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Lens tests on the BlackMagic Pocket Cinema Camera (BMPCC)
  • 232 Replies sorted by
  • matt_gh2matt_gh2

    @Aerok_Hussain I think the 14-45 is 3.5-5.6, and the 12-35 can do 2.8 all the way thru the zoom range. I think the sigma 18-35 f1.8 will be a good lens for this camera, but it will be a bit pricey.

  • FlaaandeeersFlaaandeeers

    @Aerok_Hussain @matt_gh2
    I also think that the 14-45 could be a cheap alternative to the 12-35, thinking of using it as a stabilized 14mm f3.5.-
    Sigma looks very, very interesting, but I have that range covered with primes, and stabilization might be handy for occasional run&gun.
    If I ever get this camera, of course.

  • vicharrisvicharris

    You can't say just a .7 stop difference. All of these Pany lenses ramp up quick on the f stop when you zoom in. So you might have a .7 difference at the start but I bet you get to 4 as soon as you start to zoom and 5.6 not too far after. The 14-140 does this.

  • matt_gh2matt_gh2

    @Aerok_Hussain If the14-45, works for you, that's great. I think for some, the problem is that as you zoom to 45, the f stop can't be more open than 5.6, so some low light situations become difficult. I definitely agree that the image produced by the 12-35 isn't very nice.

  • balazerbalazer

    How can we explain the fact John Brawley used the 14-42mm (no ois switch) on the first test he did, handheld and seemed stabilised?

    John has good hands. John was wrong in thinking the 14-42 was stabilizing. Watch the footage more carefully.

    The 14-45 is a fine choice for what it is: small and cheap, much slower on the long end, heavy barrel distortion on the wide end. Maybe no one tested it because no one has it. But don't let that put you off. I can assure you that it will be a fine lens on the Pocket Camera if you can live with its limitations.

  • vicharrisvicharris

    Nobody is talking about shallow depth of field here. It's the low light problems. You seem to be a bit all over the place with your posts here. Are you complaining about low light or that you don't care about shallow depth of field or both? 5.6 is absolutely unusable in any sort of situation that's not blown out by light. This is why the 14-140 is not a good indoors lens and I'm sure this is why people don't care to use the 14-45. It's a starter lens. It's a lens to make you feel good and use your camera when you buy it. If you plan on doing any sort of low profile or under cover type shooting with this camera indoors like many plan, then it's useless. Now car mount day time stuff would probably be great.

  • dbpdbp

    How is the BMPCC in low light compared to the GH2?

    5.6 on the GH2 is sometimes usable indoors, depending on the venue. Most times it is not, though.

  • vicharrisvicharris

    Whatever. Good luck on that. Please post your results when you try to shoot something indoors with low light on that lens with a super16 sensor at 5.6. Fun time there buddy. I guess everyone else is wrong when they want and are using fast glass with this camera :)

  • vicharrisvicharris

    @dbp

    From everything we've seen it's a little better but you still want something fast to save your butt. That's why the speedbooster seems to be so useful and from some tests we did last week with a BMCC and the Pocket Cam, with and without the speedbooster, that extra stop really helps. I should have brought my GH2 so we could have done some side by side but we already had the two BM cams, a Sony FS700, some sort of Sony ENG camera and a RED there so we were already pressed for time. I'll try to post some of the footage whenever Hollywood Camera releases it to me but we tested the old Tokina 28-70 2.6, SLR Magic 25mm .95 and a few Rokinons. Maybe the 17.5 Voight but I can't remember since we were blowing through cameras and lenses.

  • kholikholi

    The appropriate lens for the camera is the one that suits your desires.

    I personally DO want to make sure I have depth/ability to shoot wide open at a very wide aperture, sharpness, and solid color. The Sigma 18-35/1.8 pretty much takes care of that for me.

    Also, I don't subscribe to the "pocket" idea, and have no intention of using it as something like that. For me, it's better when a camera has weight or footage feels insubstantial.

    If you think the 14-45 is a good option then you know what you need. It seems like noone is interested in that lens, so that's why you aren't seeing it.

    I see footage in this thread, is there something else you're looking for though?

  • nomadnomad

    If you are on a film set with proper lighting and crew, I doubt you'll consider that lens (even doubt you'll use the BMPCC): crappy focus pulling, not even to mention zooming. Plus, it's rare to stop down to 5.6 even on a well lighted set. Sorry, mate, but horses for courses. Have a look at the distortion of those zooms at photozone. Even the 12-35 is bad enough at the wide end. No test from me, because I don't consider it for my work. For doc, I want the 12-35, for a film set I want primes most of the time.

  • vicharrisvicharris

    @nomad

    Yep yep and yep. The whole conversation is absurd :)

  • FlaaandeeersFlaaandeeers

    @nomad +1: Primes most of the time + 12-35 for doc, that would be my ideal set.

    Are we still talking about the "pocket" concept?! Really? I hope more cameras get delivered soon so we can see more footage and less endless pointless talk.

  • nomadnomad

    There are some wonderful, very small primes in C-mount. Perfect stealth factor.

  • kholikholi

    I don't think "we" are talking about the pocket concept, seems like the same guy just talking to himself.

    Who's really that adamant about 1. their method and 2. everyone using this 14-45 that they join with two different names to agree with their own post?

  • Vitaliy_KiselevVitaliy_Kiselev

    @kholi @vicharris

    It was our old korean friend :-)

  • vicharrisvicharris

    @Vitaliy_Kiselev

    Ahhhhhh, I knew it! Just didn't wasn't to get accused of starting anything. It's funny how the tone comes through no matter what screen name he uses. Think he got banned from BM forum recently too. He really is a sad human being for needing this much attention.

  • FlaaandeeersFlaaandeeers

    I should have known that it was a singular and korean "we", talking about stealth factor and bashing 12-35 lens.
    I should have known...

  • manstokmanstok

    Bmpcc / canon FD 35-70mm f4 24fps / 180 degree shutter angle

    sharpened in AfterEffects 70% unsharpen mask graded a little with frischluft curves

  • fosterchenfosterchen

    Anybody in the US care to test a lens for me on your BMPCC? I'll give you a great deal. PM me. Thanks

  • nomadnomad

    Received a Fotga C-mount adapter today, and for less than 10 U$ the quality is highly recommendable: Fotga C Mount Lens for Micro 4/3 Adapter EP-1 EP-2 G1 GH1 GF1 on Ebay

    It fit's a machined Tevidon (and all lenses that don't need machining) and it fits the BMPCC, while a few other Chinese ones didn't and were difficult got get off when stuck halfway.

    Fotga rocks.

  • grierdillgrierdill

    @kholi How do you like the wide angle adapter on the BMPC, think its a viable option without distorting the image too much? Also if you zoom with the adapter on does do you completely lose focus?

  • kholikholi

    @grierdill

    At frist I didn't notice much of a degradation at all, but as I started using it more (for a while it was always on the lens) I noticed fringing at the edges of the frame, and you could actually see that the overall image was slightly softer.

    It added something to the bokeh that I liked a lot, or the way the focus "falls off" from in to out. It would be hard to recommend it given how expensive large Wide Angle adapters are, but I can say that it was sharper/more pleasing wide open than the 12/1.6 SLR on the Pocket Camera, and almost as wide at that.

    Distortion was about on par, which was surprising.

    This is where I would be interested in seeing the 18-35/1.8 with the Speedbooster.

  • peaceonearthpeaceonearth

    Got a Kipon adapter today. It has a backlash so that I can still turn the adapter in the m43 socket a little. Not much, maybe not a mm, but it seems a little risky to damage the mount in combination with the heavy Variogon 18-90. I ordered the Fotga today :-/

  • matt_gh2matt_gh2

    @kholi +1 re bmpcc w/ sigma 18-35/1.8 with speedbooster. This may be a good combo that yields similar FOV/zoom range as a GH2 from 20-40mm (assuming my math is right), which could possibly be a single lens that could work for narrative feature work, plus I guess speedbooster takes that 1.8 down to around 1.2, so very flexible. I will definitely test for this possibility in the near future. Now it's all about testing to see what type of image comes out of that combo after trying various camera settings and lighting setups.

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