Isn't all this gear whining pointless? Just go out and shoot...

[OliKMIA]

I registered on this forum in 2014. At the time, there was very limited option for indie filmmaker beside the new GH4. But in the past 5 years here is what we got:

• Generalization of quality video on DSLR/Mirrorless : 4K is becoming mainstream on entry-level camera. 4k60 is common while 10bits is the new 8bits. Raw is a the corner or already here (Pocket 4k/6K, Sigma FP). All brands implement good video specs on camera nowadays.
• Consumer drone revolution: cheap, effective and portable drones.
• Gimbal for all: just as the drone, what used to be an expensive and complex high end equipment is now available for a few hundreds dollars on amazon. And the system works out the box with minimal effort.
• New editing tools: Adobe brought Lumetri, Da Vinci is a serious option (for free), there are plenty of useful plugin available. Editing tools are so good now.

My videographer life in 2014:

Camera: I had a Canon camera (shitty for video) and just bought a GH4. There was not good gimbal at the time and IBIS was a niche feature.
Drone: DJI was a small unknown company, only making camera-less drones. I used to film aerial video a with a custom built FPV drone and the whole thing was a mess. Soldering, calibrating a lot of parts (ESCs, FC, radio), messing with flight controller and gimbal PIDs, frame and props resonance with gopro scan that created jello on the footage. Dealing with a mix of analog and digital parts. Radio link required external ground station with special high gain antennas. Finally, the whole system took and entire bag (drone, ground station, LiPo charger, FPV system). People don't realize how amazing drones are today. The fact that we can now purchase perfectly working drone, with stable camera, no rolling shutter issue, incredible radio range and portability is a blessing.

My videographer life in 2019:

Camera: plenty of choice from all the manufacturers, 4K everywhere, in 60p and 10bits. Sigma FP, Fuji XT3, GH5, Pocket 4k and 6K. Panasonic launching FF camera. Most mirrorless have IBIS. Sonny revolutionized low light video with the A7S line.
Gimbal: I can't even keep up with the release. A good gimbal costs $400 now. DJI proposes all-in-one tiny gimbal camera for $300.
Drones: Mavic Air, Mavic 2 Pro with 4k10bits, etc. Autel just announced an 8K drones (EVO II)

I'm amazed by the profusion of good gears available today. I fit all my stuff in a large carry on backpack: 4k10 bits drone (Mavic 2), cropless 4k60 cam (GH5), cheap gimbal (Crane), excellent still camera (Canon 6D), and a slider with accessories.

So I must admit that I don't really understand all the gear whining on this forum. The Nikon Z6 is "pixel binned" and external recording is late. Canon cripples its next camera? The a7s3 might be a revolution? Who cares? There are like 10 good alternatives on the market. Just get the next XT-3 or use existing cam already (S1H, S1, A73, GH5, Pocket 4k, etc.).

I'm not targeting anyone in particular but I found EOSHD to be a valuable resource in 2014 when we got to deal with limited equipment. Now, I just don't see the point. Most of the posts are just an endless suite of gear whining and fight on pointless details. We acclaim every progress by hyperbolic statement ("10bits or 4k is a revolution") just to forget it the next day and dictate new requirements to manufacturers. Then, we get outraged because raw upgrade is not already available on a consumer grade camera. That's endless and not productive.

Unlike 2014, gears are not a problem anymore, this is not a limiting factor. If you can't deliver a good video with the actual stuff today, that's on you. I wish that we could focus on actual film-making.
All the best.

 

 

[Andrew Reid]

You can't freeze time or be satisfied for very long, where's the fun in that... Always chasing knowledge, perfection, performance is what this forum is about. I find it fascinating that the image in ProRes RAW on the Z6 has the weird attributes it does compared to the internal H.264. I guess that makes me a camera nerd. So be it.