MrSMW

Compact body line-up works for me as do the lenses. I'm interested in the hi res video specs for 'true hybrid' future work, ie, video, stills and stills from video, but the latter is not yet a deal-breaker for me and more a potential future option of interest. I'd rather not go cropped video if I can avoid it as I prefer my stills and video to 'match' as closely as possible and I get that currently shooting FF 6k 30p, but not with 4k 60p which is cropped 1.5x. This will be a deal-breaker whatever I do next, whether it's with L Mount or someone else, ie, FF everything, zero crops. All internal is also a deal-breaker for me because other than a cage/battery grip and a small shotgun mic, I'm not interested in rigging anything. Internal raw video comes into that category of 'true hybrid' and opens up the possibility of even shooting 100% video and pulling stills, but realistically, means min FF 6k 50/60p or 8k 50/60p. Right now, if the fairy dropped the cash, Nikon as it best meets all my criteria, but if the internal raw/crop factor was removed from the equation, the Sony option. With Sony, I'd still be concerned about those rear LCD's as I use them 100% and the difference between those on my S5ii and S1H are night and day with that of the S1H blowing away that of the S5ii without even trying. With Sony, my choices of FX3 and A7RV would be the former, approx 85-90% video and the rest stills with the A7RV being the opposite, ie, primarily stills with a secondary video role.

Does the FX3 still lack shutter angle and waveform? Otherwise for me, if I was starting afresh, it would be my pick for what I do, paired up with some other Sony offerings. I have come to the conclusion that as much as I love my L Mount system, I’d chuck it all in right now for a Sony based one if a magic fairy waved that wand. There’s a body for everything from the 6000 line, through the rangefinderesque A7C and if a fixed lens compact is your thing, R1R’s (or whatever it is called) are still available. Then cinema cameras ranging from the junior FX30 through FX3 to FX6, not to mention the super-dedicated cinema cameras. Stills or hybrid, A7iv, A7RV, A1, A9… The fixed lens compact zoom ZV’s, the interchangeable lens ZV’s… The most extensive line up of lenses, native and with others such as Tamron… The only real disappointment for me with Sony is their rear LCD screens which are a bit shit compared with a lot of other competitors. It would be a toss up right now for me to pair either a Nikon Z9 with a Z8, or an FX3 with an A7RV, with respectively a 28-75 and a 70-180 (which both line have available). But having said all of that, L Mount I think will have something by next year that will leapfrog all of the above offerings for my needs, so I will keep the faith for now. Because I don’t have the cash. And because *spoiler* fairies do not exist.

Yep. It’s called self control. My main working laptop is connected to the internet but as with all my devices, I have social media alerts switched off because without exaggeration, 99% of alerts are of zero interest to me. Ditto email. I can connect to it when I want to or not. I don’t get this, “but it’s a distraction”. If’s only a distraction if you choose for it to be. Same for watching a TV show or going for a walk or going to the gym. Wife and daughter, phones on. Me, phone off. It’s with me for emergency purposes and I am not immune to pausing during a TV show to look up an actor or write a note, but never at the same time. Social media for me is scheduled for 2 times in the day (typing twaddle on this forum, whenever I feel like it) and that is my business social media, which is purely Instagram, around 8-8.30am for about 10 mins. Personal insta and then only if I have something to post, at the end of the day and only about once per week. Email is a simple communication business tool so I will use it whenever I need to and I will check it when it is convenient. I guess for some, maybe it’s like a recovering alcoholic who can’t have a bottle in the house because the temptation is too strong and maybe the ‘answer’ to social media etc is not becoming an addict in the first place? But a flip phone? That would be for me like going back to shooting weddings on a DSLR. Any advantages? For me, zero.

It’s pretty obvious from that side to side that the first pic was taken in sunshine and with the second, a cloud had passed over so if this is the only evidence for any color difference, the clown show is in town. But I haven’t watched the videos and I’d expect some with them having different sensors and one being FF and the other APSC. Same or different lens?

I think if I wanted to go as small and light as possible for weddings/personal/vacation etc, I’d go FX30. Still weddings but something slightly more ‘pro’, then FX3. More pro still, FX6. Not wedding but more serious filmmaking, Komodo etc becomes interesting.

But if you are Christopher Nolan, you don’t have to be on social media to tout your wares because everyone in the industry knows your résumé. And you can afford to fly to Ireland in your private jet to hand deliver the script to Tommy Shelby in person. I was asked last week if I could drop in to Bordeaux next week to meet a couple who might be interested in using my services. Yeah, 15 hour round trip driving so 2 days for a zero commitment chat. If they even turned up… 🤪 But otherwise no fan of social media myself, other than for 2 purposes. A. Not having the status of Nolan, touting my wares to prospective punters. B. Sharing pics with friends & family. But I could happily live in a world where social media did not exist.

Yes that would be interesting… I’m doing a job this next weekend mostly using 6k 30p log with a 1975 Carl Zeiss 40-80mm f3.5 lens as a test to: A. See if it works for me in principle which I think it should as I like very much the test results so far…but nothing but a real world job will really answer that one. B. To see the potential for how it then might work going forward to any S1H replacement, but if that camera does not come or meet my spec requirements, then… C. A flip to a Nikon Z9 + Z8 pairing as currently they are the only available cameras that meet my ‘next gen’ spec, plus along with Sony, the only one’s that have the lenses that suit my needs most. All things considered, Nikon are currently ahead of the rest for me, but we’ll see.

And just like, the vintage game is back on. It was indeed a firmware issue with the Fotodiox EF-L Mount adapter requiring an update and dummy here not realizing there was a difference between the 2 types of cable 🤪 Still need to see if I can get around that start up Q re. focal length, but sure I did with the S1H last year, and not a deal-breaker otherwise this combo is going to get a full run out on a 3 day job at the end of this week. It should work…or I would not be trying it, but final decision reserved whether this is going to be the final set up for the rest of this year after the weekend.

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…