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From my perspective on the low-end corporate side of things: Any camera in the price range you're talking about will do everything you need it to do and it'll look fine. You're not going to be limited by the technology. You're really not. These days my assertion is that it's all about the skill level and creativity you bring to the shoot, not the consumer gear you buy... unless you decide to really go upmarket and invest 10K+ in gear that higher level clients feel more comfortable with. --which isn't always a bad thing. Sometimes clients like seeing a bunch of "real" gear around and they'll pay for that reassurance, even though a shooter does the same exact thing with an expensive camera as they do with an inexpensive one. I like to rent gear in these upscale circumstances as the cost gets passed onto the client anyway. All this depends on the clients you're trying to land. If you're doing weddings or low end stuff, I say ignore the expensive gear altogether. I do. As for the NX1, as long as you're willing to go through the transcoding step, (people that typically don't like this step are the ones that gripe about dealing with the new video codec) it really shouldn't be a problem. I personally don't mind transcoding to prores422 and do it for all my footage anyway regardless of the acquisition codec. And there's ALWAYS a new and better piece of gear just around the corner. I mean, I'd even be contrarian and suggest (if you're really trying to keep the budget tight) considering a GX7 ($450 used) or similar if you want great looking 1080 IQ for less. My advice is to stay one generation behind the "cutting edge" of equipment, buy stuff when it discounts (new or used) and concentrate your efforts on shooting and lighting. So, you know, before worrying so much about a such-and-such camera, I always recommend concentrating on lighting first. The best shooters understand how to paint with light; natural or artificial... and if you know what you're doing in this regard then you can make any camera look good. I'd say try not to get caught up in the Gear Acquisition Syndrome. Now, all that bloviating aside, if I was buying a new camera today and had money burning a hole in my pocket, I'd pick up a A7s simply because it allows some fun creative filming and flexibility with light. You can do more with less when it comes to lighting, and that's always a good thing. Bottom line: Whatever you get, use it as a creative tool, not a crutch. Don't worry if it does't do something as well as another piece of gear, just make it do what you want to the best of your ability.

​ Come on Ed, you know you're just spreading your new avatar and weren't banned on dvxuser, but only reduser AFAIK. It is not true they love to ban, on the contrary, they feel like to do it when people act there exactly just not trying to not embarass them ; ) As same as when you've played your clown part with that good joke on your video allegedly shot on an unreleased Weapon. Right, they take their business for serious. I couldn't reply you there once the thread is closed, I'm doing it right here. No good humor can save the grace if you're hurting their business. But, hey would anyone allow to break the bank account resources on the payroll bill when there are lots of people to whom to pay salaries in the end of each month? Or the solidarity blah blah only matches when stuff and staff are on our own or outside of this greedy camera industry in any rainbow-good-looking politically correct campaign, as for instance? This is the thin red line to separate the artist from a real professional with bills to pay. The fact is, trust me, they didn't ban you because you've greatly peed both President and CEO of the company in their backyard. They're used to on dvxuser, to begin with... ( BTW I've never seen a single ban there for such sin; as much as I am used to defend anyone when I see people are not there to defend themselves such as happened when eoshd has become notorius for a simple flaw of the humankind -- envy from whom didn't praise Andrew to see him to succeed </OT> ) ...and they could have a fair good reason to have hard feelings, after all, they are human beings as same as me or you. One thing you wrote rather well, but I believe you were too short on your acknowledgement. People should have more gratitude on their contribution for the democratization of technology at sane prices in the hand of many. I still remember when artists had no other choice unless to ask for loans if we'd want to keep dreaming with a pro/broadcast standards going on our work. And as you said, you ended to be able to buy three examples of such. Their competitor's souvenir or not, few years earlier, not even one you'd buy with the same amount of money. Maybe some sorta proprietary branded accessory without which you couldn't finish your product? PS: That said, last but not least, I've pre-ordered the upcoming a7RII and I am enthusiastic to buy new stuff for: A Whole Hearted Thanks to JIm! - E :-)

Damn revisiting this all - I need to take a fricking break from online forums. Sorry guys for all this. I am putting myself on a self-imposed camera board ban of 6 months starting now.

yes, when people are banned from a forum, they leave. that is the point.

​Its an instagram pseudo film grade with milk blacks, but apart from that the image looks ok. Just a few nondescript test shots edited to an indi soundtrack. This cameras main problem is the lack of lens options. No wide aperture options, no wide angle option, no telephoto option. But for the people for whom the money is nothing, it will be a convenient tool. If this came with a selection of stabilised lenses designed for the format it would be fantastic.

FWIW, I will add this: imaging tech is going to get so advanced and so cheap that very soon everybody, and I do mean everybody, will have awesome IQ power with them at all times -- via smartphones and enthusiast cameras. http://www.43rumors.com/panasonic-aims-to-launch-new-8k-cameras-by-2020/ So, ultimately, I don't think you're going to be able to significantly outclass competition with just the camera you buy. I'd argue that this moment has kind of arrived already, but great IQ will continue to get more and more democratized. As this happens, what's going to matter more? How you work with a client, how you visualize your images, how you collaborate, how you successfully envision a project and deliver it, how you tell a story ... or, what camera you choose to do the job? Depending on what you do, only you can answer that, but I know what I'm trying to value and nurture.

I think it's worth getting solely based on the chroma noise reduction!

You can denoise using Neat Video to have a nice solid base without that ugly digital noise. Now, denoised footage can really give off this watercolor painting vibe. So, to add some definition back in there, you use film grain derived from scanned-in film stock. So yeah, you can add some back in there. Et voilá. Looks a lot better. Nice and organic. With nicely shot footage and a proper grade that will definitly give you a nice look.

Jordan....thanks for the footage and input...it looks amazing, especially considering you just applied an Alexa Rec 709 Lut instead of a full grade...clearly the log profile offers the posibility of many variations of the clips!...did you shoot with all picture settings at 0 or did you adjust them and if so, to what?...Again, thanks much for sharing!!

Ummm... actually I ended up getting it for only US$1.2k! :-o *AND* it comes with the absolutely fantastic Tilta baseplate with a lightweight dovetail and V mount battery plate. (just these parts are worth several hundred!) So yes, I now possess my own personal F3! :-D ​ ​Oh wow, I was just checking out that film last night! Didn't realise that is you. Got to LOVE the internet how it brings the world closer and allows me to talk directly to the guy who made it :-) Looking forward to seeing it on VoD/DVD when it comes out!

​It is always much much much better idea to spend more on lenses, and less on the camera body. Get even a Panasonic G6 on sale, or a second hand GH2, and leave the rest of your budget for areas that matter such as a few nice lenses.

Here's what blew me away, scars and wrinkles in the skin just became extremely visible.

Thanks so much but I'm not - just trying to learn things as I go along. It's a confusing bumpy road and it's an interesting world of taste and preferences, of influence from other forms of better films and life.

Here's a feature I shot on the Sony F3 - resolution aside - the color information is quite excellent - and you can make some really lovely stuff with it.

During lunch break I played with the screen grab for a few minutes more just for the heck of it. Along with the Varicam35 LUT I also played with image in Photoshop Camera Raw a bit here. I don't think there are any skin-tone issues to worry about at all once we finally get V-LOG. Image degradation seems nonexistent as well, and this is a screen grab of a compressed youtube video. I think we are in for a treat when we get the real deal.

Personally the F3 is an AMAZING camera , especially combined with the S-LOG update. No 4k, but excellent 1080p and beautiful 13 stop Dynamic Range with accurate skin tones/color. Honeslty I was considering the Ursa Mini as well, but I'm thinking I will go Sony F3 route as well

​Thank you... so nice to read compliments. And I agree on the topic in general, this forum has come on leaps and bounds in the last 2 years. Thanks to everyone who keeps it interesting.

​Nah, forget that cheapo Canon 50mm f/1.8 altogether if you're going M43. There's no aperture control possible for these Canon lenses with cheap adapters. If you can, get the G7, with a 100-ish costing lens turbo (Nikon -> M43), with the Sigma ART 18-35mm f/1.8 in Nikon mount. That's a super solid starting point. Then get some cheap Fotga adapters (like 15 USD each) for like M42, Pentax and Minolta (full manual lenses) and start gathering some vintage glass where you feel you're lacking range. Like a Pentax-M SMC Asahi 50mm f/1.4 for example. Maybe save up for a native MFT T0.95,f/0.95 lens from SLR Magic/Voigtländer.

A used FS100 is the answer If it is within $500 of the A7 get that instead.

I'd opt for G7 with a lens turbo and throw some vintage bright glass in front or something.

​How about f1.2? I'll have something before this week is over.

Shame for them to lose you Ed. You're a great contributor wherever you happen to be posting. I'm enjoying your blog too, it's thought provoking. As for DVXUser i've seen both sides of the coin now. I didn't see eye to eye with them when I was a user. Now I'm a forum admin myself here, I can see what a challenge it is. It's a bit like running a kitchen at a restaurant but instead of the odd one-time customer or tourist turning up and hurling abuse through the kitchen door, the regulars feel they can do it too, whilst continuing to come back for soup the next day. It's a tricky one. In the end, we must try to respect the censorship / editorial decision of the admins.