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Hey there! I'm sorry if this is too many questions at once, but I figured it would be better to just lay my initial questions all out at once instead of peppering them throughout the thread over time. I graduated from college this May with an English degree and a minor in Communications, and I want to go to film school as a graduate student. In order to do this, I need a short film (I'd really like to go to USC). However, my university didn't/doesn't exactly have a cutting-edge film program, so I'm a little flustered. Here's a bit of background about my short film project. It concerns a young woman going to a bar in the early hours of her 21st birthday (it's like 12:08 AM) and ordering her first-ever drink. It's going to be shot without dialog--it will be all body language and sound effects, like a Pixar short, if that makes sense. I want the look of the film to be "objective" (I know that's not a real thing in film) except for a couple of wide-angle shots and a deep focus shot which pulls back over the bar to establish that she's in a bar (if there's a way to do this without deep focus, let me know). I'd also like to do something like this shot from The Music Man (https://youtu.be/CC33O52pGUg?t=2m43s). I don't know how they did it, but I suppose you can cheat it in post if you're a good/patient enough rotoscoper. Anyway, I was looking into what kind of camera I should use to film this project. I've saved up a bit of money and I want to get the best camera possible for the job without requiring me to learn a textbook-worth of information or have tons of hands-on time with the camera before I use it. Since I'll be filming in a real bar (sadly, I haven't saved up enough money to build one from scratch on a soundstage) at night, there will be low light and the possibility of competing color temperatures (since I can't exactly tear out any lights). I'd also prefer to go for as filmic a look as possible. I would shoot the project on film if I could, but I super-don't know enough about film to do that. For this reason, I was looking at either the RED camera or the ARRI Alexa XT. After reading about the RED, I came away with the impression that it was a very particular camera that had kind of a steep learning curve, and that the ARRI Alexa XT would be much easier to shoot with, although I don't know if it's easy enough. My experience has mainly been with that one miniDV Canon SD prosumer camera that everyone had. I also would like to shoot Open Gate ARRIRAW for the project to maximize the pixel count for upscaling to 4K. Since I live near Atlanta, I'm looking at renting from here: http://pce-atlanta.com/. Here is their list of cameras and lenses (PDF): http://www.pce-atlanta.com/pdf/Camera%20Catalog_4_8_2013.pdf. I'm going to be renting the camera and lenses for a weekend. So my first question is: how feasible is this? Especially as I've never used the Alexa before and I'm not an experienced color corrector. Can you just drop ARRIRAW footage into the free version of Da Vinci Resolve or Adobe SpeedGrade and get good results just by messing with a few presets, or is it going to be a month of tedious work? Because I don't have the time to devote every day to it, especially as I'll also be doing foley work. My second question is this: ARRIRAW is flat footage, correct? So how do you know how the colors are going to look when using the monitor? My third question is: how much is that Codex docking station that plugs into the USB 3.0 connection on a MacBook Pro? I've been unable to get a straight answer from their website. And do I need to buy a software license to transfer the ARRIRAW files to a hard drive using it? My fourth question is this: what kinds of lenses should I use? I was thinking of just getting a zoom lens, since that would be cheaper, but would I be able to pull off that deep-focus shot with it? And ARRI's website tells me that shooting in Open Gate ARRIRAW can be a problem because a lot of lenses don't fully cover the sensor area. Do any of the lenses on that list qualify? I'd rather not abandon the Open Gate part of my plan, but I'd sooner abandon it than abandon the Alexa XT (although if I weren't shooting in Open Gate ARRIRAW I guess I could switch to an Alexa with the XT module), so if I have to, I will. My fifth question is: do I need to get a new tripod? I mainly have the kind which you can use for still camera work or for that relatively light Canon prosumer camera I mentioned. Is the Alexa XT a heavy camera? My sixth question is: lighting. I don't understand it. I have a lot of questions about it. I'm considering just using the available light for this reason. For instance, I understand the three-point lighting method (or I think I do, anyway) and I understand how it's easy to do in close-up, but what happens when you cut to a long shot from a different angle, exposing where the lighting rigs would be? My seventh question is: how do I keep it from looking like TV? Let me elaborate on that. I initially thought that aspect ratio played a part in making TV look like TV, but Better Call Saul looks like a movie to me, and Witness for the Prosecution, mistakenly presented in 16:9, looked like a movie as well--not like TV. So my theory is that it has something to do with coverage and composition (and maybe editing and lighting, too). I want my short film to look like a film. What are some common pitfalls I should avoid if I don't want my film to be mundane? I think that's it for now. If you guys could do me a favor and keep checking this thread, I'm sure I'll have more questions. Thank you so much for your time. Also, please let me know if in the future I should make separate topics for questions with separate subject matter. I just didn't want to clutter up your forums.

I'm focus pulling on a short film this week. We are shooting on the Alexa Mini with 2x Kowa Anamorphic lenses. I've worked with anamorphic on a fair few jobs in the past, however I haven't always had the luxury of a prep day. On this short film I have an evening of prep before principle photography begins. I was wondering if I could get some advice on the kind of things I should prep/look out for when shooting on vintage anamorphics? I'll do the obvious and check the accuracy of focal distances to start with. As far as i'm aware each lens will cast a slightly different colour tint onto the image, how can I test this and compensate during shooting? We are also going to be using diopters for a few close-up shots in the short film. Any advice on pulling with diopters in front of the lens? Is there an algorithm that can be used to figure out focal distances for different diopter levels? Or is it recommended that I just rely on a monitor for these shots?

So there's this particular type of lens flare that I've been meaning to try to recreate without having to use post-production editing (all in camera). While we all have a general idea of what one of the more common generic anamorphic lens flares look like (basically has the two long horizontal star points along with varying degrees of elements depending on the camera and lenses, but this one has always been the most appealing. You may have seen it from some movies mostly in the 70's and 80's. To give you an idea, I've myself have seen it in Dirty Harry (1971), Magnum Force (1973), Aliens (1986), Jurassic Park (1993), Encounters With The Third Kind (1977), Blade Runner (1982), and the first Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979). While it is generated from numerous light sources, including direct and reflected sunlight, it is often mostly associated with flash lights/torches (I've often called it the flashlight flare, though it may already have been pre-established as something else). While I will provide some example photos, its general shape is round with bright center (obviously) and with a thick outer rim that is colored, sometimes having various number and size of star points which i'm guessing is determined by the lenses aperture and number of blades. But the most dominating feature is a colorful ring around the whole flare (the whole thing often takes on an orange/reddish color when associated with flashlights). I'll leave a link to a mediafire folder containing the pics. If it doesn't work I'll embed a few in the page. I also have included a video recorded on my iphone of a similar flare but not exactly the same. Anyone have any idea how this particular flare is made? https://www.mediafire.com/folder/3asu9mdrur73u/lens_flare also if you can access the mediafire, I've also included a still from E.T. The Extra Terrestrial that is a shot of what im guessing is a certain area/suburb of Los Angeles, to which I've noticed is quite a common view used in many movies and I've reason to believe it is a common tourist site. Anyone know what that view/spot is?

Hello, I am selling my set of Arri Ultra Primes. Lenses are in a very good condition. They were bought in December, 2012. Item is located in Saint-Petersburg, Russia. Worldwide delivery is discussible. Contact for details. Price is 90000 Euro Feel free to ask any questions: merluzzo@yandex.ru

We are currently selling: ANGENIEUX HR 17-102mm T2.9 PL Mount Metric Scale, Europe Located. Perfect working condition Glass Mint Condition. Minor marks and signs of use. Custom case included. LOOKING FOR: 8.000€ + shipping + fees. PM: alvaro@camararental.com

I recently aquired a BMCC, which lends a couple of questions. Now, I see that it is common to use adapters with this camera. Which lenses are great choices for this camera? And are there fully manual zooms under $1000? Also, is Metabones speedbooster with EF lenses a good option, or are the lenses just too big for the sensor? Thanks.

Lenses For Sale (Pre-Owned): Cooke S4/i 18/25/35/50/75/100mm Lens Set Kowa Anamorphic 40/50/75/100mm Lens Set Leica Summicron-C 18/25/35/50/75/100mm Arri 16/24/32mm T2.1 Macro Lens Set Arri Master Prime 18/25/35/50/75/100mm Lens Set Arri Master Prime 27mm T1.3 Lens Metric Scale Arri Ultra Prime 16/24/32/50/85/135mm Lens Set Zeiss MKII Superspeed Prime Lenses 18/25/35/50/85mm email sales@broadcastsolutions.com for pricing and details.

So I am trying to look into Renting equipment for 14 Days for an Indie Film. The issue is we only have about 6K to spend for a FULL Camera Kit and Lenses. Mind you I have a good tripod, but obviously need all the working parts. Im really contemplating a Canon C300 MKII for 4K C-Log, with either a Zeiss CP2 Kit (which is much cheaper, under budget it seems) or a Set of Cooke S4 Primes which puts us right on target, maybe a hair expensive. I'm a stickler for quality and this film is really in need of that "David Fincher" Style usually locked off on a tripod, so no need for handheld rigs, but needs to have a very "anamorphic" look and almost like 35mm Film Stock! Im not a Cinematography Pro, I just really need something that does well in low light, doesnt need to be like an A7s, but that NAILS Color and the overall feel of things. Hope someone has some ideas! Thanks!

I have a couple Cooke Speed Panchro 18mm III's for sale. Take a look below and let me know if you have any questions! Thanks so much. Cooke Speed Panchro 18mm III - 747441: Front element has scratches. Rear has some fungus. No yellowing. No haze. Aperture ring pretty good and blades have no oil. Focus ring a little loose. Priced to sell at $950. Pics here. Cooke Speed Panchro 18mm III - 688301: Front element has some spots but no scratches. Rear is pretty clean. No yellowing. No haze. Aperture is smooth and blades have small amount of oil. Focus is smooth. $1400. Pics here.

Hi there, I own a great set of Schneider Kreuznach lenses with Arri STD mount and would like to rehouse them. Lenses are 18mm, 28mm, 40mm, 50mm, 75mm and 100mm, all f2. I know that P+S is doing proper rehousings but this is probably to expensive for all lenses (I think they will charge around 18.000€ for all 6 lenses). Any recommendations? Thanks!

hello guys! I've got a question, it might be a stupid question for some of us, still it bothers me right now! I was browsing some Canon Cinema Prime lenses, and I read: "they offer brilliant 4K image quality" my question is: what does that mean? I mean, how do they calculate that the lens offers a 4K image quality and not for instance a 2K? thank you so much :)

Saw this and thought I would share: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/mediatechnologyandtelecoms/media/12082238/British-production-firms-spend-big-on-vintage-lenses-to-profit-from-period-drama-boom.html

Hi everybody, can anybody give a little insight on what parfocal lenses are? Thanks so much in advance, Davide

Cooke S4i 14-18-25-32-40-50-75-100-135mm Cooke S4i Mini 18, 25, 32, 50, 75, &100mm Cooke 15-40mm Zoom Lens Zeiss MK2 Super Speed Lens Set 18,25,35,50,& 85mm Zeiss/Arriflex Vari Primes Lens Set Van Diemen Leica Set 15mm to 135mm Contact: sales@broadcastsolutions.com

Optical Support are one of the UK’s leading lens repair and Steadicam specialists in the UK. Over 15 years of experience has provided us with the knowledge and tools to provide a high quality, reputable service. Whether it’s a low budget film or a full length feature, we can provide you with a tailored service to meet your production requirements. Also known for the infamous Mantis Rickshaw; Optical Support has become a household name in the British film industry with credits in Feature films and Television spanning across the world including Spectre (2015), Pride and Prejudice and Zombies (2016), Game Of Thrones and Indian Summers. For more information please visit http://www.opticalsupport.com Optical Support Ltd 203 – 204 Belgravia Workshops 157 – 163 Marlborough Road London United Kingdom N19 4NF Call: +44 (0)207 281 0999 General Enquires: info@opticalsupport.com Accounts Debt: accounts@opticalsupport.com Lens Hire: info@oslenses.com

Hi! I'm downscaling my Super 16-kit and it's time to let go of these beautiful lenses. First got them to use with an Ikonoskop A-cam dII but lately I've used them for s16 film cameras (Arri Sr2, Aaton a-minima and Arri 416). Actually also tried them on a Gh4 (with mft-pl-adapter) and from 12mm and up they cover the sensor in 4k mode. They are in really good mechanical and optical condition. Some paint wear on the housings but all focus marks and text is clearly visible. So what I've got is: Zeiss Super Speed mkII Super 16mm lenses. All T1.3. 9,5mm, 12mm, 25mm and 50mm. Will sell individual lenses or all at once. I'm hoping to get a deal done quickly so first come first served (hope that's the correct english expression for it…). Prices reasonable, please contact me if you are seriously interested and we'll discuss it. Lenses are located in Stockholm but I will ship world wide (but EU preferred). Best regards/Kalle Folke, Sweden www.kallefolke.se

I am playing around with anamorphic adapters, and obviously am limited by what sort of taking lenses I can use. I wanted to use a Zeiss 35mm but found it vignetted very slightly, so I moved up to a 50mm. This is on a GH4 with a Speedbooster, so fairly fairly close to simulating a Super35 sensor. Also shooting 4:3. For Super 35, ~35mm-ish seems like a standard for a "normal" fov on spherical and 50mm seems a bit tight, better for close-ups (imo). But since the 2X anamorphic stretches the horizontal focal length, I am a little unsure of what should be a go-to focal length for anamorphic. I myself usually compose based on the vertical size of the frame, which doesn't change, but obviously I wouldn't want so much more negative horizontal space so I'd probably move backwards to compensate. I don't have many other great primes that will take the anamorphic adapter, so I am trying to avoid too much trial and error by seeing what others think.

Hi everybody, I'm still a beginner and I'm having some doubts about hyperfocal distance. Playinng with some DOF charts I've noticed that the hyperfocal distance changes with the aperture and the focal lenght of the lens. For example shooting 35mm 3-perf on a 50mm and at a F2 the hyperfocal distance is 161' and 6", so if focusing for this distance everything from 80' to infinity should be in acceptable focus (please tell me if I'm wrong about it), but what if the hyperfocal distance is something like 400', most lenses do not have a mark for it, so which distance should I be focusing for? Thank you so much in advance for the help!

Hello, I am a filmmaker who inherited a Super 16 Arriflex SR2 with lenses. I can not afford the cost of film so I would like to sell it and the lenses and use the money to hire a cinematographer. The lenses are all in great condition. If there is any problem with them I will take them back and refund you $1,000 per lens. For sale: Zeiss 9.5mm Distagon 1:12 T1.3 Superspeed Zeiss 12mm Distagon 1:12 T1.3 Superspeed Zeiss 16mm Distagon 1:12 T1.3 Superspeed Zeiss 25mm Distagon 1:12 T1.3 Superspeed Zeiss/Optex 12-120mm T2.4 All have PL mounts and are from the MK II series. Includes case Price $5,000 includes shipping. Please email about anything you would like to know! (The Arriflex SR2 I have is also for sale. Please email for more information!) Listed on Ebay! More photos on Ebay! http://www.ebay.com/itm/Zeiss-lenses-for-arriflex-16mmSR2-Set-of-5-9-5-12-16-25-12-120mm-/161790335402?hash=item25ab7499aa

Hello, What is the most efficient, safest, yet cost effective way to purchase a set of lenses from Europe while living in Los Angeles? Buying directly from owner. The owner is hesitant about sending lenses overseas without full payment as I am hesitant about having them sent from overseas after I have paid for them. What about insuring them properly, import/export duties, etc? The set is valued at about $17,500 USD. Any information would be very helpful. Long time listener, first time caller! - Ren Bradford

Hi there everyone, Just wished to know what kind of circular filter would fit/cover a zeiss 11-110, a super 16 zoom lens? Will a Tiffen 86C from B&H photo video be good enough? thanks

Hey guys, a guy in town is offering to sell this set of (heavily used) vintage primes for $2300. He's not sure what they are, they were given to him. They look to me like maybe old zeiss standard speeds, or something similar. Can anyone tell me what they are? Trying to figure out if it would be a steal to snag these. Specs: 28mm t2.2 35mm t2.2 50mm t2.3 75mm t2.2 (see attached image) Thank you!

Hello everybody, I've been thinking about it for a little time and I couldn't find an answer so I hope somebody could maybe give me some helpful tips. I know that the marks on a lens are put following a logarithmical pattern ( if I'm not wrong it means that the closer the more I have to spin the wheel). What I'd really like to know is how good ACs can remember by heart when it becomes necessary on the lens to start pulling faster etc etc. What I wanna know is if different lenses/manufactureres kind of follow the same patter (for example if after 8 foot marks become more distant between each others when you pull closer on a given focal lenght lens). And if not how ACs train their muscle memory on lenses they have never used. Thank you so much everybody!

Hello everybody, can anybody tell me what circle of confusion is? I've looked for explanations but I could not find one that is easily understandable. Thanks in advance, Davide

So I bought the Angenieux 17-68mm f/2.2 c-mount lens for my MFT cameras and I am wanting to use my variable ND filter on it. Obviously I needed a step up ring adaptor. I read at vintagelensesforvideo.com in the comments section of the post about this lens that it was most likely a series 7 filter. So I bought a series 7 to 58mm adaptor; I was way too big. I then bought a series 6 to series 7 adaptor; this was barely too small. I've gone to all the local Dallas/Fort Worth camera shops and they all have no clue. Does anyone know what the front filter specifications are for this lens? Any help much appreciated! Alex