[Marco Solorio]

Although expensive, I still think the Canon 8-15mm f/4L will be a big hit with its variable crop factor in place. All strong theories until I get my BMDCC in-hand.

I also received a Rokinon 8mm T3.8 fisheye cinema style prime lens, which is quite inexpensive, around the $350 range. I’m in the middle of producing a video comparing these two lenses, so stay tuned!

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[Marco Solorio]

Yeah, it’s possible, but I agree that it’s not the most ideal solution as a dedicated studio camera to a switcher. The main company I know of that’s using it for studio cameras is a corporation, and not a broadcast studio. No way I could see a major broadcast studio using it as such. Just wouldn’t make a ton of sense. But smaller operations could get by with it, albeit with some additional wranglings of gear. But if they double it for cinema style production, it makes sense.

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[Marco Solorio]

Hi João,

The B4 to EF mounts I know of have a large optical expander in them to size them up to the larger sensor of the Canon DSLRs. So this could work, but then the Cinema Camera would then crop that magnification, which is a bit undesirable. I would guess that if a B4 to EOS mount exists without magnification (I doubt it), that there might still be some vignetting since the 2/3″ CCD sensors are quite a bit smaller than the Cinema Camera’s larger sensor (BMDCC just a bit smaller than Micro 4/3).

https://www.mtfservices.com/home.html?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=110&category_id=2

The Cinema Camera will definitely be used as a studio camera. I know some people that will be using it solely as such. You’ll either have to use EF/EFS lenses, ENG style lenses that adapt to EF/EFS mount, or wait for a B4 adapter that doesn’t expand as much as they currently do (would be a pretty niche product just for the Cinema Camera though).

Thanks,

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[Marco Solorio]

Glad to help. The usable sensor size of the Sony EX1 is smaller than your estimation at about 6.97mm x 3.92mm. The Cinema Camera is much larger than the EX1 sensor, and much closer in size to Micro 4/3 (but still just a little bit smaller than it).

Any small sensor camera can shoot narrow DOF, including the ones you list. The easiest way to accomplish this is to throw a long lens on the camera (or zoom in as much as you can), sit the camera as far back as needed until your focal length meets the framing you need, and instant narrow DOF. Ideal? No. Accomplishable? Yes.

If you want the quickest, easiest, most ridiculous razor-thin DOF, then nothing is better than a 5D. But after you “get over” the narrow DOF fixation, you’ll soon realize you’re stopping down the aperture a lot so that everything in the background isn’t a muddy mess.

I see the internal battery as more of a bonus than a negative. To me it acts more like a backup battery than a main battery. All cameras use an external battery source, albeit they are mountable to the camera body in some way. But if you look at many cinema style rigs to date, many of them have V-mount or Anton Bauer mount. I use V-mount plates for just about every camera rig we use. Our Cinema Camera will be no different. It’s nice powering everything from one source that keeps a healthy charge. And in many cases, makes for a nice counter weight to boot.

But again, this is a cinema/studio camera, not an ENG style camera. Any product on the market is a work in progress. Look at the Sony F35; it would have been nice if it originally was what the F65 is today, but technology evolves and must have a starting point. I have no doubt there will be a Cinema Camera version 2 in the future, probably with a larger sensor, maybe even a different body design altogether. Who knows. But where the Cinema Camera sits now is very well poised if you ask me.

As I keep saying, once the camera finally gets into everyone’s hands, people will realize the camera is much more usable than they would have assumed. But of course, for every 100 people that are silently thrilled with it, there will always been one or two people that will be vocal about what they don’t like about it.

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[Marco Solorio]

Hi Jim,

As soon as I read you wanted to use the Cinema Camera as an ENG camera and that was at the top of your list of it being a deal breaker, I literally almost stopped reading there. The Cinema Camera (key word, “Cinema”) is in no way shape or form (literally speaking) an ENG camera, nor is it pretending to be. It is however on target as a cinema camera (indoor or outdoor) and studio camera. The Cinema Camera is just as much of an ENG camera as an HDSLR camera… in other words, it’s not. At least it’s not without building an appropriate rig for it. Yes, you’d need a shoulder rig, grips, an EVF, battery plate, a phantom power box, a mattebox/sunshade to keep the sun out, a rocker switch for zoom control, etc., etc., etc. If you want a dog, don’t buy a cat… if you want an ENG camera, buy an ENG camera.

Personally, I’ve never seen a cinema style camera (think Arri with film mag) to have ever been a good ENG camera. They aren’t, and they weren’t meant to be.

The size of the sensor has been talked to death and in my opinion is not a huge factor when it really comes down to it when used in the right hands. Yes, it’s smallish (still larger than 16mm, and check your facts because it’s MUCH larger than a 1/2″ EX1 sensor). No, it’s not a low-light contender against a 5D. But anyone that has shot with ENG cameras will know how to get narrow DOF. This camera will be much easier to attain that though, as it’s much larger than any 1/3″, 1/2″, or 2/3″ imager.

If you haven’t read it, please check out my two articles that cover this and more:

https://magazine.creativecow.net/article/is-the-new-blackmagic-cinema-camera-the-hdslr-killer

https://magazine.creativecow.net/article/blackmagic-cinema-camera-can-it-run-with-the-big-boys

ENG cameras are so cheap now that getting a Panasonic is probably your best bet. Great camera, great quality, great prices. It’ll do everything you want in an ENG camera without having to buy extra stuff to turn it into one.

Hope this helps.

Cheers,

Marco Solorio | CreativeCow Host | OneRiver Media | ORM Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Media Batch

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[Marco Solorio]

I don’t know for certain, but I think the shipping date was slated for some time late July. Not entirely sure though. With any new release of a major ground-breaking product, there’s bound to be slight delays, but maybe BMD can stay on track.

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[Marco Solorio]

Well this oughta be fun! Let the good times roll!

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[Marco Solorio]

Hi Michael,

Thanks for chiming in. Before you’re post yesterday, I did make an XML to see if that would do anything to help me get that sequence into Symphony. Looking at that XML file now, it does in fact show the clips’ source timebase. Weird thing though is that it shows it in rounded FPS, so instead of 29.97, it shows 30. The same is true for the metadata tags of the sequence itself.

Too bad XML can’t be used instead as it seems like it does in fact retain source footage frame rates.

Thanks,

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[Marco Solorio]

Weird, I’ve always had issues copying clips from one FCP7 timeline to another FCP7 timeline with a different frame rate. Likewise, if do it in this project, the same happens. However, I was able to get this working, albeit in a haphazardly way.

I isolated the respective clips by format into their own tracks (your tip, Juan). Much like an audio stem, except in this regard, a video stem per se. But in order for me to copy those clips into a new FCP7 timeline that matches their source frame-rate, I had to copy them in “chunks”. If there were any gaps, slugs, or anything that *didn’t* have a clip with the same frame-rate that adjoined it, the clips from that point on would have the typical slip issue (totally screwed up in/out points) as I’ve come to know all too well. And no matter what, even one clip at a time, audio keyframes go bye-bye as those are slipped out as well.

So not only did I have to create isolated tracks, I had to copy those tracks as isolated chunks. What a pain! But it “worked”. =)

So after some painstaking time, I got all the stuff copied into their isolated sequences, and exported one by one as AAF transfers. These then imported into Symphony. Those multiple Symphony sequences were then copied into a master sequence. All audio keyframes have to be redone.

Huge pain, not ideal, but it (sort of) worked. Thanks for the tip, Obi Juan. I almost didn’t continue pressing on when the isolated tracks didn’t copy over to their respective sequences, but luckily I gave it a shot to copy them in chunks.

Still wondering if Boris actually works in this scenario. There’s gotta be an easier way.

Thanks!

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[Marco Solorio]

Juan! Always the man!

Thanks for this reply, bro. This actually sounds like a plan! Will try it out first thing AM tomorrow.

One thing though… after you isolate the clips to assigned tracks based on frame-rate, how are you bringing those isolated clips into a new sequence at a different frame-rate? FCP7 always screws up the clips’ in/out points when copied from one timeline to another timeline with a different frame-rate.

Another question… do you know if multi-frame-rates work without any workarounds by alternatively using the Boris AAF Transfer tool?

Thanks!

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