Oliver Daniel

Hi Ed, nice to see all the detail in the shadows. Although now I'd add a bit more punch! And a CGI teaspoon flying through each shot I'm steering towards upgrading from my GH3 this year (I don't buy every camera ever like some people) and I've always favoured the A7S for being the most appropriate tool for my favoured image (cinematic, decent dynamic range, adaptable lenses) but I have to admit, I've been curious how the NX1 could be utilised in my camera bag. From your experience so far, how would you define the NX1 as a tool, if used for cinematic purposes?

Hello douglaurent, regardless of whether you are right or not in saying the 1DC is "better" than the A7S, the argument is boring and frankly a waste of time. Both can capture lovely images. Leave it as that. I'm more interested in how the Shogun would benefit my work on a creative level, and if those benefits are enough to influence my next camera purchase. I change bodies every 2 years so it's time to choose. ?

This year, I am going to evolve my skills and creativity to secure bigger and better clients. The videos will be smarter, broader and much more technically efficient - taking my sometimes unavoidable OTT style into a more universal, cinematic territory. Other than that, I'm going to focus on personal promotion - as well as pushing the company I've created in other directions.

Biggest part of the year for me is not getting sidetracked by the latest technology, and just shooting most of my stuff with what I've got - a GH3 and loads of FD & M42 lenses (and an SLR Magic). Not a single complaint by any client. ideas made this successful, plus hard work and preparation. Next year will see a few major upgrades technologically, but again, strong ideas and creativity is the No.1 focus. Always.

Just downloaded Andrew's video (having watched it previously on Vimeo) and watched full screen on my iMac..... Bloody hell. The detail on this thing is insane, and very very clean. Also noticed much better detail in the shadows when watching the download as opposed to the Vimeo link - it's a shame about what the compression does. Think the image being so clean and punchy would take quite a bit of TLC to make it "cinematic". Still very impressive stuff.

​That's a big shame really, as I don't have any need for 6k IMAX, 14,444 ProRes and 400,000 FPS. Lame update. When it says "Nice Shot", does it ever say "Really Shit Shot"? I was hoping for a built-in lighting setup on the sensor, where I could touch and drag up to 5 different lights and boost/decrease the ISO in my chosen areas. There would be no need for proper lighting anymore, or dynamic range. I wish everything was artificial.

I am yet to see any footage of the camera where the blacks haven't been very crushed in post or in camera, it's difficult to see what the DR is like. Ed's footage is the best I've seen for my taste, although still very very contrasty (which is totally fine btw). I want to rent one to try out all this myself but no one is!!

A great idea shot on an iPhone will be a far better viewing experience than a mediocre idea shot on an Arri Alexa. Ideas, ideas, ideas.... if I don't have an interesting idea, I don't shoot. These ideas come from everywhere - music, film, locations, experiences, personalities.... all moulded into one. These influences come WAY WAY before any camera gear choices. It makes for much more compelling and entertaining content in the long run.

Hi Ed! This is exactly the kind if footage I've been waiting to see! So thank you for sharing. The majority of the stuff shot with this camera on the web is very poor, so I'm glad to see something much better! When the shot of the ladies face, it jumped out at me. Those skintones are incredible. There's something very beautiful about the colour. Having been used to a GH3 for two years, it pales on comparison. I've been very curious about this camera and my interest has peaked. In my company we are currently discussing our next purchases and the NX1, A7S and Shogun are on the list. Let me be cheeky and ask you to share more!

Thanks for the positive comments Maxotics. I made many suggestions on the day for comic effect, such as the girls pulling their faces and going cross eyed - the Director certainly has a zest for flesh! In the edit I did my best to offset the "porno" look even more by the repetitive edits and over-the-top effects. Also thanks for recommending me to other readers. I'm more of an ideas man with a love of the latest technology, so it all works hand in hand. Got LOADS to learn, and sites like this help me understand nitty gritty aspects I previously would fall asleep listening to. Here is one teaser image of the shooting location and setup on the FS7 shoot...

I keep brushing aside my curiosity of this camera, yet it always comes back. Would love to see some ungraded images captured with some low contrast lenses. Best feature of the camera is the colour. Would love to see some 120fps!

Yes I did work on that video above. I was both the DOP and Editor for this piece - I went for a very comical, cartoony look with grunge and cheap effects to balance the tone. I shot on the FS700 with just a Canon 24-70L 2.8. Did the job! You are right - the shoot was hysterical in many ways. I never had a straight face. It's always like that on our sets, always really fun and humoured - none of this military shouty stuff. The FS7 is completely different to the FS700. The FS7 is a very serious tool, built to last for years. I'll miss the FS700 but times are changin'. ;)

Thanks Maxotics, there should be some behind the scenes stuff on the company Instagram account - we had a DJI Phantom too coming through the roof! That was the best shot of the day. I'm used to DSLR size cameras having also operated everything from a RED to BM Pocket, and the FS7 has a great balance for features and quality. It's just the firmware performance - simply unforgivable for a camera this price. It should just "work." This is Sony! It does make the FS700 a wimp in comparison. I've shot so much on that camera yet I've always disliked the image. It's horrendous. It does that slo-mo though that the music vids crave.... The video is out Jan 29th. :)

Don't be expecting an Andrew Reid review here! These are my quick thoughts.... An FS7 landed on my desk yesterday for a music video shoot. The camera is built like a rock and the grip is very comfortable. Shoulder mounting was pretty nifty. I had a brief go of shooting things round the office - yep, got it! We set up the band performance scene in a derelict swimming baths inside a lunatic asylum estate. The roof had fallen in, so plenty of light. 2 inches of water was on the surface and it was slippy. Ideal day for a new camera! ;) I started shooting with Canon FD L Series lenses, the mount I had was shit as it didn't click into place on the mount but it stayed on solid. No gulpy moments! I came into an issue straight away. When I turned the camera on, it would just freeze when loading the image. It was set to 4k 50fps, so to unfreeze I had to set it back to 25fps then back to 50fps. This started to become a major issue as every time the camera was switched off I would have to do this over and over again. Needs a fix fast!!! Another issue was the responsiveness of the buttons. It felt like the buttons didn't work properly combined with slow software. This was tedious because the menus are ridiculously complicated. To change from 4k to 1080p 180fps feels like a lifetime!! They definitely need to work on this!!! I filmed in Slog3, dynamic range is superb. You can also view footage with a LUT. I did in 709. Images looked great on the monitor, very clear and sharp. Peaking is very good too. I held the camera for around 25 angles of a 3:30min song. All handheld for a frantic feel. My right arm was dead by the end of the shoot, and my back was punished. Expected really. Shooting felt right though. ;) To get the most out of this camera, you need a lot of hard drive space. A 64gb card lasts 15 minutes at 4k 50fps. I filled 6 cards and dumped them throughout the day. As an owner, you will definitely need to factor in hard drives into the cost. You will need many. I really loved this little feature with a light meter on the display to tell you if parts of the image were too high in exposure or too low. The function of a histogram but different. Quite nifty. The footage looks great, very impressive. Very low noise. Clear and sharp. Dynamic range is fabulous. I can't release any images or footage due to confidentiality yet, but very pleased with the results. Will share on release. My overall thoughts on first use is that the camera is a great piece of kit, but let down by some shoddy firmware which ruins the user experience. Sony really need to update it fast. This is a serious production camera and it covers so many bases. You can shoot in lower bit rates at 1080 if you wish, but to use the best features - you need a crapload of hard drives. Once Sony sort out the firmware, this will be an excellent camera!

I actually have on my desk right now - the FS7. I've not even turned it on yet but this thing is incredible. It's built like a rock and the grip is the best thing about it. Shooting a music video with a RAAAR RAAAR band on FS7 + a GH4 on a drone in a mental asylum with no roof tomorrow. What was Shane on about again? :P

I couldn't agree more with what Ebrahim was saying about clients being visually illiterate.. Most my clients prefer the images I've shot with the GH3 than the RED Epic. Some of the work experience guys can't tell the difference. Also, I've lost count the amount of times I've gone round to someone's house only to see they have True Motion or Smooth Motion switched on. Recently one friend was watching The Walking Dead with True Motion on - it looked hideous, cheap and like a substandard soap opera shot interlaced on an old home movie camera. I switched it off, and BANG - it looked superb, cinematic, edgy ang gripping. All he said was "it looks blurry now." Don't you find this interesting? Only thing I don't agree with Ebrahim on is to "use IS lenses. Period." IS lenses are expensive, electronic and clinical. Sure that's great if that's what you want - but when you can pick up a Helios 44 for literally nothing, the non-IS options have much more variation. Just make sure you have a steady shoulder, tripod or stabiliser :)

Effective planning goes miles when making any video content. Sure you can pick up whatever camera and shoot something, but if you are looking to make a statement - pre-planning is key to making sure you have done your research and covered all bases. On many very low budget productions, I admit I do "wing it" for lack of time. This is fine as the budget covers this approach. The bigger projects are a different kettle of fish, planning is key to success! Always remember that you don't ever get hired because of your brand spanking new flashy camera, you get hired on your ideas, creativity, skill and personality. Your equipment choice is a part of that personality and creativity. Get it wrong and your project suffers. Good luck!

Canon will come again. Then Sony will. Then Blackmagic will. Then Nikon. Then GoPro. Then Nikon. Then RED. Then... well, it goes on forever. Spend more time on your ideas than arguing over camera brands. Who cares really? Go out there and use the most appropriate camera you have access to. :)

Because they have the Cinema EOS line. They position themselves in a different league. Arri has no sub $5000 camera, neither does RED. Neither does, errrr.... well, that's it. Canon likely want seasoned, well paid professionals to use their professional cameras - and price them accordingly, so the "Vimeo Test" crowd doesn't make their cameras look bad. (Ok, that last part is a joke). They will move eventually, everyone needs to get over it. Use something else under $5000. Plenty of options. 10 years ago I had a Nokia now I have an iPhone. Maybe in 10 years all filmmakers will be shooting on Samsung and Canon will be making digital fish for virtual fishtank printers with a cupholder. Life goes on. :)

I don't know what the point of this brand war is on this topic. If you want to spend money on a 1DC, go ahead. If you want to spend money on an A7S, go ahead. Buy whatever you want. Like whatever image you want. But don't bash each other in a war... it's just boring. I have my own preference for gear, and I'll give constructive advice to anyone. I might buy an A7S, because it has features I would benefit from creatively. "But what about the 1DC, it's great in low light!!??" Personally I don't have the cash for a 1DC, and besides, I couldn't justify the purchase if I did. The A7S would be fine, and I'd have much more money left for LENSES. My point being... instead of arguing, shouldn't those doing it speak more constructively about their choices and show examples of their work where the features of the "brand" has influenced the piece?

But the C100 Mk II is not 4k. The Sony FS7 is. Problem solved, if you dare. ;)

I shot a music video on a 1DC and the GH3. 50/50 footage between both cameras. The client loved it. The video was play listed on TV. No questions asked. I preferred the image on the 1DC. But had more fun with the GH3. Who cares... The video had semi-naked ladies in it! My point is, this fighting over brands is a complete waste of time. Knowledge of brands is not a waste of time. Spend more time with your favoured brand and carry on making stuff.

You must have very low confidence in your own ability to come out with this stuff. My clients don't come to me because of my secret tools. They come to me because I put much emphasis into the ideas and for my very stylised, visual style. They come to me for MY vision and how I apply that vision. My tool selection is just an ingredient of that vision. People who work with me share information, talk to each other, borrow stuff, debate, exchange skills, ask for advice - because we are collaborators who have strengths and weaknesses, and we help each other to make better stuff. This is simple, basic networking - you never know who you will need in future! I have no issues writing a blog post telling the whole wide world of amateurs and professionals about my entire music video production structure - from style to logistics. I'll be happy sharing because they will never have the same vision as me, and most importantly they may have something to share too which I can learn from and apply. The secret sauce is your very self. Your ideas, your style, your personality, your skill, your results - it is this that clients buy. Have confidence in this and what everyone else is doing doesn't matter. If nobody shared, nobody cared ;)

Wow, this topic is on fire! I still shoot most of my stuff on my GH3. I get paid for it. Nobody complains. So the fact Canon have been reserved in their product features doesn't bother me in the slightest. It doesn't affect me at all. Yesterday I shot on the FS700. The fact any Canon camera can't do what this camera can do didn't change anything. I got my shots. Client was very happy. I think everyone needs to chill out. The options available now are ridiculous. Who cares what brand you use? Pick your camera, shoot and delight. :)

Still can't make any judgement at all from the very few clips online. The one above used the cheap kit lens which is probably why the image is overly sharp and brittle. A few of the grades showed promising colour. I'd love to see a current owner try a more cinematic piece with better glass, actual people and decent lighting. I'd do it myself but I can't rent this camera anywhere at the moment. I see glimpses of promise in some of the clips but because all the clips are so quick and rushed, all opinions right now are a pinch of salt, thankful for the contributions though. :)