docmoore

I am moving back to the GH ... GH5s arriving this week ... to supplement my Leica SL which is challenged in low light.

No one else gives us 10 bit 4:2:2 internal dual UHS2 card slots HDMI A connector in a small portable form.

This short sums up my thoughts of its adaptability and function for small projects :

3 hours ago, Andrew Reid said:

That is the Kowa 8Z anamorphic in action according to the guy who shot it. On a very old 50's Nikon lens.

I think people notice things like that more than the codec.

But what it also says, is how well 8bit stands up and that camera in low-light. Didn't expect such a creamy look to the shadows.

Yes, all new cameras are a bit overhyped... but I can't wait to put my Iscorama on an X-T3 and shoot 4K 60p.

Jordan Drake in the GH5s introduction mentioned that in reality 8 bit may be preferable to 10 bit as there is much less noise 

in the shadows ... if exposed correctly. This mirrors his experience.

Dual channel phantom power ... then XLR to mini cables.

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/406897-REG/Denecke_PS_2_PS_2_Portable_Dual.html

These are dead quiet but eat batteries ...

Perhaps a better solution is a PIX-E5 external recorder with a PIX-LR ... pro grade preamps and limiters and LED monitoring. Or an Atomos recorder.

Bob

4 hours ago, Andrew Reid said:

Maybe you're just seeing the flaw in the ND for the first time due to extremely flat F-LOG and smooth 10bit tonality?

Was it a very low contrast shot which had the shift?

I've used a cheap vari-nd on my X-H1 and had no issues. Got a B+W nano coming soon, will try that on the X-T3.

Cheap NDs are a bit of a gamble ... poor construction and major color issues.

Some think that vari-nd filters really mess with skin tones.

Might be preferable to use simple nd filters ... although it is a major pain in varying light conditions if one does not want to 

change aperture and shutter speed.

Here is a fairly good question answer thread from Shane Hurlbut ... in it he states that he avoids variable NDs ...

https://www.thehurlblog.com/film-lighting-polarizing-filters-powerful-filmmaking-tools/

15 hours ago, zerocool22 said:

Wow the pocket really blows the gh5 away.

As does the GH5s ... which would have been a better camera to compare ... as they perhaps share

the same sensor.

I am very impressed with these clips from Gordon Laing ...

He has 8 and 10 bit samples Eterna and log.

One should consider the perspective of the drone with regards to DR.

Usually a ground based photographer fights the highlights from above the horizon and the sky ... trying to account for their differential from the main subject in the foreground. But much drone video is looking down without a large component from the sky ... and when it does include the sky the ground is somewhat secondary and can fall into the darker areas of exposure. So 11.8 to 12.8 will be more than adequate ... the difficulty is in judging exposure from the viewpoint of the pilot ... the better the monitor the more likely to find the appropriate aperture and iso. 

I think that the viewpoint is so engaging ... we tend to accept good not great footage from an exposure standpoint as the other elements are so engaging.

My only concern with the leaked photos is the rectangular aspect of the lens housing ... calls for yet another set of dedicated ND filters. Hope Polarpro had an early sample to formulate new ones.

Sony Rx1 has leaf shutter with sync to 1/4000 ... as long as the aperture is 5.6 ... speeds fall to 1/2000 at max aperture.

Most non-leaf shutter cameras sync at 1/125 or slower so no, actually a boon for photos ... if you are using strobes.

And a few photographers actually use ND filters.

I was recently persuaded to acquire a SL rather than a big Canon C series camera.

Working with it for a few days ... it bridges the still/video cross for me.

Still need to dial in color and most probably add an external recorder for 10bit color and a gimbal 

for movement ... or add a Osmo Raw for those shots not on a tripod.

Here is a fairly long poorly edited clip from the camera ....

https://vimeo.com/280429800

Password: daysend 

This one was fun ... but shows the need for an external 10bit recorder.

https://vimeo.com/280436564

Password: daysend

I will pull them in a couple of days.

Regards,

Bob

This may get a bit more performance ... if it is stable on the MBP ....

http://www.macvidcards.com/store/p110/World's_First_EFI_eGPU_card_for_Mac_Pro_6%2C1.html

I have one installed (non-eGPU) in my old Mac Pro tower ... flashed bios to survive the OS update routines.

Bob

This camera works on a lot of levels ... loved Ballistic ... hate hanging at the end of it.

Here are four short clips that convince me that the limitations of the C200 may not matter.

I am convinced that it will work on many projects ... if you have time to work with the files.

Question is whether the C300 Mk II can match this without a huge amount of peripherals ... recorders etc.

This update on the C200 is from April but suggests the firmware has the XF-AVC now.

http://www.4kshooters.net/2018/04/12/canon-firmware-update-for-c300-mark-ii-c200-c700-and-xf400-405/

8bit 4:2:0

Newer FW release of 6/20/2018 here:

https://www.usa.canon.com/internet/portal/us/home/support/details/cameras/cinema-eos/eos-c200/eos-c200?subtab=downloads-firmware

Not sure if anyone has upgraded ...

It seems to be ... there are notes that say it will require a firmware update in their specs but this is the first time the Mbps has

been mentioned. Time will tell if Matthew Allard is correct with his 2 month old note on the upcoming XF-AVC but I suspect that he 

will be correct. 

Would appeal to a much broader base if it had the minimum broadcast standard as a middle codec ... since the C300 Mk III seems to be imminent

protecting it is nothing if not classic Canon.

10 hours ago, mercer said:

You have a C200 too? You are the Canon poster boy. How do you like it? That’s my dream camera... I can’t wait until everybody on this forum is clamoring over 12K and I can afford a C200B.

No but I am thinking of divesting my last Leica RF and a couple of lenses, moving from the 5D4 to a dedicated C series camera. I love the Leica but it has seen little light

for a couple of months ... and the 5D4 is very good but pales in comparison with the C100II C300II or C200. 

I have learned that having a lot of money tied up in equipment that I might use if I found the time is unrewarding. So I sold off my medium format gear, most of my 

full frame rangefinder stuff and this would be the completion of that move.

Prefer a camera that I can run with ... without a lot of rigging most of the time. 

The clips were downloaded from an online posting ... just playing with the raw to see if it is workable. Had a RED One and RED Epic a number of years ago ... loved

the RED raw but the cameras entailed to much stuff for me.

All I can say is that Arri is out of my price range and no one else comes close to Canon color. So color, light and motion depict reality which is pretty much what a

wildlife and landscape photo/video shooter tries to portray ... at least that is my goal. So Canon it is ... for video ... stills ... give me Hasselblad or the newest Nikon 810 850

sensors or the Leica S or SL.

C200B is somewhat crippled without the EVF and no LCD ... makes it kinda big with an add-on external screen ... and by the time you add handle and screen you are

very close to the C200. Although a small Zacuto Gratical Eye might be workable.

I will rent the C200 this week to see if it is as useable as the C100Mk2 I have used in the past.

3 minutes ago, mercer said:

Yeah, in that instance the C200 didn’t really make sense for your needs. Honestly, I don’t know why anyone would use the C200 unless they were planning on shooting RawLite.

Yes CRL gives you a lot of options ... even with HD ... conversion to Prores HQ and rendering as HD ... with the ability to stabilize and crop if needed ... would cover everything from HD120FPS to 4K 12 bit.

As I have not production pressure ... time is not an issue so conversion and rendering is not a drawback.

Now just what spec the 160Mbps XF-AVC is will determine how attractive the camera is to many. Assume it is 8 bit but hope they at least give us 4:2:2.

Just stumbled across a spec for XF-AVC upgrade on the UK Canon Site ....

https://www.canon.co.uk/video-cameras/eos-c200/specifications/

Under video recording times SD card at 160Mbps ... assume it will be 8 bit.

I grabbed a clip in RAW and did a 30 second color edit in Resolve ....

Love the color and the raw to Prores HQ is fast enough for me.

This video might be of help for you in setting exposure on the C100:

Perhaps the dividing line is cinema versus video ... 

Most cinema is scripted and staged ... so the camera operator knows the distances near and far and can practice many times the pulls prior to

the final shoot. Many follow focus wheels have stops for near and far. And manual focus on a decent 7 inch monitor with good light is very clear,

without a need for magnification.

When I am following a duck at 30 to 150 yards or a heron jumping and moving while it fishes the inshore of a slough ... all at F2 to F4 ... DPAF with tracking

helps. Or when tracking a flying bird that is not at a constant distance and is moving at high speed ...  DPAF just sorts it. Or a performer who moves while playing

with shallow DOF it is seamless. That unpredictable movement would stress even a seasoned focus puller.

Usually if the object is static ... I will zoom in to nail focus and stay in MF for the clip.

Nice to have the option ... and if AF is poor it is more of a hinderance than a help. It is why I had the GH5 for a very short time ... just not good enough.

So to turn the question a bit ... I would pay more for a 5D4 with no crop and RAW in 4K.

Adequate ... eye relief is not amazing but easy to nail focus ... and you can use the peaking and magnification

for critical focus.

I have not turned down the contrast for the EVF but if that is possible might make for better exposure adjustment.

The camera does have a histogram on the LCD prior to video capture that helps determine exposure and the exposure

meter itself seems quite useable.

Today was less than ideal ... yesterday I found a Bluejay nestling in the yard ... had fallen 12 meters from a nest in a Chinese Pistachio tree. Barely alive ... nursed him all night and drove 40 miles this morning to deliver him to a wildlife rescue mission ... he will be there for weeks in rehabilitation learning what his parents would have imparted to him in days. Came home to find his nest lying at the bottom of the tree.

There is a perceptable sadness in the garden this afternoon ... we have spent 20 years cultivating a place of rest and one that is somewhat protected from the vagaries of the wild ... although we routinely have predators that enter from the periphery.

Thought I would film a bit of the garden ... seems a bit melancholy ... reflection on our loss ... and yes in view of all the evil in this world it is minor in comparison.

All done with the Canon M50 ... Andrew's EOSHD C Log PP.

https://vimeo.com/275941224

Password: Daysend

Sorry it is a bit long.

Regards,

Bob

This is the Wooden Camera Small DSLR Accessory Kit ... however if you do not need the quick release tripod plate with 15mm rod support you can get the a7/A9 cage

which appears to be on sale at B&H at the moment.

This is a list of all the WC cages and systems ...

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/search?ci=3926&fct=fct_brand_name|wooden-camera&N=3907816577

Again,

The battery door is obstructed so battery and camera are captive. I assume knowing WC the can modify the base for the Canon M50. The side rod which connects the top and base 

comes in three sizes so you can use the cage for mirrorless, Canon 5D and 1DX bodies ... I have all three of the rods as they are one of the cheapest parts of the system. Very rigid and

will support a ton of stuff. External monitor recorder, follow focus and matte box ... etc.

1 hour ago, mercer said:

Don't you have a 5D4? If so, how does the M50 compare in your opinion?

Really a different beast ... light easy to use but will take a bit of time to get used to the flip out screen ... find

it a little disorienting with respect to vertical alignment where walls noticeable if it is not flush with the camera back.

I think that the 4K image is sharp enough when on tripod ... the 1080 with DPAF makes me miss that on this camera in

4K ... and the AF with the Sigma is a bit marginal in 4K ... perfect in 1080. Peaking is great and with the mic input I can add 

another Nanolockit and sync both the 5D4 and the M50 to my SD recorder. So this camera will cover my travel light needs,

gives me video with Leica M lenses and EF lenses, and will allow for another angle of capture along side of the 5D4. 

Colors seem very close ... but I would like a profile that mimics the Canon Log as closely as possible so that workflow looks

consistent. I may play with my Video Color Checker Passport(?) to see if I can minimize differences in the two.

It is interesting to look at file sizes as it uses a different codec from the 5D4 ... much smaller and not as chopped up ... 5D4 has a 

4Gb limit to file which on that camera is 2 minutes in 4K.

I was pleased to find that Tethertools has a battery insert for the camera so my large battery banks and AC for the 5D4 will work on 

this also.

Looking at the RAW files ... it has enough resolution and DR for almost any of my needs at this point. Still use the 5D4 for macro as

HeliconFocus will allow automated focus stacks which are wonderful ... set near and far focus points and it drives the camera through

auto stacking ... then in post will align and paint the layers for the stacks.

I think the big drawback of the EOS M is native lenses ... most think the 22 F2 is the only adequate one at the present time. Without the Canon

EOS - EF M adapter I probably would not have picked up the camera.

I will be trying the 24-105 and 16-35 today to assess the IS functions. And I hope that the AF in 4K is a bit better. Not so much with the 40 Pancake.

2 hours ago, webrunner5 said:

It shows as 4K on my computer on Vimeo. Frame grab is pretty awesome!

Actually that was a RAW still ... but the dynamic range is good in video. 

At Dave's suggestion I am trying Vision Color profiles ... might look at the EOSHD profile ... not so much color but just trying to

extract the biggest range out of the camera that I can.

It is 4K ... saved as ProResLT and uploaded UHD ... but I was only able to see the 4K once on Vimeo ... all other times it

shows as 1080 at best but should be 4K on their site.

Hey Dave,

This one is for you.

Thanks for the heads up on the M50 ... looks to be a decent B Cam. Found that the Wooden Camera Cage does allow for the external power input and HDMI

is accessible ... might be a workaround ... as putting it on the M50 and removing it for the battery would be a major pain.

https://vimeo.com/275429037

Password: Daysend

Picture profile neutral.

And a still for all those worried about highlights....

Again thanks for the information ... 

Bob

49 minutes ago, Andrew Reid said:

 

Nothing hypothetical about the M50 as it exists ... and I am a bit in the dark ... the NX1 had DPAF?

Kudos to Canon in that they still are in the market.

That they do not cater to low end video is a loss ... but with time there seems to be a democratization of technology ... filtering

down to the rest of us.

I picked up a M50 and EOS - EFM adapter today ... put my EOS 40 lens on ... charging batteries ... if DPAF shows in the new M5 Mk II I

will upgrade in a NY minute.

Using this as a B-cam to the 5DMk IV AC adapter and a Tethertools battery insert ordered.

Thanks for the VisionColor suggestion ... downloaded as I have the Impulz LUTS Ultima ....

3 minutes ago, Andrew Reid said:

So finally after 5 years, the market leader will catch up with the company that quit the camera market.

At least gives us options ...