mercer

Cool! Out of curiosity, how did you guys get those jobs when you first started? Nice small set up. It looks tiny on that tripod. And the SmallHD monitor looks tiny on the camera. What lens(es) were you using?

First I will say, nice shots. It took me a minute to realize what the second one was... and I still am unsure if it's tree bark or a tribute to Allister Crowley. Second I must admit that of all the lenses I have owned over the years, I think the EF 50mm 1.4 USM lens is an underrated gem for the price. Do you remember what aperture these were shot at? And finally, you could get some work color grading feature films. There is such a rich, modern style to your work, especially in the midtones.

In another thread, @thebrothersthre3 was discussing a feature he is filming on the P4K. I'm curious to hear more about the project, or more importantly, how the P4K is working on a long form project. I know you direct as well as shoot, so I guess first and foremost I'd like to know if it's your film, or are you the DP? Also, do you have a picture of the rig? What kind of lighting are you using? And finally, are there any impediments, or have you had any issues, using the P4K for a feature film narrative?

I believe you're correct but the horizontal FOV would be equivalent to a 67mm lens and the vertical would be a 100mm. But I think the crop factor on the P4K is 1.89x, so then it would make the horizontal FOV equivalent to a 64mm lens. I think?

Yeah, I use a mixture of tripods and monopods. I'd rather sit on the pointy end of my monopod than use a gimbal.

I'm sorry but using any lens ever made with just the camera body and a strap with little need for extra stabilization is too appealing to me as I get older. I haven't decided which is more important to me though... IBIS or raw video. Luckily, I have plenty of time to decide while I sit back and enjoy my 14 bit raw... 12 bit is for amateurs...???

This is the one comment from today that I can agree with and that's why I have no reason to upgrade just yet, but if I was going to... I'd still choose the S1H... especially after looking at those videos I posted again.

Are you shooting B-Raw or ProRes. Since I'm an FCPX user, ProRes sounds more intriguing to me but it's hard to go back to in camera WB when you get used to raw video. Sorry to the thread for the OT. I'll move the discussion to the P4K forum. I've seen some amazing stuff shot with the S1H. Sorry if these have been posted here already...

Good to know! At the price point, I wouldn't be surprised if I buy one sometime next year. I also like that they added a S16 mode to the camera. I'm very lucky to have a circle of very talented friends, so I have access to a few actors I can use for free but it's hard to schedule everybody at the same time, so I could see myself starting another film while I'm finishing my current project and your experience made me a little more interested in the P4K as a possible option. Have you used the Small HD focus with the P4K? If so, how much battery life do you get?

I'm glad you love your camera. The tools we use sometimes become a very big reason for productivity... so anything that works for you. With that being said, the P4K vs. the S1H is hardly a fair comparison. The P4K beats the S1H for price and the S1H beats the P4K for FF and run & gun. The P6K is where the comparison should be and when you crunch the numbers, including accessories, they're essentially the same price.

In practice, does overcoming the battery problem require an external battery solution? If so, then it's a pain in the ass for run & gun shooting, IMO. It's these things that make the S1H a better option IMO and worth the extra money. When you add IBIS and a true anamorphic mode, plus that dreaded Netflix approval... lol... the chips stack up in the S1H's favor. Even it's ability to track focus (although poorly) adds some value. I wouldn't hesitate to get a lot of coverage so I could edit some tracking shots together.

The BMPCC 4K was announced in April 2018 at the NAB show. The first units started shipping in September of 2018 with a lot of the preorders not being filled until way into 2019. In fact, I think some people hadn't received their preorder of the P4K until after the P6K started shipping. I liked the body of the OG Pocket... it fit perfectly in your hand but the screen was unusable in daylight... I thought the P4K suffered from the same problem?

Their menus were always good and sensible. Their focus peaking is probably the most accurate on the market. The problem with their cameras is battery life and their screens and there are no indications that they are any better than the OG Pocket, except the batteries are more expensive. I know you disagree with this but for me, it's a non-starter.

How long should it take with a 1 man crew? Lol. Seriously, though. I am about 2 years into mine with probably another year to go... but I have had some set backs over that time and 3/4 of the year, I shoot 1 day a month. Ok, but which year? Lol. Oh yeah, I love my camera. I'll get another year or two out of it before I really feel the need for an upgrade. Btw, the 5D3 with ML Raw shoots full frame 14 bit raw both uncompressed and lossless.

To add... I haven't used the S1H or the new BMPCC 4K/6K cameras. My opinion is entirely based on footage, features and experience with older model Panasonic and Blackmagic cameras... so in summation... what the fuck do I know?!?!?!

Exactly. Even though my dream is to make a feature narrative film, at the end of the day... today anyway... I am still just a hobbyist. Between my day job, and life in general, finding the time and money to work on my film is a difficult task, so any piece of equipment... be it camera, lens, support, lighting or audio... needs to make the process easier. And speaking for myself only, BlackMagic cameras are a pain in the ass to use. There is always some corner that needs to be cut, always something that needs to be rigged just to get a viewable image or a decent bit of battery life. This has nothing to do with the image or the file sizes, or anything else... for pure image quality, they cannot be beat at their price point... especially when you consider how cheap the OG Pocket and Micro can be bought for. But for TRUE run & gun, there are better options and the S1H, other than internal raw, ticks every box I would want in a new camera... if I was in the market for one. With that said, that's why the S1H gets my vote for camera of the year and Sigma gets an honorable mention for what they were able to achieve with the FP and more specifically... internal 8bit 4K raw. It's really quite an astonishing feat for such a small full frame camera.

Deleted comment because I didn't want anybody to take my joke too literally.

Since Emanuel... and friends... want to discuss BM Cameras so badly, I figured I'd add that the one place where BM has Panasonic beat, in regards to the S1H, is in price. Although I am sure the S1H may be worth the $4000, but I can't help to imagine how many more people would have bought it at $3000. But I think Panasonic's pricing has been a little hefty since the GH5 and I think Fuji, BlackMagic and now Sigma confirms this. IMO, the GH5 should have been a $1500 camera, the GH5s should have had IBIS and been $2000, the S1 should have also been $2000, the S1R at $2500 and the S1H at $3000. There is just too much competition in this niche market for Panasonic to charge such a premium. With that said, if I was a wealthier man and had an extra 4 grand lying around, I'd buy an S1H in a heartbeat. EDIT - to add so there isn't any confusion with Emanuel, I understand 12bit trumps 10bit and I am sure there are other features, other than price, where one could argue the P6K is better than the S1H.

I've had flash drives not show up on the desktop but would show up in FCPX and/or Resolve.

With all due respect, Emmanuel, your points sometimes get lost in your broken English. For instance, I have no idea what Storaro has to do with a Netflix camera greenlight? With that said, I agree that the S1H's Netflix A-cam approval means little to most filmmakers unless they have a production deal with Netflix. But the fact that it's been greenlit still adds a level of value to a camera that mere mortals can afford. You know me, I'm still happy with my 5D3 and ML Raw. In fact, I don't really understand why any narrative filmmaker, at our level, would need anything more than that. But everybody has different needs and desires when it comes to their tools. If I was in the market for a new camera, I'd go with the S1H without hesitation. The new generation of BM cameras just aren't that appealing to me. But I'm happy you are enjoying yours! I am looking forward to seeing some of that Waterboys footage you've been talking about.

The S1H and the P4K/P6K are hardly comparable. One is full frame. One has a true anamorphic mode. One has IBIS. One has good battery life. And one is Netflix approved as an A-cam... I know which one I would choose.

ML Raw on the 5D3 works like any camera would. In fact, with the exposure and focus aids, it works better than most cameras. The only issue I have found is that playback is wonky. But liveview is in real time with the correct full frame image. Here's a frame from a clip I shot a while back on the Canon 24-70mm f/4...

Yes, the 5D3 can do FF 14bit uncompressed or 14bit lossless raw running the Magic Lantern firmware. Good to know, thanks. I'm mostly interested in internal recording. In the end, I think most DR comparisons are merely splitting hairs with any camera at or below 12 stops of DR. Even with BM cameras that purport to have 13 stops, I don't see a major difference. But since I don't really need 4K, then DR is one part of the equation that will help me to make a decision to purchase one or not.

Maybe there just isn't enough footage from the FP out there to accurately judge, but from what I've seen, the FP struggles in the shadows and the highlights more than the 5D3 does. I'd say there's almost a stop difference. If I had to guess, the FP has between 11-11 1/2 stops and the 5D3 has +/- 12 stops of DR. However, the 14 bit color could just give the perception of more DR. I'd have to use them side by side to know for sure.

If I ever get an FP, I'd use the dng files the same way I use MLVFS with my 5D3... use Resolve for a very rough cut, color corrector and maybe a CST before transcoding to ProRes for FCPX. It's an $1800 camera, we cant expect miracles here... in fact... for $1800 it's pretty impressive. With that said... what's keeping me from pulling the trigger on the FP is that the FP seems to have less DR than my 5D3. Has anyone tested the internal 1080p raw... that's 12 bit, right?