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The latest news on cameras, from EOSHD

What’s best out of the new releases? Comparing the Canon EOS R7, R10, Fuji X-H2 & Panasonic S5 II

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Hello, and an introduction for those coming from YouTube. This is a written piece of information, which features words. Although words are a way of getting information across quickly, I do understand that some may not have the attention span longer than 5 seconds any more. So I have kept things short this time. If you need to read for longer than 5 minutes, this may bring you to the part of the screen you might not be familiar with, known as the bottom. Don’t be scared. I recommend some matchsticks in the eyes to keep them open, I always found this works well.

It is 2023. 14 years of mirrorless cameras and finally the perfect one might finally be upon us. Autofocus that works perfectly in every mode, no crop 6K, 10bit LOG, full frame and all for under $2000. I am of course referring to the Panasonic S5 II. But there are other interesting choices too.

Here I’ll give you some thoughts on purchasing a new piece of kit for between $1000-$2k, about the runners and riders in this price category.

Read moreWhat’s best out of the new releases? Comparing the Canon EOS R7, R10, Fuji X-H2 & Panasonic S5 II

Controversy at the BBC and impartiality’s true meaning

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The idea of editorial independence was enshrined in the BBC’s founding Royal Charter in 1927, which stated the corporation should be “independent in all matters of internal control.” This was a way of ensuring the BBC’s coverage was not subject to political interference or pressure from any external sources such as the government.

Read moreControversy at the BBC and impartiality’s true meaning

“Creator” replaces “filmmaker” – Meet thy creator

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Language – the pulse of any culture. What better way to check the vital signs of ours.

When our language (and music) turns ugly we know there’s going to be trouble ahead. Fall of the Roman Empire style. The bad news is that filmmakers and photographers seem to be on the way out, to be replaced by something altogether more homogenous – the “content creator” or simply “creator”. Why specialise when you can just “create”?

A creator is neither a filmmaker or photographer – maybe they’ve merged into a hybrid? A creator is not the same thing as a writer, for a writer writes whereas a creator dabbles in content. They’re not quite a blogger, as having an TikTok account doesn’t count, and they’re not a filmmaker because that would be an embarrassing false equivalence with the likes of Kubrick.

So what is a creator exactly?

Read more“Creator” replaces “filmmaker” – Meet thy creator

How’s AI’s camera knowledge? Unhinged ChatGPT libels EOSHD and makes up controversies

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Clearly overhyped, but with strong long term potential to destroy the planet, AI natural language chatbots have taken 2023 by storm. I admit, it’s an entertaining spectacle.

They’re fantastic at certain things and it’s nice to see a new type of tool born, but I can’t help feeling it is capable of wildly fantasying about things that never happened. I also think there is no way a large company like Microsoft or Google will truly let this technology off the hook and it will be incredibly heavily censored. This means first prize in AI will go to a startup and you better sell your Google shares right now.

But should you trust it? EOSHD sets out to find out, by putting it through a camera nerd exam.

Read moreHow’s AI’s camera knowledge? Unhinged ChatGPT libels EOSHD and makes up controversies

Is N-RAW real RAW? Nikon Z9 under the spotlight at EOSHD

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It is time for a good old fashioned EOSHD article. Everything you’ve seen so far on YouTube is meaningless – yes it is. Comparing one shot to another this way is no longer representative of the camera. Our camera’s capabilities far outstrips what you can see via YouTube. At best it’s a comparison of grading styles.

Back in the days before LOG recording, your camera’s colour science was baked in and you were reliant on it. Since then, most footage looks very similar in LOG before it’s graded, and the main difference you’ll see on YouTube is how two cameras have been graded to match, or how the default picture profile and white balance compares. Then, on top of that it will all be converted to H.265 at a very low bitrate for streaming, even in 8K. In fact 8K looks dreadful on YouTube if you really examine it. So how can we really judge what a camera and codec as powerful as 12bit N-RAW is doing?

The answer is to have a good pixel peep. Freeze a frame, and look at it up-close at full resolution, without adding noticeable compression. This is what I set out to do here, to examine the texture and look of the image in 8K N-RAW on the Nikon Z9. Does it really have an advantage over the Sony A1 in H.265? Does N-RAW as a “film stock” really LOOK like RAW if we compare it to the Sigma Fp-L in uncompressed Cinema DNG? It’s time to find out.

Read moreIs N-RAW real RAW? Nikon Z9 under the spotlight at EOSHD