Alan

One great wide angle lens that always seems to be forgotten is the Panasonic Lumix G Vario 7-14mm f4.0 Micro Four Thirds Ultra Wide Angle Lens - Brilliant!

Thanks for your response. In actual fact, I don't have any options as I don't have an EOS 60D (and have never said that I did), or an iPhone (or similar). Therefore, I want to get as much technically correct as I can.

Many thanks for your comment regarding LUTs etc. I didn't even know the term, so had to look it up. This is something outside of my sphere, so will have to learn more about it and read the Premiere Pro book in more depth. At least, if I can obtain some footage whilst I'm away, I can learn more about what to do with my clips when I return. I'm still new to this level of film making.

To Maxotics. I have ordered the viewfinder you suggested from the Amazon UK website, so hope it arrives before I go on my trip. Does it cover all of the BMPCC screen? It looks a fairly good fit in your video. Many thanks for the information and idea.

I'll probably have enough depth of field for most things to be in focus! That said, I find focussing on moving objects / people, especially when coming towards me, just about impossible using the little screen on the camera.

Many thanks for your suggestions and kind support. I'll go on my trip and shoot as much as I can and hope for the best. I've set the camera to Pro-Res and the dynamic range to video at 800 ISO (which I'll reduce to 400 ISO if it becomes too overexposed in the sunshine). The shutter angle is set at 180 degrees. I'll work in Adobe Premiere Pro CS6 to increase the colour saturation in post. I don't doubt the image quality - only my ability to make it happen.

No, I don't have a smart 'phone. Decided a long time ago that they weren't for me. Thanks for the swap offer - I may well consider that!

What I am really surprised by is the fact that no one has mentioned buying a hand-held exposure meter - remember those? I'd buy the Sekonic L-478D or DR if they weren't so expensive. Unfortunately, my Gossen meter is in store many miles away in a different country, or I'd use that. Are there any cheaper alternatives that work well for video?

Thanks for all your encouragement and kind assistance. The instruction book mentioned by SleepyWill is sure to be invaluable. I've been seriously into photography/cine/video for over 55 years and never found a camera so problematic as this has proved to be - or as frustrating. I have no knowledge at all of the aforementioned Metabones 'speed booster', so that's something else to find out about. However, now I've spent the money I have on the Panasonic 7 to 14 mm, I want to get the best out of it rather than try something else and spend even more money. The Zacuto EVF is also very expensive (some models as much as the camera!), so will have to live without that - and it reduces the portability of the BMPCC to a certain extent. On the topic of lenses, My most commonly needed lens is the aformentioned Panasonic. For other focal lengths, I have a range of Canon 'L' series from 17 mm to 200 mm that I can use with the Redockmicro adaptor, so I really don't need any more glass. Just as a follow up on what has happened already, this is the second body - the first being exchanged by the BM authorised repair centre in the UK, (Holdan Limited | Unit 1-2 Waterside Business Park | Hadfield | Glossop | Derbyshire | SK13 1BE | United Kingdom.) who gave me superb service. I was most impressed by their efforts to assist me. I've also found that the DaVinci Resolve won't work with my computer, so I'm assuming it has an incompatible graphics card, so I'm using Adobe PremierePro for everything in post. Even with that I've experienced problems with the software importing the video clips but only playing the sound, not the video in post (not even showing the thumbnails). That seems to have been resolved with the second camera seeming to work ok. Has anyone else had this problem? Much to my annoyance, the HDMI signal from the camera won't play on my recently purchased Panasonic Viera Smart full HD TV - I assume the CODEC is incompatible, although it plays perfectly on one of my friends old TVs. Just not my day! Altogether, buying and trying to operate with this camera has been entirely unsatisfactory. I'll keep trying for a while longer, mainly because I don't have much choice! If it doesn't function during my trip to the far east, it will definitely be going in the bin on my return - if not before.

If anyone knows where I can get a really comprehensive instruction manual for this camera, please let me know. Many thanks.

Many thanks for your kind assistance. I have the BM manual that comes with the camera, but this is very poor - and certainly not instructive. Thanks for the explanation about using the up and down buttons, however, I still have no way of knowing if the exposure is correct, and the built in screen is not an accurate indicator. I don't want to buy a separate EVF or monitor as this destroys the objective of having a 'pocket' size camera. The 10 mm lens mentioned by SleepyWill is not wide enough - that's why I went to the expense of buying the 7 mm to 14 mm. I have a redrock micro adapter to fit my Canon 'L' series lenses to the BMPCC, so can control the aperture of those lenses using the adaptor. However, I don't use these lenses very often as the 7 - 14 is my most useful focal length - and, again, all these other bits of equipment destroy the portability of the camera. I have used the focus peaking indicator, but it tends to slow things down hugely instead of being able to rely on an autofocus facility. Many thanks to you both for your kind suggestions.

The iris control on these cameras is very hit and miss, in my experience. I've even returned one camera to the repair centre and they replaced it with another camera. I mainly use the Panasonic Lumix G Vario 7 mm to 14 mm f4 on the camera. The only exposure control is by pressing the 'IRIS' button on the back of the camera. This sets an entirely random aperture setting on the lens that relies on the exposure metering system built into the camera body. Getting the exposure correct is very much a 'hit or miss' experience. The viewing screen cannot be relied on as a tool with which to judge the exposure as the brightness can be adjusted to suit the ambient lighting conditions. Focussing is also problematic with this (and other auto) lenses. Pressing the 'FOCUS' button is very 'hit or miss'. I've been so disenchanted by this camera that it will have to go in the bin soon - after waiting 7 months for it to arrive after ordering it on the first day it was announced. Image quality may be good - but only if you can set-up the camera correctly! Everything is just guess work with this camera. Apart from using fully manual lenses (I don't know of any that are as wide as the 7 mm of this lens), how does everyone else get round these two problems?

The BMD pocket camera is a huge disappointment. I ordered one on the first day it was announced at the NAB show on 8 April 2013. I received it a few days ago - 7.5 months after ordering. The main thing is that the screen is unusable in poor lighting conditions - even with the brightness set at 100%. It's not exactly great in good lighting conditions either. The focussing works more or less satisfactorily on auto, if using an appropriate lens but the focus peaking facility is completely useless. I spent a great deal on money getting set-up with this camera - including buying the expensive Redrock Micro adaptor so that I could fit my range of 'L' series Canon lenses to the camera. I also bought the over-priced Panasonic Lumix 7 mm to 14 mm wide angle lens. On top of that there is the cost of microphones and a good Sachtler tripod, high speed storage cards etc. OK some of these things would be needed regardless of what camera I bought, but still, in my case, I bought them all in readiness for using this particular camera. Not only that, but the version 10 of Da Vinci Resolve Lite I downloaded and installed fails to work properly, in as much as it doesn't pick up any of the hard drives connected to my computer (media page; library), therefore making it impossible to bring any clips onto the media page at all - making the program completely useless. I have re-booted and done all the usual things to make sure it should work, but it still doesn't work. Just to add insult to injury, the advertised DVD containing this software IS NOT INCLUDED in the package containing the camera - and you have to download the latest 'firmware' into the camera to make it work in RAW - again, a facility that was advertised but not included with the camera. All in all, BMD products are a complete let-down and a waste of my money, as well as the 7.5 months I spent waiting for it to be delivered. The company has FAILED!

I'd like to know how and why Andrew Reid has had his order fulfilled by CVP when they have told me they haven't received any from Black Magic Design yet. As someone who ordered one of these on the first day they were announced (8 April 2013) - and paid my deposit, I'm still waiting for mine to be delivered and CVP have even deleted the expected delivery date from their website. So much for CVP's first come, first served policy! Something smells!!! Not impressed!!!