Oliver Daniel

There’s definitely an advantage. The bodies are usually more compact. Lenses are smaller and more affordable. Also more choice. (Sigma 18-35!) Get closer to the subject for less money (crop factor). Easier to manual focus, not always crazy shallow. Probably more useable shots. Not everyone likes the “gigantic” frame / shallow depth look. Easier to achieve deep focus look. More traditional shooting format. Still the standard.

This. A lot of stills glass looks ace, however most have awful MF. Build in a rock solid follow focus dial onto the camera, with options to adjust sensitivity, speed, tension, program A/B points etc. Stills lenses reborn! (wait, doesn't the Ronin 4D have this?) I quite like follow focuses with proper cine gears, but they are a bit annoying for handheld work. Can be a bit heavy when all combined. Great on the shoulder though, but i barely work from the shoulder these days. +1 for internal ND's. So fed up of screw on VND's that tint the image! I remember the RX100 having a digital ND. It worked well but there was only like 2 settings or something. Needs to be stepless like the FX6 but digital instead.

I use mine with the Ninja V so I don't really notice this. I understand some people don't use additional monitors. The shooting experience is a lot of fun with the Sony's, but it would be better with a much larger rear screen instead of having a Ninja stuck on top. All these cameras need to make a baby together!

I really like APS-C / S35 and I do miss it having been 100% full frame now for about 2 years. The lenses are more compact, more affordable and it's generally an easier format to work worth e.g you can keep focus quite easily while wide open. Fuji XH2S looks awesome to be honest, but as @Andrew Reid has let on - all cameras in this price range are now great. Still, nothing quite beats an A7S3 which excels at it's advertised specs with barely any shortcomings. Pretty much all Sony shooters will wait for the next one instead of jumping ship. I feel the major differentiator now should be in body design features. Something like a slimmed down C70 with a big screen (like a Pocket 6k) that is actually an external monitor / recorder that is cleverly designed to put anywhere on the camera with a customisable mount. Might get round RED's patent. More room on the body for heat dissipation. Removable EVF etc. Additionally, there's certainly more work to do on the "image feel". Maybe 2 modes where the setting / parameters or more digital video motion / sharpness, and the other for "cine motion" - more Digital Bolex cadence like. Not even sure if that's possible!

Totally. We had a RED available for the shoot. Director wanted it and I said the Sony’s would be better. Why? Well, our crew was small and we needed to move fast as we had a day and a half to shoot. Also, we didn’t have a very good lighting budget, although I intentionally didn’t want to use lots of lighting in this video because I wanted the bulk of the shots to look natural. A lot of it was done using bounced light from natural sources. The native 12,800 ISO allowed me to use only fire light and reflectors without having to bring in and constantly move around lights per shot. The fire was burning out fast, so we had to blitz it. It worked out. Had we shot on the RED, the shoot would have been a disaster. If we shot on the GH5/6 - it would have been “ok” but very murky and noisy. The picture would have suffered. So yes you are right. The camera is crucial. In this case, the merits of the Sony system allows you to work in a way that you would greatly struggle with using something else. After various experiences, I’d confidently say the Sony trilogy of “FX6 / FX3 / A7S3” is likely the best all-rounded system on the market. You can work in a unique way. The only challenge is yourself.

Any time a “newbie” student type asks me what camera to buy, I just say get a GH5 and a set of cheap vintage primes. Then learn to frame and light 💡

Thank you!

Funny this. One person did say “why are we shooting this video on just these small cameras, why not a RED?” My response was “although you’re underestimating their image, this project is not about the camera….” It was great to have the crew but it was still stretched. However, you can still achieve a lot with few resources.

Budget was around £20k, and it’s in Dutch.

Thank you. I feel the same way about other peoples work 😂

Hello all. In the appraisal of small mirrorless cameras, here’s a music video I shot, DP’d, edited, graded for Dit h artist Charlotte Wessels, ex-singer of Delain. Shot in SLOG3 and a bit of 2. Lenses used were Tamron 17-28, Tamron 28-75, Sony 24-105mm, Lensbaby Sol45, 7artisans 35mm and ProMist 1/4. Most of the video was lit with an Aputure 600d through 8x8 white diffusion and bounce / reflectors. Fire scenes lit by fire light only and a 2x2 silver bounce. Stick around for the credits. 😊

I had a 12mm Hyperprime on MFT. I used to call it the “micro penis” 😂. It as an interesting lens and I used it a lot.

Yep, they go for little money for E-mount these days. Meine’s are good but I’m not in the market for a lens of that weight currently. New Sirui Jupiter’s look interesting with close focus abilities. Always appreciated that function. My Sony 20mm 1.8 does it nicely.

Hello lovely EOSHD. I’m circulating the idea of grabbing some compact “cine lenses” for my Sony’s, and the SLR Magic microprimes caught my eye. I’m after character, with the benefit of a uniform set - easy / fast to change with a follow focus and filters. Also lightweight (unlike other cine housed lenses), as I shoot handheld 90% and my back needs looking after. I already have cine modded Helios 44-2 and others, and they are cool but not uniform as a set. Anyone used the SLR’s? Recommended? All my other lenses are Sony. Clinical as fuck with amazing AF but (mostly) crap at MF. Cheers.

I love the BM image and I’ve been so close to pulling the trigger many a time. There’s always been a caveat that’s got in the way, like poor battery life or the bodies (Ursa) being a bit too bulky and heavy for my shooting style. Maybe this one will be it. I’m playfully predicting a “Blackmagic Cinema Camera 10”….. a more box style C70 form factor as though a pocket and Ursa made a baby…. Can be configured to fit your shooting style, so you can remove the grip and screen to easily use on a gimbal. Maybe a ToF module. Super35, 8k res (Ursa 12k sensor). Crazy price point. 😁

I possibly would liked to have seen Batman / Bruce pushed even more into a very personal and darker cage - where he possibly becomes so reckless and desperate - the plot almost becomes about him having to control himself from completely losing it. It did have those elements in it but I felt they could have pushed that side more, being about a young Batman in his early years who will be very emotional, angry and make mistakes. Overall though, a very positive direction which is strikingly different to all other franchise movies where “the formula” is getting rather tiring.

The Batman was aesthetically bold and brave for a blockbuster. It looked like the most expensive art house film ever made. I loved the blurry murkiness of it all and the interesting characterful feel of the image. It added to the overall story greatly. It almost always looked out of focus and I didn’t care. Great to see that modified Soviet lenses were used here and there (Iron Glass Adapters). It’s a refreshing change from all the other clinical perfect Marvel movies firing out of Disney’s ovaries. Also thought the slow pace, and Robert’s very awkward and similarly slow, clunky movement made the character feel grippingly tortured, and often, weird. I liked they left out a lot of sweeping aerial establishing shots and setup most locations as if you’re looking through a rain soaked window. The score was also haunting and moved things along eerily in synchronisation with Robert’s weighted posture. Overall, very impressed. Unforgettable cinematography. Great all round. Relatable to this, I’ve been dropping all my clinical boring Sony lenses and making life hard with Lensbaby’s and heavily modified Russian glass. 😂

Yep, GH5 ALL-I is night and day compared to IPB for workflow. Very robust. Another poster mentioned ProRes being a standard. That’s it. I can’t count how many times I’ve been asked for ProRes files for both acquisition and delivery. Sometimes if there’s been a screw up with card space - I’ll shoot to H265 and transcode to ProRes later for workflow efficiency. I know full well the image quality trade off is incredibly incremental, so it doesn’t bother me if it means getting the footage shot. These ProRes critics are not to be listened to. They likely do not have the experience of working in certain environments where efficiency is paramount. It’s also another reason why most commercial video production companies don’t shoot RAW.

I wonder how many of these ProRes commentators work in a professional environment? Although it is better for grading than more compressed H2 or Long GOP codecs, ProRes isn’t really about image quality. It’s down to workflow. It’s substantially much, much smoother to work with compared to other codecs. Especially in FCP. This is invaluable when there’s a business to run as efficiently as possible. If you can shoot ProRes and you’re running a business - you should. Because it’s “old”, doesn’t make it worse. Look at the Arri Alexa. I’ve found XAVC-I and other infra-frame codecs to be close in performance and also great for professional workflows. Just not quite as smooth as ProRes, but very close. H2’s and Long GOP’s are quite smooth on M1 Macs, but not perfect. Fine for a lot of smaller projects and saving space.

To sum it up… there’s no rules. No matter the lens choice, camera, grade, resolution, “aesthetic”… whatever it is, if it’s right for the story, and the process to tell it, it’s just… right.

Very beastly impressive specs here, but you do have to debate how you’d be able to use this camera to its full potential for a lot of work (the 8k 60 in CRAW). If it had ProRes LT internal, it would be an absolute storm. Still very appealing and promising for the camera market. Even though I like the Canon image better - from the looks of it, my hunch is the A7S3 is still the better video workhorse. That thing just works. Much more manageable file sizes, better DR and affordable lens options (you cannot ignore the cost of RF lenses in the price). Plus 4k / 120 (a big feature) is not compromised at all. I think it would be wise to wait for the market to move if you really need 8k soon. Also if you can’t wait, there’s a Nikon Z9 to consider with internal ProRes. More importantly, I’d like to see more usability and codec options in these cameras rather than more K’s. Hybrids with internal ND’s, ProRes, better audio, larger LCD screens, better battery life, better menus, better “feel” to the image texture. Less need to rig.

I actually miss my C70. The body design was fantastic (besides the flimsy LCD). Now rocking the FX3 and A7S3 which are a lot of fun to shoot with bare bones. I don’t enjoy handling them rigged up for bigger jobs - very cumbersome. Guess it will “only” be RAW in 8k/60p? (XF-AVC would be awesome).

Thanks - it’s good to be around. Yeah Andrew, you’re one of the only people who actually dares to disrupt the norm and say it how it is. I’d love to see an “Am I switching” parody based on yourself. Sponsored by EOSHD so you can say whatever the ‘eff you want. 😂

I’ve been very quiet for a while but this article has reeled me back in. Firstly, I read this forum for years before I first posted, trying to learn what the hell people were talking about. It’s been invaluable as a resource. Thank you. Also, I found your more recent YouTube content very refreshing, honest and actually very funny. There’s a huge amount of “camera-tainment” out there with the same salesy business model. I always love it when someone dares to defy conventions and expectations. Keep doing it. Lastly, although situationally it’s different, I can relate to your fatigue. I’m going through somewhat an existential crisis with my work where I’m not satisfied with anything I’m shooting or what I’m shooting with. Tired of social media, it’s falseness, and yet, it’s essentialist to everything now. The spark I once had is all but darkness. However, your story is inspiring and certainly lifts spirits. I’m glad you’re seeking your spark again. I’m sure I will too. 😊

In my opinion the A7S3 is the best camera you can buy on a price / quality / features ratio. It's so versatile and really fun to shoot with. You can focus more on the story and worry less about the gear. Honestly, I think it's one of the best releases we've seen in terms of cameras, ever. It speaks volumes about how many people moaned about the camera being "too safe" - what? They absolutely smashed it and gave us way more than expected. Do people want the camera to fry their eggs too? 😂 They need to merge the cameras completely, get the EVF flipping up, increase the screen size and deliver an even more robust and sexy 4k image. That will be the one.