Emanuel

Puh, maybe I am not keen on new tech reviews at the moment, but it was no fun trying to read that test. Their photo sensor tests had been a joy to study, but this one, not for me. Electonics fetichism. Tired of witnessing that.

I am still fancying to do shortfilm with a GH3. I want to find out about my minimum regarding image quality for personal narrative work. It seems promising due to its moderate 50mbit codec and a rather robust image without artefacts. I have a GH4 i bought a few months ago. Should be the same as it has a 50mbit option beside the 100 and 200mbit ones. Just have to stay away from the cine profiles to simulate a GH3 well enough.:) Codec from my G6 back then was ok but not as strong as i wished under more harsh conditions, still pretty good for its time and bandwidth. G7 had my favorite HD image, even lovelier than from the GH5, almost as high resolving but a bit more gentle on textures. By a relevant margin better sensor and pipeline than in the G6, same codec though. I still have it but wanna test a adequate minimum data rate. So a simulated GH3 it will be.😊
Just saying in regard to kyes and Emanuels posts above.:)
 
 

There is 4K 120P RAW on the Z8/9, but cropped.

FIXED! Latest firmware adds 10bit color and choice of Dlog M or HLG for 4K 120P.

No idea if anyone has already found dxomark's evaluation entry on this one, here is:
https://www.dxomark.com/apple-iphone-15-pro-max-camera-test/

On the spot, my friend : ) Reminds me some very recent conversation I had with a customer found online willing to buy both units of a Zenfone 7 Pro I have for sale. The man wanted I could accept some Flip model as trade-in only because it was a newer release and allowed the last Android updates. Struggling to figure out why I don't give a damn. Stuck on phone specs like they could tell me anything sorta my dick is bigger than yours, the year release of the thing, oh God, had the need to be patient... I had to tell him: "Don't piss me off, don't underestimate decades to learn what a device is, part of a whole craft, mine for the record!"

A dream come true of the Italian neorealism... think about it : X
To those who are used : D to complain on crappy YT entries, here's something... (Marty @PannySVHS, this time, starts with my beloved Rome found now right after when arrived to that earlier Lisbon clip of before ; )
 
 

50% video, 50% photo work almost all action related.

Paid, YT + social media + local TV, professional level:
Equestrian, Ice hockey, MTB, Trial bike, Ski & Snowboard alpine/freeride, motorsports GT & Rally.
 
Hobby:
Wildlife, Aviation, Family
 
A cam: R5c
B cam: R5
C cam: Insta360 1 inch, Insta360 RS and Insta360 GO, iPhone
 
My biggest usage for the iPhone is on top of my R5c especially when I’m using long lenses >=300mm to have a wider pov, for equestrian it is my standard setup. Or in places where a normal camera is too cumbersome e.g. some b-roll inside a cramped helicopter.
 
 
Btw I’m pretty sure that all the “YT guess iPhone 15 vs best camera in the market” they start with the best conditions for a phone, then grade what the iPhone can take and then have the more pro camera match it. The inverse would show a different story imo. Again, it is incredible the progress that iPhone had in the last years but still not comparable to a good camera. Imo it sits closer to a Gopro than a mirrorless camera. Super useful feature are the 3 focal lenses, good stabilization, log and you have it always with you.
 
 

I got my iPhone 15 Pro Max (upgrade from 13 Pro Max) and some early observations:
 
Quality is good when in shooting good conditions but breaks quite quickly if you miss exposure, in low light, etc.
Log files can be graded easily and have no over-sharpening, can take some post processing but way less than R5c RAW files, the difference imo is night and day as it should be. The same for details compared to R5c is just worlds apart.
BMD does not allow you to use 2x lens, zooming 2x with the 24mm lens the quality is quite bad (very blotchy, full hd at max). I did not test yet with the apple camera and the 2x “cropped” lens to see if is better.
No Log + Cinematic in either Apple Camera or BMD
H265+Log is a good compromise size vs. Quality and you can record all fps internally.
120mm lens I find it a bit better quality than the 77mm of the 13, and a more useful focal range for what I normally cover.
I have BMD set to save to Files, then I connect a USB-C CFexpress or SSD and move the files in Files, is the quickest and easier method for PC users. Much better that the previous phone that was a nightmare to get the footage out from a PC.
Action button is useful as you can set to start or even start recording in the BMD.
Still need to get use to the BMD UI, with no hw button/wheels changing things rapidly is a bit of a pain for me.
 
Overall, with Log and the 120mm is big update and I will use it even more than my previous phone, especially as B or C cam.
Using it as a main camera is a big stretch and I think I will be mostly disappointed.
 
Frame grab 4k Log 120mm.

So, now that even a phone is a capable camera we'll have to stop obsessing on the specs and learn to make engaging films? 
 
........NAH!!!!

Cined lab test of the iPhone 15 is out...
https://www.cined.com/iphone-15-pro-lab-test-rolling-shutter-dynamic-range-and-exposure-latitude/
Highlights:
Rolling shutter is very low (4.7-5ms for rear cameras and 9.3ms for front-facing camera) DR varies across ISOs due to heavy NR and processing (testing was done in 4K Prores HQ Apple Log) and they had to adapt their testing methodology for a range of reasons DR measurements are in the 11-14stops range, depending on how you measure them, and some assume no NR but this has tonnes of it, so.... In terms of exposure latitude it has 5-6 stops of latitude, depending on ISO.  In general the latitude relates to the DR, so by comparing with cameras that have 12 stops of DR and 8 stops of latitude, that would mean the iPhone has 9-10 stops of DR In the end, it's a smartphone with a tiny little sensor The article is a good read and there's lots of nuance there.

I'm not into conspiracy theories anymore really (for which I blame the chemtrails and 5G masts activating the molecular mind control devices implanted in my brain by Bill Gates through the COVID vaccine) but if I were then I'd consider whether there was any external influence to this.
The Hong Kong of today is very much not the same carefree Hong Kong that is depicted in those videos so, whilst to its viewers these videos act as a time capsule of more innocent times of photography gear "reviews", there will be others viewing it as a time capsule of a far more liberal time that they would rather suppress.
Of course, the videos are also a body of work for one of the presenters who fled Hong Kong for political reasons as he discusses here.
The broader issue highlighted by these videos being removed from YouTube, in common with content on other streaming services, is that if you value a piece of work then get a physical copy of it.
With that, I'm off to download and burn a DVD compilation of Max Yuryev's weightlifting style auto focus tests.

Official NDs filters
https://store.insta360.com/product/ace-pro-nd-filter-set?c=2649&from=accessory

For example motorsports (Cars, Buggy, etc) applications is where you want to disable digital stabilization and add ND filter. Nothing worse than stabilization correcting the car movements and lack of motion blur.

Inferior DR did you see a scientific test that measure the stops, if yes can you please post it as I'm curious.

You seem to be very knowledgeable but your examples that you post are not what I would call "action" so not sure that claiming that this is not an action cam feels right.

In between the avalanche of useless YT review there are some pieces that show the potential of the camera.

From what I could see so far:
Gopro 12
+ 10 bit log
+ MAX LENS MOD (this for POV makes a big difference)
+ integrated mounting
+ a bit lighter
+ replaceable lens
+ 2.7k 240
+ a bit better stabilization

Insta360 Ace Pro
+ overall, it seems a bit better image quality.
+ low light
+ 2x "lossless crop"
+ 8k 24 (wish was at least 25)
+ better software
+ stats from Apple Watch
+ HDR mode seems more usable.

In daylight it seems to me that the RS 1inch is still the best one and is now quite old. 

Quiet appealing thumbi this time and tasty writeup, dear Emanuel. Love it. But will I click it?😂 @Emanuel I still won't click the first one, even though this are the times of fugly thumbnails. Especially because of these times I won't click it.😂
Actially, I find the new Dji compelling to play with. I imagine smaller rentals having them in their lineup. Would be fun to try one out.

Marty, it's a democratic piazza, they choose those thumbnails and we have to deal with the times we live in : ) Here's one from the capital of my country more exactly the neighbourhood where I lived 25 years ago along those years in the first academic year at the film school and it's a bit curious now to the eyes of people used to dream on digital prelude to come by then:
Hope the thumbnail may adjust the taste of everyone but much wider this time... : D

Marty, it's a democratic piazza, they choose those thumbnails and we have to deal with the times we live in : ) Here's one from the capital of my country more exactly the neighbourhood where I lived 25 years ago along those years in the first academic year at the film school and it's a bit curious now to the eyes of people used to dream on digital prelude to come by then:
Hope the thumbnail may adjust the taste of everyone but much wider this time... : D

Here's one co-produced and released a few years ago:

Here's one co-produced and released a few years ago:

Yeah don’t quote me on overheating, I didn’t push the Z8 by any means so yeah that’s a real valid concern. But the fact it has 2 USB-C ports, one for power and one for data is pretty dope, and if using a powerbank extends battery life and circumvents overheating then that’s killing two birds with one stone. 
 
Z9 is of course the better choice when it comes to battery life and overheating plus it’s lighter than Z8+battery grip. It’s definitely a solid alternative for a pro shooter, and for all I know I may go that route. I’m just afraid of the weight. Z8 is already up there but you can rig it up or strip it down. I guess I’ll have to try a Z9 next but I’m close to pulling trigger on Z8.

I cover a lot of ice hockey from U20 to pro league.
The 100-300 2.8 is imo THE hockey lens if you don’t shoot through the holes. Here we don’t have holes in the plexiglass, we shoot through glass and/or plexi or if lucky from in-between the benches.
The range is perfect to cover the full field with a 45mpix camera.
 
I started shooting ice hockey with 1Dx + 70-200 2.8, then added another 1Dx + 200-400 F4 and now 1 body only R5 + 100-300 2.8. I always handhold as in hockey there are so many interruptions that I have no problem handholding for the whole match.
 
Interesting fact is that a R5 + 100-300 is only 400 grams heavier than 1Dx III + 70-200 III. 

Here a couple of Saturday game:


Some more examples of the 100-300












 

Which is not a mirrorless hybrid so not even in the conversation.
The Z9 is a MUCH better platform for those lens selections and the OP’s list of requirements and needs.
Personally speaking, if only considering my own needs and if I was looking at a 2 body set up and only a 2 body set up and Nikon, hands down the Z9.
But as someone who has settled on a 3 body approach (if I do go fully Nikon), based on my needs and lens choices, just a single Z8 can be one of my workhorses as part of a triumvirate (had to look up the spelling of that) of:
Z8 40% of my stills work + 10% of my video needs
Z6iii (assuming one appears before end of March ‘24) 0% stills and 80% video
Zf faux vintage camera, 60% stills plus 10% video
If I did my sums correctly, the above accounts for 100% of my stills work and 100% of my video.
Ballpark figures but more or less correct.

I believe with Delkin BLACK (the best performing card and the coolest temp) the almost got 30min before shutting down. With external power, no issues with any cards. 
If really interested, just rent one and push it and see.

This topic thread has been with us for awhile.  This movie my wife and I helped make has been around for a few years too.  
Still, it's the holidays, and this is a "1930's" Christmas film. So, if you're interested in that sort of thing, take a peek for a half hour:
 

Preposterous!  It would never work!!
 

Since movies are supposed to be a magical representation of our reality, there's always going to be a place for B&W.  The lack of chroma makes it inherently unique and other-worldly.  Because there's not as much visual data as with color, the frame focuses the viewer's attention to other aspects of the image.
If you like cinema, it's really hard not to like what B&W gives you.
I'm biased, I guess, because I've always been a fan of old movies and my dad let me use his darkroom when I was a kid.  Developing cheap B&W film was quick and easy.  Shooting a roll a day with a high-schooler's part-time-work wages was doable -- and a ton of fun.