Lens Upgrade Path UMP

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MScDre

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Lens Upgrade Path UMP

PostSat Nov 03, 2018 12:24 pm

Hello,

Been trying to figure out the best upgrade path for glass for my needs and I find it super confusing.

When I first got my UMP 4.6K I was quite novice and I ended up getting the EF mount and EF glass even though I had no previous EF lenses to make use of. I also didn't know about crop factors so I got 35mm and 85mm primes thinking it would cover me.

The glass I got is those two focal lenses as Samyang Teen Cinema Primes.

I am thinking of the upgrade path and I am wondering if I should sell both and switch to PL mount. This is also partly based on the fact that I am thinking of getting 1-2 Pocket 4Ks and I have seen suggested that if you don't have EF glass its better to get MFT to PL.

This would be to shoot multicam podcast and interviews which right now I am doing with completely mismatched cameras.

Anyways just hoping to chat with peeps that actually know what they are doing and see what you all think.
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MScDre

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Re: Lens Upgrade Path UMP

PostSat Nov 03, 2018 2:23 pm

This is what I was thinking as a good next step

https://cvp.com/product/sigma_high_spee ... _bundle_pl

but for the same price i could get more Xeen EF primes and stick with that format
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rick.lang

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Re: Lens Upgrade Path UMP

PostSat Nov 03, 2018 2:33 pm

Your initial lens purchase decision may have been influenced by the way the URSA Mini Pro is marketed. You buy the camera which always comes with the EF mount and if you want a different mount like PL, you have an additional mount purchase. This approach is unlike the URSA Mini 4.6K Camera for which you could order either an EF amount OR a PL mount. It isn’t expensive for you to add the PL mount to the UMP.

For the work you are doing the 35mm is a very good selection, but the 85mm is possibly a longer lens than you frequently use. 50mm may have been better for interviews but 85 is still good; it comes down to how much room you have and personal preference on the look of either lens. For the podcasts though you likely need a wider lens such as a 24/25mm (or possibly 18mm). So you could be considering doubling your investment in lenses.

Adding one or two BMPCC4K cameras you could stay with EF or use PL if you don’t want to restrict your lenses to the MFT camera mount. There are smart adapters for EF that preserve the electronic features of the EF lenses, but your Xeen are manual lenses so a dumb adapter would save money but not let you use any future electronic lenses you may want.

MFT-PL smart adapters are still very expensive but that’s not a problem if you continue with manual PL lenses and dumb adapters.

Your normal EF or PL lens on the BMPCC4K shooting 4K or UHD will be a 24/25/28mm lens. Wide could be 14/18mm. Your longer lens for interviews could be 35/50mm.

So do you go EF or PL? EF is ubiquitous and there’s always gear available. You’ve already been buying manual Cine style lenses instead of electronic stills photo lenses so that’s good.

PL mounts are stronger and feel more secure than EF but for the larger Cine lenses you are buying you may want to use lens supports for either mount. Personally I went manual PL all the way with SLR Magic APO PL primes and wouldn’t switch to EF.

When your budget allows, there are some nice PL parfocal zooms to consider. Your decision.



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MScDre

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Re: Lens Upgrade Path UMP

PostSat Nov 03, 2018 3:12 pm

Thanks for the in depth reply Rick, lots to think about.
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MScDre

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Re: Lens Upgrade Path UMP

PostSat Nov 03, 2018 4:12 pm

Trying to figure out the best way to film the multicam interviews.

I was thinking with zoom lenses and shooting in BRAW I could "fake" many angles out of 2-3 cameras.

Right now believe it or not my setup is UMP for guest, Canon XF 305 for Host/s and iPhone X for the wide :?
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Denny Smith

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Re: Lens Upgrade Path UMP

PostSat Nov 03, 2018 5:33 pm

You could always add the new Tokina 11-20 as a wide zoom.
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Jeff leland

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Re: Lens Upgrade Path UMP

PostSat Nov 03, 2018 7:46 pm

Hi Andrea - thanks for the thread. I have a similar situation - newish UMP 4.6 and all Nikon glass. I have started to get a few Canon EF mount lenses - but am wondering if that is a good long term strategy. For now - just three zooms covers me on the UMP, Tokina 11-20, Canon 24-105 F4 and a Canon 70-300 F4-5.6. Anything else I need I can use one of the Nikons with an adapter. The Nikons and Tokina drive me nuts because they zoom the opposite direction from the Canons.

I imagine a LOT of UMP owners are thinking of getting at least one BMPC 4K (I am definitely getting one) as a matched second camera for the Ursa - and so then there is the lens dilemma with that. It's an interesting dilemma because once you start investing in your system, it gets more and more difficult to change it! :o

The EF solution isn't a bad one in that you can adapt your existent EF system to the BMPC with a speed booster and get all of the functions and the correct angle of view for the lens. You can of course do this with a PL adapter as well:

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/ ... hirds.html

for about $700. Seems to me that if you are making films - and using primes mostly, then PL is the way to go. But if your shooting interviews and podcasts and the like - then EF would be much cheaper and more flexible. I find myself needing the zoom for conferences and interviews.

Now that I am shooting more commercial type promotional pieces - I am starting to look at going with some different glass, and so the PL question keeps rattling around in my head. Another consideration is the availability of rentals in your area. I used the live in Los Angeles and rented all kinds of stuff and had full access to Universal Studios' prop house. These days I am in the boonies and can't rent anything - so if you have access to PL rentals - that would be a good reason to go there. I'm still undecided! :?
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MScDre

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Re: Lens Upgrade Path UMP

PostSun Nov 04, 2018 1:04 pm

One question I had in my head was...

Should I sell my Xeens and buy them again but in PL version (same exact price) to start my transition to PL now?
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MScDre

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Re: Lens Upgrade Path UMP

PostSun Nov 04, 2018 1:15 pm

Jeff leland wrote:
for about $700. Seems to me that if you are making films - and using primes mostly, then PL is the way to go. But if your shooting interviews and podcasts and the like - then EF would be much cheaper and more flexible. I find myself needing the zoom for conferences and interviews.


Heya Jeff,

you are probably right but I was hoping to shoot very cinematically even the podcasts and to slowly transition to more film stuff.
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rick.lang

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Re: Lens Upgrade Path UMP

PostSun Nov 04, 2018 4:38 pm

MScDre wrote:One question I had in my head was...

Should I sell my Xeens and buy them again but in PL version (same exact price) to start my transition to PL now?


Yes, of course. Sorry you’ll take a hit selling your Xeen EF but it shouldn’t be too bad if you can be patient about making the switch. I’d use the EF until you find a buyer and then buy a four lens set of Xeen PL.

Or go with SLR Magic APO PL if you can get your hands on the elusive 32mm. They’re smaller, lighter, but only T2.1. The 25, 50, 85 have been out for over two years, but the 32mm isn’t in wide release as I’ve been waiting for this lens a long time.


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Carlos Garcia-Diaz

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Re: Lens Upgrade Path UMP

PostMon Nov 12, 2018 1:45 am

MScDre wrote:Should I sell my Xeens and buy them again but in PL version (same exact price) to start my transition to PL now?


I would buy the PL mounts: https://www.ducloslenses.com/products/x ... 8613711173

No need to sell/re-buy the lenses.
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rick.lang

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Re: Lens Upgrade Path UMP

PostMon Nov 12, 2018 2:01 am

That’s likely a better solution, Carlos.


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MScDre

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Re: Lens Upgrade Path UMP

PostMon Nov 12, 2018 5:59 pm

Carlos Garcia-Diaz wrote:
MScDre wrote:Should I sell my Xeens and buy them again but in PL version (same exact price) to start my transition to PL now?


I would buy the PL mounts: https://www.ducloslenses.com/products/x ... 8613711173

No need to sell/re-buy the lenses.



Very cool, thanks for the heads up.
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Carlos Garcia-Diaz

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Re: Lens Upgrade Path UMP

PostTue Nov 13, 2018 2:01 am

MScDre wrote:
Carlos Garcia-Diaz wrote:
MScDre wrote:Very cool, thanks for the heads up.


No problem. Spoke to Duclos and they said that it's actually very simple to replace the mounts on Xeens and that they can provide assistance if you purchase it. If you keep the EF mounts then you could potentially use the lenses with both, although I don't know how advisable it would be to switch the mounts too often.

Let us know how it goes :-)

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