Simon Shasha

Not sure why anyone cares - for video, anyway. Compared to the Blackmagic Pocket 4K, any mirrorless, full-frame or otherwise, from Panasonic/Nikon/Canon/Sony looks like/will look like s**t.

Hi Mattias, Are your referring to RAW stills performance? I'd love to know more. I'm looking at jumping ship to Fuji for stills from my Sony cameras (with either the X-T2, or rumoured X-H1).

GX85 is definitely up there with my choices of BMPCC and BMMCC for the best indie camera - it's definitely the ultimate run and gun. Love the rangefinder body. With the 20mm, it's a deadly combination. At the price the GH5s is, I think it's far wiser to wait for the A7S III. If the A7S III offers high-bitrate 4K 10bit, 4K 60FPS, and IBIS, and has the new battery that Sony is using in the A7R III and A9, for $3000USD, then GH5s is pretty much doomed. I still can't see Sony giving high-bitrate 10bit, however...

I assume you're reacting to the firmware update I mentioned, yes? The 2-stop boost might be for the Micro Studio Camera 4K only, not the Micro Cinema Camera. I will speak to my contacts at Blackmagic and verify. I installed the 4.7 update on my Micro, however, have not tested yet. Sorry if I made it sound like I have shot with the firmware updated Micro. I definitely know the Micro Studio Camera 4K got the 2-stop boost via the 4.7 firmware - what I was trying to say earlier is that the cameras are awesome already and just get better and better with each update. Regardless, looking back at everything I've shot thus far on my BMPCC and BMMCC, I'm still blown away. Even when I lift shadows a lot and exposure by one stop in Premiere, the image still looks great and so damn clean. There's just so much detail to push and pull. I can't do that on my GH5 or A6500. The Blackmagics are really amazing.

Correct. IBIS and very high-ISO performance are definitely two things I like, but neither are ever my priority when looking at a new camera. For me its dynamic-range, highlight roll-off, and colour accuracy/fidelity (ESPECIALLY in skin-tones). The GH5, despite being a very fun camera to work with (mainly due to the IBIS) always left me feeling underwhelmed with its image. There was just something missing. My Blackmagic cameras have the opposite effect on me - when they're not surprising me, they're blowing me away with the image they deliver. Especially with the 4.7 firmware update on the Micro (that improved sensor exposure sensitivity by 2 stops) Regarding my A6500's - they have IBIS and very good high ISO performance, however, I rarely ever used them for video. Almost strictly used them for photography only. Also, the handful of times I did use them for video, I found the ISO performance great, but the colours horrific. Who knows - perhaps I've simply been spoilt by my Blackmagic cameras... I still think the best camera setup for low-budget production is the BMPCC + Metabones x0.58 Speed Booster + Sigma 17-50mm F2.8 IS. If the budget can be pushed a bit more, and requires 50/60FPS, the BMMCC + Metabones x0.58 Speed Booster + Sigma 17-50mm F2.8 IS + Blackmagic 5" Video Assist (especially now with the 4.7 firmware update). P.S. I might grab a cheap GX85, though - I'm very in love with the 20mm F1.7 lens. A GX85 might be the perfect home for it...

How do you mean "no way to achieve IBIS and high-sensitivity outcome"?

Not for me. Just put my GH5 and two A6500's up for sale. Once you own them, you realise how they are just not worth it. Bought a cheap A6000 on sale. Going back to the A6000 for stills, and BMPCC/BMMCC for motion.

No IBIS is an epic fail.

Precisely why I'm selling my GH5. Great image, but my BMPCC is still far ahead. Especially in the rendering of highlights.

Man, you guys haven't seen shit until you've seen Australia's very own rap god. R.A.E.D. But then again...

Nope, I'm happy with my Blackmagic Pocket and Micro Also, not fond of ML RAW - the workflow is hell on Earth.

Cancelled both GH5 pre-orders today. Not liking what I'm seeing, unfortunately. Will stick with my Blackmagic Pocket and Micro until a Pocket successor comes out (hopefully). Also, besides rolling-shutter, which I personally have no problem with, I am not finding the current GH5 image anymore superior to my A6500. Perhaps the 400Mbit ALL-I will change this? Anyways, good luck to all those waiting on their pre-orders, hope you get them soon and make some amazing things with it. Enjoy!

Hmmmm, not too impressive.

Honestly, if you want a camera that is gonna be very user friendly, ergonomic, light-weight, stabilised, with a video image that is about 90% of what video cameras 10 times as much produce, plus can take killer photos, get the GH5. Despite its codec/10bit short-comings, I am still yet to cancel my two pre-orders. For my style of shooting, "run and gun" and live-event work, it is a phenomenal piece of kit.

I was only interested in 10bit for V-Log L. The GH5 is still amazing, no doubt, but it was so close to being epic...the compression and odd 10bit implementation just kills it for me. Not sure the 400Mbps ALL-I can save it. Really don't wanna use an external recorder - that'll basically defeat what attracted me to the GH5 in the first place.

2017, and we're still not getting real 10bit from the billion dollar tech giants. Blackmagic for the win.

Indeed. Whenever I shoot 8bit DSLR, I always use grain to dither the 8bit compression and poor gradation. Works well. Nothing like a true 10bit image with a great codec, though. My Micro and Pocket are really making me second-guess the two GH5 pre-orders I have. Not sure the 400Mbps ALL-I can fix this. Hope so.

I thought so. Grain tends to hide rough gradations.

Did you add grain? Also, show me 100% 4K render.

Wasn't trying to convince you of anything. I was simply stating and posting my findings. I couldn't care less what camera you, or anyone else, buys. As I stated above, the sensor is great, colours are great, 10bit is great, but the 150Mbps codec for 4K 10bit is just too much compression. If you don't require a superior codec, such as ProRes, or prefer smoother gradations, by all means, go for the GH5. I may well keep my own pre-order strictly for live-event work.

This is a breakdown in the codec. You want to portray it as something else, that's up to you. I am seeing it all over the place, even when I grade the image very lightly. And if you grade at 100%, like I do, you will even see it in the ungraded image. My Blackmagic Pocket and Micro do not suffer from this. Regardless, I'm brand agnostic. When I see shit, I'll call it out. What I am seeing here is a shit codec.

I didn't magnify anything. That is its native 4K resolution...

Yeah, that orange is bouncing from something, most likely her hair. What makes it look terrible is the not-so-smooth gradation - it's sharp edged, blocky. There is no doubt the sensor is great, colours are great, 10bit is great, but the 150Mbps for 4K 10bit is just too much. I think so, anyway.

The biggest problem I found with this image is around her smile dimples - you will notice there is an orange colour bleed/smudge. This is, I think, the GH5's 10bit falling apart.

I found this relatively easy to grade, about ten minutes in Lumetri. Lots of room in this image. Hope the JPEG compression doesn't ruin what I'm seeing.