MrSMW

Which reminds me... 😘

I find that it is pretty rare these days to find any kind of real connection with something that is arguably, just a lump of metal of metal and plastic. Says the person who has not even handled one yet... As mentioned once or twice before, despite having owned dozens and dozens of cameras, the only time I have ever felt a camera was 'made' for me, was the original X100. Nothing has even come close since. Liked a few and even 'loved' a few others, but never with quite that same degree of connection. The spec aside (which is great), having come from that almost grip-less X100 and rangefinderesque background of X Pro bodies with small lenses, I already know. Sometimes, you just do. And like that original X100, it kind of came out of nowhere. If the Zf is not a 'X100 on steroids' experience for me, then I will gladly eat large mouthfuls of keyboard humble pie. Isn't going to happen.

1 of 3 has revealed himself in public.

D Day is tomorrow Amazon France assures me, after several delays due to stock. It will then become my principal stills camera with the 40mm f2 for every day and candid work, the Tamron 35-150mm f2/2.8 for ceremonies, speeches and couple stuff plus the Tamron 20-40mm f2.8 (adapted unless they bring out a Z Mount option within the next 5-6 months) for my wide requirements, but I will not now be getting a Z9 body to accompany it. At least not until next Winter soonest. Finances more than anything with even used Z9's still at 5.5k+ here in France, I can't justify it after a stupidly high unexpected tax bill due to a mistake on the tax people's side 😒 It comes down to a year of occasional lens swaps, maybe 5-6 times over a 12 hour typical shoot, or spend 5.5k. My head says I can't swing that. Ideally, I'd flip everything and go all in on Nikon as my heart has gone back to them and for me, it ticks all of my boxes, but instead, 2024 will now be a hybrid year of Nikon for stills and Lumix for video. This is no bad thing as Lumix did and still does shine for me. The all singing all dancing wunderkind that is the S1H is going back into primary video unit role with one S5ii for longer static stuff and gimbal, and then selling the other S5ii and 3x now redundant lenses. It's a slightly tighter, but more capable set up, especially on the stills side and whilst not the absolute ideal, ticks all my boxes. Over the course of next year, I will try out some Zf video capability though just to see how it stacks up against the S5ii. Anyone else getting a Zf? I can think of at least 3 other people who I think will be tempted at the very least...

@OleB I've just started watching your series on the Sigma FP and it's really great what you have done and shared so big thumbs up from me. I'm almost tempted with the FP (or L) but just one or two, 'too many' little quirks and issues that I can't quite get around for my needs. Love the form factor with the Smallrig cage with wooden grip...which is as much as I'd want to rig it out and I know there is an aftermarket tilt option, but then I compare it to the S5ii and for my needs, sadly the Lumix 'wins'. Sadly, because I'd switch to...or rather, would already be using the FP (or L). Your series is still interesting however so thanks for that.

One other factor to consider of course is how sensor size affects light gathering capability and for my needs why I draw the line at APSC/S35 and prefer full frame sensors. With 4/3rds and smaller, you generally are forced to shoot as wide open and on as fast as you can get primes, especially in lower light. I'd rather have the option to choose...so 6k 30p is my new default which also allows me to do a 80% slight slow mo often referred to as 'the dreamy look' where it's only slightly slower than reality, - again within my ethos of 'slightly enhanced reality' alongside a shallower DOF and tweaked colours, ie, no extremes of anything.

It depends on the project/desired outcome, so with say a documentary or talking head piece or certain commercial pieces, something closer to real life might be more appropriate, but for someone like me who shoots weddings, we might want to slightly distort or ‘enhance’ reality. We might want to do this by pushing a slightly narrower DOF and tweak those colours just enough to no longer be ‘real’ but at the same time, because our eyes (brains) adjust to other realities fairly quickly, these ‘not real life’ tweaks become reality. There’s pushing things well beyond reality and then there is capturing reality as accurately as possible, with everything else in between and it comes down to personal preference or client wishes. My personal preference is ‘slightly beyond reality but not so far that it jars’. It’s all very subjective of course…

Ha, I was about to say the same, this having been my main approach for around 5-6 years now. But I should add, more by default than design based on certain camera choices. Some would argue, I should have chosen my cameras based around other factors and not let this be a default, but overall, for me, it’s about balance and compromise not outright ‘what I’d do in an ideal scenario with the necessary funds’. On the topic of SDOF, I have always been a fan. I have always liked and been drawn to a shallower DOF throughout my 23+ year career in photography and 13+ in video. I’ve never been a fan of hardcore uber-shallow DOF in my own work, but probably more because I have rarely owned anything faster than f1.4 lenses in full-frame terms. For the last few years, I have shoot FF stills and a mix of FF and S35 video, but in 2024, reducing the amount of S35 dramatically as I am moving away from using so much 50% slow mo in my work which due to my kit choices, has meant using S35. I’ve decided I prefer the full frame look and that coming from 6k, so that’s where I am going. Lenses/DOF, with S35, I was mostly shooting f2/2.8/4 and I will continue to do the same but with even less apparent DOF using FF instead of S35.

Same as it’s ever been, people buy people. Unless it’s groceries or on-line or one service is waaaaay more expensive than the rest and cannot be justified. My industry is full of venues and planners who don’t have referral lists of the best of the best, or balanced lists for various budgets, but instead, their chums. But in many service rather than goods situations, many if not most, will go with the first person they connect with. In my experience.

Well, going to have to skip the movie…unless I can find it on in Dublin next weekend as the only cinemas in my region of Northern France showing it in original language, are doing so next week for one night only, while I am away. It’s ‘Flowers’ tonight instead. All 3.5 hours of it 🤔

Yes I know and agree. I simply mean a better starting point conversion LUT than most brands supply, ie, to get it in the ballpark in the first place. For instance, in my experience, the conversion LUTs from Gamut and Phantom, are both waaaaay superior to the one Lumix provide. I am just surprised that as this is an ongoing situation with every camera release, they don’t just do a deal with someone like Gamut or Phantom and have them do their base conversion LUT for them? Ultimately I don’t care as I’ll go use the alternative and pay a few bucks for that but it surprises me the big boys don’t do better in house in the first place… Yes I know and get that just as above, never can quite get my head round why most manufacturers basic conversion LUT’s are just a bit shit! The reality is for every 1 of you Kye,,ie, someone who wants to DIY, there are 19 others who are not necessarily lazy and not expecting a single magic one click approach, but somewhere in between. I have an outdoor (so much easier) almost one click approach nailed down but it’s the interior where mixed lighting mainly, is less consistent. My approach this year has been: Log outdoors, log indoors during daylight, flat profile in and out after dark/extreme low light. I’m either going to go log outdoors in daylight + profile everywhere else, or back to profile all the time. Consistency at the point of capture (as much as possible anyway and for most of my work, I have to work with the conditions I am given as either I don’t have the time to set up or control situations, or those situations are so short and varied, there isn’t any point anyway) and then in the edit as in of course I want my work to have a certain look, but within a certain timescale because you know, time is money!

The latter. Handling is for the entire day, battery swaps mere seconds.

Not sure about the first part of your statement there Mark but agree with the second. Lumix’s option for the S5ii and S1H is not great and I recently took a look at Nikon’s on the basis I might be going there for video (possibly) on top of the stills (definitely) and from the examples of theirs, it was horrendous. I’m not sure why they don’t just pay someone with clearly far more skill than they do for this kind of thing as after all, what would it cost (very little) and we’re talking global releases here. I’m sure if any brand popped out a stellar conversion LUT and a series of great conversion LUTS, they’d sell more cameras. Which is kind of the point is it not, to sell more stuff?! I am interested in this topic, though not quite to the level of some, but will be exploring it more over my off season whether I stick with Lumix or go Nikon for my video needs. Especially if I go Nikon actually as I’d be starting from scratch and at a place I am mostly happy (or know what I need to do) with Lumix.

I think we are long since past the point where your average Sony/Canon/Nikon/Fuji/Whatever mirrorless is more than a few simple clicks or sliders away from being indistinguishable on-line. I've seen so many side by side comparisons and can't see any difference at all such as in, "look how much better Y is compared with X!" and it looks near enough identical to me. Same with the stills side. Waaaay too much emphasis on SOOC unedited files. Comparing like for like across brands. Of course we can find an increasing proportional difference if we start comparing apples with kumquats... Now things like difference in IBIS capability or wobble etc, some very clear differences, but modern sensors these days? Nah.

Very true. As someone who has fielded 5000+ enquiries and booked 800+ of them over 20+ years, I can identify with the process. Provided your work is of a standard and potential clients can find you, it very much comes down to; price, first point of contact, followed by connection. I have a question on all my contracts which asks why they specifically chose me and the result is a pretty consistent: "Love your work, exactly what we are looking for", (happens prior to any form of contact or me even being aware of their existence, ie, them finding my on-line or social portfolios). "Speed of response". If I am still awake and an enquiry comes in, I will at the very least personally acknowledge receipt and interest and a promise to get back to them at a specific time such as "first thing tomorrow AM". I know some use auto-response software, but I never do and keep it personal at all times. "Clarity of information including pricing provided". When you reach the point someone asks, 'how much?", simply tell them how much or more often than not, you will lose them at that point. "Personality, - we felt we clicked with you straight away". Often the job will go to the person/company they click with first, or at least gives you a massive advantage going forward. The above are not necessarily the exact words or phrases used, but more or less exactly what they are saying every time. And in case you think 800 from 5000 is only 16%, "so what about the 84% you lost?!", there are many reasons but no excuses including; Price. Cost is the biggest one by far. The vast majority enquire (or inquire if they are American) often with little to no idea what my type of services might cost. For most, it is above their at the time projected budget and that's fine. Style. Extremely rare. They are unlikely to even make contact in the first place unless they liked your shit. Not a good fit. That one is a hard one for me as in it's very difficult for me to put off, never mind say no to a potential client, but it happens occasionally. Simply not available in the first place. That is around 20-25% of all enquiries. Finally, I don't like the sound of their job so turn it away at their first point of contact. Currently, over 50% of enquiries immediately go politely in the bin. My enquiry to booking ratio of the actual jobs I want is somewhere between 75-90% so I think quite good actually. As Kye said, if this kind of info helps anyone, particularly noobs trying to get into business, good. Quite simply, showcase what you want to be booked for. Keep clarity a priority. Don't put obstacles in the way for clients you'd like to book. Always be honest (as you can be) and certainly not deceptive or desperate and accept you can't book them all!

I will upgrade it to my own bodyweight if you like…because it is not going to happen 😉 Otherwise no idea on an EDC with a 3.5…which just goes to show how different each individuals needs are!

I have a 19 year old and would ideally like to retire before I’m 80, but with the shit that the French state keep giving me… But I hear you @Marcio Kabke Pinheiro we sometimes need to keep a tight reign on spending.

I wanted something that would carry on the spirit of the original X100 I preordered before it went on sale in early 2011 and then became my dual purpose 'EDC' (though that term I don't think existed back then) plus candid work camera. It was brilliant at that role, at that time, albeit with pretty bad battery life and sloooooow autofocus. I don't know why I 'moved' on from that after only a couple of years, - chasing something 'better' I guess, except nothing came close and I drifted into just using my phone. The phone though is just a device to me. Utterly convenient, but utterly without any joy in it's use or the in the results it produces. The only other element the X100 lacked for me was the ability to change focal lengths. I love the purity of the fixed lens approach but the reality is, for the work side at least, sometimes I need wider or longer. I tried the '28' and '50' adapters with the X100 and they were kind of OK, the 28 feeling quite natural but the 50 nose heavy and spoiled the use of that camera. Plus not quite long enough. Oh and at just 12mp, more than enough for my personal needs but a tad low for work. I had considered and came very close to opting for the Ricoh GRiiiX and if it had just been for personal use, would have been the one due to size and that 40mm focal length which I really like. But I have to consider my work needs so went Nikon Zf with the 40mm f2 SE lens. I've been flip-flopping all year long regarding going back to Nikon but the announcement of the Zf sealed the deal. I never saw it coming (wasn't really looking) but a few weeks ago when the World was alerted to it's imminent existence, I knew they had made my 'X100' for 2024> Arrives tomorrow I think... It won't be going back. Not the slightest question mark over its purchase. So many times I put something in my shopping basket only to remove it before hitting the buy button, or hitting that buy button and then within 24 hours, changing my mind. With the Zf, I did a preorder and then canceled and then looked at it again and re-pre-ordered. Not even a hint of a regret since doing that and that's the first time in a decade I reckon. As to use, personal will be 100% photo and work not entirely sure yet but probably around 50:50 photo/video, - it depends on what other unit I get to replace the Lumix S5ii's I am replacing... It's not exactly cheap, the Zf, but it's what I have been missing in spirit/ethos for both personal and work. A tad larger, but far more capable and versatile than the X100. Only real gripe is the flip out screen over a tilt, but kind of got used to flip outs with the S5ii's all this year. If I change my mind, I'll eat it's weight in leeks (I hate leeks) live on YouTube.

Something else I forgot to add that is also part of the 2024 plan…well starting from next week actually, (I don’t need to wait for the calendar date) and that is personal photography projects. I have only used my phone for the last 7+ years and several times I have said to myself I should get a personal camera. But never did. I could have used a work camera but there’s something lacking in that for me. Plus they are set up with cages and side handles and mics etc and to reconfigure them is only the work of minutes but… Nope, doesn’t work for me mentally unless I have a dedicated unit. So got one and it’s happening. Looking forward to that starting with a week in Southern Ireland.

Yeah, I have and use one of those:

and this. Assuming quality is of a sufficiently high enough level, it’s repeatable consistency with the least faff in both capture and post, that appeals to me most. Log I find is great outdoors, but indoors is where it gets less so. For me. I’m going to do some proper ‘scientific’ trials over the Winter shooting and editing the exact same scenes as; a profile, log and raw, and then decide which one I will take forward into 2024 as my go to. I’m expecting the profile approach to ‘win’, but will do the process for confirmation. Photography is MUCH easier to the point where I sometimes wish I’d never gone down the video/hybrid route, but no viable alternative now. Love photo + like video. I don’t think I will ever turn the video side into love no matter how much I try… And that I suspect is part of the key to it going forward, - try less hard and spend less time on the side of things I like the least…

Now that my 2023 season (weddings mainly) is drawing to a close; all shoots in the bag, just 4-5 jobs still to edit and finish up, I am thinking about next year. I’m always thinking about ‘next year’ actually because one eye on the future and all that, but as is so often the case, thoughts and plans over the course of a season begin to stack up, the season ends and I’m exhausted/run out of enthusiasm to see all of those plans through. Year on year. But 2024 is going to be different… First of all, I am not carrying the fatigue off 33 jobs as I was at the end of last year with a more controlled 21 from this and a strict cap of 15-20 going forward. The two Covid years of ‘20/‘21 caused another kind of fatigue, a weariness due to lack of development, due to lack of work and funds; just 6 from what should have been 60 jobs over that period. So after 4 very inconsistent years job-wise; 1+5+33+21 and some kit and work practices that I am less than enthused about, I am not only making, but will be sticking to some fairly fundamental changes that I will be putting in place over the Winter. The first of these is volume of workload with 15 jobs as my minimum and perhaps ‘fully booked’ target but with the capacity to go as high as 20 depending on my level of interest. That is the point I have already hit actually… The second is tightening up what or rather who, I take on. Most of my clients and jobs are exactly what I was looking for but could still be tighter, so turning up the screws in that dept. Third, revising my approach to capture, ie, kit. My lighting is nailed down as is my audio but cameras and lenses less so and I have been frustrated with all the combos I have been using since…well since forever actually. The hybrid nature of my work requires not only a specific skill set, but a specific set of tools. Fortunately, those do now exist with various brands so it has become a question of who and what rather than hoping the next gen will deliver. All of the current main players deliver, it’s just which will suit me best. (It’s a Nikon/Lumix mash up for me BTW going forward). Fourth, workflow/edit. From the photo side of things, not unhappy and my only plans there are to refine a specific look over this Winter based on what will now be Nikon rather than Lumix files. On the video side, less than happy. Not unhappy, just not quite where I want things to be and whilst I could do an @kye and ‘learn colour grading you fool!’, it does not interest me enough beyond a point. I’m not even sure I’ll stick with log and may go back to shooting a profile because whilst it might not have the ultimate scope, there’s a lot more consistency (*for me*) with that approach. I love editing pics, but hate grading video! Possibly if I shot raw video, I’d enjoy it more and that is an option I am at least going to explore… So in a nutshell: 1. Take on less work. 2. Tighten up who I work with. 3. Brand switch including more compact set up/less tools. 4. Revise/refine output. 5. (Bonus Ball) All of the above combined = greater enjoyment = greater job satisfaction = greater output = leads to more of the same. How about you? What plans do you have? Any direction changes you might be making?

I am not going to, so purely hypothetically, never had a BM camera but always fancied one just like I have a Sigma FP or FP-L. What has always put me off has been the lack of IBIS which is near essential for my needs, but I have seriously considered both with the Lumix 24-105mm f4 which has OIS. I think if I was not a hybrid shooter, I’d at least have given the Sigma a go as I love the concept and results coming out of that little thing, but the latest BM I think ticks even more boxes. Especially the results coming from it and as someone who doesn’t and won’t rig out their cameras, love the rear screen. I like things that are a little left field and these things are, both BM and Sigma and if I was a pure video guy, I’d be all over one or the other as quirks aside, they allow for some amazing value for money output. But as a relatively sensible hybrid guy, I can’t go down either rabbit hole other than hypothetically 🤓

200 or the unit physically? I like the former. It’s enough for me but not too much. I’ll call it Goldilocks. Re. the size & weight, as a hybrid shooter, I would prefer slightly smaller, but mainly lighter. However, if I was just a videographer, it’s just about right (for me) as it’s a nice stable platform.

Enjoy!