Django

Personally I'd still take the A7S3 over the FX3 just because I favour an EVF on mirrorless and that the FX3 doesn't bring enough imo to warrant its higher price tag. If it had shutter angle, WFM, open gate etc it would be way more compelling. I'd also consider the FX30 & ZV-E1 which are both half the price of an FX3. FX30 also means cheaper S35 lenses and you can always fit a speed booster for FF. However FX3 can't really do S35 a part from using clear image zoom which technically gives you sub 4K image. Don't get me wrong its a great cam, but the "best" is really subjective. Plenty of super options from Canon, Nikon & Panasonic.

What camera are you referring to? A7iii or A7s? They are very different generation cameras with different specs. Are your lenses manual or autofocus? Hard to give info without specifics. You should be able to set the camera to NTSC in the menus. There is no specific UK/EU/USA camera models AFAIK. Double frame rate for shutter speed is correct for 180 degree. SLOG3 has most DR but not always great depending on scene on a 8-bit codec cam such as a those you have.

..a GH5+ f0.95 lens combo is not going to get you near the same results as a 10-year old BMD pocket cam with f2 lenses. I say go use that A7S, you have one of the best low-light cams still to date.. might as well put it to good use! Coming from a BMD background shouldn't be too difficult. The main thing is there is no shutter angle so you'll have to calculate it using shutter speed. Also yeah the 8-bit codec isn't going to go very far with grade so you may wanna avoid it for low contrast night scenes, not to mention no view assist either. The biggest issue with the OG A7S is it has a very poor AWB, especially in mixed lighting scenes. There is this nasty colour cast that is kinda hard to get out in post with baked-in profiles so yeah testing would be ideal.

Yeah Tenet was confusing to the point where it became annoying. Other non-linear films of his like Memento or Inception weren't that dense. Oppenheimer being a historical biopic doesn't get near such complexity imo, yet of course Nolan tries to put his spin on the narrative. I wasn't familiar with the Lewis Strauss affair but knew a twist was coming and put it together rather quickly so that was a fail for me personally. Structure wise it reaches a good balance with the flashback (or rather flash-forward) scenes being shot in B&W to guide the viewer. I also noticed the out of focus shots and also quite a few blown highlights in those B&W scenes. Surely the result of using never shot before film stock. I found such technical errors a little distracting in such a hyper stylised film but in the end I kinda like that they left them in. While we're here in these forums critising X camera for its poor dynamic range, here is a 100 million summer blockbuster by a revered cinematographer that shoots in 70mm IMAX.. that includes blown highlights lol! Gotta laugh at the irony.

Yeah I don’t think Z8/Z9 are DR monsters but DR isn’t everything. Highlight roll off, Color science, noise etc are equally if not more important. That said, I have noticed highlight clipping in a lot of footage and there are reports of this in RAW stills as well. Not sure to what extent this is an issue but it seems to be a valid concern in some scenarios. As far as grading though, N-RAW and even ProRes 422 HQ really has a nice thick quality imo.

..the real problem with these is going to be the severe overheating. A7IV already overheats in a full size Alpha body, these will toast faster than white bread.

I think the general consensus has always been that RF-L lenses while optically superior have a bit of a cheaper feel, are often times bigger than their EF equivalents and are expensive af. It's a valid assessment, Canon went for lightweight hence the cheaper feel but the improved optics do warrant an extra cost and size. In the end you gotta judge it for yourself if they're worth it. I also think different body/lens pairings will yield different results. R5/R5C's 45MP/8K sensor is certainly the best body to resolve RF-L lenses but also expose EF glass shortcomings. And then its also an acquired taste, some vintage (EF-L) lens aberrations bring character/mojo while some optically perfect modern (RF) lenses can be considered clinical / over-sharp. I'll admit I had my initial doubts on RF-L glass but seeing is believing and I'm now fully on that bandwagon saving up for that RF-L 24-70mm f2.8 (by the way the RF-L 28-70mm f2 is surely even better but massive in size/weight) and will be on the look out for other RF gems. Still waiting for the RF-L 35mm f1.2 which has been rumoured since the mirrorless launch..

You're preaching to the choir: I've been using EF-L glass for over a decade (been on Canon since the 5D mk1) and have been adapting EF to RF since first EOS-R which I bought on day one with the adapter. So far my only RF investment has been the 35mm f1.8 IS which is cheap, versatile and compact but not optically on par with L glass and super noisy when it comes to AF motors for video use. Actually most RF lenses I've tried including RF-L are noisy. That being said, the RF 24-70mm f2.8 L paired with the R5 was a total game changer for me. Optically it is next level, especially for a zoom lens (I'm mainly a prime shooter). In fact it flat out beat my trusty EF-L 35mm f1.4 in many departments. Besides the RF lens IS + IBIS gave an awesome 8-stops of stabilisation resulting in tack sharp 45MP pics at low shutter speeds and super stable handheld video footage. That combo is something else. And that's the beauty of mirrorless, you can use optically perfect modern lenses or go the vintage route depending on budget but also personal preference. If I ended up going the Nikon route, I'd for sure use my vintage Nikkor AI-S glass but would also invest in some native Z-mount lenses for that great silent modern performance and optical quality when needed.

Will do that for sure, what I'm doing now is my research so I know exactly what to look for and how to set up the cams when I do get them in-hand. Its also not just about the bodies but of course the lens systems. Nikon Z has great glass but not a lot of them have OIS compared to Canon. Not the same specs/price points either. The Nikon S 35mm f1.8 for example has no IS and costs 1000€ whereas the Canon 35mm f1.8 has IS, macro and costs 500€. That said the Nikon has better optics, and the AF motors are totally silent compared to the noisy Canon. The RF24-70mm f2.8 has IS whereas the Nikon S24-70mm f2.8 doesn't have VR (neither does Sony equivalent). All these things are to be considered when choosing a system so yeah its kind of a long research process.. I shoot mostly 180 degree, except when I don't lol. Canon gyro data is directly processed inside IS lenses and in tandem with IBIS equipped bodies. You can't apply it in post like on Sony's catalyser or latest BMD cams. Actually I started out photography on Nikon film DSLRs and had a D750 for a while. I've shot with a Z6. So I'm familiar with Nikon. That being said I never was a fan of their menus, UI, AF system and ergonomics. I much much prefer Canon for the above, namely the thumbwheel for aperture control and I love the AF customisation (especially the way you can toggle AF servo on/off in stills and completely pause the video AF via custom button). Also the R5C has the ever so great cinema menu with all the video assist, LUT support, video AF modes with Face Only, button customisation etc. I totally recognise this may be complete personal bias but it has nothing to do with brand affiliation. I've shot on Nikon, Fuji and am currently on Canon, Sony & Leica systems. I'm pretty flexible and each system has its pros&cons. What I can tell you is that out of all the bodies I've tried across multiple systems, the R3 is by far my favourite one. The specs are almost perfect too. I was all set on getting it but the R5 shoot I did the other day spoiled me and now I absolutely want a +45MP cam for stills. The R5C gives you that plus an 8K RAW mini C70 in one body, if not for the lack of IBIS it kinda ticks all the boxes. Then you got Z8/Z9 with 45MP/8K stacked sensors, IBIS, RAW plus that also records in ProRes 422 HQ which is a blessing in post. I know I'd be happy and set for years to come with any of these cams but it's a big investment with the lenses so one has to choose very wisely!

Yeah I noticed the Z8/Z9 have two overheat warnings: card hot & camera body hot. Interesting to hear some CFexpress cards run cooler than others, good to know! Of course overheating is mostly a concern in 4K60p/4K120p/8K. The fact that the camera shoots ProRes HQ should in theory mean less heat when shooting in that codec since it is much less CPU hungry than h26x. This is definitely one of the main selling points to me. Not only does Prores 422 HQ deliver ace IQ & motion but it also edits like butter on just about any computer system. That alongside the stacked sensor could make me switch back to Nikon despite my few gripes with the camera.

Of course testing a camera for yourself is always the ideal thing but it ain't that easy when it comes to the R5C. It's just not the most available camera. Kind of a niche product like the 1DC, but I will certainly try to hunt one down when I get back to Paris.. Not a lot of comp tests either on YT but I did find this R5C vs Z9: Canon R5C vs Nikon Z9 Hands On Camera Comparison The stab tests are interesting since they're using longer 100mm lenses. Clear advantage to Z9. In other areas such as DR I was surprised to see the R5C had the edge, and the Z9 had it for AF. Although not the most scientific tests that video has got me curious about the Z8/Z9 again so I will definitely spend more time on the Nikon before I commit to either R5/R5C!

Ah good point about the higher quality 4K120p. Looks excellent in that clip you provided, thanks. Another point for R5C! R5C also has that Face Only AF which is really really nice for certain situations. Renting an R5C isn't easy atm but I will try and hunt down a store that has one and try it to see if I can live without IBIS. You mentioned earlier in the thread that not having custom modes was a PITA. I assume there is at least a "My Menu" type page or maybe even custom button where you can quickly access FPS/S&Q settings? Would love to know what is your fastest method to switch resolution and frame rates.

Lol I know I’ve been going back & forth a lot with purchase decisions but this will probably be a fall purchase (maybe even early as next month). R5 mk2 is expected in 2024 and R5Cii 2025 so those aren’t really a concern to me. Besides R5 & R5C are already at an attractive retail & used price so I will not be waiting for replacement models to purchase. What really put me back in the Canon camp was trying out R5 with latest FW on a shoot. I also played around with a Z8 and got mixed feelings although I really like the specs and the files. So in the end I’m still not at all sure what way to go, hence all my questions and research about R5 vs R5C. I really want the R5C for all the cine features, codecs, no record limit, 8K60p and the fan.. but I’m afraid I’ll miss IBIS and that the battery life may still be on the short side. R5 has IBIS and decent battery life plus I loved having C1 8K, C2 4K, C3 4K120 custom modes. But lack of exposure or magnification during recording, no shutter angle and the pain of editing 8K h265 files may push me towards R5C in the end.. Besides a good compromise might be R5C + R3 for handheld/run&gun/action shots. That’s my dream combo!

Thanks although some of those solutions don't seem available any longer (anker 45w power bank). Again what are the exact 8K60p power requirements? I know we've discussed this earlier in the thread but I don't feel like going through +35 pages lol. As for the Z8, it is great that it can power 8K60p from its internal battery but yeah I've seen some 8K tests getting the camera to overheat in 10mn which is a concern. Other test show 25mn. I think the Z9 doesn't overheat and with second hand prices being around what a Z8 costs I think Z9 might be actually be a better choice if you don't mind the weight too much.

So still currently only USB-C battery solution in order to use for 8K50p? What's the voltage needed and what options are out there?

As others have stated the AI/computational stuff you get from phones, drones etc shouldn't be compared to what you're getting raw from a mirrorless cam. It's definitely going to take more work in post and more effort during shooting to get there. FYI Z9 recently got a 4.0 FW update that adds a low (100) ISO mode to N-log. Early reports suggest noise is gone. This firmware should be coming very soon to Z8 and hopefully be a bit of a game changer when it comes to noise issues with N-log.

Here is a short blurb about Canon's various IS systems: https://www.canon.co.uk/pro/infobank/image-stabilisation-lenses/ I really think IBIS + OIS grants excel results on Canon systems. Not a big fan of EIS in general as it crops the image but IBIS+OIS+EIS is almost gimbal like. I agree with @gt3rs about sensor size + focal length having a great influence on IS. Not to mention action cams are rarely handheld so really not a great basis for comparison. Anyways, another IS question for those owning R5 & R5C: do you notice a big difference in stills? The image results I got from the R5's IBIS + RF 24-70mm f2.8 IS were just so sharp even at lower shutter speeds. According to that Canon article that specific combo enables 8-stops of IS. Should I expect much worst photography results if I were to go with R5C? I'm just a little worried because at 45MP sharpness really matters.

Yeah I'm interested in knowing how R5+IBIS compares to R5C + lens IS mostly for handheld static shots and some slow movement. The best results I've had so far with the 24-70mm is with R3 thanks to that bodies weight distribution and ergonomics with the vertical grip. Would love to know your assessment of the R5 vs R5C with the RF 35mm IS. Let me know here when you try that! Good to know about the IBIS! I do think its great that Z8 can lock its IBIS on & off. Best of both worlds depending on situations. The wobble effect you get on wide angle lenses can ruin shots so that is very handy feature to have. As for video AF, I only had a short time with the Z8 but I did try a few AF speed settings and again my experience was that the AF was a little sluggish in certain situations compared to Sony/Canon. It is still very usable, just not as blazing fast & smooth as the competition. Especially compared to R3 which has the fastest, stickiest eye-AF I've witnessed.

Just sharing my likes/dislikes about the Z8. No camera is perfect and I may very well warm up to it with more time spent with it, so take my comments with a grain of salt. Its definitely a very high-spec tool at an aggressive price point. Again I love the body size, the stacked sensor, the high-resolution, and the codecs. Camera just seems to have some quirks both in operation and output. Yeah RF isn't a good solution for third-party lenses. But the native ones are really top level albeit pricey and you can adapt certain lens systems to RF. 45mp is obviously great for substantial cropping. Didn't realise how useful it was until I started messing around with +45mp files. Now I can't get enough it.. And yes R5C has DIS that you can combine with OIS. Found this video about it:

Yeah I meant proper exposure tools like on R5C. By the way to those that own both is R5C more rugged build quality than R5? Like FX3 vs A7S3? Or is it really the same body, screen etc as R5 with just an added fan?

So I've now tested out the Z8 and like I said in that thread, I got mixed feelings about it. I love the body size, build quality, LCD hinge system.. but I hate the UI, menus, layout. N-Log is a can of worms with currently horrible rec709 LUTs that kill DR and boost saturation. Camera has weird quirks like no IBIS when adapting certain lenses and other options that get greyed out depending on settings. The AF is a little sluggish. Etc. I guess to me its a great camera on paper but not really for me in actual use (I've found that to often be the case with Nikon cams). So for the moment I've written it off and am back on Canon/Sony bandwagon. I recently did a hybrid shoot with an R5 with latest OS and actually really enjoyed the shooting experience & the files. Camera felt super snappy, didn't skip a beat. Decent battery life & didn't run into any overheat issues. The downsides are the camera feels a little cheap, 30mn video limit sucks for long form content, no exposure tools, no magnification during recording, 8K h26x is hard to edit on an M1. R5C has all those video options plus 8K50p, LUT support etc. So the camera is back on my list. The battery life now being a non-issue in XFAVC is a huge plus for me so I guess the only real downside is lack of IBIS. That's kind of a big one. That said I did my entire hybrid shoot with the RF 24-70mm F2.8 which I thought was quite a phenomenal lens and it has IS. This RF lens was quite an eye opener, and I might just retire my EF lens collection and start investing in RF. So my question is, would the R5C + RF 24-70mm be usable for handheld video? Would I be missing the R5's IBIS much? I really just don't want micro-jitters and hate using post stabilisation. Another Canon option is the R3. I've played around with it quickly and the ergonomics are just perfect. The video IQ is superb but the stills are "only" 24MP and I really love the 45MP files from the R5/R5C. Just feels weird paying more for less, even though the stacked sensor does bring other benefits. I guess an R3+R5C would be my dream combo, maybe I should start saving for them!

Any Nikon Z user know if/why IBIS turns off when adapting certain lenses? I didn't even know that IBIS could be locked off on mirrorless cameras, good feature actually, just sucks that it auto locks when using the FTZ adapter (but maybe only on vintage AIS or non Nikon lenses). Yeah I tried Flat (its also what I used to shoot with back in my D750 days). Its a good baked-in profile but I'm used to shooting Log for grading. By the way Z8/Z9/R3 are available in Paris. There is even a program in certain Fnac stores where you can borrow a cam/lens combo for 48h, I don't have the full details yet as I'm currently travelling but will get you the info if you're interested.

Had a quick go at the Z8 the other day. Shot some 8K ProRes test footage with a vintage Nikkor AIS lens and the Z 35mm f1.8. I have mixed feelings about it. For some reason the IBIS was disabled on the AIS lens, not sure if that's the case with all adapted lenses or not but it was rather disapointing (VR and EIS was greyed out). That said, it was pretty glorious seeing that vintage lens in 8K for the first time! N-Log is kind of a can of worms. Footage is pretty noisy at ISO800 and yeah the provided Nikon LUTS really do suck, horrible highlight roll-off that kills the DR. The info is there though so you'll get better results going manual. The menus and button control is probably the worst from any system, sorry Nikon it really does my head in. Also the grip felt sticky which is not cool. The size/weight is just right, love the LCD hinge system and overall build quality. Just a quick first impression so I guess take what I say with a grain of salt. I do like the camera despite my few gripes and might even try renting it to spend more time with it as again the menu/UI takes a lot of getting used to.

Yeah it ticks all my boxes as well. 6K60p compressed RAW is a nice middle ground. All day battery with no overheat is ace. I'm sure it would be the perfect pro hybrid wedding cam for your needs too. Combined with an R6ii that's a killer combo. Pricey for sure but there are some really good bargains on grey market (4700€) if you can go that route. Then again who knows what the competitors will drop next but in that pro integrated battery grip design CaNikon are really the only two brand options..

R3 is a beast! Much lighter indeed than Z9 or other camera + grip. Ergonomics are imo second to none (I hate that Nikons don't have a thumbwheel). Joystick and thumbprint reading sensor. The AF has the standout "eye control AF" feature or "Mind-controlled AF" as Ken Rockwell calls it lol. Canon AF in general remains my favourite AF system (Sony may detect a tad bit better but I like having control of my AF system and Canon has the most intuitive AF select system imo). Stacked sensor means 9.5ms RS in 6K (vs 14.5ms on Z8/Z9). 6K60p RAW internal and with C-RAW Light the bitrate is only 1800Mbps vs a whopping 5780Mbps for 8K60p RAW on the Z8/Z9. Better LOG options and more LUTs in Canon land than Nikon. But of course Nikon has other specs up its sleeve, mainly 8K/45MP. Lens wise, the RF 24-70mm f2.8 is same weight as the Lumix version (900g) plus it has lens IS which neither Panny or Sony have. By the way the older EF version is 800g and the Sigma Art EF 24-70mm f2.8 is way more affordable than mirrorless versions. Funny because all this makes me realise the R3 (plus optional R5C/R6ii/C70) really makes most sense for me even though I've been considering switching systems..