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Showing content with the highest reputation on 09/26/2020 in all areas

  1. Desmond Downs

    DIY video jib

    For those interested in DIY projects today I tested my new invention - a DIY video jib using a decoy retriever with a tripod fluid head at the end - it makes for really nice smooth raise and lower shots. I've included some video on my blog. https://www.springbokphotography.com/blog/2020/9/26/diy-budget-video-jib
    4 points
  2. Years ago I saw a post explaining various companies' segmentation strategies, and I think it still holds true today. Canon have always made cameras that lack one specific major thing that you take for granted on other cameras at the same price point, apart from their very top models. This is why they have the cripple-hammer reputation. There's always ONE thing that's just a disappointment. For the C70, I'd say it's the EVF. For the R5, obviously, it's the recording time limits. The one time they neglected to do that was the 5D Mark II and they're still dealing with the unexpected consequences of that internally, I think. Panasonic by contrast have always had the reputation of giving you one specific thing that everyone else's camera lacks at a given price point. For DVX100 it was progressive scan. For HVX200 it was solid state recording and HD (of a sort). For the AF100 it was slowmo in HD. It persists to this day - I have a GH5 purely because it offers PROPER anamorphic shooting without costing the same as an Alexa. (I only wish their AF was up to scratch for video). Sony's pitch has always been technical advances. But they cannot design a user interface to save their lives, either physical or virtual (menu systems). It's the same with every Sony product I own, from PlayStations to BluRays. Great product technically, bloody awful ergonomics. For example, my Sony Blu-Ray player ignores the eject button if it's on standby. Every other player I've ever owned knows that if I press the button, I want the disk to eject. Now. Only Sony makes me turn the player on first (thus incurring an interminable boot sequence delay). RED's pitch has always been resolution and readout speed, facilitated by the best video codec there is. I still love my original RED Scarlet- in some ways it outperforms my FX9 and I'll probably keep it for decades. The main problem that is they tend to be assholes; the world would be a much better place with licenced REDcode RAW everywhere. And Arri's has always been targeting the top end, but I can't afford one so I don't know how they differentiate their cameras. The C70 and R5 show me that Canon are still just being Canon. The trick is to figure out where the missing feature is and does it kill your use case? Cheers, Hywel
    4 points
  3. Hangs4Fun

    Sony A7S III

    Here's the XLR-K3M running 4 channels into the A7SIII. This way you inject 24bit/48khz digital signals straight into the media file and have dials and switches of control. In the A7SIII screen shot you can see the 4 channels levels on the bottom left with a peak marker. Once the XLR-K3M is plugged in, you can no longer control levels in the camera, it is all controlled on the outside dials of the XLR-K3M. My typical setup and what I used in this example is a boomed MKH-416 on Channel 1, the XLR mic that came with the XLR-K3M as the on-camera mic (or could be a second boomed mic) as Channel 2, and 2 RODE Wireless Go setups using a splitter that runs one of the lav setups as the left channel (Channel 3) and the other as the right channel (Channel 4). I verified that I can take the MP4 from the A7SIII with these 4 audio channels into Premiere and see each of the 4 channels and can control each one separately. For me this is HUGE, because you are basically looking at the FX9 I could not afford (or justify this year) and I needed 4 channels of audio preferably not external, for doing in studio or on location interviews.
    4 points
  4. Hangs4Fun

    Sony A7S III

    I was pleasantly surprised to see that the A7SIII does PD charging faster than it can use the battery. Which is why I went with the FXLION NANO TWO V Mount. As you can see in the output of the NANO TWO, it's pushing 9.3volts and a couple of amps out to the A7S3, it too supports PD charging in and out. I WAS thinking about putting a dummy Z100 battery in my A7SIII to run off my V Mount, but.... now, I'm leaning towards running it off of USB-C PD. Between this solution and the previous post with the Atomos Sync Time Code device that allows you to swap batteries while recording; this PD solution between the NANO TWO and the A7SIII would also allow the same since the camera actually would be running on the Z100 battery. I could be in the middle of recording to both memory cards and outputting RAW, yet swap my V Mount battery with no disruptions to video or audio (the XLR-K3M also runs off the A7SIII through the MI port). Of course depending on how much space you have memory wise, you will now run out of space before battery. It's just comforting to know if you starting recording when lots of space on your sd/ssd, but low on your V Mount, you could swap while recording (mostly useful for events, weddings, interviews, etc). Obviously movie production or any filming involving shot lists, you could manage a swap of the battery around takes.
    4 points
  5. Hangs4Fun

    Sony A7S III

    I know some people were interested in the reported in camera Highlights and Shadows adjustment in the Standard Creative Look and aren't plan on using SLog-3 or RAW. For those, you will be pleasantly surprised at the adjustments you can make in camera (and these make a lot more sense than some of the concepts covered in Picture Profiles). I still recommend trying SLog-3 with this camera. Here are the Standard Creative Look settings and the amount of adjustments you can do now. Defaults are 0 on all of them except Sharpness defaults to 4 and Clarity to 1. Contrast -9 to +9 Highlights -9 to +9 Shadows -9 to +9 Fade from 0 to +9 Saturation from -9 to +9 Sharpness from 0 to +9 (default is 4) Clarity from 0 to +9 (default is 1)
    4 points
  6. Hangs4Fun

    Sony A7S III

    Some more tidbits I checked out tonight, before I head to bed.. ANY output over HDMI restricts you to only 2 audio channels (for those using the XLR-K3M 4 channel, it does do 4 internally, but you are currently restricted to choosing 2 of the 4 to go out HDMI for RAW or regular) Those Sony G memory cards (UHS-II SD) that Sony sold before they came out with the TOUGH series, do NOT register as V90 cards to the Sony A7SIII unfortunately Even though they have the same performance of 300MB/s read and 299MB/s write, they apparently can't sustain V90 speeds or something. This REALLY sucks for me because I had invested several hundred dollars in those cards. I only have 4 of the new TOUGH G cards and 2 of the TOUGH M cards, so will keep bugging PRO support to figure something out there (either Sony needs to support those very expensive cards or swap them for TOUGH G cards). The LANC option and record option in the Ninja V does not seem to be triggered by the Sony A7SIII. This is a feature I use all the time on my Ninja V. When I hit record on my other Alpha camera, it also triggers the recording on the Ninja V at the same time. Atomos has been having problems with this as they were releasing new versions of their firmware, it would get fixed then broke again. There's a pretty cool audio monitoring feature that actually helps you monitor 4 channels (see the attached photo). The caveat is to do 4 channels, it combines channels 1 and 3, and 2 and 4. but it does work I was able to record and monitor 4 channels. All the controls of the levels were done on the XLR-K3M The only way to record proxy's at the same time you are recording to both memory slots and outputting over the HDMI, is with the high priced Express cards. HOLY CRAP did my Ninja V get hot when recording that RAW output. It has a really good exhaust fan and heat sync (you will hear the fan in your recording if your mic is not at least 3 or more feet away). It literally blows hot air out like a tiny space heater. The A7SIII was very hot to the touch as well. I have an IR temp gun, once I calibrate it and make sure it is accurate, I will take some measurements of the two. Good night, will work on some footage tomorrow (or today I guess, lol).
    3 points
  7. Hangs4Fun

    Sony A7S III

    The grip on the A7SIII is so much more comfy depth wise (though part of my pinky still does hang off the end). In this picture you can see my the grip extender from my A9 and how much deeper that grip is. It feels like you have so much better control
    3 points
  8. Hangs4Fun

    Sony A7S III

    One thing that I am still trying to catch my breath on, is that it can only get about 48 minutes of 12bit ProRes RAW out of a freshly formatted 1TB SSD. Get your wallets out, if you are looking to do mostly RAW. I think it may be showing the amount of record time based on 60fps, because the calculations I was seeing put a 1TB 4K/24p recording at around 100 minutes for ProRes RAW and 70 minutes for ProRes RAW HQ. I will know more once I test.. BTW, I confirmed that the Western Digital Blue SSD 1TB drives, can handle the RAW output from the Sony A7SIII. And those are only $104 with a decent warranty. I use only the WD Blue drives on my NAS and my Drobo 5C, so was hoping these would handle the RAW sustained write speeds. We'll see, I will do more testing, like filling up the drive with a frame that has moving objects in it and see if it starts having problems towards the end of the space. I mention this drive, because Atomos is terrible at adding new drives and such to their supported drives page.
    3 points
  9. Hangs4Fun

    Sony A7S III

    Well, I got her earlier today, but it was senior night for my oldest and a big high school football game to attend to. I will share a photo of my Ninja, receiving a 16bit RAW 4.2K output to it 🙂 One VERY odd thing though is, I was testing 4 channel audio through the Sony XLR-K3M plugged into the hotshoe on the A7SIII. And it did 4 channel internally just fine, but restricted output over the HDMI down to only 2 channels? Not sure what is going on there, the Ninja V is capable of like 10 audio channels. More to come soon 🙂
    3 points
  10. The EOSHD Forum has been going since December 2011, so nearly 9 years now. What have been the single most popular topics during this time? https://www.eoshd.com/news/the-top-20-most-popular-cameras-of-all-time-on-the-eoshd-forum/
    2 points
  11. I suppose the upside of not being able to have fans in the stadium at the moment is that the cellular bandwidth doesn't get eaten up !
    2 points
  12. I don’t understand some of the negativity I’m seeing with the C70. It looks like a fantastic concept and will serve many people very very well. People who want RAW from this aren’t understanding it’s purpose. At least in the UK - documentary, corporate, music videos, brand promos.... 99% shot with 8bit or 10bit codecs.
    2 points
  13. Hangs4Fun

    Sony A7S III

    So, I have been eyeing the Kondor Blue Sony Ultimate Cage and have been in discussion with them about that very thing where the remote cable comes forward and there is no way to change that. Their cage goes a little low at that spot, and I am hopeful that I will be able to have the cable that comes out of the MI cable to be able to go up and over the top. Basically, it might just require a slight filing to create a beveled edge on the part of the cage that is close to the MI. Depends on how badly you want to achieve 4 channel audio into your main media files (reduced post work), for me that is one of my top priorities, so I will figure something out and of course share it. I am sending them caliper level measurements to them, but right now they are busy machining out the cages and what ever adjustments they were able to do before the final CNC instructions were done already. So what ever it is I am going to start with that and Figure it out. The good news is with their design has the camera on a Quick Release 501 Plate System, so you can slide the camera slightly forward or backward into the position that works for you (first attachment shows that with an arrow) So I am hoping that I will be able to slide the camera and 501 plate back slightly allowing the leading bump of that XLR-K3M MI shoe cable reroute thing; to protrude forward but not hit the cage. Then where the cable leave that it may be best to have a filed notch in the NATO rail to more gradually allow the cable to move up and away from the rail and not put stress on the connection inside the shoe. A small cable size notch in the edge of the NATO rail won't keep it from functioning when you go back to run and gun setup with top handle. The other alternative here, is that Kondor Blue is known for creating custom cables to solve these exact kind of problems. I have already suggested it to them, but that solution will take some months. It would involve a design where the cable comes out to either the left or right instead of straight ahead. BUT... let me ask you this? If you look at the second picture, the XLR-K3M itself does NOT have a leading bump and will likely just seat in the MI shoe (at least on the Kondor Blue cage). In my opinion, if you are recording 4 channel audio you are on a tripod, so why worry about a top handle. And if you don't have the top handle on (which on a well designed cage, takes 2 seconds to take on or off), why not just install the XLR-K3M straight into the shoe when you need 4 channel audio? I'm planning on 95% of my 4 channel needs being tripod based and have no reason for the top handle. I'm just going to make a lanyard that lets me hang the handle to the side when not in use and add back on when leaving the tripod. That being said, my place of choice to hang my Ninja V from was the front of the top handle, so now I will be mounting their cine magic arm (or pro) on the top just to the side of the middle. They have these sweet mini QR plates that will make it easy for me to go from a side loaded Monitor to back on the top handle for run and gun in a couple of seconds. MUCH more to come on the build out of that In this first picture you can see the reroute cable that lets you run your XLR-K3M 12" away from the top center. you can see the front leading bump it has and how it might hit the cage and/or NATO rail IF you have a cage that does not let you adjust the front/back position in your cage like the Kondor Blue does. Here I am showing the XLR-K3M itself, and it does not have that leading bump off the MI shoe like the reroute cable does.
    2 points
  14. There are a lot of variables with this mate ! The first of which, of course, is budget. The second which, may or may not be related to the above completely although of course they will impact on each other, is how many cameras you want to use. The third would be how many of them are going to be live operated. The fourth would be the network capability of the venue, both in terms of is it wired as well as the speed and if it will be for the exclusive use of you broadcasting. So if it is just a single camera on the halfway line then you will only need a way of encoding and getting the stream out, which could be done with one of the low price HDMI encoders with wifi and/or singular cellular option or a more sophisticated, not to mention expensive, one with cellular bonding. The upload speed you will need for 1080 live streaming is around 5 Megabits per second so isn't particularly onerous for a fixed installation but if the club also use that connection for other purposes such as providing internet access for staff, press or fans then you'll be sharing that with them. With cellular its exactly the same if not worse as a lot of fans will be as glued to their smartphones these days as they are to the action in front of them sadly. If you can guarantee a network connection (ideally wired but wifi if not) and are only using one camera then the price of entry for you to do it will be an HDMI cable and about €150-170 on Aliexpres for an NPF powered on camera encoder like this one. The version with a single 4G sim will be around €350. If you want multi-cellular bonded connections then you are looking at products from Teradek or the LiveU Solo which will be over the €1K mark and also require fees for cloud services that reconstruct the different data streams into one for broadcasting with. In terms of scaling up, the encoder/transmitter aspect won't change but obviously you'll need to have a budget per camera channel both in terms of the cameras themselves, the switcher capacity and the control and connection costs. That last part will form another big part of the equation because the cable runs and infrastructure required to have multiple cameras around a football pitch can become a headache and might actually end up determining what sort of cameras and switcher you have to buy. As will whether you are just having to provide a basic video stream or are being asked to do a full production with scoreboard, action replays etc. Definitely a how long is a piece of string question this one.
    2 points
  15. Hangs4Fun

    Sony A7S III

    That is correct because the handle is right in front of the MI But seriously, here's the thing, when the heck would you ever have your handle on (run and gun) AND be setup for 4 channels of audio? One of those silly arguments from people not involved in the actual use case. When I'm in interview mode, my handle is off, and I put it on when I shoot B Roll or run and gun. Shouldering or operating the camera from behind you are more likely going to be using handles from the sides of the cage or proper extended hands in the cases where you might be in that setup and still need 4 channels of audio.
    2 points
  16. Its not so much RAW, although RAWlite and BRAW have brought it to the masses; its about having an edit friendly codec. Its about the ease of editing with what you shoot with without proxy or transcode. I've shot in BRAW on a SSD drive and edited it directly on a laptop and delivered a video onsite within the hour. So quick and works well with Resolve. In comparison, H264 can take longer to edit. I actually work quicker with BRAW in Resolve than H264 in Premiere. Thumbnails load quicker, playback smoother so you can preview the finished video without encoding first. Saves so much time. A Cinema camera should offer a professional codec for editing rather than a deliverable one you need to transcode. You say RAW workflow is as time intensive as transcoding H264, no its not. The flexibility to work with what you have, to alter white balance and ISO so quickly can take the pain of correcting shots that didn't come out just right. You can apply a LUT you used when filming for quick turnover or spend more time if you need to. And yes, I have the P4K and soon P6K for that. Its not unreasonable to ask for a similar workflow from a camera costing more. That said, I do like a lot about the camera. The lack of proper codec is a negative, but for me the only major one. I can live without the evf. This camera ticks so many boxes for me; I am very tempted to look to buying one. Its the camera the R5 should have been. With Canon it feels like specs are all over the place. No consistent pattern across their line with what they offer. The R5 should have the video recording specs of the C70 and the C70 those of the R5. Then the R5 wouldn't need an overheating cripple to stop people from using it professionally and the C70 would be video camera of the decade.
    2 points
  17. Good point. Panasonic aways chose to add a special feature or two, to chase market share and they have provided supreme value for money over the years. Where is the 10bit full frame camera from the other manufacturers at the same price as the S1 for instance? Or anamorphic cameras for under $2K. But people see a Canon badge and go mental. Another crippled very high margin product. The same people who would deride the lack of IBIS or EVF on a cheap mirrorless camera under $1000 seem to give Canon a pass when these are missing at $5500. I do get that it's a cinema camera and image is a big step up from C100. It is by no means a poor camera. I just personally would have found an EVF very useful. I'd also have preferred a full frame sensor. IBIS is another big one. But yes if you are into crop sensor look with good dynamic range, I am sure the C70 ticks a lot of boxes.
    2 points
  18. sanveer

    Panasonic GH6

    The M43rumors guy was specifically asked to remove the leaked photo, which means there is something to the rumour. And now this https://photorumors.com/2020/09/25/new-panasonic-dc-bgh1-camera-registered-in-russia/ The next GH camera may gave a larger body and perform some great cinematic tricks, it appears? I hope the larger battery is used for Dual Gain processing.
    2 points
  19. It is when a photography camera gets it and in 8K.... Its not so much about heavy grades as giving a codec that plays well in editing suites even after grading. H264 and H265 are deliverable codecs not editing codec despite many believing them to be so. Its a great camera otherwise let down by a few things.
    2 points
  20. When your starting point for the grade is a better quality image than the RAW coming out of previous cameras, I doubt you'll be missing much in terms of gradibility. Perhaps if you're doing quite extreme colour isolations for effect, or if you need to rescue a mistake, then you might miss RAW. But for most applications this sensor + codec combo is probably going to provide a better graded image than most previous RAW cameras (in the price range, obviously). Canon have made a doozy of a workhorse cinema camera in the C300 III. It really does look the business, and I wish I could afford one! Of course a lesser release is not going to share it's full feature set. What would be the sense in that for Canon? So you just have to ask - is this a reasonable compromise at the price point or not? Personally I think it's a very generous offer. A truly top class image. Very decent codecs and frame rates. Bold new form factor. I don't think RAW is such an unreasonable omission.
    2 points
  21. Hangs4Fun

    Sony A7S III

    I've been using Timecode lately and have gone with the Atomos Atomx Sync on my Ninja V's. For multi camera that don't have a Ninja V, I use the Atomos UltraSync ONE (then unfortunately have to do audio based timecode on those camera's). But at least on my main camera's the Sync device is absolutely seamless and your timecode is embedded in your media file as timecode and not audio. Was a relief to see that it still works on the A7SIII and the timecode ends up the my NLE 🙂 If you haven't played with wireless TimeCode networks, you should, the technology has gotten a lot better. One warning though, if you buy into the Atomos solution (which is really the old TCS company that they bought), you pretty much will need to go mostly Atomos. For me that was fine, as I was building up my timecode solution, but if you already have a bunch invested, you might want to look into interoperability. But that $149 price tag is really hard to beat on the Sync (a little known secret is that the Sync device also has a small capacitor/battery in it, that allows you to swap batteries WHILE recording)
    2 points
  22. But is it really "the best chip"? Not for a target market which is S35 4K. Not for a target market which cares about RS, DR, and other factors more instead.
    2 points
  23. I'm going to wager that the grown-up conversation going on on the other thread about the exciting new camera and it's capabilities is going to be a lot more interesting than this one. Just a hunch.
    2 points
  24. Trek of Joy

    Sony A7S III

    There are really no bad options among all the 10-bit FF hybrids, they all have warts, but they all are capable of producing an amazing image. Sometimes we get hung up on bickering over aspects that are dealbreakers for me but not an issue for you. I don’t have the time while I work or the eyesight for manual focus, so for me I need good AF and a few key primes. And I have no interest in a c300 size camera. Obviously others don’t have the same problem. But right now only Sony, Canon and Nikon cover the bases and despite a brief flirtation with the RF mount I’m sticking with Sony. My a7s3 is on the way, it’ll be my first camera that shoots decent 120fps and 10-bit after years of Sony’s 8-bit codec. Good times. cheers chris
    2 points
  25. If this model retains at least a decent 10-bit 4K mode of some description, and vlog, well Canon could be a little sore after the R5 debacle 😅 https://www.l-rumors.com/confirmed-panasonic-will-soon-announce-the-new-s5-entry-level-full-frame-l-mount-camera I do wonder what this means for a GH6, if there is still one in the works or if full-frame is pretty much the Pana roadmap now... All the S5 needs really is to be a lighter, stabilised run and gun with their solid 150mbps 4k 10-bit and it'll sell a bunch.
    1 point
  26. Got the A7SIII as wanted a small body that could do 4k120 10bit with high calibre AF tracking for gimbal work, and more. Coming from the EVA1 and GH5. No footage yet to show. Haven’t used it on a job yet but I’ve took it for a casual spin in the park. Is the hype real? Not sure yet. Need more time. Some observations: 1. The body is very very light. The buttons are nice to press. The screen is a little thin. The menu button is in the wrong place. The grip is far better than before. It’s much bigger. 2. The EVF is insane. Never seen an EVF that clear and sharp, ever. 3. Menu’s make sense, finally. Woo woo. 4. AF tracking is great. Feels like cheating. I’m not sure how I feel about it as part of the craft though. Feels less rewarding, if that makes sense? Lovely on a gimbal though. 5. Working on a screen this small makes me feel disjointed from the scene. Much less clarity than the EVF. Good I’ve got the Ninja V to test then! 6. Dynamic range is impressive. Very nice roll off. 7. There’s a “Shockless” WB. When you change it, it transitions smoothly while recording. Same with ISO and shutter speed. Nice! 8. How am I using ISO 100 in Slog3? Thought this was BANNED. 8. Rolling shutter looks gone. Ran off. Away. Thank the Lord. 9. Battery life - hmmm. Not Panasonic standards. 10. Tamron 70-180 seemed a bit drunk with close distance AF. 11. Image looks quite clinical. Used ProMist 1/4 - not judged it yet. Seems better. Will decide later. 12. Why is the skin tone in FCPX yellow looking when the skin is on the line in the vector scope? Not that the skin tones are bad (they are good off the line), just doesn’t make sense. Maybe I’m blind. 13. Colour is better. I’m not sure how much better yet. Definitely an improvement. I need to get this thing on a proper shoot. Got a triple music video shoot in Turkey coming up so I’m going to throw it in the deep end on that one. Overall, I’m impressed so far but I can’t help feel a slight bit of disappointment when Canon announced the C70, which is the camera I described some years back as the one I would love to have. Now it exists. Funny world.
    1 point
  27. Laurier

    Sony A7S III

    I m considering getting a ninja V for the a7siii as well, Could you share a small ProRes Raw clip of a challenging condition ? like shooting/someone or something in front of a window, I would like to see how much you can recover in the highlight, if there is a benefit compared to internal recording. Cheers.
    1 point
  28. Thanks! I also use the 70-300 for wider shoot which is much easier because of AF working perfectly and less tight. Yeah I mainly wait around the corners as on straightline they are really fast.. I haven't have the chance to use 600 yet but the lens it is so bloody light vs 150-600, the 150-600 is quite a beast for impression but the AF issue and VC constantly jumping is pain the bum! I was moving around the track through out the day and run back to pit when the cars are in (they give me 10 min notice so I have chance to run back in time), carry the 150-600 on c100/200 and big tripod and running around is quite tough. This R5 with 600mm will be much lighter! Though will still use the same big tripod for stability.
    1 point
  29. No mention of it at all...except the 11 page (so far) thread. Apart from that though...
    1 point
  30. Not car racing but i think the same would apply as bike racing and years ago even a little with harness racing and greyhound racing. If possible, I would get on the exit side of a corner and facing them as they come out of it. That way they are going slower and it also means you can use a shorter lens, then walk back a bit and do the same with a longer lens like your 600. Closer to the corner will be almost head on. Good luck with it! What do you think of the 600?
    1 point
  31. Sigh! I do not need to address each point as I disagree with YOUR (no one else its seems) theory that you have shown NO, zero, nil, zilch nix, NOTHING in evidence to support other than saying there are (often tiny) difference so it MUST be because of the sensor size difference. That article explains things pretty well to me and I can not understand how YOU can not understand that ANY difference in a system can explain very tiny differences in photos while at the same time you think those differences are explained by sensor size difference without a shred of evidence why ? The fact that this amounts to many many pages of yes, no, yes, no is reason enough to end it now. This thread should be locked.
    1 point
  32. Hi, Andrew— just a bystander point of view— is your website due a name change, like Cinema 5D recently did? Also, maybe returning the R5 & starting fresh would be best. I’m not a mental health professional, but seems you have a lot a negative emotions tied to Canon, which are in a downward spiral. If you changed the name to something that is more neutral, perhaps you could move on in a more healthy way— without being associated with aspects of Canon you— and many others— feel antipathetic to. Best wishes, whatever life takes you
    1 point
  33. So here's a simple story: I was in the market to hire a guy about 4 years ago for a video shoot. A shooter contacted me to inquire about the gig, but had almost no experience with motion pictures. He was just getting into video from photography and he asked me if his lowly Pentax, which only did 60p @720 would be okay. His photos showed that he had a great eye for composition and when we talked about the assignment he explained that he was a video neophyte, but was willing and eager to learn. Seemed like a bit of a risk to hire this dude. After all here was a guy shooting on a decidedly not video-centric DSLR and admitting that video wasn't his main thing. After some coaching, both of us reviewing past examples of the job I was hiring him for, and collaborating about what I wanted to see in the footage, we decided to partner up, and off he went. Meanwhile, I simultaneously hired another guy for the same sort of shoot on the opposite side of the country. Dude made sure to tell me more than once what his list of gear included (would you also like to know about his C300 and PL mount lenses? Apparently he was convinced I did) --and how he was a video professional with years of experience. Sure, he knew what I wanted, not a problem; don't even need to discuss it. After watching past examples of the job and assuring me he could do it, off he went. With that narrative set-up you can probably imagine who delivered spot on incredible b-roll shots that were a bit IQ mushy, but captured great scenarios and emotion --and who gave me a pile of shit footage with no cohesiveness or creativity, (plus couldn't even get the horizon level) but sure looked super sharp with great colors. I don't know if any of this is germane to the thread, but... Here's hoping that niche players like aspiring videographer Phil from North Carolina hang in there...and their camera gear supplier does too.
    1 point
  34. Trek of Joy

    Sony A7S III

    I shouldn’t type before drinking coffee LOL! The handle itself isn’t the issue because obviously it’s in the way, it’s the shape of cable that allows you to move the K3M off the shoe, from what I’ve read it doesn’t seat properly with the small rig cage. Someone posted on the FB group that you need a hotshot extension to make it work. As far as the handle, it’s pretty much always on for me, just another option for carrying, more attachment points, and another point of contact. I find it very handy, unless it’s on a gimbal. The handle is also where I mount my Ninja, or a shotgun, or my G3 receiver and so on. Sony has been all over the map with the design of the XLR MIS modules, the first one didn’t attach to the shoe, just used a cable, the second only attached to the shoe with no cable and now the new one does both. IDK, maybe it’s just easier to file away a little bit of the cage so the K3M fits. It would be nice to be able to just pop it onto the shoe for quick interviews and such. My current setup is a little clunky, I use the Beachtek DXA micro and a Sennheiser MKE 600 for nat sound and a G3 wireless for lav or stick mic interviews. Just thinking about the Sony’s as a more compact/streamlined audio solution. My camera is on the truck so I’m just waiting for delivery! cheers chris
    1 point
  35. The codecs are just fine for the intended use. The sensor seems at least a generation and a half ahead of the C200 one. It has everything a small production company needs. Most weddings are shoot with mirrorless these days, do not see many of those buy a C camera, only the "top" tier = which is low anyway.. This is the most exciting Canon release since the original C100 I believe, I am not sure where the catch is. They even offer an original speedbooster and I can use both my 18-135 nano and 70-200 white! I mean, wtf Canon?! Are you seriously giving me everything I need????!!!! I may go full in Canon this round, still waiting for the GH6, maybe it will be alright as a cheap solution together my Pocket and NX cameras and lenses, but Canon is on a roll..still can't decide on the R6 though..
    1 point
  36. Hangs4Fun

    Sony A7S III

    It's the little things sometimes. Comparing the Sony A7SIII's new camera strap to the strap that came with my A9, they have gone to a leather material and full embroidery of the orange stripe and Sony logo. Very nice touch, this cell phone pic doesn't do it justice. But basically the A9 strap was just a print on some kind of soft rubberish material.
    1 point
  37. I Disagree! Got ANY shred of evidence to support your case?
    1 point
  38. I would choose H.265 if you have the hardware to work with it in post for the 50/60p stuff. It’s not a good capture format but it will have higher quality per bitrate than H.264. Depending on what profile they are using for H.265, 225Mbps is very sufficient for 50/60fps 4K. HFR video where there are 60/120 or more frames in a second each one is very similar so LongGOP compression works very well (except for lots of random motion of course).
    1 point
  39. Just watched the Pro-AV stream ... where one of the contributors uses a C200 (couple of them) and transitioned to the C300 MK III. He is a professional "colourist" hired to correct others video. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm8304151/ His take is that the picture out of the DGO sensor in XF_AVC All I is preferable to the Raw out of the C200. The DR of the sensor, low noise and color obviates the need for RAW ... and with the new Canon Speed Booster the lack of FF may be a non-issue. So the best sensor in his mind is the one in the C70 ... I have begun a conversation with my dealer about dropping the 1 DX III for the C 70 ... and I have all MF glass. Canon have not addressed a flaw in their Raw acquisition ... still getting corrupted frames in the lowest frame rate with their favored CFExpress cards ... great color workflow and resolution but chasing bad frames adds 3X the time a normal render ...
    1 point
  40. The C70 is an interesting intermediate option during this critical turning point in lens mount. RF lenses, and the RF mount, are clearly the future; Canon is not making any more EF lenses. Also, technically the RF L lenses are superior, which matters. I've tested the EF 50 1.2 v RF 50 1.2, and the resolving power of the RF is significantly superior. For static shots, you will immediately notice the difference (shot in 8K raw, viewed on 5K monitor). Also, for some lenses, there's not a huge price difference between EF and RF (24-105 F4 retails for the same, RF 15-35mm v EF 16-35mm is $200 retail difference). That being said, with the EF focal reducer adapter, you get the full frame look. It's not cheap at $600, but it's still way cheaper than the $11,000 c300iii that's still stuck w/ crop sensor. Then again, you could also just use the $100 EF/RF adapter and use the lovely Sigma 18-35mm and the Canon nano-usm zooms that are dirt cheap and silent for video. You can walk away with a $5600 ready to shoot package. It's a very flexible camera.
    1 point
  41. @bjohn My Lumix S1 and also my small GX85 allow customization of buttons masterfully. So should the S5 do that perfectly.
    1 point
  42. @MrSMW Yes, for me it would have been perfect with full HDMI, which the S1 has. S1 on the other hand needs a paid Upgrade for 10 bit and Vlog and still does not have 10bit for 4K60, which the S5 has. Indeed, so close. I guess i will have to pay the 200 EUR for the update and still be without 10bit for the 4K60 as of now. S1H has both but is too expensive for me.
    1 point
  43. This is as good a read on this as any. https://www.spiedigitallibrary.org/journals/optical-engineering/volume-57/issue-11/110801/Equivalence-theory-for-cross-format-photographic-image-quality-comparisons/10.1117/1.OE.57.11.110801.full?SSO=1 "Nevertheless, real world IQ differences (including total image noise) will inevitably occur in practice even when equivalent photos are taken. These will arise due to differences in the underlying camera and lens technology, such as: • sensor quantum efficiency; • read noise; • sensor pixel count; • lens aberrations; • JPEG tone curve; and • image processing. In other words, since the total light received by each format is the same when equivalent photos are taken, it is factors such as those above that explain real-world cross-format IQ differences rather than format size. These factors will be discussed further in Sec. 4."
    1 point
  44. I think the biggest thing about digital zoom is if you start with a good lens, the results zoomed can still be better than lesser lenses. These are in low light indoors so ISO 25600 even with flash used with a 300 2.8 at 2.8 and with 2x clearzoom.
    1 point
  45. Sounds to me like what you really need is a 2nd shooter 🙂
    1 point
  46. For anyone wanting a bit more tactile control of the clear image zoom on Sony cameras, this Fotga RM-VS1 will give you a zoom rocker to operate it with as well as a shutter release, record button and power on/off. If you are using a lens with servo zoom such as the PZ18-105mm f4 etc then it controls both the optical zoom and the clear image zoom as one (kind of continuous) lens. I say kind of because there is a slight pause when zooming in when it gets to the crossover point at the end of the optical range. If you've got an RX100 then it also controls the optical and clear zoom extension in the same way. There is no variable speed so don't expect to be doing variable speed zooms but its good for framing if nothing else. Expect to pay around €16-18 on Ali or €20-25 on Amazon.
    1 point
  47. Robert Collins

    Sony A7S III

    Also I feel the majority of people are effectively 'married' to whichever brand they choose. They simply dont have the money, time or inclination to switch to another brand. I am a Sony user with a bunch of Sony compatible lenses, flashes and other equipment so really I only get to choose between Sony cameras. No big deal of course although it has been a little frustrating to see Sony fall behind in the video specs - particularly the move to 10 bit. Still they seemed to have made really good choices (for me) with the A7siii and I cant wait to get my hands on the camera....
    1 point
  48. I'm a lucky owner of an Iscorama Pre-36 since May 2020. I had a few opportunity to film some clips this summer, here they are. After having the experience with Bolex Moller 16/32, babies Hypergonar and Isco, SLR Magics, I think this Iscorama Pre 36 is a total gem. It's small and light, sharp and single focus. It's only default is its 2 meters minimum distance focusing. I'm so in love with it 🙂 You will see different taking lenses (mentioned during the movie) here such as : Helios 44-2 58mm f2 Super-Takumar 55mm f1.8 Pentax-M 40mm f2.8 Pentax-DA 70mm f2.4 Pentax-M 135mm f3.5 Everything was most of the time shot wide open. I'm surprised how the Iscorama performed well with tele lens such as the 135mm from Pentax. The Pentax-DA, which is an APS-C lens, is working on FF, even with the Iscorama. It's maybe one of the smallest and lightest 70mm ever made (131 grams for 26mm long). The pancake Pentax-M 40mm f2.8 gave slight vignetting. The Super-Takumar 55mm f1.8 is working very well. And of course the Helios 44-2 58mm f2 is pairing very well with the Iscorama, for who who like vintage and organic look. It's design is also great, it's deep front is perfect for the Iscorama protubing back (with the add of one 49mm spacer made from a filter). Shot on Sony A7RII 4K 24p, full frame mode. Diopters : Tamron 0.5x and Pentax 6X7 close-up achromatic (1X ?) Fotodiox Pro Vizelex variable ND Throttle EF mount Musics : Andrea Laszlo De Simone "Immensita" and "Mistero" Thanks to Hayley, Olive & Delphine, Izy & Elliot, Liliane, Florent and their family, Lucas Gautier and the Havana Moons, Tchi-Kung, the seller of the Iscorama and the people of bordeaux.
    1 point
  49. PannySVHS

    Sony A7S III

    @ade towell Actually Lumix S5 is a real winner. When I tested the 8bit codecs of the S1, there was no mushyness whatsoever at high isos in extreme low (no) light situations. a few tiny Artefacts became visible in the shadows at no light. Interesting enough the super slim 75mbit h265 codec had grain in these situations, on the contrary it breaks apart on evenly and well lit plain surfaces. So I have been super impressed. Still don´t have the Vlog update, because I dont know if Panasonic will give it to us for free very soon. Would be a bit of wasted 200 USD then. S1, no mushyness in the shadows in no light situations, but grain. "No light" what a term for photography.:) S5 with Vlog has now been tested and it is performing the best compared to R5,6, A7siii, the latter one the worst. S5 is an image quality monster. Hard to believe they did it. Cinema quality in a 150mbit codec. Panasonic needs to promote it better. They can ask me being an ambassador. Here I come @andy lee :) Check out Andrews friends from slashcam de and put it through the translator or check out the image.: https://www.slashcam.de/images/texte/1974-300Prozent_Auge-300Prozent_Auge.jpg
    1 point
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