Going 35mm. HELP!

G

GRIMWORX

Well-known member
Hey guys

Im planning to make the move to 35mm as ive got some cash coming my way.

What worries me, is that although i have scoured around relentlessly for information, I can only seem to find snippets and contrasting opinions.

So my real question is, what are all the steps involved on moving upto 35 adapters...what do I need....what exact type of lenses do I need to buy (nikon), how easy is everything to setup and assemlble? What about Iris control etc?


There just seems so much to worry about, and I cant see to find a complete guide for the process start to finish?

If any of you guys could give me a comprehensive walkthrough/lead me to where there is one, it would be massively appreciated!
 
GRIMWORX said:
Hey guys

Im planning to make the move to 35mm as ive got some cash coming my way.

What worries me, is that although i have scoured around relentlessly for information, I can only seem to find snippets and contrasting opinions.

So my real question is, what are all the steps involved on moving upto 35 adapters...what do I need....what exact type of lenses do I need to buy (nikon), how easy is everything to setup and assemlble? What about Iris control etc?


There just seems so much to worry about, and I cant see to find a complete guide for the process start to finish?

If any of you guys could give me a comprehensive walkthrough/lead me to where there is one, it would be massively appreciated!
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In fact guys, what I really want to know is just what I have to buy to to 35mm. Theres so many products on the market, I just cant decifer what exactly to buy.

Im thinking of going with the Red Rock Micro Encore m2 because I hear its particularly good in low light.


So in addition to this, what else would I need to buy - im talking the job lot including rails, rings etc. I just want to be very clear what im getting into before I start making purchases.

Heres the website! http://www.redrockmicro.co.uk/

Thanks guys really appreciated
 
I hate to say this but you should be able to find all of your answers in the 35mm adapter section of the forums :)
 
Also iif it were me I would skip the 35mm adapter all together and get a GH1 to compliment your 150 for the really shallow DOF shots. It will save a lot of set up time and be a lot more compact plus cheaper in the end which you could spend the extra money you would be dropping on an adapter on some decent lenses. Not to mention the GH1 will take just about any lens.
 
I'd second Matt - if you haven't already, think long and hard about grabbing a DSLR instead of the 35mm adapter. In many cases, it's a better investment (it's cheaper, sharper, and gives you a second camera). It's just a little finicky if you're doing ALL your shots in 35mm (doesn't have the same record lengths, can overheat on long shots, not as good at run & gun).
 
I dont want to limit myself as such, but ive just bought a hmc151 and I plan on doing mainly music videos etc.

I would probably plan on shooting, in the majority, purely 35mm.

I wouldnt know where to start with configuring a dslr into a useable 'film' camera!

ps - If i had known I wouldve probably just got the 7D to begin with! Its a real problem because I got given alot of money (my nanna sold a house!) and went out and bought the hmc151...at the time apparently there was very little mention of 7d etc! Ive only just bought it and I would really hate to be seen wasting so much money on a camera like that, to go out and buy another!

Now, if you kinda people can convince me that the 7d footage and the hmc151 footage could compliment each other wonderfully, I may have a case! But dont lie to me! :D


It does seem pointelss buying an adapter that would cost the earth, when I could get a second camera for less!

So heres my questions:

1. Would a canon 7d footage and hmc150 footage mix?
1b. what file type does the 7d shoot in? I persume it does 720p / 1080p?

2. Can some list me ALL THE GADGETS I would need to buy to transform the 7d into a useable 'film' camera?

Cheers!
 
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Dont get caught up in the shallow DOF thing. Yes it can be nice to have selective focus at times but its not going to make your videos great IMO. if you havent even made any videos yet I would put your 151 to work. Its fully capable of producing great videos. You can get shallow DOF with the 151 but you need space to be able to shoot with the long end of the lens. The 7D is going to be much more of a learning curve and I honestly think the 151 produces better looking images over the DSLR's. People may gasp at that but thats my opinion and I'm sticking to it :)
 
GRIMWORX said:
1. Would a canon 7d footage and hmc150 footage mix?
1b. what file type does the 7d shoot in? I persume it does 720p / 1080p?

2. Can some list me ALL THE GADGETS I would need to buy to transform the 7d into a useable 'film' camera?

Cheers!
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They sure mix Im editing a 15 min documentary with 80 % hmc 150 and 20% 7d footage

7d has been used to shoot mostly medium and headshots. I actually got a few usuable wides aswell .

Moire is a pain forget the jellow but the moire is a real pain in the buttocks.

2 www.dvxuser.com ---- 7d thread.

Honestly I would not waste my money on an adapter right now if I were you ...Id get the gh1 or a t2i if you still want some more DOF.

and what Matt S said.

Goodluck
 
Ok several things,

First off - the HMC151 is far from a "waste". It is a fantastic camera that has numerous advantages over DSLR's (professional look, long record times, better ergonomics for run & gun / easier for you or an apprentice to learn, quicker/easier to use). And even if you do want to sell it, you can probably get 90% or more of it back by reselling it. So no worries there.

Having a second camera is also really nice for obvious reasons. Backup, second angles, and of course a fantastic DSLR. A fair number of people on this forum have a DSLR alongside their video camera, and I plan to buy a T2i when I get the opportunity.

As far as price: either the 7D or the T2i (even cheaper and almost as good, see here and here, esp. the top of page 3) will cost less and be just as easy to transport as the 35mm adapters which are bulky because of the rail systems.

I don't know how well the footage compares, but in all honesty I see more people concerned about how two cameras will match up in post, yet professionals seem to do it all the time with very little issue. Both cameras have great dynamic range and color, and the style these days calls for so much color grading in post which blends the images together anyway. I don't own a DSLR so maybe someone else can chime in on this point (I know Barry Green prefers Panasonic's G1 over the 7D largely because of closer matching images, so perhaps I'm off base on this one).

The 7D and the t2i shoot in the same formats as the HMC150: 1080 and 720. You even get 720/60p for overcranking too. It shoots to H.264 MOV format which is slightly easier to edit than AVCHD.

As far as gadgets: most of what you need you probably already have (or need anyway), and that refers largely to lights, good microphones, an external audio recorder (your HMC151 works great for that). The few things you'll need extra are support (a tripod or steadicam) and potentially an external monitor. You really want it if you're doing very low/high shots or to nail focus. Potentially a follow-focus rig if you really want to nail focus cinema-style.

But don't let all that scare you away - you need 'em if your clients are expecting goregous footage, and if that's the case, you're also going to need a budget with a crew and lighting guys and boom guys (which you'd need for either camera) and at which point the price becomes much less important anyway. The beauty is that you can add these cinema-quality additions as you need them.

Most of this long-term discussion really applies to both choices anyway. In the end, both of the choices before you are good ones and if you are a good filmmaker and pay as much attention to the dozens of other equally important details (lighting, microphones, etc) you'll be fine either way.
 
matt s. said:
Dont get caught up in the shallow DOF thing. Yes it can be nice to have selective focus at times but its not going to make your videos great IMO. if you havent even made any videos yet I would put your 151 to work. Its fully capable of producing great videos. You can get shallow DOF with the 151 but you need space to be able to shoot with the long end of the lens. The 7D is going to be much more of a learning curve and I honestly think the 151 produces better looking images over the DSLR's. People may gasp at that but thats my opinion and I'm sticking to it :)
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This is a great point I didn't even consider (I started writing my post an hour ago, lol). If you just got your 151, for heaven's sake go on out there and start using it. You can produce amazing footage with it. Shallow DOF is nice, but far from the be all and end all of filmmaking. The other factors I mentioned (crew, sound, lighting I can't say enough) will do far far more good for your film than a shallow focus. Besides, shallow focus is a lot more difficult to do and is pretty easy to screw up. Practice a lot focusing with the stock lens, it's difficult enough.

On top of that, if you really want shallow DOF just learn to use the 151's lens. Back up, open your aperture, use your ND filters. Have you noticed how many people ask 151 filmmakers on Vimeo whether they used the stock lens or a 35mm adapter? Plenty of people aren't using it, and people have to ask them! The people who know how to use their lens well don't need a 35mm adapter.

Spend your $1K+ on lighting gear and a crew who can help you operate it. Sure, it's a less fun toy, but in the end, you'll be happier for it. And so will your clients I bet.
 
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