ajay

I have one on order, but have been telling myself not to expect it until 2019. If I get it earlier, yahoo! I also predicted that this thread would grow to over 100 pages before any sample video would be seen. Now I think it might be 200. It would be nice if someone from BM would give us an update. Give us some real numbers of when we'll see some sample footage and give us a legit timeframe as to when they will start to ship. It's the least they could do for their customer base. Where are you BM?

Thumbs up on the ergonomics of both the GH5 and G9. I've owned a lot of cameras over the years and find them the best of the bunch. (I've had just about all the Canon mid and high end cameras, Panasonic and Olympus M43, and Sony.)

I believe you are asking if it has degree settings instead of using shutter speed settings? No, it does not. It's really intended more towards the photographer not cinematographer. The one thing that was hard getting used to was the ultra-sensitive shutter button for stills. Eventually you get used to it, but I still occasionally bump the dang thing.

Another thought if you decide to go the M43 route...Don't overlook the G9. I find the autofocus and IBIS better than the GH5. Yes, you give up VLOG-L but it has excellent color science and it still has 60p 4k. CineD ain't bad as an alternative to VLOG-L. You also have to like the lens selection with M43 compared to Fuji. With this said, I still struggle whether to hang on to M43 or go completely Sony. (Have the A7III at present.) I'm waiting to see the BlackMagic 4k Pocket as well as the A7SIII. If you can rent the bodies first, you might be better off. Ergonomics and ease-of-use should be taken into consideration too. But...it's hard to stay away from full-frame bodies. The 5D Mark III is still a great camera. Had one a few years ago.

AF with both the G9 and A7III is a mixed bag and it all depends what lenses you use with the cameras. The kicker with bird photography/videography is that any FF body such as the A7 III is going to require heavy glass. There's no way to get around it. It's bulkier, less portable and fatigue can be an issue for long hikes. Full-frame sensors need bigger lenses. I can't tell you how liberating it is coming from FF 600mm lenses to use a M43 lens on the G9. With that said however, I have yet to find the same level of autofocus performance from either the Olympus E-M1 II or Panasonic G9 as compared to the newer Sony cameras such as the A9, A7R III and A7III for photography, especially for BIF (Birds-In-Flight). I am hoping the next gen from Oly and Panny will finally become great for BIF. From a video perspective, focus tracking usually is not the best on any camera system, even Canon's Dual Pixel Autofocus unless the bird is perched or unobstructed by any surrounding features. In most cases, my goto camera is the G9 with the 100-400 lens. It's small and image stabilization is stellar. Great for video work! Plus I shoot 60 fps with it. Although I have not tried the A7 III with their 100-400mm lens, I have read that IS shuts off intermittently in video mode. THAT needs to be fixed and has prevented me from purchasing that lens. (The G9 with the 100-400mm lens is smooth as butter.)

I have the G9 and sold my GH5. I do primarily wildlife photography/videography but occasionally do promotional videos. Things I love about the camera: Although it doesn't have Vlog-L, Cine-D is fine for what I do. I usually record in 60p, 4k. The colors right out of the camera are very Canon-like. Need very little post-tweaking if any. The image stabilization is amazing with this camera. Better than the GH5 IMO. I have a gimbal but rarely use it as the footage is usually stable enough w/o one. The viewfinder does have a bit of pin cushion, but doesn't bother me. I've gotten use to it and don't even notice it. Love the ergonomics of the camera. The grip is perfect. Autofocus in video mode is great. Don't really have any complaints at all. Very close to Canon/Sony. Things I don't like: Limited to 10 min when using 60p, 4k. (If I'm staking out a peregrine nest and just want to leave the camera run, I have to monitor the camera.) Highlight roll-off is the same as the GH5. You really need to be careful not to overexpose. Autofocus in stills mode for BIF (birds-in-flight) is not the best, especially when attempting to focus on birds in the foreground with busy backgrounds. It always locks focus on the background and can't focus on foreground subjects. Since I do a combination of both stills and video, this is a real good fit for me. I also have the A7III but don't like the fact that I still need to schlepp around large, heavy telephoto lenses. The G9 with the 100-400mm for video/stills is liberating!

Doesn't look like there is room for ND filters?

Found this clip on Youtube...Not sure if it's legit, but it certainly appears to have that BlackMagic look about it: Here's another sample...Low Light:

Well...after much deliberation, I decided to pick up the A7III and I am quite pleased with how well it does in harsh lighting conditions. We're just getting over the last freak spring snowstorm here and used the A7III to film harsh sunlight conditions and it did a fantastic job keeping the highlights from being blown out using SLOG2. I wish it had 60p 4k, but I will live with this for now (I do have the BM 4k pocket on order). I also did a test on filming the night sky and it did remarkably well. I'd stay away from the highest 3 ISOs as the NR makes it way too mushy but otherwise it's a great camera for low light situations and it takes great stills as well. A great all-around camera. Anyhow...a big thumbs up for anyone considering the A7III for excellent dynamic range and low-light capability.

I still want to see sample footage. This all sounds great and I would think BlackMagic would stay true to their "look", but nonetheless I'd like to see sample footage before I pop the bottle of champaign. It just seems too good to be true for $1,300.

Since you are there...Can you ask them when sample footage will be available?

I predict we'll go well over 100 pages of diatribe and still not have a link to any sample footage...76 more pages to go...

Yes! Good point!

What I find strange is they announce the camera but no footage to show? Where's the sample footage?

I ordered one but don't expect to see it in my hands until late 2018 or early 2019 know BM's track record.

Salim...Not to speak for Don, but he did state the following in his post. Hopefully he can clarify further.

From the footage that I have seen out of the C200, I agree. The 8-bit files out of that camera appears to have better DR than the Sony A7 series, Canon 1dx2 and 5DIV, and the GH series of cameras. It's only 8-bit yet it has better DR than a 10-bit file out of the GH series of cameras. Edits very nicely from what I have seen. On a similar note, Dave Dugdale's comparison between the A6500 and the GH5 shows that Sony's 8-bit Slog2 performs (in most cases) as well as Panasonic's 10-bit VLOG-L. No banding in the sky and can it doesn't fall apart in post-editing unless you really push it. You have to believe the manufacturers are all manipulating their codecs so that they don't take away from their higher-end cameras. And this leaves me frustrated at the end of the day because until you run a camera through all of its paces, you can't rely on the specs.

Is it? That's not what he states in his video:

Yes, it is damn impressive. Plus, I already have a bunch of M43 lenses and a speedbooster.

I found this video comparing the GH5 and A7III with regards to dynamic range. It appears the A7III has at least 1.5 stops more DR compared to the GH5. From what I've seen the GH5s might have about .5 stops better than the GH5 but still puts the DR behind the A7III by quite a bit. Of course there are other criteria that makes the GH5 line more appealing in other circumstances, but for myself, shooting outdoors, it appears the A7III might be a better choice for what I do:

I'm not sure 10bit vs 8bit is necessarily a factor for DR. It could be, but I think how the manufacturer implements the codec is more important. It does make a difference for color information and how rapidly footage falls apart while editing in post. If you look at the footage from the 8-bit codec from the Canon C200, it has DR that's definitely better than the GH5/s and Sony mirrorless cameras @8 bit, so there are other factors at play. Sony's 8-bit SLOG-2 footage holds together better than Panasonic's 8-bit VLOG-L. I would never use VLOG-L @8-bit, only at 10-bit. Yet SLOG-2 edits quite well with only 8-bits. (SLOG3 is a different story. I'm not sure why Sony even puts SLOG-3 on 8-bit codec cameras.) You really have to try out each camera's codecs to see how well they handle post-editing and DR. DpReview is attempting to test camera's codec performance. The industry really needs a comprehensive test that compares these cameras fairly on a level playing field.

There's a short clip that dpreview did comparing the GH5s vs the A7SII with the GH5s in HLG using Nick Driftwood's LUT. The GH5s does seem to hold the highlights better and shows slightly better DR.

I believe it only outputs at HD and not 4k, plus external recorders make things a pain when outdoors lugging stuff down/up a trail. That's kinda the problem with the FS5. BTW the EVA-1 doesn't natively come with a viewfinder. Most of the time when shooting wildlife, I'm using a viewfinder. I really don't need raw, just a compromise of some sorts with a somewhat greater DR. I've seen a few examples HLG with the A7III that look pretty good.

Regarding the 1DXII. if I expose to save most of the highlights, it crushes the blacks. I have tried both EOSHD and Miller C-Log profiles and although they help, the dynamic range is not that good IMO. I have done tests with the GH5 and found the GH5 to have slightly better DR. From an autofocus tracking ability it is King!

It's a combination. Most of my wildlife footage is a hobby and occasionally gets used in documentaries. I also do promotional stuff and that's indoors most of the time and I don't worry as much about DR for that. I shoot in 4k but most ends up as HD. Yea, I know the C200's goofyness with their codecs...frustrating. I did try out an FS7 once with some of my longer lenses and it was just too BIG. I thought about the FS5 but never tried one out. Maybe I should? I wonder if that camera will be replaced soon? Seems long in the tooth.