Tag Archives: Rokinon Cine DS Lens

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I've shown a few different setups with my BMMCC Camera rig a few times, and so I've decided to throw up a breakdown of my BlackMagic Design Micro Cinema Camera build.

As you know, the Micro Cinema Camera doesn't even come with a screen. So you're unable to change any settings until you've added a monitor.


BlackMagic Design Micro Cinema Camera

For a monitor, I've chosen the BlackMagic Design Video Assist 5" LCD which also doubles as a ProRes Video Recorder. It's small, and I can simultaneously record RAW in camera while recording Prores to the BMVA. This is handy if you want a backup recording, or if you want to record proxy files in real time.


BlackMagic Design Video Assist Monitor

Now mounting the monitor meant I needed a cage, and a way to pick up the camera. So my choice was to use the SmallRig BMMCC Cage and Top Handle.


SmallRig Cage for Micro Cinema Camera

Since the sensor is pretty small (cropped view), I've added a metabones MFT to EF Speedbooster. This offers a wider view, and makes your glass a bit faster (better in dim lighting). With the Metabones Speedboster lens adapter, i'm using Rokinon Cine DS Lenses. These lenses are small, affordable, and manual focus lenses which are great for video use.


crystal 800 wireless Rokinon Cine DS Lenses

But adding a full frame Canon EF mount lens ends up being too big for the body, and so you'll need to add some height at the base of the camera. For this i've mounted the cage to a quick release baseplate with 15mm rails. This baseplate works with popular Manfrotto 501PL plates. So I can quickly detach the whole cage from the base if needed and go right to a monopod with a smaller setup, or with the 15mm rails I can add things like a Kamerar Follow Focus or MatteBox.


crystal 800 wireless 501PL QR Baseplate with 15mm Clamps

The whole setup would normally be powered by Canon LP-E6 batteries, but they run down pretty quick. So i've added an IndiproTools V-Mount Plate with Canon Dummy Battery. With a CAME-TV Compact V-Mount Battery, I can power the camera and i've added a separate d-tap cable is used to power the BlackMagic Design Video Assist Monitor.


crystal 800 wireless IndiProTools V-Mount Plate with Canon LP-E6 Dummy Battery

Just to make it easier for handheld work, i've run a single 15mm Rail horizontally over the cage. On the right side i've added a 15mm Handle, and on the left side of the rail i've mounted the Video Assist Monitor using 15mm Pico Plates in such a way that makes it easy to tilt forward and back. That's pretty much the basic setup, if you guys have any questions let me know.


crystal 800 wireless 15mm Pico Plate Clamp

Parts found in this build:
Blackmagic Design Micro Cinema Camera (here)
SmallRig BMMCC Cage (here)
BMMCC Cage Top Handle (here)
Video Assist Monitor/Recorder (here)
V-Mount Plate + Canon Dummy (here)
Compact V-Mount Battery (here)
Quick Release Baseplate w 15mm
Kamerar Follow Focus (here)
15mm Pico plate (here)

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If you find yourself swapping lenses throughout a project, or cutting between multi-camera angles you'll find your footage will be easier to match looks if you have a matched set of lenses. Color, Contrast, Sharpness, and more could look quite different if you're just using a random set of mixed lenses. Probably the most talked about affordable set of lenses for video use are the Rokinon Cine DS Lenses. The 'DS' is a more improved version of the original Rokinon manual photo lenses that has better optical coatings and have been 'matched' to have a more consistent look across the set.

Even though I feel Canon L series lenses are optically better, I ended up selling many of my Canon L series Autofocus lenses just because I wanted to work more with Manual Focus lenses, de-clicked apertures, with a matched 'look' when doing video projects. Not to mention I haven't been shooting much with Canon DSLRs. In fact, just one Canon 85mm F/1.2L lens paid for an entire bundle of Rokinon Cine DS Lenses. That's just how affordable a complete set is.

Rokinon Cine DS Lens Bundle Deal Sale Discount GH4 Sony A7sII A7s A7RII A7r
Personal set 24mm, 35mm, 50mm, and 85mm Rokinon Cine DS Lenses seen w/ GH4 and A7sII

If you're working with many of today's mirrorless cameras, these lenses are highly adaptable and cover a full frame sensor. Unlike camera bodies, lenses like these also hold their values really well, so I feel it's a good investment for people starting out in video. You can always sell them off later if you decide to upgrade to set of true Cine Primes. Though, it's not uncommon to see just how many people are throwing these lenses on even high end cameras like the BlackMagic Design or RED these days.

So if you're looking for a decently matched set of lenses for video work, the '4pc Lens Bundle' is currently discounted an Instant Savings of -$350 OFF which includes the most popular Rokinon focal lengths 24mm, 35mm, 50mm, and 85mm (found here).

rokinon Cine DS Lens Kit
Learn-More-sm Rokinon 24, 35, 50, 85mm T1.5 Cine DS Lens Bundle

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