mercer

Good to hear. I don't need huge prints, or anything, just have been enjoying photo essays on Flickr and I figured if I want to start with stills, that raw would be the way to go. Do you think the D5500 would be better for stills than the GX85? I don't necessarily need 4K video, but the ibis is a major selling point for stills and video, I'd imagine? I do really like the video image from both cameras... That D5500 flat profile is simply gorgeous and it has a mic input. Ugh too many decisions. Thanks for the reply!!!

So, about 2 months ago I was ready to sell off a lot of my lenses and my few cameras and purchase this little guy. As I was patiently waiting for it to be released, my short screenplay turned out better than I expected and I happened upon some videos from the newly released BMMCC. Since my script requires a fair amount of slow motion, I opted for the higher DR and 10bit color than higher resolution 4K and 5axis stabilization of the GX85... Even with the learning curve, I am happy with my choice. But I have a few smaller projects that have a more run and gun nature and the BMMCC is a lot, but it isn't a run and gun camera. I've also seen some amazing videos from you guys, with the GX85, with fantastic color, in some ways better than previous Panasonic cameras and in a lot of ways more Canon like. So while I was getting acclimated with the BMMCC, I have missed out on a lot of the discussion regarding this little beast... Needless to say, I have a few questions that may be answered quicker than me reading 28 pages of forum discussion... If someone would be so kind? 1. How is the IBIS with non ois lenses? 2. When I had my G7, I occasionally used my Sigma 19 & 30mm 2.8 lenses. The AF button worked like a charm for quick set ups. From memory, the GX85 does not have a dedicated AF button, but can one be assigned to one of the FN buttons? 3. I have recently become interested in stills photography, but now lack a camera to shoot with, so is micro 4/3rds a viable stills camera as well... Specifically the GX85's raw capabilities? So since this would truly be a hybrid camera for me, can you guys recommend it, or would something like a Nikon D5500, with its aps-c sensor and mic input be a better hybrid option?

Since it is with a high profile musician, why not rent the C300 ii and buy the C100 mkii for B-roll or in case something happens with the C300. But I don't know if the rental cost and purchase cost exceeds your budget? If you can swing it, the C100 mkii, at the current price is just a money maker... Or maybe even an XC10. You can do a lot with that little guy.

Beautiful. I liked this a lot!!! Such rich colors. What cameras did you use?

Look at the shorts that were accepted into past festival years, and then be honest with yourself. Some of the 1st tier festivals have shorts playing in them with a hundred thousand dollar budgets shot on Alexas. Now that doesn't mean your short wouldn't do well at such a festival, but if you look at the competition from previous years, you can sometimes gauge what type of material they're looking for. Or if you want a good gauge of your short, you can always enter it smaller international or foreign festivals as that usually has no affect on the US premiere that the majors are after. Or you could also show it here with a password protected link to get some opinions, then ask for PM critiques.

I'm just saying if I had the choice between the C300 or the Ursa Mini, I would consider the Ursa Mini... An extra pound or two and some extra media costs wouldn't change that. Of course, I have never shot a professional documentary... So what the hell do I know. But I am glad we both agree that the C100 mkii was the best choice.

Yeah that Cosmicar seems to have a nice mixture of vintage and modern look to it. I wish I was a better colorist to get the most out of it, though. It's a very cool lens, I only spent 21 bucks in NOS.

Testing a couple lenses with the best subject... The first is with the Sigma 19mm f/2.8... And the next is with the Cosmicar 12.5mm f/1.9 lens at f/2.8...

IMO, that comment is what makes FCPX so damn special, especially if you ever used iMovie HD. To me it seems like they took the best parts of FCP7 and iMovie HD and created this amazing hybrid. It's not for everyone, but I can appreciate it.

Thanks, this is the one I bought... http://m.ebay.com/itm/ePhoto-Camera-Cage-Handle-For-BlackMagic-Pocket-Camera-Video-Movie-Cinema-Camera-/360913863701?nav=SEARCH

I was looking at the price of the 4K... So good call. But the weight and cards aren't really an issue since he's considering a used C300. And I really don't see how turning some external ND filters could possibly be a deal breaker, but I do agree that the C100 mkii is the best choice.

I made an impromptu short a couple years ago on my eos-M and a friend of mine scored it. Of course for me he did it for free, am not sure if he would for you.

Have you considered the Ursa Mini 4.6k? Otherwise, I think a C100 mkii might give you the most mileage.

This might be my favorite of your "looks" with the NX1. It has the perfect mix of contrast and milky blacks. The subdued color looks nice.

I came up with a similar option... I took a cheap half cage made for the pocket and attached it to the micro (they have the same height dimensions) and then attached a Slik quick release base to the top of the cage and the plate to the bottom of the monitor. Then I used a manfrotto quick release plate on the bottom of the cage and attached the base to a cheap L-Bracket... This way I can go handheld or attach it to my manfrotto tripod. It's still a little too clunky for my taste, so I may sell the Ikan 5" monitor and pick up the newly released 3.5" monitor. I also need to figure out a way to attach a neck strap to it.

Thanks Django. I recently purchased a BMMCC, which I love, but I also may have the opportunity to shoot a few small events... The problem is, I sold all of my cameras to purchase the Micro. I love the camera for narrative work, but I don't think it will be practical for these small events. The money I'll make will basically pay for the C100, but since I have no intention to do events full time, it may be a little overkill... But it will still be a useful camera for short films and only cost me a couple dozen hours of sweat equity. Hmm. My other option is to pick up a D5500 to get some clean 1080p with 60p for some slow-mo shots. Anyway, thanks for the hands on info.

How's the C100 mark i with the DPAF firmware upgrade? Do you get a ton more with the Mark ii?

Shooting in Super 8 and planning to project it in the 90s was about as useful as shooting with a Flip cam for a feature film today. But I do agree with you that these samples do not look exactly like Super 8 but they are reminiscent of it... Which is what I think was the point. With that being said, your video samples look nice. I am amazed to see how clean Super 8 negative stocks are now. A few months back, a bunch of videos were posted that looked absolutely stunning. I also agree with this, but I will say the biggest culprit of the "looks" in this thread is the shallow depth of field, especially with the wide shots. Super 8 had wide depth, so when the shallow depth of field reared it's head, it took me out of the small frame feel original Super 8 had. With that being said, I still think it's a very cool experiment. I wonder what an early HD cam could do... Maybe an HV20 windowboxed or using 4:3 guides... It may have a nice mix of definition and color that really could reproduce that Kodachrome feel. Also, I think Frank Glencairn has a highly regarded Kodachrome LUT that may be neato to mess with.

Just to be clear, when I asked about hard stops, I was referring to stops at the minimum ND and at the maximum, not a hard stop at every level of filtration. Do you have the original, or Mark II version?

I'm in my early 40s, so I am probably not too far behind you. That's a shame about the evf... The one on the G7 is brilliant. The G8 should work out all of the kinks with the GX85 I suppose... It seems like we're always a generation away...

I think that sounds like a cool camera, but it's not really in the spirit of the D16. I also question the rationale of changing a great camera? They never said they were stopping production due to lack of interest. To me, the message seemed more related to obtaining the materials in a cost effective way. A lot of people think the camera was overpriced, so if they couldn't source that sensor at a smaller or equivalent price, then it would really be overpriced. I get it... a lot of people do not like that vintage aesthetic, but if you go to their site or their Vimeo page and look at their Westerns that show off the D16 and the Kish lenses... I can easily argue that, dollar for dollar, the D16 is the best camera on the market!!!

As far as synching goes, yes double sound is a major pain in the ass. FCPX does make it a helluva a lot simpler with it's automatic synch... Which is insanely accurate btw. Also I think Max developed a simple analog workaround that created a tapping noise, similar to a slate, minus the annoyance of a slate, when he pushed the record button on his Zoom. With the GX85, doesn't the focus peaking work with the evf? Shouldn't that make focusing easier on your eyes?

Pretty interesting. First it looks really good and disturbing. The content has this weird Buster Keaton forgot to take his meds vibe. I recently bought the BMMCC and I have been having a blast using old c-mounts with it. The camera mixed with those lenses seem to give an instant vintage vibe. We're actually very lucky to have the resources available to us. Back in the 90s, it was shoot on film or don't make a movie. Then The Conversation was made in the early 2000s which helped to usher in the notion that SD DV can be used and acceptable for feature films. And then, etc, etc, etc and we fast forward to today where a filmmaker has so many options to make their films look modern and clean with high resolution or vintage or anywhere in between. It's an interesting experiment to revitalize these old SD cameras, but I believe the consumer cameras of today can excel at achieving a high end 70s film look, or a nostalgic 60s home movie look, or a gritty underground 16mm, or the French New Wave... The possibilities really are endless.

Looks cool Ed. I think there is an equal mix of analog video and old 8mm. Didn't you do a similar test about a year ago? Yeah, this looks wicked. It definitely has that old film look. Good job.

Does the SLR Magic have hard stops?