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BTM_Pix

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Everything posted by BTM_Pix

  1. BTM_Pix

    Panasonic G9 mk2

    I feel seen ! The last wedding I went to a few months ago had announced a complete ban on posting pictures online and as a consequence no one took any pictures at all, presumably because if they weren't able to post them in semi-real time then they had no value at all. As a consequence, the only person that had any images at all was this old duffer. I tell a lie, there was one person who ignored it which was the groom's sister who took the position that her brother and new sister-in-law aren't exactly Jay Z and Beyonce so there was no embargo with Hello magazine to honour.
  2. BTM_Pix

    Panasonic G9 mk2

    I'm only reporting it, not agreeing with it as my own position. The LX10 and LX100 are not to you or I or anyone else on here that owns them something that a smartphone can replace like for like of course. But to the wider public, the ship has sailed for virtually all of them that might have bought a compact camera as they are happy enough with their phones. Thats the position that Panasonic are taking. Funnily enough, in the past couple of months, I have offered my daughter both my LX10 and LX100 when she has gone on trips to places that I have thought merited more than a phone but she's been "thanks but no thanks". We are going to Tokyo at the end of next week and I've upped my loan offer to my Sigma Fp or Leica T but she is still not interested. I don't think she is an outlier either, even though she is over 30 so she has grown up around "real cameras" from my work, let alone what anyone 25 and under must be like. What is the demographic at the present time for YouTubers though? I'm guessing its nowhere near as youthful as it once was and far more affluent too. TikTok is where the younger generation are and they have grown up without "real" cameras. They don't mind paying €1500 for a phone that they can run their entire life on (particularly as they all pay monthly for it anyway) but dropping that amount on a camera that brings them a marginal gain as they would see it is a tough sell. Before we even get to the aspect of whether the current financial climate makes that even viable. The distance from capture to audience is absolutely minimal and that is something that camera manufacturers have failed to grasp and act upon. I've said it on here before but even with the absolutely fastest cameras, highly optimised workflow with the fastest cards, readers, computers, transmission infrastructure etc then by the time I'd got an image edited and away onto newspapers and published (even online let alone the printed versions) from pitch side was glacially slow compared to the kid sat behind me on the terraces with his iPhone. Real cameras are just not equipped to compete with that and with the dwindling attention span of the creators and the consumers it just doesn't appeal to them. YouTube content was too long so they went to YouTube shorts and now that is too long they're on TikTok. And its worth bearing in mind that actual "content creation" as we would describe it is a niche anyway so longer form, more thoughtful, content is now a niche within that niche. Requests for advice about getting a camera from my family or friends that even 5-7 years ago were still pretty frequent have now dwindled to absolutely nil. This could be because of the terrible advice I gave them but that is another matter and I'm sure they would all be happy with those Sigma DP2-Ms if only they concentrated on technique a bit more 🙂 I'm not advocating what Panasonic have done with leaving the compact market but I do understand it. Camera manufacturers did themselves absolutely no favours in terms of compact cameras by the obsession they all shared over not giving cameras like the GX80, RX100, LX100 etc etc a microphone input.
  3. After spending far too much time in the G9ii thread bemoaning MFT, I'm now hypocritically looking to buy another MFT lens so after some opinions about this one if anyone here owns it. It caught my eye during the demo from BMD about the new Micro Studio Camera4K as it has power zoom controllable from an ATEM and I will be using it on the exact same camera (and/or Pocket4K) controlled in the exact same way. Power zooms are thin on the ground for most systems but I have the Panasonic 14-42mm and I'm interested in this one for a slightly wider range but also because from what I've seen it is a lot less clunky when zooming than the Panasonic. If anyone is using it in the same capacity with an ATEM controlling it then I'd be very interested to hear your thoughts but if anyone just uses it as a general lens then I'm interested in that as well in particular its longevity. It is likely that I will be getting a reasonably old used one for cheap as I don't want to throw much money at it. This means a bit of a leap of faith as I won't have the ability to test it in the way I'm going to use it and won't easily be able to return it (I'll only briefly be in the country I'm buying it in) so if there are any horror stories regarding zoom motors going rough etc then that would be good to know. I'm also interested in if anyone has used it with a BMD camera (original Pocket or new) if there is a lot of distortion at the wide end that, of course, is not corrected in those cameras. Thanks
  4. To be fair, the Godfather was a right fucking mess before he stamped his White Balance skill on it.
  5. My Df has a broken rear LCD screen so I extend the retro experience fully to having to wait until I get home and "develop" the images before I know if they are OK or not ! Leica want $8K for that experience with their screenless M10D so I feel like I'm winning.
  6. BTM_Pix

    Panasonic G9 mk2

    I'd certainly welcome any of those although with the latter two I'm not sure Panasonic are interested in anything compact with an integrated lens any more in view of this quote from them last summer : "We've halted developing any new models that can be replaced by a smartphone" https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Business-trends/Panasonic-Nikon-quit-developing-low-end-compact-digital-cameras#:~:text="We've halted developing any,for photography enthusiasts and professionals. The tie in with Leica which they re-affirmed last year would probably preclude them from producing anything fixed lens wise either to not tread on the Q line. Speaking of which.... The Leica Q3 does point the way to what one of those might have spec wise, certainly the 8K aspect. The re-affirmation of their tie up last year as referenced in that piece above says they are jointly developing a new mirrorless camera and I'd suspect that the Q3 is the fixed lens version of that and the mark 2 versions of the S1 will be the first interchangeable lens versions of it, followed by the SL3.
  7. BTM_Pix

    Panasonic G9 mk2

    It is certainly an "interesting" choice thats for sure and its a bit like a car having one of those skinny spare tyres. They tick the "does it have two card slots" box but open up the newer question of "are they both adequate though?". My Leica T has internal memory which is a boon as it gives you extra storage space if you fill the card up but also provides you with security against the "oh shit I've left the SD card in the reader at home" which I have actually done ! Absent of new cameras offering the same internal storage (and why not by the way) and trying to keep the size down then its a pragmatic choice but it is heavily dependent on the real world requirements of the files its generating and how the implementation is in terms of control. What is the minimum write speed for h265 10 bit 4K would be the obvious question. Is there a sufficient buffer in the camera to be able to offload at the slower speed (a pre-capture in reverse) ? Background copying from the SD to the MicroSD to make it a managed overflow option? Foreground copying from the SD to the MicroSD? Jpegs to the MicroSD and RAWs to the SD? When all that is known then we can move it from "strange and also silly" (which on the face of it would be the case) to a best case of "strange but yeah OK its workable". In terms of strangeness though, it still isn't in the same ballpark as the fundamental one of putting a small sensor in a full frame body 😉
  8. BTM_Pix

    Panasonic G9 mk2

    Nikon have just announced the $2K full frame Zf which is in that vein for compact full frame. Ironically, the Z mount is so adaptable that it is able to take MFT lenses too ! (Albeit dumbly)
  9. This had definitely be flying under my radar as a rumour so this was an interesting surprise this morning ! I have had the Df since it was launched and it is a fantastic compact D4 and they have finally brought out its mirrorless equivalent. Unlike the Df, which has no video at all, the Zf is very competitively equipped for a camera in its $2000 price range. Key specifications 24MP full-frame BSI CMOS sensor In-body image stabilization rated up to 8EV Dedicated Monochrome mode Up to 14fps continuous shooting (JPEG), 11 fps Raw 'C30' JPEG-only 30fps mode with pre-burst function AF system with tracking and recognition of 9 subject types 4K/60 video from 6K capture with 10-bit N-Log recording 32-shot high-res mode to give 96MP images SD and MicroSD card slots Full details here https://www.nikonusa.com/en/nikon-products/product/mirrorless-cameras/z-f.html
  10. Atomos charge $99 to activate h265 in the Ninja which is a bit of a gouge as if there is a notional licensing fee it certainly won’t be a big as that! Don’t know what the deal is with BM not offering ProRes in anything over 4K in any of their cameras so at least by not including it all they’ve saved themselves being asked about that anomaly again!
  11. BTM_Pix

    Panasonic G9 mk2

    That is precisely the point I'm making though. If the GH6 is the same as the G9mkii then it too will also have them but they are not being used by the AF system at this time but it doesn't preclude them being used in the future. As unlikely as it may seem for them to release a camera (GH6) that has the capability that everyone wanted but not enable it immediately and then release a new camera with the same sensor but enable it in that one is not beyond the bounds of possibility. Adding it as a €200 upgrade to the GH6 further down the line (and when they'e had more time to perfect it than when the GH6 was launched), why not ? Its completely possible and would make sense for them and the customer. If it is the same sensor, meaning that it was in the GH6 first. Which, as I said, from what I've read it isn't.
  12. I'd say it was a ploy to get people to buy a VideoAssist if they have a requirement to record ProRes if it wasn't for the fact that the HDMI output is capped at 1080p. Even so, if you have to to the external route to even get 1080p ProRes on the BM then the S5iix with the Ninja V gives you 6K ProRes RAW and 5.8K ProRes to SSD if you don't want to use the monitor. You are then also getting the two bonuses of the PDAF and IBIS. And considering the form factor of the 6K series is nothing to write home about, the S5iiX doesn't come off worse in that department either plus you don't have to pay extra for the EVF 🙂 There are a ton of people who couldn't care less about ProRes, AF, IBIS etc though and don't care that it wasn't the massive leap forward that was anticipated who will be absolutely thrilled by this camera. And rightly so. Objectively versus an S5iix though, I'm not sure I would personally bite.
  13. BTM_Pix

    Panasonic G9 mk2

    PDAF and CDAF are not mutually exclusive and Panasonic's Hybrid AF in the G9Mkii and the S5ii does use both, as do other manufacturer's systems, depending on circumstances. If the camera can choose from either internally then it also means that what is offered to the user can also be offered or not depending on Panasonic's choice. They have a well established background in offering paid upgrades (usually v-log but latterly ProResRaw/BRAW on the S5ii) that are activated in camera so if the GH6 is indeed the exact same sensor as the G9Mkii then it would give Panasonic the option to do the same using one of their upgrade licenses to activate Hybrid AF. However, it does hinge on it being exactly the same sensor and not a variant of it like I have seen reported. If it isn't exactly the same then its over to our correspondent Harry Callaghan.
  14. BTM_Pix

    Panasonic G9 mk2

    Panasonic announcing PDAF in a firmware update for the GH6 next month like this.
  15. Don't know whether you would get more joy quality wise with the Vimeo version. I think if you have a paid plan you can download it and might be higher resolution options. It was just a quick lash up in Photoshop to see if there were differences that were there but imperceptible. Have to say if they are imperceptible then its probably moot anyway. Although the difference with the iPhone shots were far more perceptibly imperceptible 😉
  16. Its there if you are really, really bored on a Sunday morning and really, really look for it. At 300% (😂) here is the eye. Here is it with the lower resolution one on another layer with blend set to difference. It is definitely there but certainly close enough for jazz in terms of how keen you have to be find it. However, it is far more pronounced when doing the same difference layer process with your iPhone footage. This is at 80% And at the same 300% as the Cooke sample. Its difficult to know if there would have been a similar outcome if you had access to higher quality source material with the Cooke footage.
  17. Yeah, even at 1/350th scale you'd need a fairly big coat to fit the Admiral Graf Spee in your pocket.
  18. To differentiate, we can all refer to this new one as the PK6-NP. Denoting both it’s battery type and that it has No ProRes
  19. BTM_Pix

    Panasonic G9 mk2

    Well, that vow lasted a little more than 24 hours in terms of the camera at least as I'm now likely to buy the new BMD Micro Studio camera! In my defence : a) It is for a specific Live/ATEM related need rather than general use. b) I am fickle. I'm not going to bang the Panasonic putting MFT into oversized bodies and charging premium prices drum further but I did have half an eye their BGH1 box camera for this role but it is 75% bigger, 81% heavier and 132% more expensive than the BMD Micro Studio camera. When it comes to MFT, Panasonic are more or less cosplaying Benny Hill in The Italian Job at this point.
  20. BTM_Pix

    Panasonic G9 mk2

    It is undoubtedly a powerhouse of a camera internally relative to older MFT cameras but it can't be dismissed that the body they have put it in opens up a discussion not only about the camera comparatively as a package itself but also the direction of travel for MFT from Panasonic. The bald truth here is that they have put it inside the body of the S5ii and are selling it for the same price. In a world without the S5ii, I could kind of make the case for it as it is likely to be the peak of MFT but the S5ii does exist, I already own it and it just makes this look weird. Its like they have put the inside of a Ford Fiesta inside a Ford Transit. Seriously, if you walked into a shop today with €1800 burning a hole in your pocket and they were there side by side on the shelf which one are you taking home ? The full frame with the expanding lens system via more companies actively joining the system as well as options to do RAW video out if you needed it in the future (or straight to the 5iiX for a few hundred more and get ProRes) or the one that doesn't have that and is in a lens system that one of the most active 3rd party manufacturers has now stopped making new designs for ? Outside of the three Sigma MFT lenses (which they won't be adding to) fast primes are slower and more expensive than their L mount full frame equivalents now. The last four years has changed the landscape for L mount lenses going from hugely expensive and a limited range to having a much broader lineup at very good prices with the only gap being in the long end. The compact primes that we all had/have and love like the 14mm, 20mm, Oly 45mm 1.8 etc are still available and are genuine bargains and size appropriate for the generation of MFT cameras that they were released around but where do they fit in with the G9ii and on ? For one thing, balance wise it will be like a Hummer pulling a shopping trolley but what of the AF performance ? I can tell you from experience with making an autofocus system that uses MFT lenses that those lenses are a little bit clunky. I'd be interested to see if anyone tests the new PDAF with those type of lenses to determine whether its a swings and roundabouts situation. Again, none of this is ragging on the internals of the G9ii or even the camera as a whole when looked at in isolation in a world where the S5ii doesn't exist but if MFT is to survive then they need to sell these cameras and in the real world where the S5ii does exist, it is difficult to know how someone walking into a shop to compare them would walk out with the former. However, I know a lot of MFT users are bird photographers so the as yet lack of long lenses in L mount and the improved AF might give the G9ii a comfortable niche but it is debatable whether that represents enough to keep MFT going in this same price/same size as Full Frame format that Panasonic have come up with here. Again, just to clarify that I introduced the A7cii into this discussion with regard to what Panasonic could have done to bring the powerhouse internals of the G9ii into a more compact form familiar to those of us who have their previous cameras. Basically, the decision to put it in the body of an S5ii was a free choice rather than a necessity. A decision that some will agree with and some won't depending on what they want out of the system. For me, as I say, I already have the S5ii so have no interest in paying the same price to buy what is effectively a crippled version of it 😄 That was tongue in cheek by the way. Kind of.
  21. Ouch. I had just presumed that like the P6K/PK6PRO/P6KG2, and the P6K derived Ursa Broadcast G2, ProRes would top out at 4K and you had to use BRAW above that. Not including it all is a bit of a surprise, so it is more like the Studio Camera 6K Pro in that respect than it is the Pocket Camera 6K Pro then. Or the Ursa Mini Pro 12K. I can’t remember whether they ever said any sort of ProRes would come to the 12K even on the same “Up to 4K only” basis but even if they didn’t they have subsequently ignored the demand for it as an update, assuming it is possible. Which would not bode well for building up any hopes that it could come to this new 6K as a future update.
  22. The control does come through the SDI port as well so they could make a Bluetooth adapter into that. The BM video assist would give a benefit in terms of being able to record ProRes as it is worth bearing in mind that this camera can only record BRAW. It’s not a bad sort of kind of box version of the P4K but where this camera really scores is with the ATEM where you can control and live switch them but then use their BRAW recordings to post produce a higher quality tuned version in 4K as the ATEM automatically produces a Resolve project with the multi cam timeline that you then just drop the files from the camera into. You can now have a live stream setup with hardware switching of four channels of fully controllable cameras with ISO recording in 4K BRAW for under £4K. It’s pretty amazing really.
  23. Yes. There are plenty of options to run it from NP-F or DTAP for longer run times. It’s a pity it doesn’t have Bluetooth for function control to make up for the removal of the external control port.
  24. The only current one for EF to L is the Fotodiox version which doesn’t have a clear setting unfortunately. The Meike adapters have the swappable tray so you can swap to clear. Unfortunately, despite doing it in a range of mounts (including PL to L actually) they don’t yet do it for EF to L. The Fotodiox version has warnings on their website not to use it on Leica bodies and even the Sigma adapter isn’t compatible with a number of Leica bodies either despite them being part of the L mount alliance. So it does make me wonder if it is related to full compatibility why we haven’t seen the Meike version appear as the PL to L shows they are able to make adapters for the mount but of course that version doesn’t require AF functionality. The L mount gaining far more traction through the S5ii and now this new BM camera might give them a bit more incentive to get on with it.
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