Trek of Joy

I shouldn’t type before drinking coffee LOL! The handle itself isn’t the issue because obviously it’s in the way, it’s the shape of cable that allows you to move the K3M off the shoe, from what I’ve read it doesn’t seat properly with the small rig cage. Someone posted on the FB group that you need a hotshot extension to make it work. As far as the handle, it’s pretty much always on for me, just another option for carrying, more attachment points, and another point of contact. I find it very handy, unless it’s on a gimbal. The handle is also where I mount my Ninja, or a shotgun, or my G3 receiver and so on. Sony has been all over the map with the design of the XLR MIS modules, the first one didn’t attach to the shoe, just used a cable, the second only attached to the shoe with no cable and now the new one does both. IDK, maybe it’s just easier to file away a little bit of the cage so the K3M fits. It would be nice to be able to just pop it onto the shoe for quick interviews and such. My current setup is a little clunky, I use the Beachtek DXA micro and a Sennheiser MKE 600 for nat sound and a G3 wireless for lav or stick mic interviews. Just thinking about the Sony’s as a more compact/streamlined audio solution. My camera is on the truck so I’m just waiting for delivery! cheers chris

@Hangs4Fun so many posts full of great info! Been debating between the K3M or the older one with the cable as I don’t need 4 channels. Some are repoing that the K3M’s cord doesn’t seat properly with a small rig cage and top handle. That’s going to be my usual setup as I like to put the Ninja on the end of my top handle. Hmmm... chris

Went with the Zilr cable and another Amazon one that claims to be HDMI 2.0 with good reviews. Thanks for the tips! Chris

Some of this is interesting, certainly the DGO sensor, smaller form factor and the OEM speedbooster - but not interesting enough to make me cancel my a7sIII order. The lack of an EVF in 2020 on a mirrorless camera is just a head scratcher. Adding a $1000 Zcam or some ancient Zacuto one is silly on a $5500 camera. WTF Canon? Chris

You can get pretty much everything with a v90 card. I'm waiting for a Type A card as well - ordered with the camera and its on backorder until who knows when. Until then its v90 and the Ninja for me. Prograde Digital is selling them direct - they're on sale right now and alphagvrd has an additional 20% off discount coupon, so they're cheaper than the big online retailers. I have 2x128gb cards in my cart and its $188, insanely cheap for quality v90 cards. https://alphagvrd.com/ Chris

Looking for a HDMI 2.0 cable to shoot 4k60p with the Ninja V and the a7sIII, curious if anyone has one that works without issues. There are tons, but just about every review on B&H and Amazon has people reporting they don't work with 60p. Looking for something flexible, not those heavy duty braided cables for TV's, and no a coiled cable like the Atomos cable, absolutely hate those. Would like something shorter than 3ft/1m as well so I can avoid the top handle coil LOL! Drop links with what you use. Thanks! Chris

There are really no bad options among all the 10-bit FF hybrids, they all have warts, but they all are capable of producing an amazing image. Sometimes we get hung up on bickering over aspects that are dealbreakers for me but not an issue for you. I don’t have the time while I work or the eyesight for manual focus, so for me I need good AF and a few key primes. And I have no interest in a c300 size camera. Obviously others don’t have the same problem. But right now only Sony, Canon and Nikon cover the bases and despite a brief flirtation with the RF mount I’m sticking with Sony. My a7s3 is on the way, it’ll be my first camera that shoots decent 120fps and 10-bit after years of Sony’s 8-bit codec. Good times. cheers chris

Hey use whatever works for you, if its the S5 that's great. The lenses and AF don't work for me, everyone's needs are different. Enjoy your camera. Cheers Chris

At the expense of much worse rolling shutter, laughably bad AF in 2020, a downspec EVF, no raw, few native lens options and so on. The L-mount has a ways to go before its a competitive system with the E-mount and it doesn't look like they're ever going to get the AF sorted. Pretty much anything can produce a great image these days, if you need more than just a body, Panasonic FF is the worst choice among the big players - far behind Sony, Canon, Nikon and even Fuji. Cheers Chris

@Dave Maze agree with your conclusion, now that higher quality 10-bit is the norm there are lots of great options in the budget/hybrid space. B&H started shipping according to some posts on FB. Looks like we'll start seeing more unboxing videos tomorrow. Cheers Chris

If you already have one of the 4k60 action cams I can't see a reason to get a new one since the price keeps climbing on these. Until they bring something new, why would anyone upgrade, even skipping two generations? I see little advantage over a Hero7 or the Osmo if you must have a front screen. IQ hasn't gotten any better in the last few generations and most phones can shoot better video/slowmo. Quite frankly its surprising how little innovation we've seen in the action cam space - its gone completely stagnant. More "K's" isn't the answer Cheers Chris

Few actually have the camera since its not shipping in most parts of the world. And I'm on a Mac, its Command-V Cheers Chris

A good look at the a7s3 with some ISO tests using various PP's. I'm personally still a fan of the Cine profiles since ETTR is my preferred way of working instead of playing the over exposure game. But looking forward to working with Slog3 too. Cheers Chris

N/T

Tinkering with the raw files, no LUT, just basic exposure adjustments and balancing the RGB parade on the first, the second has a little more saturation. I'm a novice with grading and working on my skills. I've been told by others here I can't see good color because I like what's coming out of the a7s3, so if its shit, it is what it is, but I'm still buying the camera. Plenty of detail on the guy's face despite not being oversampled like the a73. Looking forward to my copy shipping. Cheers. Chris EDIT: colors pop more in my FCPx window than looking at this page on chrome.

Here's a couple short ProRes raw clips - not mine since the camera isn't shipping in the US yet. But a chance to tinker with some footage. https://wetransfer.com/downloads/08484b6d49a91db7c62cc92d364d4a5c20200916064042/d8415b?fbclid=IwAR2XITJ3z_JnTCA9s-ugbtFclpRNhnD9VsrCy2wMl8UzunFEP6XcVFAcao0 The FW update from Atomos is out too. Now to figure out working with raw in FCPx... Enjoy. Chris

The a7c line has no impact on the future of the a6000 series. Its just another gateway to get people invested into the E-mount and buying FE lenses. There's nothing low cost or entry level about FF with the cheapest current body at $1798, and there isn't much by the way of small/cheap lenses which is where the low margin/high volume a6000 market sits. The marginal improvements made to the APS-c line in the last few years likely make it very profitable since they're the volume sellers. Many casual shooters have no interest in anything beyond the cheap 2-zoom-lens kits, and they're not going to spend $3000 for a FF equivalent when that a6000 kit is like $600. The a7c simply a parts bin camera - much like the a7III was/is - and they're testing the market for a small body in response to competitors like the RP and Z5. If its a success - and despite its shortcomings its going to sell well IMO - we'll probably see other variants pretty soon. Quite frankly its no different than Panasonic's S5 - which uses the same sensor as their others non-R bodies in a cheaper body. They're trying to recoup investment in the hardware/software development by amortizing the costs over multiple variants to hit sales volume needed to keep imaging afloat. That's also the business model entire Fuji X and Olympus (RIP) m43 line BTW. While this one doesn't interest me, drop the 42mp a7r3 leftovers into this with the new AF, processor, menus, touchscreen and such and they'd have me. Cheers Chris

I've gone back and forth on a RX100 or a X100 for something more compact and I always wind up just carrying my a7's with a single lens - usually a 24mm or 35mm, but sometimes a small zoom. I had one of the x100's and the a7III with a small prime was much better so I got rid of it. If you have the XT3, maybe something like the tiny xa7 with a pancake? Though I don't carry anything including my phone in my pocket since its too warm where I live to wear a jacket most of the year, and I don't find "pocketable" cameras comfortable to carry in pants/shorts pockets. So I always have at least a small sling or shoulder bag or I just walk around with the camera around my neck. I've tinkered with the RX100's dozens of times over the years in Best Buy but can't seem to actually get one because of the IQ compromises and the fact for me - they won't live in a pocket. But that's just me. Chris

My guess would be next gen AF, the touchscreen, new processor, a better EVF (a7III's is bottom spec as it gets), and better weather sealing. It wouldn't be tough to take it above the a7III's specs/build, and combined with a launch price for a new line - early adopters will pay the price just in time for the holiday shopping season. Chris

Yes, some decisions are just head scratchers. If they're marketing it as a vlogger camera, what vlogger uses EC when shooting selfie video? At this price point its far beyond "entry level" so they know more advanced enthusiasts, travel photographers and so on will be buying it. Even a mushy clickable dial like Fuji's that allows for two functions in the same dial would help. Plus if this was the long term strategy, why not more lenses with aperture rings or a custom ring like RF lenses? It just doesn't seem like there's a cohesive product strategy beyond every camera using the E-mount. I've always carried a a6300 as a cheap emergency backup, this would be appealing to fill that role at a lower price point. But the price + controls = deal breaker for me. I do think it will sell well though, people have been saying for years they want FF in a smaller body, here it is. Chris

I wonder if this new line means the end of the RX1 series? With the 61mp sensor you'd have a lot more room to crop on top of clear image zoom with a fixed lens. But they'd probably need to move to a bigger battery to handle a new processor and larger EVF and such. It will be interesting to see if they crank out a7c versions of the a9 or a7r series. If this camera sells well there's nothing to lose for Sony to just recycle internals from those cameras and milk them for more cash. I don't like the controls so its a no-go for me. If they would have simply made that damn EC dial a blank customizable dial or added a front dial it would be something I'd consider. I've used the a6000 series extensively, its annoying trying to adjust what's not on the one rear dial efficiently. The new touchscreen fixes the button dance hassle of moving the AF point. But controls are still lacking. Chris

Cool. I have a Ninja V too, gonna put it to work right away as well shooting some surf video. My only issue is that my SSD was Prores Raw approved when I bought it earlier this year and now its not. We'll see how it performs. I'm buying the a7s3 to get FF 10-bit, but the raw is a bonus. Cheers Chris

Jealous. A few in Europe are reporting the same thing. Looking forward to it being in the hands of real owners. Please update with any tests. Chris

Damn, that thing dropped right behind the skier! First time I've seen that, crazy. Chris

The simplified breakdown, according to the chart: v60 = Long GOP recording options, no All-i (though footnote 1 & 2 for XAVC S/HS says a v90 *may* be required with 4k 100/120 & HD 200/240, that one is confusing, so a v60 works sometimes, or not? Is that because some cards aren't as reliable sustaining needed write speeds or something else?) v90 = All-i and Long GOP, some S&Q Type A = Required for S&Q All-i 4k120p, HD 200/240p - not sure why the chart doesn't say 100p, seems like it would be the same as 120 I think that's it in a nutshell. I'm going v90 to have most bases covered, but I want to try the S&Q to compare All-i with Long GOP in the HFR modes, so I'm getting the 80gb Type A card and will use the USB-c port to transfer files until there are more card reader options available. Everything Type A is way overpriced, the tax of being an early adopter. Chris