jonpais

I guess now we don't need to start a "what's the cheapest prime you find yourself shooting with all the time" thread!

The story of my life :(

Right, if I got off my butt and started doing some narrative work, I'd most likely be using a tripod, which would make stabilization a non-issue. And I'd have to consider investing in some LED lights. But that's for another thread...!!

@maxotics "If you want a portable camera, then get MFT lenses (used if you ask me, because they don't get any less plasticy over time)." :) Very well put! In fact, in spite of almost every review of the Panny "Pro" zooms, where they say build quality is high, I have always felt they feel very cheap, especially for lenses costing over $1,000 apiece. I wouldn't absolutely rule out purchasing an SLR Magic or Voigtlander u43 lens in the future, but I think I'm going to investigate some of the less expensive used primes mentioned here and possibly the Rokinon cine glass next.

I guess you have to go to YouTube to watch this in 1080p :(

Here's an excellent article comparing the Nikkors to the Samyangs: http://mattscottvisuals.com/blog/2014/1/19/lens-up-my-nikkors-vs-the-rockinonsamyang-cine

@Andy Lee And the cost of these lenses would barely cover the tax on my two Panny zooms :)

The Nikkor AIS 50mm f/1.4 was highly recommended to me by Franc Peret, whose work I regard highly. Like Andy Lee, he suggested just picking up any cheap adaptor on eBay just to get started. If I lived anywhere but in Vietnam, I would simply go to a camera store and compare the Sigma, Rokinon, etc. Unfortunately, there aren't any good shops here in Saigon... Very informative video BTW.

@Jim Why have you given up on u43 lenses? And what do you mean by "you can tell the difference with the Zeiss lenses"? Exactly how are they different? Resolution? Color? Bokeh?

You make me laugh, Andy! While everyone else is comparing the Samyang lenses to genuine cine lenses costing $20,000+, you say they are overpriced.. At the same time, I'm inclined to follow your advice, since the price is right (for the Yashicas), and I'm not a professional, just a hobbyist.

@jurgen Is the $1,400 burning a hole in your pocket? Because the GH4k is going to run at least $1,600-$1,700 USD. Plus SD cards. I think it would be prudent to wait until we see some tests, which I'm sure we'll start to see by some time next month. At least some first-looks, anyhow. Pricing is supposed to be announced the second week of this month, according to what I've read. Meanwhile, go out and shoot.

@Ebrahim So you would discourage me from investing in the u43 mount?

Good to hear about the Rokinon lenses, Aaron. I guess the 14mm would be out of the question, as it appears not to have filter threads. How's manual focusing with the Sigma? Ergonomics with a u43 camera? Any issues with stabilization? Or do you use it strictly with a tripod/monopod?

Wow, Andy. I think you've mentioned these before, but I only now looked them up on eBay. So inexpensive! Which is a plus, since customs here in Vietnam really socks it to you. I'm looking at one seller from the Ukraine charging around $35 USD for shipping, which isn't bad at all. Maybe a good place to get my feet wet before investing in expensive glass. Are there any examples of work done with these lenses you could point me to?

I began discussing this in another thread, but it was off-topic, so here it is: I'm ready to invest in some primes for my GH3 (I've got the 12-35 and 35-100mm zooms). I do mostly handheld street shooting, but I would like to branch out into short films one day. Question 1: If I don't already own any legacy lenses, is there any advantage to buying full frame lenses + adaptors over u43 lenses like Voigt or SLR Magic (apart from cost?). Question 2: Are cheap adaptors fine for video use? Question 3: How about the Samyang/Rokinon cine lenses? Question 4: Also, right now, I'm already using a shoulder rig to keep my OIS lenses from jittering (initially, for the longer zoom, but now I use it with both lenses with great results); what is the longest lens I should realistically be able to use without having to do post stabilization? a 50mm?

Thanks fuzzy normal. I'm definitely going to pick up some manual lenses in the near future. I was very disappointed today though when I discovered that there is no focus assist on the GH3 when actually shooting video, so I'm pretty sure I'll need a monitor or EVF. Anyhow, I think we got off topic here somehow... Sorry, all!

@Fuzzynormal Now I realize that. I've been a little scared, because I'm afraid I won't be able to focus fast enough before the moment is gone. I think I'm going to have to pick up an external monitor or something next... On the other hand, I'll be much more conspicuous... I've been told to pick up a Nikkor 50mm f/1.4 to start with, along with any cheap adaptor. I suppose I'll start looking for one next month. Do you think I'll also need to pick up a follow focus? If so, is there one you can recommend? This is beginning to be an expensive hobby!

Up until the other day, I'd been shooting everything with the GH3 and GM1 in Standard profile. But since watching some grading tutorials and picking up a pack of LUTs, I realized I was going to have to change styles. I popped the 12-32mm lens on the GM1 and took a couple of shots at the Saigon Central Post Office, a great place for people watching, and the light is beautiful in the old building. I shot at 24p, 800 ISO, Natural, -5 contrast, -3 sharpening and saturation. The clips are right out of the camera with no editing or color correction. I set focus on face recognition, which has increased the percentage of usable shots, since I mostly shoot people, You can see the lens hunting for focus in some instances. The first two shots were made at 12mm, the last at 32mm, all wide open. The lens is sharp as a tack in the center from widest aperture, and it probably wouldn't hurt to turn down the in-camera sharpening another notch or two for a more cinematic look. The color is also remarkable. If you look at the grey baby carriage behind the woman in the last shot, you'll have an idea of the noise the camera produces. For that reason, I'm going to be picking up Red Giant's denoiser soon. You can download the files here: https://copy.com/s2TZBYlMuKmu Edit: I purchased Neat Video this evening

I've been shooting at -5 contrast, -3 sharpening and -2 saturation. I haven't touched NR yet since I don't have decided whether or not to purchase something like neat video. I think the image coming out of the camera is much more contrasty than the GH3. As for sharpening, I think you should just do some tests and see if edge enhancement is bothering you. The camera suffers from moire, but from my experience with the GH3, lessening sharpness seems to have little effect, so I haven't experimented with that. Since getting a set of ND filters and using a shoulder rig, I'm finding I'm using the GM1 less and less. An articulated screen would at least mitigate some of the problems with shooting in bright light. Also, the 35-100mm zoom is fast becoming my lens of choice and it's nearly impossible to hold steady without some sort of rig, which would defeat the whole purpose of the GM1. I have found that using a rig completely eliminates the micro jitters associated with the 35-100mm lens when used with the GH3.

@ Bioskop.Inc Thanks!

I also just had a second look at the CC tutorial. Now I realize I'd been going about color correction the wrong way, by using just the global slider rather than starting with the highlights. Sometimes that's the only correction you'll need. I guess you often don't have to even touch the shadows, unless the blacks have a strong color cast. And I'd also been judging by eye rather than using the color parade scope. So right there, my videos should look better from here on out. In addition, I started really playing around with the looks included in FCPX for the first time and had a ball for a couple hours applying them to various clips. Finally, I downloaded Denver Riddle's free presets (I believe there are three of them). Watching the tutorial also confirmed what I already thought: that it's best to do a good color correction before applying your look in the second correction. I think I'm going to have a lot of fun editing this weekend! https://copy.com/j27nZhXTCheP

+1

Very beautiful, especially the reddish one at the bottom of the page. And I love the idea of the hinged bottom for changing battery and SD card! But the best part is the tripod thread, which actually is functional. The Panasonic case I have is virtually unusable with a tripod (but it still looks nice and gives something more to grip). And it was free, so I'm not complaining...^^

@zenpmd I just use mine for catching street life here, so I don't use a rig or anything. But because it is so difficult to handhold, especially with long lenses, I thought I'd try attaching it to a shoulder rig one day. Of course, the lens was too big, so I attached the rig to the leather case (the case gives it some room). Bad idea - the camera would swivel around, and it took me hours to figure out how to remove the case from the rig... Also, the GM1 definitely does seem to have more contrast than the GH3; I always leave contrast set at -5. There is only one physical function button on the camera: I use mine to set the ISO. I don't shoot stills, but if you try shooting flash with anything larger than the kit lens, it will cast a shadow from the lens barrel if you don't tilt the flash. If you plan to shoot extensively, it wouldn't hurt to pick up a few extra batteries. They don't last very long. And I second fuzznormal's ND suggestion, though I only use one filter at a time...

I've read over and over again that to achieve a film look it would behoove me (it's been ages since I've been able to use that word!) to shoot with manual lenses. Up until now, I've been using two X Vario zooms with the GH3 (as well as the GM1) for capturing street life here in Saigon. I have been procrastinating because I'm so worried that all my pictures will be a blurry mess and jittery without any OIS. It would appear that inexpensive lenses like a used Nikon f/1.4 or some other manufacturer can be exploited with great success. So I guess my question is this: is there any advantage to using a full-frame lens and adapter vs. something like a Voigtlander micro four thirds lens? How do you keep constantly moving subjects in focus? And what about stabilization? Do you think just a shoulder rig would suffice?