mercer

I am not shooting blockbusters but I did use the FX6 on a feature earlier this year. After getting a chance to color it I think I will use it on most smaller productions going forward unless something else is requested. 

I might prefer a C70 over the FX6, but I do like the FX6 form factor better and the fact that is has SDI and XLR. I definately prefer the FX6 to the FX3 because the internal codec is better and I prefer not to shoot RAW. 

I do like having the FX30 for a dedicated gimbal cam, it is easier to rig than the FX6 if you are going for a very minimal setup. 

Color was all done in Filmbox. 

My friend has that lens for his S5iiX. Steady with IBIS and the AF works well with it... and yes it is razor sharp and contrasty. He originally had the Sigma 24mm but when shooting vLog, at 640 iso on a bright, sunny day with a VND, there was some heavy vignetting. So he returned it and decided on the Panny 35mm. 

Panasonic 35mm f1.8 L Mount.
Frame extracts from 4K file on my Panasonic S5ii.
It isn't lacking in sharpness that's for sure.

 

I checked and I actually applied a Technicolor emulation from RNI on most of my color photos in this shoot (I also did some B&W using Ilford emulations). Straight out of camera with the standard Sony A7s raw profile the colours were very good, but I sometimes experiment with emulations and in this case Technicolor was perfect: it accentuates the reds in a nice warm and soft way. And I did a wee bit of color grading to punch up the blues as I wanted to accentuate the echo of the blue in the shirt that the male dancer in the foreground was wearing with the same blue that was in shirt of one of the dancers farther back. I liked how the pattern of plaids/stripes vs. solids echoed across some of the couples, that was just a happy accident!

Actually I misremembered: this was shot on the OG A7s. But based on my experience and the ISO sensitivity charts I've seen, the A7iii matches the A7s in low-light performance right up until the very highest ISOs, which I never use anyway. I used the A7s because this was a non-critical shoot, I was just shooting for fun and wanted to have a lightweight camera, no IBIS, and just shoot and enjoy myself. I brought two lenses: the MC Rokkor 58/1.2 and the MD Rokkor 28/2.

Too true. Arri targets the feature film and commercial industry. Those industries have absolutely no incentive to use BM or anything cheaper. The rental cost of an Arri is one of the smallest line items in their budgets. Why would they experiment with something that saves a few bucks on the rental when they have years of experience, trust, rigging etc all geared around their usuals cameras of choice? You technically could shoot a movie with a BM camera or an FX30 or a bunch of other cameras, but why would you unless you need something small for a specific shot? It's like saying your such and such street car can go the same speed on a drag strip as an F1 car so they're going to dominate the F1 industry here pretty soon. Um, no. Why would they? 

The XA50 I've been messing around with for the past few weeks has brought a new joy to filming that I haven't experienced since I first started shooting with my 5D and an IS lens. The top handle and the hood with its flip switch lens cap makes carrying and shooting a pleasure. With other cams, in between locations, I'd take off my VND filter and then put the camera back into my bag. With the camcorder, it just sits in my lap until I'm ready to shoot again... which is such a quick process... flip open the lcd, flip the lens cap switch, check exposure, record... I can grab shots from standby mode to record in about 3 seconds or so.

Just to be clear, as long as you hold the button pushed in, the footage will be in slow motion, when you release it, it goes back to regular motion. Such a cool feature that no other camera has.
Here's a video I shot with the camera many moons ago. This video just demonstrates the camera in slow motion, not while using the push to slow function. Looking back, I'd probably make the grade a touch less brown, but it was kind of a cold, brown day...
 

Just to be clear, as long as you hold the button pushed in, the footage will be in slow motion, when you release it, it goes back to regular motion. Such a cool feature that no other camera has.
Here's a video I shot with the camera many moons ago. This video just demonstrates the camera in slow motion, not while using the push to slow function. Looking back, I'd probably make the grade a touch less brown, but it was kind of a cold, brown day...
 

Just to be clear, as long as you hold the button pushed in, the footage will be in slow motion, when you release it, it goes back to regular motion. Such a cool feature that no other camera has.
Here's a video I shot with the camera many moons ago. This video just demonstrates the camera in slow motion, not while using the push to slow function. Looking back, I'd probably make the grade a touch less brown, but it was kind of a cold, brown day...
 

It looks great. Love the motion you captured in the still. Still really like the color too. I've been so tempted to try out a Sony camera... eventually the FX30 probably.

The newer pro camcorder versions of the FZ such as the HC-X2 have internal 4:2:2 10 bit now.
Yeah something more like the XC10/15 lens range with the internal 10 bit 4:2:2 would be eminently doable for them.
But they won’t because they hate us 😉
Panasonic did actually release a new bridge camera this week though (FZ82D) but they’ve gone with a 2/3” sensor and a quite insane 20-1200mm equivalent lens!
I doubt it signals a refresh of the FZ200/2500 but you never know.

No worries...as I noted it was a still shot with Sony A7iii. I am foolish enough to attempt taking photos of dancers with manual lenses in dimly lit halls. To keep ISO down I use fast lenses wide open or close to it, which means I rarely nail focus. But the dancers love these photos, especially when focus is not spot on. On this one I used a Minolta Rokkor 58/1.2, probably wide open based on the shape of the OOF highlights.

Never mind... I didn't read your comment thoroughly enough. Or it would appear... at all. Haha. Still a nice shot, though!

The XA50 I've been messing around with for the past few weeks has brought a new joy to filming that I haven't experienced since I first started shooting with my 5D and an IS lens. The top handle and the hood with its flip switch lens cap makes carrying and shooting a pleasure. With other cams, in between locations, I'd take off my VND filter and then put the camera back into my bag. With the camcorder, it just sits in my lap until I'm ready to shoot again... which is such a quick process... flip open the lcd, flip the lens cap switch, check exposure, record... I can grab shots from standby mode to record in about 3 seconds or so.

Just to be clear, as long as you hold the button pushed in, the footage will be in slow motion, when you release it, it goes back to regular motion. Such a cool feature that no other camera has.
Here's a video I shot with the camera many moons ago. This video just demonstrates the camera in slow motion, not while using the push to slow function. Looking back, I'd probably make the grade a touch less brown, but it was kind of a cold, brown day...
 

The XA50 I've been messing around with for the past few weeks has brought a new joy to filming that I haven't experienced since I first started shooting with my 5D and an IS lens. The top handle and the hood with its flip switch lens cap makes carrying and shooting a pleasure. With other cams, in between locations, I'd take off my VND filter and then put the camera back into my bag. With the camcorder, it just sits in my lap until I'm ready to shoot again... which is such a quick process... flip open the lcd, flip the lens cap switch, check exposure, record... I can grab shots from standby mode to record in about 3 seconds or so.

Like I said, maybe noise doesn't bother me as much as it should. Here's an example of a still shot on Sony A7iii (uncompressed raw, but only 24 megapixels); I have my ISO capped at 12,800 and that's what the EXIF shows but it was at least two stops underexposed so I had to bring it up. I did no denoising myself although Capture One applies a bit of denoising automatically (and adds a small amount of film grain) so maybe that's what's going on. The level of noise here doesn't bother me at all.

For video I'm using Blackmagic cameras, none of which apply any noise reduction in-camera; they leave that up to you in post so you can dial in as much or as little as you like. In low light those cameras are super-noisy and even if I crush the blacks I usually have to denoise every clip.
 

 

That camcorder is just so much fun and it has decent IBIS, something that the GX800 lacks. I'm going to take a mini tripod for it for that reason. To get out to 600mm equivalent, it would require the Olympus 75-300mm, which I also have. The problem is that it's the same weight as the VX-981 and it's near unusable on the GX800 unless on a tripod. The only thing that could "replace" the VX-981 is the 14-140mm or the 100-300mm due to their OIS. Also, I just love camcorders now because how versatile they are. I should also add that the audio on the GX80/85/800 are not great whereas the VX-981 has great audio.

I was using the 200 mbps HD intra for these which gives the added bonus of extra at the wide end and a lot more reach at the tele end.
And the stabilisation is easily good enough to hand hold even at 500-600mm equivalents.
The amount of different shot size coverage you can get out of this camera as a consequence is ridiculous.

And yet the FZ2000/2500 that is the camera for ticking every single one of these boxes can’t get arrested.
Same sensor size as the Super 16 film format that was used in classic BBC travel docs such as Palin’s Around The World In 80 Days but with an optically stabilised zoom with a huge range, internal ND and without the flightcases.
Cheaper than the iPhone as well.
 

The only comparison that we all really need to do is of footage that we make from cameras that we own and of what other people are making with it.
If theirs is better then the camera isn’t the problem and we should stick with what we have until we can make ours as good.
And then don’t think of “upgrading” until we do.
With any camera from the past five years (at least), the ceiling that we hit is usually our own capability rather than that of the camera.
And, yes, I am absolutely flat broke after not being able to follow my own advice on this !

That said, I've just paid one unit (for now) of this temptation today... not only but also because of this:
Tests will probably lead to a 2nd unit a couple of years distant from the release year, it happens! : P
Let's play with a few comparisons then:
Why I DON'T Travel With a Camera Anymore
iPhone 15 BETTER than the SONY FX30?
IPhone 15 Pro Max VS Sony FX30 - Cinematic | Madrid
My Thoughts Comparing the Sony fx30 and the fx3
Nothing new to see here so yes, I bought it with the XLR-H1 Top Handle Unit as a fair bundle (new condition) for a hundred bucks more ($131 to be more precise) no matter what* : D for a fraction of the original price, yes.
Maybe it will actually be used for stereography 3D acquisition based on 4K 100fps coupled to proper native ISO ; )
The fact is the possibility of using my anamorphic sets MFT based, as well C mount bargains and all the PZ + Clear Image Zoom offers by Sony, have made something really unique to my eyes for same price I have bought a BMCC6K-FF the month before :- )
 
* with studio tests

Wide end of the Panasonic 20-60mm kit lens on an S5ii capturing some people so desperate to avoid the outlandish parking charges at British seaside town that they've decided to parachute in.

 

1st shooting session last night.
What a memorable show! The Waterboys version 2024 is a terrific must. Their performance on stage is one of the best gigs I've ever seen in my life... To hear this Scottish-Irish band playing hits such as (let's only mention a couple!) 'AND A BANG ON THE EAR' or 'THE PAN WITHIN' live is simply thrilling... literally. One of the best bands ever. Mike Scott is a star of the history of folk rock in the body of a man. The older the best, as I had opportunity to personally let him know he is like Port wine, today : )




BTW I have a chance to offer to this community... To those who will be interested to locally shoot their concerts, we can launch a footage archive of their performances in the coming years. PM me as you wish on this purpose of mine launched here now. I think these boards should be more mutual cooperation of this gang's gigs than has rarely been TBH :- )
 
And I will tell you the only beef against the usual mirrorless toys ; ) Bulky and weight. Light glass without cumbersome adapters is a bless... ; ) Osmo Pocket : D saved us a lot of times! Incredible tool!
All the rest has no challenge. Monitor, menus and BRAW have no competitor and are what a cinema camera should be.