Cinegain

Beter body, better AF, fraster framerates. Thats not marketing bullshit, but very welcomed by photographers. I agree that it probably won't be appealing for the video crowd, but that doesn't mean it's just 'bullshit'. I think this actually will be a nice balanced camera (speed - resolution) for photography. It should do 8 fps though (even if only with a grip), if it sticks to 6.5 fps like the D610 that'd be a shame.
 
The Df, that is a D610 with extra marketing bullshit applied.

Beautiful if you want your accessories to look geeky, maybe.
 
This is beauty (for a smartwatch):

Had some good news here just this very morning...
 

 
It's a replacement unit for the BMPCC I bought as a summer sale-deal well over a month back. Already frowned when they wanted to sell me an unsealed box, but since it looked unused, was promised it wasn't a demo model and with no other way of getting one any sooner in sight (it was litterally the last one anywhere), I just took it. I unfortunately then had to return it the next day because it showed hot pixels of which the effect was especially pronounced and very distracting at 800ASA and 1600ASA (with the about 30+ hot pixels showing, you'd almost think you're watching star constellations). They would then send it back to Blackmagic requesting to replace it.
 
I waited over a month with no news whatsoever, so last week I thought it was time to put on a little pressure. The lady at the store was very understanding, and they in turn put some pressure on Blackmagic. On friday they then promised us a brand new unit would arrive next week, which means: this week. And whattayaknow, this morning they called me saying it had arrived! So I just went and picked it up. Brand new sealed unit, as where it's only guessing where the other one originated (maybe their online store had a customer who bought it and then sent it back within the cooldown period (which you can do without an explanation why) and they just put it back on the shelf?). The old serialno. started with '1672..', this one with '2014..', no idea if that's any indication whatsoever, but the other one must've been one of the earlier batches and this must be brand spanking new. In meanwhile I had already ordered and received some spare batteries and a charger from Patona, so those can finally be put to good use as well.
 
Now just got to make sure this unit is ok, so I'll put on the latest firmware and run a few tests! I hope this time around my experience with the BMPCC will be flawless and then this 475,- EUR is verrrrryyy well spent I'd say. :lol: What a bargain. Hope all of you who ordered one will receive 'em soon too!
 
- Upd. Gave it a spin (without touching the FW) and 800ASA looks absolutely fine to me. At 1600ASA perhaps you could argue that you see some hints of hot pixels. But to be honest, you will need your monitor at full brightness, film in a way to make it more obvious, know what to look for and not apply any noise reduction whatsoever. It blends in with the noise and is very very faint. Not an issue.
 
The only thing bothersome I came across was some pixel pop-ups/flashes (lasts only one frame, but intense enough to notice).
 

 

 
But it might have something to do with using the [focus]-button whilst filming (in 800ASA; and not that you should be using the autofocus feature anyways, but I was testing schtuff you know).
 
-- Upd. Well, no joy there. It seems to be independent of ASA-setting and/or focussing or not. Maybe two or three frames in a minute of footage are effected. Surely you can correct this in post easily without too much hassle (although now you have to carefully analyze the footage several times and make sure not to blink in order to get 'em all covered), but still, it's not really supposed to behave like this of course. Could try and shoot with another freshly formatted card.
 
Will now go and update the firmware to the latest 1.9.3, see if that helps and checkout the new style and features.
 
--- Upd. I like the new FW. Still I keep getting these pop-up pixels now and again though. FW update, ProRes LT or HQ, one card or the next... no difference.

Sure. I'm using it consistently here in Jakarta; about 20% of the time.

I'm on the road for awhile with only my iPhone, so I can't post examples of the video I'm shooting, but I can say that it's liberating to be able to pull static shots that look like they're done with a tripod.

Emulating slider shots is viable by drifting the body tai-chi style.

The OMD is quirky in that it's video functions, control, and IQ are not top class, and controlling the camera isn't as easy as canon or Panasonic, but the image quality results ARE decent, and the 5-axis for shooting run and gun style is really a blessing.

I've also found that I can do great steady cam style shots by carrying the camera attached to the tripod and my arm outstretched. With the extra mass of the tripod smoothing out the up and down steps as I move forward, it creates a very elegant motion.

I'm limiting what I do to linear shots of motion. Straight line type of stuff. More elaborate or faster pans with tilts do create drift as the lens "lands" at the end of a move. Then again, if you plan on editing without the shot hitting a solid static on the end move, then you're free to drift and twist as much as you please.

The 5-axis isn't a panacea for shoddy camera control, but it's a heck if a tool if you properly utilize it.

Sometimes the rumour mill is just so outrageous. I am not talking about the site admins (don't shoot the messenger - they do a great job) but rather some of the sources who feed absolutely made up information. You may have heard the rumours of the Olympus E-M1 getting a 4K video firmware update, but 4K video on the E-M1 is a technical impossibility and here's why...

Read the full article here

Just saw this video with Chris and Jordan and thought it would really fit nicely in this topic. ;)

Well, if you pull that kind of data from the sensor it will heat up considerably.
And the 5-axis in-body stabilization will not allow for methods to disperse of this excessive heat.
So, for me 4K on the EM-1 is a nice fairytale, but nothing more.
You can't just provide 4K as a FW-upgrade. It's impossible.
Besides, they've never shown any care about us videopeople before.
 
I don't even really need them to throw out 4K footage out of the E-M1 and onto my storage medium.
I just need a proper videomode, with a broader selection of just about everything (especially 25fps!) and maybe a little tweaked bitrate or something like that.
If they trained their pet into learning new tricks, that's cool. I want to see it. If they drugged it with stereoids and implanted it with a chip I'm afraid something horrible will come of this.
 
But so far, for photography it's really awesome. Although I had a few issues with false exposure readings now and then.

Well, if you pull that kind of data from the sensor it will heat up considerably.
And the 5-axis in-body stabilization will not allow for methods to disperse of this excessive heat.
So, for me 4K on the EM-1 is a nice fairytale, but nothing more.
You can't just provide 4K as a FW-upgrade. It's impossible.
Besides, they've never shown any care about us videopeople before.
 
I don't even really need them to throw out 4K footage out of the E-M1 and onto my storage medium.
I just need a proper videomode, with a broader selection of just about everything (especially 25fps!) and maybe a little tweaked bitrate or something like that.
If they trained their pet into learning new tricks, that's cool. I want to see it. If they drugged it with stereoids and implanted it with a chip I'm afraid something horrible will come of this.
 
But so far, for photography it's really awesome. Although I had a few issues with false exposure readings now and then.

Just place a filter in front. Tada.

I put in the link earlier on for a reason. This is already happening.

 
So...
 

Pretty harsh review. :P But in all honesty, you are indeed right.
They have all the tech and know-how to make it happen, but they just don't.
 
Canon especially has been dragging the 18MP sensor for far too long. They had a head start with their 5DmkII and 550D (and all the models followed after), but started to lose their touch and had to see mirrorless camera's overtaking left and right because they we're not tinkering under the hood and weren't hitting the peddle to the metal. It's like entering the Formula 1 with one car and keeping it like that throughout the season, whilst others install performance upgrades and what not. Given that the new 70D is nice, it performs only marginally better than the in meanwhile ancient 18MP sensor (imho). The real power lies with the 5D. It was pretty ground breaking with the mkII and the mkIII opened a lot of new possibilities. But it's not really thanks to Canon, now is it? Great deal of the credit belongs to the amazing work from the guys over at Magic Lantern who can make it to something you can really get excited about. But why dumb down your own camera's when there's an audience waiting for the possibilities? Like you said, are you really just gonna ignore them and push 'em away towards the micro four thirds camera's?! If you'd just, like Panasonic, take notice of what people are saying and give them something to work with and get excited about, you can win too, but I guess they want to be at the losing end of things and stay cornered in the photo-specific corner. Because 'oooooeehh', you don't wan't to be known for your excellent video when making photocamera's.
 
Atleast Nikon is innovating. In the consumerline budgetfriendly camera's category, their sensors outshine Canon's by quite a bit. But they fail to recognize the wishes of cinematographers and video enthusiasts. And that would even be okay if there was a Magic Lantern realizing those wishes and completely changing how you can use the camera, but unfortunately there's no such thing, nor will there probably ever be. Which actually kinda pains me, because here you have Canon that more or less lacks potential, but they have ML. And then there's Nikon, actually quite capable in theory, but as they say: you can't polish a turd, and nobody is seemingly willing to (be able) to get their hands dirty.
 
The way things are going the only thing looking forward in terms of dSLR for video would be the 5DmkIV. And even then if they would just acknowledge the need for videofeatures on it and not dumbing things down so you can release a new camera after a little while with minor upgrades, you already could've provided months before. Same of course goes for the APS-C line of camera's from Canon and Nikon. It's like the story of Cinderella; a lot of potential wasted because it's being treated like dirt. But when given a proper chance and attention it could florish like a flower and win over hearts!
 
But anyways. It's gonna be too little, too late anyways I'm afraid. In meanwhile mirrorless camera's are performing better and better, but more so, provide dedicated videofunctionality that's lacking with dSLRs. And you can redicule the smaller sensor all you want, but it can keep up, but another prominent benefit thereof is keeping lenses very compact! That in combination with a small camera already opens up a world of possibilities and advantages allowing for small run-and-gun videomonsters that pack a punch. I'm personally very excited for the Olympus OM-D E-M1 (which I'll probably be getting next month to upgrade from my GH2), especially because of the built-in stabilization. This should be a standard on all digital camera's! I'm using prime lenses most of the time anyways and especially with the MFT pancakes, you have sick possibilities in the smallest of packages, though still giving you stellar performance.
 
To take it to the next level we need high bitrates, focus peaking, various fps-selections including 1080p at or above 60 frames per second. 2.5K already would be awesome for implementing in your 1080p projects. And then deliver 4K and uncompressed output for people who want to really get jiggy with it. That is the future! And mirrorless camera's are starting to give it to us already! You got to love the day and age we live in. We get to experience all these next levels! And it's starting to get more accessible and affordable as we go along.
 
Things are moving in the right direction. It's just a matter of who takes it upon themselves to ride the wave... :lol:

Original music by Berlin electronic act Herdwhite - see more on iTunes


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I’ll start this review with a parable. It is a parable about an old man, who fell asleep...

Read the full article here

Ok. I probably will be buying the OM-D E-M1 with 12-40mm f/2.8 next month (when logistics will be more favorable). :D
I hope it's all that what I make it up to be and then some!
 
Just gotten the Panasonic Lumix 20mm f/1.7 II (black version) for the bare minimum shooting! Should be pretty sweet with the OM-D E-M1's stabilization. The (black as well) 14mm f/2.5 is on it's way too.
 

 
I was mainly using full manual vintage/legacy glass before, but I need to slim things down and go more essential/pockeable with some pancakes.
 
- UPD 15/2. I just found a discount coupon in some old mail from two weeks ago. It expires tomorrow. The universe basically was telling me to order it, which I did. Will soon be the proud owner of the OM-D E-M1 with 12-40mm f/2.8. And whereas the picture above shows the new 20mm f/1.7 II, yesterday the 14mm f/2.5 came in as well!