Bill Bruner
Forum Replies Created
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As long as you use a Panasonic DMW-MA1 adapter, you’ll be fine.
Here is the AF100 lens compatibility chart. As you’ll see, push autofocus (AF) works for most 4/3 lenses, and autoiris works for all of them – but full time AF will not work.
Hope this is helpful,
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Hi Trevor – video and cinema lenses are what is called “parfocal”. In other words, they maintain focus throughout the zoom range. This is sometimes accepted as an excuse for the high cost of cinema lenses, but shouldn’t be. Heck, the 12:1 zoom on my 1970s Chinon Super 8 camera held focus throughout the zoom range.
Until recently, still camera lenses have not needed to maintain focus throughout the zoom range. Still photographers don’t need parfocal lenses and are accustomed to refocusing between shots. As a result, standard DSLR zooms, with a few exceptions, are “varifocal”.
Since the advent of the video capable DSLR/DSLT/DSLM camera (and large sensor interchangeable lens camcorder such as the AF100), some manufacturers are making parfocal zooms for still camera mounts – but they are hard to find.
As far as AF100 forum discussion goes, I recommend dvxuser and dvinfo. There are still very active AF100 communities on both boards.
Cheers,
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Good question. If you mean ENG video lenses, they are expensive because of their complex servo zooms, wide apertures and small production runs – if you mean cinema lenses, they are expensive because they “declicked”, have large barrels with carefully silkscreened and widely spaced focus marks, are sometimes anamorphic, and again, have small production runs.
Yes, if you put cinema and DSLR lenses side-by-side and shoot a chart, you may be able to see differences in build quality, resolution, color rendition and aberration – but my 55 year old eyes can’t.
ASC and BSC members may disagree with me, but the real difference is one of supply and demand. Millions of DSLR/DST/DSLM lenses are produced every year – and there are still millions upon millions of classic SLR lenses out there – both in the marketplace and on dusty shelves.
So a used Zeiss 35mm Distagon f2.0 DSLR lens with a Nikon adapter costs about $900.
While a Zeiss 35mm Compact Prime CP.2 T1.5 for your AF100 costs $4900. Only you can decide whether you’re willing to pay an extra $4000 for a “cinema” lens.
Hope this is helpful,
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Also, Panasonic video-optimized lenses have silent autofocus motors. DSLR lenses (used on their native cameras) have very noisy autofocus motors (even so-called “hypersonic” and “ultrasonic” lenses).
Not an issue when focusing manually with adapted lenses, of course.
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Ofer – Sorry to hear about your stolen AF100 🙁
Charles is correct – Sony’s omission of the built-in ND on cameras below the $8000 FS700 means the NEX-EA50 needs a 67mm variable neutral density filter like this $96 Fader ND.
You really don’t want any of the less expensive filters – which often cause light loss and distorted color.
Outside of its lack of a built-in ND, the EA50 looks like great camera – but I have to say, I’m also looking at the full frame NEX-VG900, which looks pretty good in the sample footage I’ve seen: https://www.videomaker.com/video/watch/product-spotlight/748-highlight-footage-from-the-sony-vg900
Hope this is helpful,
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Jaanus – the real reason you don’t want a DSLR for long discourses is their video clip length limits. The 5D Mark III can only shoot 30 minutes before it shuts down and has to be restarted. In the DSLR/DSLM form factor, only Panasonic GH2 and GH3 can shoot essentially unlimited length video clips. If you want your video camera to double as a still camera, these (and the large sensor Sony NEX-VG 20 camcorder) are your only choices below $2K.
But if you want pro sound and XLR inputs built-in, your only choice is a small sensor pro camcorder.
Regarding the XA10 – it produces great video – but it doesn’t have the rock steady image stabilization of newer cameras in its class such as the Sony HXR-NX30 or the Panasonic AG-AC90. And the Sony comes with a shotgun mic, while the Canon and the Panasonic do not.
Here is what the Sony can do: https://vimeo.com/39824407
Hope this is helpful and good luck on your trip!
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Bob – among full frame video-capable cameras, there are three with uncompressed 1080p HDMI output (in descending price order): the $3000 Nikon D800, the $2800 Sony A99 and the $2100 Nikon D600.
I have the $1299 GH3 on order, and looking forward to using its clean HDMI out and autofocus, but its sensor is smaller than your 60D’s, not larger.
Hope that’s helpful,
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Nigel – I run an unhacked GH2 with the OEM AC adapter and the coupler and it runs fine with nothing connected to the HDMI port.
In my view, your problem is either the hack or something squirrely about the 12VDC coming out of the P-V212. If you don’t get a better answer here, I would re-ask this question on the GH2 forum over at dvxuser.
Good luck,
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Jim – I’d spend somewhat less than the 3K and leave room for mics, tripods, dollies and lights. Also, I’d buy a Sony HXR-30U for $1999 instead of the AG-AC90 because it comes with an external mic, shoots 1080/60p, and has an incredible balanced optical stabilization system, as seen here:
As for the HMC-150 – it is at least two generations old, lacks 1080/60p, has no external microphone and has a slow bit rate (21 mbps). I would avoid it.
Hope this is helpful,
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Jim – I’d spend somewhat less than the 3K and leave room for mics, tripods, dollies and lights. Also, I’d buy a Sony HXR-30U for $1999 instead of the AG-AC90 because it comes with an external mic, shoots 1080/60p, and has an incredible balanced optical stabilization system, as seen here:
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Sony Professional: HXR-NX30 – Ed Moore gives his first impressions from Sony Professional Europe on Vimeo.
As for the HMC-150 – it is at least two generations old, lacks 1080/60p and an external microphone and has a slow bit rate (21 mbps). I would avoid it.
Hope this is helpful,