mercer

Omg, can you give it a rest with Samsung? Nikon has lasted 100 years in the camera business and Samsung couldn't last 10. With all of the tech in the world, the best camera ever made, the NX1, nobody bought. The NX500 has over a 2.5x crop. It was introduced at $799 and I bought mine 3 months later brand new for $350... so hardly a stellar sales performer. If anything sinks Nikon, it will not be the lack of video functions, the iPhone will.

Looks great. Love B&W. Do you not expose your Mark III Raw footage to the right?

Sony was smart when they started making and referring to their sensors as Super 35mm. IMO, it was a nod to their video users, if Nikon makes a similar move with their supposed upcoming mirrorless line, it may mean they are going to start taking video a little more serious. If that's enough to save them in the long run... who knows. If it has the bells and whistles I want in a Nikon mirrorless... I'll be a customer. Without a doubt, but most consumers don't want any camera, so since Canon and Nikon make the bulk of their money from their lenses, they make cameras for those lenses and who those lenses appeal to. Nikon isn't making a constant aperture 24-70mm zoom lens and charging over a grand for it arbitrarily. It's designed for the professional photographer or high end enthusiast. Potential iPhone consumers who want a camera isn't changing that.

I guess not... he had a press pass and everything. Lol. I think Nikon is making the right move. They do not need the D3xxx line and probably not one of the D5xxx or D7xxx line either. They also can combine the D7xx and D8xx line as well. With the extra money, they can invest in a solid mirrorless line with 4K aps-c video.

Very true, but in the market Nikon is concerned with, the idea that they aren't producing a great, competitive product isn't an accurate narrative either. Btw, while I have your ear... so to speak... when you had the 750, did you test the HDMI out to a Ninja Star? Am curious what that ProRes image would look like.

But they won't do it, they must continue to make generic cameras that appeal to the masses. If video is as important a segment as most people on this forum believe ( I don't think it is to Nikon and Canon) they will evolve or die. But they have a hundred year legacy and lack of video functions won't kill off that legacy any time soon. I was working in NYC a couple weeks ago. At the hotel, I was staying at, I spoke with a photographer who was covering the fashion show. One of my first questions was... Canon or Nikon? His reply... who cares about cameras... glass sells bodies.

We're in a strange time in the video market. A lot of these consumer cameras can be used for most segments of the video production market, but most camera below $2000 are in a neither here nor there position. They cater a little to everybody and not enough to anybody. I am only interested in these cameras for narratives. One of these days, sooner than later, I will start making one of the short or feature screenplays I've been writing and although there are plenty of options for cameras for NO BUDGET narratives, there are only a few that do not have an inherent video quality. In my opinion BlackMagic makes two of them, Nikon makes two (that I can speak for) and Canon (with the help of ML) has a couple on the used market. Right now, BlackMagic is the only company that is making cameras, at an inexpensive price point, for the indie, no to low budget filmmaker. I would love to see Nikon, or one of the majors jump in on it and crush them... give me a Nikon with BlackMagic specs, a tilting LCD, Nikon Flat in prores and maybe some 5-axis IBIS for $1500 or less and I will sell off everything but my Nikkors.

Idk, the D500 has been named the best camera of 2016 by numerous sites and magazines. The 4K video out of that camera, although cropped, looks like the most pristine 4K image of anything in that price range. If they put out a thousand dollar mirrorless, by definition alone it will be more video centric than their dslrs. Since they only seem to react to what Canon does, their next DSLR or mirrorless should have focus peaking, they already have zebras, mic input and headphone out... what more would they need? About once a year I do a spring cleaning of equipment... cameras and lenses I acquire while I'm bored during my work's busy season. I shoot and correct, to decide which, if any to keep. This year I had quite a few to clean out, but I just cannot let go of the D5500. Every time I use the camera, I want to pull some hair out because it is so frustrating to use sometimes, but then I get those images into the computer and tweak that Flat Profile a touch or two and goddamn if it isn't the most cinematic image at that price range. If I could only afford one camera at $500 or less, the D5500 would be it... without question. I just returned my a6500, and I was planning on getting the BMPCC as a replacement and although I still am planning to, after using the D5500 yesterday, the 4K from the D500 is calling me. I'm pretty sure I will stick with the BMPCC, but that Nikon Flat in 4K keeps whispering in my ear. If it were a few hundred cheaper, I would have ordered it by now.

Yeah monitoring rec709 helps a little, the screen is still faded but between that and focus peaking, which works great with the a6500, it is doable. And yes, the metal from the cage works as a heat sink. I didn't have any issues with Wasabi Brand batteries, but I only used the camera a few times, so I concede to Oliver's suggestion. With the IBIS, I found using a neck strap, keeping my elbows at my sides and pulling the strap taut helped. As Oliver said earlier, subtle slow movements are your friend... any quick pans or jerks and RS jello will invade the shot. Also, experiment with the sLog2 settings but don't obsess over them. A minor tweak here or there won't make much of a difference. In the end, with my RX10ii, I ended up using a combination of GeoffCB's GFilm and Flaat for the a7s... http://www.similaar.com/foto/flaat-a7s/download.html sLog3 is awesome but I almost recommend not even bother trying it because once you do you'll be chasing those 14 stops of DR and just end up in banding hell on half of your shots... but the ones that don't have any banding will look amazing. Also cine2 profile is your friend if you don't want to correct and grade sLog2... in fact a lot of people suggest using it over sLog due to the potential artifacts using sLog with an 8 bit codec. With a light hand in post, you shouldn't have too many issues with sLog... but overexpose by 1.3 or 1.7 stops, depending upon your light for best results. The a6500 has the ability to use auto ISO with manual lenses. You can set a minimum and maximum ISO... I used 800 and 1600, or sometimes 800 and 800. The cool part is now, even with manual lenses, in manual mode, you can use exposure compensation to set your +1.7 stops. If you don't have enough light, or too much, the meter will blink. It makes the camera's meter act as if you were shooting in Shutter Priority mode. Then if you're using a variable ND filter, you can adjust accordingly until the blinking stops.

Yeah, that would be my pick too. Then I would save up for the Raw add on and an Odyssey for 4K raw. But even the FS5's internal 10 bit 1080p looks pretty darn nice.

I don't want to rain on the GH5 parade, but I would assume that the camera will not be as good as hyped... it will be good... great even... just not the end all be all a lot of folks are making it out to be... or hoping it will be.

Unfortunately I just returned my a6500, not because it isn't an amazing camera... it really is... the resolution is mind blowing, the IQ is crazy good. I have been evaluating what I really need and I don't need both the RX10ii and the a6500 and since I found a "new other, open box" RX10ii for less than $900, I decided to keep that one instead. Now I just need to decide between buying a Nikon D500 or a BMPCC, but that's for another discussion... Onto the a6500... The screen isn't as hard to see when you set it for rec709 output while shooting 4K in sLog2. It's still faint but it's easier. Supposedly a cage will help dissipate the heat. Smallrig is releasing their a6500 cage and it looks like a great option. There probably is some type of dummy battery adapter that would help to get a major source of heat out of the camera... but I'm not sure With manual lenses, you have full 5-axis IBIS and it works really, really well, so if you plan on shooting handheld... which you will once you try it, you will not want to make your rig any heavier with an added monitor... imo.

The a6500 does have 5-axis IBIS. But yes, there is a risk of overheating, and yes the IQ is incredible. But I think it's over your budget.

That footage I didn't grade much at all. I shot the footage with my Nikkor 28mm f2 lens in the Flat Profile, corrected exposure, added some saturation and a little tint. Very little done to it. I was going for a slight "vintage" look. In this screengrab, I used the Sigma 17-50mm lens with a similar post technique but went for a little more "modern" look... Again, I went a touch overboard with film grain. I really have been enjoying this little camera, so much so, I am contemplating getting a D500 for 4K and the EIS in 1080p.

Other than the D750 being full frame and the D5500 being aps-c, the codecs and bitrates are the same. The D750 does have some extra features though... like zebras, a better movie menu, ability to meter with ai-s lenses, etc... If you decide to go with the D5500, you may want to pick up a 5600 instead, it has a couple minor video features that are missing from the 5500... like smooth movie time lapse.

What are you going to replace it with... FS5?

By owning and running a very popular blog for professional, enthusiast and hobbyist videographers, you should reach out to Nikon and suggest they include Raw video on their upcoming D750 successor. Based upon the semi-recent news from Nikon hacker, we know that Raw video is at least possible with their hardware/software. I believe the D500 shoots 12 & 14 bit Raw, so these new cards should be more than fast enough for at least 12bit Raw. Since Nikon has zero high end video products to protect, they may be the perfect fit for the first prosumer camera to include Raw video... Unlikely they would take a chance on it, but I bet you could get an ear to listen and argue your case.

Beautiful work.

Pixelvision

Yeah, slight lateral movement shifting your weight back and forth and Canon's software based IS fine. The point of the test was just to see what it could do while walking. Will it or can it replace a steadicam, gimbal or dolly... no... obviously. Could hardware based 5-axis IBIS replace a steadicam, gimbal or dolly... another no... obviously.

Yeah obviously no in camera stabilization, software or hardware based is made for drastic movements... or any movement really.

I'm so spoiled by IBIS, I'm unsure I can go back to a tripod or monopod. I shot that D5500 video last September and I don't think I've used a monopod or tripod since. Do you know how well OIS lenses work with the Pocket cam? I'm half tempted to buy a Metabones EF to BMPCC speedbooster and that Sigma 17-50mm... just so I can shoot handheld.

Yeah, you're right. I already have a cage, a Metabones Nikon BMPCC Speedbooster, an extra Pocket Battery, so I need to just get a Pocket cam and be done with it, but I just really like the IBIS on the a6500... and the clean 1080p on my D5500... and the point and shoot aspect of my RX10ii... I need to just go back to screenwriting... I don't think so... I think Gorilla Grain comes as an MOV file that you add as an overlay.

Yeah it may be more subtle by buying some gorilla grain and doing an overlay or a blend. Thanks.

Honestly, I would love to see what you could do with a t2i or a D5500.