mercer

Same. 50mm on FF is the focal length I would choose if I could only afford one fast lens... and then I would save up for a cheap, slow 20 or 24mm for wide establishing shots or car interiors. The Micro sensor is a catch-22. On one hand, there is just something “magical” about that sensor but on the other hand, the crop factor makes it difficult to have a wide angle lens. And with native lenses, a lot of the interesting character in the sides and corners are cut off due to the crop. And even still, it’s difficult to find something that will translate to a 30mm or less without paying a small fortune for it.

At a certain point, I can only invest so much into this camera, my 5D3 is still my camera of choice for any major project I work on. I have some c-mounts that I can use and I have a growing collection of Nikkor lenses, so maybe a metabones speedbooster makes more sense... I saw one sell for $125 the other day. Well... to be fair... with the Micro you need to let in as much light as possible so a VND is necessary to minutely control the light and an IR Cut filter is an absolute necessity, so filter threads are kinda important.

Crazy enough, a few months ago I was going through my equipment and found a dozen old SD Extreme cards... I thought about the money I spent on them and it became one of the reasons I decided to buy another Micro. Shortly after that was when I found the trailer for that Cosmos movie that was shot entirely on ProResLT and with mostly one lens. I guess I was a little inspired by their experience and my circumstance... being cheap.

That’s true, but I am finding that 28 - 35mm is my preferred FOV and I rarely change lenses... I just zoom with my feet. The 12-35mm is an option for its OIS and the rare time I may need a 100mm FOV. They look great... is that with the NX1? I briefly had the lens with a GX85 a few years ago and liked it... and I especially like the price. It’s also something I can build on if I ever want the 21mm or the 7.5mm for wide shots. Thanks for the input!

I ended up buying a BMMCC for a steal and instead of a speedbooster, I was thinking about going with native lenses. I’m looking for a 12mm prime and have narrowed down my options to the Samyang/Rokinon cine, the SLR Magic 12mm 1.6 or the Olympus 12mm f/2. Any thoughts on any of those lenses? I should add that a friend of mine owns the Olympus 17mm, so I could borrow it from him if I need to. Also I have a Panny 12-60mm kit lens, so I could also pick up the 14mm 2.5 prime or the 20mm 1.7. I guess I could also swing the PanLeica 15mm if it’s head and shoulders above the rest. I bought the Micro to use for ultra short films and to mess around with so I want to keep the kit very basic... 1 or 2 lenses. I’m also considering the Panny 12-35mm 2.8 for the OIS and I would probably pick up the 20mm 1.7 for dialogue scenes and B-Unit shots.

Put a Moment Anamorphic on that bitch and go shoot a film.

Sony and Nikon’s AF looks electronic anyway. So who cares if they have it? If you want organic focus, pull it manually or use a Canon.

Thanks! Being a hobbyist, I don’t have a lot of time to practice, so unfortunately it’s been a slow path but it’s good to hear I’m going in the right direction.

That’s not too bad, I guess. I’ve been messing around with B&W lately and the controls in LR dwarf what I can do in FCPX... well at least it seems a lot easier. I graded the top shot in FCPX and then saved the frame, sent it to my phone and opened it in the LR app to do the bottom B&W... I’ll have to look around, maybe there’s a plug-in for FCPX that has similar controls as LR. Or maybe I’ll get a trial of the Adobe suite and give it a go. Thanks for your help! Thanks, that sounds cool. Of course, I love the clarity slider in LR, but I guess it’s similar to Midtone Detail in Resolve.

On my iPhone, the grass looks like burnt out, dead grass like you see in the middle of summer. I’m not surprised it’s a result of FilmConvert though, that program can be a little wonky sometimes.

I’ve never used After Effects but the sliders in Lightroom are so much more intuitive than hsl curves and wheels. The simple sliders in the LR app for clarity and contrast would be a breath of fresh air in an NLE. The Raw adjustments in Resolve just seem too... mathematical. Thanks, Kye... it sounds doable. Do you have a subscription for Lightroom?

ML Raw would be CDNG.

On occasion I’ll save a frame onto my phone and then mess around with it on the Lightroom App. In fact, I find the controls more intuitive than the color tools in FCPX and Resolve. Does anyone know if Adobe Camera Raw works within Lightroom for video or can you create a preset in Lightroom that you can use in Premiere or export for other NLEs? I’ve never used the Adobe Suite, but I’m contemplating getting a subscription because I know a lot of people prefer the color from ACR than Resolve with ML Raw.

I think the 14bit files from ML Raw shine in B&W... especially since I’m not the best colorist.

Some more test shots with the 35mm 1.4. This time in B&W...

It looks good. Are you missing those Canon colors from the 5D3? Panasonic greens can be a pain in the ass. But I think you did a good job. Great detail. The music, shots and color grade gave the piece a melancholy, nostalgic feel. Your model is very pretty as well. What does this mean?

Yeah adapters aren’t as good as Edmika conversions. I’ve found that KF Concept is the best adapter for EF. But if you really like the lens, you may be able to find a permanent Leitax adapter for it.

Thanks this looks pretty nice. With the RC head, it puts me where I want to spend but the closed length and weight are pretty similar to the tripod I already have... I think a monopod upgrade is in my future... I think it makes more sense for my shooting style.

I won an auction for an “open box” Manfrotto tripod. It was a stupid price... $32. I thought it was just the legs but when it arrived it was brand new, never opened and it came with a head. Honestly, I forget the model because, like you, I rarely use a tripod but I recently tested the head (it’s one of their less expensive RC heads) and I was floored by the fluid pan. I may buy another head for a monopod to keep everything the same. I don’t want to spend too much on this because I may get a slider and a small gimbal for my BMMCC. I’ve never used one but they do look finicky... but like you said, if you need an impossible angle from an impossible mounting position... what other choice do you have? Great idea with the plastic cup... I think I’ll buy one of those collapsible camping cups.

That would be amazing. Keep me updated. I’ll even beta test it for you... ? Gotcha, but aren’t certain lenses faster to focus? For instance, I’ve heard that the Panny 20mm is supposed to be a great lens with sluggish AF, does that affect your system? If so, does the slower (af) lenses have more of a slow focus puller feel to them? And finally, can you control the zoom with in/out points? Could I set up a Jaws/Vertigo shot with it? If so, would I need a power zoom lens?

Well done @BTM_Pix !!! As you know, I recently bought a Micro on the cheap. It was a no brainer decision considering I am going to use my existing c-mount lenses with it, but after seeing this... I think I may invest in a couple native lenses for an eventual P4K purchase. I assume it works better with certain lenses? Also, does the camera have to move to obtain focus, or can you select your focus point on the screen?

That looks great Geoff. I love the color of your videos/grabs. I tend to always try to add some kind of BS stylized grade although I prefer a natural “cinematic” look. What camera was that shot with?

@Video Hummus that does look pretty slick... but I assume it’s fairly pricey? That looks pretty cool... I wonder how it handles sandy conditions.

And maybe I’ll pick up a decent tabletop/compact tripod for my low angle shots... Hmm...

Do you have any experience with the Miller Solo monopod? And does carbon fiber really absorb vibrations a lot more than aluminum? With my Benro monopod, I was using it handheld by putting the base into a tape measure pouch I have clipped onto my belt... it actually works great and maybe I shouldn’t second guess myself. But I may upgrade my monopod and attach a “decent” head to it. Right now, I have a Manfrotto RC tilt head attached. It actually works fairly well, but if I want to use the monopod more traditionally, it may help to have a panning head attached. Right now, I’m curious about the aforementioned Miller Solo and the cheap alternative is the Benro 38C.