Tiago Pimentel

Stuart, that example says it all! If you had to choose between a Helios 44-2 and the takumar, which one would it be? Thanks

David, what major differences do you find in the image quality between a high end lens and a budget (but good) one? I know that the built quality is something else, but from an optical perspective, do you find that the higher end stuff really adds up? Thanks

Panavision are probably stellar, but completely out of my range. Besides, I'm looking for a set of primes to buy, and Panavision doesn't sell lenses. And their daily rental values per lens is probably double than I would want to pay for a full set of 4 or 5 primes. This doesn't mean that I wouldn't consider renting for my next narrative project. In fact, I'm going to do some tests next week on some angenieux optimos (zooms) and zeiss cp.2. I've always been a little suspicious about the added value those high priced lenses would actually deliver compared to budget solutions such as the ones we were discussing here. That's why I was asking which set you guys would choose. If you think it's worth to spend that money on renting higher end lenses, please let me know. Thanks

Thanks Adrian. Actually, the bokeh and the horizontal flares are two cool effects in anamorphic lenses, but what I really love about those lenses is the dimensionality of the image. It's not just about the aspect ratio, it's how the elements in the image have a different presence and are distributed in a way that the whole image looks wider. Hard to explain, but I can tell the difference when I'm watching a real anamorphic. But a real anamorphic is out of my price range, so I was hoping to buy a set of primes that would deliver. I know this is always a subjective discussion, as most of us tend to prefer different things, but if you were looking for a set of lenses for FILMMAKING, that would render beautiful skin tones and make each element feel "textural" and have presence, which would you choose? Zeiss Contax, Asahi Takumar, Helios modded Anamorfake, Mamiyas 645 Sekor C, other? Let me remind you that I'm using a Blackmagic Ursa Mini 4.6k EF Mount. Thanks!

Oh just realized that you mentioned they are painted blue inside. That should make the horizontal flares possible, I guess.

Stuart, do they emulate anamorphic flares as well?

Btw, those "anamorphics" from Ironglass, are they worth it? I love the anamorphic spatial look. The oval bokehs and the flares are fine as well, but I love that wide space of the image. People tend to say that using a normal spherical lens and cropping to 2.39 is the same but it is not! I know the Ursa Mini has a 3k anamorphic (done by using the 2x desqueeze). Not sure if it's of any use with those russian lenses though.

Thanks Mark! And the M42 mount is the one I should be looking for, right?

Stuart, I saw a few stills from the Takumar 50mm and it's magic! That's the kind of lens I'm looking for. I think it's the closest to the Cooke look I ever found. I also read it's a very specific lens and one can easily buy the "wrong" 50mm takumar. Is this true? Btw, will this lens cover the whole 4.6k sensor on my Ursa Mini? Thanks Tiago Pimentel

Stuart, I've never understood the contax designation. I own a Zeiss 50mm Planar f1.4 AIs. Is this matched to the 28mm distagon?

Great advice Stuart, thanks! Yes, matching different lenses is a must of course. What about the Rokinons? How do they stand (image wise) against the Zeiss?

Thanks Stuart. I know this discussion is always very subjective. I can speak from experience that my Tokina 28-70 renders a very different image from my Sigma 18-35 which is much more analytical (flat looking).

Thanks guys. I probably need to elaborate a bit more when I say distinctive look. For example, I remember a test Shane Hurlbutt did between the Cookes mini S4 and the Leica Summicron and it was quite clear that the Leicas were much more flat than the cookes. The Cookes had this 3 dimension quality, a depth to the image that the Leicas simply didn't have. As if the subject was more separated from the background. And they are priced similarly. My goal here is to find a set of lenses that have this 3 dimension, that you can almost feel the textures and volumes. Of course the camera has something to do with, but that test was shot using the same camera for both lenses.

Hi guys, I'm looking for a set of lenses (not really sure I want primes or zooms) for my narrative projects. I'm looking for lenses that have character, a distinctive look to them. I have a Ursa Mini 4.6k camera (EF mount) and vintage lenses often work great with these newer sensors. I've been thinking if I should buy a few lenses or just use the money to rent some classics like the cooke mini s4 ef mount. I've never used them and I'm one of those that's unsure a prime lens is worth 10.000eur each... (is it worth it?) if I decide to buy, I've read great things about the Mamiyas 645 Sekor C and the Zeiss Contax. I have a Tokina 28-70 2.6 which has the angenieux formula. That's the kind of lens I like. Something with a distinctive look. I'm not looking for lenses that cost 3000eur each. I think for that money, I prefer to rent. Any suggestions? Thanks

Thanks Giacomo. Always a pleasure to read your comments!

Hey Giacomo, Thanks for taking the time to watch and write your thoughts. I also agree with you about the final part but I also think the story needs some sort of closure. A reminder that the parents learned they need to play with their daughter instead of including her in one more routine of their busy lives. Which images do you feel are too much or too cheesy? I love the image of the dad inside the tent with her because it works as a contrast of the scene where she is hiding alone in the same tent, wishing her dad would come to her. Maybe a different more dark music would work better? A sober piano or something? I can definitly look for the right song. Thanks Tiago

Hey again guys, I did a very different cut of the film (in total I've cut about 7min but the editing is different as well). I also recorded the VO again in a whisper room. If you have the time, please feel free to watch it and give me your feedback. Please don't mind some minor sound distortions in one or two moments, I'm still finishing working on that. Link: pass: mhpshorter Cheers Tiago

Hi. I ended up getting the Glidecam Devin Graham signature series. Works very nicely. The only limitation is when you try to get really low shots because of the weigth of the camera. I can't get the camera very close to the ground without getting it unbalanced.

Thanks Landon! PM'd you.

Thanks Samuel! :) (Obrigado, as we say here).

Hey Tyler! You actually made my day when you said it reminded you of a Terrence Malick film lol. Tree of Life has to be one of my all time favorites, but I completely understand that people might find it boring or redundant in a way that it doesn't seem to have that pragmatic view of storytelling. I tend to see that more and more, the idea of imagery serving a function in a story (this scene is to show the character; then we need a second very quick scene to show his work, then this scene to show the conflict, etc etc). Don't get me wrong, I also feel it's a very good exercise to remind ourselves what's in each scene and what does it bring that's new. Not necessarily to move the story narratively speaking, but maybe to make us feel something different about the character. For example, my film has a 3min introduction of a little girl's dream of the perfect world, where she speaks of her idea of happiness, how she sees other kids playing, how she imagines them playing, etc. Of course, I know I could've done this in 30 seconds. But then I started getting in love with these ideas: the idea of showing her crying and how her idylic mom was there taking care of her. The idea of lost footprints in the beach and how she's imagining other kids playing. The idea of her playing with her mom, of whom we just have a glimpse of her gigantic and distorted arms. I know I could've gotten the basic idea through without so much, but I also kind of feel I'm more installed in that emotion, as a viewer (well, I'm not really a viewer, am I? lol) and the drastic reality check when the girl wakes up, hits harder. It's not just creating an idea, but more about creating a character (at least my try at it, of course). I'm sure we'd have arguments, if you were to cut the film, but I'm sure it'd be great arguments and it would only serve the film. Thanks for taking the time to watch this and writing about it!

Thanks Giacomo, very good advice. I don't really know a lot of editors, but I will look for one. :) Thanks! Tiago

Very useful critiques, thanks guys. Will look into ADR and see what I can spot and fix. I know 25min is probably big for a short and can hurt some of the film's chances in film festivals but, for the tone, I don't feel its long. Or too long. About the camera, I love this blackmagic camera. It's by far the best blackmagic camera I've used and it's a proper cinema camera at a very nice price.

You're right. I'll see if I spot the voice over plosives (I'm guessing it's plosives you're refering to) and try to EQ them out instead of EQing the whole voice. It's a bit of hard work, but it should work.

Hi Landon. This was shot entirely on the Blackmagic Ursa Mini 4.6k. I was able to use one of my favorite budget lens: Tokina 28-70 2.6 (angie formula) for most of the indoor stuff.