QuickHitRecord

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?

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?

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?

Haha, I haven't used mine in so long that I can't say if it suffers from the same afflictions.
I'd love to mess around with ML on the eos-m, but it seems my camera is broke and won't turn on any more. It could be that all of my batteries went bad... I used to buy really cheap ones.

In other news, I finally had a chance to get out and shoot some stuff yesterday with the FP. For this outing I brought along an oldie, but a goodie... the Super Multi-Coated Takumar 50mm 1.4.
Here are a couple shots that didn't turn out terrible...


I'm still using my old MB Air from 2014, so I can't always say the image posted looks exactly like my graded image. I hope to upgrade my computer soon enough.
That said, I'm in the middle of a test for a short film I am hoping to make this summer.
But to stay on topic, I forgot how amazing the Tak 50mm is and I really like it with the FP.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

I've seen Gh1 videos which impressed me a big deal color wise. I had posted one a few years ago. But textures were never that appealing to me because of the codec. G6 was so much better in that regard. From cameras i used myself I was the least happy with motion when footage was too sharp as it was with my S1 or when codec was not up to par like on a G6 in lowlight. I love my Bmpcc and Bmmcc for colour and motion.
My Sony PMW F3 looked great, judging from my own test footage and the clips which were still on the card when I bought it.
Ikonoskop is a camera i always wanted to try. The Coney Island video on vimeo impressed very much back then. Colors, motion, plasticity, setting and summer grooves did their thing but colors were really magical. It is not a S16 but a 16mm camera iirc.

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.

Perhaps the critical concept is that AI is calculators trained with only human input data.
This whole thing is like when people learned anatomy.  
At first people thought that we couldn't possibly understand how the body worked because it was made by God.  Over many hundreds of years we've basically worked out more and more of the organic chemistry and various principles etc, and now no-one who is familiar with modern medicine would question our ability to understand the physical body.
Now comes AI, and we're back to saying that we couldn't possibly understand or replicate what it is to be human, because we're etherial magical special and knowable only to God.  I think that line of thinking will suffer the same fate, and will suffer it at thousands of times the pace.

Octopus Cinema is pivoting to focus exclusively S16 cameras now. Check it out:

Octopus Cinema is pivoting to focus exclusively S16 cameras now. Check it out:

Thanks for your very thoughtful response to this thread, @kye.  Your remarkable ability to distill and articulate is one of the reasons I still check this forum.
I worked for a large corporation for eight years before freelancing, and I've "consulted" with dozens of other corporations since. What you've written above rings true. There are a lot of people hiding out under ill-defined roles and abstract goals who spend their days shopping online and watching YouTube. Their job, quite literally, is to create the illusion that they are accomplishing something. And yet, it's so hard to even be considered for one of those jobs. Something that I like about video work is that you always have something to show for it, and effort is evident.
I think you are right about smaller organizations. If I make the switch, I'm more more interested in less pay for an organization that is actually trying to do good in the world than more pay for a company exists to increase wealth for the shareholders.
Glad to hear that your sister is doing well in her new line of work. Do you know what her reasons for leaving were? And out of curiosity (and without knowing her role in the film world) have you ever collaborated on a film together?
IT is for bigger brains than mine!
It seems like you're really plugged into the film world in NZ. Are you seeing any noteworth trends? Do people tend to go into different careers at a certain age or life stage?

The TL;DR is that you're incredibly valuable to any office environment, but the challenge is that compared to the average (borderline useless) office worker you're so different that the entire system won't be able to see your value, so the challenge is how to get in the door and then get your bearings.
I've spent my whole career in offices - starting with IT background and working through project management to program management to various consulting and transformation engagements.  I am an independent consultant not under the umbrella of any consulting firm, so I'm on my own for networking and finding new contracts etc, so have navigated this territory for a while now.
The most significant things I have observed are these:
Almost no-one understands the concept of transferrable skills.  There is no understanding of this in the recruitment process or HR department at all - zero. Offices and corporate environments are designed to treat staff as pre-programmed robots.  If your entire career history isn't the same job title over and over again then they don't know what to do with you. Offices and corporate environments are places where the rules of the game do not include things like productivity or practicality (or probably anything you'd recognise), they are about perceptions and processes and culture and not rocking the boat. The only people that appreciate people who can take ownership of an outcome and actually get things done are a select group of middle/senior managers who are being suffocated by red tape and actually trying to move the needle on some outcome. There are two types of people, those who change things and those who run things and maintain the status quo.  You are the former, not the latter.
As you are someone who knows how to actually get things done, I'd suggest the following:
Any kind of role with a focus on making changes or solving problems and hitting deadlines should be a good fit - this is likely a management role but don't confuse the management roles that are just managing a team of people that do repetitive tasks Smaller organisations are likely to be a better fit, as they'll be more comprehendible for someone not familiar with the corporate world (think of it as a parallel universe completely separated from reality with different rules) As much as you can, bypass any recruitment process, and try and establish contact with the people inside the business who make decisions and can see your worth (and if necessary can ensure you're not filtered out in any recruitment process that is required) Try and meet these managers directly - many people have needs to hire good people but don't have advertised positions because the job market is pretty devoid of sensible people - so if you get in contact with these people they might make a new position for you What you want to do is get talking to the managers who have money and decision-making authority and have them decide to hire you.  This is the whole purpose of networking. The other challenge is once you're in the door, how do you work out how to fit in and get people to work with you.  Things like running meetings, getting people who don't work for you to do work, how to explain things to management types so that they understand you (including how to tell them things they don't want to hear without making them want to fire you), etc.  
My sister made the transition from film to 'normal' work.  She retrained in Business Analysis (basically analysing a problem and designing solutions) and Project Management.  She got hired into a large corporate firm into the call centre, but very quickly started doing things on top of the normal work (which she absolutely hated) and was internally promoted, and has now been internally promoted several times as they gradually see her potential, and as she gradually learns the new culture and ways of doing things.
It's a long learning curve, but it can be done.
Good luck!

Thanks largely to Andrew's original post, many people here already know that Shane Carruth shot 2013's excellent indie feature Upstream Color with a pair of hacked GH2s. At the time, aspiring filmmakers everywhere found inspiration that such a masterful film was created with such an accessible consumer camera. It still stands up today as a beautiful, challenging, thought-provoking film:
I just happened across some behind the scenes photos on Reddit posted almost a decade after the film's release. I've always wondered about the technical particulars of how this film was made and even though what was posted is pretty low-res and deteriorated further with early Instagram filters, it does show some pretty bare-bones camera rigs and a lot of natural light.
As I enter my forties and the dream of creating a meaningful narrative film in my lifetime seems to slip further and further out of reach, this is just the kind of inspirational kick in the pants that I needed. If 8-bit, 4:2:0 AVCHD from a Micro Four Thirds sensor was enough to create an immersive story like this in 2013, then the never-ending pursuit of marginally improved gear and software really is just a giant, capitalism-fueled distraction -- one that I know that I use to put off the very real possibility that when I buckle down to make something deeply personal, I might not have anything to say. But I also know that it will be my deepest regret if I never even try.
If there's one thing I've learned, it's that my own thoughts and ideas aren't particularly novel or unique, so maybe others on this board will connect with this too.

Thanks largely to Andrew's original post, many people here already know that Shane Carruth shot 2013's excellent indie feature Upstream Color with a pair of hacked GH2s. At the time, aspiring filmmakers everywhere found inspiration that such a masterful film was created with such an accessible consumer camera. It still stands up today as a beautiful, challenging, thought-provoking film:
I just happened across some behind the scenes photos on Reddit posted almost a decade after the film's release. I've always wondered about the technical particulars of how this film was made and even though what was posted is pretty low-res and deteriorated further with early Instagram filters, it does show some pretty bare-bones camera rigs and a lot of natural light.
As I enter my forties and the dream of creating a meaningful narrative film in my lifetime seems to slip further and further out of reach, this is just the kind of inspirational kick in the pants that I needed. If 8-bit, 4:2:0 AVCHD from a Micro Four Thirds sensor was enough to create an immersive story like this in 2013, then the never-ending pursuit of marginally improved gear and software really is just a giant, capitalism-fueled distraction -- one that I know that I use to put off the very real possibility that when I buckle down to make something deeply personal, I might not have anything to say. But I also know that it will be my deepest regret if I never even try.
If there's one thing I've learned, it's that my own thoughts and ideas aren't particularly novel or unique, so maybe others on this board will connect with this too.

Thanks largely to Andrew's original post, many people here already know that Shane Carruth shot 2013's excellent indie feature Upstream Color with a pair of hacked GH2s. At the time, aspiring filmmakers everywhere found inspiration that such a masterful film was created with such an accessible consumer camera. It still stands up today as a beautiful, challenging, thought-provoking film:
I just happened across some behind the scenes photos on Reddit posted almost a decade after the film's release. I've always wondered about the technical particulars of how this film was made and even though what was posted is pretty low-res and deteriorated further with early Instagram filters, it does show some pretty bare-bones camera rigs and a lot of natural light.
As I enter my forties and the dream of creating a meaningful narrative film in my lifetime seems to slip further and further out of reach, this is just the kind of inspirational kick in the pants that I needed. If 8-bit, 4:2:0 AVCHD from a Micro Four Thirds sensor was enough to create an immersive story like this in 2013, then the never-ending pursuit of marginally improved gear and software really is just a giant, capitalism-fueled distraction -- one that I know that I use to put off the very real possibility that when I buckle down to make something deeply personal, I might not have anything to say. But I also know that it will be my deepest regret if I never even try.
If there's one thing I've learned, it's that my own thoughts and ideas aren't particularly novel or unique, so maybe others on this board will connect with this too.

Thanks largely to Andrew's original post, many people here already know that Shane Carruth shot 2013's excellent indie feature Upstream Color with a pair of hacked GH2s. At the time, aspiring filmmakers everywhere found inspiration that such a masterful film was created with such an accessible consumer camera. It still stands up today as a beautiful, challenging, thought-provoking film:
I just happened across some behind the scenes photos on Reddit posted almost a decade after the film's release. I've always wondered about the technical particulars of how this film was made and even though what was posted is pretty low-res and deteriorated further with early Instagram filters, it does show some pretty bare-bones camera rigs and a lot of natural light.
As I enter my forties and the dream of creating a meaningful narrative film in my lifetime seems to slip further and further out of reach, this is just the kind of inspirational kick in the pants that I needed. If 8-bit, 4:2:0 AVCHD from a Micro Four Thirds sensor was enough to create an immersive story like this in 2013, then the never-ending pursuit of marginally improved gear and software really is just a giant, capitalism-fueled distraction -- one that I know that I use to put off the very real possibility that when I buckle down to make something deeply personal, I might not have anything to say. But I also know that it will be my deepest regret if I never even try.
If there's one thing I've learned, it's that my own thoughts and ideas aren't particularly novel or unique, so maybe others on this board will connect with this too.

What do you like about the NX500s so much? I've always been curious about the bitrate/low rolling shutter hack. Have you tried it?
Don't make it sound too good though, there are recovering gear addicts in this thread!

The same thing is happening to me! All of these uncommon items that I haven't seen on eBay in years seem to be popping up right now. It's pretty uncanny.
Oh well. Like you, I am still holding strong.