Jeff Regan
Forum Replies Created
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ENG lenses aren’t an option because they won’t give you full coverage due to the large sensor size of the AF100(4X as big as 2/3″). If you want a fast zoom that offers a wide focal length range, you either buy a Cine zoom, big, heavy, expensive, or two zooms to give you the coverage, like the two Olympus f2.0 4/3 zooms.
I have a set of Nikon 35mm SLR manual primes with focus gears added. I always use the 50mm f1.4 or 85mm f1.4 for interviews. I also bought the new Arri Alura Zoom by Fujinon. It’s 18-80mm, T2.6. It’s also big, heavy and expensive!
I think you can pretty much choose any lens that interests you and know that there is an adapter for it. The exception is the Canon L series as far as electronic iris and focus interface, but that will change shortly. Again, I can’t think of a large sensor video camera that offers as many lens options available.
Jeff Regan
Shooting Star Video
http://www.ssv.com -
Olympus Zuiko 4/3 zooms are f2.0, but require 4/3 to micro 4/3 adapter and don’t have OIS and auto focus in video mode. Also, they aren’t parafocal, unlike the Lumix 14-140, so focus isn’t maintained while changing focal length. Ditto Nikon 14-35 f2.8 35mm SLR zoom, which of course requires an adapter.
Reality is that AF100, like any micro 4/3 mount camera, has an almost unlimited selection of lens options–unlike a Canon 5D, which won’t work with many lenses, such as the majority of PL-mount Cine lenses.
Pretty much any prime, 35mm SLR or Cine type can be used. Ditto zooms. Right now there is no Canon L-mount adapter that has electronic control for iris. Birger is supposed to come out with an adapter soon.
Jeff Regan
Shooting Star Video
http://www.ssv.com -
Noah,
I just got a call from my dealer telling me our two will deliver the week of the 27th.
Could you check something for me in the Film Cam menu section?
When in Cine D or V gamma, does the menu allow adjustment of the knee, ie; high, mid, low setting? Or is it grayed out like the HVX200A/HPX170?
With detail level at minimum setting, is it off or just lower?
Also, how is noise level at lower ISO’s, and if you see noise, is it luma or chroma noise, predominantly?
Jeff Regan
Shooting Star Video
http://www.ssv.com -
Jeremy,
It’s okay to disagree with me, but the link your provided and the one I provided show the reality of FOV. The crop factor of an AF100 vs. 35mm motion picture cameras or most 35mm size digital cameras is a non-issue. Nowhere near 2X, it’s under 20%.
It is not the lens or lens mount that changes FOV when mounted on different cameras, it’s the sensor size in the camera. The AF100 is, for all intents and purposes, a very low cost 35mm digital Cine camera without the compromises, workarounds and artifacts of DSLR cameras, where video is an afterthought.
We certainly agree about wanting to see the AF100 on a set near us!
Jeff Regan
Shooting Star Video
http://www.ssv.com -
You’re confusing Full Frame 35 stills with Super 35 motion picture frame size:
https://www.dvxuser.com/V6/attachment.php?attachmentid=25235&d=1288725080
AF100 sensor is 18.9X10.63, Academy is 22X12.3, S35 is 24X13.5, FF35 stills is 36X20.3, the latter is 2X, has nothing to do with motion picture frame size or FOV.
Crop factor for Af100 vs. Academy is 1.18 That means a shot taken 10′ from subject with 35mm motion picture camera would have to be taken from 11.8 feet away for the same field of view with an AF100. Hardly a big deal, not close to a 2x crop factor–that’s 35mm stills.
Zeiss does make Compact Primes with a micro 4/3 mount now. This has no bearing on FOV–Zeiss CP lenses have the same FOV whether PL-mount or micro 4/3 when used on an AF100.
Bottom line, shoot on with an Alexa, 35BL, RED, or AF100, and the difference in FOV would be subtle. Most DP’s who use Pro35 DOF adapters don’t know that the frame size is 18% smaller than Academy. At least I haven’t heard complaints.
Jeff Regan
Shooting Star Video
http://www.ssv.com -
Why do people compare a digital cinema camera to a stills camera sensor size? When did the Canon 5D MkII become the cinema standard? I guess an Arri 535 or Alexa or F35 or Genesis or RED One aren’t cine cameras because they don’t shoot full frame 35?
The AF100 frame size is very close to Super 35 or Academy, isn’t that what the standard is? Why would anybody go out of their way to shoot a narrative with an impossibly large sensor camera near wide open? I don’t know any professional AC who would.
Jeff Regan
Shooting Star Video
http://www.ssv.com -
Peter,
The HPX3100 is price to much like the trade-in deal on an HPX3700, making it seem redundant.
If the rumors I’m hearing about an impending large sensor P2 Varicam are true, and under $30K, this is what I would buy to compliment our HPX2700 and offer a step up from the AF100. A Fujinon/Arri Alura 18-80mm PL-mount cine zoom would be a nice combination. I’m hoping for AVC-Ultra, offering 4:4:4 color space and higher bit rate recording than AVC-Intra 100.
While not as trendy, a 2/3″ camera/ENG zoom is still the best tool for docs and any kind of project that requires quick/get it right on the first take. Large sensor cameras and cine lenses aren’t conducive to that need.
Jeff Regan
Shooting Star Video
http://www.ssv.com -
I’m hearing rumblings of a large sensor P2 Varicam that could appear Q1 2011, prior to NAB. Don’t know what kind of lens mount or if AVC-Ultra will be included, but I’m hearing sub-$30K pricing. The AF100 may have a big brother soon!
Jeff Regan
Shooting Star Video
http://www.ssv.com -
Yes, on our 2700 we have USER Main set to VFR On/Off typically at 24 or 48 fps, USER 1 set to typically 48 or 60 fps. You must enable VFR ON prior to recording, you can then go from 24 to 48 by pressing USER 1, or 48 to 60, whatever.
If you want a true ramp, use an RC10 paint box. As noted, fractional shutter speeds must be used, not degrees/half shutter, to avoid exposure changes.
I believe the newest firmware for the 2700 allows audio recording in VFR, but haven’t tried it myself.
Jeff Regan
Shooting Star Video
http://www.ssv.com -
Panasonic 2/3″ cameras are optimized for Asian skin tones out of the box. They will be deficient in green. You might consider downloading Panasonic’s “DigiNeg” scene file for a closer REC 709 rendition. At least you would have something to compare to. “Vivid” might be worth looking at as well. These scene files are starting points, you can customize to suit, if comfortable.
The 2700 offers many gamma options, the most well known being Film-Rec, which will be very useful for high contrast scenes or Filmlike 1, 2, or 3, as well as DRS 1, 2 or 3 can help in high contrast as well. The latter will boost mid-blacks, potentially requiring less grading in post. All will look flat and a bit de-saturated compared to HD gamma, which might work fine for controlled light. Some of the low end Panasonic cameras have an SD gamma setting, but not the high end models.
Gamma would be an easy place to start comparing, maybe do some test recordings of an actual scene using different gamma settings. Know that if you use the film type gammas, you will probably want to do more grading and color correction(at least saturation) in post–especially Film-Rec at an aggressive dynamic range such as 600% or even Filmlike 3, which compress mids, mid-blacks to gain more highlights.
Of course, the 2700 also offers simple controls like chroma, much easier to use than matrix or color correction circuits in the camera(although the Panasonic scene files will make use of these).
If shooting bright primary color cars, you need to be careful about keeping the colors legal, so any liberal tweaking of chroma or matrix should be done carefully with a vectorscope.
The HPX2700 is a very powerful camera and can provide amazing results, especially if you’re looking for a more subtle, natural image vs. the HD news and sports look. But you can get yourself in trouble as well–that’s why I believe the Panasonic scene files are a good way to preview what’s possible.
Jeff Regan
Shooting Star Video
http://www.ssv.com