Tim Sewell

I recently acquired a Godox SL60W and a SL300W - both seem excellent VFM so far.

I've just seen some LED panels built in UK called Softy Lite: http://www.softylite.com/index.html They're on EBay at £47 a shot - has anyone experienced these? What are your views (whether you've tried them or not) on what's on offer here?

Thanks guys. For now I've gone with a FalconEyes FP7, which looks to be a (pretty good) copy of the PilotFly AtomCube. It just arrived and, while I haven't tested with the camera yet, it seems to put out just sufficient light for my current needs.

Thank you for your kind words! Quite a while ago I had a Mk2, which I liked a lot, but had to sell. With this, I happened to spot one on Ebay that had no bids and a low reserve, which meant I got it for £500. Now, I don't make money from video, but at that price I figured it was cheap enough to have as a 'family' video camera. I have to say, in many ways, I prefer it to the Mk2. It's got the DPAF upgrade and all said, coupled with - in the video above - the 17-55 2.8 it's just a really simple, non-intimidating camera to use. It gets out of the way and lets you concentrate on the creative bits of shooting moving pictures. I also like that I can, if I want, use it fully stripped down - although in general I'm preferring it with the Zacuto EVF I managed to pick up, also for a song, on that well-known auction site! Next project is a short narrative piece, for which I'll start lighting and grading tests tonight. Can't wait!

For my next burst of lockdown creativity I'm going to need to shoot some CU and MCUs night for night. The keylight will be tungsten illumination from inside, but I also want some blue fill from the other side. I was trying to remember the code for the filter gel to get that nice steely fake night blue (and if anyone can remind me, that would be great) but then I got to thinking it's payday and the pubs aren't going to open any time soon, so maybe I should get an RGB LED light source instead. So can anyone point me towards a reasonably punchy RGB panel (other fixtures may also be considered) that will suffice, if necessary as a key in low light, for around or under GBP250? Preferably with a UK or EU supplier. Many thanks, filmic funsters!

I accidentally bought an OG C100 during lockdown! This is my first outing with it - although there's not a lot of action around at the moment!

I haven't bought or used any video gear for over a year, but yesterday I accidentally picked up an OG Canon C100 for GBP500. Oh well.

They're from 2014, and shot on mainly Alexa Studio, but there are a whole bunch of things shot by DoP John De Borman demonstrating Cooke Lenses, including lots of low-light and city stuff. Here's one: https://vimeo.com/89719974 - I'm sure you can track down the rest. I don't know if the original files are available, but given the target audience I expect a visit to the Cooke website might yield some results for you.

This new X-T2 firmware will be like getting a new camera. Top marks to Fuji.

It's the gift that keeps on giving.

Yep. Works particularly well with teh SLR Magic Rangefinder, or so I hear.

Your aggression and unpleasantness is starting to seriously impact the enjoyment that others derive from this forum. You derail thread after thread with your deeply insulting scattergun imprecations. We get that you don't like what Fuji have done with their new camera and we get that you don't like Mattias. So why don't you do the adult thing and leave both this thread and his posts well alone. Edit: for the avoidance of doubt, I'll be using the ignore feature from now on. I shouldn't have to do that, in a generally respectful forum.

Damn! I just bought one that looks just like that. The sales guy told me it was Apple's new 'distressed look' version. He said anything I watch on it will automatically look like it was shot by Vincent Gallo. I can't work out how to turn it on though.

Every job is hard work. That's why it's called 'work'. If one wants to do one of these jobs that are fun, that have far more wannabees than well-paid practitioners, then you have to be prepared to starve a little to get into them. It's always been that way. Of course, there was a period when it was considerably easier to make a living in photography - I did it for a while and did pretty well, but it was always precarious because marketing, advertising, even wedding photography; all that stuff is the first thing to get cut when times are hard. there have always been just a few people at the top who can ride out anything going on in the wider economy and then a lower tier of people who do well when times are good and not so well when things go south. That's why @Mattias Burling is right on the money when he talks about having many strings to your bow. If you're skilled and enthusiastic in a wide range of related activities - copy, reportage, photography, videography, AV etc etc then you can still do well - especially if you're prepared to relocate to somewhere with a thriving media market. It's tough and it's not for everybody. For me - I somehow acquired 3 kids and maybe I hadn't developed my business enough by that point, maybe I wanted to 9-5 to spend time with them, maybe I just plain and simple wasn't good enough at it - but I discovered I could make more in 2 days writing software than I could in a week doing stuff I really wanted to do and the trade off - in terms of supporting a family - just wasn't worth it. But if you're good, have wide range of skills and talent, don't mind hard work, are highly adaptable, make your own opportunities - there's probably never been a better time to make a good living in the creative industries.

Another 'shot by a photographer' sample:

And Ram Rockwell!

Definitely happy news to brighten a Monday morning.

@BTM_Pix - peace and love, peace and love.

Seeing as arguing is the new co-operating here at EOSHD: https://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/100-greatest-drummers-of-all-time-20160331/ringo-starr-20160325

I'm not aware of the forum rule that outlaws 'wild conjecture'.

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=Arri+LF+sensor

I have no skin in this game, but on the Fuji camera forum I frequent a couple of people who have received their X-H1s are reporting that the AF is noticeably quicker. Obviously that's for stills - and they haven't detailed the lenses used - but I guess we shouldn't dismiss it too early. Those of us who use Fuji cams know that there is a difference similar to that between the weather in England right now and that enjoyed in the Florida Keys in AF performance between lenses.

Haha - even the bag is £232!

We should keep it going as a sticky and change the title to 'Shit-posting thread' for when anyone feels like letting off steam.

The reason, apart from habit and intransigence, for choosing Arri/Panavision (and to a lesser extent Red/Sony, and recently Panasonic) has always been the issue of reliability and availability. You don't want to stand down a million dollar a day set while you wait for a broken camera to be repaired or replaced and the big boys have that professional level of service down to a tee. Now I don't personally think that any currently available prosumer camera along the lines of GH5 etc yet has the effortless cinematic qualities of an Alexa, but it's easy to see that it won't be that long before they might. At that point we may reach an interesting tipping point where the whole reliability/repair/spares issue becomes moot as a production can just buy 50 of the things and still be quids in on their camera department costs. Interesting times.