MrSMW

Me also, followed by the XT4 at a slightly lower price point and then I’d go XT3 over Z6 unless IBIS is a must, but for everything else, the Fuji.

Feel free to comment whether it's, "wow, amazeballs!" or "compared with my Sony, it sucks balls".

Oh and PS: after the AF video, there are the 3 most recent mini-commercial/promo pieces I shot on the S5 for various local artisans just prior to Lockdown 2 here in France if you are interested.

Today's AF test, posted below, but otherwise I ain't saying nothing at this time other than...pretty much SOOC, lockdown scruffy beard, mostly making a muppet of myself. We are only interested in the actual AF and whether there is any pulsing and not the colour or if it's 'cinematic as fuck' etc. Password = EOSHD

I remember discussing the decline of the high street cinema circa 1988/89 when I was at art college and doing an advertising campaign in order to support the cinema. I used Jaws as my visual with the caption 'Big Fish, Little Fish' referencing the big screen vs the TV. And that was 30 years ago. But then they said 'the talkies' would never last about 100 years back... I think we can all agree on one thing and that is the experience isn't what it once was.

The following puts the whole cinema vs home big screen into financial perspective at least, for me (apart from the fact the cinemas are currently shut and we are still in lockdown!). As a family of 3, there are 2x Marvel movies we have not seen; Civil War and Dr Strange. We'd like to see Star Wars Rogue One again. Plus both seasons of The Mandalorian. Whole lot, this next month, 8 euros/dollars, ie, a single months subscription on the Disney+ channel which I will then unsubscribe from. Own home, no travel, no parking costs, no queues (and in France, you can't pre-book tickets so if it's popular and you get there too late...after driving 1 hour to get there in the first place, you might just have to watch the turkey movie instead), no specific time scales, the ability to pause, your own food at a decent price and no risk of food poisoning, comfortable seating. The list goes on... And no, we don't have some fancy 'home cinema' room, simply a 55" 4K TV that cost about 600 euros we got last year after 3 years of no TV and it's in our living room with no fancy surround sound or anything. A future of no bricks and mortar cinemas has nothing to do with the movie industry. Nothing. And it does not mean you have become some kind of introverted hermit if you don't make a monthly visit to your local fleapit cinema, ie, it's not the end of society as we know it.

Pretty much the S5 spec in a bigger body at 2.5x the price. I already took some matte black paint to the large white LUMIX lettering in my S5.

Ready to lose the act of going to the cinema? I have already lost that. Ready to lose the movie making industry? No and that isn’t happening as it (the filmmaking industry) has increasingly less to do with those big over-priced buildings full of people noisily eating and their phones pinging every few seconds.

Nah, it's not a event like it used to be. This is what we also do. Have done for years, for a long time prior to this year. The simple fact is, things change. We don't do lot's of things that we used to do either because they have been replaced by something as equally valid, or even better, or the 'old thing' just lost it's sparkle. Cinema was very much a 20th century thing, but it's been in decline ever since because it is competing with so many other things and the cinema industry itself has allowed that decline. It just is what it is. If I had the choice today to go to a large multiplex with it's overpriced everything, or a small local restored Picture House, I'd choose the latter every time. But very few exist. The other thing for me is during the 20th century, the movie was the bigger as in longer experience, ie, the Daddy of filmmaking, but in the 21st C, it has been equalled if not exceeded by 10 hour movies split into 1 hour instalments with production values that match or exceed. It's called evolution and you can't fight it and sometimes, you perhaps shouldn't try.

You also? I’m also waiting for yet another remake of Charlie’s Angels. I think @Trek of Joy said it above and that is Covid-2020 has only accelerated the demise of The Big Screen. Personally, I would rather watch movies at home these days because the ‘traditional’ experience is mostly over-priced and unpleasant. I can’t think of a single valid reason to ‘go to the pictures’ these days. Not one. Other than rose-tinted nostalgia. I wish it was otherwise. This has nothing to do with the film industry though, just consumption.

Like Nikon, I don’t think any time soon. Based on nothing but pure speculation/opinion.

There are of course other options and I’m no fan of subscription software but I use around 4 or 5 of the Adobe products as a suite and so somewhat reluctantly I persist!

All good stuff and thanks!

OK, I’ll give that a go. Thanks.

Face tracking works very well as expected in 4k 25p on the little Sony, but 1080 100p is dreadful. Revising my plan from shooting 1080 100p to 1080 50p in order to keep the face tracking! Just in case anyone is interested 😉 Just need to work on matching Sony 1080 50p footage to Panasonic 4K 50p on the same timeline... I appreciate it's not going to look 'the same' but I only need to get around 10 sequences in the ballpark/as close as so not too worried. One day, I'll just have to get a Sony A7Siii but at around 7x the price (with no lens), it will have to wait until 2022! Or maybe by then, we will have a FF PDAF Panasonic...

OK techies, what is the best way to do this? 90% of the material I will be using was shot in 4k 50p because I like to slow a lot of stuff by 50% on a 25p (PAL) timeline. The other 10% will have been shot 1080 50p (plus a tiny amount 1080 100p so I can slow it 4x in post, - mostly dancing, flashing lights etc that hides a lot of noise, artifacts etc). Is it as simple as grabbing the edge of the frame and dragging it until there is no black showing and then export the entire production when I have finished as 4K, or is there a better way? Lot's of mixed info on the web, so thought I'd ask here. I'm using Premiere Pro by the way. And no, I don't wish to change my software thanks 😉

Well, at this point in time, it’s pretty limiting what I can do as all work is still cancelled and it’s only work that really shows the true capability. That being said, pretty superb. My only ‘criticism’ would be I would have preferred an aperture ring and all metal construction, but on the positive side... A full set of identical 24, 35, 50 and 85mm lenses with the same filter size. They are compact and light. Optically superb, silent, very fast AF. Designed specifically for hybrid use. And just touching in the AF thing again, it’s ONLY the walking towards and walking away that is not 100% and I have really only tested in sunny, backlit conditions as I have tried to replicate my real world working conditions. For everything else, the AF was fine pre-firmware. I shot 3x hybrid commercial jobs without issue. OK, the occasional mis focus but that might have been me getting to grips with the kit as much as the tools. For stills alone, absolutely no need to question this system. Contrast detect tends to be a fraction slower than phase and the gap widens with burst shooting, but it is accurate. I haven’t had a single OOF picture that wasn’t me. In other news, my ZV1 arrived yesterday and looking forward to testing it later today. It just needs to pass the walking towards and from test in backlit outdoor lighting...which will be interesting at 100fps because eye and face tracking doesn’t work...but we will see. I think it will still beat the S5 in this specific regard and if so, earns it’s place in my kit.

I really like these also, - big fan of Sigma, but... My 'but' is for Sony, fair enough, but as a Panasonic user, we are getting identical sized body, mount and aperture; 24mm, 35mm, 50mm and 85mm. Meanwhile, every Sigma is a different size and 3 different apertures. I think if I was on Sony E Mount, I'd be seriously considering the F2's and it would be better still if they added a 90mm f2 into this range. There is already a recent release 105mm f2.8 so no need to go there, - that seems like an excellent lens, but there's a hole otherwise between 60-105mm with this range. Visually they look great and from a tactile perspective, by all accounts equally superb. I reckon they's be superb most of all on a Sigma FP2...

I think so Mark. At least I know what I am giving up and believe it’s my best option for my needs. Good price, under 600 euros.

Maybe if the GH6 is not happening and instead, Panasonic are dumping 4/3rds in favour of only offering L Mount. If a GH6 does not appear very soon, this is what they are doing almost certainly and it makes sense despite the fact that it will piss off 4/3 users.

Well at this point in time, a single S5 body, the 20-60 and the 85mm. I am going to order the ZV1, probably today so I can get familiar (ooh err missus) with it. But that’s it until Spring ‘21 because I have to balance ‘play time’ ahead of the next wedding season with the fact there still may not be a next wedding season. The intent as things stand is either 3x S5 bodies, or 2x S5 bodies + an S1, the ZV1, the 20-60, 35mm f1.8, 85mm f1.8 and then either keep the free Sigma 45mm f2.8 (if it ever turns up) or go with the 50mm f1.8. Bottom line is: 1x body with zoom, static manual focus longer form video on tripod, but doubles as a wide angle prime when not filming ceremony or speeches. 2x bodies with primes for hybrid use all day long, handheld as I am liking the IBIS enough to warrant not using sticks. 1x compact for entrances/exits/walking shots, on freestanding monopod, plus doubles as second angle/backup filming for ceremony & speeches. It is the most compact and least flawed/compromised kit I can come up with for my specific one man band hybrid wedding needs. For commercial, just the pair of S5’s with the primes. For landscape/hiking, single S5 with the kit lens, plus the 70-300 that is due at some point. This is photo only use. Personal/travel that is not work, the ZV1. Good to hear you are enjoying the Fuji. It’s where I would go (gone back to) right now if I had not been able to make the above work, but I would have switched to XT4 for the IBIS and improved battery life.

Thanks @Mark Romero 2 I saw that video recently when researching Panasonic AF. Otherwise made up my mind and it's ZV1. The A6000 range is creeping up in size for the body (over the dinky ZV1) and then again with the lens...and then ends up being either large fast zooms or small prime choices...and we're back into building a kit again. It might be the right choice for some needs but it's not the right one for me. As above, it's the sensor I have been using for static capture anyway plus used an RX100 V to capture clips and produce a 5+ minute highlight reel. My need is less than both of the above and though in an ideal world I'd have 4k 60p and a full frame sensor, but there has to be compromise somewhere and this 5% requirement is where it's going to be. Time to get back to the S5! It did very well in DPReviews recent test, - best for stills and video and had it not been for the AF... They scored it third for ergos but I think they said splitting hairs in that regard. Send my Sigma 56mm f1.4 back today. Lovely lens in many regards, but doesn't stand up the Panasonic 85mm f1.8 which IMO is night and day better...which bodes well for the rest of the f1.8's whenever they get announced. Still toying with the idea of an S1 for the static stuff as used prices are quite decent, but we'll see...

@BTM_Pix thanks 👍

Just revisiting this thread because I have a question... Right now, it's the leading contender for me for a very specific use case. Well 2x specific use cases actually. Case 01: 1080p @ 100fps slow mo. Is there a max recording time on this and does it record as 25fps for output? Case 02: 4k @ 25fps backup for ceremonies & speeches at weddings. Does anyone here have this camera or know for sure the answer to Case 01? I've had and used the RX100 V and shot an entire wedding on it, albeit just 'highlights capture' and production, so know that model well enough. Right up to this Summer, I have been shooting all my long form static ceremonies and speeches on a camera with the same sensor but slower aperture, so again, I know it's limitations etc. I know I can record unlimited (until either the card fills up, it does actually overheat, or all power runs dry) using a powerbank but I can't find info re. the slow mo 100/120fps mode. I don't care about even slower modes, only this one. I am hoping the answer is at least 10 seconds (of actual real time capture time) but hoping it's longer! Cheers.

Accurate AF is critical in this particular instance. Sony is the answer as things stand and it’s just a question of which A6000 series or whether the ZV1 suits my needs best. I am attracted to one of the A6000’s purely because they are APSC. Every other consideration, ZV1. The only other option that might interest me would be one of the Fujis and am looking at that today.