ac6000cw

Initial review and specs on dpReview - https://www.dpreview.com/reviews/panasonic-lumix-dc-g9-ii-initial-review-the-g9-series-matures

30 minutes ago, BTM_Pix said:

Its always been there in the background of course

Yes - most of the camera manuals I have say something like 'recording times may be reduced in high ambient temperatures'.

31 minutes ago, BTM_Pix said:

and the R5 was a wild ride while we were investigating it but it’s back with an increased vengeance recently.

I wonder if some of this is because the R5 situation bought the general issue to the attention of a lot more people (as it was discussed ad-nauseum at the time)?

Consequentially influencers & reviewers now have it on their 'must test it and/or say something about it' list - and of course they tend to choose the most computationally demanding video modes to test overheating, rather than the modes that probably 95% of users might choose day-to-day.

47 minutes ago, BTM_Pix said:

I’m curious because manufacturers seemingly show no interest in tackling it definitively and I would have to guess that it is because they are comfortable with the amount of, erm, heat they receive from dealers and customers about it.

I assume it's just that making the camera smaller and lighter (combined with a long enough features list) probably sells more product than putting a fan in it (to make it more appealing to a minority of video-orientated customers). I know a reasonable number of people who have and use reasonably 'serious' cameras, but mention to them that I use mine a lot for video and the reaction is often almost 'what's video' or that they have no real interest in shooting it...

I'm sure the design engineers could fix the thermal issues, but if that would make it noticeably larger and more expensive they probably get overruled by the product management & marketing side of the company (unless it's a hybrid camera that's very much aimed at video users, e.g. like the GHx, S5iix and S1H). Even the (original) G9 has a 10 minute 4k60p limit whereas it's very close relative the GH5 has much longer record times...

10 minutes ago, BTM_Pix said:

Namely, the GX80 and the LX100.

Putting a mic jack on them and giving them 10 bit 4:2:2 internal and VLOG would be a piece of piss for Panasonic and they could sell them all day long at their equivalent launch prices.

They might have to push the boat out and put IBIS in the LX but I don’t even think that is a deal breaker.

...Or even put IBIS and PDAF in a version of the G100... (but the GX80/GX9/LX100 are much better looking cameras from a style point-of-view).

If Sony can sell small, expensive and thermally-compromised cameras I'm sure Panasonic could if they had the right product...

4 hours ago, IronFilm said:

Yes, the way I understand is that:

1) G9mk2 is announced and immediately (or fairly soon afterwards) available to purchase

2) while "the development of" the GH6X/GH7 is announced, with their available being either late this year or perhaps next year 

As the G9ii looks like it's using a version of the GH6 25Mp sensor with PDAF added, a GH6ii/GH7 is probably not far away...

As an OM-1, G9 and GX80 owner, I'm not really interested in the G9ii, but a GX80/GX9/EM5/OM5 size camera with mic jack and the 25Mp PDAF sensor inside would be very interesting!

Now released:

A7C ii - https://www.dpreview.com/reviews/sony-a7c-ii-initial-review-not-so-small-improvements

A7CR - https://www.dpreview.com/reviews/sony-a7cr-initial-review-high-resolution-in-a-small-package

Sony certainly seems keen on filling every niche they can with a camera...

If Premiere supports VST audio plugins, could you use a delay plugin to time-shift one of the audio clips to fix the phasing issue, instead of shifting it directly on the timeline?

Another thought is that there are auto-align/auto-phasing VST plugins around, designed specifically to deal with multi-mic phasing issues in a multi-track mix e.g. like this one from Melda - https://www.meldaproduction.com/MAutoAlign

(Note I've never used that particular plugin, but I use other Melda plugins so I happen to know it exists).

Alternatively (but more work initially) could you fix the phasing issues as you do already, then export the fixed & mixed audio for the clip to a WAV file, then put it onto the timeline to replace the original audio for the clip (then group it back with the video)?

On 8/13/2023 at 5:15 PM, Marcio Kabke Pinheiro said:

Thinking about varifocals, how is your experience? And some glass lens recomendations?

(old guys derailing a thread...)

I've worn varifocals (every day) for longer than I can remember - at least 10 years.

As MrSMW said, the first time you wear them it takes a few days - at least - to adapt to them (and some people don't like/can't adapt to them). 

Personally I really like them and wouldn't have anything else now.

I always buy the varifocal lenses with the largest usable lens areas (near, mid, far) the optician offers - it  makes a big difference to the usability. They are often the most expensive but for something I use all day, every day I think it's worth it. Much better to spend the money on the lenses than expensive fancy frames, IMHO. It's like buying pro-grade camera zoom lenses versus kit zooms - the performance is less compromised.

Like MrSMW, I use the Specsavers chain in the UK - this is their guide to varifocals - https://www.specsavers.co.uk/glasses/glasses-lenses/varifocals (I use their 'Tailor-made' lenses)

Note it's more critical for varifocal lenses to be positioned correctly in relation to the eye pupil than single-vision lenses, so make sure the optician adjusts the frames to suit you when you get them.

12 minutes ago, fuzzynormal said:

I’d say even try up-rez’ing it to 4k and then upload. See how YouTube handles that one. 

Yes, I usually do that just to get decent looking 1080p when it's played, irrespective of the original source material.

In case anyone is interested, this is an example FFmpeg command line to process 4:3 PAL DV into 1440x1080p H.264 at 20Mbps using the Intel QSV encoder (command should be all on one line, input=PAL_DV.avi, output=PAL_DV_1080p.mp4):

ffmpeg.exe -i PAL_DV.avi -vf estdif,scale=1440x1080:flags=lanczos+accurate_rnd+full_chroma_int+full_chroma_inp,unsharp -c:v h264_qsv -preset veryslow -b:v 20M -c:a aac -b:a 256k PAL_DV_1080p.mp4
 

Another thing with YouTube, if your source material is 25 or 50 fps, is that only 720p and higher playback resolutions support those frame rates, so to get a source-matching playback fps you have to upload at a minimum of 720p (but I'd suggest 1080p like Kye has).

For PAL DV, I normally use FFmpeg to de-interlace (using 'estdif'), upscale, sharpen and encode to H264 1080p 50fps files before I edit it. Because (by today's standards) DV tends to be horribly noisy, you need to use a decent bitrate to keep the H264 1080p quality decent - otherwise the noise creates too many compression artefacts.

A6700 'Film mode' test now on optyczne.pl - https://www.optyczne.pl/79.1-Inne_testy-Sony_A6700_-_test_trybu_filmowego.html - with downloadable video samples

4k resolution test:

Full HD resolution test:

1 hour ago, Evgeniy85 said:

I was hoping for sub $1000. Silly me

I don't think that was realistic for a higher-end APS-C camera in the current market -  I think it's being priced against the X-S20 and R7.

57 minutes ago, SRV1981 said:

1,398 USD

£1449 body-only in the UK (including 20% sales tax).

On 7/8/2023 at 5:36 PM, John Matthews said:

Thanks for that. I can't tell any difference in those two frames in terms of detail. I know the GH6 has many more codec options and frame rates available over the GH5, but when it comes to pure image quality of 1080p 10bit at 24, 25,30, 50, and 60, I just wasn't sure. I've also heard the GH5s and G9 are exceptional (not sure for their 1080p). I was thinking about it earlier and I have to wonder if the GH6 has better noise performance in 1080p, due to the different sensor and processor. There must be some there.

I know my GH2 shoots WAY wider than most other M43 cameras, but I wasn't aware of any difference between the GH6 and other M43 cameras. Could this be due to a different tripod plate? The difference is so minor.

On 7/8/2023 at 10:49 PM, kye said:

I have the GH5 and GX85 but not the GH6, but I absolutely agree that although the GX85 is a great 4K 8-bit camera, the 1080p on the GH5 is in another league entirely.

Of the Panasonic cameras I've owned:

The 1080p on the G9 is superb (GH5 standard AFAIK), as is the 4k. MIx 1080p and 4k on a 4k timeline and it's not that obvious which is which unless you pixel-peep (and that's 28Mbps long-GOP 1080 50p versus 150Mps 4k 50p too!).

The 1080p on the GX80/GX85 is a bit soft, the G80 is sharper but more prone to aliasing. Neither is in the same league as the G9 - but that's a rather larger and heavier camera, so there's swings and roundabouts and I really like the feel of the GX80 in the hand. Whereas the G80 just feels 'functional' and soul-less...

(A bit off-topic, but about a week ago I succumbed to a used OM-1 at a very good price - not had a lot of time to test it, but the video quality seems a big step up from the E-M1 iii - the 1080p in particular, which I wasn't expecting - it looks generally much cleaner and more detailed. An OM-1 versus G9 1080p comparison using the same lens might be interesting...).

26 minutes ago, John Matthews said:

but the E-M1 ii has the edge in AF and maybe color in some instances.

Having owned a mk ii then a mk iii (both bought used), I think the better AF for video and adjustable-strength video IBIS on the iii are worth the extra money. There is also better separation of settings between stills and video on the iii. Video quality is the same in both, as far as I can tell.

And Olympus/OMDS certainly seem to know how to design and build pro-grade lenses and cameras - my (used) 12-40mm F2.8 Pro has paint worn away in places plus a damaged (but usable) filter thread, but works fine and has the smoothest zoom and focus rings I've ever used. I'm getting a bit tempted by the 12-100mm F4 Pro as a consequence...

14 hours ago, fuzzynormal said:

I'll chime in with a contrary opinion and a dark horse suggestion:  Weathered sealed OM (Olympus) cams/lenses shooting 4k 8-bit --probably considered sort of low-end these days, right?  OM cams definitely fly under the radar with videographers, but they have some useful features.

The color and images look dang nice straight out of the camera, the cams aren't big, you get really good IBIS, and the file data sizes are relatively small.  OM's target demo is pretty much nature shooters, so they build their gear for outdoor use. 

Be careful though.  The video image might not be as 'meaty' as you'd like it to be if you're used to other pro cameras or doing a bunch of drastic coloring in post. Still, the wife and I are currently doing a nature doc and we're happy with what we're getting. 

ND... Man, that is the shortcoming on all hybrid cams though.

I'd agree with all of that, having gone from being a decade-long Panasonic user to now most often picking up an E-M1 iii when I take a camera out 🙂.

The video quality on the E-M1 iii isn't top-notch (although the 24p DCI 4k at nominally 237Mbs is pretty good), but as an all-round rugged 'outdoors' package it's great (as is the battery life). I normally use the 'Natural' profile with the sharpness set to minimum, contrast reduced and the shadows lifted/highlights reduced a little using the 'shadows & highlights' adjustment curves. The problem with the Flat and OM-Log400 profiles is that you lose the sharpness adjustment and I find the default sharpening too high for my taste.

(There seems to be plenty of used E-M1 iii and lenses like the 12-40 F2.8 around at good prices, if the budget is tight)

On 6/26/2023 at 5:30 PM, John Matthews said:

What settings do you use on your G9? In what situation?

For video, 'Continuous AF' Mode 2 with the default 'Set 1' AF settings (sensitivity 0, area switching 0, object prediction +1) and a slightly smaller custom version of the diamond-shaped 'central pattern' focus area for most situations. For wildlife I often use the animal subject detect with a smaller focus area. I rarely film people so I almost never use human/eye subject detection. I don't use tracking AF either - I'm normally a 'keep the subject in the centre of the frame' person.

From the manual:

I had a play recently (inside a camera shop) with an S5ii, X-T5 and OM-1.

On the S5ii shooting FHD at 50p, in full-frame mode it does not use PDAF (it uses DFD instead) but it does use it in APS-C mode.

The difference in C-AF responsiveness and focus speed was very noticeable - it was pretty snappy in PDAF, much slower in DFD. I was pointing the camera alternately at something in the far end of the shop and at something quite close using a simple mid-size focus area (no subject detect). I would say the AF was pretty confident and smooth in both cases though.

The X-T5 AF was very 'snappy' (with the 16-80 lens on it), the OM-1 similar to the S5 ii in PDAF (with the 12-40 mk2 lens) - but both have adjustable AF speed and sensitivity (as does the S5ii) so that doesn't necessarily mean much.

At the current offer prices in the UK, an S5ii kit with 20-60mm plus 50mm lenses is quite tempting at £2099, but as I normally shoot in 50p it's basically an APS-C video plus full-frame stills camera for me. The X-T5 is smaller and lighter (the X-S20 even more so), but for video the Fuji lenses seem to be a mixed bag in terms of AF speed and smoothness (and the IBIS isn't yet at the Pana/Oly/OMDS level).

Personally I find the DFD on my G9 works perfectly well for the use cases I have - confident with smooth focus transitions and no/minimal 'pulsing'.

The X-S20 User Manual is available now - https://fujifilm-dsc.com/en/manual/x-s20/x-s20_manual_en_s_f.pdf

One thing I have noticed is that none of the current Fuji cameras (including the X-S20) support plug-in power on the mic sockets, which is very annoying for me as I have several mics that need it... aargh!

Optyczne.pl have their 'film mode' review out - https://www.optyczne.pl/77.1-Inne_testy-Fujifilm_X-S20_-_test_trybu_filmowego_Wstęp.html (as well as words, there are resolution, noise reduction and sharpening tests plus downloadable general sample videos).

They generally really like it, but comment that the non-subject detect/non-tracking video AF is prone to 'pumping' on static scenes:

Quote from the 'summary' section (using Google translate):

Quote

Of course, there were also a few slip-ups, the biggest of which we must consider the autofocus "pumping" on still frames (which is all the more strange because it is great with tracking objects). The electronic viewfinder and stabilization could also be slightly improved, as well as add a second slot for memory cards. Some of these elements, however, are more features resulting from the positioning of the camera on a specific price shelf.

On 5/27/2023 at 1:25 PM, dgvro said:

It was worse, indeed. From what I saw. And unless they've since fixed somehow with firmware (not that I heard).

Someone maybe said something about the worse 1080 (particularly slowmo) performance being inherent with the new sensor, I can't remember.

In what way was the 1080p worse on the X-H2S versus say the X-T4?

I'm interested to know since 1080 at 25p & 50p is important to me. I don't care about the high-fps modes used for slow-mo mo.

8 hours ago, Chrille said:

That's really interesting - i read that the HD on the XH2S was pretty bad though. Fingers crossed - looking forward to some tests!

Decide for yourself - from the Polish https://www.optyczne.pl/ 'film mode' reviews, a few FHD test chart videos:

This is their FHD test chart video for the X-H2S:

 (There are also some downloadable X-H2S FHD sample videos here - https://www.optyczne.pl/63.5-Inne_testy-Fujifilm_X-H2S_-_test_trybu_filmowego_Podsumowanie_i_filmy_przykładowe.html ).

For comparison, their FHD test chart video for the X-T4:

...and just to show how video down-scaling to FHD should be done, this is the test chart video for the GH6 (their comment was "As long as we do not exceed 100 fps in the mode using the entire width of the sensor, the image quality is simply great" - I have to agree!).

5 hours ago, BTM_Pix said:

Yes

https://petapixel.com/2019/05/29/alter-rfs-a-hinged-lens-filter-adapter-that-swings-out-of-the-way/

...and I guess this is one of the Chinese knock-offs of it - https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/UURIG-R-77-77mm-Rapid-Filter-System-Lens-Filter-Metal-I2Z8/285223741334

On 5/24/2023 at 11:58 PM, Andrew Reid said:

Panasonic GH2, 2023 edition

Very nice.

We've certainly come a long way in performance terms in 13 years - 6.2K/30p (& 4K/60p) 4:2:2 10-bit internal recording, with IBIS & APS-C sensor, in a body as small as a GH2!

2 hours ago, Chrille said:

Yeah i guess i found the overview:

https://fujifilm-x.com/en-gb/products/cameras/x-s20/specifications/

Looking at the specifications there are two columns next to the different formats called  "Crop Magnification" with DIS ON and DIS OFF.

Good find - I hadn't scrolled down that page far enough to see the main 'Movie Specification' table (see below). It's interesting that it offers DCI2K (2048 x 1080) as well as DCI4K. Also the 4k 50/60p crop is apparently lower with DIS ON than with DIS OFF (1.1x vs. 1.18x).

2 hours ago, Chrille said:

I am only finding contrary information on additional crop factors( some say there is a 1,18 crop in 6K, some don't etc...)  . Did anyone find any additional information?

From the Fuji website:

Quote

[6.2K(3:2)] 6240 x 4160　29.97p/25p/24p/23.98p　360Mbps/200Mbps/100Mbps/50Mbps

6240 x 4160 = 26Mp, which is the full sensor area and the same size as the largest still image - "[L]〈3:2〉6240 x 4160".

So I can't confirm it for sure, but it looks like 'no crop' to me.

AFAIK the 50/60p DCI and UHD modes are cropped - 1.18 I think, same as on the X-T4 (which has the same sensor).