Snowfun

Well, you did ask… my memories of the Yashica Mat will always satisfy my artistic streak. But possibly no longer relevant to this topic!

If, for some reason, you are happy with the quality of the gopro12, why are you even thinking about other cameras? If you have found the camera which does what you need it to, isn't that sufficient?

To some extent I disagree. As a hobbyist I am always wanting to try something different - not being constrained by what I need to do. And, inevitably, that gets me thinking about what I need to buy to do it. Ok, yes, it isn’t possible to “justify” it but my cupboard tends to fill up with bits and pieces I used (probably badly) once. As a hobby it’s fun to play and having toys make playtime so much more fun. But you are correct, it isn’t justified. I’ll stop…

If it is to be a community then it needs to facilitate off-topic discussion. After all, if I go to the pub with work colleagues, we tend not to just chat about work. If it is to be an online space primarily for people to post opinions about camera gear then it inevitably attracts fanboys and other undesirables. I’d like to see a space where the forum’s “big hitters” are encouraged/expected to post, say, a 5x5 scene short (5 x 5 seconds) and we discuss it - the gear, the technique, the post and, importantly, the creativity and ART. A new one every month or so. @Andrew Reid to start?!

Why did RED Hydrogen fail? Cost? It wasn’t that much more expensive than the top iPhone of its day. Android rather than iOS? (Possibly the most significant reason I never used it as a phone - the photographs I took were fun). The pre-sale hyperbole made it too easy to criticise? Insufficient info relating to the expansion pins and the so-called (and never developed) cinema grade camera module? Poor choice of manufacturer (who apparently promised more than they were able to deliver)? Lack of mainstream interest/awareness of H4V/3D? The in-built camera was certainly no better than other cameras in phones - immediately depriving it of any perceived advantage of being a RED? Expectation. JJ’s habit of promising a rose garden (albeit inhabited by skulls) then problem after problem, waiting upon waiting… rather than low-key developing, low-key manufacturing and Big Hype delivering. Design wise it was stunning. It received regular and significant updates. Yet it failed dismally. What lessons are there for any other camera manufacturer thinking along similar lines? Don’t bother?

I bet @BTM_Pix has a gadget which can...

I’d rather have a phone inside the Sigma BF. But I bought a RED Hydrogen so what do I know…

Ah Scotland! Have you any experience with https://www.ffordes.com? They have been pretty good from a buying perspective I’ve used Ffordes for photographic stuff and no complaints. They sell on commission rather than buying stuff (at least they used to - it’s been a while since I used them). A friendly small specialist shop service.

My experience is that every time I’ve sold stuff they end up paying me more than their initial estimate. I’ve never purchased from them however. Living in a semi-remote region of Scotland without DPD etc., (real “man with a van” territory) I’m always amazed when my parcel does, indeed, reach them. I doubt I’ve had the sheer volume of transactions to have experienced one of the bad ones.

Yes. But that is running against the fundamental design principle of this camera - minimalism. After all, anyone who wants/needs EVF, internal ND, IBIS etc etc isn't short of choice. That need is already met. This camera is very clearly intended as a niche product for a design-aware type of audience. It is (far too) expensive for the feature set. It is unique at the price. Choose one. (Personally, I'm totally fed up with myriads of too-small-to-use buttons and seemingly infinite layers of menus... so definitely the second option for me).

I’m sorry, but I really really like this. It’s gorgeous. Definitely a “lifestyle” product but if it’s well made and does what it is designed to then perfect. I can see myself getting one - and I’ve just looked at some lovely looking lenses on wex…

If I was planning this the last thing I'd worry about was the actual camera. I'd be more concerned about battery types. The more gear which can take adapters to use a single battery type (and therefore a single charger) is important. Personally I try to adapt everything to Hawk Woods (Sony) NP-F970 albeit the BM6k uses the smaller capacity ones (same charger). (albeit the iPhone, drone and gimbals throw a spanner in the theory...) I suppose the same could be said for the recording medium.

I'd be confident that I am capable of making any camera - irrespective of price - look absolute garbage... Ergo... it's not just the camera.

Most kids might look at the photo on the left and think that there are a couple of things you need to take a good photo...

Isn’t this precisely what Blackmagics were designed for?

The cross?

Am I part of the problem... My local heritage steam railway (yes, back to the train theme) wanted some promotional video to put on their FB site. I offered to do this for them - in return for an "all access" pass. No fee. It took ages. The train only runs 3 times a day so to collate a series of shots in different locations was not a trivial exercise. I used my Blackmagics, a FX30 on a gimbal, a drone, an RX0 and my iPhone. So far I've provided 3 short videos. Which they love. And so, apparently, do those people who view such sites on FB. Objectively - I'm the first to admit - they are probably dreadful. Poorly "graded" and edited. But. in my defence, they are atmospheric, the drone shots give a different perspective and, in terms of what they want, they are a success. The expectations of the majority of people looking at heritage steam railway sites on FB are, in terms of cinematography, low. Hence, to succeed, one only needs to reach a low bar. And as a hobbyist volunteer I think I achieved that. So two points: 1. By doing this on a voluntary basis am I diminishing the real value or worth of a professional cinematographer? 2. If they had to pay they wouldn't have done it (they couldn't afford it). I suppose that what I am actually saying can be summarised as "it's good enough".

I bought my OM4 Ti new... but can't remember how much I paid!

Loch Morlich (near Aviemore) Early 2024. https://www.instagram.com/reel/C2C4TvVo5sm/?igsh=MWFwaWV0cnBqc3Vvbw==

Almost snap!

Absolutely no new cameras in 2025. Chord Electronics will be taking my money as I need to upgrade my audio system. (Indeed, a couple of cameras less - FX30 & BM4kStudio will head towards MPB). Seasonal felicitations!

If I could start from zero I’d almost definitely go Komodo plus my 16 Pro Max. I might go BM Pyxis rather than the “Nikon” but at the end of the day I think Komodo would win. I’ll write it up here one day but for what I do that combination is a winning one. Totally going off “SLR” form factor cameras - there’s a total absence of imaginative use of the technology. I love the user interface - and thus the user experience / of my BM 4k/6k. Press the menu button and it’s all there, on screen. I assume the Komodo is similar?

May one enquire how you define build “quality”? Is it water or dust resistance? Physical strength of the body? Perceived “feel”? Reliability and resilience over time? Strength of the in/out ports? All of these? Unless you have performed some sort of objective tests - have you? - I’m not sure what the post is hoping to achieve. I’ve never been impressed by the perceived feel of my Blackmagics but they have never failed me. And - crucially - at the price there must be some degree of compromise.

Isn’t that precisely the problem? What we “believe” to be true isn’t enough. We should endeavour to listen to the evidence so we know what is true. (And, yes, we can argue about the evidence and its significance but that is all part of the epistemological process - it doesn’t diminish the difference between what is true and what is not. Irrespective of what I, or anyone else, might believe).

The obvious ones: Blackmagic (4k & 6k) and Sony (FX30). But I’m tempted now to add Apple. The 16 pro max is just so convenient and unobtrusive. Recording ProRes to an external SSD makes it a genuine video tool. Not to produce the highest quality cinematic image but as a tool to capture the world it is up there with the rest.