Help me decide: Canon C300 Mark III or Sony FX9

[Django]

7 hours ago, thecouchguy said:

C70 with speed booster. This way you can get some RF 24-70mm & RF 70-200mm and have class leading dynamic range and versatility. Then if you need more low light you can chuck on the focal reducer for effective full frame. Or as others have said, fx6.

While the C70 is a great compact cine cam, the fact it is RF S35 means you need to buy very expensive FF RF glass that you won't even be fully exploiting, unless you adapt with the speed booster. On the flip side, the FX6 is FF only so that locks you into FF glass. 

I really think both Canon & Sony need to release above +4K resolution FF cine cameras next so you can enjoy both FF & S35 native lenses. Currently the mirrorless offerings are way more flexible in that regard.

[IronFilm]

14 hours ago, Django said:

While the C70 is a great compact cine cam, the fact it is RF S35 means you need to buy very expensive FF RF glass that you won't even be fully exploiting, unless you adapt with the speed booster.

I think that won't matter to @Jedi Master, as they can just buy S35 PL lenses. 

[eatstoomuchjam]

On 12/2/2023 at 8:43 PM, thecouchguy said:

C70 with speed booster. This way you can get some RF 24-70mm & RF 70-200mm and have class leading dynamic range and versatility. Then if you need more low light you can chuck on the focal reducer for effective full frame. Or as others have said, fx6.

You can't use the speed booster with RF glass.  It's an EF converter + speed booster.  This is a good thing because the EF 24-70/2.8 and 70-200/2.8 are both perfectly fine lenses and you can get them for a lot less than the RF equivalents.  No IS in the 24-70, though.

[Jedi Master]

I've made my decision and placed an order with B&H.

After a lot of thought, I decided to take a 180 degree turn and get a Fujifilm GFX100 II. 

Why? One thing I didn't mention in my original post in this thread was the fact that when my wife and I go out, video is only part of what we do. Stills photography makes up perhaps 70% of our outings with video about 30%. I didn't want to mention this at the start of the thread to avoid influencing anyone's opinions.

The GFX100 II does 8K video in ProRes 422HQ, which is probably more than good enough for my tastes. I've looked at a lot of sample video from this camera and it looks really good on both my computer and on my 4K projector. It also is a 102MP stills camera, which is a big improvement on the 20MP camera we currently use. That should help with the large prints I like to make and hang on the walls.

In the end, I just couldn't justify spending the amount of money I did on a pure cinema camera that doesn't also do stills. I also realized that even if a camera had features like SDI outputs and timecode, I'd probably never use them. It only has a 3.5mm audio input, but I'm used to that and if I eventually want XLR inputs Tascam sells an adapter. The GFX is new, so it uses the latest cards and is likely to continue getting firmware updates for the foreseeable future.

Thanks again for everyone who participated in this thread and offered advice. It certainly helped me make a decision.

[eatstoomuchjam]

Welcome to the GFX 100 II club!  You're gonna love the stills.

Assuming you're going Fujinon for glass instead of your previous plan of PL mount, which lenses did you pair with it?

For me, my go-to kit is

• 23/4
• 32-64/4 
• 110/2 (in competition with the Leica Summicron-M 90/2 ASPH for my all-time favorite portrait lens, in the category of "if you were to buy a whole camera system just for one lens...")
• 250/4
• 1.4x TC

For Turkey, I also brought the 63/2.8 (for when I wanted to be a bit more inconspicuous) and an old Minolta MD 58/1.4 for low light (it's one of the few 50ish mm vintage lenses that covers the full sensor + a bit for IBIS).

There's a wide angle f/4 zoom now.  If I were starting from scratch, I might choose it over the 23 prime, assuming it's as good as the 32-64.  

[BTM_Pix]

10 hours ago, Jedi Master said:

One thing I didn't mention in my original post in this thread was the fact that when my wife and I go out, video is only part of what we do. Stills photography makes up perhaps 70% of our outings with video about 30%. I didn't want to mention this at the start of the thread to avoid influencing anyone's opinions.

You asked about two specific cinema cameras - neither of which has stills capability - so what worthwhile opinion was there to influence when you weren't revealing 70% of the requirement ?

You have absolutely wasted the time of every well meaning person in this thread that was giving you very considered opinions not only on the two cameras that you originally requested a comparison of but also on many different similar alternatives that you might like to consider.

You then compounded this by encouraging more input on different types of camera that you knew would only meet 30% of your needs and would therefore not be suitable.

There were two points at which you should have mentioned that 70% of what you wanted this camera for wouldn't be covered by a cinema camera - the first time was in the original post and the second time was when anyone mentioned any other cinema camera that doesn't do stills.

If you had mentioned the stills requirement then you would have got responses for at least these three high end hybrids.

Sony a1

Nikon Z8/9

Fujifilm GFX100/II

The first two of these you did get recommendations for (the a1 was the very first reply) and interestingly didn't respond to at all when they are the only two cameras that have been mentioned in the thread that fulfil what you knew that you needed.

And, lo and behold, the last one is the one you've now bought.

I even said in my recommendation of the Z8/Z9 that "Naturally, if you do decide to shoot the odd still with it then it rinses every cinema camera out there at that particular task".

Did you not think that might have been an opportune moment to say "actually, I have to admit that I do need a still capability" instead of letting the debate go on a few more pages with people blissfully unaware they were wasting their time on the finer points of cinema cameras that would in no way be able to meet your requirements ?

If you had come to realise that it was a hybrid that you needed throughout the course of the discussion in the thread then thats one thing but to know that from the get go and not state it then or at any point subsequently is another thing entirely.

I hope you enjoy your GFX100II and it will certainly service the real needs that you have now revealed that you actually have pretty well but you owe an apology to everyone on this thread that you have clearly abused the goodwill of.

[gt3rs]

After 11 pages of answers and great suggestions @Jedi Master come up with wait, I forgot to tell you that 70% of my needs are still.... incredible.... hope you had a lot of fun because I'm not amused at all.... so unrespectful of other people time.


 

[mercer]

Hey guys, I don't really shoot any video, or stills, but I am really into barbecue... can you recommend a cinema/stills camera for me so I can convince my wife that spending $2500 on a barbecue grill is a good deal. 

[Jedi Master]

7 hours ago, BTM_Pix said:

You asked about two specific cinema cameras - neither of which has stills capability - so what worthwhile opinion was there to influence when you weren't revealing 70% of the requirement ?

Wow! I certainly wasn’t expecting that… One’s desires can and do change. At the time I originally posted this thread I fully planned to get a cinema camera and a stills camera. The fact that I found a hybrid that can do both well is a good thing (for me at least), and it was a last minute decision (I had the Canon C300 in my B&H cart right up to a few minutes before I pushed the “place order” button). I posted a similar query on another site (one devoted to stills photography) requesting advice on stills cameras and they were the ones who pointed me at the GFX100 II (I didn’t know it had been released), and since I was planning to get both a stills camera and a cinema camera, I didn’t think it necessary mention that here (just like I didn’t mention on the other forum that I was planning to also get a cinema camera).

I’m sorry that you feel I wasted yours, or anyone else’s time here.

[kye]

5 hours ago, Jedi Master said:

Wow! I certainly wasn’t expecting that… One’s desires can and do change. At the time I originally posted this thread I fully planned to get a cinema camera and a stills camera. The fact that I found a hybrid that can do both well is a good thing (for me at least), and it was a last minute decision (I had the Canon C300 in my B&H cart right up to a few minutes before I pushed the “place order” button). I posted a similar query on another site (one devoted to stills photography) requesting advice on stills cameras and they were the ones who pointed me at the GFX100 II (I didn’t know it had been released), and since I was planning to get both a stills camera and a cinema camera, I didn’t think it necessary mention that here (just like I didn’t mention on the other forum that I was planning to also get a cinema camera).

I’m sorry that you feel I wasted yours, or anyone else’s time here.

You'd be amazed at the number of folks that drop into the forums, ask a question, and then:

• never answer follow-up questions and are never seen again
• argue with all the people trying to help them
• supply critical information many many pages later, despite having been asked directly along the way
• participate in the discussion nicely, then go out and buy the a wrong camera that was eliminated in the discussion, then complain about it because it has all these issues that everyone warned them about

Hardly anyone even says 'thank you' either.

This is why experts burn-out from posting on forums - the trail of people who ask for help and then fight every inch of the process to try and provide the help they asked for.

[Jedi Master]

15 hours ago, kye said:

Hardly anyone even says 'thank you' either.

This is why experts burn-out from posting on forums - the trail of people who ask for help and then fight every inch of the process to try and provide the help they asked for.

I think I’ve said thank you several times in this thread as I do greatly appreciate the information and lively discussion. Sometimes the experts you refer to don’t take kindly to the person asking for help questioning their advice. I’ve seen this many times on other forums. Human nature, I guess.

After ordering the GFX100 II, I had lingering mixed feelings. I really wanted a cinema camera and the GFX100 was a compromise advocated mainly by my wife, who herself prefers stills over video. So I did something that was very logical (for me anyway): I ordered a Canon C300 MkIII + PL mount. I’ll give the GFX to my wife for Christmas and use the Canon myself. 

[eatstoomuchjam]

If you give GFX 100 II's for Christmas presents to your spouse, I think a number of members of this forum are going to try to woo you away from your wife!

[Jedi Master]

20 minutes ago, eatstoomuchjam said:

If you give GFX 100 II's for Christmas presents to your spouse, I think a number of members of this forum are going to try to woo you away from your wife!

One year I gave her a new Lexus.

[ghostwind]

8 hours ago, Jedi Master said:

After ordering the GFX100 II, I had lingering mixed feelings. I really wanted a cinema camera and the GFX100 was a compromise advocated mainly by my wife, who herself prefers stills over video. So I did something that was very logical (for me anyway): I ordered a Canon C300 MkIII + PL mount. I’ll give the GFX to my wife for Christmas and use the Canon myself. 

Man I wish I was confused with a lot of money...

[Andrew Reid]

3 hours ago, Jedi Master said:

One year I gave her a new Lexus.

What’s this got to do with anything.

Thread will be locked soon due to troll-like behaviour and the lack of appreciation towards our community and the advice given.

[kye]

10 hours ago, Jedi Master said:

I think I’ve said thank you several times in this thread as I do greatly appreciate the information and lively discussion. Sometimes the experts you refer to don’t take kindly to the person asking for help questioning their advice. I’ve seen this many times on other forums. Human nature, I guess.

After ordering the GFX100 II, I had lingering mixed feelings. I really wanted a cinema camera and the GFX100 was a compromise advocated mainly by my wife, who herself prefers stills over video. So I did something that was very logical (for me anyway): I ordered a Canon C300 MkIII + PL mount. I’ll give the GFX to my wife for Christmas and use the Canon myself. 

I wasn't saying that you did all those things, just explaining the context so you might understand the reaction that some people had.

The experts are human too, so don't confuse their expertise and time/effort in trying to help with any human foibles that it is inevitable that everyone has.

As far as I am aware, these forums are perhaps the best place online to discuss the video capabilities of hybrid cameras, as the vast majority of people here use hybrid cameras because they take stills as well as video, so by setting the context as a cinema-camera only discussion you not only skewed the discussion away from accessing the majority of knowledge and experience of the members, but you also targeted the involvement of those members who do specialise in video-only cameras.

Perhaps, above all, the people who participated in good faith don't react well to helping someone who deliberately misrepresented their position at the outset.

[Jedi Master]

2 hours ago, Andrew Reid said:

What’s this got to do with anything.

Thread will be locked soon due to troll-like behaviour and the lack of appreciation towards our community and the advice given.

You’re right, it doesn’t have much to do with anything. It was a flippant response to another’s flippant response. 

It was never my intention to troll anyone and I did express my appreciation towards the participants in the thread several times. I have Asperger’s so I often don’t pick up on subtle clues that other people would and as a result frequently end up sticking my foot in my mouth.

Close the thread if you wish. I did get a lot of benefit from the discussion and appreciate everyone’s responses even if some don’t feel that I do.