thebrothersthre3 Posted January 28, 2020 Share Posted January 28, 2020 What cameras I want to have in my arsenal is always on my mind. I've become to much of a gear head. However I realize the camera is far from the most important part of a production. That said its still fun to think about and certain cameras can certainly aid in production. So here is my plan for 2020 Keep my XT3. It will really be my camera for when I need decent auto focus. Nothing else can really compete here besides maybe a C300 MKII which doesn't have 4k 60p or a Sony FX9, which is way out of my budget atm. Buy an URSA mini Pro 4.6k old model. These are going for stupid cheap nowadays (often under $2500). Nothing really competes with this camera for shooting in daylight at least at this price. I was seriously considering an Alexa Classic, but looking at dynamic range comparisons between the two the URSA really does well. Of course the Alexa does still blow it away but the URSA will cover almost any dynamic range situation you can throw at it. Plus they are half the price of an Alexa classic, more than half the weight, way less power hungry, way higher resolutions, pretty much ready to go out of the box without kitting it out. So yeah it really seems like a no brainer. Sure the Alexa might get me a few more jobs, but an URSA would be so much more versatile. I can easily throw it on a Ronin M, throw my Nikon AI lenses on it and still get an image that can match an Alexa, apart from dynamic range, which is rarely an issue when you have 12.5 stops to work with. Buy an S1 The S1 seems to have an unmatched image quality for the price. The high ISO performance, full frame sensor, codec, and dynamic range are all incredible. Again I feel like its a no brainer camera. The codec and sensor aren't as great but the high ISO performance would beat out cameras that are 10 times the price. That is pretty insane. Plus the dynamic range is probably right there with something like the FX9 or C500. The value for $2000 is just amazing. Anyways its going to be a good year regardless of my kit, I am investing a lot in lighting gear as well. Z_Cunningham 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IronFilm Posted January 28, 2020 Share Posted January 28, 2020 20 minutes ago, thebrothersthre3 said: Buy an URSA mini Pro 4.6k old model. These are going for stupid cheap nowadays (often under $2500). The Pro G1 model, with ND filters and more? Don't think I'm seeing them often under US$2.5K Perhaps you're thinking of the original non-Pro version? Definitely the Pro version would be so much nicer to use, as improved ergo/design Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thebrothersthre3 Posted January 28, 2020 Author Share Posted January 28, 2020 6 minutes ago, IronFilm said: The Pro G1 model, with ND filters and more? Don't think I'm seeing them often under US$2.5K Perhaps you're thinking of the original non-Pro version? Definitely the Pro version would be so much nicer to use, as improved ergo/design Yeah the original non pro version. Internal ND's would be nice but I am used to doing without them. I have a hard to spending $1000's more just for internal ND's. BRAW would be nice but at the same time I love prores and never really need RAW. Its kind of like the S1 vs S1H, there are benefits to the S1H but in the end its the same sensor and I'd get the meat of what I want with the S1 at half the price. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super Members BTM_Pix Posted January 28, 2020 Super Members Share Posted January 28, 2020 I might just sell everything, buy a GFX100, turn the internet off and call it a day. heart0less, Jerome Chiu, Mark Romero 2 and 1 other 2 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mercer Posted January 28, 2020 Share Posted January 28, 2020 I may just keep what I already have, add a lens or two and turn the internet off. All of these cameras are cool and I'm always on the search for a second camera but the question remains... do I need it? Will my work really benefit from it? For me, I barely have enough time to use the camera I have. So I'd ask @thebrothersthre3 what are you gaining from having all of these cameras? The short films you've shot with your X-T3 look great. BTM_Pix 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Video Hummus Posted January 28, 2020 Share Posted January 28, 2020 I’m buying that EOS R5! Oh, someone pinched me...I’m back in the reality. Im just going to keep my GH5S and hope for a late 2020 announcement of a GH6, perhaps the last MFT camera from Panasonic. Should be good for the next 3 years 🙃 Cinegain 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super Members BTM_Pix Posted January 29, 2020 Super Members Share Posted January 29, 2020 25 minutes ago, mercer said: All of these cameras are cool and I'm always on the search for a second camera but the question remains... do I need it? Will my work really benefit from it? With the cameras that have been launched in the past 18 months and those that seemingly will be in the next 6 months there is definitely a sense of a plateau being reached. I think more refined and defined straight out of camera looks could become the saviour of productivity to get everyone out of the quicksand of trying to do everything in post. For some context, look at how rich and deep this looks from 1962 and I don't think its beyond the wit of manufacturers to be able to bring us proper AI replication of these looks in camera to use 58 years later. I know Fuji do it to a certain extent but its still got an emphasis on being a starting point instead of them being bold and saying "No, this is it, this is a precise simulation of this film stock including the grain, no tweaking allowed, now get on with it". There is too much caution on all sides in terms of deferring decisions that I think just drains creativity and productivity, for me at least. And with also addressing that in mind, I'm going back to editing on Lightworks. mercer and Video Hummus 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Video Hummus Posted January 29, 2020 Share Posted January 29, 2020 I counted 3, maybe 4 shallow depth of field shots in that entire gorgeous film. BTM_Pix 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mercer Posted January 29, 2020 Share Posted January 29, 2020 @BTM_Pix that video looks better than anything I've ever shot. I actually find a lot of the newer cameras kinda boring and am much more interested in shooting with something older... maybe even film... or a camcorder. Lol. I spent a while trying to color grade my footage to give it certain looks but now I just add some contrast and saturation. My next purchase is going to be a monitor though... my MacBook Air's screen just isn't cutting it anymore as I start to edit. How do you like Lightworks? Do you use the subscription model or do you own it? I assume you were using Resolve before? BTM_Pix 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super Members BTM_Pix Posted January 29, 2020 Super Members Share Posted January 29, 2020 16 minutes ago, Video Hummus said: I counted 3, maybe 4 shallow depth of field shots in that entire gorgeous film. The "drone" shots were pretty good too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Video Hummus Posted January 29, 2020 Share Posted January 29, 2020 5 minutes ago, BTM_Pix said: The "drone" shots were pretty good too Must be the new Mavic 3 Pro with 35mm sensor. BTM_Pix 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super Members BTM_Pix Posted January 29, 2020 Super Members Share Posted January 29, 2020 39 minutes ago, mercer said: @BTM_Pix that video looks better than anything I've ever shot. I actually find a lot of the newer cameras kinda boring and am much more interested in shooting with something older... maybe even film... or a camcorder. Lol. I spent a while trying to color grade my footage to give it certain looks but now I just add some contrast and saturation. My next purchase is going to be a monitor though... my MacBook Air's screen just isn't cutting it anymore as I start to edit. How do you like Lightworks? Do you use the subscription model or do you own it? I assume you were using Resolve before? I'm still rooting for the return of the camcorder. If you gave me the baked in look of that Monaco film with a 10x zoom on an APS-C sensor you'd never hear from me again! I had the subscription model of Lightworks a good few years ago but I let it lapse to switch to FCPX when I fully moved over to OSX which they didn't support at the time but I like the simplicity of it so I'm going to give the OSX version a go. Resolve has got so much stuff in thats it like some open world RPG in comparison that I end up getting sidetracked in. Thats why I like LumaFusion on the iPad as its fantastic to do basic cutting on but its let down with lack of ProRes support. mercer 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mercer Posted January 29, 2020 Share Posted January 29, 2020 6 minutes ago, BTM_Pix said: I had the subscription model of Lightworks a good few years ago but I let it lapse to switch to FCPX when I fully moved over to OSX which they didn't support at the time but I like the simplicity of it so I'm going to give the OSX version a go. I may download the trial and give it a go. I love FCPX even though I am forced to use Resolve to transcode the .mlv files to ProRes. One of the reasons I keep considering a Blackmagic camera is for its native ProRes. I actually have a broken P2K I paid $100 for last summer that won't power on. I may try and fix it and set it up with a loupe and that JLG Lanc handle you keep trying to sell me on... lol... pair it with the Panny 12-35mm or an old c-mount zoom with a zoom handle and it will be like shooting Super 8 again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Video Hummus Posted January 29, 2020 Share Posted January 29, 2020 Apple should make a FCPX Lite for the iPad that allows you to preview footage, mark, cut, trim, favorite, and keyword footage and then bring it into FCPX on Mac with a few clicks and the iPad within a couple feet of the desktop Mac. Like a seamless project airdrop. It would make categorizing and find your selects in the field much easier when its fresh. mercer and colepat 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mercer Posted January 29, 2020 Share Posted January 29, 2020 1 hour ago, BTM_Pix said: I'm still rooting for the return of the camcorder. If you gave me the baked in look of that Monaco film with a 10x zoom on an APS-C sensor you'd never hear from me again! I'd be okay with a m4/3 or even a 1" sensor if it has internal ProRes. I know JVC was releasing something like that, but the price seemed a bit high if I remember correctly. I'd love to see Z-Cam or even Blackmagic pair up with a lens manufacturer to do something similar. I've been half tempted to buy another FZ2500 and a BM Video Assist to get 10bit 1080p. Hell, for fun I've even considered the FZ300. I had one a few years back and I actually kinda liked it. ... Of course, I just spent the past 15 minutes going through the past 5 years of frame grabs, I have on my phone, and as soon as I reached my ML Raw grabs, I started to smile again... I think I may be better off buying another zoom lens than mucking around with a new camera... and I still want the Samyang 24mm. As much as I enjoy this forum, but since it is camera based, it's very easy to get caught up in every new camera out, or every other camera I didn't buy over the past 5 years. I think the reality of the situation, for me, is that no camera other than a proper cinema camera will make me happy after shooting ML Raw and if I ever want an "upgrade" I'm going to have to rent or save up for a Komodo or something similar. BTM_Pix 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Video Hummus Posted January 29, 2020 Share Posted January 29, 2020 14 minutes ago, mercer said: I've been half tempted to buy another FZ2500 and a BM Video Assist to get 10bit 1080p I did not know the FZ2500 had a built in ND. Dreaming of having a sweet little ND selector on the GH camera! Please, panny! IronFilm 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IronFilm Posted January 29, 2020 Share Posted January 29, 2020 11 hours ago, thebrothersthre3 said: Yeah the original non pro version. Internal ND's would be nice but I am used to doing without them. I have a hard to spending $1000's more just for internal ND's. BRAW would be nice but at the same time I love prores and never really need RAW. Its kind of like the S1 vs S1H, there are benefits to the S1H but in the end its the same sensor and I'd get the meat of what I want with the S1 at half the price. You can easily spend around a grand on a quality set of square ND filters, let alone a mattebox as well I reckon the small extra cost is worth it mercer 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IronFilm Posted January 29, 2020 Share Posted January 29, 2020 35 minutes ago, Video Hummus said: I did not know the FZ2500 had a built in ND. Dreaming of having a sweet little ND selector on the GH camera! Please, panny! Would be the easiest way for Panasonic to dominate the next generation of cameras. Kinda surprised the Panasonic S1H didn't have this Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mercer Posted January 29, 2020 Share Posted January 29, 2020 22 minutes ago, Video Hummus said: I did not know the FZ2500 had a built in ND. Dreaming of having a sweet little ND selector on the GH camera! Please, panny! Yeah, the FZ2500 is one of my favorite cameras of all time. It even has a button that you can push while recording at 24p and it will go into slow motion. So you can do those cool shots where a guy starts the shot running in normal motion and then you push the button and he will slide into slow motion as long as you hold the button down. Some Super 8 cameras used to do that too. The only downside to the camera IMO is that the lens, albeit really nice, is much too big for the camera body. Here's a stupid test video I did of the 1080p 60p slow motion... The end of the test is the best part but I made the mistake of making the video way too long. It was before I realized that most people only watch a minute of videos or less. iamoui 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mercer Posted January 29, 2020 Share Posted January 29, 2020 9 minutes ago, IronFilm said: You can easily spend around a grand on a quality set of square ND filters, let alone a mattebox as well I reckon the small extra cost is worth it This is why I think I would go the ProRes Raw option with the FS5 or FS5ii... the built in NDs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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