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MrSMW

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Everything posted by MrSMW

  1. You mean like the time I sent my old one out across a bay to film a lighthouse and coming back there was a headwind and even in sport mode it was barely moving? šŸ˜œ I was stood on the clifftop wall of a sea fort arm outstretched to try and catch it because the app had been beeping like crazy for minutes and was showing 1%. The updraught from the cliff was also pushing it up along with the headwind pushing it away. Caught it and it died literally 5 seconds later. But for those 5 seconds, it would have been on the rocks in a gazillion pieces 100 ft below. I immediately stepped off the wall, sat against it and said "fuck" about 100 times until my breathing calmed down. It wasn't the drone I was bothered about, - that's insured. It was the material I had captured for the wedding I was at.
  2. MrSMW

    Sigma FP

    Thanks for sharing this, - fantastic. Actually, just yesterday I was researching a rear mounted option such as this because I utterly despise the top mounted option everyone else seems to use! I think I could give this a go later this year, but use the Lumix 24-105 purely because I would want the stability and requirement to not change a lens, ie, try a used FP and the lens I already have and then go from there. Or not. My 'go to' focal lengths are: 20-50mm indoor and 35-105mm outdoor and the 24-105 obviously covers that except the extreme wide end. I'd switch to an OIS prime once it got dark and whilst I don't think (?) there is a native f2 or faster option (with OIS), there are a couple of adapted options. Most likely, if I'm going to do it, it would be towards the end of my season, so mid/late September because by that time, I will need to have made a decision re. 2023 which would be: A. Preferred option to stick within the L Mount system, but possibly move a body or two around from the current line up of S1H, S1R and S5. Particularly interested in any possible S2H/R providing it would 100% be available from early Spring. B. My second preferred option would be to go as Sigma as possible. If I could, I'd go entirely Sigma, but struggling a bit as things stand with the FP-L vs the S1R and the FP vs the S1H, but this config. of the FP could tempt me to move from the S1H... C. Fuji GFX 100s for stills and a pair of XH2's for video. I was a Fuji guy and could be a Fuji guy again and the only reason I am not currently a Fuji guy is because they currently do not have the system that works for me. OK, I could make a Fuji system work, but right now, I prefer my current set up. D. Stick with what I currently have for at least another year. E. Something else. Nikon possibly, but highly unlikely to be Canon or Sony. But I am not actively looking to switch for the sake of switching. If something else cannot do something quantifiably better for my specific needs, I won't change. I hate change for change sake and prefer stability. However, I make no secret of the fact that I am always looking for the perfect set up for my needs which are: 1. The most minimal set up possible but one that 2. delivers an extremely high quality output and at the same time 3: should be a joy to use. I don't mind a few quirks or idiosyncrasies, a few compromises even, but I had to draw the line at the FP-L last year when I was considering it as my principal photography tool. But I did fall in love quite a bit with the one I had on loan from Sigma France and came close to going with one for video work instead of the S1H, but went with the latter because it was far less compromised. The conclusion of my ramble is I see something like the Sigma FP as being a bit like a restomod Porsche 911 from the 1980's, ie, it's far cooler than a newer model and if it's tweaked and used as it's meant to be used, it will bring far more smiles per mile than something arguably 'better' on paper, but with less soul. The solution above could be a 'soul' camera one. For video at least. I still don't think I could make it work for stills on a number of levels. A FP for personal use stills yes, but all of my pro work (thinking mainly OCF here), then no.
  3. MrSMW

    Sigma FP

    I'm actually quite tempted to get a used FP and stick the Smallrig cage with wooden handle on it plus my Lumix 24-105mm f4 (for range, stability, OIS) and try that as a run n' gun unit. Not keen to build it out though. Certainly not with an additional screen, but a base mounted drive could be an option. Really though, I wouldn't want to spend much money on it so it would ideally just be a used FP and a spare battery so one could always be on charge. The only thing is I'm an Adobe suite user and Cinema DNG doesn't play well with Premiere I believe? There's something about an FP-L for stills plus FP for filming (plus static S5 or S1H on tripod) that appeals, but probably still too many compromises for me...
  4. I had (still have) the original Mavic Air for the last 4 years, but recently replaced it with the Air 2s as my Air has been crashed that many times it doesnā€™t quite fly straight anymore! Early days, but a noticeable step up everywhere including much better controller and a decent hike in quality of output. Much better battery life also. I had hoped to get a good amount of flying time in as practice since Iā€™ve had it, but wet or windy Spring weather has prevented much of that. Suits my needs.
  5. Say what?! Whoā€™s feeling ā€˜frustrated and cornered? I stated Iā€™d like my next camera system, whenever and whatever that may be, to consist of 3 identical bodies. None of the 3 I have make me feel in anyway frustrated or cornered and Iā€™m not looking for the perfect camera anymore than 99% of the rest out there. I would hope that might be the lovechild of the S1R, the S1H and the S5. With better tracking AF for that 5% of the time I need it. But until such a time comesā€¦and it will come, Iā€™m very happy using what I have and in a career I have few concerns about and frustrated, cornered or desperately seeking Susan doesnā€™t come into it. You have me confused with some other bloke Kye šŸ˜œ Itā€™s a forum. Itā€™s just chit chat whilst I mostly twiddle my thumbs ahead of a projected 400+ day workload that starts in 4 days after 2.5 years getting by on just 10% of what should have been. Iā€™m in my groove, my mojo is overflowing, bring it on. Any issues that may exist are beyond my control and right now, I canā€™t think of a single one. My kit is essential for what I do. Not necessarily any more or less so than anyone elseā€™s situation but as the only (that I know of) one man band who shoots full photography as a photographer and full video as a videographer, at the same time at the same gig, itā€™s perhaps more important than it might be for others. And what I have ticks every box. Except that 5% AF tracking and I have a workaround for that. But none of my 3 main cameras are 100% perfect for my needsā€¦but the combo ofā€¦and everything else I use, is the best suited to my specific needs based on what exists at this time. ā€™Frustrated and corneredā€™ made me laugh though šŸ˜˜
  6. Inspired by the Oscars, Will slap on a vintage lens some time soon.
  7. 3 questions: Q1: Will you live in your car whilst writing the script? Q1b: If so, what car do you drive/will you be living in? Q2: Can we assume you will get the haircut and will post a pic as proof? Q3: Will you use autofocus? (Just keep in mind that no serious pro uses AF). Otherwise sounds like a great project and Iā€™d offer my services but, A: Too busy the rest of this year and B: Doesnā€™t work well in groups of more than me. Looking forward to the photography site also. There isnā€™t really anywhere I use for that side of things right now, so an EO Shed version for stills would be welcome.
  8. Aaaaargh... 5k 25p (30 and 24 available in NTSC) HLG only...which is fine...but it's pixel:pixel crop mode only! If shooting internally, which I do, only do and only ever will do. At least when shooting hybrid as I do. Ah well, I explored it at least, but across 3 Lumix bodies, all slightly different spec (S1R, S1H, S5), I'll just stick with shooting Natural for consistency across the board. Next time, all 3 bodies are gonna match...
  9. Anyone know where I can get one of those disco light speakers that communes with the other side in slow motion? Asking for a friend.
  10. MrSMW

    Olympus OM-1

    Very comprehensive review and thanks for the link. The OM-1 at this time still remains the benchmark camera (inc. lens options) for me, ie, it ticks more boxes than anything else out there. That exists today. 1 disappointment that I hope they fix with firmware and 1 question only I could answer with a test. The auto-ISO. I use it all the time for stills and the implementation sounds like it isnā€™t great. It never ceases to amaze me how any company can get so much wrong but the drop the ball on something so simple. How the (raw) image quality stacks up against full frame. I could go back easily enough to 24mp FF from 47mp that I currently shoot, but 20mpā€¦ I have had several 4/3rd cameras and the best of these was the 16mp EM5 mk II which was OK for stills but I think Iā€™d be shocked if I tried putting something like that up against my S1R today. The thing is, I donā€™t wish to and wonā€™t change my current system for the sake of change. I wouldā€¦and at some point will, only when a system ticks as many boxes as my current system, as in on a tech spec level, we are already there, so for me, all that remains is: Size, weight, ergos. Slightly smaller and slightly lighter S1H would be the ideal, so why not the new GH6? Well itā€™s a contender. More video spec than I need, but itā€™s also on the list.
  11. Well Iā€™ll be as the old folks sayā€¦ I bought the camera used and immediately updated to the latest firmware which is I think V1.9 I shoot 4K 50p so forced to shoot 8 bit and .mp4 which is fine because I only use the S1R as my C cam and only during wedding ceremonies where itā€™s sole purpose is to cover a third ā€˜bonusā€™ angle for the occasional random clip while the A and B cam are on sticks. Never even occurred to me it would only be available with .mov and 10 bit 4K 25p! But I checked and that is indeed the case. One factor for certain whenever I change camera bodies again and that is all 3 bodies will be identical. Constantly juggling between the S1R, S1H and S5, playing to their strengths and weaknesses. If I had to pick today, 3x S1H, no question, stills and video. Proved wrong. Thanks @BTM_Pix šŸ˜˜
  12. HLG photo not video. I am on the most recent firmware and itā€™s not a profile option for video. Unless anyone can prove otherwise and I would thank you if it turned out to be the case.
  13. Just this morning I was considering this very thing. Damn, but as you got there first, Iā€™m happy to not contest you on this.
  14. Cracked it. I thought Iā€™d give it one last go and based on someoneā€™s suggestion, I tried another angle of attack. Finally, a result equal to or better than I can get out of my tweaked profile. Then I hit a snag. The S1R doesnā€™t shoot log or even HLG. Thatā€™s a bummer because itā€™s going to cause workflow issues based on my specific use case so although I would now be happy shooting this season using log, Iā€™m going to stick with Natural for consistency. Thanks for all the input folks. It helped.
  15. I love how these threads develop. Weā€™re now onto 4K TV sales outside of the US/EU and meanwhile, I donā€™t think the OP ever came back to see the answer to his question which would now be: Buy an OG BMP4K plus a 4K TV. I thinkā€¦ šŸ˜¬
  16. All of this plus better focus peaking, but especially make all the LCD's the same as yes, there is a massive difference between S1H and S5. There are a couple of other options for me to consider...and will be others I am sure when the time comes, but next year, if I stick with the current system and no new Lumix models have appeared before next season starts, I reckon I'll swap out the S5 for another S1H. Or I might...just might however, flip the S5 for a BS-1H as the role I use the S5 in as static on a tripod, longer duration stuff, so less concern about rigging it (the Bullshit-1H). Probably a pair of S1H's for video and my S1R for stills.
  17. There is a switch, but I hadnā€™t accidentally tripped it. I just had no idea it could possibly connected to unmute video playback!
  18. Well my old monitor was an NEC and I replaced it with a Benq. The NEC was maybe 8 years old and cost me around 1250. The Benq I replaced it with (because it was in itā€™s way out) cost around 400. The Benqā€¦comparing my two specific models looks ā€˜nicerā€™ to me and I guess that is progress for you. And 1/3rd the price. You probably canā€™t go wrong but I make no claims on being a monitor expert. Or an expert on anything at all šŸ¤Ŗ
  19. You are a gem. Solved. I assumed incorrectly it would be in the menuā€¦and so it is, but only if you know itā€™s connected to the front 2 position lever I never even knew existed. Or rather, I knew it was there but served no apparent purpose to me. So thanks. I can now help anyone that asks the same question any time in the future!
  20. Nah, not off the deep end, - just stating my take on the situation which remains the same: I can go out and shoot the same scene back to back using my tweaked profile and log, but in post, can't get as nice (as I'd like) result. As I've said and keep saying, I don't deny it's me. Not for one second. But it is something in the grading I am failing at, not the capture. It's not the camera, it's not the capture, it's not the use of log itself, - I'm no workman who blames his tools, but there is something I am missing in the grading process and I have not yet been able to nail that down. But as I also said, I'm going to leave it for now and revisit the subject later in the year as I outlined above.
  21. Silent mode is set to off but only appears to be an option when in stills mode, ie, doesn't appear within the menu structure when in video mode?
  22. But the thing is, it does work. Most of the time and in most situations. Just arguably not as well as itā€™s main competitors. As with all things, there is a pecking order. Such as in F1 motor racing, Ferrari are back up at the top vying with Red Bull whereas the mighty Mercedes are currently running in the middle of the pack. Lumix cameras currently have this double whammy of having the least good AF coupled with the worst press because of that fact. The reality is however, itā€™s not that far behind Fuji which is not that far behind Nikon, but Canon and Sony are arguably the Ferrari and Red Bull of this current time. In AF terms that is. For stills, I canā€™t criticize it, but then I donā€™t shoot F1 or anything even remotely faced paced. The fastest action I see and have to capture is a newly married couple strutting up the aisle. Itā€™s actually highly accurate and I donā€™t even think about it. When it comes to video, OK, for the best result you should use native glass and you should take the time to understand how the system works and tweak a few settings. For general video capture useage, it works pretty well. In real life. Itā€™s just the forward tracking where it can come unstuck and that I will admit, is an issue. But most of the negative reviews talk I read is from folks who have never given it the time or never even used it. If I climbed into an F1 car and failed to drive it, it doesnā€™t make it a shit car. Itā€™s the perception of Lumix cameras AF that is their biggest issue. The perception of it. Plus their less good than the rest marketing. But on a positive note, there is a core of folks who own the kit that appreciate what it can do and I think especially in regard to the S5, a growing appreciation. Iā€™m one of those. Obviously. Not a fanboy or tied in any way (came so close to going OM Systems just a few weeks back) and hope and pray (in an agnostic manner) that there is a next gen and they donā€™t stuff it up.
  23. Not that I am aware of. I spent around 2 hours this afternoon trying to work it out and reckon itā€™s one of those oh so obvious things, I just canā€™t see itā€¦
  24. Well I donā€™t know your age and Iā€™m 51 myself which even to me sounds ā€˜oldā€™ on paper, but I donā€™t feel any older than maybe 35? Iā€™m not talking about the, ā€œwho are you kidding mate?!ā€ scenario but most folks I meet at weddings think Iā€™m just over 40ā€¦but the reality is I was started shooting weddings when most of my clients were at kindergarten. I also have plenty of industry mates well into their 60ā€™s and still holding their own in this industry. Iā€™m not planning on going past 60 myself. I just reckon that the 30 year point will be a good time to call it quits. In the meantime, Iā€™m not even slightly bothered about the cheaper guys. They have always existed and some even make it, but I just do my own thing and for 22 years that has worked for me. What does my closest competitor charge? Donā€™t know, donā€™t care. Who is my closest competitor? Donā€™t know, donā€™t careā€¦but itā€™s not the guy charging less than 50% that I do know. I think itā€™s relatable across most industries and for YouTubers etc ie, itā€™s a constantly evolving situation and you do what works for you. Thereā€™s parts of my job I donā€™t much care for but compared with a 9-5, 48 weeks per annum, with a commute each day? Not many options out there Iā€™d swap my situation for.
  25. Or even more specifically, S1R users, how the hell do I get unmute footage on playback? I donā€™t have silent mode on, am shooting 4K 50p, cannot find anything in the manual, in the menus or on-line. Or maybe I am just being thick? The audio is there when I download it but in camera, it displays the slashed out audio icon? I donā€™t need it to. Itā€™s just bothering me that it exists and I canā€™t solve it!
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