A couple FS100 questions before I make a purchase

Michael Solomon

Michael Solomon

Well-known member
Hello everyone,

This forum has been so helpful in the past. It's such an amazing resource. I figured I would turn to you guys for your help in deciding whether or not a FS100 is right for me. I have a couple questions about the camera, hopefully you guys can help.

To preface, I currently shoot with a Canon 5DII and I find myself really starting to get frustrated with the camera. I do my own grading, so 4:2:0 is annoying as hell. I hate how it's such a harsh clip into highlights as well and not smooth roll off into blacks. Horrible moire and rolling shutter. And my biggest gripe (which is sad that it is) the non-anchored HDMI port makes it almost impossible to use a monitor if you're rig is moving the slightest bit. ugggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

Anyways, I'm starting to finally get consistent paying work and I would like a camera that can match the level of work I'm starting to get. The FS100 appears to be that camera (especially considering the announcements on the 3rd dashing my hopes of anything else).

I do have some questions though.

1) Do you think the cost justifies upgrading from a 5DII?
2) Is an external recorder necessary for this camera? What exactly are the benefits of using one and how would you power it?
3) What peripherals & accessories are necessary? Trying to determine my actual final cost of upgrading (extra batteries, cards, recorder, top handles, etc. etc.)
4) Regarding lenses, which ones would you reccomend? I currently have all canon glass but I know at the moment there are only 'dumb' adapters meaning you need another body to set the aperture on your lenses. I won't have access so that means going with different lenses. Which ones would you guys recommend at a $1500-$2000 budget? Looking for a 28mm, 50mm, and 100mm equivalent on the 5DII
5) Regarding #4, is the FOV the same on the FS100 as the 5DII? In the sense that a 50mm on the 5dII has the same FOV as a 50mm on the fs100?

==Other Gear specific questions==
1) I have a gini rig at the moment, will the FS100 fit/function on it?
2) Any recommendations for baseplates for the FS100?
3) I know there's no internal ND filter. Up until this point I've used screw on filters since all of my lenses were the same diameter. Is it time to invest in a mattebox?

I know it's a ton of questions >< Just want to cover all of my bases before making this investment. Thank you guys so much for your help.
 
Tried searching some of the specific questions and didn't get the answers I was looking for. Got some general answers that sort of fit the questions, but not exactly. If you feel there's a thread that I missed, I would very much appreciate it if you could link it =)
 
Sorry, I thought all those questions were answered. Seems like there have been countless of the same threads up here the last few days.

1) Yes, much better than the 5D IMO
2) Not necessary, but if you have the extra money, and shoot mostly in a studio is can get a nice asset.
3) Need an external monitor/EVF, rails system, shoulder pad, handles ,follow focus, top handle is nice too.
4) Buy a cheap Nikon adapter, and buy old Nikkor manual lenses until the Birger adapter is out for your EOS glass.
5) FOV is different 5D=FF, FS100=S35 sized sensor

-
1) Yes you can make the Gini rig work
2) Zacuto universal baseplate with a manfrotto plate on it worked for me. They also make FS-100 specific baseplates.
3) Mattebox, get one...or just keep using your screw on filters that you have.
 
Are you able to record at higher bit rates/uncompressed using a recorder?

What's the crop factor on S35 compared to FF? Is there any ETA on the birger adapter?
 
Michael Solomon said:
Are you able to record at higher bit rates/uncompressed using a recorder?

What's the crop factor on S35 compared to FF? Is there any ETA on the birger adapter?
Click to expand...

Yes, the FS 100 can actually output 4:4:4 out of the HDMI port. However, I don't know if there are many recorders
that can take a 4:4:4 signal.....maybe the Hyperdeck Shuttle will. You can also recorde 4:2:2 to a bunch of external
recorders. I think there are about 5 or 6 of them out nowdays.

The crop factor is about 1.5 or 1.6 compared to FF.

The ETA on the Birger adapter is January.
 
I am quite sure the output of the FS100 (HDMI) is 4:2:2 and 8bits. The data is structured this way to keep it from looking as good as F3 which is 4x the price for a 4:4:4 10 bit output. I will check to make sure....
 
well, regardless, leaps and bounds more data then what I get out of the 5dII.

Only thing holding me back at this point is figuring out what lenses I want to throw on the FS100. What are you guys rocking?
 
I would suggest either vintage primes (Nikon is what I have, but Canon FD, Olympus OM, Ziess C/Y, Leica R, etc are all great) or a set of modern day Ziess primes (the ZFs are very nice).

It would be interesting to put together a kit of Samyang primes as well. The 14, 35, and 85 are already out (2.8, 1.4, 1.4 respective f-stops) and they are all very, very good glass (the 35 1.4 rated higher than the canon 1.4 by several sites) and reasonable prices and have good manual focus and aperture adjustment. They have a 24 1.4 in development as well. Grab a Pentax SMC 50 1.4 (which, in my opinion is not only an incredibly sharp piece of glass, but the bokeh has a similar buttery quality to the Samyangs) and you have a nice little kit.

Another interesting option is the older lomos. You can get them in an OCT-19 mount. They are fairly fast and some are already cine-modded. Not too much more than older still lenses. That being said, they do have a particular look and feel to the images they produce, which may or may not be conducive to the look you are going for.

I hope this helps some!
 
Won't I need lenses with manual aperture controls on the lens themselves since there's no electronic support otherwise? What adapter would I need for the samyangs

I'm thinking the tokina 11-16, samyang 35 & 85. I'm just not sure if those have the aforementioned aperture control
 
JPM Photography said:
Another interesting option is the older lomos. You can get them in an OCT-19 mount. They are fairly fast and some are already cine-modded. Not too much more than older still lenses. That being said, they do have a particular look and feel to the images they produce, which may or may not be conducive to the look you are going for.

I hope this helps some!
Click to expand...

I second the lomos, I've got a small set of spherical primes, and a set of anamorphic lenses. LOVE them, I feel like they take a bit of the edge off the HD look and help make the footage appear more film like. Of course they take a bit of work to track down some nice lenses...but they are around.
 
So looked around a little. Looks like you would get Samyang lenses with a nikon mount and then use an adapter?

also, are samyang and rokinon the same thing?
 
Michael Solomon said:
So looked around a little. Looks like you would get Samyang lenses with a nikon mount and then use an adapter?

also, are samyang and rokinon the same thing?
Click to expand...
essentially, yes. The rokinon lenses are just rebranded Samyangs. I would suggest getting Nikon F-mount of them with an adaptor.

Now, I will warn you that the 11-16 is REALLY wide. I understand that wide is nice sometimes, but I (at least personally) barely use anything wider than about 24mm on s35.

If you are able to, I would try the 11-16 before you buy it. It may be that the Samyang 24 1.4 is a better length when it comes out, all depends on your shooting style though.
 
Also, if you get the 11-16, you can get the Nikon version and it will have a manual aperture control (and also can use the same adaptor as the Samyangs if you get the nikon versions of them)
 
robmneilson said:
I second the lomos, I've got a small set of spherical primes, and a set of anamorphic lenses. LOVE them, I feel like they take a bit of the edge off the HD look and help make the footage appear more film like. Of course they take a bit of work to track down some nice lenses...but they are around.
Click to expand...

I agree with this wholeheartedly. I do not own them personally, but used them on set with an AF100 (I was 1st ACing) and the images were absolutely beautiful. very filmic. The 75 f/1.4 was a particularly nice lens if I remember correctly. The widest one we had (an 18, I don't remember the f-stop) was quite soft, even when stopped down a bit, unfortunately....
 
What adapter would I need for the lomos?

I thought with the crop factor a 24mm on the fs100 would be equal to a 36mm on my 5d which isnt wide at all.
 
Get an Oct 19 to Sony adapter from Cieco7 on ebay, I have one they're great!

You can buy Superspeeds if you have the cash to spend, I ended up getting the normal lomo's, which are all around 2.3 wide open. Sometimes you have to hunt around for a good copy of a lens, and can get some that are very soft.
 
rx8pilot said:
I am quite sure the output of the FS100 (HDMI) is 4:2:2 and 8bits. The data is structured this way to keep it from looking as good as F3 which is 4x the price for a 4:4:4 10 bit output. I will check to make sure....
Click to expand...

Well, you have me there. I do NOT know for a fact that the output of the HDMI is 4:4:4. However, that IS what it says it
is in the official brochure and I know there was a little blurb about it here:

http://www.cinema5d.com/news/?p=5965

However, even if it is 4:4:4, it is also only 8 bit. There are a lot of other reasons that the F3 looks better.....10 bit
output, S Log, better processing behind the same chip in general. Either way, you can get a very clean signal out of
the FS 100.
 
Can you guys confirm my thought process that "I thought with the crop factor (1.5x) a 24mm on the fs100 (S35) would be equal to a 36mm on my 5d (FF) which isnt wide at all."
 
Michael Solomon said:
Can you guys confirm my thought process that "I thought with the crop factor (1.5x) a 24mm on the fs100 (S35) would be equal to a 36mm on my 5d (FF) which isnt wide at all."
Click to expand...

yes this is right. you definitely want something down to 17 or 18 or like a 15mm/14mm prime. i love my 11-16, 11 when it needs to be super wide, 16 for just wide stuff then tamron 17-50 and 17-24 is all decently wide.
 
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