. However, the divide between low and high is now, practically speaking, indistinguishable. If I had a time machine I'd love to go back and drop a GM1, lens mounting adapters, and a laptop on Kubrick or Leone's production facility's front door and let them have at it. Something tells me they and their crew would do alright.

Steve, k I agree, but it would be nice to get the limit I set, for when I decide to shoot with auto iso. Not a higher iso!

True. I also think that it takes a while, longer than people think, before one's skills outgrow even something as modest as a 7D or GH2.

​Well, if a junior technician says it's possible, then "hooray!" good enough for the internet.

This is the answer Andrew, a customer feedback. Let's move on man, I do apologize to you again, really sorry!!! I bow to the man with all the power. Thanks for having me on your forum, what else you want me to do.

I didn't have the time to read the 16 page thread on something I didn't yet even own. Although I did mention I'd be using it with my Kowa 8Z in just about every email to you, with not a single correction from you until after it arrived. And as late as the 30th Jan was ready to "dust it off" on your advice... Not very nice to blame me for being unprofessional and for not having the right anamorphic to fit it. You were supposed to send the FM with the Cinelux, which is what I was expecting to review... pretty impossible otherwise. That's what you said would happen! The blog certainly isn't a market, although sometimes it feels like one. ​Mindaugas at the Anamorphic Shop is first to admit the project has benefited from this forum and my members... Yet you still cannot find within yourselves the gratitude to properly inform me, to not mislead me, or even to send me the proper kit so that the review is not impossible.

​the "Red Fail" - the newest camera from Red. Coming soon. No prototype yet but please upgrade and pay $10k - it will be worth it, I swear. Higher frame rates even though for 94% of what you do you only need slo mo at around 48 FPS and the current camera can go already up to 180 FPS or the FS7 can do this for only 7 grand. 10 stops of dynamic range when detail comes out of shadows. 320 ISO. Gets grainy past 640 iso. Very very loud fan between takes. Awkward button placement. Only one hd-sdi out. Weird motion cadence during slow motion. Comes with embarrassing cult-like message board groupies who have over 6000 posts - and do lots of "yes that's great" posts. Run by CEO who personally calls out cinematographers on his "farewell" message board. Embarrassing logo that would be at home at a yuppie biker-themed restaurant in the midwest. New president of company is former message board admin.

​I wouldn't be so sure about that. It's also very funny how in the "weapon" subforum this guy called Phil plays cat and mouse with grown man who are about to spend several thousand dollars on their product and probably will have to rebuy expensive accesories. Showing pictures of buttons and logos with cheesy design of a thing called weapon reminds me of my 12 years old brother getting excited about new skins for counterstrike. I recently had to laugh very hard after reading this comment on another website:

​Where did you get the idea that everyone is shooting feature films?? Feature films are a small part of the production industry. The majority of cameras are used in commercial and corporate projects. Areas where slow-motion and 4K are very desired (not necessarily for 4K delivery). It doesn't make us morons or amateurs.

​My firm advice is to wait for better solutions. We're all hungry and curious for better lenses, especially 2x. I've always thought from the moment I got my Kowa 4 years ago, "if only". If only it would be a single focus anamorphic. The image is just so wonderful. I know for a fact better anamorphic solutions are on the way.... wait and see. Cosmio, the reason the thread stays is that I am not here to act as a marketing platform. You can't just suddenly delete everyone's contribution to the thread, because some people don't praise the product. Yes I personally found it "not good enough" quite simply and nor the service or communication. That's up to you to improve, not us. We are not paying for your R&D or market research. We are filmmakers who just want to get the look of anamorphic. I was interested like many in the FM, willing to take the time to explore it. That you on your part and at the Anamorphic Shop in Latvia didn't bother to provide the full kit, speaks poorly of the service aspect. If you can't even service EOSHD, what hope does a 'normal' customer have?

I can´t see why an Arri announcement should be the "clearest signal yet" for a C300 update, but otherwise your analysis is very plausible. I was surprised and disappointed that nothing happened last year... I watched "Need for Speed" yesterday just because I wanted to see more C500 footage from big productions. Pretty good, although I have to admit that many of the daylight shots filmed on Alexa looked even better. Personally I feel not really in the mood for Sony yet, especially I doubt that a 7000.- sony camera like the FS7 can have the colour accuracy of a Canon C500 which can almost be had for about the same price used and with Shogun. I´m just not impressed by the test footage on vimeo from the FS7, and the official introduction video did not even have a proper grade (I´m sure they forgot about the delogging). On the other hand I ordered a very early C300 immediately after the first good demos. The battery life of the C300 is just stunning, I´d never ever go back to less, let alone bulky V-mount batteries and the need to lug around generators when going on field trips. So, I´m keeping my fingers crossed for the C300/C500 Mk2. I hope and I´m quite sure Canon will not offer Full Frame models, as NOBODY in the professional field would give a damn. Just use a F2.8 instead of F4.

Looks awesome. Wanna see the whole movie!

​In many ways it's the spiritual successor to the GH1. Been a while since I could say that a tiny mirrorless camera could not just keep pace with a $15,000 cinema camera, but outright beat it on image quality overall.

I just ordered an NX1 this afternoon, and I can't wait to use it. This should be a significant upgrade from my hacked GH1, which is now a fossil.