IronFilm

http://www.eoshd.com/comments/topic/8858-is-a-sony-f3-worthwhile-buying-in-2015/

I asked a very very similar question a tear ago: "Is a Sony PMW-F3 worth it in 2015?" & my answer is yes it has been! :-) So I'm sure a FS700 can also be a smart choice in 2016 if it fits your needs.

I'd never recommend buying one brand new as you can get the better UM4K instead for the same price. But there are some killer deals for them secondhand now! I saw one available for just NZ$2K, or about US$1.3K once you convert it to USD

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zOqbH3bF_Ys

Only use SanDisk Extreme Pro 95MB/s, & at least 64GB size. Use nothing else that is smaller than this. Remember many of those which claim a fast speed are just referring to the read speed. And not the all important write speed, which they often unfortunately have as slower.

Good to hear!! Any other monitor/recorders you've used and could compare it against?

Arri Alexa Mini and Varicam LT are still the cameras which I'd leap for if I had the cash to splash around. F65 would be nice but too bulky and cumbersome!

Future proof??? That is a risky/tough ask... is ANYTHING really future proof??? At a bare minumum for something to hold up for the next few years I'd say at least 8K 60fps. But really now this area of technology is moving so fast that I reckon just do whatever is good value and meets the clients' demands for right now. In many cases I reckon 4K 60fps output can do that for the next year or two.

Hmmm... short cuts can be set up for that? And if it is 18mm or 20mm doesn't make sure a big deal does it?

Yes, but it also makes it pointless swapping a Nikon mount version for a Canon mount version like the guy I quoted was proposing to do.

No version of the Sigma 18-35mm f1.8 has image stabilisation.

mkabi, LOL! I hope you are joking. I think that is a bit expensive/ridiculous. Just get yourself a BMMCC instead.

While it is a good rule of thumb that lenses hold their value better than other film gear, I wouldn't do so far as betting on certain lenses to noticeably appreciate in value..... If either Canon or Nikon went bankrupt, then overnight many of their lenses would tank in value (exception: you might see a very short term blip up as the die hard fans rush to buy the last few of certain desirable lenses). Same with any other manufacturer. Could take many many years for them to regain their value, or they might never do so! Plus it is hard to predict what future technological innovations might come along in the future..... new materials or designs such as multi lens arrays, rendering all other past forms almost obsolete! So put a greater part of gear budget to lenses knowing they won't tank like a camera body will in five years, but also don't count on them making you rich either!

There is no one mic which is perfect for everything, you'll often be using a different microphone for indoors vs outdoors. So don't write off a mic because it is not suitable for outdoors. There are many different NTG models from Rode, the two most popular ones are the NTG2 and NTG3. The NTG2 is a solid enough cheap entry level mic, I have it myself, but it is not a hot mic at all by any measure as the output is rather on the low side. The NTG3 is a totally different kettle of fish, is more expensive, and is highly regarded and also seen as very good value.

Same could also be said about the early days of movie making. Many many of them were very short! Why? Number of reasons. Average audiences probably lacked the mental stamina to take in 2hrs of a movie, as it was so new and overwhelming. And because it was so new... you didn't need an 1hr+ long movie to wow audiences! A few minutes could do it. Additionally the crew back then lacked the technical skills to make long movies efficiently, and they lacked the creative skills for looong form storytelling. All these points will find analogues in our situation now of very early days of VR filmmaking.

There are many VR approaches, each approach having their own sets of pros/cons. So 360 has their place as a tool in your toolbox, for when budgets are lower, deadlines are tight, or you need to capture a live event (such as a concert, or sporting events), or when you want to reach the maximum number of people possible (most VR flavors are not that the accessible to the average joe, not so for 360 video! Thanks to YouTube and Facebook, and smartphones) And you can move the camera with 360 (I'll be doing this later in the year, maybe even next month), and you can control lights via practicals (or lights out of shot around a corner), but yes no boom mics so need to rely on lavs. Bet people said the same about movies in general over a century ago.... They are. The much much ***MUCH*** bigger news from that same day which is relevant for us EOSHD readers is that Yi & Google are partnering up to produce Jump! Even though we know nothing about specs or price yet, I'd say the odds are still relatively high that I'll buy one! :D I already have a Yi 360 degree rig. Exactly, don't judge the potential of VR based on the few average examples you see now.

The 416 is a hypercardiod, and they're comparing the D3 against the 416 as a direct competitor, so maybe don't write it off quite so quickly?

Either an Audio-Technica AT4053b or an Audix SCX-1 HC or an Oktava MK012 (with some very heavy caveats... ! ) are basically the "standard" when it comes to indoor dialogue for low budget indies. But even those can not be low budget enough..... Samson C02 seems like a viable alternative in that case. I've got one ordered which should arrive soon, which I plan to use myself. But for bigger paid jobs I'll be renting something better for sure! And hopefully in the near ish future I'll be able to afford buying an Audio-Technica AT4053b for myself. Also keep an eye out for the Aputure D3 which will ship soon, it is meant to be as good as a Sennheiser MKH-416, but at a heaps cheaper price than any of the others mics mentioned here so far (except the Samson of course). A RODE Blimp is basically essential for outdoors if you're going to have adverse conditions, ignore those who say it is no good, the v2 from RODE is greatly improved (I have it myself).

Hope it gets hacked! Is what makes the original so strong a choice for 360VR. Hope they also keep on making the original, that way they're attacking both the high end of GoPros, and competing also with a second product at a very very low price.

Agreed. I feel subforums can be beneficial and useful, when used right. But you need to strike a balance between too many and too few. Plus this balance is not static! It shifts and changes. A forum with a hundred users about stamp collection needs a different number of subforums to a forum with 100,000 users about marriage. Roughly speaking, the younger/smaller a forum is, the less subforums it should have. However as it grows, then it is ok to also grow the number of subforums, but at a slower rate than the growth of users! (don't want to have a relative oversupply of subforums to users. Also, other features can work in place of subforums, such as tags/categories. For instance Reduser has a subforum for 3rd Party Gear Sales, but within it has various tags for items such as [LIGHTING] (I really really wish there was a tag for [AUDIO] as well!).

I'm very happy with my set up but if a person was starting out from scratch with semi pro / serious indie amateur aspirations on a tight budget then I'd also suggest keeping an eye out for these products: Tascam DR70D (only US$200 on sale I've seen it for!! :-o I've used it myself as the soundie on an indie feature film) Aputure D3 (announced at this year's NAB, meant to be as good as a Sennheiser MKH-416, but heaps cheaper). Saramonic UwMic10 (looks like the Sony! Has 2x TX to 1x RX feature).

Years and years ago started out with a Zoom H1. Then got a Tascam DR60D. Have a Rode VideoMic Pro. Now use a Sound Devices 552 with a Petrol mixing bag I found cheap. Will get a Tascam DR680 soon to pair with it (but want an F8!! But they're too pricey). Have a Rode NTG2 and have a Sennheiser ME66/K6 on its way. Have a RodeLink and 3x Samson Wireless kits. Have a 3m carbon fibre boom pole. Rode Blimp v2. Various XLR cables and other accessories. Plus a bunch of less important mics.

The GH3/G6/GH4 (or any of the GMx series, or newer GXx or GFx series) never happened. I don't expect to see it happen for the G7. Is a pity though, as it is nice to be able to add English language to the Japanese only cameras, & to add PAL/NTSC to those which lack it, & is great to be able to remove the recording limit.

Hell Yeah wait for the Kinefinity Terra 5K!

I'd never drop a large chunk of change on a camera and expect it to still be relevant in 7yrs. On of many other possible alternatives instead: Instead buy a Panasonic G7 for a tiny tiny fraction of that amount. Invest the rest. In two years time buy a Panasonic GH6. Three years after that buy a GH8, etc...