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Z Camera E1 for $200


Don Kotlos
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Just realised the SLR Magic 8mm f/4 Lens has dropped down only US$169:

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1322738-REG/slr_magic_slr8m4_8mm_f_4_lens.html?sts=pi

That is hell cheap with the E1 for a 360VR set up! :-o

(price history, as I've been following this: June the 13th was SLR Magic 8mm f4 for US$269, then September 8th went on sale for just US$199!  But now even lower... :-o Can't resist any longer?! )

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7 hours ago, IronFilm said:

Just realised the SLR Magic 8mm f/4 Lens has dropped down only US$169:

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1322738-REG/slr_magic_slr8m4_8mm_f_4_lens.html?sts=pi

That is hell cheap with the E1 for a 360VR set up! :-o

(price history, as I've been following this: June the 13th was SLR Magic 8mm f4 for US$269, then September 8th went on sale for just US$199!  But now even lower... :-o Can't resist any longer?! )


There are a few more options for cheap lenses for a 360VR set up (all fisheye however, but that is workable with VR too):

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/MEIKE-MK-6-5mm-F2-0-Fisheye-Lens-for-Panasonic-Olympus-Mirrorless-MFT-M4-3-Lens/32790771919.html (6.5mm F2 for MFT @ $150)

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Lightdow-8mm-f-3-5-Ultra-Wide-Fisheye-Lens-Aspherical-Circular-Camera-Lens-for-Nikon-DSLR/32710239375.html (8mm f3.5 for Nikon F @ $137)

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9 hours ago, IronFilm said:

https://www.amazon.com/YI-Mirrorless-Digital-Interchangeable-F3-5-5-6/dp/B01CW4CKHW/

When you can get the Yi M1 with *both* lenses for US$350, does the Z Cam E1 still make sense, even at US$199??

 

The Z Cam E1 has a better sensor - the one in the GH4 - that has less pixels, for low light. The Z is easier to use because it has multiple buttons (2 or 3 programmable), so no digging onto touch screen menus for simple changes. The Z is smaller. And reviewers indicate the image quality is better. You are effectively paying $150 when buying the Yi for two very mediocre lenses.

I went for the SLR Magic 8mm - the Z Cam E1  + this lens + a gimbal are perfect.

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Smooth WiFi touch-screen focus pulls!

From your phone, connected by WiFi to the Z, you can pre-select and store two focus points (A and B), then go between the points with no focusing delay or glitches. The stored points are focus pre-sets, not where you are asking the camera to try to focus. The focusing occurs at a chosen point first (by touching the phone screen), then the point is stored. So, you get smooth transitions, touching A then B and back and so on, as seen in this test video.

This uses the Lumix 25mm F1.7 lens.

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Very very interesting. As being an advocate of the GM1, this camera ticks many of my boxes with the exception of IBIS. Quick question: could one use a GoPro-based (read: small footprint) gimbal, for example when pairing the E1 with a light lens like the Pana 20mm? I tried to Google it, but didnt find too many results. 

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27 minutes ago, jase said:

Very very interesting. As being an advocate of the GM1, this camera ticks many of my boxes with the exception of IBIS. Quick question: could one use a GoPro-based (read: small footprint) gimbal, for example when pairing the E1 with a light lens like the Pana 20mm? I tried to Google it, but didnt find too many results. 


Doubtful, maybe the biggest of big GoPro gimbals?!?! 

Most GoPro gimbals don't have much spare capacity. 

Lack of IBIS is a bummer (but the GM1 doesn't have it either... or even 4K). I guess I kinda see the core competitors of the E1 is: Yi M1 or a secondhand Panasonic G7.

The likes of a Panasonic GH5 or G85 would be absolutely fantastic, but they're in a totally different price category!

 

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1 hour ago, mercer said:

I wanted to get one but in the end, without focus peaking... it wasn’t worth the price to me.

It does have focus magnification. In my experience with Sony cameras and to a lesser extent Panasonic cameras, focus peaking does not yield precise focus without focus magnification. FP has fooled me too many times, and I do not use it anymore on any camera (and in some circumstances it does not work at all). Focus magnification works well on the Z, and you can have it at any time with the push of a button. Of course, you can hook up a monitor with FP and peak all you like!

2 hours ago, jase said:

Very very interesting. As being an advocate of the GM1, this camera ticks many of my boxes with the exception of IBIS. Quick question: could one use a GoPro-based (read: small footprint) gimbal, for example when pairing the E1 with a light lens like the Pana 20mm? I tried to Google it, but didnt find too many results. 

The Z Cam weighs with battery but no lens 7.65 oz. The Zhiyun Smooth Q capacity is 7.8 oz, so it just misses, unless one can find a 0.15 oz lens...

The Zhiyun Crane M would work well, and once I get that 8mm non-fisheye lens I will have a go.

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14 minutes ago, markr041 said:

It does have focus magnification. In my experience with Sony cameras and to a lesser extent Panasonic cameras, focus peaking does not yield precise focus without focus magnification. FP has fooled me too many times, and I do not use it anymore on any camera (and in some circumstances it does not work at all). Focus magnification works well on the Z, and you can have it at any time with the push of a button. Of course, you can hook up a monitor with FP and peak all you like!

Agreed, but if you know the quirks of that particular focusing peaking, and you don't set your DoF too shallow, then focus peaking can be a very usable asset. 

However generally I find the likes of say SmallHD is doing better focus peaking on their monitors than some of the camera manufacturers are.

14 minutes ago, markr041 said:

The Z Cam weighs with battery but no lens 7.65 oz. The Zhiyun Smooth Q capacity is 7.8 oz, so it just misses, unless one can find a 0.15 oz lens...

The Olympus 15mm f8 body cap lens? It is rather "heavy" at 22gms (about 0.78 oz), but maybe you might manage to get away with it? Oh weight (wait?), we're forgetting the extra weight of the MicroSD card, that might tip it over the edge! lol

15 minutes ago, markr041 said:

The Zhiyun Crane M would work well, and once I get that 8mm non-fisheye lens I will have a go.

SLR Magic lenses are quite heavy, not a bad thing though, as it gives them a nice solid construction feeling! :-) 

But not the ideal choice if you want EXTREME lightweight. 

B&H says the weight is 3.88 oz (110 g).

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1322738-REG/slr_magic_slr8m4_8mm_f_4_lens.html?sts=pi

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You have the jittery shits in the last two videos. I am old, my vertigo is bad enough without you helping to add to it LoL. I know it was cold there but...

But I must admit the footage and colors are nice other than that. Good buy on your part. I really like the field of view the 8mm offers. Interesting.

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