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When I started out it was about 90% craft, 10% marketing/advertising. Today it’s more like 90% marketing and 10% craft. You still need the craft of course but if you are not being found in the first place…

R7 is a smaller APS-C sensor and R3 is a 2.5x bigger body so both have better thermal management. But ok I was not aware of the theory of IBIS being removed for heat protection. If so that's kinda lame but R5C is after all just a tweaked R5 not an entire redesign. R3 & R7 do overheat in certain modes by the way, just nowhere as bad as R5/R6. I understand your point of view however you shouldn't assume all of us are doing social media content that ends up viewed on smartphones. I do a lot of high-end corporate work that ends up proofed by clients on 5K iMacs and often viewed on big screens & projectors in conferences, trade shows and what not. The clients have really high standards and my competition here in Paris delivers super high quality. I also do a lot of chroma keying, 3D integration, heavy grading & the occasional TV broadcast all of which benefit if not require 10-bit 4:2:2. +4K high resolution is also more & more useful for cropping, my editors always embrace it. The good news is that most mirrorless cameras now deliver high-resolution, pro codecs, RAW etc. Its now possible to get cine cam results out of prosumer cameras. So while all this may be marketing and overkill for some, it isn't for everyone. That being said, I'm not slaved to upgrade path. My 2014 FS7 still serves me good and the R6 is a mid-level camera. I do have access to a BMD 6K Pro for anything more high-end and rent/hire cine cam/DPs if/when the budget allows. Of course there is so much more than just the camera body itself to ensure a successful project and that should also be reminded. Yeah its like anything. My former career was in music and performing in front of crowds was quite a hurdle at first but after some time became second nature. I actually believe that having some apprehension isn't necessarily a bad thing, it keeps you a bit on your toes. Once that's gone, you can become lazy/bored/jaded and not perform at your best. that's when for me its time to switch gears. I still have my 5D mk1 and love the output. D750 is a workhorse, it's the camera that got me to switch back to Nikon for a few years. Most pleasure I get these days is from my 2009 Leica M9. So yeah imo, stills cameras peaked a long time ago and the switch to mirrorless is not necessarily an upgrade hence why a lot of pros I know still stick to DSLRs. Optical viewfinder, the ruggedness, battery life, even the off-sensor AF confidence of crosspoints is superior. The only real benefit of mirrorless is weight.

You don't need tripods unless shooting on long lenses. Most wedding photographers are still using DSLR's with no IBIS and no tripods. OP didn't say he was shooting birds on 300mm lenses. I don't think he is gonna be shooting his child 3 blocks down the street. Fuji is my go to choice for family stuff. Small and nice looking images/video. Not great for narrative as there is no 12 bit option but for family stuff it's great.

As a budget used option, I'd also consider a used Olympus E-M1 mk2 - decent, full sensor width, 4k up to 30p, excellent DCI 4k at 24p (only), phase-detect AF, superb IBIS (probably only beaten by the newer Oly/OMDS cameras), pro-level build quality and weather sealing, mic and headphone jacks, dual SD card slots and great battery life. It also feels good in the hand. I think the 'Flat' picture profile provides better video quality than the normal profiles (there's OM-Log400 available as well). The E-M5 mk3 is essentially the same camera in a smaller, lighter body (but no headphone jack and only one card slot), but is more expensive used. E-M1 mk3 has better AF, an AF joystick and auto-ISO capability in manual video mode, but is rather more expensive used. I own the G85, G9 and E-M1 mk2 - G9 has the best video quality (including 10-bit support) and the best EVF, but the E-M1 mk2 is a great all-round package at the current used prices.

To be fair in those cases, then the camera was either (Unsane) a bit of a gimmick to help market the movie, or (Hardcore Henry) integral to the storytelling of the movie. (you could never have done Hardcore Henry with an ARRI! Although, if Hardcore Henry was re-shoot today in 2022, I would be curious as to how it might go with a Blackmagic Micro Cinema Camera, Sigma FP, or a Z Cam E2-M4. None of those cameras where an option back when Hardcore Henry were filmed) If you're not one of those weird rare exceptions, when you shouldn't use a GoPro or iPhone to film your next feature film. But I agree with your general point: content is king. I agree, any semipro/pro hybrid camera released in the past 5 years is going to be good enough for photography and video! What's the WORST example we can think of which was released since 2018?? Canon R? Does 30MP images, and outputs 4K 10bit. Nikon Z6? Does 4K raw output for goodness sake! Fujifilm X-H1? Panasonic GH5S? Olympus E-M5 mk3? Sony a7mk3? They might not be everyone's cup of tea today in 2022, but they each got a tonne of praise when released and produce nice 4K images. Maybe the only semipro/pro camera released in 2018 we could be critical about is the Fujifilm GFX 50R, but of course that is playing into a small niche focused on medium format photography. So full marks for those types of stills there, but only 1080 video. Oh wait, I just remembered the Pentax K-1 Mark II came out in 2018! We can't criticize its stills capabilities at all, but video... only 1080 😕 So fine, we found ONE (two, if you count the medium format camera, three if you include the 50S mk2 as well) semipro/pro camera released in the last five years which isn't suitable for both stills and video. And it is so obscure, most of us haven't even heard about it, or have forgotten about it already. I'm trying to take this same philosophy and apply it to my work as a Sound Mixer as well. (one of the reasons I enjoy listening to Scott Choucino, even though I'm not a professional photographer, as I feel there is still a lot of overlap that I can learn from) Avoid the temptation to upgrade to DPA 6060! When my Sanken COS11D / DPA 4060 work just fine. Why get a Sanken CSM1 when I have 3x Sanken CS1e? Resist the desire to get a teeny tiny Lectrosonics SSM transmitter when my still rather small Lectrosonics SMV do the job! (and I've got five of them!) Put off the plan to do the big upgrade to Shure Axient Digital Wireless, when my Lectrosonics Digital Hybrids are still "the industry standard" and do a great job. Don't ever buy an Anton Cantar (as much as I'd love to have all those features/ergonomics!), as it isn't like I'm ever going to get anything which my my Sound Devices 833 with its 16 track recorder can't handle.

I always found weddings less stressful than major budget film sets. But it is a different kind of stress, and I guess I'd done more years of wedding than major level films. Perhaps in a few more years I'll be more at ease. Even the old Canon 5Dmk2 (let alone a much more capable camera such as the Nikon D750, which is still a very old camera itself!) is so capable I can understand if photographers are not necessarily upgrading (or perhaps only upgrading their main camera, but not their backup camera). As they're running a business and can't just waste money unnecessarily. Scott Choucino talks about this a lot in his youtube channel, I highly recommend subscribing:

I called Canon when people first started reporting no DGO at 60P and they said it is active at all framerates except 120FPS. They did not differentiate between CLOG2, XF-AVC, H.264 vs H.265 etc. I supposed I should call them again and ask specifically if the compression codec and LOG curve matters. We were talking (or at least I was talking) about the R5C specifically and with the R5C the common working theory is that the only way they got it to not overheat even with a fan was to remove IBIS. The 8K affects IBIS because if it wasn't an 8K sensor they probably could have cooled it down properly without removing IBIS (hence the R7 and R3 both have IBIS and don't overheat). Not shooting in 8K doesn't save the battery or at least I don't think it saves it by much. You still have to power the fan, the full sensor, all of the faster circuitry required to process up to 8K, etc. Of course I would be curious to see some charts that say how long the R5C works for photos only or lower resolution videos. Most of the reviews I've seen said it only lasts 30min even when just shooting photos. No IBIS was the deal breaker for me with the R5C because it had the other compromises to make it work as a hybrid and not overheat. With the C70; the Audio XLR inputs, and the internal ND filters made it worth the loss of IBIS. @Kisaha @Django @ade towell @ntblowz 8K, 10bit, 4:2:2, RAW, line skipping, ISO performance etc. etc. I will admit I sometimes just have to smile as I read about fellow videographers dismissing a camera in these price ranges due to lacking or gaining these features. Maybe I am a bit jaded, probably because my little corner of the industry is littered with mediocre footage and so my customer's expectations aren't much above mediocre as well, but IMO any camera released in the last 5yrs can create amazing footage. At the end of the day it is the content that matters and if the camera fits into your workflow and has features that helps vs hinders your creativity then that is the camera for you more so than paper specs. I think it is safe to say that the plethora of cameras released in the sub $10K USD range are aimed at online/social media content creators and I am not ashamed to say that that is exactly where 90%+ of my content ends up. Once this footage is online it is most likely to be viewed on a tiny cell phone screen at 480P resolution. I say all of that to say that I think the R7 is probably going to be an incredible little camera that is more than good enough to shoot most of the online content that their owners choose to create. Kim K could pose for 30 seconds in front of her cell phone propped up in the corner of her room and rack up 3M views in a few hrs. We could spend months planning a project, weeks shooting the project, and weeks more editing and posting the project and only get a few thumbs up. My point here is content is king; if you have content people want to see or you have a niche with a following the camera specs won't matter much. Feature length movies have been shot with GoPros (Hardcore Henry) and iPhones (Unsane), imagine what those people could have done with the R7. IMO our number one competitor isn't the person with 8K or no pixel binning, or no line skipping.....its the cell phone. For me personally, if the R7 doesn't overheat, and I can find a way to work with the crop, then I think it would be a great B-Cam to the C70 for those times when the C70 is locked down on a tripod and I need some quick B-Roll or a second angle for an interview, etc. I live in a very hot state, so my #1 requirement above all else is no overheating.

Magic Lantern has to be the most Unreliable thing ever invented. You would have better luck guessing the Lotto numbers than using Magic Lantern often. If you don't cuss you will.

First test under very bright sun, and little promo for an organic farm. Shooting animals that moves very quickly has forced me to make a lot of panning, but it was the first time with the camera to shoot outdoors, so please sorry the sense of seasickness with panning shots. Enjoy! 🙂

Sure if the OP is basing his purchase of a 5D on the experimental builds, then it's probably not a good idea to purchase one. There's a crop and the last I checked there isn't any real, or accurate, Live View. With that said, Andrew has a gorgeous sample of the 3.5K mode, and I've seen dozens of samples online. Even the eos-m has some nice features and IQ if you like to tinker. But based on what he said, it doesn't sound like that's his goal here. I was merely correcting a false narrative that ML Raw is entirely useless on the 5D3. I mean, a filmmaker recently had his 5D3 ML Raw, narrative film debut at SXSW and received write ups in all the Hollywood trade magazines. Of course, he shot it in 1080p, but if it wasn't dependable, I doubt he would shoot a feature film on it.

Exactly my point... I'm not trying to insult you or the community... but all the "hype" is around these experimental builds. Everyone is excited to share the positives without sharing the negatives. All I'm doing is pointing towards the negatives.... if you can look past them, you're golden.

Those build are literally listed under "Experimental Builds" I don't know if you can judge the entire Magic Lantern Raw firmware based on a build that is titled experimental. With that said, I agree that it really isn't for everybody. If I was starting in video now, I'd buy the Panasonic X1500/X2000 camcorder and shoot 10bit 4K up to 60p in their Cine Gamma (or whatever it's called). If I wanted Raw Video (I would) I'd buy a Sigma FP. It isn't as good for stills, although a Flickr search may contradict that, but for video... there isn't much better at that price range right now... If the OP wants IBIS, get an S5... If he wants AF and IBIS and doesn't need 10bit, then the A7iii will be fine as well. But... what do I know? I still shoot with a 10 year old hacked camera. I'm happy with it, but it's not for everyone. Here's what I captured with mine in my first week with it... But as I said... what do I know? I shoot stills on film and am thinking about buying a Bolex 16mm... so I'm hardly like very many users of this forum.

OP already has a fast lens: Zeiss 50mm F1.4. Paired with a A7S / A7S2 it would do wonders in low light, I know, I had that exact combo. For AF lens, the Sony 50mm F1.8 would only add an extra $200.. another reason why I'd go FF Sony rather then Fuji on such a tight budget.

As far as I know, 1080p Raw runs continuous on the 5D Mark III. I've gotten as much as 10 minutes. If you need 30 minutes... buy a camcorder.

I haven't read this thread, so I have no idea what the needs/wants of the OP are. I am only replying because I was added to the discussion... I really don't understand why people on this forum keep saying that the 5D Mark III with ML Raw is unreliable? It is a hack, in a way, but it's more of a separate OS for the camera that can go back to the factory firmware at any time. The settings and workflow are a bit convoluted, but I have NEVER heard of anyone bricking their camera with ML Raw. Is it possible? Well, the ML team says it is in their disclaimer, but it's common knowledge that's just a disclaimer so they aren't held responsible in case something were to happen. Once all of the settings are figured out, the camera literally works like any other camera, other than the ability to play back and watch your files. It was a bit scary at first to not have that option, but once you shoot with it, you just trust that you got the shot. Otherwise it turns on and you're in Magic Lantern's menu and off you go. The only other downside is that you have to format your cards on a computer to exfat. The 5D3 is different than other models because it has an SD card slot and a CF slot. You install the firmware onto the SD card and record onto the CF. Other models require you to load the firmware onto the same card you're shooting on. With the 5D3, you load the firmware to the SD card once and leave it in the camera. With that said, this information is only based on my experience with the 5D3 using a stable nightly build. I've never used the 5D2 or the eos-m. I did you use the 50D once and that was a hot mess until you got the footage into the computer and saw the image. It's what got me hooked on ML Raw. And with that said, when asked if somebody should get the 5D3 for ML Raw, I usually say NO. 9 out of 10 times, people don't like the extra workflow and are intrigued by the experimental higher resolution modes which are finicky. For full frame, 1080p 14bit Raw... the camera cannot be beat!

The 8-bit codec was plain weak. And the RAW had massive files. The 4K was also very soft and not in that good soft but detailed cine way. EF so almost no adapting or focal reducer. The body itself was very nice but I just ended up still using the FS7 9.5 times out of 10. Got almost no use of it, bought it right before the price drop and lost so much selling it virtually new. Worst investment ever for me basically. Crazy to think my R6 absolutely destroys it IQ wise. The FS7 still holds its own. I've bought it twice now. Such a workhorse. This of course kinda makes me doubt going C70 (even though I'm leaning towards it) over FX6.

Another good option. I had one that I used for a year (personal use) for photo and video but replaced it with an RX100v which had the same sensor, a faster lens (at least at the wide end) and is one of very few cameras you really can stick in your pocket. I have used one to make entire wedding films...but it did tend to overheat a bit in the Summer of SW France so kept having to take breaks! I have the ZV1 which is essentially the same thing, just slightly more video-orientated and again, it's a great bit of kit. I use that for mostly video back up at weddings, - full length ceremony and speeches, on a tripod running off a power bank. Has not overheated once, even last week rolling for over 30 mins non stop, in direct sunshine, 40c/104f in the shade. But for personal use? Used it once. Phone every time and mine is only an iPhone 8 plus. Looking at a 12 regular size whatever it's called. Mini I like but doesn't have the extra longer lens and the 13 is still too pricey, but a refurbed 12 would suit me well I think. I'm not an Apple fanboy but can't be bothered to switch away from anything not Apple as I've had 5, 7, currently 8, ipad and now an M1 MacBook Pro. Keeps it all in house and tidy. I can't see me ever getting a 'personal' camera ever again. I just wouldn't have it with me when I wanted it, but my phone, always.

@webrunner5 I have an iPhone 13 lol.. night mode just uses slow exposure trickery, nothing revolutionary.. but hey let me lift that 1DC paper weight artefact off your shoulders, I will give it a good home I promise !

And yet, not a single Canon/Nikon/Sony DSLR on the planet has IBIS.

I'm not sure why you're quoting me, as I haven't used ML RAW since so many years ago. @mercer is the right person to ask. Also I have to agree with the others, it is a hack and hence rather convoluted to use. You have to find the right settings to not brick it and then you only have a couple seconds of shooting time really. I guess at some point I got the whole thing down and could shoot somewhat reliably with it but that was many many builds ago. No clue what the current situation is. The 14-bit output is phenomenal of course but you need to know how to unpack the footage etc. No way would I recommend going that route for "amateur use - family & travel". Not sure I'd recommend the XT3 either. For a 3-year old you're going to want robust AF & IBIS can't hurt. Plus he wants to adapt his Contax Zeiss 50mm. So FF is the better option. A7III seems like indeed the right choice for those particular requirements.

Ok, guys. How do I set this thing up? I download two files: crop_rec_4k_mlv_snd_raw_only_2022May30.EOSM202 and Dannephoto-magic-lantern_jip_hop_git-fd976067652d. Ones is 1.7 and the other 67 MB. I read the FAQ but still confused. Should I just read it again or is there another instruction manual, outside the depths of the ML forum? Also, the files are date to the 30th of May. Where do I find older builds, esp the one from 22nd of April which zeek was recommending for 2.5, 2.8K recording, which @webrunner5 posted above? thanks and cheers:)

5Dmk2 ML raw has so many cons/gotchas, that it only makes sense for small projects with no budgets. Such as a music video, or a fine arts student doing a visual media project. I'd always prefer to film with a X-T3 / P4K / GH5S / G9 / E2-M4 / etc instead. Heck, give me a Nikon D5200 to film with rather than a 5Dmk2!!! That's how far I'd go. My opinion is once DSLR cameras crossed the 12megapixel threshold (which was a loooong time ago!), then all the prosumer/pro cameras since then have been damn good for photography! Especially if you're not a professional yourself, then any of those cameras can do a damn fine job in the right hands. Now, someone might be picky with me and disagree, but that just simply means shifting that threshold of when that starting point was. Say when DSLRs crossed the 20 megapixel barrier? The Nikon D7100 (a nearly decade old camera!) is a very very good camera even in 2022 for stills shooting! It is only video where it took longer to catch up, and I'd say that point when it happened was "five years ago". DXOMark does not have the Panasonic G9 listed, but the GH5 is there, and for stills performance you should get basically the same images out of both the GH5 and G9. So let's see what DXOMark says for GH5/G9 vs 5Dmk2: https://www.dxomark.com/Cameras/Canon/EOS-5D-Mark-II https://www.dxomark.com/Cameras/Panasonic/Lumix-DC-GH5 Overall it is 79 vs 77, which is to say: no difference at all! Color depth: same! Basically with the G9 you're trading off some low light capabilities, but gaining better dynamic range than the 5Dmk2. That's a trade I'll take! Plus when it comes to their feature sets, the Panasonic G9 absolutely thrashes and crushes the 5Dmk2 (or mk3!) when it comes to stills photography. Yup, vs a X-T3 then you lose 10bit internal (got 10bit external though), but is a newer camera and you gain IBIS. All for a similar ish price to a X-T3

The XT3 doesn't have IBIS but the A7III's IBIS isn't very good anyway. The Sony has better AF, but the Fuji blows Sony away as far as image is concerned. I think Fuji is the way to go. The Panasonic S5 with the kit lens is even better if you want to spend a little extra.

I have read good things about the Meike nd adaptor and looks much better value than the Canon version. I have the plain Meike ef to rf adaptor and it has worked flawlessly since I got it about a year and a half ago CVP seem pretty positive about it

Or up your budget slightly and go for Tamron’s 17-70mm f2.8 with their version of OIS called VC. Job done. Even better than Fujis 18-55 variable aperture zoom.

Spray & pray? Spits dummy out. I’ve never sprayed (other than weedkiller in the garden), or prayed (despite being forced by my parents to be an unbelieving choirboy for 5 years). I need AF for the video side for a total of around less than 1 minute in 12-15 hours. Any S camera with a native zoom such as the 25-105 f4 with the right type of AF selected and with the tracking tweaked, plus f8, will track even a pretty fast confetti run. Leave that on a tripod and hit record with a centre weighted focus. It’ll work. Everything else, I use manual focus. On the photography side, DFD is pretty fast and highly accurate. In some regards, better than PDAF. If I come back from a shoot with over 2000 frames shot and 10 were out of focus, it will have been me not the kit. If I had a blank sheet today, I’d probably go R3 or Z9 as my main workhorses. Problem is, I’d still need 4 cameras as a prime user (except my tracking unit which is a zoom) or 3 if I flipped 2 of my current hybrid units (S1R’s) for 1 single unit such as an R3 or Z9, but then I’d have to shoot a zoom with it in order to run with just 3 units. I just prefer the ‘purity’ of fixed focal length primes and really do not like using zooms unless I absolutely have to. But no chance of any system changes in his year despite having a couple of teething issues getting to grips with L Mount (coming from Fuji) but 11 weddings into a season of 33, it’s all beginning to gel now. Spent most of the first 10 jobs juggling different combos and with the last 2.5 years only providing a total of 6 out of what should have been 60 jobs, it’s only in the last 2 months I have had any facility to work it all through. I don’t think I’ll make any more changes this season so it’s: A pair of S1R’s hybrid with primes. S1H in sticks with cine lens and VND between lens and body for longer stuff. S5 also on sticks with 24-105 pulling tracking and longer focal length duty. Crazy good quality coming out of it all now, only limited by the user. Or the muppetry that sometimes goes on at weddings 😉 As things stand, interested to see most of all what the L Mount Alliance produces next…

In the early days when they kept it simple (focusing on monitoring tools, etc.) and had stable releases - it was dependable. When they started focusing on Dual ISO output and RAW.... pushing the limits.... thats when it all started falling apart. There is no stable release anymore... not for a long time now... even the gateway into getting ML isn't as simple as it was back then. Also... I find it funny... that everyone based Canon's inability to max out their own tech off of Magic Lantern's efforts.... yeah well... it was all over inflated... ask a real user.... how long is the record limit with Magic Lantern on the 5D Mark 3... and the real truth starts coming out. Thats when you start to realize that R5's 8K over heating and record limit issues wasn't so bad.

With the lens choices you are stating you could do all you want with a newer Smartphone.

Wow! Awesome! What a beutiful post and answer! Thank you very much! @tupp

Well if the price of shit is going up that much then the stuff that comes out of Boris Johnson’s mouth might actually have some value for once.

Resolution 8208x5472, pixel size 4.386μm, high dynamic range mode readout time 2ms, high speed mode readout time 1ms, same readout speed for both video and stills, double stacked back illuminated CMOS sensor