When I asked Wayne to do an adhoc music video at 1am in the morning in the middle of March I didn't think he would say yes at first but I'm really glad he did. What we attempted to do was a live street recording with two contrasting pieces. "Nothing is Right" being more upbeat would be  the more polished MV. The limited b-roll I had by went to "Nothing is Right". So "You Said" became really a documentation of a live street performance. For both of these two songs I really wanted to stay away form the polish of the studio recorded version. I just wanted to show some of the rough edges. Some of which was unfortunately a little more rough in the audio. My Sanken COS-11x which I had taped to Wayne's shirt was not a good idea and we encountered a lot of handling noise. That's one of the elements that I'll learn from for the next time around.

I stuck with c-mount lenses on this shoot to experiment and see the kind of character they give to the natural street light. I'd say the Computar 25mm f/1.3 is a lens that really lends itself to the nightlife and low light street scenes. The Kodak Ektar 25mm f/1.4 also has that retro character with nice contrast and sharpness and interesting lens flares which we decided to just keep and use because it was halo-like and had a cool effect. Because most of the shots were static we only used the SNAP! Gear for b-roll and the opening shot. But it's been really great to be able to pull focus with such small lenses using this gear. The SNAP! Gear and SNAP! Collar help in that regard giving the possibility of pulling focus on c-mount lenses. The combo of c-mount and SNAP! Gear is really so amazingly light weight it's a blast to shoot with.

Please visit Wayne Hsu's site. His new album will be coming out very soon:

waynehsu.com
 

You Said
Wayne Hsu
WorldPop

Director: Gary San Angel
Assistant Director: Serena Perrone
Camera Operator: Rocky Kev

Filming Details:

Panasonic GH1
Computar 25mm f/1.3 lens
indiSYSTEM SNAP! Gear
indiRAILSpro MP

Panasonic GH1
Kodak Cine Ektar 25mm f/1.4

Sound Devices 552 Mixer/Recorder
Sanken COS-11x

Last March, I gave a call to Wayne Hsu late one evening and said, "Hey, do you want to shoot a Music Video tonight?" Hey said, "Yeah, sure. You want to do it now?"

It was already 10pm at night and I said, "No, I'm thinking at about 1am in Chinatown in front of the arch." It was a very chilly night but he enthusiastically agreed since it was just around the corner from where he lived. I was itching to do a few tests with some c-mount lenses a newer industrial lens, a Computar 25mm f/1.3 and an older Kodak Cine Ektar 25mm f/1.4. I wanted to compare these lenses and see how well they work with just street lights and the light of the traffic driving by at night.

The concept was simple. I had Wayne sit on top of my Subaru Forester and we parked far enough so that he would be elevated above the traffic and we could see the Chinatown Arch in the distance. I wanted him to play live acoustic. Wayne is so good playing live. And in the "LIVE" I wanted to keep the environment a part of the piece so whatever happens in the moment happens. If we have a truck barreling down the road or loud late night pedestrian traffic so be it. Rather than do a MV where we were syncing to the studio recording of the song I wanted to keep the real elements alive on the streets of Chinatown and just show the beauty and simplicity of his playing.

The results were very beautiful. This year the Chinatown Arch dawned new lights .So from the distance as Wayne played, the Arch was brilliantly lit as a a backdrop to his playing. Both c-mount lenses really gave this piece character. The Cine Ektar 25mm was a touch sharper and had this unusual crescent shaped lens flare from the street lamp right above. The Computar  25mm lens being the faster lens was able to do very well in street lighting soft and low contrast working very well on the evening city streets. One stupid mistake I made was that I taped the lav to Wayne's shirt and you could hear the rustle of the shirt brushing up against the mic. It's less noticeable as the song progresses but it is very pronounced at the beginning of the song. Next time proper,  lav clip or vampire clip is a must. Other than that issue, we are really happy by the way the footage turned out.

Please visit Wayne Hsu's site.  His new album will be coming out very soon:

waynehsu.com

Filming Details:

Panasonic GH1

Computar 25mm f/1.3 lens

indiSYSTEM SNAP! Gear

indiRAILSpro MP 

Kodak Cine Ektar 25mm f/1.4 

Sound Devices 552 Mixer/Recorder

Sanken COS-11x

Nothing is Right

Wayne Hsu

WorldPop

Director: Gary San Angel

Assistant Director: Serena Perrone

Camera Operator: Rocky Kev

Sponsored by
Council for Cultural Affairs, Taiwan
Taipei Cultural Center of TECO, New York

Presented in Partnership by
The Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education
and Asian Arts Initiative, Philadelphia

Recently, I met two very talented installation artists named Chao-chang Lee and Ping-yu Pan who both create art in environmental settings in Taiwan. These two very humble and amazing artists were invited to the U.S. to create installation works at the Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education for the "Going Green New Environmental Art from Taiwan" Exhibition which has works at the Schuylkill Center and also the Asian Arts Initiative in Philadelphia. I thought this would be a great opportunity to test my new Metabones Contax G SNAP! Gear setup so I volunteered to document some of the performances they were both having at their installations. Because we would be out in the woods, I decided to really be low profile so I took only my indiRAILSpro MP which has a built-in follow focus and monopod. I also brought just two lenses, my Contax G 90mm and 28mm lenses. Because I was afraid the 28mm was not going to give me the full coverage I needed I also decided to be adventurous and I attached a Raynox HD-6600PRO55 .66 wide angle adapter to the 28mm making the lens approximately an 18mm lens.

One of the great things about using Contax G glass is that they are very sharp lenses and one of the challenges is that they are also very sharp lenses.

So with the GH1 this can be a problem. The screen is just not good enough to find critical focus especially in some outdoor environments like a wooded setting. Since I started to notice that I was having trouble with critical focus, I decided to play it safe and I opened up to f/4 through f/8 in order to get more depth of field in the hopes of covering myself and getting more in focus than out of focus shots. In many cases, the documentation shows some of the challenges when you have such sharp lenses. You'll see a few out of focus shots here and there so its always a learning process. Having said that when the exposure and focus was on these lenses really do now how to shine.

Most of the shots I've seen with Contax G glass have been from still photographers so seeing moving images with Contax G glass is really wonderful and very exciting. I was also just floored at how well the Raynox HD-6600PRO55 wide angle adapter did. I basically had the adapter on the 28mm lens most of the time and it was still fairly sharp with a little vignetting and softening on the corners. I've used the Raynox on a few different lenses and the vignetting and softness is much more pronounced on my other lenses. I'd say using the Raynox wide angle adapter on Contax G glass produces some very good usable footage. Overall, I really see a lot of potential for Contax G glass especially in narrative filmmaking where you have much more control over your shots. I still want to see if I can get more comfortable and use them in more of a documentary run and gun style setting but for the second time at using these lenses I think this was not a bad effort.

I'd like to thank Chao-chang Lee and Ping-yu Pan for the opportunity to meet them and to film their work.

Here are their two pieces:

Ping-yu Pan's installation, "Ark for Plants" is made up of fallen branches and pine cones tied with natural twine in the shape of an ark. Her boat-shaped sculpture is designed as a deer fence to protect a young native dogwood tree.The film clips capture Ping-yu Pan's live performance at the installation where visitors are invited to cast a handful of soil into the place where the tree is planted.

Chao-chang Lee's installation, "Everything is Buddha" uses found natural materials near the grounds of the Schuylkill Center to create a large earth drawing of a seated Buddha figure.
This film captures Chao-chang Lee's live interactive performance where visitors are invited to place their own natural objects as offerings in his installation.

For more information on the exhibition please visit:

schuylkillcenter.org
asianartsinitiative.org

Filming details:

Panasonic GH13
Contax G 28mm f/2.8
w/Raynox HD-6600PRO55 .66 wide angle adapter
Contax G 90mm f/2 lens
Metabones Contax G adapter and indiSYSTEM SNAP! Gear 

Now in order to use the Contax G 21mm and 28mm lens you'll first have to let go of the idea that cutting off the legs of your 21mm and 28mm Contax G lens will ruin them and the value of the lens. You will only have to cut 5mm from the tip of each leg just so it clears the sensor so it's more like a haircut than a surgical procedure.

Here's what you'll need:

Tools:

• digital caliper or metric ruler
• Scotch Blue Painters Tape
• small hack saw with fresh blade
• small file
• X-acto knife
• damp paper towel
• Metabones Contax G to M 4/3 adapter
• m4/3 lens cap

Directions:

1. Use the Scotch Blue Painters tape and cover the entire rear of the lens except the legs. You want to especially cover inside the cavity of the lens between the legs and the rear optic. Fold over a piece of tape and roll it so that the sticky side is on the outside. Squish the little piece of tape down between each leg and lens. This is the area that is vulnerable to getting any debris so you want to make sure this crevice is covered up. Make sure you do not tape the black leg protectors! 
2. Also, make sure to double up some tape on the rear optic where you will be making your cut. Basically, in case you use excessive force as you are cutting if the blade goes through, you will only cut tape and not the lens. You do not want to hacksaw the rear optics of your lens.
3. Using your digital caliper or metric ruler measure out 5mm and use an X-acto knife to mark the 5mm measurement on each leg. If your digital caliper can lock a measurement, lock it to 5mm and mark the top the measurement starting from the very tip of the leg. Make sure you mark off both the right and left side of the leg.
4. Now using the straight edge of your ruler or digital caliper, line up your two 5mm marks for each leg and score your cut with the X-acto knife. Do this for each leg.
5. Now take your small hack saw with a new blade and line up the blade with the scoring mark. Firmly hold the lens, take a deep breathe and hold and concentrate as you apply pressure and move the blade back and forth slowly in a straight line. You will start to create a grooved slot. Take your time, applying pressure to the leg. If the blade binds, move it just one direction and carve out that groove. Once you get to the end, keep the pace steady and soon the leg will be cut off.Do not go fast, you will make a mistake and damage the lens!
6. If you have a small file you can finish off the cut and round off the sharp edges of the newly cut leg.
7. Use a damp paper towel to remove any debris near the lens.
8. Hold the lens and tip the rear down while you remove the tape so that any debris will fall away from the lens.
9. Pop your Contax G 28mm / 21mm on the Metabones mount following the appropriate instructions to line up and lock the mount.
10. Use an additional m4/3 lens cap to protect your lens. The rear caps do not come with the Metabones Adapter.
11. Place the Metabones and Contax G lens on your camera and start shooting away!

Here are a few sample pictures using the Contax G 21mm. Overall edge to edge sharpness is very good. A little vignetting and softness at the edges but very sharp and usable. I think it holds up very well. Probably my sharpest wide I have in a prime.

I took just a few quick run of the mill Philly landscapes at f/8 with the Contax G 21mm lens and just for kicks I attached my Raynox HD-6600PR055 wide angle adapter and I was pretty shocked at how well it held up too. When I pixel peep, theres a difference obviously and you can see vignetting and softness but I was expecting far worse. Both versions very useable to me. Very exciting stuff!

Philly Skyline & Schuylkill River Contax G 21mm f/8 & Raynox HD-660PRO55 & GH1

Philly Skyline & Schuylkill River Contax G 21mm f/8 & GH1

Fairmount Water Works Contax G 21mm f/8 & Raynox HD-660PRO55 & GH1

Fairmount Water Works Contax G 21mm f/8 GH1

Here's a few indoor shots just after I did the Contax G 21mm surgery to test for edge to edge sharpness with the Metabones adapter.

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

Today's test is something I've been playing with for a while and that is finding a solution to pull focus with Contax G lenses.

We've found it with the Metabones Contax G adapter and the indiSYSTEM SNAP! Gear.

Today I'm using the Contax G 90mm f/2.8 and it is a verrry sharrrp lens!

I like to do my tests in Chinatown, Philadelphia because the community is so rich and diverse and I have a connection to the place and the people. Through the din and circling movement of people, its somehow always been a comfortable spot for me to take out my camera and just be a fly on the wall. Also, I get to compare my footage a lot easier when I'm in a familiar place. One of the great things about shooting near the Chinatown Arch in Philadelphia is that the arch and the various  neighborhood shop signage are really beautiful and I can assess the detail and sharpness of the Contax G 90mm lens really well.

Even in the H.264 codec and the safe GH13 settings of the Vimeo clip, you can see the crisp detail of the Chinatown Arch and all the signs. They just pop. I'm shooting completely wide open for most of the shots and there is edge to edge sharpness. There's only a few shots where I stopped down a stop. Everything else is really wide open. Some people may not like this look because it's so sharp but for the right narrative film or documentary I could see these lenses working really nicely. 

This test footage was shot with a GH13 (MarekV settings from DVXUser) in 1080/24P mode. No native 24p on the hack. No tripod just the indisystem indiRAILSpro mp. I also used a homemade variable ND filter created with one B&W CPL filter and one B&W Linear filter.

I need a matte box for sure! You'll see the lens flares just off left of center in a few shots. To be able to pull focus with these lenses with the Metabones adapter and SNAP! Gear combo is really fantastic. You have more control, it's smooth and the distance between infinity and close focus is very small. It feels like I'm literally rotating the follow focus three quarters of the way through and I'm at infinity or at close focus already and I really like that a lot. I also love the compact nature of rangefinder lenses. They work perfectly with the GH1 making the camera very light weight which allows me to have more steady control with my MP.

I'll be doing some more testing with this combination. So stay tuned.

It's very exciting to be able to use these beautiful lenses in a film context and I hope other indy filmmakers will try this unique combination. 

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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…