BTM_Pix

I am actually getting on with that, despite appearances to the contrary! Currently through the SD car/lightning adapter. LumaFusion can save a project archive including the source clips to cloud services if you have the bandwidth but it can also do it to a wireless drive so I just use a WD NAS when I get home. I got this dock for my SurfaceGo which clips on the side in the USB C port and adds a bunch of expansion ports and readers to it. It was £12. I dread to think how much an Apple one would be if they ever offered such an option !

For it to replace the iPadPro/LumaFusion, for me at least, it has to be self contained as I use it there and then in the field to do quick pieces. As I've mentioned earlier in the thread, LumaFusion is my favourite editor irrespective of platform as I don't have particularly sophisticated needs but it just lacks that ProRes import which is more important to me now and the file handling is, erm, less than optimum ! I'm now re-visiting my own integrated portable auto backup/transcoding/file serving device that could solve those issues and might be useful for other people as well.

There is an 8GB version of the SurfaceGo but how good it would be for running Resolve in a meaningful way (ie for colour correction and the rest of it) as opposed to purely using it for the Cut page I would still be very cautious. On my 4GB one it loads, responds reasonably OK playing back HD media and exports at about 2-3x real time but the interface is way too small to do anything with, although learning the keyboard shortcuts would be a way for me to go ! I think a new generation of the SurfacePro is not far off so I would certainly be interested in trying that out as a PC definitely has more potential for other things such as running vMix to do live switching.

As an experiment, I installed Resolve 16 on the cheap SurfaceGo to see if the new Cut page could be the LumaFusion with ProRes and better file handling option replacement. It kind of almost sort of worked OK but obviously the UI is not designed for touch input so you are tied in to using the keyboard/trackpad. If BM had a mind to re-skin it for a touch interface (and running it on the SurfacePro obviously) it would probably be the solution I'm after but I doubt they are in a hurry to ever do that.

Back to M mount with the Voigtlander 40mm f1.4

Picked up a cheap used copy of the already cheap Fujinon XC 15-45 mm f/3.5-5.6 OIS PZ. I have the companion one to this lens the 50-230mm which I think is a great value so I was hopeful for this one too. It didn't let me down particularly but it being a power zoom is a bit of an acquired taste and its an underwhelming f5.6 at the (shortish)long end but its small, light, has OIS and covers a great range for reportage. Both lenses as a kit work well with something like the X-T20 here as a compact, lightweight stabilised travel kit (particularly if you add in a faster prime to compliment them) that are cheap enough used that you won't cry yourself to sleep over some mishap befalling them on your travels. Top two rows are the 15-45mm and the bottom row is the 50-230mm.

Yeah, I've looked longingly at the Gnarbox and the newer version is still not out so I don't know whether that will be the solution. I'm rather thinking now that I might just roll my own as there are a few SBCs now with multi USB 3 ports, gig ethernet that can run as portable file servers that would suit for what I need. With regard to the Lacie, not sure whether they've updated the firmware but it does work with the iPad. I'm also not entirely sure whether the link with DJI is just a branding thing as the app does just seem to present it as it would any other file system rather than something specific to DJI format files for viewing and copying.

Bravo. And a good reminder to everyone about how much sound design brings to the party. And well done on casting @webrunner5 in it too

I had the original version which also had really slow SD ingest so I was hoping this new Pro version would have upped their game. The integration with LumaFusion where its only importing the used parts of the clips might offset the speed I suppose but still a pity. I've read that for the USB C equipped iPad Pros that the Lacie DJI CoPilot is a good solution by the way.

I spotted it here but not tested it myself yet https://forums.luma-touch.com/viewtopic.php?f=26&t=7539

The WD Wireless Pro is an interesting workaround (as is the Gnarbox but at greater cost) to get around the file stuff. I've also come across a workaround today for the ProRes issue that could be uses with one of these so I might take the plunge after I've researched it a bit more.

I've used Teradek Live:Air to do multi-camera live broadcasts of press conferences, Lumafusion for really fast turnaround edit and upload of pre-game build up pieces and PicturePro for in game photo editing and transmission. Live:Air is feature rich but relies on IP based encoding to get the video signals in so can end up being expensive and complicated for more than a couple of cameras. Another bonus to the LS300 is it has the encoder built in but for everything else you need separate ones although you can use the iPad's own internal camera too. Lumafusion isn't just the best editing app on the iPad (even Apple are using it in their promos now!) but its actually my favourite editing app full stop because of how fast and intuitive it is to use. The new update gives you XML export so you can move the project and finesse it on FCPX etc if you want but it is still missing ProRes which is going to be a limiting factor for me sooner rather than later. PicturePro is basically a complete end to end photo journalism app for live editorial that you can ingest, caption and transmit from and was actually responsible for the fastest shutter press to newspaper website publication time that I have ever had. There was a bit of an incident outside of a stadium and because I had my iPad in my bag I was able to get the pictures of it away and published before everyone else had had a chance to get back to their laptops in the press room Unfortunately, it seriously blotted its copybook one day when it filed an entire batch of blank images ( which is a complete no no for live editorial work) so I couldn't risk using it after that.

An early look at pre-production version MC21here

No, I have what their APS-C standard zoom, the 17-50mm f2.8, and it is a bit flimsy in terms of build and noisy for AF but optically it is really very good. The used price of their lenses versus the performance of them makes them a real bargain.

I don't actually own it yet but I'm curious whether a Sigma ART 24-35mm f2 (in EF mount for universality of adapting) could possibly be the one for me with the caveat of having speed boosted and non speed boosted adapters for it. Although I have to say that for pure versatility the Tamron 16-300mm EF mount I've got (again if allowed with both types of adapters) is probably a more practical choice, particularly as it also has OIS.

So.. both versions of the MC21 are now in stock in stores in Japan Still can't find anything definitive over release dates elsewhere though. One curious thing from a user that received theirs today is the inclusion of a couple of surprising accessories....

Sigma is very much still a family business that marches to their own beat so the continuance with the cameras is not really based on the cameras turning a profit in isolation. They are committed to Foveon because they believe it to be the best way to go not only technically but also because as they own the technology they aren't reliant on another sensor manufacturer. They also claim that making cameras helps their lens development by giving them better insight into the whole end to end process. Just as significantly though, Kazuto Yamaki, their CEO, also does it in large part as a continuing respectful tribute to his late father who started the company and who always dreamed of Sigma making its own cameras. https://www.amateurphotographer.co.uk/latest/photo-news/exclusive-interview-80154

By the law of averages it had to happen at some point. It was definitely supposed to work and then, yeah, right at the actual announcement of price and availability there was a U turn. Bear in mind though that at that point the L mount Panasonic lenses were also not working on the Leica cameras, which was even more ridiculous, but this was addressed later with firmware update for the SL and CL but not as yet the TL2/TL/T so it still could all change. However, if you read that other thread, we were discussing something interesting on the official L mount alliance website (which is run by Leica) that basically alluded to that it is Panasonic that have the relationship with Sigma and so Leica appear to be involved with Sigma by association. This would feed into the supposition that it might not all sweetness and light in terms of inter compatibility as it is Leica that actually own the L mount. But this could yet change so when the adapter comes out officially on Friday we will see if there is any response. I think that the initial investment into Leica bodies and lenses is obviously a lot more when you put it like for like against other products but they do retain their value a lot more so the overall cost of ownership is actually quite comparable. If you took an example of an APS-C body like an X-T2 that I bought a couple of years ago which spec for spec made a comparable APS-C Leica CL look ridiculously overpriced but if I sold the X-T2 tomorrow the loss compared to the CL would at best be equal and likely worse. Having said that, I bought the mic adapter for my SL recently and felt like calling the Police to investigate the price they charge for it ! The suspicion based on there being no zooms in Sigma's initial release and the lack of compatibility with the MC21 and Leica cameras (which would allow the other mount ART zooms to be used) is that, yes, there is some sort of agreement/restriction/embargo or any combination of the three that is ensuring that only Leica will have fast zooms for the immediate future. Bear in mind though that it might well be Sigma themselves holding back these zoom lenses as they will have a new L mount version of the SD Quattro in the not too distant future so may be holding them back until then. The story for Panasonic users is brighter in that as from Friday they will be able to use the Sigma fast zooms (albeit in EF or SA mount) though it remains to be seen how good the AF is. Of course, they also have the option of buying the Leica lenses but I can't see a lot of that going on at the current prices. Whichever way this eventually shakes out, the presumption/expectation that this alliance would offer seamless and unrestricted interoperability between the three brands has not thus far materialised. We may only be a couple of firmware updates away from that changing but its a bit of a mess at the moment as far as I'm concerned.

<cough £275> https://www.mpb.com/en-uk/used-equipment/used-photo-and-video/used-video-cameras/used-blackmagic-cinema/blackmagic-pocket-cinema-camera/sku-832050/ Although this is possibly a bigger bargain https://www.mpb.com/en-uk/used-equipment/used-photo-and-video/used-video-cameras/used-blackmagic-cinema/blackmagic-production-camera-4k-ef-mount/sku-786264/

Sigma SD. If Sigma and Leica settle whatever is going on with the MC21 adapter then it will be finding a new home on the Leica as the SA version of the adapter is about £60 in Japan. Ditto the Sigma ART 30mm f1.4 as that came free with SD so to get it onto the Leica for £60 will be a real result but I just don't know yet whether this incompatibility is a forever thing.

Some non-ART (in both senses) Sigma lens stuff from the 17-50mm f2.8 OS This lens can be had for well under £200 used and usually under £300 new and whilst not quite in the same division as the ART series and quite a bit slower, I think it is a really good value for a general purpose constant f2.8 for APS-C users and unlike the ART lenses has OS with makes it a good choice for Pocket 4K.

This was literally the consolatory thought I had when I surveyed the wreckage !

Sorry, forgot I said I'd do this so I belatedly went out yesterday to do a quick shot with the GX80 on the 35-350mm Well, two shots from the same spot to show its range. Shutter speed was 1/60th which is way below the reciprocal for what is effectively a 700mm lens on this camera. Its still so unbalanced though that I wouldn't recommend shooting it handheld irrespective of how good a job the IBIS does on it !

You know that excitement you get when you jump out of bed in the morning to check the 3D print that has been churning out all night? Yeah, well, not that this morning.