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Here's a preview, very early days yet but the idea is to have a wiki page for every camera that draws together all the trusted resources for that model onto one single page with a clean design, no spam, no tracking malware banners, and no clickbait. Within each page: A ranking system In-depth detailed info and specs at a glance. LUTs and downloads, such as links to firmware updates, colour profiles, etc. A box with only "trusted" high quality YouTube reviews sourced per camera. Links to the top 5 best quality written reviews, manually sourced by me per camera. That will replace DPReview and Google search results for camera models, both enshitified to the point of unusable now, with so much AI and clickbait.

I agree. I had an EOS-M when it was first hacked, sold it, and then broke my own rule and bought it again when Crop Mood hit. Now I have two of them: one built up, and one bare bones. And the developers are improving it all the time -- especially lately. Have you checked out Amit's new builds? They are based on Bilal/Danne's last release so they are seemingly just as stable, if not a little more-so. But the new UI is great, and he seems to be unlocking a new feature every day!

Canon EOS-M with Magic Lantern in 1:1 mode. These are the resolutions currently available: 3072 × 1308 2880 × 1226 2560 × 1440 2520 × 1080 2160 × 1620 (doesn't work with a monitor plugged in) 1920 × 1280 Yes, there's a major crop. And yes, it is possible to overload the buffer with the 3K and 2.8K modes when shooting 12-bit. And rolling shutter is pretty terrible. But it's a digital 16mm camera with 1:1 readout that shoots raw. Practically no moire or aliasing. And a beautiful image (one of my favorites right now, bar none). Plus, one developer has been making major updates to the UI and simplifying the menus in the past 2-3 weeks. It's like a whole new camera.

As a person who is waiting for used ZR prices to drop a bit more before picking one up, this all sounds good to me. 😅

The ZR is a smaller and lighter body and thermal management could be the issue. The Z8 and especially Z9 have a lot of mass that includes heat sinks that help keep components cool. None of them have cooling fans. The Zf (the one with the dials) is another smaller and lighter body (compared to Z8; it is not nearly light as the ZR) and it's actually quite easy to get it to get hot in stills shooting. Nikon made a choice to keep the ZR design quite thin without a built-in fan, and to make long recording times available, they seem to have compromised on the shadow noise reduction algorithm to reduce processor load, the result is a h.265 codec which in log mode is soft. They have indicated that they are working on a firmware update with a higher quality h.265 in mind.

N-RAW Normal at 25 fps should be below 1000 Mbps. If I calculated correctly, N-RAW High Quality (which is similar to R3D NE) has a compression ratio of approximately 1:4 compared to uncompressed raw video (which is not available on the ZR, for obvious reasons). N-RAW Normal is about 1:8. RED's own codecs (not TicoRAW) in the (not Nikon) RED cameras range from 1:2 to 1:22 depending on settings. I suspect Nikon didn't implement the lower quality TicoRAW in the R3D NE codec (although both Normal and High Quality are available in N-RAW) because of the additional quality loss, and as a matter of protecting the quality expectations associated with the RED brand. They could be simply trying to impress. The ZR body is quite lightweight and slim, and adding more heat sink materials, a fan etc. to enable better quality compressed codecs would have made it larger and heavier, as would adding more hinges and mechanics to make the back LCD screen more flexible in the angles that are offered. I can imagine a bunch of things that could be wanted, such as full size HDMI, SDI, XLR, etc. connectors. THe ZR is probably as small and light as Nikon could make while enabling long recording times and R3D NE recording. Rather than focus on the data rates, I am puzzled at the lack of fully featured software support for the raw video formats. Some formats (R3D NE) reportedly offer a good visual match between what you see on the camera LCD with LUT applied but if you want to apply distortion corrections, a separate transcoding utility need to be applied to convert the footage to Prores. With N-RAW you can get lens profiles applied in Davinci Resolve, but the color doesn't apparently look like how it was on the camera display (?). If you use Premiere, N-RAW is shown with RED's Log profile, which then is different from what you see on camera in the view assist mode. People complain that you cannot cut the R3D NE and remove parts and rewrite the edited footage in the R3D NE format, instead it has to be transcoded into something else before the trimmed footage can be stored (if it is stored in R3D NE format the file does not get smaller). With N-RAW you can cut parts out and store it in N-RAW, so why is this different for R3D NE? Or did I get I could have gotten some parts wrong but to me it seems the software support is as much missing as the camera firmware, and the raw video is sort of an experimental feature at this point. Some comment and seem to think that to get the maximum quality is essential but then complain that the resulting files are too large, even though they are compressed at 25% of original data size, and further compression visibly reduces the image fidelity. I think for video there has to be a realization that you cannot get still-camera like detail and expect small file sizes. A compromise needs to be made. I like using Prores 422 HQ 4K on the Z8 as it allows the distortion profiles to be applied based on lens type and still looks fantastic to my eye, while avoiding the 8K. I can immediately tell the h.265 (which in Nikon's case is always 4:2:0) does not have as rich color on textured, colorful clothes as the 422 codec. Absurd in-camera file sizes, almost as big as 6K RAW? Yes, but it just looks gorgeous and is easy to edit. I delete the original files once I'm done with editing. I can't imagine shooting 8K RAW but with a 6K camera the RAW option is a possibility, once storage costs go down. At the moment the cost of a fast external SSD I got 3 years ago is three times as high as it was in 2023! Hard drives seem less affected and are a possibility for long-term storage, but for editing the SSDs are better. About your lens preferences, the 50-150/2.0 is 4599€ here, quite pricey! Although a set of f/2.0 primes would also be expensive, and together would be heavier, I still would choose the primes for their smaller size in hand, or use the 70-200/2.8 as a classic choice which is available on all major mounts. But I can see that a portrait and event-oriented photographer might prefer the f/2.0 zooms over primes or the f/2.8. I don't think the f/2.0 zooms will become mainstream though, as the f/2.8 are very high quality, lower priced, and have greater range.

I’ve come close to pushing the ZR button a few times now and there are really only 3 things that have prevented me doing so… 1. The file sizes of that Red Raw codec. Apparently N raw is the next best option and there are of course some ‘workarounds’, but until there is a compressed version that maxes out at no more than 1000 mbps, it’s just too much and one of the principal draws of this camera is the Red codec. 2. I’m not unhappy with L Mount. In fact the opposite except for one factor and that is the absence IMO of equivalent lenses to Sony’s: 28-70 f2, 50-150 f2 and Tamron’s 35-100 f2.8. It’s ‘almost’ worth switching just for these lenses alone, but that last word, ‘alone’, but alone is not enough and lenses aside, everything else that L Mount, specifically Lumix offers, beats that of Nikon & Sony. 3. I still have hope that from within the L Mount Alliance, over the coming Winter and next Spring, either (or even both) a rangefinderesque camera will appear from either Lumix or Sigma and at least one rival for one of the lenses above, will appear. Unlikely to be a Leica, but next gen FP a possibility and even more likely, an S9ii? 4. Bonus reason, - switching not only costs money, but there is always a settling in period with any new system that frustrates. So my set up now just works, I have it and I like it and as above, my only real crit is with regard to certain lenses, but the ZR body style just appeals to me and I would like that rear LCD, but ideally as a fully articulated unit which is a bit of a missed opportunity IMO.

That’s so awesome. Amazing to see how far ML has pushed the life of these cameras.

The dev who is working on it said that it would be easy to port to the 5D3, but he doesn't have one to work with. From my limited experimentation, it seems to be on par with Crop Mood, which was never as solid as the 5D3 (I still have mine). You can still overload the buffer and have the camera stop recording by pointing it at a very bright light in the higher resolution modes. Turning off global draw seems to help avoid this. The other thing I've noticed is that sometimes the preview goes dark after finishing a recording or powering on. The histogram is still in motion, but there's no image on the screen. Power cycling brings it back. It's probably still much easier to use than a real 16mm camera -- that's how I'm looking at it.

I’m actually seriously considering going over to Sony for stills at least, purely due to the lenses and the FX2 is a contender, but the A7RV more likely. It’s lenses. L Mount still does not have viable contender for: 28-70 f2 50-150 f2 70-180 f2.8 OK, there is the Sigma 28-45 f1.8 and the 28-105 f2.8 but the pairing of Sony’s 28-70 for mainly indoor work and their 50-150 for outdoor, would be a dream single body set up for me. Most likely Megadapted on a Z8 body… But then again, all L Mount need to do to retain me is produce at least a longer focal range sibling to the 28-45 f1.8 and I’ll be a happy boy.

I have one URSA Cine 12K just waiting for... ;- )

Pentax Q and Nikon J1 are worth a look for 1080p and absolute smol size with fast aperture primes

I ordered one, should be here by tonight.

At this point, I am pretty sure that I'll still be asking for it next January - and the January after that. 😉 It makes some sense that BMD would bring all of those upgrades to two of their most popular cameras first - now let's just hope that they don't leave the higher-end stuff out. Judging by their last set of announcements, there is some hope for new features coming to the Ursa LF, given that they're focused so heavily on pushing it into the broadcast market, but I could also see them pulling most of the people working on camera firmware and shoving them over into the firmware that runs on their boxes that are designed to fit in a server rack (the main focus of their recent announcements).

Sure : ) That's actually how this thread started back in January, and I updated it again in March with the 9.9.2 firmware update : ) So yes, PDAF itself isn't the new part here. What I meant by "quite an update" was 10.2.2 as a whole (and AF finally graduating from beta), especially "10-minute pre-record" and all on the "Same hardware" (which is why those were the two bits I put in bold), that's the news! No need for a new camera ; ) alongside 4-channel audio, Cloud Streaming and the rest. And yes, you were already asking for the URSA Cine 12K LF back in January... let's see if that one comes next ; - )

Mission 1 and Mission 1 Pro are now $100 off everywhere. It's still on the pricey side for an action camera, but my Insta360 One R/RS's are getting older/a little beat up and the batteries seem to be showing signs of age too. I'm not sure how this person did such a deep dive on the imaging pipeline, but it was an interesting read. https://gethypoxic.com/blogs/technical/gopro-mission-1-gp3-image-pipeline Info on the sensor: https://www.sony-semicon.com/files/62/flyer_industry/IMX06A-AJ1R-J_Flyer.pdf (Also saw that Sony now has a 247 megapixel MF sensor while digging that up, that's a lot of dots)

I'd be interested in testing it. I currently have a Nubia Z60U which is capable of capturing 4k 60P RAW without any dropped frames using Motioncam. So, yes, this phone is a power horse!

Hi everyone, I’m wondering if anyone here has tried to build a small digital RAW camera specifically around Normal 8mm / Regular 8mm cine lenses, especially D-mount zooms like the SOM Berthiot Pan-Cinor 8–40mm. The idea is not to make another action camera or phone rig, but something closer to a tiny indie digital 8mm camera: small sensor matched to the Normal 8mm image circle D-mount flange distance RAW10 / RAW12 capture global shutter if possible simple HDMI preview recording to SSD film-like color pipeline: linear matrix, log curve, gentle highlight roll-off maybe later: piezo micro-shift or a controlled “organic” sensor/optical movement to reduce the fixed digital feel I have been looking at sensors/modules such as Sony IMX900 and AR0234. The IMX900 seems more realistic as a ready Raspberry Pi 5 camera kit, but the AR0234 is very attractive because it is cheap, global shutter, 1920×1200, RAW10, and available in color and monochrome versions. The problem is the usual one: MIPI carrier board, Raspberry Pi compatibility, V4L2/libcamera driver, power rails, initialization registers, etc. The goal would be around 1080p or 2K rather than fake “4K”, because these old Normal 8mm lenses have their own character and don’t need a huge modern sensor. I’m more interested in a compact RAW camera with a real vintage 8mm optical look than in maximum resolution. Has anyone here tried something similar? I would be especially interested in: D-mount digital camera experiments Normal 8mm lens coverage on modern sensors Raspberry Pi / Jetson / RK3588 MIPI RAW capture AR0234 or IMX900 RAW workflows custom small camera bodies monochrome sensor + RGB filter experiments piezo sensor shift / film gate weave simulation I’m currently trying to understand whether it makes more sense to use a ready IMX900 Raspberry Pi kit, or to go deeper with a cheaper AR0234 OEM module and somehow solve the carrier board / driver problem. Any experience, links, warnings, or crazy ideas welcome.

I think the closest thing to what you're looking for is the cinepi project. That or there was at least some project recently where somebody removed the glass from a smartphone and juryrigged a lens mount to it. That'd be another place to start.

Hi, you are not being rude at all 🙂 happy to have a convo as we all use our gear differently. Unfortunately where I failed was assuming the H265 was normal, at the time of purchase it seemed like a perfect camera for most projects where for higher end stuff you could shoot red code and for more lower-end project (talking heads/ social content) you could shoot H265. The 2 surprises once we started shooting with it was just how massive the red code is compared to other red cameras (we also have other reds with other DOPs on projects) and how unusable the H265 is So camera was sold and we're back to using Lumix's / Sony FX for lower end projects and Pyxis 12/Komodo for higher end projects. This is just my use case in my little world..... I know we all have different wants and needs 🙂

I have very simple needs and if I was forced, I could shoot ML Raw in 1080p on my 5Diii for the foreseeable future. I posted a video here a while ago from some Nordic guy that mixed 5Diii/ML Raw with Osmo Raw drone footage and I was blown away by the Osmo Raw. At the time, the camera by itself was too rich for my blood, but I couldn't deny the image. On the complete opposite scale, I recently used my friend's Pocket 3 and I must say that it reminded me of my camcorder days, where you just collect footage in as interesting ways as possible to tell the most important thing... the story. That said, I would be an instant buyer of a $2000 raw video version of the Osmo Pocket camera... preferably with a larger sensor, but I would be okay with the 1" too if need be. I can only imagine how much fun the pro version is... even with its headaches?

Honestly, I am a little confused. Why buy the ZR if you want an h.265 codec camera? The ZR will probably be my next camera purchase but I am buying it for the RedCode Raw/n-raw and 32bit float audio. I wish there were better 4K raw options but that doesn't exist so I'm going to deal with it, I won't buy it and then say... Nikon needs to fix the lack of 4K raw options in the camera that I already knew didn't have good 4K raw options. If I decide to shoot 4K for "lesser" projects, I'll just use the ProResHQ with n-log or even Nikon Flat for certain things. I don't mean to be rude, but there are so many cameras on the market that shoot great full frame h.265. Raw video isn't for everybody, nor should it be.

Nikon are in trouble. Camera sales down 22%. RED suffering in the filmmaking downturn. Patent has lost the biased ref. 1-0 down and could be 5-0 by full time.

Ouch! I thought H.265 was fixed in the last update... I was wrong.

I quite liked it, but do know that if you're trying to capture anything with sound, the fan noise on the raw is really obnoxious. The image was pretty nice, though!

Exactly. What you call availablism is central here. But with Wong Kar-wai it never feels merely opportunistic. The available does not remain simply available. It becomes emotional architecture. Pre-handover Hong Kong gave him the lights, the colours, the cramped spaces, the corridors, the streets, the reflections and the limitations. But the art is in turning those given elements into mood, memory and desire. That is the difference between just using a location and allowing the location to become part of the film’s inner life. In that sense, the uncontrolled city is not only a background. It becomes a collaborator. Wong Kar-wai does not simply take what is there. He finds what is hidden inside what is there.

Amazing spec really. Looks like it could be my forever camera….