Cinegain

That is very true! It's superb value for the unique thing you're getting there, that's just unheard of, Samyang/Rokinon/Walimex Pro VDSLR lenses have nothing on them. XEEN is more like it... but you'll quickly reconsider with those kind of prices! Did see a Prime Circle cinemodded Zeiss lens around $1k once, thought that would be interesting, but looking further into it, that was excluding taxes and that was only the 50mm, the other focal lengths could be up to something like twice expensive. Or that set of S35 covering CineAlta lenses that has come down in price significantly... but, these are gigantors! That's the beauty of the Veydras, yes they aren't exactly pancake lenses, but they are far from the typical bulky cine lenses you might see out there, still very manageable. So yes, there's nothing quite like them and especially not at that price point. Nice! :D Was afraid you were going all-in on the A6500, since you seem to love the results so much. Just a question, did you try the GH5 yet or any plans to buy one?

A lot of other lenses have punchy contrast to 'help' with the sharpness. They also might be sharp where the sharpness hits, but lack actual resolving power of detail. Veydras are a little soft wide open, wouldn't say unusable, around f/2.8-3.5 it tightens up quice nicely, but I think they resolve fine detail way nicer than some others. Disregarding everying below f/4 I find a bit of an exaggeration though, but different folks, different strokes of course. About the whole 'charm'. I think Veydras are awesome for professional and commercial applications, where you want a clean and solid look that you can depend on, that you can shoot over and over again with the same results. That they match well amongst themselves. And of course, you get all those benefits of the build that true cinema primes have (so: being color matched, minimized focus breathing, all metal, gearing at the same places, smooth focus with large throw, clickless aperture ring, same diameter filterring, etc) at indeed a bargain price! And you can swap the mounts should you get a Sony or Fuji. But... do they have that Zeiss 3D pop? Do they have that Nocticron X-factor? Do they have Helios-44 swirly bokeh? Nah, they're just well-behaved lenses. I think Olympus PRO and Sigma have generally have well-behaved lenses as well, so don't necessarily take that as a bad thing. People are just establishing that it is 'different'. But you wouldn't really use Olympus PRO and Sigma lenses on every set either (don't know a lot of people that shoot Olympus PRO period, actually (unless it's stills), but there are some that refuse to take their Sigma 18-35mm offa their rig though xD). You can imagine that just like using a diffusion filter, people might opt for a different lens to get a certain vibe one would like to pursue for the piece that's being shot, because other lenses might convey a little more emotion because of their character. Lenses are tools as well and there needs to be the right occassion and application for each tool. So, none are bad, it just depends on what you're going after. And that also depends from one person to the next (you don't use filters/vintage lenses, do you?). So, all that matters is that you're happy with what you're getting out of 'em, really. Which I think everyone with one of a couple of these is. Yeah, I get that. I've walked around with the Olympus 7-14mm f/2.8 PRO quite a bit and to be honest, it's too big and heavy too. But then I look at what it can do, and I'm like, well... it's worth it though, especially if you're getting establishing shots, or heck, even doing landscape photography. Of course now you could say I'll just throw on the Laowa 7.5mm f/2 MFT for the really wide shots (without the need for third party/3D printed solutions to get some filters on there) and get the Panasonic Leica 15mm f/1.7 for those 14mm-ish end shots. Gimbal friendly too. Probably for less than the 7-14mm PRO as well. Don't have much problem with spending over a 1000 bucks for a flexible constant aperture zoomlens, just those single focal length primes that blow past that mark. Ouch. Of course they do have a pro build and you get either an aperture ring on the one hand or a manual focus de-clutch on the other... surely the sensitivity and results are stellar too, but... like you said, there already are a lot of excellent lenses with superb value, which raises the question: are these high-end primes worth it? Of course that depends on each individual's wants, needs and ca$h on hand. Think the Noctricon makes it a little easier, because bringing it back to character, that one might have something to set itself apart with, that X-factor people are looking for. I just can't sanely argue that is worth 1279,- EUR either. Fun for buck is just as good if not better in a couple of lower tier lenses. Very creamy! XL Speedbooster... so... shot on the Panasonic G85?

Olympus releases some f/1.2 range overview videos: I get if you're not into talk about 'feathered bokeh' or making babies pose a certain way... in which case here's something for everyone, I always love interviews with Kazuto Yamaki and this is a more recent one:

Yup! Exciting! Sigma at it again, there's hardly any better value out there than their lenses. Though what I love about the Olympus lenses is that some have that brilliant de-clutch to get away from that god awful fly-by-wire. Yet... does it warrant the price? Guess it depends what you like/are willing to work with.

Sony had some paid upgrades on their Pro cameras. What they also could've done was to include it for every camera and bump the price of the GH5 (kits) by 100 bucks. Now... nobody wants to pay for something they might not use, so atleast now they have the option to keep 100 bucks in their pocket. So... I don't know. I think it's alright. Made more sense with the GH4 though, because that wasn't intended to do V-Log L in the first place, but had a team make it happen anyways. With the GH5... you could argue that everyone looking into this camera, is probably pretty dang serious about video and would want to atleast try that V-Log L, therefor buy and install it. But you know... on a roughly 2000 bucks camera... I don't think this not included 100 bucks option would make it a no-go. In some places they actually gave it as a bonus for pre-orders, that was a pretty decent move.

Lens compatibility I suppose. Now you need to buy lenses that can only be used on the DJI... before with the MFT mount, they reworked the Leica 15mm f/1.7 MFT and you could've used e.g. the new Laowa 7.5mm f/2 MFT.

So... that's what Eric says, no?

Wait... MFT shooters want a 4/3"/S35 camera with E-mount? (btw, there are actually M4/3 to E-mount adapters, so it's the more flexible one)

Well, JVC GY-LS300... BMCC 2.5K. And DJI is member of the MFT alliance already. Just I sorta had an E-Mount/lens vibe there, which doesn't give you any 2nd guessing if certain lenses have signs of vignetting or not.

Judging that video thumbnail I'd almost be tempted to say a re-worked Sony E-mount lens, like a 24mm f/1.8 perhaps? DJI also released their own adapted version of the MFT Leica Summilux 15mm f/1.7. Just... MFT is a collaborative effort and open system alliance. Surely others are using EF-mount already, but I think it would be a first for E-mount to make it to third party hardware/camera systems? So... interesting. Sony/E-mount is the move 3DR made as well: https://3dr.com/solo-drone/specs/ .

Sick! Wouldn't mind falling prices for the X5R either....

Well, no, that's the only single example I could think of, because like I said, everything else is I watch is longer (is there even any Amazon Prime or Netflix exclusive show with such short episodes? Yeah, yeah, I know these aren't 'tv shows' as they're not on tellie, but same for anything Marvel or DC Universe or generally stuff that's not comedy from like networks such as HBO (Game of Thrones), USA (Suits), The CW (Arrow), etc). And speaking of long is bad... they should've stopped that show a long time ago already anyways. But people love a cashcow, that's why movies get so many terrible sequels. Where they put quantity over quality. Guess there's a reason for 'biz' taking up a considerable part of 'showbiz'. But yeah, ultimately what you're saying after is spot on. Just, unless you're brilliant, 4 or 5 minutes doesn't get you much invested in any of it.

They aren't? I think only like The Big Bang Theory is like 20 mins, but otherwise they're mostly 40-50mins. Atleast the stuff I watch. Don't really watch web series. YouTube used to be full of comedy or horror skits (even interactive ones with different storylines depending on the viewer's choices), but these days it seems everyone wants their 5 mins of fame doing vlogging or dumb ass pranks and whatnot. I quite like Black Mirror and now Electric Dreams has come out. Maybe some of you are familliar with Freddie Wong, aka freddiew on YouTube, who's started RocketJump Film School? They made a Hulu exclusive series called Dimension 404, which kinda follows the form of the earlier two mentioned before as well. Really digg that genre, usually showcasing social behaviour in an increasingly digitalizing world and it allows the creators not to be stuck with a single story, they can create different worlds and angles altogether. For me as a viewer personally, it's a nice break from binge-watching missed episodes, because each story is self-contained. Of course, their productions are pretty much up there... but I think watching these might give you some inspiration.

I actually prefer ones with mirror... and a built-in light... so I can see what I'm doing when I'm applying make-up...

Probably with TRM on that one. Only have the 35mm in addition to the 50mm f/2 E55 very recently, but it's so versatile. You can use it as is, throw it on a focal reducer or use ETC. It's a really solid lens and it's really not big or clunky. Surely you can pick a 25mm f/0.95 (which was tempting to pick!) or something else bright... or something with AF and other electronic control (e-aperture, OIS), but the Leicas have already transcended time and they age like a good wine! All about that rich flavor and character.

Uh guys...

lol, well, maybe it's the sentiment of being the first real learner camera for me if you will... but one day we'll be capturing stuff by neural links that tap into our brain, sees what we see, knows what we're trying to capture and how we want to portray that to an audience. You just have to think it and you can make it. By then 4K and everything doesn't mean much anymore. Like, I'm not saying that I'd wish to settle for a GH2 right now, as progress luckily is a very real thing and we can ride that wave. But if you wouldn't be able to anymore, don't know, might as well pick the one you bonded with most. I guess it's like wishing back for your first car and creating some more good memories with it... or remembering that sweet or cookie that they had in your childhood that's not around anymore. Though, yeah, perhaps that does sound a bit silly... lol.

I might just pick the GH2. It's what started my journey with interchangeable lens cameras and back then things were so straight forward. These days you're trying to overachieve and things are more complex and the shear amount of options and possibilities are a blessing but it also means more thought has to go into which choices you make. Going back to the roots is definitely something to consider, rather than chasing after all the tech advancements opening up yourself to more creative thinking that needs to make the difference. Not sure how scared you need to be of lacking quality... remember the GH2 shootouts by Philip Bloom and Zacuto, it held up quite decently to the big boys back in those days. And you'll still watch the IMDB Top 100 etc movies that are probably mostly before 2010. Some movies only ever made it to VHS and people still enjoy those. Wouldn't worry too much about that aspect, if anything it will set your filmmaking apart from everyone elses that has gotten on with the times.

There was the Z Cam E1 one time... indeed Sony with the RX0. I think it's a miss not going for optical/sensor stabilization. Again this EIS, with accelerometers and gyroscope to get some 'advanced stabilization' going on, the best in any HERO thusfar they say (I mean, I better hope so)... but although we've seen SteadXP & Microsoft Hyperlapse can be somewhat effective, there's a high change or unwanted image warping and you're throwing away resolution. So... not sure if that's the right move. Sony goes SteadyShot... but that formfactor to me is awkward as fuck and seems only used by people who are riding motorcycles and other vehicles to get rid of that road bumpiness. Yeah, I quite like DJI. I remember seeing the following video and that really impressed me... just comes down to affordability, really. Maybe it's the midrange norm soon enough! -- Dang, just looking back at this footage again, that '3D pop' that depth layering is absolutely insane. Details and everything is so stunning. Sorta... though everyone bought a bunch of GoPros to form their own multicam rigs... so... that must not have been that bad. And 360 like that of the Ricoh Theta or Nikon Whatyamacallit is not really up to snuff. I don't actually think it's that much about the camera itself, I think it's more about that OverCapture that's going to make it sell.

Glad to hear! Myself, I'm sorta getting fed up with Instamic. Now, I've backed numerous crowdfunding campaigns (100+) but this is absolutely one of the worst ones I've dealt with communication wise. There's just no information and they'll even ignore e-mail inquires (friendly ones, with patient intervals of weeks/months), just responding to them with... silence. I've recommended Instamics to a fella doing car reviews stuff (would be great for commentary and exhaust notes I figured) once and then he's gotten his in before I did mine... now I'm okay with delays, complications and what not, but man, no communication is really something that's no bueno in my book.

Not sure how much ambient schtuff you'd want to record at some venue like a wedding, it's mostly picking up what people are saying and how they're reacting (bringing some correlation to what you're seeing, actually isolating them from the mumbling crowd) rather than ambient sound, no? But yeah, shure, it's a directional mic by all means. I'd call shotgun on it. Of course it isn't a cheapy, and you could just get the G80 and even a simple mic as the RØDE VideoMicro would make a big difference compared to the GX80's own built-in mic and indeed no syncing workflow required if you would go external recording...

http://www.shure.com/americas/products/microphones/vp/vp83f

Or you could get that Shure with built-in recording capabilities... And... very nice schtuff!

An expensive one too... dang. Basically what the Velbon QRA-3 does? https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000923HM2/ -- ah okay, I get it now, so it doesn't require a separate base plate

That's why I feel like there should be something in between of 1080p and 4K, like 1440p, 2K/2.5K or 2.7K. Gives you more wiggle room for a touch of reframing, fake zoom/slide/tilt and stabilization, might be better quality than FHD when downsampled and allows for higher framerates than 4K.