Cinegain

Yeah, I have the impression you enjoy the freedom of just shooting whatever YOU like and how you like to shoot it as well. That you're so kind to go 'well, I might as well share my experiences with others' is just a superb bonus for us folks. To start to cater for others in order to grow your channel would kinda be like betraying your own believes and interests, so I'd say: just stay true to yourself, then you'll enjoy it the most.

Yeah, my first hands-on introduction with Sigma was their EX DN line-up with the early models of the 19 & 30mm f/2.8 (with the grippy focus ring, not the later rebranded ART lenses (just 'DN') with smooth finish). For 100 bucks you had a lens that was optically incredible (mechanically/finish not so much). They were very compact too. Then of course I as well went with the 18-35mm f/1.8 in Nikon mount with an aperture control ring focal reducer, because that's something that you've got to experience for yourself. Now that one... is pretty nuts. Especially for the price and being constant f/1.8. Who even does that? Well: Sigma. But it lends itself more to be used a tripod, rigged out, rather than the casual roaming around shooting handheld. It's just travelling wise... not the ideal combo. For me, unless the goal of my trip is photo & video (like if I were to go to Iceland or something), I'm not really looking to bring a lot of gear with me. To me it's one of the most attractive attributes of the MFT system, that you can keep the lenses/set-ups so compact and light. Now, the 30mm f/1.4 DC DN, also in my collection for a while now, is pretty fair in that regard. But with the 16mm, personally I'm taking into account there's already the Leica 15mm f/1.7... and concerning detail/sharpness I don't really need much more than that and I like the character, so better image quality for me hardly warrants giving up that compact formfactor (that DJI figured would be a perfect match for their Inspire camera X5). So it sorta depends on what you value most, for some one lens is the best compromise between a bunch of factors, for someone else it's another. But for sure it's going to be a stunner. Much like Kazuto Yamaki himself: on point, well-composed and very charismatic. Regarding anamorphics. Yeah, I tried that once too a couple of years ago. I bought a Kalart Victorscope 2x from eBay, it's much like the Sankor 16-D. But the dual focusing and the alignment and set-up of it all... it was just too bothersome and the results (although I'd happily take some of the blame for that) were quite soft. Don't really feel like SLR Magic, Letus, etc solutions do it for me (or Panasonic LA-7200 / FM Lens / ...). I personally really like LOMO squared front anamorphics. Some good stuff here for example: http://presynkt.com/2014/05/19/testing-testing-testing/ , http://presynkt.com/tag/lomo-2x/ . Of course for anamorphic stuff in general you gotta check out fellow EOSHD user Tito: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8nvNpXmCZmg_YJFkrQsryw . Alan did a bunch of stuff on that subject as well: But you might be right, in this day and age, it would be really nice to see some more accessible modern anamorphic lenses. The Atlas line-up is looking mighty impressive indeed. You don't get weird smearing of the image, it's not soft, you don't get outrageous flaring or anything, the footage I've seen just impressive. But so is the pricetag. Not sure owning a set would make much sense, but fair renting prices are very welcome!

Wouldn't categorize Sigma as lifeless, that's the beauty of them. Their character is just not dramatically exaggerated or flawed as some others have that would give it something interesting right off the bat (that like screams like 'look at me!' or 'I'm special, because I'm different! I'm a true artist'), but it's for sure there (more in like a 'I love my job and I love to do it right' kind of way, like a chef in a kitchen). You really need to use a dreamy, quirky or different look with purpose, otherwise it might get a little gimmicky. But it you match it up with the right kind of situations, it adds a whole lot to your scenes and helps to convey the mood/emotion you're trying to get across more I feel like. I'd say the Sigmas are more versatile and approachable however, as they have a more laid back character and are just up for the task. Their consistent quality makes sure you won't get surprised, they're really reliable. But where these others might turn a bit cold and clinical, you still get more of a sense of beauty out of the Sigmas. Think the good wide open performance, smooth bokeh (f/1.4 or f/1.8 speedboosted is arguably more S35-esque than native f/1.7-1.8 and up options) and good light gathering helps there too. Guess that balance between solid performance and just a fine amount of character is what has made them popular with all of us, be it the ART zooms or any of their primes. Also makes them a good choice for camera manufacturers to turn to when they're in need of solid optical designs, although once provided with the main ingredient it's up to the manufacturer to add the flavoring of course. Of course in the end you can make masterpieces with any lens, enough videos on the internet are liked despite being shot on a potato. But a good lens can resonate with awesome content to bring it to that next level.

I don't really follow these sales anymore. First you need to go past thousands of either crap products or ones that are first artificially inflated in 'before' price to resemble a huge discount 'after', when in some cases it's more expensive during these sales than before. Nah. Maybe a couple sites will post some highlights that are worth looking into, but I won't actively look for some myself. If there's something on your mind now, I myself always set price alerts for items like that, so I'll be notified, not sure if that's possible in your region.

Agree with the first. Concerning the 2nd, I believe everybody else that's using Sony sensors hasn't got that problem, I think Panasonic just felt like betting on their own horse... which has seen a struggling season so far, so can they whip it back in shape or should they or we bet on another one instead? In case of that last one... Canon's selling point to me has been: DualPixel AF. They used to allow for quick turnarounds due to basic codec with 1080p, not too heavy on storage, and pleasing color science, basically allowing the users to throw on a curve, add some sharpness, cut the timeline and hit upload. But of course these days any camera shoots sort of pretty colors and some offer a very solid 1080p mode. But you still might pick Canon because of their DualPixel AF. Which is madness, that you buy a camera for a single feature. So it's really a missed oppertunity here by Panasonic not having good AF-C on a videocentric device.

Lol, true that, I guess so. Anyways, it's good to know for sure. Well, there are a bunch of 25 and 35mm lenses with AF in f/1.2-1.8, but 5mm is quite a bit, might make it someone's favourite focal lenght or 'just not quite it'. -- ah wait, you mean the 16mm, don't you. In that case, yeah, this will have electronic control, is quite a bit brighter and perhaps optically ahead. Of course you'd lose the 'cine primes' advantages (matching with the other Veydras in both optical 'vibe'/color as well as dimensions, having the gears, being all metal and such). But then again, it's also about half price of a Veydra, so... yeah, definitely something to test out, if you're not pursuaded instead by the Leica or Olympus ones mentioned.

Well, I find there's already quite stunning value in both Leica 15mm f/1.7 (compact, option to use aperture ring for manual setting) and Olympus 17mm f/1.8 (tiny, MF de-clutch) already, which are both around that €449 price point as well. Personally I'm not sure if I'd be willing to give up those advantages for the bigger Sigma 16mm f/1.4 DC DN for that slight advantage in light gathering capability... and I'm sure the Sigma will be optically ahead of these two, also because it was meant with APS-C in mind as well, so you're cropping out the 'bad' corners, if there even would be any to speak of, but the Leica renders beautifully and with character and the Olympus is just so damn small and does just fine. So, it's tough. In this range I'd be inclined to pick the Leica. But it will depend on how the Sigma performs. The 30mm f/1.4 DC DN is a bit more of an obvious choice, as there is few 30mm but that are f/2.8-3.5 and otherwise ones that are off that focal length quite a bit and/or can't quite keep up in performance/value. Regarding lens firmware for Sigma MFT. I knew it exists, but I figured it was for like autofocus drive and stuff. Is the first time too for me to hear that a manufacturer would correct for third party lenses, I think it's usually because they don't want to map every lens to ensure proper behaviour themselves... maybe Sigma has agreed to provide that for them and they're okay with it, whereas Olympus doesn't want to unveil their secret sauce so people are more inclined to use their lenses on their native camera bodies? Not sure. I don't mind anyways. All manufacturers rely on this for jpeg with their own lenses, why should you suddenly be disappointed having that for a 3rd party lens?

Yeah, they've been all over the rumor sites with that announcement and pre-order discount. Yet the comments on those articles were all pretty much negative...

Actually in that first link (AlternativeTo.net) I was surprised there was a lot of user support for ACDSee. Probably hadn't heard of them in like 10 years, was surprised they even still existed. https://www.acdsee.com/en/index | https://www.acdsee.com/en/lightroom-photoshop-migration Seems that more so than the developing part, their focus lies on: Digital Asset Management (DAM).

https://alternativeto.net/software/adobe-lightroom/ And to filter those out, these are probably the top picks you'd want to be looking at: - Capture One Pro 10 - Affinity Photo - DxO PhotoLab (OpticsPro) - ON1 Photo RAW 2018 - The all new Luminar 2018 (Macphun) More of a preference thing between them.

Yeah, personally I'd go for a cage and further set-up in a kind of 'studio' environment, where you use the cage handle for low angles and stuff but also just throw it on a tripod, which is probably the main thing I'd use a full set-up for (talking heads/interviews). Not the hugest fan of any sort of mounting for shots that need mobility especially now that we've got 5-axis in-body stabilization. I'd be more inclined to strip things down to just the camera and perhaps the hot-/coldshoes (on camera/cage (for audio/external monitor/recorder)) and just shoot classic handheld. Depending on the lens you don't really need rails with follow focus and a matte box looks neat, but as long as you're not shooting something critical, something you can do a re-take on, I'd gladly risk some issues with focus and flares perhaps in favor of the light and simple set-up when moving around. Of course, when you need to, a top support with good body load distribution is a very worth while consideration.

Is rigging up a RED or ARRI not a bit pointless either? To bring up another old argument 'it's not about the size, it's about what you can do with it'. The GH-range lives and breathes production. That's been the whole point since the 5DmkII, T2i/550D, GH2, etc. These are entry level cameras for those who'd love to have some proper cinematography going on, but can't exactly afford to buy/rent a RED/ARRI and/or a whole crew to run it. However, cameras like the GH5 can function like a proper cinema camera, which is also why we see advanced features such as 10-bit, LOG, waveforms/vectorscope overlays, XLR adapter, full HDMI port, etc and lend themselves perfectly to be operated by just a single soul. That it is fairly compact and well-equiped of course allows for this single camera to be used in various ways (e.g. mounting inside of a car, not requiring a steadicam for follow around shots). In the same way you're probably not using ARRI SkyPanels but some Aputure LightStorm lights on your makeshift set and your talents are volunteers/friends etc rather than well-paid actors. But in the end the production value is up there, even on a budget and there's hardly an excuse anymore to not pursue your dreams and scripts because you don't have the budget. Filmmaking is more accessible than ever. It's probably however also harder to set yourself apart or gain traction for the undertakings you're passionate about... then again it also allows you to book well-paid commercial shoots, so atleast you can put some fancy food on the table. And concerning that, of course there's...

Reading your posts is like listening to Yoda speak...

Dang, those are some good prices! Seems I splurged a little too much then (they're the Leica branded E55's tho).

I think Jon looks for different things in a lens than some of us, which is perfectly fine of course. Seems he likes a perfect lens, he has a track record of owning and shooting with some of the best lenses for the system, incl. the Panasonic 12mm f/1.4, 42.5mm f/1.2, Olympus 75mm f/1.8, 25mm f/1.2, Sigma DC DN 30mm f/1.4, Veydra Mini Primes etc, where it's all about resolving power and sharpness, where they are absolutely smashing it, you can't really argue that. It just doesn't seem he 'gets' people that put character first however (which is funny itself because he didn't feel Phil A's footage had any, but okay)... like shooting a 17.5mm f/0.95 wide open or using anything vintage. Takes offence himself when people find a lens to render 'boring', meaning not that he himself has shot something boring, but that the lens has a reliable and clinical look of perfection to it (maybe that is the sort of 'character' he wishes to see, to me that's prefering a vodka over a whiskey, where as well, nothing is wrong to put one over the other, personal preference and all). To that person. Yet you know, it's okay if people aren't on the same page, an opinion is something subjective, there's no one true way... and one should really be accepting of that and letting others do their thing. To me it matters more that someone is having fun shooting and makes great content in terms of mood, composition, 'story telling' however limited applicability perhaps. If you have blinders on and can only tell if someone's work is good by pixelpeeping, then you might be missing the point (but atleast you'd have every pixel). So I personally was able to appreciate said video and post, because it isn't always the main goal to capture something pixel perfect, but to capture something that elicits something beyond that. And Jon's said it before himself... he might've shot and uploaded a video with the white balance, framerate or audiosync off... and never finds anyone in the comments complaining and pointing it out. That's all because they look through the pixel peeping and rather just focus on the essence. If your content is good, it's probably good because of the bigger picture, not just the individual pixel. And even if you don't see it that back with someone else's work the least you could do is give them some constructive feedback... the lowest thing you could do is dismiss what they've done altogether and regard it as someone clowning around (discouraging them to ever post something again). A bit of mutual respect goes a long way.

Get the Canon if: you like the Canon-look right out of the box and don't mind the max. 1080p30 only which allows for quick turnarounds and easy editing (no DualPixel AF on this one, though!) Get the Panasonic if: you really like small and compact, love mirrorless features such as 4K, 1080p60, sensor stabilization, tiltable screen, liveview EVF, et cetera. So for me... the 100D doesn't have much over the ancient T2i/550D, whereas the GX80 is quite exciting and new age!

mmmkai, that's not what I figured when seeing this: But if they do claim so... then: cool.

I take it that's only in Dual I.S. 2 with selected lenses that are already stabilized.

Rather yet... are the photography elements so much better than what the G80/G81/G85 offers (which supposedly will continue to be its own line-up)? Currently body price of a G80: around 700 EUR. The G9 comes in at 1700! 1000 bucks for... a gorgeous (by the looks of it) EVF and uh... a top LCD? Ok, maybe a bit better photography performance, but again 1000 bucks worth of improvements? I think not. And a 200mm f/2.8 lens that's like 3000,- bucks? When you can have the Olympus 40-150mm f/2.8 PRO with 1.4x TC with more flexbility for half? Not sure what they've been smoking. If they want to take the battle to the Olympus E-M1 Mark II and their own G80/81/85 and GH5, they should've come up with a gamechanger. I get the need for a more professional flagship for the stills shooters that have no interest in paying a premium for advanced filmmaking features. But this lack those and is up there in price range!? Actually, effectively the deal I managed to get on my GH5 turned out to be 400 bucks cheaper than that! Maybe they thought 'well, to those who can afford a 3000,- bucks lens, they're probably willing to shell out another 1700 for a camera = profit'. And on the other hand it's also a bit of a 'fuck you' to people heavily invested in the MFT system, it's like 'we know you're more or less stuck in the system, so we're going to drive the prices up and you'll still buy 'em!'. Anyways. At the end of the day this is their photography flagship now. So... don't be too surprised about the disappointing video specs.

for some reason that reminded me of Ghost Dad. Anyways, I would pull a reversed green screen skydiver effect (should be plenty of tuts and examples), where the talent isn't lying down on a green block (if you can't have them dangling down) on their belly, but rather with their back (unless of course they're sleeping on their belly). It just has more flair to it with the arms dangeling backwards and downwards... (at least for the leaving the body sequence, you can make it more superman-flying-around-like thereafter... or even like the 'shooting stars meme' xD) more or less like that typical illusion where the magician makes his assistance 'float'. Then composite that footage into your scene.

Something NEW... but what. I'd love if they'd manage to turn this into a proper follow-up of what the BMPCC was all about. Internal ProRes and RAW DNG options. But I doubt that's it. Especially not without a significant sensor change (possibly non-stabilized to make happen).

lol, dies guy xD "So it's a stupid idea to shoot HLG, please ignore those people who say that you need to shoot HLG for more high dynamic range, they obviously have no idea what they're talking about. [..] Ignore it completely." Uhhhh... bro! Like they'll just add a feature for shits 'n giggles. Found his earlier stuff analysis of stuff interesting, but to dismiss and discourage HLG is bit messed up.

I sure hope not. When did lenses start to get self-zooming? Focus breathing might be a thing, but that's the same with primes that don't change focal length at all and has got little to do with a lens being parfocal or not. Or you might have switched 'focus' and 'zoom' around, in that case, well, yeah, obviously.

Sounds like it's going to be a stills beast... question is... will they clip its wings what video concerns...

Yeah, the G85 basically is a mini-GH5 already, imagine a successor! But the GH5 is just so well-equipped, that it's hard to ignore... especially with the new firmware, incl. e.g. HLG. Is it that you like the size/weight, perhaps simplicity or price of the G-range a bit better compared to the GH5?