QuickHitRecord

Thanks for turning me on to this guy. I just listened to a great podcast with him and his crew on NFS. He embodies a filmmaking philosophy that I definitely strive for.

Yeah, @mercer's screen grabs look great. It's some of the best looking stuff that we've seen around these boards; there's nothing lacking there! I continue to experiment with ML on the EOS-M. The temptation of using c-mount lenses in 1:1 crop is too great. That is a fun little camera and I am totally enamored with the look that I can easily achieve. Would I ever choose it for my own passion project? Absolutely. Someone else's passion project? Only if they understood the limitations and risks. That being said, for the right short or music video, I would totally pitch it as an option if the c-mount aesthetic could add something.

I have to agree with this. 5Diii raw was revolutionary at the time but it does not stack up against modern cameras. I did a comparison about a year ago with my current cameras and it displayed so much striated and blocky magenta noise in the shadows that I can't imagine reaching for it for video ever again. I still takes wonderful photos though. Something I've been pondering lately is usability. I just wrapped a fast-paced short film shoot at a local bar using two C70s and a set of Sirui Jupiter anamorphics. I chose those cameras despite owning two older Reds. The C70s are not cameras that have much appeal to the cinema purist side of me, but I'm glad that I did choose them because I don't think we would have made it through our shot list if I'd been using a camera that was even slightly slower. I still think that my ancient R1MX produces an image that just puts me in a light trance and pulls me into the film more than any other digital camera that I know of. But it's hard to imagine a film that would be the right fit for that camera, so I think that it's days with me may be numbered. So, yeah, unless I was working with larger crews and bigger budgets, I guess my answer to the original question would be the Canon C70. It may be the Honda Civic of cinema cameras, but it will get you where you need to go, without adding additional stress.

I personally think that these are hard to beat. I own four of them. I came from running two 575w HMIs but these are brighter, quieter, and more affordable. There's no ballast or extra cabling, which for me is a plus. They also have a dedicated remote control available so you don't have to rely on an app. The only "drawback" is that they can't be powered by v-mounts, but I have other lights that can be. I'm very intrigued by the design of the new Molus G300 because I think I could fit two or maybe even three into a single case. But there are several ways in which the Nanlites still beat them.

Actually, that 12-36mm lens I mentioned earlier seems like it might fit the bill, if you are willing to make some modifications. I posted a question about it on another message board and a member named Boris Simović actually had one. He shared these photos (attached), taken with his E-M1 Mark II. To get the lens to work with his MFT body, he removed the rear plate and just screwed on an MFT adapter in its place. It won't focus to infinity at the longer focal lengths yet, but he's going to see if he can work with the adapter a little more to make it work. He says it's somewhat heavy and feels like it needs more lubricant, but I think that the images look very promising. It's available as the FOCtek C-M1236IR in the US for around $300, or $160 on AliExpress (without coupons applied). I am seriously struggling to keep myself from picking up a copy. But maybe you would be interested?

There are some pretty long threads of things that other users have tried in the EOS-M Facebook group. Maybe something in there will bring your little camera back to life? These look great! I have always enjoyed the look of the Takumar lenses. What is your film about?

I have a similar unbranded lens that's f1.6. With the 2.5K crop mode, it's almost perfectly usable throughout the range. It's a fun little lens, and very versatile. The only downsides are the rotating filter threads, slight vignette at certain focal lengths, the zooming mechanisms/runners showing up in bokeh when shooting wide open, and spikey party-favor bokeh when closed down. So, there are some compromises. I was looking around the ZLKC storefront on AliExpress and there are lots of neat 1.1" c-mount lenses on offer. I would imagine that they would cover S16, but I can't find any reviews. Have you installed Crop Mood yet? The M becomes a whole new camera. Ah, yes. I remember that mod. It was one of my favorite threads on this site. Once you start getting into 1/2" lenses and smaller, it really is uncharted territory. Too bad there aren't many interchangeable lens cameras that can work with them.

That seems quite bizarre! Which lens is this? I can't find a single review online, so it's anyone's guess what it would be like to actually use.

I've been looking for pretty much the same thing and I think that this might be the answer IF it can fit into a c-mount adapter, thought the base of this lens looks flat and too large. It might have to be shaved down.

Haha. The line! I know. It's so hard to stay on the right side. I'll admit that I've slipped a little and in a moment of weakness, I purchased a $50 point-and-shoot as an every day carry (big mistake; I was quickly reminded that I just can't get excited about cameras without a substantial grip). But other than that, I've been very disciplined these past four months. My interest in c-mount lenses revolves around the EOS-M. I enjoy the combination of 16mm glass with this little camera in 1:1 crop. There is an aesthetic there that is more interesting to me than anything I've been able to get from my S35 and FF cameras. My theory is that sampling from a smaller piece of the sensor in combination with tiny glass throws out enough detail and in turn, brings some mystery/intrigue/engagement to the footage that is missing from most digital S35+ footage. And this is coming from someone who ignored c-mount lenses until 3-4 years ago; I didn't see the point. Before my self-imposed embargo, I decided to put together the most economical raw-shooting camera package that I could possibly think of. I got there with the M and three Cosmicar c-mount lenses (I also have a set of three Kern Switars, but they were significantly more expensive). Working with such a lightweight, low-cost kit and yet fully functional kit is freeing. What I'm missing (though, not really) is an inexpensive zoom lens that can go wider than 15mm, but most have that ugly track that I can't get past. However, the Meteor is an intriguing lens. And they are still quite affordable. I think I can say that rigged up, the EOS-M/c-mount combo makes me want to get out there and shoot more than any of the other 30+ cameras I've owned (other than maybe my beloved FZ47). It's way more fun than any other cine cameras that I can think of. If I get a couple of nice shots with it, or I am able to crop in a little further in-camera to eliminate some vignetting on an otherwise overlooked lens, I feel like I'm breaking the rules. It offers just the right amount of limitation, which I find to be inspiring.

Can anyone recommend any non-cinema c-mount zooms without the little dips caused by the internal runners when wide open? So far, I've only heard of two: Canon V10X15 15-150 f2.8 Cosmicar 22.5-90 f1.5 I'm still trying to make this a "no gear year", but that doesn't mean I can't look!

Does the motion from Fujifilm cameras look really off to anyone else? It's so disappointing to me. The colors that those cameras produce can be so nice. I've never used one before and I wonder if it could be improved by shooting at 1/40.

For years I was certain the global shutter was directly related to motion cadence, but I'm not so sure anymore. Most of the cameras that I like the motion from most have rolling shutters. I've shot with the Komodo and owned the Blackmagic Production Camera for a while. I was not blown away by either. And I did a lot of research into the Magic Motion mount for the DSMC1 cameras, and actually thought that the global shutter looked worse on those cameras than footage from cameras without it.

I thought about starting a new thread, but there is already so much theory packed into this old discussion that I decided to revive it and see if the last nine years of camera releases might add to the discussion -- which always seems to bring up some high emotions (for those of you who feel an eye roll coming on, feel free to write me off as not knowing what I am talking about and move along). I'm coming at it from a deeply subjective standpoint. I always try to find wide shots with people walking in them as my baseline. More cameras than not look "off" to me. With that out of the way, which cameras produce your favorite 24p motion in 2024? My favorites are all older cameras: Motion Picture Film - The original and best. It pulls me in and almost puts me in a trance-like state. Red One MX - Honestly, the best digital motion I've seen. It looks better to me than any newer Red or frankly, anything from Arri. Ikonoskop A-Cam Dii and Digital Bolex D16 - Really nice. And some sleepers too: Canon EOS-M with Magic Lantern - It just looks right to me. Much better than my C70. Panasonic GH1 - Odd, I know. But yes. And it looks slightly better to me than the GH2.

It's the first test footage I've seen in a long time that made me think, "Well, that's different!". The colors feel a little overzealous, but there's something immersive about the this footage (and I own that Cosmicar lens). At least to me. And they dynamic range test on the bus is remarkable. If they launch a pre-order, I may have to break my "No Gear Year" and put myself on that list.