Zak Forsman

Re: BMPCC low-light performance, let's break it down this way.

The Pocket's native ISO is 800. Using a Speed Booster, you gain 1 2/3 stops of light, effectively bringing that native ISO up to 2500. 

Since most of the Pocket's DR lies in the shadows, it can easily be pushed 2-3 stops in post with acceptable results. (Ctrl+F "underexposure." https://www.hurlbutvisuals.com/blog/2014/06/director-of-photography-blackmagic-cinema-camera/)

Therefore, using the same full frame lenses, you can shoot the Pocket at an effective 10,000-20,000 ISO with acceptable results--the same or better than the A7S in S16 mode, according to Ebrahim--but with the added benefits of 10-bit 4:2:2 and RAW.

I don't claim the Pocket is the best low-light camera out there, but it's much more competitive than sensor size snobs would have you believe.

With fast primes and a Speed Booster, the BMMCC should perform like a champ in most any environment. 

Zak I still have a good feeling about G&G. They told us 3 months ago that BM distributor predicted December. Every other person was saying November. I have a feeling it's coming in the next 2 weeks.

okay, so i'm upping my game here and taking one for the team. before the weekend I switched from renting a Pocket to owning a Pocket. it's shipping from Paris (I got a great deal ($565) from Lovinpix.com on a new one) so I expect to hear my Micro Cinema Cam will ship anytime between now and the day my new Pocket arrives at my doorstep... because again, that's how these things usually work. You're all welcome.

 

I wasn't aware that was the case. I watched a video recently with a guy who has the VA and the Micro Studio 4K and he said he couldn't use the VA to operate the Micro's menus. Have a link or something where you've read that the VA's touchscreen can be used to navigate the camera's menu system, and not just its own? I'd like to read up on that.

at say 300dpi, you could print a 1920x1080 frame at 6.4"x3.6"

Thanks for expediting the release of the Micro Cinema Camera with your BMPCC order!
 
Just curious:  How much was the shipping from Paris to L.A.?

You liked the pocket that much? Nice. Look at it this way, you can do a two cam shoot and only need to pay the actors for half the time. 

okay, so i'm upping my game here and taking one for the team. before the weekend I switched from renting a Pocket to owning a Pocket. it's shipping from Paris (I got a great deal ($565) from Lovinpix.com on a new one) so I expect to hear my Micro Cinema Cam will ship anytime between now and the day my new Pocket arrives at my doorstep... because again, that's how these things usually work. You're all welcome.

 

okay, so i'm upping my game here and taking one for the team. before the weekend I switched from renting a Pocket to owning a Pocket. it's shipping from Paris (I got a great deal ($565) from Lovinpix.com on a new one) so I expect to hear my Micro Cinema Cam will ship anytime between now and the day my new Pocket arrives at my doorstep... because again, that's how these things usually work. You're all welcome.

 

okay, so i'm upping my game here and taking one for the team. before the weekend I switched from renting a Pocket to owning a Pocket. it's shipping from Paris (I got a great deal ($565) from Lovinpix.com on a new one) so I expect to hear my Micro Cinema Cam will ship anytime between now and the day my new Pocket arrives at my doorstep... because again, that's how these things usually work. You're all welcome.

 

Just wanted to let everyone know that I've rented a Blackmagic Pocket Cam for the next 10 days which *should* mean the Micro will ship any day now -- because that's how these things work.

It is a good price, but I don't think it's necessarily the right match for the BMMCC. No LUT support, limited scopes, mid-quality screen. The BMMCC records internally so you don't need external recording. I personally have become used to monitoring LOG or FILM modes with a LUT. To each his own though.

Good point, but what cinched the deal was the ability to use c-mount lenses with it. I got the camera today, only had a few minutes to mess with it, but the conversion was twice as quick as the nx500, which is precisely what I was looking for and the image quality is beautiful. Also, I really want a camera with a mic input for this web series. For some reason though, the cinelike profiles are greyed out, I probably have to enable something to have access to them. I used the kit lens and it actually isn't that bad, but I will probably sell it to bring the cost down even further. 
Sorry, that response was all over the place. I'm exhausted from Thanksgiving festivities. 

This was inevitable... We are at/past the point of clear, definable quality increases... Now it is going to be more and more down to lighting, composition, grading etc to create that wow factor in image quality.

so sharp. maybe too sharp. on my 4k television, the rocks on the beach almost appear to vibrate.
I bet the URSA Mini 4.6k would look great with vintage glass. whenever I see a camera that looks a little too much like video, I try to remind myself that both Drive and Friends with Kids were shot with the same camera in the same year and one looks like a proper movie while the other nearly looks like a sit-com.

hi kaylee, i watched it thru the Vimeo app on an Apple TV. so it was playing in 1080p. 
and yeah, just referring to light, filtration, lenses, production design, post color, etc. meaning, what a camera is capable of shines in the right hands and looks like mud in the hand of another.  here's a sample frame from Friends With Kids...


everyone who has released URSA Mini 4.6K footage has been in a race to be amongst the first crop of footage out there, which is why each of them has had the same caveat: don't judge by the grade. 

Slow motion tongue lady supersedes any negative critiques of iq. 

so sharp. maybe too sharp. on my 4k television, the rocks on the beach almost appear to vibrate.
I bet the URSA Mini 4.6k would look great with vintage glass. whenever I see a camera that looks a little too much like video, I try to remind myself that both Drive and Friends with Kids were shot with the same camera in the same year and one looks like a proper movie while the other nearly looks like a sit-com.

so sharp. maybe too sharp. on my 4k television, the rocks on the beach almost appear to vibrate.
I bet the URSA Mini 4.6k would look great with vintage glass. whenever I see a camera that looks a little too much like video, I try to remind myself that both Drive and Friends with Kids were shot with the same camera in the same year and one looks like a proper movie while the other nearly looks like a sit-com.

the workshop has their own sony FS700 and rokinon lenses which i'm not the biggest fan of frankly. I brought my rectilux/kowa combo. it was the camera depts first time shooting anamorphic. we did no more than 3 takes per setup.

Mhhh, I love the smell of neurosis in the morning.

I wouldn't take any artistic advice from anyone on this thread, or from any forum in general if i were you.  I think you;re on the right track as you are.  Clearly you've done your work creating a style, a look.  The whole thing captures that b-movie vibe.  It feels like you made an effort to make it look as if it's not meant to be funny, but is - the reason old b-movies are entertaining.  watching films of this style you put yourself into a different mindset and absorb the film how it's meant to be absorbed.  The critique I see above is kind of like a random guy with no film making experience going up to Tarrantino and Rodriquez and telling them that the cut is shabby and the image quality looks bad on Death Proof / Planet Terror.  Missing the whole point.  
my take on the politics of the thread... It was nice to see a piece shot completely on an iscorama.  It illustrates to those worrying about lack of wide angle anamorphic solutions that with a relatively low investment of lenses ( for the price you paid for your iscorama and the taking lenses you'd only be able to rent a single panavision c series lens for half a week) and a bit of hard work and creativity you can shoot something that looks like it was shot in the late 1970's and cost 500k.  and the bonus for you is that it has driven traffic to your film.   I'm looking forward to seeing the entire film

One day last week I was reading a post about the Blackmagic Micro Cinema Camera, when I read a comment by @Zak Forsman regarding the Sirui video monopod. It was perfect timing because I was in the middle of searching for a good monopod. I had narrowed my choices down to a model by a company name Cinetree and a Manfrotto model. I had heard of Sirui but never read any reviews on it. Zak gave it a glowing recommendation, so I headed over to eBay to check it out. Luckily, I found a "New Other" model for sale at a 30% discount...
Sold.
 
The monopod arrived 2 or 3 days later and I was immediately impressed with the build quality and how lightweight it was. The fluid pan function is butter smooth and the tilting, swivel base is just as smooth as the panning. The built in foldable feet are sturdy. But when I extended the legs, the top and bottom section was tight, I could barely extend them. I figured that this is why it was sold as new other... it was probably a return.
I, immediately, went over to Amazon and read some reviews and the tight leg seems to be a common flaw of this unit. Apparently, when the sections of the leg are extended with a lot of force, the female metal end digs into the male plastic guide cap and scrapes off shavings of plastic, the leg gets clogged and it becomes very tight to open and close. Some buyers received their monopod that way, others had the issue occur over time and others never had a problem at all.
I had two options, pack it up and return it, or take it apart and fix it. Since every other aspect of the monopod: the price, the fluid pan, the swivel, tilting base and oversized feet were exactly what I've been looking for, I chose the latter... take it apart and clean it. In less than 10 minutes, I had the monopod sections apart, cleaned, relubricated, with WD-40, and reassembled. It works just as new. Perfect.
I attached a video of some clips I took yesterday down the shore. After about a half dozen cups of coffee and a half a pack of cigarettes... I realized I need a little more practice with it... or less vices that cause uncontrollable arm spasms. But either way, I am extremely happy with it and it is worth every penny I paid for it. Does it replace a tripod with a good fluid head or a steadicam? No. But for run and gun shooting with a small footprint, it's exactly what I was looking for.
 

Hey Aaron! I appreciate your work and if you are in line to purchase this camera, I am paying attention. 
Curious, do you intend to mostly film in Raw or with ProRes with this camera?
Which of the two do you think would grade better?