BTM_Pix

After spending far too many hours in their casinos as a younger man, I can attest that not providing a specific hour for the announcement other than "Las Vegas time" is entirely appropriate and could mean any time in the next few days

In Jon's defence, if I had been at the receiving end of some of the snide innuendo that he was subjected to on here then I wouldn't have given a fuck about what I said to those people either. I'd say he actually rose above a lot of it with far more restraint than I and many other people would have done. The hypocrisy of some was laid bare when one of the earlier footage releases from the Pocket 4K featured what in a different era would have been euphamistically referred to as Lolita content. Was this content scorned on this board? Nah, just the technical aspects of it pored over of course. I don't know whether he is banned from here or just choosing to stay away but obviously his posts towards the end of his last period of activity on here would suggest the former. And if not then some of them certainly read as an attempt at assisted banning as does one of his posts on his own blog. There is no doubt Jon was a divisive presence at times - a fact to which he latterly attested and apologised to some posters individually for - but there are a few people who need to think about their role in the toxicity.

There are a couple of exceptions but I'd say in general terms that the past 5-10 years have produced better drama TV series from the UK than comedy. That could all change post 29th March of course when God knows we'll need something to laugh about.

I have two T/L mount bodies and zero L mount lenses so obviously the biggest con (and some would say in both senses of the words) is the price of the lenses. Not that that means that I have a shortage of lenses to mount on them as via cheap M and R adapters as intermediaries there aren't too many restrictions. So even if Panasonic and Sigma don't come up with the expected goods in terms of hugely cheaper native lenses, you still won't be struggling for something to film through albeit manually, which won't faze many people on here anyway. And if the EVF on it is as good as the one on the SL then no one will be crying into their beer about it.

I have to say that considering how much film production has gone on in Canada in the past 30+ years then I think the answer should be "why wouldn't there be so many Canadians doing photo/video for a living?" Favourable exchange rate, a range of tax incentives, English (and French in parts) speaking crews and the ability to double as a range of US locations (especially NYC) etc etc has all added up to making it an attractive proposition to shoot there over the years. This list of films shot in Toronto for example illustrates the point https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_films_shot_in_Toronto Telefilm Canda is also very active with co-production agreements with numerous countries and all of this production creates not only a lot of activity at the high end but obviously also filters down and creates a sizeable base below it. Clearly, looking at YouTube then, a lot of Canadian have just taken the previous job the outside world knew them for and just put the letter 'V' in front of it

Obviously, you have to manage your expectations at that sort of price and its difficult to say definitively with lenses of this vintage whether you will be getting a lemon through it being a battered copy of a good lens or a mint condition copy of a bad lens If you are looking to keep it really low then have a look at a Nikon Series E 70-210mm f4 which you can readily get for under £50. As with the Canon FD80-200 that @noone referenced, it is a one touch design which might suit better for manual control in your application.

There are a lot of variables in what you are looking for but here is a rough guide to storage size per min for common formats. There are a number of calculator apps available for Android and iOS that will give you an exact result for more cameras and codecs but the chart above should be enough to get you in the ballpark but the biggest variable though - and one which no calculator will get you anywhere near a solution for - is the shooting ratio. If you were doing a 10 minute UHD film shot in RAW on the BMPC 4K then it would need 123.6GB of storage (12.36 x 10) but that is if you did it in one take of course. The shooting ratio will vary wildly and make the total storage requirement many times that amount but only you will know what that ratio will be depending on the type of film it is and how you will be shooting it and numerous other different unique factors. Just as an FYI, here are the shooting ratios for some feature films. Aim for Primer but budget closer to Hateful Eight !

The third thing of which you can be certain is that you will never be able to say "that really is enough bags for me now". I'm pretty sure that if I had to move house that I could transport most of its contents in the various bags I've acquired over the years.

I used to use the same size Lowepro from their Runner range quite a lot and it will take a lot of gear and a lot of abuse. It was useful for travelling when budget airlines got a bit more strict with weight limits for carry on as its half the weight and a lot less conspicuous than a Peli 1510. The downside to it being able to take a lot of gear is that you take advantage of that and it can add up to a lot of weight to have on your back. I got in a London cab with it on fully (over) loaded once and slipped and ended up on my back like an upturned turtle and the cab driver had to come and help right me. Not my finest hour! I can definitely attest to the durability of it as I've had sat in snow, mud and rain while I've been working and its never had a problem keeping my gear dry or protected from bumps, knocks and taxi floor impacts. Bags are ridiculously overpriced though aren't they? Obviously its a worthwhile cost when it comes to protecting gear many, many times the price of it but even so its still a bit of a piss take and there is definitely a tariff when it comes to getting a photo specific bag versus a similar generic bag. Reminds me of this sketch about wedding cakes Incidentally, there are some surprising prices returned when you put 'Lowepro' into the search at Aliexpress........

Yeah, I think if you approach it in the way that you aren't going to be shooting some high end production on it then I definitely think that it has more about it for casual use. We were on a bobsleigh run a few days ago (on rails but still scary enough for me thanks!) and to be able to just hold the camera and then create a really dynamic faux multi-camera piece from it on an iPad straight after in any number of formats or extract stills or just keep it as a 360 piece is incredible really and a ton of fun. You can do a similar-ish thing with the Pocket but you'd have to be choosing the camera orientation points on the fly which are not only destructive but also pretty difficult to pull off while you are screaming and making sure you don't soil your undies !

A few of my 2018 winners would be : "Signpost Award" : Insta 360 One X, not for its actual 360 necessarily but for pointing the way to how much that omni-capture can bring to the table in terms of stabilisation and re-framing for regular flat content. I picked one up just before Christmas and whilst its not my first rodeo when it comes to 360 cameras, its the first one that has really delivered on the shoot now frame later concept. Don't get me wrong, it is full of flaws but it is very close to being there for being the first choice leisure/travel/vlogging camera for a lot of people. It doesn't take much imagination to consider the possibilities for other type of film making as well if manufacturers like Pansonic, Fuji, Sony etc were so inclined. "Hannibal Lecter Award" : Fuji for cannibalising sales of its video centric X-H1 by having better video specs on the X-T3. "Bob Marley Award" : Jointly won by Sony for making everyone Wait In Vain for the A7Siii and Blackmagic for the Pocket 4K batteries Jamming. "Horticultural Award" : The Blackmagic Pocket 4K for sprouting more plants than the Chelsea Flower Show in this forum in September.

Judging by this image of it from a repair video, I'm going to say that even I wouldn't be mad enough to do try that If you were rehousing it though, there is nothing to stop you orientating it so it is the 'floor' if you like which would give you a better starting point for a different shape housing. So, for example, do it like I've crudely illustrated here like this (with the arrow denoting lens direction). If we removed the screen then we would also reduce some of the heat issue and I'm sure some additional cooling tech could be adapted/adopted from PC building could be applied. With regard to the screen, yes, it will likely be a standard MIPI interface so there are are a lot of options from phones and as you say the small screens for the Pi.

Well its certainly do-able. This is an interesting project on the BMCC (same horse, different jockey) that shows the possibility. In this instance he's gone for an Ursa style but if you look at the internals there is no reason why it couldn't be taken in a different direction. The screen is kind of defining the size (as well as the heat sink) but it would be interesting to know if it could be changed to a smaller one, or even lose it altogether but keep the controls, obviously, and use an EVF instead.

As long as you match the spec you should be able to use any similar LiPo battery (the video kindly shows the dimensions) but the original branded ones are available on ebay and from distributors. https://www.ebay.com/itm/MINMAX-lp904086-7-4v-3800-mAh-Rechargeable-Lithium-Polymer-Battery/263861219768 http://www.dau-components.co.uk/catalogue/parser/parsed_page.php?page_id=16281&csid=28

I'm on to what you are up to here, Don. You want one of us to buy one of the $699 Adorama ones and attempt that bomb disposal level "10 minute job" knowing that we will royally fuck it up and you can then generously offer to buy it off us as parts for $50 don't you ?

Yes with the addition of more frame rates and certainly a more favourable form factor for run and gun. But then against that we have this here.... The BMPC really is heading into no brainer prices used if you are prepared to accept it's slightly limited operational envelope and form factor/ergonomics. The upside over the Ursa Mini is being able to use SSDs over C-Fast so there is an additional saving there, though even with the internal battery it still does need a powering solution, although there's no need to break the bank for those. Not difficult to find pretty compelling examples of its output on YouTube either. Its arguably actually more difficult to find examples from it that aren't compelling considering the prices they are now selling for. The solution to which one to choose between is of course to wait another 12 months for a bit more devaluation when you will probably be able to pick up both for $2000

I see. Yes, that is unfortunate. And quite surprising as well really that 5 years on from the BM 4K Production Camera that the next comparably priced GS sensor camera to come along should be a much smaller sensor one. Or the BM 4K Production Camera and some lights. And a lot of change left over.

The E2-GS is only a 1" sensor ? I haven't really been following the story but I presumed from this that it was the same size as the regular E2?

Probably not, no. They do seem to be getting closer with the GS version of the E2 though. Curious to see how many people's long stated desire for global shutter translates into actual sales for them.

Perhaps the reduction in dynamic range might be explained by it being global shutter... There's a nice bit of speculation to round the year off with

4.144691 pounds you say? That's me off the list of potential purchasers then as its way too heavy. I've vowed never to buy any gimbal that weighs over 3.141592 pounds as they are as easy as Pi to operate at that weight.

Welcome to the "Evaluate a lens and then just keep it and buy another one anyway" club. What size would you like for your official members T Shirt ?

What are your thoughts between them comparison wise? Enough in the Canon to consider cashing in on the Nikkor ?

The GripGear track breaks down into two pieces for transport and the head detaches and weighs hardly anything so its definitely travel friendly. I have an obvious fondness for the GX80/85 and it would definitely be the logical step for you to move to in order to get IBIS but as good as the IBIS is on it, I still think you would have the same issue in trying to pull off the sort of shots that you are after handheld. I'd also say that you are in for a rude awakening trying to get a lens for it to match the utility of the one that you are used to on the LX100 I think if you tried to do the shots you are after purely by changing the camera but without adding the additional support you'd end up with way more cost (especially as you already own the LX100 ), more weight, more bulk (as you'd need a few lenses to match the LX100's internal one) for a minimal amount of improvement. The EOSHD forum party line on this of course would be to get all of the support gear AND the new camera as we do love spending other people's money ! Maybe the compromise solution would be to just get the Yelangu/Andoer dolly and make use of what you have where you are (table top or even a piece of cardboard) to provide the flat surface for it to work on as the dolly can literally fit in your pocket?

If it is purely for product shots then I think you might want to consider a couple of cheap and cheerful non-camera items that might get you where you need to be irrespective of the particular camera that you shoot with. First up if you were looking for 360 views of the product would be a simple motorised turntable such as this one. There are numerous ones like this on Amazon for under £30. If you wanted to go for something to keep the product still but move the camera around it then you might want to consider the GripGear MovieMaker 2 set. It is a combination of motorised multi-speed slider and lifter, panning head and skate dolly with remote control that can support up to 750g cameras and is usually available for just over £100. The versatility it offers is great and as long as you aren't expecting to put heavy loads on it then it performs really well and is certainly a lot of bang for the buck. This is a video of it against the five times more expensive Edelkrone unit and whilst it is obviously not as sophisticated it doesn't disgrace itself in terms of performance. If you wanted just the motorised skater dolly part of the GripGear then for around £50 you might consider the newer versions of the Yelangu/Andoer L4. The original version was quite a neat little product but the new version has the advantage of remote control and adjustable speed. As with the GripGear dolly you adjust the axles to control the arc that it travels on around the product but you can also straighten them to do a straight line and can also mount it on a regular slider. As I say, with those options, the question of which camera to choose becomes less of an issue as they will enable you to get product shots with nice production values even from a smartphone. If I was looking for a camera to go with these purely for product photography then I think I might be inclined to go for something like a Panasonic LX100 as it is the right sort of size/weight to best utilise them, has a great built in lens and whilst it lacks IBIS, its stabilisation will be more than adequate as it is mounted on the slider/dolly. It can also do 60fps in 1080 which will be useful when shooting longer shots of smaller objects etc It can also of course be remote controlled (including the zoom) from the Panasonic app which will be a boon for setup. Now that the mark II of the LX100 is out, the original version is popping up used at around £300 so with something like that and the GripGear set you are getting a lot of capability for £400.