MrSMW

They announced officially earlier this year they were moving out of the compact market, so unless they reverse what sounded like a very firm decision…

Gratuitous very tenuous link to post, but just for ‘proof’, my daughters little story on IG…

It will depend of course on the individual but for me, for stills, under 1kg is fine but for video, I prefer around 1.5kg as a sweet spot, as I find that is a nice stable platform and not too heavy. Over 2.5kg is for me getting a bit much. A bit much as in it’s not that heavy per se, but over the course of a long shoot, hanging off your hip (best IMO) or sling (going to feel that one very quickly!) not desirable. I am currently debating first of all Lumix vs Nikon for video…but that is another topic entirely and not relevant, but whether I go: A. Hybrid units; 1 static, 1 light (1kg) most of the day, 1 heavy (<2kg) various times but not all day, or, B. Video and photo units; 1 static video, 1 roaming video (1.5kg), 2x stills (1kg + 1.25kg). Pros and cons for each and for me to work out but bottom line is I am ‘happy’ to go up to 2.5kg for a single unit, but only if I will not be using it all the time. On me, either attached or in hand, 2kg max is about the max based on my experience that I would be comfortable with for video and 1.5kg for stills.

It is. Around a decade or so back, I was what is known as skinny fat, ie, very little muscle tone but a surplus of fat around my middle. I never exercised, had developed asthma, smoked and drank (but not heavily) and it was a gradual erosion/accumulation more than anything. I decided to do something about it around the time of my 40th birthday. I’m 53 in a few weeks and never been in better condition and actually have a fitness competition (Hyrox) that I have traveled to Ireland for from France, in a couple of hours. Why mention this? Fatigue, or reduction of from being in shape. And not just the physical, but the mental which is unseen but contributes. But I still have trouble getting to sleep after an intense 15+ hour day because despite downing tools, I’m still buzzing. The next day though…and I can never lie in and catch up no matter how late I went to bed or how tired I am, by lunchtime, wiped out and can easily grab another 1-2 hours early afternoon, but it’s not until the day after the day after I feel recovered, so never take back to back jobs anymore. No way I could be working the way I have been for the last few years one to two decades ago and I guess another factor why when other photographers or videographers ask me how I do what I do, part of that answer is level of fitness. But as with all these things, it is only a part of a greater whole. 2.8kg unsupported in and out of your hands all day though is a bit nuts which is why it has to go!

Speaking of weight, one of the principle reasons I am shifting some of my kit, - my main unit clocks in at just over 2.8kg 🤪 My targets now are 2 units 1-1.5kg each. I don’t mind a bit of chunk and heft, but anything over 2.5kg…as just one of 3 units is a bit much on 12+ hour shoots!

I really like this pairing and whether one body and switching lenses, or a matched pair, if I was shooting 4/3rds video, stills or hybrid, those full frame focal lengths of 20-50 (indoors in my world) and 50-100 (out) are near perfect. The only thing that bothers me is the size and weight that isn’t quite in keeping with the 4/3rds approach, but then compared with equivalent (that don’t exist!) full frame zooms, they are hardly tanks. I prefer primes in principle but fast zooms are just more convenient more of the time.

Indeed. I work with 3-4 cameras, 2 of which can be static any time, 2 lights, 6 audio recording devices, shooting video and stills 100% (or as close to as makes no difference) all day long. But only because of 3 essential ingredients. 1. Practice practice practice, starting simply and building up over time, adding and eliminating elements that work or do not. 2. Having a game plan in advance based on an understanding of what is going to happen and when etc. Advance knowledge is key. 3. Determination/hard work. 4. Bonus element, being organised and having a system. My environment is weddings and at one level they are ‘all the same’ but at another, they are all different and people do random stuff. But it’s rare for there to be enough random stuff to make a difference. It’s not rocket science and there are limits so it’s a case of knowing those limits and working up to what is possible but without it totally frying your brain. It’s more weird for me if I am doing just video or just photo and the latter feels like I am doing just 20-25% compared with both and the kit level is tiny by comparison. My brother by comparison gave up working in the video industry because he couldn’t work alone or make more than solo shooting viable. We must have different genes!

Sounds about right and I’d be surprised if it was as high as 20/70. I’ve been to uni twice and the greater majority of those people on any course, seemed to lack interest. I suspect it has a lot to do with age as the mature students were always the most focused as I was second time round.

Well as I think it was Kye who mentioned above, it’s at least partially about before hitting the sensor so it makes sense that if the potentially offended subject is softened or diffused at the lens stage… At least as I understand it but as above, I use a 1/8th mist and I think it helps in the is regard, but not the principal reason I use one which is more about taking off that digital edge and making both video and stills more ‘filmic’ at the point of capture. That’s my theory anyway and I’m sticking with it!

It’s less obvious in B&W otherwise immediately began contemplating an alternative camera. It is quite rare to be fair but this particularly shiny weave of fabric was just uber-prone to it. I do prefer cameras with an OLPF if only for those scenarios but also use a 1/8th mist, partly to reduce the sharpness and the digital look, but also because it might help with any moiré in the first place? I’ve never seen moiré on any S5ii footage using a 1/8th so coincidence or because of?

Being serious, it was quite a big issue with the S5 for me, especially with stills because if the camera captured it, then it was game over. I had one wedding where the groom and all his men, their jackets…all day long… 🙈 Not really tested it with the S5ii as I moved the S1H into the photo role and now with the Nikon Zf, that very rare thing these days, an OLPF as standard. Yay.

The solution re. moiré is to go back in time and eradicate The French as they invented it. You can tell by the é.

Assuming a certain ‘basic’ spec for my needs, this is why despite moving back to Nikon for stills, I am remaining (for the time being at least…) with Lumix for my video needs and probably S1H over S5ii as my principal video unit as the output is quantifiable better. My own personal jury is still out on Nikon for video as I have not explored it yet.

What about a used OM-1? I had one in for test and loved the size, weight, handling, build…everything really other than that it was 4/3rds. Nothing against 4/3rds per se but for my work, I think it would have niggled at the back of my mind continually. If I did not have the needs I have, hands down easily I’d pick the OM-1 over anything else. Even the G9ii.

I’d ignore the 300 euro difference (pretend it does not exist or they were the same price) and then decide which suited my needs best. If I had any of the f1.2 or 1.7 lenses, probably the G9. If I shot an equal amount of stills and both stills and video in low light, the S5.

Yes I know and am not disagreeing but also curious if this feature is anything more than a dedicated dial…which I suspect it is, rather than what you get with a dedicated mono camera. Regardless, how much difference can there be and a conversion from raw is probably going to offer more anyway?

Many small cheap LED lights have built in options like this. I use it all the time shooting dancing pictures and video at weddings. There are single colour flashing options, multi colour, lightning effects, emergency services, fire… I’d buy 2 and have one set to lightning flashing one angle and the other set to a colour of your choice flashing from another angle. The randomness of the pair should achieve what you are looking for?

I’m still trying to decide if this feature is a gimmick or not because of course you can set any modern camera to shoot raw + Jpeg and then select any B&W option any model offers. With the Zf, they have made it a feature by having it at the flick of a switch. I used it for my first photo walk actually and then edited the colour raw files side by side with the B&W Jpegs. The B&W Jpegs were/are really nice but on a typical shoot, I want every…or at least the greater majority in colour so makes more sense to me to see and shoot in colour and then do my B&W versions from select colour edited pics. But then again, there is something to be said for seeing an entire shoot in B&W through the viewfinder and only later revealing the results in colour… Not decided yet. I’m off to Ireland for a week later today and am planning on taking the B&W approach and may very well continue with this approach if only as one more point of separation between shooting stills and video on the same job. I will also be testing out it’s video capability and especially the IBIS because if it is better than that of the S5ii as on paper it is supposed to be, there is a chance I might shoot Nikon video in 2024 when as things stand, the plan is Nikon stills and Lumix video…

That's really all that's missing for the Zf, ie, the most recent lenses don't look the part, apart from the 28 and 40 SE versions. It would be great if they could pop out a 70 and a 90 at least, even if just f2.8 OK, there is some older F Mount stuff with the optional adapter and it all looks the part but without modern AF, coatings etc, not what some folks are looking for. I'm one of the latter and currently toying with what I do for my second companion camera option and have narrowed it down to so far: Option 01 = A used Z9 + Tamron 35-150mm f2-2.8 with the Tamron (adapted unless they bring it out in Z Mount) 20-40mm f2.8...but we're talking 8.5k euros minimum to purchase, or, Option 02 = A used Z6ii with battery grip + adapted Tamron 70-180mm f2.8 G2 (because it's better than the Tamrikon 70-180) + the 17-28mm f2.8, which is around 4.5-5k euros, or, Option 03 = A second Zf body with pairing of Nikkor Z 105mm f2.8 and 28mm f2.8 SE at around 3.5-4k euros as both of the lenses are available used. The first option has the most all round potential and longevity built into it and is the ultimate hybrid set up, so perfect for me. The second option ticks most of the above, but has less flexibility trading essentially the 35-150 for the 70-180. At certain points in the day, this is not ideal. The third option on one level, perhaps even the most important one, is the most photo-centric and really the point of my at least partial switch from fully Lumix to a Lumix (video) and Nikon (stills) set up. The whole point of the Zf for me is not to wallow in some kind of nostalgia at the expense of usability, but actually get back that feeling of actually being a photographer again at the same time as being a videographer. Hence my separation of the two systems. I'm not a fan of zooms for stills though they make better sense for me for video, so a 2 camera + zoom video kit plus 2 camera + primes stills set up, works for me. I'm still researching the 105mm, but it doesn't look entirely out of keeping (a factor) and it's looking like Option 03 is probably the one I will settle on, ie, 2x Zf + 28 + 40 + 105 primes. If only the 105mm worked with the 1.4x and 2x adapters, but unlike the Sigma equivalent, it doesn't sadly 😔

Hello 👋

In a study by Me et al, earlier this evening, my conclusion is that some folks over-analyse some things and as a result, spout BS. I on the other hand, had an enjoyable walk/photoshoot this afternoon that neither made me feel ‘warm’ or ‘cold’ or ‘fuzzy nostalgic’, with the side benefit of some exercise, fresh air and Vitamin D. Which is probably more than some sad fcuker got bashing his keyboard in his parents spare bedroom. I did however have Pet Shop Boys greatest hits on Spotify earlier and wallowed in a bit of late 80’s / early 90’s musical nostalgia 😉

I meant more along the workflow lines as in raw workflow with photography is to coin a phrase, a piece of piss to me as I have been doing it so long and I was wondering if because of that, I might find a raw video workflow something I could easily adapt to. One day, I'll have a play...

That’s about as much as I wish to do also. Shoot for as consistent output as I can, then drop on a LUT that takes me most of the way and then fiddle with the exposure, temp, contrast, lows, mids, highs, add my subtle grade LUT, final tweak, done. Having said that, the photographer in me is intrigued by the use of raw for video because maybe with 20+ years of experience shooting raw for stills… Or maybe raw video doesn’t work quite the same?

Full circle achieved... Starting 36 years ago, I spent 5 years shooting and in the dark room with the camera on the left and then after a 10 year break from the industry, returned to it shooting weddings with one camera loaded with colour and the other, B&W. How far have we come now that it can do both, without ever having to load or change a roll of film and the cost of doing the equivalent, absolutely nothing. And at a flick of a switch, 4k video with up to 8 stops of IBIS. Other than a quick set up and play, not had a chance to properly put it through it's paces yet but it's got some mojo...