Snowfun

MDR7506 here! Solid performance for the price. Comfortable to wear (insofar as headphones can be). They don’t tell lies - if the audio is bad they sound bad. If they sound good one can relax.

It will be unfortunate if the best image the camera produces is the image on the EVF! If Andrew is correct about the 6k cost then the Komodo will creep into the frame for a lot of potential purchasers. It’s going to be quite a month - R5, Sony ?, more Komodo footage... none of which will actually improve anyone’s creativity and imagination...

To what extent might “iso” merge with an electronic variable ND function? I’m thinking out aloud here but it seems to me that sensor technology doesn’t need to advance much further to enable that option. Of course, ND restricts the amount of light reaching the sensor whereas “iso” determines what the sensor does with it so there is a key difference. But in terms of the end result might they not be effectively the same (assuming DR and latitude etc remain constant which I presume current sensor technology doesn’t achieve)?

Reminds me of Jannard’s “obsolescence obsolete” claim about the Hydrogen... I suppose RED have managed some degree of upgrading an existing unit but for lower priced items disposal and buying new is, unfortunately, here to stay. I remember the day when I could fix my Land Rover with some string and a bit of wire...

Personally I’d like to see a super high iso variant (think Canon ME20F). But that’s niche. Global shutter - yes. IBIS, AF, EVF I can live without. Good solid output to an external recorder (with SDI) would be perfect (I can live without SD cards). Doesn’t need to impress the YT crowd. Add on audio module - pay for what you use. But I’m describing a “sensor in a box” set up which possibly runs counter to what the FP is. An interesting question to pose and definitely worth a repeat read when FP2 comes out!

Not quite a webcam but I went for the BM Atem mini with my P4k and a Ride videomic pro+. The Atem lets me use my two additional Mac laptops plus an overlay whilst my iMac desktop runs MS Teams, Zoom or Blackboard Collaborate. I’d rather not use my P4k but I can’t find a suitable camera which outputs over hdmi when plugged In without switching off after a few minutes. With a pull-up green screen and lights from BlindSpot gear it all seems to work well. The Atem has the advantage that I can play with the buttons & on-screen control software during boring meetings.

Certainly. And why not? From Bloom’s FX9 review ”So although I got paid by Sony to initially assess their camera in November this is NOT a sponsored review. They had no editorial control of this video at all. They did see it when it was finished as I wanted to make sure everything I said about the camera was 100% factually and technically accurate, in every way. The only thing they asked was for me to correct a couple of typos!” It is at least purporting to be transparent. And that is important. Of course one can still decide whether to take his comments at face value, with a pinch of salt or dismiss them as paid hyperbole but at least he has experience in the industry and therefore knows what he is talking about. Different from the majority of YT review channels? Not having had years of working in the industry, I’d say that most things I know about cameras are derived from here or Bloom. At least we are free to choose our own Oracles!

Personally I would certainly trust a Bloom review. Indeed he is one of the few I actually listen to when making a buying decision. I suspect most purchasers use YT channels post purchase for affirmation and reassurance that they bought wisely (and joined the right “crowd”) rather than as an important guide pre-purchase. The majority of us buy according to other prejudices and habits and brand loyalties. Or for specific feature sets.

Great fun! And no tractors were harmed which is a good thing.

The S1H with the Sigma 20mm f/1.4 is beginning to look like the optimum combination for what I want. I note that Hawk-Woods do a dtap-dummy battery so power isn’t an issue. Might wait until October to purchase just in case Sony announce something special in the interim...

Is certainly impressive. Tempting. I need to investigate lens options...

https://www.mzed.com/courses/canon-c200 (it’s a paid piece although some of it might also be available elsewhere). Bloom’s piece is on Vimeo (C200 low light test or similar) Thanks for the steer.

I film the aurora borealis so everything else is secondary to low light performance. I have used a P4k at iso 25k and 6fps 360 degrees and the images are good but they are timelapse and in that sense inferior to those from my A7S (which I stupidly sold anticipating the A7S3 last year). (P4K) (A7S) Yes, I’d like to improve 101 things about the Sony but if it still has the best low light performance then those things can be overlooked.

The mini? Any clues? Somewhere in the Western Hemisphere there is a bin containing many many empty tubes of araldite...

Is the A7Sii still the best choice for low light - I’m thinking iso 25k - or are there alternatives? I’ve seen impressive footage from the C200 (Matthew Allard on Mzed & Bloom) but difficult to say it’s as good as the Sony. Is there anything else to compete? Presumably, expectations are that the A7Siii will also excel at low light but when...

Superb news. A productive lockdown!

I too make academic videos - P4K with a greenscreen and Rode lav. I use two lights most of the time (two Blindspot Gear LED panels lighting the speaker and the greenscreen). Occasionally I add a third to light the speaker and a hair light to bring them to life. But no one other than me notices the difference. I have a pop up green screen which is very convenient and a cloth one which is significantly larger so easier to coordinate arm movements for pointing at content. It’s a hassle to mount - I use a length of aluminium angle on two light stands and small plastic clamps. You could (?) paint the wall... I find that FCP makes it trivial to key (it just works!) whereas Resolve is very complex. If your University can fund it, I’d be tempted to get a P4K specifically for this purpose rather than the Sony.

“This whole virus thing”. The empathy is almost visible...

I have the choice of: Rode lav (XLR - mini XLR - P4K) Rode Videomic Pro+ (3.5mm into P4k with +20 gain on) Rode NT1 (XLR) (Got this with Rode AI1 usb box) When I plug the videomic into the ATEM I get a lot of hiss. The videomic into P4k (and then into ATEM) seems to work (no one has reported otherwise but everyone I am involved with is using laptop built-in mics and accepting what they have so not the most discerning audience!) Ideas appreciated! Would the lav into the P4k be a better solution than the Videomic?

The missing on/off switch? We are using the Mini (not the Pro version) with MS Teams and Collaborate - really easy to key a keynote/PowerPoint presentation behind the speaker with overlay graphics (name, email address etc.). My only issue is not knowing the best microphone setup to use.

Interesting piece. And an impressive camera. What will be more impressive and it’ll certainly happen is when the ROI is defined by the viewer not the broadcaster.

Difficult not to agree although RED have consistently claimed that Komodo is primarily a niche camera to support other RED cameras (drone, crash, gimbal etc.) and is not intended as an A camera for those outside the Holy Circle.

So come on good ‘ol Zack (with a K), show us what Alabama looks like in lockdown. But stay safe!

What’s the point of learning FCP if you know or strongly suspect you will not buy it? Surely it’s more sensible to invest the time in learning Resolve - which is free. It’s a steep learning curve and I (a total amateur) find some things much easier in FCP (so I tend to use both). And I agree with @heart0less - Resolve is superb.

I rarely have anything on my P4k other than old manual Nikon lenses. The 85mm f/1.4 is possibly my favourite. The 35-105mm zoom has a very poor reputation but is convenient and fun (and very cheap). I will add that although I have the Nikon primes from 24mm through to 135mm I rarely use most of them. So get a couple of decent examples and get out and use them!