mercer

Their menus were always good and sensible. Their focus peaking is probably the most accurate on the market. The problem with their cameras is battery life and their screens and there are no indications that they are any better than the OG Pocket, except the batteries are more expensive. I know you disagree with this but for me, it's a non-starter.

How long should it take with a 1 man crew? Lol. Seriously, though. I am about 2 years into mine with probably another year to go... but I have had some set backs over that time and 3/4 of the year, I shoot 1 day a month. Ok, but which year? Lol. Oh yeah, I love my camera. I'll get another year or two out of it before I really feel the need for an upgrade. Btw, the 5D3 with ML Raw shoots full frame 14 bit raw both uncompressed and lossless.

To add... I haven't used the S1H or the new BMPCC 4K/6K cameras. My opinion is entirely based on footage, features and experience with older model Panasonic and Blackmagic cameras... so in summation... what the fuck do I know?!?!?!

Exactly. Even though my dream is to make a feature narrative film, at the end of the day... today anyway... I am still just a hobbyist. Between my day job, and life in general, finding the time and money to work on my film is a difficult task, so any piece of equipment... be it camera, lens, support, lighting or audio... needs to make the process easier. And speaking for myself only, BlackMagic cameras are a pain in the ass to use. There is always some corner that needs to be cut, always something that needs to be rigged just to get a viewable image or a decent bit of battery life. This has nothing to do with the image or the file sizes, or anything else... for pure image quality, they cannot be beat at their price point... especially when you consider how cheap the OG Pocket and Micro can be bought for. But for TRUE run & gun, there are better options and the S1H, other than internal raw, ticks every box I would want in a new camera... if I was in the market for one. With that said, that's why the S1H gets my vote for camera of the year and Sigma gets an honorable mention for what they were able to achieve with the FP and more specifically... internal 8bit 4K raw. It's really quite an astonishing feat for such a small full frame camera.

Deleted comment because I didn't want anybody to take my joke too literally.

Since Emanuel... and friends... want to discuss BM Cameras so badly, I figured I'd add that the one place where BM has Panasonic beat, in regards to the S1H, is in price. Although I am sure the S1H may be worth the $4000, but I can't help to imagine how many more people would have bought it at $3000. But I think Panasonic's pricing has been a little hefty since the GH5 and I think Fuji, BlackMagic and now Sigma confirms this. IMO, the GH5 should have been a $1500 camera, the GH5s should have had IBIS and been $2000, the S1 should have also been $2000, the S1R at $2500 and the S1H at $3000. There is just too much competition in this niche market for Panasonic to charge such a premium. With that said, if I was a wealthier man and had an extra 4 grand lying around, I'd buy an S1H in a heartbeat. EDIT - to add so there isn't any confusion with Emanuel, I understand 12bit trumps 10bit and I am sure there are other features, other than price, where one could argue the P6K is better than the S1H.

I've had flash drives not show up on the desktop but would show up in FCPX and/or Resolve.

With all due respect, Emmanuel, your points sometimes get lost in your broken English. For instance, I have no idea what Storaro has to do with a Netflix camera greenlight? With that said, I agree that the S1H's Netflix A-cam approval means little to most filmmakers unless they have a production deal with Netflix. But the fact that it's been greenlit still adds a level of value to a camera that mere mortals can afford. You know me, I'm still happy with my 5D3 and ML Raw. In fact, I don't really understand why any narrative filmmaker, at our level, would need anything more than that. But everybody has different needs and desires when it comes to their tools. If I was in the market for a new camera, I'd go with the S1H without hesitation. The new generation of BM cameras just aren't that appealing to me. But I'm happy you are enjoying yours! I am looking forward to seeing some of that Waterboys footage you've been talking about.

The S1H and the P4K/P6K are hardly comparable. One is full frame. One has a true anamorphic mode. One has IBIS. One has good battery life. And one is Netflix approved as an A-cam... I know which one I would choose.

ML Raw on the 5D3 works like any camera would. In fact, with the exposure and focus aids, it works better than most cameras. The only issue I have found is that playback is wonky. But liveview is in real time with the correct full frame image. Here's a frame from a clip I shot a while back on the Canon 24-70mm f/4...

Yes, the 5D3 can do FF 14bit uncompressed or 14bit lossless raw running the Magic Lantern firmware. Good to know, thanks. I'm mostly interested in internal recording. In the end, I think most DR comparisons are merely splitting hairs with any camera at or below 12 stops of DR. Even with BM cameras that purport to have 13 stops, I don't see a major difference. But since I don't really need 4K, then DR is one part of the equation that will help me to make a decision to purchase one or not.

Maybe there just isn't enough footage from the FP out there to accurately judge, but from what I've seen, the FP struggles in the shadows and the highlights more than the 5D3 does. I'd say there's almost a stop difference. If I had to guess, the FP has between 11-11 1/2 stops and the 5D3 has +/- 12 stops of DR. However, the 14 bit color could just give the perception of more DR. I'd have to use them side by side to know for sure.

If I ever get an FP, I'd use the dng files the same way I use MLVFS with my 5D3... use Resolve for a very rough cut, color corrector and maybe a CST before transcoding to ProRes for FCPX. It's an $1800 camera, we cant expect miracles here... in fact... for $1800 it's pretty impressive. With that said... what's keeping me from pulling the trigger on the FP is that the FP seems to have less DR than my 5D3. Has anyone tested the internal 1080p raw... that's 12 bit, right?

The 50mm 1.7 is a great lens and so cheap. If you want to try some great Pentax lenses, the "K" versions were their first k-mount lenses after the Takumars and most of them are the same optical formula as their SMC Takumar counterparts without the radioactive glass, so no yellowing. The 50mm 1.4 is a beautiful hunk of glass.

@heart0less I imagine that your X-T3 looks tiny attached to that behemoth. The projection lenses are a little tougher to decipher what is what. I also saw a Cinelux 2x with a focus ring. It looks more like a Blue Star. Which is bigger the Blue Star or the Cinelux? When I first started shooting video, I jumped at the cheapest vintage lenses I could find. I think my first purchase was an RMC Tokina 28mm 2.8... not a horrible lens but nothing to write home about either. At the time, the thought of spending the money on Nikkors or Canon lenses made little sense. Needless to say, I wish I had taken the time to save up the money for better lenses. Of course, I did get some cheap gems... Pentax-M lenses are miniature works of art. I also learned a ton about different lenses because I researched every single lens available. Speaking of Pentax, I wonder how good those tiny 110 lenses would work as taking lenses on one of those 8mm scopes like the Yashica scope. The 50mm 2.8 110 lens is a really nice piece of glass. I can't use them on my 5D3 but on a mirrorless camera they could be great. They cover the sensor of the EOS-M, so maybe ML Raw anamorphic with those lenses would be a great combo.

Sorry, I thought it was you that has a 16-H. So you have the Blue Star and the Cinelux? Which Cinelux do you have because the Super Cinelux that I am seeing do not have a focus ring, just the Hex Key focus adjustments. Yeah, I guess it's not too much of a difference but a half a pound is a half a pound and every little bit helps. And since I shoot in public places, the black scope is a lot less conspicuous than the shiny gold. But I'm going back and forth anyway. I'll probably make a list of 3-4 possible scopes I wouldn't mind having and then jump on the best deal I can find. Again thanks for your help! That 100mm Cinelux X-T3 combo looks amazing.

Yeah, I'd imagine the 100mm would be pretty tight under those circumstances. Was that 1080p or 4K? Have you ever used the 100mm with your 16-H? I love the look from the Cinelux, it really has that sharp, crisp, "modern" look but it must be a beast of a set up? The Pooli rehousing is really interesting to make the set up a lot lighter, though. Ultimately, I think I'd like a Kowa B&H and a Cinelux. The Cinelux is more feasible right now, so that may be my first scope. I may just go ahead and do the Pooli rehousing and save up for the Rapido 16a while I wait for the mod to be done. Eventually, when I have a little more money, I'll pick up a Kowa B&H. With the GH5's current low price, wouldn't it be a good anamorphic option for you?

@heart0less thanks, I really appreciate that!!! It looks like a great combo!!!

@fuzzynormal great work! Was that with the GH5? You should use this thread as a reason to make a whole series of mini docs about your hometown... you could even use a different vintage lens for each one.

The Cinelux rehouse looks slick. Let me know how it works out. Even Pooli's 1.33x adapter looks interesting. Good to know, thanks. It looks like I'll go with the FVD-16a. Btw, if you get a chance I'd love to see something shot with your Cinelux and Series E 100mm. Even something in 1080p would be fine.

Hey Timotheus, I have not mentioned a budget yet. Originally, I was planning on getting in as cheap as possible for around the numbers you mentioned. But after watching a bunch of videos, I started to think that I may sell my BMMCC and c-mount lenses, so I can buy a Kowa B&H. However, I imagine the c-mounts won't be a quick sale, so in the meantime, I may buy a 16-D/Elmoscope l, if I find one for a good price, just to get a feel for it. I figured I would just double focus for now, or maybe buy the FVD16 to split the investment up a little... but I hadn't realized the Rangefinder was that cheap. Do you think the Rangefinder is good enough to keep with a 16D/Elmoscope if I choose to keep both set ups? Or do you think two set ups would be redundant? As I said in my original post, up until now I have been shooting with IS lenses handheld, or using an unextended monopod in combination with a tape measure pouch I hook onto my belt. For future projects I'd like to use a tripod, slider and eventually integrate a Glidecam or gimbal into my arsenal/skill set. With that said, my shooting will still be somewhat run and gun, so the most compact/lightweight rig is paramount. Sorry, I don't know who/what Pooli is... haha? I guess I'll have another post regarding rigging in the not too distant future. Thanks for any suggestions you may have!

If you look at the shadowed part of her dress, it looks like chroma noise to me. You'll see it with ML Raw with underexposed shadows, but this shot is hardly underexposed. Hmm.

Slight OT from your question but the "Buttery LUT" has a LUT that brings the original Pocket footage into the Gen4 color space so he can use P4K LUTS with it. Perhaps his Gen4 LUT would work well with Sage's Alexa LUT for your Micro.

There's a guy I follow on IG that uses FD lenses with his P4K and they look great. With that said, what I learned most from that video, is how much Panasonic is killing it lately. If I was in the market for a new camera, I am pretty certain I would buy an S1H.

Really? I've bought a few lenses from Japanese sellers over the years and every single one of them has been junk and not as described. Obviously not all Japanese sellers are bad but I've been burned enough to be very wary. Yeah, I'm sure the 24mm f/2 and the 85mm 1.8 would be fine. A lot of people prefer the basic 50mm 1.4 over the 1.2 L, so I'm sure they're really good. I haven't used an FD lens that I hated. Luckily, I am finding that I should be able to intercut the FD 50mm 1.2 with my EF 28mm 1.8 in a pinch. Canon 28mm 1.8 Canon FD 50mm 1.2 L modified to EF... Other than a quick correction, both of these were SOOC with just the default Rec709 conversion in the Resolve Raw Panel. I think with a few contrast adjustments, I can get them to match pretty good. With that said, I'll probably be on the lookout for some nFD lenses and try to build a rag tag set over the next year or two. I've never owned an UWA for FF, so the 17mm f/4 could be an interesting lens. Yup!!! It's absolutely nuts! We've discussed a couple times how nice of a lens it is but I can't believe it's +$2000 nice... you can probably find a Super Speed for that money. You forgot to add my aging eyes and total disregard of skill, talent and craft.