dahlfors

Hey Andrew!
I haven't been active in the forums here for years, just looking in here now and then - mostly because my life has taken many new directions since the phase when I was very much into photography and video.
I've been working from home in isolation for a long time now, it's been 1.5 years ago since I worked in offices. It's a big difference in social life, especially since I've kept my social circle small.
I can't help you in making a decision or finding out a next step. But I thought I'd fill in how I approach times of low motivation, or how I approach it whenever I feel like my life is stuck. Maybe it can inspire, give ideas?
For me, whenever I've felt stuck in life or that there's nothing new in my life, I have often had what I guess could be called an existential crisis. What I have found that I have done to process this, is to evolve myself by trying new things - from learning new computer skills, softwares, and programming languages to running, road biking, kayaking, hiking, winter camping, mountaineering, skiing and rock climbing.
What I have found, is that I enjoy learning new things. I love exploring the wild. I rarely use anything else than phone cameras these days, but through my interests I've found a big interest in GoPro cameras and I recently also picked up a drone - which gives a new dimension when I'm exploring nature. Since I spend my work days in front of computers, I have cut down on the time I spend on computers at home, so the goal I have when I film these days is to do as much as possible when shooting, and as little as possible editing at home.
I feel stuck and bored to death when I sit too long in front of Premiere, Resolve or Lightroom. But, whenever I focus on a hobby like skiing and film that with the Gopro, I try to focus on making a process where I can film myself or friends skiing in one go from top to bottom. I give myself the opportunity to make something with one shot of video, where I don't need to edit, only do some minor adjustments - and that gives me inspiration. The skiing itself is like meditation - but it also gives me an opportunity to make a video, that shows what skiing is all about.
Here's one of my videos. I like that it shows skiing raw just the way it is, and it also makes it an easy process for me to produce videos like this:
 
So whenever life feels uninspiring, or you feel that you're stuck in one way or the other - find new things to try out, make changes to what you do, whether it is small steps or bigger steps. Keep doing what you get inspired of and what you find fun, and take a break from what you don't enjoy.
I love this forum and the discussions going on here, and I think it's impressive what you've built up over the years. But at some point you need to try new things if you feel stuck. I hope this site lives on, and I hope you can find new inspiration and joy in your life. Cheers!

Hey Andrew!
I haven't been active in the forums here for years, just looking in here now and then - mostly because my life has taken many new directions since the phase when I was very much into photography and video.
I've been working from home in isolation for a long time now, it's been 1.5 years ago since I worked in offices. It's a big difference in social life, especially since I've kept my social circle small.
I can't help you in making a decision or finding out a next step. But I thought I'd fill in how I approach times of low motivation, or how I approach it whenever I feel like my life is stuck. Maybe it can inspire, give ideas?
For me, whenever I've felt stuck in life or that there's nothing new in my life, I have often had what I guess could be called an existential crisis. What I have found that I have done to process this, is to evolve myself by trying new things - from learning new computer skills, softwares, and programming languages to running, road biking, kayaking, hiking, winter camping, mountaineering, skiing and rock climbing.
What I have found, is that I enjoy learning new things. I love exploring the wild. I rarely use anything else than phone cameras these days, but through my interests I've found a big interest in GoPro cameras and I recently also picked up a drone - which gives a new dimension when I'm exploring nature. Since I spend my work days in front of computers, I have cut down on the time I spend on computers at home, so the goal I have when I film these days is to do as much as possible when shooting, and as little as possible editing at home.
I feel stuck and bored to death when I sit too long in front of Premiere, Resolve or Lightroom. But, whenever I focus on a hobby like skiing and film that with the Gopro, I try to focus on making a process where I can film myself or friends skiing in one go from top to bottom. I give myself the opportunity to make something with one shot of video, where I don't need to edit, only do some minor adjustments - and that gives me inspiration. The skiing itself is like meditation - but it also gives me an opportunity to make a video, that shows what skiing is all about.
Here's one of my videos. I like that it shows skiing raw just the way it is, and it also makes it an easy process for me to produce videos like this:
 
So whenever life feels uninspiring, or you feel that you're stuck in one way or the other - find new things to try out, make changes to what you do, whether it is small steps or bigger steps. Keep doing what you get inspired of and what you find fun, and take a break from what you don't enjoy.
I love this forum and the discussions going on here, and I think it's impressive what you've built up over the years. But at some point you need to try new things if you feel stuck. I hope this site lives on, and I hope you can find new inspiration and joy in your life. Cheers!

I'm a bit confused about the apparent incredulity of Sony releasing an 8K camera sooner rather than later as well.
We have already had this video on here before but here is an interview from the BBC with a Sony Senior Manager at Photokina where he clearly states that they already have it but will just decide the timing for the customer.
And the little smirk at the end of the interview doesn't exactly hint at this 'correct timing' being several years away.
(Ignore the hero frame, the link will start the video at the start of the interview. BTW If you haven't seen this video before it is worth rewinding it to about 4:06 to watch Canon's European Vice President being somewhat disarmed by the direct questioning of the BBC journalist)
 

finally found some z6 footage. Only looked on my laptop so far. It doesn't have a lot of magic, (in fact the 1080 looked nicer to me than the 4K), but it doesn't have anything that screams terrible.  I always found the d5300 vid looked miles better underexposed a bit. Curious about shadow noise 
 

Dave Etchells has a background in chip science and finally had the very rare opportunity to visit Nikon's sensor design labs. It's long been the perception in the photographic and filmmaking community that Nikon leans heavily on Sony for off-the-shelf sensors and is handed down parts. It's led to opinions like "why would Sony give their best sensor to rival Nikon?" being quite common on camera sites and forums.
The answer, in actual fact, is that Nikon can beat Sony at their own game, with the 46MP full frame sensor in the D850 proof of the pudding. It does better 4K video quality than the A7R III at a higher megapixel count and edges it for stills quality too. Now let's hear about some of the science behind it.
Read the full article

I read this quote in the locked Lexar memory card topic:
"The card was corrupted so badly that computer/rescue software's only recognized it as 7,60gb drive... Even that it is 128gb card. Tried to format it with panasonic, canon and sony cameras, nothing. With computer and all formatting methods, nothing. So totally destroyed card. Just rubbish."
Since noone else mentioned it in the thread, I thought I'd mention it: THIS IS PERFECTLY NORMAL BEHAVIOUR. (Teemus card most likely wasn't broken at all - it just had garbage data in the middle of the partition which cameras and operating systems interpreted as end of partition - or made them hang).
So, Windows has no builtin partition management if you have broken the partitions (or managed to garbage the data by removing the media mid-writing) on any USB flash media or CF/SD cards. I'm not sure if MacOS has the ability either in this case. However, Linux has tools for fixing these issues (and I've had to turn to Linux a few times to fix my media after experimenting with them too much...).
In case you'd have partitioned a CF/SD card with just 8 GB - then all windows will be able to do is to recognize that 8 GB. However, in Linux you can remove that partition and create a new one spanning the full card, 64 GB, 128 GB or however big it is. After remaking these partitions, you'll be able to format the full card in Windows / MacOS or in camera.
Hope this might help some of you in case you break your flash media partitions...

I know Servers, the things that hums along in data centers and never break, right? Well no, they do break and what is considered essential is the ability to repair them and replace parts along with the support to back it up.
Same with cameras, I know a pro sports shooter that had his gear held up for a big game and Canon had reps waiting with gear in hand for him to do his job.
Now I would not expect same level of support for consumer equipment, but iMac Pro to not even be fixable?

Nice topic. This one i did with a modified Isco 36 (now cine Iscorama mkII). I used different taking lenses (voigtlaender 40mm 2.0, Nikon 50mm 1.8, 58mm Helios and i think there was a 80mm Nikkor as well) I used the Gh5 on a Letus gimbal in 4:3 full sensor mode. So the final frame was a 2:1 ratio in 4K. Which gave me a lot of freedom for reframing.
 

So i heard about the D850 when it came out, and was willing to pull the trigger on it and sell my a6500 and D800 to cover it and as soon as i read what Andrew wrote about it, it confirmed what i was expecting. Fast forward 3months and i did my first little job with it and really liked what it came out of it, i am still trying to figure out how to get the footage from the mavic pro to look cleaner and softer without becoming too mooshy so excuse that part, but the colors straight from the camera are awesome and the detail on the 120fps are amazing coming from an a6500 this is night and day
 
 

When i started shooting (stills) all i did was grab the camera walk around the city where i live and try to look for interesting things happening around me and i do remember the feeling i had when i actually captured something nice! And at the time i was using medium format so i only had 12 chances to get something awesome, and i really miss the ritual of going out shooting and then developing those rolls just to find what came out of it, they werent always the best picture one could take but it was my own personal ritual which i think i will go back to.

Talking pure 4K quality alone, the picture seems to have an edge on the D850. Shooting a comparison now, including the GH5S and it's clear. The D850 has less moire and aliasing, more solid and convincing detail, which doesn't have as much false detail on fine patterns. It's a small but significant difference. Codec and colour seem to have an advantage on the D850 as well. I'm surprised. It's like a 'Nikon' 1D C.
I wonder why Sony put all their latest tech into Nikon's 46MP sensor and stuck with the slightly less capable 42MP sensor themselves?
There are other differences though... A7R3 has proper LOG modes not just a flat profile. I've yet to test dynamic range, will do soon.
In low light, I realised I made a mistake in the last test that focussed on the GH5S. The D850 had noise reduction completely off. It really does seem to turn it off and give you a fine noise grain. Need to retest the ISO 12,800 vs A7R3 and see the impact of noise reduction on both cameras, and whether it turns off completely on the Sony (or not) and which has the most capable system of reduction. We all know the A7R3 noise reduction in full frame 4K is pretty much magic. Does the Nikon do a similar job?
If we're talking video features and form factor it's a non-contest... A7R3 cleans up across the board especially with it's superb video AF and stabilisation.

Just last month I went to visit Panasonic UK for a hands-on with the new Panasonic GH5S. My full review is in the pipeline but first an introduction to the new camera on the block...
The GH5S has a newly developed 10.2MP sensor for enhanced low light performance, as well as 240fps 1080p S&Q. Furthermore for the first time since the GH2 this sensor is an over-sized 1.86x crop multi-aspect sensor.
Possible for the first time is 60p at Cinema 4K resolution (4096 x 2160), whereas the GH5 is just Ultra HD 60p. The field-of-view will be slightly wider in Cinema 4K on the GH5S compared to the GH5 due to the larger sensor. The new CMOS also brings colour improvements with a new 14bit readout and less noise.
Read the full article

D850 rocks by any standards. If one can't get good results from, a new camera won't solve the issue.

5 years ago i made a photo of the ISS with my GH3. I made it in photo mode with a old russian 1.000mm catadioptric lens. It was incredibly difficult to find the tiny point in the viewfinder and mantain the hight speed across the sky. I made a few dozens shots and one was sharp. It was pure luck at 1/125s. This is a 100% pixels crop.

I was lucky enough to grab a Proxiscope from Max as soon as it became available...he had previously sent me his prototype to do a test fitting on my DIY close focus modded pre-36 iscorama. Here follows my review after using it for a few weeks...
Full Disclosure:
Although I was graciously approached by max to test out his prototype, I did not take up on the kind offer of a discount in the purchase price of the final housing. This was due to me wanting to give an honest review, as well as back someone who was going to add a great partial rehousing option to those with iscorama 36 lenses. Therefore my review is from the perspective of a regular customer.
I am very happy to report that the Proxiscope housing works flawlessly, not only with MC and pre-36 models- but with lenses that have already been DIY modified (cutting/ shaving stopper and body to allow grub screw stopper to be inserted for new stop etc). This is possible due to the proxiscope locking metal collar that completely bypasses the original plastic section and the front section having an integrated relocated metal stopper. The ingenious design allows the new front to enable the same close-focus ability as the DIY mod, but in a MUCH more elegant and reassuring way. No longer is the fear that the grub screw will work loose and let the rama front go smashing to the ground for example. The integrated focus gear to the design is much better than any third-party gear ring, as those never quite conform properly to the isco's tapered front.
The anodised finish of the Proxiscope is very complimentary to the original isco design as it does not spoil the classic look with obnoxious bulges or with added weight that then restricts it to rail mounting. Focus markings are clear and are denoted in meters, I think feet measurements are also an option. The Proxiscope comes in a nice wooden box, with all the tools needed to install, with easy to follow video instructions to be found on YouTube. Installation takes about 4 mins and can be 100% reversible to original factory condition.
In a world where everyone wants something for free, some may question the price. These people need to take just a second to consider the design time, R&D testing and small-run costs of getting anything of quality made these days. Also the fact that the current cost of a Tokina +0.4 combined with a decent focus gear will run you a comparable amount - without actually giving you the benefit of an 'in-body' solution that the Proxiscope does...Oh, and it's under half the price of the cheapest VD rehousing mod (that you have to wait 90 days+ for!).
So, all in all...a very impressive product that massively improves the practicality of using iscorama 36 lens types for modern film making whilst still maintaining the isco's classic look and light weight. Rehousing is solidly built with clear instructions for installation. Fully compatible with 'factory' iscorama 36 lens types...as well as those with previous DIY close-focus modded lenses.
 
 
(pic below shows slim UV filter attached - not part of Proxiscope)

Meanwhile, in the real world:




(All full frame. Flat profile. Sharpness on zero)

Dinosaur or T-rex?
Read the full blog post

@Lars Steenhoff
Nice video, thanks for sharing. Remember the hateful title of the thread? "...d850 nothing to see here - move along ...". It seems, the GH5 and the a7r ii have to "move along" in some case...
No offense for Pana and Sony fanboys and pathetic mirrorles advocates, just a suffisant remark...
Disclaimer: I use Nikon gear, but emotional investment in a brand is absolutely counterproductive.

I hope so too!
I got a D800 - and it's easily enough for all of my photography needs. A smaller DX body with 4k and 1080p at 120 fps and affordable price - yes please!

I hope so too!
I got a D800 - and it's easily enough for all of my photography needs. A smaller DX body with 4k and 1080p at 120 fps and affordable price - yes please!

Fingers crossed the D5600 successor doesn't have crop for 4K (and has focus peaking in 4K!). As I'm certainly not buying a D850! But a D5x00 series camera is one I can easily afford if I wish.

I guess a slim possibility that the D5600 successor might be so low end they'll keep the crop for 4K with that. 

But I feel 100% confident that all new cameras that are higher end than D5x00 series will no longer have a crop for 4K. :-) 

Good! Means all future Nikons won't have crop for 4K

Good news about finally having focus peaking too! (pity only in 1080.... firmware update??? Please!!)

I recently decided to find out which of the current 1080/120fps capable cameras does it the best.
Read the full article

DxO score can't even represent their own testing. Here is actual DR comparison:

The difference is more than one full stop, but not at base ISO. Something happens at ISO 400 that needs a IP licence Samsung didn't have. 
CMOS is a matured tech, read noise on these new sensors are ridiculously low, so we are limited by noise generated by randomness of light. which we can't do much about that. 

Sounds like you are describing 'Gate Weave'.
That is when a film frame passes through a projector, sprockets outside the image area control the vertical motion of the frames through the projector. Over time, a film can become warped or the sprockets can wear, causing the frame to appear to move side to side. It can also be caused by a worn mechanical movement in the camera not keeping perfect registration with the sprockets on the negative or by the film itself being warped by heat.
A good plugin for exactly this (and other old film effects) for Premiere/AE is Red Giant's Misfire:
http://www.redgiant.com/user-guide/universe/misfire/
or you could try and see if you can customise the parameters in this free camera shake plugin:
http://premierepro.net/editing/deadpool-handheld-camera-presets/
 
Gate Weave is primarily a horizontal motion (like a soft sway left and right) that can have different speeds. You could possibly keyframe your clips to have this motion with a Bézier curve to mimic the effect with the inbuilt motion control tab within Premiere. 
The most 'scientifically accurate' way to achieve the effect would be to shoot on film with a worn movement in a camera that does not have double-claw pull down...or you could purposely introduce movement during the telecine scan.