mercer

However you make a great point @jonpais ... how do you think the majority of viewers watch videos online? And if you create content that is specifically made for those people, would it affect what gear you used?

My point being there is such a stigma about Canon cameras on these forums when Canon DSLRs have and still are being used on network television. I work in the trade show industry and easily 95% of all trade show videographers use Canon DSLRs or C100s. I’ve seen a few Sony’s and strangely, one BlackMagic Pocket. Obviously this is anecdotal, but I am just referencing what I’ve noticed on the trade show floor. And I would bet that other than this microcosm of pros, the majority of small budgeted videography is shot on Canon cameras... be it DSLRs or the C series. But back to the point, it is not my intention to persuade Mark into buying a Canon, I was merely stating there are options and if color and AF are top priorities, then Canon is definitely worth looking into. I only asked you if you’ve ever used a Canon is because I know how obsessed you are with color, so I thought you may enjoy testing out a Canon... be it an 80D or a 5D4. Maybe hold off on another couple Veydra lenses and give a Canon camera a shot... it would make a great blog post for you ?. I bet it looks great. I look at a lot of videos online and I mostly use my phone, but then when I find one I am particularly fond of, I’ll watch it on my 40” . I try to separate things because I can be easily distracted... so I have a laptop and iPad for screenwriting, a laptop for editing, and then I just use my phone for watching videos, posting/reading forums, Instagram, etc...

No, unfortunately I do not have a 55” tv or access to one.

@jonpais have you ever owned a Canon? Just curious, I know you’re a Panny guy who has dabbled with Fuji, but I don’t remember hearing if you started shooting with Panny, or like many of us, started with a t2i?

Buy a Canon and be happy with the colors and the AF. ?

I saw that and yes it isn’t bad but not quite as smooth as the Canon... especially with DPAF using a considerable amount less of AF points than the Sony variant.

DPAF is basically like having a Hollywood focus puller walking around with you. Sony’s PDAF is decent but they’re still at least a product cycle behind Canon’s DPAF. And since Canon isn’t going to stop developing their AF capabilities, I don’t know if any company will ever catch up. Honestly, I don’t really like saying you need to buy this camera or that camera... everybody’s needs are different. But if you’re uncertain between the D750 and the a6500, then maybe explore other options. And there are plenty of options out there. I mentioned Canon because of their AF and color science. If you’re happy with the a6500, stick with that. I have no horse in this race. I hear ya... I edit ML Raw to ProRes with 2014 MacBook Air... I’ve always converted my footage to ProRes, every footage I’ve ever shot with every camera I ever shot with, and they work beautifully without issue on FCPX. So even old t2i footage had huge file sizes but they were optimized for FCPX, so it was never an issue. Do you edit native files?

I had the a6500 for a while and felt the IBIS was very good, especially at fixing the RS issue, but then when I bought my 5D3 and 24-70mm f4, I was blown away by how steady that lens is. The IS on that lens gets great reviews, so I just figured it was a one off. But then I bought the 35mm f/2 and was blown away yet again by how steady the lens is. With a strap and my elbows at my sides, it’s damn near rock solid. With that being said, my comment wasn’t intended to be a pissing match between Canon IS lenses and Sony IBIS, I just wanted to express that I know IBIS is tempting but the OIS on Canon lenses is pretty impressive and often goes unmentioned. I understand why people are annoyed with the large file sizes of mjpeg, but since storage is pretty much the cheapest of “accessories,” it never really bothered me much. Anyway just throwing it out there in case Mark hasn’t considered it. Honestly Mark would probably do well with almost any camera on the market since I would imagine most real estate videos are watched on cell phones. If I were shooting real estate, weddings, trade shows, or any event really, I would think AF would be one of the most important features needed, so I would stop reading this site and go buy a Canon.

Your videos look nice. It’s interesting that the client wants that Canon look. Are they a big enough of a client to pick up a 5D4 or an 80D if 1080p is good enough?

Really, that’s pretty good. I had an Ikan monitor that ran off the same Canon batteries and it was annoying because they wouldn’t die at the same time so it seemed every half hour to forty five minutes I was changing one of the batteries.

The battery life is definitely better than the Pocket, but it’s still not great. If you can get 45min out of a battery, you did pretty good. A couple of my aftermarket batteries would rapidly drop after the 30min mark.

Well, Mark already said he has sold off most of his Nikkor, Nikon Mount lenses, so it is not entirely unreasonable to go to Canon... especially since refurbished 5D4s recently popped up on the Canon store, during a sale, for less than $2400. Best AF in business saves time. Also Canon lenses with IS are as good as Sony IBIS. So if he didn’t have the $3500 for a D850, he may have $2500 for a 5D4.

So, I’ve been using the histogram with ETTR Hint since I started shooting ML Raw and for the most part it’s been pretty good to me but during my most recent shoot, the exposure seemed off and perhaps too high. It was much harder for me to use my regular color workflow on the clips. Here are a few shots I did that turned out okay... Anyway I remember reading that most people like using the spot meter... or recommend it for the most accuracy? I had a few minutes today and I tried out the Histobar with clipping warning and even though I couldn’t see which color channels were clipping, I preferred that it was at the bottom of the screen compared to the Raw Histogram. Does anyone else use the Raw Histobar and do you have any pointers?

I get that, it seems like you already know your answer... crazy or not. I started with video and a t2i. I eventually bought an eos-m and for a good 2-3 years I was happy. And then I decided I needed 4K and since Canon is Canon, I had to look elsewhere. And after testing almost every brand of consumer 4K, my old eos-m videos were still amongst my favorite. I also had a D5500 for a while and that was the closest image I could find to the Canon as far as enjoyable colors, but it didn’t have IBIS and I still thought I needed 4K... so... Eventually while deciding I was going to buy a GH5, I came across a 5D3 ML Raw video and I was hooked... Everything I loved about the Canon colors yet in Raw video... So instead of going with the new, shiny camera with every feature I could ever need, I spent more on a 5 year old camera... and I haven’t looked back. Now I am just a hobbyist, so obviously you have to base your decision on other things, so selling off the D750 may make the most sense, but in the process you will probably miss those Nikon colors with every photo you process and every video you edit/grade. But if I was doing RE or event work, I would be primarily concerned with AF, so I would most likely buy a Canon 80D and do as much work as possible until I could afford a 5D4 or a 1DXii. Or I’d get an 80D and a C100ii and expand my business from two fronts. I would imagine a dedicated video camera could be a marketable package to potential clients?

Unsure, why this was quoted. This site acts funny sometimes. Anyway, I don’t know if you wrote this somewhere but what lenses do you own for either system or both? I still think the D850 may be the smartest investment for you, or a 5D IV if you’re interested in the Canon ecosystem at all.

If the C200 was Canon’s only cinema camera, then I may agree with you, but since they have multiple cameras for almost every budget level, then I have to disagree. The genius of the C200 is that it is at a good price point for two totally different budgets. If you have a large budget and want to work with Raw or if you have a low budget but have the time to invest in Raw.

The D750’s color is so effortless. I really think you will miss it. Yeah if you need a camera now or soon, I would definitely sell the D750 and buy the D850, if you can afford it. It has everything you need except IBIS... but you’ve been going without that for how long now? I had an A6500 last January, and I loved the 4K out of that camera, but I returned it because I got the dreaded overheating warning after shooting a dozen 10-30 second clips in 40 degree Fahrenheit weather. It didn’t shut off but I stopped filming after the warning popped up, then went home, boxed it up and sent it back. Of course, it’s better than the RX100 V I tested last December, that camera shut off after using the menu and no video recorded.

Hmm... I would do one of two things... especially since you have been weighing this decision for a while now.... 1. Keep the D750 and get a G85 or GX85 for handheld 4K when needed. @kidzrevil has shown what can be done with those small Panny 4K cameras. Or... 2. Since the D750 is due for a replacement within the next year or so, sell it now while you can make the most bank from it and then instead of the A6500 but a D850 instead. You’ll have D750 level 1080p with focus peaking, internal VR (although digital) and for those jobs where you need 4K, you have near 1DC level quality. If you can put the money together I would choose number 2. Thanks for reposting Mattias’ D750 video. It’s simply gorgeous. His color work is so good and effortless. Now I want a D750... thanks...

@kidzrevil do you mean the E-M10 Mark iii... which is a barebones $650 camera comparable to the GX85. The E-M1 Mark II is their $2000 (although there’s a big Olympus sale now that has $200 off the E-M1 Mark II and Samy’s Camera has a couple New Open Box models for $1599) and that model has the 5.5 stops. 237mbps Cinema 4K plus a 202mbps All-I 1080p... Olympus’ nomenclature is so damn confusing. But honestly I’m not sure. It is a 2x crop so I assume it would be, but I’ve never used a speed booster before, so I am only guessing from what I’ve read.

Yeah Fuji is nice. I read Noam Kroll’s blog and although he shoots mostly with cinema cameras now, this past summer when he decided to get a dslr/mirrorless, he went with the X-T2 over the GH5. The G9 seems okay. I still think the GH5 makes more sense since they’re essentially the same price now. But I understand you’re reasoning behind the G9. My friend picked up his first 4K camera the other day, the E-M10 Mark iii and even with its measley 4 stops of IBIS, I found it better than the GX85’s. And the color was fantastic... so organic. The E-M1 Mark II has 5.5 stops, so that camera will probably have IBIS as good, or better than the advertised 6.5 of the G9. Olympus IBIS is pure insanity. I saw a video from it and it looked like steadicam footage even while walking. These cameras are crazy now. As you know I love my 5D3 but I am contemplating a cheap Olympus or Fuji. Even the 1080p out of the E-M10 Mark II looks pretty damn good and for $400 would be perfect for the hybrid hobby use I want a second camera for.

Damn Jon, put away that GH5 for a little while and pick up that X-T2. That Acros looks epic. If you throw on a little grain it will look like early press footage from the Vietnam War. Also please test out some 1080p ProRes F-Log with your BlackMagic Video Assist. I’ve been looking for a second camera... maybe I should have a second look at the X-T20. Acros and Takumar lenses could be a killer combo.

Man, watching that comparison makes me want the C200 even more. But the A6500 is a great camera.

Has anyone ever used the Canon L 100mm f/2.8 macro lens with IS?

Here’s my horrible Voigtlander 25mm 0.95 video shot wide open. This was shot with a BMMCC, a truly unremarkable camera and lens combo, unfortunately... This really sucks so be forewarned...

Total different arena. The Fujis have drastically different body styles and their larger sensor equates to more users, so they can make multiple models to cater to different types of shooters. Is there that large of a Panasonic still shooter user base? Panasonic really seemed to be cornering the Hybrid shooter market but I just don’t see how two cameras at the same price point makes much sense. The more you get with the GH5 vs the G9 is insane for the same amount of money, so I agree a videographer won’t get a G9 instead of a GH5, but a micro 4/3 photographer may get a GH5 instead of a G9. If the G9 had cost $1000 to $1400, some shooters may have bought both. At $1700, Panasonic is solely going for the Micro 4/3 photographer that may shoot a very little amount of video but is there anything a Panasonic stills camera can do better than an Olympus? The pricing and the concept seems neither here nor there. IMO. But that’s why they make vanilla and chocolate. And I’m sure it will be a great camera.