Julian

Hopefully they will actually release an EF to MFT version, unlike Metabones.

Sigma will enter the game of focal reducers for M43 and E-Mount.
 
They will have an aspherical design, also using extra low dispersion glass to improve edge sharpness.
 
The Sigma focal reducers will be 0.71x with 1 fstop increase in light.
 
Will be available in main mounts: Canon FD, Canon EOS EF, Nikon F or G, M42, MC/MD, OM, PK, Leica R, Yashica/Contax
 
Main problem of all focal reducers in market today is the edge blur, this is due to spherical lens design. Also some small amount of chromatic aberration is present. Sigma will solve these issues using aspherical lenses and extra low dispersion glass.
 
This is a rumor.
 
 

the iscorama 36 copes on 150mm.  any wider and it vignettes.  Just wish I had nice footage that I deem worth sharing.  Will shoot in the next couple of days i promise.
 
40mm f4 for the wide angle is quite crazy on shots 1m and closer.  

Where is that Metabones EF-HB Speedbooster?! My dad has a set of Zeiss medium format glass gathering dust and I want this kind of image available to me!

Cinema5D had a famous anamorphic thread which ticked along very nicely for 2 years until it died. I'm a big fan of sticky things :)

The official EOSHD discussion thread for all things lens related!

Andy, can you put some links up to any interesting footage shot with the lenses you recommend?  BTW, I now have a Canon 24mm TS-E II, which I hope to share some footage with the a7 shortly.

Maybe buy something cheap (Panasonic G6) and keep your D300 if you are happy with it, for stills. Get a focal reducer / lens turbo (cheap speed booster) to use your nikkor lenses. If you have G lenses get a canon eos to m43 focal reducer and a Nikon to eos adapter with aperture control.

If I can find the time I will shoot some tests with my medium format dof adaptor vs full frame vs aps-c later today.  There is a difference.  Neither one nor the other is better or worse.  They're just different.

Why? It's the truth. You can try it out yourself if you have a 50mm and 200mm. Or whatever focal lengths....
 
The bokeh quality is an interesting topic. I think bokeh 'roll off / smoothness' is better with bigger sensors vs same bokeh equivalents on smaller sensors. Would be nice to see a test of this. Might try something myself.

More cat coming soon. Planning on making the ultimate internet cat video. Anamorphic, 4K, slow motion, flares, you name it! :P

My full review of the Panasonic GH4 (final retail unit) is coming next week. Until then I am enjoying Philip Bloom's views on the camera here!

A big thanks to B&H Photo & Video in the US for shipping internationally a GH4 unit with no recording limits, I got it before it was even available in Europe. Delivery took just 2 days! Impressed!

Read the full article here

Are you are referring to the differences between how a larger sensor/longer/slower lens renders in and out of focus areas differently to a smaller sensor/wider/faster lens?  If so, I too wish there were published tests and explanations on this interesting subject.  I notice the difference - and I know a lot of people don't realise the difference.  To me an 80mm f2.8 on medium format looks nicer than a 50mm f1.2 on full frame even though the fov and dof are matched on paper, the look is completely different 

Alas, a good ol' uninstall and reinstall seems to have done the trick. Runs surprisingly well now actually. Knock on wood...

More cat coming soon. Planning on making the ultimate internet cat video. Anamorphic, 4K, slow motion, flares, you name it! :P

Damn it Julian... need more cat!

:)

Having some menu quirks - for instance, if I am in video mode on the dial, and I go into the menu, then down to the Playback tab, and then into the playback menu itself (arrow over into the actual list of options), the screen goes black for a quarter of a second, the mic shuts off, and then the screen comes back on as normal. The audio comes back as soon as you exit the menus. Not an issue in any practical sense, but quirky.

Also, going into the menu system when I don't immediately start on the playback tab (so if the last time I left the menu I was in the, say, custom tab), the screen is ever so slightly dimmer. When I go into the playback menu itself, the screen brightens up by a very faint amount. This also happened on my old GH3 and I've seen (and heard of) it on GX7's, so, again, not any sort of issue, but quirky.

edit - Also, I've been stopped twice on the street while shooting photos and asked if I was using a GH4. As an introvert, I consider this to be a considerable flaw :lol:  
 
(Also also, I live in Austin, Texas in the United States, so I guess Panasonic does have some US market penetration!)

maybe i will use some from the dance!the flashed are always a big problem, but theres nothing to do about it, everytime there is an important moment bam-flash, thats why i love video, is so undercover hehe..nobody even knows you are filming them they think you are photographing them, this was my set up and it was hard to shoot...monopod and double focus ...good luck

Definitely some nice shots in there Christina. Really adds something special, think the clients will like it! Maybe even cool to edit this trough your normal (16:9 or 2,35:1) edit.
 
Shame about the flashes, kinda kills the mood. But you can't really do anything about that...

If you already have the experience with other gear, and if you have the money, why not. The GH4 is a great tool, future proof and has nice extras like 96 fps, 4K for cropping/panning, great evf, flip screen, etc. Go for it and enjoy :)

jurgen => thanks for the advice  ;) And yes trust me I am very aware of that, it's not the camera but the guy behind the camera that makes it good. Its just that I really want the best thing possible for my money, that's all. I mean if i have the money, why not? And when I say I am new in the DSLR world is just that I don't personally own one but I use them very often for filmmaking but my knowledge is very limited I only know the 5D mark III and the 60D and some canon still lenses, I wanted to have a good advice on from people with more experience on what to buy, and I am glad because I have a very different perspective now.  :)
 
I just feel that the GH4 is a game changer, plus it's not really expensive considering the specs and it has many features that no other camera in this price range has.

Thanks for all the comments  :)
 
I have actually been working with other peoples cameras and lenses, not worrying to much about technical stuff, I have always been more of a storyteller, focusing on writing a script and directing actors. But I do want my own equipment, and increase my knowledge on cinematography which, I think, every aspiring film maker should do, because he can use it to better tell a story, obviously cinematography is at the service of the story. So that's why I want something versatile and capable of doing many things like the GH4.
 
andy lee => I will definitely take a look a those lenses. would you know a good place to buy them? 

But what is the point of posting all this pro GH4 posts in the A7S topic?
 
Yes, I bought the GH4 myself because for me it's the best value. But maybe other people value the low light capabilities and the full frame sensor of the A7S more. Who are you to judge against them?
 
This is not an A7S vs GH4 topic. It's a topic to show/discuss footage from the A7S. What are you even doing in this topic except for fanboying about the GH4? Why don't you just respect that fact that other people have other priorities and maybe budget isn't a problem for them (and we still don't know the price anyway so discussing about that is pointless).
 
Just cut the GH4 crap. Again, I bought one myself, I think it's perfect. It just doesn't belong in the A7S footage topic.

I think you can start with a smaller budget for your lenses. For filmmaking you don't have to buy brand new high end glass. Old glass is fun! dirt cheap and it has character. If you want to spend the money anyway, you can easily allocate it to your camera.
 
The setup I mentioned will cost like €1500 (GH4) + €720 (18-35mm) + €100 (Speed Booster Clone). You still have money left to buy some vintage glass / adapters.
 
Anyway, if you are serious about your film making, what do you have in mind for audio? You'd probably need a budget for that too.
 
On another note, if you don't want to spend much on the camera, score a Panasonic G6 for CHEAP! (like €400). Image quality is on par with the GH3 and it has focus peaking, the GH3 doesn't. Yes - it is a plastic/cheap camera, but great for the money. Perfect to start with.
 
Actually I think it makes more sense to start with something like that. Of course, if you have the money burning in your pocket, support the economy, that's all fine with me :) But I see you are 19, can't imagine €2500 is peanuts for you.
 
The G6 will be a great tool to start with, image quality won't hold you back in any way (if you think it does, look at the frontpage at the videos of Kendy, shot on a cheap 550D)... Buy some old primes + Speed Booster Clone and you are all set and done for under €1000.

First pick you camera, then the lens. Those 35mm and 85mm will behave completely different on a 5D Mark III opposed to a GH4, for example.
 
The 18-35mm f/1.8 is a great lens, very sharp. Many people use it to film. I'd definitely go with the 18-35mm instead of the 24 and 35mm prime. Cheaper, you get both 35mm, 24mm + 18mm and everything in between! Plus you don't have to change lenses.
 
Anyway, it all depends on which camera you are planning to buy.
On a 5D Mark III the Sigma 18-35mm won't even work since it's designed for smaller sensors.
 
So at least tell us which camera's you are considering :)
 
Another note: since you are just starting out, maybe you don't want to spend a lot of money to start with. You can just grab a camera and buy some old manual primes (on eBay) for almost pocket change. You can always upgrade and sell your 2nd hand lenses without loss if you get a good deal.
 
If you have the budget i'd Panasonic GH4 + Sigma 18-35mm (Nikon) + Normal Adapter + Speed Booster (can be a cheap $140 clone too, they seem to be pretty ok. Can always upgrade).
 
With the Speed Booster you will get 'two' lenses. It will make the 18-35mm 1.8 a 13-25mm f/1.3 equivalent.
On the GH4 in Cinema 4K mode (2.3x crop) that will give you ~30-57.5mm f/1.3. Use the 'normal' adapter and it will give you ~41.5-80.5mm f/1.8 (so you can use it to zoom in a bit more).