Oliver Daniel

I need a small monitor for my gimbal, been shooting on it almost blind for a while! Liked the SmallHD, didn't like the price. This looks much better - sold. 4k one next year then. I can also see someone coming up with an inventive way to rig it up with the Micro Camera - not that weird way demonstrated in the marketing photo with a magic arm.

I much, much prefer interchangable lenses for max creativity but I do think this camera seems to be absolutely superb if you are documentary/corporate/news - it's got all the bells and whistles, plus you can work faster with a fixed lens. It's a great camera. I think the missing trick here is that they should of provided 2 models, one with an MFT mount and the other fixed. I wouldn't buy the fixed one but I think lots of people who do that kind of work will.

Just had a another look online of Kine Camera footage and I have to say it's a sleeping giant of a camera image, certainly the best out there if we brought price into it. I only believe that if I buy a certain camera, that it will have the creative toolset to fuel better pictures and give more visual credit to the ideas, and I would attract more clients, and higher budgets. (Given that the content is also improving too!) Every camera needs skills to sing. What kind of effect do you think shooting on a camera like the KineMax will have on you creativily and in final quality output? No camera fits everyone. Thinking about how it fits is interesting.

I've always liked Kinefinity because the images from the camera have that much needed soul and tangibility. The BMCC has some of it, the Alexa has a lot of it, the D16 has a ton of it. Th emotional touch is worth so much! I'll be keeping an eye on this thing and future products. With the news that the Blackmagic Water Tank Microwave 10" iPad URSA Bomb Disposal Camera has 150fps coming up, I hope this also means that the original BMCC will be replaced and that competition for products with soul gets very fierce!!

I don't usually judge cameras before using them but considering the competition, this camera seems like the flop of the decade. Who do Canon go to for design feedback? Design should be influenced by demand, or spontaneous innovation. Don't see it here.

​ The only slight bit of trouble I've had with the FS7 is getting the "mojo" right. It creates absolutely great images - no question. But it is missing that extra bit of life, the feel and cadence isn't that magical.... how do you describe it? I'll definitely rent this C300 II though... it's been a long time since I shot anything substantial on a Canon.

The FS7 is half the price and remains the much better option for indie shooters and small production companies. Combined with the A7S, it's a combo that covers all bases. The price range of the C300 II is suited to high-end professionals & rental houses. If it suits the shoot i'd definitely rent it. I would never buy a camera at that price. Lenses and lighting are much better long-term investments. It really is missing that 4k 60p though....... Now it's time for Panasonic to make their move.... (great thing is, lots of options!)

Cool - well the first time I used it I screwed up the exposure and it looked no better than a GH2. Second time - much better. Just fiddled with it and started working nice. Images were fantastic. (That said, the lighting I set up was FAR better too 2nd time). Menus were still a bit grrrrrrr like you say, got used to it now. Doesn't make them any better though! Curious about the C300. High frame rates have put me on constant rental of Sony cams. I'd love to try a Canon with these features. They are simply compulsory for my type of work.

Aaron, I've used the Sony FS7 on many shoots now and I have to say it's got bucket loads more dynamic range than the GH4 (another camera I use on gimbals). There is no comparison, it's not even close Just wondered if you used Slog3, and what your lighting conditions were? If it wasn't Slog and/or the lighting conditions were challenging, the FS7 dynamic range wouldn't be at the best. Canon C300 II... Sounds lovely. Hope it has 3000fps in 4k at least!

Not sure who you're replying to but... I think the best camera to shoot The Simpsons with would be the GH4. Switch on Synchro Scan, put it on a tripod, point at a TV and there you go! 4k Simpsons!! Although skin tones will be a bit off.

I find there can be an advantage on certain shoots to have less red in the skin tones, particularly when the talent looks flushed/has skin issues/looks rashy. You should always use a make-up artist to help of course, yet less red still helps regardless. Another reason some people mention the skin tones/colour is dead on the A7S is because they think they don't need to light the scene, due to the great lowlight function. A complete load of nonsense really. ALL cameras perform best under careful lighting - if you are simply exposing the image with random colours of available light then of course it's going to look very off. Every single person who even thinks of operating any camera needs to know that lighting is key!!! I've been shooting with the FS7 a lot - the images are pretty horrible if you are depending on your f-stops and ISO as your "light source". Blotchy, noisey, soft, awful colour. Stick a few lights around and the image is absolutely outstanding in every codec, mode and resolution. Terrific! The EM-1 doesn't have good internal quality at all, however I think the shot used in Andrew's video is so soft and blotchy because the key light source is far too dim. The camera is struggling. A much brighter light would of made the EM-1 look much, much better. It's cool what Andrew has done here - but I think it would be an unfair camera test as the lighting conditions in the location differ greatly from shot to shot. Also more angles and cuts would of been cool with some B-roll chopped in. Increased lighting for added clarity and style.

1. Innovative Lighting Tools Lighting is the most important technical aspect of filmmaking, yet so, so many people don't bother! INSANE!!! I'd like to see a growth of innovation in affordable, LED based lights with high light output. Smartphone controlled lights. Clamped lights. LIGHTS!!! 2. Modified Lenses Lenses are more interesting when modified, certainly when they can do some extra effects and have cine gears. Give us some character! 3. Ninja Star 4k I don't want a massive screen on my tiny camera thanks! The Shogun really needs a baby brother. 4. Panasonic Video Camera They have a GH4, and then...a Varicam. Surely they have a partner to the GH4 on the horizon? 4k 60p, better DR and 120fps HD are my only requests. and... that's it.

I edit about 2 music videos a week on FCPX and it's absolutely awesome. It syncs all the clips together, then you get a very fluid and intuitive multi-cam to choose the best angles. I've always thought they should rename FCPX "Final Cut Pro Music Video Editor", that program is made for it. It's easily the best tool for the job. The he only downside to the fantastic performance of the auto-sync is that it doesn't like non-native files imported straight from the camera card, like .MTS and .MXF files. It totally fucks up. Better transcoding first and importing the clips after if not shooting ProRes or H264. There is still this bitter image of FCPX in the minds of many people. It's been out for nearly 4 years. It's great now. Time to wake up!!!

RED Weapon, Alexa, F65 etc are not at the top of the food chain. It's the person behind the camera and whatever is in front of it. At the least, that's how I like to think of it.

Why do people on the interwebs write off a camera before they've even seen/used it? The specs of this camera might not seem that good, but no price has not been mentioned or the complete feature list. It might even have a feature where It has this feature that is featured on the camera. Hope so!

I thought I was the big man when I hired the RED Epic. I thought my shoot was going to be amazing. To be honest, it went absolutely fine. The major downside was that because my little crew was so excited about using it, pretty much all the attention went on making sure the camera was working. Very little time was spent on the spontaneous ideas that usually crop up on my shoots. The RED was distracting us. Nothing to do with the camera - just the presence of the device was brainwashing. That said, I think a few of us out there can be a bit lazy. The tools you use should come from the idea you have. For instance, would it be more creative to bring emotion out of a film noir night scene by using hard lights and a smoke machine to create shadows, or does the effort of this setup put people off to the point of just putting the actor under a street lamp and hope for the best with an a7S? Of course this is all subjective, and depends on your style. I think there can be a lazy subconscious in some of us not to go the extra mile, or the tools are so limited you have to REALLY think to make it creative - that would be equally as impressive. I think the nerdy obsession with new cameras etc DOES indeed take you mind off being creative. There's a lot of hype with gear. That's fair enough. Toys are exciting. but I would never be afraid to go the extra mile. In some cases, up-sizing brings more creative possibilities and scope for ideas... but general obsession and hoarding of gear, buying cameras over and over, constantly upgrading your gadgets and so on is more of a mental disorder. The money can be saved to enjoy yourself and take a break, think things over and spend time on understanding yourself, your ideas and the craft to make it happen. Don't be lazy and do whatever it takes, every time. It might mean spending an entire week and designing lighting for a scene so the message/tone is strong, or it might mean picking up your smartphone and REALLY going for it because you are broke but NEED to make this idea as its fresh. The smartphone might not be ideal so you live on instant noodles and water for 2 months to save money and buy a suitable, capable device with a little LED light and your homemade foil reflector. To me, greater creativity is all about "waking up", knowing your ideas inside out and just bloody well going for it no matter what!

Well you said it there Ed, the slow-mo footage is seen on camera tests on Vimeo and YouTube. It's people just trying out a feature and sharing their results. No big deal. I use slow motion on about 95% of my projects. A lot of them are music videos or hyper stylised commercial vids. It's completely necessary and really adds impact to some key moments. That's why any camera I purchase/rent must almost always have a slow motion feature. It really depends on your shooting style. For example, news gathering doesn't really need it. Action? Oh yes!!! Also don't forget that iPhones can do 240fps and the GoPro Hero 4. Mass market slow motion = mass YouTube/Vimeo slow mo tests!

100% agree with this. To be honest, I've known a few people who can't be bothered with lighting. It's way above the camera choice. Onto topic though, this is a thread about camera choice. The first thing I think about when choosing cameras though is lighting. Same with lenses.

You've been shooting on my playground! Shame about the EM-5 II video quality. No one ever talks about the system in the Sony A7 II? Any good?

From what I've seen and know, the a7S is the "better" camera for video. (it depends what you shoot though really). 4k is a lovely feature, but there are more important things to consider. Some people go on about the suspect colour science of the a7S, but personally I find it very versatile due to it's capable organic look and dynamic range. It also makes a great b-cam if you rent something a bit more special. Keep your a7S and upgrade to the a7S II whenever it is released.

So I hear this camera is "soft" and is disappointing in video mode. Just wondering if any of you guys have used Crumplepop's Finisher plugin: http://www.crumplepop.com/finisher-fcpx-plugin/ I've been using it with GH3 and FS700 footage, and I have to say, it absolutely transforms the sharpness and clarity of your shots. The skin tones boost dramatically and the perceived resolution increases massively. (Don't use on a beauty shot though!) The only downside to the plugin is if you may lots of moire and noise, it can make it worse. Try it out!

Wow that's an incredible deal. As well as using the FS7, I've still been renting the FS700 using the internal AVCHD. Still lots of life left in this camera. I don't have £6000 cash but if anyone does - get it!

Hi Aaron, I think you will get approximately one hour per 128gb in XAVC-I.

Hi Ed, great storytelling. Forgot in 5 secs this was the NX1. I've been thinking of making little films about areas I explored in my childhood - so it's inspirational. I re-watched it silently to look at the footage quality - what is this ultra smooth highlight roll off I'm seeing? Cameras this size and price don't look like this!? The only reason I've not bought it is the H265. Please make more films with any camera. Try an iPhone next

I shot on RED twice and made some very average music videos. I switched to my GH3 for the shoots afterwards and I had a lot of fun and the videos were great! In the last 2 weeks, I've shot on the FS7, FS700, GH3, Blackmagic, GoPro and iPhone. My best video was shot on the GH3 because the idea on the GH3 was better than the others, had better lighting and better composition. What a shocking discovery!!