HJD

Now it appears that there is a 200W version of the Pixapro LED available for preorder. I wonder if they will also release a plus (+) version which they name the versions which will run off both mains power and batteries.

https://www.essentialphoto.co.uk/product/pixapro-led200d-daylight-balanced-led-studio-light/

@squig : Thanks for sharing more of your thought process on why you consider the CN-60F and its sister lights the better choice for you  I can see why it would probably be cheaper with the CN-100F for day long battery operation and good to know about the difference in beam with and increased color bias on the 100D when using a fresnel attachment. I'm also pleased to hear that you're not worried about fan noise on the 100D. Nice that there is an s-mount adapter available for the CN-60F and its siblings. Interesting that Nanguang also makes panels and you happened to have one. Thanks for your quick reply and for taking the time to elaborate! 

@squig : thanks a lot for your comparison of the NanGuang CN-60F to the PixaPro 100D Mark II I'm still leaning toward the PixaPro myself, as I really appreciate the Bowens S-mount for adapting different light modifiers. Also, in my case, I would have to add 5% import duty and on top of that 25% sales tax as well as a processing fee to the price of the CN-60F making it quite a bit more expensive. However, I really like that the CN-60F has no fan. That's about the only thing that's still holding me back from just ordering the PixaPro. I'm very particular about noise, but so far the feedback from PixaPro owners seems to indicate that fan noise shouldn't really be a problem. Thanks also for your comments on that topic. May I ask why you're considering selling the PixaPro on Ebay instead of keeping it along with your CN-60F? In my (rather inexperienced) opinion the S-mount makes it very versatile. Is it because you would need to invest in new high output v-mount batteries to make it useful away from AC-power, or is the fan noise still loud enough to worry you, or is there some other issue with the PixaPro that makes it a no go for you, or do you simply want three matching NanGuangs which in your case are cheaper as well? I would be grateful if you could elaborate a bit on your considerations as I'm trying to avoid or minimize potential buyers remorse :-)

On 2/7/2016 at 5:04 PM, John Emery said:

You can definitely hear it, I would say It's as loud as a Macbook Pro. If you get in a less than a meter range, a condenser mic could pick it up. Out of that range you should be fine.

Thanks John Emery!   Sounds okay, though I was hoping you'd have to put your ear up next to the light to hear the fan. With a softbox in front of the light, I guess you'd most often be more than a meter away from any microphone. It would be great if someone would do like a Youtube review where they (ideally) were in a sound studio and moved a widespread and popular microphone on a popular recorder closer and closer to the light till the microphone picked up the fan noise. I also hear people use the low cut filter for air conditioning noise, perhaps the noise of the fan is in a frequency range where it would also be cut off by most low cut filters. Thanks again for your help!

To those of you who have received the PixaPro LED 100 Mark II, how loud is the fan? Supposedly it's very quiet. Would it be possible to get up really close to your subject with a big softbox and not have the fan affect the audio in a really quiet interview situation?

This video review by Dave Dugdale is a bit old by now (2012), but it might be interesting for you to watch anyway:

As scotchtape recommends, do some research to avoid buyers remorse. Good luck to you! :-)

Ah, just reread your post and see that you're in a remote location with poor data connection. To sum up the below review, Dave went with the Tiffen variable ND, but that was in late 2012, so things could have changed since then.

3 minutes ago, alexO said:

I was joking, I agree, in perfect world we should be able to control any post processing which is automatically done by the camera. "It's not a bug it's a feature" is usually referred to an excuse made by software developers when they try to convince the user that a flaw in their program is actually what it's supposed to be doing.

I get you

1 hour ago, DayRaven said:

The manual reads: "Smile/Face Detect. Detects the faces of your subjects and adjusts the focus, exposure, flash settings and performs image processing automatically"

So that image processing doesn't sound like Sony views it as a bug, and it sounds like it may well be present in the camera

49 minutes ago, alexO said:

It's not a bug, it's a feature!

Hi DayRaven and alexO,

I used the word "bug" because that is the term the reviewers in the videos I link to use to describe the issue. Apparently what "bugs" them is that you can't turn off the soft skin "feature" when using an external recorder in video mode - unless you also record in-camera. As I understand Mark Gilden that means for longer takes on the a5100 he pretty much gets to choose between the camera overheating or having waxy skin applied to his talents. And I'm pretty sure that would "bug" me too

It would also "bug" me if I can't use face detection auto focus without having a soft skin filter smearing facial details in video mode. According to Mark the face detection feature and soft skin filter are two separate functions that can be turned on and off individually in all other modes than video mode where they are somehow locked together. I can foresee quite a few situations where I would like to use face detection auto focus in video mode, but I can't imagine I would ever want to use the soft skin filter. So it would be great to know if the two features can be turned on and off individually in video mode on the a6300

3 hours ago, The Chris said:

If you're going to use Sigma Art lenses, order the new Sigma EF-E mount adapter, it unlocks all AF functions on the A7rII and should do the same on the a6300.

It would be great if Sigma would make a speedbooster version of their new MC-11 Eos to E-mount adapter. Would be great to gain a stop of light from full frame Sigma lenses and get the most out of them on both APS-C and FF. I asked Sigma on their Facebook page if they would consider making a speedbooster version, but so far no reply. They certainly would be able to. :-)

I'm exited about the Sony a6300 which may become my first Sony camera. I've asked a few online reviewers about a potential issue with the camera that I'm concerned about, and I'd like to ask the a6300 owners in this forum as well. Could you perhaps test if the "soft skin bug" is present in the a6300 or if it has been resolved? Apparently, in some other Sony cameras [a5100, a6000], the "soft skin" filter is coupled to the face detection feature in video mode, which means you can't use face detection auto focus without having a soft skin filter smearing facial details and thus making the talents skin look like wax. Is this bug also present in the a6300?

Also, if you don't record internally but instead use HDMI-out, it appears there is no easy way of turning off the soft skin filter effect, even if you turn off face detection altogether. Is this also the case with the a6300?

Mark Gilden demonstrates and describes the bug in detail in the below links:

http://community.sony.com/…/Please-let-us-disa…/idi-p/538535

And here a demonstration by John Moore:

I've posted the above questions in a Facebook group and so far I have had one person reply, and he did not see any skin smoothing going on when face detection auto focus was being used in video mode. So I am hopeful that this issue is not present in the a6300, but I would appreciate further confirmation.

Thanks! :-)

In the case you haven't seen this interview already. The Vimeo version had audio drop out after 6min, but the Youtube version has audio all the way through :) :

The Youtube version of the Newsshooter interview with Dan Lennie and Kanta Yamamoto (on the a7s) has audio all the way through:

Hi again Andrew and everyone else!

It appears that the Panasonic GH4 can now output 4K 4:2:2 10-bit to an external recorder through the onboard micro-HDMI port! :)

In February I posted a screenshot and a link to the GH4 spec sheet in a thread here on EOSHD, which pretty clearly seemed to state that you can only record 1080p through the onboard HDMI: '?do=embed' frameborder='0' data-embedContent>>

Recently, I've seen rumors floating around the web stating that people with hands-on experience with the GH4 now claim that 4K 4:2:2 10-bit is indeed available for external recorders through the onboard HDMI.

And now, in this Zacuto video, Panasonic representative, Matt Frazer, clearly states that contrary to some beliefs the GH4 can indeed output 4K 4:2:2 10-bit through the onboard HDMI. Now that is one belief I would be glad to let go!  :)  He goes on to say that he doesn't want people on low budget productions to think they need to spend 1700 USD on the GH4 and 2000 USD on the YAGH to get 4K 4:2:2 10-bit out. Amazing! I really hope this is true, and I find it hard to believe that he would say something like that without being absolutely sure. Perhaps Panasonic changed their mind?

Information on the onboard HDMI starts around 9:40 minutes:

Oh, I've just seen that users "etinoda" and "hoodlum" already posted the link to the Zacuto video in this thread: >

1. I don't want the AG-YAGHG (brick) either. I already have audio equipment and don't see the need for 3G-SDI for my use. But even though I'm "just" a learning hobbiest I'd like the best image and audio I can get within my budget. I'm a bit worried about the quality and robustness of the GH4's internal 4K recording. So if the GH4 could output 4K 4:2:2 at 10bit through the micro HDMI on the camera, and if there will be reasonably priced 4K recorders available, I might just go for one, if I felt the need. However, I fear Panasonic designed the GH4 to only offer recordable 4K out when you pair it with the AG-YAGHG. Take a look at this screenshot of the official specifications regarding the camera's HDMI output: 

Link to official GH4 specifications: http://www.panasonic.com/uk/consumer/cameras-camcorders/lumix-g-compact-system-cameras-dslm/dmc-gh4heb.specs.html

As I understand the specs for "playback" you would be able to connect the GH4 via HDMI to a compatible 4K display and play back anything you recorded internally on the GH4, including 4K content.

The specs for "monitor-through" read as follows: "4:2:2 8-bit / 4:2:2 10-bit (When 4:2:2 10-bit mode is selected, it is not possible to record motion picture or still picture on the SD memory card in the camera unit.)/information display ON/OFF (selectable)/Automatic down-conversion (4K → 1080p only)"

I understand those specs to mean: you can choose to output 4:2:2 8-bit to an external recorder or monitor and simultaneously record [4:2:0 8-bit] to the SD card. You can also choose to output 4:2:2 10-bit, but then you won't be able to record to the SD card at the same time. You can choose whether you want the on screen information overlay to be output or not. Anything output via the camera's HDMI port will automatically be down-converted to 1080p (whether you like it or not). As far as I can tell HDMI 2.0 will support up to 4K 4:4:4 12-bit, so I can't help thinking that this automatic down-conversion is done to create incentive for the AG-YAGHG. I'm no expert, so I could be wrong. So far I haven't been able to find the official specs for the addon, but it has been stated that it will offer a recordable 4K signal in 4:2:2 10-bit. The AG-YAGHG addon will probably be expensive and it is only compatible with the GH4, so it would not be easy to justify for someone like me. It could also mean that future GH-models will rely on the AG-YAGHG for optimal image quality - if this turns out to be the case for the GH4. I hope not. It would be great if the GH4's HDMI could do 4K out at 4:2:2 10-bit. That way, by investing in a future 4K recorder, those of us not minding dual audio and not needing 3G-SDI could gain access to the hightest 4K image quality the GH4 has to offer without the extra expence of the addon. Link to HDMI 2.0 specs: http://www.hdmi.org/manufacturer/hdmi_2_0/hdmi_2_0_faq.aspx#146

Still, the GH4 appears to be a nice camera, and I'm very much looking forward to reviews and sample videos from production models. Meanwhile I'll continue to enjoy my GH3.

Hi there,

I'm a first time poster, and it's really nice to read the articles and discussions here. I'm learning a lot :) thanks!

From Andrew's conclusion:

"The GH4 has a lower point to entry but to get 10bit 4:2:2 and ProRes from an uncompressed 4K feed you will need the add-on box."

I was hoping the micro HDMI on the camera itself could output 4K 10bit 4:2:2, so you would "only" need an external 4K recorder to get a stronger codec at 4K resolution. I did a search for the official specifications and unfortunately it does sound like there is an automatic down-conversion to 1080p before the signal hits the camera's micro HDMI.

From the official specifications:

"4:2:2 8-bit / 4:2:2 10-bit (When 4:2:2 10-bit mode is selected, it is not possible to record motion picture or still picture on the SD memory card in the camera unit.)/information display ON/OFF (selectable)/Automatic down-conversion (4K → 1080p only)"

As I am just a hobbiest it would have been nice to be able to get a better 4K recording, if needed, by "just" investing in a future 4K recorder. The AG-YAGHG is not going to be cheap and it can't be used with other cameras, so it is not easy to justify for someone like me. l already have equipment to record audio seperately, and for my use I don't really see the need for 3G-SDI. Also, 4K at 10bit 4:2:2 appears to be within HDMI 2.0 specifications, as far as I can tell? Am I missing something?