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We all know that cameras produce (sometimes dramatically) different images and image quality, and yet we also know that within a given price range those same cameras typically use the same sensors from Sony and are recording to the same codecs in basically the same bitrates. It's maddening! So, WTF is going on? Well, I just came upon this talk below, which goes through and demonstrates some of the inner workings in greater detail than I had previously seen: It's long, but here's my notes... Firstly, how you de-mosaic / de-bayer the image really matters, with some algorithms being higher quality and require higher processing power: (Click on the images to zoom in - quality isn't the best but the effects are visible) If you're not shooting RAW then this will be done in-camera, and if your manufacturer skimped on the processor they put in there, this will be happening to your footage. If the camera is scaling the image, then the quality of this matters too: and if the scaling even gets done in the wrong colour space then it can really screw things up: There's more discussions in there, especially around colour science which has been discussed to death, but I thought these might be illuminating as it's not something we get to see that much because it's buried in the camera and typically it's not something we can easily play with in the NLE. All these add up to a fundamental principle that I have been gradually gravitating towards. If you're shooting non-RAW then shoot in the highest resolution you can shoot in, and just un-sharpen (blur) the image in post. Shooting in the highest resolution means that your camera will be doing the least downscaling (or none), and most glitches and bad processing will be at the pixel-level, which means that the higher the resolution the smaller those glitches and errors compared to the size of the image, and un-sharpening de-emphasises these in the footage. You might notice that all of these shortcomings make the footage sharper, not duller, so the errors have made your footage sharp but in a way that it never was - it's fictional sharpness. Also, the more modern displays are also themselves becoming sharper, so it's no wonder that footage all now looks like those glitch websites from the late 90s that were trying to be cool but looked like a graphic designer threw up into them... FilmLight (who make BaseLight which is the Resolve competitor that costs as much as a house) seem to be on a mission to get deeper into the image and bring along the industry on that journey, and I'm really appreciative of their efforts as they're providing more insight into things we can do to get better images and get more value from our limited budgets.

In other news, I finally had a chance to get out and shoot some stuff yesterday with the FP. For this outing I brought along an oldie, but a goodie... the Super Multi-Coated Takumar 50mm 1.4. Here are a couple shots that didn't turn out terrible... I'm still using my old MB Air from 2014, so I can't always say the image posted looks exactly like my graded image. I hope to upgrade my computer soon enough. That said, I'm in the middle of a test for a short film I am hoping to make this summer. But to stay on topic, I forgot how amazing the Tak 50mm is and I really like it with the FP.

Hopefully it's just the battery. These little gems getting quiet expensive these days. Great shots, makes me want to try the Pentax, great testimony to a lens! @mercer Was mistaking them as Canon 5D3 Raw shots. But you made that Sigma FP sing. There aren't any small mechanical 2x or 3x zooms for 16 or S16 unfortunately. @QuickHitRecord Maybe there might be some in 2/3" cctv land, but it would seem kind of silly to put that on a og pocket or m2k losing too much pixel realestate. On the Eos M that crop would mean 2/5 of the sensor and x axis pixels and be in the 2k ballpark. A 2/3" crop might sound appealing for the Eos with a tiny 2/3" zoom.:)

There are some pretty long threads of things that other users have tried in the EOS-M Facebook group. Maybe something in there will bring your little camera back to life? These look great! I have always enjoyed the look of the Takumar lenses. What is your film about?

I buy used all the time. Greatest deal were two LX10, a bit bumped up but perfectly usuable, for 120 Euro, three years ago, from a youtuber with 150.000 subs. One battery only though.:) Another great deal was an og pocket two years ago or so, with the 20mm 1.7 MK II for 200 or 250 Euro. Last summer I got a Lumix G2 and a G3, together for less than 30 Euro. This year no purchase yet, as planned to stay away from gas this year and as stated in another thread.:)

My mileage has not varied from this. I think once, max twice in about the same time period so for me, extended warranties would have cost 10x if not 20x as much. Otherwise I do try and purchase used if I can, but only from dealers ie, not places like eBay. Unless it’s some older ‘vintage’ lens type stuff when OK, I have taken a punt. MPB is the only real place in Europe for used (mainstream) kit.

Another vote for "buy used from a reputable dealer with a return policy" when possible - both with camera bodies and lenses. They usually have a 30-day return policy as well - so that gives you some time to test the camera. Personally, for the most part, I don't buy extended warranties and if you're going to buy one from a third party, try to do some investigation to understand whether people are happy with it when they try to use it. I do carry extra camera insurance, though, for a bunch of my stuff. On the rare occasion that there is a problem with the camera, you can send it back to the manufacturer for repair, even if it's out of warranty. It'll just cost you a bit to have it repaired. For me, over the last 25 years or so, I've definitely spent less on repairing cameras than I would have spent on extended warranties for all of them. YMMV

Hehe, I found it. Well done. Congratulations to you, the director, cast and team! @Emanuel

B&H, Adorama & MPB have all served me well when buying used. I bought my S5iix new, but that was because it was on sale and the used price wasn't much lower. If it's only $100 or $200 cheaper then it really might be worth getting it new instead, but I generally buy cameras that are a couple years old which is where you'll find bargains. You're probably going to get the same overheating on a used camera as you will on a new one, assuming the camera you're getting has overheating issues to begin with. The same applies for most issues a camera may have. Third party warranties aren't a terrible idea. I get extended warranties if they're available for any expensive purchase I make. For me that's usually anything over $1000, though what is and isn't expensive varies per person. I film a lot of pro-wrestling, so the thought of having my brand new $2,000 camera and $1,000+ lens damaged and being SOL because I didn't spend a little more on the extended warranty gives me nightmares. Better to be safe than sorry, I say.

Haha, I haven't used mine in so long that I can't say if it suffers from the same afflictions. I'd love to mess around with ML on the eos-m, but it seems my camera is broke and won't turn on any more. It could be that all of my batteries went bad... I used to buy really cheap ones.

B&H and Adorama are my most trusted vendors for used stuff. Fun thing about Adorama is that almost all their used stuff on their site is also listed in their eBay store with a “Make offer” option so you’re able to buy things under list price. They’re pretty good about actually accepting offers, too. I’ve had very good luck buying and selling with MPB in the past, but you need to reallyyyy stress test stuff from them IMO. I’ve returned a couple items that I didn’t feel were listed correctly. Like, things I bought at “Excellent” that I would characterize as “Poor” or “Acceptable”. Still, there are some great deals there.

I'd try a range of things, and I'm sure others will have more to add, but I would: Check the camera physically to make sure the screen works, buttons, EVF, etc I'd update the firmware straight away to the latest Put on several lenses and test that they're recognised correctly and the AF and OIS are working After putting in a new battery and formatting a memory card in it, I'd pick the best quality normal mode (24/25/30p) and do a long recording on it of something that has a lot of movement in it (a great test is putting three still images on a timeline each at 1 frame and then loop the video).. if it records without issue for 20+ minutes without anything odd happening that's good, but if you have time I'd test until the card fills up or the battery dies I'd also do the same but on the highest frame rate mode Check the files are playable in the camera and work on the computer If it passes all of the above then it's unlikely that it has some lingering issue that isn't also present on new copies as well.

About half my cameras were second hand, with a couple of them likely having a lot more than two previous owners, but haven't had any issues with mine. If you're concerned about overheating, get a camera with a fan. A fan is the difference between a camera overheating in air-conditioning in under 45 minutes vs a camera recording for 24 hours in a race car at 120F / 48C.

If you are really worried about that, buy it and stress-test it quickly so that you can return ASAP it if you're not happy. But if long recording times in hot environments are important to you, then you should be looking at a camera with a fan anyway (so you don't get distracted from the enjoyable creative stuff by worrying about overheating). Otherwise avoid leaving the camera out in hot direct sun/put a sunshade over it/put a white or reflective cloth over it. And turn it off when not using it, so it's not already hot before you press the record button.

I also buy most of my gear used; I did buy my Sony A7iii new, mainly for the warranty. For Blackmagic Design cameras I think it's best to buy used because BMD's quality assurance is so poor that you may need to buy several new cameras to find one that works. The two BMD cameras I bought new were defective out of the box and had to be returned; the used one I bought on eBay is perfect. People who buy a defective camera will likely return it to exchange, so you'll probably have better luck buying a used one.

Thanks for this!! I ended up finding one that had the upgrade and it wasn't that much over my budget. Thanks for the input guys. I ended up going with the S1 only because of ergonomics, the full size HDMI as I use a monitor and having no record limit. I know in the S5 you could just start and stop again but when shooting interviews in a multiple camera shoot the no time limit just makes things a bit easier. It gets here on Saturday and I got a couple of Canon FD primes ready to go. Really excited about this. Thanks so much everyone

If you want to minimise the risk buying used, buy the body from a major dealer who will provide a decent length warranty and allow you to return it if you're not happy with it e.g. in the UK, Wex offer a 45-day return period and provide 12-month warranties on used gear. MPB offer 6-month used warranties, as do some of the other major UK dealers. If you want long warranties, buy new and then buy an extended warranty from the manufacturer, or wait until the manufacturer offers a free extended warranty as a sales promotion on new bodies.