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Mat Mayer

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Posts posted by Mat Mayer

  1. I went from Canon 600D to Sony RX100ii and the color on the Sony was crap in comparison imho. A good way to explain is my profile picture; it looks a bit nasty with fake green and over saturated. In fairness I had Technicolor Cinestyle with the Canon so that will of course beat a consumer pocket camera.

    However they have now introduced S Log 2 to the RX's so that changes everything imho. Andrew will be comparing the RX10 to a Canon soon, which should help us make our minds up. So far the S Log footage looks really promising to me.

  2. Looks like Google might save the day with the free VP9 alternative to H.265.

    This post recommends holding off choosing new hardware based on either for now: http://www.streamingmedia.com/Articles/Editorial/Featured-Articles/Is-it-Time-Yet-for-4K-H.265-and-VP9-Adoption-Not-So-Fast-104430.aspx

    It does look like lots of new Smart TVs are able to use both. If they are as good as each other and one is free, surely that will win though?

     

  3. Maybe they are slowly getting out of the camera game to clear space in their stores for 3D printers?

    "Research and advisory company, Gartner, has predicted that end-user spending on 3D printers is expected to increase from $1.6 billion in 2015 to around $13.4 billion in 2018¹." Source: http://www.canon.co.uk/about_us/press_centre/press_releases/business_solutions_news/1h15/canon_enters_3d_printing_market.aspx

  4. I hope the RX10ii review is before the 29th July, there are literally no other reviews about it anywhere. A certain videographer started a review then pissed off to Iceland after playing with the slow motion settings. :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

    So far there is just a single review from a photographer who is not too well known and he seems to highlight some negatives with image quality.

  5. I have just learned something quite interesting which I assume most of you know, but perhaps other newbies like me don't. The equivalent aperture on the RX10ii is not a constant 2.8 really. It is actually closer to 8 when compared to other cameras.

    Source: http://***URL removed***/reviews/sony-cybershot-dsc-rx10/images/apertures.png ( rx10 is the darker, higher straight blue line).

    Source 2: http://www.picturecorrect.com/tips/understanding-crop-factor-are-you-being-scammed-by-camera-manufacturers/ (he mentions the RX10 at 27.09 in the video, I enjoyed the whole thing)

    In the video I also learned ISO isn't equal between cameras with different sensor sizes too. So when last night I told my friend S-Log 2 on this starts at 800, then he said his A7s starts at 3,200; I was wrong to think that the RX10 trumps the A7s. In the video at 13.00 he shows comparisons. The CX sensor seems to be around an inch and 800 ISO on that is equivalent to 6400 on a full frame camera like the A7s.

    There are some comments on the second source with the video that say it is wrong, so it would be interesting to hear any thoughts here. From what I understand bokeh will not be good on the RX10 and keeping the ISO low should be a priority.

     

  6. Water sealing sounds awesome, does that mean it is OK to use in the rain or that you can actually put it under water? On my last trip I was calculating what I would rather damage when walking in a river and jumping from one rock to another, and basically said as long as there were no rocks that could hit my head, the camera takes priority over my whole body. So this would be a nice safety issue for me. I also shoot waterfalls and they sometimes spray tiny droplets so it would be nice to use then too.

    Someone on the FZ1000 Facebook group just asked "what lenses do you guys use with this camera"? Time to leave it I think

  7. Mat, the FZ1000 is great on paper, but have you any footage shot on that camera that looks good? I certainly haven't.

    Looks horribly video-ish, enormous F8-F14 FF equiv. depth of field, tiny narrow DR, disastrous highlight clipping, excessive digital sharpening, too much noise at  800+ ISO. I just never seen any image that looks appealing from that camera despite the impressive spec list.

    I am sure if a very careful and talented cinematographer and a great colourist wanted to achieve a pleasing look off of it they will do it, but natively the camera just doesn't look as good as many other cameras even the first RX10. That's just my subjective opinion of the image. I find it really unappealing for anything short of stock landscape footage in daylight for traveling maybe. 

    Thanks for letting me know. I am currently slow traveling so don't have good screens to check footage. It's photos look pretty noisy and lacking. Anyway my above post about finding the RX10ii for an awesome price means I have flip flopped, yet again. Just want a bit more confirmation that the RX10ii is great, then will go and put my deposit down hopefully tomorrow.

  8. ​Yes will do that but there's really no comparison, the 120p from the Sonys is in a different league.

    Andrew, I just found out the price of the RX10ii in Thailand. It is £800! In the UK it is £1200. This makes it a no-brainer surely? Very surprised and delighted as some cameras aren't available here like the FZ1000. They said it will be in stock after 29th July. If I put a deposit down I get a free battery and filter. Is it a no brainer compared to the FZ1000? Or should I wait until your final tests? I only care about 4K outdoor video quality (camera still on tripod), having full manual control and footage I can grade (so the S Log sounds better on paper).

    Edit: shit I just realised I can probably claim the 7% VAT back when I leave the country making the total cost £750. 

  9. How does the Panasonic LX100 fare against RX10 M2?

    My guess is that the LX100 will have better video quality thanks to a larger sensor. It will also feel much nicer to hold imho.

    But the RX10ii shoots 4k for twice as long, has a much longer lens and has extras like slow motion. Plus it has S Log 2 which may help getting the video color looking better and perhaps more cinematic? I have been told that Log is necessary for me which is why I am thinking of getting the RX10ii instead of the GH4.

  10. Any experiences with heat yet? As much as I found all the sony cameras I tested nice in the last months, ALL of them showed

    problems when recording constantly in a bit hotter surroundings (like summer). How does this camera perform heating/cooling wise?

    I saw someone complaining on dpreview that the RX100iv shut down because of overheating after just two minutes while shooting 4K. So some assurances about the RX10ii would be great. 

  11. Just found some new sample videos of the RX10ii on Youtube (would be fascinated to hear any thoughts, especially in comparison to the GH4 or Sony A7s with Shogun), there are more if you select "this week" option in Youtube:

    This one the videographer is going for a filmic look, I guess using S Log (17 July):

     

    These two are more of a random overview using auto settings and playing with a few features (first was put up10 hours ago, the second on 15 July):

     

  12. As far as I know, the 4K mode sensor size on these cameras are as follows 

    GH4: 2.3x (1:1 4K crop from a 16mp m43s sensor)

    RX10/II: 2.7x (full sensor readout & downscale from a 1" sensor) 

    NX100: 2.77x (1:1 4K crop of 30.3mp s35 sensor)

    I think the 24/28mm remark on the RX10 is due to the top and bottom crop to go from 3:2 to 16:9 aspect ratio and not a crop into a smaller center area. This is the case with the XC10 for example which doesn't crop in 4K, but in phptography mode at 3:2 it's 24mm and at 16:9 video mode it's 27mm. 

    In short, GH4 4K is largest sensor size of them, and the one most capable of getting extremely shadow depth if field, due to larger sensor in 4K, ability to use faster than 2.8 lenses, and ability to go s35 size with the Speedbooster, so it's shallowe DOF, that's what it only means. Lowlight and DR and colour quality are dependent on other sensor quality elements which we'll have to wait and see. 

    I think you may be confused about the NX1 which you have called the NX100.

    The NX1 has a 1.5 crop which means it is recording to a much larger sensor size than the GH4.

    edit: I am sure I read the NX1 downscales from 6.5K somewhere, plus I just found this quote from the blog; "I questioned Samsung on the readout resolution, because 28MP is a long way from the 8MP of 4K. 28MP is more like 7K! The answer had my jaw on the floor. Their sensor is able to do a full pixel readout at up to 30fps in 7K and so there’s no  crop  in 4K video mode. The image processor appears to be doing a very good job of scaling the 7K raw output from the sensor to 4K and Ultra HD."

  13. I have a newbie question: I decided to try and do the maths on how much sensor size is used for different cameras when shooting in 4K...

    I got 15.6mm x 10.9mm (=170) for the GH4 and 11.4mm x 7.6mm (=86) for the RX10II. The latter is more likely to be wrong as I am just guessing at a 0.86 crop of the 1 inch sensor based on this quote from Andy: "The RX10 II only has a small crop in 4K from 24mm to 28mm at the wide end". I couldn't find anything else on Google to help me figure it out so I just said 24-28 is 6/7 = 0.86

    Does anyone know if I got that right. If so it seems the GH4 uses twice the sensor size for 4K video. I know size isn't everything, but twice the size seems to me like it would make a large difference in video quality?

    I also checked the Samsung NX500 and got 14.75mm x 9.9mm and the NX1 23.3 x 15.6 (=363- so more than twice the size of the GH4). I have likely got these numbers all wrong as I am pretty much guessing as a newbie.

     

  14. Someone is selling one for $500 where I am. It is tempting but the crop is so big (tiny) and even though reviews say the video quality compares to the NX1, I just can't imagine how it can be when the NX1 downscales from 6.5K.

    Plus you have the 15 minute limit, transcoding hassles, no log and trying to sell it will be very difficult. Nobody wants to buy these cameras, whereas you can sell a GH4 for almost what you paid for it new. Samsung will be back.

     

  15. After seeing this on Amazon the other day for £1500 I had given up, but now it seems to be settled at £1200 there and elsewhere.  We know Sony will drop the price in the near future making it unsellable used, so I thought it would be a bad investment considering the small sensor.

    I was all set for a new GH4 with a decent 17-40mm Canon/Nikon lens, cheap adaptor, variable ND filter for just over the £1500. I assume that would be a more future proof choice because GH4s sell for just £100 less than new price on eBay, despite being "pretty old". Then I can swap to a bigger camera in future or get the metabones speedbooster.

    But this price means the upcoming tests will make things very interesting. The RX10 will be half the weight, cheaper and much longer range. I am glad the guy who literally wrote the book on the GH4 will be putting the RX10 up against an A7s, as that is the camera I am trying to compete with (get close to in 4K quality, not match) for this money. Will be glued to the screen for this one...

  16. I love America and I think capitalism is the more successful way of life by far in terms of what it offers for innovation, wealth generation and quality of living. However in my opinion both ways of life will ultimately fail because they are abused. Communism was first drawn up in Manchester when Karl Marx visited the cotton mills. The aim of it was to improve the lives of factory workers, ultimately it has lead to their enslavement in the millions by a system that is capitalist for the rich and communism for the rest. But then Chinese culture is not synonymous with communism - it goes back much further and it's a beautiful culture. Every opposing system and culture can learn from each other. Our consumerist society has issues which a communist society doesn't have and visa versa. I think there's innovation in every system too and in every culture. It isn't a black and white, good vs evil situation. The crime rate in North Korea is virtually zero for instance. Despite the other problems in the country, that's still an achievement.

    Communism or capitalism shouldn't drive a wedge between us and those ordinary people & other filmmakers, who just happen to live in Russia or China. People with strong beliefs need to learn to respect opposing beliefs better than they do currently. In Europe people are largely secular which is part of why the Norwegians, Swiss, etc. usually stay out of wars. Religion drives politics to a large degree in America. Many in Europe and the UK see the US as a fundamentalist religious state, with wars waged in the name of God. There may be a dangerous "divinity problem" in North Korea but so far it hasn't killed nearly the number of people that the things done in the name of western reglion has. Religion can be a wonderful thing but combined with politics it is a danger.

    ​Was getting ready to click Like until you said "The crime rate in North Korea is virtually zero for instance. Despite the other problems in the country, that's still an achievement." Nobody knows how the system works there, it might be that everyone gets shot for so much as stealing a loaf of bread, which would certainly help the crime rate.

    I watched the film, it was pretty shit but I was mildly amused for 90 minutes. Best to watch at home so you can be using your phone or tablet at the same time, certainly not worthy of going to the cinema for (nor is Night at the Museum).

     

  17. Spend longer thinking about what I am about to film before pressing go. I am still a noob so make silly mistakes like poor composition, wrong ISO or shutter speed. Even an extra minute would fix 80% of my mistakes.

    Also no more reading up on cameras. I have a very capable 4k phone for now and will buy a proper camera like the NX1 when I can, so no looking what is out there for months, just spend a few days browsing before the actual purchase.

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