TAPTAP

It's Canon, what you think will happen lol.

Btw did they retract that tweet and change the question? now it is EOS R External recording..

Really?
Most cameras today are absolutely superb. Compromises, yes but there is so much choice out there that one can find the compromise which suits every need.

Chill out brah, there's no need to declare a state of emergency over this.  If the a7r II is "DEFECTIVE" according to the strictness with with you are applying this definition, I can't think of a singe camera/camcorder that's ever not been "DEFECTIVE" for at least part of its shelf life.
Every camera ever made-- especially groundbreaking cameras that offer a bunch of new features not available before-- have issues and quirks that need to be sorted out.  Not that issues and quirks are completely acceptable, but what really matters instead is how it's handled.  If Sony, or an ingenious filmmaker (like the guy who started this post), comes up with a workable solution, then great, no need to declare an emergency.  But if Sony ignores this (which, should be pointed out, was the result of a stress test) and no one can figure a way around it, then you can freak out and type in caps all you want.
Until then, be grateful you have the knowledge shared here and proceed accordingly.  yeezus.
 
 
 
 

So first off I come from Live Events so my testing of the A7Rii falls into the pocket of shooting all day 1-8min clips and not getting a second chance. For that reason I am going to say upfront I would never walk into live event without a second body strapped to my hip especially with this hot 4K little monster. Now I shoot 1-8min takes because I lived through the 7D days of clips deleting at random so honestly I shoot smaller sized clips based out of habit. Even for toasts etc, we have multi cameras running so its no biggie. 
So I decided to run the new camera until I got the notorious temp icon of dread..... My take on that moment is what if I was on a  shoot how would I adapt aside from dipping the camera in ice or holding a cold beer to the of the back screen. 
Shooting 4K 100mbs FF 3200ISO Image Stabilizer On
 I received the temp icon at roughly the 25min mark shooting 3-5min clips back to back. I quickly switched the battery out and than decided to use just use the viewfinder(not as heat heavy on the camera). I was able to from that moment shoot 3-5min clips for 40minutes without a single warning. I also switched over to S35 somewhere in the middle just to see if it would heat things up. Total Runtime was 65minutes without having to shut down /cool down. If my card did not fill up I would have liked to go even further.
I know its not ideal, but if the moment presents itself swapping a battery and switching viewfinders is a whole lot better than waiting for the camera to cool off. This also does give me hope on the A7Sii body re design to fix the issue as its lurking around the screen more than the sensor.
-F
 
 
 

​Wow. That was really uncalled for. Do you think insulting readers disagreeing with you is a good policy to attract new ones? Can't you simply reply in a civil way or ignore the critique completely?

Whatever man... I have been following it for 2 years and I know where the problems are, enabling raw video sounds like they are taking videos which is not the case.
Btw, this hack will eventually work on the d5100/d7000/d800, the newer cameras are totally different and they haven't worked on them at all.

The problem is in the speed booster.  Almost certain of it.  
The adjustment screw on the back  (which allows adjustment if infinity is not able to be achieved), actually knocks the focal reduction optic off-centre when tightened.  - untighten the screw and sure enough the optical cell will wobble - meaning there is play.  as you retighten you'll see the lens cell move to one side.
 
the way to fix this is to use the speed booster without the screw tightened. (so the optical cell can rotate freely).  in order to keep the optic from rotating you can do a number of things, such as use 3 small blobs of blu-tack.  - im unsure what it's called in different countries, but it's made by bostik.  a bit like chewing gum, but blue and for attaching posters to the wall.  using 3 small blobs evenly spaced will prevent the optic rotating freely.  and will come off easily if you ever want to adjust it.
 
 

Specs aside, I've seen some amazing looking footage from the GH4 on drones. Even with the new GoPro "de-fisheyed". Aerial shots have such a wow factor that I don't believe people are going to look at it and say it sucks b/c it has 10 stops of DR instead of 12.

Its not a story, its opinion and thats part of Andrews gig here.  A combination of straight technical camera geek, stuff and opinion.  Like it or not this post fits in perfectly with what this blog has always been about.
 
Oh and seriously for $2,500 this camera may to some feel like it was rushed to market before it was ready.

There is no debate here. 

Who the hell would buy this camera for drone, when they can have a BM micro cinema camera, perfect for the job (lighter, RAW, lens flexibility, 2 times cheaper even with lens) ???
This camera is not for drone use. This camera is a April fool by Canon that came a few days too late. 
Can't wait to see the 5D4, and / or 5DC to see if Canon is officially becoming a pure shit player and going to death (not speaking about video only, but sorry even for stills a D810 is 100x better than 5D3, just to mention the 2004 like dynamic range) or if they are back in the game (5D4 with 4K, or 5DC with exact same video quality & 4k as 1DC for 3500USD, which is possible if you look at the 5DIII/1DX image quality and price difference). 

Not so sure the 7D MKII is a stills camera either, unless you have a Canon fetish or can't stand using an adapter with betters cameras like Sony's E-mount APS-C and EF-mount full frame line-up.
 
Check out this link to DXO where the 70D is compared to the D7100 and the a77 II.
 
 
http://www.dxomark.com/Cameras/Compare/Side-by-side/Sony-SLT-Alpha-77-II-versus-Canon-EOS-70D-versus-Nikon-D7100___953_895_865
 
 
The sensor in the 7D MK II might use a new processor, but it is the same terrible sensor that is in the 70D.  Canon gave up DR, ISO ability, etc., to implement the dual-pixel CMOS AF (which might have it's fans-- but at what a cost).
 
The Nikon D7100 and the Sony a77 II both absolutely crush the the 70D in image quality (for stills and video).  DXO isn't the end-all-be-all, but it's an arguablly fair place to start when assessing sensor performance.
 
I think there are a number of other cameras that would easily best the 7D MK II as well, like the Sony a5100, a6000, new Fuji APS models, and so on.
 
FWIW, the 7D is ranked number 127 rightn now on DXO's sensor raatings, and the 70D is ranked at number 108.  The $300 Sony a3000 (something you'd give a child interested in photography) is ranked at number 58.
 
 
http://www.dxomark.com/Cameras/Ratings
 
 
Like other posters have said, I'm not a Canon basher either.  I'm a... "WTF are you DOING Canon" commenter.  I own EF glass, a DSLR, 2 of their video cameras, a few point and shoot cameras, and surely some other Canon gear.  I haven't touched any of it in almost a year (except the EF glass- mounted to another camera).  I don't want to see Canon to fall asleep at the wheel and run into the fast approaching brick wall that is Sony, Panasonic, Samsung(?!) and many others.  Nikon, I'm legitimated concerned with you too, but you seem to still have a pulse (and that's another post).
 
Deeply entrenched brand loyalty breeds apathy in the short term because Canon will still sees sales from prodcuts like the 7D MK II.  These sales are really a result of decades and decades of goodwill-- that's not really on their books-- and not taken into enough consoderation by stockholders, IMHO.  Apathy breeds (or goes hand in hand with) arrogance, ignorance and greed.  In the last year alone I am willing to bet Canon's demographic has aged 5-8 years.  That is not where you want to be in 2014, going forward.
 
To any young person in the know who is looking for a new video/digital film camera with a semi-pro/enthusiast budget, the Sony FS7 seems to be it.  I think that the FS7 (a VERY ballsy move on Sony's part), alone, has killed off most of Canon's ciinema line: C100/C300/C500/1DC.  There are counter-arguments, but still.
 
I want to be excited about the next release from Canon, not dreading another 2 year wait for a crippled half-a** effort.  Where does Canon think their going to get their future video buyers?  The stills-only crowd is only aging.  From putting out what they claim to be hybrid (admit it) photo/DSLR cameras like the 7D MK II?  No.  Definitely not.
 
I only took the time to write this long-a** post because I care about Canon based on all of their gear that has served me well in the past.  IDK what to say though.
 
 
 
Tyson Preyer

I don't understand the incredible backlash here.  No offense intended, but this piece reads like Andrew did in fact get fired from a job due to not changing the battery or media in a BMCC on time.
 
Blackmagic gets 10x the criticism it derseves and about 1/4 the praise.  Yes, they should have addressed their firmware issues before launching 2 new cameras at NAB.  Yes, their customers are fair to expect support first for their cameras.
 
But put it into perspective people.  You can shoot incredible digital cinema with the three cameras they already had out.  Whether the lack of in-camera card formatting or lack of time code, etc. are flaws that are so big to render the cameras not worth your money/time/etc.-- that's for you to decide.
 
But I can handle the unaddreseds firmware issues in order to get the stunning imaging these cameras provide.  If Blackmagic didn't offer these cameras, how much would you have to pay to get similar quality imaging out of another camera today, or a year ago?
 
Also, if it wasn't for Blackmagic's innovation, I don't think we'd be seeing Sony, Panasonic and others making the moves they are right now.  Their cameras and video cameras would liekly be crippled and less capable.  That's how those compannies make money-- not by taking big risks (like the a7s) that potentially kills off their big money makers (like the FS-100, FS-700, etc.).
 
Quotes like:
 
"Their existing Cinema and Pocket Camera user base is lost. It’s over."
 
"[BM] completely turns its back on [its] existing indie filmmaking user base."
 
"[The] trend is to go smaller and lighter. This goes in complete opposite direction."  (BM has done nothing but buck the trend with their cameras.)
 
"It smacks of greed to go after the production market before you have even satisfied the indie crowd."  (Greed? Just take a look at the Sony/Canon/Nikon financials as well as their business practices-- you might change your mind.)
 
These quotes are not just someone's rather venomous opinion- but they do harm to the very companies and interests we should be looking out for as artists/hobbyists/filmmakers who desire immense quality at a relatively tiny price.
 
Just chill y'all.  Blackmagic shoud've adressed the firmware issues first, but don't overlook the incredible thech they're trying to bring us at very low prices (or declare their effort failed and futile).  Nor should you be taking for granted the innovation they are driving.  (In other words, stop throwing the babay out with the bathwater.)
 
 
T

I don't understand the incredible backlash here.  No offense intended, but this piece reads like Andrew did in fact get fired from a job due to not changing the battery or media in a BMCC on time.
 
Blackmagic gets 10x the criticism it derseves and about 1/4 the praise.  Yes, they should have addressed their firmware issues before launching 2 new cameras at NAB.  Yes, their customers are fair to expect support first for their cameras.
 
But put it into perspective people.  You can shoot incredible digital cinema with the three cameras they already had out.  Whether the lack of in-camera card formatting or lack of time code, etc. are flaws that are so big to render the cameras not worth your money/time/etc.-- that's for you to decide.
 
But I can handle the unaddreseds firmware issues in order to get the stunning imaging these cameras provide.  If Blackmagic didn't offer these cameras, how much would you have to pay to get similar quality imaging out of another camera today, or a year ago?
 
Also, if it wasn't for Blackmagic's innovation, I don't think we'd be seeing Sony, Panasonic and others making the moves they are right now.  Their cameras and video cameras would liekly be crippled and less capable.  That's how those compannies make money-- not by taking big risks (like the a7s) that potentially kills off their big money makers (like the FS-100, FS-700, etc.).
 
Quotes like:
 
"Their existing Cinema and Pocket Camera user base is lost. It’s over."
 
"[BM] completely turns its back on [its] existing indie filmmaking user base."
 
"[The] trend is to go smaller and lighter. This goes in complete opposite direction."  (BM has done nothing but buck the trend with their cameras.)
 
"It smacks of greed to go after the production market before you have even satisfied the indie crowd."  (Greed? Just take a look at the Sony/Canon/Nikon financials as well as their business practices-- you might change your mind.)
 
These quotes are not just someone's rather venomous opinion- but they do harm to the very companies and interests we should be looking out for as artists/hobbyists/filmmakers who desire immense quality at a relatively tiny price.
 
Just chill y'all.  Blackmagic shoud've adressed the firmware issues first, but don't overlook the incredible thech they're trying to bring us at very low prices (or declare their effort failed and futile).  Nor should you be taking for granted the innovation they are driving.  (In other words, stop throwing the babay out with the bathwater.)
 
 
T

I don't understand the incredible backlash here.  No offense intended, but this piece reads like Andrew did in fact get fired from a job due to not changing the battery or media in a BMCC on time.
 
Blackmagic gets 10x the criticism it derseves and about 1/4 the praise.  Yes, they should have addressed their firmware issues before launching 2 new cameras at NAB.  Yes, their customers are fair to expect support first for their cameras.
 
But put it into perspective people.  You can shoot incredible digital cinema with the three cameras they already had out.  Whether the lack of in-camera card formatting or lack of time code, etc. are flaws that are so big to render the cameras not worth your money/time/etc.-- that's for you to decide.
 
But I can handle the unaddreseds firmware issues in order to get the stunning imaging these cameras provide.  If Blackmagic didn't offer these cameras, how much would you have to pay to get similar quality imaging out of another camera today, or a year ago?
 
Also, if it wasn't for Blackmagic's innovation, I don't think we'd be seeing Sony, Panasonic and others making the moves they are right now.  Their cameras and video cameras would liekly be crippled and less capable.  That's how those compannies make money-- not by taking big risks (like the a7s) that potentially kills off their big money makers (like the FS-100, FS-700, etc.).
 
Quotes like:
 
"Their existing Cinema and Pocket Camera user base is lost. It’s over."
 
"[BM] completely turns its back on [its] existing indie filmmaking user base."
 
"[The] trend is to go smaller and lighter. This goes in complete opposite direction."  (BM has done nothing but buck the trend with their cameras.)
 
"It smacks of greed to go after the production market before you have even satisfied the indie crowd."  (Greed? Just take a look at the Sony/Canon/Nikon financials as well as their business practices-- you might change your mind.)
 
These quotes are not just someone's rather venomous opinion- but they do harm to the very companies and interests we should be looking out for as artists/hobbyists/filmmakers who desire immense quality at a relatively tiny price.
 
Just chill y'all.  Blackmagic shoud've adressed the firmware issues first, but don't overlook the incredible thech they're trying to bring us at very low prices (or declare their effort failed and futile).  Nor should you be taking for granted the innovation they are driving.  (In other words, stop throwing the babay out with the bathwater.)
 
 
T

I don't understand the incredible backlash here.  No offense intended, but this piece reads like Andrew did in fact get fired from a job due to not changing the battery or media in a BMCC on time.
 
Blackmagic gets 10x the criticism it derseves and about 1/4 the praise.  Yes, they should have addressed their firmware issues before launching 2 new cameras at NAB.  Yes, their customers are fair to expect support first for their cameras.
 
But put it into perspective people.  You can shoot incredible digital cinema with the three cameras they already had out.  Whether the lack of in-camera card formatting or lack of time code, etc. are flaws that are so big to render the cameras not worth your money/time/etc.-- that's for you to decide.
 
But I can handle the unaddreseds firmware issues in order to get the stunning imaging these cameras provide.  If Blackmagic didn't offer these cameras, how much would you have to pay to get similar quality imaging out of another camera today, or a year ago?
 
Also, if it wasn't for Blackmagic's innovation, I don't think we'd be seeing Sony, Panasonic and others making the moves they are right now.  Their cameras and video cameras would liekly be crippled and less capable.  That's how those compannies make money-- not by taking big risks (like the a7s) that potentially kills off their big money makers (like the FS-100, FS-700, etc.).
 
Quotes like:
 
"Their existing Cinema and Pocket Camera user base is lost. It’s over."
 
"[BM] completely turns its back on [its] existing indie filmmaking user base."
 
"[The] trend is to go smaller and lighter. This goes in complete opposite direction."  (BM has done nothing but buck the trend with their cameras.)
 
"It smacks of greed to go after the production market before you have even satisfied the indie crowd."  (Greed? Just take a look at the Sony/Canon/Nikon financials as well as their business practices-- you might change your mind.)
 
These quotes are not just someone's rather venomous opinion- but they do harm to the very companies and interests we should be looking out for as artists/hobbyists/filmmakers who desire immense quality at a relatively tiny price.
 
Just chill y'all.  Blackmagic shoud've adressed the firmware issues first, but don't overlook the incredible thech they're trying to bring us at very low prices (or declare their effort failed and futile).  Nor should you be taking for granted the innovation they are driving.  (In other words, stop throwing the babay out with the bathwater.)
 
 
T

Geeze, lay off it a bit. Everyone's rather polarized here. We haven't seen jack squat out of most of these cameras, GH4 and A7s included. 
 
1. Just because the GH4 does 4K and is a lightweight Mirrorless doesn't mean there's no place for a 7.5KG camera.
 
2. This new URSA, as Andy Lee pointed out, ticks an awful lot of boxes, even if it is heavy. 
 
3. It ditches that darned awful BMCC form factor.
 
4. I see physical buttons, thank the Lord.
 
Let's not condone or condemn a thing until all this has been tested in the field.

"I think what he is saying is Panasonic actually finishes their low end products before pushing out newer high end products."
--------------------------------------------------------------
I always thought this place was for the artist? The guy who will jump through hoops to get a beautiful image? The guy who will use a $200 Nikon to get a taste for 4K/Raw/60p?
 
Now, all of a sudden, a couple of firmware glitches (that I also want fixed, but don't live or die by) coupled with the news of them pushing on with a new camera and they are "turning their back on the indie community"?
 
In a perfect world, my £650 cinema camera would show me how much SD card I have left, but I just work out my GB per minute and guesstimate, erring on the cautious.
 
As long as BM keeping giving me huge bangs for bucks, they'll keep getting my bucks... A bit of firmware angst and some new cameras wont change that. They are still firmly the great shining light of the indie community.

Blackmagic are the James Dyson of the TV world and Grant Petty will always try to stretch the field in new ways. Some ideas will work and some won't. A bit like a clothes designer who puts the extreme stuff on the catwalk and then tones it down for the high street, the stuff that earns money for the company is the boring digital glue shoved inside cages with fans. Why not have a headline act too?
 
NAB wouldn't be the same without BM coming up with something that makes people blog, comment and discuss - that's good for everyone. The likelyhood of seeing the URSA in full production in the next 12 months is pretty low given the company's record, but I bet every bit of talent in the company has been fully employed in the last two months getting the prototype ready for NAB - now they can concentrate on the firmware. Please (from a Production Camera owner).

I bet the upgrades are coming. It would go against the mentality of BMD to leave 2 years of cameras behind with no upgrade at all. Existing customers would hate them for that, and prospect would also see it that way (I would, at least) and go with companies like Sony, seeing how they maintain the F5/F55 serie up-to-date. 
 
If they're not released in a couple of days, I think they will at least be announced and released later.