John Matthews

I just read that computers and phones from China are now exempt from the tariffs. Anyone think cameras will also get on that list? Maybe I'm mistaken, but I don't think there's an actual camera maker in the USA.

I know this sounds strange, but if Democrats organize and steer Trump in the right direction, it would also give him a win. Trump is trying with all his might to hit a home run when he should simply be trying to get on first base (excuse the baseball metaphor). He's going to keep *ucking up, over and over and over because he's also surrounded himself with a bunch of "yes" men and women. Trump will ONLY fall if his base of ignorant supporters feel the pain. Sadly, this needs to happen before anyone can move on, including the Democrats. If not, Trump will continue blaming the Democrats for everything under the sun and his ignorant loyalists will continue to believe every word. Pain needs to be felt. The good news is that, at the rate he's going, it might be a lot sooner than most think- it will be the moment to make a move.

Not quite sure of the reference as I’m not from NY at all. Chuck S. should have added more friction, but that would slow Potus down. My point was more about when you see your adversary is making mistake after mistake, you let them continue doing so. Potus is making so many hard moves, the risk will contue to be high.

Yes, I understand. Tariffs are one thing; then, insane tariffs like 104% on China are something completely different. The only reason I mention Republicans is that he might listen to them as they could actually do something about his executive powers if he doesn't. Will they? I'm also not that sure, but I can tell you that the one thing US Citizens care most about is money- it's probably equal to God (arguably the even same thing for some). If we entertain the idea of 104% tariffs on cameras made in China (and significant tariffs elsewhere), the used market is going to skyrocket like nothing ever seen before. MPB, KEH, and individuals are going to make an absolute killing. China will probably have a field day. Europe will be somewhat unified and a new mecca for investment as perceived risk will be slightly mitigated. Once investors no longer view the USA as a safe place, their prestige will go down the tubes. The investment inertia could be catastrophic. POTUS and his buddies are in a very dangerous place right now as they think they cannot lose. Democrats simply have to wait for them to self destruct because they will at this rate. The big question is: will this current leadership pull the nation down with them? Possibly.

IMO, most of these tariffs are going to be dropped. There's no way Republicans are going to accept the consequences of them because they would be so severe- basically they're embargos with no replacement products available. China will eat them alive. For other countries, the smartest way forward is to simply ride the wave. The bad solution is to get suckered into a deal with him, empowering him and his brand of corruption. Temporarily close operations in the US. Start new trade partnerships ASAP to survive. Apparently, no one can beat him, except himself. As for the camera market, I think many will be ok with a few exceptions. All I can imagine is that (IF the tariffs remain) it will be status quo for 4 years. Investment will probably halt until it gets sorted out. Clearly, the USA is not the attractive market anymore as insanity is just a president away.

Sorry, my previous post wasn't meant for this thread. Laptop, then desktop, then confusion.

IMO, most of these tariffs are going to be dropped. There's no way Republicans are going to accept the consequences of them because they would be so severe- basically they're embargos with no replacement products available. China will eat them alive. For other countries, the smartest way forward is to simply ride the wave. The bad solution is to get suckered into a deal with him, empowering him and his brand of corruption. Temporarily close operations in the US. Start new trade partnerships ASAP to survive. Apparently, no one can beat him, except himself. As for the camera market, I think many will be ok with a few exceptions. All I can imagine is that (IF the tariffs remain) it will be status quo for 4 years. Investment will probably halt until it gets sorted out. Clearly, the USA is not the attractive market anymore as insanity is just a president away.

I'm fairly sure the dpreview pixelshift needs to be redone with the next version(s) of firmware. From what I see, it was firmware 1.0, but maybe it wasn't a jpeg out of camera; rather a Adobe crap RAW processor which wouldn't surprise me. I don't see how Panasonic will leave it like that as there are simply too many artefacts on fine lines. They'll fix it. The standard photo looks great though.

Apparently (as per Sean at Panasonic), demand for the S1Rii has been much higher than expected and exceeding what Lumix had thought. That's good news.

That's a good feeling. Nice to see you posting again as I always like to hear what you have to say. The shots look really good! So, did you get the Arri LUT add-on?

That's good to hear. We are usually talking about 4k 10bit files in 2025 and they should have that kind of latitude. As for the 57mm f/1.2, I think you could just grey card it and it would be fine. I personally won't be trying to remove the yellowing. For me, that's just part of the charm.

The only "problem" I've found with all vintage lenses is the coatings. If you look at footage taken with the 40mm and then the 50mm f/1.7, there are significant differences. If you use multiple focal lengths on the same shoot, you need to stay within the same generation of lenses. For example the 21mm, 40mm, and a newer zoom. Or, the 28mm, 50mm f/1.7 and 100mm, as they're made with similar coatings. I don't know how GL Optics gets away with that. The 57mm should probably only be used as a one and done lens as it's vastly different from all the other ones.

Yeah, I started collecting them too. Sometimes, you can find some great deals. So far, I have: 15mm fisheye 21mm f/2.8 28mm f/3.5 40mm f/1.8 50mm f/1.4 50mm f/1.7 (both versions) 57mm f/1.2 100mm f/2.8 135mm f/2.5 135mm f/3.2 200mm f/3.5 300mm f/4.5 I also have various zooms. For some reason I started to get really attracted to them, always looking for something a little different. With the exception of the 57mm, I got decent to amazing deals on them, often with working film bodies. The 28mm f/1.8 is one I'd also like to get. I got really lucky getting the 21mm as the person didn't know what they were selling. I told her what she had, offered her 2.5x what she was asking, and she decided to sell it to me rather some other person who was most certainly going to flip it. It's a nice sharp lens, but the build is more like a Tokina (the producer) than the 60-70's Konica-made lenses. I agree. One thing I've noticed about Konica lenses in general is that they often have grease problems. Due to the shorter flange, they missed the DSLR years, only being able to adapt to M-mount. I probably need to service most of them. Any suggestions for grease? Also, I've heard that declicking Konica lenses is a bad idea. Has anyone done that? I'm not really sure if I would, but I'd like to try on one.

After ralphing up my lunch from watching rolling shutter comparisons, I can safely say the Lumix S1Rii is pile of crap comparatively speaking. It's completely unusable in this regard and I'm sure Lumix will either be releasing an update or submitting a recall. Here's the proof:

This might sound ironic but I think if he used AI (ChatGPT) to translate for him, it will most likely be near flawless, which is to opposite point I think he's trying to make. I have used it extensively and it rarely makes mistakes. Also, you learn quite a bit from doing it too. Now, I rarely make mistakes when I write in French. AI is exceptionally good with their language models.

In-camera is the key because you need to check it on the spot. Only Panasonic does that in-camera. Again, the key is in-camera and checking your result on the spot. Otherwise, you're going to have to go out again. Also, it takes half the time for long exposures. You watch it as it builds. I reckon a cinema camera would be better then. If you're going to slap a Atomos on it, then you need to add that to the price too. Yes, I understand. However, for the wedding photographer lugging this camera around all day, every little bit helps. It's great to look at the hardware specs, but the software increases the usability massively. Also, Lumix is not shy about their firmware updates. No one actually knows what is going to be in-store for the S1rii as a lot of features might be added.

Wait, I was comparing the S1rii to a Z8. No one knows the specs for the S1Hii (or even if it exists). As far as I know, the Lumix will be have better noise performance in raw photos. Another downer it that the Z8 has baked-in crops in their raw files. When shooting 1:1 square format, you'll only get a raw with those pixels- stupid!

Interesting thoughts on @Andrew Reid's post.

There are some significant negatives on the Z8 versus the S1rii: No Open Gate No IN-CAMERA Live View Composite No IN-CAMERA Pixel Shift No Waveforms No False Color No IN-CAMERA 32-bit audio possibilities No anamorphic modes No anamorphic-specific IBIS Not great IBIS at wide angles No breathing compensation for Z-mount lenses The Z8 is about 100g heavier Maybe, they'll add some of these in a firmware update, but then again I'm rather certain Panasonic will also add stuff. These negatives were just off the top of my head, but I imagine there are more. The crazy thing is that the specs today are so good that it doesn't really matter all that much. All of the cameras will do; some just have a few more features than others. What sucks about reviews in general is that you watch them and you cannot help thinking that they are significantly impacted by how the company treated them in the past or present. Apparently, retribution is a real thing in the camera review business.

Some believe Panasonic is on the verge of shutting down, a narrative that a few users continue to push. I suppose their decision to release the S1R II instead of an S1H II only fuels that perception. The main criticism of the S1R II is its rolling shutter—something even Panasonic has acknowledged, advising those who prioritize it to choose a different camera. Essentially, Panasonic can't win. Pack everything into a camera, and it's too expensive. Leave something out, and it’s not "the very best." The real question is whether it offers good value—and, like most Panasonic cameras (new and used), it clearly does.

I agree. I imagine that by Black Friday, the S1rii will be roughly 2800 euros, but even then, I'd pass against the S5ii.

Why get the S1rii? 1) the versatility of the back screen; 2) open gate; 3) tools; 4) great IBIS; 5) decent AF. You won't find that combination elsewhere. In fact, the only other camera with that is the S5ii, but the S1rii is probably better.

Yeah, it certainly seems more like a S5iiR than anything else. Getting 2 S1H cameras (used) would still be a great starter setup for shooting weddings I imagine.

If the S1R II’s moiré performance is indeed better than the SH1’s, I cannot see any reason to choose the SH1 over the S1R II- except for cost.

I'd like to know how the 120fps 4k in the A1rii holds up to the GH7. Does anyone think it's better? Any tests?