jonpais

none of it means anything. it's not an actual review or anything, just words on a page. Viewfinder - check. Shutter speed dial - check. Shutter button - check. Tripod mount - check. The next firmware update for the VPB should include IBIS.

no emoji, so I assume you're not being sarcastic... more realistically, how about taking the actual price of my gimbal ($650) and throwing in the camera body for free, and you've got yourself a GX80.

is there a single 'pro' in Johnnie's list that screams innovation? It reads exactly as if Johnnie just read Olympus's literature and typed it out on his laptop, removing any superlatives and replacing them with the word 'good'. I think all of us here should take these pretty much for granted in this the year of our lord 2016, particularly in a camera costing 2,000 clams. Olympus OM-D E M1 Mark II pros (in no particular order): World camera with a variety of resolutions and frame rates up to 60fps. Nice clean video quality with a data rate of up to 237 Mbps in DCI 4K 24p, (In the above video, the average data rate is 86 Mbit/s (measured with inspector). Outstanding built-in 5-axis Image Stabilization system. When combined with an Olympus IS lens, the level of stabilisation gets even higher. Clean HDMI output. Rolling shutter is well controlled. In our lab test it scored 10ms(!), performing better than the Blackmagic Ursa Mini, Sony FS7 (14ms) and Sony a7SII (25ms). Camera body features mic and headphone jacks. Controlling audio levels while recording is possible. Good touch screen autofocus (although autofocus performance in continues mode is not consistent). Proper manual focus assist, namely peaking and focus magnifying while turning the focus ring. Timecode. Flipped LCD screen. “Picture mode” settings are adjustable. Unwanted profiles can be ticked off from the menu all together. Good built-in audio quality. Good low-light quality up to ISO 3200. ISO 6400 is usable, but please take into account that the overall noise levels in dark areas is more noticeable. Histogram settings – possible.

I know you use Olympus, so let me ask you: in what way is this a better investment than say, the GX80/85, which costs $1,300 less? Or, removing iBIS out of the equation altogether, the $600.00 USD Lumix G7? Also, how can Johnnie Behiri claim the Olympus is usable up to ISO 6400? Although what is acceptable is a purely subjective matter, I still find that assertion absurd for a u43 sensor in the year 2016. It's finally dawning on me that if there is a link to the product being reviewed, the review absolutely cannot be 100% objective.

Both Cinema 5D and News Shooter are praising the Olympus to the skies (pun intended), but I just don't see anything special about it for video purposes. In fact, Johnnie Behiri's video looks seriously over-sharpened, video-y with no gradation of color, in the subject's skin, for example. The video was shot on an overcast day, which should be flattering to the subject, but instead it looks rather awful. I've seen better work from Johnnie with non-interchangeable lens cameras with 1" sensors. Anyhow, I much prefer the images coming out of the aging GH4 to this camera. Soon, everyone will get over IBIS and start evaluating cameras for their image quality again. It is rather amusing to read the comments about the upcoming GH5, though, "if it doesn't have this or that, I'm not buying it" and so on. Also, I admire companies like Sigma and Fuji, who obstinately refuse to lay off their workers and move their factories abroad. How, for example, can Olympus ask $2,000 when even Fuji's flagship camera sells for $1,600? Especially when Olympus is manufacturing the EM1 II here in Vietnam, where labor costs are even lower than in China?

I don't think he is even allowed to share that information just yet.

Wih the Panasonic GH4, I always set WB manually using the color grid thingy. Since I almost always shoot outdoors, I'd point the camera at the pavement, being sure to include a bit of my pant leg, a tree or something and adjust till things looked good. Then I'd go ahead and shoot some people, and if the color looked okay when I got home and viewed them on the computer, I'd assign that setting to one of the custom dials. I did this for bright and overcast light as well as for with and without ND filters. When going out to shoot, I'd just select the custom setting for that situation. With the X-T2, I'm liking the AWB so far, but I haven't tried putting an ND filter on yet to see how the color meter behaves. If color balance is off in my clips, it takes me forever doing color correction, so if the XT2 gets AWB right, I will be a happy camper.

I level the camera using the bowl or ball (not sure what it's called!) supplied with the tripod. You can see a picture of it on the previous page, with the read handle just below the head. When I set up the head this afternoon, the knob that tightens the QR plate interfered with the camera, but I discovered while watching the following video that it can be pulled out and moved out of the way. Like tripod manufacturers, boys out on a first date and just about everyone else, some tripod head companies overstate their capacity, and the S8 is no exception. But the worst part for small camera users is that, even though the counterbalance is supposed to be adjustable to 0 kg, in reality, it is not, and because there are only four settings on the dial, which may increase by 2.5kg increments (not sure), this particular head might not be ideal for something like a BMPCC or A6300 with no rigging. When I got home from the coffee shop this evening, I put my Fuji X-T2 with 16-55mm f/2.8 and battery grip on the head (a pretty heavy combination), set the counterweight to '1' and added some drag and it seems fine. With just a Lumix GH4 and a pancake lens, I don't think it would work. I do think it will be fine for what I intend to use it for most, and that is panning while on a slider. But as the reviewer in the following video points out, the Benro S8 has a lot of issues, there are better heads available, but it's also true that they cost a lot of money. And yes, if you're lugging lots of gear around without any assistants, you don't want to be carrying around a 3 or 4 kg head. I learned a lot from this video, and if you're suffering from insomnia, I recommend having a look.

The single most thorough review I've ever seen of a tripod head.

Correct. I got the vertical power booster today and some other accessories. And to my surprise, I like it! From the billions of reviews I read, I expected to absolutely hate the piece of plastic that fits over the camera body's grip. I don't think it's at all necessary, but so far, it appears to fit and feels just fine. That is, until you start carrying it - with the 16-55mm f/2.8 and power booster, the camera is starting to weigh a ton. One thing's for sure though, the GH4 has some magic when it comes to battery life. Now, I'm going to check and see if I'm supposed to update the firmware or something...

First impressions (cross-posted at my blog) After my rant last night about the lack of meaningful exposure aids on the Fuji X-T2, I've settled down a little, and had my first opportunity to actually go out and grab a few clips with it, along with the Fujinon 16-55mm f/2.8 lens. It's been drizzling all day, so I couldn't do much shooting. Where should I begin? Let's start with the body - while other manufacturers boast of a magnesium alloy body, some of them are housed in shoddy plastic that makes them feel like Fisher Price toys made in China. Because the knobs and buttons aren't engraved metal, the lettering wears away with time. Buttons feel mushy and don't give reassuring feedback when pressed. The X-T2, on the other hand, looks and feels as though it was sculpted out of one solid block of metal. The buttons are all 'clicky' and will probably give years of dependable service. While I seldom use one since most of what I shoot is video, the sound of the mechanical shutter and the sensation of the shutter button when depressed is positively thrilling compared to the rather pedestrian implementation on my GH4. The LCD screen is supremely clear and bright, and with magnification enabled, those with better eyesight than mine may feel peaking while manually focusing is altogether unnecessary. Still, some filmmakers will deplore the retro physical controls on the Fuji because their sound will be picked up by the microphone. And touchscreen is not an option. The new lock on the latch to the SD compartment might be more secure, but it is more cumbersome to use than that of the GH4, which only requires a slight pressure and sliding movement of the forefinger. Regrettably, the metering and drive dials, as well as the focus mode selector are very awkwardly placed; and the camera settings displayed in the viewfinder are absurdly small and difficult to read comfortably without eyestrain: not at all unlike going to the optometrist and being asked to read the very first row of letters. That goes for the EV meter as well, though I found it to be quite reliable: in fact, I have so much confidence in it, that I find I'm no longer bracketing every shot like I typically do with the Lumix. But I still entertain the hope that Fuji will release a firmware update enabling the histogram in movie mode. For my first lens, I decided to go with the closest equivalent to a full frame 24-70mm with constant f/2.8 aperture (which every manufacturer has in their catalogue, and none of them are dogs) because I really can't tolerate variable aperture kit lenses. Shooting 4K video (which crops the image a further 1.17x), the zoom range is more like 27-94mm, meaning it will be good for everything from street photography to portraiture. One thing I find peculiar is that some of the very same people in video forums who are always complaining about low light sensitivity are perfectly willing to settle for a kit lens whose widest aperture at the long end is f/4. Like the camera body, the lens is made of metal and weather sealed, and it even has an aperture ring (!), something which many other manufacturers have bewilderingly concluded photographers no longer need. Edge-to-edge sharpness is far better than I'd expected from just reading the benchmarks, in fact, it's f*** incredible. At the same time, the lens does not have OIS, so filmmakers will either have to have nerves of steel or use a monopod. And the lens is monstrous, so you many need to purchase an L bracket just in order to mount it to your tripod. All the clips were shot using AWB, which I've never trusted the Lumix to get right, but which the Fuji handles superbly. And while the Fuji sensor has no AA filter, aliasing and moire are very well controlled. If you look closely at the power lines in the shots below, you'll see traces of aliasing. The final shot in my room was taken at ISO 1,600, which would be utter folly to attempt with my GH4. It must be said, however, that the actual measured ISOs of both the Panasonic and Fuji cameras are considerably lower than their settings would indicate. Unlike the micro four thirds system, which practically necessitates fast glass or focal reducers to shoot in low light, the Fuji can easily get by with higher ISOs and f/2 or f/2.8 lenses. Anyhow, the whole process seemed so effortless, from focusing to white balance to exposure to editing - in fact, I didn't do any color correction at all - that my impression of the camera is overwhelmingly positive. Touch screen and IBIS be damned!

Another manufacturer that's been off my radar because of lack of 4K. I like the style of the review, but it's a bit insubstantial, isn't it? Especially when we're talking about selling our bodies to buy one. But I like the chunky dials. It looks as though the camera settings in the EVF are nice and large. In my very first Fuji, the X-T2, reading the information in the viewfinder is a bit like going to the optometrist and being asked to read the very first row of letters...

Yes, I always use the flywheel. And the fluid head. The Benro I got has the option of flat base or bowl. If you get the bowl version, it can be detached. And never, ever use a cheap ball head for video work. When it comes to tripods and heads, there is no such thing as 'overkill'.

@webrunner5 Yes, I was just about to edit my post when I realized what you meant. The Benro is adjustable to 0 kg, so you can mount a DSLR or mirrorless camera no problem. With the slider, tripod head and camera attached, it would take a bulldozer to knock this bad boy over! I like gear. I appreciate fine craftsmanship. If I'm out in the field, I want something that's going to protect my investment. I might have as much as $3,500 or more sitting on top of those legs, and I don't want some unsupervised child running into my setup and see it crashing to the ground.

The iFootage Wild Bull comes with an adjustable 75mm bowl. Of course, you can always hang some weight from the center of the tripod if you want some extra heft.

The iFootage Shark is an exceptional slider. And I'm not experiencing any flex in my setup.

@scotchtape I'd prefer webrunner5's choice over the one you linked to any day. Not only does it look far sturdier, I hate twist locking collars on legs.

The Benro just arrived. I think it is a perfect fit with my iFootage Wild Bull tripod. My biggest gripe is with the knob (not seen in this photo) that tightens the QR plate in place - the camera body interferes with it, meaning I must use the camera in a forward position rather than centered over the tripod.

My advice is to go for the iFootage Wild Bull T7 carbon fiber tripod (around $575, so within your budget). I have used it along with the iFootage Shark Slider S1 and have not experienced any flexing when used with the Lumix GH4 and Leica Nocticron, for example.

My Manfrotto head is still in customs hell, awaiting a Vietnamese translation of the shipping invoice or something stupid. Meanwhile, I managed to find a shop here in Saigon selling the Benro S8 for just 4,100,000 vnd, or $181.00 USD, so I went ahead and ordered it. Should arrive within the hour. At last I can toss out my leaking Weifeng garbage head.

I never paid much attention to Fuji since my main interest is in video, but I knew they were awesome when it came to updates (from reading Imaging Resource). So I wouldn't be surprised if they added a bunch of goodies for us. I just finished watching this video from a couple months ago about a firmware update for the X Pro 2, and it makes me very hopeful.

I didn't buy the kit lens, but I have watched a ton of videos and read bunches of reviews, and I don't recall a single one mentioning a problem with it either. Glad to hear the lens is working for you now.

This question's already been asked in the GX85 thread.

You could just slap a Crane on the tripod and pan remotely.