Trek of Joy

The best laid plans... If things go to hell I'll probably just work on perfecting Ben and Jerry's ice cream recipes or something. Godspeed Chris

I'm good on TP, cleaning stuff, and so on. The carnage in the stores is insane, I was shopping yesterday and one store had TP on the shelf, I thought for a second about getting some but decided to leave it for people that needed it more since I have 10 or so rolls that should last me a couple months. Then the next few that passed by hoarded all of it into their carts. People are doing the same with laundry detergent, sanitizer and so on. Sometimes people just disappoint you with their actions. Gonna spend the extra time doing a few things: learning more editing techniques with photoshop including blending images, curves, masking and so on to better edit portraits and landscape shots I've been wanting to capture a holy grail time-lapse so I'm gonna tinker with a few attempts at that its Milky Way season and I've only shot it once before with a crappy result, there are a few remote places for decent MW images, gonna hit them before it gets to hot I switched to Resolve last year, but I'm going back to FCPx as its just faster for my workflow, gonna spend some time getting reacquainted just bought a NISI filter holder, the 10 and 6-stop Big Stoppers and some graduated ND's, gonna try to up my landscape game Basically lots of skill building for a better reel/portfolio. Stay sanitized all. Chris

The 4k and 1080p HFR options that *should* be 10-bit internal are far more interesting to me. That and the IBIS paired with a 40-ish mp sensor capable of 20fps and Canon's AF to boot. If its pulled off the impossible - speed, resolution, stabilization and great internal video - all my needs are met with one body. The unicorn has arrived. The rest is just a bonus. For my needs. Though I have no doubt the a9 with its stupid fast readout speed could do the same, only topping out at 6k and melting from the heat. But Sony is the new Canon and clearly won't dump everything into one body. Chris

Feels like the R5 and likely 5d5 are inching toward $4000, maybe a tad lower at $3899 or so.. That's my guess. But if they really wanted to hit Sony and Nikon with a dagger and squash the fledgeling L-mount like a bug, drop it at $3199. After spending a little time with the current R, its so much better in use than any Sony, and the R5 looks like its solved all the little annoying issues with the R. I'm really looking forward to this camera and the R6. Chris

I'm surprised its not higher, its rat piss in a clear glass bottle. Modelo, Pacifico and others are much better. Chris

I live in an area with 825 miles of beaches and dozens of natural springs (Florida), most of my stuff is going to be beach footage and sunrises/sunsets. That means less traffic to all the best spots I want to shoot, so for me its good. Just need to stock up on TP. Chris

Same here, time to get caught up and shoot as much content within a few hours drive for a reel. I'm going to put my new drone to work as I don't have enough stuff for a drone sizzle reel. Chris

If it can match the a9 and shoot 20fps with the electronic shutter, sensor readout speed should be pretty good. I bet its better than the 4k on Sony's various a6x00 models. With a CFExpress card 10-bit and even raw internal should be a breeze. Found a great deal on a used EOS R and EF adapter and I'm slowly selling off my Sony gear to move to the R system. Despite the goofy touch bar and lackluster specs, its a great camera in use - and the AF improvements Canon has made put it on par with the newer Sony's. For now I'll use the XT3 for action since the R is kind of lethargic with its (non) high speed bursts. With adapters adapter I can be system polyamorous and use EF glass between Sony, Fuji and the R. I can wait out Covid-19, but the R5/R6 is giving me a serious case of G.A.S. For me this just keeps getting better, DPAF, IBIS, 4k120p, 40-something mp, its shaping up to be the hybrid I've been waiting for. Good times. Chris

Holy shit, that Fireball cam is genius! Having worked with a lot of people that aren't photographers/videographers - stability is such a huge deal that's almost always overlooked. As Kye mentioned people just wave phones around like they're directing traffic at an airport, its nauseating. I think it would help to have a short video demonstrating concepts like using a tripod or a gimbal, framing and so on. I did a webinar for a bunch of partner organizations demonstrating how I shoot phone video because I got so many questions about how to get good looking footage. One people saw what I was doing the lightbulb went off. A simple tripod or a gimbal works wonders. A shot list would probably be helpful too. Shoot 4k and stabilize/reframe in post is another, especially if its vertical and you don't want that. But vertical is better suited for things like IG stories - I shoot both. Good luck. Chris

Makes the 1dx3 look a lot better. Though the R5 is looming... Chris

I work in tourism, lots of trade shows, conferences, gatherings and sporting events are being cancelled. I'd be surprised if NAB actually happens. My bet is before officially announcing, they're looking at how to break the contracts without paying stiff penalties - many exhibitors are probably doing the same. Chris

Same here and +1 on the XT3 Chris

I'm in a holding pattern. Went late model used after starting to vacate Sony-land by selling my a73/a7r3 and a few lenses. Just picked up a EOS-R to dip a toe in RF land before the R5 is fully revealed. Found a cracking deal on a XT3 + 16-55, so I splurged on that one too for 4k60p just because the XT4 AF improvements are coming and I can flip it in a few months and not lose anything. With my luck new shit gets revealed in the next few days while both are in transit. These and a 5dmk4 I use for work will hold me over until things shake down after Corona madness. Still have to unload the a6300 and a few Sony lenses to finish my Sony purge. I love the GM lenses, but everything else Sony has been completely underwhelming since the a7r2 - which is now 4.5 years old. I'm keeping my OG a7r for landscapes until a better $500 alternative becomes a reality. The 36mp sensor is better than the 42mp in the a7r2/3 IMO (no confetti noise!) and holds up well to the 47mp sensor in the d850/Z1/S1r since I can't get any of those for $500. Its a great landscape photo body, no video though - that AVCHD garbage, ugh. If Nikon had more card options, shot 4k60p, and AF was better I'd seriously look at the Zed's as used prices for bodies and lenses are really good. My prediction is the gen 2 bodies are going to be awesome, but they're so damn slow with updates I'm guessing we don't see them till mid-2021. I'm intrigued by the L-mount just for the Sigma 2.8 zooms, but too many gotchas with all the camera - Panasonic and its anemic AF, Sigma with the e-shutter only (I need cameras that can cover events as well) and Leica with the eye watering prices. No, no and a big no. If the R5 isn't a complete turd, I'll be going all in on RF lenses and a couple R5 bodies whenever Corona runs its course and they're a reality. If it shits the bed I'm open to options. I've toyed with getting a dedicated cinema camera, but me being farsighted makes MF a challenge in the bright sun conditions I shoot in on a daily basis. Canon footage is so easy to grade too, I have to say despite its shortcomings, the 5d4 has been really easy to use for work despite the fact I hate the OVF and fixed LCD. I'm guessing the EOS-R will be even better. Lots of other "that would be cool" options I've been toying with. I've tried to get a 5d3 on the cheap to tinker with Magic Lantern, but none of my lowball offers have been accepted ... yet. Had one at $500 last week with 180,000 clicks on the shutter and then the seller backed out for a $600 offer. The search continues... Chris

For new hobbyist/family photographers, reliable AF is a big selling point. A decent touch screen and AF interface - you know what Sony can't seem to figure out - makes the upgrade from a phone experience seamless. Phones make everything so easy, gotta give people a reason to buy a "real" camera. Just tune out the noise, who cares what people are saying on youtube to get clicks and views? My sole source of income is shooting photos and videos, and I pretty much use AF 100% of the time. I shoot in retina searing Florida sun - often on equally bright white sand beaches and I shoot on a gimbal a lot. Great AF is a life saver for me as the only way I can properly check focus in real time is through the EVF - I wear reading glasses and until something is about 2 feet from my nose its fuzzy. But everything beyond that is fuzzy with the glasses on. Its tough to see any LCD outside when its so damn bright, and I'd need a 42" panel to properly check focus at a viewing distance that didn't require destroying my vision wearing glasses in the sun. I just bought a EOS R body to tinker with over the S1 specifically because of AF. Until something like a global shutter is a reality, AF is one of the most significant selling points where you can leapfrog the competition. Unless you're Panasonic pretending PDAF doesn't exist. Chris

A sigma 18-35/1.8 would get you an extra stop+ and be optically better than the 17-40, there are lots of cheap sigma 1.4's that would get you 2 extra stops. I love the 28 and 35/1.4. I second the c100 again, prices are really low for a nice 1080p image. Good Luck Chris

One thing I do have to hand it to Fuji is they've finally come around to going all-in on the pre-release hype train, this camera has been reviewed by so many outside of Fuji's usual ambassadors. The number of videos I've sorted through over the last few days is nuts. While I'm not a fan of more buttons and switches, I do like the fact settings between stills and video are independent - that at least eliminates the constant fiddling of readjusting settings when flipping between the two. I'm trying to like this camera more, but then I see that it still jumps when changing ISO's like my XT2, and I use auto ISO when on a gimbal - its been great with the a73. Chris

I guess the IBIS wobble is just something you'll have to work around, like rolling shutter only uglier. At least whip pans make good edit points. But I'm actually starting to come around on this camera. AF looks really good and IBIS is on par with the competition. Then again maybe its just GAS because I'm in-between systems with a chunk of cash from a mass selloff burning a hole in my pocket. In the meantime I'm using a 5d4 and my old landscape camera - the OG a7r - which still produces some pretty amazing photos. Then again XT3 prices seem to be dropping too... Chris

Maybe the new camera is the XC-15 successor. 😅 Though adding a RF mount camera makes a lot more sense. Chris

The IBIS has that ugly warping in every video I've watched so far. AF tracking looks like its taken a step forward. Solid camera if they can get the IBIS sorted. Chris

Thanks, I can so that's the direction I'll go. Chris

I've double tapped the record button a few times, always embarrassing when you have to ask someone to re-do an interview they just wrapped. Sucks getting into the edit and seeing some of your b-roll is me walking around with the camera or the camera in a bag. I've left without batteries and cards before too, but always managed to grab them and not screw up the shoot. I recently shot an interview in the warehouse of a brewery and my earbuds that I use to monitor audio crapped out, no biggie since I knew the levels that should give me pretty clean audio in my Beachtek adapter with a lav, only I forgot to plug the adapter into the camera, so all I had was a noisy scratch track with all the background brewing crew noise. Fail. I shot a hike on a volcano once and the plan was to use mostly GoPro footage to keep my pack light, but I only brought one battery. After my first couple shots I put it in my pocket to preserve the battery. After about 30 minutes of hiking my pocket was feeling really hot, when I took the searing hot GoPor out it was doing a thermal shutdown, I had 30 minutes of dark pocket footage and felt like an idiot. I've had lots of close calls too, people bumping my tripod, me bumping my tripod, crazy waves on the beach without a waterproof housing and so on. Chris

That's beautiful, this thread has peaked my interest in tinkering with a 5d 2/3 and ML raw to shoot my beach sunset stuff. I just don't want to pull the trigger on a cinema camera yet (mostly because I'll need more than just cards to make one work) and I have access to EF lenses. Searching for a cheap 5d now... Chris

What we do know, Sony will never have a Alpha camera with this sensor before Nikon and Fuji. And no way they can manage sufficient heat dissipation in the tiny a6000 bodies. They've said repeatedly the APS-c philosophy is about being more compact - hence sticking with the a6000 form factor. I've given up hope they'll release a APS-c body using the a7/9 chassis. Its never going to happen, the clickbait SAR chatter about a mythical a7000 is rubbish, they're keeping it exclusively for FF. As to this sensor, my guess is 8k is coming to the FS7mk3 with something like this. Chris

I’m talking about the new model oddly labeled “XT4” The numbnut selector switch crapped out on my XT2 cheers chris

One annoyance I just noticed with the XH2, I hate the fact that you still have to flip a switch to go between stills and video. On an average day I shoot hundreds of photos and dozens of video clips. It gets annoying fast. That killed the switch on my XT2 requiring a $250 top plate replacement. It’s clunky, just let me stab the record button on the fly. chris