Trek of Joy

If it has backup recording on the transmitter, then reliability won't be as much of a deal breaker. I have the Wireless Go I. They've been 100% reliable at short distances, but I haven't used them at their limits. I have found them to sound fine. I've never done head to heads, but the results I got were every bit as good as from G3's and UWP's with kit mics... though it's not a direct comparison since it was different conditions, different actors, etc. I guess the takeaway is that they aren't bad by any means, sound-wise. One big disadvantage is that there is no locking 3.5mm connector on Go's though.

I work in tourism marketing in Florida, its been a rough year, lots of layoffs and visitation numbers collapsing for a good chunk of 2020. Lots of colleagues lots jobs as layoffs cut deep industry-wide. I've been fortunate to be at 2019 levels of income as there were needs for pandemic messaging and now slowly starting to welcome back visitors. Plus everyone is doubling down on local experiences, outdoor adventures and other social distance activities that can be safely done - so there's lots of content buckets to fill. Things are rebounding. I feel blessed to still be busy, but its been tough to create content with social distance measures, so lots of outdoor/drone stuff, I've been flying a lot. Its also been rough with all the negative attention FL generates. But vaccines are rolling out fast, so there's a light at the end of the tunnel. All signs point toward a busy summer, for better or worse. I did have some extra downtime so I made a point to exercise daily to burn stress, got faster on inline skates and on my paddleboard than ever before, and got into the best shape of my life. I think we all need something to keep us sane, I've had lots of friends/family get COVID despite most being very careful, and a few have died. Its been a rough year mentally just from the constant stress of everything.
Chris

My business is weddings. Destinations weddings as in I live in France and they come to France for their wedding.
Last year, actual work, I did 4%.
That figure is based on me doing 5% of what was booked and losses that make up another 1% from what I did not book for last year, during last year, because there was no last year. Other than the 1 job I did, ie, 1/20 when it should have been 25/25.
After some state assistance, my income ended up being around 30% of what it would normally be.
I also took out the maximum allowed state backed loan which for me was 9k. I cannot borrow any more and technically, my business is now 9k in the red.
2021 should have been a 'claw some of it back year' but now is at least a "50% at best" year re. bookings & turnover.
Worst case, 2021 is going to be a zero work year and realistically, it's going to be somewhere between 0-50% work.
I think it will end up somewhere between the 2 figures and be a workload of between 20-25% of what it should have been.
It depends on 3 factors:
1: The UK gov being correct and not backtracking on their 'everyone is free' from the 21st June.
2: France agreeing with them. Ha, miles...kilometres behind...if the UK really is that far ahead.
3: Travel. By July, folks in the UK may be able to do as they wish and us in France also, but we may (probably will) still have a travel issue that prevents couples from either going through with their weddings here, or deciding within the next month or so, it's too big a hassle for them and their guests and pulling the plug.
I have already lost approx 1/3rd of all this year's booked work through postponement to 2022 or outright cancellation.
I lost 2 more just today and expect all with dates prior to the end of June to go with a certainty (had 10, 4 remain) and at least 50% of the rest of the season which is July-early Oct.
Bookings for 2022 are quite strong but by my calculations, to claw back the losses of 2020 will take 4 years running at 120% turnover, ie, 5 years total to be back where I was at the end of 2019 financially.
Based on the fact that 2021 is pretty fucked already and is going to end up I'm projecting at 20-25%, at least another 3 years at 120% turnover...if that is even possible, making a grand total of: 2 'lost' years + 7 'trying to make it up' years...if it's even possible, for a total of 9 years to be back where I was at the end of 2019.
Or after our daughter finished school and hopefully goes to uni 1 year this September, we sell our house and downsize to something smaller and cheaper and bypass having to even attempt 7 years of recovery, which realistically would be very hard to achieve anyway.
Longer term, has it damaged the industry? 
Not really. A least not as far as I can tell. I'm not seeing any great rush to elopements even though social media is constantly chittering about it. Folks seem to be booking exactly what they would in any given year, but just asking hard questions about Covid policy for the future.
Mentally, it's not great. I'm not depressed. Just frustrated for want of a better term. Massively frustrated.
Having very little money to do anything...not that there is anything to really do anyway, but going into debt when after a lifetime of trying, we had just cleared it at the end of 2019. Seriously, - no mortgage, no car finance, no credit cards, no nothing. For the first time in 25+ years of adult life.
I had some funds banked from previous gear sales so have spent some of that on some kit as I'm still doing some very low rate commercial work and freebies plus a few personal projects to stop myself from getting too rusty, but otherwise, we are spending very little.
Perhaps the hardest part of it is having zero control or even ability to do anything that constitutes 'having a life' according to how I wish to live mine.
Pretty much just existing and waiting...

Well that's the FX6, I don't think anyone expects a shrunken FX6 that undercuts its price by that much. Though I think they could have pushed the price point a higher and included all that. IMO that's the problem with the rumor mill, it creates crazy expectations with all the bullshit, and then things come crashing down with actual specs or prices. 
Cheers
Chris

Thanks for sharing your experience with this, @Trek of Joy @gt3rs @scotchtape @UncleBobsPhotography
I think with my weebill S the main problem would be if I accidentally press the function button three times in a row (instead of two times) which puts the gimbal in to selfie mode. So maybe spinning around the camera would cause the LCD to crash in to the extension handle .
My weebill s is a bit temperamental in that it when I want to click the function button twice (to bring the camera back to straight and level), it ends up acting like I clicked it three times.

The micro HDMI on my Mavic 2 Pro broke as well. That one was user error on my part (I tried to plug the charger in the wrong way) but they are pretty fragile and break without much force. Luckily it was easy to swap out the board that the port is on at home. I'm not so sure it would be easy to replace a port on a camera. If you are using micro-HDMI ports on a camera, I think it's critical to use a cage and clamp, both to protect the cable and port and also to make sure you don't have the cable come loose during a shoot.
I agree heartily that cameras that can't host an SDI or full-size HDMI port should go to something like a USB-C port that's reversible and stronger.

Same as others, I use the flip out screen on the Weebill S all the time. Its tougher to see against the back of the camera IMO. I find shooting with the tilt LCD on the a73 more of a pain and with larger lenses like a 24-70 its really tight against the rear motor since you have to slide the camera back a bit. I don't have any counterweights to help in that regard. I shoot a lot of underslung and waist height stuff too, got a cheap/light CF handle from B&H that lives on the upper mount so I can leave the tripod handle on the bottom. Between the EOS R and now the a7s3, can't say I remember the flip out LCD ever banging into anything.
Chris

Olympus said that their 6 stop IBIS is hard to improve because of the Earth rotation...I guess that when you power up this Canon the planet will go backwards (hope that prices too).

S-cinetone being added to a7siii via firmware!!!

It's truly a phenomenal lens, though for very specific needs. But if you have those needs, there's nothing else remotely comparable.
I just got a DJI OM4 gimbal, it's AWESOME. That + the Moment anamorphic adapter and iPhone 11 make for a very cool combo.
I recently got a DJI Mavic 2 Pro and it's a stunning piece of equipment for photos and video. Hasselblad colors are the best out there.

Love this lens, wish I could justify owning one LOL! You get so many unique angles since you can move through things.
I've gotten a lot of mileage out of a phone gimbal, and I had the Osmo pocket for awhile and really liked it - both are fun additions to my kit.
I think I want to experiment with a cheap underwater housing next. 
Chris

Easily my Laowa 24mm f/14 Probe Cine lens. Macro, built in LED lights, and the end is waterproof. So many amazing things you can do with it.
(not my footage, but shows some of the awesome stuff you can do with it)
 

Until recently I'd have said my most useful piece of equipment was my untethered glass balcony clamp.
 

I will take an internal variable ND over IBIS every single time.
Stab options include Catalyst Wotsit or mono/tripod.
This thing looks VERY interesting, - the love child of the FX6 and the Sigma FP.
 

I'd LOVE that! But then it would be called a "FS3" and not a "FX3".

Rumors say 8k. The a1 readout and e-shutter make for a fine hybrid. The shutter button makes sense. With the AF joystick on top, I wonder if the LCD is much wider than the standard Sony screen. That would be welcome. This is interesting. Give it the E-ND’s and my a7sIII starts sweating it’s existence. 
 
Chris

This is exactly how I mount for most of my remote camera work. Add a safety lanyard to the camera strap holder, super clamp etc just in case that super clamp get loose for whatever reason. The critical part is when mounting and dismounting as if something fall it can injure. Normally I prepare all in the ground, fix the lanyard first and then mount so that nothing can accidentally fall.
You should also check the insurance, here in stadium if you don't have a professional insurance you cannot mount anything anywhere (rightly so).
Again in all top league hockey in the world we mount the camera in the goal with a single super clamp, it never happen to me that it did come completely loose.... and yes goaltender hits it, puck hits it, the whole goal is moved out some time..

This is a pretty cool small solution - a clamp with the platform adapter and a ball head. https://digital-photography-school.com/manfrotto-super-clamp/
I feel your pain, I travel a lot and wind up carrying more support gear than needed, and something like a gorillapod just isn't very solid. I recently sold my 1kg Siuri CF travel tripod for larger, more sturdy setup that I can add a flat base video head to - and at times I really wish I would have kept the smaller one as well. So now I'm looking for another LOL!
Chris

I now have my Panasonic S5 rigged to meet every type of project that I shoot and I know how much time it can take to get your gear rigged up in a way that works for you so I figured I'd share my setup in case someone else is looking for ideas. Every rig is kept as simple as possible, I can go from one rig to another within less than a minute and none of the rigs require tools to put together or take apart. Also, all of my handles, lenses, rails, tripod plates, audio equipment, and even the V Mount battery is interchangeable with my Canon C200 which is what I wanted for simplicity.
For each set up I provide a parts list and what I use that setup for.
All Setups - Parts
SmallRig Cage for Panasonic S5 Camera 2983
SMALLRIG Quick Release NATO Rail 1.6
Sigma MC-21 EF-Mount to L-Mount Adapter
Andoer Rapid Connect Adapter with Quick Release Sliding Plate
Setup 1 - This is my setup for when I am shooting video only and have the talent wired for audio via a wireless lav mic or a wireless microphone. The extra weight makes handholding easy and I can rest the back on my shoulder or chest for short interview type work. I also shoot content for some YouTube influencer's channels and this setup lets me shoot hand held while capturing their lav audio. With this setup I think I can shoot for about 10hrs without running out of battery life
Equipment
Canon EF 24mm-105mm F4
Panasonic DMW-XLR1 XLR Adapter
Sennheiser G4 receiver
Sennheiser to XLR cable
SMALLRIG Aluminum Side Handle with NATO Clamp
SMALLRIG Tripod Mounting Kit with 2x plates and 2x 15mm Rod Clamps
SMALLRIG 16 Inch Rods x 2
Bebob Factory GmbH COCO-15V III V Mount Battery Plate
V150 Bebob Battery
USB A to USB C cable
2 x Andoer Rapid Connect Adapters

Setup 2 - Same equipment as setup 1 but with the addition of a Manfrotto Video Tripod which also has an Andoer Rapid Connect Receiver plate mounted on it. In the picture I show how I can slide the S5 off of the rails and slide the C200 onto the rails within seconds.
Setup 3 - This is my long form event setup. If I just need a static camera and natural audio this would be my setup. Although I show an external monitor here, I don't actually use one but I showed it anyway in case someone wanted to see where a monitor could go.
Equipment
SMALLRIG HTN2362 Rotating NATO Clamp Handle
SMALLRIG Aluminum Side Handle with NATO Clamp
SMALLRIG Tripod Mounting Kit with 2x plates and 2x 15mm Rod Clamps
SMALLRIG 16 Inch Rods x 2
Bebob Factory GmbH COCO-15V III V Mount Battery Plate
V150 Bebob Battery
USB A to USB C cable
2 x Andoer Rapid Connect Adapters
Video Tripod
Setup 4 - Same equipment as Setup 3 but without the tripod. This is my handheld setup when I am shooting video only and do not need high quality XLR audio. 
Setup 5 - This is my handheld hybrid shoot setup when everything gets crazy and I am shooting a mixture of video and photos and will not use the onset audio at all.
Equipment
SMALLRIG HTN2362 Rotating NATO Clamp Handle
SMALLRIG Aluminum Side Handle with NATO Clamp
Setup 6 - Same setup as 5 but on a monopod. I use the top handle for additional stability and additional points of contact. I also can use the monopod as a light glidecam if I need a little forward or backward movement.
Setup 7 - This is my gimbal setup for everything from real estate to music videos. 
Equipment
Canon EF 24mm F2.8
Ronin S with Inverted Handle Sling Grip

 

As a run and gun shooter that's 50/50 stills/video I'd get the a1 over the others without hesitation. Maybe the c70 and a R5 for photos, definitely not the Komodo. But I'm sticking with the a7sIII for video work and a7III for photos and a video backup, its a beast and I prefer the sIII flippy screen over the a1's. If I want more mp with photos I can just get a used a7rIV at about $2k and still have 2 bodies to cover everything. My a7sIII is my second photo body for now.
Cheers
Chris

Apple's going blow everyone away in the short term. Their willingness to let go of old tech (for better or worse) and prioritize the performance/energy efficiency factor give them a serious edge. The icing on the cake is the ability to match software and hardware, fine-tuning performance for better results.

Certain things the M1 is faster, certain things its slower. Still mighty impressive.
 

Finally got mine.  Did a quick comparison with my A7III. I tried a few color modes: movie, still, sgamut3.cine, forgot to do pro on the A7SIII. Just lit myself with an LED panel in my room, very low DR scene. I did use the 10bit from the A7SIII vs the 8bit A7III.
I gotta say, once graded using an x-rite passport match in resolve, and converting to arri log, I couldn't tell you which color mode or camera each clip was from. I was expecting something more but every clip looked very similar. I suppose it does mean the underlying color data is all there so that could be seen as a positive. Vectorscope definitely showed color was more precise and less splotchy on the 10bit files. Also means matching looks is trivial.
For SOOC, Gerald suggested using neutral / movie.  I think "Still" looks better than movie.  Movie really shifts reds to orange. Still has less saturation and orange shift, but it does shift the reds slightly to burgundy (better than orange IMO). I think "Still" is closer to neutral than movie mode if you want something similar using picture profiles. Just need to add some contrast to the still profile and you're almost looking like neutral. 
Using sgamut3.cine with Cine4 looked fine after converting the color space to rec709, but of course looked wack SOOC.
Without the x-rite or any CC on the skin, my skin with LED looked pretty bad. A bit too orangey with movie, luminance a bit too high. I do think with the x-rite and arri lut it looks decent though. Good thing about the x-rite is that if you forget to do it in the shoot, if you are in a similar lighting setup you can just steal the correction from another clip and it usually works fine.
I can't imagine trying to get skin to look good without resolve, x-rite, and color transform. But with those tools I'm relatively happy with the direction my color is going.
So expectations were definitely not exceeded for me. I will appreciate the 4K60p and unlimited recording times, as well as improved AF modes. Color improvements were minor but welcome. SOOC still trash to me but using the right tools, I think I can get the footage looking pretty good for what I'm doing.
If the A7IV has unlimited recording and 4K60P, and AF with HDMI out, I might swap out one of the A7SIII for that instead as the color improvements were marginal if you were already correcting anyways.
Waiting for a sunny day to test with good light...

SMH, I leave my house every day, but not to just go and sit inside another building. A nice day out for me is a kayaking trip or exploring a park or shooting landscapes. I'm not saying there aren't any people willing to go to theaters, its just never going to get back to 2019 levels. Ever. Just as studios are pivoting, so are audiences. 
I have a TV and nothing else, a $500 65" set I bought a few months ago. Its not a monster home theater setup. But still a great covid-free experience without enduring endless previews and jackasses on their phones or talking during the movie. Get some takeout, mix up a few cocktails and its a great date night.
Enjoy
Chris

SMH, I leave my house every day, but not to just go and sit inside another building. A nice day out for me is a kayaking trip or exploring a park or shooting landscapes. I'm not saying there aren't any people willing to go to theaters, its just never going to get back to 2019 levels. Ever. Just as studios are pivoting, so are audiences. 
I have a TV and nothing else, a $500 65" set I bought a few months ago. Its not a monster home theater setup. But still a great covid-free experience without enduring endless previews and jackasses on their phones or talking during the movie. Get some takeout, mix up a few cocktails and its a great date night.
Enjoy
Chris