Vintage Jimothy

I'd say it really depends on what sort of video work the customer is intending to use the camera for. I think the R6 is probably going to be the better pick for most people, especially YouTubers and videographers, but for someone working more in the fields of indie filmmaking or music video might benefit from the 8K RAW/10-bit and the 10-bit 4K 120fps. That said, if Canon wind up offering the ability to record ProRes RAW externally via an Atomos recorder for the R6, that'd definitely sweeten the pot for a ton of indie filmmakers. Either way, I do think the R6 will probably sell well.

The only real point of contention I have with your article, Andrew, is that you just gave the "Best Autofocus" point to the 1DX Mk III without really going into why you feel that way. I mean, hasn't Canon confirmed the R5 is going to have the same version of DPAF as the 1DX Mk III... and that it'll be useable in all 8K and 4K modes, including RAW? That said, I don't disagree that right now I feel like 8K RAW is overkill for the vast majority of what work I do. I just got myself a new laptop and I'm excited for it, but I'm sure even what I got would struggle a fair bit with a codec that chunky. In practical terms, I'd be all for Canon making a 5.5K RAW at 60fps mirrorless camera that was the same price or a bit cheaper than the R5, as I'd get more mileage out of it. However I'm still leaning towards the R5 for now because of the RF mount, the IBIS, the cheaper price tag... and honestly even if I don't find myself using the 8K RAW right away, its 4K specs are still perfectly serviceable for what I do right now. Hell, if Canon wind up putting in 240 fps at 1080p too, that'll only sweeten the pot for me. The benefit of getting an R5, IMO at least, is that it seems to be one of those cameras that can act as a solid long term investment and use for a good 4-5 years before feeling particularly compelled to upgrade.

Yeah, that's a very fair point. Like I said before, my current predicament is debating between one of two routes for my next camera purchase; something more cost affordable, but will likely be replaced within a year or two (i.e. a Fuji XT3/4)... or something notably more expensive and heavy duty, but will hold a longer shelf live for me before I need to upgrade from it. And while obviously camera bodies are far less of a long term investment than the actual lenses, I do think the R5 is one of those camera models that would ultimately have a long shelf life. 8K RAW alone is overkill, but between that and 4K120p (with DPAF), I'd be set for quite a long time. As much as I love my Panasonic G85 and the footage I've seen from the S1 and S1H, I get the feeling that the DPAF would far more beneficial for my current hybrid photo-video work than Panasonic's Contrast autofocus. I don't mind the Contrast autofocus in my G85 or using manual focus, but I do have to admit it's gotten in the way of my footage and photos on more than one occasion. So with the R5 having DPAF across the board with a rich image, be it RAW or 10bit C-Log internal, that's a big factor that's made me consider it over the Panasonic alternatives. Like I said before, if I were living in Atlanta or LA and focusing on my narrative filmmaking career, I'd probably go with them- but as it stands now, the R5 seems to make more sense if we're talking "Long Term Investment" cameras. And yeah, my plan if I were to get the R5 is to buy it with the 24-105mm f4 IS right away with the camera! It seems to be one of those perfect kit lenses and would have me covered for most practical scenarios. The point about having the vintage glass was that, aside from my fondness of the aesthetic and character, it'd be a good cost effective way to have other special cases covered for my work until I could afford to buy other RF glass aside from the 24-105mm f4.

Perhaps it might be overkill, but I do like using vintage glass a lot of the time whenever I don't need to rely on autofocus. I do plan on investing in RF lenses too if I get the R5, but it's a matter of price and what lenses are available by that point in time. I suppose if I really save my pennies, I could try to eventually nab the RF 28-70mm f2 lens. That lens does seem pretty magical...

Ah, so the camera should do just fine with low light and dynamic range in either 8K or 4K 24fps to 30fps? Good to know! I'm expecting (and am fine with) some level of compromise on issues like battery life and rolling shutter, I just want to have a better idea of how extensive any issues on those fronts might be. The only other thing holding me back is how pricey most of the Canon RF lenses are so far, which admittedly was also a bit of a concern I had with the L-mount and the S1H. If I opt to save up for the R5, I'll probably save up to get it with the RF 24-105mm f4 lens (which I'd wager is probably going to be the kit lens) and probably continue to build out my vintage lens kit so that I have at least one high quality versatile lens to use with autofocus and then have a number of primes I can switch in and use manually if need be. That should work, at least until more affordable RF lenses start coming out, right?

Surprisingly enough, I keep finding myself looking over the R5 online and waiting to hear more new info on this camera. Been eyeing a number of different cameras to upgrade to from my Panasonic G85 for awhile now, though I've mostly narrowed in towards the Fuji XT3/4 or a Panasonic S1H. Basically they represent one of two paths; the more affordable camera that I use for a few years or a more 'future proof' camera that's more of a long term investment that I can keep around, potentially even mixing in with any possible cinema cameras I might buy later. However with all of the new details that emerged last month about the R5 and its rumored price range from $3500-4000, I have to admit it's competing hard with the S1H in regards to the second route. Obviously the S1H still has way more pro-filmmaker features in it than the R5, aside from 6K vs 8K or external vs internal RAW. If I were living in Atlanta and working in a more traditional narrative filmmaking industry right now, I'd probably lean more towards the S1H... but for now I live overseas and am typically doing more videography and minor photography work. To that end, the R5's DPAF being useable in all of its video modes and presumably being a higher resolution stills camera seem better suited to what I'm doing right now, while still being a fully capable filmmaking beast whenever I get a chance to do more narrative work. That said, I do want to hear more about details like the R5's battery life, rolling shutter, overheating and the like, much the same as most others in this thread and on the Internet. I have to imagine some sort of compromise had to be made in one or all of those areas. Same goes for low light capabilities and dynamic range.

One possible side-effect I'm really interested to look into with the arrival of an 8K RAW-shooting hybrid mirrorless camera on the market is how it impacts the prices of various popular vintage lenses. With Canon moving away from the EF mount to the RF mount, I have to imagine that opens up the possibility of video shooters adapting some terrific old glass that previously wasn't very useable for EF-mount cameras (such as Canon FD's or Minolta MC Rokkor's). Will that raise the prices of some great, less pricey alternatives to the Contax Zeiss and Leica R's of the world? Either way, I have to imagine that we'll see continued use of older SLR-era lenses being adapted to help 'soften' the image of these higher resolution cameras.

To be fair to Panasonic, haven't there been rumblings that they're being locked out of use of PDAF by Sony as part of using their sensors? I know I've seen that rumor tossed around here before, but I have no clue how valid that information actually is. Either way, yes, we're definitely reaching a point where Panasonic will need to start working on developing a proper PDAF system for their cameras and lenses ASAP. I could totally see Fuji implementing some form of RAW in their future cameras, in order to keep up with the competition. Though seeing as how they're not even really participating in the world of Full Frame, I'm curious to see if they'll wait until either Canon or Sony bring this sort of R5 specs to an APS-C camera first or if they'll try to get there first to keep up with their efforts to appeal to video-centric customers. Actually, speaking of Fuji and their lack of interest in developing a FF camera, maybe the R5, S1H (and a possible Sony A7sIII I suppose) might lead them to try and develop a more budget friendly successor to their GFX100 camera as a Medium Format videography-centered option? Maybe develop a 5.5K Raw Medium Format camera to try and get ahead of the rest of the competition when MF becomes more affordable to sell commonly? Personally speaking, I've been debating between upgrading from my Panasonic G85 to a Fuji XT3/XT4 or a Panasonic S1H for awhile now- but the Canon R5 definitely feels like a big declaration of a shift on what to expect from hybrid mirrorless cameras as we move into the new decade. So now I'm left wondering if I should keep waiting to see how the rest of the companies respond to the R5? Hell, I'm sure I'll be keeping an eye on the R5 too in order see what issues that camera might have (i.e. overheating, bad rolling shutter).

Honestly with the rise of mirrorless cameras and more modular cinema cameras, I personally don't think it's as imperative now as it was a few years ago to find ways to modify Minolta lenses to the EF mount. Speaking personally I'm very early into building my Rokkor lens set. Currently I own an early model 28mm f2 and a MC PG 50mm f1.4 and I adore both. The 28mm is a gem to use on my G85, especially with my Pixico speedbooster. Also, as an aside, I found out awhile back that almost an entire feature film (Identifying Features) that screened at this year's Sundance was shot on Minolta MC Rokkor's!

My thoughts exactly. I'd be happily surprised if The Lighthouse wins though!

Still currently filming with a Panasonic G85. Been having a hard time lately saving up money for an upgrade to a new camera, but hopefully that changes soon enough.

My guess is that Panasonic opted to go with the dual SDXC UHS-II card slots on the S1H so that it'd be somewhat more cost-efficient and immediately useful for buyers in 2019 (as well as how Panasonic's already mentioned that they did dual card slots of the same memory cards to allow dual recording and what-not for filmmakers). XQDs are new and will likely continue to become more prominent in the coming decade, but with how pricey they are currently and less common they are compared to SD cards, Panasonic probably opted to wait for now. If this internal raw video takes off with the Nikons soon, I wouldn't be surprised if we see Panasonic begin to incorporate that into future camera models down the line.

I'd say it also depends on the max resolution the A7sIII could shoot and how long it takes Panasonic and Atomos to get their "S1H can shoot some form of RAW out via external monitor" upgrade going. If that's already available to customers by the time Sony announces the A7sIII and the most that it has to offer is "Sony AF, Venice color, and 4K 60p no crop" with the same 8-bit limited codecs that they've been using this whole time, that might dissuade a number of customers from bothering with that camera. Especially if they don't include a flip-out screen.

Honestly, I'm not entirely sure what my personal plan will be just yet, but the double whammy of this great breakdown video on the Contax Zeiss lenses and Panasonic's full reveal of the S1H are making me consider a transition over to that sort of camera-lens combo. Much too expensive to try and save for a Kinefinity Mavo LF for now.

Not necessarily, I can see a particularly huge advantage for going 6K over 4K if you're a narrative filmmaker. After all, there's more to using 6K/8K than just the higher resolution. It gives a larger picture to play around with for re-framing and adjusting shots in post for a smoother look. That's a big part of why David Fincher's been relying on RED for so long now. Heck, plenty of indie RED filmmakers swear by vintage SLR glass like Contax Zeiss, Leica R or Minolta Rokkor to help soften up their footage and give a more filmic look while shooting in 6K/8K RAW to have the largest amount of room to play with in post that they can get. EDIT: That isn't to say that the modern FF/S35 glass made for the EF mount won't be super popular. Personally I'll probably mainly rely on a Sigma 18-35 (once I get one for myself), regardless of whether or not I get the Pocket 4K or 6K myself. Could even see the Canon EF L 24-105mm f4 being a popular match-up with the Pocket 6K too. My main point is that there's absolutely an argument to be made for going with the 6K model even if you primarily shoot with vintage SLR lenses.

Yeah, I really don't care for the grading on the 2nd video personally.

Been waiting for this review, but the guys over at The Film Look just posted their review for the Pocket 4K on YouTube. Way more efficient a review for filmmakers than most reviews I've seen to date. Love these guys and their videos.

My G85 is a great camera. While I'm personally looking at upgrading to the Blackmagic Pocket 4K sometime next year, I'm definitely keeping my G85 around for a long time. It's a reliable workhorse. Yep. The results I get out of my Helios 44-2 and Minolta Rokkor PG 50mm f1.4 are really great with the G85. Gotta be sure you're able to deal with the significant crop factor, but the IBIS on the G85 really does help it pair well with those vintage lenses.

I was reading about this at another forum. Considering how the Viltrox typically is just as sharp as the Metabones on other M43 cameras, the running theory there is that it’s something to do with the coating on the speed boosters and Blackmagic’s sensor in the Pocket 4K. Still, I think either would work well enough overall.

That is some truly gorgeous footage! And apparently he shot that all with a Lumix 12-35mm f2.8?

Thankfully that’s a predicament that’s somewhat manageable to handle for narrative filmmakers at least- just schedule all of the shots you plan to use the gimbal for in a particular scene/sequence/set together in one time block. That way you only have to set up the gimbal once and knock out the shots one by one. Granted, that isn’t as reliable a solution for other non-narrative types of filmmaking.

Personally I'm looking at the Tilta cage for when I'm able to pick up a Pocket 4K sometime next year (decided to go with this instead of a used A7s or saving up for a Nikon Z6), but the CAME-TV cage looks pretty sweet too. This camera is such a game changer for the low budget indie filmmaker community.

I think the new Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K goes a long way in keeping the MFT system as a relevant system for filmmakers for the foreseeable future. Maybe not for vloggers, but as far as narrative filmmakers and documentary filmmakers go, it's hard to argue against the BMPCC4K overall IMO.

Hell, I'd even take a f2-f2.8 Zoom like the old Samsung 16-55mm for starters, just on a full frame level. But it's definitely high time we see more evolution in zoom lenses.

I wouldn't call it sacrilege to say that. I think autofocus is likely bound to take over more and more of the videomaking/filmmaking world as that technology advances. But in the here and now, it's important to meet the manual focus standards for filmmaking with these lenses. Granted, based on the recent interview I saw @DaveAltizer do with Nikon from PhotoKina, it does seem like they're planning to incorporate linear focusing on these lenses soon via firmware update. Also that zoom looks great! Was that picture from Photokina or one of the other recent camera events?