Camera owning plans 2020

[mercer]

On 2/22/2020 at 11:27 AM, thebrothersthre3 said:

The micro is a much better camera with 60fps to boot. Again you have to deal with the crop factor. I don't really want to get new lenses for an outdated camera which is why I wouldn't get one. Shot on smartphone ads are really dumb as well. Blackmagic really needs to put the Pocket 6k in a body that makes sense. Why they don't think internal ND's are important for run and gun is beyond me. 

It's funny how different people are. Although the crop factor can be annoying, or difficult, with the Micro, the sensor size and it's relation to 16mm/S16 is what I find appealing about it. And the S16 crop mode of the P4K is the ONLY thing I find appealing about that camera... for me. Well native ProRes recording is definitely s bonus as well.

As far as it being outdated... as a DP that hangs out on this forum, I understand why you would think that, but the no budget, writer/director side of you must know that 1080p 60p is all you really need.

The Ursa was definitely a smart move, though. Have you had the chance to test it out yet? And if so, thoughts?

[thebrothersthre3]

2 minutes ago, mercer said:

It's funny how different people are. Although the crop factor can be annoying, or difficult, with the Micro, the sensor size and it's relation to 16mm/S16 is what I find appealing about it. And the S16 crop mode of the P4K is the ONLY thing I find appealing about that camera... for me. Well native ProRes recording is definitely s bonus as well.

As far as it being outdated... as a DP that hangs out on this forum, I understand why you would think that, but the no budget, writer/director side of you must know that 1080p 60p is all you really need.

The Ursa was definitely a smart move, though. Have you had the chance to test it out yet? And if so, thoughts?

I am fine with 1080p content for sure, I usually downscale to HD or shoot in HD and then render in 4k for youtube. 

I am actually looking into Super16mm film glass. The URSA is S35 but if you shoot RAW in 2k or HD its cropped, which good be useful if I want to invest in those kind of lenses. 

I did shoot some footage with the URSA, but I have no lenses for it so it was a black screen lol. Waiting on my EF mount to arrive so I can test it with glass. 

[mercer]

5 minutes ago, thebrothersthre3 said:

am actually looking into Super16mm film glass. The URSA is S35 but if you shoot RAW in 2k or HD its cropped, which good be useful if I want to invest in those kind of lenses.

They're worth the investment if you're going to use them and are interested in that aesthetic. Search Alexa Mini Super 16 and you can see some great samples of that old glass in action on a high end camera. And if you're patient, you can get an old Super Speed for a decent price. But if you plan on using a Sigma 18-35mm, or something similar, most of the time, the S16 glass may not be worth the money. 

With that being said, the Sigma 18-35mm is probably the smart move. Throw the 30mm 1.4 into the mix for your close ups or those shots when you need that extra speed but don't want to bump your ISO and you have a nice little kit for most situations. Add some BPM filters and you're all set.

Instead of testing the crap out of the camera, it would be cool to go out and make a 3 minute short film with it. That's what I did with my 5D3... my mistake was that I fell in love with the footage too much and the idea expanded into a much larger project. But I learned the ins and outs of the camera in a quick minute. 

Whatever you end up doing or what lenses you use, I look forward to seeing what you make with it.

[thebrothersthre3]

10 minutes ago, mercer said:

They're worth the investment if you're going to use them and are interested in that aesthetic. Search Alexa Mini Super 16 and you can see some great samples of that old glass in action on a high end camera. And if you're patient, you can get an old Super Speed for a decent price. But if you plan on using a Sigma 18-35mm, or something similar, most of the time, the S16 glass may not be worth the money. 

With that being said, the Sigma 18-35mm is probably the smart move. Throw the 30mm 1.4 into the mix for your close ups or those shots when you need that extra speed but don't want to bump your ISO and you have a nice little kit for most situations. Add some BPM filters and you're all set.

Instead of testing the crap out of the camera, it would be cool to go out and make a 3 minute short film with it. That's what I did with my 5D3... my mistake was that I fell in love with the footage too much and the idea expanded into a much larger project. But I learned the ins and outs of the camera in a quick minute. 

Whatever you end up doing or what lenses you use, I look forward to seeing what you make with it.

I do like that aesthetic a lot. Really can add a ton of character. Not sure if I'd invest in higher end cine glass though. There are a lot of Cheap C mount options. The Fujinon zoom lenses are catching my attention. They don't seem bad if you stop down a bit. 

I shoot stuff a lot so I'll start taking my Ursa with me instead of my XT3 sometimes. Got a big short coming up in April that we will probably do on the URSA along with the XT3 for some shots. 

[matthere]

On 2/22/2020 at 8:20 PM, independent said:

I use 6600mah "Powerextra multifunctional" batteries that are $20 each on eBay.

Do you have a link to these?

Thanks

[independent]

Sure. I got mine from powerextra's distributor out of California. 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/2x-6-6Ah-NP-F960-Battery-For-Sony-NP-F970-NP-F975-NP-F960-and-Smart-Phone-w-USB/264401969297?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649

I forgot to also mention an even easier option that doesn't require an added battery sled:

If you're using a monitor that uses Sony NPF batteries (most do), Just insert this battery into your monitor, and use a DC to Weipu cable to your Blackmagic 6K. There's several cables there, but this was the cheapest one from B&H (happens to be from Tilta):

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1490898-REG/tilta_ta_t01_dc_pc_bmpcc4k_5_5_2_5mm_dc.html?lsft=BI%3A514&gclid=CjwKCAiAhc7yBRAdEiwAplGxX5GicoBgFbqupXftJu6FVUTH8u1sX77KOUconCCKg48txkKYubcqOBoCEN4QAvD_BwE

 

 

[mercer]

3 minutes ago, independent said:

Sure. I got mine from powerextra's distributor out of California. 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/2x-6-6Ah-NP-F960-Battery-For-Sony-NP-F970-NP-F975-NP-F960-and-Smart-Phone-w-USB/264401969297?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649

I forgot to also mention an even easier option that doesn't require an added battery sled:

If you're using a monitor that uses Sony NPF batteries (most do), Just insert this battery into your monitor, and use a DC to Weipu cable to your Blackmagic 6K. There's several cables there, but this was the cheapest one from B&H (happens to be from Tilta):

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1490898-REG/tilta_ta_t01_dc_pc_bmpcc4k_5_5_2_5mm_dc.html?lsft=BI%3A514&gclid=CjwKCAiAhc7yBRAdEiwAplGxX5GicoBgFbqupXftJu6FVUTH8u1sX77KOUconCCKg48txkKYubcqOBoCEN4QAvD_BwE

 

 

This seems to the best solution for external power on these cameras. When I was slowly building my Micro rig I was so tired of the piss poor battery life and the constant changing of batteries... between the camera and the monitor, I'd have to change batteries every 20 minutes or so. I was considering the SmallHD Focus to power the monitor and camera at the same time but those Powerextra batteries would have been a better solution for a lot less money. 

Good to know for the future... thanks for posting it.

I assume they'd also be great with a Z-Cam... power the camera and then run a USB to power the phone for monitoring. 

[mercer]

28 minutes ago, thebrothersthre3 said:

I do like that aesthetic a lot. Really can add a ton of character. Not sure if I'd invest in higher end cine glass though. There are a lot of Cheap C mount options. The Fujinon zoom lenses are catching my attention. They don't seem bad if you stop down a bit. 

I shoot stuff a lot so I'll start taking my Ursa with me instead of my XT3 sometimes. Got a big short coming up in April that we will probably do on the URSA along with the XT3 for some shots. 

I don't know if c-mounts will work with that mount? Which Fujinon zoom lenses are you looking at?

[thebrothersthre3]

7 minutes ago, mercer said:

This seems to the best solution for external power on these cameras. When I was slowly building my Micro rig I was so tired of the piss poor battery life and the constant changing of batteries... between the camera and the monitor, I'd have to change batteries every 20 minutes or so. I was considering the SmallHD Focus to power the monitor and camera at the same time but those Powerextra batteries would have been a better solution for a lot less money. 

Good to know for the future... thanks for posting it.

I assume they'd also be great with a Z-Cam... power the camera and then run a USB to power the phone for monitoring. 

Can't you fit Sony NPF batteries to the Micro?

[mercer]

7 minutes ago, thebrothersthre3 said:

Can't you fit Sony NPF batteries to the Micro?

It's natively a Canon battery but they do sell sleds that you can change it to NPF batteries... which is obviously the smarter way to go... NPF Battery in the camera with one of these Powerextra batteries to the DC input on the monitor. 

When/if I find another Micro for a good price, I'll probably go that route with an Ikan 3.5 monitor for the compact size or an Atomos Shinobi for the features.

[thebrothersthre3]

43 minutes ago, mercer said:

It's natively a Canon battery but they do sell sleds that you can change it to NPF batteries... which is obviously the smarter way to go... NPF Battery in the camera with one of these Powerextra batteries to the DC input on the monitor. 

When/if I find another Micro for a good price, I'll probably go that route with an Ikan 3.5 monitor for the compact size or an Atomos Shinobi for the features.

I feel like the Micro is a pretty compact setup. Most monitors are going to be bigger than the camera itself lol, but with a lens and a side handle it would be pretty nice. 

Kind of thinking about a Micro for a B-cam to the URSA. In a few months maybe, right now I am sticking with the XT3 and URSA alone and if I need a third camera I can borrow. 

[mercer]

1 hour ago, thebrothersthre3 said:

feel like the Micro is a pretty compact setup. Most monitors are going to be bigger than the camera itself lol, but with a lens and a side handle it would be pretty nice.

Yup, that is the inherent issue with the Micro in my opinion. I've said it before, the camera is literally the size of a Rubick's Cube and any and every add on goes against the tiny nature of the camera. The Ikan VL35 is a 3.5" screen, so it isn't too big, but it's square in shape so it adds unnecessary height. The Focus and the Shinobi are 5" screens, but aren't much bigger than the Ikan because they're rectangular shaped monitors with a similar height even if they add an inch in width. Really, the perfect product doesn't exist, which would be a small add on EVF like the one made for the EOS-M.

Don't you already own a Ninja2? I'm sure that would work in a pinch for a B-Cam. If you're using the Micro as a crash cam or for obtuse, Dutch angles, in tight spaces, you could always run a long HDMI from the Micro to a small monitor attached to your Ursa rig, too.

1 hour ago, thebrothersthre3 said:

Kind of thinking about a Micro for a B-cam to the URSA. In a few months maybe, right now I am sticking with the XT3 and URSA alone and if I need a third camera I can borrow. 

I was going to ask how well the P4K matches your Ursa, but after thinking about it, the Micro still may be a better option for you... for cost and to have that similar Fairchild sensor look. Even if you're shooting 4K with the Ursa, there are a lot of examples showing how the Micro footage upresses really well with Resolve's Super Scale function.

I remember John Brawley saying he used it a lot as a C-cam in The Resident TV show he used to DP. I think they used an Alexa Mini as an A-Cam with an Ursa as a B-Cam and the Micro to cover macro shots for the surgeries and anywhere that they were limited with the size of the set or the shot. His rig was really cool too. Here are a couple production stills he generously shared with us...

After further consideration, I think if I get the opportunity to have another Micro, I'll build a barebones rig like his. But I am very happy with my current set up, so I'll have to find an insanely cheap Micro to even bother.

@BTM_Pix made an interesting point that the FP could be considered a FF Micro with a built in monitor for a similarly small set up... probably even smaller in reality.

However, I was wrong, John Brawley went on to say that he felt the P4K matches the 4.6K better than the Micro does... so maybe a P4K would be a better B-Cam option for you.

[BTM_Pix]

3 minutes ago, mercer said:

@BTM_Pix made an interesting point that the FP could be considered a FF Micro with a built in monitor for a similarly small set up... probably even smaller in reality.

We are 5 days away from finding out how accurate that is

I'm mildly excited about it to be honest.

 

[mercer]

1 minute ago, BTM_Pix said:

We are 5 days away from finding out how accurate that is

I'm mildly excited about it to be honest.

 

Honestly, I'm patiently waiting to hear your thoughts on the camera before I make a decision about it. As it is now, I'm not compelled to get one, but I think you're probably familiar enough with my tastes to know if it's something I should bother saving up for, or buying when there's a decent price drop. 

I have to stop reading this site... I start the day completely content with what I have and now I'm thinking about what films I can shoot with a Micro or an FP...

I NEED HELP!!! 

 

[BTM_Pix]

6 minutes ago, mercer said:

Honestly, I'm patiently waiting to hear your thoughts on the camera before I make a decision about it. As it is now, I'm not compelled to get one, but I think you're probably familiar enough with my tastes to know if it's something I should bother saving up for, or buying when there's a decent price drop. 

I have to stop reading this site... I start the day completely content with what I have and now I'm thinking about what films I can shoot with a Micro or an FP...

I NEED HELP!!! 

 

I'm not taking any camera with me so I'm putting quite a lot of pressure on it myself

i'm taking some M lenses as that is what I've mainly got in mind for it but I'll likely get the kit lens too as it seems pretty well thought of. 

I'm really annoyed that I haven't picked up a cheap PL>L adapter as do you remember this Angenieux on the LS300 from a while back?

I've been after one but never really felt comfortable buying one sight unseen off ebay but I've found one at a dealer in Tokyo....

 

[kye]

8 hours ago, ktfright said:

I have some FD lenses lying around, but those are the two mounts I wanted to get into more, since I already like going fully manual. Turns out converting FD to EF is super expensive 😅 so I’m looking at other mounts.

I'm not sure how much you know about vintage glass, so forgive me if I'm telling you things you already know...

One thing I find useful is this page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flange_focal_distance which lists flange distances, and everything with a greater flange distance than the mount you're using (EF in your case) should be easy to convert.

For me, the interesting ones might be: M42, Pentax K, M39 (if you're interested in much earlier vintage glass), Contax C/Y, Nikon F (lots of great Nikon glass around)..  

Also worth a look:

• http://www.reduser.net/forum/showthread.php?92044-Contax-Zeiss-Survival-Guide
• http://www.reduser.net/forum/showthread.php?152436-Russian-Soviet-USSR-Lens-Survival-Guide
• http://www.reduser.net/forum/showthread.php?139153-Mamiya-Medium-Format-Lens-Survival-Guide
• https://www.pebbleplace.com/databases/contax_database.html
• https://www.pentaxforums.com/lensreviews/Pentax-Takumar-M42-Screwmount-Lenses-i3.html

Lots of great info out there if you're willing to put in some time on google..

[mercer]

2 hours ago, BTM_Pix said:

I'm not taking any camera with me so I'm putting quite a lot of pressure on it myself

i'm taking some M lenses as that is what I've mainly got in mind for it but I'll likely get the kit lens too as it seems pretty well thought of. 

I'm really annoyed that I haven't picked up a cheap PL>L adapter as do you remember this Angenieux on the LS300 from a while back?

I've been after one but never really felt comfortable buying one sight unseen off ebay but I've found one at a dealer in Tokyo....

 

That's definitely a cool lens. It seems to get mixed reviews on RedUser. Does it cover FF or will you use it in S35 mode?

Keep me updated about the FP!

[IronFilm]

9 hours ago, mercer said:

With that being said, the Sigma 18-35mm is probably the smart move. Throw the 30mm 1.4 into the mix for your close ups or those shots when you need that extra speed but don't want to bump your ISO and you have a nice little kit for most situations. Add some BPM filters and you're all set.

I wouldn't buy a 30mm f1.4 as well, the different between 1.4 and 1.8 in terms of light is marginal 

 

8 hours ago, thebrothersthre3 said:

The Fujinon zoom lenses are catching my attention.

 

Can't be used on EF or PL mount. 

(if you're referring to the Fujinon MK series)

 

[ktfright]

8 hours ago, kye said:

I'm not sure how much you know about vintage glass, so forgive me if I'm telling you things you already know...

One thing I find useful is this page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flange_focal_distance which lists flange distances, and everything with a greater flange distance than the mount you're using (EF in your case) should be easy to convert.

For me, the interesting ones might be: M42, Pentax K, M39 (if you're interested in much earlier vintage glass), Contax C/Y, Nikon F (lots of great Nikon glass around)..  

Also worth a look:

• http://www.reduser.net/forum/showthread.php?92044-Contax-Zeiss-Survival-Guide
• http://www.reduser.net/forum/showthread.php?152436-Russian-Soviet-USSR-Lens-Survival-Guide
• http://www.reduser.net/forum/showthread.php?139153-Mamiya-Medium-Format-Lens-Survival-Guide
• https://www.pebbleplace.com/databases/contax_database.html
• https://www.pentaxforums.com/lensreviews/Pentax-Takumar-M42-Screwmount-Lenses-i3.html

Lots of great info out there if you're willing to put in some time on google..

Very much appreciated, these are super helpful!

[thebrothersthre3]

3 hours ago, IronFilm said:

I wouldn't buy a 30mm f1.4 as well, the different between 1.4 and 1.8 in terms of light is marginal 

 

 

Can't be used on EF or PL mount. 

(if you're referring to the Fujinon MK series)

 

Yeah I am talking about the old TV fujinon lenses, which are MK I assume?
 

I'll probably stick to my Nikon Glass for now. I have a 35, 50, and 85. Probably gonna sell the 35 as its an AF lens and get a 105 f2.5 and 20 f2.8