QuickHitRecord

This was a much-needed bucket of cold water over my head as I caught myself contemplating selling my brand new FS100 to buy a 5D as I ate my cereal this morning. There is ALWAYS going to be something better on the horizon. That is a certainty. The uncertainty is whether we are going to do anything with what we have RIGHT NOW. Granted, many people here probably already own a 5D. They are probably having a pretty good day and I am happy for them. In terms of ownership, I am checking out of the image quality rat race for a few years or a few festival entries, whichever happens first.

I'll be watching with great interest as we learn more about the stability of this hack. Really interesting stuff.

Maybe it could be a spreadsheet on Google Docs. That way, anyone could contribute to it.

Thanks.   Based on what you are saying, it sounds like you may have a rack-focusable 2x anamorphic that costs around 1/40 of what an Iscorama goes for these days...   This sounds too good to be true. What's the catch?

  Thanks for sharing. Can you post a picture of your setup? I'm just curious if you are able to detach the anamorphic front lens from the spherical rear lens before placing it in front of your Zeiss Pentacon.

Does the magnified focus assist still work when a monitor is plugged in via HDMI? That was a big problem with the GH2.

 Check Rich Gale's stuff. If I am not mistaken, it is mostly shot with an NEX 5n.   http://vimeo.com/65180384

Firstly, let me say that I love that you are doing this, Rich. If there is one person who can crack the code and come up with a usable, modern-day anamorphic, it's you.   Looking at the footage, I think that this still has a ways to go. But I know that it's an early prototype and that it will only improve. Personally, I don't mind the CA. I don't particularly care for the softness at the edges in some shots, but I rather like it in others. Like others have already commented, the flares look a bit harsh -- it's hard to put into words, but I think that they lack the softer edges and are more opaque than what we've come to expect from the vintage anamorphics.   The background rendering is quite nice. I would love to see a 2x version of this.   To me, this is a very exciting project, much more so than SLR Magic's concept. Please do keep us posted.

  I rented a 70-200mm f/2.8 Telephoto to use with an FS100 once. With the adapter in place, the whole camera rig was about 3' long and pretty unwieldy. But the images looked great.

  I would also love to know how you've accomplished this!

  A very elegant solution.

  I've pushed Alan's clamp as far forward on the lens as it can go like you have (mine looks like it has a smaller diameter than yours), and then I've built onto the back of the clamp with a set of extension tubes like these: http://www.amazon.com/Fotodiox-Extension-Extreme-Close-up-Cameras/dp/B003Y5T464/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1366486075&sr=8-1&keywords=52mm+extension+tube   With this system, I can get the anamorphic as close to the taking lens as I need to by swapping out extension tubes. Also, realigning the lens is a breeze. I simply un-tighten one of the clamp screws, twist the lens, and re-tighten it. The clamp hugs the anamorphic so it never goes out of alignment.

... and it's back: http://www.ebay.com/itm/-Anamorphic-Moller-Anamorphot-302X-attachment-Prime-cine-movie-Lens-Arri-RED-/121097661269

Thanks, Sean. All good points. I think that I will stick with a green screen the next time I have to do this.

I love the idea of this, though I wish that it were a 0.3, 0.6, 0.9 system rather than a fader. With a fader of any kind, you are always going to experience some level of polarization and unless you are free to turn both polarizers (usually you can only manipulate the front one), you won't be able to control the amount:   https://vimeo.com/26687398

  When I was lighting the shot, I initially had the white backdrop at about 95 IRE (using two Arri 1Ks). Space was limited, so I was having difficulty moving the lights to match exposure across the backdrop and ultimately decided that since the client wanted pure white, I could blow it way out above 105 IRE and that way it would look even. The subject was far enough forward that he should not have been affected by it.   I don't think that it is an issue with the camera, since both the Varicam and the GH2 struggled with this. I'll try it on a PC though, and see if it's the Mac gamma bug.

  Let's see. I conformed the sequence to the camera clip, so I don't think that the disconnect is there. I was shooting in the GH2's 24fps mode which I believe is actually 23.98fps. I haven't put any of those clips in a sequence yet. Also, files from both cameras exhibit this effect when I play them in QT7.     Fortunately, the GH2 is punched in to a close up so his hands rarely get into the frame so I think that I'll be fine as far as the client is concerned. The footage out of the GH2 is much more pleasing anyway.   I wonder if this would have happened if I had shot at 1/60 shutter...

  I just wrapped a talking head shoot against a white backdrop. The subject talked with his hands a lot and I noticed a ways into the interview that his hands would "disappear" when they were in motion (frame-by-frame above; click for closer view).    I shot this on a Varicam with a Fujinon zoom lens in 23.98, 180 degrees / 1/48 shutter. I also had my GH2 running for an alternate angle (1/40 shutter), and it also exhibits this issue though to a lesser extent.   I speculate that it has to do with shutter angle. Perhaps the constant light being reflected off of the backdrop  was overwhelming the blurred frames. That would be my guess anyway, but I am posting it here to see if anyone else has come across this before.

I second this. Bernie is great. I have made it a practice to have all of my higher-dollar vintage lens purchases shipped to him directly so that he can look them over.

I rented one and I liked everything about it but the moire. This is the only reason that I'm still rocking the GH2.

Well said! I hope that it catches on.

Mind blown. I am speechless.

It looks pretty neat to me. I don't see it taking the place of a slider or anything but the smallest of jibs, but I'd take this over setting up a steadicam or laying dolly track any day. I don't think that the price is unreasonable. We grumble because at this price most of us won't be able to own one, but renting one won't be too painful either.

  Exactly. Some kind of battery grip-style accessory with a constantly spinning/balancing/self-adjusting weight system within that lets you go handheld with all of the stability of a shoulder rig or steadicam.   Then again, I was never very good at physics.

A universal image stabilization adapter?