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Archive for category m4/3 Revolution

Over the Valley wins top honors for Pink Martini Music Video Contest

Aug 11

Posted by Gary San Angel in Pink Martini MV Contest, m4/3 Revolution | No Comments

Pink Martini MV Contest Poster

We just want to say many thanks to Pink Martini for selecting our animated short film as one of the top five music videos selected for the Pink Martini Music Video Contest. It was truly a dream of mine to put an MV together for one of my favorite bands who I have admired, respected, and seen grow from their early beginnings. Our MV for their beautiful ballad "Over the Valley" took a fifth place award and we are very humbled to be chosen.

The film is dedicated to my "Auntie Lina" Marcelina Doma who came to the Philippines in the late 60s and was a telephone operator for White Memorial Hospital in Los Angeles. Her home was the touch point for many of my family who came to the U.S. and we would affectionately call her small apartment in East Los Angeles "Auntie Lina's Place". She helped raise me and did not have any children of her own. Her children were all her family who she helped take care of so that they could all have better lives and her many stuffed animals that she collected over the years.

She was also a fanatic documentarian and had her super 8 camera around with her documenting all our family gatherings and daily events. In a small way, that has rubbed off on me and the work I do documenting everyday stories and peoples lives comes from seeing her filming all of us. 

When I first heard "Over the Valley" for the first time I thought of Auntie Lina and the animated story for this MV is a metaphor for her life and dedicated to her memory. Both Rocky Kev and I who collaborated to create the piece wanted to create something simple and touching that brings elements of childhood memories and reflections of our loved ones past. Today August 12, 2010 marks the anniversary of her passing and I know that she would have loved this animated film.

Her spirit will always be with us.

We are truly honored to have been selected from the many fine pieces that were submitted to this contest. Again for both of us, the beauty is in the simple fact that we created it and are able to share it to others who I hope will also be touched by its message. I'd like to give a special shout out and thank you to my sister Jenny San Angel (pictured above with me and my Auntie Lina). She introduced me to Pink Martini and their amazing music and sent me the link to participate in this contest.

Please enjoy "Over the Valley" by Pink Martini

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Metabones Contax G adapter and indiSYSTEM SNAP! Gears- Pulling focus now a reality on Contax G lenses

Aug 10

Posted by Gary San Angel in Contax G 90mm f/2.8 Sonnar, Contax G on m4/3, Metabones Adapters, My Reviews, indiSYSTEM - Studio4 Productions, m4/3 Revolution | No Comments

Contax G Metabones with indiSYSTEM SNAP! Gear

 

For photographers the new Metabones Contax G to m4/3 adapter has been long awaited and from what I've tested so far its really one of the best Contax G lens adapters I've tried on the m4/3 system.  But since I'm a filmmaker, I wanted to take it a step further to really make these Contax G lenses sing by allowing the user to achieve critical focus with a cine gear and follow focus system. 

Enter the indiSYSTEM SNAP! Gear with the Metabones Contax G adapter.

Contax G Metabones with indiSYSTEM SNAP! Gear

Here's what you'll need:

  • Metabones Contax G to m4/3 adapter
  • 75mm SNAP! Gear
  • SNAP! Collar (I used a 66.5mm diameter- should be smaller)
  • Follow focus
  • Camera Rig (Mine is indiSYSTEMpro MP with indiFOCUS 20 follow focus)

It has been something I've wanted to figure out since I saw Contax G glass over a year ago on the Panasonic G1 camera to be able to use sharp Contax G Zeiss glass and a mini follow focus system with your GH1. With the new Metabones adapter and indiSYSTEM SNAP! gears we are very close to being there. I've been talking with Tim Ovel from indiSYSTEM about this intriguing combination and sent him my GH1 and a different Contax G mount to show the possibility of this being a really cool possibility.

One of the challenges that Tim discovered was that the tiny gearing system of Contax G lenses can go bad. He tested my 35mm lens and it would constantly bind right in the middle of rotating the lens when placed on this particular mount. I thought it was a problem with the mount but when the Contax G mount was removed, he placed a small screwdriver into the slot of the lens to rotate the ring, and discovered a slight pause when turning the lens. This little pause was magnified and caused binding in the rotation of the lens when placed on the Contax G mount. I sent the lens to Stacy Reilly from Monument Camera, one of the most outstanding lens repair guys around. He has worked on c-mounts, m42 and FD lenses and restored them and got them new again. He cleared the gears and got the lens rotating smooth and with no binding. I believe its now my smoothest lens out of the bunch. So the first key here when using Contax G lenses for filmmaking purposes is make sure you find one with a smooth gearing system and no binding issues. Or send yours down to Stacy Reilly from Monument Camera in Tucson Arizona.

Contax G Metabones with indiSYSTEM SNAP! Gear

Here are the steps to getting your SNAP! Gears on the Metabones Adapter:

  1. Secure your Contax G lens on the Metabones mount. (make sure you properly follow the instructions to lock the mount you do not want this lens to roll off.)
  2. Take your SNAP! collar and place it around the middle of the Metabones focal ring. I used a 66.5mm diameter version but it does sometimes snap out of place. I believe it would be better if the collar were a smaller diameter that way it would flex and snap around the ring more tightly. The SNAP! Collar is flexible and my 66.5mm will open up to the larger 69mm diameter of the Metabones focal ring. I'm talking with Tim to test out smaller diameter SNAP! collars and will let you know a more ideal collar size.
  3. Take your 75mm SNAP! Gear and snap it around the collar.
  4. Spin the gear slowly and mold a path for the gear so that it does not touch the body of the camera. Use your fingers to edge up the SNAP! collar. The SNAP! Gear will be at a slight angle but that is fine. You will still be able to pull focus.
  5. Once in gear is in place, spin the gear back and forth quickly and firmly to make sure it's in place and secure.
  6. Place your camera with Contax G lens and SNAP! gear on your rig, in this case I am using the indiSYSTEMpro MP which has a built in follow focus.
  7. If you are using the MP make sure the follow focus comes close to the gear but not too close. You'll see what I mean, if you put the gear to close to the follow focus you will not be able to pull focus as smoothly. If you get it just right the focus will be feel light and smooth with no binding.

With the Contax G Metabones Adapter and indiSYSTEM SNAP! Gear combo this has been really jaw dropping for me to see this work so well. There were so many elements that could go wrong but they all worked together very nicely. The Metabones adapter focuses pretty smooth by hand by itself but when you place the SNAP! gear and follow focus you have absolute control. It's amazing. There is a tiny bit of play but it is so very minor and something that I think can be figured out.

A few improvements I would like to see is if there is a way for the SNAP! Gear to be locked on the focal ring better. I think that would help make sure the gear will not move once set in place. Tim is in the process of sending me a few different collar sizes and I will make a few updates once I get the new collars.  What would also help from the Metabones guys is if they could make their focal ring mount an inch to an inch ad a quater wide this would allow the SNAP! gear clearance from the GH1 body and allow the SNAP! collar to line up evenly on the focal ring.

It's pretty exciting times. The Contax G rangefinder line of lenses are well known for their esteemed sharpness and beauty in the photography world and I hope that other indy filmmakers will discover this nice combo using the Metabones adapter and SNAP! gears to bring Contax G to the filmmaking world.

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Contax G Metabones Adapter with Smoother Focus and Larger Focal Ring

Aug 10

Posted by Gary San Angel in Contax G on m4/3, Metabones Adapters, My Reviews, indiSYSTEM - Studio4 Productions, m4/3 Revolution | No Comments

Contax G Metabones

In the 1990s the Contax G System was a high end rangefinder camera system with quality Zeiss optics that even today hold its own to the mighty Leica M lens series. With the m4/3 system and the success of the G1 and GH1, many have hoped to resurrect the Contax G line for the new m4/3 system. The problem is the Contax G lenses were created with no foresight for the future use of these lenses. They are auto focus lenses with no manual focus ring. For years the sharp and beautiful glass of Contax G lenses were meant only for the rangefinder system until now..

Over the last year or so small company's in China, Europe, and even the US have been trying to perfect the Contax G to m4/3 lens adapter. Some of the first solutions were not so great. Early versions had a focus gear on the side of the amount which allowed you to focus the lens. It was doable but a bit rough and not as easy to focus as it looked. The newer adapters now have gears that are a little bigger some with a larger focus gear on the side of the mount and others opting to create an actual focus ring around the mount giving you the ability to use the lens with a full sized focal ring. Despite these two different designs there were still issues of smoothness and results varied depending on different focal lengths used. The whole process of trying to find the right mount for these lenses was turning out to be a crap shoot and I was just about ready to give up on the system. But a few weeks ago, I was on getdpi forum, one of the best places to find great information on new mounts for the m4/3 system. One of their members had a good experience using the Metabones Contax G to m4/3 adapter. It seemed to have a much larger focal ring around the mount which was different from the other designs. I contacted one of the sellers of the mount on ebay who has a store called lasjas. He was extremely nice and responsive and said he would send four mounts to me from Hong Kong in four days which was great because everything usually takes about 10-14 days for other mounts I've purchased from China in the past.

When the Metabones mounts arrived I quickly put them on my Contax G lenses for some initial testing and here are some of my initial findings:

(+)

  • The machining is a huge plus its very well made. It's heavy but I see that as a plus, giving the sturdiness for real world use out in the field.
  • I placed the Metabones Contax G on every lens I had (90mm/45mm/35mm/28mm) and each one I was surprised to see how smooth each lens rotated from infinity to close focus. No binding on any lenses!
  • The larger width on the focal ring is a definite plus. The ring and mount feel like a natural extension of the lens. It's about 3/4 of an inch wide allowing you to grip and focus manually. There is a little bit of play depending on the lens used but it's slight and workable and much easier and smoother to focus than the other adapters I have used.
  • Plays very well with indiSYSTEM SNAP! Gears- Pulling focus with follow focus and gears for filmmakers is now a reality!!!

(-)

  • Without instructions, It took me a few hours to figure out how the locking mechanism worked. There were no instructions in the box. I later e-mailed Lasjas and he sent me instructions. Word of advice, follow the instructions or you'll be stuck for hours!
  • Once you get the mount in place you must apply some pressure to turn the mount to lock it into place.You have to place a little heft to get the lens locked into place.
  • The Contax G system is a difficult system to mount when you start off and this is a mount that takes time to take on and off. If you have a lot of lenses it's best to get an adapter for each lens.
  • 28mm lens must have it's legged chopped to use it. Chop off 5mm of the legs in order to fit the lens and mount on the GH1. I believe that this will hold true for the 21mm lens as well.

(>)

  • The mounts are not cheap. $129.90 for buy it now or you may be able to offer a lower price. To get one for each lens which is really a must can be a little costly.
  • Would be nice to get the focal ring a tiny bit wider, about an inch or ideally and an inch and a quarter that would be just right when using indiSYSTEM SNAP! Gears for those who want to use these lenses with a gear and follow focus.
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B4 lenses now on GH1

Aug 6

Posted by Gary San Angel in B4 on m4/3, Canon J8x6B 6-48mm 1:1.7, Legacy Lenses on m4/3, m4/3 Revolution | No Comments

Bum Ki Cho B4 mount Pics

Bum Ki Cho a filmmaker and DVXUser member introduced folks to his B4 to Canon FD adapter that he helped get made from a manufacturer in Korea. I was fortunate enough to be able to purchase a couple mounts from him before he left to Korea and recently did some testing with it. With this new B4 mount you can attach it to any Canon FD to m4/3 adapter and have yet another way to make the m4/3 system shine.

Here's a picture of Bum Ki Cho's setup with a Canon SD YJ18x9B4 ITS IF PX12 B4 lens and the B4 adapter.

The B4 to Canon FD adapter mount is well machined and thinner than expected. When I place it on my Canon FD mount it adds only an additional 13.5mm to the front of the FD mount. So it's not that big of an add-on to the FD mount which is great. When you attach the B4 lens to both pieces it really feels like one complete piece. Strong and sturdy.

When I got the mount in the mail it was about 6pm so there was very little time for me to shoot. I jumped on the trolley and headed for Chinatown. Today's test was with the beautiful Canon J8x6B 6-48mm 1:1.7 B4 lens that I purchased from a DVXUser member in Alaska. This is not a cheap lens but I took a gamble and I have to say it's worth it. This is so far one of the best wide angle zoom lenses that I've put on the GH1. You must use the Canon 2x doubler in order to get a full image, engaging the setting on the widest angle would make the lens 12mm making its 35mm equivalent FOV of 24mm. My first words were "WOW!" I have a lot of legacy lenses and it was such a surprise to see a lens still hold its sharpness with the doubler. Overall, there seemed to be very nice sharpness from the center to the edge of the frame with very little vignetting.

One caveat is that I was shooting with no ND filters so I was stopped down to about f/5.6 so I'd still like to check over all sharpness wide open on a future test. As you go up to the higher focal range, it does soften up and darken slightly depending on lighting conditions. Shots are still very usable despite the slight softness there.

Overall, this is one of the best zoom lenses I've put on the GH1. It's fast and sharp and perfect for run and gun situations. With other legacy zooms you must use the digital zoom on the camera which degrades the image. Using the 2x doubler allows you to shoot full resolution. Because this lens is pretty sharp it still holds even with the 2x engaged on the lens. There needs to be more tests done obviously wide open and with NDs as well as to test the mount to see how well one can achieve infinity focus.

Since many of us already have FD mounts for our GH1 this B4 to FD addition was a good price point to jump on the wagon and I hope that Bum Ki's manufacturer in Korea can make more of these available. In the mean time, I hope that more folks can shoot with B4 lenses. This is so great to bring ENG lenses to the GH1. Many thanks to Bum Ki Cho for making this possible.

Here is a quick test shoot in one of my favorite spots in Philadelphia the beautiful Chinatown Arch.

Canon J8x6B 6-48mm 1:1.7 B4 lens shot with a GH13 in 1080/24P no native 24p on the hack. No grading. No tripod just the indisystem indiRAILS MP.

Unfortunately, I had no ND filters to really test sharpness at wide open. Most was shot at f/5.6.

Music is from Grammy Award winner Daniel Ho with his song Pule Nahenahe (Soft Prayer) from his album Pōlani.

Here is some additional footage shot in University City and Center City Philadelphia with the main goal of doing a general test to check edge to edge sharpness, vigenetting on the wides, and contrast for both tight and wide shots.

You will notice that on the opening footage of Calvary Church you can still pick out the sharpness of the right street sign (maybe not in the H.264 file but in the Prores transcoded file it is clear.) The 48th street sign is a little less sharp on the wide shot. Overall, pretty impressed with the overall edge to edge sharpness for using the 2x doubler on this lens.

Also, on all the wides you'll see the matte box on the right edge of the frame when removed the picture is clear from edge to edge. It was a little unusual that I did not see it on the left side and only the right side.

One not so great thing is that the lens flares are right dead center and you'll see that in the opening shot.

In the Center City footage the Reading Terminal sign is nice and sharp and even the outside shots under the over hang where I was wide open was fairly sharp on the neon signs wide open. When you are at the farthest end of the zoom there's softness there and the image does darken but not as much as I'd expect it to be.

The shot with the little boy near the trolley and public art space was wide open. There is very little contrast and you sort of enter into a slightly "dreamy" look at times wide open. Again, No ND filters so your seeing footage straight from the lens.

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Tester13 gives rebirth to GH1

Jun 12

Posted by Gary San Angel in m4/3 Revolution | No Comments

tester13

 

I have been absolutely dumbfounded by the amazing work of tester13 at DVXUser forum who has created a firmware hack that has given a rebirth to the Panasonic GH1 with the help of testers and filmmakers all over the world. What tester13 has done is made the GH1 the camera it should have been right out of the gate a mud free DSLR with the capability of recording amazing images and film. I am still trying to catch up and figure out the daily updates to the hack but you can see for yourself first hand that the GH1 may become the camera of choice again and I look forward to incorporating the new hacks on my current GH1 and adding my testing results to the community pool as well.

Here is the very super long thread at DVXUser on GH1 firmware research

Other very good threads to read up.

AVCHD Mudfree footage

FAQ Tester13 firmware

Michael Pappas has some very nice results with MJPEG settings

Now get your GH1 or if you sold it cuz you thought the camera was lacking get it back and shoot some tests!

If you are as impressed as I am please donate to tester13

I'm sure this is just the beginning…

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micro 4/3 goes PRO! Make way for the new Panasonic AG-AF100!

Apr 11

Posted by Gary San Angel in m4/3 Revolution | No Comments


Panasonic AG-AF100


And so it has begun!

This was just announced at NAB that by the end of this year the Panasonic AG-AF100 will soon be a reality.

It seems the m4/3 format is moving on up as the first professional micro 4/3 video camcorder.

Here's a condensed bulleted version of just a few of the goodies in the press release:

  • a 4/3-inch, 16:9 MOS imager

  • records 1080/60i, 50i, 30p, 25p and 24p (native) and 720/60p, 50p, 30p, 25p and 24p (native) in AVCHD’s highest-quality PH mode (maximum 24Mbps)

  • variable frame rates

  • built-in ND filtering

  • HD-SDI out

  • HDMI

  • time code recording

  • built-in stereo microphone

  • USB 2.0

  • two XLR inputs with +48V Phantom Power capability

  • 48-kHz/16-bit two-channel digital audio recording and supports LPCM/Dolby-AC3

  • Two SD slots - With two SD slots, the AF100 can record up to 12 hours on two 64GB SDXC cards in PH mode

  • SDXC media card compatibility in addition to existing SDHC card support.  (SDXC supports memory capacities above 32GB up to 2TB). 

  • built-in stereo microphone

  • compatibility with SDHC and SDXC media.

  • camcorder is 60Hz and 50Hz switchable.

So what does this all mean?

Gone are the days of the 35mm adapter and using a separate video camera and still camera. The DSLR is not in the still camera market any longer it has now ventured into professional video production and we are getting the best of both worlds.

I didn't think it would happen so fast because the m4/3 format seems to be more driven by the still camera market but it looks like m4/3 is going to be well adopted by filmmakers too.

I've always loved the m4/3 format simply because so many lenses can be used with it. The possibilities out weigh the limitations for me. Being able to bring out from retirement so many lenses from cine c-mounts to Contax G Zeiss Rangefinder lenses and even industrial lenses too. It's the most fun I've had as a filmmaker in a very long time. 

That's what filmmaking is all about. The independent spirit. The ability to define your style and your path. 

For now, I'll be shooting with my GH1 and will be pushing it to the limit with my c-mount and other legacy lenses until the new Panasonic AG-AF100 comes on the block. 

So for now as we wait, take the time to build your kit. Grab as many good lenses as you can find and have fun!

Because one thing is always certain and that is cameras will always change but a good lens will always be a keeper!

Here's the original release:

http://www2.panasonic.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/prModelDetail?storeId=11301&catalogId=13251&itemId=407080&modelNo=Content04082010101919040&surfModel=Content04082010101919040

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Gorillapod meet Noga arm. Noga arm meet Gorillapod. The GORILLA NOGA on the GH1!

Sep 10

Posted by Gary San Angel in Gorilla Noga, My Reviews, m4/3 Revolution | 2 Comments

What do you get when you cross a Joby Gorillapod SLR- Zoom and a Noga HOLDIT 3-Joint Locking Articulated Arm?
A GORILLA NOGA!!
THE GORILLA NOGA
It's a mini tripod!! It's a DV stabilizer!! It's a mini steadicam!!
Just before the GH1 came out there were lots of folks exploring ways to stabilize the GH1. Because of it's small size, many folks this summer looked at the Joby Gorillapod as a possible GH1 stabilizer.
One of the first pics that I found putting together this idea with the GH1 and the Joby Gorillapod was from Flickr user retroleum who posted this great picture of the GH1 and the Gorillapod as stabilizer.
Gorillapod Stabilizer Proof of Concept by retroleum
Of course many GH1 users continue to tinker with their gear to create modified rigs with bastardized parts from our old 35mm adapter rigs that are sitting and collecting dust. Inspired by retroleum and folks at DVXUser forum, I started to tinker too. I bought a Joby Gorillapod SLR-Zoom (you can find them for $30-45 bucks) and I felt it was useful but it didn't have the flexibility of use that I needed it for my work. I wanted to create a simple rig that could be put in a small camera bag and used for the documentary that I am working on about the Jook Songs Asian American performing group at Yale University.
It's the 10 year anniversary of Jook Songs and we are putting together a little doc to commemorate the groups existence. What I'm currently doing is sending a GH1 in a small camera bag all around the country to members of Jook Songs past and present for a portion of our documentary called  "Video Check-Ins". Each member will get the GH1 package and film a day in their life as well as  give reflections on the impact of the group on their lives today.
I wanted to put everything they needed in a small camera bag including a tripod, stabilizer, and steadicam. Ha! Of Course we all would to put all our gear in one small bag. At least I tried…
So I rummaged through my gear and found a heavy duty Noga arm that I wasn't using:
NOGA "Hold-it" Heavy Duty Arm- with 1/4-20" mount & 3/8" monitor lockdown
Then I rummaged some more and found a 3/8-16 and 1/4-20 Universal Converter kit that I purchased from filmtools.com:
Universal Converter: 3/8-16 and 1/4-20 KIT
Then I attached the pieces together to a Joby Gorillapod SLR-Zoom Tripod:
Joby Gorillapod SLR-Zoom Tripod
I put it all together and viola! The GORILLA NOGA!
GORILLA NOGA on the Panasonic GH1 with kit lens
This little guy folds down and pops into my GH1 camera bag. It's super light weight, flexible, and gives you the ability to have a small tripod, a  camera stabilizer and a mini steadicam, all in one, all fitting in a little bag.
GORILLA NOGA in Small GH1 Camera Bag
In fact, all the footage shot for my c-mount zoom Angenieux tests were used with the little GORILLA NOGA mainly as a mini tripod and GH1 stabilizer. Some footage was a little shaky but that's at the higher focal ranges where having a tripod should be the norm. You can view a little bit of the Angenieux footage with the GORILLA NOGA abilities here on this blog.
One of the great things about using the GORILLA NOGA with the GH1 and Angenieux Type L2/L3 zoom lens is since the lens is so small it does not create a top heavy feel to the GH1 allowing the use of the GORILLA NOGA's flexibility to create a counterweight to allow for  a pretty successful steadicam feel.
Here is a tutorial that I put together for the Jook Songs group who will be using the GORILLA NOGA and the GH1. You can just skip through my simplistic explanations on GH1 use.  I apologize in advance for my simplistic tutorial on the GH1's use but I just needed to convey the use of the GH1 to users who may be technically challenged.

GH1 Video Tutorial for Jook Songs "Video Check-ins" – Gorillapod / Noga Arm Steadicam from Gary San Angel on Vimeo.

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LET THE GH1 REVOLUTION BEGIN!

Aug 2

Posted by Gary San Angel in m4/3 Revolution | No Comments

gh1


Soon to follow will be some tests of the new Panasonic GH1. This is my first blog posting and so I am still figuring out how to use Word Press but I wanted to create a place for Indy filmmakers who are using or are going to be purchasing this new camera.


For the documentary filmmaker, the GH1 will be an amazing low profile stealth machine and for the narrative filmmaker we are starting to see it’s use as a “digital 16mm camera” with the use of several cine lenses from 8mm and 16mm cameras. and even anamorphic lenses.


In the coming weeks, I’ll be posting results looking specifically at Canon FD and cine c-mount lenses specifically Angenieux, Wollensak, and Ektar cine zooms.


Stay Tuned!

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