Phil A

@Kisaha It's not really aimed at enthusiasts I think, most would rather shoot with a compact camera (RX100, LX15, LX100, ...) on a slightly bigger gimbal. But I consider getting it for my girlfriend so she can have the best Instagram and Snapchat Stories out of her circle of friends. It's aparently going to be really, really cheap. Maybe I'd even borrow it once in a while in vacation. I wouldn't mind a Crane v2 with a slightly shorter handle if that is possible and one or two mounting points for accessories (field monitor, wireless receiver, etc.) and maybe a slightly bigger baseplate for easier balancing of systems with super light lenses but I'm actually really happy with the current one.

It's better than crane, less than 1000$... and will hold your smartphone

Just managed to bring myself to the point of considering to let go of my NX1, a lens and X100s to buy a used X-T2 because I still have the 23mm f/1.4 and I really like Fuji. Then for once I had an itch and decided to first check if the SmallHD field monitors work with the X-T2. Alas, just like the NX1 the X-T2 is also not supported by the SmallHD 500 & 700 series. I really wonder what magic sauce SmallHD uses that they struggle with a bunch of hybrid camers, seems like VideoDevices and Atomos don't have these problems.

Raw is probably easier for the camera than H.264 when it comes to heat. For raw the bottle neck is just how quick you can write it to the card, for compressed formats you need a processor that hardware decodes. I'm quite sure a faster memory interface uses less power (and therefore generates less heat) than the hardware decoder.

It's a question of perspectives. When I was into photography I wanted great AF (which is easier with fly-by-wire because it's not directly coupled) and how lenses manually focus was of no importance, when you do video it's kinda 50/50. The same thing with image. 90% of people who lust over camera gear want perfectly clinical, tack sharp, 0 distortion / flaring lenses, the amount of people who look for lenses with character is way, way smaller. Also I think people who are into videography have a higher tolerance towards weight, because if you shoot with a hybrid you usually rig it out or shoot from a monopod/tripod anyway. For photography, all you really need is a camera, lenses and MAYBE a tripod. With current DR on sensors, you don't even need graduated ND filters anymore for landscapes (I actually like to use them though).

Voigtländer has announced three lenses with Sony E mount at CP+. http://www.sonyalpharumors.com/cosina-voigtlander-announces-three-new-e-mount-lenses/ I think both the 40mm f/1.2 as well as the 60mm Macro sound very interesting.

I love Windows (used 3.1, 95, 98, NT, XP, Vista, 7 and 10; some better than others), build my own desktop systems, had a bunch of laptops. And my systems always run, they have no kinks, no hickups. My girlfriend is stuck knee deep in the Apple environment, every time I use her MacBook Pro I want to scream but she really doesn't enjoy my windows systems. I feel like Apple is getting a bit too deep into "form over function" territory and too expensive, but I think both products can be fitting. Kinda sad though how the professional line gets left behind. On the other hand when my gf's iPhone 6s Plus broke she used my old Samsung Note 3 and she felt it's a superior phone. At the same time I enjoy my company's iPhone 6s workphone more than my private Android since a while. You say tomato, I say tomato.

It's a physical restriction to some degree. The camera sensor with IBIS can only move by a very small margin in all directions without leaving the image circle projected by the lens (one reason why the bigger the sensor, the weaker the IBIS results). To overcome this issue you would need a small sensor (e.g. m4/3) and lenses with a relatively big image circle. A gimbal in contrast can go full potato with movements. Therefore I'm quite sure we will never reach the same possibilities with IBIS that a full external stabilizer gives. Using both together is pretty sweet though!

As a user of the a6300 I have to vote against that camera if you can't afford multiple. The image is great and the lackluster usability can be worked around but the overheating is real. Just had it again today shooting in a moderately warm kitchen. If you use an external field monitor, the camera doesn't go to sleep and will overheat before you manage to empty a single battery. I wish Sony would bring a professional APS-C camera but I don't think that will happen. Semi regretting getting native lenses right now after missing a shot today, wish I would have gone for the BMMCC (but then I'd probably regret moire right now).

BMCC or BMPC4k, depends.

You can try slashcam.de for videography related stuff or for mirrorless systems and lenses also dslr-forum.de

I know that the go to solution for creating lower thirds, effects, etc is Adobe After Effects but I wondered if there is any viable alternatives? I know that you could basically do all the same within Blackmagic Fusion which is also free now but the learning curve is crazy steep. Is there any simpler tools with less range of functionality? I feel like DaVinci Resolve has a big gap at this point. So far I create transparent images in Adobe Photoshop to use them in the NLE but you obviously have no real options for animation or anything then. I find it surprising that no one tries to fill the gap for a more consumer/prosumer oriented solution.

Seeing how there is nothing in the video that needs changing of focus while using a wide aperture, I don't see how you would be limited by using an adapted lens. The only advantage with using the native Sony glass is using it wide open with AF-C ... but then the A7s anyway has a bad autofocus system so you probably wouldn't want to do that to begin with.

I think he means in your OS, not scaling in your monitor. I have a Lenovo laptop with a 15" 4k screen for travelling and within Windows 10 I have the scaling set to 250% because at 100% scaling you are nose up to the screen, giving up on hitting anything with your mouse clicks.

Well, I took it on trips (weekend and extended) to Switzerland, Italy and Ghana so far. For actually carrying around when I plan to use it I put it into my camera sling bag which is the Ari Marcopoulos from Incase. I have the a6300 with a small lens mounted on it and put it in top down. It still stands out like an inch or so but that's acceptable. Takes me 10 seconds to take it out and start rolling. This way I can fit the crane, the a6300, the kit lens, the 35mm 1.8 and/or 50 1.8 and a bunch of additional batteries easily into the bag. You can also squish in a Rode VideoMic Pro or a 5" field monitor but then it gets tight and you will have to assemble when you take it out of the bag. For the actual travelling I have a typical, ugly camera backpack by CaseLogic. I take the Crane apart and it easily fits into it. If the batteries are in it you always have the risk that something bumps the power button and the crane goes full potato in your backpack. I really dislike typical black nylon camera bags but there's not much choice for sufficiently sized, stealthy bags for urban use.

Weight under the camera won't help to balance it, the lens is just too light. I used the crane with the 16-50 kit lens, 35 1.8 OSS and 50 1.8 OSS and you can balance all of those but the moment my a6300 is in the smallrig cage it's not possible anymore to balance it because the lenses are too light in comparison even if I move it all to the front. What you could try is to add a screw with some washers as extra weight into the bottom lens support thread facing forward from the camera as was suggested in this thread before. Tried to balance the a6300 with the Zhongyi lens turbo ii and a Samyang 35 1.4 this weekend but couldn't get it to work in the short time I had before heading out. I'd just wish Sony had the lens lineup of Fuji for their APS-C line. Would love the 16mm 1.4 or 23mm 1.4 wide open but with Sony's good AF-C for gimbal use.

Some of the best review/tip vids I've seen lately @mojo43 , way better than watching a 15 minutes unpacking. Thanks! What backpacks are you guys using that can swallow up the Zhiyun crane? Both my Incase sling and my CaseLogic backpack have a small bit of the grip sticking out if I put the crane in head down. I've solved my mounting problems / desires now with getting a new quick release system that is rather light, quick and affordable. I've bought a whole bunch of Cullmann Revomax RX448 clamps and plates. I have clamps on my crane, on the ballhead for my tripod, one on top of a manfrotto quick release plate for my fluid head (which also is the mount for my LCD viewfinder loupe and fits into my shoulder rig) and on a mini tabletop tripod that serves as a stand for the crane but can also fold together into a grip for handholding the camera. Now all I need is a way to mount my field monitor and maybe a rodelink receiver to the crane. Guess a super clamp with a magic arm will be the best solution. What a pity that the crane has no accessory thread on the side like some other one hand gimbals. The a6300 is borderline flying blind on the crane thanks to the dimming screen.

Minus the fact that the memory cards won't be able to record 14bit 4k RAW because it's only a CF + SD card slot and you have no CFast. You'd need the 1Dx II for that and we already know that so far ML never did the 1series.

Edit: Nevermind. So there's still no sample pictures of the new focal reducer.

Can't answer most of the stuff but these two. - Lens choice is second to none, Fuji has the best system of APS-C lenses, especially considering that they have a whole set of f/1.4 lenses. Downside is the focus by wire, but you'll get that with basically all lenses native to the mirrorless systems (helps with autofocus speed). There's no IBIS and most lenses don't have stabilization either but then none of the two could replace a gimbal or steadicam anyway. The X-T2 has less jello indeed than the A6500, roughly 30ms vs 39ms, there's still some discussion I think if the boost mode with the battery grip actually helps further. So it's on the same level as for example the A7s II. It's ok and useable but not ideal. The 1080p mode of the NX1 spoiled me completely on that front unfortunately so I can hardly adjust to the A6300 rolling shutter (which is quite good in 1080p on the Sony but the image way worse).

I don't think you consider how industrial development for these kind of products works as a whole investment. It doesn't matter if the material for the sensor is the same as the Sony one or Canon one. Companies have expenses for research and development, prototyping, etc. which is all humongously expensive, then you will often face manufacturing issues in the first time with the result of discarding whole batches or (worse) to recall the first products for replacement or fixing. You have to factor in that many research projects might also plain fail, the investment being a complete write off, so these will have to be compensated by the successful products, too. As a result, new technology that is cutting edge will always be crazy priced to recover the cost asap and allow you to innovate further before competition can catch up to your level. Will it be commodity priced in 3 to 5 years? You bet, but by then the investment for that product generation or technology is paid off and you made profit on top (or you filed for bankruptcy) and you already work on the next big thing. Alternatively, companies cross subsidies. Don't you see how many companies don't rely on that camera business (poor Nikon though) but actually make not too impressive financial figures that are mainly sustainable due to cross subsidizing within these huge corporations (Sony makes everything, Panasonic is in many field, Olympus is strong in medical equipment, etc.). The same happens in many field, not just cameras. Look at how life science companies have to price their drugs with a huge profit so they can recover cost before the patent protection runs out and other companies can produce and sell generica of the drug for a fraction of the price with none of the research efforts. But yes... I want better tech, too. Maybe I should get frozen and be thawed on 20 years? Sometimes I feel development goes in completely wrong directions with cameras but that's maybe because I look at my needs/wants and not at the manufacturers' market research data.

I'm not saying it's a bad camera, I'm just saying besides nicer out of camera colors (which most people then "destroy" with haevy handed LUT usage) it has nothing that an A6300 doesn't have, except it's 400 to 700€ more expensive. I have to agree that you can make great stuff with any camera, since I shoot more than I read forums I actually don't even care about 8bit, I work around rolling shutter and actually never had my Sony overheat since the firmware fix a while back even in the African heat. Never had anyone comment negatively on Sony colors either, also know people shooting with Canon and their dreaded low resolution 1080p with no one ever asking about it, etc. There's of course no perfect camera. Size, weight, price, codec, bit depth, rolling shutter, sensor size, low light capabilities, lens choice, there's so many factors to pick your poison. I'm just sometimes amused by the fact that we (I include myself) bash one product for shortcomings but are totally fine to accept others, I like the X-T2 (considered getting one as I still have the 23mm 1.4 catching dust, amazing lens) but I'm kinda surprised it is seen as such a strong contender.

I just can't really understand the exceeding praise for the X-T2 for video to be honest. Yes, the Fuji colors straight out of the camera are nice. It's an amazing camera for photography (except for the X-Trans being sub-optimal with Lightroom). But the rolling shutter is basically the same as NX1/A7s/A7r and everyone hates on these cameras for having "too much" rolling shutter (shooting handheld with the NX1 IS a jello fest). It shoots the same 8bit 4:2:0 footage like the others, it can't even do log internally (and everyone hates on Canon for omitting CLog from cameras). After all this is a 1700€ APS-C camera and I feel like it's just "me too" when it comes to video. Sometimes this forum baffles me. Some manufacturers get so much more leeway than others.

I hate the screen dimming even more than the overheating. I'd rather the camera overheat 10% quicker but I can actually see what I shoot.

I'm sticking with plasma until OLED reachs more affordability. I feel not too great about spending $$$ on a latest-and-greatest 65" LCD that actually has worse image quality than my Panasonic Viera from forever ago. I also feel like HDR/10bit needs maybe 1 or 2 years more to maturity, the main reason I postponed spending on a new TV this year.