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Black Magic: Shooting and gear
  • ahblezaahbleza

    As one of the many here who have ordered the Black Magic, I'd like to start a thread about the recommended techniques and equipment for getting the best out of the Cinema Camera. First, obviously is the glass. I've ordered a MFT mount version, which means waiting for next year before I can get my hands on one.

    I want to know if anyone here is currently shooting with the original version, and what additional equipment you feel is needed to handle shooting. My rough list is the following:

    o Baseplate (I'm using Zacuto with FF) on Sachtler sticks

    o EVF -- I'm using the Zacuto also, for zebras and flexible positioning

    o 2 x SSD drives... I'm waiting to order these until last minute so prices come down

    o Matte box? Is this essential? I think not, for my documentary style shooting

    Will my two-year old MBP be enough to edit ProRes422 encoded 10 bit video? How should I connect the SSD drives? I think for my initial shooting, Raw might be too much for my workflow process.

  • 28 Replies sorted by
  • kavadnikavadni

    I too have changed my order to MFT. I don't think I will be buying many MFT lenses .. I want to be able to adapt more lenses .. and I dont give any value to IS or auto-iris. I do not intend to buy any more lenses that will not cover at least an APS-C/super35 sensor.

    I have the Viewfactor Continio Cage (it's arrived) .. on a Miller DS10.

    I will use my SmallHD DP6 .. I will probably send it back for the SDI upgrade.

    I already have 3 x 120G SSD .. used with Hyperdecks to record DNxHD .. waiting until camera arrives to get larger capacity for RAW .. and the price drop. If I decide to shoot a project in RAW, I intend to record DNxHD to a Hyperdeck .. that is produce TC matched proxy at same time .. this needs to be proven.

    A matte box is not always needed .. for me in Australia I will need ND's .. I have a full blown Lanparte Rig, so will use parts of that as I wait and see what else ViewFactor release.

    I am waiting for the Acer Iconia W700 tablet to be released for use with ultrascope .. it's thunderbolt and USB3.

    My Workstation is 4 years old .. It's Dual Xeon .. I will need to upgrade my graphics card (Quadro 600) for resolve. I think I am going to need a second graphics card to make resolve work briskly.

    In reality I think I will end up getting a new MB/CPUs/RAM with thunderbolt.

    I am also waiting to see reports on BMD's new 'Ultrastudio 4K' .. it's thunderbolt

    I would suggest thunderbolt or USB3 docks for the SSD.

    Will my two-year old MBP be enough to edit ProRes422 encoded 10 bit video?

    I am an advocate of working with proxies for editing .. an offline/online workflow .. currently I mostly shoot with DNxHD 220Mbits .. but always edit with 36Mbit proxies, until I pass it from Media Composer to After Effects.

  • ahblezaahbleza

    Thanks @kavadni. A question about workflow... since there is no transcoding, how would I create the ProRes proxies for editing? I'm using FCPX.

  • kavadnikavadni

    @ahbleza

    While I work with Media Composer and DNxHD on windows by choice, I do support two schools using FCP7 on macintosh. The workflow I have given them is based upon the methodology in this article http://www.producenewmedia.com/?p=193

    Both schools shoot with a mixture of AVCHD and Canon.movs .. their workflows differ only with a passage through streamclip.

    That is I am anything but an expert on FCP, I do keep a macbook only to provide support

  • Vitaliy_KiselevVitaliy_Kiselev

  • disordinarydisordinary

    @kavadni

    What lenses are you looking at for the BMCC? I too am worried about buying deadicated MFT glass as in all likely hood S35 is the long term winner, however its hard to get short, fast primes - I'm finding it next to impossible to get non MFT lenses. So far my only MFT lens is the 12mm SLR Magic, however anything under 28mm is going to be hard. I'm seriously considering the 17.5mm Voigtlander, however that's some serious investment, I would hope to be shooting on profesional MFT cameras for a number of years at that price.

  • rockroadpixrockroadpix

    @disordinary - Why not look at some Nikon/Canon/Tokina/other glass? You can use the adapters and you will be able to use them on other mounts, should an S35 come out. I am assuming by short that you mean, wide?

  • kavadnikavadni

    @disordinary

    I am going to go with the Rokinon Cine Lenses in Canon mount.
    And like you purchase dedicated m43 wides.

    I have no use for any automatic lens functions. I have the MFT BMD on order.

  • disordinarydisordinary

    @rockroadpix, yes by short I mean wide - I think that most wide primes for other systems are too slow. The rockinons being an exception. Anything over 25mm is fine, but wider than that is hard to find under f2.8

  • ahblezaahbleza

    I have a question about the passive mount MFT on the BMCC. This is speculation, but will it be possible to use "fly-by-wire" lenses in any way on the BMCC? For example, if I try my Olympus f2.8 17mm pancake, obviously there is no control over iris, so I could set that on my GH2 first. The question however is focus -- will I be able to use the focus ring to adjust focus on a passive MFT mount, or will it simply not work? I guess I could set focus to infinity on the GH2, but would it retain those settings if I switch it to the BMCC?

    I don't know if anyone has tested anything like this, but I would welcome speculation.

  • disordinarydisordinary

    I doubt it, which is a pain.

  • MinorHDMinorHD

    Why is it that focus won't work?

  • disordinarydisordinary

    I don't profess to understand exactly how focus by wire works but it's not going to work without power as a best case scenario, its not coupled directly to the lens but rather drives the focus motor. Worse case scenario it requires power and the processor that is on the camera.

  • ahblezaahbleza

    Logically, the focus ring shouldn't be totally decoupled from the internal focus elements when there's no power. I guess we'll have to wait and see. Another option I might try -- test focus through the viewfinder with no battery in the camera, and see if focus changes. Or is the internal viewfinder electronic?

  • rockroadpixrockroadpix

    This cage, probably-with the top plate http://store.redrockmicro.com/Catalog/ultraCage-blue-for-Blackmagic-Cinema-Camera-handheld-rigs/ultraCage-for-Blackmagic-Cinema-Camera

    This EVF- unless a newer less $ one arrives with SDI in... http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/827800-REG/Cineroid_EVF4MSS_EVF_Metal_with_HD_SDI.html

    SSDs will depend upon price when I receive my camera. I'm not going to lock that in just yet.

    I'll continue to use my RedRock Micro FF and cinematics MB

  • chauncychauncy

    I was thinking about using a Canon ef adapter(kipon with aperture control) on the MFT blackmagic. My thought was to get either the Sigma 8-18mm or Tokina 11-16mm (canon eos versions) for wide shots. But now I'm concenrned about whether these will fully cover the sensor once the adapter is in place. Does anyone know for sure if they will? Will these combos work ok or not?

  • rockroadpixrockroadpix

    @chauncy - They would work on GH2 with a larger sensor size. Why would they not work on the BM sensor @ 2.3 crop?

  • vicharrisvicharris

    No brainer

  • truestorytruestory

    The main thing I am pondering is the EVF required, has anybody used the Alphatron EVF

    http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/852192-REG/Alphatron_Broadcast_Electronics_EVF_035W_3G_EVF_035W_3G_Electronic_View_Finder.html

    The specs look impressive, plus has SDI and HDMI pass through, resolution is quite good 960x540 which is exactly 1/2 of the 1920x1080 HD size so no pixel stretching or resizing.. Is there a better option out there, because the camera is so cheap I am happy to spend $$ on a good EVF..

  • chenopupchenopup

    @ truestory - Shane Hurlbut has a photo on his site with the Alphatron on his rig. You may want to hop over there and ask him what he thinks.

  • StrangwaysStrangways

    I love my Olympus 12-60mm lens, so if the MFT version has an electronic mount with aperture control, I'd seriously consider it.

  • peaceonearthpeaceonearth

    @truestory

    has anybody used the Alphatron EVF

    Personally I don't have. I was nearly ordering one but my dealer (!) told me that the had a rate of sending back to the factory of 40% What seems to be very critical are shots into the sun, they told me that the LCD could burn not only in single cases.

  • ahblezaahbleza

    Here's quite a useful article on workflow and post-processing with the BMCC.

    http://digitalfilms.wordpress.com/2012/11/11/blackmagic-cinema-camera-post-workflows/

  • disordinarydisordinary

    @Strangways it doesn't.

  • kavadnikavadni

    I am still waiting for MFT Camera ... it must be getting close, so I've been directing some funds to filling in the gaps.

    Earlier in this thread I outlined an intention to get the HD-SDI option added to my SmallHD DP6.
    After much umming and ahring I have ordered an Atomos Connect S2H.

    http://www.atomos.com/connect-converters/

    It has a quite significant (to me) advantage over all other HD-SDI->HDMI converters available, it performs real-time 2:2 and 3:2 pull down.

    While the SDI upgrade to my DP6 would be a more elegant solution, I can almost get 2 x s2H for the price of the upgrade with shipping.

    Initially I was concerned that the BMCC would not interface with my ATEM based multi-camera rig. BMD fixed this with a recent bios upgrade, which makes the camera output PsF over HD-SDI when in 25P or 30P if the overlays are off. This while allowing a connection to my multi-camera rig, would prevent me from recording clean 25P proxies via SDI while recording RAW in camera. This device will remedy that issue, and also allow me to use my DP6

    It may be of interest to others.

  • kazuokazuo

    @kavadni

    Just got my Atomos connector to use with mft BMCC. Removes pulldown and allows me to optimise sunk investment (ninja recorder). Besides, HDD is now dirt cheap

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