Django

The big advantage of FX3/FX30 over A7SIII are the cine features with the last firmware update: Cine EI modes (big deal completely changes how you expose) LUT support & TC. Then you've got the cageless form factor. Still no shutter angle or WFM like the R5C though. Not surprised the FX3 overheated as its basically an A7SIII which we know overheats. Hopefully the smaller sensor inside FX30 means it will be less prone to overheating..

Another strong benefit of EF lenses on RF mount is it allows speed boosting on crop sensor cameras and the Vari-ND adapters, although sadly we will only have access to the official Canon ones now I guess.

FF doesn't always mean "better image quality". REDs & ARRIs would strongly disagree! Of course we shouldn't expect that level of IQ from a $2500 Sony but this isn't your run of the mill APS-C camera. Again depending on the sensor & specs this might be a popular choice. In any case its nice to have options and more affordable true hybrids like FX30 & R7C are welcome to the market.

Its a little sad to see you guys argue like that, I'd expect that on dpreview forums but not here. There is no absolute when it comes to lenses imo. We all have different goals and preferences. I personally hate zooms, my brain just works better with primes. I'm all about that fixed focal length. That said, I'm not shooting sports/action like gt3rs, where I gather getting the shot is the only thing that counts. And that ties into his perspective of optically better is superior. I get that and his observations are interesting. Again personally, none of that matters. In fact the more CA, vignetting, even softness can equate to lens character. There are also other factors like micro-contrast and 3D pop that I find are often better on primes. Not to the extreme or for every situation though, let's not get silly but case in point being the infamous EF 50mm F1.2. I have to chuckle when gt3rs says its "useless for photo". A good friend of mine uses that lens exclusively for photography and has his work exposed in numerous exhibits.. I'm also a big fan of that lens both for photo & video (we nickname it the Hattori Hanzō). I understand his perspective though, it's no secret the lens is soft wide open and has a bunch of CA. again, for sports/action its probably a terrible lens choice. But for artistic purposes, that dreamy look is key. Same goes I'm sure for Canon's FD "dream" lenses and all kinds of cult vintage lenses. So there you have it really.. zoom vs primes, modern vs vintage lens designs. There is no right/wrong choice, just whatever suits you best. No need to insult one another over their personal preferences. Getting back to the original discussion, thinking about it some more, Canon shutting down third lens manufacturers is going to hurt the system. I guess that means no more Sirui RF too, so no more native anamorphics etc. Bad move for us customers..

It will certainly come down to the sensor and specs. Hopefully it uses the 26MP XH2S stacked sensor. By the way A7IV becomes APS-C in 4K60p, has terrible rolling shutter, no 4K120p and overheating issues. In the end, it probably won't convert FF Sony shooters but rather aimed at S35 FS5/FS7 users like myself that are used to the crop factor and have according lenses like the Sigma 18-35 etc.

Didn't really see this one coming: 26MP APS-C sensor similar FX3 body and similar FX3 specs same FX3 interface (from latest firmware) unconfirmed: Price around $2,500 announcement in late September (Source: SAR) If the rumoured price is confirmed this could be quite disruptive as it would be almost half the price of an FX3 and by far the cheapest FX line camera. The latest FX3 firmware adds LUT support, Cine EI modes & timecode sync. So basically a GH6, XH2S & R7 competitor.

Yeah bummer but not really surprising considering Canon is trying to hard sell its RF lenses. They even quit EF production in effort to push RF sales..

Wow, thanks for such thorough feedback! Also being on Canon system (R6) its good to hear Astia matches with SOOC Canon although I'd probably shoot log if trying to match two different camera brands. I hear you on the XH2S ergonomics. I handled one briefly at the store and was a little confused although its been several years since I operated a Fuji. To me the biggest downside is that they removed the top dials to go with PSAM and front/back dials. The whole appeal of X camera body ergonomics is gone. Dumb move imo. Lack of exposure tools and probably things like magnify during recording are also long withstanding. Fuji don't have a cine line to protect so I just don't understand why they still haven't integrated more serious video assist tools. I hate having to use external monitor. As for the video AF, it seems it has considerably improved but is still missing tap to track subjects/objects. It can only track via automatic detection. So that's a big minus versus Canon/Sony. Especially if your doing robotic automation like you're saying, could almost be a deal breaker for ya? R5C does tick many boxes for me but then again I feel like dropping $5K on it won't dramatically improve the IQ I'm already getting with the R6 that also shoots FF 10-bit 422 Clog3 oversampled 4K. And I'd be losing IBIS which is something I don't wanna compromise on a small mirrorless body. I do more and more handheld with IBIS and find it ultra liberating. Also the horrible battery life means rigging which again kinda defeats the purpose of a small mirrorless. So if I'm dropping $5K it would probably be on a no compromise C70 cine cam: DGO sensor, low RS, CLog2, NDs, HDMI, XLRs..etc But yeah for $2500-$3K the XH2S is a very neat package. Clients ask more & more for horizontal plus vertical content so that 6.2K Open Gate seems like the ideal capture method for such hybrid deliveries. That alone has got me excited on the XH2S. I also wanna venture into anamorphic for creative projects, kind of a bummer there is no desqueeze view in-cam but maybe with a firmware update..

It seems quite a few of us were on Fuji for some time and then moved on. They are back to being that really niche company nobody is really hyped about. and that's kind of good in my book, I'd go as far as to say that even appeals to me. I hate having the same gear as everyone and Fuji has its own kind of visual imprint. The hardware too with the top dials & compact lenses. It's kind of like Leica, without the prestige & price tag. I'm not about to ditch Canon or Sony by the way. Too invested in them, and they do the job, I can operate them with my eyes shut. But that's also the problem, they're utilitarian, boring. Fuji is a breath of fresh air, even the idiosyncrasies make you work a little different. Long story short, I have humongous GAS for this XH2S. It really ticks the boxes as far as feature ratio/price. Adding a fourth system is a little nuts but my projects are really diversified and this would be my creative/experimental system for more artsy/fine art projects. @MrSMW What did you end up pulling trigger on?

I hear you, I left the system after XT2 and was hesitant to come back ever since. But I do miss some things like the AA Filterless Xtrans sensor, the film simulations etc. The newer gen lenses also seem to be much better for video AF and you've got third party anamorphic lenses plus metabones smart adapters now too. What attracts me is the 6.2K Open Gate mode, ProRes, 4K120p and the stacked sensor with ultra low RS. That's all really nice features on a $2.5K body with IBIS. Plus Flog 2 & the film simulations, that could all lean me back towards Fuji. I also just like that it's a different vibe from CaNikon/Sony. Perhaps I'll be the first here to pull the trigger!

Goes without saying but R5 is also 3 times the price of R7. 😉

Gotcha you were on the old firmware.. definitely upgrade to 1.6 it supposedly fixes the overheat warning.

Interesting to hear the R5 still overheats albeit in hotter environments. I guess the R5C is still ahead of it for reliability purposes alone. Thanks for sharing that, was considering a second hand R5 since the latest update but no longer.

So nobody here purchased the camera? I'm so close to pulling trigger. With the metabones it seems like a killer hybrid:

Same here. Also another tip for Canon shooters, assign a button to toggle AF on/off. Not only will this help you in many tricky AF situations, its also good practice to always turn off AF when not necessary as it also consumes a lot of battery working the lens motors etc..

Here is another R5C extra secret bonus hack: Turn the camera off when you're not shooting. I'm kidding, Canon should obviously address this. Poor battery life is what is keeping most away from this camera. Sounds like its Achilles heel..

probably not this thread having been started 5 years ago 🤣 that said, you can find C300 II's for under 3 grand now which I find is a pretty sweet bargain and that 12-bit 444 2K codec is a big plus to me personally. There just aren't many if any cameras that offer non RAW 12-bit 444 codecs. I do hear you that the sensor is getting old and probably gets noisy quickly in lowlight but there's a reason C300 II's have been a long standard in docu & broadcast filming. It does great in daylight and controlled environments. I'm a fan of picking up older flagship cams at rock bottom bargain prices and C300 mk2 is one of them!

Yeah I've been to that page actually and have watched countless Komodo rig videos on YT. While if I go the Komodo route, I will eventually trick it out, initially chances are I'll be pretty broke from the body purchase alone so won't have a real big budget for rigging! And while some on YT claim you'll need to spend thousands extra to have it ready for action, that simply isn't true. Power & storage is all you need to go bare bones, and both are inexpensive. Add the 200 buck Tilta kit and I'm good to go. The official RED side grip is $579 and the RED endorsed 2-channel preamp is $499. Just to give an example of what "recommended" rig accessories go for. I'll probably get them too at some point, just not initially while I recoup from the investment. On another note, just saw this video: The R5C does remarkably well, that said there is just something about that Komodo image that is more filmic than the Canon. It may not come through entirely on compressed YT but in Davinci on my 5K monitor its super obvious. The ISOless RAW nature of the files is also something very interesting. The highlight rolloff and latitude when adjusting ISO in post is unlike any RAW format I've worked with before. It defies lab tests, the resulting imagery has so much mojo. Apparently RED developed a special highlight rolloff in-cam algorithm and the Komodo is their first cam to have it. Not sure what kind of voodoo science they've got cooked up there but let's just say I'm kind of converted. Seeing is believing lol!

Yeah those specs don't cover the high frame rate drop in resolution and crop factor Kye was talking about. You can do up to 6K40fps without a crop/res drop and that's actually pretty ok with me. The 2K120p has a 3x crop (on top of the Super35 crop) which seems barely useable. The C70 can do up to 4K120p no crop. The real tricky part is that any drop in resolution from 6K automatically means a crop. Meaning shooting 4K has a crop and I don't know about any downscaling either. Basically it's really a 6K40p camera. Not the most flexible but that's ok. Audio is also something I'm concerned with. It only has a 3.5mm input. So its mirrorless type audio unless you go external which in run & gun isn't so practical. I'm also eyeing the FX6. The fact that it is full-frame, has XLRs and the E-ND really appeals to me. Still something about the Komodo's 6K R3D Raw IQ I can't shake off, like I really really want that quality in my arsenal. The C70 screen is fine in itself, the hinge however is dodgy but Canon will replace and upgrade it if it does fail. So not really a big concern imo. C70/FX6 definitely have the upper hand when it comes to a pretty much rig free ready to shoot solution. I travel by train/plane for a good chunk of my shoots so yes I tear down the rig for transport which fortunately isn't very complex with the R6 or even the FS7. With the Komodo, I'd probably go with this quite affordable Tilta solution: I plan on using the top display and the remote iOS app for run & gun monitoring. I wanna avoid rigging an external monitor for weight and balance purposes on solo shoots. For bigger crew shoots SDI out and/or wireless.

Nikon often announces cameras at the end of summer and there is a rumoured Z8 (Z9 without grip). But I really don't see how Nikon could announce/release that while it still has so many back-ordered Z9's. And yeah plus with the whole RED patent mess I dunno, their camera department must be in serious dismay..

Yeah that's definitely an added bonus but not the main appeal to me when deciding in between those two. For me it is a balance of convenience & reliability during the shooting experience, and the final image output and workflow in post. The C70 with its DPAF, NDs, battery life & XLRs in combination with DGO sensor and RAW capabilities really ticks a lot of boxes and for run & gun, corporate work, docu etc it is really a slam dunk of a camera for such usage. Which is why I had it at the top of my next camera purchase list. The Komodo again is a sensor in a box. You will need to rig it although the dual hot swap batteries, PDAF, touch screen, iOS RED app & RF mount (that will allow Canons vari-ND adapter) are all great things to have on the field and are often missing on most cine cams. The simple yet effective traffic light exposure system also seems awesome. These are all features that have pushed me into considering the Komodo even for run & gun applications. And then of course the IQ from the footage. The file sizes of the compressed RAW. The global shutter. The image does feel 'just right' as you say. The 6K doesn't feel over sharp. The motion is beautiful. The CS, the noise. The R3D raw settings. The image also holds even under extreme grades which allows to get more subtle and creative I find, there is great nuance. The LUTs that RED provide are also great. Overall the whole experience just seems to take you closer to that high-end polished "ARRI" cine look. But that's just my reasoning and playing with files, not actual hands-on field experience. A lot of operators here or on YT that have both C70 & Komodo seem to favour the C70 for solo jobs and fast turnarounds. That is a major chunk of my work, I have to think practical too. But then again a lot of higher end clients keep asking for more cinematic look. They want the IQ they see in advertising on TV, Netflix etc. I'm also planning on getting back to music videos and more artistic projects with higher production value. So right now, I am really leaning towards Komodo. I also think working with that footage will excite me and that's also always a good thing!

Thanks for your input, so you have both Komodo & C70? From the little C70 footage I've worked with, it did seem kinda choppy as far as motion. I find that to be true with a lot of cameras though, its hard to quantify and pinpoint but then when you have ultra smooth footage like the Komodo it becomes very clear. The global shutter must help with that. I hear you also about certain cameras being means to an end. My FS7 feels that way. Super un-fun camera to operate, but a money maker. I don't know that the Komodo would feel much more fun though, its pretty much a sensor in a box.

I'm sure those lenses are great but the line-up just feels limited compared to RF, which now has lot of third party lenses including cine glass. The RF 35mm f1.8 is also a much cheaper STM lens but a great offering considering it has IS and Macro for under 500. I don't even think Z lenses have IS?

@TomTheDP Interesting video! I'm a bit late here sorry but after working with Komodo footage for the first time the other day I think I am seriously considering this camera for my high-end cine needs. I love the R3D raw options (skin contrast, highlight rolloff etc) and how ISO works in post, you can get really creative and overall the files have so much information yet the file sizes are so small. The noise is also really organic/filmic compared to let's say BMD or Canon RAW. The motion cadence is also beautiful. Really I'm just blown away by the IQ and how you can massage those files in Davinci. ARRI is still the golden standard, the benchmark, but this feels like its just right below it IQ wise and for resolution or high ISO probably better. The compact size of the camera, the traffic light exposure system, global shutter, RF mount, 6K resolution and even on-board PDAF makes it a really tempting A cam for me personally. I was all set on a C70 but after playing around with Komodo footage, well it just feels like a huge step forward in IQ. I think I will just upgrade my R6 to an R5 for hybrid all-around mid-level projects and go with the Komodo for anything higher. Now of course I gotta figure out how to finance it all!

Yeah I'm pretty brand agnostic too but ultimately its the lens system you're invested in that drives you into a particular ecosystem. I've been to every single company except Panasonic, because AF is critical to me in event photography. I actually switched from Nikon to Canon when I was doing weddings specifically because of the AF system. I rented a 5D3, learned it in & out, and was hooked. The main thing was being able to toggle from single-shot to servo AF using the DoF preview button. That alone was a game changer. And like I said earlier, Canon still has the best button customisation like how R5C allows you to toggle the EIS on/off. These are things spec sheets won't tell you, but that make world difference on the field. I'm very curious about R3's eye-control AF. It sounds insane. Like you said whatever can help you be more efficient on a job is worth it. These are tools of the trade for us pros so specs, AF performance, UI, reliability are all equally important. The Z9 body does tick a lot of boxes but native lens options are kinda meh plus I don't know about Nikon ditching mechanical shutter. I've heard of banding issues and low max flash sync speeds so I dunno. Would need to rent one and put it through its paces if I were to consider one but the main problem with that camera is it is still on constant back-order. Some guy in Italy has been waiting on his since last November, crazy.. Pretty sure I'll be sticking with Canon, probably upgrade to an R5 or R5C. For high-end cine work, I'm seriously considering the Komodo. RF mount means compatibility with all my lenses, and the R3D raw is simply phenomenal.