Andrew Reid

Have you thought about a full frame camera to replace those Nikons? D700 can be had for $200 these days. A Canon 5D Mark II for video perhaps? Magic Lantern Raw still very nice looking today. I would also sell the GH4, X-A3, X-T2 and get an X-T3 which is a big step up from both and under $600 used. Not sure what the price is in Aussie dollars though 🙂

Done. Let's see what happens.

Here's the thing about this... Yes it is showing the fuck-up scenario. And people look at it as some sort of ultimate performance metric! The real world footage all looks the same as the flagship cameras are all capable of image quality that far exceeds the capabilities of our displays and the YouTube delivery network. There needs to be a new Zacuto challenge screened at a cinema, which really gets under the skin of the different cameras and how straight forward they are to expose, grade and whether getting totally optimal results means a lot of faff or a few easy tweaks, as that's what really matters isn't it? I could have 1% less noise in skintones accidentally exposed 5 stops too dark but what good is that if C-LOG2 is a bitch to grade and takes hours? And that 1% becomes less than 0.000001% in footage which is exposed correctly, less than 0.000000000000000001% in footage which has been lit well, and if the footage is going to end up on YouTube in 4K with web compression you can reduce that to a big fat NAUGHT. I did consider the Zf but decided there's more fun factor in an X-Pro3 or something a bit weird. Still a bit put off by the fake-ness and mixed build quality of it. In some ways it's really nice and a bargain, but probably not needed alongside the Z8. The Z8 does everything I need on a high-end camera and was a better option than EOS R5 II due to price and lens mount, and a better option than S1R II due to overall capabilities and a better sensor, plus again a more flexible mount.

So meanwhile let's look at what that means in the real world away from pixel peeping tests and number of stops. 14.2 stops so you can get an unusably bad image 5 stops under exposed? Or does it have a genuinely big creative impact / image quality benefit. After all it is "class leading above all other mirrorless cameras" so it must be pretty special and not just 1% better dynamic range than a 3 year old Nikon Z9, right? And just because it has 1% more "test setup" dynamic range does not make it a better mirrorless camera than the Nikon Z8, because it's a lot more expensive than one for a start and with a far worse range of native lenses, and a less flexible system mount. I do like the sRAW codec for 4K/60p, smaller file sizes, huge EVF, and the body design is a decent evolution from the original. But the DR and C-LOG2... Meh. Many more important things to consider overall like the system mount, codecs, handling, prices used and new, and so on.

Press enter to break up quotes my friend.

This is why they need a drop off or store like WEX. I don't mind DHL handling 500 euros worth of kit but when it's many thousands, going two ways potentially, the thought of that just fills me with dread. Especially since the start of this year they have been on and off with strike action in Germany. The guy at MPB let me drop off one box and that was it - said no more would be possible even though I live down the road. So here we are... I knew this would happen!!

The UK team respond pretty quickly, when mistakes do happen. Feeling pretty desperate with the Berlin side, may have to turn to the management for help. The problem is that the person dealing with me just doesn't really seem to communicate and is happy to let things drag on. Does he not think...hmm... This has been going on since January now, shall I bring it to a close or continue to sit on my hands for another 2 months whilst I do without my gear and refund? All the impression I get so far is that he is happy to do that. And that's what makes me angry not the non-delivery.

So March 11th and still not resolved... In fact Max, the guy at MPB "dealing with it" forget entirely about the other camera in the lost shipment and not only did he forget (it's not on the DHL insurance claims form) but he claims it was delivered in January. So I had to re-send him the tracking number and order info. Each time I think I am getting somewhere, it's as if the part-timer goes away for a week and comes back a new man. Only less and less helpful every time. Indeed, DHL allow you to start the claim for lost packages just 2 weeks after the tracking freezes with no movement. However MPB forgot to do this too which is why I only just got the DHL claim form last Friday. There's no refund for the order of the new item, and of course no compensation for the lost property of my own camera returned from the trade-in (there were 6 or 7 cameras on the trade-in and I sold them all, only taking the one back). This could have been a 3000 euro camera, or multiple lenses, or worse. Stuff going wrong with MPB is not that rare. But I accept that mistakes happen. It's all the stuff that's happened afterwards that troubles me. Part-time staff that don't seem to give a crap and don't do a good job. The waiting. Sometimes it takes a week or more to even get an email response. Never had this with the UK team.

The Lytro was a step too far even for me! The category of cameras from MPB lost by DHL continues to be a thing. Soon there might have to be a new category... Free MPB stock as compensation for fuckups.

I think all needs can be broken down into 3 cameras. So first we have a do-it-all high spec camera, such as EOS R5 II or Nikon Z8, Panasonic S1R II or Sony a1. If your client is asking for 4K/120p you'll be able to deliver. If your creative endeavor needs 8K and so on... Or you just want the absolute maximum image quality for $3k+ But second we must have an art camera. That's for taking on trips and personal strolls around town, bit of street photography but high fun factor, unique ergonomics, plus good enough video to capture nice 4K in low light, perhaps with decent autofocus. I'm thinking Fuji X-Pro3, Sigma BF or Fp-L or Fuji X100 VI. If you don't care about video on this camera then Sony RX1R is a lovely walk-around artistic camera with a high fun factor. Then third we absolutely do need a high-end smartphone camera. Of course 3 doesn't cut it for a lot of professional work situations, so your choices might vary! But these I reckon are the main categories. Just depends on price. You can get a good high spec work camera for much less than $3k like the Fuji X-H2S. If I were to add a fourth category it would be a medium format camera, such as the GFX 50R, GFX 100 or a Hasselblad. But so far I have about 25 categories in reality... High-spec all-rounder (Z8, EOS R5, GFX 100) Art cameras (Sigma Fp-L, X100 VI, Sony RX1) Retro digicams (Powershot G6, and about 500 others) CCD cameras (Olympus E300, E-1, Hasselblad H3D II Kodak 39 megapixel and others) Foveon cameras (Sigma Merrill stuff) Infrared modded cameras (in my case took the IR cut out of my RX100 IV and Panasonic GX80) Impulse buy cameras Cameras I have bought twice Cameras bought to sell for a profit Latest cheap camera that I end up not needing DSLRs DSLRs with Magic Lantern Raw Video Sony E-mount cameras for Leica AF adapters Zoomy cameras with fixed zoom lens (FZ1000) Broken cameras I am trying to fix at the moment Run & gun shot getters with a smol sensor (Nikon V2) Cameras with a CD drive (Sony Mavica) And compacts with a flash and CCD sensor for the Polaroid look I am forgetting anything?

What I always wonder about these tests is if you have skintones in the shot that are 5 stops under exposed, what the heck are you trying to achieve with the overall shot and lighting?

Nothing against students but you can tell they are part-timers at MPB.

Enjoy. Do you prefer cinema when it's busy or borderline empty? I think I prefer to go on quiet days.

I've put three chat sticky threads up to talk about 3 quite different subjects. This is for when we just want to chat and talk general things.

Official EOSHD chat thread for the arts and cinema.

I don't think a tradeshow video will be troubling Sundance.

They had the C200 but it didn't really go anywhere.

The C300 form factor is obsolete, too big and clunky when you want to be discrete and mobile. Cinema EOS is also being hampered by RF mount. Not enough choice in video orientated lenses at all the price brackets.

Hasselblad would do well for high-end stills focused stuff and DJI for the Sony-type mirrorless stuff. The X1D would have been a no-brainer now it is almost under £2k used but the slow electronic shutter and lack of lens adapters means it is still a mega expensive proposition with the native lenses. The moment DJI bring out a nice full frame mirrorless camera in the a7 mould with Hasselblad colour profiles, that's it for Hasselblad in the sub-£5k market so may as well focus on the expensive Leica-end. Although again going back to the brand recognition and marketing angle of this topic... DJI would do well to keep DJI off all their non-Drone, non-Gimbal cameras and use a Hasselblad badge instead whether it costs $1k or $6k. Also the Oneplus / Oppo tie-in is quite nifty so keep that going.

This is quite an eye opening chart.. https://ymcinema.com/2025/03/06/the-cameras-behind-sundance-2025-documentaries/ In the earlier days of Cinema EOS the C300 and C200 were all over the documentary filmmaking scene. Now it is all Sony... a7 series and FX. Has Canon mismanaged transition from Super 35mm to full frame in the cinema world? It is beginning to look like it. Meanwhile Panasonic are not in the chart, which is a shame as the GH1 pioneered documentary style shooting with mirrorless cameras and a large sensor, when everyone else were shooting pro ENG or camcorder small chip.

I knew I'd forgotten someone. Hasselblad should expand the line-up, the current choice of two cameras is a bit naff. X-Pan digital would sell like Russian oil to Trump. DJI are perfectly placed to do a hybrid mirrorless camera as well.

A good summary of what makes the Z8 such a good allrounder. Still cheaper than a used Sony a1 but an even better camera in some ways. https://www.zachnicholz.com/blog/nikon-z8-review

Yep it's needed but a big job, more than I can handle. Some off topic is fine by me, just not every other post and really long uninteresting diversions into what someone had for dinner.

Sony and Panasonic without the film heritage but there right from the start with digicams. Sony always put the Sony logo on the body. Panasonic didn't do this, and I suggest it's Lumix that's the problem not Panasonic. "Lumix" doesn't have the worldwide brand recognition of "Sony". The problem is Panasonic doesn't have the brand appeal of Sony or Nikon either. They were never quite there in Hifi, Walkmans, game consoles, and so on... Panasonic are bigger in white goods and appliances, like LG, where Sony has always put the emphasis on consumer electronics and gadgets. I'd rate the camera companies brands in order of camera-ness like this... 1. Leica, they're as synonymous as it gets. Panasonic should buy the brand. 2. Canon, for they are the most popular 3. Nikon, for being second only to Canon in terms of success 4. Sony, for pioneering the digital market from the late 90s onward - but no SLR or film heritage unless you count the Minolta buy-out. 5. Fujifilm. Arguably should be higher but their film-era SLRs were rubbish and they didn't catch the mainstream wave of DSLR says with the niche S5 Pro and so on. They were known not as a camera company but for film. Nice digicams aside, Fujifilm are only a recent success story in digital. What saved them was getting into mirrorless with the X100 and X-Pro in early 2010s. Then I rate the dead brands highly... Kodak RIP Olympus RIP Minolta RIP Contax RIP Lumix RIP (only joking) And then in no particular order there's a lot of variation between what's an active brand (Lumix) and what's camera-ness (Pentax). Obviously Pentax is a high-cameraness brand, you will hardly think of microwaves with them. But today they are almost anonymous on the market, from a top 5 brand to basically nowhere and nobody can decide if it should be called Rioch or not. Sigma. Very high lens-ness, not so much cameras, still a niche. OM System. Feels like a Temu Olympus Panasonic / Lumix on their cherished 5% market share doing admirably but never seem to be capable of troubling the top 5 despite great specs, pioneering models and a loyal bunch of customers. Did I forget anyone?

This is an interesting point about the lenses. Also Nikon DSLRs I seem to remember had weird quirks with the aperture in video mode which took them an age to change. Cameras design has two major fields... ergonomics and tech specs. Get both right and you have a good chance of producing something nice. Which is what the Z8 has achieved. The best ergonomics and best tech specs. Now the third thing is price and if you can do flagship specs and the best designed camera for cheaper than your rivals can, the only things stopping people buying it are lenses and brand loyalty, which are tough issues. Panasonic for example has a brand and lens mount problem, in a way they always had during MFT as well. Nobody can decide if it's a LUMIX or a Panasonic. Or whether Panasonic stands for LUMIX or kitchen appliances. Nobody can quite be comfortable switching wholesale to L-mount, they don't know how committed they are to it after the big gap between flagships and the focus on mid-range tittle tattle. Plus Canon and Nikon just have so much momentum behind them from the prior DSLR mounts whereas Panasonic have had to start from scratch. Anyway I don't mean to keep knocking Panasonic, there's still life in the old dog yet, I just think they could learn a LOT from what Nikon are doing right now.