The "Development" road is long, the chances of a full "green light' are fairly low, but as Han Solo told 3P-0 "never tell me the odds". Approach every project with confidence and be proud of the work you do regardless of the outcome. The SMC Takumar's killed it in the demo to producers. :) ASK ME ANYTHING below, will do my best to respond! Edit: just to be clear the footage in this was simply a “lens test”. It wasn’t the proof of concept video. That will Be shot later, I just wanted a relevant location to test the footage with this setup. Especially in post.
Nice job Mark! I have learned a lot from your videos and I have directly being inspired to invest in vintage lens from all I have seen from you. The fact that you are using them on possibly big platform validates your knowledge! Thanks and keep it up!
Im so glad the big producers dont mind going back on the basics!!since i bought my hélios 44 m4 a few weeks ago,Im more and more interested in vintage lenses...and you are the guru😄
It took some convincing, but it works given the narrative. 1970’s and 2010’s. The 2010 stuff will have a very different look to help juxtapose the two timelines which will be intercut through the series. Also this is just development for pitch, if it gets green light I’d imagine they would revisit everything which is fine by me. My role on this right now is to shoot and edit their pitch video, green light is a whole Different contract.
Super cool of you to say mate! Thanks so much! Mini update, the project is now in the next stages of dev with the production company and Netflix. My role was simply to produce the "sizzle" video which is like a sample of what an episode would look like. That's what these lenses were used for and they killed it. VERY glad I tested them here before though, figured out some of the shortcomings and ways around them for when we shot the actual recon. Anyway more info than you needed to know I guess lol. . thanks for the kind words.
Can't wait for this to come out. Your videos helped me feel more comfortable shooting with vintage lenses. I was given quite a few of them when I first started out and definitely found my own style with them. I LOVE shooting with vintage lenses.
They're my fav too, honestly it just takes some practice. I'm having the reverse issue now, playing around with the Sigma 24-70 2.8 for the S1H and there's just so much I have to get re-accustomed to lol.
Ha! I’m on the same boat right now. Finally got a native lens for my camera and there’s still so much more to learn! But I’ve been telling myself that I learned the hard way first so this part should be breezy. 😆
OHHHHHHHH! Curious to hear how this turns out, the Takumar's in my case killed it pretty hard lol. So much of the convo after I presented to the producers was about the lenses.
Thanks Jyrki! Still a long road, but one step at a time. I'm only on to work on this development video so whatever I can do to strengthen the pitch is my main focus. Take care my friend!
That’s so cool that you were able to use your Takumars. Been watching for a while just never commented but you’ve really made me want to get a pair of some takumar lenses in the future. I’m also been working on a documentary for the past few months that we are pitching to Netflix as well. Hope it works out for the both of us!
You prob have a more ground level role mate. Mine is just to shoot/edit the pitch video. Although I would prob get offered an editing position if it worked out and my schedule was clear. It’s a long process. Best of luck with your progress mate!
You make awesome videos, the content, the narration and the editing is absolutely next level. I found your channel recently after getting into vintage lenses and I was very quick to subscribe, keep up the great work. My journey started with my dad's old Topcor 58mm lens from '67, seeing if I could use it on modern systems. One thing led to another and I am now hooked.
6:34 "There will be problems" and that's the case in any field of course, but knowing how to mitigate them and deal with them when they occur is what sets professionals apart imo. Great job!
I cannot thank you enough for this man. All of your videos are solid gold and this one came right on time. All the best on your project man, and I really hope that it goes well for you. Enjoy the hell out of it man🤙
Good for you Mark! Rooting for you. You've really given me a lot of inspiration to start using vintage lenses and take the first steps towards cinematography. Best of luck!
At the very least it will it will give you more lens time to be able to experiment. The best way to get better at something is to use them so once you become well versed in these you can upgrade easily enough to the bigger stuff. You can’t practice with what you don’t have access toZ
Learned a lot from this! Thanks for sharing these insights. Really liked your sound design during the "on site" shots. Definitely wanting a some vintage lenses and burgers now, though!
Thanks dude. Man I wish I could go all in, still trying to figure out how I can pull the general practice of this process without giving away the narrative or IP in any way. Also not sure how relevant it is, just need to make sure I have good examples to help illustrate those points to help them land. It’s a method that works so well for smaller crews as well. Given the global circumstances we’re trying hard to be creative with the solutions to the problems we’re presented right now.
Thanks so much for sharing this in such detail - there's a lot to learn from your process and your results, very valuable. Very best of luck with the project!
Thanks Enzo, the goal is just to produce stuff I enjoy and teach a thing or two. Subs are a nice validation, but definitely not the goal. Appreciate your kind words of support
Loved this video. I don’t shoot video and only just bought my first Takumar (50mm 8 element for $25!) but this video was great despite being out of my wheel house. Thanks. Can’t wait to hear more.
@@MarkHoltze The most meaningful video of your so far...as per my own craft and dealing with project...all the other ones still touch a deep passionate core related to image in general.
I am so glad things are going well for you and your love of vintage lenses!! Keep us up to date and links so we can watch your history unfold !! Again great ideas and execution Mark!!
I’m so excited about this, your so passionate about these lenses and that passion is catching.... I hope that this works, who knows what the potential is..... My concern is the colour profile, unless this is a flat profile. I think maybe the Godfather colour profile may be the way to go... Caravaggio lighting and all that....
Yes the bright sun and high contrast areas are tough. Still working on the colour profile, prob going to have a dedicated colourist work using resolve to really push what we can do. But I’ve corrected the yellowing from the 35 and 50 since by UV light exposure. So at least all 4 are now similar.
@@RandomLifeProductions Thanks so much mate! Honestly I've worked on a few development projects, I don't get too close because the odds are stacked against them. SO many ideas are pitched, green lights are few and far between. I'm just super stoked to be able to use these lenses in a professional capacity even if it's just for the pitch video. As much as I would love to see any project I'm involved with go to camera and get a green light, my role in this contractually is over once the video is done and everyone signs off on it. Netflix official production standards are very different, even if this gets green light, I doubt they'll use any of the vintage lenses to shoot any of it. Who knows though...still very cool and in a weird sort of way validates our love and affection for these lenses.
Thanks mate. Shoot the recon the week after next and we’re all set. Was able to fix the colour discrepancy between the 35 and 50 and 135 and 85 so that will made grade matching easier.
DUDE. The way you transformed boring street footage into establishing shots for a thriller lol, just by using ominous music! And the grade of course. Amazing stuff. 9:02 - 9:11 'Charcoal Barbecued...' You need more subs man. Keep up the good work! And best of luck for the series!
That’s the strategy with this one. The key will be the story tellers in the interviews and the locations void of any people. The words take you there, the images give the words context. It’s a very effective way to cover a story and it lends so much trust in the story tellers. Good interviewing is key, of course. Creating a sequence of shots like this is challenging in a sense it’s very easy for them to not work. Pacing, shot vs shot ca shot and the story telling, music, sound all need to come together perfectly or it feels very amateur. There is a master class in this alone, but maybe one day. Thanks for the kind words mate as always. I am happy with the channel size though, more people would prob put more pressure to produce and I’ve already got a full time job lol. I do love it though so, it’s win win right? Thanks again my friend.
I have a set of SuTaks as well but unfortunately not a matching set. Even a 15mm f/3.5! Testing has been really helpful to see which of these lenses has yellowing then doing the UV light trick to neutralize them. It’s not a perfect process but it has definitely helped a lot. Are all of yours m42 mount or do you have a mix of mounts?
Hey mate they came up really good! great job. fingers crossed it all goes well be great to know , these old masterpieces still have some life in them. And i can't believe you didn't get one burger !
I’m glad I didn’t only because we had a feast at the cottage 2 hours later. Those burgers are go to bed burgers lol. You eat one and you don’t eat all day. 😂 thanks mate! Next time. Also I didn’t want to take advantage, I was on the clock and my host was gracious to allow me to shoot there. :)
Thanks mate. Going to figure out how some of these play against the 2010 represented stuff (being shot on modern lenses with a different colour grade). The 1970's and 2010's timelines will play a critical role and visually establishing a difference there is also critical. :)
What a video. Incredible mark. Love love love seeing them process, any process but especially one like this. Really enjoyed and so hope you can share more of the journey, but yeah, productions tend to be a little secretive!! Enjoyed the background too and yeah and the instant jealously caused by those awesome transformers 🤣
Thanks AJ. Lens testing is a bit banal, but figured it would be more interesting presentation to use the location as a way to help story board some concepts as well as figure out some grade options. This is like, WAY above the type of pre-production I needed to do, but the extra effort was noticed. Shooting under the brightest lighting conditions mid day isn't ideal, but we're going for authenticity in this case.
It’s got a modern twist which is what makes it relevant today, but yes. We need to bounce back and forth between decades so the vintage stuff will be these, the modern stuff is being tackled by modern glass. There is a second DP doing all that stuff. Very high tech to juxtapose against the older stuff.
I love your color grading it looks cinematic too. I have one Takumar 135mm 2.5 (not the desired one) a ton of fd,om,nikon , I enjoy them ,last night I was shooting the moon 🌙 with an om zuiko 300mm 4.5 on a Sony a7ii . The lens isn't highly regarded but for $25 it's hard to beat.
THanks mate, this part was more to help me get some ideas when we actually shoot the real stuff. We've got a grade we all like and have some possible story boarded shots we can repeat at the actual location. Wanted something a little cooler to test the lenses with this setup ;) was a nice way to spend an afternoon and really did a lot in setting my expectations on what to expect when we do shoot. :) Thanks again Aaron!
I am more a stills photographer, but I really like your videos. I like your style. Keep up the great work. Let us know once the documentary is out on Netflix
If it gets a green I will for sure Steve. I’ve worked on loads of development projects and the general odds are against, but that doesn’t stop. Production company got some dev money so right now it’s just focusing on making the best video for me. For the bigger production it’s a much bigger venture. Just excited to be able to bridge my hobby with my work stuff at this point :)
Atomos fam unite!! Haha. Another great video Mark! I have a film I want to shoot that’s set in the 80s and I want you use *drumroll* vintage lenses. So this was a great one to watch! Keep up the awesome work!
Yes dude! Can’t wait to hear more about that. I couldn’t do this without atomos, pro res is so friendly and looks so good. Also my focus is tight with the larger screen!
Been buying vintage lenses I have a question do you ever find that your adapters can reduce the focusing range of a lens. I’m def trying to get my Takumar line up. I use a bmpcc 4K.
Some M42 lens adapters have reported reactions and incompatibility with certain M42 lenses like the Takumars. I know I have a couple adapters that say they’re Version 1 or Version 2 and are supposed to be used for specific lenses, hence why I have one of each so far just in case. I do have a Montgomery Ward 28mm for instance that won’t adapt no matter what M42 adapter I use, either something’s wrong with the lens or I don’t have a proper adapter to work with it. Definitely research your adapter and lens combination if you’re not sure.
Bartenders educated people about whiskey and the prices skyrocketed over the past few years, the same has happened with these on eBay thanks to guys like you😂
lol, i hope not. I don't want to be partially responsible for that. I still think the vintage lens is still super niche, the mass market will never be there simply because of auto focus. eBay is a nice place to find exactly what you want (search) but those dealers are trying to cover their costs and fees so it's definitely not a place to get the deals. The whiskey bit is very interesting though, I can see the parallels.
can you give us tips how to nail focus in video while manual focusing with vintage lens mark. and congratulations for the pitch. can't wait to watch it
I did a video that might help on "How I Nail Manual Focus". Fundamental thing is practice, get to know your lenses and give them a bit of time, it's amazing how quickly your body will adapt to them. Having good eyes helps, plus a steady hand. These vintage lenses tend to have nice focus throws that are mechanical so they move 1:1 with your movement. Also a monitor of some sort REALLY helps. EVF's aren't bad, but LCD screens on cameras are the worst way to monitor focus. Also have an idea on your blocked movement, it's very hard to run and gun with manual focus, but again practice and knowledge of your lenses will help that big time. When we shoot most of this stuff we have a general idea where the movement is going to go so we can follow focus much easier. Last time, always focus on the eyes ;) Hope that helps mate.
Very exciting. The proof of concept footage looks amazing. Have you ever been successful lessening the yellow look caused by the thorium? If so, I'd be interested in your method. I read something about using an Ikea Jansjo USB LED lamp and wondered if you have tried this? I bought the handy little USB lamp but haven't made the time to test before/after looks. This may be an interesting topic for a short video for the future (if it works)? I know you're plate is full right now! Best wishes!
Thanks Chris! Just to be clear, that stuff was just part of my lens testing. The proof of concept, "sizzle" "development reel" so many names is something we're going to be shooting in a few weeks. I just wanted to do a proper lens test and that's what this footage is. Explore how the footage grades under various exposures and camera settings. I actually exposed my 35 and 50 to 9 hours of sunlight last week (after shooting this) to reverse the yellowing and it totally worked. Yellow tinted lenses fully cleaned. The bulbs work as well, a bit safer I think temp wise, but takes about 48 hours of exposure time under bulbs I hear.
Thanks Mark - the lens test footage looks great! I'm glad the sunlight worked and the heat didn't harm your lenses. I would be afraid of melting lubricants, etc. Thank you for your awesome content and good luck with the proof of concept video!
I saw you loading your four primes into the bag without any protection for the lenses which will knock together in the bag. I would put them in either dedicated leather pouches or hard cases. They do take up a bit more space, but keeps sharp and hard metal from banging against the other lenses. Sooner or later those lenses will show bag rash if they are not kept protected. You can get the same for the body as well.
There are padded dividers in the bag and I used a soft rag to split the one part where the two lenses are together. Strategically out to keep the metal on metal contact on that side there to a minimum. Also they fit snug so the tension helps there as well. It’s not a bad idea, but I wanted to minimize the fuss while shooting at the location. A back pack I would for sure, but this bag minimizes movement based on how it sits. The nice thing about mods is the lens hoods/ gears and caps keep a nice social barrier away from any real contact with the lens and bag directly. I normally use a hard case but this was just one of those times efficiently trumps . Calculated efficiency ;)
As a follow up, I prefer the soft leather pouches to the hard leather round cases IF you must save space, but in practicality the round hard-leather cases, especially those with a snug fit offer more protection. Once in Africa while filming a tracker stepped onto my camera bag when the Land Rover hit a pothole and broke my video camera in half, but the lenses in the hard cases suffered virtually no damage. Lesson learned. I always put them in cases now on any shoot. Shift happens!
Loved this Mark! I hope people here appreciate the insight you have given in this video. I know all to well how painful it is working on something amazing and never being able / allowed to show what we shot thanks to our lovely legal departments in TV / Film. The Atomos Ninja Flame gets so much use here. It's always connected to my B camera(s) to push out those 422 pix. Out of personal curiosity, why didn't you run a Simmod VND on those bright shots? The highlights were fairly blown out. But that's a personal preference. Maybe it's the look of what the documentary is going for. By the way, I love the atmosphere you built in that little sizzle. I assume there would be snippets of VO over those shots too. Fingers crossed it gets greenlit and you shoot the whole thing. That would be epic!
Great! Very interesting. And the S1H! I will order a M42 to L adapter from the german company Novoflex and test it. Wish you a smooth shooting! Keep us posted!
Thanks Steve! Ya I'm waiting for Fotodiox to get caught up on this front, but taking a bit long. Fotasy has some adapters, but they won't ship to Canada.
@@MarkHoltze Fotasy does not ship to Europe either. What happened to globalisation? There is another brand: Haoge. But apparently, they have fitting issues. I ordered the Novoflex yesterday. I will keep you posted.
@@MarkHoltze The Novoflex has arrived and I have tested it out. The problem persists. It has the exact same length than Sigma + M42 Adapter btw. Strange that both Carl Zeiss and Takumar exhibit this infinity overthrow. By 1 mm, it's not much. It is very visible when the aperture is fully open. Did you notice anything on your side? I read in a photography forum about people sanding their adapters because of that issue. My conclusion: I will have to be extra aware when shooting with my M42 lenses. Cheers!
Best of luck Mark. I’ll be sure to watch it when it comes out on Netflix. Regarding that short clip, not a fan of the crow shot due to the sudden pan to the left, but the rest of the shots are really great. You can tell I watch all of your videos when I say you used the tripod slider trick for the Webers signboard shot. ;)
I left the pan in just as a little behind the scenes bit. Nothing about that little sequence is representative of the final piece that's for sure ;). The only reason that shot made it in is because the shot prior to that had one of those birds fly though so it was a nice matching action shot lol. Also the exposure on that one was much more comfortable being in the shade vs the bright sun, so as a test bed it's been good to see where any noise patterns start to come up. Just to be clear, this was simply a lens test session, we're not going to shoot the core stuff for this until July 18th. I just thought using this location would be more versatile and interesting to elevate the simple lens test and hopefully get a jump on some of the creative grade stuff before we shoot vs after :) Thanks for stopping by as always mate, appreciate it. And YES you totally saw the tripod slider trick lol. Works every time in a pinch ;)
I think in your other videos for wide angle lenses you mentioned prefering the canon over the Takumar. Of all the vintage lenses you've tried have you noticed distinct differences in character and color? Curious what your thought process was when deciding which glass to use. Was looking at the Nikkor 28mm ai-s as well as minolta's for my Fuji Xh1 - Props on getting into this project!!
Hi mate, honestly my main reason for choosing the Canon 24 over the Tak 28 is simply because it's wider. 28 and 35 are a little too subtle of a focal change and the F/3.5 on the Tak isn't as fast as both the 24 and my Takumar 35. Colour differences can vary ,but easy to fix in post, it's more the handling of a lens. How the focus feels etc vs the images they render. If I were to break it down into the simplest form. Nikkor Ai-S lenses are wonderful, I would like to start getting into those actually. Combined with your Xh1 it should be a great combo! I choose these lenses right now simply because I have a full modded set of them. I also have a Contax Zeiss set which are waiting a cinema mod and my soviet lenses which are being built by Ironglass. Then i'll have a German, Japanese and Soviet set I can pick and choose from for projects. I guess to come around once again, optical image characteristics are important. I've UV baked my 35 and 50 after this video because I didn't like how they didnt' colour match my 85 and 135. The yellowing in those lenses from thorium decay can be reversed with UV light exposure. It was just too much work to match the lens set so for videography I would say that colour is important. They're much better now :)
@@MarkHoltze that's true! I overlooked that detail in the video I suppose. And it is kind of a relief that it's more about the handling and physical operation of the Lens rather than color and character- I was getting too caught up with that actually. Obsessed with finding something that had character and a good pop. Maybe it's because I saw the distagon 28mm f2.0 and felt like I needed to find an alternative cheaper solution to it- with a floating lens element and all. I'm happy to hear that you think the Nikkor glass would be a good venture! I'm close to pulling the trigger on those. Well that's exciting that you're Russian and Zeiss glasses are almost done with being modded ... Specially the zeiss😉 which ones are in your aresenal now? Lastly two quick things. Have you tried the canon nfd 24mm or Olympus zuiko 28mm? And when it comes to operation, any focus turn greater than 90° is preferred right? 90 is probably on the shorter end. Thanks !
Thankyou so much for not adding any bloopers at the end this time - just need to drop that Star Wars grab. You really don’t need them as your subject matter is so interesting and informative and your delivery is excellent. You’re way above the need to include those cheesy extras that soon loose their appeal. Looking forward to the next installment of this story :)
Well, I said it by accident in an emperor way and reminded me of this scene when editing, so figured it was an on the nose joke. I don’t do bloopers but will experiment with a creative cutaway once and awhile. Appreciate the feedback.
Let me also add, if you've worked in production before you know it's a constant battle of solving one problem after the other. Luke represents innocence in the filmmaking process (even with as much prep as you can do) and the Emperor represents the one who's SEEN it all. Honestly, I fully agree with the lack of maturity in many cases, but if something out of context is going into a video of mine, i"ve definitely thought it out symbolically and metaphorically. Sure it may not fully resonate and of course I COMPLETELY respect your opinion mate, but figured I should elaborate my intention of putting it in. I won't make a single cut unless it's motivated by a deeper meaning, it's something you learn very fast working in TV and films. What does this cut mean? What does it represent? How does it push the narrative forward? What's it telling the audience?
Hi Mark, unfortunately I can’t read past the fifth line - when I hit ‘read more’ the keyboard pops up and I can’t remove it. Happened on your first reply too. First of all, I watch your feed because I enjoy it - it thing and you can present it anyway you like. Apart from being very informative, you covered different topics and had a fresh way of presenting it - no hype - just good content - well delivered. It was a refreshing change to watch something where the presenter was not trying to be a showman.
Looks like I have to reply in paragraphs ... :) There are other bloggers who started well and then became sidetracked with other things. One started focussing too much on his quirky delivery and another began incorporating his family into the blogs so that it almost became a form of home movies - so I stopped watching them - somewhat disappointed ... As I said before, your blogs have been so clean and fresh - devoid of gimmicks - standing aline on content and delivery !!! The a few episodes back the ‘blooper’ style out takes started to creep in and took away from all of your good content + the Star Wars grabs etc. It just dilutes your quality product - but that’s just my opinion. Yes I do work in the industry and burn many long hours because of it. I hope you receive this as positive feedback because I would hope to see you continue with your high quality product that sets you apart from others. Best Regards Chris
I use a lot of these Pentax lenses myself, as you do, and love them as well. I tried then sold the 35mm f2 because of the Thorium as you mention. I also did the same on one of the 50 f1.4 lenses. Instead, I use the eight-element 50mm version and the 28mm f3.5 and find those balance and intercut better with the other Takumars in the family. I realize the 28mm f3.5 IS slower by a half stop but the version I have has the 58mm filter size not the smaller 52mm or 49mm common to most of their other lenses. I find that one lets in as much light as the 28mm f2.8 and is a better lens in my opinion. Try those two lenses out and you will not have the Thorium issue to deal with as you do in the 35mm and some 50mm lenses. Just my two cents worth.
Thanks so much for this Mark, I'm trying to get more into the professional side of things here in South Africa - especially with documentaries - so this goes a long way informing how I might be able to motivate for my own projects. I don't have an S1H but the X-T3 is more than enough for a local streaming platform I'm planning on approaching. Once again, your content both valuable and entertaining to watch.
This barely scratches. There is so much that happens. I can’t speak to most of it, but I can to this. It’s annoying having to keep critical info out to give context, but tried to package in a general sense that can be used moving forward. The “Art of the pitch” is real. Best thing is tech doesn’t matter at this stage, just sell them on the concept, the tech part will come! Best of luck mate, questions feel free.
Thanks mate, my role is just the sizzle reel which we're shooting in a few weeks, just make the producers happy so that it gives them the best chance I think. It's a great story, but the "pitch" is a craft/artform in itself lol.
Modern cameras are so sharp and clean, the detail makes images feel digital. Vintage lenses help bring some of the organic nature back into motion picture. They must be at least sort of matched though. Can tell you as a colorist that lenses that don't match are a damn nightmare
Hell yes they are. This test motivated me to UV expose my yellowed ones which I’ve actually done. The difference is night and day. The 35 and 50 are now much closer to the 135 and 85.
Modern lenses has the benefit of consistency, which is why they're computer design and multi-coated for that color consistency and can render the same results. Vintage lenses on the other hand may differ in physical and age condition including production manufacturing variables so not all lenses match each other. The same vintage lens can be made in one production year, while another lens can go through multiple revisions on the production line and its a mess trying to match all the small variables in the piece of the puzzle.
@@caldera878 Some brands have it worse than others, but this is why we test and study to see if we can see past those differences or not. My biggest gripe was the colour matching in the 35 and 50. This is why I also decided to "bake the yellow out" right after I played around with the footage so they're at least colour consistent (closer to) . Contax Carl Zeiss and Leica R's are both highly used in the DP world and revered for their colour matching between focal lengths. I have a set of Contax, but they're not modded yet so figured the Takumar's might be a good alternative given the subject matter. You're right though for sure, and since we're shooting a pitch video (not for broadcast) so we don't have to go through the same scrutiny.
Pitching a documentary series... it sounds familiar to me 🤞. Since the S1h came out I was very curious about a S1h+Takumar lenses+ProRes combo, are you happy with the footage you worked on (apart from the 35mm yellowish tint, of course)? Thanks
Very happy yes. Lighting conditions were tricky blasting sun, high contrast areas, but it’s a critical part of the intro sequence for what we are planning to shoot so wanted to mess with some different exposures to see how it translated. The lenses are small, light and easy to rig. The image quality works perfect with the S1H. This pitch video will be internal, the S1H is a Netflix approved camera and they won’t know much about Takumars I suspect. Tech specs from Netflix perspective is irrelevant now anyway; a green light would mean a completely different production kit, but that doesn’t change the use of these lenses now. Pro res is the best, so efficient. Tried some internal codec stuff from S1H ans looks great but Boggs down there system a bunch. Proxies and a proper online would be needed if we went full resolution. Again doesn’t make a difference for this pitch video. It’s definitely a giant leap though for the lenses. I’m really happy with the combo right now and would feel confident enough to pitch them more often.
Great video Mark. Love the work. Do you ever use Circular Polarizers with your lenses? I find that I get a nicer render on the colours but when combined with ND then it's goes south. Yours is one my favourite channels on the tube. Legit!
Are you worried about pulling focus with two adapters? I'm about to use the OMs on a short and I have had a tough time nailing moving shots with a follow focus and thats just the play from one adapter.
I'm not actually, I tested the Nano at home and it's smooth. I wasn't doing any sort of fitness with these ones, I was time limited and just wanted to see how much the focus would throw. Most of our work for this will be a set focus as we move through, but the lenses are smooth enough where even the biggest jerk on the nano keeps them locked. I was having some tripod head lock issues, I had to fix it with some tools when I got home.
Thanks mate. I’m just contracted for the video so once that’s done it’s out of my hands. Just need to keep producers happy and that’s my focus. So far so good. A green light is a whole different contract and set of rules. :)
Thanks mate. I just need to deliver on my end, the real challenge is the whole pitch package lol. That is completely out of my area of expertise: give me a camera and lenses and some editing time, that’s all I need. ;)
I cannot believe u Ravaged that Blaster. What a dis lol. But that Jetfire is legit. But seriously very interesting seeing these setups. I was wondering if you where shooting in vlog for your tests. The colour grading is working very nicely imo. Btw if you didn’t already know you can de yellow those thorium impregnated lens with exposure to uv light. You can set it on a window sill that gets light and in 2 to 4 weeks it’s clear. Or you can get this cheap ikea light ( the jansjo ) which cost 5 dollars Can and you can use it to direct the light into the lens restoring it to original in about 4 days. This info is from the Pentax forums. When you clear them you grain half a stop to a full stop which is nice. Please keep making these process videos as they are so interesting.
I know, I’ve got a G1 sound wave coming so it’s going to be war lol. Shooting LOG yes. I shot this last Monday and after seeing how much of an impact the yellow on the lenses took to match, I baked the 35 and 50 under the sun on Wednesday. Lol. The yellow is now fixed. Took 9 hours, was surprised how much of an impact it had in such little time. Thanks Wesley!
as a screenwriter, i have over a decade of experience with these sorts of proof of concept projects at literally every distribution network on both sides of the border... the only advice i have is to make it as tight as possible; that and make sure your producer knows how to sign a shopping agreement... in my experience, less is always more.
Ya these guys are Emmy winners out of NYC with loads of experience. I’ve worked on so many development projects I’ve lost count. My role is just to execute the vision, it’s all on them to sell the concept, which is much harder to accomplish than my role lol. ✊
@@MarkHoltze well that's a plus. (hahahaha) it's always a bizarre feeling when your creative opinion is steering the ship filled with oscar and emmy winners, only a few of us have that t-shirt. merdé / break a leg my friend.
Dope video Mark! The second I saw the bridge “WEBERS”. This video was different but I really enjoy it, thanks for the info and hopefully you can make part 2,3,4. If you get permission to post more with out too much leaks.
Hi Mark, I have a question, I'm on a budget and have some fd lenses and an old ftb camera, I'm about to get an eos 5d mark 1because I'm on a small budget and I want a full frame body, so why is it that people use vintage lenses on mirrorless cameras? am I gonna be able to shoot properly on a 5d with my old fd lenses and an adapter? The other alternative is a sony a7 but they cost quite a lot more. Thanks a lot!
Flange distance and mirror disrupt the light with mirrorless mainly. Mirrorless you have a direct line to sensor, so much easier. Canon DSLR’s don’t play well straight adapter with FD lenses either, you need an adapter with a glass element to correct for infinity focus and this compromises the image. You can do it, but lots of compromise and some lenses will hit the back mirrors as it articulates up. Canon mirrored are a better option for vintage lenses or look at M42 mount lenses as opposed to FD.
You can get some Canon FD lenses converted to EF at Simmod but you need to check compatibility first as I don’t think all the FD lenses convert and it can be a little pricey depending on the range of your set.
Look into a UV LED light solution to get rid of the yellowing in the 35mm. I have one just for that and I’ve restored a Canon FD 35mm F2 Concave lens and a Nippon Kogaku 35mm 1.4 Nikkor-N Nikon lens by leaving them for a day or two and they’re all clear.
Good luck with the docu Mark. Had a bit of a laugh remembering my occasional jaunts up to lake country in mad traffic jams and that burger joint being the holy grail at roughly the halfway point going and coming. We could get out and stretch our legs, top up on a great burger and then carry on the slog to the finish line feeling a little more hopeful. I am developing a docu-series here in Bali at the moment where we’ll be using vintage Leica glass in opening sequence, Canon L glass in the stretch and wrapping it up with Laowa and yes, a good deal of testing is in order. I think they will all get the looks we’re after on BMPCCs and Ursa Mini Pro G2 but you really don’t know until you get out there and shoot some stuff do you? Enjoyed this vid as I do all of your content. Don’t get so busy you forget to upload occasionally here huh!
Can’t comment on it publicly unfortunately. The final pitch video was well received by all and that’s the extent of my involvement. I work on a lot of development projects and only a fraction of things pitched get full green light. Sometimes things are on hold for years or until the option runs out. I don’t get too close based on that fact. I’m a hired gun, I come in and do my part and evac out ;)
![["Mini" Cine Type_03] Super-Multi-Coated TAKUMAR 55mm f/1.8_Upgrading Vintage Lens Housing](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/fQnGtbYz0lY/mqdefault.jpg)
The "Development" road is long, the chances of a full "green light' are fairly low, but as Han Solo told 3P-0 "never tell me the odds". Approach every project with confidence and be proud of the work you do regardless of the outcome. The SMC Takumar's killed it in the demo to producers. :) ASK ME ANYTHING below, will do my best to respond!
Edit: just to be clear the footage in this was simply a “lens test”. It wasn’t the proof of concept video. That will
Be shot later, I just wanted a relevant location to test the footage with this setup. Especially in post.
Interesting, so you had to '"pitch" the lenses to them? They wouldn't just let you, as the director, shoot with whatever lenses you want?
You don't have to "pitch the lens". You have to pitch the look, and talking about the gear can help if it makes sense.
Can you talk about what this show is or is out already?
I really love colours, it is more important to me than sharpness and other characteristics
Imrul Khan lenses now a days are all about sharpness, bokeh, fast AF, all the images just looks the same
Incredible video as usual! So happy to see your Takumars getting action :)
How impressive! Outstanding initiative. Super Takumars, love it. I wish every success with Netflix. Good luck.
Nice job Mark! I have learned a lot from your videos and I have directly being inspired to invest in vintage lens from all I have seen from you. The fact that you are using them on possibly big platform validates your knowledge! Thanks and keep it up!
Im so glad the big producers dont mind going back on the basics!!since i bought my hélios 44 m4 a few weeks ago,Im more and more interested in vintage lenses...and you are the guru😄
It took some convincing, but it works given the narrative. 1970’s and 2010’s. The 2010 stuff will have a very different look to help juxtapose the two timelines which will be intercut through the series.
Also this is just development for pitch, if it gets green light I’d imagine they would revisit everything which is fine by me. My role on this right now is to shoot and edit their pitch video, green light is a whole
Different contract.
@@MarkHoltze good luck,sir!i hope it all goes well!
Love your content, literally goes in without perception of time. Puff, and video has finished :D keep it up, your style of story telling is great :)
Super cool of you to say mate! Thanks so much! Mini update, the project is now in the next stages of dev with the production company and Netflix. My role was simply to produce the "sizzle" video which is like a sample of what an episode would look like. That's what these lenses were used for and they killed it. VERY glad I tested them here before though, figured out some of the shortcomings and ways around them for when we shot the actual recon.
Anyway more info than you needed to know I guess lol. . thanks for the kind words.
Can't wait for this to come out. Your videos helped me feel more comfortable shooting with vintage lenses. I was given quite a few of them when I first started out and definitely found my own style with them. I LOVE shooting with vintage lenses.
They're my fav too, honestly it just takes some practice. I'm having the reverse issue now, playing around with the Sigma 24-70 2.8 for the S1H and there's just so much I have to get re-accustomed to lol.
Ha! I’m on the same boat right now. Finally got a native lens for my camera and there’s still so much more to learn! But I’ve been telling myself that I learned the hard way first so this part should be breezy. 😆
@@mkvisip4682 EXACTLY! lol. Much easier than visa versa ;)
Such an inspiring video. Thank you, Mark.
My pleasure mate. Glad it connected with you.
Another awesome video!!! Love the Takumar look!! Have a great weekend!! 🙌🙌
Thanks Kyle! You too mate!
Really insightful Markful! Your process is similar to mine. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks Joshua. I’m thinking about a tilta tactical for the S1H. Need something to rig it around.
I'm very interested, I too am shooting a pilot on SMC Takumar lenses.
OHHHHHHHH! Curious to hear how this turns out, the Takumar's in my case killed it pretty hard lol. So much of the convo after I presented to the producers was about the lenses.
@@MarkHoltze killed it like "dead" or killed it like "nailed it"?
Bme Films nailed it lol, sorry I should have been more clear. it made more sense in my head lol
Hi Marc, when will we see the results?
This was super interesting video. Can't wait to see if you guys get the project rolling.
Thanks Jyrki! Still a long road, but one step at a time. I'm only on to work on this development video so whatever I can do to strengthen the pitch is my main focus. Take care my friend!
That’s so cool that you were able to use your Takumars. Been watching for a while just never commented but you’ve really made me want to get a pair of some takumar lenses in the future. I’m also been working on a documentary for the past few months that we are pitching to Netflix as well. Hope it works out for the both of us!
You prob have a more ground level role mate. Mine is just to shoot/edit the pitch video. Although I would prob get offered an editing position if it worked out and my schedule was clear. It’s a long process. Best of luck with your progress mate!
I love how moody and mysterious the scene is after adding the sound design elements.
Once the zoom interview clips got dropped in it elevates it way more as well. But ya sound design is key. It ties all the images together nicely.
You make awesome videos, the content, the narration and the editing is absolutely next level. I found your channel recently after getting into vintage lenses and I was very quick to subscribe, keep up the great work. My journey started with my dad's old Topcor 58mm lens from '67, seeing if I could use it on modern systems. One thing led to another and I am now hooked.
This is amazing and congratulations! Can’t wait to see the final product! ✊🏾
Congratulations 🎉 I’m getting into all those vintage lenses from your channel, just bought the Helios 44-4... and the story begins..
It’s ON!!!! ;)
6:34 "There will be problems" and that's the case in any field of course, but knowing how to mitigate them and deal with them when they occur is what sets professionals apart imo. Great job!
I cannot thank you enough for this man. All of your videos are solid gold and this one came right on time.
All the best on your project man, and I really hope that it goes well for you.
Enjoy the hell out of it man🤙
Good luck with your project Mark. I wish you well.
Thank you Douglas! Appreciate it mate!
That's so cool. Glad I could be here for this journey.
I love how much respect you show to these vintage lenses, good luck on your project sir 👍👍👍
The lenses made all the difference in the feel!
Agreed!
Very interesting out of many angles of the subject. Unusual for a vintage lens show. Great!
Good for you Mark! Rooting for you. You've really given me a lot of inspiration to start using vintage lenses and take the first steps towards cinematography. Best of luck!
At the very least it will it will give you more lens time to be able to experiment. The best way to get better at something is to use them so once you become well versed in these you can upgrade easily enough to the bigger stuff. You can’t practice with what you don’t have access toZ
Learned a lot from this! Thanks for sharing these insights. Really liked your sound design during the "on site" shots.
Definitely wanting a some vintage lenses and burgers now, though!
Ya a little ambience goes a long way I think. Super effective and very easy to do. Best combo, big impact little effort lol.
Excellent to hear.... and see!
:)
Loved this Mark! Really interesting to see how stuff this like operates behind the scenes!
Thanks dude. Man I wish I could go all in, still trying to figure out how I can pull the general practice of this process without giving away the narrative or IP in any way. Also not sure how relevant it is, just need to make sure I have good examples to help illustrate those points to help them land.
It’s a method that works so well for smaller crews as well. Given the global circumstances we’re trying hard to be creative with the solutions to the problems we’re presented right now.
Thanks so much for sharing this in such detail - there's a lot to learn from your process and your results, very valuable. Very best of luck with the project!
My pleasure mate, thanks so much for being here and the support.
man you’re videos are amazing i don’t know how you dont have over 100k subs keep it up man!
Thanks Enzo, the goal is just to produce stuff I enjoy and teach a thing or two. Subs are a nice validation, but definitely not the goal. Appreciate your kind words of support
Mark Holtze I love that mind set man! thanks for sharing your knowledge with us!
Great tips! I love this series where you take us along the process
I like them too, I overthink them too much sometimes where it interferes with actual work...I need to sort that out and just do it.
This is so cool!! I'm really happy for you Mark- you and the Takumars are going to kill it!
Loved this video. I don’t shoot video and only just bought my first Takumar (50mm 8 element for $25!) but this video was great despite being out of my wheel house. Thanks. Can’t wait to hear more.
Awesome video. You got me craving Webber's now.
i still haven't had one lol
Congrats! Very interesting prep-up process.
Thanks Jeremy! Learned LOADS making this one lol.
@@MarkHoltze The most meaningful video of your so far...as per my own craft and dealing with project...all the other ones still touch a deep passionate core related to image in general.
I am so glad things are going well for you and your love of vintage lenses!! Keep us up to date and links so we can watch your history unfold !! Again great ideas and execution Mark!!
Will do Michael! Thanks my friend!
Good stuff, Mark. Very helpful, as always.
I’m so excited about this, your so passionate about these lenses and that passion is catching....
I hope that this works, who knows what the potential is.....
My concern is the colour profile, unless this is a flat profile.
I think maybe the Godfather colour profile may be the way to go...
Caravaggio lighting and all that....
Yes the bright sun and high contrast areas are tough. Still working on the colour profile, prob going to have a dedicated colourist work using resolve to really push what we can do. But I’ve corrected the yellowing from the 35 and 50 since by UV light exposure. So at least all 4 are now similar.
@@RandomLifeProductions Thanks so much mate! Honestly I've worked on a few development projects, I don't get too close because the odds are stacked against them. SO many ideas are pitched, green lights are few and far between. I'm just super stoked to be able to use these lenses in a professional capacity even if it's just for the pitch video.
As much as I would love to see any project I'm involved with go to camera and get a green light, my role in this contractually is over once the video is done and everyone signs off on it.
Netflix official production standards are very different, even if this gets green light, I doubt they'll use any of the vintage lenses to shoot any of it. Who knows though...still very cool and in a weird sort of way validates our love and affection for these lenses.
Great video Mark. All the best with your project :)
Thanks mate! Appreciate it!
Seems like a very interesting project - good luck!
Congrats! Hope the pitch goes well.
Thanks mate. Shoot the recon the week after next and we’re all set. Was able to fix the colour discrepancy between the 35 and 50 and 135 and 85 so that will made grade matching easier.
@@MarkHoltze Awesome!
DUDE. The way you transformed boring street footage into establishing shots for a thriller lol, just by using ominous music! And the grade of course. Amazing stuff.
9:02 - 9:11 'Charcoal Barbecued...'
You need more subs man. Keep up the good work! And best of luck for the series!
That’s the strategy with this one. The key will be the story tellers in the interviews and the locations void of any people. The words take you there, the images give the words context. It’s a very effective way to cover a story and it lends so much trust in the story tellers. Good interviewing is key, of course.
Creating a sequence of shots like this is challenging in a sense it’s very easy for them to not work. Pacing, shot vs shot ca shot and the story telling, music, sound all need to come together perfectly or it feels very amateur.
There is a master class in this alone, but maybe one day. Thanks for the kind words mate as always.
I am happy with the channel size though, more people would prob put more pressure to produce and I’ve already got a full time job lol. I do love it though so, it’s win win right?
Thanks again my friend.
Oh Absolutely dude. A bigger channel does put way more pressure as well.
Best of luck for the series again!
4:42 even with modern cars passing it looks like in the 60s or 70s.... Very nice.
At F 2.8 you can’t see the type of cars so if a shot like this is fighting the location, open up ;).
Thanks mate.
+Mark Holtze Wow that Takamur Vintage Lens is bomb. I love the color and vintage vibe. Looks like early 80's.
Thanks Stu! Was a good exercise and learned a lot doing it. A bit like a dress rehearsal for the final show ;)
Mark Holtze Definitely and I hope they love your PITCH!!!!! If they do when would the show be aired?
Perfect work !!!
I have a set of SuTaks as well but unfortunately not a matching set. Even a 15mm f/3.5! Testing has been really helpful to see which of these lenses has yellowing then doing the UV light trick to neutralize them. It’s not a perfect process but it has definitely helped a lot. Are all of yours m42 mount or do you have a mix of mounts?
Thanks Zach, yes they’re all M42 mounts.
Hey mate they came up really good! great job. fingers crossed it all goes well be great to know , these old masterpieces still have some life in them. And i can't believe you didn't get one burger !
I’m glad I didn’t only because we had a feast at the cottage 2 hours later. Those burgers are go to bed burgers lol. You eat one and you don’t eat all day. 😂 thanks mate! Next time. Also I didn’t want to take advantage, I was on the clock and my host was gracious to allow me to shoot there. :)
Never been or heard of Webers! Gonna check it out after this, thank you Mark!
400, JUST north of Orillia. Burgers are SO good, nice little area to hang out a bit as well.
Hey Mark, loved that vintage look, specially the warmer grades. Good luck with the project! Great stuff as always
Thanks mate. Going to figure out how some of these play against the 2010 represented stuff (being shot on modern lenses with a different colour grade). The 1970's and 2010's timelines will play a critical role and visually establishing a difference there is also critical. :)
What a video. Incredible mark. Love love love seeing them process, any process but especially one like this. Really enjoyed and so hope you can share more of the journey, but yeah, productions tend to be a little secretive!! Enjoyed the background too and yeah and the instant jealously caused by those awesome transformers 🤣
Thanks AJ. Lens testing is a bit banal, but figured it would be more interesting presentation to use the location as a way to help story board some concepts as well as figure out some grade options. This is like, WAY above the type of pre-production I needed to do, but the extra effort was noticed.
Shooting under the brightest lighting conditions mid day isn't ideal, but we're going for authenticity in this case.
The vintage Takumar lenses are the same age as the pitch deck 👍 looking forward to seeing your video!
It’s got a modern twist which is what makes it relevant today, but yes. We need to bounce back and forth between decades so the vintage stuff will be these, the modern stuff is being tackled by modern glass. There is a second DP doing all that stuff. Very high tech to juxtapose against the older stuff.
I love your color grading it looks cinematic too. I have one Takumar 135mm 2.5 (not the desired one) a ton of fd,om,nikon , I enjoy them ,last night I was shooting the moon 🌙 with an om zuiko 300mm 4.5 on a Sony a7ii . The lens isn't highly regarded but for $25 it's hard to beat.
This was great! You nailed the nostalgic vintage feel!
THanks mate, this part was more to help me get some ideas when we actually shoot the real stuff. We've got a grade we all like and have some possible story boarded shots we can repeat at the actual location. Wanted something a little cooler to test the lenses with this setup ;) was a nice way to spend an afternoon and really did a lot in setting my expectations on what to expect when we do shoot. :) Thanks again Aaron!
I am more a stills photographer, but I really like your videos. I like your style. Keep up the great work. Let us know once the documentary is out on Netflix
If it gets a green I will for sure Steve. I’ve worked on loads of development projects and the general odds are against, but that doesn’t stop. Production company got some dev money so right now it’s just focusing on making the best video for me. For the bigger production it’s a much bigger venture.
Just excited to be able to bridge my hobby with my work stuff at this point :)
@@MarkHoltze i am sure you will rock the show. ;) Nothing is better if you work is your hobby as well.
This is super exciting Mark, really excited to see how it develops!
I'd love to be able to pitch something to Netflix one day
Good luck with the project man, hope everything works out the way you want it :)
Thanks! I just want to deliver a great product my producers can go into “battle” with. If they are happy, so am I.
Atomos fam unite!! Haha. Another great video Mark! I have a film I want to shoot that’s set in the 80s and I want you use *drumroll* vintage lenses. So this was a great one to watch! Keep up the awesome work!
Yes dude! Can’t wait to hear more about that. I couldn’t do this without atomos, pro res is so friendly and looks so good. Also my focus is tight with the larger screen!
@@MarkHoltze I love using the False colors on it. I started using them on the BMPCC6k and needed them on my M6 mkii
Been buying vintage lenses I have a question do you ever find that your adapters can reduce the focusing range of a lens. I’m def trying to get my Takumar line up. I use a bmpcc 4K.
I haven’t actually...might depend on what adapters you are using.
Some M42 lens adapters have reported reactions and incompatibility with certain M42 lenses like the Takumars. I know I have a couple adapters that say they’re Version 1 or Version 2 and are supposed to be used for specific lenses, hence why I have one of each so far just in case. I do have a Montgomery Ward 28mm for instance that won’t adapt no matter what M42 adapter I use, either something’s wrong with the lens or I don’t have a proper adapter to work with it. Definitely research your adapter and lens combination if you’re not sure.
Dang! You videos! I haven't been this excited about a RUclips channel since I first discovered Peter McKinnon.
Dang! Compliment power! Thanks Bob!
Bartenders educated people about whiskey and the prices skyrocketed over the past few years, the same has happened with these on eBay thanks to guys like you😂
lol, i hope not. I don't want to be partially responsible for that. I still think the vintage lens is still super niche, the mass market will never be there simply because of auto focus. eBay is a nice place to find exactly what you want (search) but those dealers are trying to cover their costs and fees so it's definitely not a place to get the deals.
The whiskey bit is very interesting though, I can see the parallels.
@@MarkHoltze I havent used autofocus in at least a year haha
All the best!!!
Congratulations on the pitch mate.
Hope this doesn't bump the prices for used Taks. I'm not done with my collection yet😉
It shouldn’t, people will always resist. These will never be mainstream.
Great stuff! Good luck.
Thanks Vincent!
can you give us tips how to nail focus in video while manual focusing with vintage lens mark. and congratulations for the pitch. can't wait to watch it
I did a video that might help on "How I Nail Manual Focus". Fundamental thing is practice, get to know your lenses and give them a bit of time, it's amazing how quickly your body will adapt to them. Having good eyes helps, plus a steady hand. These vintage lenses tend to have nice focus throws that are mechanical so they move 1:1 with your movement. Also a monitor of some sort REALLY helps. EVF's aren't bad, but LCD screens on cameras are the worst way to monitor focus.
Also have an idea on your blocked movement, it's very hard to run and gun with manual focus, but again practice and knowledge of your lenses will help that big time. When we shoot most of this stuff we have a general idea where the movement is going to go so we can follow focus much easier. Last time, always focus on the eyes ;) Hope that helps mate.
@@MarkHoltze i really love your videos dude, been watching all the time. hope you never get bored with this
First step is to find the correct diopter adjustment for you vision. This help reduced the number of misses when manual focusing with any ovf/evf.
I love that scene. It feels calm and melancholic. But there's also loneliness and a small sense of impending danger.
Very exciting. The proof of concept footage looks amazing. Have you ever been successful lessening the yellow look caused by the thorium? If so, I'd be interested in your method. I read something about using an Ikea Jansjo USB LED lamp and wondered if you have tried this? I bought the handy little USB lamp but haven't made the time to test before/after looks. This may be an interesting topic for a short video for the future (if it works)? I know you're plate is full right now! Best wishes!
Thanks Chris! Just to be clear, that stuff was just part of my lens testing. The proof of concept, "sizzle" "development reel" so many names is something we're going to be shooting in a few weeks. I just wanted to do a proper lens test and that's what this footage is. Explore how the footage grades under various exposures and camera settings.
I actually exposed my 35 and 50 to 9 hours of sunlight last week (after shooting this) to reverse the yellowing and it totally worked. Yellow tinted lenses fully cleaned. The bulbs work as well, a bit safer I think temp wise, but takes about 48 hours of exposure time under bulbs I hear.
Thanks Mark - the lens test footage looks great! I'm glad the sunlight worked and the heat didn't harm your lenses. I would be afraid of melting lubricants, etc. Thank you for your awesome content and good luck with the proof of concept video!
I saw you loading your four primes into the bag without any protection for the lenses which will knock together in the bag. I would put them in either dedicated leather pouches or hard cases. They do take up a bit more space, but keeps sharp and hard metal from banging against the other lenses. Sooner or later those lenses will show bag rash if they are not kept protected. You can get the same for the body as well.
There are padded dividers in the bag and I used a soft rag to split the one part where the two lenses are together. Strategically out to keep the metal on metal contact on that side there to a minimum. Also they fit snug so the tension helps there as well.
It’s not a bad idea, but I wanted to minimize the fuss while shooting at the location. A back pack I would for sure, but this bag minimizes movement based on how it sits.
The nice thing about mods is the lens hoods/ gears and caps keep a nice social barrier away from any real contact with the lens and bag directly.
I normally use a hard case but this was just one of those times efficiently trumps . Calculated efficiency ;)
As a follow up, I prefer the soft leather pouches to the hard leather round cases IF you must save space, but in practicality the round hard-leather cases, especially those with a snug fit offer more protection. Once in Africa while filming a tracker stepped onto my camera bag when the Land Rover hit a pothole and broke my video camera in half, but the lenses in the hard cases suffered virtually no damage. Lesson learned. I always put them in cases now on any shoot. Shift happens!
Loved this Mark! I hope people here appreciate the insight you have given in this video. I know all to well how painful it is working on something amazing and never being able / allowed to show what we shot thanks to our lovely legal departments in TV / Film.
The Atomos Ninja Flame gets so much use here. It's always connected to my B camera(s) to push out those 422 pix. Out of personal curiosity, why didn't you run a Simmod VND on those bright shots? The highlights were fairly blown out. But that's a personal preference. Maybe it's the look of what the documentary is going for. By the way, I love the atmosphere you built in that little sizzle. I assume there would be snippets of VO over those shots too. Fingers crossed it gets greenlit and you shoot the whole thing. That would be epic!
Great! Very interesting. And the S1H! I will order a M42 to L adapter from the german company Novoflex and test it. Wish you a smooth shooting! Keep us posted!
Thanks Steve! Ya I'm waiting for Fotodiox to get caught up on this front, but taking a bit long. Fotasy has some adapters, but they won't ship to Canada.
@@MarkHoltze Fotasy does not ship to Europe either. What happened to globalisation? There is another brand: Haoge. But apparently, they have fitting issues. I ordered the Novoflex yesterday. I will keep you posted.
@@MarkHoltze The Novoflex has arrived and I have tested it out. The problem persists. It has the exact same length than Sigma + M42 Adapter btw. Strange that both Carl Zeiss and Takumar exhibit this infinity overthrow. By 1 mm, it's not much. It is very visible when the aperture is fully open. Did you notice anything on your side? I read in a photography forum about people sanding their adapters because of that issue. My conclusion: I will have to be extra aware when shooting with my M42 lenses. Cheers!
Thanks for the update. Gonna collect them before prices going up hoho
Long term investment ;)
Best of luck Mark. I’ll be sure to watch it when it comes out on Netflix. Regarding that short clip, not a fan of the crow shot due to the sudden pan to the left, but the rest of the shots are really great. You can tell I watch all of your videos when I say you used the tripod slider trick for the Webers signboard shot. ;)
I left the pan in just as a little behind the scenes bit. Nothing about that little sequence is representative of the final piece that's for sure ;). The only reason that shot made it in is because the shot prior to that had one of those birds fly though so it was a nice matching action shot lol. Also the exposure on that one was much more comfortable being in the shade vs the bright sun, so as a test bed it's been good to see where any noise patterns start to come up.
Just to be clear, this was simply a lens test session, we're not going to shoot the core stuff for this until July 18th. I just thought using this location would be more versatile and interesting to elevate the simple lens test and hopefully get a jump on some of the creative grade stuff before we shoot vs after :)
Thanks for stopping by as always mate, appreciate it. And YES you totally saw the tripod slider trick lol. Works every time in a pinch ;)
Awesome, all the best! Looking forward to you making them Takumars shine, or is it the other way around?
It’s all them mate. I just hit record and take direction lol.
I think in your other videos for wide angle lenses you mentioned prefering the canon over the Takumar. Of all the vintage lenses you've tried have you noticed distinct differences in character and color? Curious what your thought process was when deciding which glass to use. Was looking at the Nikkor 28mm ai-s as well as minolta's for my Fuji Xh1 - Props on getting into this project!!
Hi mate, honestly my main reason for choosing the Canon 24 over the Tak 28 is simply because it's wider. 28 and 35 are a little too subtle of a focal change and the F/3.5 on the Tak isn't as fast as both the 24 and my Takumar 35.
Colour differences can vary ,but easy to fix in post, it's more the handling of a lens. How the focus feels etc vs the images they render. If I were to break it down into the simplest form. Nikkor Ai-S lenses are wonderful, I would like to start getting into those actually. Combined with your Xh1 it should be a great combo!
I choose these lenses right now simply because I have a full modded set of them. I also have a Contax Zeiss set which are waiting a cinema mod and my soviet lenses which are being built by Ironglass. Then i'll have a German, Japanese and Soviet set I can pick and choose from for projects.
I guess to come around once again, optical image characteristics are important. I've UV baked my 35 and 50 after this video because I didn't like how they didnt' colour match my 85 and 135. The yellowing in those lenses from thorium decay can be reversed with UV light exposure. It was just too much work to match the lens set so for videography I would say that colour is important. They're much better now :)
@@MarkHoltze that's true! I overlooked that detail in the video I suppose. And it is kind of a relief that it's more about the handling and physical operation of the Lens rather than color and character- I was getting too caught up with that actually. Obsessed with finding something that had character and a good pop. Maybe it's because I saw the distagon 28mm f2.0 and felt like I needed to find an alternative cheaper solution to it- with a floating lens element and all. I'm happy to hear that you think the Nikkor glass would be a good venture! I'm close to pulling the trigger on those. Well that's exciting that you're Russian and Zeiss glasses are almost done with being modded ... Specially the zeiss😉 which ones are in your aresenal now? Lastly two quick things. Have you tried the canon nfd 24mm or Olympus zuiko 28mm? And when it comes to operation, any focus turn greater than 90° is preferred right? 90 is probably on the shorter end. Thanks !
I thought that was Weber's! I loved the video. Thanks for putting it together.
Thanks for the vid, it seems like in a time where my normal content is slowing down you are ramping up.
Editing work is ramping up again so I won’t have as much time. Between that and this project it’s going to be a busy summer. Thankful for it though.
Thankyou so much for not adding any bloopers at the end this time - just need to drop that Star Wars grab.
You really don’t need them as your subject matter is so interesting and informative and your delivery is excellent. You’re way above the need to include those cheesy extras that soon loose their appeal.
Looking forward to the next installment of this story :)
Well, I said it by accident in an emperor way and reminded me of this scene when editing, so figured it was an on the nose joke. I don’t do bloopers but will experiment with a creative cutaway once and awhile. Appreciate the feedback.
Let me also add, if you've worked in production before you know it's a constant battle of solving one problem after the other. Luke represents innocence in the filmmaking process (even with as much prep as you can do) and the Emperor represents the one who's SEEN it all. Honestly, I fully agree with the lack of maturity in many cases, but if something out of context is going into a video of mine, i"ve definitely thought it out symbolically and metaphorically. Sure it may not fully resonate and of course I COMPLETELY respect your opinion mate, but figured I should elaborate my intention of putting it in. I won't make a single cut unless it's motivated by a deeper meaning, it's something you learn very fast working in TV and films. What does this cut mean? What does it represent? How does it push the narrative forward? What's it telling the audience?
Hi Mark, unfortunately I can’t read past the fifth line - when I hit ‘read more’ the keyboard pops up and I can’t remove it.
Happened on your first reply too.
First of all, I watch your feed because I enjoy it - it thing and you can present it anyway you like.
Apart from being very informative, you covered different topics and had a fresh way of presenting it - no hype - just good content - well delivered.
It was a refreshing change to watch something where the presenter was not trying to be a showman.
Looks like I have to reply in paragraphs ... :)
There are other bloggers who started well and then became sidetracked with other things. One started focussing too much on his quirky delivery and another began incorporating his family into the blogs so that it almost became a form of home movies - so I stopped watching them - somewhat disappointed ...
As I said before, your blogs have been so clean and fresh - devoid of gimmicks - standing aline on content and delivery !!! The a few episodes back the ‘blooper’ style out takes started to creep in and took away from all of your good content + the Star Wars grabs etc. It just dilutes your quality product - but that’s just my opinion. Yes I do work in the industry and burn many long hours because of it. I hope you receive this as positive feedback because I would hope to see you continue with your high quality product that sets you apart from others.
Best Regards
Chris
Nice pitch there. Show them the power of vintage lenses.
Thanks!
Exciting!!!
"The Bridge to the 70th" through Takumar lenses.
I use a lot of these Pentax lenses myself, as you do, and love them as well. I tried then sold the 35mm f2 because of the Thorium as you mention. I also did the same on one of the 50 f1.4 lenses. Instead, I use the eight-element 50mm version and the 28mm f3.5 and find those balance and intercut better with the other Takumars in the family. I realize the 28mm f3.5 IS slower by a half stop but the version I have has the 58mm filter size not the smaller 52mm or 49mm common to most of their other lenses. I find that one lets in as much light as the 28mm f2.8 and is a better lens in my opinion. Try those two lenses out and you will not have the Thorium issue to deal with as you do in the 35mm and some 50mm lenses. Just my two cents worth.
Hello my friend Mark , I like your video a big blue thumb here👍👍😀
Thank you kindly! :)
Thanks so much for this Mark, I'm trying to get more into the professional side of things here in South Africa - especially with documentaries - so this goes a long way informing how I might be able to motivate for my own projects. I don't have an S1H but the X-T3 is more than enough for a local streaming platform I'm planning on approaching.
Once again, your content both valuable and entertaining to watch.
This barely scratches. There is so much that happens. I can’t speak to most of it, but I can to this. It’s annoying having to keep critical info out to give context, but tried to package in a general sense that can be used moving forward.
The “Art of the pitch” is real.
Best thing is tech doesn’t matter at this stage, just sell them on the concept, the tech part will come!
Best of luck mate, questions feel free.
I don’t know much about video but everything about those scenes is sick, I hope you get it
Thanks mate, my role is just the sizzle reel which we're shooting in a few weeks, just make the producers happy so that it gives them the best chance I think. It's a great story, but the "pitch" is a craft/artform in itself lol.
Modern cameras are so sharp and clean, the detail makes images feel digital. Vintage lenses help bring some of the organic nature back into motion picture. They must be at least sort of matched though. Can tell you as a colorist that lenses that don't match are a damn nightmare
Hell yes they are. This test motivated me to UV expose my yellowed ones which I’ve actually done. The difference is night and day. The 35 and 50 are now much closer to the 135 and 85.
Modern lenses has the benefit of consistency, which is why they're computer design and multi-coated for that color consistency and can render the same results.
Vintage lenses on the other hand may differ in physical and age condition including production manufacturing variables so not all lenses match each other. The same vintage lens can be made in one production year, while another lens can go through multiple revisions on the production line and its a mess trying to match all the small variables in the piece of the puzzle.
@@caldera878 Some brands have it worse than others, but this is why we test and study to see if we can see past those differences or not.
My biggest gripe was the colour matching in the 35 and 50. This is why I also decided to "bake the yellow out" right after I played around with the footage so they're at least colour consistent (closer to) .
Contax Carl Zeiss and Leica R's are both highly used in the DP world and revered for their colour matching between focal lengths. I have a set of Contax, but they're not modded yet so figured the Takumar's might be a good alternative given the subject matter.
You're right though for sure, and since we're shooting a pitch video (not for broadcast) so we don't have to go through the same scrutiny.
Caldera yup that’s why cookes are so expensive. Organic feel is designed and consistent
Pitching a documentary series... it sounds familiar to me 🤞.
Since the S1h came out I was very curious about a S1h+Takumar lenses+ProRes combo, are you happy with the footage you worked on (apart from the 35mm yellowish tint, of course)?
Thanks
Very happy yes. Lighting conditions were tricky blasting sun, high contrast areas, but it’s a critical part of the intro sequence for what we are planning to shoot so wanted to mess with some different exposures to see how it translated.
The lenses are small, light and easy to rig. The image quality works perfect with the S1H. This pitch video will be internal, the S1H is a Netflix approved camera and they won’t know much about Takumars I suspect. Tech specs from Netflix perspective is irrelevant now anyway; a green light would mean a completely different production kit, but that doesn’t change the use of these lenses now.
Pro res is the best, so efficient. Tried some internal codec stuff from
S1H ans looks great but Boggs down there system a bunch. Proxies and a proper online would be needed if we went full resolution. Again doesn’t make a difference for this pitch video.
It’s definitely a giant leap though for the lenses. I’m really happy with the combo right now and would feel confident enough to pitch them more often.
Great video Mark. Love the work. Do you ever use Circular Polarizers with your lenses? I find that I get a nicer render on the colours but when combined with ND then it's goes south. Yours is one my favourite channels on the tube. Legit!
Are you worried about pulling focus with two adapters? I'm about to use the OMs on a short and I have had a tough time nailing moving shots with a follow focus and thats just the play from one adapter.
I'm not actually, I tested the Nano at home and it's smooth. I wasn't doing any sort of fitness with these ones, I was time limited and just wanted to see how much the focus would throw. Most of our work for this will be a set focus as we move through, but the lenses are smooth enough where even the biggest jerk on the nano keeps them locked. I was having some tripod head lock issues, I had to fix it with some tools when I got home.
Mark I have really enjoyed your channel. I think vintage lens are amazing on my Sony a7Rii and a7Riii
Anyways I really Hope your “Pitch” becomes a reality much sooner than later
Many thanks 🙏
The HairlessBigfoot
Riii is photographic monster mate. I’ve always wondered how these would resolve at 42mp
Thanks mate. I’m just contracted for the video so once that’s done it’s out of my hands. Just need to keep producers happy and that’s my focus. So far so good. A green light is a whole different contract and set of rules. :)
Good luck Mark.
Thanks mate. I just need to deliver on my end, the real challenge is the whole pitch package lol. That is completely out of my area of expertise: give me a camera and lenses and some editing time, that’s all I need. ;)
So a year later has there been progress on the project. Really liked your test footage. Beautiful
Lots but I can’t talk about it unfortunately. NDA’s
@@MarkHoltze awesome
I cannot believe u Ravaged that Blaster. What a dis lol. But that Jetfire is legit. But seriously very interesting seeing these setups. I was wondering if you where shooting in vlog for your tests. The colour grading is working very nicely imo. Btw if you didn’t already know you can de yellow those thorium impregnated lens with exposure to uv light. You can set it on a window sill that gets light and in 2 to 4 weeks it’s clear. Or you can get this cheap ikea light ( the jansjo ) which cost 5 dollars Can and you can use it to direct the light into the lens restoring it to original in about 4 days. This info is from the Pentax forums. When you clear them you grain half a stop to a full stop which is nice. Please keep making these process videos as they are so interesting.
I know, I’ve got a G1 sound wave coming so it’s going to be war lol. Shooting LOG yes. I shot this last Monday and after seeing how much of an impact the yellow on the lenses took to match, I baked the 35 and 50 under the sun on Wednesday. Lol. The yellow is now fixed.
Took 9 hours, was surprised how much of an impact it had in such little time.
Thanks Wesley!
love your videos always
Thanks mate! Appreciate you being here.
as a screenwriter, i have over a decade of experience with these sorts of proof of concept projects at literally every distribution network on both sides of the border... the only advice i have is to make it as tight as possible; that and make sure your producer knows how to sign a shopping agreement...
in my experience, less is always more.
Ya these guys are Emmy winners out of NYC with loads of experience. I’ve worked on so many development projects I’ve lost count. My role is just to execute the vision, it’s all on them to sell the concept, which is much harder to accomplish than my role lol. ✊
@@MarkHoltze well that's a plus.
(hahahaha) it's always a bizarre feeling when your creative opinion is steering the ship filled with oscar and emmy winners, only a few of us have that t-shirt. merdé / break a leg my friend.
Dope video Mark! The second I saw the bridge “WEBERS”. This video was different but I really enjoy it, thanks for the info and hopefully you can make part 2,3,4. If you get permission to post more with out too much leaks.
Drove by it on Friday and the line was around the corner lol. Thanks mate, I will for sure!
Hi Mark, I have a question, I'm on a budget and have some fd lenses and an old ftb camera, I'm about to get an eos 5d mark 1because I'm on a small budget and I want a full frame body, so why is it that people use vintage lenses on mirrorless cameras? am I gonna be able to shoot properly on a 5d with my old fd lenses and an adapter? The other alternative is a sony a7 but they cost quite a lot more. Thanks a lot!
Flange distance and mirror disrupt the light with mirrorless mainly. Mirrorless you have a direct line to sensor, so much easier. Canon DSLR’s don’t play well straight adapter with FD lenses either, you need an adapter with a glass element to correct for infinity focus and this compromises the image.
You can do it, but lots of compromise and some lenses will hit the back mirrors as it articulates up.
Canon mirrored are a better option for vintage lenses or look at M42 mount lenses as opposed to FD.
You can get some Canon FD lenses converted to EF at Simmod but you need to check compatibility first as I don’t think all the FD lenses convert and it can be a little pricey depending on the range of your set.
@@MarkHoltze Best answer ever thx man
Look into a UV LED light solution to get rid of the yellowing in the 35mm. I have one just for that and I’ve restored a Canon FD 35mm F2 Concave lens and a Nippon Kogaku 35mm 1.4 Nikkor-N Nikon lens by leaving them for a day or two and they’re all clear.
Good luck with the docu Mark. Had a bit of a laugh remembering my occasional jaunts up to lake country in mad traffic jams and that burger joint being the holy grail at roughly the halfway point going and coming. We could get out and stretch our legs, top up on a great burger and then carry on the slog to the finish line feeling a little more hopeful.
I am developing a docu-series here in Bali at the moment where we’ll be using vintage Leica glass in opening sequence, Canon L glass in the stretch and wrapping it up with Laowa and yes, a good deal of testing is in order. I think they will all get the looks we’re after on BMPCCs and Ursa Mini Pro G2 but you really don’t know until you get out there and shoot some stuff do you?
Enjoyed this vid as I do all of your content. Don’t get so busy you forget to upload occasionally here huh!
Hi Mark,
how is the Netflix program getting along?
Can’t comment on it publicly unfortunately. The final pitch video was well received by all and that’s the extent of my involvement. I work on a lot of development projects and only a fraction of things pitched get full green light. Sometimes things are on hold for years or until the option runs out.
I don’t get too close based on that fact. I’m a hired gun, I come in and do my part and evac out ;)
Webers color grade is too good.
I want that
LoL, I’ll see what ones they go for and offer up the others as a free download to mess around with.
Transformers! Robots in disguise! 😁👍
had to start it off with that lol. retro vibes GO!