Do you sharpen??

Complete new shooter here with my BMPCC, the original one. I'm learning the camera by hands on testing, and I was using my 12-35mm F2.8 Lumix lens at 35mm, shooting some ducks in a pond. Focus peaking was green as could be, plus I didn't have an ND filter (just a UV filter), so the iris was set to f21 in the sunlight, so I should have a pretty generous depth of field. But looking at the footage straight out of the camera, it looks pretty soft. I'm shooting ProRes HQ. I also shot some rocks that have lots of contrasty goodness in them, but it looks soft too. I'm at work and shot this while on break, so nothing has been in Resolve yet. I just expected a sharper image out of the camera. I'm using my work monitor (24" HD) with Quicktime to view the video. Maybe because it was stopped down so much?

So is this percieved softness just because the image is so flat, camera settings, or what? Shutter angle was 180 degrees, I should mention. IS was on.

So is it standard practice to add sharpening in post? I can't imagine it is. I'm dying to get home and look at it in Resolve 15 (which I am also learning) and see if maybe it's just my eyes. Does anyone have any advice? Thanks!

Hi David!

Maybe this could help you grade BMD footage

You bumped into a problem that I just learned about recently, thanks to Denny Smith here on the forum; you described it perfectly.

If you have any background in photography, you will go for small apertures when you want to achieve large depth of field, which should generally be sharp if you're in focus. The problem in this case is the Pocket camera's small sensor, which causes problems with diffraction once you go beyond f8 or so.

This is why you need to use ND filters on virtually all outdoor shots -- to keep your aperture at 5.6 or wider so you maintain sharpness and don't get the softness you're seeing.

Despite the more than 70 hours of reading and research I spent on the Pocket camera before buying and testing it, I somehow didn't learn about this problem until it was too late -- I have some uncomfortably soft footage for the opening shots of a film we're working on, shot in France this April. I can sharpen it a little in post, but it's just going to be a lesson. Everyone said "you need to get an ND filter" but I assumed that was just to allow me to get small-depth-of-field shots on sunny days when I wanted the subject in focus against a bokeh-filled background. I didn't understand about the diffraction issue.

Denny pointed to this page, which provides a very good description of the problem and is worth reading all the way through: https://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutor ... r-size.htm

Thanks for that. I just went back out there and used a cheap variable ND filter I had laying around for my old DSLR and shot at f4.8 and it looks a heck of a lot better.

That is definately an important bit of information we need to know about. I have a new Hoya VND filter on its way, but even this ancient crappy one did wonders...

Thanks for that. I just went back out there and used a cheap variable ND filter I had laying around for my old DSLR and shot at f4.8 and it looks a heck of a lot better.

Amazing difference, isn't it? I have some later shots that I took with an ND filter on this same Panasonic lens and the difference is like night and day -- the image is tack-sharp.

Now the problem is that the lens is so fast, I don't have enough ND filter to deal with it! I've got a six stop filter coming, but I don't think six stops will get me near wide open in the bright sunlight... I hate to stack, but might not have any choice.

Hi David!

Maybe this could help you grade BMD footage

Thanks Vago- a bit over my head yet, but definately worth watching. Thanks.

Now the problem is that the lens is so fast, I don't have enough ND filter to deal with it! I've got a six stop filter coming, but I don't think six stops will get me near wide open in the bright sunlight... I hate to stack, but might not have any choice.

I think you'll be okay; I also have the Hoya variable ND filter for this same lens, and we were shooting on the seacoast in Brittany under full sunlight; it was fine. I had more problems with my other lens, an f1.8 (actually t1.8 in cinema lens parlance) SLR Magic wide-angle lens, using the SLR Magic variable ND filter.

Yes, the issue is not so much the fastest f/stop of a lens (unless you use a Speed Booster, than this adds about 2-stops to the exposure, so more ND is needed), but the point at which defraction sets in, around f/5.6 to f/8 depending on the lens. Defraction is an issue with all digital CMOS sensor cameras, video and still. More so with video, since the shutter can not be stopped down to 1/2000th a Sec like digital still cameras do.

The SLR Magic VNSD is nice, I have one, but it is ony abound a 4-5 stop ND, so some help in bright sum, but not enough to get down to f/4.5 or 5.6, depending on how bright the sun. I use a couple of screw in Firecrest 1.2 or 1.8 IR/NDs as a base, then add a VND if I need more ND.
Cheers

Everyone has given great information just don't push a variable ND past 4 stops of light reduction as it introduces a black cross onto your image, you're better off stopping down the lens and losing a bit of shallow depth than to have parts of the image darker than others.

Regular nd's are better than variable but variable Is just so damn convenient. Variable nd's also cause a polorising effect which removes some highlights from your shot, good for shooting cars or the sky or reflecting water but bad for shooting people since it removes highlights from the skin.

It is definitely a challenge to judge proper focus though as between lenses and speedboosters the inifinty marking isn't always at the end of the focus throw. I'm using the old smallhd dp4 and Im still having trouble. I really need something with lut support and 1080p but the price for those are quite high considering the cost of the camera BUT at least it's something you can reuse later on a different setup.

I find the Small HD Focus works well, and is reasonably priced. Yes the pattern on VND past 4X is an issue, which is why I add a regular ND if I need more.
Cheers

I use a Hoya ND8 with that lens and have not had too many problems. I might look at a vari ND at some point as well.

Steve

Thank you everyone. You're advice is fantastic and much appreciated. This thing is a whole different animial than what I'm used to, but with all your advice, I'm making progress.

When I got home last night, I loaded up the footage in Resolve and put it on my 27" monitor and I can definately see the difference between a lens at F2.8 and a lens at f22- but, the biggest issue wasn't the lens at all. It was motion blur. Or perhaps more precisely, my hand blur. I was shooting out of our service vehicle, a 4-wheel drive utility vehicle we use over rough terrain, and most of the blurriness came from not keeping the camera perfectly still. I think maybe if I shortened the shutter angle when hand holding the camera from a moving vehicle it would help. A lot of the footage I will be taking in Africa will be from a truck, so I need to nail this down before then so I dont' end up with a bunch of unusable footage.

I have some footage where I managed to hold the camera pretty still from yesterday, and even at f22, the image was pretty sharp. Not as sharp as when the lens is open, but not terrible. I guess you really need to put this thing on a tripod, eh? Or at least really pay attention to keeping the camera as still as possible.

So do you guys change the shutter angle when moving the camera? Everything I've read says to keep it at 180 degrees, but maybe that's not a good idea. Thanks again!!

but, the biggest issue wasn't the lens at all. It was motion blur. Or perhaps more precisely, my hand blur.

As you've noted, there's a difference between motion blur and camera shake, and you control them in different ways. Shutter angle will control the amount of motion blur. If you use 90 or 45 degrees, you'd get a staccato movement (everyone points to the opening scenes of Saving Private Ryan to illustrate how this looks); you can also use one of these shutter angles if you're planning to use Optical Flow in Resolve or some other editor later on for slow motion. Otherwise I'd keep it at 180 if you're shooting outdoors (note that indoor shooting overseas will require different shutter angles to avoid flickering lights; you can look that up to learn more).

Camera shake is a different story. Once again, the small sensor of the Pocket contributes to the effect. I generally use a tripod, but handheld shots are feasible with practice and it helps if you can prop yourself up against something..a tree, a fence, a table to put your elbows on, etc. You have OIS (optical image stabilization) on your Panasonic lens; be sure that's switched on and it'll help a bit (although note that your battery life will decrease when OIS is switched on). You can also apply stabilization in post, with varying degrees of success. Resolve has a decent stabilizer on the Color page; it's a bit hidden so you'd have to look it up in the manual.

I'm not sure what the best solution would be for your truck shots while on safari; others might have suggestions for how best to stabilize the camera without having to buy and bring equipment like a steadicam or gimbal.

David, if you are shooting with a BMPCC from a truck that is in motion over land that isn’t very even, you’ll definitely have issues with sharpness.

For one thing there is no room to stabilize in post without zooming in on your footage since you can only shoot HD. And that may remove the bumps and so on but introduces more overall to the loss of sharpness. If your Africa trip can manage it, you should consider another camera or find a lens with stabilization that is compatible with the BMPCC.

Shooting with a different camera offering a larger resolution such as 2K or UHD would give you lots of room to stabilize in post. Shooting with 60 fps will also help even with a 180 degree shutter angle. I agree 90 degree shutter angles may be too extreme but I’ve found I can go as low as 120 degree shutters so that helps again while shooting 60 fps.

I’d also look at mounting the camera on a gimbal even if you’re shooting from a truck. That Ronin-S looks promising to me.

That's all great advice Rick.
For lenses that provide image stabilization on the BMPCC, the m43 Lumix 12mm-35mm zoom is shockingly good.
One thing Ito add is that BMPCC sensor really needs IR cut to deliver clean images, even when not also using ND. This link here has a very good explanation and examples with and without IR cut: http://mattscottvisuals.com/blog/2016/7/14/bmpcc-optical-low-pass-filter-swap-no-more-ir-contamination
The examples in the link use an internal filter that is also an OLPF. Another simpler option for IR cut (that isn't internal and doesn't include OLPF) is using a relatively inexpensive circular threaded Hoya IR cut filter. That has worked very well on my BMPCC.

For lenses that provide image stabilization on the BMPCC, the m43 Lumix 12mm-35mm zoom is shockingly good.

I believe that's the lens David (the OP) already has.

I wouldn't say its stabilization is "shockingly" good, but I'm not sure my BMPCC's contacts always work correctly (it was defective to begin with and BMD repaired it)...sometimes I notice the stabilization but often I don't see much difference in shake when I'm recording vs. just viewing (stabilization only kicks in when you hit the record button).

One clarification on Rick's post -- where he was talking about other cameras he mentioned 60fps as a solution but that of course isn't an option for the BMPCC, which only goes up to 30 fps.

Another option is the Panny Leica 13-60, which has excellent IS and a onger zoom range, set it at f/4.5 to 5.6 and yiu are all set. This kens is also parfocal, only one in its class, and has stepless, smooth iris and super fast AF, which is very quiet. It was designed as a hybrid still/video lens. I would also get a good EVF to help stabilize the camera, allowing you to brace it against your face.
Cheers.

Well I got my Hoya IR/UV cut filter today and put it on my Lumix 12-35mm HD lens. I also used my ND filter stacked on top of the IR cut filter. I went out during lunch again and shot some ducks and a family of geese. I'm getting better results now, but still having trouble holding the camera still. The OIS works, but it makes the image "jerk" when I pan. I was following the ducks across the water and the image sort of jumps along as the OIS is trying to keep the image still until it reaches its limits.

One thing that has reared it's ugly head is the fact that for shooting animals in the Seringeti, there's no way that 12-35mm is even close to being long enough. Even my 14-45 isn't enough. I have a very nice Sigma 30-85mm (I think, it's been a while) lens for my Canon camera I used to use, but obviously it has an EF mount. It has image stablization, but I don't think theres a EF to MFT adapter that carries over the lens contacts to power the thing that I know of. Looks like tripod mounting and going completely manual is in my future.

Amazingly enough, our IT department is letting me download Resolve! So maybe I can post some stills to see if you guys think I've got my settings right.

I went out during lunch again and shot some ducks and a family of geese.

I hope you didn't eat them all yourself!

For panning, the main tip is to pan slowly -- I haven't encountered that problem with OIS but if you pan quickly not only will you make your viewers dizzy but you also run the risk of introducing rolling shutter effects into your video (you can look that up on Google too if you don't know what I'm referring to).

I don't do much if any real panning by hand, always with a tripod, and when I do pan by hand I only pan for a short distance and slowly.

I think the Metabones Speed Boosters might allow you to use autofocus and OIS, but I'm not sure since I only have MFT lenses myself.

When you get longer lenses, the problem of camera shake will be even more important to control -- you can see it even now if you zoom your Panasonic lens all the way out; every movement is magnified.

Welcome to the wonderful world of video, where the camera is by far your smallest expense. I spent $1,000 on my Pocket Camera and so far close to 20 times that much on everything else (lenses, fluid head for tripod, filters, cage and Video Assist monitor for camera, sound recorder, microphone, new computer to run Resolve, RAID array, grading monitor, Ultrastudio) and I still have more stuff to buy.

Lol. Yeah, I now the longer the lens, the more trouble I'm in. I've been into astrophotography for almost 20 years now, and the three most important factors of getting a good long exposure image is your mount, your mount, and your mount. A $500 telescope on a $10000 mount will give you a MUCH better image than a $10000 telescope on a $500 mount.

Any way, here are my ducks.. It still looks a bit mushy to me. Maybe I'm being picky. This is with the 12-35mm Lumix HD lens zoomed all the way in at f2.8 with an IR/UV cut filter by Hoya, and a variable ND filter. Oh, and a single node color correction by me, which probably is crap, but I'm still learning. All I did was add saturation and put in a contrast curve. Hand held as steady as I could. Definately wish I would have brought my tripod...

One thing that has reared it's ugly head is the fact that for shooting animals in the Seringeti, there's no way that 12-35mm is even close to being long enough. Even my 14-45 isn't enough. I have a very nice Sigma 30-85mm (I think, it's been a while) lens for my Canon camera I used to use, but obviously it has an EF mount. It has image stablization, but I don't think theres a EF to MFT adapter that carries over the lens contacts to power the thing that I know of. Looks like tripod mounting and going completely manual is in my future.

David,
You might try the latest version of the Panasonic 100-300. It's well-reviewed at B&H and only $600 there and has Power OIS though I don't think that will help much on the BMPCC. You'll need a tripod.

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/ ... 300mm.html

I've actually had one for a while but it's been on my GH3 and I've not had a chance to put is on my BMPCC. This reminds me to do some testing soon.

Steve

One clarification on Rick's post -- where he was talking about other cameras he mentioned 60fps as a solution but that of course isn't an option for the BMPCC, which only goes up to 30 fps.

Brad, that reference was in a paragraph beginning “Shooting with a different camera...”. Apologies if I wasn’t clear but I meant all the points in that paragraph didn’t apply to the BMPCC, but if he was looking for another camera with greater capabilities, those items would also help produce an image he may like better.

If I was going to shoot in Africa, I’d want to take a more capable camera and the supporting gear. I’ve always liked footage from the original Pocket, but I suspect the unreleased Pocket 4K or other cameras with accessories would make a better choice if budget permits.


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