Anamorphic adapter for BMCC

[Pierre Reynard]

Hi everyone,

I try to find a panasonic LA7200 for my BMCC, and during my research i have found that century optics have an anamorphic adapter, but i can't find any video with the BMCC. I'm new in anamorphic world so i need your help to tell me if this adapter can work with the BMCC  

 

And i want to use 24mm, 35mm 50mm and 85mm on it, do you think it's possible ?

 

I have read a lot of things, i understand the concept of shooting anamorphic, but i never had the chance to shoot with it, so it's a little bit difficult to understand everything.

http://www.adorama.com/Reviews/pwr/prod ... Mount.html

Thank you for your time.

 

Pierre

 

[Harrison Geraghty]

Vid atlantic claim the smaller sensor of the Black magic will make shooting with these adapters easier in comparison to full frame slr's where you will have to shoot with 85mm+  focal lengths to avoid vignetting.

 

http://vidatlantic.tumblr.com/post/29382687522/small-sensor-fears-blackmagic-camera-with-anamorphic

 

That article mentions 2x anamorphic adapters whereas the one you listed is 1.33x. 

 

Also the century optics filter your linking too really isn't worth the money, all the test videos are riddled with distortion and it looks cheap. If you want to use anamorphic for a few short films and to play around with get a Sankor 16C, it's 2x so the image is super slim but it's the best looking anamorphic footage for this price range that isn't an iscorama. 

 

The LA700 has been used to good effect with the BMCC however I really don't see the merits of using one. The LA700 creates a bland image and the flares are less than unique. You're better off buying the vid atlantic flare filter than shelling out next to a grand for a pretty useless adapter which you will have to continue spending money on for things such as diopters to really get it to work. It's a pain in the ass you'd rather not have. Just buy a Sankor 16D (cheaper but cooler blue flares) or a Sankor 16C (sharper image), much more reasonably priced and it will allow you to have some anamorphic work on your vimeo/showreel! And the vid atlantic article suggests these 2x lenses will have a better effect due to it's sensor, check em out. We're just enthusiasts not pros so don't blow your money on the LA7200 or century optics. I was once tempted and can safely say I couldn't give a flying f*** now. I'm curious and may purchase a 16C for fun in the hopes of one day buying an iscorama 36. 

 

16D flares: 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lx1AooxwR3w

 

16C test: 

http://vimeo.com/65590394

[Pierre Reynard]

Thank you very much Harrison, you really help me  :) , i will look for a sankor !

 

Thanks again

 

Pierre

[Pierre Reynard]

This is some shot that i have made for my current job in France, i have shot in prores Video mode with my BMCC and graded with filmconvert. I have use the Streak Filter from vid-atlantic and crop the footage in 2.35.

 

This just an upload test on vimeo for me, theres is not editing, just rush put together. 

 

https://vimeo.com/73860215

 

Password is: bmcc

 

Pierre

[Sean Cunningham]

Keep in mind the LA7200 and Century Optics are the only "reasonably" priced and somewhat easy to find focus-through adapters.  If you're doing music videos or shooting where your talent or subject doesn't move around much it may not be an issue.  

 

The Century Optics will work quite well with the lenses listed in the first post with no vignetting on larger sensor cameras.  On the GH2, which has a much larger sensor, you can shoot as wide as 18mm with no vignette as long as you're not using one of the Century adapters with the smaller rear element.

 

Where these two adapters get you is that you need diopters to sharpen them up depending on the stop you're at on your lens.  This is often labeled as a sin specific to these 1.33X adapters but as you get up to larger and larger anamorphic lenses you have more caveats regarding stop and focus distance and diopters are part of the anamorphic cinema kit.  The tiny lenses meant for 8mm cameras tend to out-class much bigger glass in almost every way except the need for dual-focus, precluding run-n-gun or a host of dynamic types of shots, preferring all action plays out in a fixed plane of focus. 

 

On the 19mm sensor of the GH2 a 24mm lens can be used effectively @ f/2.8 without diopters, getting sharper stopped down.  From there I know longer lenses need to be further stopped down as you increase focal length to achieve the same level of sharpness.  The iris of the 24mm @ f/2.8 is 8.571mm and so that seems to be the maximum iris allowed with the Century Optics adapter before diopters are necessary.   

 

For an 85mm this means you're looking at f/11, since f/8 will likely be too soft, unless you're using a cinema style taking lens or one that's been de-clicked.  With diopters you can effectively shoot with an 85mm at apertures like f/2 but  with new restrictions on your focal range.  

 

The smaller sensor size of a BMD may slide this range some in your favor.  You can likewise focus at less than a meter using a Century Optics adapter on wider lenses, with or without diopters.

 

edit: after looking at your example video I think it would be fair to say that you'll likely get along just fine with one of the dual-focus adapters.

[Pierre Reynard]

Thank you very much for your answer. I just don't understand your 'edit' ( sorry i'm French )

Thanks again

Pierre

[Sean Cunningham]

Oh, sorry, I took a look at your sample and the style of shooting is one that's totally compatible with adapters like the Sankor or any other dual-focus adapter.  It seems like the sharpness, flare and bokeh characteristics of the smaller adapters would be far more important than focus tracking of objects moving relative to the lens or vice versa.

 

You just couldn't do shots like the one that begins at 00:37, where you rack focus at around 00:46 to the plants in the background and then to closer again.  There are mad scientists out there who have and are creating complex dual-servo systems that would allow something like this but as far as I know they're not products that you could actually buy and would likely be very expensive anyway, given a basic follow-focus rig can cost as much or more than a lot of lenses.

[Pierre Reynard]

Ok, i understand everything :-) , it's nice to taxe the time to explain. I am looking for a sankor 16c , if i find one, i Will post a video of it on my BMCC.

Thank you

Pierre

[Pierre Reynard]

Hi there,

 

I have buy a sankor 16 c, it arrived this morning but i think it's broken because when i turn the focus ring on the sankor, nothing change. I try to match focus with my canon lense, but the sankor continue to blur the image, and nothing change when i turn the focus ring. Did you ever here about problem like this ? Maybe i do something wrong ?

 

Thanks

 

Pierre