Trek of Joy

Nikon still has a much larger market share and user base than anyone outside of Canon. They can drop a Nikon'd A7rII-type body with a LAEA style adapter or the current mount, it will be huge. The 1 Series has killer AF and they built out a lens lineup pretty quick. The blunder was the 1" sensor. But we also have the d810/d750/d600 successors coming soon and DSLR's still outsell mirrorless by quite a margin.

IMO the DL's were cancelled because the resources are being shifted to move into the mirrorless segment and compete with the FF E-mount.

Nikon isn't dead, funny seeing all the declarations that they're the next Kodak. Before the A7's, people were saying the EXACT same thing about Sony and how they F-ed up the A-mount and the E-mount was consumer crap.

Really disappointing the DL's were whacked. I passed on the RX100 after seeing the 18mm DL announced and have been hoping it would still be produced, but at this point it was pretty obvious they were never going to see the light of day.

Nikon has left the d810 and d750 linger too long. Their typical 4-year cycle needs to be sped up a bit. And they need a viable mirrorless. But with their unwillingness to scrap the legacy stuff (and use Sony-style LAEA adapters) is really hurting them. They're destined to fade into Pentax territory without changes.

Things look bad in Nikon land.

Just now, Taranis said:

How does the 55-200 compare to the 50-140 when it comes to 4K video?

Honestly I didn't shoot any video before leaving on my trip, just a few test stills to see if the lens was centered as I sold all my Sony gear a couple weeks before leaving and kind of built my kit on the fly. Bad idea to embark on something like this without knowing your gear, but time was tight and I really like the XT2 after renting one to compare to my a7rII and a6300. That's why I wound up with a 16-55 and 50-140 that are sitting at home (too heavy to carry everyday) while I'm on the road all year. It doesn't help that until I hit Australia/Asia, I'd never actually seen a Fuji camera in a shop so I couldn't tinker with lenses before buying - now I see them everywhere as there are tons of camera shops in the countries I've visited so far - Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia. Anyway, I think the 55-200 is pretty sharp, and a really good variable aperture zoom. If you need the focusing speed or light gathering/DOF of f/2.8, then the 50-140 is a no brainer. For a travel lens with more reach and half the weight, the 55-200 has been a gem. 

21 hours ago, jonpais said:

Some very good advice. I haven't tried using the joystick while in AF-C yet, I'll have to give it a shot this afternoon. But Dean should know that AF-C can be a bit abrupt when it changes focus points on it's own - it isn't smooth like Sony, for example. Also, because several members here have also said they use shutter speed to control exposure when shooting video, I tried it out once or twice for myself - for static subjects, it works just fine, but for moving people and objects, it can introduce a stuttering motion. I used it once when a stylist was spraying hairspray on a customer and it looked pretty neat though. Just something to be aware of.  Finally, while I have only used the 50-140mm on sticks so far, that lens is probably one of my favorites. The build quality is also amazing. I believe it also has something like four AF motors, more than any other to the best of my knowledge.

The focus change is pretty quick with AF-c, but I'm not using it to pull focus, for that I'd use MF and just use the back button as a backup. You can slow tings down a bit in post if you don't cut it out. As far as SS,I'm using it a lot when just shooting tourist stuff, if I want a critical shot I'll put my $$20 Hoya vari-ND (surprisingly good, got it off eBay) on the lens and keep the SS at 1/50 or 1/60.

The 50-140 is awesome, much better than the similarly priced Sony 70-200/4 and on par with CaNikon's best. I wish I could have taken it with me, but the lighter 55-200 got the nod.

Cheers

1 hour ago, Dean said:

Thanks Jon.

I hav a monopod but never use it ... any sort of support for a cam during street video ruins all the fun for me. Sometimes we go to one of the islands here or to the countryside and I'll bring a tripod & fluid head but not on the streets.

I was really surprised just how stable the 18-55 was. Going by what I saw on the screen it looked more stable than using my NX1 with the 16-50 with OIS in conjunction with the electronic stabilisation.

Thats good to know I can use AF-S in MF via the AF-L button. Can I use just AF-S and not MF if I want to? Can I focus on something and then refocus on something else while recording?

Good to know about the screen not dimming.

Also, how do you get 1/50? It's 1/60 on the dial.

Sorry for all the questions  

If I get this cam, I'd use the X-T2 mainly for stills but who knows? My video needs are not professional and I could do most with the 18-55. Still, the ultimate weapon on the streets is the GX85 and a small prime  I'd always keep that. Might sell the G85 though.

I use AF-c a lot when I'm in run-and-gun mode, just move the focus point with the joystick. Its brilliant. I don't think you can refocus with AF-s after hitting record, IIRC that's why I use AF-c. I love the 18-55 and the 10-24, OIS is so good I don't miss IBIS on the A7rII at all, and that's not hyperbole, I sold a full-on Sony kit to move to twin XT2's for a year of traveling around the world. The 50-140 has the best stabilization of any zoom lens I've used, including the Canon 70-200 IS mkII.

You can adjust the SS beyond top dial values with the rear control dial, turning it give you what's between SS on the dial. BUT - you can also set it to"T" and just use the rear control dial exclusively to control your SS. I have it set this way because I'm constantly flipping between stills and video and its easier/faster to scroll from 1/500 to 1/50 with the rear dial. I don't use a ND very often either, so I use the SS to adjust exposure after hitting record.

Despite its quirks, its a great hybrid camera. Stills are fantastic, you can shoot raw + jpeg with your favorite film simulation, raw and pick a film simulation later with in cam develop mode (surprisingly quick/easy) or with LR. I have no regrets about leaving Sony and leaving FF for the XT2.

20 hours ago, liork said:

Its not the same sensor. The E M1 mark II has much better highlights than the mark I.

If you're responding to me, I was referring to the same Sony 20mp sensor as others like the Pen F and such - with PADF added to the mix, not between the MK I & II. 

20 hours ago, jonpais said:

I'm actually happy about the line skipping. Having paid $1,600.00 USD for the X-T2, then to have a model come out with identical video performance for $600.00 less would have made me have buyer's remorse. And then, I might have bought both cameras, and I'd end up in bankruptcy court.  

For me it would be a backup as the XT2 is already pretty small and it lacks a battery grip - or it would be a throw in the bag everyday camera with something like the 18mm pancake. I have the 16-55 and 50-140 (though I'm traveling for the rest of the year and not carrying them) and those are much better with the battery grip. When I'm shooting stills or events I have a gripped camera on a sling strap and one on a video monopod.

Cheers

Reading through the thread, its more just a shift in ISO values. Looking at actual samples, there's no significant difference in DR between the EM1 mk 1 & 2 because its still the same Sony sensor. It looks like Olympus is using a more aggressive NR with the 20mp sensor because of the noise.

GH5 video samples are certainly cleaner at higher ISO's, but there's no real leap in DR, just looks like better processing. I'm sure we'll see that when raw stills can be analyzed.

3 hours ago, Inazuma said:

Well when im just shooting casually i tend to only be able to shoot hand held and i find jello to be really noticeable when doing so. 

Its a real shame about the 50mm. Im looking at alternatives atm. Theres the Voigtlander 58mm f1.4 for a similar price. 

Its much better with the stabilized lenses. I've been shooting all handheld for the last 6 weeks, I notice it a lot more with the primes compared to the 10-24, 18-55 and even the 55-200. If I'm reasonable steady, even at 200mm, I get very little RS. And its still much better than the SAOny's I was shooting with before the XT2.

Its disappointing to see the XT20 is line skipping in 4k, that means aliasing and moire.

Pass.

On 1/14/2017 at 6:09 AM, rooney111 said:

That must've been very hard, if they were the blue penguin they are the smallest penguins in the world. 

If they were the yellow eyed penguin then they are super rare and you better take the shot when you see one in their natural habitat (they swim in from the sea and walk towards the beach during sunset time). 

And I'm fairly certain you didn't see the crested penguin (the ones with big yellow eyebrows) because they live deeper in the rainforest closer to west coast. 

Anyways, point being sighting penguin and shooting them in South island isn't easy since we only have the small rare almost extinct species. You need a camera you are either very familiar with or very easy to use. 

It was actually pretty easy, following subjects with AF-c and the joystick is cake. They were hanging out in this area for about an hour, milling around, calling out to each other when one would go into the brush and disappear, cleaning each other and so on. I was there before sunrise. I missed them going into the water thanks to a trip to the toilet. But I got them swimming out to sea, they were incredibly cool to watch, a true bucket list experience, just amazing. AF is really, really good, even when you're moving the camera, only takes a second to snap into focus (I wish Fuji would let us adjust focus speed in video, but I usually just use that as an edit point anyway). Here's a frame (compressed a bit to make uploading easier, its not SOOC), shot handheld at 200mm with the 55-200.

EDIT: side note since this is a X-T20 thread, for me the joystick works better than a touchscreen to pull focus, most of the time I shoot through the EVF (easier to see in daylight) and my right hand is adjusting the shutter speed while the left holds the lens. 

Another edit, I have a bunch of XT2 travel video from the last month that I'm working on getting uploaded, there will be a flood of footage from me soon from Australia, New Zealand and now Malaysia - then more throughout the year from countries around the world.

Looks like a great budget version of the XT2. I'm glad Fuji is moving all its X cameras to the same battery, makes buying into the system easier.

If they're adding PADF and a touchscreen, I'd bet price is going up as well. Fuji is on a roll, but 4k should be in the new X100 as well.

10 hours ago, jonpais said:

I'm sure I'm reading incorrectly, but you don't really shoot ten seconds of an interview, stop the camera, reposition it and begin recording again, do you? 

That's for b-roll or capturing scenic shots while traveling, not during interviews, ha, ha.

11 hours ago, jonpais said:

I think the reason Mattias continues to post news and reviews of Fuji cameras is the same reason Trek of Joy and I use Fuji - once you've tried them, you become passionate about them. And never in my life have I seen such beautiful image quality from a consumer camera.

And in the ned that's what matters most, there are compromises with every camera I've used, find what suits your needs best and get out and shoot.

My shooting is 50/50 between stills/video, that's why I have the F/2.8 zooms and a variety of primes, along with a few of the variable aperture zooms, lots of options. The XT2 is a stellar stills camera and the video IQ is superb, its the best hybrid available IMO. Once you shoot with it for awhile and get develop the muscle memory for the controls, its very user friendly.

If the XT-20 shoots XT2 quality 4k, then it'll be a steal. My guess is it will not have Flog and it looks like PADF isn't making it inside either. So its essentially the X-A3 with an EVF an 4k.

Cheers.

6 minutes ago, jonpais said:

Agree with most of what you said, but I'm not going to shy away from pointing out the limitations of the camera either. I've never used Sony, but coming from the GH4, or compared to the battery life of the Lumix G85, ten minutes of continuous shooting at 4K is abysmal.

If you need longer times, you probably already know the grip gives you 30 min, or something else would be a better option. But unlike any Sony I've owned, I can keep recording those 10 minute clips until the battery is dead, then do it again with another, and another and so on. I've done run tests twice and gotten more than 60 minutes on a single battery. 

I don't shoot anything that requires more than about 5 or 6 minutes if its an interview, and usually I'm shooting 10 seconds or so, stop/shut off, moving the camera and turn on while repositioning and then recording again, so the time limit isn't an issue for me - the camera getting too hot to touch and shutting down after 30-40 minutes of constant shooting like this is a much bigger deal - again for me. This was life with the a6300 and sometimes with the a7rII.

Cheers

For those complaining about the shutter speed dial - lock it on "T" and use the back dial like any camera. I keep mine on T at all times and use the back dial to adjust I can go from 30 second exposures to 1/8000 pretty quick. I never use the SS dial on top. I ride the shutter all the time when recording as I only have one vary-ND, and its rarely on the lens I'm actually shooting with at any given moment. Its no different from any DSLR, you don't have to use the top dial.

Moving the focus point is a bigger deal to me, and until the a6500 it was impossible without a few button pushes, the joystick on the Fuji makes it a lot faster/easier. I was shooting a penguin in Southern New Zealand last week and followed it around with quick adjustments with the stick. Like Mattias, I prefer aperture rings. Fuji's Manual focus aides are better too, and the EVF is bigger and sharper compared to all Sony's. The rear LCD is better too, and it doesn't dim one bit when you record 4k. And focus magnification isn't super soft like Sony's.

My Fuji has not overheated once - also a big deal for me. I shot 1200 stills and 20 minutes of 4k video on one battery in Sydney a few weeks ago and it was blazing hot, not sure why anyone would call that abysmal. Turn off your camera between frames/takes and don't spend a lot of time reviewing shots and you'll be amazed at how much you can do with a single battery. I have four others, since leaving DSLR's a few years ago to shoot mirrorless, I carry a lot of batteries. Sony loses significant charge overnight when you're not even using it. My Fuji doesn't. Can't tell you how many times I put a fully charged battery in my A7rII and it was only at 90% because it sat for a couple days.

We could go on. Pick one and shoot. As always YMMV, but shooting video with the XT2 for me is far more intuitive than with the A7rII and a6300 it replaced.

36 minutes ago, rooney111 said:

Hello

Do you miss anything on the XT2 that you had with the NX1? Is there a 16-50S equivalent or there abouts for the Fuji? My new year resolution is to stop buying gear but but Fuji as a brand looks very appealing. 

I like the Fuji better in every way, especially the color and less rolling shutter. I have the 10-24, 16-55 and 18-55 that cover everything the 16-50s does and more, plus I have the 23/1.4, 56/1.2 and so on that cover FL's Samsung never made. The Samsung is a faster lens, but to me Fuji video is better at 6400, which is something I never shot with the NX1. I've been wanting to go Fuji for a couple years because of the lenses I always wanted Sony to make, the XT2 solved all my issues with a Fuji body including AF, 4k, 24mp sensor and so on.

Fuji isn't going anywhere either, that's a big plus. There's a dedicated NX1 user base here though, I don't want this thread to get derailed with a NX1 vs. XT2 discussion, please open another thread if that's the goal.

8 hours ago, Viet Bach Bui said:

Not sure why you like those Fuji(s) so much. They are great still cameras, but the ergonomic is not good for video shooting.

Been shooting with the XT2 for the last two months after shooting with Sony and the NX1 recently, not sure what good ergos are if you consider the XT2 bad, and it completely outclasses anything Sony has in the same class. How are manual control dials for ISO, SS, and aperture bad, along with a better EVF and LCD than most of the competition? Plus the menus are logically organized and you can group anything that can't be included in the Q menu or placed on a custom button in the "My Menu" menu. Custom WB's are much easier than Sony too. But Sony wrote the book on poor usability, so they're easy to pick on.

On 12/29/2016 at 3:07 AM, Kisaha said:

There are tripods, monopods, feet (that can walk the distance and use a wider lens!). I am surprised that suddenly IBIS and gimbals became a necessity. Like the a7sii, all of a sudden people prefer shooting in absolute darkness! 

I am not against IBIS/GIMBALS/HIGH ISO SENSORS, but there are ways working around limitations. After 18 years of pro work, this year was the first to use A7sII and Ronin, great, but only for 3 occasions (2 the A7sii and 1 the Ronin).

Fuji's OIS is on par with the IBIS in the A7rII. I have the 50-140, 18-55, 55-200 and 10-24, stabilization is really good on all of them. The primes and the stellar 16-55 are of course not stabilized.

I shot for years with the 5d2/3, the 24-70 and a bunch of unstabilized primes, personally its not a big deal. As always YMMV.

On 12/11/2016 at 2:45 AM, Alex Uzan said:

Hi there,

I need to buy a new tripod head to use with a A6300 (and maybe the bmpcc 2 )

So I was looking to a Benro S8, but man, this head is big

Is that not  to big for a mirrorless ?

My main use will be at home.

 

Thanks

 

I've had the S8 with the carbon sticks for a year, been shooting mirrorless for years. The head is big, but for the price you're not going to find a better head, its far better than the Manfrottos and others (IMO after trying everything in the same range at B&H). It also has extra mounting points for an arm, wireless receiver and so on. Its a great head.

22 hours ago, Inazuma said:

Does anyone else have the 18-55 + one other lens? I swear with AF-C in video this lens carries on hunting after locking focus a lot more than my 23 and 35. 

I have 7 or 8 lenses, my 23/1.4 hunts a lot more than the 18-55. I'm using 91 AF points, whatever I have the focus box on stays locked pretty well with the 18-55.

Doing some traveling with the XT2, here's a screencap, shot from the bridge in Sydney Harbor. This is Classic Chome SOOC 4k/30p. Wish there were more clouds and a little less haze. Good color is so effortless with the XT2. Love.

16 hours ago, Django said:

well i've had an XT2 (+ kit lens) with me for couple days.. and i'm having really mixed feelings about it. some very strange issues from the OIS lens (image randomly starts "bouncing"?!)

There's a FW update to address this, it surfaced when it was first released.

That's whack, the bubble should stay level when panning. But the head is on top of a lot of other stuff, I much prefer to keep it simple with a bowl.

Benro's video tripod line is really underrated since its not as well known as Satchler or Manfrotto. I have the S8 with the carbon sticks, spent some time in B&H tinkering everything under $1000 and the S8 was the clear winner, the counterbalance and pan/tilt handled my 6 pound camera/lens/rig/light/mic setup better than everything else.

This discussion reminds me of any discussion about using AF while shooting video - you always get the "pros always MF" blah, blah, blah. Yet every time I've seen/worked with crews using Canon C1/300's with the DPAF, they're constantly using it to pull focus.

Do whatever it takes to get the shot. Sometimes ND's are a pain, sometime I use them, sometimes I don't. Depends on the situation.

5 hours ago, jonpais said:

@Trek of Joy Have you shot with the Lumix GH4? If so, any thoughts in comparison to the Fuji (esp. image quality, not features or build quality)? Also, do you have any experience with either the Fujinon 16-55mm f/2.8 or Sigma 30mm f/1.4 DC DN? Those are two lenses I'm considering getting if I end up buying the XT2. Although many are complaining about the lack of touch screen and articulating LCD (myself included!), I'm finding myself using manual focus more and more, and with camera either on a tripod or a gimbal, I find I'm not using either of those features as much on my Panasonic, though certainly if I start vlogging, it means I'll have to pick up a monitor at some point. BTW, Max Yuryev is at work on his full-length review right now, should be up very soon.

Had a GH4 a couple years ago, shot a commercial for a company I was working for in 4k and produced a nice 1080p file. The stills just didn't do it for me, too much noise kicking in at just 1600. This was also before some of the faster lenses and the Blog update we now have, which would have helped keep ISO's down. Banding hasn't been an issue for me yet, it seemed to rear its ugly head with the GH4 on occasion, but I've only been shooting Fuji for a short time. Can't comment on anything else.

I shifted my Sony kit pretty quickly and I'm now running twin XT2's with the 10-24/4, 16-55/2.8, 50-140/2.8, 18-55, 23/1.4, 56/1.2 and 55-200. The 16-55 is nearly perfect for me, just lacks OIS, but its really sharp and AF is crazy good with the linear focus motors. Canon's 24-70/2.8 isn't stabilized and I shot with it for years, its a great standard zoom and a lens I wish Sony would have produced instead of that crappy 16-70. I have no problem running a gimbal, so the "but the a6500 has IBIS" noise doesn't meant anything to me. The 10-24 and 18-55 have really good OIS, combined with better rolling shutter, handheld stuff looks good to me. The 50-140 has the best stabilization I've ever seen in a lens, its really good.

I haven't used the Sig 30, its a no-mans-land FL for me, but it looks really nice and I'm a big fan of the Sigma look. I may rent one at some point, but I'm getting ready to take a year to travel around the world so no more new lenses until I return at the end of next year. For primes I prefer (in FF terms) 24, 35, 85, 135. Many like 50mm-ish lenses, I've never been able to make them work. I always like to go a little wider or get in closer. The 16/1.4 is at the top of my wish list at the moment.

If you're getting the XT2, might as well get the 18-55 kit, its well worth $300, and you can always sell it down the road without losing anything. Its quite a bit smaller than the 16-55 and makes a great knock around lens.

16 hours ago, Andrew Reid said:

Just bought a Sony A6500. I don't care about polls.

Then why bother to post one?