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Going back to the GH7, one thing that surprised me on the trip was the GH7 + Voigtlander 42.5mm F0.95 + Sirui 1.25x anamorphic adapter combination. When I saw that the Sirui was under USD300 / AUD500 I was stunned as anamorphic was something that I had dismissed as simply being inaccessible to me - too expensive / difficult / complicated. I ordered it immediately. When my tests revealed it was quite happy paired with the Voigtlander F0.95 primes shot wide open, I decided to take the 42.5mm on the trip with me as a creative experiment. The FF horizontal equivalent for the 17.5mm and adapter is 28mm F1.5, which is interesting but I'm not a huge fan of the 28mm FOV, so I chose the 42.5mm lens to pair with it, which gives an equivalent of 68mm F1.5. It's a longer lens for street shooting, but will give me some distance to work with (useful for a rig that is as large as this combination) and will give some great shallow DOF too. Here are some sample frame grabs from the night markets in Xiamen Island, China. When I used it in Hong Kong I found the focal length really came into its own. There were so many layers and so much movement, the best shots are just a confusing mess without the motion that helps you identify what is going on. Here are some more minimal frames. I have pushed the grade in these very heavily. Loads of contrast and vignetting and a strong application of Film Look Creator too. The Voigtlanders are soft wide-open too, adding to the look. IIRC these images were shot with the lens stopped down a bit (I'd forgotten my ND filter!) so it can be quite well behaved. It has sent me down a rabbit hole of looking at how to get a more vintage S35 / FF look. More on that later. My mini-review of the Sirui is this: It's very affordable It's large and heavy, but build quality feels very good and seems to have tight tolerances It's sharp It doesn't flare much at all, even shooting in the streets at night I only saw flares on a few occasions when the headlights of a car hit the lens just right The focusing mechanism is a joy, I used one finger to focus it for a lot of the time I was using it The bokeh is surprisingly cats-eye / swirly, and doesn't have that strong a vertical stretch (at 1.25x it's only a mild squeeze factor so that makes sense) It has a bit of coma with bright lights If you like what you see above, I'd recommend it. I started off thinking that my bag was very heavy and not taking this combo next trip would be a good way to lighten my luggage a bit, and on the trip home was thinking that I'll take it everywhere and just pack less clothes.

I don't know about the Sony A1 but against the Z8, the S1RII might be? I do think the S1RII is the best of the line. It's more capable than the S5II/X for video and offers quite. bit more than the S1II for stills, so for hybrid users like me, is a bit of a gem. 8k 30p @ 300mpbs video with stellar IBIS, especially if the E stab is switched on with a quality that for every test I have seen, just looks better than the S1II. Or 7.2k 30p open gate as I have been shooting most of this year, but pretty sure I am going to 8.1k 30p next year using the 2.39:1 crop markers (ie, the flexibility in post to do anything within a 17:9 output but see and shoot in pano mode). From a stills perspective, I think my old A7RV had a slight edge, but I had my editing of those files absolutely nailed down to my taste and it's taken a little longer to dial in the S1RII and again, probably going to start using the in camera Jpeg 65x24 crop mode whilst retaining the full 3x2 raw file in case I wish to use it. Having 5 custom photo and 5 custom video settings is fantastic as I have settings for 'everything' now. Factor in the hybrid zoom function for stills (can only use it up to 4k in video mode) and the prime lens equivalent, is great for getting a 1.4x crop whilst still retains the full-size raw file, so again, great for composition. I'm still debating over whether I can get away with just the Sigma 28-70 or whether I do need the 28-105 (for ceremonies and speeches and I probably do), if I start shooting in 65x24 mode where you lose so much height in favour of width, longer lenses tend to be too long for the format... I am going to pick up the new 24-60 f2.8 for sure for video as pretty much every test shows that despite it not being an S lens, it's pretty exceptional for it's size, weight and cost. I think Andrew, you'd come around to the S1RII in time, especially as the prices come down. Better than the OG S5 and S9 easily. I love(d) the S9, but just not quite 'pro' enough for my needs and other than as a C cam, I won't use it as a primary camera in 2026, - too many niggles. Mainly too easy to jog a dial and have your settings off when shooting video and if shooting 1/50th at 30p as I am doing in a PAL region, aaaaaaaaargh, LED light flickering and banding!! Better than the S5II other than for long static stuff. Better than the S1II? I think so also as that I see as a more dedicated video camera or at least one with less stills capability and I think the colour is just better with the S1RII being a different sensor. Would I trade it for a Z8? Easily...but only as a sideways move as there are pros and cons to each... S1RII to Z8 for stills? Probably... My other S1RII for a ZR for video? Possibly, but only for that rear screen and the form factor. S5II for the Z6III? For my static work, pretty equal. Cost to change = not worth it, especially as a sideways move which it would be for me. I loved my S1H and I do see my S1RII(s) as a mash up of the S1R and S1H but more capable than either, in a pretty decent body.

When we arrive to this point (comparative HERE in Portuguese, against the best pocket cam till iPhone 17 Pro lands) we set up the whole competition today, late 2025 at least. For some reason there are rumours DJI will launch this 4Q 2025 the new Osmo Pocket 4...

I get it. I'll happily wait for a mark 2 of the 100RF.

What exactly are you getting that you can't get somewhere else? Is it R3D only? See below then... I wouldn't count that as a win or worth the money to upgrade. Currently, the R3D in the ZR is 1500Mbps. You HAVE to shoot RAW to get the most out of the ZR when you compare it to other cameras. One wedding would be 4+ TB of footage. For $500 more Panasonic delivers a camera with 10 stops of latitude (the same as an Alexa LF) a solid 3 stops more than the ZR. But it might overheat. 9 stops without their "DR Boost" which is still better than the ZR. Or you buy and FX6 with electronic ND and make your life 3x times easier. If the ZR shipped with R3D with ELQ compression than it probably would be a decent buy. I'm definitely not sold on it for its current price and feature set. But considering the starting price is so low, and discounts will happen, it might be an interesting camera in 8 months.

Sincerely if anyone would have told me I would get so much quality for about 2500 USD in my country 5 years ago I would have kissed his feet. You talk as if it is some kind of BS camera it is based on. The Z63 did have some issues, with like half a stop less DR than the already very good Sony 24 megapixel sensor in the Z6. It also has some pulsating in the shadows which seemed to have been eliminated. But in the end for me, this could be the best ever reportage/documentary/weddings event/ content creation camera. Not just because it has superb image quality, but it hss 32 bit audio. This is the feature people forget to mention. With this camera, I could fit two of them and some lens in a traditional photo bag and some small travel tripod and do a documentary. Perhaps I would add those small flat lights, a wirreles mic system and you are good to go. Now I can always get a cineback, rig it with an external monitor, wireless video transmitter, Vmount battery and shoot an advert. Their are just endless possibilities with that camera.

Someone posted this video. This is something I wanted to do when I get the camera, because until now Nikon compressed format have been damn solid. He compared the detail in the Nikon Flat profile and the Nlog in h265. And the Flat profile is much more detailed. Either people should test with sharpness a bit higher in camera, or someone at Nikon has made an error in the settings of the Nlog. As the Flat profile is so much more detailed than the Nlog one. At least it seems it could easily be corrected with a firmware update.

I am considering going back to an OG S1H, just think the new cameras have lost that true flagship feeling, and the price isn't low enough to justify the trade-offs. Still no S1H Mark II but other than it being faster, and probably worse in low light with a more oversharpened image, I can't see what it will bring to the table and will probably be four or five and a half grand! The S1R Mark II / S1 Mark II, whilst better than an S5 or S9, are not a good alternative to a Sony a1 or Nikon Z8. And Fuji GFX 100 still has the best look of everything. It makes full frame look like a toy!

X-T50 is the new X-T30 whereas this is a side-step. I reckon the X-T50 is worth the extra to be honest. Or get the original X-T30 which used is around 600 euro.

I’m a big believer in both planning and walking when I choose to walk rather than being pushed. Or fading into irrelevance 😉

Yep, no IBIS. Saw some shots of the new kit lens with OIS + digital stab in camera, looked ike a bit better than past electronic stabilization from Fuji. Neat camera, good move from Fuji. But now the total mess that Fuji is in firmware camp - or you could call it Fuji cripple hammer. This new camera is just a X-M5 with en EVF inside the X-T30 body. But its Film Simulation dial accepts film recipes, as in the X-E5 - but the X-M5, with the same internals, don't. Nor the X-T50. With a simple firmware update, Fuji could bring recipes to the X-M5 and X-T50. And for the X-S20, in the free dial that comes with film simulations as standart (since is not a dedicated dial, is even easier). And with a bit of code (just creating 3 empty "slots" in the Film Simulation menu) thay could bring it to all the 5th generation cameras. But, even with Lumix trouncing then on this regard, and with all the other brands making even easier to make personal color profiles, I doubt it. And with the AF still worse than all others, it is more than clear that the firmware side of Fujifilm is a mess.

Seems like a good strategy. You're established in a market that seems like it should hold for that long. Mmmmm, perhaps, but only in very special cases. Personally, I've yet to make that sort of model work. A bit of a unicorn, that, I think. Or, maybe not. I suppose one could chase the zeitgeist and try to surf what waves are cresting and work the biz side of things. Right now that's probably going to be the 'content-creator' market, which seems like more of a grind than a considered creative film making endeavor. Doing a content channel can still be a productive pursuit, however. Nothing inherently wrong with it. The other thing that goes along with AI is the whole internet 2.0 and the enshittification of it. Andrew here could probably tell a few stories about how that shook out.

It looks like the R3D offers about a 1/2 stop more DR than N-RAW and better color in the latitude tests, as you point out, so it's a tiny step over the Z6III. Interestingly, the Z9/Z8 have the same, or slightly better, DR using N-RAW as the ZR has using R3D. So the 4-year-old Z8/Z9 cameras still produce a comparable, lovely image. Very curious what they'll do with the Z9II/Z8II, as they can easily add R3D, but they need to have their cinema line and photo lines..

Maybe, - I couldn't say as there are a lot who say the opposite and say the market is over-saturated and everyone else is undercutting them. I really don't know and pay almost zero attention to what anyone else is doing and never really have! Perhaps another reason why I keep ticking/plodding along? And on that note, back to editing the 4th to last of the season and then 'just' 3 more to go for this year...

It is, but when exposed 2 stop ETTR. The NR is not fixed, and changes with S/N ratio, apparently.

Wedding seems like of one the safe plays right now. People who want to get married still want actual photo/video.

Ticking along but still here after 25 years comprising approx the first 10 as a photographer and the last 15 as a hybrid shooter in the wedding industry. 5 more years to go and then I will be packing it in out of choice. In the meantime, just have to make sure I keep my head above water and not overly concerned in that regard as neither AI nor the wannabes can do what I do. Yet, as far as AI goes anyway... Seen a lot of changes but no real challenges as such and for whatever reason, I just seem to have been in a place where I can just tick along and by 'tick along', I don't mean cruise, because I am always working at it and on it. Rather I just don't feel the need to follow every trend and possibly because of that, why I have remained pretty constant whilst I have seen so many come and go.

Panasonic is reading the sensor slower in both the normal and DR boost modes, explaining how they can get more DR out of it than Nikon in their implementation. It may or may not be the same sensor. In any case Nikon's compromise is different from Panasonic's and these are both legitimate choices. The ZR was under development before Nikon acquired RED and what RED know-how they added in this camera is likely in the firmware (and post-processing support in the R3D NE format pipeline). In cined's testing the latitude test shows better retention of color across exposure adjustments in post-processing when using the R3D NE than N-RAW and so it would seem that the RED acquisition already paid off for Nikon to become more competitive in the video arena, and this is not just marketing if it benefits users. What Nikon should do now is try to make the h.265 a bit more competitive so that more people who cannot handle the raw data rates can still benefit from the camera. It would be very costly for everyone to shoot everything in R3D NE to get benefits from the camera. I personally am looking forward to seeing some Prores 422 HQ material shot with the camera and see how that fares in comparison with the Z8.

It’s definitely been a tough stretch. Budgets are tighter and clients seem slower to move, even on things that would’ve been quick approvals not long ago. I’m seeing the same pattern where more content is being made but with less real investment behind it. The best move might be putting more time into personal projects that could eventually be licensed or streamed. Even if it only brings in small checks at first, it adds up over time and keeps your creativity active. I still think there’s room for people who know how to make something feel real. The tools are everywhere now, but the connection and emotion still come from experience.

Canon does nothing, or at least none of the above, and own 50% of the market. Just because of this global perception that the red brand is the Toyota of camera industry. Perception is key when it comes to business.

That would almost have certainly have got me a sale in 2025, but as things stand, I still prefer the Q3 43 and if it did not cost so damn much, I’d have one. I’d get a Sony A7CR with the same sensor and a 16-28mm for the less than 10% of the time I need anything wider than approx 35mm and be done for my stills needs. But as much as I love the rangefinderesque format, I have not yet been able to build a system that suits my needs around it since…well since Fuji’s X Pro2 actually. Q3 43 still sits at the pinnacle for me at the end of 2025, but at about double what I am prepared to pay 😏

Yup, but to be fair, Lumix has had a lot of ‘love’ recently from the shill brigade but a lot of them will now (and have already started) flipping over to the ZR. Soon though, Sony will be releasing the A7V and they will then flop back in that direction and will have gone full circle. Beyond that, perhaps DJI will have popped out their rumored MILC and that will become The Next Big Thing? It’s all inevitable.

On one hand, we have a video company (Panasonic) with a very robust video imaging pipeline, managing to squeeze an amazing amount of DR and latitude performance out of sensor that first appeared (lackluster; performance wise) in the Z6III. However, the camera was still heavily criticized for "terrible" rolling shutter performance and seemingly NOT being a SONY camera. Never-mind sony has released several cameras with terrible rolling shutter but people still shat their pants for them. The curse of being Panasonic LUMIX and not Sony Alpha. Nikon's take-2 on the same partially stacked sensor housed in a new body--apparently designed less than 1.5 years after they bought RED (Press X for doubt) for a measly 85 million (RED probably had massive debts that Nikon absorbed). It seems to me they did their best to squeeze enough RED tech for marketing purposes into a camera that was clearly just designed to be a Z6III with a new body, minus EVF, and with a huge giant screen. More like a Version 0.5 of "Z Cinema" than a V1.0, IMHO.

Fujifilm will probably release a GFX 100RF with a 28mm f/2.8 in 3-4 years, with IBIS, and an updated sensor and no one will give a shit about wanting a FF fuji camera. They'll instead be asking Leica why there isn't a MF sensor in their Q, hmmm?

Yeah exactly, for cheap smaller auctions it’s minimal. The secondary downside to the bullshit Tariff scam is that the options for shipping have decreased as well so the lowest priced options are now unavailable and there are just two options. I used to be able to pay $18 - $20 for a 7 day delivery but now that option is unavailable so ECMS is around $25 for the same sized package. One pro tip i can recommend is that they will store your package for 30 days free of charge while you sort it out and then you are able to combine smaller items for savings on postage. You have to be careful with weight and size however because i once combined 5 items and it ended up bumping me into the next tier and it ended up being $100 or more. Still though, cost per item was only $20 so in the end it was not bad. After your item arrives you can select the shipping rate in a drop down menu. As of last month there is now a 15% Tariff charge that’s added and that’s new. Also be sure to search for coupons in that drop down menu because right now there’s a 50% off international shipping so i just saved $30 on that and recovered some fees. I might do a youtube video soon doing a deep dive into it, I’ve been using it for 8 or 9 years now and learned a lot of tricks.