Blackmagic Forum

Hi guys,

We've finally received our camera and bought the wide Tokina 11-16 because we need the screw in ND filters (car mount). But I've read a lot about the Flange issue where some camera's wouldn't focus on infinity correctly with the Tokina 11-16.

Testing the lens, we don't have anything dramatic like you see in some clips where the max distance is like 3 meters on 11mm when focussed on infinity. But then again, our results don't look very razor sharp to me. Seems like it just doesn't reach infinity but stops somewhere in front of it. Or have I read to much and are these the expected results?

I already contacted Black Magic but they didn't respond to my question regarding the check with the serial number, but in the forum you can read that all new camera's are adjusted, why not save me the hassle and tell me if our camera is adjusted... Leads me to believe they aren't all adjusted.

So I hope you guys can check out the footage (untouched) and tell me if this is as it should be.

Link to the files:


Zip Containing:

11mm-f2.8.dng
11mm-f4.dng
11mm-f5.6.dng
11mm-f8.dng
11mm-f10.dng
16mm-f2.8.dng
16mm-f4.dng
16mm-f5.6.dng
16mm-f8.dng
16mm-f10.dng
16mm-f11.dng

If it doesn´t reach infinity it´s the flange issue. Your 11mm F2.8 is definitely out of focus.

Felix Steinhardt wrote:If it doesn´t reach infinity it´s the flange issue. Your 11mm F2.8 is definitely out of focus.

Thnx for the quick answer Felix, what is your opinion about the rest? Even the 11mm @ f8 doesn't look as sharp as can be expected, correct?

11mm F8 doesn´t look too shabby. It could be just a little soft but i´m not sure.
Doesn´t matter. This is the the classic flange distance issue and I wonder why cameras still have it since you just recieved it...

I thought that BM has resolved the issue!!!!!!!!!

So strange for this kind of recent shipping!!!!!!!!

You should send it back (((((((

I don't believe that this is an issue with the flange distance. The Tokina is an unreliable lens to judge the flange distance by, since there have been many issues reported with this lens with other cameras for a long time before the Cinema Camera.

I would suggest trying with other lenses and check if they have the same issue. If not, it would point to the issue being the lens itself. If other lenses also show the same issue please contact technical support. You may need to send them some DNGs of the problem to demonstrate the issue.

Chris Pearse wrote:I don't believe that this is an issue with the flange distance.

I was getting that vibe actually. Does this mean that BMD is not "fixing" the flange on every EF BMC now?

mhood wrote:

Chris Pearse wrote:I don't believe that this is an issue with the flange distance.

I was getting that vibe actually. Does this mean that BMD is not "fixing" the flange on every EF BMC now?

It means that using the Tokina alone is not a good enough gauge to whether there is any issues with the flange focal distance on the camera as there are numerous complaints about this lens on other cameras as well.

Kristian Lam wrote:

mhood wrote:

Chris Pearse wrote:I don't believe that this is an issue with the flange distance.

I was getting that vibe actually. Does this mean that BMD is not "fixing" the flange on every EF BMC now?

It means that using the Tokina alone is not a good enough gauge to whether there is any issues with the flange focal distance on the camera as there are numerous complaints about this lens on other cameras as well.

Are you doing a flange adjustment on all the EF BMCs being delivered now? Is that a fair question to ask?

mhood wrote:
Are you doing a flange adjustment on all the EF BMCs being delivered now?

Yes we are.

Chris Pearse wrote:I don't believe that this is an issue with the flange distance. The Tokina is an unreliable lens to judge the flange distance by, since there have been many issues reported with this lens with other cameras for a long time before the Cinema Camera.

I would suggest trying with other lenses and check if they have the same issue. If not, it would point to the issue being the lens itself. If other lenses also show the same issue please contact technical support. You may need to send them some DNGs of the problem to demonstrate the issue.

That´s true. Tokinas are really unreliable. I had 3 lemons before buying a Nikon equivalent.
He could put his Tokina to another Canon camera and if it goes beyond infinity effortless there, it´s not the lens.

mhood wrote:

Chris Pearse wrote:I don't believe that this is an issue with the flange distance.

I was getting that vibe actually. Does this mean that BMD is not "fixing" the flange on every EF BMC now?

I would question the sense of getting a BMC altered to suit a Tokina lens only....

If altered, the flange distance is altered for EVERY other lens you might use - only the Tokina would be guaranteed....

Tokinas seem to be unreliable - you could use a sigma or a wide L series lens without these issues, but once altered you would never be sure of results with other lenses.

Pollenstudio wrote:I would question the sense of getting a BMC altered to suit a Tokina lens only....

If altered, the flange distance is altered for EVERY other lens you might use - only the Tokina would be guaranteed....

If you go with that as an interpretation of what's happening here, then you are saying that BMD is "breaking" every EF BMC they make going forward. I find that very hard to believe and if accurate marks are important to you, why wouldn't you be w8ing on an MFT BMC?

mhood wrote:

Pollenstudio wrote:I would question the sense of getting a BMC altered to suit a Tokina lens only....

If altered, the flange distance is altered for EVERY other lens you might use - only the Tokina would be guaranteed....

If you go with that as an interpretation of what's happening here, then you are saying that BMD is "breaking" every EF BMC they make going forward. I find that very hard to believe and if accurate marks are important to you, why wouldn't you be w8ing on an MFT BMC?

That's exactly what I am thinking, but Black Magic wouldn't answer me if my model was already corrected. I've chosen to send it back to have it checked/adjusted. When I receive it back I will make the exact same shots so we can check for a difference.

On a side note, I do however want to compliment Black Magic with the camera, I had it for 3 days but I absolutely love it, the dynamic range and grading options are unmachted at this price point. Working with raw really opened my eyes.

Following on that, is there a way to know if my camera was shipped pre-fixed by providing a serial number or something?
I just bought mine a couple of days a go...

thanks

etgalim wrote:Following on that, is there a way to know if my camera was shipped pre-fixed by providing a serial number or something?
I just bought mine a couple of days a go...

thanks

No - there seems to be no one willing at BM to provide that info by serial numbers, but asyou got yours recently, the flange distance issue should be fixed, as they're fixing all cameras that are delivered meanwhile (and the problem was solved by BMC a couple of weeks ago).