#Micro Four Thirds mount
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Irix Lens: Irix release[s] a new [Fujifilm X] mount for all [Irix] cine lenses – Commentary
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#@IrixUSA#Arri PL mount#Canon EF mount#Canon RF mount#Fujifilm X-Mount#Irix#Irix cinema lenses#Irix Lens#Irix Lens USA#Leica L mount#M43-mount#MFT-mount#Micro Four Thirds mount#Nikon Z-Mount#Press Releases#Sony E-Mount
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early mirrorless photography
I picked up this well-worn Lumix G1, mostly because of the cool factor, as it was the first consumer-grade mirrorless camera to hit the market back in 2008. 15 years later, mirrorless cameras have grown to occupy a huge portion of the professional photography market.
At this point, I don't have any micro four thirds lenses, leading me to buy an M42>M4/3 adapter to utilize my sizable selection of M42 mount lenses until I eventually acquire something for the camera's native mount.
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So, Reddit is down (✊) and thus I turn to you tumblr, let's see what writing my wish on a piece of paper and letting the wind take it can do.
I've...gotten into birding and I have a Panasonic GH4 I used to use for videography that I'd love to turn into a bird photographing machine. Does anyone have any recs for a micro four-thirds telephoto lens at a decent price range that might get me started?
I also have a metabones Speed Booster XL for converting full-frame Canon EF-mount lenses to m43, but I think sticking with m43 lenses might be cheaper.
🐦⬛
#birding#photography#bird photography#micro four thirds#lumix gh4#lenses#do people use these tags? let's find out
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https://canikusa.org/
Details, Fiction And Tp9 sfx
My copy shoots straight and legitimate. Together with the TP9SFx, the good people at Canik have accomplished a simply outstanding occupation of optimizing their now outstanding TP9 series pistol. The morphology from the gun excises each of the discomfort outside of Georg Luger’s snappy 9mm rounds, and working the piece is excellent fun all around. Nils has long gone head-to-head in opposition to competition with guns costing triple and often up to six times in excess of his Canik, and he nonetheless trounces them. Every person that is anyone will make concealment holsters for this gun likewise. In spite of all that interesting stuff, the TP9SF service pistol charges perhaps two-thirds of what a equivalent name-model handgun might. I've run a zillion rounds by way of mine. The initial aspect that makes the Canik TP9SFX so aggressive is The one-action bring about pull with a short reset. When capturing any kind of Competitiveness, this specific bring about can shave valuable break day the clock when taking pictures doubles or an array of steel. ALERT - It's got come to our interest that a fraudulent World-wide-web web page is misusing the Canik identify, trademarks, illustrations or photos and items in what we suppose is actually a plan to defraud unsuspecting firearm and accent purchasers. The websites canikgun.com, canikpistols. I operate a purple fiber optic when not applying purple dot sights, but I see a lot of greens as well as other aftermarket sights at the array. Together with the TP9, you’ll have that alternative appropriate out of your box. A rubber retention strap can also be provided if you propose on maintaining the gun holstered for some time. The full shebang will come packed in the hearty plastic, lockable storage scenario. The TP9SFx incorporates 4 various mounting plates to accommodate almost all of the environment’s preferred micro red dots. The identical very little toolbox incorporates the mounting components for the plates. Every little thing you'll want to mount the sight is bundled. Looks like you are employing new Reddit on an outdated browser. The internet site may well not work correctly if you don't update your browser ! If you do not update your browser, we suggest you pay a visit to previous reddit . In addition it enables the gun to get billed in opposition to one thing business should everyday living actually go sideways and you find yourself working the gun just one-handed. This appendage can be set up or not based on operator desire. The gun operates just fantastic either way. Tp9 sfx The slide launch is extended in addition. The Canik TP9 SFx is made for Opposition, fundamentally on steel plates and poppers. I began out shooting it at compact rocks at twenty five yards. When I received it sighted in I loaded the magazine to capacity with twenty rounds of FMJ and proceeded to run it as quickly as I could, shooting in a four-inch rubber dice at 20 yards. Visible assessment of a gun’s chamber accompanied by tactile affirmation will make sure no matter if a firearm is Secure to manage. Information, Suggestions In case you’ve checked out spending plan shotguns in the final twenty years, you’ll discover that a massive host of them are created in Turkey.
Tp9 Sfx Options
While this may well feel an odd decision, we can see this staying well-known with people that carried possibly a Beretta m9 or even a Sig P226 up to now. Our provide incorporates 118 types of Canik TP9 SFX Leather-based holsters with vital features like rapid and simple attract and re-holstering. Wide selection of carry positions and carry designs assist you to browse via a lot of holster styles with great retention along with a included trigger guard, either open best holsters or holsters by using a thumb crack. Mag release is usually switched out to generally be still left-pleasant…but there’s no way with the slide halt. Prepare for many very good ole slingshot reloading then. The standard Canik TP9 SFX leather holster is manufactured from cowhide that's been processed, molded and tanned to perfection. Leather-based holsters has better warm feeling, for a longer time life time and greater healthy, as opposed with other elements. In step with the race gun mantra, There's also a removable charging take care of that may be included to possibly side of your slide. This enables the operator unparalleled control of the slide when racking. The front on the triggerguard is squared off and serrated, and there's a 3-notch Picatinny rail in front of the triggerguard for mounting a weaponlight or laser. The TP9’s journal drops conveniently and positively when the mag release button is pushed. The magazines are numbered about the back to indicate the amount of rounds in position. This is a superb, professional, supportive, and Energetic Canik Group. The declaring 'If you don't have nearly anything wonderful to say, Really don't say it' applies. Rude & crass instigators won't be tolerated You will also find prolonged Journals readily available, which can be loaded with twenty bullets. The canik TP9 SFX relies on the usage of the 9mm Luger cartridge. Among several of the features of the handgun are the following: an optics All set skeletonized slide, front slide serrations, extended journal catch and extended slide halt, accent rail, 18-spherical or prolonged 20-round journal. Most of these options and The truth that the pistol is optics-All set make the Canik TP9 SFX a really reliable tactical pistol. The pistol is most often used for Levels of competition taking pictures and it’s also a viable company handgun. Gun Details The front sight is considered the most vital visual on any pistol, as that is Anything you’ll center on when capturing. The Canik TP9 designs include conventional dovetail sight cuts for adjustability and both equally a pink and inexperienced fiber optic front sight to make sure you can choose the most effective shade to your Visible choice. Check out all our favorites…however, if we needed to pick one at this moment it’d be the Holosun 507c X2 ACSS. Resulting from The present scenario involving COVID-19, prospects may well expertise longer than normal ship instances. Be sure to be certain we've been carrying out every thing within our energy to Get the deals for you in a secure and timely way. The METE collection may be the fruits of a long time of tireless tests and engineering leading to a truly amazing final result! The SC model features a shorter barrel, which makes it less difficult to conceal and use for personal protection, though a little bit less exact. It’s truly worth mentioning that a lot of the Elite styles feature threaded barrels, generating them viable suppressor hosts. Canik nicely stippled the body for simple purchase when rushed or sweaty. In the meantime, the dust protect includes a rail for accessories. The frame on my duplicate is black though the backstrap and magazine baseplates can be a metallic metal coloration to match the tungsten slide. Frankly, the TP9SFx seems magnificent.
The Basic Principles Of Tp9 Sfx
The journal release is reversible on the user stage and in addition sports activities the niftiest screw-in extensions. The gun comes along with a little plastic toolbox that features two spacers that, jointly, supply a few diverse profiles for your journal release. Canik created a lanyard attachment position into your butt. We in no way use these retention products on this facet from the pond, but nearly every armed Israeli I saw even though in that extraordinary nation utilised a person. It is actually my impression that any reward obtained from getting a comp on a regular pistol is basically psychosomatic given that most OTS pistol rounds(+p provided) lack the amounts of powder required to run the comp competently, if at all. Thanks to the way your new holster is built, your handgun will not likely slide out in the holster even if you decide to have your rig the wrong way up (Despite the fact that we advise you not to hold in this manner). Even so, in order to get as much retention as is possible, Be at liberty to pick from our variety of Canik TP9 SFX Leather Hybrid holsters equipped that has a thumb-split strap. As mentioned earlier, aftermarket accessories really are a necessity for a pistol to become competitive towards Other people. ALERT - It's arrive at our awareness that a fraudulent World wide web website is misusing the Canik identify, emblems, pictures and products and solutions in what we think is often a scheme to defraud unsuspecting firearm and accent purchasers. The web sites canikgun.com, canikpistols. With its simple dealing with traits and twenty-spherical ability, it would definitely provide effectively as being a home or truck gun. For day-to-day carrying and/or hid use, I would favor a journal which inserts flush While using the grip frame. At 27 ounces, I do not find the gun objectionable weight-wise for packing and the polymer holster which is included locks the pistol securely set up and releases it when desired. Cocking serrations are at both equally the front and rear in the slide. There's also four pounds-decreasing cutouts found on all sides with the slide driving the front sight and two extra at The underside front of your slide. TP9 SFx is formulated to serve as the Top quality Model of TP Collection Pistols with its 5.twenty-inch barrel. SFx comes along with numerous new capabilities as modular for the shooter to get pleasure from extra in target capturing. Outfitted with entrance serrations, extended magazine catch, and extended slide halt, the shooter’s Charge of the pistol is Increased and sighting is improved because of the fiber-optic front sight. Side reversible magazine catch with more sizes of release buttons and alternate backstraps for just a customized in shape MSRP Find your supplier When you are a accredited firearms vendor, make sure you go to our supplier internet site to purchase. This might be by far the most extras you have in a regular pistol package deal for anything less than $one,000. For pure worth, this is punching way outside the house its fat class. Even the facet manufacturing unit stippling doesn’t enable just as much in case you’re sweating. I’d grab some Talon grip tape.
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Revival of Vintage Lenses: The Latest Trend, Digital Photography
**Revival of Vintage Lenses: The Latest Trend in Digital Photography**
Welcome back to my digital photography blog! Today, we're diving into one of the most intriguing trends reshaping the photography landscape: the revival of vintage lenses. This trend blends the old with the new, offering photographers unique creative opportunities and distinctive visual styles. Let's explore why vintage lenses are making a comeback and how you can incorporate them into your photography toolkit.
### The Allure of Vintage Lenses
#### Unique Optical Characteristics
One of the primary reasons photographers are drawn to vintage lenses is their unique optical qualities. Unlike modern lenses, which are designed to minimize flaws and produce clinically sharp images, vintage lenses often have imperfections that add character to photos. These can include:
- **Soft Focus:** Many vintage lenses produce a softer image, particularly at wider apertures. This can give portraits a dreamy, ethereal quality.
- **Swirly Bokeh:** Certain vintage lenses, like the Helios 44-2, are famous for their distinctive bokeh patterns, which can add an artistic touch to backgrounds.
- **Chromatic Aberration:** While generally considered a flaw, chromatic aberration (color fringing) can sometimes enhance the aesthetic of an image, giving it a unique look that modern lenses typically avoid.
#### Build Quality and Aesthetic
Vintage lenses are often built with metal bodies and manual focus rings, providing a tactile shooting experience that many photographers find satisfying. The craftsmanship of these lenses is typically robust, and their classic design adds a nostalgic aesthetic to your camera setup.
### Adapting Vintage Lenses to Modern Cameras
#### Lens Mount Adapters
To use vintage lenses on modern digital cameras, you'll need a lens mount adapter. These adapters are readily available for most camera and lens combinations. Here’s how to choose the right adapter:
- **Compatibility:** Ensure the adapter matches both your lens mount and camera mount. Popular mounts include M42, Canon FD, and Nikon F for lenses, and Sony E, Canon EF, and Micro Four Thirds for cameras.
- **Quality:** Invest in a good-quality adapter to ensure a secure fit and to avoid light leaks. Brands like Fotodiox and Metabones are known for their reliable adapters.
Manual Focus and Exposure
Most vintage lenses are manual focus, which can be a learning curve for those used to autofocus. However, this can also be an advantage, as it encourages more deliberate and thoughtful composition. Many modern cameras have focus peaking and magnification features to assist with manual focusing.
Additionally, vintage lenses often lack electronic contacts, meaning you’ll need to adjust exposure settings manually. This includes setting the aperture on the lens and adjusting shutter speed and ISO on your camera.
Creative Benefits of Using Vintage Lenses
Enhanced Storytelling
The unique characteristics of vintage lenses can enhance storytelling by imparting a distinctive mood or atmosphere to your images. For instance, the soft focus and warm colour rendition of a vintage lens can evoke nostalgia or romance, making it perfect for portraiture and lifestyle photography.
Experimentation and Learning
Using vintage lenses can reinvigorate your creative process. The need to manually focus and set exposure slows down the shooting process, encouraging more thoughtful composition and a deeper understanding of photographic principles.
Cost-Effective Quality
Many high-quality vintage lenses are available at a fraction of the cost of modern equivalents. This allows photographers to expand their lens collection and experiment with different focal lengths and styles without breaking the bank.
Popular Vintage Lenses to Explore
- **Helios 44-2 58mm f/2:** Known for its swirly bokeh and sharp central focus, this Soviet-era lens is a favorite among portrait photographers.
- **Canon FD 50mm f/1.4:** This lens offers excellent sharpness and beautiful background blur, making it ideal for portraits and low-light photography.
- **Minolta Rokkor 58mm f/1.2:** Renowned for its build quality and pleasing bokeh, this lens is a great choice for those looking to experiment with shallow depth of field.
Conclusion
The revival of vintage lenses in digital photography is more than just a trend; it's a movement that celebrates the artistry and craftsmanship of past generations. By integrating these classic lenses into your modern workflow, you can achieve unique optical effects, enrich your creative process, and produce images with a distinctive charm that sets your work apart.
So, dig out that old lens from your attic or visit a second-hand camera store, grab an adapter, and start exploring the endless
creative possibilities that vintage lenses offer. Happy shooting!
#disabled artist#photographers on tumblr#art#digital art#landscape#artists on tumblr#my art#original art#photographer#adobe photoshop#art blog#blog#vintage#vintage photography#vintage lenses#informative#information#interesting#social#past#cameras#lightroom#nikonphotography#photography
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#SIGMA #16mm #56mm #30mm #Contemporary #cpplus2023 #lens #nikon #sigma zmount #lensnews #canon #portland #pdx #oregon #photography news
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1333 10Feb23: good walk and talk this afternoon. Discussed production with a guy who doesn't really understand what I'm talking about totally but understand enough to understand... Naintindihan?? Hahahaha. Basically he gets the process and the projection I am aiming for but when I start talking specifications for camera equipment and details about certain positions, he gets a bit lost, which makes me have to explain which is a good fact checker for me.
Basically before I go home to the Philippines I need to make 1 "big purchase" which is less than a $1,000. A $700ish lens. The idea is that this one lens on my camera with my speed booster will give me a 22-44ish or so millimeter equivalent lens with a constant aperture of f1.2 which is honestly great. 1 lens to keep on the camera that shoots basically 3 different focal lengths for film and a constant aperture of f1.2.. man it's great. Other wise I would spend roughly $1,600 on four different lenses getting the same focal lengths but would have to change lenses for each focal length and it would have I think an f1.8 equivalent aperture because the speed booster wouldn't work as it is a micro four thirds mount. So that's why talking to him I have come to the conclusion that the 1 lens would be the better option for what my planned audience platform would be targeting. I could use that extra money saved to get additional vmount batteries or other equipment for the camera of even use the cash to upgrade the computer so I could focus on some better editing capabilities.
So the plan is there. I just need to get through these next two months and see if I have to move or if I can stay in this house until I retire. If I can stay then I will be able to start filming small projects or concept shots again and not being stressed. Allow my creative juices to ferment into ideas!
Ok back to house work!
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Micro Four Thirds adapter to a PCO Panda 4.2 camera. We were able squeeze on the bayonet adapter for the m4/3 mount by replacing the bolt on adapter at the front on the camera. #skgrimes #microfourthirds #pco https://www.instagram.com/p/Cm6p7YXuruo/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=
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Price: [price_with_discount] (as of [price_update_date] - Details) [ad_1] From the manufacturer DCI and UHD 4K Video Recording and OM-Log 121-Point All Cross-Type Phase-Detection AF 5-Axis Sensor-Shift Image Stabilization; Body Design and Connectivity Hardware Interface: Usb; Wireless Communication Technology: Wi-Fi; Photo Sensor Technology: Cmos; Compatible Mountings: Micro Four Thirds [ad_2]
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Best Sigma Lens Under £500 In 2021 | Leeds | UK
Best Sigma Lens Under £500 In 2021 | Leeds | UK
1. Sigma 30mm F/1.4 DC DN Contemporary Lens (Sony E) This 30mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary Lens from Sigma is designed for use with APS-C-format Sony E-mount mirrorless cameras. The bright f/1.4 maximum aperture benefits working in low-light conditions and also affords extensive control over depth of field for using selective focus techniques. Also, a Super Multi-Layer Coating has been applied to…
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#Best Sigma Lens#Best Sigma Lens Under £500#Best Sigma Lens Under £500 In 2021#Best Sigma Lens Under £500 In 2021 | Leeds#Justclik#Lens#Sigma 105mm F2.8 EX DG OS HSM (Nikon)#Sigma 16mm F1.4 DC DN Contemporary (Canon EF-M)#Sigma 30mm F/1.4 DC DN Contemporary Lens (Sony E)#Sigma 45mm F/2.8 DG DN Contemporary Lens (L Mount)#Sigma 56mm F/1.4 DC DN Contemporary Lens (Micro Four Thirds)#Sigma Lens#UK
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New Hardware: Sirui 24mm f/2.8 1.33x Anamorphic Lens
New Hardware: Sirui 24mm f/2.8 1.33x Anamorphic Lens
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#1.33x#anamorphic lenses#Canon EF-M Mount#cinematography#Fujifilm X-Mount#M4/3 Mount#M43-mount#MFT-mount#Micro Four Thirds mount#movie production#Nikon Z-Mount#Sirui#Sirui 24mm f/2.8 1.33x Anamorphic Lens#Sirui 35mm f/1.8 1.33x Anamorphic Lens#Sirui 50mm f/1.8 1.33x Anamorphic Lens#Sony E-Mount#Super 35#video production
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Image from Amazon.in
Sigma 30 mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary Lens for Sony E-Mount
#The Sigma 30mm 1.4 DC DN#high performance prime with a large aperture of F1.4#designed for APS-C Mirrorless cameras#Sony E mount and Micro Four Thirds#Sigma 30 mmSigma 30 mm#f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary Lens
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20180106-0107-Edit by Chris Osborne
#B&W#Edinburgh#Europe#European Union#M4/3#Micro Four Thirds#Nik Collection#Olympus#Olympus Pen F G.Zuiko Auto-S 40mm f/1.4#Olympus Pen-F#Pen F mount#Princes Street#Scotland#Silver Efex Pro#Silver Efex Pro 2#The Parish Church of St Cuthbert#United Kingdom#Western Europe#black & white#black and white#blur#bokeh#carving#cemetery#child#city center#digital#focus blur#grave/graveyard#legacy lens
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The Rokinon 12mm T2.2 Cine Lens for Micro Four Thirds Mount is a wide-angle lens optimized for digital cinematography. The lens produces an image circle that will cover APS-C sized sensors or smaller. For use with a follow focus unit, the focus and aperture rings feature industry-standard 0.8 pitch gearing. The aperture ring is also de-clicked to allow for smooth iris pulls while shooting. Focus, aperture, and depth of field markings are on the side of the lens to aid focus pullers, who typically operates on the side of the camera.
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- More from the Micro Four Thirds Lumix GX9 -
Given the size of the imaging sensor in this camera, I am continually impressed by the kind of overall image quality one can get from thus system.
For those that don't know, the three most popular sensor sizes in interchangeable lens digital cameras (in order of size from largest to smallest) are the full frame sensor, the APS-C or "crop" sensor, and the M 4/3.
There is the medium format sensor which is larger than the full frame sensor, but I don't include it in a list of popular sensor sizes because even with recent tech advances that have lowered the price of medium format cameras they tend to still be exceptionally expensive (6 to 7 thousand dollars for the camera body alone [at the cheepest]). There are also several sensor sizes smaller than the M 4/3, but they don't tend to be particularly sought out by photographers, and therefore they are not "popular".
The general idea is that the larger the sensor, the more light it can gather, and the more light it can gather the better the image quality tends to be. There is a lot more to top notch image quality than this, of course, but this is one of the main ideas in a nutshell. It is because of these imaging realities that I am continually impressed by the Lumix GX9 and the sort of outstanding image quality I can get from it.
Another aspect that deserves mentioning is the fact that good image quality can also be directly tied to having quality glass mounted to the camera in question. As it happens, the M4/3 system tends to have very affordable options for some really good glass. For example I recently picked up a rather fast 20 mm f/1.7 prime lens for less than 300 dollars. Many full frame equivalent lenses could be somewhere between $900 - $1,200.
In short I'm just really impressed by the kind of quality I can get in a system that tends to be very affordable (as cameras go).
#nature#opt outside#outdoors#no people#landscape#go outside and play#landscape photography#the hikers eye#nature photography#hiking#micro four thirds#panasonic#lumix#tutorial#content creator#los angeles#palos verdes peninsula#point vicente#lighthouse#original photography#original photographer
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Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 1990 Review: Still Possesses Turtle Power After All These Years
Cowabunga all you happy people! I freaking love the Teenage Ninja Turtles. I grew up with it from Turtles in Time, which was my first video game, to the 2003 cartoon, which I covered the first three episodes of last month, and on to present day as I re-read the idw comics after finally reading the original eastman and laird run of mirage, and impatiently waiting for Shredder’s Revenge to come out after a LONG drout of no good TMNT games. I”m a fan of these heroes four, their dynamic as a family, the endless possiblities that come from it’s long history and ablitlity to go anywhere in any genre, and the wonderful goofy shit that happens when you have a franchise about mutant turtles learning ninjitsu from a rat and fighting a dude covered in knife covered samurai armor.
So with me finally covering the guys after almost a year last month and with a new movie set to debut at some point this year, I had the bright idea to revisit the FIRST TMNT movie after way too many years of not watching it. This movie is anear and dear to my heart: When I first started getting into the boys big as a kid with the 2003 cartoon, I badly wanted more turtles. But back then it wasn’t nearly as easy to glom onto some more of the sewer shock pizza kings: Streaming sites with all the cartoons on them weren’t all that accesable, dvd’s were expensive for the 87 cartoon, Mirage wasn’t reprinting the comics in any meaningful way and my local comic shop didn’t have any at all and I could only play the SNES when my brother had it set up on occasion like at our Grandma’s farm.
As you probably guessed though there was one exception: the original 1990 movie, which I got at Walmart for 5 bucks and haven’t let go of since. It was one of my first dvds and is still one of my most precious. Said film hit the spot just right as like my beloved 2003 series, it was a mildly goofy but still fucking cool adaptation that stuck closer to the mirage comics, even more than the 2003 series would, while taking a few queues from the 87 series. This film is as precious to me as the 2003 series and a with a brand new movie coming up, I figured it was the exact right time to dig into this classic: what makes it still good to this day, what’s fun to point and laugh at, and how the heck Jim Henson got involved in this. So join me under the cut as I take a look at my boys first theatrical outing and why I still love watching a turtle.
No One Wanted To Make This: Before we get into the film itself some background. As usual I struggled a bit, but thankfully found some help in the form of this Hollywood Reporter article. It’s a fascinating read worth your time, providing an oral history of the film from the people who worked on it.
The film was the baby of Gary Propper, a surfer dude and road manager for the prop comic Gallagher, aka that guy who used to smash watermelons but now has instead opted to smash what little’s left of his career by being a homophobic douchenozzle. He found an ally in Showtime producer Kim Dawson who’d produced Gallagher’s special. I don’t think there will be more of an 80′s sentence than “Gallagher’s surfer dude agent wanted to make a teenage mutant ninja turtles movie”. Propper was a huge fan of the comics, and with Dawson’s help convinced Laird and Eastman to let them option it to studios.
It may come as a shock to you but the road agent for a homophobic watermelon man and a producer at a niche cable channel wanting to make a movie based on an underground comic book about masked turtles at a time when the two most recent comic book movies were Superman IV: The Quest for Peace and Howard the Duck, did not go well. Every door in Hollywood got slammed in their face, even Fox> Even the eventual backer of the film, Golden Harvest, a hong kong action film studio, took months to convince to actually back the film.
Things did not get easier from there: The films writer Bobby Herbeck had trouble getting a story agreed on because Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird’s working relationship had deteroiated horribly from the stress so naturally the two could not agree on a damn thing and argued with each other. Peter Laird made a tense siutation even worse by constnatly sniping at Herbeck and feeling he was a “Hollywood outsider infringing on his vision and characters”
Granted the script was apparently not great... but Pete still comes off as a pretnetious ass who views his weird indie comic as THE HIGHEST OF HIGH CALLINGS HOW DARE YOU SOIL IT. And continued to be kind of a prick like this throughout the rest of his time with the property.
Thankfully the film found i’ts voice, vision and director in Steve Barron. Barron was a music video guy who knew the producers and while reluctant, eventually dove into the project rightfully thinking the film would need to be a mix of the mirage comics and 87 cartoon, keeping aprils’ reporter job, the turtles lvoe of pizza and their iconic color coding from the cartoon but adapting several stories from the comics as the backbone of the film. The guys liked barron MUCH better and things ran smoother.
Barron also brought in one of the film’s biggest selling points and it’s most valuable asset: it’s triumphantly awesome Jim Henson costumes. Barron had worked with good old Jim on the music videos for Labyrinth, and while it took some convincing since the comics were violent as hell and that wasn’t Jim’s style, Barron eventually got him on board. This naturally doubled the budget, but given Henson’s costumes STILL hold up today and look better than the cgi used in the platinum dunes films... it was a good call. And this was brand new tech for jim, having to invent tons of new ideas and mechanisms just to make the things work, and said things still were absolute hell on the actors. Jim later ended up not liking the film for being too violent... which I find hilarious given how many muppets got eaten or blowed up real good on his show but regardless, I thank this legendary and wonderful man as without him this film WOULD NOT have worked. The costumes here look great, feel realistic, and you can’t tell the actors were dubbed much less horribly suffering in those suits. Much like Disney Land.
The film would get picked up for distribution by New Line, and despite i’ts weird as hell origins and the long shot it had.. the film was a MASSIVE hit at the box office, owing to a combination of Batman 89 the previous year having proved comic book movies can work for audiences, the cartoon’s runaway sucess, and a massive marketing campaign. The film made it’s mark. So now we know how we got here let’s get into the film itself.
What’s the Story Morning Glory?:
So the story for this one is largely cobbled together from some of the more notable arcs Eastman and Laird did before handing off the book to others full time as the stress of the company and the mounting tension with each other made it near impossible to work together on the book itself.
To Save time i’m just going through what hte movie takes from the comics plot wise now to save me the trouble later:The movie takes elements from the first issue (The Turtles, Splinter and Shredder’s backstories, Shredder being fully human and the main antagonist, Shredder’s design and the final rooftop showdown that results in Shredder’s death), second and third, (April’s apartment over her dad’s old store and the turtles moving in when their home is ransacked and splinter has gone missing), the rapheal micro series (A tounge in cheek way of cashing in on the Mini-Series craze of the 80s, a one shot by modern standards and something that’s tragically been underused as an idea as only TMNT and MLP have used the idea at IDW, Raph meeting casey and their fight with one another), the return of shredder arc (One of the turtles being ambushed and mobbed by the foot and then thrown though a sky light (Leo in the comic and Raph here), the turtles being horribly outnumbered by them, Casey coming ot the rescue and metting the non-raph turtles for the first time, and them being forced to escape when the place goes up in flames), their exile to northampton (April writing in a journal, casey working on a car with one of the guys and one of hte guys looking over hteir injured brother), and finally, their triumphant return which was very loosely adapted as there are no deformed shredder clones and shredder not being dead yet in this version was not brought back by a colony of super science worms.
So as for how this all comes together: Our story takes place in New York: A crimewave is high with muggings mysterious. There are a ton of phantom thefts going around and at most people have been seeing teens responsibile. And the police.. are at about this level of useful:
The only person doing something is April O’Neil, played by Judith Hoag. Hoag is easily the standout of the film, giving us a strong, confident woman with a wonderful sense of humor. She honestly might be my faviorite April O Neil, and given we’ve had some great ones with 2003, 2012 and Rise, that’s not something I say lightly. I honestly wish I’d recognized her in more stuff as she was both on Nashville and the mom in the Halloween Town films, and most recently was on the ScFy show the magicians. She’s a talented lady and i’m glad she’s still goin.
April is a reporter for Channel 3 like the cartoon, though for some weird reason her boss from the cartoon is replaced by Charles Pennigton, played by Jay Patterson, whose currently dealing with his troubled son Danny, played by Micheal Turney. Pennington is horribly useless at both jobs: At work he tries to ease April off calling out Chief Sterns, who refuses to listen to April’s evidence gathered from japanese immigrants that the crimes resemble similar ones in japan in favor of trying to get charles to shut her up. Danny meanwhile is a member of the foot becase his dad thinks shouting out him and talking about him like he’s not there and generally being a dipstick will actually do anything to help him.
I love the concept for the foot here. In addition to being a Ninja Violence Gang as always, they now recruit new members by finding kids without families or with troubled family lives and giving them a sense of family with the foot, and sweeting the bargin with a giant cave filled with arcade machines, a skate ramp and general late 80′s early 90′s kids goodies. Is it rediculous? Yes. Is it also clever as it gives Shredder an easy army of plausably deniable theives that he can pick the best out of to put in his elite that will be tirelessly loyal to him and him alone? Also yes.
So April being public about this stuff gets her attacked, which naturally leads to our heroes coming in, first in the shadows and later directly when April wont’ give up on the case and Shredder sends some ninjas to go shut her up.. which he does weirdly as the guy jsut slaps her and tells her to cut it out like he’s on a domestically abusive episode of Full House. Raph saves her, and we get the turtles origin.. though weirdly they cut it in half. We get the ooze portion but Splinter’s past with Saki, Saki’s murder of his master and his master’s partern Tang Shen is left for later in the film and the fact Shredder’s saki is treated as a big twist despite the fact the biggest audience for the film would be kids... and kids would’ve been familiar with the cartoon where the giant brain monster routinely screeches out saki at the shredder. Maybe Barron just thought he was an alcoholic I don’t know. It just would’ve made more sense to have it all at once and let the audeince put it together.
April becomes good friends with the turtles over a night of frozen pizza and camradrie, but the Splinters return home to find it ransacked, Splinter kidnapped by the foot, and are forced to Stay with april. Charles meanwhile tries to get April to backoff because he made a deal with the police to clear Danny’s record, without TELLING her any of this mind you, but I will save my rage on that little plot point for in a bit as Danny who he drug along sees the turtles and tells the Shredder.
So we get the return of the shredder arc as Raph goes through a window, our heroes fight valiantly, and Raph’s friend Casey who he met earlier shows up, the two having bonded as all true friends do.. by beating the shit out of each other ending with raph shouting DAMNNNNNNN really big and dramatically into the sky for some reason. The Turtles and friends escape with an injured raph from April’s burning second hand store. She had a second hand store it was poorly established and only there because she had it in the comics.
Our heroes retreat to a farm April’s grandma owned in Northampton, Massachutes, where Mirage was located at the time the original comics where they were exiled to the place were written and a location that has been a staple of the turtles ever since. The turtles slowly recover, lick their wounds, talk about who hooked up with who on gilligans island etc, before Leo connects with Splinter via meditation, who tells them to come back. Splinter also starts to connect with Danny and convinces him to swtich sides.. or at the very least squat in the boys old home.
The boys return home, find danny, and prepare, Danny goes back and ends up giving away the Turtles are home.. but the turtles are ready and in an awesome sequence kick the fuck out of the foot squad sent for them with some well prepared steam vents. Casey goes to get splinter since Danny told them and with Danny’s help, finds him, since Danny found out they were gonna kill him. Casey beats up Tatsu, shredder’s right hand man, and they get him out.
We get our final fight which is awesome up until the climax.. which is splinter casually tripping shredder with nunchucks and thier bloody history being kind of rushed and unsatsifying. Casey crushes shredder with a garbage truck, April gets her job back, more on that in a moment, she and casey hook up, and we end with the fucking awesome song T-U-R-T-L-E Power by partners in cryme. Seriously check it out it’s fucking triumphant.
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The song is just good.. cheesy? Sure but that’s half the fun. It’s the gold standard for movie theme songs for them and stacks up handily with the various animated series themes.. all of which slap. Okay... ALMOST all of which slap. Fast Forwards is aggressively medicore, which is doubly suprising to me since 4kids was REALLY damn good with theme songs. It was one of the three things they were best at along with finding VERY talented voice actors and setting japan based works in america because merica dammit.
The plot is very solid: It skilfully packed half of eastman and laird’s run on TMNT into 90 mintues while adding things like April’s job at channel 9, the way the foot recurited kids etc. The plot flows well for hte most part and apart from one annoying subplot we’ll get to never has a moment that feel unecessary or dosen’t pay off later. And the stellar plot and fun pacing of it helps boilster the characters that do work... and help paper over the ones that are so thin the’yd fall down a grate...
Our Heroes, Villains and Annoying Middle Aged Guys:
Yeahhhh character is hit and miss here. Some are rather strong, others are the bare basics for the character their adapting and most are just to serve the plot but some work some don’t, So let’s talk about it starting with our boys:
Raph is the most fleshed out of the turtles, being the main focus of the first 2/3 of the film, and having his anger be part of what SHOULD be a character arc, learning to temper it. And while granted MOST TMNT properties do this, to the point that Rise Raph is so loveable in part because his boisterous bruiser big bro attitude is a refreshing break from the usual grumpus we get. But at the time this hadn’t been done in every version but the 87 cartoon, so exploring it was valid.. but despite saying this should be a thing htey just forget about it and the most plot relevance he gets is going thorugh a window. He dosen’t really get a resolution.. his arc just kind of stops dead for the final half and it’s one of the film’s weaker points, one I only just now noticed on this rewatch. He’s still the most entertaining.
Leo is the weakest of the turtles. He really lacks a personality here mostly just being leader and while his spirtual side is touched on, it’s mostly a plot device. He’s just kinda the leader because he was in the comics to the point Partners in Cryme called Raph the leader. His role in getting taken out by the foot was taken by Raph, so he just has.. nothing to do for most of the film other than gripe at raph ocasionally and say orders. He’s probably the worst Leo i’ve seen outside of Next Mutation. I prefice that because after watching Phelous’ review it’s VERY clear those four are the worst versions of the characters, and no personality is still better than either having your team do nothing or yelling at them as your personality. I chalk this up to the Mirage Leo, and the mirage turtles to a poit being kind of bland. Not TERRIBLE characters, especially for the time, but not nearly as fleshed out or individualized as they woudl be in other adpatations, and with most traits LEo DID have, like his badassery flat out gone, he’s just.. nothing here.
Mikey and Donnie are a double act here with both sharing a brain. Interestingly instead of his normal genius character, Donnie is Mikey’s best friend and the two simply trade jokes and schtick together. The two are interchangable.. but easily the best part of the film and a lot of the most memorable gags and lines, from Ninja Kick the Damn Rabbit! to “Do you like Penicllin on your pizza”, are from them. Thier there almost entirely as comic relief but it works, with both clealry being more modled ont he 87 cartoon turtles, a move that helps lighten the mood in darker moments. Their just genuinely charming and it’s intresting to see such a diffrent version of Donnie, and other incarnations, specifically the 2003 and Rise versions, would retain the sarcastic edge.
Splinter is splinter. That’s about it, he’s peformed well and the puppet is amazing but he gets kidnapped a half an hour in and outside of influcencing Denny, more on that in a moment, and finishing Shredder he dosen’t do much but spout exposition. He’s not bad or anything, but he’s essentially a rodent shaped plot device. He was also puppeted by Kevin CLash, aka the guy who does Elmo. So there you go.
April on the other hand.. is truly excellent. This might be my faviorite April. Judith’s april nicely blends the cartoon and mirage versions: She has the cartoons energy and job, but the comics sheer will and casual nature. Judith just oozes personality and her April is just a joy to watch, from her breezy chemistry filled interactions with the guys to her confrntation with Chief Sterns, knowing she’ll get thrown out by the asshole. She’s confident, and even when afraid dosen’t back down to her attackers and even helps out during the sewer ambush. I mean it’s a pot on the head but still it’s neat. She’s easily the best part of the flim and the most fleshed out of the cast. The worst I can say is they kinda shove her store from the comics, Second Time Around, in there for no other reason than it was in the comics: It dosen’t come up until it’s needed for the foot’s assault on her place. But overall.. she’s just fantastic to watch.
Speaking of fantastic to watch, Elias Koteas is fantastic as Casey. Seriously he’s only second to the 2003 version in my eyes, getting the concept of a testorone filled average guy who decided to just go out and hit people with sports equipment after watching too much A-Team.. I mean that part of it’s not in this version but it’s implied, just right. Like judith, Elias is just really funny to watch and his big scenes, showing up just in time during the foot assault on april’s place and his fight with Tatsu are some of the best parts of the film, the former taken directly from the comics. This version isn’t without problems: His friendship with Raph, his most endearing aspect and one that has been carried throughout eveyr version Casey’s important, with the only exception so far being rise and we have a movie to fix that, is absent here. HE does save the guy, but they don’t really bond or anything. In fact he disappears for about half an hour after his big fight with Raph. But... again he’s just so damn entertaining, down to his JOSEEEEEEEEEEE Conseco bats (There was a two for one sale!).
Shredder is just a LITTLE better than splinter, if only because his actor projects a true aura of menace and I feel this version had some influence on the pants crappingly terrifying 2003 version. And the idea of the foot recurting teenagers like I said is a good one: He gives them home and a cause, they give him plausably deniable backup. And his fight with the boys in the climax is really awesome... the conclusion sucks but otherwise h’es okay. Not the deepest villian, but he has enough presence to be enjoyable.
His right hand man Tatsu, whose been adapted ocasionally since this and reimaigned as Natsu in the IDW comics, a female version, is also fine. He’s your standard grimacing goon but has enough presence to work.
So that brings us to the penningtons. Charles, april’s boss at the station and his son Danny who’s joined the foot as he feels his dad dosen’t love him. Charles..is about as interesting and likeable as a dog turd and is the worst aspect of the film. No debate there, he just sucks. He sucks so hard he’s classified as a black hole. The film wants you to see him as a put upon wokring dad whose frustrated with his son’s increased moodiness, skipping school and crminal undertakings and just wants to help him and loves him deep down. The problem is his actor’s delivery instead of concerned.. is just pissed. He just seems pissy and upset about the whole thing and comes off like he’s only mad about Danny doing this because he’s embarassing him and not because you know, it’s bad. When confronting Danny about stealing, he dosen’t consider MAYBE he’s part of a gang or needs help, but just wonders “Why are you stealing when I give you stuff”. Because, Dipshit, sometimes kids do crimes not because they need the stuff but because they WANT to, and because they want to act the fuck out.
The most he does for the kid is agree to try and get April to back off the police when Cheif Sterns offers to let Danny go and not put him on record in exchange for it. The problem.. is this makes him even MORE unsympathetic. While I do get wanting to help your child, I do and it’s a sucky position... he again should be sympathetic.. but he handles the thing so badly it sucks. He just tells april to ease off, with no reason given, then fires her when she SHOCKINGLY dosen’t give up taking the guy whose refusing to take her hard work seriously or actually solve the crime wave problem to task for his shitty behavior as ANY person facing a shitty, corrput cop would. She just wants to hold him acountable and get him to actually do something. He clearly knows her on a personal level too as he talks about his issues with his son freely with her, something you don’t do with an employee unless their also a friend on some level.
He could have TOLD april what was going on. She’d be furious at Stern’s naked corrpution and prioritizing shutting her up over actually solving crimes.. and thus put at least some of that energy into shutting him down or finding a way around it, going to the papers or something like that. Even in 1990 pre-internet, there were ways to get around Sterns blackmail and expose him so someone who’d actually do the job could get the job. Instead he just comes off as a selfish coward who rather than try and fight the guy blatantly abusing his power and using Charles own son as barganing chip, goes along with it because it’s the easier option to simply bow to him instead of TRY and stop this. And it’s not like he’s even going after a beloved public figure or someone who could hide behind his rep: Sterns was blatantly failing a crime wave, April had called him out on his failrues and coverups multiple times. The public was against sterns.. finding out he tried to blackmail the media into shutting up about him would PROBABLY end him... I only say probably not because the public wouldn’t skewer him, but because police tend to escape consequences for blatantly murdering someone on a daily basis and Andrew Cumo is STILl mayor over in new york, the same city this movie takes place, 31 years later, depsite EVERYONE asking him to resign over a long history of sexual harassment and a more recent but still horrible history of hiding death numbers. I don’t doubt people being stupid enough to ignore this or the bilaws with cops being stacked enough for him to get away with it, but just because someone gets away with a crime dosen’t mean you shoudln’t try and go after them in the first place. Fuck. Charles. Pennington.
Danny on the other hand is FAR more interesting and I think gets way too much flack when it comes to this subplot. Unlike his dad, whose dead weight, Danny is intresting: He provides a POV character for the foot’s MO in the film of taking in wayward teens, and his character arc is pretty engaging, slowly realizing the foot dosen’t care and that hte turtles are the good guys. HIs actor does a great job and while not the biggest presence, he’s not a bad addition to clan hamaoto and I wish other adaptations would find a way to use him. The pull between doing the right thing and his found family is a good struggle. My only real issue with his plot is the moviies flawed aseop about family. It tries to contrast shredder and his using the kids blatnatly with Splinter and Charles really loving their sons. And it works with Splinter and the kids because despite being a tad strict, Splinter clearly loves his sons and works with them to help them. The problem is ENTIRELY with Charles and Danny. As I said Charles love comes off as transasctional: He either thinks he can buy it or just expects it because he shot a bunch of goop into Danny’s mom after two minutes of disapointment. It dosen’t work with them because neither option is good for Danny. His father is neglectful, chooses throwing his jounralistic integrity out the window over talking to his son or his best friend about another way, and abrasive. Danny is no saint, he does do crimes, but it’s clearly a result of a shitty upbringing and the shredder and co actually offeirng him the love he desperatly craves. Danny goes to the foot because his dad is bad at his job but the film never adresses that and just expects Danny to go back to his dad because the plot says so. Danny would HONESTLY be better off with Splinter. No really. Sure he’d have to live in the sewers.. but he did so for a few weeks in the course of the movie. He’s fine down there. Splitner actually cares about him and took an intrest to him and knows how to raise a child. Let him become the fifth turtle. An aseop about family is not a bad thing: Loaded subject that it can be given how many outright abusive families exist, i’m one of the lucky ones who dosen’t have that issue, family is an important thing and can be a source of comfort and support. But this film tells you you should love and respect someone who does not love, respect or value you because he spent a minute in your mom’s vagina and that’s not how family should work and is outright dangerous to kids in an abusive situation. Love the film otherwise but fuck this aseop skyhigh.
Final thoughts:
Overall though.. the film is bodacious. It’s funny, well paced, has an awesome cast, and outside of a certain bald asswipe... it’s a really good superhero film. Is it the best i’ve seen? Nope. Not even close and character wise most of them are as thin as a wet paper bag covered in ranch dressing. But it’s still a fun as hell with awesome corepgraphy, a killer soundtrack, seriously the soundtrack is damn excellent and only didn’t get it’s own section because I didn’t have enough to say and some of the best effects work i’ve seen in a film in the turtle suits. If you haven’t seen it I urge you to check it out: it’s a breezy 90 minutes, it’s on hbo max and it’s a shell of a time. Will I do the next film?
We’ll see how this one does like wise and such, but I will be doing the rise film whenever it comes out this year. So look for that and keep possesing turtle power my dudes. If you liked this review subscirbe for more, join my patreon to keep this blog a chugging, comission a review if you have more turtle stuff you want me to cover, and comment on this. What do you think of the movie, what are your thoughts on the review, what can I do better, what other turtle stuff would you like me to cover/ Let me know and i’ll see you at hte next rainbow.
#teenage mutant ninja turtles#teenage mutant ninja turtles 1990#leonardo#raphael#donetello#michealangelo#casey jones#april o'neil#the shredder#oroku saki#new line cinema#golden harvest#film#90's movies#the 90's#partners in cryme#judith hoag
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