Bioskop.Inc

I've been using the Nikon ai-s 24mm f2.8 with my Iscorama 54 (no speedbooster) & it works really well! Think i could go wider to the 20mm or even 18mm at a pinch, but am considering the speedbooster & getting the 28mm, 35mm f2.8 & 50mm f1.8. My only problem is the ton of complaints about badly fitting Speedboosters on the BM Pocket. I've got the same problem with my Russian lenses too - such a pain that the Speedbooster mount options don't include M42, but hoping that EF version comes out v.soon.

Finally got around to finishing this off. Was a bit of a nightmare due to hard drive space & a slow computer. Filmed on a Canon 60D, Helios 44-2 & Iscorama 54 (more details on Vimeo).

The "Film Look" was/is an obsession created by the digital medium trying to compete with or emulate celluloid (you can't, they are different mediums). "Dogma 95" gave everyone the middle finger, by saying "Fuck it, just make a film". Personally, today, its all about "How I learned to stop worrying & love my own look!"

The best sharpening tool is the one in Neat Video & it also de-noises the best as well. In Motion there is an Un-Sharpen tool (& loads of other options/filters that aren't in FCPX), which you can make into a plugin or go to Alex4D's site & use his free one. Also, remember that applying contrast to a scene will also sharpen up your footage, especially Local Contrast (but i don't think FCPX has that tool, maybe its in Motion). There's lots of debate about how much sharpness to use in-camera & i found it all depended on the type of shot: Close-ups - no sharpening Medium Shots - +1/2 from off Wide Shots - +2/3 from off (This was Canon & not GH) Testing is the sure fire way to see what you like or what works best. There was a video where someone showed the different options & i think they concluded that completely off was not the way to go (holding breath & waiting for the expert detractors to jump down my throat).

I recently re-watched them as well & it was good to refresh my memory. I haven't used any LUTs, but will upgrad my OS & give his plugin a go. I always start by getting the Exposure levels & WB how i want them. Then if i add a preset/plugin or LUT, in your case, you can go back a tweek stuff to your taste. Just don't forget to use the scopes etc... Also, you can make your own custom plugins for FCPX in Motion. This guy has some really good free plugins: http://www.alex4d.com/ http://blog.alex4d.com/fcpx/ Really like some of his colour effects plugins.

Found these free tutorials helpful, they really gave me a good idea/starting point for how i should be going about things in FCPX: http://www.colorgradingcentral.com/final-cut-pro-x-color-grading-table-of-contents And yes, this forum is all about the tech. If CC does come up (see the BM4K thread attacking James Miller's footage), it normally descends into juvenile muscle flexing rubbish. Its a shame that people don't share more tips for this sort of thing. If you really want to learn more about grading, CC etc...the 2nd edition of this book is excellent & a must buy for anyone wanting to learn or improve - its worth every penny: http://vanhurkman.com/wordpress/?attachment_id=2855#main or this one by the same author: http://vanhurkman.com/wordpress/?attachment_id=2856#main

For your first attempt that was really nice. I think everyone has said most things. For diopters a +0.5 will allow you to focus a bit closer to your subjects & a +1 even more so - you won't need much more than that. Also, experiment with different taking lenses - a 50mm would be nice & you might be able to go wider with the pocket (I can use a 24mm with my Kowa for B&H with no vignette). As far as your Nikon taking lens is concerned, its really good so just stop it down to f2.8 for your night shots - unless you have loads of light & then you can go down even more, but night is night after all. Also, remember that the Pocket's ProRes can be pushed & noise reduction & sharpening can help. You'll get used to dual focus really quickly, its just practice. Good luck

This thread is a v.useful resource: '?do=embed' frameborder='0' data-embedContent>> But, if you're not worried about CA etc...just get whatever you can get your hands on cheaply (a +0.5 & +1 will be useful). Also, it would be worth getting a Redstan front & back clamp, as it would be a shame to damage your lens (you got a deal, but i've seen them go for way more than what you paid) - he does do deals (goes by Tony Wilson on this forum).

Maybe the Animex version isn't single coated, but in your second video you really need to move the light back because you're way too close. Its a fixed focus lens @ 4m, so try that length. But realistically you'll need to put a diopter on the front to get closer. To really see the flares better/clearer you will need to be spot on with your focusing. I've gotten some fantastic flares from street lights etc... at night. As Hans has said get the Helios 44-2 (pre-set aperture version) - they are really cheap.

For me no, as that is my goto lens/focal length or there abouts (a bit over or a bit under).

I've still got loads of DVDs & very few Blu-Rays - I've even got a few films that look worse on Blu-Ray than on DVD. If you remember the transition from SD to HD was a gradual one & not something that happened over night. In TV Land it took them ages before filming in 1080 HD was a standard for every program & even now some footage is still shot in SD, then upscaled. The apparent HD channels on TV aren't even Full HD for the most part in the UK, so 4K is a long way off being something deliverable. So i don't see things going any faster for 4K, especially for the home market/TV/Internet. Also, there are loads of films that have been shot 1080 & they look just fine. 4K as a necessity is still a long way off...& so the Pocket/MK3 are still v.good options.

Hi Rich, I've been using my Isco Widescreen 2000 with my BM Pocket camera, its coupled with a Nikon 24mm & either the Tokina +0.5 or Angenieux +0.25. With the diopters attached (& taking lens stopped down a little) you are able to get a pretty decent, if limited, focus range. I still prefer my big Iscorama beast, but it has been a real life saver for handheld shots. So, I would be looking for something that is small & gives me a proper focus range. As far as money is concerned, it would have to be better than what i have at the moment for it to be worthwhile - not sure how much the Widescreen 2000 goes for? A consevative guestimate would be £500 for a user installed module (which could be used on other lenses). However, a monobloc all-in-one I think you could push to £800 or more, as both lenses would be perfectly aligned etc... - a real time saver!

Looks v.nice & plenty sharp enough! Is it always GH users that complain about sharpness? Also, to get that "vintage look" try a different camera, as they weren't originally used on digital - but i'm sure someone else could give you more info on that side.

Its the lowest i've got at present & am really more interested in the speedbooster, than wider lenses.

With the BM Pocket i can use a 24mm taking lens.

The Voigtlander Focar A+B are both 95mm & great diopters (+1 & +2 respectively). I bought mine for £40 the pair from a guy in Germany on ebay - some prices are very over inflated so look around (that above listing is way too much to pay for just 1 lens).

I think BM have produced a v.nice camera in the Pocket & contrary to what a lot of people have said/claimed, they do appear to take their customer service quite seriously. I only say this because i do have an issue with my Pocket Camera - it produces, in v.extreme high contrast circumstances, a Pinky Grid-like Flare (for a milisecond only) when panning away from a strong light source. Admittedly, i will not often find my self in a situation where this occurs, but i did stumble upon it. After a few back & forth e-mails, BM are looking into it & are keeping me updated. My theory, after hearing about hot pixels etc..., is that the Quality Control of the sensor maker/provider isn't the best - some people have nothing, some people have this or that problem. To have ProRes HQ as standard, with the ability to utilise RAW for those tricky situations is mind blowing! 4K be damned, just being able to get an excellent 1080p image is a definate move in the right direction. The one major error that people haven't mentioned, is that they should have given the Pocket the ability to record RAW externally - 18mins of RAW on a 64gb card is going to kill the bank to film a decent amount of footage. Quite frankly, they already have their own external recorder & missing the boat to marry the two was a huge mistake! And please don't give me they couldn't, of course they could!

Would really help if you posted some nice high-res clear pictures of the distortion you're [not] describing - couldn't really see what you were on about with that video as an example. Just realised what, I think, you're talking about! When you get to the widest taking lens (can happen with other lenses too with some anamorphics), the anamorphic will distort the edges - a bit like a Fish-eye lens, but not so extreme. If this is what you're talking about, then its completely normal - go take a look at Blade Runner, its present in quite a few scenes

seems you can turn peaking on & off whilst recording and you can zoom in & out too - on the Pocket.

Leica & Iscorama combo - yummy! Worth every penny!

http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/24f28.htm Just a normal old manual Nikon 24mm f2.8 AI-S lens - v.close focusing & no distortion. So no real catch, apart from you need 95mm or 82mm diopters (Tokina 72mm vignettes) for the Iscorama. I think with the new Speedbooster i'm going to go Nikon, so only really need to get a 28mm & a 50mm.

My 2 cents: 5D3 RAW in 2.66 crop mode. The only reason i'm going for this is because i noticed some blured fringing effect at the top of the screen, which I think is a trait of ML RAW. If you did use an anamorphic, its not really showing the tell tale signs. But its v.nice whatever you used.

He probably said this because the ProRes is so good, stunning even & of course, more convenient. So (& it pains me to say so) i think he might be right - RAW is for those really hard to get shots &/or ones that need a lot of detail (landscapes etc...).

Yep, that's why i mentioned the moire in BM RAW. However, the ProRes, as standard, really is v.good - so much so, that i really don't see the need for RAW on the Pocket (maybe wide landscape shots). Also, in BM Pocket you get Full HD [continuous] Raw recording, no time limits but the card filling up & sound. Having used ML RAW on my 60D, you do notice a little difference between 12 & 14, but really not enough to cry about. Anyways, back to your original post - Did you make a mistake? Probably not. With the 7D you get a 2-in-1 camera: photos, some ML RAW & H264 (you can increase the bit rate with ML), all without Moire & Aliasing. Plenty of stuff has been shot on a 7D - part of Black Swan used a 7D (subway shots). Your gut feeling told you to buy the 7D & there's always going to be that moment of "what if I bought this or that instead" - everyone goes through it. Best cure - Go out & shoot something with it! One tip - use a good Picture Style with it, I found VisionColor to be excellent.

With the new SpeedBooster announced, then the Pocket's crop factor is certainly no longer a problem! Also, the Pocket is certainly no "Toy" & no one has even come close to uttering that phrase when i've pulled it out of my bag. In fact, most people just think it looks fantastic (a great bit of design, is the phrase used most) & when they see the images it produces, their jaw just drops! Also, RAW produces Moire etc... like DSLR, whilst the ProRes is much more resiliant.