EXCLUSIVE: Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K gets Time of Flight Autofocus with Prototype add-on

[Whity90210]

Please make a Modul for the Gh5 ?

[deanphillips1991]

This looks incredible. I still don't see anything for a kickstarter. Is there still plans for this being released? :)

[BTM_Pix]

On 10/31/2019 at 3:58 AM, deanphillips1991 said:

This looks incredible. I still don't see anything for a kickstarter. Is there still plans for this being released?

The ToF autofocus adapter is still in early stage development but we anticipate it being available in early 2020.

But without giving too much away, it might be in a somewhat different form.............

[Cinegain]

You're just making your own camera altogether already? ?

[BTM_Pix]

37 minutes ago, Cinegain said:

You're just making your own camera altogether already? ?

Yep, just need to sort out the overheating issues.

[Cinegain]

Remember what the big guys always say 'it's not a flaw... it's a feature... be glad we don't charge you extra for it... oh wait, we do!'

[kye]

3 hours ago, BTM_Pix said:

Yep, just need to sort out the overheating issues.

Nah, just make sure the colour is no good and you'll be fine...  works for Sony!

[deanphillips1991]

On 11/1/2019 at 9:53 AM, BTM_Pix said:

The ToF autofocus adapter is still in early stage development but we anticipate it being available in early 2020.

But without giving too much away, it might be in a somewhat different form.............

Awesome!

I thought i read that we needed a particular follow focus system to use this, but maybe I'm going crazy.

Will that be the case? 

Great job btw, really looking forward to this. It made grabbing a PK4 a no brainer for me.

[BTM_Pix]

12 minutes ago, deanphillips1991 said:

Awesome!

I thought i read that we needed a particular follow focus system to use this, but maybe I'm going crazy.

Will that be the case? 

Great job btw, really looking forward to this. It made grabbing a PK4 a no brainer for me.

No, for Pocket4K it addresses the camera directly so no additional equipment required.

For other systems, it will use (inexpensive) focus gears.

[xzobinx]

5 hours ago, BTM_Pix said:

No, for Pocket4K it addresses the camera directly so no additional equipment required.

For other systems, it will use (inexpensive) focus gears.

damn my day job is land surveyor, I use trimble scanner all the time and never thought of applying it to autofocus system. Great job mate. 

I'm guessing for manual lens like zeiss milvus or cine lens, focus gears is the way to go. Sign me up for preorder, kickstarter or whatever meant to get this. with this, I can retire my eosr and put a p4k on gimbal.  

[xzobinx]

BTW have you experienced any issue with smooth reflective material like metal roof or wet bitumen? That is the one issue with Lidar scanning 

[scotchtape]

The answer is probably no, but would this work for shallow dof interviews?  I'm assuming there's no way for it to detect an eye vs a nose when trying to focus on a face.

That being said the a7iii face detect has worked fine at 50mm f1.4 without eye detect so maybe?

If so using the sigma 18-35 with af would be awesome.

[BTM_Pix]

9 hours ago, xzobinx said:

BTW have you experienced any issue with smooth reflective material like metal roof or wet bitumen? That is the one issue with Lidar scanning 

 

3 minutes ago, scotchtape said:

The answer is probably no, but would this work for shallow dof interviews?  I'm assuming there's no way for it to detect an eye vs a nose when trying to focus on a face.

 

Without giving too much (or indeed anything) away at this point @xzobinx and @scotchtape, what you see in this initial proof of concept and what the reality will be in a couple of months when the "real" version happens will address both of these aspects.

As I said early on in the thread after @Andrew Reid revealed the original prototype, it was very much a jumping off point for where this would end up.

Hopefully for the better or course !

[xzobinx]

8 hours ago, scotchtape said:

The answer is probably no, but would this work for shallow dof interviews?  I'm assuming there's no way for it to detect an eye vs a nose when trying to focus on a face.

That being said the a7iii face detect has worked fine at 50mm f1.4 without eye detect so maybe?

If so using the sigma 18-35 with af would be awesome.

Lidar can achieve accuracy of 1mm so depends on the implementation, SDOF should not be an issue. The only draw back I found was specular surfaces but @BTM_Pix seems to be on top of it. 

Now if @BTM_Pixcan get the gyro information from the p4k chip and use it with steadxp that would be another game changer. IBIS with autofocus, a man can dream 

 

[deanphillips1991]

17 hours ago, xzobinx said:

Lidar can achieve accuracy of 1mm so depends on the implementation, SDOF should not be an issue. The only draw back I found was specular surfaces but @BTM_Pix seems to be on top of it. 

Now if @BTM_Pixcan get the gyro information from the p4k chip and use it with steadxp that would be another game changer. IBIS with autofocus, a man can dream 

 

That would be a dream!

I miss IBIS (coming over for Sony) so I'm after a decent solution for handheld work (I have a gimbal but I hate carrying one everywhere). 

What's the steadxp like? Any good alternatives to IBIS too?

[xzobinx]

9 hours ago, deanphillips1991 said:

That would be a dream!

I miss IBIS (coming over for Sony) so I'm after a decent solution for handheld work (I have a gimbal but I hate carrying one everywhere). 

What's the steadxp like? Any good alternatives to IBIS too?

 

It's not really ibis but a post stabilization software using the gyro data from a attachment box. Your image will be cropped like other post stabilization but the result is unbelievably good 

[deanphillips1991]

26 minutes ago, xzobinx said:

 

It's not really ibis but a post stabilization software using the gyro data from a attachment box. Your image will be cropped like other post stabilization but the result is unbelievably good 

Pretty much spent all day looking into it. Only major issue would be that it doesn't work directly in an NLE. Using BRAW that's a downside. Also having to use a different shutter speed and do some "pre" movements before any shot (from what I've read) 

Seems to be much better than davinci stabiliser though, so that's magical.

[colepat]

I know this may be premature, but I'm assuming the focus gears will work on native MFT glass and EF adapted lenses? 

Specifically speaking for the GH5. 

[BTM_Pix]

On 12/7/2019 at 2:43 PM, colepat said:

I know this may be premature, but I'm assuming the focus gears will work on native MFT glass and EF adapted lenses? 

Specifically speaking for the GH5. 

I'm up to something that could yet result in the GH5 not needing to have to use gears and motors either....

[Emanuel]

Q1 2020?