BTM_Pix

I agree with this sentiment entirely 😉

“Crappy” 8-bit 420 non-log. 

I’ll find out soon !
Judging by the release notes for the latest firmware there are still a few known issues.
One known issue they solved in this release is that you can now have two rather than one BLE timecode equipped device synced to it. That there was any limitation to one was unknown to me and increasing it to two is a bit of a limitation. I’m guessing they still want people to buy an UltraSync Blue to act as a hub to increase capability up to seven (one direct and six using the UltraSync Blue as a hub for the other six)
There is always some niggle with Atomos products.
https://f002.backblazeb2.com/file/atomos-uploads/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/02174154/AtomOS_10.92.00_NINJAV_Release_Notes.html
 

Live update from the counter of the shop as I’m making the purchase.
It has very much NOT gone as expected.
More news to follow  

Live update from the counter of the shop as I’m making the purchase.
It has very much NOT gone as expected.
More news to follow  

If you absolutely promise that you won’t want to pan/tilt while recording then a geared head might well be the solution for you.
The venerable Manfrotto 410 will support up to around 5kg and won’t break the bank.

Live update from the counter of the shop as I’m making the purchase.
It has very much NOT gone as expected.
More news to follow  

Live update from the counter of the shop as I’m making the purchase.
It has very much NOT gone as expected.
More news to follow  

As you already have the Ninja then it may be worth looking at the Atomos Connect which does a few different things (shoot to cloud, stream on set, adds SDI to the Ninja etc) but can act as the central timecode hub.
It will embed the timecode into whatever you are recording on the Ninja V (which would also take care of your footage handoff scenario) whilst also acting as the master wireless timecode source for the Atomos/TimecodeSytems family of products.
So you could attach an UltraSync One to anything that has a timecode input (such as your F4 or other cameras) and they would sync wirelessly and you could also do the same with your F3 (with the BTA-1 dongle) or anything else that supports their Bluetooth timecode protocol.
As the Atomos Connect provides the timecode over Bluetooth then you wouldn’t need the additional UltraSync Blue unit that is usually required to sync things like the F3.
So in that regard you can knock £180 off the price of the Atomos Connect due to that saving.
You’d then be also able to painlessly integrate other products such as the F2-BT lav recorder or even Tascam X8 or Nikon Z8/9.
I’m picking my Atomos Connect up the week after next (they had it in a heavily discounted bundle with the AtomX Cast which turns the Ninja V into a 4 camera switcher) so I’ll report back if it works as advertised!

The recording to SSD and ProRes of the S5iiX (with a minor mention of the connect to phone for streaming) are big differences that might persuade me if I was looking to buy an S5ii.
Not that I am of course as I'm completely adamant that I'm not interested as I am dead set on a Z9/Z8/A1/X-H2S purchase next week.
Absolutely nailed on.
Not going to waver in the slightest.
Honestly.

The recording to SSD and ProRes of the S5iiX (with a minor mention of the connect to phone for streaming) are big differences that might persuade me if I was looking to buy an S5ii.
Not that I am of course as I'm completely adamant that I'm not interested as I am dead set on a Z9/Z8/A1/X-H2S purchase next week.
Absolutely nailed on.
Not going to waver in the slightest.
Honestly.

No, I have the 28-85mm f3.3/4 and the 35-70mm f3.4 but have no experience of the 28-70mm f3.5/4.5.
If I see one cheap enough next week then maybe I should get it as, of course, as we all know,  if I don’t like it, I could, erm, EASILY recoup my costs 😉 

That FP is just fooling with your emotions at this point 😉
Alternative viewpoint to those excellent images though is that it might just have something to do with the person taking them.

Whilst its true that if you had the BT versions then you would be able to achieve it, even then its still not that straightforward/inexpensive as you would need the Ultrasync One for the camera and also the UltraSync Blue to connect to that to provide the BT timecode to the F2s.
With the non-BT versions you will have to rely on basic audio sync in post but that has got a lot slicker over the past couple of years so, whilst far from being as ideal as having TC sync, it will still do the job albeit with an additional burden on file handling and making sure the mics are rolling etc.
The issue with doing it through basic audio sync though is you still have to get good scratch audio into the camera to make the post syncing easier.
This is where using a Rode Wireless Go system (or similar) in tandem with the F2s will be a big advantage if you have access to them. 
The output of each F2 can be attached to the input of a Wireless Go as shown here in the Newsshooter review (https://www.newsshooter.com/2021/01/14/zoom-f2-review/).

The dual channel receiver can then be attached to the input of the 6K to provide good scratch audio of both F2s in the camera files whilst still taking advantage of the 32bit float audio of the recorder's own internal recordings.
Of course, this setup will also be a boon in terms of remote monitoring of the audio of the F2s.
Obviously you don't need to go the extra step with the transmitters/receivers and can just use any decent mic that you have around plugged into the camera but the audio monitoring aspect of such a setup for the F2s will potentially payoff in picking up issues.

This is actually a bit of a rework/variation on a theme of Canon's Legria Mini/Mini X cameras from a decade ago.

I had the original one and it was pretty decent for what it did at the time and I think this new one might be an idea that has now met its time.
I've seen a lot of mocking about it but considering its a single purpose product then judging it on its suitability for that one purpose then it seems to have a lot going for it for a lot of its intended users.
 

No, I have the 28-85mm f3.3/4 and the 35-70mm f3.4 but have no experience of the 28-70mm f3.5/4.5.
If I see one cheap enough next week then maybe I should get it as, of course, as we all know,  if I don’t like it, I could, erm, EASILY recoup my costs 😉 

My unfeasibly patient and indulgent wife meeting me outside every 2nd hand lens shop in Tokyo next week when I use that exact same line.

This is an interesting comparison between this lens and a modern equivalent.
 

I really think it is... one day I'll take it out and I'll be damned if I can get something I like from it, the next day, I'm floored by the images.
So that leads me to believe it's user error... or the lens and camera's fault... I prefer the latter.
I'm reminded of a line from a sitcom episode I saw a while ago... "I have 2 or 3 moves in the bedroom and if they don't work, she must've had a lot on her mind."
That explains my skills with cinematography and color grading... if one of my moves don't work... the camera was in a mood.

That FP is just fooling with your emotions at this point 😉
Alternative viewpoint to those excellent images though is that it might just have something to do with the person taking them.

My unfeasibly patient and indulgent wife meeting me outside every 2nd hand lens shop in Tokyo next week when I use that exact same line.

In my previous post, I mentioned that I was going through my lenses and thinning the herd. Well today I have a few samples from the Zeiss ZF Classic 50mm 1.4.
I bought this lens a couple years ago for VERY little money. The body had a little wear, but the price was so good, I decided it was worth it and if I didn't like it, I could EASILY recoup my costs. When the lens arrived, it had a couple issues... the Nikon F to EF adapter that was included (a "bonus!" according to the seller) was stuck on the lens... the lever that is used to release the adapter from the mount was broken off. At the time it wasn't a huge deal because I was using it on an EF camera.
Here's a frame from it on my 5D3 with ML Raw...
So it seemed to be a good sample but when I tried to attach a VND, I quickly realized that the threads were messed up... I could screw the filter in but it definitely wasn't right. By the feel and sound of it, it seems like the lens was dropped in the dirt. Luckily, nothing was affected mechanically, or optically, so it's no huge issue. Eventually, I'll buy a step up ring but for testing purposes, a filter will screw on with enough patience.
Anyway, I bought a Sigma FP last fall and since then I have been testing different lenses with it looking for a simple little set up. So far I like the camera. It has a pretty nice image, but I'm not wowed by the IQ like I was when I first bought my 5D3... but that's a story for another time.
As I mentioned in my previous post, I built a basic set of fast Nikkor ai-s lenses and I plan on selling off everything else. I'll keep a few random lenses that I really like.
Back to the Zeiss... to test it with the FP, I needed to remove that damn bent adapter. Well it was no match for a pair of dykes and some needle nose pliers. In mere minutes I turned the "bonus!" adapter into a pile of metal shards.
So, after enlisting my actor friend, I decided to take the lens out for a test run with the FP.
Here are the results...


As I mentioned earlier, I have a hot and cold feeling toward the FP, but on that day, maybe it was the light, or the beat up, pseudo-modern Zeiss optics, I think I have one of those random keeper lens...
Now I just need to refrain from building a set of Zeiss lenses...
Easier said than done.
Thanks for reading my long, unscientific, anecdotal review.

I did a few matches in Bordeaux during Euro2016 and stayed at quite a nice site called Yelloh Village which was in gear dragging distance of the stadium but a bit outside the city.
It looks like even unfolded your trolley of gear would fit on the back seat/in the boot of car so even though it is out of town I'd be tempted to base yourself at the site and then get a cab to the venue to do the gig and then back again when its done.
That way you've got easy access door to door to the venue wherever it is without having to be bothered about finding suitably sized safe parking nearby or trundling through urban environment with a trolley full of gear, particularly on the way back late at night.
Its about a €35-40 round trip in a cab to the very centre of the city so its only another €15-20 on top of what it would cost for secure parking if you could find one without the height restriction.
 

I used to work out of my little Mazda Bongo camper a lot back in the day.
Same logic regarding the savings and convenience particularly when I had to cover games late at night or be at pressers first thing in the morning.
Great to use it as a mobile office as well to file from too.
The biggest cost savings were covering long multi day events away such as football tournaments and particularly like here when shooting the Tour de France.
Using the camper saved me a lot and meant I could ram it full of boxes gear as well as utilise it as a mounting point for remote cameras !

Its got me quite nostalgic for covering the Tour again to be honest, although these days it would be far more lucrative shooting it as a vanlife vlog than it would as an editorial photographer. 

I used to work out of my little Mazda Bongo camper a lot back in the day.
Same logic regarding the savings and convenience particularly when I had to cover games late at night or be at pressers first thing in the morning.
Great to use it as a mobile office as well to file from too.
The biggest cost savings were covering long multi day events away such as football tournaments and particularly like here when shooting the Tour de France.
Using the camper saved me a lot and meant I could ram it full of boxes gear as well as utilise it as a mounting point for remote cameras !

Its got me quite nostalgic for covering the Tour again to be honest, although these days it would be far more lucrative shooting it as a vanlife vlog than it would as an editorial photographer.