MrSMW

Or live a vampiric lifestyle. Or should that be unlifestyle..?? 🧛‍♂️

I think the beauty of forums is you can dip in and out when it suits you and that is not fixed time based. For me anyway.

Something that often gets overlooked and is under-appreciated. I don’t wish to turn this into a Sony vs thread, but every time I use my S1H next to my S5ii, I am reminded of just how good that rear LCD is and not just how much better it is, but what impact that has in the real world which is confidence in the result. It’s so rich and detailed, whereas the S5ii is lacking by comparison and really is like having a proper, albeit 3+ inch monitor without having to rig it. It’s in these real world details that the biggest difference in kit can be found.

And Sigma’s main rival. I can’t see it either sadly because as I have stated various times, in various threads, Tamron currently make the lenses that best suit my needs. It’s unlikely Samyang will bang out their entire lens range for L Mount in one go, if at all, but drip feed a few into the system over time. But please please please let the first be that 35-150 as my current system is one lens short of where I need it to be and though there are options, none of them are quite what I need. What I need, is a lighter and more compact version of my 70-200 f4. If it could be smaller, lighter and faster like Tamron’s 70-180 f2.8, that would be a step in the right direction, but as it cannot be adapted, I’d need to change system. Then ideally, it would be wider, even though it would mean sacrificing the longer end. Step forward Tamron and Samyang. OK, adds the weight and size back in, plus a little more, but there is only so much physics they can deny at this point in time. But then Sigma may beat them to the punch with ‘something’ and I believe they wish to complete their compact trinity of f2.8; 16-28 and 28-70 with a 70-180. Given the choice, I’d go with a compact 70-180 because I could use that without a battery grip. For stills, the best combo I currently have is the S1H with battery grip plus 70-200 which is perfect outdoors 90% of the time, but unusable indoors. And weighs a freaking ton. Well 2.5 or so kg which is the metric equivalent of an imperial or US ton.

Ah… Mr Thicky, winner of last years Mr Thick contest, will try Monday upon his return.

I am not going to complain if they announce and release it any time soon as it’s my opinion this is where L Mount is now beginning to lag a little behind especially Sony; lens options. I almost moved to Sony last year just for the Tamron version of this lens because although it’s a bit bigger than I’d ideally like, it replaces 2 camera bodies with 1. And that is a big deal and worth it to me. Clone the Tamron 20-40 while they are at it. Please.

Response: here’s a link how to download the firmware update. 🤪 My third rule of business is employ at least one person who can read.

Yes, they are painful enough as they are (bless ‘em) but to watch it back in ultra slow motion…to the point where the camera overheated and died just before little Jonnies only line, would be terrible.

I’m not really sure about some folks expectations here with this or many other camera releases. It’s an ‘enthusiast’ camera with a few ‘pro’ bits but is not intended to be, priced as, or sold as a pro level or cine camera. So what’s the issue?! The ZV Wotsit was probably a bit over-priced, but otherwise is another example of it is what it is, but isn’t a rival for a Red because it’s not intended to be.

Exactamundo! Their help desk has not been overly helpful so far. I described the issue in trying to update the adapter using both my Mac and PC and 2 different cables and 2 different ports and the only response I received was, quote: “Sorry but our Software update is not compatible with Mac OS will only run on Windows OS”. OK, very factual and narrows down my choice of devices from 2 to 1 but otherwise provides zero useful information 😏 I have put in a request for something slightly more helpful. At least they didn’t take long to respond unlike DXO who can take months. So long you bought other software and forgot they existed. My first rule of business is don’t be shit. My second rule of business is don’t be a shit.

Ello Ello... .EF-L firmware update New firmware to fix issues with S5 MkII. Black screen issue. Both regular fusion and ND throttle fusion. If I could only get my PC to actually recognise the adapter when it's connect via USB... Doesn't auto pick it up and tried 2x ports and 2x cables and nada. Anyone know where on PC you need to go to find something like this manually? It might be the fix to this situation... Sounds like it might be...

Even better, use a shoulder harness from someone like Holdfast also and you can use that kind of set up virtually hands free as the harness provides stability each side and the bulk of the weight goes down the monopod into the belt/your chiseled 6 pack.

I already tried just the Fotodiox with the Meike cine lens and it was slooooow. I would not have put up with that previously so know it was not a problem before…but that was with the S1H. The S1H I have moved over to the primarily (but still hybrid during ceremony & speeches) stills role because despite what it’s marketed as, it’s just the better stills camera over the S5ii. IMO. Juggle juggle juggle. That’s how it is for me and my specific needs… The options are: A. Carry on with the combo I have been using last few weeks, but it’s one lens away from being ideal. The ‘one lens away’ is just the single 28-70 when I really need a pair. Might just have to bite the bullet and buy one, but would prefer to wait if poss and see if Sigma pop out the supposed 70-180 long overdue… B. Find a way around being able to use this vintage lens because other than the total dealbreakers 🤪 it is a really good option. On paper… C. Take a closer look at that DZO 35-80 which is now available with drop in filter system… D. Chuck it all in and move to Asteroid City.

OK, quite a few dabs… I made the over-enthusiastic approach of fixing the adapter wobble before investigating the slow start up issue. It’s actually more like 10-12 seconds which is far too long for my needs and I can’t find any solution to it or the continual request each time if I am happy with the IBIS setting. I could switch the IBIS off and assign it to a function button but then that is another step to contend with. It’s game over before I ever got going with it. Shame because the combo of baked in Phantom LUT, 6k 30p 3:2 and how that lens renders wide open at f3.5 is…was, pretty much bang on. The potential or actual aesthetic output however cannot compromise my real world wedding day workflow and sadly it does. It’s a bit weird though that I can’t find any reference to the slow start up time in any written or watched L Mount camera topic. I am sure there is a way to kill that IBIS question on start up though as I am 99% sure I found away when I used a Meike cine lens for a couple of jobs. But for now and this wedding, until I can…or even if I can, answer these 2 issues, it’s back my previous method of working. Maybe I should investigate the DZO 35-80mm T2.9 because although it’s a bit of a lump…and not cheap, it is available in L Mount…I think, so I would not have the issues I am currently having. Only one other thing I can think of is updating The Fotodiox adapter to see if that makes any difference but something, somewhere is causing this ridiculously long start up time. But I’m out of time for this next job 😏

Well, the last piece of the puzzle turned up today and so I gave it a whirl. The CY-EF adapter is waaaaay too loose so I gave it a few dabs of the old superglue and sorted that. No resale of that lens now unless someone wants it in EF mount 🤪 I had already tested the image quality and the IBIS at both 40 and 80 mil and it works fine. IQ very nice on the single outdoor test I gave it coupled with baked in Phantom LUT. It gets a pass for at least this weekends 1.5 day wedding as my main filming camera. The other S5ii as above will be doing longer static and AF duty. The S1H exclusively stills. Should be good…or maybe I will come back cursing the thing Monday… 2 ‘issues’, one of which I believe I can sort: 1: Takes an age to start up now as in black screen for like 5-10 seconds. Anyone know if there is a way round this? 2: It then asks if you want the set focal length. I managed to delete that question previously, though that may have been with the S1H, but it anyone knows the answer to that one…

I don’t seem to be able to link it, but I Googled Sony FX30 vs Komodo and there is at least one video on YouTube. I haven’t watched it but I suspect the Red is a much bigger unit to start with and then needs rigging out. Possibly not one for a day out with the fam but the FX30 with a small zoom such as the excellent Sigma 18-50 f2.8 might be. For personal, I’d go 30 but for work, the 3 just for the full frame.

Well the lens has arrived already, but no test this week or shoot this weekend as the CY to EF adapter has been delayed until Saturday 😏 I have the Fotodiox built in VND EF-L already but this little project will have to wait until next week now… The lens looks good for an old-timer. Excellent condition, relatively small and chunky and about the same size as the Sigma 28-70 which is good as that is what it’s going to be mainly paired with: S1H + Sigma 28-70 f2.8 stills, option Lumix 70-200 f4 S5ii + CZ 40+80 f3.5 video 6k 30p MF S5ii + Sigma 18-50 (27-75) f2.8 video 4k 60p AF, option Sigma 16-28 (24-42) If all goes to plan…

Nice. What lens did you use and is it log, the grade etc. We need to know this kind of stuff?!

I knew it. I went to Perth WA for an entire week once and it was just too quiet. You could pull up for instance and park right outside a restaurant on a Friday evening without a problem. There was a big movie being filmed around the same time elsewhere and they needed a lot of extras, so it makes sense now why the artificial city of Perth was so quiet. My brother lives there now. Says he does but now I realise that is a lie. My own family lie to me. What is this world coming to? Must dash, I have Aslan and Mr Tumnus coming round for breakfast shortly. Conspiracy theorists 🤣

I have tried a couple of cine lenses but didn’t really get on with them, especially for hybrid use, but if I only shot video, for sure I’d probably be using a set from someone like DZO or even Sigma, but the latter are a bit pricy. Before I pushed the button on trying this 40+ year old lens, I was considering the DZO 35-80, but the cost size and weight put me off. It’s 1.5x the weight of the Lumix 70-200mm f4 which I somewhat grudgingly have because I need it, but only use it at 3 specific times on a job. The thought of using that 35-80 all day long, well just 🤪 The CZ 40-80, around 600g so probably around 700-750g with the adapters and is more compact than my 70-200, a nice balance of heft for stability but not taxing to use all day. Just been eyeing up the CZ 80-200…but I’m not going to get ahead of myself!

Speaking of movies to be inspired by, the 3 that I am most looking forward to this year are: Asteroid City Openheimer Dune 2 I guess I have a thing for deserts!

The convenience I don’t need so much working with 3 cameras as one of the others is dedicated to AF, but yes, IQ will be interesting… From what I have seen, the 30-70 looks pretty good, but the only real test is how it looks when you shoot anything yourself. The 40-80 will be especially interesting because I can’t find anything so that means it’s either very rare, or hasn’t caught on. Or is just a bit shit. My other concern though is over this thing called ‘character’. From what I have seen with so many vintage lenses, is too much ‘character’. The Helios 58mm f2 for instance. Waaaaay too much ‘character’ for me and I have seen it in a direct head to head with the 30-70 and for my tastes, the results from the zoom looked just like I’d want them to and the Helios like some weird surreal absinthe fueled dream 🤪 But we will see. If it works, then great but if not, it was a 330 euro hit including adapter, but I’ll get 90% of that back re-listing it back on eBay. The Sigma’s that I currently use are often described as being a bit sterile, but I like them. A bit sharp but a 1/8th mist takes that edge off and this is where I am hoping that a more ‘clinical’ but older vintage lens might take some of that digital look out of that modern sensor and lens equation without having to resort to filters or in post.

It’s borderline deal-breaker for me. Some think the S5/II is great but to my ear it sounds loud, thin and cheap, but the entire S1H shutter mech is just sublime, from the damping/actuation through the sound and as someone who only uses mechanical shutter… If the S5ii had this shutter mech, the S1H would have gone as it would have been just enough to warrant 3x S5ii’s. But it doesn’t and at the price the S5ii is, can’t really expect it to.

The thing with contrast detect AF is that it does tend to be slower than equivalent phase detect cameras, but not by that much other than in low light conditions but it does tend to be highly accurate. When I first switched from Nikon DSLR, I was pretty horrified about the Fuji X Pro1’s lack of ability to lock on to anything that moved forwards or backwards. First wedding, no processional or recessional shots in church because it just failed and err, I should never have trusted it that soon. Or at all. The results I was getting…when it locked on however, along with various aspects including the colour science convinced me to keep using the system and future firmware improved things a bit, but after a few years, I do wish I’d waited for the next gen as just like when moved from film to digital in about 2005 (?) with the Nikon D200, it really was too soon. But CDAF for the last 10 or so years has been pretty good and no real world difference to PDAF for stills other than on the most extreme situations.

I’ve never had an S1 but have used extensively; S5, S5ii, S1R and S1H. For video, all ‘good’. For forward tracking, ie, someone walking towards you, depends on the lens, the settings and the aperture, but in 4K crop mode, f4/5.6/8, pretty good actually, but if it loses the subject, it’s game over. Unless it really goes wrong like someone walks in the way, the S5ii is of course a lot more reliable than the non-PDAF models. For stills, real world not a lot in it. I have shot thousands of frames at (each of) 45+ weddings with L Mount and it’s both fast and accurate. If I was shooting sports, there are much better options such as Sony and Canon, but as long as we are not talking subjects charging around zig zagging, any of the S line are great but as above, IMO the S1H is the pick of the bunch for stills. Not max detail commercial or studio work, (because that is the S1R’s forte) but for events and people, S1H for me on pretty much every level; size, weight, ergos, shutter damping, speed, results. Just superb. Plus it’s superb for video as a secondary role 😉 Otherwise yes, also waiting to see what the next gen will be because there is something specific I am looking for…but that is another story.