AF Speed of UM46 Pro with B4 or PL ?

Did anybody compare the speed of autofocus when using broadcast lenses on PL or B4 with focus control vs EF ?

I have only EF and the AF speed is as bad as with any other BM camera, but that might be due to the fact that BM has to do reverse engineering for such lenses. Canon doesn't publish such data, but B4 or PL lenses OTOH are well documented.

Uli, only the BM MFT and EF mount to have "auto focus" which is not that well implemented, as you have discovered. Broadcast and Cine lenses using B4 or PL mount do Not use/have autofocus. The lens contacts on some B4 lenses provides power to the zoom servo, remote zoom control, and Iris control. BM does not use this system, as the B4 mount on all Ursa Minis is a dumb mount. PL lenses with lens mount contacts are used for Iris and lens metadata for recording the lens settings only on a few newer, expensive Cine lenses. The Ursa Mini Pro has contacts on its PL mount for these lenses.

Some newer HD broadcast lenses have a servo on the focus, which can be controlled also through the lens contacts, but this is to provide remote focus control from a CCU only, no auto focus. Since the UM B4 mount is dump, an external cable from the B4 lens to the camera has the Iris control and zoom servo power/control. The Ursa Mini PL is also a dumb mount.
Cheers

Thanks, Denny, for the quick answer.

Since the cameras do automatic exposure on broadcast lenses, I was under the impression that they focus too (via 12-pin connector, I know that the other contacts are for lens data). So, my assumption was wrong!

The URSA/Mini 4K/4.6K cameras with B4 and PL BMD cameras do not auto expose, right? Nice feature on the Mini Pro given the lens supports use of the 12pin lens control too (with a continuous iris).


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

I'm wondering if AF shouldn't be possible since the manual says that you can control focus of PL or B4 lenses with servo from an ATEM.

On the B4 broadcast lens Rick, there is a button that can set the initial f/stop exposure. I assumed that this also worked with the Mini PL/B4 cameras. The ATEM lens control of exposure and zoom, is using thenkens servos for remote control, it is all manual via the CCU software. Not sure, but I think the ATEM CCU can also do an auto exposure setting, but not auto focus, and only remote focus on lenses that have a focus servo, which is not a standard B4 Zoom lens feature, but was added to some high end lenses.

Uli, On the Ursa Mini 4.6/4K. as Rick pointed out, there are no auto controls of the lens (except via ATEM CCU which adds auto exposure), it is all manual lens settings. Auto focus is not a broadcast camera feature. The B4 lenses were designed for use in broadcast type cameras, except for the line of HD Cine lenses that came out when the first digitial Cine cameras used a 2/3rds 3-CCD sensor setup. These B4 lenses, like Ricks Fuji zoom, were all manual, no servos, no remote control.
Cheers

[Tim Schumann]

The URSA/Mini 4K/4.6K cameras with B4 and PL BMD cameras do not auto expose, right? Nice feature on the Mini Pro given the lens supports use of the 12pin lens control too (with a continuous iris).

They do. URSA Mini and URSA Mini Pro.

It came out in 3.2 Rick - that was a while ago. About a year now.

We can also trigger auto focus and control zoom on B4 or PL lenses with the Hirose 12-pin broadcast connector as long as those lenses have a digital focus servo.

Thank you Tim, I thought this was the case, but I was not sure...
Cheers

Thanks, Tim. I guess I wasn't paying enough attention when I installed the 3.2 firmware since my Fujinon Cine Zoom is totally manual. Maybe one day, I'll have a modern PL compact zoom and be able to take advantage of the auto focus feature.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

I envy you for the Fuji zoom, it's fantastic glass!

Thanks, Uli. The last few weeks I've been shooting in light rain. I can partially cover the URSA Mini 4.6K camera, but not the Fujinon. No problem it seems. Don't recommend you try that at home, but when I'm shooting and it starts to rain lightly, I carry on until it gets too heavy. I used my wool touque to protect the top openings of the camera.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk