Django

5DS/R is still a studio workhorse. Few FF cameras still surpass its 50.6 MP resolution including R5. And with the lowpass filter cancelation its sharpness is another asset for certain types of photography. Like a lot of filmmakers, my passion started out with photography at a young age. My first SLR was a Nikon and it got me infatuated with FF lenses. Fast-forward to the Canon 5D series which was my gateway into FF digital. I actually still own and use my OG 5D mk1. It has this look I attribute to early digital sensors I can't get from newer Canons. Same thing with Nikon which I actually went back to right around D700/D750. D700 also has a special mojo sensor imo. Same with Leica and why I'm sticking to the pre-CMOS (CCD) M9. And then obviously there is film, which has made a huge comeback (well some will argue it never left). So yeah basically I agree, not only do I think still bodies plateau'd a long time ago, there are instances where older tech gives out a nicer image, subjectively speaking. Kind of like how in cinema the OG ARRI Alexa still gets praised even though the sensor and resolution are archaic by current tech standards. Let's not even get started with vintage lenses! That said this is all coming from a sort of irrational nostalgic pov where mojo trumps DR, Resolution, AF etc. For video/cine its indeed a different story. codecs, resolution, AF, exposure aids, media storage etc have been constantly evolving in the last ten years. Things like eye-track AF can be life savers in solo run & gun situations. Having such a reliable AF means I can focus on other things (no pun intended) during a shoot.

8.6K 😉 Just kidding but it's going to be up there with R3 as its their flagship pro sports shooter. Other interesting rumours about it are internal N-RAW and/or ProRes Raw. No mechanical shutter as I guess those readout times pretty much eliminate RS?

EOS R has that horrible 1.7x crop when shooting 4K. Its basically a FHD FF camera. Also it doesn't do internal 10-bit 4:2:2 or Clog3. I had EOS R and honestly do not miss it one bit for video. R6 on the other hand has the nicest FF IQ I've seen on any Canon. The overheating on R6 is real but since the latest firmware updates I haven't experienced ANY overheating. I've been on ALL DAY 4k shoots and no overheat. I don't shoot more than 10mn clips though so my user case may certainly be different than others but thankfully for me the overheat has become a non-issue. I even left the camera on accidentally during 12 hours once and it was ready to shoot the next day no problem so it looks like they've been using some clever power management which wasn't the case at first when it was timer based. Btw, Potato Jet made the A7IV overheat in like 12 minutes in his 100 degree test. I guess if you're shooting in that kind of heat, most hybrids will fail after X amount of time.

The gap is closing imo. Especially in daylight conditions. It's in mixed lighting Sony white balance infamously struggles, not a big problem to fix in post though. Video comp? Quick google search pulled this one out:

If you're not familiar with grading the R6 advantage for video diminishes greatly imo. R6 only does 10-bit 4:2:2 in Clog/Clog3. So you'll be limited to 8-bit footage with the standard profiles which may or may not be to your suiting. This is where A7IV wins with 10-bit non-log S-Cinetone profile for great SOOC results. Just some food for thought as your mind seems set on the Canon.

As for color science... yes Canon skin-tones are still second to none and Clog3 grades superbly. The R6 IQ also has a real nice mojo to it, it's oversampled but not too much and you can turn noise reduction off. As usual with Canon video has this sort of organic look I love. Sony has made great progress. It appears they've tweaked the color science again on A7IV since last generation. S-cinetone which is Venice based look is great for when you don't wanna shoot in log. It's a MUCH better non-log profile than any Canon standard profile. 10-bit ALL-I Slog3 is also super solid. Noise reduction though always seems to be an issue.

Since you're shooting sports I'd lean with either R6 or A7IV. They're imo the top hybrids at their respective price point. Both units are great choices. I went with R6 as I'm more invested in Canon (EF) glass and all my DSLR flash accessories work with it. That said I'm also a Sony (FS7) owner and the A7IV will be purchased as a sidekick. I like having a hybrid and dedicated cine cam that match and share the same mount. One thing that sucks on the R6 is no custom video modes. That one is a real bitch for me as I'm often changing frame rates and such. The A7IV with it's independent stills/video/S&Q settings via the sub-dial is the way forward. Also the new flash system, the focus breathing elimination etc.. it all adds up to a great hybrid experience. And with the 33MP, honestly I4d say the A7IV is the new hybrid king.

^ still there

True, but in that case Canon (R5/R3) wins hand-down: DCI or UHD 8K / 4K. RAW or 10-bit 4:2:2 ALL-I / IPB. Everything internal.

Lol.. the 4K60 crop really isn't that bad.. but if anything I'd be tempted to say Super35 is more cinematic than FF! Personally I think it would have been nice if we also had windowed 4K120p (even if x2 crop). That will depend on chip supply. Better to get in early though if you don't want a PS5 situation!

Always a compromise and personal choice in the end. As most of you know I'm primarily a Canon shooter when it comes to hybrid cameras. L series glass and flash system for photography is what keeps me locked in + the DPAF, color science and skin tones for video. My workhorse for video however is a FS7 and this A7IV will probably make a nice b-cam / FF side kick. I tend to choose systems based on native lenses and hence Panny and L-mount is a no-go. Horses for courses.

Interesting, well looks like even the mighty S1H has got some pretty glaring limitations.. At 6K 3:2 mode the S1H has a whopping 29.7ms of RS. Barely usable outside of locked shots. Anamorphic shooting aside then, it is certainly possible to compare (16:9) IQ: S1H has 5.9K. A7IV has oversampled 4K from 7K. In 16:9 4K/5.9K RS averages at 24ms. That's about what the A7IV does. 10-bit is 4:2:0 vs 4:2:2. Win for the A7IV. 4K60p is cropped on both. Sony has latest-gen PDAF with tracking vs contrast AF. Sony has SLog3 & S-Cinetone profile. Not sure about the Panasonic. Anything else concerning IQ?

It's growing but no way is it getting as popular as shallow DOF (which even your smartphone can now do). Aside from the few available from SIRUI, anamorphic lenses still cost a small fortune and as stated few bodies offer aspect ratios other than 16:9 or have de squeeze. The market for A7IV is a bit wider than just Youtubers. I don't think it'll sell like crazy though as it is substantially more expensive than the previous gen and the FF market is a lot more crowded and competitive than it was three and a half years ago. Just look at this thread, it's hardly gathering much interest. But of course I agree, not competing with S1H which is in another category, closer to BlackMagic imo.

For sure if you're into anamorphic lenses, Panasonic set themselves apart from the rest.. but that's a rather niche market though isn't it? 😉 I've read about those new SIRUI FF anamorphic lenses available in all popular mounts, why are they best paired on a S1H? I thought the S1H anamorphic mode cropped into Super35? As for the desqueeze preview, couldn't an Atomos handle that? Just curious, I have close to no experience with anamorphic but I'm interested in those new SIRUI lenses..

Yeah, it's really odd that a Sony release doesn't equal/best a year old Canon release.. it kinda feels like the cripple hammer struck not to hurt A7S3 sales. Still a big upgrade over A7III. Will probably pick one up at some point. Price is just right.

Looks like the RS drops down quite nicely in 4K crop modes!

Just watched a couple reviews including Gerald Undone's. The bad news is 4K60p crop only confirmed and terrible rolling shutter. This kinda places it at a disadvantage towards the R6 which can also do 10-bit 4K60p.. without a crop. Still a solid upgrade and competitor, just not used to seeing Sony play catch-up to Canon!

Toneh "accidentally" leaked his full hands-on review. I saw it before it got taken down. Nothing more on video specs but yeah the AF is pretty much a baby A1. One very welcome new hardware addition is sub-dials for stills, video mode, S&Q and the exposure comp dial is programmable: was about time and an actual hardware upgrade not found on A7SIII !

This announcement is not only groundbreaking on a spec level, it's a return to form as a +25 year Apple user. Never been so excited about an Apple release since... OG G4 Titanium? I just bought a maxed-out M1 MBA so definitely awaiting the M1 Pro/Max desktop updates.

Sony's in a delicate position. Aside from 4K120p, low-light and RS it's going to be hard to charge that much more for an A7S3 so the cripple hammer may happen on A7IV with 4K60p. On the other hand this camera's direct competitor is going to be R6 that already does non-crop 10-bit 4K60p. But if they manage zero overheat 4K60p, the crop may get overlooked.

Really? I've had the iPhone 13 for a couple weeks now and find "cinematic" mode's fake bokeh rather useless.

It's Coming! SAR latest rumour: launch on October 21 (if chip supply permits this) Newly developed 33MP sensor 15 stops of DR 3.69m dot EVF and LCD is improved too (1.44m dot???) 4k30 video is oversampled from 7K 4k 60p will be oversampled from 4.8k s35 mode and 10bit 4:2:2 4k streaming (and FHD 60p streaming) 5.5 stops of IBIS (+ AS) Same A7sIII body design and same heatsink system. Full size HDMi Fully articulating LCD screen Improved touchscreen functions UHS-II SD-cards and CF Xpress cards Same new Sony menu system of the A7sIII I am still not sure about this but price might be around $2,499 or a bit more??? If true, that would mean 4K30/4K60 would be higher quality than A7S3. Well except in low-light and probably much worst rolling shutter. 33MP also would make it a better hybrid. This looks like THE hot camera and worthy successor to A7III.

New gear is great but if you have nothing to shoot what is the point? I think that sums up the sentiment we've all been through this past year and a half. It's been brutal for a lot of us independent pros. I sold a lot of cine gear and lost a lot of money in the process. Seriously considered leaving the industry as well. Fortunately for me, business has picked up again and that's really all it takes to get excited about shooting. Because for me its really all about shooting, gear is just means to an end. Too much gear can also be a buzzkill. I saw a great video the other day shot with just a G7 and a macro lens. I'm a strong believer in limitations spark creativity. Not just in filmmaking but all creative areas. Its a hard motto to live by these days within a gear-driven industry. Speaking of apple and tech GAS, I had to resist the urge for the third year in a row to get the "pro" model. My phone died so I did cop the iPhone 13 but went with the mini. Love the form factor and my phone will remain just that a phone. Photos & videos shot with it will remain on social media. No ProRes on smartphone for me, oh well. Also thinking about getting the iPad mini, it feels like a Moleskin notebook. I hate big tablets, might as well just use a notebook at that point (also just got the M1 MBA). Just waiting to see how the A15 compares to M1 as I would like to do some basic editing on it and need HEVC support. Anyways I'd be sad to see this place disappear. I haven't been around since the start but it's been an incredible resource and community, even with all the riffraff and drama. I think we all owe Andrew a big thanks no matter the outcome. I don't always agree with his views but at least he has a freaking opinion unlike 99% of the internet shills. As a primarily Canon shooter I also thank him for being so outspoken on the overheat-gate issue that got us solutions and even got Canon to somewhat address the situation. Who will have the clout & balls to do so if this independent voice disappears? Keep going Andrew, your doing the community/industry a great service by being vocal on matters that matter!

ProRes is now available via Filmic Pro: footage: https://app.frame.io/presentations/a5771a8b-482d-47c1-be73-44f4e29f8163

I could see Sony sticking to 4K30p in order not to cannibalise A7S3 sales (who should have had 6K/8K to begin with). But that would be a mistake facing competition. Only remaining question is the codec. 10-bit means much more to me than resolution, DR or HFR. It's gotta have it right because 8.8MP increase for stills isn't going to cut it alone on a 3.5 year update.