Trek of Joy

A7IV? I wish. I have one on order LOL, but I'm in the US and we won't see them for another month. Right now its the a7III/a7sIII combo for me. All of your S5 points are great and honestly features I would like to see on Sony, though I get monitoring and false color with the Ninja which I don't mind rigging.
The latest Sony AF has been a game changer for me, I need glasses for anything within a few feet and its just made me so much faster, I almost never focus manually because I can't see further away with my glasses on. So I'm looking forward to the a7IV to better compliment the a7sIII - Sony's real time tracking never ceases to impress, its really, really good. The other upgrades are welcome too, and I really don't mind the 60p crop, even if I didn't have the a7sIII.
Cheers
Chris

Yeah, CIZ is good to 1.5x, I never go past it as IQ does noticeably degrade. I didn't take that into consideration, sometimes I forget its there LOL! I have that and s35 mode it on custom function buttons for quick punch ins. But you lose tracking and the ability to place your focus point with CIZ - so all you get is wide AF. But it can be handy since it doesn't impact IQ in any significant manner and it doesn't cut resolution like s35 mode with stills.
To answer your questions, I'm wider than 35mm a lot. I had the Tamron 28-75 and sold it for another 24-70 because I frequently needed it to be a tad wider. I change lenses less now. When I'm shooting I usually have the the UWA or a 24-70 on one and the 70-180/200 on the other body and then switch things up if needed. I even have a 24 and 35 primes because I like that range a lot. I really wish Sony would do a better 28 so I could consolidate both, its a happy medium for me.
But utilizing the CIZ with 150mm on the long end effectively negates the shorter range in many situations. I have glass beyond 200mm too, but that's a specialty lens that's not in my daily carry. I'm pretty sure a high IQ UWA zoom and the 35-150 would work well for the way I shoot, and for a small chunk of that range I'd get a bit more light gathering than the 24-70. I *think* I'd be more efficient being able to use the zoom and crop options to extend the reach. 
We'll see. I'm in no hurry to sell off a bunch of gear and buy two new zooms, despite the fact new stuff is fun. I'll probably rent the Tamron for a long weekend and tinker or wait for used copies to start popping up on Fred Miranda and get one at a bit of a discount.
I've also been looking at the Freewell magnetic VND's and such to further simplify my kit while staying versatile. Right now I have screw on filters and a 100mm filter holder with a bunch of filters I don't use very much because of the time it takes to setup. I always just wind up using my VND's, even for landscape photos and such - which I shouldn't do since I have the big/little stoppers, a CPL and a few ND grads with that NISI system. But its hard to be more run and gun fumbling with large glass plates.
Cheers
Chris

Yes, the micro incremental updates we get helps to make this look pretty amazing. It’s certainly disruptive and makes some of the offerings from Sony and Canon look like a joke. I always like to see someone trying to raise the bar, it forces the lazy giants to unlock more of the potential from the next camera. But that’s also the forced upgrade path, which also sucks.
cheers 
chris

Yes, the micro incremental updates we get helps to make this look pretty amazing. It’s certainly disruptive and makes some of the offerings from Sony and Canon look like a joke. I always like to see someone trying to raise the bar, it forces the lazy giants to unlock more of the potential from the next camera. But that’s also the forced upgrade path, which also sucks.
cheers 
chris

I completely disagree.  Unless it's got poor IQ (which we haven't seen yet) or you're talking about brand anxiety and status on set, it's actually a superior option in many cases, because its competitor is not a shoulder rig, it's competition is a ronin / easyrig combo because it has a z-axis stabiliser:

or perhaps even a ronin / steadicam, depending on how easy it is to do big vertical moves:

Amusingly, Hollywood seems to be voting against you, as the default approach for high-end cinema appears to be stabilised unless otherwise required, rather than the other way around, which seems to be your preference.
I find that one of the fastest ways to make footage look amateur is to have the cameras location (not rotation) shake.  ie, IBIS and gimbals stabilise the cameras rotation so the image doesn't move around, but the cameras position often shakes giving that terrible effect of having the background stay stable and the items in the foreground shake due to the parallax error.  
Hollywood doesn't do parallax shake because the camera is on sticks / crane / slider which controls the cameras location, or on the shoulder of someone standing still which provides more rotational movement than location movement, or on a steadicam where the cameras location is very fluidly controlled.  The only exception is when "hand held" was in the brief, in which case it's appropriate.
I film exclusively hand-held for all my projects using IBIS, which is appropriate to their aesthetic, but I try and avoid moving the camera at all while filming to avoid the shaky parallax error.
Tragically, this level of innovation is not remarkable.  In any other tech sector, this would be normal.  The only reason this stands out is because the rest of the industry is lazy and complacent.  I include companies like Panasonic in this comment.  
The industry has lowered our expectations dramatically to the point where the only ones we actually complain about (eg, Canon) are, when compared to other tech sectors, positively comatose.
Imagine an app developer coming out with a big release - "here's version 48 or our app - it's got 25% more resolution than v47 but as usual the 16 most significant issues are unchanged, just like every other release since the first version of our app over a decade ago".  The camera industry will get eaten by tech companies eventually, and it can't happen soon enough TBH!

I had a go at the FX3 and yes finally a Sony mirrorless body I felt comfortable with! The build quality is also a step up and the added air vent is reassuring. I could see myself switching back to Sony from Canon with this body. Paired with a FX/FS cine cam it would be a very strong combo for my line of work.

I had a C70 which has a lovely image and an excellent body concept but something was bothering me with it. I couldn’t put my finger on it, but in my gut, something wasn’t right. 
I also had an A7SIII at the same time, and still do. The gut feeling that overshadowed my positive view of the C70 might have been the A7SIII. That camera is simply a marvel that I love shooting with. Maybe I enjoyed the sheer flexibility of the A7SIII more, hence the demise of the C70. 
I always shoot with 2 bodies. Instead of getting an A7SIII again, I picked up the FX3 as I wanted the XLR’s and the video centric button layout. 
When the FX3 was delivered, I was very surprised at how it felt in the hand. I was surprised at how small the XLR handle unit was. The grip feels really good. I was thinking “wow, Sony have nailed this”. 
At first, the button layout was confusing as I’m used to the A7SIII. It still trumps me now as it has a function where you can lock your shutter, ISO or IRIS and I keep forgetting it does that. So I always have a few sections feeling frustrated when the values aren’t changing, because I’ve forgot they are locked. 😂
The camera is identical to the A7SIII, minus the body design. Everything is the same. 
I use it with the Ninja V which is a powerful combo for this size. It feels amazing handheld without the XLR handle and the Tilta cage but with the XLR handle it does feel a little clunky and unbalanced in the hand. Now when I’m handheld, I don’t use the XLR handle unless I’m recording some audio with a handheld look, which isn’t that often. On a tripod, it’s fine. 
Capturing shots with the FX3 is very liberating. You can do pretty much anything with it without lugging a brick around. Some people like to rig it up but for me, it’s just very unnecessary with a body this size. 
The image itself is fantastic. What I will say is that it won’t perform miracles for you. People have this misconception the FX3 or A7S3 will light an image for you. No, it won’t. Stop being lazy, feed the camera what it needs and it will shine. 
Again, Slog3 won’t perform miracles. It takes practice, patience and resilience. It isn’t the best between 3200 and 12,800 ISO. To shoot at these high values is a bonus but the best image is SLOG3 640 ISO, so to get great results, shoot for that as much as possible. 
The FX3, just like the A7S3, does have superb colour capability. If you don’t WB, or expose correctly or nail your focus, it would look like garbage. It is not forgiving, you can’t be lazy. I can match this very easily to the C70 - I couldn’t do that with previous Sony cameras. 
Using both Alpha cameras together is extremely powerful and liberating. When treated and operated correctly, and not lazily used to perform miracles, the image you can achieve is just fantastic. 
Peoplr saying these cameras are conservative and underwhelming need to re-check their opinions. Sony gave us almost everything in pristine 4k and it delivers. They are unique on the market in terms of feature set, and it shows. 
Most importantly, the FX3 as a step forward in camera concept for cinema application is the right one. It’s exciting to work with and getting great shots isn’t a pain in the arse or a cripple on your back. 
What I would like to see in the next version is the FX3 and A7S3 to merge into one camera offering with: 
- On-sensor ND or similar tech. 
- A thicker image in feel and robustness. Not bothered about 6k or 8k, just even better 4k please. 
- A larger back LCD. 
- A flip up EVF like BMP6k Pro. 
- An improved XLR unit that is more modular when used with accessories. 
- Possibly both an IBIS and non- IBIS version. 
If they deliver the above, that would be near perfect. 
 

Cant say enough good things about the Siii as well. While not perfect it is an incredible tool. I also have fell in love with the smaller file size and look of the photos. I really try to stay with 640 or 12800 as well. 
Frame grab for a short I am working on. Crazy bright day on the boat. 
 

No surprises here, but I'd say it's the Blackmagic Micro Cinema Camera.
A modular cinema camera under $1000 brand new, uncompressed Cinema DNG RAW at 60p, and a beautiful image.  
The image doesn't look like that second generation iPhone or camcorder that Canon love to imitate when clipped either..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bMb6CR781Kc
With Resolve it superscales to 4K beautifully too.  You don't actually want 4K, you just got trained by the camera brands that 1080 is bad because they compress the absolute living crap out of their images - no-one is rejecting the Alexa 1080p because it's not 4K!  With great quality RAW images you can push and pull them in post and they keep on giving and this is pretty darn close to that...
Plus it's the easiest camera to grade that I have ever seen.  Great images just appear when you drop a LUT or CST onto them, rather than struggling for hours to get good colours.

Wanted: a partner that loves me as much as Panasonic loves DFD.

I see a tons people complaining about the marketing/hype machine that is the "filmmaking sector" of YouTube, and I hate a lot of those clichés too. That being said, it has been in the back of my mind to try out for a while, so yesterday I had some free time and I finally decided to give it a go!
Turns out it's actually a lot harder to film yourself and talk right to camera than I anticipated (I very quickly abandoned my plans to shoot it anamorphic, focusing on my S1, all by myself, was just way too difficult) and the whole process took me far longer to shoot and edit than I expected. 
Anyway, here's my (first ever) attempt at this kind of video:
I'm assuming a good number of users on here consume as much YouTube as I (sometimes regretfully) do? 
I've always considered Eoshd as a cut above the rest of the internet filmmaking-afficcionado crowd. I'd love to see anything anyone else on here is making in this space too, and/or see if we can start a discussion about good, lesser-known channels to follow that aren't specifically about shoving gear/affiliate links and clickbait sensation down our throats. 

$1500 for that same ugly/chunky form factor from the Ninja V, a massive hardware upgrade with an equally massive bezel. Awesome capability, but I'll stick with the regular Ninja V - which occasionally goes on sale for $500, that's when I picked one up.
Chris

Hey guys,
Since the middle / end of last summer I've been making a feature length documentary. I have 3 more shoots to do, and then it can be finished. However I wanted to share a small teaser I've made in anticipation of sending it out to festivals etc.
I'd love to hear all feedback, comments, criticism etc. Please don't be shy!
Shot entirely handheld (apart from one shot) with BMPCC4k, Viltrox speed booster and Sigma 18-35.

.....and is FF and 8K.
What price would we pay for such a thing?  
Easy - history teaches us this lesson time after time...   100Mbps 8-bit codec with 11 stops of DR.
 

Yep I thought about that but used z7s are still about $3k in Aus, I saw a used a7rii yesterday for $1000!  
I figure I can get an autofocus lens adaptor. And still be ahead. But yes matching the colours might be interesting.  I probably should find some RAWS and footage to play with before I jump in.   

I've easily shot 50k images with the a7r2 and its still my favorite of all the Sony sensors, eventually I'll probably own another as a landscape/backup camera. I'd love it if they did a faster version of the 42mp sensor for the next a7IV. Even at about $900 or so used, the a7r2 is a bargain for the IQ. But if I were in your shoes, I'd probably stretch that for a used Z7 just for the easy compatibility with lenses/batteries and same colors if the budget allows.
Cheers
Chris

Shot mostly on the Zcam S6 with some Panasonic S1 in there too. I feel like the trailer was harder to make than the actual film. 😅

I'm one of those that had issues with the 24-70, an early copy was an absolute dust vac so I sold it. I bought another at the end of last year when it went on sale for $899, after a few months of heavy use all outdoors (I don't shoot inside ever LOL!) its still 100% clean inside. Pic is the old lens, all the specks are dust UNDER the front element. There's a YT video showing its pretty easy to pop out the front element, I opted to ditch the dusty copy. IMO the sealing was quietly improved without acknowledging the defect to avoid a recall outcry.
Chris

I'm one of those that had issues with the 24-70, an early copy was an absolute dust vac so I sold it. I bought another at the end of last year when it went on sale for $899, after a few months of heavy use all outdoors (I don't shoot inside ever LOL!) its still 100% clean inside. Pic is the old lens, all the specks are dust UNDER the front element. There's a YT video showing its pretty easy to pop out the front element, I opted to ditch the dusty copy. IMO the sealing was quietly improved without acknowledging the defect to avoid a recall outcry.
Chris

Looks cool, but I'm holding out for a Mavic Pro 3. I find FPV footage a little nauseating to watch, but they look like fun LOL!
Chris

I wouldn't know, I don't own both to do a comparison, is a little below my paygrade am afraid. Ask me about a MKH60 vs CS3e...
  
Or go for a MixPre3, think that is one of the best picks for a videographer due to their ultra compact size, to pop underneath a mirrorless camera. 

Yep, I just did a small drone part for a heliski video and yes you are there in the cold everybody waiting for your signal and you are unfolding the drone, connecting the phone to the RC, opening the app, loading, connecting, compass calibration, compass calibration and one more time compass calibration 🙂 then check all the I agree checkboxes because is high altitude, cold, to much snow, RTH altitude, etc and finally you can start and by that time your talents are frozen and your fingers too. All this assuming you did 3h of firmware updates for the RC, drone, every single battery and maybe even for the case 🙂 the day before.

I've done exactly that with the VideoMic NTG, and NTG4+ with XLR-3.5mm cable. It works very well for a wireless boom setup.
I also regularly use my Wireless Go with a Zoom recorder. Have the mics going into the recorder, then plug the Wireless Go into the output and send the audio to the camera. Perfect for monitoring from the camera, and syncing the HQ audio later, but also gives the option for super mega fast turn around where necessary. Providing you get the levels in the zoom correct before sending the signal to the camera, of course.
 

You could just plug a Deity D3 Pro and plug it into a Rode Go?
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1448999-REG/deity_microphones_vmicd3pro_v_mic_d3_pro_directional.html

Well... maybe not an RS2, but I might go for a Crane 2... either the original old-school Crane 2, or the new Crane 2 S.
The one thing I liked about my a6500 is that I could use it on my original Crane 1 and put on these dual handles and use it in inverted mode, where it was much easier to use. With the Weebill S I can't really do that.