MrSMW

Maybe they are going to fix everything about the 'almost' camera, the *cough* fp? 😘 I love it's concept, it's modularity, it's size, it's image quality and...the rest falls short. I like Sigma. I like their lenses. I like their ideas and the modular camera has to be the future, but please please please Sigma get it right/better next time because there always seems to be a big BUT...

No idea really... I wouldn't say I was a sheep as such, but I don't think I have ever had an original thought myself. If anything, I take bits and pieces of things that I like from all kinds of places and merge them (try to) into my own thing. But that's my own stuff. For anything bigger, as most things are, I really don't know. What I do know is that the older I get, the less I like 'Hollywood' or 4k, 6k, 8k, 3D, etc (watched the movie 'Extraction' the other day and the body count was just ludicrous) and the more I appreciate good scripts, good acting and especially good cinematography. Also, slower paced stuff. I thought the Amazon Prime series 'Tales From The Loop' was excellent as just one recent example. I know MeTube is a massive sea of dross, but there and on Vimeo, are some very finely crafted productions on tiny tiny budgets that just showcase that for something to be good, it does not have to have 17 minutes of rolling credits at the end. I hope we see more smaller scale, lower budget, movies and think we probably will.

Someone needs to remake Charlie’s Angels again. Or maybe not, but that seems to make up so much of ‘cinema’ these days, endless remakes of; Godzilla, King Kong, The Mummy, Charlie’s... Apart from a few recent gems (1917 Springs to mind) ‘TV’ seems to be more creative these days such as certain Netflix series and Amazon Prime one’s. Of course there is some utter dross there also. I don’t think it’s a case of ‘everything has been done’ as it can’t have been, but more a case of so much has been done and there is less to explore.

The other thing about the written word is you can’t tell which way round I am wearing my baseball cap or if I am even wearing underpants. I think there’s a place for both but too many people on MeTube spend far too much time talking about their lives when the reality is, we don’t know you and don’t give a shit. But what do I know being of 1970 vintage and moving into the miserable old git category...

Love the size of the X1D though!

Bang for your buck, at least until the Canon R5 comes out, I can’t see past the XT4. Or for my needs, XT3 actually which is now stupidly priced for the spec and not just on paper spec, but real world ability. I’m just waiting for my industry (weddings) to restart and will be picking up another pair for hybrid use. If it’s 2021...which it may well be, then probably XT4, but then the XH2 should be making an appearance. But for; ‘content creators’, wedding videographers, hybrid shooters and ‘serious prosumers’ (for want of a better) term, XT3/4/Z6/EOSR/S1/GH5/A7iii, what more do we really need?

If the AF is good, I’m in. Tamron 35-150 f2.8-4 on XT3? Yes please.

Well yes, with that caveat I’d agree but in my head was thinking APSC sensor 2x crop ie, quarter the resolution compared with any half-decent lens at twice the focal length such as Sigma 18-35 at 35 compared with 18. I can’t see a 1/4 resolution in camera crop getting even close!

I think an optical zoom lens is always going to beat an in camera digital crop.

For vloggers maybe... Personally, I prefer the '24-70' equivalent!

Yes...slightly... Just to confirm, the XT4 has the ability to 'punch in' ie, 'zoom in' whilst recording to check focus but does not actually have the ability to record a tighter crop? I believe certain FF cameras such as Nikon can by selecting DX crop for video recording and with the Panasonic S1 you can select an APSC equivalent crop. But Fuji APSC body cameras not? At least my XT3 does not have this facility but applies a default 1.18 crop when shooting 4k 60p and the XT4 has the same or 1.29 if DIS engaged (or crop can be set manually at all times). Why would anyone do the latter some might ask? Well actually I prefer a tighter crop and like to shoot FF equiv around 35-85mm which is why I use the lens options I have, ie, the Sigma 18-35 and Tamron 45mm.

PS: the 1.18 crop mode I mentioned is when/if shooting 4K 50 or 60p. I use a lot of slow mo such shoot that by default so always considering the crop/look. Yes, had the 16-55. Sold it. Love/hate relationship with that lens...

OK, punch in possibly means different things to different people... I thought the OP meant 'crop in' as push a button and record a tighter frame which is something say a FF Nikon can do by selecting DX. The Fuji has a mild 'crop in' function for stills with it's Sports Finder mode which acts like an optical viewfinder with a 16mp crop centre but otherwise yes, you can 'punch in' for checking focus purposes. The 1.18 crop is if you use 4k recording ie, slightly tighter crop with video at any given focal length compared with shooting stills. I shoot 4k partly so I can crop in post, but rarely do other than straightening horizons, warp stabiliser etc and because IMO it's a better starting point even though my output is almost always 1080. Andrew is your man re. the S1.

@James_From_Raglan Well I do weddings rather than 'documentary' work though I work in a 'documentary' style as a hybrid wedding/photographer, ie, direct very little other than a handful of posed couple shots and some family stuff. I use the Sigma 18-35 as my indoor lens actually but use the Tamron 45mm f1.8 for everything else and my feet as my zoom. You can't punch in with Fuji though other than the 1.5x 'crop' equivalence plus the 1.18 4k crop and with the XT4 (but not 3) you can manually set a 1.29 crop at all times to equate to the digital stabilisation. I've toyed with both of your other options but in the end dismissed both for a variety of reasons though they would be my alternatives if I had to switch. That Tamron though works more like an 80mm FOV (45 x 1.5 x 1.18) on my XT3 and has OIS, but I still prefer the rock solid monopod approach, partly so I can shoot stills and video at the same time. Needs the Fringer though which adds to the size/weight, but I don't mind that and there are some native mount but 3rd party options such as Viltrox and later this year, Tokina. Fuji just suits me as a system and the only real issue I have with it is I am not a fan of any of the lenses for video, especially the faster f1.4's and 1.2 I mostly love what I can get straight out of camera with minimal to zero grading. I just like it.

XT4, Fringer adapter and Sigma 18-35mm f1.8 (which if you set the 1.29 crop is the FF equiv in 4k of a 35-68mm lens). Seems to be a couple of issues with the IBIS currently, but pretty confident that will be resolved in firmware pretty soon. These Fujis like most cameras tend to have a few niggles when they first come out, but unlike many other companies, Fuji usually fix things fairly quickly and even take their products to another level. I'd be tempted to add the battery grip to the above to make it more ergonomically friendly, especially for longer use, but you could get away with a basic hand grip. I don't have one by the way as I prefer to use my XT3 with monopod, but that is just personal choice more than anything. You have said you like the idea of a bigger body etc, so I think the battery gripped XT4 is possibly your best option right now and would be my pick without question.

The real question though is which one is going to be best for vlogging... I don’t think I have ever owned a Canon camera but the 6 might be of interest in 2021 (as an alternative to a Fuji) but there are so many factors between now and then. The actual spec being just one thing.

@MeanRevert guests might be able to get away with that, but I don't think I would! Or maybe I could, but for me I think using a phone at a wedding (other than as a controller for my drone) is a step too far, - I still have a pretence of being professional to uphold

To be fair, I don't think anyone makes a 4k 60p compact camera do they? Overheating issues I guess? I am actually considering one to replace my camcorder that has the same sensor for purely ceremonies and speeches at weddings which I only film in 4k 25p. Why? Size/portability. Early days yet...other than knowing it's the same sensor and I used to use the RX100V at weddings, I'm not sure about battery life or whether it can be run off a power bank whilst recording etc, - some investigating to do. Had the original RX10 'bridge' camera and it was actually pretty decent.

Yay, the 0.0000001% of the world that are vloggers now have their camera, albeit requiring the selfish stick option as it’s not quite wide enough, but yay anyway. Only slightly tongue in cheek, it looks good for this market segment and I used to have an RX100v and liked it. I think if the 4K went to 60p or the lens would remain at a constant f1.8, I could find a use for one as a pocketable point & shoot stealth video cam.

They can be which is why when I get asked (a lot! By other photographers and clients) how I do both at the same time the answer is quite simple, - simplicity, ie, not trying to be too ambitious in the first place. My rule of thumb and thought process is that my video work is simply an extension of my photography work. No different angles or compositions or focal lengths or lighting or anything. Instead, one camera captures the video aspect of any scene and a second camera the stills and the only difference is actual lens choice. IMO it’s the only way one person can do both! This way video can be as ‘easy’ as photography but of course there is audio and random people walking in the way and a whole other load of things to consider but it’s all scaleable... Shoot clips + lav mic the talent? Pretty ‘easy’ to capture enough material with intent to tell the story you want. Anything more than that, the ‘harder’ (or at least more inconsistent) it gets to capture it without disruption. For instance I say the same thing to all my clients and that is: If photography is 1 and video (ie, the static capture of ceremony & speeches) is 10, then your ‘Wedding Film’ (ie, the 9-12 minute highlight production) capture process is a 2. Ie: in the 1-10 scale, the filming /clips are not so different to photography but that static and lengthy duration stuff such as the ceremony is the equivalent of 1 single stills picture and the speeches the same, ie, the total opposite and other end of the scale. Every single; cough, stutter, mic drop out, serving staff that walks in the way, child that knocks the tripod, the light levels changing, - all have to be considered and the reality is at a wedding you can try and alter the tilt of the playing field as much as possible in your favour, but you can never truly level it. It ain’t a Hollywood or Netflix closed set!

Absolutely not! Even an external monitor is a big no for me, never mind a gimbal or sliders or anything that isn’t; a body, a lens, something it can stand up on it’s own. The end. I am a strict one man stealth ninja band. Most weddings/guests don’t realise I am shooting video and that’s the way I like it. I am under no illusions that I am filming a mooovie. Anyone who does at a wedding is delusional. I do call it filmmaking in my spiel to clients but only because I do want them to think of what I do as something a bit more considered than the stereotype of a ‘wedding video’ and partly because I do actually consider what I am doing with at least a nod to cinematography. Intent-wise at least. My priorities are simple: 1: has to be transported and operated by one person (me) and alongside any/all stills photography gear and capture. 2: has to be able to happen at the same time as photography, hence which it needs to be on either a freestanding monopod (clips) or tripod (ceremony/speeches). 3: has to be 4K 60p (to punch in, level horizons, warp stabilise if needs be) because so much of my end result is slowed in post. If anything, I’d go even smaller and when I saw this new Sony announced yesterday, having used a 100v before, I thought for a nanosecond “maybe...” but then the reality of no 4K 60p and Toneh f7000 kicked in. Losers. XT3 is for my specific needs my favoured current option and I think more than good enough. I am interested in the XT4 as a pure stills machine. I am always interested in getting the best/a better output simply for my own amusement but the reality is, at this level, the kit is already good enough so the biggest difference is the operator.

I keep thinking I should write two: one a guide for couples and the other, dishing the dirt and lifting the lid on how a lot of this industry actually operates. I actually got into video myself because of those men (and they always were and every one of them in the UK was "ex-BBC" and looked like they had stolen one of the cameras used to film the studio news) who always brought their wife/girlfriend/mistress for no apparent reason other than to stand by his side all day, ie, as a photographer, got pretty fed up very quickly with the muppets so got myself a pet videographer (my brother) to come stand by me (the photographer) rather than 3 feet from the B&G all day...and we went from there.

I'm going to go the other way and say I find video 'easier' (for want of a better term). That's coming from someone who started out as a photographer 20+ years ago with film, migrated to digital and started adding a video element to my work 10+ years ago. I think it's why I find video 'easier'. I understand the kind of weddings I shoot intimately, - what people will do, how the light works etc in pretty much any given situation. After 700+ of the things, I'd hope so! I think because of that, my video work has become an extension or development of my photography in that I shoot video in pretty much the same way as I do photography, albeit with a freestanding monopod so the end result is not that much different other than the scene moves rather than is a snapshot of 1/250th of a second. 70-75% of my weddings I get booked for both, ie, photography and video and it's just normal for me to do this. If I had to pick one though for the next 10 (and last 10) years of my career, I'd pick video from an overall creative viewpoint as I find I can develop and push this further than I can my photography. It's definitely easier though for the average Joe to just pick up a camera and shoot stills these days and video does have a higher skill set. If I took things outside of my environment, ie, weddings, I don't know but on the few occasions I do, it hasn't been much different.

It looks like to me you wrote Canon M6 II...but Alexa/Canon M6 II, same thing innit? 😬

Not noticed it myself. Otherwise, I'm not actually much of a fan of IBIS or OIS for video as I don't personally care for the handheld look. I will use it at a pinch, but only trying to be a human tripod and then using warp stabiliser. But in some handheld tests, I thought the 16-80 was pretty damned decent.