mercer

Completed filter holder V1.....


It's far more compact than anything else I've seen that fits anything other than a naked iPhone, which is important because if my phone is a huge rig then I may as well be using a "real camera" and if I can't fit the whole thing in my pocket then that means carrying a bag and (once again) I may as well be bringing a real camera.
I cut up some 2mm aluminium sheet to bridge the gap between the two sections of the Tiffen and epoxied it in place.

Then I added another layer of 0.22mm aluminium that was painted black (that I ordered by mistake - thinking it was 2mm) to cover it up and give it a semi-nice finish.  I did a bit of filing around the edges and added some black nail polish to tidy up the edges, and finally put a pop-socket holder on it so I can hold it a bit more securely.
This is how I typically hold my phone when shooting, it's nice and stable and it gives me a good grip.


The case is super grippy, so I'm optimistic that it'll work well.
I deliberately called it Version 1, because after discovering how easy it was making this one I'm thinking that version two should be a custom one designed from the ground up.  After all I have all the tools and plenty of spare materials.  I'm thinking I might have a ring of rare earth magnets set into the sheet, and I'll base it on a step down ring that's stepping down from a few sizes above so it's got a bit of material in it.  Hopefully I can create something that attaches really well and is still nice and slim.

How bad is the dynamic range on this camera? Particularly the highlights? (I tend to just rate at base ISO and shoot traditionally rather than ETTR.) 
I was hoping Red's highlight recovery (which isn't that great imo as you lose all color information) would help, but it seems to be disabled in RedCineX? I had sworn off new cameras but I sold my old ones and might need something for work. 

https://www.eisa-awards.org/awards/nikon-zr/
Interesting to see the Nikon ZR taking EISA’s Photo/Video Camera 2026–2027 award.
On paper, I can understand it. The overall package is unusually strong, particularly for the money, and Nikon has clearly managed to turn the RED acquisition into something rather more tangible than a logo on the box.
Still, awards like this always make me wonder what is actually being judged.
A camera can be outstanding as a specification sheet, and even as an overall product, while still having one or two behaviours that matter disproportionately once you start using it seriously (codec implementation, processing, noise reduction, workflow, etc.).
That does not necessarily make the award wrong. It just shows how different “best camera” can look depending on whether you are judging features, image quality, value, or the less glamorous realities of actually shooting and finishing a project with it.
The ZR may well deserve the trophy.
I'm rather more interested in whether Nikon keeps refining the bits that do not fit quite so neatly on the award plaque ; )
That said, kudos to ZR!
EAG :- )
 

I have experimented with the Beastgrip 1.33x and 1.55x adapters using full frame cameras and wide/normal to short telephoto lenses (35/40/50/75). I have tried with my slow Leica M lenses, which are usually pretty forgiving on coverage. These Anamorphics will cover full frame and are easy enough to attach to the M mount lenses with a 39 to 37 step down ring. the 1.33x is definitely a better fit for the 35 & 40mm lenses, as the 1.55x has a pretty wide FOV. Results are similar to the above samples, with soft edges and major distortion. But definitely plenty of character. Next time I take a stab at it, I'll post some samples. 

I agree. I had an EOS-M when it was first hacked, sold it, and then broke my own rule and bought it again when Crop Mood hit. Now I have two of them: one built up, and one bare bones. And the developers are improving it all the time -- especially lately. Have you checked out Amit's new builds? They are based on Bilal/Danne's last release so they are seemingly just as stable, if not a little more-so. But the new UI is great, and he seems to be unlocking a new feature every day!

Hi, you are not being rude at all 🙂 happy to have a convo as we all use our gear differently.
Unfortunately where I failed was assuming the H265 was normal, at the time of purchase it seemed like a perfect camera for most projects where for higher end stuff you could shoot red code and for more lower-end project (talking heads/ social content) you could shoot H265. 
The 2 surprises once we started shooting with it was just how massive the red code is compared to other red cameras (we also have other reds with other DOPs on projects) and how unusable the H265 is 
So camera was sold and we're back to using Lumix's / Sony FX for lower end projects and Pyxis 12/Komodo for higher end projects.
This is just my use case in my little world..... I know we all have different wants and needs 🙂 

I have very simple needs and if I was forced, I could shoot ML Raw in 1080p on my 5Diii for the foreseeable future. I posted a video here a while ago from some Nordic guy that mixed 5Diii/ML Raw with Osmo Raw drone footage and I was blown away by the Osmo Raw. At the time, the camera by itself was too rich for my blood, but I couldn't deny the image. 
 
On the complete opposite scale, I recently used my friend's Pocket 3 and I must say that it reminded me of my camcorder days, where you just collect footage in as interesting ways as possible to tell the most important thing... the story. That said, I would be an instant buyer of a $2000 raw video version of the Osmo Pocket camera... preferably with a larger sensor, but I would be okay with the 1" too if need be. I can only imagine how much fun the pro version is... even with its headaches?

Honestly, I am a little confused. Why buy the ZR if you want an h.265 codec camera?
The ZR will probably be my next camera purchase but I am buying it for the RedCode Raw/n-raw and 32bit float audio. I wish there were better 4K raw options but that doesn't exist so I'm going to deal with it, I won't buy it and then say... Nikon needs to fix the lack of 4K raw options in the camera that I already knew didn't have good 4K raw options.
If I decide to shoot 4K for "lesser" projects, I'll just use the ProResHQ with n-log or even Nikon Flat for certain things. 
 
I don't mean to be rude, but there are so many cameras on the market that shoot great full frame h.265. Raw video isn't for everybody, nor should it be.

I quite liked it, but do know that if you're trying to capture anything with sound, the fan noise on the raw is really obnoxious.  The image was pretty nice, though!

As a person who is waiting for used ZR prices to drop a bit more before picking one up, this all sounds good to me.  😅

The main reason these patents have been considered legit in the US patent system despite the so-called inventions being obvious to any technical person familiar with photography, is probably that the US patent office's main purpose is to protect the interests of US-based companies, such as RED, against foreign businesses. Rational arguments don't necessarily apply, if the case involves a US vs. foreign manufacturer and the litigation happens in the US. Now, since a Japanese company (Nikon) currently owns RED, it's quite possible the US position also changes (not because of Panasonic's arguments but because there is no longer a US-owned business interest for the US patent office to protect).  It is difficult see how a Nikon lawyer would defend these patents with a straight face, so their arguments may be ineffective. Anyway, most camera manufacturers nowadays seem to have some raw video capabilities in their cameras so the issue is not that pressing any more. 
 
It made sense for Nikon to buy RED to gain expertise and a presence in the mid and higher end video markets, irrespective of any patent issues. What do users complain the most about the first Nikon video camera? That the raw video files are too big. So, why was there so much fuss about the patents anyway, if people don't actually want to use raw video recording in practice? 

I question the need for 8K for any use. I understand some people shoot in uncontrolled ways and would rather reframe in post than compose their shot during capture. I understand people like Fincher prefers working this way. I understand that it is great to have extra resolution for VFX.
But how many users of these types of cameras need these features? We're not discussing sweeping Hollywood sci-fi epics.
That said, I believe the next huge indie film, shot from some kid in the middle of nowhere, will probably use one of these cameras.
 
So if having 8K slates helps the vision come to life... that's really great. For me, I'd rather have the extra DR and I'd love that Osmo Raw that @eatstoomuchjam referenced. Hell, I may be able to afford that now. Hmm. 

Vintage anamorphic adapters are optically imperfect in very pleasing ways, but are large, expensive, difficult to find and setup, and can be slow to use (double focusing etc).
Modern smartphone anamorphic adapters are optically imperfect too, but are small, cheap, easy to find and setup, and designed for AF cameras so should be incredibly fast and easy to use.
Of course, the first question is about coverage, and this might surprise you, but modern smartphone sensors are approaching MFT sensor size.
GX85 with 14mm F2.5 lens (no adapter) - I took a photo so this is open-gate MFT:

GX85 with 14mm F2.5 lens and Neewer 1.55x anamorphic adapter in-front of the lens (de-squeezed):

Full-sensor coverage and no vignetting visible.  Can it cover S35?  Who knows!
Looking at this image it's much blurrier on the bottom than the top, but I was just holding the adapter in place so maybe I didn't have it exactly centred vertically, but it should give an idea of the image quality.
It's obviously lens-dependent though, as this is the GX85 with the TTartisans 17mm F1.4 in 16:9 movie mode (no open gate)...  

Coverage.... isn't ideal!
However, with the 2x digital zoom on the GX85 and de-squeezed you get this:

This equates to about 44mm FF equivalent, and reminds me of some of the more funky vintage anamorphics.
Perhaps the most impressive thing is the form factor.  This is a 1.55x anamorphic setup probably more pocketable than a BMPCC4K, and that's literally got "pocket" in the name!


Those just show the adapter leaning against the lens, as I am yet to work out how to mount it properly.  The challenge is that this adapter has a 17mm rear thread which is smaller than any step-down ring I can find, so I'll probably have to go DIY to mount it.  People have suggested I drill a hole in a metal lens cap, or get the smallest step-down ring I can find and glue a washer to it where the inner diameter of the washer matches the thread size.  I'll have to experiment, but there are options.
That whole rig weighs less than my Sirui 1.25x anamorphic adapter on its own..  627g vs 744g!!
It's early days for this idea, but the coverage surprised me and I think makes it a real option for shooting actual projects.  
The fact that the 14mm looks so clean and the 17mm so dirty means that buying one of these probably gives you as many looks as you have lenses, so potentially quite a few.  I'm yet to play with how it looks at different apertures and focus distances, but they'll probably give some variety as well.  The above were shot at F5.6 or so.  If you stretch the 16:9 files from the GX85 you get 2.75:1 so super widescreen and you can crop the sides if you wanted to.  On something like the GH7 with a 4:3 open-gate it would be almost exactly 2:1, a very useful format.
It's not just MFT either.  I've heard quite a number of instances where people want to go for an older look and will use a S35 cinema camera (like a RED) in a lower resolution mode and combine that with some vintage optics to get the look they want, or used the Alexa S16 mode and S16 lenses.  Lots of cool stuff has been shot like that and when you have to de-squeeze in post then cropping a bit takes very little extra time on real projects.
In a way these are perfect for low-budget anamorphic experimentation if you're interested in optics with some character and getting a range of looks from just one purchase.

Yeah there's definitely an "I don't care what you're doing" thought process in NYC but I think it's more of a survival instinct than anything else. It's actually quite odd. You can walk by someone, make eye contact and nod or smile and they will completely ignore you. I'd imagine if you lived there you'd get used to it, but it seems like you're alone in a sea of people. But for filmmaking on the sly, that's great.
Without knowing the exact concept (I'm picturing a Before Sunrise kinda thing) I stand by the idea of keeping a small footprint and understanding the POV of the camera in the story. As @Bioskop.Inc said, if you can keep the dialogue minimal, by utilizing the mood and tone of your locations, then all the better. Also make sure to get clean dialogue takes so you can cut to a different take and use the dialogue over it... eventually people will look at you as they pass by. Otherwise stay small and nimble and flexible with your locations. If you can make a scene work on a park bench instead of walking... even better. 

What are you trying to do? As long as you don't have a big rig with lights and a shotgun mic, then you should be good. I've walked around Philly and NYC and see plenty of people shooting video everywhere with gimbals and even tripods sometimes... although I wouldn't recommend that. The key is to look like a tourist and find locations where there aren't many people passing by, or it's so busy, people don't even look twice at you because you look like a tourist. And be prepared to move to a different location if you have to. Philip Bloom, hardly a narrative filmmaker, but his use of super long lenses gives him the freedom to be a little far from the talent. Separation between camera and talent can be a good thing if you're trying to steal shots. 

nostalgic for the ergonomics of camcorders ;-)

Hey ya'll!
I was wondering if by any chance anyone knows a good site that reviews older DSLRs and MILCs?
Yes, I know this is a bit of a strange petition, but nowadays reviews have gotten stale since every modern camera can perform 99% of what every other camera does.
Specifically, I'm looking for a site that reviews older gear from 2026 perspective, a modern view of vintage gear, if you like.And no, parsing reviews from 2016 of Canon's 5D Mark IV is not very useful. I want the modern take, with today's technological ecosystem, of this older gear.
IMO, the market for these slightly older cameras is ripe for the taking. Vintage sells and overall prices for these cameras is very respectable now that they have depreciated.
Anyone?
 
 
 

What are you trying to do? As long as you don't have a big rig with lights and a shotgun mic, then you should be good. I've walked around Philly and NYC and see plenty of people shooting video everywhere with gimbals and even tripods sometimes... although I wouldn't recommend that. The key is to look like a tourist and find locations where there aren't many people passing by, or it's so busy, people don't even look twice at you because you look like a tourist. And be prepared to move to a different location if you have to. Philip Bloom, hardly a narrative filmmaker, but his use of super long lenses gives him the freedom to be a little far from the talent. Separation between camera and talent can be a good thing if you're trying to steal shots. 

I really liked the mark II, but felt the camera jumped the shark with every subsequent release. And this one is no different. Although I appreciate the bump to 10bit video, I kinda hoped they would bring back internal NDs and the constant zoom. I would love a cine-bridge camera, and for a while, about 10 years ago, it seemed like a strong possibility with the RX10, FZ2500 and XC10, but they were all quickly abandoned... I suppose the market didn't agree with me.
The really offensive aspect of this release is the price... $2300... I recently purchased a refurbished Canon V1 that has a larger sensor, and internal ND for $650. So far, it's been one of my favorite camera purchases to date.
It's a shame, I really liked the image and form factor of the RX10 II and have been looking for a reason to try Cinetone. Right now, it seems like the ZV-E10ii is the cheapest way in.

Well, as expected, it’s an incremental release that reflects developments of the intervening nine years.

Not listed there but included is S-Cinetone, Slog-3 and custom user LUTs.
Not much that it doesn’t have really.
More details here
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1985961-REG/sony_rx10_v_digital_camera.html
Price is £2K which in the overall scheme of things is about what I expected because previous versions weren’t particularly cheap.
Might not be for a camera for everyone but for someone it could be the everything camera.
 

Some kid will use that camera and make a short film and upload it to YT, then he'll get a Hollywood deal.
A couple will buy 30 of them and put then on the wedding guest's tables for people to snap photos and take some video. The groom will edit them all together on his phone while sitting on the beach during his honeymoon. He will also upload it to YT and probably get a Hollywood deal. lol. 

Some kid will use that camera and make a short film and upload it to YT, then he'll get a Hollywood deal.
A couple will buy 30 of them and put then on the wedding guest's tables for people to snap photos and take some video. The groom will edit them all together on his phone while sitting on the beach during his honeymoon. He will also upload it to YT and probably get a Hollywood deal. lol. 

Some kid will use that camera and make a short film and upload it to YT, then he'll get a Hollywood deal.
A couple will buy 30 of them and put then on the wedding guest's tables for people to snap photos and take some video. The groom will edit them all together on his phone while sitting on the beach during his honeymoon. He will also upload it to YT and probably get a Hollywood deal. lol. 

I got a Kodak Charmera keychain camera recently.  It's terrible and you shouldn't buy one, but it is interesting.
In case you don't know, keychain cameras are seriously tiny cameras (think smaller than a GoPro) and have gone viral in the last year or so.  The Kodak Charmera is probably the most viral one, with multiple production runs being sold out very quickly and reissues etc.  Here's mine in comparison to some other cameras, including a couple of GoPro-sized action cameras and some actually pocketable cameras (GF3 and GX85).

Why is the Charmera interesting?  I think the design is essentially perfect:
It's incredibly small (obviously) and ridiculously light but it's actually quite tough It's got a 35mm equivalent FOV lens It charges from USB-C With almost any MicroSD card it has practically infinite storage It has a rear screen that is just large enough to navigate the (very simple) menu and frame shots It's super-simple to use, if you plug it into a computer it turns on, mounts as a USB drive (without needing any software), charges the battery while connected, then when you unplug it it turns off again It's a ~15Mbps motion JPEG codec It's USD $30 Why aren't I recommending it?
The image quality is terrible.  TERRIBLE. It says it has a 1440x1080 sensor, and that's the resolution of the JPGs and video files, but I think it's 2x2 binned, and heavily sharpened too, so it's a very poor quality VGA camera.  I shot a resolution chart - the moire was practically psychedelic. JPGs are just as bad as the video files No control over anything and with its AE it's perfectly happy to clip the crap out of decent chunks of the image Why am I even bothering to write about it then?
It's a new class of camera.
We haven't really had cameras that were smaller than action cameras before, but not only have we got them now, but they sold out multiple times, so the world (or at least the trendy impulse buying world) has solidly suggested there is demand for them.
As far as I can tell, the competitors are action cameras, or those that are smaller like the Insta360 Go, and that's about it.  Those are 10x the price though, and larger and not nearly as fun to use.  The image quality of them is vastly superior, but in todays market where I wish I could get a camera that was smaller, had a quarter (or sixteenth) the resolution, and was drastically cheaper, this is the kind of thing that didn't used to exist really.
Even just playing with it around the house, I film things I wouldn't normally film.  It feels different to use.  
This is a new product in the market that smartphones basically killed.
Everyone used to have small point-n-shoot cameras but they all got killed by smartphones - the industry essentially got eaten from the bottom up.  This is the first counter-example I'm aware of (other than action cameras).  I would venture that everyone who bought one already had a smartphone, so this fulfils a niche that their expensive fragile dopamine-addicting smartphone doesn't.  
Retro cameras have enjoyed a resurgence recently, but I would suggest that this is different as it's a new thing rather than an old thing limping along.  This might make executives take note - it's not that small cameras are dying slower than they think - there is active demand and innovation in this space.
Tech gets better.
Assuming this form-factor remains popular, the video quality will get better.  I don't know why it wouldn't remain around..  kids aren't likely to want to record themselves less in future, tiny things won't stop being cute, having something so small it takes up zero space in your pocket (it's a keychain camera!) won't stop being handy, etc.
What I'd really like to see is a 'pro' version of this camera..  one that takes real 1080p video and doesn't sharpen it like it's entering a butchering competition.  Same size (or a little larger), same simple design, could be more expensive and still be interesting.

Some more stills from resolve, 4k today first up is a sunset, not the prettiest colours but a sunset none the less. i do think when you stop recording 4k the processing continues on for a few seconds longer than standard 1080. Not that i have timed it, that's the feeling i get. I do think the new processor is getting a good workout and there must be a fair chunk of ram hidden in there to buffer things while the processor does its thing.  I think the mission1 will probably excel at timelapses as i think this image is quite nice for a still and i haven't gone past the default settings yet.
 
Next up is a kitten image. The interesting thing ( to me ) is the kitten still is after the sunset still by a few minutes yep appear brighter, i presume the mission1 is doing some "magic" in the background to lift the levels. It is quite dark going by human eyes in the shed. Yet you would most likely think this is taken an hour earlier.  If i start zooming in i see stuff i don't like pretty quickly and maybe thats from some of the magic that the mission1 employed while it was doing its thing. Overall i think the image is acceptable and footage looks ok ( to me ) on either a computer or ipad  i haven't tried a 4k tv yet . I have yet to try 8k and to me 8k, seems like complete overkill.  I dont mind 4k reduced down to 1080 the stills seem a little sharper / cleaner perhaps. Although @kye might be a  little nonplussed about that 😉

Some motion blur that  ( I think ) should indicate the mission1 is operating at a slow shutter speed. I do have some ideas about filming lowlight stuff but it won't be neon lights as theres not much of that out here. Plus there's the fact my dad had a stroke 2 weeks ago and is paralyzed on the right side, so its dad first the farm and animals 2nd and everything else when i can find a moment.

 

Painters pole at near full extension, so thats my arms extended, me gripping the pole at the bottom  with both hands and the pole at near full extension, there may have been another 150mm of travel left in the pole not sure.  Still i think thats a respectable height to achieve with a gopro without strapping it to a drone.  Not sure i could manage more than a few seconds of motionlessness at full height. I suspect the gimbal at the top is helping to calm things down. I reckon if i wanted to incorporate motion, more of a deliberate move from a to b may help keep things steady and maybe not trying for full extension will help as well.