fuzzynormal

FWIW, I record audio directly to the EM5II camera using a Sennheiser wireless Ew100 system. The preamps built into the camera are on par with a Zoom H1, I think. Not great, but very useable if you take care. Send a strong audio signal into the camera and it'll stay clean(ish). You can knock down the floor and make it work. If you want things to be REALLY quiet, you'd record on something different than a Zoom or an EM5II anyway, but I've been doing doc work following a comedian around as he does shows. Lots of ambient noise so you never hear the preamp hiss. That last EM5II video I posted on this site in a different thread was shot using the internal audio recorder of the camera for the interview, check it out for a listen if you want. You can tell it's good, not great. Here's something else, combined with the HLD-8G Hand Grip with Headphone Jack and HLD-6P Battery Holder, you get "power on" battery hot-swap --as well as audio monitoring with headphones. My 3rd party bats have been giving me at least 2 hours shooting with video and the fast battery change without power interruption is nice. Seems to me that the EM5II is a under-rated video camera since the IQ is slightly behind the curve. Everyone got all bothered when the camera was released because the image had limitations and isn't the best IQ on the market. Big deal. You work within the limitations and go do stuff, IMHO. IQ is most definitely not the only thing you need to consider when doing docs. Getting what unfolds in front of the lens and getting it well is paramount. The 5-axis helps in this regard. Shooting simple and easy to keep everything under control matters. So, small and efficient combined with 5-axis stabilization that allows for useful handheld shots? Not bad and worth consideration. I don't know exactly what you have planned, but I find unassuming gear works best for following people around in public during a documentary. It's not intimidating. Most people don't even realize you're shooting video. You just look like a weird photographer hanging out with someone. I'm using the EM5II to finish out a documentary shoot this summer and it's working for me. As for the codec, I don't shy away from 8-bit on my doc-film work. My last doc was shot on a Panasonic GM1and looks great as far as I'm concerned. Another note: The handgrip makes holding the camera feel really solid and reassuring. Combined with older metal FD lenses with some serious mass, the set-up has a comfortable hefty feel that actually allows for better shooting, I think. It's small but dense, which I like. Finally, the moiré that's prevalent on the EM5II with modern lenses is almost nonexistent with older glass and a speed booster. You could buy a full set of FAST cheap prime lenses for the cost of a brand new lens and significantly reduce one of the shortcomings of the camera. Not a bad deal. I'm not proselytizing for the EM5II per se, just saying it can work for you if you want it to. All the other suggestions here are legit too.

I still use my 5DII for stuff. It is what it is, and absolutely offers a certain value. Choosing a camera body is a lot like choosing a certain film stock to shoot on back in the day...

I'm not so sure about that. I just think they're not willing to be on the cutting edge of video specs, because they can't really devote serious resources and development to it. However, they can adopt the technology a little bit behind the curve. They seem about 2.5 years behind. So, eventually, they'll get there. Now, if your thing is to have the bestest and coolest video IQ from a consumer stills cam, then you'll always be drawn to those models offering it. I, however, tend to think that even median video IQ from 2015 cameras looks "good enough" already. If you're a competent shooter, you can make most cameras work for you. Here's an example: Last week I did a quick documentary style corporate shoot for 20K. I hired a guy that I know likes to trick out his GH4 and likes to run around with a bunch of grip stuff. Now, I did that not because I knew he was going to get wonderful footage, (I know his capabilities and that was expected anyway) but I needed him there so the set looked "professional." And it did. Big lens, matte box, c-stands, silks, reflectors, dead cats, audio harnesses, etc. Okay. So that put the client at ease. Their money was on display. Meanwhile, while he was doing all the A-Cam interview stuff and some misc B-roll, I was running around with a little EM5II grabbing shots non-stop. In the end, over 90% of the b-roll shots in the final edit are from the EM5II. Final delivery is for the web @720. Unless you're super-discriminating, you can't tell the difference in the edit between the EM5II footage and the GH4 footage. As a casual viewer you're just not really going to see it. So this is how I view the whole camera IQ debate. What I can do practically matters. I think I've come to terms with the fact that many people will always chase the technical holy grail with IQ, but my focus with many of my jobs (and my philosophy on how to approach those jobs) lies elsewhere. And let's not loose sight of the fact that in 5-7 years we're all going to have robust DR, great low light capability, and 4K. Sure, there will ALWAYS be superior IQ devices, but even if you have that capability, what are you going to do with it? I DO get excited to shoot with awesome cameras, love being blown away with great images when I rent pro camera gear, and I know they are an absolute necessity for certain productions. But not for all. Not for your cat videos --or cityscape videos set to emo music. At a certain point when are we all just arguing how many angels can dance on the head of a pin? I mean, even this lowly Oly camera has better IQ than the greatest auteurs of the mid 20th century had access to during most of their careers, so I say the tools are great and wonderful, just go use them effectively and you'll be happy. Finally, as a camera manufacturer, nobody can outdo Fuji when it comes to offering lousy video in their stills cams. They set the bar so low that it's unacceptable even for me!

Yes. Which is why I'm finding the camera fun to work with, especially for some of the stuff I do.

Well, here's a very simple shoot as an example. I did this for a friend over the weekend on a moments notice. It was basically a 1 hour shoot. I grabbed shots as fast as possible. Sure, I could have placed a tripod in a lot of spots and had the subject wait for me to compose... Or I could have let her do her thing and I would just follow, and still get cool shots along the way. With the EM5II, I just did the latter Slider shots without a rig, static shots without a tripod...it's a very nice capability to have. Granted, this isn't groundbreaking stuff, but this particular camera does give me some worthwhile footage. I don't know what else to say. It's fun for me. That's all

I was skeptical of Olys 5-axis. Then I used it. I can do stuff handheld with discipline that looks indistinguishable from a slider or something shot on a tripod. Its creative freedom. And it's a tool that allows me to get shots really quick when run'n'gun'in'. It's not perfect, but it is very useful for a certain style. I do docu style, so it fits. I don't use it for EVERYTHING, but what I do use it for, it's pretty nice. I sure as hell don't think that ANY camera I decide to use makes me in any way more accomplished of a shooter. I'm very camera agnostic. But I do like Oly's 5-axis feature. It's a fun tool to have. It's almost like cheating. It allows me to get that good framing easier... Mind you, if you kinda stink as a shooter an EM5II isn't going to magically make you frame better compositions, but if you have some compositional skill, it'll let you grab those shots in a quick and practical way.

Me either. I just think they'll be a generation behind other's spec sheets. And, really, I don't care. Everything is looking good enough already for my tastes these days given what I do for a living. And it's only going to get better, so I'm not too worried about Oly not being on the cutting edge of IQ. When they offer 4K I'll be grateful and happy, but in the meantime the EM5II is a really fun camera. Honestly, if you've never shot with the Oly 5-axis, and you do run-n-gun, you deserve to give yourself a chance with it. It's pretty damn cool. And yeah, I've been inter-cutting for awhile now with a 5DII and the EM5II, colors are so close it's a breeze to work with.

Yeah, that's all marketing hoo-haa, and I for one certainly don't expect Oly products to ever truly rival what Sony or Panasonic does with video, as those companies will be vangaurd and ahead of the rest when it comes to motion picture specs. However, a rising tide lifts all boats. In a few years it'll all be 4K so that'll be nice.

Same here. In the meantime, I've reluctantly become a little smitten with my EM5II. Once I learned the muscle memory for the egos it became a competent shooter. Not perfect, by any means, (no ISO exposure adjustment while shooting?) but a great creative tool if you wield it properly. Also, I'm discovering that shooting EM5II footage with vintage lenses really takes the edge off the video and gives it a more pleasing aesthetic, so not only is the body pretty cheap, but the lenses I'm using with it and getting the best results are as well.

While a lot of folks will concentrate on IQ, color, DR, etc., and demand the best in that regard, I find that, for me, other features can be more practical for my productions. The built in Oly 5-axis has been really fun and rewarding to utilize.

FWIW, I shot a small project for a friend yesterday. No budget and a favor. Since the stakes were pretty low and everything was casual, I shot it with the EM5II and an old manual 55mm Canon f1.2 FD lens ($200ebay). The lens was mounted on the cheap Chinese speed booster ($100eBay). Love the old glass so far. Really like the renderings I get from it. And it's radioactive! So that's cool. Anyway, 95% is the EM5II handheld and that FD lens, with a few random shots from a 5D. Here it be @720 for your discriminating consideration. I feel like I'm getting good value out of the speed booster old lens combo:

I don't have to, you just did. Love my car, but yeah, I do have to change the water pump.

I was speaking figuratively, but the literal isn't a surprise.

FWIW, I would love to hear you, or anyone, explain that opinion. And I'm not being snarky or anything. I would genuinely like to hear from someone that is earnestly impressed with his work and why it deserves any recognition beyond the superficial. It seems to me he's the directing equivalent of a guy that knows a lot of vocabulary but can't diagram a sentence...and he yells all his words with lots of exclamation points. So, yeah, not a fan, but I'll listen to reason. As it stands, I will grant you that he's at a modern vanguard of deconstructing the expectation of cohesive film narrative.

Actually, I always argue with box office, record sales, home improvement design, etc. Creating materials and content for the largest collection of market requires a certain mundanity that allows for that broad appeal. It's why comedy slapstick will never go away. A 5 year old and a 95 year old can relate to it; Rich man or poor man. It's not anything great, just silly. Which is fine, but nothing that necessarily needs to be exalted and appreciated on a particularly impressive level. On the other hand, you can't hand Faulkner to a 12 year old and expect him to have any profound self-reflection after reading through it. You can't get most people to do that. It's just beyond their grasp. Thus, less accessible. Which book is more impressive and which has broader appeal: http://tinyurl.com/ogmx44b or http://tinyurl.com/nc4n33d Same concept goes for the cheap door you'd buy at a Home Depot or that new Taylor Swift album. So, no, I don't readily agree that financial success is in any way a marker of creative success. Not in this society. The complete opposite.

Ah. I'd suggest that if you're getting too much friction on your slider a trick to alleviate some of that jitteriness is to rotate the slider on the z-axis. This effectively changes the center of gravity more to the balance point of your camera rig while not changing the direction of the slide. Once the tension is lessened the slide should become nice and smooth. For instance, If I shoot a slider shot with a light 50mm prime on my 5D, then the weight of the camera is close to the center of the actual slider plate and it moves easily. However, if I put on a big and heavy 24-70mm redband lens, then the balance point is farther away from the center and it can bind the slider plate. A simple counter-angle adjustment moves that center point back to a more manageable useful spot. Any of that make sense? Anyway, that solution might cost less than buying a new camera body. For production problems like this I like to recommend to change your technique, not the technology.

Ha! Sarcasm, right?

Surely. which is why I'm complaining about people leveraging technology like a grumpy old man. (and I am a grumpy old man, trust me) Maybe people like Verna Fields were just as disappointed with the advance of things like the AVID in the 1990's? I don't know, but when people are asking algorithm to do things so fundamental to the process it just rubs me the wrong way. I mean, it's just music. You listen to it, comprehend the structure, and use that to your advantage in your edit as you see fit. It's subjective and some of the basics of the editing craft. I mean, this seems so obvious it's hard to imagine even a newb brushing aside the simple process of listening to a track and instead wanting to find software to do the job; your job as an editor. Do you really want to remove the human element from an (assumedly) artistic endeavor? If your answer is 'yes' then have at it, I suppose.

Maybe I don't understand, if your cam is already mounted on a slider, why would it need IS?

I have the em5ii and it's really a lot of fun. I mean, I can do stuff handheld that's cool as heck, and pretty easy. That said, however, image stabilization is not a style you'd want to do for everything. The more hand held look does have a certain organic vibrancy for particular scenes. you can't really pan and tilt with IS, and landing a moving shot is not really possible without a robotic/algorithmic visual "snap." So, while I feel the em5ii IQ is actually pretty acceptable, (a lot of folks dismiss it) turning off the stabilizer is something I do on the em5ii from time to time without much regret. It still records a nice image and the colors are pretty good too Point is, all these tech thingies are just tools. Use em where appropriate and you'll be fine. And if your camera doesn't have a certain feature set, so what!? Make do without it.

I don't know who you're talking about.

There's a big difference between "real" cameras and the kind of stuff hobbyists and industrial shooters (like me!) use. I shot 4 different projects this week, and two of them were last minute things, so renting on my level is not really viable. I need something to go out the door with without much lead time. Also, for the crap I do, I get paid less than it costs to provide craft services to a real shoot. I need a camera that's cheap and easy. That's my end of the pool. BTW, I shot an actual Super Bowl spot once. With a Canon XH-A1 no less. Actually, it was a CBS media network promo, does that count?

My wife and I went to Spain a few years back to make a humble, simple, and impressionistic travel film; labor of love sort of thing. We were going to shoot it with multiple cameras/lenses... but when we got there and spent a few week on a paid assignment before our personal film making, we began to debate about the visuals --and ultimately decided that the most cohesive look would be to film with one camera and one 50mm lens. Nothing else. No audio or tripod even. So we put all the other gear in storage and went into our shoot with a 5D and an old piece of Nikon glass. Also, we'd film it, for better or worse, with the max aperture., f1.4. Our reasoning was that since the subject was supposed to be a reverent and sometimes mystical experience, the aesthetic of shallow DOF would heighten that sense. In the end I believe it worked well enough, but I've never shot a project like that before or since. Doubt I will again. It just happened to fit the vibe.

Ha! Gotta love the biblical colloquialisms/parable. Haven't heard that one in awhile! As it is, if anyone wants to hire me for corporate rhetoric consulting, my fee is only $500/hr.

Yup. There it is. I was played for chump. My ticket was for AMC and IMAX. Those two together in crime, I guess. Welp, not that they care, but that's my last time going to one of their theaters.