IronFilm

They have shotguns because they either don't know about reporter mics, or they don't have them in their kit. And yes, I've seen shotguns used like that many many many times myself.

Wow! That does make the camera even more interesting Looked up the link for the curious: https://suikui.myshopify.com/collections/monitor-on-camera-field/products/lh5-hdr-5-1500nit-4k-signal-support-touch-screen-1920-x-1080-hdmi-on-camera-monitor-with-hdr Supports 3D LUTs, ones you can upload yourself? If so I'll be tempted to buy this monitor myself.

In stock now at B&H: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1442842-REG/z_cam_e1503_e2_professional_4k_cinematic.html

PL mount in that image. My guess is the next Varicam will have this sensor. Varicam LT came out in 2016, so perhaps not too soon for a new Varicam in late 2019 to arrive. But I'd guess it would be a high end limited run camera from Panasonic, then in 2021 ish the cheaper "organic sensor Varicam LT replacement" will arrive. Skip forward another couple more years and an EVA2 might get it, then a couple more years after that a GHx will have it.

I really need to emphasis that "if" right there. And that wasn't me saying that. Yup The problem is there are so so so many different types of "normal". There is normal on Reality TV vs normal on feature films vs normal on corporate shoots vs normal on TVCs vs normal on VR shoots vs normal on etc etc etc Then within each "type" you can break it up on budget, as "normal" on big budget film is completely different to "normal" on a low budget indie film, and they're both different to a medium budget one in between them. (not even counting differences like how one shot indoors in a studio is going to be very different to one shot on location in a jugle, or how a romcom is going to be very different to a heavy VFX action film)

Sometimes I think the entire "crop factor" concept does more harm than good, at the typical person is better off just not thinking about it! Then just buy a Tokina 11-20mm f2.8, problem solved.

Holding a shotgun out at full arms length is a quick way to get tired arms! And I think you're perhaps meaning something like a Senal ENG-18RL, or other reporter's mic. But he doesn't want anything in frame... which I believe is a bad idea. There is a reason why reporters have it in frame! As when you're doing quick interviews, on ultra low budgets, in bad environments, then this is by far the best way to get passable audio. And yes, if he has a wiiide lens then that will allow him (and the mic) to get a lot closer while shooting which is beneficial for the audio.

Like Z Cam who this thread is about! And also Kinefinity. And DJI too (who are a chinese company, and their X5R & X7 cameras are impressive).

L bracket + Shure VP83F LensHopper (or Tascam DR10SG, or Zoom F1 with SGH-6) https://www.ebay.com/itm/L-Shape-Bracket-Holder-For-Flash-light-Camera-mini-DV-Camcorder-With-Hot-Shoe/222220823578 https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/966010-REG/shure_vp83f_condenser_shotgun_mic.html I don't except my suggestion to produce great audio results for him, because of his constraints. But it is the best suggestion in this thread so far. This. But also just because something is better than something else which is much worse, doesn't mean that approach is a good idea either.... Yeah, some scenarios can be with luck pulled off with just one person, other times you really need a dedicated soundie. And run and gun interviews on the move with no set up time really really does need a dedicated soundie, or put up with very sub par sound (or change how you do it, just giving a few minutes more times for instance, or changing up how your shots are done). There are also other times when even one soundie is not a good idea, and you should have a sound team of two (or even three or four people). For instance I did a low budget web series on the weekend which had a boom and seven wireless lavs (multicam shooting too, with up to three cameras frequently). I really should have had a boom op for this, rather than doing the whole sound department myself (but he had to cancel on me the night before when some work popped up. Thus I did sound solo, made for a stressful risky day).

Yup, the original BMPCC was $1K at launch

Just look at my BMPCC which only years later has finally fallen consistently below the US$500 I paid for it brand new.

Microphones are not like a telephoto lens such as a 200mm would be. Thus I suspect you're looking in the wrong places here in imagining what you think you want. Is this a seated staged interview? What kind of interviews are these? Indoors? Outdoors? Quite possibly the best way to get acceptable audio here while a solo shooter is (however the best step is to first not be a solo shooter! & have a soundie) to have a C stand with Boom Buddy for the boom pole to position the mic just half an inch above the frame line. (an example of a very low budget recorder and mic to consider if doing these outdoors would be the Zoom F8n + Deity S-Mic 2 Shotgun with a blimp) As the three most important rules of thumb for audio is: Location! Location! Location! (the location of your mic that is) Next most important tip to consider: your location again! (but in the sense of what is your shooting environment? As if you can improve it any form then that will lead to better audio too)

If we start going down that path of logic then we could say crazy things like "and in maybe not so long ish the Z Cam E2 will be on sale for $400" which makes the BMPCC4K "twice as much the way I look at it"

I expect to see this statement posted again in 2020 as well....

The filmmaking industry can be surprisingly traditional and risk adverse, one of the reasons why Arri Alexa cameras are so common place. Just because a camera is popular doesn't mean it is "best". I'm not disagreeing. But I was also pointing out they have similarities too.... As it was being said earlier that good lowlight capabilities are of no benefit for "big budget" shoots, and I was giving the Panasonic Varicam as an example against that. Not even their 18-55mm T2.9?

1) a7Smk3 is a purely hypothetical camera 2) but would it? Am sure Sony will hold back some things, be it 10bit, waveforms, timecode, or more (and give you things you don't want, like record limits or overheating or who knows what next time around)

For its sale price though the Z Cam E1 was unbeatable.

All productions care. Even the big big budget ones. Just as the budgets go up then what they think of as "cheap/fast/small" changes. For some people having one lighting truck instead of three is "cheap/fast/small", for others an Arri M18 is a "cheap/fast/small" light. Then at the opposite extreme the shoot I worked on today the cameraman didn't even merely use a flecky just as some negative fill. "Instead of using a 2K I can use a hundred watt light" Yup, I reckon the Panasonic Varicam is an underappreciated game changer.

"You can take any brand of camera that shoots video and shoot excellent video with it"

ISO?? Are you confusing ISO and shutter speed with each other?

The gap is not as big as you think. The Panasonic GH5S / BMPCC4K vs Sony a7 series proves that. In fact arguably MFT has the upper hand over Full Frame stills cameras at this point in time in 2018.

Better low light means the DoP can get away with smaller/faster/cheaper lighting packages. This is one of the reasons why the Varicam LT is being preferred by some DoPs over an Arri Am sure the next generation sensor that Arri releases will be better in low light. Ah I meant this video, he goes into it about the benefits of the Varicam LT over an Arri Alexa:

Can you switch it over to NTSC? Maybe then you can see 24p as an option??

I reckon the Nikon Z6 will still appeal to shooters who really really want to shoot FF 10bit 4K (which is the only way to do it! Short of stumping up the money for a Kinefinity MAVO LF, or even more for a C700 FF etc)