Ninpo33

Looks like its happening soon... https://petapixel.com/2025/01/21/viltrox-negotiating-to-join-growing-l-mount-alliance/

Welcome to the small camera club...!!! Not sure if it works out where you are geographically but I love the Japanese services I use for buying a ton of open box/Gently used stuff. Frequent 10% off coupons and DHL or FedEx shipping for around $20 US. On the used stuff I have yet to pay any import/customs fees but I'm not sure how that goes in France. I have been gate keeping this for a couple of years but am almost maxed out on gear so happy to share. Also, Japan as a culture tends to be quite honest and forthcoming so buying used items/s has been mostly trouble free compared to Ebay in my experience. https://buyee.jp/item/search/query/Lumix S9?sort=cbids&order=a&translationType=98&page=2&conversionType=top_page_search&vic=YahooAuction_DirectSearch There are several services at this website. Yahoo Auctions are cheapest but there's also a "Flea Market" which has less items but great deals. Then several other shops where things are new. My favorite feature is how they will hold stuff at their warehouse for 30 days free while you shop and then you can combine packages into one bigger box and just pay the one shipping fee. Average price on the S9 has been around $1,100 US but I've seen some deals go for $900 at times. I went with the Fuji X-M5 for now but may end up swapping it for an S9 if I end up with a SL2 instead of a GFX100s.

Well, The best news from today? I can now scoop up an SL2 for just under $2,000 finally. And I can add a s5iix as my second body and not feel bad about what I’m missing out on LOL. I was really hoping for a preview of what LUMIX will bring in 2025 but instead we get to see more recycled tech

Well, SL3-S has recording to SSD and is pretty helpful so really the S5iiX specs, but yeah. Same same mostly.

Agreed. And the Z6 iii just went on sale already this week…!!! Panny Boi is really late to the party…!!!

Well, my little black X-M5 finally arrived from Japan and wow, it’s tiny. Had some fun rigging it up as a tiny little micro cinema cam today LOL. USB C dummy battery arrives tomorrow and a couple little accessories to mount the Ninja V+ in a way that doesn’t look too ridiculous. Only complaint so far is the smallrig cage for it is a little overpriced and doesn’t come in all black. Just the strange steampunk looking retro vibes.

I think you misunderstood my post. I was saying that whatever the SL3-S ends up being at this weeks announcement could give us a clue of what to possibly expect out of the S1H2. Of course Leica isn’t going to mention LUMIX. Ever.. But the normal flow of product releases has been all messed up between the two companies so at this point, who knows…

Looks like January 16th might be the day we finally get to see the new SL3-S specs confirmed. Is it going to be a rebadged S5ii or are we getting more with the red dot? https://leicarumors.com/2025/01/13/here-are-the-leica-sl3-s-camera-specifications.aspx/amp/

Well the rumors about the SL3-S are starting to heat up and there’s an event on 1/16/2024 that is supposed to offer the details. Maybe we will finally see the roadmap for Leica/Lumix unfolding. Or maybe just Leica? So far things sound underwhelming. https://leicarumors.com/2025/01/13/here-are-the-leica-sl3-s-camera-specifications.aspx/amp/

All good points, thank you.

Agreed. A7CR has a few other bells and whistles that came with the most recent AI upgrade but A1 and A7Rv are still lagging behind a bit (which is always a bit odd with Sony) Newer and cheaper cameras get the new stuff and the older flagships get left behind a bit. Not like those two are falling short in specs however…. You sound like me, in that the practical will always outweigh the quirky and fiddly bodies. For me the Sigma FP/L would have to be in addition to my solid workhorses. I really, really love the image those cameras put out but I’m cheap and waiting for anything that’s not crucial for work to fall under $1,000. Good news is that my little Fuji X-m5 was already under $1,000 new and is on its way here from Tokyo as we speak. If I see a FP/L on sale at some point I will probably grab one. For now I’m saving up for the GFX 100s or the Leica SL2 to meet my high res photo hybrid needs.

I thought the same thing but with the A7CR. Despite its compromises, it’s smaller and more compact like the FP L. It does raw out to the Ninja but the main conversation here seems to be the chunky and filmic CDNG files. That’s the mojo. A7CR is now $2,000 and would make a nice little high mp travel companion for my other video spec’d bodies. But I don’t think we would come anywhere close to that filmic image of the Sigma FP/L.

Also at $1,300 USD now, the FP-L has to be the cheapest way to get that 61mp Sony Sensor.

As far as native Fuji X mount lenses, I’ve been loving the videos by Stefano and seeing his creative use of focal lengths. He knows his way around his X-H2s and I love his derezed color grades. Fuji 56mm and Viltrox 13mm are both at the top of my list now. The 13mm is huge but that close focus and having a wide angle with shallow DOF is such a trippy look. 56mm f/1.2 https://youtu.be/lQsgQqNslPg?si=tA0cM5FHCGqHrvq8 13mm f/1.4 https://youtu.be/JkX-QCdr5No?si=60nfv2lEZaw3JlWn

yeah, I just meant cameras in general like Lumix and Fuji getting better. Also that the new X-M5 is rumored to have even better AF than the updated X-H2s now. Yes exactly. There’s no free lunch. You can buy a $25, 1960’s rangefinder camera and figure it out or you can pay someone who has already done it. Or you can pay $4,000 US to get a custom cinema level rehousing done. Of course people are charging a lot because it’s a relatively new development and hasn’t gone mainstream with an off the shelf solution. Plus anything with a Leica M mount involved is going to be 10X the price. I’ve seen a few Fuji X mount conversions for under $100, lens included but you just have to keep your eyes open. I’ve bought up almost all the Japanese rangefinders I’ve found interesting minus a couple rare ones I’m still hunting for. Working on an elegant solution and 3D printing some test mounts in the new year so I’ll keep you posted. Meanwhile some of these are worth getting now while prices are good and even if you haven’t figured out the mount you want to go with.