Leaderboard

So far I'm loving the a7s3. If you need more mp with stills there are numerous options including a7r2's that now sell in the $800 range used - which is insane for the IQ. But the difference with the shutter is jarring - the s3's shutter is so well damped compared to previous Sony models. I've used it with Sony glass, Tamron and Sigma E-mount lenses and Canon/Sigma lenses on the MC11. If the IBIS isn't enough, use the post stabilization, its brilliant. Full size HDMI is a joy, so is external prores which seems to have slightly better color compared to internal. The 120p is so good and the AF sticks to subjects incredibly well. I run it on the Weebill S, just tap where you want the AF point to stick and shoot - its almost always spot on. Slow the transition down and you have some very nice focus pulls. I've been shooting a lot outside here in Florida and so far zero issues. It gets warm, but I've never even triggered the overheat warning. To keep file sizes down with something smooth to edit, I use the h265 with 10-bit 4:2:0, works great. While there are still a few minor warts, this camera ticks most of the boxes for my video needs - 10-bit, clean slow-mo, great AF, lots of lens options. I would like to see Sony widen the gap between the grip and lens mount and make it taller, Canon has a grip that's so much more comfortable. The cheap Meike grip extension solves the height issue for me. The second gain stage gap is annoying, I shoot to about 2000 or so in Slog3 then just make the jump to 12800 and just ND it because its so much cleaner than everything in between. With other profiles that number changes since the base ISO's are different. I have to keep track of that, sometimes I forget what that second stage is when not in Slog3. I haven't pulled the trigger on Type A cards either, just v90's and the Ninja for now, so no 240fps yet. But overall its been the solid 4k workhorse I've always wanted. No regrets at all. Cheers Chris

Here is a new series on EOSHD... It's a podcast. The aim is to put out long 1-2 hour conversations, in the style of Joe Rogen - touching on subjects others dare not, sort of. Oh and some camera nerd talk as well... https://www.eoshd.com/news/the-eoshd-podcast-episode-1-british-filmmaker-jg-harding/ Hope you enjoy it, and thanks to JG for taking part in this episode.

@Sage Have you thought about making Emotive Color for the new iPhones given that they record in 10-bit now? I understand that the footage is limited by other factors but I think some sort of Emotive Color even if it would be limited, would be really welcomed by iPhone users that use it for content creation.

I do shoot a lot of stills, sometimes more than video. I do prefer more resolution since some of the stuff I shoot goes beyond social and the web, but 12mp isn't going to hold me back. I just like the cropping flexibility and I do occasionally sell prints of my work, so more is better most of the time. I've only shot about 100 frames with the s3 over the last couple months, its really just a video camera for me at this point as I'm still getting used to working with it. I mostly leave it set in video mode and have the a73 around my neck - sometimes I'm also flying a drone - multitasking at its best LOL! I always carry at least 2 bodies anyway to have a backup, right now its the a73 and sometimes a 5dIV a friend is letting me use, but I'm probably moving to the a7r3 because I really like the output of the 42mp sensor and with most landscapes I can easily get two completely different shots with a crop. Plus I shoot wildlife here in FL and the crop power + the 200-600mm lens is awesome. I've shot tons with the a7r2, shutter shock is not an issue. It was on the original a7r, but every camera since has used a different shutter. The clack from the first one though, it was obnoxious LOL! I've used it a lot for landscape work, the shutter shock wasn't an issue for me - it was mostly with longer FL's IIRC. I decided there's simply no way for me to get everything I want in one body, Canon came oh-so-close with the R5 until the overheating issues, but even if that wasn't an issue I still prefer the internal recording options from the a7s3, better rolling shutter performance, and Sony's lens selection. Really the biggest thing the a7s3 lacks compared to others is the ability to shoot 4k in s35 mode, but that can't be changed. I'll still take that over the Panasonic crop and such. The flip side is just how incredibly nice the 1080p footage is, this camera shoots incredible HD video too. The second ISO is 4 1/3 stops above base on all profiles. Cheers Chris

Lets be honest, its not that there aren't "halfway" decent or perfect cameras - its that our expectations are growing. The benchmark is moved slightly or completely every 3 months. If we look back to 2008 - Canon 5D Mark 2 or even back to 2012 with the Canon 1DC, now if we threw the Fuji X-S10 into the past - imagine the uproar - imagine the type of monkey wrench that would have placed on the industry - for example, if we pulled that out - just 1 day before Canon announced the 1DC, with the same price it is today. I'm just using Fuji X-S10 as opposed to S1H, A7S3 or R5, because it is really a master of none for today's standards, but throw it back..... people would go crazy.

Monday bm will release resolve 17. Exited to see what they will announce.

Had one for a short time this Spring/Summer after I decided I really needed more than my phone as a personal camera. Decent range, good for stills in good light, didn’t use it for video as f4 on APSC is not really my thing, especially when I had the Sigma 18-35mm, Tamron 45 and 85mm all f1.8’s.

That new $295 edit controller is very nice. Particularly as for a limited time you get it for free if you buy full Resolve Studio license. Or the other way round.

I imagine Sony will release an A74 with a traditional 24mp sensor and 10 bit color. Maybe

It has been rock solid for me and all I seem to use are the beta versions. The only source of instability that I have ever had was in Fusion. Even the betas are far more stable than Premier Pro was for me. Stability in my opinion is its best 'feature'. I had many infuriating performance issues with Resolve for a long time, I also started with the free version then paid for the Studio version...one very simple thing fixed everything for me...I had to create a new user account on my system in Windows 10. I think something on the free version got left behind in my user profile and kept HW acceleration from working properly. If you are using Windows 10 I would try creating a new user account and testing it there. You can, you just need to use proxy files. Once you generate optimized media in Resolve its like editing any other footage. The problem though is generating optimized media takes forever since there is no HW acceleration.

According to FUJI: "On FUJIFILM cameras, Dynamic Range works by first deliberately underexposing the image to protect highlight detail, then boosting shadow brightness when the sensor data is converted in a JPEG file by the image processor" Pretty much all the brands offer a function like this, but in fuji it works way better. And it works very good in video. In photo mode, it DIRECTLY affects the raw files I've found out testing that at the lower isos, 320 at DR200 and 640 at DR400 the amount of noise that this modes add, in a daylight scenario, is pretty negligible, but the detail you recover in the highlights is very noticeable. So I change it depending on the DR of the scene. If I just need a little bit of DR I use DR200, if I need more I use DR400, but if I don't need any, I just leave it at DR100 (Which is the base) to get the cleanest image possible. But when shooting at high ISOs in dark conditions (above 1600), both modes, specially DR400 add too much noise, purple noise and some weird artifacts start to show up, the image becomes pretty ugly, so I don't recommend at all leaving it always turned on. Use it ONLY when you need it. It does not change the shadows, mids, colors, or anything, so you can use totally match DR100, D200 and DR400 in a scene

My biggest worry with Z-cam is if the company went under. Otherwise they are super responsive to problems and the Facebook group is very quick to respond. Compared to say blackmagic I feel like they are more on top of the wants of their customers. They already have an internal E-ND option out where as blackmagic still has yet to put anything like that out. Unlike other camera companies they are giving us the full capabilities of the Sony sensors everyone is using. Also the Z-cam doesn't take 23 seconds to boot like the komodo lol. But yeah I would say the C70 is easily more compact. You don't actually really need anything to shoot with it. On the other side if you are going to use an external monitor (maybe because you want to see something in bright sunlight), something like the Z-cam or Komodo makes more sense. btw I am an owner of the E2 S6 and original E2.

I highly recommend the GHAlex LUT. Its a bit pricey but it feels like a different camera after using that LUT. Panasonic color is a bit trash but so is pretty much every other company besides Arri and maybe Canon lol. The Panasonic S1 is hard to beat for the price especially a used one.

One thing I noticed when I looked into Resolve and tried to use it a few times is the massive lack of third party plugins for transitions, titles and effects and the ones that do exist seem to be such a horrid workaround to get working, that is if you can get them working at all. They need to add easy support for things like this.

I'm curious about v17, but if it's like any other version we won't get anything but betas for some months, so if you're allergic to instability then it won't be out for quite some time....

I disagree. I think its more a case that the issues we have with manufacturers still have yet to be addressed. After so many years, we are still talking about Canon crippling their cameras, Panasonic failing to give us usable AF and Sony being poor at skin tones. Yes, the technology has gotten better. We now have 10 bit 4K, 120fps 4K and external RAW, but the core issues many have wished to see resolved still remain. Also no hybrid has yet to provide internal ND, something many of us have requested for years. Canon C70 has added it, but its not a hybrid. You talk about 3 months, yet my nearly 4 year old GH5 is still proving hard to justify replacing given the choices available to me.

Not sure if the GFX 100 has it but the X-T4 has a HDR mode which basically does what phones do in merging different exposures together with a single shutter press. It's super handy and gives superb results. Also gives more dynamic range than my Samsung S10

Yeah it's definitely got a "start up" feel to the company. However the good side of that is that they are constantly improving the camera through firmware updates. It's actually a better tool now than when I bought it.

Amazing video and cinematography, not one thing seems off to me, I guess sometimes people just see what they want to see. They did a lot of speed ramping which isn't for everyone, but this wasn't supposed to be a corporate video; it really showcased the slow motion capabilities of the S5. What I found really interesting is they even used 1080P 120FPS for some of the shots which most people are saying is trash due to the bitrate; clearly pretty much anything is useable if you work within its limitations, have a good story, and know your camera. The entire video was flawless IMO and really showcased what this camera can do; they also managed to upscale the 1080P back to 4K without it being obvious which parts were which. Really well done. This video makes me look at 1080P out of this camera in a whole different way and I may try it one day if I want 120FPS.

I also got a Z Cam E2M4, though somewhat unwillingly if I'm honest. I got it for the image quality, frame rate options, and wireless control. If such a thing existed, I might have gotten a DSLR-shaped E2*. However, the benefit of the boxy shape is it's easier to balance on a gimbal, and I do intend to swap out the mount for a turbomount at some point, which is a useful modularity. I also really appreciate the NPF sled, which lasts forever without the bulk and extra accessories for V mount. The other aspect that I really like are the numerous 1/4-20 mounts. I generally use the camera pretty bare, but I have a NATO rail on either side and can slip on handles in 2 seconds for a wide, stable grip. A DSLR would need a cage for that. Most of the annoyances with DSLR-shaped camera come down to photo-oriented design, not the than non-modular design. Lack of easy, locking power connectors, lack of timecode, fiddly HDMI D ports, incomprehensible menus, lack of NDs--all could be solved while maintaining a traditional DSLR shape, and some camers do come along with some of them from time to time. On the other hand, cameras like the FS7 and C100 are packed with nice features, but I really don't use any of them apart from ND's and they just make for obnoxiously large bodies that are even harder and more expensive to use. My perspective though is from narrative shoots where we spend more time on rehearsals and lights than anything else, so we're never concerned with setup times for the camera. *before anyone mentions the GH5S, the E2's image is much nicer in my opinion and has way more video perks.

I thought @Andrew Reid’s piece was excellent. Useful insights. The rest of the thread proves one thing - we are all looking for different things from our cameras/tools. “Brilliant” that we have so many to choose from. I’m enjoying my Siii.

I'm still thinking about maybe switching to Sony or Canon for better AF in video cause I am often shooting as a one man band, and AF would be very appreciated. But I can't help thinking that my Panasonic S1H and even my newest S5 after the future firmware has still the edge in video besides AF and slow motion: - much better color science - much better IBIS - better video tools (waveform, vectorscope, shutter angle, etc) - a unique LCD implementation (tilt and swivel) - 6K (though I don't really use it that much but still) - very useful S35 crop mode in 4k and even pixel pixel in 1080p - no overheating whatsoever - better tactile implementation (Sony improved it a lot but still not the same quality as Panasonic and Canon) - 4k DCI - better ergonomics (arguably Panasonic has the best ergonomics of all the hybrid full frame cameras, and I say this as a former A7III and Canon EOS R owner) - Possibility to choose linear focusing and even the length throw with native lenses from Panasonic and Sigma recently wich is not possible on Sony lenses - better hybrid usability if you need to shoot stills and video - Timecode - Real anamorphic recording modes - ProRes RAW up to 5.9K (up to 4k in the Sony) - Etc. So yeah I'd be glad to have a better AF, but truly giving up all those things I listed before, it feels like I would downgrade in some ways. @andrewreid what do you think of the comparison. As of now, what would you choose between those two?

Thanks for the explanation. It's a 50MP Quad Bayer sensor in the phone, almost 1" size. Quad Bayer can use Dual ISO in one exposure, the pixels at different exposures are merged in the 12MP shot. Also it is RYYB. The yellow diodes let in more light than traditional Green ones with bayer sensors. Then there is neural network and AI processing side. And probably a very high speed readout in some modes with multiple frame merges. Smartphones are leading the way for camera technology at the moment.

Everything is a matter of opinion, but on one hand you have dozens of 'reviewers/content creators' unboxing a product before (sometimes) going outside and waving it about...and then you have filmmakers: Entirely shot on the S5 with the 20-60mm f3.5-5.6 and the 85mm f1.8 YouTube won't do it justice...

You can find S1 second hand with some warranty left for 1500 E/$. So even you have to pay for the V-Log upgrade it is still a very good deal. Panasonic S5 vs S1. In my opinion it boils down to one or two major differences. 1. Do you want a smaller lighter camera or not. How important this is to you. How often you will use it on a gimbal ? 2. Are you planning to record most of the time internally 10bit 4:2:2 or externally to ProRes RAW. If it is externally then S1 is the better option. It has Full Size HDMI. For S5 you'll have to add a bracket and a clamp for the micro HDMI cable. Once you do this (and have HDMI cable plugged in) flip screen becomes unusable, rotation is blocked by the HDMI cable. And S5 weight and size with bracket and clamp equals S1. Looked at several clips from S1 shot at internal V-Log 10bit 4:2:2. Skin tone come always reddish after color space transform in Resolve and Red color is a little bit off in general. So it requires some work at post. Not quite as nice as BMPCC 4K BRAW. So for me plan is to use external recorder most of the time. And in this case S1 seems to be the better option. For internal recording would probably choose S5. Flip screen is useful and Micro HDMI doesn't matter. Downloadable V-Log clips at first two links. Panasonic S1H compared to Sigma FP at third link, how red color looks on both (after 2:12, compared at 3:00) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGqrGCz_l-k&t=230s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Al-tIFXFuY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQJkcTd82Uo

Thanks for sharing Andrew. I just don’t agree with these people who say the A7SIII is safe, boring and not exciting. It’s baffling to be honest. I took it on a 6 day trip to Turkey to film a trilogy of music videos. I almost rather effortlessly acquired an immense amount of footage, beautifully exposed in the sun with crisp, detailed imagery. The experience was extremely liberating. Now I’ve got the 1st video in edit, the footage is such a joy to grade. It’s easy to get a great image with any look you want. The only downside being the non- All-I codecs being impossible to edit natively. So I got a Ninja V. Back to my point. This is not a boring or safe camera. This is a camera that’s been tuned to precision with absolutely no handicaps for 4k shooting. None whatsoever. No gimmicks. No cripple. Nothing. And no other camera on the market can claim this. To me it’s the most exciting camera I’ve used in a long time, because it sets me completely free. Interestingly, I did pre-order a C70 which also looks great. I’m now debating whether to get another A7SIII and be done with it.

Download the C70 footage Trankilstef linked to and play with it yourself. It's the same footage that's graded in the video you apparently don't link. I screwed around with it a bit and found it's very flexible and the coded isn't too hard on the machine. I didn't find that the original LOG footage had a cheap DSLR look. Maybe you just object to the way some people have been grading it.

Im referring to the canon r5 files, and yeah I know its a hardware problem. And h265 is a nightmare vs raw or prores.

- export prores on windows - better graphics support jpg, png, psd without jagged lines etc - auto color correct clips to each other (manual matching cameras kinda sucks without a color checker) - better render quality for h264

ProRes RAW support please

Phantom is huge, no way I was ever going that way since the 2 Pro image is so competitive. Mavic 2 for me has the best size, small enough to fit on my camera back pack, big enough to have eye contact at most times (I am not very adventurous!). Image wise, I am quite happy with the 2 Pro, there are the usual well documented issues, but not huge deal breakers. Price was/is another issue though. After the Mini 2, you have to be really committed to invest on the Mavic 2 Pro. Variable aperture, 10 bit log, 1" sensor (ISO) and the 2 fields of view (this hids a minus and a plus at the same time!), convinient physical dimensions and weight. I am expecting the new Mavic 3 Pro to be a lot better than the 2, but I am not sure when, and for how much. It can be at the same 1.499$€ price, and the 2 Pro goes down to 1249, certainly the Mini 2 pricing is aggressive, and probably well withing "amateur" use limitations.

cries in 3700x...