Eugenia

I received the modded Helios 44-2 today, from a Ukraine seller who mods them for both anamorphic, declicked aperture, and cine gears. Looks less swirly than my other Helios, but I think it also looks more convincingly anamorphic. Massive flare at f/2.0 (wide open), but thankfully lots of it goes away if using a filter (any filter) in front of the lens. I loved the results.
 

ML RAW is still not stable for "continuous" raw. I don't know how you get it to be stable, but here, it's not. Hence the "cool toy". We can go back and forth on this, but you won't convince me, because I've been trying ML on and off for years now. And yes, its UI is absolutely dreadful. As I already mentioned, the EOS M is a great starter camera, which is why I suggest newbies to get one, and also why I own 3 of them. But using ML RAW for serious work, with its aliasing problems and having to overcrank the SD controller to manage to write fast enough (which eventually leads to overheating and drop in frames, and often in crashes), is not acceptable in a professional setup. It's great for small videos like the one I posted above, where only a few seconds are shot every time, but not much more than that. Even Zeek on Youtube (which I follow) hasn't posted anything more than video vignettes with his EOS M. Show me ONE *serious* narrative short film that was shot with ML RAW simply because it's a cheap way to get RAW.
I wouldn't shoot a short film with ML RAW myself. I would shoot though a short film with the built-in h.264 encoder, simply because I know that I can trust it to be stable. Plus, I like the look I get from it anyway. I don't always need raw. I just make sure my scenes are not so contrasty to have to change ISOs or to recover highlights in post. In such a non-random setup, the bare Canon cameras do manage fine. I shot a number of official music videos with the 5D MkII in 8 bit, and it worked fine, for example. These days, I could get an even better image and bitrate with an M6 MkII at 4k with 120 mbps. If I can also get 10bit in the future, even better (just for even more advanced color grading purposes). Which is why I'm eyeing the upcoming Canon R6. But raw, I don't necessarily need it. If anything, I *degrade* the image I get out of most of my cameras, to make them softer, in order to get the vintage film look. I own a BMPCC 4k that shoots RAW, and I haven't used it for more than a few hours since last year. I don't like the Sony sensor look (that all non-Canon cameras use), and I quickly found out that I don't need its RAW capabilities. Which is why I mostly use my Canon M50 these days. On paper, the M50 is a toy compared to a BMPCC 4k. But it produces the image I like and it's ultra stable (more so than the BMPCC 4k).
To give you an idea where I'm coming from: I used to be the editor in chief of a big tech news web site in the early 2000s. During my time there, I took up on to myself to try and configure Linux in new ways for multimedia purposes (it was weak back then in video, wifi or bluetooth performance). So I was hacking code and config files, finding ways to make things work, and then write tutorial articles. Well, come 2005 I was already sick and tired of trying to make other people's messes work. These days, if something is not perfectly polished (from my OS,  to computer, camera, laptop to my refrigerator and washing machine) I simply don't bother with it. My tweaking days are long gone, and I don't want them back.

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Nice footage! You're not supposed to decompress anything on a fake anamorphic recording though. It's still square pixels. So when you shoot with Magic Lantern, you should not tell it that it's anamorphic recording, but rather normal recording. Then it will appear correctly when editing.
Here is mine from today (Canon M50, Helios 44-2, Viltrox Speedbooster, Vid-Atlantic anamorphic aperture filter). I also have a modded Helios 44-2 (that doesn't require the Vid-Atlantic filter to get anamorphic bokeh) in the mail, coming soon:
 

Thank you, appreciated! Regarding your question:
ML footage comes out a little bit contrasty compared to the VisionColor CineTech picture style I'm using (which is my favorite of all I ever tried, and it has more dynamic range than even Technicolor Cinestyle or Miller's C-Log). Being contrasty, it means it's more difficult to manipulate MLRAW footage. For that reason, while I own three EOS M cameras that are capable of ML RAW, I still use the M50, with just 32 mbps h.264 bitrate at 1080p. It works well enough. I'm planning on buying the new M5 MkII in October, that reportedly has IBIS. The 4k on the new M cameras has 120 mbps, and while 4k is 4x the 1080p resolution, the 4x bitrate is actually like 8x (it's how perceivable quality works). So h.264 at 4k at 120 mbps is more than enough to do a good job, without the need of the unstable ML RAW. Even at 8 bit, the kind of grading I do does not destroy the footage. If someone doesn't need IBIS, I'd highly suggest the M6 MkII, that already has proper 4k with AF, without crop and without the massive rolling shutter of the M50 in 4k mode.

This is the closest we will ever get with spherical lenses. There are a few more tricks to play though, like adding anamorphic lens distortion, as I have done so above. Overall, it's close. If you look at some modern anamorphic lenses, they lack the character of the old anamorphic lenses too. 

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Nice footage! You're not supposed to decompress anything on a fake anamorphic recording though. It's still square pixels. So when you shoot with Magic Lantern, you should not tell it that it's anamorphic recording, but rather normal recording. Then it will appear correctly when editing.
Here is mine from today (Canon M50, Helios 44-2, Viltrox Speedbooster, Vid-Atlantic anamorphic aperture filter). I also have a modded Helios 44-2 (that doesn't require the Vid-Atlantic filter to get anamorphic bokeh) in the mail, coming soon:
 

Γεια σου πατριώτη!
Nice footage! You're not supposed to decompress anything on a fake anamorphic recording though. It's still square pixels. So when you shoot with Magic Lantern, you should not tell it that it's anamorphic recording, but rather normal recording. Then it will appear correctly when editing.
Here is mine from today (Canon M50, Helios 44-2, Viltrox Speedbooster, Vid-Atlantic anamorphic aperture filter). I also have a modded Helios 44-2 (that doesn't require the Vid-Atlantic filter to get anamorphic bokeh) in the mail, coming soon:
 

Γεια σου πατριώτη!
Nice footage! You're not supposed to decompress anything on a fake anamorphic recording though. It's still square pixels. So when you shoot with Magic Lantern, you should not tell it that it's anamorphic recording, but rather normal recording. Then it will appear correctly when editing.
Here is mine from today (Canon M50, Helios 44-2, Viltrox Speedbooster, Vid-Atlantic anamorphic aperture filter). I also have a modded Helios 44-2 (that doesn't require the Vid-Atlantic filter to get anamorphic bokeh) in the mail, coming soon:
 

Γεια σου πατριώτη!
Nice footage! You're not supposed to decompress anything on a fake anamorphic recording though. It's still square pixels. So when you shoot with Magic Lantern, you should not tell it that it's anamorphic recording, but rather normal recording. Then it will appear correctly when editing.
Here is mine from today (Canon M50, Helios 44-2, Viltrox Speedbooster, Vid-Atlantic anamorphic aperture filter). I also have a modded Helios 44-2 (that doesn't require the Vid-Atlantic filter to get anamorphic bokeh) in the mail, coming soon:
 

Can someone confirm that after installing the latest firmwares on any of these Canon cameras (M6 MkII, RP, 90D), firmware versions that now enable 24p recording, the HDMI-out STILL defaults to 30p? Peter Berg over at Youtube says that even if you set the camera to 24p, if you connect an HDMI cable to a Ninja V, the camera reverts to recording 30p without telling you about it. Can someone confirm?

For that sample I used a manual 7Artisans lens which has vintage characteristics. Except the Sigma 18-35 and some Tokina zooms for their versatility, I avoid modern lens designs (like the ultra sharp Panasonic/Leicas, for example).
Regarding GFX 100's sharpness btw, here's a test I did yesterday comparing it to the BMPCC4k (more information on its youtube page, not via the video itself): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Efx6i5LMPK4&t=2s
 

It is also my opinion that VR is the future of movies, and that 8k will help there. VR movies will also bring some interaction, which is the No1 thing youngsters report when they are asked why they prefer video games over movie entertainment.

It is also my opinion that VR is the future of movies, and that 8k will help there. VR movies will also bring some interaction, which is the No1 thing youngsters report when they are asked why they prefer video games over movie entertainment.

It is also my opinion that VR is the future of movies, and that 8k will help there. VR movies will also bring some interaction, which is the No1 thing youngsters report when they are asked why they prefer video games over movie entertainment.

Great entry, Eugenia! You're an asset to every community as always : )
Posted in this another thread:
It's a joy to have you among us, @Eugenia ! : -)

For that sample I used a manual 7Artisans lens which has vintage characteristics. Except the Sigma 18-35 and some Tokina zooms for their versatility, I avoid modern lens designs (like the ultra sharp Panasonic/Leicas, for example).
Regarding GFX 100's sharpness btw, here's a test I did yesterday comparing it to the BMPCC4k (more information on its youtube page, not via the video itself): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Efx6i5LMPK4&t=2s
 

For that sample I used a manual 7Artisans lens which has vintage characteristics. Except the Sigma 18-35 and some Tokina zooms for their versatility, I avoid modern lens designs (like the ultra sharp Panasonic/Leicas, for example).
Regarding GFX 100's sharpness btw, here's a test I did yesterday comparing it to the BMPCC4k (more information on its youtube page, not via the video itself): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Efx6i5LMPK4&t=2s
 

For that sample I used a manual 7Artisans lens which has vintage characteristics. Except the Sigma 18-35 and some Tokina zooms for their versatility, I avoid modern lens designs (like the ultra sharp Panasonic/Leicas, for example).
Regarding GFX 100's sharpness btw, here's a test I did yesterday comparing it to the BMPCC4k (more information on its youtube page, not via the video itself): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Efx6i5LMPK4&t=2s
 

My husband's GFX100 arrived yesterday for his studio. In a very short test I did, I found it to be sharper than my BMPCC 4k (its native Fuji lenses are very sharp, they resolve a lot of detail). I honestly don't think I need even sharper or whatever "better" Fuji thinks it can give us (better color/midtone detail sure, but even sharper details heck no). I had to soften the image in post by a lot to make it look anywhere near cinematic. There was a reason why Alexa was sitting at 2.8k resolution for the longest time before Netflix forced them to make a 4k camera. For true traditional cine stuff, 4k is enough. I personally have no plans on updating on 6k/8k any time soon, not even when 8k TVs might be commonplace. I end up softening my 4k clips in post by either Panasonic or BMD, but the GFX100 required a lot more (f-log). If you're after super crisp, commercial style look, that's your camera.

Regardless, this does not exactly play in their favor. Sony chipsets and other chipsets in the market are able to do in 1 chip what Canon's do in 3. Either way, they're behind.
It costs them $0 to include it. The feature was always there for 10 years now, and it was always part of their OS. This was a clear move to push people to buy more expensive models. They aggressively segmentize and they've done so in the past (I will explain below). And that would work if they were a monopoly. But they have competitors that include more than just 24p in their cheaper cameras, they also have zebras, log etc. So why go with Canon then? Only Canon thinks that Canon users will stay with Canon no matter what. Little did they know, their EF lenses are getting adapted well to other systems as well.
So, for a little history lesson. As a few people mentioned above, I indeed used to run a video-related blog back in the day. My little niche was "filmmaking on the very cheap". Basically, back then there wasn't much processing power to do 1080/30p on P&S digicams, manufacturers were often forced to use 24p (just because it was easier to encode). So Canon had a line of P&S cameras with 1080/24p at 36 Mbps. There were no manual controls, but there was exposure compensation & exposure lock. Which was enough to create artsy videos or short films on the super-cheap that looked rather professional -- if you were careful of how you were shooting with them. Add on top the ability to get a rather flat look to widen the DR (there were sharpness/contrast/sat controls), and it was a pretty sweet deal for cameras costing $150-$300.
So for a couple of years, we had a number of P&S cams from Canon specifically that could be seen as alternatives to their 5D MkII, T2i, and 7D of that time (at least for people who couldn't afford these cameras and their lenses). I even shot a couple of music videos with such cams (we were not allowed to use my 5D MkII in the Santa Cruz Boardwalk to shoot a music video, but when I showed to the guards the tiny Canon SX30 HS P&S cam, they had no problem -- so they were really good guerrilla cams). The magic feature here was the exposure lock, that made those videos look pro.
Fast forward to 2012. New Canon P&S line up announced across the board. And each one of these had exposure lock in video mode REMOVED (AEL for photos was still there). And in some other models, they removed exposure compensation as well (again, these features had been there for years at that point in video mode). They had to remove these because they couldn't remove 24p outright (simply because their processors were not fast enough yet to do 30p at 1080p, they were stuck with it). They probably saw that some people who could not afford dSLRs used these small cams as a cheap replacement for filmmaking, and they wanted to push these same people to upgrade. The thing is though, if these people had the money to buy a dSLR, they would have done so anyway.
So, since then, I have a love-hate relationship with Canon. But their recent removal of 24p from a rather high end super-35 camera (the M6 MkII is not as low end as say, the M100) is unforgivable, sorry. Just because that's the EF-M line, should not make it a useless line for filmmaking. Some of us, want such cameras simply because they are small. The EOS R is much larger in comparison (and expensive when you account for native lenses).
So yeah, what Canon is doing now, they've done before. It's part of their MO. And if it's true that they are upscaling 2.8k to 4k and lying about it, then they are really unforgivable. I have lost all the respect I had for that company all these years ago.

Very, very, very unlikely. Such logic operations are done inside digic. And EVEN if that was true, their $0.03 on savings will cost them millions on bad press and sales.

I sometimes miss the simplicity of shooting with a P&S. AEL and AFL allowed such artistic freedom where the frame was all that mattered. The XC10 built upon that a little with gorgeous Canon Log 1080p. The Panasonic FZ2500 was almost better. But once I got bit by the ML Raw bug, it was hard turning back to any compressed codec.
I love that short piece you did. The color was gorgeous and the DR was more than enough. I particularly liked the detail on the shed door.
If Canon would release a sub-$1000 camera that has IBIS and Canon Log (and obviously 24p) they would end up selling more of their higher end cameras, IMO. I understand the point of holding back some features... all of the companies do it, but no 24p... it’s just nonsensical. 
The 5D3 has an OLPF and a faster buffer so aliasing and overheating aren’t an issue, but I love ML Raw from the 5D2. Some of my favorite ML videos were shot with that camera. I don’t know if you’ve seen any of this guy’s work, but he makes 5D2 Raw shine...
Everything except the drone shots is 5D2 ML Raw...
He has a bunch of videos that I highly recommend.

Thank you Mercer! These were great times back then, reporting on cameras etc. ?
I personally use the M and the M50 for small short films like this (M50 below, with the nifty fifty). So despite some people saying that 24p is not needed, I actually need it, and I rather use such a small package camera rather than a larger or more expensive camera for these smaller film projects.
Canons have their problems, but with the VisionColor's Cinetech picture profile I get an excellent cinematic look, and more DR than Cinestyle. If only they could do proper 4k and have a 10bit codec. I tried ML a few times, but the aliasing and overheating keeps me from using it further.

Very, very, very unlikely. Such logic operations are done inside digic. And EVEN if that was true, their $0.03 on savings will cost them millions on bad press and sales.

I own 4 Canons (along a BMPCC og & 4k, and GX85) and I was looking into upgrading my Canon M50 with the M6 MkII (as a walk-around video camera). I was shocked to see no 24p in there. So instead, I pulled the trigger just last week and bought a Sony A6400 with its kit lens, and an EF/S adapter. The A6400 has its own crippled sensor with (surprisingly high) rolling shutter. But at least it provides me with the right tools to create a cinematic image, if I'm careful of how I shoot. The M6 does not. No 24p, and still no zebras, spot metering, or a log profile after all these years. So despite its own problems, the A6400 was a better buy for me. Canon lost a sure sale. And now I'm hearing about pixel binning and upscaling, which makes me happier about my decision to go Sony.
At the end, it's Fuji that it's going to win me over though, I know it in my gut. As long as they have an updated X-T3 with ibis, I'm there. I'll get their f/2.8 kit lens zoom, and the Fringer EF/S adapter, and I'll be golden for many years to come, I reckon. The last camera I'll buy for a good long while. It'd be good enough for what I need.