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When the 5D Mark II and Panasonic GH1 were all the rage, I picked the GH1. I keep thinking back to why and it appears that the full frame look wasn't important enough compared to other factors, like price, codec, articulated screen, EVF, autofocus and so on. Now Panasonic is doing it again... The G9 II has 4K/120p for $1500, extremely good codec, packed feature set, cheaper than GH7 but same sensor, very clean in low light, the list goes on... If I wanted these features on a full frame camera I'd have to pay at least $3000. Also something else is nagging me... I have grown to dislike the cliche of a shallow DOF where you can't see the setting or background properly. Yet I still want the character of a lens wide open, the smoother bokeh, the light vignette, more 3D and the best flares. So I think back to my Kern Switar 26mm F1.1 or Voigtlander Nokton 25mm F0.95 on the GH2, and realise that I can shoot wide open at mega fast apertures yet still see the background. It will be lightly out of focus (unless the subject is REALLY close) and that I like. On a large sensor it would look very different. I think it's time to do a Micro Four Thirds vs full frame test, at fast apertures wide open on both, same FOV, same setting and framing. It will be really interesting to see what the rendering is like and how the G9 II stands up in terms of image quality, dynamic range, and high ISO. As they have come a LONG way since the GH2 and GH4. I also think some of the Super 16mm and 2x crop lenses out there are really characterful, whereas full frame lenses at least all the modern ones tend to be too perfect looking. I think it's more challenging to set up a shot on a large sensor... You often have to stop down, which negates the low light advantage, changes the rendering and bokeh, the flare, and nearly everything. By the way, I'm sure part of this is nostalgia... In 2009 when Vimeo and DSLR filmmaking community first got going, everyone was happy to be called a filmmaker. It's interesting that now "creator" is the preferred term, as it covers anyone who creates anything. But does that also mean we are specialising less in one area and relying on modern technology over human artistry and the human hand? With IBIS, shallow DOF, unmotivated camera movement, drones, walking around with IBIS handheld, autofocus, and such like... I feel all this usually fails 9 times out of 10 compared to a simple locked down shot on a tripod Spielberg style. Maybe it's time to get a G9 II, turn off IBIS, take my time, stick it on a tripod with a C-mount prime on the front and see how this style works compared to the convenience of luxury of no-tripod, a faster shoot, a full frame Nikon Z8 with IBIS and autofocus on a modern lens.

The gap between APS-C and Micro Four Thirds has turned into an advantage to Micro Four Thirds with the G9 II And the gap between the G9 II and full frame is very small. Impressive little camera.

Item 01 = 'Like New', - haven't even opened the box which was a replacement from MPB for a unit with a faulty fan. €1250 posted anywhere EU. Item 02 = 'Excellent', ie, very light use. €1000 posted anywhere EU. BGS5 battery grip = €125 posted. Lumix 70-200mm f4 'excellent' = €670 posted. As above, EU ONLY and bank transfer only. Established forum members only ie, if I am unaware of your existence, ain't happening 😉 PM if interested as all of these items will otherwise be sold to MPB this week where they can then be purchased at highly inflated prices... All surplus to requirement, no other factor.

I get you, man. For me, Nikon APS-C fills that sweet spot right now. Smalish yet high-quality results and great AF. I can't say anything negative about the tiny Z50 OG for the price point. Full frame MILCs and lenses are just a tiny bit better in overall quality when compared to current smaller sensor, yet the lenses are three times bigger and as expensive. Not a fan, really.

Our friends at slashcam have posted these news for the highest end rental market, same sensor size as Alexa 65, one stop better dynamic range of 15 stops, one stop more sensitive with 6400 ISO being as clean as 3200 ISO on the original 65. Also, the weight has been reduced to one third of the Alexa 65 with 3.3 kg compared to 10+ kg. All in the shell of an Alwxa 35 Mini. But read for yourself. Here is the article in English, also in numbers, with a size comparison to the large format baby from Blackmagic, which comes at 30.000, whereas the new Alexa is rental only. https://www.slashcam.com/news/single/ARRI-ALEXA-265---65mm-film-production-now-more-com-18982.html

Yes, 10-bit 'Natural' would be really nice to have (and sharpness adjustment in 10-bit).

All items now SOLD except the 'Like New' S5ii! Actually less of an update than it may sound... Still Sony for primary stills and no changes there. Still Lumix for primary video, but downscaled the amount of kit I had as there was a bit too much set up and breakdown, on-site transportation and logistics etc which kind of defeated having the extra kit. Nikon is back in the mix as it was at the start of the year, but for 2025, in a hybrid role as a stills sidekick to the A7RV when I want something lower res, more fun and more candid use, plus better lower light. Also works in a secondary role for some video work. Plus after a long time of just using my phone, I wanted a 'personal' camera, so the Zf with 40mm f2 is just that for me.

Thanks for the reply! yes the ballon lights are great - feels strange to throw them away after the batteries are finished - as i want to move into stop motion usb powered lights would be much better… It‘s super fun though to light with those little lights. Am thinking about building miniature deformers etc. I am 100% with you regarding the blues- i am still having problems colorcorrecting the sony blues which tend to look very „video“ like… Shot the 2022 Version on blackmagic and found the colours much more pleasing - but i did not know about the ballon lights back then…

All depends what your benchmark for happiness is. If it was the stock 1080p codec on those cameras, then the raw was an insane improvement in every possible way. It's still a stunningly beautiful image today. With none of the super-smooth and clean look of today's not-quite-raw codecs.

With the Blackmagic Ursa 17K offering 15 stops as well it looks like a valid alternative with 4 kg vs 3.3, also offering almost three times the pixel count compared to the Alexa. Taken from the comment section of German version of the article: Alexa 265 weighting 3.3 kg and measuring (HxWxL) 147 x 163.9 x 199.4 mm vs.BMD 17k with 4kg and 153 x 154 x 280 mm. Both being small compared to the 10.5kg Alexa 65. I'm happy with just one Ursa 17K.:) @IronFilm Wondering if it's offering a stepless digizoom. If not, I won't be getting one!:)

Well I'm not sure personal attacks on each other's critical thinking skills are constructive. High inflation is a difficult obstacle for an incumbent to overcome. As much as I dislike Trump, it's important to recognize that a large contribution to his loss in 2020 was economic troubles stemming from Covid. I think Biden's administration did fairly well economically, given it was Covid recovery time. Most of the world had higher inflation than the US did. But most voters don't look too closely. Which is very unfortunate, because the Republican/Trump economic agenda is, long term, quite detrimental and also has a considerable amount of doublespeak (to use the 1984 term). We had high inflation, but it's important to note that corporate and ultra wealthy profits were record-high. The higher prices that we consumers paid went straight to rich people and corporations. That's where we see doublespeak: a lot of Republicans say "Make America Great Again" referring to a golden age in the 1960-1980's. The highest marginal tax rate in the 1960's was 91%! It gradually fell to just 50% by 1986, at which point it was slashed in half, ushering in the extreme debt, corporate expansion, and wealth disparity that we still suffer from today, aka Reaganomics. I agree: Make America Great Again--by taxing the wealthy the way we used to, and using that to invest in roads, science, and education, to fuel the technological leadership that we had in the 60's-80's. (Of course, it should not be inferred that I support to the social and racial policies of the 60's! I fully understand the racial undertones of MAGA as a slogan, but I do want to point out their modern economic policies are antithetical to the era that they romanticize) Getting to Trump, there are a couple huge points unrelated to social politics or personality that are worrying 1. Lowering tax rates on wealthy and corporations. All historical trends show that doing so leads to higher wealth disparity, higher deficit, and fewer jobs. In Obama's 8 years, the national deficit fell from $1.42T to $0.44T. The high initial deficit was an increase in spending in response to the financial meltdown in 2008 (that was caused by deregulation). In Trump's first term, the deficit rose again up to $0.98T, even before Covid hit. Between 2009 and 2020, we had the longest period of uninterrupted economic growth in US history. The difference was that Obama grew the economy while reducing deficit while recovering from the 2nd worst economic disaster in US history, whereas Trump inherited 8 years of growth and doubled the deficit. Turns out, giving a ton of money to rich people has the effect of making them richer, nothing else--sometimes it really is that simple. 2. Placing billionaires and CEOs in key government positions, almost always ones who donated significantly to his campaign. This is an obvious conflict of interest considering they are the ones profiting off of high prices. 3. Nominating people with no experience for high positions. If you get your dream job and are hired directing the next Marvel movie. Do you hire a successful business owner, or an academy award winning cinematographer to be DoP? Maybe you think the academy favors certain movies more, and that there is politics involved in picking winners--I don't disagree. I can also guarantee you that every Oscar winner is a helluva lot better than someone who's never picked up a camera before. 4. Ignoring/denying climate change, and pursuing short term profits by consuming natural resources, rather than lead on sustainable energy sources. Ignoring climate change, energy based on carbon extracted from the ground will run out someday. We need to have a replacement before it runs out, rather than after. If we invested in R&D like we did in the 60's (again, the GOP Golden Age) we would be further along.

I'll take two! (I think if you're an established rental house, with an existing long standing relationship with ARRI, then you can buy these. I've heard it's roughly is about a quarter million dollars? Massively more expensive than an ARRI 35, which is "only" eighty grand or so)

Balloon lights would have been my first suggestion and you already found them. I just shot a short film and for part of it, I needed a tiny light to fit inside a dessicated/taxidermied bird head (to show that it contained a demon's soul, as these things do) and it was perfect for that. Short of wiring up your own stuff, I'm not sure you'll find a lot of small battery-powered lights that are smaller than what you already found. If it were me, I'd use a very cool white light for the ambient light vs blue - right now, the nighttime vibe might be a little oversold, but otherwise that's all very cute! Good job!

FWIW, if you're using EF lenses (or lenses that can adapt to EF), the C70 is vaguely like full frame, as Canon's EF-RF speed booster is good and can be bolted on so that it doesn't wobble. It's a great suggestion. Gorgeous image. In the $3k range, one might also consider a used Komodo (still S35 so maybe not ideal for you) or if you want a camera radically different from your other cameras, a used Ronin 4D 6K (I just paid about $3k for mine thanks to the BF sale from lensrentals.com). Having owned it for one day, I can already say that I wouldn't have it as my only camera, but it's unique among my cameras. I also got a native M mount for it - swapping was easy and was quickly using my Leica glass. Now I just need to wait for the focus motor to show up (and to come up with some way of getting a focus gear for my 35/2 and 24/2.8 which have the silly Leica tab on them, but that will also fit in the small space available for focus gears.