TheRenaissanceMan

Yeah, not the biggest fan of magenta skin. She just looks sick to me. ?

Only thing you miss is stabilization.

There's a few major reasons: 1. Vibrations. Turning off stabilization doesn't hard-mount the sensor to the body of the camera--it just tells the electromagnets to try and hold the sensor as still as possible (in relation to the camera). That means whether or not IBIS is turned on, the sensor is always floating. Some forces that act on the camera, such as vibration from a car or motorized gimbal movement, can actually overpower the magnets and shake the sensor around, which is an annoying jitter at best and unwatchable mush at worst. Great example at 3:15: 2. Lower heat. By putting the sensor directly onto a heatsink, it reduces heat buildup on the sensor, and therefore noise. Seeing as how low noise is one of the selling points of the camera, that makes perfect sense to me. 3. Dual native ISO. My understanding is that the circuitry required is more involved than what's on the GH5, and therefore would not be possible (or at least more difficult/less effective) if the sensor were in motion during recording. 4. Multi-aspect sensor. Since the sensor is larger, moving it around inside the mount wouldn't be feasible, and could put portions of the imaging area outside of the lens image circle. 5. Battery life. The new sensor is quite power-hungry, so adding IBIS on top of that would make the hit to power consumption impractical for many users. 6. IBIS can cause undesirable artifacts when the camera is in motion. Not only unpredictability in panning speed, as the camera has to recognize and compensate for the fact that the camera is supposed to be moving, but also strange warping and perspective shifts (especially with wide angle lenses). Good example here at 9:30: 7: Processing. By not having to use a portion of the camera's processor to do all the math required for IBIS, that processing power can be utilized for other functions, such as better NR, faster/higher-res HFR, and pulling a higher bit depth off the sensor (beneficial even when encoding that data to 10-bit video). Everyone seems confused as to why Pananasonic left IBIS off this camera, but in my eyes, they've made their reasons perfectly clear.

To be clear, I'm only referring to the release reel Liam posted that's referenced in the Art Adams article (say that five times fast). The 2015 reel you posted looks quite lovely in comparison. Much stronger colors and more neutral skintones. I think the fact that the Cion/BM4K sensor looks better than a lot of "better" models out today bears closer examination. Often, cameras trade off low light performance and dynamic range for inferior color rendering. For example, by letting the blue filters in the array pass a bit of green as well, boosting the signal in that channel, they contaminate the blue signal and make it harder for the camera to separate the channels in processing. The early Reds had a problem with this, and it resulted in a lot of muddy color. Some interesting insights into the CMOSIS sensor vs its competitors in the current marketplace: http://www.bmcuser.com/showthread.php?17318-No-more-love-for-the-4K

Not a fan of the highlight rendering, magenta skin tones, or lack of hue discrimination in several areas of the color wheel. I just don't find them pleasing to look at; nothing technical about it. To each his own. That said, I've seen better samples out of the camera since. Does anyone know if there was in fact a firmware update addressing color?

Eh...I'm with Art on the Cion. That release demo reel is actually gross. http://www.dvinfo.net/article/acquisition/a-critical-look-at-cions-new-demo-reel.html I've heard they actually improved the color a great deal in firmware later on, but that footage is not something I'd use to sell people on the camera. That said, I've always loved the rendition of that sensor in the BMPC/UM4K. Not great in low light, not amazing dynamic range, but rich and pleasing in a way that reminds me of slide film. Add the excellent rendition of fine detail and global shutter, and for the right place, I see it having a place on some productions.

1DX II is the only thing I can think of with the specs you want, but it isn't cheap. We have more options than ever, but there's no free lunch.

Favorite way to power Blackmagics is still with a Sony BP-U30/60 and battery plate.

G7 or GX7. Both have a better picture than the A6000.

Thanks, hadn't actually heard that. Still, very skeptical they've got their thermal management improved enough to actually give us 4K60 or 10-bit internal. Guess we'll have to wait and see. Improved IBIS seems unlikely too, as its inferiority to the GH5 isn't just a matter of bad implementation. It's physics. They can't move a full frame sensor as quickly or precisely as one a quarter the size. Improved AF, battery life, record button placement, and 10-bit HDMI out would be a sensible and tempting upgrade. Seems this generation of Sony is all about usability upgrades, which is a relief after all these small spec-centric improvements that leave enormous problems untouched.

Not battery operable, but Cool Lights just slashed the prices on all their fluorescent fixtures. A lot of very good light for the money, and the softbox/grid options are both cheap and work well. Add one or two Aputure hard lights and you'll have an extremely versatile kit without breaking the bank. You might also think about grabbing one or two tungsten fixtures as well, just for the sake of variety. A source four leko w/50 degree lens and/or 650w fresnel are both incredibly versatile lights that are plentiful and cheap on the used market. A Lowel Rifa or two might come in handy too--one of the best lights for making talent look good, quick to set up, lightweight, and very easy to control with a grid or duvetyne skirt. Search eBay, you can find them for great prices. Probably more important than which lights you choose is your grip package, so make sure you don't skimp on bounces, flags, clamps, gels, frames, diff, etc.

I don't think they'll do 10-bit internal AND 4K60. That would threaten the FS5, and Sony doesn't have a habit of stepping on their pro line. Hard to imagine how they'll imagine 4K60 either, since the Mark II bodies already have to dim the screen significantly to avoid overheating in 4K30. My best guess is that they'll finally include 4K 10-bit HDMI out, maybe with a full-sized HDMI port, and 10-bit 1080p internally. 4K-wise, I'm not sure they actually can step up their game with their current hardware. Willing to be proven wrong, but...I wouldn't hold your breath. Improved AF seems like the most likely new addition, and one I'd absolutely love to see. Gimbal work with the current A7S can get pretty annoying without it.

Forums are probably the best place these days. The F35 has both pros and cons vs the UMP, but most F35s you see for sale will come with everything you need to shoot, whereas you'd still have to rig up your UMP. In terms of a 1080p s35 camera that shoots 4:4:4 at 10 or 12 bits with good DR and a nice motion cadence, the F3, F35, and Kinemini (without 4K upgrade) are the only real options I can think of.

F35? Global shutter, S35, 12-bit 4:4:4, insanely detailed 1080p, PL mount, nice DR/look. Only downside is it's a bit light-hungry and physically bulky, but they're extremely affordable these days if you look around.

Lol! You really think s35 was a standard created by Red? It was a standard film size for decades before that! DECADES. And ask your focus puller whether micro four thirds is easier to pull focus on than full frame. Go ahead, I'll wait.

Leica R 35mm Summicron or Contax Zeiss 28-85mm f/3.4-4.

Do we really need two topics on this?

If you want a 4K cinema camera on a tiny budget, the FS700 is no slouch. When paired with an external recorder, it offers essentially the same image quality as the FS5/FS7. It's not as good an image as the F3 from a noise, DR, and color standpoint, but stands up pretty well regardless--especially with solid lighting. Pass: Pharma All shot on the FS700, and we've gotten into almost a dozen festivals now.

The F3 will only transfer 1080/60 4:2:2 from a single SDI port if you have the 4:4:4 upgrade, because that upgrade also allows the SDI A port to work at 3G instead of 1.5G. The 60p will still be 4:2:2. I use my $1200 F3 with a BMVA I got secondhand for $300. It didn't even require me to update my media, because I was able to use the same SD cards I had in my Blackmagic Pocket. This package gives me great 1080p 4:2:2 at 24, 30, and 60 fps. Along with the great low light performance and excellent color/DR in S-LOG, I've had absolutely nothing to complain about on an image quality level. I know some people who have a poor opinion of the F3, and honestly agree with their reasons. Most of them have either A) shot the F3 without LOG, or B) shot on the internal codec. Safety Not Guaranteed proved that neither is a death sentence with a professional colorist, but the camera really only takes its place as one of the best 1080p sensors when utilizing both LOG and an external recorder. The earlier comparison between the C300, Epic, and F3 demonstrates that gap in image quality quite clearly. 4K can be nice to have in certain scenarios, but I haven't worked with an editor/director yet who didn't prefer a 1080 ProRes workflow. The F3's lower pixel count also helps with rolling shutter and battery life, both of which are superior to the UM4.6K (which I've used and liked). The whole "I'll shoot more if I get better gear" justification is wishful thinking; trust me, I told myself that for several years where I produced very little. Get the cheapest, most modestly specced camera that does what you need and looks nice, then use it until you push up against its limitations. Then assess from there.

Apparently the gang over at DVX User are still fans as well. http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthread.php?356594-Maximum-F3

Nope, because it only has one SDI in.

So... you're upset that Panasonic's flagship is better than their lower end cameras?

So here's the rub. An F3 with the 4:4:4 upgrade will output 1080/60 10-bit 4:2:2 from a single SDI cable into compatible recorders, like the BMVA. An F3 without the 4:4:4 upgrade will only output 1080/60 by utilizing both A and B SDI outputs in a dual link configuration to a recorder that supports it, like the Convergent Design Odyssey. Luckily, getting a 4:4:4 model is more a matter of diligence and patience than price; my good condition 4:4:4 model only ran me $1200.

All shot on F3.

F3 with the BMVA. In a heartbeat. Form factor takes some getting used to, but I actually find it very easy to operate on a tripod or with a back-weighted shoulder rig. You just have to set up your custom buttons properly. There are hard buttons/switches for almost everything, standard cinema I/O, and excellent reliability. Low light, DR, colors, roll off, and malleability in post (with an external recorder) are all outstanding. It has a ton of advantages over a comparable DSLR, too, like outstanding battery life, XLRs, internal NDs, interchangeable mounts, SDI out (hard to go back once you have it), more mounting points without the need for a cage, top handle for low angle shots, no record limit, and the most accurate peaking function I've ever used. My current rig is very simple: the F3 body with a simple rail/riser system and a Tilta follow focus, a camcorder battery with a d-tap output, and a Blackmagic Video Assist mounted to the top handle with power running to it from the d-tap. That means no multiple batteries to keep track of and a streamlined rig. As a 1080p cinema camera, it's the absolute best available for the money.