DPStewart

This is a bunch of basic information about affordable camera support gear.
A lot of people who are new to all this Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera stuff (or DSLR sized cameras), and folks who don't have much money to spend have been asking me about all this lately. I don't have a lot of time to do gear reviews, so I decided to try to cram as much information as I could into this one video hoping to answer as many questions as I can all in one place.
Items covered in this video:
BMPCC Cages
Rail Systems
Shoulder Rigs
External Batteries
Follow Focus Devices
Matte Boxes
Cats and Dogs Living Together
Tripods
Jibs
Gimbal
Carry Case
*Note: The "one size fits all" cage I show here costs $149. I forgot to mention that.
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hqzJlgPjL_c
 
Some of the links I've been able to locate:
"One size fits all" Cage - $149
Movcam BMPCC Cage  - $323
Fotga Follow Focus - $170
Follow Focus Speed Crank - $13
Giottos Quick Release Adapter - $38
Offset Riser Clamp - $18
Cavision Matte Box - $99
 

Blackmagic Design Cinema and Pocket Cameras.

1. Record in Film-log RAW at native ISO. (No other settings needed.)

2, Bring into DaVinci Resolve which automatically converts it to a normalized REC.709 output. (No other settings needed.)

3. Adjust color or exposure a little bit to suit each clip. (No other settings needed.)

4. Render to DNxHD or HR 10-bit as a master file to be uploaded anywhere or encoded to small compressed files for whatever.

OKAY - I'm sort of joking...a little bit. But not really.
All those other lengthy complicated steps others listed? Yeah, I have to do all that stuff with my cameras that shoot compressed codecs too, but not with BMD RAW.

Once you go RAW it is very....VERY hard to go back.

It's the 20mm f/3.5 "pancake" style.
One of the smaller 20mm out there. Just as sharp as any other pretty much. 
Not the fastest lens in the world, but it IS sharp all the way open at f/3.5....which of course becomes about f/2.4 with the speedbooster.
VERY well made lens. 
All the serious reviews gave it very good reports, so I figured that as mainly the Gimbal use lens it would be right on the money....IT IS. 
Not super cheap - $500 new. But It's a really solid lens that gives NO problems on single-handle gimbals. And with the Speedbooster the field of view is really great for most gimbal stuff. It pretty much stays on my DS1 all the time ready to go at a moment's notice. 
Expensive - but it completed my gimbal steady-shot setup perfectly so I'm glad I got it.
I've looked around, but I don't think there's any other 20mm that can go on a Speedbooster that's any better.

Well, this kind of material can get a little "dry"... So I try to keep it entertaining for folks.

I’ll admit it, I use camera forums a lot.  Too much, probably. I use them to check out the latest cameras and lenses and lights and accessories. I waste about two hours a day on them.  Time I could spend watching “the View.”
When I started out shooting part-time in 2005, I got a DVX100 because a juggler who was a featured extra on a tv show called “Sons of Saddam” told me to.  “Cause it does 24p.”  I didn’t know what that meant, but I plunked down $3,000 - all the money I had in savings on this camera.  
The camera could have been a bust.  But I did it because a juggler who played one of Saddam’s sons goons said so.  That’s how easily influenced I am.
Then I bought a HVX200, not even testing it first.  “Cause it can do HD.”   I bought the Redrock micro adapter because I watched the work of MacGreggor and some other DPs back then do stuff on a Gorilla 35 lens adapter that hadn’t even come out.  I hadn’t even tried it first.  Just sent in my credit card info.  
Rinse and repeat.
All these periods of time I bought things just based on videos I saw shot on them. No tests - I didn’t understand tests.  Just videos shot with them and the opinions of people I respected.  I could look at screen grabs but just scroll down to their opinions.
Well finally 11 years later, I am seeing what I was doing - buying based on people’s emotions.  Based on the emotions of people whose work I liked.
This is fine to do, but it’s not always the smartest thing to do.  
There are several, maybe twenty influential figures online in the cinematography world.  David Mullen, Shane Hurlbut, John Brawley, Art Adams, Geoff Boyle, and of course Andrew Reid, come to mind as leaders who people follow and listen to.
Even the opinions of the above people and the other influencers are, in the end, just their opinions.
When someone says, “this to me screams filmic” or “this looks digital” - again, that’s all an opinion.  If they say, “that grade is terrible” or “man you nailed the skin tones” - again, that’s all opinion.  Even looking at test charts and camera tests, the results are subjective.  Aesthetic is subjective.  There are scientific tests, but they lead to opinions.  This isn’t pure math - this is an art form.
There is no such thing as filmic.
Everything is digital.  Film emulsions see the world differently, but they go through a digital intermediate.  They become digital .  And I think that’s probably about 99.9% of all films shot on celluloid.  Maybe a few hipsters shoot film and use a steinbeck, but they still upload their results to vimeo, which converts this to a h.264 file.
I have very strong opinions, and a lot of people have very strong opinions.  That’s why we work in film.  It’s an art form that is full of passionate people.  But I also have low self-esteem.  My whole nature of existence is based on others approval.  I’m getting better at trusting my own self, but this is my basis.  
I think maybe most artists have low self-esteem or why would they want to share their art?  Is it ego?  Or the attempt for others to connect?  Yes that’s part of it.  But whether you want to admit it or not, we love when people love our work.  We live off the feedback, or why would we check vimeo 5 times a day to see if someone commented?  Why else would we have awards?  Especially in an art field where awards are just based on opinions of a community who may or may not get your work?
Something is beautiful if you think it is.  You don’t need an oscar in cinematography to be happy with your lighting or camera movement or angle, or have your opinion mean anything less if you aren’t in the ASC.  Everyone brings something unique to the art form.  Everyone brings a new perspective that is needed, especially now, when everything feels pretty much the same.  

This is a bunch of basic information about affordable camera support gear.
A lot of people who are new to all this Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera stuff (or DSLR sized cameras), and folks who don't have much money to spend have been asking me about all this lately. I don't have a lot of time to do gear reviews, so I decided to try to cram as much information as I could into this one video hoping to answer as many questions as I can all in one place.
Items covered in this video:
BMPCC Cages
Rail Systems
Shoulder Rigs
External Batteries
Follow Focus Devices
Matte Boxes
Cats and Dogs Living Together
Tripods
Jibs
Gimbal
Carry Case
*Note: The "one size fits all" cage I show here costs $149. I forgot to mention that.
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hqzJlgPjL_c
 
Some of the links I've been able to locate:
"One size fits all" Cage - $149
Movcam BMPCC Cage  - $323
Fotga Follow Focus - $170
Follow Focus Speed Crank - $13
Giottos Quick Release Adapter - $38
Offset Riser Clamp - $18
Cavision Matte Box - $99
 

This is a bunch of basic information about affordable camera support gear.
A lot of people who are new to all this Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera stuff (or DSLR sized cameras), and folks who don't have much money to spend have been asking me about all this lately. I don't have a lot of time to do gear reviews, so I decided to try to cram as much information as I could into this one video hoping to answer as many questions as I can all in one place.
Items covered in this video:
BMPCC Cages
Rail Systems
Shoulder Rigs
External Batteries
Follow Focus Devices
Matte Boxes
Cats and Dogs Living Together
Tripods
Jibs
Gimbal
Carry Case
*Note: The "one size fits all" cage I show here costs $149. I forgot to mention that.
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hqzJlgPjL_c
 
Some of the links I've been able to locate:
"One size fits all" Cage - $149
Movcam BMPCC Cage  - $323
Fotga Follow Focus - $170
Follow Focus Speed Crank - $13
Giottos Quick Release Adapter - $38
Offset Riser Clamp - $18
Cavision Matte Box - $99
 

This is a bunch of basic information about affordable camera support gear.
A lot of people who are new to all this Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera stuff (or DSLR sized cameras), and folks who don't have much money to spend have been asking me about all this lately. I don't have a lot of time to do gear reviews, so I decided to try to cram as much information as I could into this one video hoping to answer as many questions as I can all in one place.
Items covered in this video:
BMPCC Cages
Rail Systems
Shoulder Rigs
External Batteries
Follow Focus Devices
Matte Boxes
Cats and Dogs Living Together
Tripods
Jibs
Gimbal
Carry Case
*Note: The "one size fits all" cage I show here costs $149. I forgot to mention that.
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hqzJlgPjL_c
 
Some of the links I've been able to locate:
"One size fits all" Cage - $149
Movcam BMPCC Cage  - $323
Fotga Follow Focus - $170
Follow Focus Speed Crank - $13
Giottos Quick Release Adapter - $38
Offset Riser Clamp - $18
Cavision Matte Box - $99
 

This is a bunch of basic information about affordable camera support gear.
A lot of people who are new to all this Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera stuff (or DSLR sized cameras), and folks who don't have much money to spend have been asking me about all this lately. I don't have a lot of time to do gear reviews, so I decided to try to cram as much information as I could into this one video hoping to answer as many questions as I can all in one place.
Items covered in this video:
BMPCC Cages
Rail Systems
Shoulder Rigs
External Batteries
Follow Focus Devices
Matte Boxes
Cats and Dogs Living Together
Tripods
Jibs
Gimbal
Carry Case
*Note: The "one size fits all" cage I show here costs $149. I forgot to mention that.
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hqzJlgPjL_c
 
Some of the links I've been able to locate:
"One size fits all" Cage - $149
Movcam BMPCC Cage  - $323
Fotga Follow Focus - $170
Follow Focus Speed Crank - $13
Giottos Quick Release Adapter - $38
Offset Riser Clamp - $18
Cavision Matte Box - $99
 

This is a bunch of basic information about affordable camera support gear.
A lot of people who are new to all this Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera stuff (or DSLR sized cameras), and folks who don't have much money to spend have been asking me about all this lately. I don't have a lot of time to do gear reviews, so I decided to try to cram as much information as I could into this one video hoping to answer as many questions as I can all in one place.
Items covered in this video:
BMPCC Cages
Rail Systems
Shoulder Rigs
External Batteries
Follow Focus Devices
Matte Boxes
Cats and Dogs Living Together
Tripods
Jibs
Gimbal
Carry Case
*Note: The "one size fits all" cage I show here costs $149. I forgot to mention that.
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hqzJlgPjL_c
 
Some of the links I've been able to locate:
"One size fits all" Cage - $149
Movcam BMPCC Cage  - $323
Fotga Follow Focus - $170
Follow Focus Speed Crank - $13
Giottos Quick Release Adapter - $38
Offset Riser Clamp - $18
Cavision Matte Box - $99
 

This is a bunch of basic information about affordable camera support gear.
A lot of people who are new to all this Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera stuff (or DSLR sized cameras), and folks who don't have much money to spend have been asking me about all this lately. I don't have a lot of time to do gear reviews, so I decided to try to cram as much information as I could into this one video hoping to answer as many questions as I can all in one place.
Items covered in this video:
BMPCC Cages
Rail Systems
Shoulder Rigs
External Batteries
Follow Focus Devices
Matte Boxes
Cats and Dogs Living Together
Tripods
Jibs
Gimbal
Carry Case
*Note: The "one size fits all" cage I show here costs $149. I forgot to mention that.
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hqzJlgPjL_c
 
Some of the links I've been able to locate:
"One size fits all" Cage - $149
Movcam BMPCC Cage  - $323
Fotga Follow Focus - $170
Follow Focus Speed Crank - $13
Giottos Quick Release Adapter - $38
Offset Riser Clamp - $18
Cavision Matte Box - $99
 

This is a bunch of basic information about affordable camera support gear.
A lot of people who are new to all this Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera stuff (or DSLR sized cameras), and folks who don't have much money to spend have been asking me about all this lately. I don't have a lot of time to do gear reviews, so I decided to try to cram as much information as I could into this one video hoping to answer as many questions as I can all in one place.
Items covered in this video:
BMPCC Cages
Rail Systems
Shoulder Rigs
External Batteries
Follow Focus Devices
Matte Boxes
Cats and Dogs Living Together
Tripods
Jibs
Gimbal
Carry Case
*Note: The "one size fits all" cage I show here costs $149. I forgot to mention that.
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hqzJlgPjL_c
 
Some of the links I've been able to locate:
"One size fits all" Cage - $149
Movcam BMPCC Cage  - $323
Fotga Follow Focus - $170
Follow Focus Speed Crank - $13
Giottos Quick Release Adapter - $38
Offset Riser Clamp - $18
Cavision Matte Box - $99
 

This is a bunch of basic information about affordable camera support gear.
A lot of people who are new to all this Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera stuff (or DSLR sized cameras), and folks who don't have much money to spend have been asking me about all this lately. I don't have a lot of time to do gear reviews, so I decided to try to cram as much information as I could into this one video hoping to answer as many questions as I can all in one place.
Items covered in this video:
BMPCC Cages
Rail Systems
Shoulder Rigs
External Batteries
Follow Focus Devices
Matte Boxes
Cats and Dogs Living Together
Tripods
Jibs
Gimbal
Carry Case
*Note: The "one size fits all" cage I show here costs $149. I forgot to mention that.
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hqzJlgPjL_c
 
Some of the links I've been able to locate:
"One size fits all" Cage - $149
Movcam BMPCC Cage  - $323
Fotga Follow Focus - $170
Follow Focus Speed Crank - $13
Giottos Quick Release Adapter - $38
Offset Riser Clamp - $18
Cavision Matte Box - $99
 

Okay folks,

NO.
You cannot balance the DS1 with the giant Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 Art lens.
I used the Metabones Speecbooster's foot as the connection point instead of the BMPCC's own bottom mount, but it's still too front heavy.
By the time you move the mounting point far enough forward, the camera will hit the back of the cradle.
Now you could also add about 300 grams on top of the BMPCC - that would get the balance right - but by then you will be significantly over the DS1's max payload of 1.6kg.

Oh well...I never even suspected that would work anyway. This lens is a freakin' BAZOOKA.

The one lens that I really want to try that I don't have is the Samyang/Rokinon 16mm T/2.2 because that is a great lens, and their 10mm can be a little too wide sometimes even though it's a killer lens.

I have a couple of 20mm's that I've been using but I'm not knocked out with them. Nikkor Ai-s 20mm and a Voightlander 20mm pancake style. They are both "good" lenses, but they aren't "fantastic". I think 20mm is a length that just doesn't lend itself to great lenses maybe. I dunnno.
Anyone know of a really killer 20mm lens? I also have the Panny 20mm f/1.7 but that lens is also in the "good": category, but as an MFT lens I cannot speedboost it so it's really not a comparable 20mm even.
I've heard good things about the Olympus 17mm - but that's really close to the Sam/Rock...and the Olympus 25mm gets into the range of my Nikkor 28mm Ai-S which IS a great lens.

Anyone got any other recommendations?

Thanks.
 

This is a bunch of basic information about affordable camera support gear.
A lot of people who are new to all this Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera stuff (or DSLR sized cameras), and folks who don't have much money to spend have been asking me about all this lately. I don't have a lot of time to do gear reviews, so I decided to try to cram as much information as I could into this one video hoping to answer as many questions as I can all in one place.
Items covered in this video:
BMPCC Cages
Rail Systems
Shoulder Rigs
External Batteries
Follow Focus Devices
Matte Boxes
Cats and Dogs Living Together
Tripods
Jibs
Gimbal
Carry Case
*Note: The "one size fits all" cage I show here costs $149. I forgot to mention that.
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hqzJlgPjL_c
 
Some of the links I've been able to locate:
"One size fits all" Cage - $149
Movcam BMPCC Cage  - $323
Fotga Follow Focus - $170
Follow Focus Speed Crank - $13
Giottos Quick Release Adapter - $38
Offset Riser Clamp - $18
Cavision Matte Box - $99
 

Most used lens? - Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 Art.

Favorite lenses to shoot with at any price? - Zeiss Standard Speeds. 

Favorite dream lenses that it's possible to actually own? - Sony Cine-Alta II.

Well I really like cameras that give a generally cinematic look - that's why I use so many Blackmagics - but that's only one look of many. It doesn't convey nature documentaries as well as super high-res clear and realistic cameras will. Like a Sony FS7 or Canon C300.

We are getting to a point with the evolution of these cameras that certain cameras are intentionally designed to have different strengths. And so far they don't really overlap.
Meaning: yeah sure, you can make a super-documentary camera "look" more cinematic and vice-versa, but it takes a lot of extra time both in shooting or in post to do so, and it's just a much more streamlined process to simply pick the right camera for the job - in PRECISELY the way we already pick the right lens for the shot. Same thing.

Well I really like cameras that give a generally cinematic look - that's why I use so many Blackmagics - but that's only one look of many. It doesn't convey nature documentaries as well as super high-res clear and realistic cameras will. Like a Sony FS7 or Canon C300.

We are getting to a point with the evolution of these cameras that certain cameras are intentionally designed to have different strengths. And so far they don't really overlap.
Meaning: yeah sure, you can make a super-documentary camera "look" more cinematic and vice-versa, but it takes a lot of extra time both in shooting or in post to do so, and it's just a much more streamlined process to simply pick the right camera for the job - in PRECISELY the way we already pick the right lens for the shot. Same thing.

The resolution race has officially become a wank-fest.
Just like we knew it would.


 

My most used is the Sigma ART 18-35 too. Easily. 
My favourite current lens is the Helios 44-2 85mm (modern version). This thing is nuts. Bokeh is crazy. Flares are really random. Star shapes and all sorts. 
 

The resolution race has officially become a wank-fest.
Just like we knew it would.


 

I'd rather have the better color and 10 bit color depth. Sony color and skintones especially are less accurate. But if you need to shoot in the dark, Sony is great.

The RMC Tokina 17mm is a great lens. It's a 3.5, but speed boosted, it should be plenty fast enough. I had the Canon FD 17mm and that was a decent lens too. 

Did some tests with the beholder ds1 and a lighter setup than the 5d, tried it with the sony rx10 II i used the step up plate and the lighter profile
took me 5 minutes and was good to go
 

Okay folks,

NO.
You cannot balance the DS1 with the giant Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 Art lens.
I used the Metabones Speecbooster's foot as the connection point instead of the BMPCC's own bottom mount, but it's still too front heavy.
By the time you move the mounting point far enough forward, the camera will hit the back of the cradle.
Now you could also add about 300 grams on top of the BMPCC - that would get the balance right - but by then you will be significantly over the DS1's max payload of 1.6kg.

Oh well...I never even suspected that would work anyway. This lens is a freakin' BAZOOKA.

The one lens that I really want to try that I don't have is the Samyang/Rokinon 16mm T/2.2 because that is a great lens, and their 10mm can be a little too wide sometimes even though it's a killer lens.

I have a couple of 20mm's that I've been using but I'm not knocked out with them. Nikkor Ai-s 20mm and a Voightlander 20mm pancake style. They are both "good" lenses, but they aren't "fantastic". I think 20mm is a length that just doesn't lend itself to great lenses maybe. I dunnno.
Anyone know of a really killer 20mm lens? I also have the Panny 20mm f/1.7 but that lens is also in the "good": category, but as an MFT lens I cannot speedboost it so it's really not a comparable 20mm even.
I've heard good things about the Olympus 17mm - but that's really close to the Sam/Rock...and the Olympus 25mm gets into the range of my Nikkor 28mm Ai-S which IS a great lens.

Anyone got any other recommendations?

Thanks.