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I thought you said in a few posts back I was being too harsh regarding this release? 🤔😉

Regarding IBIS I can confirm that with long lenses > 100mm (70-200, 100-500) the R5 sometimes jumps (kind of reset itself to the middle) and it is something that the R5c does not do. I was filming in Alaska and the first day I opted for the R5 instead of the R5c due to the power consumption, in that environment I would not use and external battery, cables etc.. But I got a few shots ruined by IBIS so for day 2 I switched to the R5c and 6 batteries 😲 . Is definitely a special use case mine where I do film a lot handheld at 300-500mm....

Leadership position syndrome. Sony have become the new Canon. Little to No firmware upgrades. Heavy segmentation. Paper spec cameras that overheat. Zero regards towards criticism. That being I always tell people, buy a camera (or any digital product) for what it can do today. Don't expect added specs down the line, you're most likely setting yourself up for disappointment.

https://www.dpreview.com/news/5901145460/dpreview-com-to-close

I own A7S3. There have been no major updates for this camera in a fucking eternity! Now they release ZV-E1 which has the same sensor and processor (according to Gerald) and every a7S3 owner is obviously pissed off. Its got so many new features that we all want but not going to get, cos SONY IS... I really dont know, what is their reason to justify this obnoxious attiude. Do they want to simply increase sales a tiny bit by doing it, in exchange of a major reputation damage? What are they thinking? Maybe we need to start an online petition, ah? There are a ton of videos on youtube complaining about it over and over again, Philip Bloom did a video, Gerald adressed it, in the comments people are raged, but still nothing. Sony is not adressing, not talking about it, not giving any timeline of new firmware updates, they are completely silent on the subject. Maybe Andrew can interview them and ask that question directly? WTF is going on? That would be nice. I dont understand why a company would create such a terrible case in the first place. The loayalty and attitude of your fanbase and community is extremly important espescially nowdays, when fewer and fewer ppl by cameras. For me it became a substantial reason to even think about switching. I am looking at Panasonic - they are very generous with their firmware and camera support for years. Now they have PDAF, they have the best IBIS in town, I just want them to make o compact (not a huge 1kg monster), affordable camera that has FF 4k60p and might seriosly consider switching.

Just came back from a passion project shoot in South America. A mix of talking head interviews and capturing b-roll on most days. I had 6 batteries (4 oem and 2 off brand) - no grip - and the battery drain issue wasn't as big of a deal as I thought it would be. Of course we all have different workflows/needs etc.

Sony not offering firmware updates doesn’t bother me. I use Lumix cameras. But being serious, I have never purchased a camera based on a promise of what it might or will be at some point in the future. I will buy it (or not) based on merit with what it comes with. If something is updated with something I find useful, then that is a bonus, but not an expectation. I’d be very happy with a pair of FX30’s plus a single A7V straight out of their boxes.

Unless you're shooting in a log profile or doing lots of color grading 8-bit is fine. I film the majority of my event work in 8-bit because 10-bit just isn't necessary when I don't need to do a ton of corrections. I film in the natural color profile on my Lumix cameras, set my custom white balance, and I'm good to go. 10-bit is great to have for narrative, commercial, and even corporate/interviews where you're going for a certain "look." It is also very good for green screen work. Since getting the Lumix S5 and full v-log I've filmed more in 10 bit. I really like it, but it's just not necessary for a lot of stuff.

I'd also argue that they've already got people's money, so they don't care. They want you to buy the next camera, not increase the value of the camera you've already bought. And it works, because more than a couple notable YouTubers ended up getting the A1 and the A7RV after selling the A7SIII, which I'm sure then influenced others to do the same since that's how it works. I just wish more people cared about this shitty behavior.

Update for anyone interested. I got a P6KG2 (I don't really need built-in ND and WEX were offering a free viewfinder). I also bought a lovely Nikon 50-300mm AIS ED (from Grays of Westminster) which looks fun although I have not yet assembled enough Smallrig bits and pieces to adequately support it. I suspect it'd pull the front off the Blackmagic if left unsupported. Balancing it on the tripod will be a challenge. I also have the Nikon 24,28,50,85 (Urth F-EF adapters) and I got what must be the most awful lens I have ever handled - the Canon EF50 (optically I'm sure it's wonderful but it feels utterly dreadful and even more cheap than it was). What little footage I've seen from the monster zoom looks quite promising and the sheer imposing nature of the thing definitely inspires me to want to get out and film stuff. There is something special about a smooth focus ring. And enjoying the process is, for me, at least as important as the product (which realistically only a handful of people will watch so arguably is actually the least important aspect of the activity...) Couple of downsides: the battery grip seems to make the camera reluctant to switch off and the Kondor Blue cage simply doesn't fit (the USB C cable holder is in the wrong place and is too small). Now replaced by single NP batteries and a Smallrig cage. Battery grip for sale!

I'd rather they DIDN'T turn the A7S III into a ZV-E1 Nearly all the new features are a dumb bag of shite designed to help people with no effort to make better vlogs! What do you want from the ZV-E1 that isn't in the A7S III that you really need? As for the reason behind a lack of firmware updates, it's because the A7S III is still selling well and is already feature-packed... so it doesn't matter what Gerald says really, if it is selling well, they don't need to change it. They'd just give me a PR line and mention the firmware updates they have done, like the a1 10bit 422. I agree with you Sony is lazy when it comes to nice firmware updates vs the others, but the best option is to sell the camera and buy a Panasonic or a Fuji if you are unhappy with it. Best way to get Sony to change. On the other hand I do think the A7S III is hardly lacking in features?

Not that I personally care but the R5c is now Netflix approved. Nevertheless a firmware update that improves the standby power is long due.

Because we are not going to agree on pricing let's take the U.S one, it is 3.500 with 2.200$. = 37% less If it is a trap, and full hype, and cripple hammered, let's just called it marketing and market and product fragmentation! Obviously I am not supporting the camera, I wouldn't buy a Sony even if they were free of charge..but I am trying to be realistic and I see a lot of marketing (let's say, traps) traps here for the uninitiated.. What would most vloggers think? Tiny body that sees in the dark with the most blurry stuff at the background that always keeps me in frame, stabilized, and mostly in focus, and just need one battery per day. All these while is very similar to the super expensive and professional bigger camera while I got it for 37% less. Also. FULL FRAME! what a bargain! They will have a kit lens and one cheap prime to make them feel pro, and that's it.. ..that is my impression of this release, and have all the basic stuff for commercial success, and camera companies are trying to sell cameras and lenses. There is no shame on that..

I must confess I'm always a little mystified that people are willing to pay the Leica premium for digital cameras. One of the most compelling aspects of a Leica film camera is that it's 'the camera you pass on to your grandchildren' - but how does that stand up for digital, given that the sensor etc in even the best of Leica's offerings will be obsolete in 10 years?

A Facebook user reported that phase AF works fine with a Viltrox adapter. I'd be interested in the Fotodiox one with ND or any adapter with ND. Does anyone have any experiences of them in general? Aside from AF, that is, how is usability, compatibility, ND quality (colour cast, X pattern)

..this is simply not true. ZV-E1 is 2699€. That's only about 30% cheaper. and you are not getting the mechanical shutter or the full IBIS. or the passive cooling. and you are losing a lot on the outside starting with the EVF (which is useful for video too in bright daylight). and in the end the high-frame rate and chunky codecs end up unusable because of overheating. all you are really benefitting from that sensor is high ISO and low RS. All the rest is crippled. Even all the cool AI features end up ruining the IQ because the 1:1 4K sensor can't oversample. A shameful "cinematic mode". Zero vertical shooting options. Piss poor mobile communication. Really this is what you applaud? This is the best Sony can come up with for this market? No competition? So you mean to tell me "VLogging" can only be done on a "ZV" camera? Sorry I find that a bit ridiculous. I follow a few "vloggers" and none use a ZV camera. The pre-existing ZV lineup is pretty awful too. No I'm not the target but I know people that are and they wouldn't touch this camera with a 6-foot selfie pole. To me they got everything wrong with this cam. Its all hype and fluff. Basically a tourist trap for hype beasts.

So I guess they gonna let this power sucking problem keep going? That is quite a disappointment. They really need to implant a serious power saving mode during standby.

Still better than the how many firmware that A7SIII got for $3500 when it was released, A7SIII could really use the IBIS shift to make its MP much bigger for starter. At least if I want really high resolution I have the option, rather than no option. Though I hope it will have RAW in the future like other brand do. I kinda feel for A7SIII user, paying big money but the service that Sony provide is pretty skimpy.

And 5 minutes may be the max they can ever shoot before the camera overheating. This is just unacceptable, I don't care what kind of content creator you are or who this camera is marketed towards. And no camera should overheat while browsing its menu, that's just wrong. Reminds me of R5C getting its battery depleted during menu diving. This just completely breaks usability. Stop giving these cameras excuses. As for "extensive color correction" well this is a 2699€ camera with some high-end specs. Why even offer 10-bit or XAVC-I if the camera can't handle it? Sony do it for the spec list but in real world conditions the camera fails to deliver on that. I called it before the announcement, this camera will have severe cripple hammer. and it does, not on paper but in real use.. straight out of the Canon playbook. Its important to call these companies out for their shenanigans. Canon has learned via firmware updates and subsequent camera models that no longer overheat to ridiculous degrees. A lot of Sony ambassadors including Bloom and other big influencers are starting to rant over their crippling strategies and lousy firmware policies but on deaf ears it seems. Sony is sitting comfortably in its leadership position and only seems interested in pushing new cameras with the latest specs.

Actually Clog1 is the less flat profile, followed by Clog3 and Clog2 is the flattest. Neither Clog2 or WideDR are available in non cine line cameras though. S-Cinetone is Sony's version of a flat non log profile. Personally, I can't ever go back to 8-bit. I actually wish we could get higher than 10-bit in hybrids. YMMV.

The A7SIII is definitely a video oriented hybrid though and could strongly benefit from some of the new features inside FX3/FX30 and ZV-E1. Notably LUT support which isn't limited to viewing but can also be baked-in. Very useful for fast turnover projects. Breathing compensation is a big one. And of course the new AF enhancements. These will all for sure enhance your shooting results and so yes improve the final image. Side by side tests have shown Cine EI gives cleaner results. Also FX30 has less NR. So yes firmware can improve IQ. The AF improvements are substantial, and a lot of A7SIII users would like the added animal detection etc. Anyways like I said, one should never buy a camera hoping for new features down the line but its also hard to understand how you could argue against firmware updates. Other companies have been really good with that lately so people expect this with Sony but their company policy just isn't tuned towards that.

Nowhere says "unlimited recording for the seasoned professional", you misunderstood the product.. ..if you are still searching for the perfect camera, you will always be! Especially these days manufacturers seem to over specialize.. It's really simple what the E1 offers and why is going to be a big hit.. 1) Cutting-edge technology for vloggers Working with the ZV-E1's 12.1 MP1 full-frame sensor, the latest BIONZ XR™ engine provides high-speed processing to support 4K 60p, 120p upgradable2 recording, while an AI processing unit improves subject-recognition capabilities for advanced vlogging applications - a very famous sensor with great chips around it! Zirgons, diamonds and pearls and fancy epistimonic words help to give gravitas anyway! 2) Sony's E-mount system Vary your imagery with different lenses - as I said, lenses became a huge advantage from a disadvantage for Sony 3)Intuitive Cinematic Vlog Setting Create memorable imagery with S-Cinetone™ and other settings By using Cinematic Vlog Setting5 and choosing a Look and Mood6, you can create cinematic vlog footage that matches the scene and your creative intent. The overall cinematic feel is further enhanced by the use of a 24 fps7 frame rate and the widescreen Cinemascope aspect ratio (2.35:1)8 with black bands above and below the image. - "Cinematic" always sells cameras! Everyone wants to be "cinematic" whatever that is..Certainly has black bars above and below! 4)Rely on stable camera work 5-axis in-body image stabilisation, Dynamic active Mode and Framing Stabilizer - a good stabilizer and a couple of gimmicks for the lazy ones.. 5)AI-based Auto Framing for movies Automatically adjust the framing to highlight your main subject - for zombies that want to be filmmakers! 6)Real-time Recognition AF Human pose estimation using a skeleton-based model - for zombies filming mummies! 7) Slow and Quick Motion Capture action in superhuman detail - for the Marvel funs and whoever wants to feel super..(funs of Thus Spoken Zarathustra included..the original super human) 😎Creative zoom control (the rocker in the on/off dial - ok, that is good to have regardless 9) 3 mic audio - sounds better than the usual and typical arrangement 10) amazing battery - after half a dozen of years with terrible battery life, when they did it, they really did it.. 11) smallest full frame camera - is it really? HUGE selling point.. 12) A7sIII lite for a portion of the price - ofcourse it isn't the A7Siii, so it doesn't cost as much.. everyone's happy..if someone needs what the A7Siii does and have..well...yes, right..

I liked the a7iv in this

Probably the most honest review, he got the camera to overheat on his couch while just menu diving and it overheat in FIVE minutes in 4K60p while shooting outdoors in non summer Florida: Its expected in June so well after all the reviews will be out.

A7sIIi sensor 4K60p in 4:2:2 10-bit all-intra 4K120p in a future firmware update 5 axis steadyshot S-Log 3/S-Cinetone MI Hot Shoe Mount $2,200 Watching that presentation, this camera has some very smart and practical AI features for the target market. They'll sell a boatload of them.

Personally. I seem to be able to recall the written word much more easily, than a rambling video by some person more interested in their own voice than getting to the point. I gave up on YouTube years ago. Sorry to see the demise of DPReview. Slowly we move toward the New Dark Ages ...

Thanks for the explanation. I don't think you understand what literally means. Really. But I will set that aside and get to your more important ignorance. I was not apologizing for anyone. I was explaining the reality. You don't like it; I don't like it. But it is the reality. I don't apologize for snowstorms. I don't apologize for droughts. We all hate them. But, they all exist. And corporations seek to make money. They are not charities. I wish corporations would give away everything for free. I wish there were no bad weather events. But I am an adult. I do not forgive you for your rudeness; it is never forgivable. I am more concerned, however, with your sense of entitlement and naivete. Do you feel entitled to free services? You were happy to pay nothing for those wonderful DPReview services, and then you complain when the free services are taken away. Are you willing to pay for the services provided by DPReview? I did not see you say that anywhere. Do you think the DPReview staff are not responsible for never trying to raise money? They didn't lift a finger, and were happy, like you, to just be subsidized by the big, bad corporation. They should be apologizing to all of us who were unaware of the fact that DPReview was unsustainable. Cheap talk by you. You are evidently ignorant of the realities of economics. Which are not pretty, not likable, but exist. And don't blame me for informing you with the bad news - corporations are in it for the money and dump any activities that lose money. And, there are people like you who just wish everything was free and are happy to take free services. I was also happy to do so, and I was bamboozled. But I am not surprised the fantasy of free services with no revenue crashed. Oh, and I share the view that there should be a special tax on billionaires like Bezos.

I mean it quite literally, how does the boot of Jeff Bezos and Amazon taste? This kind of corporation apologia is ruining the world. And this is me being polite.

Sad but true. I was mentioning the old Web 2.0 definition where users to interact and collaborate with each other as creators of user-generated content in a virtual community. This contrasts the first generation of Web 1.0-era websites where people were limited to viewing content in a passive manner. Well, now everyone is chasing the dream of becoming a "Creator," and they are all so intent on generating "content" that, in many cases, the dialogue has gone to zero. Twitter is a prime example. Everyone tweets their bullshit but rarely responds to comments but that's the way it is now on all platforms. That is why I was writing that we are back to Web 1.0. No one is interested in interactivity anymore. Maybe in Web 5.0 everyone will have their own A.I. that will generate bullshit for us.

In a blink of an eye we're going to enter the "Web 4.0" era within a few years, when there is more AI written content on the internet than there is human written content. And you won't be able to tell the difference.

One less pointless trip to the stratosphere (barely space!) would run DPR for 4 or 5 lives! The forum there had a very strong NX presence, I hope we can attract here most of that traffic, even thought there are too many hobbyists and newbies, which I am not sure if they are the right target group for eoshd, still, it is a possibility..

The problem with Japanese camera makers is that they don't know how to make money anymore. You want to attract younger customers, you have to support the platforms that encourage them to use dedicated cameras. That's about a combination of knowledge and culture. Its a shame that these days its Apple, the king of parental "auto everything", that advocates manual control for its iphone cinematic mode. The Apple way of "manual" of course. Soon they change the taste of an entire generation to believe 60fps is artistic! Dedicated camera needs its own narrative to survive, and we're losing the narrative.

Yep. It's about the money, not the content.

Yeah, I remember DC Resource too. Steve's Digicams in the early days was right up there with DPReview for prominence and usefulness! Have we gone forwards or backwards by replacing all these great web resources with social media influencers? I think we know the answer.

@Andrew Reidpost mentioning Stevie's Digicams...my go to site when choosing my first digicam, a Powershot A20. Some weeks ago I remembered it, went to discover when it ended...was when Stevie himself died. Loved DC Resource too, Jeff closed the site to work on DPReview, and left some years ago. Good times.

Yeah. If they were 20 somethings that weren't married with kids they might've gone a different direction, but they're older guys with wives and kids so they were gonna go with whatever site offered them a steady paycheck while allowing them to continue doing what they do. They can always fall back on doing their own thing eventually if they need to.

I suspect they are simply going where there is another regular presenting income without having to really do any marketing themselves. Nothing wrong with that and we all have bills to pay and being a self-employed creator has as many risks as it does potential rewards. I get the impression they have gone from one regular paid position to another as one door closes and another opens.

Petapixel has got to be one of the most product-pushy websites in the photography world. I reckon they push a new product every 2 or 3 posts. The site is unusable without an adblocker (although that might have changed... I use an adblocker). Am I the only one who finds that Chris and Jordan going to Petapixel quite a strange choice if they were hoping for any degree of non-bias in their reviews? Also, the user-base (in the comments) seems so toxic. Petapixel is just a blog after all or maybe they're changing?

Archive Team appear to be on the case. There are some other individual efforts to preserve the studio shot comparison content too apparently. https://wiki.archiveteam.org/index.php/DPReview

I'm curious if this is doable should the site really "die"... does anyone remember Geocities, the free web hosting company? There was an effort to basically crawl every Geocities site possible and preserve it, because of all the data that would be lost once Yahoo deleted all the sites. Those sites are still available years on at https://www.oocities.org/ and https://www.geocities.ws/ To be clear, they are incomplete archives because it relied on the same crawling tactics that Google and Yahoo use, and if a site wasn't linked elsewhere it likely would fall through the cracks. But with DPReview I think that would be less of an issue. The primary issue would be hosting all that data, as while it might not cost a lot for Amazon it probably would cost a bit for a normal person. There also then would be the issue of whether Amazon would object and take legal action. Perhaps reaching out to the Internet Archive to see if they could take this project on with some volunteers might be worth doing? Just an idea that I haven't seen discussed really yet. It would at least preserve and make all that data available.

I'm actually surprised that they didn't go their own way too, though they might feel more financially secure to be on the payroll somewhere. The big difference between them and the rest of the YouTubers out there is that they're older and have families, so being on payroll somewhere might be more appealing. Probably provides more stability than having to rely on YouTube ad revenue that can really fluctuate.

https://petapixel.com/2023/03/21/chris-niccolls-and-jordan-drake-join-petapixel-to-lead-its-youtube-channel/ Why can't they be more honest and upfront. DPReview TV is not closing then is it? It's getting a new logo. If I were them I would have gone indie. I don't know why they feel they have to be freelancers for a .com blog Let's face it, YouTube is bigger than Petapixel isn't it?

If you think that those running DPReview had that much control to do any of those things without Amazon's approval you don't understand how corporations work. That isn't to absolve the people at DPReview of all responsibility, but when you sell your company to a corporation you cease to have that kind of control.

They won't close. It's a big asset and will have a lot of buyers. Current staff might go over to the new non-Amazon site or they will leave and do something else, which for me would be a good thing as they're not really up to the job. DPR has a ton of camera info that would be very sad to lose from the internet, the database of specs, and historic reviews are part of the camera world's culture and it would be vandalism of the highest order if some idiot decided to delete it all rather than keep it online. It costs almost nothing to keep a website online and I am surprised Amazon is making such deep cuts at all, as DPReview is hardly likely to be a huge loss making part of the company. What are the REAL reasons the site is closing? It surely can't be due to money. Perhaps a big fall out at the top between the DPReview management and Amazon? If Amazon really are looking to save a few thousand dollars running DPReview which drives a ton of traffic to Amazon for camera purchases, then how bad must it be at Amazon?! They were hiring like crazy during covid, big profit boom, then suddenly they can't afford to run a camera blog? Even I can afford to run a fucking camera blog. I smell something fishy. Either the news is fake and they already have a buyer lined up. Chris and Jordan seemed really chirpy in their jokey closing video. Or they are all hired already by a new site and will simply rebrand the existing one. There is simply no way they will delete it. The SEO and Google links alone are worth redirecting to a new site domain. Why bin it? They're not telling the truth.

Terrible move from amazon. they got not culture. Oh, hold it, they do: reset culture.

Forums were toxic as hell. But their Comparison Tool helped me a lot.

But Amazon have almost infinity storage. They could keep the site open as an archive. (but probably they won´t because will remember everyone that they killed it)

Wow! I guess site founder Phil Askey got out at the right time. His Insta profile describes him as "now travelling and eating around the world". Here's a recent interview with him. https://www.dpreview.com/interviews/5323285840/phil-askey-founders-interview The comments towards the end are a little ironic now "Amazon are giving the site everything it needs to continue to be the leading voice for everything photography related." ...until they pull the plug! The forums will be gone. I still have esoteric questions that a dpreview thread will answer. Are FB groups where it's at nowadays? They suck because they're insular, hard to read, and search. I imagine in the future, when these words are also gone, I'll be telling my kids "once upon a time there were internet boards and forums".

I know everyone wasn't a fan, but one less camera media outlet is not good. Such are the risks when you sell your site to a larger company that only cares about the bottom line, I guess. Not good news for the community as a whole, and really unfortunate for all those who are losing their jobs.