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As a filmmaker I've made the switch to specialize in Ai and I couldn't be more happy. Never worked this much. I think this is just another tool and we need to adapt. It won't replace everything but is able to make things easier sometimes. And the knowledge and skills I've had as a classic filmmaker are unvaluable to create compelling films. The basis is the same : what story I want to tell?

I don't know but wouldn't expect it to be much different and the Lumix might even be better. No evidence either way that I have seen or am aware of. But cost, size and ease of use. Obviously MASSIVE difference. I need AF for certain things and it's been more than goof enough with Lumix since the S5ii. For the times I don't need AF, I still tend to use it to acquire focus and then lock focus manually on the lens and when I've finished that scene, flick it back to AF. Same as turning cameras on and off after every clip or still, I do it subconsciously as in just trained myself to do this.

Ultimately a combo of trust/knowledge based on: build/lack of weather sealing + no mech shutter for stills + single card slot. Now arguably, 99.9% of my use, the lack of weather sealing/ultimate build quality, is not an issue. The single card slot isn't either as I have my S1Rii set up for stills to CF Express and video to SD. But mech shutter, or lack there of, dealbreaker. Probably with something like the Nikon Z8/Z9, it would not be an issue, but with the S9, it is. But then also to be fair, I didn't buy it for that, but simply tried it and it did not work so...

I presume the AF on the dji ronin 4d is better then the s1rii. Allthough not sure. Something I negletated over a decade, but now I realise how much time you save by using AF. So it moved up in my importance list. And is why I am also considering sony again, as they still seem to lead the pack in the AF department.

Well the prompting is not that easy, what sometimes you think is easy turns out in an horror challenge to get it somehow how you would like. It costs credits. Clients depend on your knowhow and experience to get it done. Similar like actual shooting, what is stopping them to get an camera and shoot it themselves. Time/costs

Just discovered that Minolta MD 35-70mm f3.5 is parfocal. 🙂

I agree, but if you're trying to make a living doing this, those were a lot of billable hours that are not going to be available anymore. I had a potential client reach out about a project and I sent her a quote. I never heard back and later saw on their socials an AI version of said project. I'd like to hear more about your experience because I can't quite grasp what the revision process would be like. I assume that you adjust your prompts based on client feedback, but does the client ever tell you exactly what prompts to use? And rather than trying to communicate their ideas, do they ever just generate their own AI imagery? At that point, I think I might have a difficult time justifying why I would still need to be involved.

Yep...that's my problem. I really want this to be my a-cam, but it only truly makes sense as a b-cam. Yes, it could be an a-cam. Heck, none of the blackmagic bodies are weather sealed and tons of people use them as a-cams. But something about the S9 just doesn't make me love it as an A-Cam. Now ironically, my Z6 + Ninja is technically not weather sealed because the Ninja V clearly is not water-protected, but at least the Z6 body is, so if needed I can strip it down and the body will survive. And the Z6 image still kicks butt. 10 bit NLOG below, skin tones came out great.

I considered getting one as my primary video unit but the cost plus the weight, but mainly the weight, put me off. Big time. I decided that for my needs, this would be a FAR better option full stop. And that is where it started and stopped for me, ie, massive overkill in so many ways…but for my specific use case which is a hybrid shooter. If I was pure video, it would be different and actually, I could see myself using one as a principal unit along with something static or semi-static.

If only it was lockable… I keep jogging it myself and then discovering I am shooting 1/80th or 1/125th when I have set 1/100th, but I suppose it is built to a price. I don’t mind needing a cage for video or a decent grip for photo so any next gen, the format is fine. I prefer modularity. I didn’t think the lack of a mech shutter would bother me, but it did when I tried using it for stills and got either quite a bit of jello effect and/or banding in certain lighting conditions. This reverted it for me to being a pure video unit. I would rather it was weather sealed but not a big issue for my needs. If it was going to be my only camera or camera type, it would need to be. I did almost sell it a couple of weeks back with that second S1Rii inbound, but then decided I might have taken my kit streamlining one body too far and it made more sense to keep it as at least backup due to the not so great trade in price. In the end, I decided to simply ‘repurpose’ my S9. That second S1Rii has not turned up in time for my next job I leave for later this day but when it does, both units will be fully hybrid use shooting 7.2k open gate and stills. My sole remaining S5ii with battery grip, lives on a sturdy video tripod and shoots 4k longer stuff where there is no fear of overheating or running out of card space or battery life. Not for my use. Just plain old reliable workhorse. I’d rather use the 6k mode, but for the 30 minute recording limit. My only crit for this unit. The S9 now lives on it’s very light but sturdy freestanding monopod (or lightweight tripod) for ceremonies and speeches and has 3 roles: longer fully stabilised clips, clips when I also need to shoot stills at the same time, gimbal mode (ie, highest e stab) and slow mo in 6k except for the latter two options which are about 2% of my needs. I think if I had sold it, I would have regretted it so now it has found it’s true role, I am even happier with it despite it’s limitations. Is it an A cam? It could be but not for me. It shines though as that second or third purpose unit where anything larger or bulkier would just be a pain. I miss my Zf and the A7RV I sold to go fully L Mount/Lumix, but have no regrets and genuinely am 100% happy with that decision with zero criticism of my new set up. It just works.

Final update, selling both my S9 and Canon R7 (been trying to sell it for a bit), and am reverting back to my OG Nikon Z6 that I’ve used the past 4 years. Really does all I need, 10 bit to the ninja just as good as anything else. And I need to put money toward other things right now lol Sometimes it’s not until you spontaneously buy new gear that you realized what you had before was really all you needed and you just need to keep creating more content lol. That’s how I feel right now haha But still, the S9 is great. I don’t love it as an a-cam cause of the stupid rear dial, but great camera nonetheless.

I own one. It's a fantastic second camera. There's no way I would want one as my primary camera. Pros: - Image quality is brilliant - Integrated gimbal and 4th axis (the whole reason for the camera to exist) - Very flexible to use in many scenarios with options like the Flex unit - Raw license is now $1 (too bad I didn't wait!) - The 8k is one of the best low-light cameras on the market - Probably matches really well with the S1R II - Lidar autofocus works really well (within its limitations) - Subject tracking mode is really fantastic - Integration with high bright remote monitor is amazing - Swappable lens mounts means you can use DJI's DL lenses, Sony E mount lenses (I had infinity calibration problems and sold the E mount unit), L mount, M mount, and thanks to third parties, EF mount and PL mount lenses Subject tracking, in particular, is great for stuff like vehicle mounting. The high bright + flex integrations also allow for some really cool creative stuff if the flex unit is mounted on a monopod, for example (think jib/crane shots, zooming into spaces, etc) Cons: - A really awkward camera to use for non-gimbal stuff - Weirdly inflexible (like if you choose ProRes, it'll be ProRes HQ, if you choose PRR, it will be PRR HQ except in hfr modes where it will be PRR standard) - To get the better recording codecs (ProRes 4444/PRR), you need to use DJI's special media ($800/TB + $300 reader) - Lidar autofocus doesn't work past around 10m - Flex unit is expensive - High bright remote monitor is also expensive (plus needs transmitter for more $) - A bit heavy (I use mine with Ready Rig most of the time so I don't think of the weight much) - 6k model has fairly poor RS, 8k model allows choosing really bad RS or less DR - Even though many lens mounts are available, lens selection is very limited by gimbal capacity, if you don't want to use the 4th axis, you can use more lenses if you add a counterweight, but the 4th axis is really one of the big selling points - TB50 batteries, though you can get third-party battery plate replacements for v-mount or TB51 (I just have 3 TB50's - when they crap out, I'll switch to the Alvin's v-mount plate which I ordered early on, but didn't end up using (yet)) There are probably more of both that aren't coming right to mind. Glad to answer any specific questions.

It is, but true artists love the craft. That's why they are artists and not accountants. When talking about AI for creativity it's always about the program used, never the person doing the work. "How do I make this easier?" is the question of an engineer or someone who wants to cut corners. Now we all use some sort of AI for our day to day jobs. I get it. It's either that or get out. But no self-respecting artist goes into the daily creative grind thinking I should embrace tech to increase my output and spend my free time on TikTok.

As the poster above said, the cinema look is hand-crafted. I would add dramatic lighting to your list. Think of the great Italian chiaroscuro painters from the XVII century. By nailing that artistic expression you're 99% into cinematic. Lots of light makes things uninteresting, didactic.

Hi, Who here has used an dji ronin 4d? Whats your experience? What are the cons and pro's? (The weight seems a big con. 5kg..) maybe also its size is an issue, as its quite the setup. And it might not fit in places where an mirrorless might fit. But I never used or seen one, so I am not sure. Cheers

Although it's not exactly what you're looking for, I'd have to second the Nikon Series E lenses. They truly are remarkable little lenses. I haven't been able to find a good copy of the 35mm 2.5 but the 36-72, 50mm and 100mm are nice little lenses, especially the size of the 100mm. Also the older non-ai lenses are pretty spectacular as well. One lens I hate to mention because it does get such bad reviews is the 35-70 3.3-4.5 ai-s lens. It's tiny and a lot better than the bad reviews give it. I mean, it isn't great, but there's something very Nikon in its not greatness. Another zoom lens I love, which I assume you're familiar with is the Canon FD 35-105mm 3.5. This lens is ALMOST parfocal. Obviously constant aperture. Internal zoom. Fairly compact. I've had a few copies over the years, then end up selling it because I didn't use it too often, regret it and seek another one. My most recent copy I put on the Sigma FP and here's a sample of it at 105mm wide open... No mind-blowing image by any means, but fairly sharp wide open and I like the way it handles the highlights. Of course it's a mess in direct light... as I found out last week during a shoot. However, there are rumors that Canon considered putting the L badge onto it because they were so happy with the lens. As far as primes, other than the Nikons, the Takumar lenses are a personal favorite of mine. I've heard people argue that the 28mm 3.5 is one of the best 28mm lenses they've used. I haven't used that one but the 35mm 3.5 is excellent. I've used a couple of the wide angle Tokina lenses from the late 70s, early 80s and they were decent, but I think they were f/2.8 lenses. Obviously you could get a cheap Neewer fixed ND to pop on the lens and leave there to give you that slower stop and to protect the front of the lens. Also check out the old Vivitar lenses, I have a set of mostly Tokina made ones in the m42 mount and I have always been very fond of them. The image instantly feels like an old 70s made for TV movie. I'm probably going to sell them though, not because I don't like them, I just have too much stuff and really need to scale back. I guess you could also look at some of the older Zeiss Jena lenses... even the MF ones would give you the slower apertures you were looking for wide open. Great thread! Wish there were more threads like this on here like it.

Decided I am selling my S9...I know. It's a killer camera. I realized I want something more durable as my a-cam. I got it for a killer deal, but that also just makes it all the more easy to sell as I am pricing it low at around $900 WITH the Smallrig cage. After further thought, I want a camera that is weather sealed, and reports about the rear dial going out (it feels soooo cheap) do not give me the most ocnfidence.)

Totally get the frustration, mixed feelings here too. But honestly, I’ve been directing AI content for agency work and even for music videos where the budget wouldn’t cover full CGI. It’s not about losing work, it’s about adapting. Most clients are abroad and on tight budgets, so outsourcing is just reality. Learning to guide AI creatively is how you stay ahead, not get replaced!

Husband and father.

What kind of job was it? Can you talk about it?

This is always the problem with any AI discussion. I abhor GenAI, but I do like the ML tools in various software that they refer to as "AI" (even though it's really just a better magnetic lasso or something like that).

Hey everyone, I had to take some time off for family matters, but I'm back to creating new music to share with you. So this week we have... On my Horror 2 page: "NIGHT STALKER 3" https://soundimage.org/horror-2/ On my Puzzle Music 8 page: "ANCIENT MAGIC" https://soundimage.org/puzzle-music-8/ And on my Sci-Fi 14 page: "OFF-WORLD DESOLATION" https://soundimage.org/sci-fi-14/ As always, they're 100% free to use in your projects in Mp3 format, just like my thousands of other music tracks. Btw, it's great to see that people are utilizing my Ogg Music packs...I'm so glad they're helpful! Here are links to them: https://soundimage.org/ogg-game-music-mega-pack/ https://soundimage.org/ogg-music-packs-2/ Enjoy, stay safe and keep creating! 🙂

Whoops, we did blow right by that focusing direction one didn't we lol. I just automatically go to super takumars when I think of awesome character, slower, and readily available primes for cheap, they're the kings. To be fair, it's in the list of preferred characteristics, so maybe theres some wiggle room for the right set. If it's a requirement, I'll double down on my Olympus OM recommendation and also throw out SSC Canon FD lenses, there's a 17mm 4, 28mm 3.5, 35mm 3.5, and a 50mm 3.5 macro and 100mm f/4 macro. Bonus/wide lens could be the 24-35mm 3.5 L which might be just over budget.

I don’t mind…and in fact, welcome AI, if it is for specific tasks rather than replacing creativity. When it replaces the; pen, paintbrush, camera, then yes, strong dislike, but if it can reduce my non-creative edit time, then great.

Surprisingly, it seems that Minolta didn't make so many slower lenses? This list here might not be complete, but it barely lists any slower ones: https://www.rokkorfiles.com/Lens Reviews.html and the page on the lens history doesn't include many extras either: https://www.rokkorfiles.com/Lens History.html Is Flickr still a thing? maybe some searching on there might reveal some other options, and with bonus sample images too.