Django

Re: Canon vs Nikon AF: I guess this must be subjective as I feel the Canon AF system is superior to Nikons. I find it far from complicated and embrace the options. Especially AF-C which you can engage at the punch of a button. And i suspect I'm not alone and this is part of the answer on why Canon dominates sports shooting. And let's not even talk about Dual Pixel AF for live view / video. Other things like the big thumbwheel is pretty genius for quickly scanning through hundreds of photos etc. It's simple ergonomic things that makes world difference to me on a shoot, and that companies like Canon/Fuji get and what i think trigger that emotional connection vs tool feeling with an electronic device.

let's not forget Sony is currently still offering their 2013 original A7 at rock bottom price ($799): https://www.bestbuy.com/site/sony-alpha-a7-full-frame-mirrorless-camera-body-only-black/2672642.p?skuId=2672642 and $998 with kit lens. not exactly cutting edge but unbeatable at such pricing. it still holds third position of current Sony FF sales (after A73 & A7R2) at amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Best-Sellers-Electronics-Mirrorless-Cameras/zgbs/electronics/3109924011 interestingly, in the overall digital camera category, for full frame A73 takes the lead (#15).. followed by.. Nikon's D750 (#51): https://www.amazon.com/Best-Sellers-Electronics-Digital-Cameras/zgbs/electronics/281052/ref=zg_bs_nav_e_2_502394 and at B&H the D850 follows the A73 in "trending and popular" category even though it's been back-ordered for months: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/buy/New-Arrivals-Trending-And-Popular/ci/19206/N/4102783800 regardless what these rankings mean Sony for sure is about to feel impact with Canikon entering the FF mirrorless market..

Noct primes coming..

For the sake of comparisons, here's an article on what our own Andrew Reid had to say on the D850 vs everything: https://www.eoshd.com/2017/10/nikon-d850-vs-everything/ he concluded with: Nothing has yet beaten the Canon 1D C’s 4K on pure quality terms, although the GH5 has a better codec. The Sony A7S II is the closest full frame camera to beat the 1D C’s incredibly cinematic image but it is 100Mbit/s 4:2:0 vs 500Mbit 4:2:2. The Nikon D850 feels the most like the 1D C out of everything so far – similar LOG profile, the closest colour, full frame with no crop sensor (the 1D C is 1.3x crop, still nice). The data rate of the codec is around the 150Mbit/s mark so higher than on the Sony cameras. The detail level is similar to the Sony A99 II in full frame 4K mode with hardly any moire or aliasing. MUCH better than the A7R II full frame 4K. I had no complaints over the full frame 4K from the A99 II. It’s early days with my D850 but I detect slightly less false colour than the A99 II, possibly even less noise and a more filmic rendering, indeed better colour at first impressions although EOSHD Pro Color 3.0 helps the A99 II A LOT. I’ll do a full comparison later. Moire is practically a non-issue. (...) Now, add on a 4K video mode with image quality to edge out even the best Sony full frame cameras and you have a compelling hybrid. It also helps that I can actually see my images, because the screen is way better than on all of my Sony cameras! ----- Now this was written before the alpha iii series but a lot of it still holds true including the codec size & screen resolution. Also most of the negatives Andrew lists there have to do with DSLR limitations (no EVF, no IBIS, etc) and lack of good video PDAF. Video AF is to me the big question mark but i can't imagine Nikon not responding to dual pixel tech from their main competitor, Canon. but in the end if you are a Sony shooter, i agree best is indeed to look past all this and hope towards the A7SIII..

Personally, i don't believe Nikon risks cannibalizing D850 sales by adding video features to their new MILC. We're talking a new year, new mount, new lenses, new mirrorless body type, new type of customer. No reason for them to hold back imo. The pro photogs i know that shoot D5/D850 aren't about to dump their gear to shoot their pricey lens collection with adapters, unproven weather sealing resistance, slower on sensor AF performance etc etc.. The high-end DSLR isn't going anywhere just yet in the pro sport/event photography scene, which is what Nikon caters to primarily. Also pricing wise the D850 is roughly $3,200. The rumored price for the 45MP MILC model is $4K (including kit lens). So we're not talking "budget MilCs" and no Nikon won't be giving away stuff for "half the price of a d850". All that being said, it is true however that Nikon have always been rather conservative when it comes to video features. Heck even the video I posted is advertising the D850 as a home video tool for the off-duty filmmaker! The press release does give me hope as it does mention video, but i'm not expecting Blackmagic or even GH5 type advanced video specs.. It's going to be a long 2 week wait!

I am so hyped for this camera. Even just D850 video specs with IBIS would probably be enough to win me over. I don't need all the picture customization of sony's. Dare i say i wouldn't even need log profile. Nikon color science (and flat profile) is that nice: I guess i'm already sold, but of course if Nikon nail video AF and get it close to dual pixel goodness, it might even be game over for Canon.

Yeah the DPAF inside the C100 mk1 is pretty basic & primitive compared to what it can do now, but i still find it more reliable than any video AF from another company. To get the best out of it you've got to set it up in a semi-automatic way using AF lock assign button but also using composition techniques to nail shots. PB breaks it down well here:

For sure.. also having several bodies allowed them to shoot in multi-cam and save time on set & in post by minimzing takes. unfortunately can't really talk much about this project as it's yet TBA but it's been really inspiring to hear about such usage from an award winning director of what is commonly considered prosumer gear in a full feature release.. again the process wasn't without complications especially considering weather sealing, and this is another area where Canikon could certainly make a difference.

All depends what kinda shooting you're doing.. wedding, event, concert, noctural shooters will value the fantastic high ISO performance of a speciality cam like A7S2. especially when trying to capture natural lighting environments. i even talked to a famous indie director recently who shot all his night scenes for an upcoming big budget feature on A7S2, as the film uses zero artificial lighting for artistic purposes. he said never again though as he ran into so many body issues/complications/failures as they were shooting in rough climate. i think they ended up going through like a dozen bodies!

I wasn't the Sony/gimbal operator but it was a dim night exterior shot so probably +25600 ISO to nail such exposure (screengrabs are SOOC). There are various A73 low light tests online that better depict such NR behaviour from the camera:

@jonpais the full announcement will be made next month with an expected release shortly after: https://www.nikonusa.com/en/nikon-products/mirrorless-is-coming.page as for pricing, rumors indicate 2 models: a 45MP at $4000 & a 24MP under $3000 including the kit 24-70mm lens. although video specs is yet uknown, i kinda doubt Canikon will miss this opportunity to go head to head with Sony. regardless competition is good for consumers, including Sony users.. and they still have their A7S3 wild card.. It's going to be an interesting Photokina year for mirrorless that's for sure.

From my experience face detect AF works fine on clear single face shots, but it starts to hunt or switch focus once other faces come into view. We had a busy event the other day and the A73 on gimbal couldn't keep up with Canon's dual pixel face tracking on our A-cam: The eye AF remains the most impressive Sony AF feature imo, unfortunately it disables in video (hopefully not in upcoming A7S3). As for skintones, it's a mixed bag as well.. on youth it's pretty uniform but once facial hair, wrinkles and other skin imperfections appear, they get exaggerated somehow.. Not the most flattering... combined with typical mixed lighting AWB issues.. Noise reduction also creeps up heavily in low-light as you crank up ISO, giving waxy airbrush look to skin tones: Never got this side effect on A7S2 so in that regard it's a step backwards.. All that being said.. i still think A73 is great bang for buck and paired with good glass ( we're using Batis here) it's got that FF wow factor clients crave, but i wouldn't yet pass on Canikon giving them a good run for money with their upcoming mirrorless offerings..

this will be closer to a D750 without flash & mirror than D850/1DX2 imo. i'll take better ergos, stability, battery life & IBIS of a bigger body vs pocketable but to each their own!

yea those mockups were done before the grip side was revealed this AM (notice they're missing the red swoosh). here it is superimposed with D850: a strong advantage of a big grip, aside from ergonomics should be excellent battery life which is always a concern for mirrorless video shooters..

massive grip.. looking good nikon!

Nikon have a rare opportunity here to sway hybrid video users with no video line to protect. If they manage to get decent (PDAF) video autofocus, a beefy (10-bit) codec or better yet raw with something like N-Log, i think a lot of heads may be tempted to switch. I kind of doubt we'll get all that cuz Nikon seems to always lag behind in video dept but who knows they might pull a Fuji and all of a sudden pack video centric specs. The new sub F/1 primes is also pretty enticing imo and could give an edge over Sony/Nikon offerings, especially if priced smartly..

actually that post does not fare well at all for Nikon (USA) as if you read carefully: the camera still has never been in stock at any of the major online camera stores. it's not about hot demand but simply Nikon USA never being able to distribute the camera to major retailers! lotta US folks cancelled their pre-order ages ago and moved to other systems as a result.. very strange as D850 has been well stocked here in the EU.

But the adapter has been officially announced..so legacy lens support is a given, and i doubt Nikon won't have it ready for launch, or near launch. i'm more interested however in details of this said adapter, the revealed patent with mirror inside doesn't sound like ideal solution as far as rendering (btw could anyone clue me in on why a mirror would be needed inside the adapter?! i've got nikon adapters for e-mount & fuji that don't require mirrors) . i've still got a few AI-S, AF-D & G primes i'm quite fond of so definitely curious about the adapter myself..

i like how Nikon made it official on the day of their 101th b-day! What excites me the most about the promo page is: "our ongoing mission is to guide light into the formation of truly superb photos and videos." please Nikon, give us proper video specs!! Not necesarily imo. I think they're aim is to primarily make people shift from Sony/Canon/Fuji/Panny. Current Nikon users will probably wait for the adapter (which will surely be available if not at launch, soon after). I'm also anticipating a strong compelling lens offering, especially if the F0.95 rumored primes are true. That could be a game changer alone.

personally i wouldn't invest a penny in a dead platform (i heard samsung won't even service it). certainly would'nt trade up an XH1 for one neither.

Sony FE 28mm f2 is also pretty crappy imo.. terrible barrel distortion (masked by sony bodies internal correction), CA & cheap plastic construction. The Fujinons, expecially aforementioned 35mm f1.4 is a jewel in comparison with all-metal made in japan construction and sharpness & lack of distortion that place it close to utterly more expensive Leica equivalent lenses.. No with Sony you've got to spend loads for upper-tier GM or Zeiss if you wanna compete with Canon L, Nikon G ED, or even fast Fuji primes. As for OP i would advise to wait until Photokina in September, which is right around the corner. Canikon might just change the MILC game if they play their cards right. Now is not the moment to switch systems.

FS5 with slow-mo upgrade / FS5 mk2 + Shogun Inferno : 240fps continuous raw 2K: or EVA1 if you can deal with the m43 crop:

I got a good feeling on this one.. I just hope for our sake they don't drop the ball as usual on video features.. imagine 10-bit, N-Log, HFR & good AF. would be game over as far as i'm concerned!

Pretty epic teaser! Looks like NR was accurate with the scheduled announcement info, big budget marketing campaign etc. Here is the recap: We are one week away from the rumored new Nikon full-frame mirrorless camera announcement. I have received some new pricing information, this time from Europe (I assume the prices are for a lens kit): Nikon 45MP full frame mirrorless camera: €4,000 (around $4,670, 20% VAT included in price) Nikon 24MP full frame mirrorless camera: €2,500 (around $2,900) One possible (rumored) scenario is that 45MP Nikon mirrorless full-frame camera will be announced first (at the end of July) while the second 24MP Nikon mirrorless full-frame camera could be announced at Photokina. The shipping of at least one of the new Nikon mirrorless full-frame cameras is rumored to start at the end of August or in early September. The upcoming mirrorless full-frame camera is rumored to be the most expensive Nikon marketing campaign ever with bloggers meetups in exotic locations and maybe even some celebrities involvement. Here is a recap of the already rumored Nikon mirrorless full-frame camera details: Two Nikon full-frame mirrorless cameras expected: one with 24-25MP and one with 45MP (48MP is also a possibility) - I reported the two sensors configurations in October last year. BSI sensors (supposed to be a new tech with advanced AF). Similar body size to the Sony a7 camera but with better ergonomics and a better grip. Nikon is putting a lot of emphasis and effort into the shooting experience of the new mirrorless camera. The camera was designed with ergonomics in mind. 5-axis in-body stabilization 9fps New mirrorless mount. We already knew that, but the number I was given this time is 55mm. The Z-mount dimensions I reported a few months ago were 49mm for the actual opening and 65.4mm for the entire mount diameter. The new mirrorless mount will allow for f/0.95 lenses - remember the NOCT trademark and f/0.9 lens patents? Memory cards: XQD and CF Express - now this is a surprise for me, but it is what I have heard (ProGrade is coming with a CF Express card). EVF resolution: 3.6MP (update: I am not sure if this is MP or million dots, the translation could be wrong since the specs originally came from Asia) Initially, three lenses will be announced: 24-70mm f/4, 35mm and 50mm (I think the 35 and 50mm will be f/1.4). There is also talk about a 24mm, but it may come later. Read more: https://nikonrumors.com/2018/07/15/one-week-away-from-the-rumored-new-nikon-full-frame-mirrorless-camera-announcement.aspx/#ixzz5M4GIElBq

True. I remember this interview i shot on XT2 where this mid-aged corporate geezer was like "when are you done shooting stills and setting up the video camera so we can get started" ? Can't imagine on a real set with actual talent. There is certainly confidence that only a big boy cam gives you even though you always get the snarky assistant/sound-engineer/tech that'll go "oh you're shooting this with a C ONE hundred" "when did that cam come out again?" "does it shoot RAW/4K?" "we had a RED/ARRI on our last shoot".. but then usually when they see the end result they'll be back with "is this cam still for sale? how much does it run for?" ?