Marcio Kabke Pinheiro

And remembering that this camera (and predecessors) only have 8-bit color.

The problem with Olymṕus is their codecs - they have high bitrates but are much softer than other companies, since the E-M5 MK II days. If you like the look (I had a concert video form the E-M5 MK II that you clearly see that is far from perfect, but it looked fantastic), could be a compelling option, but it probably falls apart very quickly with grading.

The thing that amazes me (and the only explanation is that it have a VERY good patent) is that no other company implemented Live Bulb - it makes long exposures a breeze, you see the image "developing" on screen, you just pause when I think it is good. It the feature that I miss the most from my Olympus days (and the IBIS perfectly tuned for video).

Still think is a high price, but in the same ballpark of the X-T50 outside USA, it's ok.

Could get one only for stills - or just be sane and stay just with the X-S20, since even with just one camera almost don't have time to use it properly...

People are comapring it to the X-E4 price, but the X-E4 was clearly designed as an entry level camera.

But the insanity in price is already shown with the cameta that this X-E5 try to mimic: the X100VI.

The X100VI comes with a 23mm f/2 lens included, hybrid viewfinder with better EVF panel (3.69m dots vs 2.36 dots), a better rear LCD (1.62m dots vs 1.04m dots), the combined shutter speed / iso dial (which is expensive to manufacture), a real integrated flash with a leaf shutter that syncs much better with it, and an internal ND filter. The two downsides are the slightly less effective IBIS (much more noted in video, which is not the priority on both models), and the ability to change lenses.

The X100VI, with a 23mm f/2 lens included, is listed by $1599. The X-E5, with a 23mm f/2.8, by the rumors, is $1899. $300 more for an inferior camera / lens combo.

2 hours ago, Phil A said:

The X-E5 is baffling to me. It has premium pricing but a lot of aspects that are low to mid tier hardware. 1 Million dot display which is a downgrade even against the X-E4? 2.36 Million dot EVF still. If this is really using the new pricing that got more expensive in the whole world because of US tariffs, this is going to be 2kEUR in Europe?

We have all the image quality we need at this point since a while but it feels there is massive stagnation in usability / user experience even though the prices just keep rising. Most small cameras (S9, A7CII) have no joystick for the focus point (except for all the Fujifilm cameras that replaced the D-pad with them), the EVF stay at low resolution, the displays are actually getting worse now. And what the hell is with the image simulation wheel?! Who actively wants to change their picture profile with a physical wheel instead having that do something that impacts shooting?!

I was one that was advocating that Fuji treats custom color profiles in the same way that they do with their film simulations - which looks like they do, finally. No more complicated methods using the C positions, which are NOT meant to that.
But I agree - film recipes are a trend and probably people want to experiment more since now it will not be a pain in the ass to access them (I'm one of them), but it could be EASILY just a Q menu setting.

Looks like Fujifilm jumped into the bandwagon.

X-E5 leaks suggest that it is a X-T50 repackaged (in a VERY beautiful body, should say) - same specs, same 2.36mp EVF. Have a film simulation dial, but FINALLY you could select personal film recipes. The back lcd hinge looks like will be the same of the X-T50, but with a downgraded LCD panel (yes - the 1.0mp unit of the X-M5).

All this for $1699. Yep, $300 more than the X-T50, which have a better LCD panel. Yep, just $100 less than the X-T5, a much superior camera.

Just as an add-on to the topic: Feiyutech realsed a new Scorp Mini, with stronger motors (good) a detachable wireless back handle (kinda good - the remote function is interesting, but I have concerns about robustness) and an updated tracking model (better, but not as good as DJI's).

Performance look almost on par with the RS4 Mini, but much cheaper.
 

As the Sigma 18-50 f/2.8 is almost glued to my X-S20, this one get my interest for sure.

On 5/29/2025 at 1:27 AM, newfoundmass said:

It's interesting to me that there are a growing number of YouTubers switching to Lumix. 

 

Could be that when it comes to real world, Lumix have the best tools onboard, and gets the job done easier.

Or the started to spend a lot more in ambassadors disguised as switchers - here in Brazil a very famous photographer switched to Lumix after 12 years of Canon and a month after he became sponsored by them. Is an interesting thing because here we never had people sponsored by brands - in fact, until this year, Lumix even don't have official presence here.

This one is probably not discounted, but oh boy looks good.

https://www.l-rumors.com/panasonic-japan-announced-the-new-titanium-lumix-s9-edition/

20 hours ago, akasian said:

Seems like Nikon is the only one selling reasonably priced gear right now.

In fact, the Z5 II is VERY well priced. It made Nikon take the lead in FF sales in Japan for the 1st time in years.

This camera is not made for us - is for the youngsters that are getting old P&S cameras to experiment something different. If fact, Fuji marketing strategy should be: reach the Tiktokers that created the X100 V and VI frenzy and drop a shitload of money to make this become viral.

Saw some reviews, there are some very lovely things there and a ton of likely mistakes - but as I said, we are not the target group.

- Video: forget, is crap. Less than FHD resolution, bad AF, 30 seconds max. A lost opportunity, goodish video with the film sims would be great.
- Camera is VERY cute and small, but at the same time could have some more "details", have some toyish vibe.
- The interface is very simplistic (kinda a cross of the digital Instax cameras and the current Fujifim menus). The use of the left display for the menu item and the bigger for the itens is intriguing.
- The diptych idea is very neat, but as some reviews said, easier to do in the app instead of doinf it in camera.
- The "film mode" is VERY gimmicky, but could have some traction. Again, the target group will have the veridict.

Biggest problems in my point of view:
- Flash photography is a VERY big use case of the youngsters getting old cameras. They love it. And this camera could NOT use any flash - the camera have a led instead of a flash, and a cold shoe without any connection. Huge mistake - if they don't want to put a proper integrated flash, at least could provide a center pin in the shoe to put an external manual flash. And since the camera is so bad for video and don't have a mic port, don't know how to use this dumb shoe for anything.
- The rear display is very small - and since the younger people probably will use it a lot, could be a problem. In fact, when the rumors started, I said that Fuji should go full Instax mode, making the camera to be designed "vertically". But this would not bring the retro vibes.
- OVF looks good, but have zero infos. Could have some displayed settings.

Biggest problem: the price. A camera with no EVF, very basic AF, with a very small main LCD, very few buttons, no integrated flash, a coldshoe, very basic video, for $850? You can just get a X100T or X100S used for the same price, and is a miles better camera.
I know that it is a "experience" and fun camera, but it should cost much less, around $600. The X-M5 with kit lens is just a tad more. Don't know if the "experience" with this price will get traction. Hope it does - at least is something different.

On 5/16/2025 at 8:16 PM, Emanuel said:

oh God, that's beautiful! < 3 What an artist we have there!

We need more stuff of this! : ) Who cares about new features when the old ones are already prone to shine? : P 

We need shooters and art coming from, not much else...

I miss Ming a lot, the guy is brilliant. But now he have a very well respected watch company, only shoots for some clients and (of course) all the media for his watch company.

https://www.ming.watch/

Oh, and the Pen F. Was the most gorgeous camera that I had put my hands on (and yes, I had a Leica in my hands).

Still have my LX100 OG, only will part ways when I get a MK II with a price that I don't have to sell a kidney. Panasonic is so dumb, just upgrade to the 25mp sensor (would be a 20mp camera), put a decent EVF (leica already done it in the D-Lux 8 ) and PDAF. Even IBIS could be forgotten (the lens have a ok-ish OIS). WOuld be a instant hit.

Would say my Fujifilm S5Pro, but is a DSLR. Best skin colors ever.

And my Olympus X-A1 (it don't have a mirror 🙂 ). Cute as hell, great image and one of the most thinking outside of the box cameras ever.

On 5/16/2025 at 11:51 AM, Al Dolega said:

And for the GH6/G9ii/GH7 sensor too, I believe.

Still a mystery who makes this 25mp m4/3 sensor. Back in the day there are sites that opened the cameras and microscope the sensor to find the manufacturer, but these days are gone.

To add to the mystery: the newest Mavic from DJI uses a m4/3 100mp sensor. Maybe Panasonic uses the same sensor in a Quad-Bayer configuration? (100/4 = 25mp)

Call it ARRIBA, impossible to sound less Germany. Lawsuit avoided. 😃

4 hours ago, ND64 said:

3. What they do is attractive for niche part of the hybrid market and not enough to absorb new customers. 

They could got a flood of new customers just bringing the camera that all non-professional customers are looking now: a compact stylish camera. Basically, a FF GX9.

They launched it, but without EVF, hotshoe, mechanical shutter and proper controls. And the worst kit lens ever made. I know, they want to get in the video creator bandwagon, but was a niche product.

Just passed through this, and my 2 cents:

- If you work professionally, go Mac (and yeah, I'm a windows guy). Even a M1, for video editing, run circles around any price comparable WIndows machine.
- If you are not a professional and/or Apple costs 2,5x more in your country than in US (my case are both), Windows is still good.

But there is a VERY important point the narrowed a lot my choices, and a lot of people doeas not realize it until is very late - codecs and chroma subsampling support. If you want to edit without proxies, is a must have feature.

What H.264 and H.265 Hardware Decoding is Supported in DaVinci Resolve Studio?

If you work with h.264, bad luck: only 8-but 4:2:0, except if you get an RTX 5xxx series.

If you use H.265, you have better support, but pay attention to the subsampling - the 4070 (and all the RTX 4xxx) does not decode 10 bit 4:2:2. This was my case, and that narrowed my choices (when I did the upgrade, the RTX 5xxx were not launched).

I had to buy a Intel non-f CPU (as you) to use the internal GPU enabled just to use Quicksync for decode. For encoding, I did not found a comparable table like this, but since almost all reviews test the encoding (rendering) part, is just to look for the desired card.

Ryzens are much more performant (and chepear to build, specially motherboards) but have almost nothing decode support in the iGpus. But a Ryzen with a RTX5xxx card, or an Intel ARC Card would be a choice for me nowadays.

In my case, since the money was short, went for a i5-12600k (for good decoding for editing) and a RTX 3060 with 12gb (was better than the 4060 for because of 12gb instead of 8gb - and since I have not hurries for rendering, top performance in rendering was not a problem). Works with Fuji open gate 6.2k in 10-bit 4:2:2 as champ, albeit I only do minor corrections - with a lot of effects it could not be the case.

But I saw a guy that made a system with a top i9 processor anda a 4090, but when tried to edit 4:2:2 10-bit, it was slow as hell.

But probably was the last PC that I put together - I built all my computer since the 286 days. The new Mac Mini is a steal - for video, is better than a PC costing double the price of the Mac Mini.

On 5/2/2025 at 7:38 AM, Emanuel said:

For more INFO

This firmware was released some time ago, and I already used a lot the 40mm zoom mode. Yes, there is almost no drop on image quality - only "problem" is that it only works in the Normal color profile, don't work with Log.

Did not tested the breathing compensation, but from the reviews that I saw, it works really well.

And about Europe...it is not so far away from the USA insanity as it might appear.

The Le Pens got very close to govern France. The far-right is making inroads on Germany. @Emanuelcould talk about the Andre's Ventura "Chega" party on Portugal. Orbán is already in charge on Hungary, as Erdogan in Turkey. Millei (an idiot as crazy as Trump, or worse) is in charge of Argentina - with 55% below the poverty line. And I already talked about Brazil.

The far-right is a world cancer now.

13 hours ago, eatstoomuchjam said:

And Brazil has stricter and better laws about hate speech and false reporting than the US - the reason that Twitter and Starlink were recently shut off in the country for a while.  It's even worse here where that's not even a thing.

Speaking as someone from the US, this is more true than I'd like it to be.

Kinda.

Twitter was closed for some time here because the Baby Spreader owner dismissed the local Twitter legal representatives, and by local laws, no enterprisde here could work with a legal representative. Nothing to do with fake news.

Starlink was not cancelled - the Superme Court here blocked Starlink's local assets to pay the fines that Twitter took for (in this case, yes) not giving the law data from some users involved in nazi stuff (including some kids that performes school shootings). The fines were paid and their assets were returned.

Twitter is not much of a problem here - the fake news trends are made there, but the spreading is done using Whatsapp and Telegram groups - closed groups, which cannot be accessed by the law if the owner of the site does not allow to.

DJI Pocket 3 in B&H went from $519 to $619.

1 hour ago, ND64 said:

What is all about this demand for rangefinder we see everywhere? I'm just curious. What difference does it make, compared to Zf for example? 

Others, I don't know. Nostalgia, probably.

For me, it is because I like to shoot on streets, when travelling (and where anything "DSLR-like" gets a lot of attention and make everyone around unconfortable), and like to shoot in concerts (rangefinder-like cameras atracts no attention to security, SLR-like cameras are banned).

Shoot a lot of concerts and travelled a lot in my m4/3 days, nobady ever cared about the GX7, GX85 and GX9 that I had (only once one approached to see my GX7 thinking it was a film camera). Only m4/3 camera that was barred on security in a concert was...a GH2 (because looks like a DSLR).

My current X-S20 is kinda discreet, but sometime people bother a little when see a EVF hump.

For much less Aaron Swartz was so prosecuted that took his own life.

On 4/3/2025 at 5:34 PM, mercer said:

Was excited to hear about the internal raw recording in the Z5ii and then a little less excited when I watched the Gerald Undone video... and then when he started showing real world footage, he was literally wearing a Sony Alpha jacket while recording a Nikon review... why are these competing companies sending him these cameras?

That said, the review was fine, raw implementation in an IBIS body, with decent AF, at this price has been a dream of mine, but it seems like there are so many gotchas that I am left bewildered why these companies even use raw? If your'e going to add NR, then what's the point of a smoothed over raw file? I shoot raw because I prefer the gritty textures that feel like you could reach into the frame and touch it.

I said in the Komodo price drop thread that I wouldn't be a customer, but at the current price, maybe I'd be better off saving up for a Komodo. Theoretically, that camera could provide a viable image for the next 5-10 years for me.

And with all that said, it is still exciting to see raw video to an internal SD, with these features, at this price point. When I read this post, I had already thought about posting my FP up for sale and preorder the Nikon, now I'll wait to see how it does with more serious shooters in the coming weeks/months.

The FP lives to see another day.

Internal RAW probably was just for bragging rights, but yeah, it could backfire.

For a entry level camera, it would be perfectly acceptable to have external RAW option (which it has, with full quality) - if you are saving money in a camera, probably would not have a beast computer to handle external files.

But if Nikon make a rangefinder version of this one (or if the ZF had the same size), I would probably jump ship to Nikon.