Been testing some gear for an upcoming video job, formats, focus breathing “look” etc.
The results have been good. *:1 and 3:1 B-Raw, Vespids on GH5s and BMPCC4k, Hope on same, some interesting results.
The main things that came from the tests were;
No focus breathing on the Vespid 25, 40, Hope 25. Nada.
The quality of both sets of lenses was excellent, but slightly different.
If I said the Hope lens (only tested the 25, but the 50 is effectively identical), is like very fine China. Clean, reliable, solid and impressive.
The Vespids are more like Chrystal. Clear and sharp, maybe better micro contrast, but the look of sharpness is much the same, but the lenses have a more complicated character.
It is hard to bother the Hope, it resists bad things and has in most other respects, very fine performance. handling in particular is a pleasure, I feel the 25 may be the nicest of all of them to actually use.
The GH5s and Hope 25 are matched so the Hope lenses warm cast is balanced by the cool-magenta GH5s sensor rendering.
I did this transition several times, transfixed by the smoothness and clarity of it.
I drifted from the tiny strand of web to the leaf behind with effectively no visible lens breathing. The Bokeh is a little busy, but less so than some Vespid renderings.
The quality is gorgeous, Bokeh pleasant, in-offensive even and even when pushed into this cool scene, the lens adds a little warmth.
The Vespids are also consistent with each other and they can be applied to a job with a mix of solid reliability or a nose for trouble if you want. Flare, which can be funky, can be milked and has proven to be interesting to the point of out of control, but if you want to avoid it, you can. Sharpness is sublime, contrast also.
On the BMPCC4k, the Vespid 25 is sublime and the cooler rendering of the Vespid Mk1’s mixes well with the warmer colour of the BM camera. Bokeh is a mix of “interesting” and buttery smooth.
Cool reflected light is handled effortlessly by the BM cam and lens.
I feel now, that I have some strong matings in play. Between the two Hope and Vision wide angle and the Vespids, with a little input from the S-Primes when needed, I have options that seem to blend together well enough for even my skills to match.
My “A Team” is the GH5s with the Hope 25 (Static endurance), the BMPCC4k with the Vespid 25 (same) and the S5 with the Vespid 40 (Full frame or APS-C as needed-hand held option), all in RAW, all rigged differently for different applications. Supporting these are the G9II in ProRes Log, the OSMO 4P in D-Log, the S5II in Log.
The BMPCC4k has not revolutionised things, it has proven to be a solid investment in knowing the difference, then once known (which is that B-Raw is all pretty close regardless of the source), providing a third B-Raw camera and the handling dynamic of false colour 5” camera screen and light weight focus screen is more comfortable to use sometimes than the reverse on my Video Assist rigs.