MrSMW

And as I was saying before I rudely interrupted myself, the A7RV was always lurking in the wings. Fantastic stills camera with option of 60mp full frame super-detailed files but ability to shoot 26mp crop at a slightly higher res than 24mp FF cameras. That's flexibility! AF is just best in class. Rear screen is superb in both resolution and how it rotates and tilts etc. All 3 Tamron lenses are native so all niggles re. performance, reliability and corrections etc removed. It's tiny for what it is and so fits with my mantra of 'smaller, lighter, faster'. My only criticism is it takes a stoopid cfexpress type A card, but hey ho, I got a 500GB for €270 so can't really complain... So in summary, happy days. The proof of the pudding as they say is in the eating and that will be the rest of this season, but as far as I am concerned, I have now removed every issue I previously had to juggle or deal with, whether it be cameras, or lenses, or audio, or lighting or tripod heads sagging or gimbals having an electronic jerking fit mid shoot, all whilst sweating profusely on a 35+ degree Celcius French Summers day. Not that we have head any of those this year. Yet... To conclude, anyone that is interested, feel free too ask anything.

Hello 🤗 For those that are interested, finally, I reached 'peak camera' for my needs. When I say 'peak camera' I really mean 'peak set up' which includes; camera bodies, lenses, audio gear, tripods, etc, ie, 'everything' I need to do my job. My job is a multi-day coverage, destination wedding, hybrid shooter and has been for the last 24 years, the most recent 22 full-time and the hybrid part for the last 14. It's been a real battle these last 14 years as a one man band to get that balance of kit that allows for 3 factors: A. Creativity, not stifled by... B. operating issues which could be anything from too many units, to too big & heavy, through ergonomics to...well anything that is more operational and logistical. C. Repeatable consistency at or above a certain level. I haven't tried every combo known to man because that would be impossible, but far too many to mention, but as above, 100% confident I have now reached 'peak set up'. As the title suggest, that is a combo of principally Lumix and Sony for bodies, Lumix, Sigma and Tamron for lenses, Rode for audio, Smallrig for cages/grips and tripods. Specifically: My previous set up to date was: 1 static video + 1 roaming/semi-static video + 2 photo It's now 2 static video + 1 roaming video + 1 photo So it's still a 4 unit set up, but with two considerable exceptions: A. Instead of 1 static and 3 cameras on my person, I now only ever have 2 on me, which is a big deal. B. Both of those units on me are smaller and lighter than they previously were, which adds even further in significance because smaller & lighter = faster, more creative and less fatigue. I did want to go to a 3 unit set up and it's possible, but it's just that one step too complicated and financially starts getting very silly, so just a no. I'm sticking with L Mount for video. For my needs, whether static or roaming handheld with IBIS and no gimbal, it just works for me. The output is very high quality and the log footage is very easy to work with and the file sizes not stupidly large. A used pair of S5ii's are doing the business here. One I already had and has been my workhorse since it came out last year and the other just arrived with a pair of used (most of my gear I buy used if and when I can) battery grips as during longer ceremonies and speeches, a single battery gets me concerned whereas two I have no concerns over. A brand spanking new S9 is inbound next month. Until then, the S1H will solider on until it arrives but then sadly, has to go as it will be surplus to requirement. Sadly, because it's the best camera I have ever owned (to date) for video and stills. OK, it does not have the AF of the S5ii, but otherwise kicks its arse everywhere. But gathering dust serves no purpose and it cannot do what the S9 can do at a fraction of the size and weight so... And for stills? Well that's the Sony, obviously. A7RV. It was always an option lurking in the wings which is why even though I went back to Nikon with the Zf and Z6ii earlier this year purely for stills, I did so with adapted E Mount Tamron glass so that I could go either direction, remain with Nikon or go Sony, any time I felt. That time is now and Sony won. Z9? Too big and heavy and not 100% convinced by the e only shutter. Probably would have been fine, but it's a MASSIVE LUMP. Z8? Nah. I'd rather have a Z9 as there are too many compromises with the Z8 IMO, but see above. The Zf I have? Nope. Ergonomic pig to use. Z6ii? Nope, too slow. It's like wading through mud operating that thing, unlike the Zf which is fast, but ergonomically shite. Z6iii? I thought it was going to be but I am having a few niggling issues with the adapted E Mount Tamron lenses. They work well enough most of the time, but not ALL the time. They do require more processing work as they are not native. Posted in error so with only a brief opportunity to edit, will have to continue in another post below!

Same as the S1H is so overlooked as a photo camera on-line. Stuff gets pegged and few look beyond the norm and I am sure the OM1 is a highly capable video camera in the right hands. I probably dismissed it too soon because SOOC, it was not as good as my S1H. Well it probably wasn’t go to be and ultimately probably never could be, but absolutely stuffs it in other areas such as; AF, size, weight etc… I personally like things that are less mainstream and like using combos of things few others do such as: OM-1 for video, S1H for stills, Nikon bodies with adapted E Mount Tamron lenses…

What I meant was you can’t have everything in one body and there is always a compromise somewhere whether it’s the; AF, IBIS, ergos, anything etc… so as always, pick what are the most important qualities amd be prepared to accept some compromises.

The conclusion that I came to when I briefly owned the OM-1, was that the Panny had better video capability and quality, but I’d have preferred that in the OM-1 body which I think is the better body. Also FAR better AF with Oly, if that is a requirement. Unfortunately, as with so many things, you can’t have both! Today, I’d go GH7 for sure because for me, the video quality would beat the use ability edge that I think the OM series has. But that would just be my preference… For stills I’d go Oly. For hybrid I’d go Oly. Pure video useage, I’d ride The Pony of Hope.

3 things I am bored with either in principal or because I’ve been doing it myself and am tired of it. 1. Anamorphic. Never tried it but despise those blue light streaks and those curved edges. In the words of the great sage Gollum, go away and don’t ever come back. Unless it’s without those stoopid light streaks and the edges are straight. 2. Slow motion everywhere, all the time, for the sake of slow motion. Guilty 🤷‍♂️ However, it can have it’s place and I will not totally desist, but it’s much more sporadic these days. 3. Shallow DOF for the sake of shallow DOF, everywhere, all the time. Not guilty but still partial to some shallow DOF for specific reasons at specific times as I feel fit. But those folks who say shoot an entire wedding at f1.4 from start to finish? Well they belong with those monkeys who think shooting the entire thing with just a 24mm lens is ‘artistic’. I call it muppetry.

7 easily. For me. Never personally owned any of them though!

The GH7 thread turned into a ‘discussion’ about sensor sizes, magic and all kinds of stuff, so I thought maybe we could derail this one with some boring old M4/3 GH7 talk? I’m joking 🙃 Everything else being equal, I think there’s a certain ‘look’ the larger the sensor. I can never quite put my finger on it and nor can I always spot it, but I believe it’s ‘a thing’.

Can we talk about the GH7 in this thread?

Which is a scenario I have considered, ie, book a 2 week bucket list trip to Japan and upon arrival, buy the new camera, bin the packaging, shoot the shit out of it, come home. And not pay the UK/EU import duty because we already get slammed for enough tax as it is so they can do one. And if any tax officials from the UK or EU are reading this, I do not actually have a flight booked and you can fuck off even if I did 😜

Well I go through phases of different combos and actually mostly use a Spider Holster belt AND a twin harness. The beauty of the hip set up is the weight is off your neck & upper back and on your hips, but with the added bonus that if you miss the Spider holster slot, the camera does not drop and smash into 62 bazillion pieces on the concrete floor, but dangles at the end of the strap instead. Plus you can push the camera against the strap for added stability. But…I don’t really like the harness system because it’s not great with a white linen shirt. Sooooo I have been using a 2 camera system on non-wedding days and my white linen shirts and then on wedding days, adding the harness over a navy blue shirt for that third camera. But going forward, that harness is now going into retirement as it’s strictly 2 cameras on me; one video and one stills with those other 2, strictly static. This allows me the illusion of being George Clooney at a wedding rather than a photographer at George Clooney’s wedding. And yes, I have also operated more than 4 cameras on a job… One ceremony, I had 7 🤪 Pair of GH5ii’s on a single tripod at the rear, one wide, one long. 3x Go Pros, one front left, one front right, one high up rear to one side in a tree. 2x stills cameras. Utter madness and never repeated, but you try shit and it seemed like a good idea right up until the point where it became a reality shit show 😂

I have juggled with so many combos, some of which have worked better than others and as a one man band, it always comes down to the same thing, - what is the max that you can do, and consistently, without tripping over yourself. The potential issue with 'minimalism' is that often there is no back up, but too much kit and as above, you risk over-complicating and tripping yourself up. Having 2 identical static video units being fed from 4 audio feeds is minimal set up, but maximum insurance. With a third roaming run & gun video unit, there is also extensive variety. Keeping it all within the L Mount family, adds a 4th option with the S1H being stills, but at a flick of a switch, becoming video. It's also the path of least investment financially and the fact that it is the least compromised option right now, it just makes utter sense. So I can carry 3 units on me (one each hip and one on a strap), but it's too much, especially when it was 3 different cameras re. ergos etc. There are still certain minimum's even applying the KISS principal, but this is as KISS as things can be for my needs. The S9 would never have worked in a 3 unit set up because of that limited recording time, but for several hundred 10 second clips spread over a typical 20+ hour job, perfect. Tiny Smallrig cage on it's way and will probably stick a small side handle on the side for handling purposes and even with Rode Micro shotgun, we're still talking well under 1kg for a 6k 30p Open Gate set up with near gimbal like stability, and that's a bit bonkers.

The decision has been made and the deed has been done, - I am once again fully L Mount. My return to Nikon for stills, was brief but hey ho. What have I just done? Put my Nikon Zf, Z6ii and 3x adapted E Mount Tamron lenses to one side for the moment and after I get back from my next trip, both of the Nikon bodies will be sold. The S1H has moved (once again) and back into the stills role, losing the battery grip as part of that process. This thing is supposed to be 'The Video One', and it is, but also a highly underrated stills camera that benefits (IMO) from having that OLPF. I've just ordered another (used S5ii) so will now be operating a pair of them, statically, for video usage, both paired with the 'cheapie' 20-60mm 'kit' lens and each with a Rode WG2. The final component for this year will be an S9. The S9 will be my run & gun lightweight unit paired up with the S1H for stills as my 'on me at all times' pairing. My only slight issue with this set up is that it remains a 4 unit scenario and I was determined to go to 3 units, but I can live with it as 2 of the units are identical static units. My previous issue had been 1 static and 3x units on me which was too much. Resolved that. Future? I'm waiting on any S1H/S1R replacement, expected towards the end of this year and for 2025 season. That will determine whether I retire the S1H and replace it with something more up to date, or I flip it for a Sony A7RV and use my 3x Tamron lenses. This Sony + Tamron is actually the dark horse in all this and currently is the best set up for stills and the more likely scenario because L Mount still does not have the glass for me. If within L Mount they do bring out a sibling to the new Sigma 28-45mm f1.8 such as a 45-90mm f1.8 or an f2.8 compact rival to the Tamron/Samyang 35-150, it will swing back in favour of keeping an all L Mount set up. But S9, preordered. Didn't see that coming but it actually makes huge sense.

The bottom line for me in 2024 is that there are quite a few options for my needs that just a few years ago there was not and my main priority now can be summed up in 3 words: Smaller Lighter Faster (combined acronym, SLF) Plus I NEED to go from 4 to 3 units. Despite my previous interest in the Z6iii and 99% certainty, I would be preordering, I am going to backtrack on that now and say I will not be. And it's not the Z6iii fault as it is everything I expected it to be and need it to be. Rather, it is a realisation that when I listed the pros & cons for an alternative option, the alternative option beat it in almost every regard. Plan B it is then...

That pricing in Europe is a bit controversial isn't it? €3k which is quite a big step up from the Z6ii and not too far short of the Z8... I wouldn't NOT buy something that fitted the bill purely based on cost, but what I thought for me was a foregone conclusion, I'm actually having second thoughts over now... Nothing so much to do with the Z6iii per se but more because I have a couple of alternative options lurking in the background and now when it comes down to pushing the button, I'm sitting on the fence a little longer. Hmmm...

That's it, - I am buying 6 of them. Actually, not seen any reviews yet and I need to do so before pushing this button...

Absolutely. I've always started with the finished result and then reverse engineered it when I see so many 'shoot the shit' out of it and then see what they have got to cobble something together from. It's called vision. Actually, I say 'always' but that is not actually true... I started off having zero clue and then progressed steadily towards 'shooting the shit out of it and seeing what I have to then cobble something together' to in the last 10-12 years, actually 'reverse engineering' based on vision. For stills it's been a fairly easy process. For video, harder. For hybrid, hardest. The single biggest issue? The tools as in not quite having the right tools for the job so the tools do without question play a part, but as has always been and will always be the case, simply having the best kit is not enough.

The tools we have at our disposal are quite frankly ridiculously good. The weakest link in the entire chain is the human one. By far.

Some times, some things, have a certain kind of magic. You can’t always quite determine or define why, but it exists. It’s usually a sum of it’s parts that combines to more than something else/less. If you can see it and feel it, even if those around you do not, it exists. Anyway, GH7 colour science… It does look quite different to the GH6. If…IF, I was to move back to M4/3 for video, I was thinking to help keep the costs down, to pair a GH6 (because they are fairly ‘affordable’ used now) with a GH7 but nah, could not be bothered dealing with that difference. Though possibly could tweak the hue & sat in camera to make them match and then, SOOC, they would be as close as you would not notice.

Being serious, looking forward to Monday. Rarely do I preorder a camera and half my gear I buy used, but based on considerable user experience and my needs…and on the assumption that it will suit my needs perfectly, I can’t see why it will not be that ‘no-brainer’ for my needs. Second choice would be a used Z9 and although I prefer the battery grip built in approach, it is still considerably heavier than a Z6iii will be with battery grip and the spec of the Z9 is arguably a little more than I need. My only ‘concern’ is a Lumix S1H replacement with Samyang 35-150 will almost certainly come out at some point and it makes more sense for me to have a fully L Mount set up, but there are no signs of the former… And why a ‘S2H’? Quite simply the best camera from a user experience I have ever owned, video AND stills. But it’s not that big a deal me using L Mount for video and Nikon for stills and I’d rather do something this year than not as currently juggling 4 cameras is problematic…

Which is exactly how I’m using mine. Originally for the former and now with the latter. No regrets over ditching the gimbal. None at all. It’s not like I was ever a big gimbal user anyway, but after going through 3 of the damned things and never enjoying any of them…in fact they were an utter PITA, now loving the ‘custom C3 gimbal setting’ on my S5ii at the flick of a switch. Using the 28mm wide end of my Sigma 28-70mm, in S35 mode, it’s more like around ‘50mm’ or something and early days, but suits my limited needs.

In my ideal world, that is how I would work as would pretty much any pro. For my line of work, mainly weddings, and shooting hybrid 100% of jobs, I don’t because it’s not practical, so I have a ‘go to’ instead. 5600 outdoors and indoors in very well lit (natural light) rooms and 4000 indoors less well lit rooms or after dark. I’m chasing one thing and one thing only and that is consistency. I’ve tried auto WB a couple of times and nah, it can change multiple times within the same scene and can be even more of a disaster than having the wrong WB. Consistency, for me anyway, that is the thing.

It looks like a camera. That’s one box ticked 😜

Right now, it’s probably the S5ii. You can adapt at least Canon lenses, but not sure about anything else. Definitely not anything ‘new’ such as Sony E, Nikon Z or Canon RF. The IBIS though is first rate in my opinion.

Indeed. Just because you can does not mean you should! So many YouTube channels are getting to the point where they are just grasping now, pumping out content for the sake of content. But I suppose if you have nailed your colours to the content mast, the beast needs to be fed!