levisdavis

BM sure did hype BRAW didn't they. Experienced this 3-months ago and wondered why this could ever get passed QC. ( Not my camera. Updated from CDNG to BRAW before the shoot as a means to maximize recording space. ) Went up to Monument Valley for an interview + b-roll for a documentary project. Safe to say that BM lost a camera customer 3-months ago. Respectfully, I had no idea BM could be so unaccountable. They went on record stating there was no difference between CDNG and BRAW. This was backed by beta testers as well; something I appreciated and respected before making the firmware update. * Note that this project setting is native 4K 4096x2160 resolution, full resolution playback, and the media is not optimized. Also, the last image is un-graded.

HLG is said to handle up to 16-stops DR. That would make me think that the 12.1 or 12.2 stops is the max for the camera; even with VLOG. Makes me wonder about the colors / tones / highlights roll-off and shadow detail though as it may be a more cinematic look in comparison to the HLG? In that same line of thought, in terms of max DR... Will the Z6/Z7 reach 14 stops DR w/ and HDMI out ATOMOS BRAW combination? ... Thinking the sensor natively handles about 14-stops of latitude in stills... The BRAW output could theoretically be the same. However, it's possible that the full DR is being clipped in the output signal.

Seems to hold up quite well. This is a VLOG L sample grade. Admittedly, my first attempt at grading VLOG L resulted in blocked shadows. It became quite apparent when attempting to add noise reduction as noise reduction doesn't look at macro blocking as a reduction parameter. VLOG L aside, and like Andrew mentioned, the Standard Picture Profile is seriously quite a Standard! There's a lot of dynamic range and a wonderful noise floor to go along with. ** Seems like a professional industry standard. **

10bit GH5 files are rendering quite fast in DR 14 Studio. I'm getting about 40fps 4K to 1080P w/ a couple of adjustment nodes on a Ryzen 1700x w/ a Saphire RX480 8GB OC Nitro. ** Wasn't expecting DR to support the GH5 10bit files already. ** I'm finally seeing just how great the low bit-rate 10-bit codec is. It's quite an impressive capture space, in my opinion. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - The snapping feature is annoying in DR. There is a quick key to turn it on and off as well as a Magnet icon on the center of the tool bar. (You can have the Snap featured turned off, slide an audio/video clip and press the quick-key while dragging the file and it will lock. Then, after the lock, it will default back to none-snapping.) ** FYI: You can remap a lot of the commands in the Keyboard Layout in the Project Settings. Snapping is one of the short-cut keys I use most. ** I too simply can't fine-tune an edit when audio/video skips a minimum of 3 frames. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - DR 14 is already out for Linux.

DR 14 Public Beta 2 has just been released on BM's website.

Still using Resolve 12.5 here. Installed beta #1 for DaVinci Resolve 14 and it worked for all of about 10 minutes. Experienced a database error and it hasn't work since; including multiple re-installs. Posted the results on BM's Resolve forum. Others are, in fact, having the same issue; in addition to a multitude of other crashing / non-functioning issues. As of right now, this beta #1 DaVinci Resolve 14 is far, far worse than any beta releases from both DR 12 and DR 12.5. That being said, waiting to test next beta DR 14 release, here. Hopefully it's strong enough to work. Previously, the DR 12 and 12.5 beta releases were sound enough to do work with.

I heard at NAB 2017 from a BM rep that Resolve 14 is partially created by an individual who co-created Apple Final Cut Pro 5-6-7. More specifically, one of the most prolific individuals from Final Cut Pro 5-6-7 has moved onto to Blackmagic Design DaVinci Resolve. In my opinion, it's worth your time to study the program. For example, 2 - 3x faster render times in Resolve than w/ Adobe Premiere. Admittedly, there are some issue, if you become an expert, but they all appear to have a resolution, whether a new software iteration or a user group that facilitates productivity. Personally left Adobe just over a year ago, before Resolve 12.5. I actually enjoy editing now; specifically because I feel like I know exactly what my hardware is capable and that "that capability" is almost always delivered.

Here is the crop in 1080P.

No LOG profiles. But, it's still possible to upload custom picture profiles such as "CineStyle." One of my personal favorites, going back a few years, was made by "Crooked Path" called "Hi-Lite Recovery." I visited the website about a month ago, after buying a used Canon 50D. It looks like he took the profile down, unfortunately. Maybe the DR with Cinestyle and/or other custom picture profiles can really make the 4:2:2 Codec shine? Phillip Bloom has said he prefers "Natural" with dialed down sharpness, contrast, and saturation. I've found others on the Internet stating how that appears to create the best image.

Sent DNGs into BM for review... It's now going on 3 days for them to review the footage. The FPN, in the shadows, is inconsistent. It ranges in value. For example, there's definitely lines in the image about every 10 pixels. However, some of these lines, about every 100 to 200 pixels has a serious spike in exposure. It's easily seen if anything moves on camera, especially if you'r looking for it. - - - - - - - - It's in the ProRes "Film" mode at native ISOs. It's in the Raw at native ISOs. Shooting in "Video" mode, however, when shooting at ISO 400 and 200 the vertical FPN is virtually eliminated. - - - - - - - - ... The difficulty is in the grade. You can't access/accent this area as it only attenuates the FPN issue. IMO, that makes the camera much more of a "Video" mode camera. I also own a Pocket Cinema Camera and this camera does have a similar signs of FPN, but it's very, very low in the shadows and there aren't any areas that have varying exposure values. It's next to impossible to pick up on it, even when looking for it. Honestly, I may have a faulty Pocket too? Either way, this pocket handles "Film" mode and certainly offers the full dynamic range/grading capabilities. - - - - - - - - - Side note, this may be related to changing FPS? I've never turned the camera off after changing the FPS... Been capturing event coverage in the field with perfect 70 - 80 degree weather. Usually, I'll shoot off an entire battery before powering down and cycling. Anyway, will take note if there are any changes related to FPS and power cycles and respond. Interestingly, the GH4 makes you power down the camera when changing from true 4K 24P into 1080 60P. This may be a feature that BM will have to implement?

First saw the slow shutter speeds with the GH2... A good example of this is to shoot an interstate with traffic. The car's tail lights and break lights are all blurred in motion. Trees blowing in the wind with a lot of motion blur is another example. You can gather scratch audio too as the audio will play back at normal speeds. It actually looks pretty awesome and it's a super simple method for capturing a "timelapse" looking scene. The slow shutter can also be used to gather extra light, so long as there isn't a lot of motion in the scene. They'd even allow you to go up to a 2-second shutter, if I remember correctly.

Might be able to get a composite signal out of the BMMCC while shooting 60P. As of now, HDMI output is the same FPS as what's being shot. There is no option in the menu to change the output settings like most of the major mirrorless / DSLRs on the market. Looking to test the resolution of the composite to see if it's even worth shooting at. While testing, I switched to 60P to see what it would look like and I lost the video signal on the Zacucta EVF Pro. I had no way of resetting the FPS. At that point, I had to connect the BMMCC to a television to rest the FPS back to a recognizable video feed. Shooters need to be aware of this before embarking on an epic journey only to accidentally change frame rates and loose their video feed permanently. I wonder if there is a way to program a Custom Setting and simply hold the power button and another button at the same time in order to reset user prefs? If not, what are BM waiting for?

Hope these images sit within reason... May need to convert the H265 4k to something like a CineForm / ProRes / DNxHR 2K. These codecs might actually edit / process quicker than H265 and/or H264; particularly ProRes. The grade is a single node: Shadows at 50. (Kinda pushing it far... But, not too much to create halos.) Highlights down to -25. Midtone Detail is set to 40. (Kind of far here, too.) Saturation at 70. (Need the extra with raised shadows IMO) I threw in a simple curves adjustment, particularly aimed at the midtones. 1. Data Levels. 2. DaVinci Grade. 3. Video Levels.

Premiere doesn't like the default "data levels" of the H265 "fish tank" file. There is actually more dynamic range available in the shadows than what has been posted. In fact, DaVinci Resolve really brings the image to life if you input the file utilizing "data levels." Maybe I don't know Premiere well enough. Or, I'm just frustrated with Adobe? Have never seen/graded NX1 footage before. Really excited to see this development take place and also frustrated to think how much tech is in the NX1 / NX500. Why is this tech being laid to rest by the manufacturer. Strange times, right! From what I gather, this new bitrate is producing a natural response from the lens-sensor-processor-codec combination. It looks like it was shot at about 1600 ISO. Professionally speaking, this new bitrate may enable a new standard for accurately capturing an image without having to deal with random processing variations in the shadows/midtones/highlights. Hopefully, right. Personally, I used to have quite a lot of issues with the GH4; specifically with regards to the lens-sensor-processing-codec algorithm. Eventually, I just went back to 1080 P DNG. I'm impressed with render times with H265. First time for exporting an H265 image. Woohoo! DaVinci is exporting this 4k footage at nearly the same rate as the BMPCC 1080 DNG. It's possibly 1 - 2 frames faster with 1080 DNG pushed to the max 13 stops of DR and a light application of noise reduction. Then again, it's also only 1 - 2 frames behind 1080 DNG without the noise reduction. Kind of a nice balance, one with a serious bump in native image resolution. Does the footage need noise reduction? That's kind of what I'm thinking about here. It might actually need a fine layer of grain placed on top to reach a truly great image. But, who sees that stuff anyway? Based on what others have written, over the past few pages, in regards to how h265 transcodes an image, I see the noise floor appear and also slightly disappear in this footage. It's nothing serious. IMO, I'm over analyzing the image. I feel that this was shot with contrasty glass set to a 5.6 in a room that reads somewhere closer to a T2.8 at ISO 800 on a LOG picture profile. Quite frankly, this combination is a challenge for any camera, especially when shooting with standard picture profiles, right? Anyway, thanks for posting the "fish tank" video. Also, it's not just the bit rate that's gone up, it's the heart rate too! I think the heart rate is closer to 100 BPM! LOL Cheers,

Finally, an example of rolling shutter on the A6300. Thanks for the link... Really impressive dynamic range! There appears to be next to no moire too.

As a hybrid camera, it's great to see that the A6300 is shooting 14-bit raw photos. The GH4 produces 12-bit Raw Photos; so too does the GX8 with the 20 MP IBIS sensor. The A6000 was something like an 11 + 7 bit... The A6300 certainly promises to be a better photography camera. I'm thinking that the photography aspect of the A6300 makes for an "A" photography camera and a "B" video camera that is Full-Frame capable for me. Honestly, I didn't expect Sony to push for the whole sensor readout! I'm impressed. It might be in the D750 range for performance with the copper readout system and 14-bit depth photos? Not ISO performance, but DR performance and color up to around 6400 ISO. Unfortunately for Panasonic, the 20 MP Sony sensor in the GX8 has less Dynamic Range than the GH4 sensor... There may be a need to go with an APSC sensor just based on this performance gap; not to mention the photo bit-depth not being on par with typical consumer camera systems. Notice how Panasonic never mentions the photo bit-depth on the specifications of their cameras. After owning 3 GH4s, I'm quite disappointed at the cost to performance ratio of that camera platform. However, it did produce great Dynamic Range and wonderful colors and it certainly was able to fire off numerous photos effortlessly. Anyway, I've yet to own a Sony camera. I've been buying into Canon, Panasonic, and Blackmagic cameras since 2009, when I first started buying cameras. Say, thanks for the heads up on the S-Log color performance issues. I hope Sony respects how important that is and how limiting this can be; especially in 8-bit.

DaVinci Resolve works with the footage quite well. It's impressive how much information is hidden in the shadows and is retained in the highlights. Forget about the codec bit-depth and you've got yourself a very clean and very respectable video image. The noise floor looks to be very competitive. The colors are about right on the money. Odd to have gone through a quick DaVinci color-correction process and not get into saturation tweaks; other than the typical shadow and highlight saturation adjustments... l found that the over-sharpened shutter strobing effect was all but completely eliminated when knocking down most of the low-end saturation values... This Fuji really makes for a clean / punchy / properly saturated video image. So yeah, I agree this is a huge step up. I'd possibly go as far as to say that this is a huge step up both for Fuji and also for single-chip large format sensors, falling outside of the realm of Canon, that somehow appear to truly punch an image out into the eye of the viewer. My first impressions.. "Where's the shadows detail?" "Why are the highlights clipping so soon?" However, after a quick grade, I realized that Andrew pretty much nailed exposure on a camera that he had probably never used before. To me that's impressive as a shooter and also as a testament to why you'd want to work with Fuji. In the end, it's a nice balance.

The Ursa Mini 4K is using the V2 sensor that is from the Ursa 4K not the BMPC. That's why there's 60fps in 4k and significantly less FPN. Also, the moire is most likely related to the fact that they shot using a Sigma 18 - 35. That lens is capable of resolving somewhere around 25 - 30 MP. That resolution is far beyond the 8.3 on the Ursa Mini. It's best to always use filtration with a lens that is that sharp. I too was surprised how good the sensor was in low light. 60fps in a club scene on a BM global shutter? That's amazing.

The problem is DaVinci Resolve. Your grade is not pushing the footage in the right manner. I typically edit footage using Adobe Camera Raw if I have to push the best Dynamic Range from the BMPCC and the BMCC. Oddly, there is a lot more latitude with these cameras using a better program than DaVinci.

Focus is spot on and appears parfocal (zoom in and focus and then zoom out and it should remain in focus) with the Mitakon. I would check on the back focus and see if an adjustment can solve that.

I have a Mitakon Nikon F speed booster. I will check and see if back focus is off on that with my 11 - 16...

I have heard on NoFilmSchool that there is a possibility that you can adjust the back focus of the Metabones. You might want to look into finding out how that process works.

I spoke with a Panasonic rep at Cinegear 2015. Mentioned how I was testing the DR of the GH4 and the BMCC. In my tests, the GH4 was significantly better at ISO 200 in Cine D. That led to the question, how can the camera get 2 stops more DR? As a camera buyer / tester who is constantly buying and testing as a means for producing technically sound footage, I've been expecting the GH4 V-Log to arrive in December, in January, in February, in March, in April, in June, and in July... Today, I've been shooting with an ISO 200 with iDynamic turned to High and the shadows / highlights adjusted for max latitude. For what it's worth, it's quite usable at that particular ISO. It's almost as if the shadows are boosted to ISO 640 with the highlights closer to ISO 100. Solely as a DR test, there is a lot of detail in the image and it appears to capture a similar latitude to the 12.8 that the camera can shoot in RAW. Outside of ISO 200 & broad daylight the DR falls to pieces. The BMCC at ISO 1600 has about the same DR as it does at ISO 200. For what it's worth, the GH4 really needs V-Log for nothing other than being capable of producing consistent results in a wider range of lighting situations. That being said, my fingers are on the "Buy It Now" button for the Shogun, or a BMCC Monitor, and a GH4 XL speed booster. But, I am also here typing away as a means for putting in an honest view about the importance of not drowning in firmware. For me, my frustration, or lack of shooting, has been festering for quite some time with V-Log L. Hints why I've bought the BMCC. There's no need for external recording. It already features a log profile... On and on, right! Like a loop and a record playing as a means for constantly growing with the craft. I had 2 GH4s and already sold off one just to continue the buying / testing process: emphasis on testing. Also, there is some between-the-lines emphasis on Panasonic not releasing V-Log firmware. In terms of investing money, time and creativity my, I am concerned that the consumer manufacturer's aren't using what they create. "Hey everyone!!! I am Sony / Panasonic / Samsung. Run away with me to 'Shutter Island.'" Of course, when you finally get there you realize the difficulty of maintaining the "cinematic reality" with a chopped up codec for a lifestyle. With the creation / adaptation of ML we've come a long, long way as knowledgeable consumers. I don't see that being reciprocated with the manufacturers or programmers. ML came about in 2009, right. It's 2015 and ALEX truly is A1EX, isn't he? It's as simple as a firmware, but as difficult as an institution, right? And to see that knowledge / love being tossed aside, time and time again! Then to see the spec sheet on the A7RII with it's S35 oversampled 4K, 13 stops of DR, and a global shutter. Then again, unfortunately this is just another example of a perfect camera utilizing a "cell phone" codec. You can call me out now on the Shutter Island statement all you production heroes. You know who you are! It's this kind of thought process that brings the Digital Bolex to light; perhaps even the truest sense of the BM Cinema Cameras. It's this kind of process that brings the Pocket Cinema Camera's electronics tethered to a medium format black and white sensor. Perhaps it's this kind of awareness that has a voice that may or may not be heard when a company like Sony / Panasonic / Samsung scales the spec sheet? All that aside, thank goodness for ML and Personal-View. Their efforts are to be commended. Also, thanks for some interesting perspective on the forum. It's another great topic, right on time.

I've been following Mirrorless Rumors and that lead me to EOSHD... I heard about the upcoming firmware and how it hasn't happened. Seems now that there are talks of an entirely new firmware. Myself, I own a couple GH4s and am just about ready to jump ship. I've known about V-Log since November and I'm frustrated after waiting nearly 6 months... In the meantime, I have called Samsung and asked them to take a request to make a Log picture profile. I feel that the GH4 and the A7S are going to have a serious advantage and therefore, I can't buy the camera of choice, the NX1 (with Adobe H265 decoding). I got to admit, Samsung was happy to take my suggestion about adding a Log picture profile. They were genuinely excited to hear customer / potential customer feedback. It's easy to say that I respect that and that I appreciate their business. Meanwhile, I've called Panasonic twice. The first time took me 45 minutes to explain to Tech Support that I am interested in testing V-Log L. After 45 minutes, they told me that their engineers would contact me within 24 - 48 hours. 96 hours later, I called them back. Next, they told me they would call me back in 24 hours. It's now over 36 hours later. The first conversation was a waist of time. The second conversation was a waist of time. In my opinion, they could care less. So, for fun, I started searching for a new camera that's less than $1500 and has a high megapixel count. I called Nikon to talk to them about their D5500. The camera has 14 stops DR, crazy-low rolling shutter, and has a clean 1080P image with a Flat Profile. However, if you're like me, you know that Nikon's Flat Profile is basically what the GH4 has had for the past year and the NX1 has had in the last couple of firmware updates. It's no Log profile. So, I asked Nikon's tech support group if they would take a suggestion to allow the shooter to create their own picture profile settings using an adjustable Gamma Curve. Nikon's answer was, "We already have it. It's called Picture Control Utility. You can create your own Picture Profiles based on current Picture Profiles and then apply your own gamma curve. Next, you'll save them them and add them to the camera." WHAT? On Friday, I'll give it a test and make my own Log profile for the D5500 based on the Flat Picture Profile. Why wait around for these 4K DSLR companies to release firmware updates when they don't even tell you when they are coming? Hypothetically, if 30 out of a 100 people can't tell the difference between Full-HD or 4K, but 50 out of a 100 people can see the difference between 14 stops and 12 stops latitude, then maybe the latitude of the image is where I need to be? And for what it's worth, the D5500's "theoretical 14 stops" may only cost 60% of the $1500 consumer 4K DSLR. Why not shoot with a Log profile to an external BM 5" display or an Atomos? Currently, there is not much quality control in the business. It seems like one product is totally awesome in one respect or another, but then totally fails in another respect. It's about time we came together. These cameras are awesome tools in need of some serious upgrades / suggestions from their users. For sure. Where's the 2.5K? Where' the 48 FPS? Where's the Log? Where's the Raw? Why are we reminded every time we switch to 4k that it requires this? Why can't we chose which areas of the sensor we want to record and see how that affects frame rates? Long story short, thanks for making this NX1 list. It's awesome to read how the NX1 actually performs from individuals who use the camera and understand how it works. I think I am a lot like you in the fact that I am looking to invest my time, energy, and money with a tool that continues to evolve and push limits.

Panasonic has a "PhotoMode" button assign option, but no 4:3. Hmm? With drones there are open source flight controls systems. I wonder if anyone can ever open up something like that to every day Panny / Mirrorless users? Panny could design a website and let it's own users scope out "all the specs" and then have the file sent to the user like user-firmware.