Mark Romero 2

Thanks so much for the response and the information. Thanks so much for the elaboration. I have one client that NEEDS the final video file to be under 500MB (as in, 499MB is fine, but 500MB is too big). It can be either h.264 or h.265 codec, and off the top of my head, the wrapper doesn't matter so much, so I think either .mov or .mp4 is fine. The problem is, I can't "predict" how big the final video file is going to be before rendering it. So using the slow encoding presets means I have to spend an hour or so to render a three minute video file, only to find out it is over 500MB and too big for the client. So is there a way either with ffmpeg or with one of the GUI for ffmpeg to "preview" what the final size is before rendering? Or to even limit the file by size? Ideally, I would love for the software to just figure out what the best quality settings should be automatically while still keeping it at under 500MB final file size. Don't know if that exists in the command line ffmpeg options or in a particular GUI.

Thanks for the insight. Out of curiosity, ffmpeg is multiplatform, right? And if so, is there any benefit to running it on a linux box over running it on a windows box? I know Linux generally has less codex / libraries than windows but maybe there is something I am overlooking??? I've heard that - at least in resolve - that using hardware acceleration might degrade quality in terms of exporting to an h.264 codec. I don't know if this is true or not. Is there any consensus that for ffmpeg whether hardware acceleration degrades quality (or results in a larger finished file to get the same quality as using software rendering)?

While Sony had been aggressive in their marketing, I don't really think it is accurate to say "upgrading and selling every 6-12 months." If so, we would be on the a7S V by now. Yes, there was a case when the a6500 was released about 8 months after the a6300, but that was - as far as I understand - due to the release of the a6300 release being pushed back because of flooding at the factories in Thailand. Also in that instance, the a6500 was not an update or a replacement, but viewed by Sony as a higher end model than the a6300. So unlike how the a7 II was and update of the a7, and the a7 III was an update of the a7 II, the a6500 was meant to sell at a higher price point than the a6300 and for both lines to sell continuously at different price tiers. I think a lot of the confusion comes from Sony keeping their older cameras around for a long time. For instance, a6000, a6300, and a6500 are all still for sale, despite the release of the a6100, a6400 and a6600. But yes, it was the plan of Sony to be a "disruptor" because Canon and Nikon were so entrenched as the market leaders - and because Sony A Mount sales were so bad - that they had to be innovative and productive in their camera releases. BTW: In case ANYONE is wondering, no, I am not advocating Sony cameras (or ANY brand of camera) to anyone. I have a hard enough time trying to figure out which camera is right for ME, let alone someone else

yeah... looking at the trailer... certainly not my cup of tequila.

A couple of people on the Resolve forums suggest staxrip. I haven't used it myself. But they swear by it for encoding to h.264. I don't even know if it is available for Mac.

What's the show? Does it have English subtitles? Or do I need to brush up on my Cantonese first?

Oh... don't worry... it gets worse.

So who else besides me has a Panasonic S1??? And not a whole lot of love for Sony round these parts, apparently...

I haven't tested myself personally,. but I think that 1080p is supposed to have significantly less rolling shutter than 4K. (But I always shoot 4K on a gimbal with my Sony cameras, so I am not an authority on this.) I don't think that adding sheer weight is the solution, to be honest. Maybe a small rig cage might help, but I think it would help by adding various grips to the cage so that ergonomically it is easier to hold. And the other thing is to move at the waist or at the legs, instead of moving with your hands / arms, unless you have to. But as @mercer and @IronFilm mentioned, the Sony a6500 is not a good camera if you want to minimize RS.

Actually, no one should watch that Tony Northrup video unless they ARE drunk...

Nice.

Better yet is Camera Conspiracies reaction to that Tony Northrup video.

I usually pronounce it "broke, eh?"

Thanks, that's an interesting though. I could probably also use something like a pro mist or netting or something??? (Thinking out loud.) Not trying to answer for @rawshooter but I liked the example that you posted. I will certainly look in to them. Guess I was just hoping there would be some secret lens made in Outer Mongolia in the 1960's that only a few people know about and it sells on ebay for $6... with free shipping

Well, right now just got a Panasonic S1 with the Sigma MC-21 adapter, so basically full frame with Canon EF glass. The Lumix 24-105 f/4 lens the camera came with is nice except it is big and slow (f/4). It has minimal focus breathing (some say no focus breathing), and it has an automatic punch in when using manual focus with that lens, but it is kind of big and heavy, and is only f/4. Plus it might be a little too sharp / clinical for what I have in mind. EDIT: Most older manual focus full frame lenses can be adapted to the S1 with a simple mechanical adapter.

Thanks. It looks pretty good. Thanks for the suggestion. Full frame, probably EF mount. Looks like the Meike Cine primes are for M43 and mirrorless though, right?

So are there any sleeper lenses out there for under a couple of hundred bucks that have minimal focus breathing? Preferably something around an f/2 35mm or 50mm? (Don't exactly have to be f/2, don't exactly have to be 35mm and 50mm. Just be in the ballpark.) Doesn't have to be super sharp. Nice(ish) bokeh is appreciated. The bokeh on my Minolta MD 50mm f/2 is nice wide open, but if you stop down a little bit it (f/2.8) you get distinct hexagons. And it breathes more than I want. Thanks in advance.

I will try to get you some later. The footage I have was mostly shot with an ND filter and that might affect the colors a bit. So will probably want to shoot some new footage for you.

Sure, but the main part of the test was "blind" in that subjects didn't know which brand of camera took the photos when they were choosing from a group of photos. They just saw a number 1,2,3, or 4 without knowing which was taken by which brand. He DID test for bias as well and found that Sony bias was pretty high. And besides, the "joke" of my post was that this was a totally "subjective" test which I only brought up because the objective test I mentioned (i.e., the vector scopes showing that the a7 III color accuracy) was labeled as subjective. Oh, and in case anyone is going to say, "But those are jpgs and we are talking about video." Yes, but VLOG plus the Sony SLOG 2 to REC 709 Gamut is meant to replicate the Standard picture profile, which is the color science in Sony JPGs. And again, don't get me wrong. I'm not a super big fan of Sony cameras (despite owning four of them). I liked the colors out of my D750 a lot better. Just I don't think it is right to say the colors aren't accurate.

Pretty sure there HAS to be a way to do this. I'm on a PC and for that it is Alt + scroll Center Mouse Button. Certainly there has to be something on a Macbook that is similar.

Your post gets a heart from me for this very line alone. Just spent about an hour out in the cold screaming at my S1 to do a focus pull on christmas lights using AF. There are people who still think Sony will be releasing an A Mount camera any day now. And Betamax is making a comeback... just you wait.

Well... if it is objective, then:

Yes, but... there's still no road map for something like a 50mm f/1.8. The only thing on the road map is for a 50mm f/1.4. Sigma is probably going to charge $800+ for their 50mm f/1.4 , and the panasonic version is over $2K ?

Good point.

While I prefer Nikon colors personally, I don't think it is acculturate to say that Sony color is "off." As per Gerald Undone, the a7 III is HIGHLY accurate when it comes to colors. https://youtu.be/CphwVNgX32s?t=720 The Panasonic S1 needs a third-party corrective LUT to bring the colors in line.