mercer

Yeah, the Komodo is an amazing little camera. But like you said, there are some crazy deals out there. I often look to see how much the original Scarlet or Raven is going for.

Well, he said he wanted to make a film. These hybrids can only take you so far. Hopefully, he'll update us on his process of building a rig. The Dragon is a fairly small camera, so it will be interesting to see how compact he can keep it.

I think there is some merit to the idea that m4/3 may not have a long future ahead of it, but with the GH6 release, OM-1 and Leica's recent 9mm release, it has a few years left. The issue with m4/3 is the cost. They were appealing when you could get the GH2 for $799, but they are getting a bit expensive. I understand you're paying for features, but there is a stigma that one shouldn't pay $500 more for a m4/3 camera than a FF. Obviously I'm not privy to Panasonic's manufacturing and marketing costs of the GH6, but I can only assume that they'd still be making a buttload of money on the GH6 if they sold it for $1599. I fully understand I may be contradicting my earlier statement about how amazing the GH6 is for the money, but there are other factors that go into the consumer's thought pattern and although I think that the features are pretty great for the price... it's still a lot of money for a m4/3 camera when you don't have a cheaper model.

M4/3 definitely has its advantages. I shot a short film recently and pulling focus while my actor was walking to or away from the camera was a major pain in the ass. After 3 or 4 takes and some coverage, I knew I had enough to cobble together the scene, so I just gave up. With a smaller format, I could have stopped down to 5.6 and could have wiggled the focus ring for the last few feet... In some ways, I'd love a camcorder... focus was never an issue when they reigned supreme. If Panasonic puts ProRes into one of their 1/2in or 1in camcorders, I may just bite. I'd love an updated FZ2500 with ProRes. But since we're talking FF here, I must admit that I really like what Panasonic has accomplished with their line up. A freaking S5 is on sale for $1499... that's pretty crazy. And I must admit that I was tempted. But I think all of the manufacturers are putting out nice cameras. I wish they were cheaper, though. The image from the Canon offerings are pretty damn nice... even the R6 has some special, filmic mojo to it. The R5C and the R3... let's just say I wish I was a wealthier man.

I get that... but it shoots ProRes! I noticed there are a few videos that try to show that the h.265 is just as good as the ProRes, but we all know that is BS. If h.265 was just as good, Hollywood production companies would choose an S1 over the Alexa LF. And with that said... I don't really care what people use. But if I were to buy a brand new camera and get into a new system, the GH6 would be up there. I'll probably buy a used FP before that ever happens though... because what a cool little effin camera. But don't you have an Alexa? What else do you need? Of course, I'm not a DP... I'm a hobbyist wannabe narrative filmmaker... so my needs rarely align with most members of the forum.

I'm probably the last person who should contribute to this conversation. The last time I bought a new camera was over 5 years ago and the camera was released 5 years before that. With that said, I think the GH6 is the best camera on the market right now. Internal 5.7K ProRes with IBIS, 4 channels of audio, etc... I mean it's $2200! For internal ProRes and an image that comes damn close to the Red Komodo. I wish Panasonic could extend that ProRes license to one of their cheaper m4/3 cameras... maybe a 2K ProRes camera at half the price... that would be a genius move. And with that said, I do prefer full frame. I like using vintage lenses and not have to do math every time I decide what lens to use... especially since you need a speedbooster to get the most from the lens. And with that said... I'm cheap and I know what I need. I have a camera that works perfectly fine. I don't need 6K. I doubt anyone in the prosumer market does. So I'd wait for a big sale or to see when they release their ProRes FW. But man... the GH6 is a pretty special camera. Sure you can get a P4K for $1299, but you're adding a lot of money to make it workable and it's a huge beast of an ugly camera.

Thanks for trying. Just a thought from IgnorantVille... is it possible there's another line of code needed to recognize/enable the all-i codecs?

Without a doubt. I would assume that as long as you can see a little detail in the clouds, you should be good to go.

Yup, more than likely, the meter inconsistency is consistent, so with ND, VND and/or exposure compensation, it should be fairly straightforward to get consistent results. I agree that ETTR isn't optimal, but as you know, a 12bit raw image should give you a lot of leeway in Resolve's Raw Panel. To add to your greater point... I think I would use the FP as simple as possible... I'd probably monitor it with the Monochrome profile, use the in camera, center weighted meter, run some tests and adjust accordingly. I'd also use a wide angle lens that vignettes a little to take the edge off the highlights, or add a slight vignette in post to soften the highlights when needed. With my 5D3, I can't even review clips, so the FP seems like a luxury to me in a lot of ways. Btw, the Digital Bolex is one of my dream cameras. It must be great to have one.

No matter how you look at it, the FP is barely a prosumer camera. It apparently has its quirks, but it seems to me that as long as you protect your highlights, or adjust exposure of the in-camera meter reading with whatever the inconsistency is, then you should be able to get a consistent exposure... if it's reading a stop under then adjust accordingly. As I said previously, I don't know a lot about ACES and have found your contribution to the discussion very interesting. I wasn't really speaking of anybody specifically. Since the FP was released, there has been a steady flow of discussions that make it seem like the camera is almost unusable. And I have seen more than enough samples from the FP that screams otherwise and most of the creators from those videos rarely discuss these issues. So it seems that some of the complaints are either overblown or created from theory rather than practicality. I assume we have all shot in imperfect scenarios and we just have to make it work. But I'm usually the minority around here. I see the FP as what it is... the smallest FF raw video camera and that's how I would use it... a handgrip, a lens and a camera strap. Other than the added size due to the SSD, I feel like I should be able to slip it into a pocket in between shots. But I shoot DIY, run and gun narratives, so YMMV.

I didn't mean any disrespect to you or anyone specifically. I've been very interested in the FP since it was released. It seems like a natural progression for me, but it also is too similar. But it also seems like the true successor to the OG Pocket. With that said, the FP is basically a camera with 12 stops of DR and 2 native ISOs. As long as you protect the highlights, the rest can be tweaked in post. As far as color... there seems to be a dozen different ways to get to a similar point. You can use the Camera Raw Panel in Rec709 and adjust your exposure, WB and saturation. You can process the clips as BM Film, then use LUTS or grade from hand, or you can do a CS/ACES Transform and process as LogC. Anything more than those 3 are probably more complicated than necessary for a $1500 camera. I process my footage through Resolve as BM Film or sometimes as a LogC CST... depending on the footage... then export as ProRes 4444 for a final color and edit in FCPX. I've also found that processing the footage as BM Film and then use the Ursa 4.6K to Rec709 LUT really opens up the waveform and utilizes most of the available DR of the image. At that point you can adjust your skintones where you want them to be in the Raw Panel... etc. An aggressive highlight curve can usually add some depth to your highlights Anyway, just my two cents.

I may be completely wrong here, but it seems like a lot of people are overthinking the workflow of this camera... from exposure to color... I don't know if it should be this problematic. Perhaps I am so used to workarounds with my 5D3 and ML Raw, so I don't understand the issues. But it shouldn't be this difficult.

Thanks I'll have to do more research into using ACES. I'd like to test it with my ML Raw files.

Interesting. Where do I find the CDNG IDT in Resolve?

I wish I knew when the 1080p/4K ProRes is coming? I'm interested in the GH6, but ONLY for the ProRes. I'm getting a new computer soon, so the 6K would be okay, but it's overkill for my needs.

I've always been a fan of CineLikeD. It felt like a designed version of ProLost Flat as opposed to just optimal settings to get a flattish profile. I have a BMMCC as a pseudo second camera (which I never really use) for its ProRes capabilities (FCPX user) so I wondered if it would be worth selling the micro to put that money toward a GH6... I'm still really happy with my 5D3, so I probably won't. Haha. Anyway, just curious. Thanks.

This was mentioned earlier, but I forget the actual numbers... what are the ISOs for DR Boost in CineLikeD? Also, is the ProRes a variable bitrate? And if so, will the picture profile affect the bitrate? Would vLog have less bitrate, because it's flatter, than a Rec709 profile like CineLikeD... or is variable bitrate affected more by motion?

Thanks Panny. The 35mm is a great lens and it's decently priced. Of course, I think Canon recently discontinued it, so the used ones seemed to have went up in price a bit, but you can sometimes find a refurbished one on the Canon site for a reasonable price and a warranty. Canon USM lenses are a mixture of mechanical and electrical, so the focus ring will keep spinning around externally, but if you pay attention to your focus, you can feel the hard stop internally. So... it kinda has hard stops. My other actor is still around... I think he was holding a reflector in one of those shots and he's in the Grim Reaper costume in the other. If you're dying to see some shots of him... Here he is in a test I was doing with the older Sigma 50mm 1.4... such a great lens... with one of the worse focus rings I've ever used...

I shot a short film yesterday and used the Canon 35mm f/2 for a few shots. What a great utility prime with IS. Here are a few shots with a quick LUT thrown on. The film may end up being in B&W.

Also, this idea seems personal, so I wouldn't recommend taking too many ideas from others this early on. Only you know the story you want to tell. The beginning and the ending are the two most important parts of any screenplay. They feed off one another. You should know your ending before you even start writing page one.

Read The Nutshell Technique. It's a simple structure that will keep Heath, your theme and your plot coexisting throughout the story.

On some level, you're probably right. Slowing down and finding the shot based on what you want to communicate will yield better results. Even in this video, Andrew's use of Dutch Angles superimposes a different feel of the city. It's like every puddle has a story to tell. With that, I still feel like there is something missing from these newer cameras. With all of their advancements in color depth and resolution, the images look more brittle and similar. Obviously, there are exceptions... and maybe I'm just being nostalgic.

Thanks for posting this. @Andrew Reid I really enjoy your older work. Before you sell off the site, it could be fun to see you revisit some of these classic cameras. For a site based on gear and tech and how they merge to create a craftsman's tool, one intangible variable, often overlooked is mojo and it oozes from some of these older cameras. I don't know what has changed over the past 10 years, but these newer cameras seem to lack it. On a side note, I came to your site for your reviews and stayed due to these videos that accompanied them. Thanks and good luck with your future endeavors.

As much as I agree with the statement that if it looks good, it is good, I must question the point of shooting with an S1H if you're not using vLog? You're probably losing at least a stop of dynamic range. So it's very possible you're getting around 10.5 stops. You may as well shoot with a Canon or Sony and get excellent AF. Why make life difficult when there's money involved. The bride couldn't care less about the cool waveform feature.

Yeah, I like f/2.8-f/4 on FF. I'll shoot f/2 if there isn't a lot of movement to get some separation. Weirdly, I'm really interested to see how the 3K raw S16 crop mode looks.