Snowfun

That will appeal to a lot of people. Yes, of course, there will be the “not for me” crowd but realistically that looks - absence of specs notwithstanding! - pretty decent for most. I like the number of physical buttons and the way it will presumably slot into a stills/video ecosystem makes it an impressive little beast. I wonder how many will be prepared to switch into the Canon garden of goodies. At least until the rumoured Nikon enters the fray.

Is it?

Unless the intention is to keep the brand exclusive and esoteric? DJI can, after all, release whatever they want under the DJI brand so I can see the attraction in maintaining a “not for everyone” product line. (But why they then add Everyman features such as IBIS I have no idea)

Some of the AI generated videos starring Trump, Putin et al are extremely well done and rather funny. I come across them on IG on a regular basis and there is definitely a high comedy value (some are more subtle than others - none, perhaps, would win a Fringe award at Edinburgh but nevertheless they are good). They are, of course, quintessentially the same as a drawn cartoon just using a different medium. But I agree with @Andrew Reid insofar as the lower end of the market will get bored and slowly disappear whereas the professional film making community will exploit what is a new tool.

Isn’t the question “what camera should I take in addition to the Insta360?” Thats the starting point. Size wise FX2/3/30 might be worth looking at? I suppose it all depends, too, on the intended audience - family & friends, film festival submission, BBC documentary etc. I think if I was undertaking such a mammoth project I’d want a decent cloud account to offload files as I go. The Blackmagic offering might be worth investigating? Sounds fun. And hard work!

There is a tendency here to equate “I can’t afford it” or “it’s not what I need” or “I don’t like it” to “it’s too expensive” or “it’s useless” or “why?”. These are very different. This camera will sell - to those who can afford it and for whom it does what is wanted and who are attracted to the form factor, build and features. Notice how it is already being mentioned in the same sentence as the Q. That is already a win for Sony. Maybe not for “us” but I suspect that buyers are certainly out there. Including potential Q buyers. I’d have been a bit tempted but I’ve recently streamlined into a non-Sony system (more on this later when the rest of the new kit arrives!).

Just as a matter of interest. what grading did you suggest for this knowingly faulty kit?

(Deleted - apologies)

And, as Sham 69 once said... 'urry up 'arry.

I thought this was interesting: https://www.filmsupply.com/articles/j-cut-vs-l-cut/ Helps to understand the relationship between audio and video and how each engages the audience.

I think the best approach here is to analyse what you like and try to replicate it. Once we begin to understand why we like something about an edit the process is much easier. Much more fun than trawling through endless tutorials explaining how to do stuff you don’t even like…

Some of the AI generated Trump stuff on IG is superb. We’re in for a golden age of stand-up comedy. Although how can you make the Trump joke any funnier?

The worst thing about this is that whereas 5 of my papers/books appear, 37 of my wife’s make the grade!

Use the screw attachment holes on the body. I recommend Hawk-Woods batteries because they are cheaper than Sony but are reliable. There are all sports of options but only you can decide if you trust them. I didn’t find any issue with the open battery door (sold mine because I didn’t get along with the fiddly ergonomics). There is no magic solution - adding power to the camera will add bulk and cost!

Obviously it depends on “small” but a dummy battery to a Smallrig (I assume there are others?) Sony NP (F970 for example - Hawk Woods make decent ones) adapter is useful. It will, of course, attach directly so there is no need for a cage.

I’m not sure anyone would adopt that rather silly & superficial definition. “Buy local” is usually taken to mean that IFF a choice is available then one might reasonably decide to buy the one with fewer transportation costs, is supportive of a local economy and meets the needs of the consumer. Anyone naive enough to think that this applies to cameras - which are so obviously “global” it isn’t worth stating - possibly shouldn’t be contributing. As a relevant example I might look at Hifi - lots of options but certainly possible to “buy local” (thinking Sugden, Chord Electronics and Spendor in my own case). Or chickens.

If an (unintended) consequence of all this nonsense is “buy local and buy less” then that will, I think, be a good thing. Not protectionism. Not jingoism. Not anti-globalisation. But nevertheless possibly better for the planet and for our own health & wellbeing.

Well, you did ask… my memories of the Yashica Mat will always satisfy my artistic streak. But possibly no longer relevant to this topic!

If, for some reason, you are happy with the quality of the gopro12, why are you even thinking about other cameras? If you have found the camera which does what you need it to, isn't that sufficient?

To some extent I disagree. As a hobbyist I am always wanting to try something different - not being constrained by what I need to do. And, inevitably, that gets me thinking about what I need to buy to do it. Ok, yes, it isn’t possible to “justify” it but my cupboard tends to fill up with bits and pieces I used (probably badly) once. As a hobby it’s fun to play and having toys make playtime so much more fun. But you are correct, it isn’t justified. I’ll stop…

If it is to be a community then it needs to facilitate off-topic discussion. After all, if I go to the pub with work colleagues, we tend not to just chat about work. If it is to be an online space primarily for people to post opinions about camera gear then it inevitably attracts fanboys and other undesirables. I’d like to see a space where the forum’s “big hitters” are encouraged/expected to post, say, a 5x5 scene short (5 x 5 seconds) and we discuss it - the gear, the technique, the post and, importantly, the creativity and ART. A new one every month or so. @Andrew Reid to start?!

Why did RED Hydrogen fail? Cost? It wasn’t that much more expensive than the top iPhone of its day. Android rather than iOS? (Possibly the most significant reason I never used it as a phone - the photographs I took were fun). The pre-sale hyperbole made it too easy to criticise? Insufficient info relating to the expansion pins and the so-called (and never developed) cinema grade camera module? Poor choice of manufacturer (who apparently promised more than they were able to deliver)? Lack of mainstream interest/awareness of H4V/3D? The in-built camera was certainly no better than other cameras in phones - immediately depriving it of any perceived advantage of being a RED? Expectation. JJ’s habit of promising a rose garden (albeit inhabited by skulls) then problem after problem, waiting upon waiting… rather than low-key developing, low-key manufacturing and Big Hype delivering. Design wise it was stunning. It received regular and significant updates. Yet it failed dismally. What lessons are there for any other camera manufacturer thinking along similar lines? Don’t bother?

I bet @BTM_Pix has a gadget which can...

I’d rather have a phone inside the Sigma BF. But I bought a RED Hydrogen so what do I know…

Ah Scotland! Have you any experience with https://www.ffordes.com? They have been pretty good from a buying perspective I’ve used Ffordes for photographic stuff and no complaints. They sell on commission rather than buying stuff (at least they used to - it’s been a while since I used them). A friendly small specialist shop service.