BTM_Pix

3 isn't a great range scale for a rumour is it? That only gets you from almost certainly true to could be true to no way is that true. Or from Elvis is dead to Elvis is alive to Elvis is alive and spearheading an alien invasion of 9 foot cyborgs in rhinestone clad jumpsuits. I might start a rumours site with a Spinal Tap scale where the rumours go up to 11.

Its definitely there when I click it.... Just to double check, I've refreshed the link on Mega So try this one, should be 79.6mb https://mega.nz/#!0zRB1QIJ!uycAhx4pUJ_E_sT37FmA40xanloyd0tNJa0OjVdcDsg

On thing I've found with the X-T2 Jon is setting the custom AFC mode to Suddenly Appearing Subject is very, very good at acquiring and releasing focus when you step in and out of the frame. And as if to be contrary to my own mantra of automatically just using AF when I'm doing my real job, because of the absence of any wide aperture long primes from Fuji I shot yesterday's one all manual focus with a Nikon 300 f2.8 on the XT-2. The quality of the EVF on the XT-2 and their focus peaking made it a breeze to be honest and thats a hybrid solution I'm probably going to try out on tonight's job which will be far more challenging light and subject tracking wise. It's a pity they don't offer that EVF as a standalone product to be honest

A few seconds excerpt of two of the original JLOG clips as requested by @Alt Shoo Cinema 2K ProRes 422LT https://mega.nz/#!0zRB1QIJ!uycAhx4pUJ_E_sT37FmA40xanloyd0tNJa0OjVdcDsg JVC's JLOG LUT is available here http://pro.jvc.com/prof/attributes/software_dow.jsp?model_id=MDL102318&feature_id=17

They're grabs from some footage. If I get chance when I get back from this trip then I'll put a small clip of the original jlog up.

Everything is a workaround and a compromise with AF at the moment trying to resolve the two basic truths which is that the camera is far smarter and faster than I am at nailing focus but I'm far smarter and faster than it is at picking what it should be focusing on. Its currently like my other half and her shoe shopping. I can get us to the shop far quicker and more efficiently than she can but have absolutely no informed idea whatsoever about what shoes to choose when we get there. The light field stuff will eventually solve the focus thing for us (and Panasonic's post focus function is a nod to that with stills albeit a simulation using high fps rather than something like the Lytro) so its just a question of finding workarounds along the route until the technology catches up to make that viable for motion at a sensible level. I doubt we'll ever solve the shoe thing though ! I do apply the end product of the endless tweaking of AF for stills in a just about still making actual money industry but yeah I'd certainly make more money tuning cars instead of AF !

Its interesting how when you're using a hybrid camera you'll switch your mindset when you switch your modes. On Wednesday, when I'm using the X-T2 for shooting some build up footage of fans around the stadium then it'll be in manual focus all the way but then as soon as I'm inside and flick the switch to stills mode then I'll be using every tweakable part of its autofocus system to the maximum I can manipulate it to in order to get the shots I need. I could probably do both equally as well using a common fairly simple AF setting to be honest but its just ingrained in as being 'the way you're supposed to do it' isn't it? Sticking dogmatically to both has caused me problems with missing focus when using manual in video and - just as problematic- disappearing up my own arse tweaking AF modes and custom ballistics and actually degrading AF performance. For stills, I often use a hybrid of constant AF-C for tracking players but then a quick jab on the AF-On button to zone focus if its a fixed action like a corner kick or penalty where the AF system can get triggered by closer players crossing the frame. It easy doing that with stills though as you just keep the focus point on centre frame and quickly point the camera temporarily where you want it to set the zone. Different for video where you need to keep rolling with the camera in a fixed position and its not always possible to use touch focus or even move the focus point selector stick if it has one like the X-T2. Thats why I'm interested in the Aputure lens regain focus system in that you can effectively use it to make two focus zones and rapidly switch between them and I think the way forward is for a camera manufacturer to incorporate that with multiple zones that perhaps have aperture and iso integrated into them. On the Ricoh GR for example, it has a Snap Focus function that you set at a defined distance and then select your aperture and shutter speed. It illustrates the depth of field in front and behind the focus point for that distance set with the aperture selected and then the auto ISO takes care of the exposure given the aperture and shutter you've selected. This means that if you do a full press of the shutter it won't AF but will take the shot on manual focus with those settings. If you do a half press, it will AF as normal. It makes it incredibly good for street shooting as after a little bit of practice you get proficient at estimating the best working distance to set the focus point at (and your increasing accuracy means you can set wider apertures) and you can take the shot without bringing your eye to the screen for long if at all in a lot of cases if you are trying to be stealthy. For a lot of run and gun video, as its akin to street photography in many ways, a two or three zone system like that operated from user buttons on the camera would be a good hybrid solution option for me. So I could have a near zone at say f2.8, a mid zone at f5.6 and a far zone at f11 and when I pressed each one it would change the focus distance, aperture but also the ISO to keep the exposure consistent and that way I could be confident that I could quickly get something in focus. I also think we might see some tag based AF being incorporated into hybrid cameras fairly soon. Either physical tags like the Soloshot system or screen based ones like on the Osmo Mobile or Mavic to track multiple subjects on a priority selection basis. The LS300 has a priority selection mode in its Face Detect AF but I haven't tried it as yet. People are used to it at the consumer level with things like the Osmo Mobile and the selfie drones and its one of those things that will filter up rather than down. Might not be for everyone but I could definitely see this sort of thing being a boon for people who shoot weddings to set the bride as the MVP in any shot she wanders through via a small wearable tag.

It looks brilliant. But they all do when other people are using them. When I get my hands on one it looks like I was shooting while walking over a path of upturned Lego and 3 pin mains plugs. Does anyone know if Pilotfly's place in Augsburg is an actual retail premises where you can go and try one and get help setting it up?

No, the C/Y>MFT speedbooster doesn't arrive til next week so I was manually speedboosting by stepping back a bit! Shot in Cinema 2K so I could have the option (which I used !) of the extra range on the long end using the Prime Zoom function. Its a push pull, which isn't ideal but its a hell of a lens for the well under £300 you can get them on eBay for. Some user reviews here http://www.photographyreview.com/cat/lenses/35mm-zoom/contax/vario-sonnar-t-28-85mm-f3-3-4-zoom/prd_84513_3128crx.aspx

I did of course mean the Contax Zeiss 28-85mm and not 24-80mm

Its the Aviva Stadium and used for both rugby and soccer.

Mmmm.... Collage app exported that with a saturation boost for some reason. Should've been a bit more subdued.

EDIT I wouldn't argue with that at all to be fair. In the right hands (not mine I hasten to add!) its a very capable little performer.

The face detect AF is just as good as the GH5 too I save the file locally and drag it onto the bottom of the reply. Not sure how you do it if its hosted elsewhere though.

Used the LS300 in anger a bit more at yesterday's job doing some quick pre-match build up stuff. Really hard contrasty light and I haven't tested enough to know how much can be pulled up if you ETTR and so as I was in a rush many, many highlights were harmed in the making of it! Cinema 2K, JLOG and Contax Zeiss 24-80

Using iOS devices for live broadcast streaming is becoming increasingly interesting too. I've done a trial with Teradek's Live:Air app which lets you do multi camera switching with graphic overlays and even pre-record play ins. The iPad version lets you switch 4 cameras which can be any combination of the internal iPad cameras, other iOS devices using the free Live:Air Remote and 'real' cameras via one of Teradek's encoders such as Vidiu. Whats good about it is that it lets you buy the features you need as in app purchases so you can build it up as you go. Although obviously compared to a full switcher its still really cheap even when you've bought all the add ons. Whats even better is the iPhone only version (Live:Air Solo) is completely free but only supports two cameras. But of course unlike some iPads you also have the broadcast element (i.e. the modem) already built in. So with a couple of iPhones and a pocket wireless router (the iPhones have to be on the same network) you can do a reasonably decent looking cable free live production and broadcast it using the easy templates to all the major platforms. With the iPad version, you can create some pretty full on live event broadcasting like this video below. I'm not sure its compulsory for the GoPro being strapped to the head of course! https://teradek.com/collections/live-air-family

I haven't got anything to hand to test it comparatively to Panasonic for example but maybe @jonpais does? Seems a similar issue going on with theirs here so suspect it's par for the course unless you're using one of the Panasonic servo zooms where the system can pre-empt it. https://www.personal-view.com/talks/discussion/3283/12-35mm-f2.8-panasonic-lens-topic/p5 An option to turn off the correction would obviously be possible but whether Fuji etc would want to expose themselves like that is another matter I suppose. I imagine the number of support calls theyd get from people who left it switched off and from people who felt short changed because the corrections were showing flaws they didn't know about may not be worth it too them? Years ago when I worked in music, Roland brought out a synth called the D50 which had built in effects that really made the sounds shine. I knew several people that returned them because they didn't sound as good with the effects switched off, despite the effects being an inherent design factor in the sounds they bought it for. I suspect the same thing might happen with a lens correction Off function

This seems to be the originator of the video? http://www.fujix-forum.com/threads/exposure-changes-when-zooming-even-in-fully-manual.68733/

Doh! It was a red herring anyway I think. I'm doing a match this evening so a combination of hotel boredom, curiosity and having all my Fuji gear with me has let me run some quick tests! Its not related to the OIS. My two short zooms (the 18-55 f2.8-f4 and the 10-24 f4) both show the exposure flashing when transitioning between focal lengths. More so when zooming out oddly enough. The two longer zooms I've got with me (the 50-140 f2.8 and 100-400 f4-f5.6) do not show the same issue. I also have the cheap 20-230 f4.5-f6.7 with me as an emergency spare and it to does not show the same issue. Doesn't change with aperture so even the non-constant aperture lenses don't vary in their results. So, added to the original video of the the 16-55 f2.8 it seems the moral of the tale is that if you want a shot with a zoom on a wide lens then you need to use a non-Fuji lens. Also tested on the X-T20 as well as the X-T2 just for completeness and its exactly the same.

Its a whole load of strangeness there but I'm wondering why he's actually got the OIS switched on when its on a tripod to be honest. Its a non servo zoom as well so the vibrations he's causing by turning the zoom ring will be complicating matters. He's calling it the 18-55 f2.8 lens but its not a constant aperture lens its f2.8-f4 so the flashing in exposure would be consistent with an aperture change causing an exposure correction as it progresses through the focal lengths if he had his aperture at f2.8 on the wide end. I'm just speculating as there is obviously some stuff going on there but its hard to know without a bit more info about the exact settings, which, unfortunately, he hasn't listed other than just saying 'fully manual'. Did you find this video from a forum thread where he explains a bit more ?

I want a speedbooster that will let me use Nikon lenses on a micro four thirds camera... No, hang on.

Yeah, I'm being entirely realistic about its performance vs a grown up version. I'm basically looking at it as a £300 speedbooster with a £150 remote focus control as a bonus feature. Just simply being able to quickly move from two defined focus points remotely has a practical application for me for what I'll use it for with the LS300 so anything above that is a win for me. The transitions as seen in this demo will be ok for me I think. No way I could justify the expense of a full blown system.

Has anyone got one of these? I'm in one of those flip flop decision modes between one of these and the Metabones speedbooster with AF. To be honest, I'd have bought the Metabones already if anywhere had them in stock but now I think the lack of availability might have done me a favour. Basically, because of the amount of Nikon glass I have, I have the original Nikon speedbooster but now I need an EF mount version for the LS300 and also for my other MFT mount cameras and obviously the AF was a big attraction. (for Face Detect AF testing natch ;)) Not being able to get hold of one has had me revisiting the idea of the Lens Regain and weighing up the pros and cons I'm now leaning towards it and forgoing the AF. Aside from no AF, one downside is that it has slightly less of a reduction than the Metabones (0.75 vs 0.71) but on the LS300 that is less of a concern because of the S35 sensor size. The bulk factor is another issue that concerns me, particularly as it appears that you have to have the handle active to change aperture. Again, less of an issue with the LS300 as stealth isn't really its strong suit but it is a concern with the GX80 ! The upside of it with that really nice controlled A/B focus pull and being able to operate focus remotely if the camera is on a gimbal or jib is probably far more useful for me than an AF capability. The other upside is thats readily available unlike the Metabones and the £200 saving wouldn't go amiss either. With that £200 saving it gets me most of the way to the Kipon Baveyes AF reducer so I could have the best of both worlds albeit with two pieces. So, has anyone got the Lens Regain and is it as good as it appears? And ditto, has anyone got the Kipon and is it a decent performer?

I put this in the NAB thread but might be more appropriate in here. Really neat wireless system for mobile film making but also has a loop out so can be used with regular cameras. Would be particularly good for the DJI Osmo as well as the form factor of it attaching to the back of the phone means no clumsy mounting options like you have to do with regular wireless receivers. Decent value too at $249 for a mic and receiver or $350 for two mics and a receiver.