F5: Canon lenses on F5

I've been on the fence, but that pushed me over. I'm in for one. Just not sure which one. Basically boils down to the EVF.

Anyone actually tried both?

Cheers.
 
Admit One said:
I've been on the fence, but that pushed me over. I'm in for one. Just not sure which one. Basically boils down to the EVF.

Anyone actually tried both?

Cheers.
Click to expand...

Yes. The OLED is better. Just had my memory refreshed by having eye to both at Cinegear yesterday; I own the OLED.

But the LCD is better than any LCD finder I've had my eye to, better than Alphatron, better than the old Sony LCD color finder that used to sell for $10K.

Personally IMO, there are cheaper more flexible baseplate systems out there than Sony's, so I'd get the OLED package and budget another $600 for Arri/Micron/etc baseplate.
 
Nate Weaver said:
Yes. The OLED is better. Just had my memory refreshed by having eye to both at Cinegear yesterday; I own the OLED.

But the LCD is better than any LCD finder I've had my eye to, better than Alphatron, better than the old Sony LCD color finder that used to sell for $10K.

Personally IMO, there are cheaper more flexible baseplate systems out there than Sony's, so I'd get the OLED package and budget another $600 for Arri/Micron/etc baseplate.
Click to expand...
I agree. I've been looking at the Shape http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/867707-REG/SHAPE_bp0007_V_Lock_Quick_Release_Baseplate_No.html and Vocas http://www.vocas.com/accessories/base-plate-for-sony-pmw-f5-f55. Both have rear rails, unlike the Sony. I just can't decide which. Shape is easier to get.

The other problem is that I want the Optitek Nikon rather than the EF. But I should be able to find a way to trade.

Cheers.
 
I'm going out on a limb and saying I much prefer the LCD viewfinder. This was confirmed for me yesterday when I was on a three camera shoot with 2x OLED and my LCD. The OLED is a much smaller screen, so in many ways some of the advantages of higher resolution are lost by optically having to magnify it by such a degree. The image is still significantly smaller than the LCD. The deal breaker is not being able to use the viewfinder without your eye up against the hood. The white sun protection and lack of a 'flip-up" hood make for some awkward positions even when you want to adjust the menu. Try using the OLED viewfinder while working on a small dolly, slider or anything away from your face and you'll realise you can't. To cap it all... after a day of struggling with their OLED's, both cameramen actually thought the LCD picture looked better!

Just my opinion, but you really need to try both viewfinders in an operational environment before taking someone's word that either is better...

P.S. Oh, and the Vocas baseplate is a peach! - Brilliant
 
PaulReam said:
I'm going out on a limb and saying I much prefer the LCD viewfinder.
Click to expand...

I can dig that. I guess when I say "better" I'm usually talking about picture quality. But the LCD is brighter, and more flexible. I kinda wish I could have both, bot realistically that money just goes to a good 5" monitor.
 
Nate Weaver said:
btw, the Micron can have a rear rod block on it too, just an add-on.
Click to expand...
Well... Now I'm beginning to think the LCD might be best for me. I like the ability to flip up the casing to adjust menus, and see from odd positions.

In that case, I could save a grand on the baseplate.

Decisions... decisions...

Cheers.
 
Admit One said:
I agree. I've been looking at the Shape http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/867707-REG/SHAPE_bp0007_V_Lock_Quick_Release_Baseplate_No.html and Vocas http://www.vocas.com/accessories/base-plate-for-sony-pmw-f5-f55. Both have rear rails, unlike the Sony. I just can't decide which. Shape is easier to get.

The other problem is that I want the Optitek Nikon rather than the EF. But I should be able to find a way to trade.

Cheers.
Click to expand...

The Vocas is lighter weight and a little more streamlined. I originally had the Shape and just replaced it with a Vocas earlier this week. The Shape is really beefy and feels good on the shoulder in short bursts, but the added weight on the front doesn't help counteract an already front-heavy F55/Cabrio setup. Since a lot of my F55 use will be run'n'gun, shaving off unnecessary weight is worth the price difference.

If I were using primes, though, the Shape's extra weight would be welcome.
 
Admit One said:
I've been looking at the Shape and Vocas. Both have rear rails, unlike the Sony. I just can't decide which. Shape is easier to get.
Click to expand...

Decisions about accessories are usually not clear cut. I rep a wide variety of manufacturers accessories for F5. Shape, Elements, Movcam, Arri, Solid Camera, Vocas are just some of them. Each product has its upside and downsides. Usually the decision depends on two things. Shooting style for the majority of your shooting and pricing. What you may already have in inventory is another real factor as well. Choose thoughtfully.
 
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