BTM_Pix

2 hours ago, noone said:

 

EDIT-     Just checked and it seems the Excel +1 is the IMPROVED replacement for the Light Cannon!!!!!!

Blimey, if this is the improved version then that Light Cannon must look like you're shooting through tear gas.

I'll post something up later as you never know the look it produces might be appealing for some people.

In which case mine is definitely for sale and because they're not available in most reputable dealers, they're now quite rare but I'll let it go for a bargain £500 for the good folks on here

3 hours ago, jonpais said:

I'm definitely in the market for a nice monopod for the X-T2.

The Sirui carbon version is the established one that has a lot of good reports from users for this type of self standing monopod.

Ok comparison video here 

10 hours ago, jonpais said:

Yeah, I've got all these X-mount lenses, got the X-T2, but it sits at home most of the time. No articulating touch screen I can vlog with, an abominable app that only allows 720p, no zebras and no IBIS. I've either got to lug around a tripod, or use the Zhiyun Crane. I'll probably only start using it once I get my butt in gear and write a script for a short or something. 

 

Maybe one of the new Libec hands free monopod might be a compromise when out and about Jon?

I've bought most of my Fuji lenses used but I don't really feel too violated by the prices I've paid for the new ones.

Its a pity Sigma have stayed away from the X mount though as you can see from the MFT stuff they do that they certainly offer a good alternative.

I've only got really basic MFT lenses despite having quite a few cameras that can take them and its definitely down to that idea that I look at something like a Sigma ART 35mm 1.4 in Nikon mount and think "well I can mount that on my Nikons, Fujis and the MFTs so I'm getting 3 lenses" so nothing in MFT stacks up against that in practical or financial terms.

Its the same with the Fujis being tied to their own system of course but as they are predominantly for stills for me, the AF isn't negotiable so I have to have them.

Fuji's summer deals are supposed to launch next week for Europe and I expect this deal for the three f2 primes on B&H might be one of them

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1338126-REG/fujifilm_xf_50mm_35mm_and.html

I'd be tempted by a similar MFT set but its the price of the wides in MFT that really stings and puts the prices way over the cost of the Fuji set. 

If you want to inadvertently gain some, erm, 'quirky' looks from your perfectly good Contax Zeiss lenses and make yourself £140 poorer in the meantime then I can't recommend the Fotodiox Excell+1 C/Y to MFT reducer enough.

You gain the extra field of view and a terrific 'shot through a bunsen burner' central blue flare whenever anything remotely considered to be brighter than a coal mine at night passes across it.

Not only that, if you don't close the lens down by three stops, you get a built in diffusion filter.

Not like a ProMist, more just like actual mist.

And not like shooting through a sheer silk stocking but more like shooting through woolen tights. That are covered in more tights.

Its some feat for a reducer to gain you one stop of light and then you have to pay it back with two more in interest if you're shooting anything other than 80s soft porn.

I'm selling mine if anyone wants one. 

Hardly used. 

As long as you count not hitting myself over the head with it whilst sobbing and gently repeating "stop buying crap because its cheap"

I have just got the Lens Regain version for MFT last night.

I had to take it apart as the tripod foot won't let it mount on the LS300 because of the ND wheel position.

Depending on the rotation of how you put it on the FS7 you might find the same thing but with its ND wheel being higher you might be OK.

It works, it just means it not a quick swap and you have to be very careful with it as the weight of the foot pulls down on the wires while you are turning putting it on the camera. On the upside, its not some proprietary plastic ribbon cable but actual discrete wires so if it does break its fixable by anyone with a soldering iron.

The fit of the receiver/control unit into the mount is flimsy though.

Not related to the Sony version but might be of interest to anyone getting the MFT version is that it was also very tight on the mount of the LS300 (worryingly tight actually) but was OK on a GX80. Reading some reviews on B&H, some people are finding that its too loose on the MFT side of the mount so obviously some consistency issues might be a concern. Or maybe mine is a later revision where they've improved the tightness of the MFT side a bit TOO much!!

I tried it with a few different lenses of varying quality from a Canon 16-35mm 2.8L and Sigma 18-35 1.8 ART to a Tamron 17-50 2.8VC and a cheap Canon EFS 10-18 4.5 which I had pre-modified to work with it (i.e. sawed the back of the mount off).

And they all worked with it, although I had a bit of an initial idea that they didn't because I didn't realise that you had to switch it off between lens changes as it calibrates itself to the whole throw of the lens when its powered on. As a consequence, I put the Canon 16-35mm on and happy that that was working put the Tamron one on only to find it would only focus on a really restricted range. I put that down to it maybe not being supported but then put the Sigma on and was getting a similar thing. I started to wonder if it was the LS300 and something going funky because of that very tight mount so switched it off and put it on the GX80 which of course worked flawlessly and then I put it back on the LS300 and it was now working. Well, you get the gist of how the penny finally dropped about what was happening! So, yeah, switch it off between lens changes!

What I would say though is to check that all of your lenses are supported. I wouldn't see a problem with the 24-70 or 70-200 but there are a few variants of the 300 (I presume its the 2.8?) and your 800 is one that I highly doubt they'll have had access to in testing! Probably a good thing to seek out existing users for confirmation as well because Aputure's own site only lists about 15 lenses.

The A/B transitions thankfully look a lot better on the files than they sound in real life as it really is a bit crunchy stepping between positions. The transition speed control is OK but has a lot less finesse than a zoom rocker switch on a broadcast lens for example. I'm sure someone somewhere has tested how variable it is but it does feel a little bit fast, quite fast and quite slow. I'd need to test it more though and you should look at some of the YouTube videos to make a judgement.

I can't vouch for the IS as I really haven't tested it enough and I've only got mainly wide angle Canon mount lenses with me at the moment.

Ditto battery life and range.

I'll do a proper thing when I've had some proper time with it.

Interim verdict = Not shit at all.

4 minutes ago, fuzzynormal said:

Don't know.  I'm not shooting anything wherein I change focal length DURING the shot.

Sorry, I meant if you run through the zoom range on the 10-24 as a test you'll clearly see even on the screen the points at which the exposure changes occur (like little flashes)

If you then set the focal length for your shot midway to be between two of these flash points (or more likely just after one) and see if it makes a difference.

It might not work - and is less than ideal as in all likelihood the focal length that doesn't show the problem won't be exactly the right one for your shot - but better to move the tripod a bit than try and correct that exposure change in post

16 minutes ago, fuzzynormal said:

It comes and goes intermittently.  Not a flash.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/9u0oao2xdj6d2ib/DSCF0844.MOV?dl=0

I'm shooting manual.  If a switch to auto fixes the problem, fine.  I won't like it, but as long as it works for now.  This exposure "bump" is ruining some of my shots and I'm on a paid gig at the moment.

 

Looks like it dips when its stopped having to do anything when the pan ends?

From the zoom test - which you should be able to quickly do yourself and see on the 10-24mm - you'll see that its at fairly set transition points that it changes the exposure.

I'm wondering if a possible workaround for what you are having a problem with right now is to just tweak the focal length a few mm and try it again so its corrections aren't passing through these transition points?

Its a long shot and probably won't work but doing the zoom test should let you see where the transition points are and have a go.

16 minutes ago, fuzzynormal said:

Any confirmation that the 'Lens Modulation Optimization' setting was the culprit?

I've just done it again with that switched off and the results are the same when doing the zoom test.

So if it is the same root cause then it wouldn't appear to be related to that.

Are you seeing these changes as flashes throughout the pan/tilt or is it a permanent change of exposure?

4 minutes ago, Trek of Joy said:

There was some discussion about this in the XT2 thread. You may be seeing in-cam lens corrections not keeping up with what you're shooting. I've noticed it a lot when zooming or panning in the midday sun when out sightseeing. This happens shooting full manual. I use the 10-24 and 18-55 a lot and they both show this behavior.

It sounds suspiciously like it.

The tests I did had it happening on the short zooms.

6 hours ago, mercer said:

So I recently purchased an FZ2500 for a very specific project I'm working on this summer. Yesterday, I messed around with it for a while and although it's a fun camera with insanely cool features, for a point & shoot, the color just doesn't look right, and more work is needed to make it look good, for me anyway. But it's still perfect for this project, so I will end up keeping it, but I think once I am done with that specific project, I am going to sell it and just get another Canon for smaller, quicker projects. 

 

Its odd how Canon don't have anything in that area and have just let Panasonic and Sony have a clear run with the FZ1000/2500 and the RX10.

The XC10 had the requisite spec for them to spin it into a consumer/prosumer rival to them and potentially dominated.

I don't have a GH5 so I was drifting along reading that.

And then he mentioned a new version of the LX100 

25 minutes ago, jonpais said:

I tried to find a way to save Custom settings in video when I first got the X-T2, but couldn't figure it out.

Sorry, my lack of clarity remembering there.

You do it whilst in stills mode and save them through the custom settings in the IQ menu. That item is not there in video mode so they must be setup in stills mode.

You can then select the profile using the Q button before you switch to video mode and it will use those settings.

You can then tweak the parameters of that profile while in video mode by pressing the Q button but if you want to change to a completely different profile then you have to quickly switch to stills mode and select it through the Q button before going back to video mode.

It's far less clunky than I've just described when you actually have the camera in your hand! 

The reality is that you'll probably have two profiles - a stills one with everything flat and the video one with ProNegStd -2/-2 etc although I have a few for different white balance and NR settings for night matches under floodlights 

4 minutes ago, jonpais said:

You can save custom video settings on the X-T2?

Yes, same process.

I haven't got it in front of me but it saves some additional stuff too if I remember correctly. I think it might be the custom AF settings but don't quote me on that.

I did some 1080p60 on Sunday with it at a game. I'll post a bit of it when I get back from this trip in a few days.

You can save 8 custom profiles which store your combination of film simulation,ISO,WB,NR,File type,Highlight,Shadow,Saturation and sharpening.

They are accessed off the Q button and then you scroll through them. Makes it really fast to go from stills profiles to video ones etc 

11 minutes ago, jonpais said:

The X-T20 is really that good? 

It depends on what you're going to use it for. The X-T2 is better in terms of build quality and ergonomics (especially the joystick) but I've used them side by side for work and what ends up in the image file is identical.

I don't find the AF lacking and for what I'm using it for the AF does get exercised heavily.

The reduced FPS and buffer weren't a practical issue either to be honest.

As for video, well you lose the 1.17 crop in 4K so there is some potential artifacts involved but I'd need to do full A/B comparison but it's not jarring enough for me to draw attention to itself. 

And there's no FLOG but there's no additional £1000 to pay for an external recorder either. 

The compact size is a bonus for me but I will definitely look at getting the X-T10 side grip to make it a bit more ergonomic. 

In a straight choice then of course I'd have X-T2 but if it came to saving or raising funds for additional stuff then I wouldn't be fazed by having to 'make do' with the X-T20 

9 minutes ago, jonpais said:

I guess the idea of selling off all my lenses and camera body is too dreadful to even accept that the NX1 might be that much better.

The problem with the NX1 is that the people who have them know how good they are so the sort of dirt cheap second hand prices you'd expect of a dead system that wasn't able success either just haven't materialised.

Same with cameras like Sigma DP2m which when it ended up being sold off at £300 new then you'd expect to pick up second hand ones now for half that but the people who have them know what they've got and won't be getting rid of them! 

If NX1s were at the sort of level that I thought they would be under those circumstances (£400-500 ish) then I'd say chop in the XT2 for an X-T20 and a used NX1 and have the best of both worlds!

7 minutes ago, jonpais said:

I'm not seeing the Samsung battering the X-T2 at all. At 2:26 and a couple of other spots, the NX-1 outshines the X-T2 in detail and DR, but even though they were both shot simultaneously, the X-T2 appears to be out of focus for one thing. I don't own the 18-55, but it can't be that blurry, no way.

As a combo based on what was presented I thought the Samsung looked better but,yeah,there are are a lot of variables involved in the test that are influencing that 

4 hours ago, Inazuma said:

Some thoughts on the differences between the X-T2 and NX1:

• AF-C and focus pulling with AF works much better on the older NX1 than the X-T2; in video anyway. 
• The 16-50mm f2-2.8 is a ridiculously good lens, image wise. And the focus rings works just like a classic lens.
• The grip and button layout of the NX1 is far better. I've always felt the retro styling of Fujifilm were a detriment to their functionality.
• The downside to the NX1 is that it is far inferior to the XT2 in low light. The last shot in the shootout was shot at ISO 800 on the NX1 and 1600 on the XT2, yet the NX1 shows less detail and more muddiness due to the noise reduction. 
• Also the NX1 is far sharper in 4k and HD but has more aliasing and moiré in the latter.

 

Anyway, I'd really like to hear your thoughts on the difference between the images I'm yet undecided of which system to keep, even though the NX1 would finally fulfil my want.. or need of a 16-50mm f2.8. 

Nice test.

The NX1+16-50 combo battered the XT-2+18-55 for me.

I was watching it with trepidation as it was going along though thinking "I hope he didn't hang around Piccadilly Gardens to do the high ISO tests"

17 minutes ago, Shirozina said:

The DJI ones are optically very good as they have a good anti reflection coating and don't interfere with the gumball operation  BUT they are fiddly to fit and very easy to break while doing so and for sunny conditions you ideally need a 32x as a minimum and they only go up to 16x. I'll report back on the PGYTECH once they arrive. 

Cheers

29 minutes ago, liork said:

So buy ND filters... there are many to choose from for the Mavic.

And no doubt many garbage ones.

Hence why I was asking longer term owners if they had any recommendations for them....

I've had mine a few weeks but had no time to really test it but I'm struggling without ND filters.

What are you guys using?

I was having a little mess around with it earlier today just learning to fly it really (frame grab attached) and I've got no issue with sharpness but without ND its hitting 1/4000th which makes it look pretty terrible in motion.

I have that exact MBA actually so thats an interesting test!

My idea is that I can use the eGPU with my 2015 MBP then pass the project on to the MBA and hook it up to that to carry on so the cost will be shared between them I suppose.

Food for thought about the Hackintosh actually 

Cheers

Don, have you got a "This enclosure definitely works with this graphics card and will  be plug and play with FCPX/Resolve without modifying system files and rebooting in a certain order whilst standing on one leg" recommendation for an eGPU?

I've got a couple of year old MacBook Air that got thrashed through getting one too many pitch side soakings (its screen looks like a lava lamp and its internal keyboard and trackpad can only type some sort of Klingon) but which I'd love to find some use for as a render station to hand stuff off to so my MacBook won't be tied up doing it and it sounds like the eGPU would be just the ticket?

56 minutes ago, mercer said:

I'm a hobbyist with dreams and no real deadline. 

Often the best position to be in when it comes to creativity though isn't it?

Thats why most band's first albums are their best, because they wrote and perfected the songs without a clock or an accountant in the room.