mercer

Yeah a Nikkor 24mm f/2.8 is a great lens and they go pretty cheap. Of course, that same lens on a M4/3 focal reducer will only give you a S35mm FOV of around 35mm... But... if I may... it’s not my money or anything but you probably already have everything you need with the X-T3, and unless you plan on shooting Raw, I don’t know if you will gain that much by getting a P4K as well. And remember that Raw will take up a bunch of memory which isn’t cheap for the P4K. In the end, you may be better off selling the M4/3 speedbooster and getting the right lens for your X-T3. What lenses do you already own for that system? @thephoenix

Has there been any word when the P4K will be fully released. Admittedly, I haven’t really been following these threads, but out of curiosity I went to BH to see if they had any used ones for sale. To my surprise, they’re still listed as preorder. Seriously?!?! Didn’t the first units start shipping like 4 months ago? I figured new ones at BH would be on backorder but I never thought it would still be listed as preorder. What is going on over at BMD? Aren’t replacement RMA cameras being shipped out regularly but the preorders aren’t filled yet? On a side note that is kinda irrelevant to this discussion... I was looking at some comparison videos between the P4K and GH5s and was surprised to see how well the GH5s held its own against the P4K. The P4K definitely looked better but not by a huge margin and I can see why someone may choose the easier production features of the GH5s over the P4K (although that statement is relative) so then I looked at the current prices of the GH5s and my jaw dropped... the sale price is $2300... is Panasonic nuts? The GH5 is 2 years old and should be selling for $1200 new at this point and on sale for a grand. The GH5s should be at $1700 and $1500 on sale. At this rate, the X-T3 seems like the deal of the year. The P4K would be if one could buy it anywhere.

Due to the different flange distances, you can’t go from FD to EF without an adapter with a correction lens inside the adapter. And those correction lenses are usually crap and will do more harm to your image than they’re worth. There is a company called EDMIKA that makes replacement mounts to modify the lens but that can get a little pricey. FD lenses are very cinematic so it may be worth the modification if you already own some good samples. I lucked out and found a 50mm 1.4 that was modified to the Nikon Mount and paid less than most FD 50mm 1.4 lenses go for.

@DBounce this looks really cool. Excuse my ignorance with these new fangled gadgets, but I assume you set the marks before hand and the slider hits them? Something like this is really appealing to me. I started as an actor, then screenwriter, but as a poor filmmaker it is often difficult to get actors, at the rates I can afford. With something like this, I could be in my own movie... talk about the ultimate one man band filmmaking. Makes me want to grab a 5D4. Lol. I assume that set up is pretty pricey, though? On another note, I think you have a pretty good screen presence but I’m unsure of your goal. I know you’re a hobbyist, but do you want to make narratives? Family videos? Build a YouTube channel? I mean, what’s your end game? I’ll also add... I still think I prefer your Canon work... particularly the 1DXii and C200. The Fuji videos looked pretty good as well. Nikon... I don’t know. Maybe too early to tell. Anyway, thanks for posting.

Oh I know the Nikon/Atomos combo is not a dedicated cinema camera, I don’t believe it will be a usable hybrid though either. But unless you are shooting narratives, documentaries or music videos, the Nikon/Atomos ProRes Raw will give you just about you everything you need. I knew your wife was more than just a pretty face. But seriously, I look forward to seeing what you do with all of the above. Btw, I am thinking that we may be seeing the beginning of a bigger partnership between Nikon and Atomos... perhaps maybe even a merger. I’ve been saying for a while that I thought Atomos should get into the cine camera business and now with this news, I could see where the two companies can really help each other.

Okay the Nikon development is awesome, don’t get me wrong, but with the screen attached to the top of the camera, it’s not a pocket hybrid. It’s now a rigged up camera. And with the screen, I’m unsure how effective the IBIS will be. With that being said, I am very intrigued by this and the Z6 is now on my short list of possible next camera purchases. Of course I have a growing fondness for the GH5s, so that’s on my short list as well. And considering my current needs, it is probably higher on the list than a ProRes Raw Nikon with an easily breakable HDMI port. However, I am in no rush for any camera right now, so I’m patiently waiting to see how Magic Lantern’s 5D4 development goes before I make my next move.

It does seem from an observer’s perspective that Nikon developed their Z-Line from the camera up and Canon developed their RF line from the lenses down. By the end of this year Canon will have a solid lens line up on the market for the R series of cameras and Nikon may still be building their core lenses. It makes sense that Nikon did it that way, they don’t have the capital that Canon has. As far as IQ... I think it’s a wash. You have a beefier codec with a thick image with the Canon but you have FF 4K with the Nikon. You have IBIS with the Nikon but you have better AF with the Canon. You also get the other goodies with the Canon... internal C-Log, focus guides, etc... in the end, I think the R series will be better than the Z series for video but right now I feel it’s neck and neck depending on which features matter most to you. Honestly, @DBounce if you decide to keep the Z6 over the EOS-R, then you may as well sell the C200 and the 1DX ii. The ProRes Raw development with Nikon will give you at least 80% of what you get from the C200 and soon enough Nikon will have a pro mirrorless or even a D850 may be more than enough for your photo endeavors. Not my money or anything so take this as you want, but right now you’re building a weird collection that doesn’t mesh well together.

Btw, the Tokina 17mm f/3.5 I am referring to is the RMC version, not the AT-X version. The AT-X version may be good as well but I’ve never used one, so I can’t say. Here’s a good write up of the RMC version and his site is a great resource for vintage lenses for video use in general. https://www.vintagelensesforvideo.com/tokina-rmc-17mm/ Also with the RMC Tokina lenses you have a couple extra choices in the wide range if you want to build a quasi set... the 24, 28 and 35mm f/2.8 are all decent lenses. I also briefly had an RMC Tokina 35mm f/2 that was amazing. Stupidly I sold it and haven’t found another one since. The 25-50mm zoom is pretty good. And they made a 24-40mm f/2.8 AT-X that I adore. And then there’s the 28-70mm f/2.6-2.8 that is a cult classic and derived from the Angenieux design. Tokina lenses are a good foray into vintage lenses because they are available in so many adaptable mounts, the IQ is really good but with some character and are relatively inexpensive.

Pentacon lenses are decent but they have their quirks. The Soviets weren’t known for their quality control, so some of their lenses didn’t stand up to the test of time mostly in regards to the aperture. The Prakticar Mount is also a little more obscure so it may be more difficult finding adapters, but I’ve never owned a Prakticar lens, so I haven’t really searched for them. If interested in Pentacon lenses, I’d look for the M42 versions. The Mir 37mm is a classic lens, so if you can get it for the right price, you’d probably be happy with it. The Mir-24N which is ironically a 35mm lens, is supposed to be an excellent lens in the Nikon Mount as well. Zeiss Jena lenses, which aren’t “true” Zeiss lenses are fairly inexpensive with good optical quality... but with questionable build quality as well. But for the price of these lenses, you can easily find someone who can CLA them and make them better than new.

Yeah, this is honestly one of my problems with Micro 4/3... it’s neither here nor there if you need/want to use vintage or fast lenses. Sigma makes a 20mm 1.8 (the older one) that isn’t too expensive and that will get you around 30mm with the Fuji crop or the Micro 4/3 with speedbooster. If you look for the Nikon version you’ll also have an aperture ring. Tokina (also as Vivitar) made a 17mm f/3.5 that sells for between $100-$150. It is a great vintage lens with loads of character. That would get you the 24mm on the Fuji and around that speedboosted on Micro 4/3. Canon FD has a 17mm f/4 that is really good as well. Hope that helps @thephoenix

Yeah the 5D3 and ML Raw shoots continuous 1080p 14bit Raw. Since I shoot narratives, I’ve never recorded super long takes but I have shot upwards of 5 minutes without any hiccups.

I really like what Kinefinity is doing. I have no idea what their cameras cost... I assume they’re out of my price range but I do like their image. Pleasing color, good DR and decent highlight rolloff with good codecs... what more do you need? However, I think they are one company that could be well served with some sort of “pocket” version. I really like the idea of their 3K modes. I’ve always felt that really good 2K or 3K wasn’t optimized and really just skipped over for 4K... Arri’s 2.7K wasn’t arbitrary.

Out of curiosity, then why does the C200 have 12bit and 10bit Raw? Also, the 5D3 has 14bit, 12bit and 10bit?

AmateurRes Raw?

They’ll probably do some dumbass move where ProRes Raw will only work if you bought the Atomos V with their Filmmaker’s Kit. I think the next question is how will Canon respond in kind? We already know that a lot of their moves are direct responses to each other, so will Canon introduce RawLite into the EOS-R or an upcoming equivalent camera? But IBIS and ProRes Raw in the Nikon/Atomos sounds kinda delicious to me. Are there cages available for the Z6 that will lock the cables?

Thanks! It’s funny, you’re last sentence encaptures why I love my 5D3 so much. With ML Raw, I feel like it closely captures a 70s/80s film look... what I grew up on.

It seems like your exposure method paid off. In your original post, you mention that this was a simple grade compared to your current methods, do you remember how much you did here? Did you start with a utility LUT or color space transform and then adjust accordingly? I really love this look... it has that modern, gritty, sci-fi look. Is the new color science 4 transform available in the Lite version or only the Studio version?

Out of curiosity, why did you choose the Standard Profile in the Canon to go against the Flat Profile in the Nikon? This may be the only time that I’ve liked Nikon colors better than Canon? Don’t get me wrong, I love Nikon Flat but with the Prolost Neutral Profile, the Canon should look better than the Nikon. IMO.

That is definitely true. I still think the GH2 has a very valid place in today’s filmmaking. And the X-T3 is obviously a great little camera but I wonder if a C100 with the built in NDs and DPAF would better suit you. They’re really not that big. And the FS5 is even smaller. And either of those cameras are great for wedding videos. I think he means hybrids are half assed. And he has a point. If you want to shoot video, you may as well get a video camera.

Honestly, I think a filmmaker like yourself would be better off with a C100 or FS5, etc... you are a talented narrative filmmaker... go grab a cinema camera, with all of their bells and whistles and let the camera help you rather fussing about with these hybrids and their auto-everything.

Since I read this post, I watched a few GH3 videos online and the quality is pretty damn good for a 6 year old camera. Really, it is all most of the people on this forum need. 4K is nice. IBIS is awesome. But for a barebones quality 1080p image... the GH3 has it. And man is the price right. I’ve never used the Panny 20mm but I have used the Olympus 17mm 1.8 and man is that a nice little lens.

To be fair, the filmmaker didn’t ask for his work to be posted here and torn apart.

I guess I’ll be the first to ask... what lenses will you be using? Since you’re used to FF, that 2X crop may feel a little limiting. Sure there are speedboosters to help with the field of view but it’s still not FF. With that being said, I really like the image from the GH3 and the price seems great. I’ve even seen some videos online where filmmakers will use the GH3 as a B-Cam to their C100. The C100 would be a great choice too if you have a bigger budget... which isn’t that much if you consider what you’re getting. The original BMPCCs are selling for next to nothing... so also a consideration. I guess take a look at the a6000 for good 1080p... you can get them new for not much more than a used GH3. To add... or ask... what type of video work do you plan on doing? Very cool. Are there any online, I’d love to see how the GX85 holds up.

Man this not only looks incredible, it is a decent little story and really done so well. What ISO were you shooting at? And how bright was the footage before your correction/grade? Also was this ProRes or Raw and I assume it was 4K? Man I am such a fan of your work. If I can get a quarter of the quality you’ve been getting, I will be a happy filmmaker. I may pick up another Micro eventually after seeing what you do with BM cameras and how John Brawley edits the Micro footage with UMP footage on the show he DPs. They’re so cheap right now, they’re almost a no brainer.

Only sort of... gorgeous.