MrSMW

For the IQ, I do I do I do! But, being pragmatic, I’d be causing myself a ton of issues. Similar scenarios with cine zooms and primes on something like the S5ii, - something else that would hamper me at times. I was very interested in the NiSi Athena Primes with drop in filters but kept circling back to the same conclusion and that is I would be limiting myself and therefore my clients, at certain times. So no, a ‘sensible’ camera body and system it has to be and that means at least decent if not great AF, and AF zooms, even if I mostly use them in MF mode. It’s a good thing actually because it allows the tools to get out of the way and the ‘art’ then has to come from the operator, though possibly at the ultimate expense of outright image quality because as the saying goes, something is better than nothing and without the right tools, the risk is nothing in certain scenarios in Wedding Land.

I do like the idea of being able to shoot direct to SSD, but 3 cameras so I always need to end up with time matched footage on a single drive. Stop it!

And my beloved S1H has gone forever… 😞 in the end, it came down to compromise as it so often does. The S9 I had already decided, was not for me for my use case. Yes, I could have made it work, but the risk factor was too high and just the thought of having an issue you know you could have avoided as a working pro, ruled it out. I would have gone back to the S1H in a heartbeat except for one factor and that is I can’t bake in a LUT. That was a big part of my workflow last year when the S5ii became my video workhorse and my S1H was my primary stills camera, but I forgot until @Andrew Reid mentioned the other day that it lacks this feature. I just went back to using this feature on my last job and reminded myself why this was the way forward for me after shooting without it for the first half of this year. No-brainer then, picking up a 3rd used S5ii body either long term, or to be traded when (if!) a successor to the S1H appears. The X model has no appeal to me. Not a single feature I need although I like it’s all black look, I am not paying a €500 premium for something I can do with a black sharpie. A 3rd S5ii does make the most sense anyway as it’s 3 identical pieces of kit, all set up the same and simply using different lens options as required. So a bit sad the S9 did not work out and even more sad about the S1H, but happy to have a 3rd S5ii because I know that it is actually the best video set up for my needs. Considered scratching the Sigma FP itch but then came to my senses 😂

Can’t really go wrong with a used one because even after a few months if you decided it was not for you, you could sell it for minimal loss and much less than renting anything for the same period. Zoom lenses I’d be looking at myself right now would be: Sigma 16-28mm f2.8 Sigma 28-70mm f2.8 Sigma 28-45mm f1.8 Sigma 24-70mm f2.8 mkII Sigma 70-200mm f2.8 latest version Samyang 35-150mm f2/2.8 Lumix 20-60mm f3.5/5.6 Lumix 24-105mm f4 Lumix 70-200mm f4 I personally have a pair of Lumix 20-60’s (because I have 2x identical static set ups), the 70-200 f4 as an option for one of them if needed) and the 28-70 as my run & gun workhorse. I think that out of them all, the 28-70 is an absolute gem due to the combo of constant f2.8, focal range plus size & weight. However I will switch to and never want or need another pairing beyond the new 28-45mm f1.8 if a longer sibling arrives around 50-100 also at f1.8 and internal zooming. I would also trade my 3x stills use Tamron E Mount lenses for this same pairing. Without even needing to give it another thought.

I suspect the reason that the entire original S line did not sell that well was for 2 reasons: Size & weight. None-PDAF AF, particularly for video. That combined with more limited marketing compared with say Sony, especially on social media and YouTube = limited sales compared with comparable cameras. But the S5II changed that and is a popular camera, at least in 'talking' circles. What's happening now re. any future S'2' line...?? I have zero evidence and can only speculate but 'expect' to see something soon... Perhaps not a 3 body line up as previously, but at least 2; a video-centric unit and a photo/hybrid-centric. Maybe 3 again as in an; S2H, a S2 and an S2R? The Leica SL3 hints at what any S2R could or should be surely? Re. any S2H, personally, I'd like to see a 10% smaller and 10% lighter body, PDAF, uncropped 6k 50/60p, but beyond that, zero needs. If it had internal ND, that would be great, or at least develop a drop in filter system for between the lens and body as some third party options do exist! The latest line of NISI Athena primes offer this built into the lens and there is the Fusion system I have. All for manual focus only lenses, but I presume would all work with a LIDAR based AF set up? Does it not have it? Balls, might need to rethink my approach for the rest of this year then. I thought it had... My S1H is with MPB right now (where they valued it incidentally +€145 more than I did!) and I have asked them to return it in light of me not keeping the S9. A bit of a hasty move on my part. I thought I had used a baked in LUT feature on the S1H last year, but that must have been with the S5II then. Damn...I think I will need to continue with the sale and pick up a third used S5II body then as baking in a LUT really is part of my workflow now.

First of all the output for stills. Exceptional. A step up from any of the 24mp files. Yes, on tiny screens and social media and blah blah blah, no one notices any difference, but YOU do when you edit the things. Same with my A7RV now. It’s no imaginary or placebo effect and the same I am sure for anyone that tries or has one of the Fuji 100mp medium format cameras. And as for the Hassie X2D…but I’m veering off now. You tend to lose a teeny bit at high ISO’s, but I batch run all my culled files through DXO PureRaw and happily shoot these larger sensors up to 12800 all the time. Video. True, no log but I found the 5k Flat profile was more than good enough for my needs and as someone who appreciates a great but still workable SOOC workflow as much as possible, it did the business. Am I right in thinking there is a record limit for 5k though? If so, that was one of the reasons I stopped using it for video but probably my favourite SOOC footage ever. Ergos etc. Great, but different from the S1H and S5/ii. I tend to prefer identical bodies whenever I can, but it’s not a dealbreaker. SOLD! But I sold them for one reason and one reason only, and that is lenses. For my work, I need ideally a max of one camera for run & gun video on my left hip and one camera for stills on my right. I have tried all kinds of options including flip out filters and using different focal length primes but identical cameras and shooting them hybrid…and could go back to that, but prefer a dedicated video unit and a dedicated stills unit. This means zooms. For stills, I need approx 28-200, but could get away with 150mm. For run & gun video, 28-105. Other than the Samyang 35-150mm f1/2.8, no lenses exist in L Mount that get anywhere near to those unless they are either slow or big & heavy. The Samyang has only just come out in L Mount of course and I stopped using the S1R about 12+ months ago and went over to the S1H using a pair of S5ii’s in the video role. The options for lenses for stills I had were the Leica 24-90mm f2.8/4 and the Sigma 28-70mm f2.8 paired with an option 70-200mm f4. The ‘one & done’ Leica was too wide for my tastes, not long enough as a ‘one & done’, I did not care for the variable aperture, but mainly just too big and heavy, especially because for me, it required the use of a battery grip. That lens plus battery grip meant adding something like 1.6kg to the weight of the body! All day long, zero joy. The Sigma by comparison requires no battery grip and is 470g. Game over for the Leica/battery grip combo. The 70-200 just lived in a bag dumped in a corner until required. So could I go back to the S1R today? From a stills only perspective, if I had to, but I would rather not because the A7RV with my 3x zoom lens combo is just a better option, particularly on the size & weight side of things. For me, at this present time, it’s just an unbeatable combo, but it is a €6500 combo for the body and the 3 lenses I have…but a combo of 1 body + 3 lenses that weighs less than my previous 1 body + 1 lens set up! So for anyone that does not have my lens requirements, for stills, the S1R is an absolute steal on the used market.

Err, nah. First of all, 2-3 visits per annum won't make any difference and second, it ruins the enjoyment of the film. I could though watch French TV shows daily and that would have a far greater benefit, but ruin a decent movie? Nope!

Too many productions are too dark IMO... We are currently watching 2 series on Apple TV; Servant and The Lady In The Lake. My missus keeps asking why no one ever switches any lights on in their houses. And can she have subtitles on because some characters speak with such muffled and mumbled voices... "It's high level art dear, you don't understand". In reality, I think it gets pushed too far sometimes and that is to the detriment of the viewer.

Pretty much. Over the years, I have used various bits of kit that most would consider not being 'pro' in a pro situation and to be honest, it's always been with a bit of risk! By nature, I don't like change and am not really a gambler or even much of a risk taker, but quite conservative...but at the same time, have pushed the envelope a few times when it comes to kit... Shot an entire season of stills on a single OG Fuji X100. Shot an entire season of video on a single Sony RX100V. It fills me with horror to think about that now 😵 But at the same time, I have still had to push trying to find the balance as a one man band shooting 100% stills and 100% video, by trial and error. Video is now just nailed as in the tools I need for the job. Between the S9, S5II and S1H, all do the business almost equally in terms of being able to produce the end result. It came down to which was the least risky. The S5II is the least risky IMO as it has the equal best AF and moderate (of the 3) weight, but sacrifices rear screen quality and a tiny bit of outright image quality. The S9 risks the most and by quite a margin, ie, potential for overheating and single card slot and lacks the ability to slot into any other role as well as anything else I have. It's the least 'pro' camera of the 3 and by some margin. The S1H though is like that old soldier that is not too old too retire, is vastly experienced and can not only keep up with the youngsters on the battlefield, but move past them. It can slot into any role with ease; run & gun, long static duty, stills... It just keeps 'soldiering' on. Nailed, based on the current lineup available from LUMIX. That combo also on the used market is just nuts. If I was going to build a budget 3 camera hybrid set up today, I'd go with that.

I think it's highly unlikely it would be cropped based on the fact that there was and still is so much criticism of 4k 50/60p being cropped. It's pretty much the only criticism folks seem to be able to come up re. the entire S line apart from perhaps size/weight in the S1's. My only real criticism of the S1's is that each body was too different. The S1H from the S1R anyway... That used to really bug me when using that combo as the handling was so different. I'd also prefer it if they stuck with 6k and didn't go for 8k, but that's maybe just personal preference. And I quite like that size and weight if not using a grip or cage. My ideal S2H would be 10% smaller and 10% lighter, uncropped 6k 50p open gate and great AF. Job done, just a really solid pro unit. Which is what has put me off the S9, the lack of 'pro-ness' to it. Having thought on it even more, I've moved to an identical pair of S5II's as in; same cameras, same battery grips, same lens, same tripod, same audio, same settings. One has a white A written on it, the other a B. The set up for my needs is what I consider 'pro'. The A7RV with 3 option lenses for stills is just 'pro'. The S9 within that line up just does not match my definition of pro. Until I went out and shot it, I can't see how I couldn't see that prior, but some things seem so obvious in practice that didn't on paper. Hey ho.

It does indeed look pretty cool, but actually being pro wins for me over pure aesthetics! But as a personal camera, yup, looks great! Looks identical to me and not heard a peep it’s any different other than the slight differences you can get between the same models, ie, manufacturing ‘tolerances’.

I really think they are not that bright in the Vatican City because how does anyone know the place is not actually on fire? Something like red or purple smoke would be perfect. Or rainbow coloured smoke to demo how PC they are these days. Oh hang on, they don't allow even ladyfolk to join their cult so maybe not...

I won't make any future moves until he has 'spoken'.

Well, it’s like so many things in life and that is we can research and analyse and talk all we want about something, but it’s only real world experience that gives you the answer. So many times I have come close to ditching the S1H but every single bloody time, it keeps coming back to the same result and that is it is The Daddy. Not for stills, the new Daddy there is the Sony A7RV, but as my run & gun unit paired with the Sigma 28-70 f2.8, it is The GOAT. Yes the S5ii has better AF and…well it has better AF and is lighter but otherwise, nope. S9 lighter and smaller still and with better AF but otherwise nope. Whatever comes along in terms of the next gen S1H will probably dethrone the S1H but for video, best camera I have ever had and was for photo until the Sony came into my life.

^ THIS ^ ^ AND THIS ^

Well, having slept on it for another night, I have concluded that I'm sending it back. Somewhat reluctantly because I do like it and the cost difference aside as in, is it worth €1000 more (with cage) than the S1H? the answer is no. It's not worth anything more and in fact less. To me. It's not so much a case as I went too small and too light because there are certain qualities to that, but the loss of all the other factors I listed above; the screen, the card slots etc, ie, the sheer 'pro' qualities and confidence that comes from that, for me outweighs what, the S9 gives me. And yes, I could go with a third S5ii very easily and it would make a lot of sense and is IMO a better option than the S9, but the S1H is better still as an individual unit. That extra bit of chunk negates the need for any kind of grip (compared with a S5ii with battery grip or cage) and my only very slight reservation is outright AF...but I have other units to cover that. The other upside of keeping the S1H and sending back the S9 is it leaves the potential open to see what Lumix might do with any S1H successor next year, ie, potentially trading in an already massively devalued S1H vs losing a whole chunk on a lightly used S9, is also preferable. And I hate change. Detest it. I think I was just a bit too rash with this one, but hey ho.

True. I am still debating whether it's a better option for me than not the S5ii, but the S1H... It is eating at the corners of my mind that the S9 is possibly a bit too small and light... It is and has been something I am chasing (compactness rather than than the above) and I have achieved that on the stills side, but having now used it and slept on it, I'm wondering if I went too far in that direction with the S9. The S9 is just under 500g and the S1H, +650g so more than double, but the S9 needs a cage and side handle so about halves that difference making it far less significant. The S1H has: 1. A better and more robust articulating rear screen plus it's a much brighter and clearer and bigger screen. I work solely off the rear screen so it's very important. (Something stopped me going Sony for video). 2. It has 2x card slots and that lack of backup with the S9 is playing on my mind. 3. It has an OLPF. 4. It has a bigger battery. I don't care what the official battery stats of something like 400 shots for the S1H vs the 470 or whatever of the S9/S5ii because the S1H battery offers FAR more than that of the S5ii/S9. 5. It is much more robust and weather-proof. 6. It costs nothing as I own it and has a trade in value of only around €700 whereas the S9 cost €1600, so is nearly €1000 cheaper as a value proposition based only on cost. The S9 counters with being smaller and lighter, but that is it. At least in regard to anything I need or value.

Actually, I think I’ll give my old vintage Carl Zeiss 40-80mm f3.5 a go on this body as on the freestanding monopod, it might be quite a good option. Might even work with Lidar and some gearing?

Well it didn’t overheat… Actually, it worked pretty well. Still waiting for the lightweight cage from Smallrig but received confirmation it has now been shipped and is on its way. in the meantime, I mostly used it on a cheap, lightweight, freestanding monopod and I’m going to go back to using one after a year or so of not as I really like the stable shot. Otherwise it was about as lightweight and small as a full frame set up can be and that was great. It’s not that much smaller or lighter than an S5ii and the S5ii is a better camera really in pretty much every regard except size & weight, but I like the little thing and it meets my needs. The output is going to be the same as my S5ii’s so the real test was how it worked compared with one ergonomically really. Without the cage, not as a good, but once that arrives in a few days and I can also put a side handle on it, it will beat the S5ii. The only final factor really is do I stick with the versatility of the compact Sigma 28-70 f2.8, or take a look at a cine lens with lidar as that option is of interest. But not this year. I can’t be doing with any more changes to my kit!

This, plus: Plus: Or my pick which would be a used Lumix S5ii for approx $€£ 1500 There’s a range of quality f1.8 primes and some very tasty but slightly pricey zooms. Or there are some excellent f2 primes from Sigma and some equally as excellent, but cheaper zooms. I’d probably consider the latest 28-45mm f1.8 as a 3x prime zoom set up in a single unit, ie, 28, 35 and ‘nearly 50’. That would set you back another 1.5k and it’s so new, no used options yet. Total running budget, 3k so as long as that focal length is both wide and long enough, add in some of todays cheap but excellent lighting and you are good to go. Some audio also obviously, but all in without going crazy, 3.5-4k max?

Yes, I mean exactly that. It was my sole video camera for an entire season. No full length ceremony or speeches etc, but hundreds of clips throughout the day. I’ll go see if I can find anything on Vimeo but it might be a bit old now…!!

Ha, so am I... But seriously, other than any kind of manufacturer glitch, I think it will do well in it's role. It's getting chucked in at the deep end on Saturday as my sole video unit (this couple have not booked full ceremony or speeches coverage which is covered by my pair of S5II's) and a shame it won't be super-hot weather to really test it. I'm not sure what's going on with the weather this year but it will be the 8th out of 9 weddings in a row where the forecast says great weather 2-3 days either side of the actual wedding day. Only one however had a bit of rain and nothing serious and another was cloudy with a chance of meatballs, but otherwise the forecast has been wrong. It's currently saying 29-34 Celsius each of the 3 days either side and 26 & very cloudy wedding day. I am doing something a bit different however and going back to burning a LUT into the footage. It's a nice clean 'ARRI' job from Phantom and side by side with every other conversion LUT I have tested, by far the best. It just makes editing so much easier than dropping a LUT on every single piece of footage or even dragging an adjustment layer and doing it that way. It worked fine all of last year and I'm not really sure why I went back to not doing it for this, but returning to it and I find it just makes everything easier including exposure when I can see on the LCD (combined with the WFM) fairly accurately what it will look like. I can't remember my in camera hue & sat adjustments however so will need to work that one out again over the next few jobs. And worst case scenario with the S9 if it does not work out for any reason? Easy, a third used S5II. The new Nikon Z6III could probably give it a run for it's money or even beat it, I dunno, - haven't really looked, but for my video needs, the S5II is exceptional. Size, weight, form factor, 2 card slots and can write to both unlike some (Nikon), class leading IBIS (no gimbal required huzzah), 6k 30p Open Gate internal and zero banding shooting it if you use the right settings. And factor in the price, especially used... The S1H is now off on Friday as is the Zf and Z6II. I wish I could keep the S1H and use it for something, but the reality is it would just be a paperweight and gathering dust now as with the pair of S5II's and now the S9, it just does not have a role. A better camera in various aspects, but I'd rather have the cash than it sit on a shelf. The Zf and Z6II were only ever an experiment and 'place holders' in advance of the Z6III and if for any reason, my new (used) Sony A7RV doesn't work out, I think it would be my first and only choice, but nah, 99% certain I have the Sony in hand now and for my purposes, sit's in it's own class all factors considered, at this present time. Glass though... If Sigma make a bigger brother to that 28-45mm f1.8 such as a 50-100, it's game over for my 3x Tamron lenses because as good as they are, the above pairing on an A7RV would be a dream. But as only one of them exists and I like to have things within a system, no plans unless they make a pair. To conclude, as far as I am concerned, I think...I THINK, I'm done for this year and hopefully longer. I genuinely hate jumping around and making changes. I find it extremely painful, but at the same time, there is a balance of tools required for my very specific needs and as I have mentioned many times, there is no manual for what I do so it is very much a trial & error process. I really thought I was starting the year with a set of tools I would not make any adjustments to for the entire season, but as always, the real world stepped in and coughed in my face. This stuff is tried & tested though now (well the S9 is technically 'new', but actually it's the same as an S5II, just with a few limitations that are not limitations for my purposes), especially the Lumix video side, but also the Sony now as I've actually had 8 shooting days with it. I'll shut up now. Just been waiting for my phone to charge 😚

And *cough* a lot of CGI!

You jest, but a few years back, I did, as an alternative to a Go Pro with the Backbone rig and lens options but in the end went for a Sony RX100V which I shot all my video on for a year but ended up changing it for it’s bigger brother, the RX10ii. It truly was a case of pull it out of my back pocket to shoot with or have on a lightweight freestanding monopod. The simple reality though was 35+ Celsius French Summers either in direct sunlight or in that back pocket! I think if I’d kept it in a small portable cool bag, it could have worked! I wouldn’t go back now but super compact options have huge appeal!

Z6iii + 28-75mm f2.8 Tamron now available in Z Mount? This was my workhorse, but adapted on the Zf and my only criticism was that the handling of the Zf, even with one of the available grips, was not great, plus the lack of in camera corrections using non-native lenses. The Z6iii fixes all of that. The Z8 also with the added benefit of being able to punch in even harder. For my needs, a 28-75mm on a 24mp sensor means it cannot be a ‘one and done’ set up as the focal length is too short for certain situations. The A7RV makes it almost though with only a couple of scenarios as in crop mode, it’s a 26mp ‘40-110’ with equal quality to a 24mp FF sensor camera. The Z8 with 45mp sits somewhere in the middle but for me is not quite enough to be ‘one & done’ and I think I’d go Z6iii myself between the two. 100mp would be my ideal. Not because I need 100mp because I don’t really need 60, but for that ability to have a compact ‘one & done’ camera and lens combo with a true 2x crop mode turning the 28-75 into a ‘50-150’ f2.8 I looked really hard at the Fuji GFX100 series and though I really like the body, there are no lens options unless I push the size & weight back up. I was hoping that Nikon might replace the Z7ii with a Z7iii but there does not seem to be any sign…