Thpriest

I am Syrian.

I am Antiochian Orthodox Christian.

I come from a place in Syria called Wadi al Nasara (known in English as the "Valley of the Christians").

I come from a village called "Safita" - about two-hours north of Damascus. I currently reside in Sydney Australia. 99% of my family remains in Syria.

If you are not Syrian, if you have not lived in Syria, if you don't have all your family and friends in Syria, please do not pretend to know about Syria, or talk on behalf of Syria.

I have lost many family and friends in the past few years. All at the hands of the US and NATO's so-called "moderate rebels". The youngest was two-years old - killed, along with her mother, whom was attempting to rock her to sleep, by a "moderate rebel" sniper. Why? Because she was unfortunate enough to be punished and killed for no other reason other than for being born a Syrian Christian.

The Western-backed "democracy loving rebels" destroyed our towns. They desecrated and burnt our churches. They beheaded our priests (two from the village next to mine).

I am doing my absolute best to control myself as I write this. I keep telling myself to back-track. Delete the post entirely. In all serious, what is it going to change? What is going to happen other than having myself, my background, my history, exposed? It will most likely be in vain - most people have been manipulated by Western media for years. My hope is that perhaps one mind could be changed. If that. Regardless, I am absolutely fed up with this diatribe and propaganda that is purported and spurred on by Western exceptionalism at the behest of US/NATO hegemony.

Obama. Clinton. Merkel. Erdogan. All these NATO war-mongers, and their partners in the Gulf, namely Saudi Arabia and Qatar, have armed, trained, and funded these Salafi and Wahhabi proxies militias against us. I blame them personally for this. I blame them for all the family and friends that I have lost.

What's worse, Western media would have you believe that was is happening in Syria is all in the name of "democracy" - that it was some "popular uprising" - when anyone that is Syrian, or has lived in Syria, especially during the war, knows that that is complete rubbish. Regardless, the idea that the West wants democracy anywhere is a joke. Only political romantics that do not understand geo-politics, Western hegemony and realpolitik fall for this.

The West wants democracy in Syria, huh? Even though they partner, arm and train the two most undermocratic governments and armies on Earth - Saudi Arabia and Qatar. Give me a f**king break.
I don't care for Trump. I don't like Trump. I don't have hope for his administration. Personally, I supported Jill Stien. Regardless, anyone that thinks Clinton would have been any better is deluded and ill-educated on her neo-con and neo-liberal history and agenda.

You know what - I'll tell you the real "cruel irony" - the one BBC, CNN, and the rest of the faux news wont tell you - that people who support LGBT rights and women's rights, the people that are against crony capitalism and corruption, the people that are against war, are the same people supporting and protesting for Hillary Clinton - a woman funded by Saudi Arabia and Wall St cronies - whom are the absolute antithesis of everything those people stand for - that is the f**king cruel irony.

And this whole anti-Russian sentiment has reached ridiculous proportions. You know, I got off the phone with my Dad in Syria the other day. He said to me; "If Russia dies, we all die."
If you were a Syrian Christian, or a Syrian that supports secularism, you would know what that means without even needing explanation.

Russia is the only reason Syria hasn't fallen to the proxy armies and militias of NATO and Saudi Arabia. If if wasn't for Russia, there wouldn't be a single Syrian Christian/secular Syrian, left alive.

People want to keep playing this anti-Russia card, fine. Keep believing the same bulls**t media and governments that sold you the Iraq WMD lie. Or the photo-op phony NGO groups like "White Helmets", et al.

Real Syrians know the truth.

I also wondered about discussing politics on a site such as this and what effect it might have on the audience. But I'm not so sure about it being a bad idea completely. I wonder if it really is a bad thing to discuss important matters related to society as a sidebar to the main course. Where there is a strong emotional drive, it will be discussed. Politics is frequently a taboo subject, but if we want to progress to greater understanding then we need to be able to have the discussion with people who might have a different view. Perhaps the problem is more in how we have these conversations - personalising the issue through labelling each other, or lecturing one another, rather than approaching the problem more inquisitively and journalistically in an attempt to tease out the underlying issues by gaining another person's perspective. In this regard, Jonathan Pie (other thread) was right - have a respectful discussion with those who have different view. It's easy to have an opinion; much harder to empathise and get to the underlying issues instead of leaping to judgment. I'm not so good at this myself, but when there are important differences to discuss, instead of remaining silent on these matters within a community, I'd like to get better at having the discussion, but in a manner that is non-alienating to others or descending into argument. Is this too utopic? Possibly. But this forum is populated by some pretty intelligent and good natured people, so I expect it is possible.

Clearly there are huge imbalances and injustices through out the world. In the so called developed world many of the voters have simply switched off as far as politics is concerned. This is a huge problem as it leaves the door open for organised or even semi-organised extremists with narrow agendas (racism, fascism, religious groups, etc). This has been seen in recent votes in the UK, Colombia and the USA among others. Other democracies have been manipulated and attacked like in Turkey, Hungary and Poland. Media has played a huge part in twisting the truth and feeding people's worst impulses. How we deal with this is one of the great questions of our times.
We are at the end of an era, a system (neoliberalism) is in it's death throes. It has torn up and shat out the social order in place since the second world war as well as truly trashing the planet, all for some stupid tokens that we call money. Our problem is what comes next. The losers are fed up and angry, lashing out at anything or anyone that might be to blame. Whilst we have so many scientific means to understand the world, more and more people seem to be turning to the ignorance of extreme religious beliefs. Witness the power of the evangelicals in places like the USA and Colombia and Hindu and Islamic groups in Asia. Dangerous groups who have been thoroughly manipulated to believe absolute nonsense and who try to enforce those beliefs on others.
We can choose those that offer a change but a change for the worse like Trump, Farage, Le Pen or those who live in a world of anger like Uribe, Erdogan and Orbán, or we can take a step back and realise we have to change many things in our lives, the way we run our planet, how we treat each other, how we share what's left...What we really need is a positive movement that people can rally around because if not we are going to tear ourselves apart again.

Nice video. I noted 2 things though:
1. Crazy amounts of purple and green chromatic aberrations.
2. Strange motion cadence... I could see the frames. Possibly due to shutter speed choice? Most notably seen on the first shot of the gondola coming our from a bridge.

Clearly there are huge imbalances and injustices through out the world. In the so called developed world many of the voters have simply switched off as far as politics is concerned. This is a huge problem as it leaves the door open for organised or even semi-organised extremists with narrow agendas (racism, fascism, religious groups, etc). This has been seen in recent votes in the UK, Colombia and the USA among others. Other democracies have been manipulated and attacked like in Turkey, Hungary and Poland. Media has played a huge part in twisting the truth and feeding people's worst impulses. How we deal with this is one of the great questions of our times.
We are at the end of an era, a system (neoliberalism) is in it's death throes. It has torn up and shat out the social order in place since the second world war as well as truly trashing the planet, all for some stupid tokens that we call money. Our problem is what comes next. The losers are fed up and angry, lashing out at anything or anyone that might be to blame. Whilst we have so many scientific means to understand the world, more and more people seem to be turning to the ignorance of extreme religious beliefs. Witness the power of the evangelicals in places like the USA and Colombia and Hindu and Islamic groups in Asia. Dangerous groups who have been thoroughly manipulated to believe absolute nonsense and who try to enforce those beliefs on others.
We can choose those that offer a change but a change for the worse like Trump, Farage, Le Pen or those who live in a world of anger like Uribe, Erdogan and Orbán, or we can take a step back and realise we have to change many things in our lives, the way we run our planet, how we treat each other, how we share what's left...What we really need is a positive movement that people can rally around because if not we are going to tear ourselves apart again.

Clearly there are huge imbalances and injustices through out the world. In the so called developed world many of the voters have simply switched off as far as politics is concerned. This is a huge problem as it leaves the door open for organised or even semi-organised extremists with narrow agendas (racism, fascism, religious groups, etc). This has been seen in recent votes in the UK, Colombia and the USA among others. Other democracies have been manipulated and attacked like in Turkey, Hungary and Poland. Media has played a huge part in twisting the truth and feeding people's worst impulses. How we deal with this is one of the great questions of our times.
We are at the end of an era, a system (neoliberalism) is in it's death throes. It has torn up and shat out the social order in place since the second world war as well as truly trashing the planet, all for some stupid tokens that we call money. Our problem is what comes next. The losers are fed up and angry, lashing out at anything or anyone that might be to blame. Whilst we have so many scientific means to understand the world, more and more people seem to be turning to the ignorance of extreme religious beliefs. Witness the power of the evangelicals in places like the USA and Colombia and Hindu and Islamic groups in Asia. Dangerous groups who have been thoroughly manipulated to believe absolute nonsense and who try to enforce those beliefs on others.
We can choose those that offer a change but a change for the worse like Trump, Farage, Le Pen or those who live in a world of anger like Uribe, Erdogan and Orbán, or we can take a step back and realise we have to change many things in our lives, the way we run our planet, how we treat each other, how we share what's left...What we really need is a positive movement that people can rally around because if not we are going to tear ourselves apart again.

Maybe! It'll just be another d*ckhead like Trump but they'll tell us the overheating problems have been solved and he can shoot faster.... ;P

Trump is like Sony, he promises the world, will never live up to his 'promises' and overheats when called to action.
Clinton is like Samsung cameras, dead but people keep banging on about her.
I prefer Canon and Panasonic.

Maybe Trump will Make Canon Great Again.

I cannot wait for "Apprentice: White House Edition."

So we'll have a president upgrade in a couple months?? :D

@kidzrevil you needed a C100markII from the beginning! A few months ago I did a documentary series for a small TV station, in the northern part of Greece (Macedonia and Thrace territories, I am not even sure if you know where Greece is!) , 12-14 hours of work per day/ a lot of miles/6 days a week for a full month (and a bit).
I could choose between a dozen of cameras (GH4/5D markII and III/Canon 70D/a couple of Sony 1/3inch video cameras/C300/my NX kit/ e.t.c) I didn't even think about it, I grabbed a C100markII, an 18-135 STM, and a couple of primes (I never used one, never, we had 4-7 locations every day, and it was me and a producer/driver type of guy).
I was sending the footage every week, and the people in our base had to edit a whole episode in a few days, so, no really time for post.
I believe this project was only possible because of the C100.

I guess Spain, Portugal, Southern Italy, Southern France, Greece have very similar working conditions, add to this that Greece has by far the least working rights and the smallest salaries anywhere in the Western World right now..you get the point, why I count every euro!
As I said, a small and cheap mirrorless kit is a must have for small jobs, or when you need to pack light and small, but in the end, when you have to decide between camera body + good zoom lens (for the f stop mainly) - cage - monitor - microphone/external recorder, OR C100+18-135 STM, then the Canon doesn't seem that big anymore. And when your small mirrorless kit worths more money than your C100, then again, C100 seems more appropriate!
The JVC is a very underrated camera. People just ignore it, they shouldn't. The variable sensor is God send (and in-house manufactured from JVC), if GH5 has a similar sensor (isn't JVC owned by Panasonic anyway?) then it will be an instant hit, negate the small sensor (but true) argument, and adding much more versatility and innovation. Instead, they are going for a 18megapixels one? That is certainly a weird number (as the Sony sensors right now are 16 and 20), so we have to wait for more info, and pricing. 

Far dues. Same goes in south west Europe!
I have a Canon C100 and it's great but sometimes it's just too heavy to lug about all day! I think we both use DSLRs in the same kind of low budget jobs that you get in these parts.
Usability, video quality and price will determine whether the GH5 (and MFT) can survive in this rapidly evolving and cut-throat market. I hope it really lives up to expectations and comes in under 2000€ as I really need a light weight alternative to the C100 ( and I have some lovely MFT glass!).

There is a lot of snobbishness about equipment and a lot of nonsense talked about what makes someone a pro. A professional is a person engaged in a specified activity as a main paid occupation rather than as a pastime. It has nothing to do with what equipment he/she choses for each job. I have "pro" gear but I also use DSLRs when there is a need for light weight work. The IBIS on the GX85 has been very useful on occasions on some paid jobs. Horses for courses.
If the GH5 is as good as it sounds and sells for 2000€ then it'll be a very interesting camera for some professional work and a beast for hobbyists. What is true is that 4K/60 will be a bugger to edit on most people's present editing suites.

I commented on the rumored price of 3000$ (and you know that these prices are higher in Europe), and the fact that the waiting game pays off (less trouble/less money spend) in new complicated tools, like hybrid cameras, and I am definitely not a snob.
I do have a NX1/NX500/NX3000 kit for my hobby (photography) and extremely low budget video jobs, and I always trying to find the best value for money (that's why I stayed with the NX system for so long).
NX1 as 4K (no crop) A-cam, especially with the exceptional 16-50S lens; NX500 as a small B cam is fine (crop, usually with the 45 or 30mm prime, which are very good buys, and very good for interview close ups or live coverage), and the NX3000 with the NX 10mm/3.5f fish eye as an APS-C version of an action cam (that is no 4K of course, but is my crash cam). The whole system (with 7 or 8 NX lenses) costed me around the starting price of a A7Sii (body only, just to put it in perspective).
But if I have to pay 3 or more thousands for a body only, and I was a pro (I am) then I would definitely considering something more appropriate for advanced needs (depending the style and the line of job, usually here in the European south east, the working days and nights are hot and long, and the salaries less and less!). Even the JVC LS300 (for me) is a great idea, and sells new, as much as a C100markII used. We are using it now for a documentary series (speedboosted +  L glass), mixed with a couple of 5DmarkIII, and the ease of use of the little JVC is cost, and time saving. The original idea was 3 Canons and recording sound externally, now we record on the JVC, time (and battery) saving on production, and in post. 
Significant things for me as a professional (and that's when I reach for the C series usually) are: ergonomics, battery life, ND filters, XLR/Sound connections. Most of the dedicated video cameras these days offer adequate quality.
If the GH5 sells for 2000euros, it will be..ok, not great, but ok.. but if the new Olympus's price is any indication, and the rumored GH5 price is right, then a price above the 2500euro mark is most possible, and that will be very expensive in my opinion. Also, in 6-8 months, Sony can put another aXXXX camera, doing 4K/60fps (even if it records for 27seconds before burning hot!) and sell it for much less. Sony makes the sensors, do you not think they are not aware of what kind of sensors are selling to the m4/3 group? 

SLR Magic primes get my absolute highest recommendation. I use them for almost every project and they produce beautiful results every time.

If I had to choose one single lens, I'd go with the Voigtlander 17.5mm f/0.95 for a prime and the C/Y Zeiss 28-85mm f/3.3-4 on a Speed Booster XL for a zoom.

Thanks, I appreciate it! ...I have some pieces on my Events/Travel page that might work for weddings, but I haven't created anything specifically for weddings. If you happen to need some custom tracks created, I can do that at very low cost...just let me know. :-)
In the meantime...
New free tracks are ready for everyone:
"Monkey Business" (looping and non-looping)
http://soundimage.org/funny-3/

"Intriguing Future"
http://soundimage.org/techno/

"Slick Streets"_Looping
"Wandering the Streets"_Looping
"Delivering the Goods"_Looping
http://soundimage.org/urban/

"Electric Rain"_Looping
http://soundimage.org/dance-techno/

I hope they are helpful!  :-)
Eric

I thought it was a good share.
I bought a SLR Magic 12mm T1.6 second hand and I'm very happy with it. I'm thinking about selling a couple of other lenses so I can get the SLR Magic 25mm 0.95 mkiii. 

I think someone has been buying up all those NX1s and is promoting them on all the new camera threads in the hope of making a killing from those who feel hard done by!

Sony seems to be practicing the same disastrous environmental policies that Apple does...breeding this concept that something's already obsolete by the time you get it home from the store...must be taking it's cue from Apple and it's iPhone mania...oh well...all the Lemmings jumping happily off the cliff!

All Sony cameras should come with ice cream. It helps with the cooling!

I think someone has been buying up all those NX1s and is promoting them on all the new camera threads in the hope of making a killing from those who feel hard done by!

All Sony cameras should come with ice cream. It helps with the cooling!

Oh I don't know. I think I was using Portra or Velvia. I just found for me, FilmConvert to be the easiest way to nice color with these consumer 8 bit footage... Or any footage really. But your mileage may vary.