heart0less

Here is something to get you going. 
 
Unfortunately, there is no option for 1.33x desqueeze, so you are either stuck with having to look at squeezed image on your camera monitor or using an external monitor with more desqueeze options. 
Shooting Open Gate 4:3 with 1.33x Sirui will roughly result in a 16:9 final video. 
( :

Back then though you went into it knowing that there was a business relationship between the press and companies, and also that most of those journalists went to journalism school and practiced standard journalism ethics.
As things moved to the internet, there was an influx of blogs much like this one, where you could get honest opinions. YouTube/Vimeo/etc too. The people writing and creating content were just like us, and you went into it knowing that. Now we're where we are today, where the dynamic has changed. And once neutral parties that you trusted can overnight turn into shills. It's incredibly frustrating and damaging. 

well, I have only seen this one post and would not call it trolling...unless any post that doesn't agree with your opinions or criticizes this site in the slightest is considered trolling? 

You can easily soften them up in post.
I quite often decrease Midtone Details (subbed as MD in Resolve) and add a tiny bit of blur to take the digital edge of my footage.
Truly works wonders.
Our fellow member, @Ryley K , posted an impressive tutorial on how to emulate film. One of the steps there includes adding a faux OLPF effect.
I highly recommend taking a look at it.
 

https://kinotehnik.com/product/lcdvf-bm5-optical-viewfinder/
I use the Kinotehnik optical viewfinder on the smallhd focus oled, its not supposed to work but I made it work.
So now I have a 1080p OLED evf
It is suported to work on the blackmagic 5" 12g

The fact that this beautifully designed and engineered camera doesn’t overheat thanks to it’s clever use of a heatsink puts many other manufacturers to shame. They should thus take notice and pay their respects to this simple yet extremely elegant solution. It makes me even want to buy a Sigma fp just to support the company, even though I don’t really need the camera.

Just seeing the name of this camera printed here puts me in a bad mood; I was one of those early adopters that had it for a month when it first came out, took on a trip to Denmark even, and returned it harder than any camera I’ve ever returned before, it left such a bad taste in my mouth. It’s marketed as a hybrid camera, yet the AF was abysmal for stills, like really bad, like it makes the Blackmagic cameras seems like they have dual pixel AF. I was ok with not being able to playback CDNG in-camera (I was used to that from my early BMPCC days). But the aliasing, the unforgivable act of using a non-articulating screen, the waste of time they spend making those stupid “Cinema” color profiles and the stupid waste of button real estate spent on them as well, the fact that you couldn’t easily switch between Cine and Stills mode without ALL your settings (shutter, iso) carrying over as well, it all left me with such disdain for Sigma.
(They did release 3D models of the camera which allowed me to 3D print a hand grip, that was pretty cool actually).
So, like most, I returned the camera, only to read them announce this upcoming firmware which would include Cinemagraphs (hahaha), and ProRes RAW... The Z6 getting ProRes RAW was a pretty exciting read. The Sigma FP on the other hand, the camera that already records raw onto a $70 SSD, hmm, not quite sure this is something this camera was calling out for in the first place. But I guess someone, somewhere, can import footage easier now, is that the advantage? Great use of 8 months of firmware update time Sigma!

Picked up 11 of these bad boys from a factory swapping over to leds. I think at least 7 of them work, no cost to me just had to remove them. There's a fair layer of dust over them so they'll need a good clean up. Considering keeping a few as original, maybe hacking a couple to  take some sort of led bulb. Anyone else  got some other ideas on what i could do with them ? the diameter of the reflector is about 420mm. On the flip side i guess i could start a grow room 😉
 


Also another vintage lens... circa 1971. While not the oldest lens around, is now making its way to the land down under, more about it when it turns up. Perhaps i should look at getting a really old lens something pre multiple coatings or even single coatings for comparative purposes.
One other thing i have learned  when using the fd adapters. mine has a lock and an open position on the adapter . when you position the fd lens onto the adapter, you need to align them properly as if you do it wrong the aperture doesn't work  on the lens. Not sure if you could break anything by forcing it but i wasn't game to try. Took me several goes to work it out and that was swapping the lens between the p4k and my old canon t90. I guess anyone with fd lenses already knows this.  Just a heads up for anyone thinking about adapting fd lenses. 

Your arguments all appear to be circular, or simply saying that things that are MFT or are old are somehow inferior by default.  I guess the Alexa is screwed then, it's really old, the image is soft as hell and it's not FF either!
The S1H might well make a nicer image than the GH5, I didn't say that no camera produced a nicer image.  In fact the S1H sure better make a nicer image - is it twice or three times the current cost of a GH5?  I haven't kept tabs.  It's also large and heavy in comparison.
You can't say that the GH5 is irrelevant because there's a camera with a nicer image that costs way more and is larger and heavier.  If so, the S1H is irrelevant because the Sony Venice exists.
You may not like it, but the 10-bit is still 10-bit.  I know because I shoot in available light high DR situations and grade heavily, and even after attempts to break the image, it has held up.  Someone even made a comment on these forums in the last month or so lamenting the lack of 4k60 in the current lineup of camera bodies.  You can't really argue that its 60p isn't 60p.
Of course there are cameras that make a nicer image.
It sounds like you're living in the internet / vlog / YT / camera reviewer / forums / photographer-as-videographer bubble and don't really know what is happening in the industry.  The reality of working DOPs is that most of them aren't online talking about their equipment, they're out in the world shooting and their images are only available on Netflix / Amazon / Hulu / etc, or non-camera YT channels.
You have absolutely no idea what most of the content you watch in a given day is shot on.  If a camera produces a good enough image then when it's on TV you'll have no idea you're watching that camera.  The GH5 is out there being used by working pros and it's completely invisible to us.  The entire industry is in upheaval with far less money to go around in some areas, in such times people who are interested in feeding their families will put off upgrades and just keep working.
I'm not saying that the GH5 is the best camera in the world, but you're acting like it's no longer being used by anyone making content, which simply isn't true.

First of all, this is not some big comprehensive review but just a brief look and some samples that I took on the first day that I took it out.
OK, with that disclaimer out of the way, lets have a look at it.

The H3-VR is an integrated ambisonic microphone array and recorder and you can find the full product information here 
https://www.zoom-na.com/products/field-video-recording/field-recording/zoom-h3-vr-handy-recorder
 Basically, what it allows you to do is record the output from its 4 microphones either as a stereo binaural track or as a 4 channel ambisonics B format which you can then manipulate in post to effectively simulate changing the mic position after the fact.
If you want a bit of a primer on ambisonics then this link will sort you out
https://www.waves.com/ambisonics-explained-guide-for-sound-engineers
I've mentioned the H3-VR a few times in responses in various threads about field recording, particularly with regard to ambient tracks, so on my last trip I decided that it was time to put my money where my mouth was and actually buy one. Well, with the proviso that I found one cheap enough, which I did, so here we are.
First impressions are that it is much smaller than I had expected which is no bad thing and very, very light so its not going to be a problem to mount it on a camera.
Here it is on the very diminutive OG Pocket Cinema Camera which I was using for testing it with.
  
Incidentally, the foam shield is included in the box but I'd budget for a deadcat if you are using it outdoors and I'd probably also caution against mounting like it is here as it is very prone to handling noise even as transference from operating the camera controls.
It is very straightforward to use as it has a good menu system and you can record in an array of stereo and B format modes and it also has a headphone monitor which you can select to be stereo or binaural.
This option is also available on the line out so for the examples further down they are sent to the camera as a binaural mix but still recorded in B format in the recorder for later manipulation if necessary.
To make post sync easy, you have the option for it to send a tone burst to the camera at the start of each recording and the H3-VR also has an inbuilt gyro so that it knows which way is up as it where in terms of where the microphones were during the recording. This function is also used for shooting 360 videos as it allows the unit to be connected upside down under a 360 camera to keep it out of shot and also enables you to use it in end-fire mode.

Specs wise, it can record in various formats up to and including 24bit/96Khz so you can have a decent amount of headroom for your recordings but there is also a limiter and lo cut filters to give you a bit more security.
My interest in this system is partly for VR but primarily for general ambience recording to create a more immersive soundscape with the ability to do some manipulation of the sound targeting in post production.
Its worth bearing in mind that until very, very recently, having a B format microphone array and recording setup (let alone one that can fit in a large pocket and runs off two AA batteries) was a very specialist niche with a price tag to match so you'll have to manage your expectations about matching something like that but I've got to say that for me its going to be a very useful little item to supplement rather than replace other sound recording gear I've got.
For these examples, I chose two different scenarios (although they are only about 15 minutes walk away from each other in Tokyo!) to illustrate its use in capturing soundscapes with different densities and degrees of subtlety.
The audio on these is from the line out of the H3VR set to binaural stereo straight into the OG Pocket Cinema Camera whilst the H3-VR was recording them internally in the 4 channel B Format (Ambix in this case).
Make sure you put some decent headphones on to listen and you should be able to pick up some degree of height and rear positioning of sounds within the environment and as objects move around it. 
If you want to experiment with manipulating the B format files, Zoom have a standalone player that enables you to do this 

This is available free from 
https://www.zoom-na.com/products/field-video-recording/field-recording/zoom-h3-vr-handy-recorder#downloads
And I have put the original B format files from the H3VR from the videos above for you to download and use with it here
https://mega.nz/#!RqYQXSpB!Ydluy4G-ouMIEJbJyWWTAzcG4DIUU47G2GNKhMyVpJM
OK, thats it for now, as this is very much just an initial look at it and I'll return to flesh it out with more information as I use it a bit more but hope some of you can find some use in it.

I tested the methods explained in this thread and I cannot find this supposed superiority, there is a severe penalty to the sharpness, you have a HUGE shift towards green even though I turned the green to 1.90
This is all with manual mode, no automatic garbage going on, all old fashioned adjustment, white balance equal for every image to show you the shift it goes from magenta to green its quite severe. 
There massive loss of sharpness with this method, the noise is far more prominent and here are examples that took me 5 minutes to do with manual focus, 1/30 shutter, 2.8 aperture and ISO of 1600.

Left is the standard profile. Middle one is adjusted ISO down to 800 with RGB boost. Right is the one with the 1.99 RGB levels and no adjustments, you gotta open these real up close and notice what happens, other than the RGB settings every other setting is completely identical. These are JPEG's by the way so video would look just as similar but worse noise obviously.
 

Again the Left is standard, middle is adjusted level and right is the boost one with no adjustments. 
Notice the sharpness loss in these, the camera was on a tripod with manual focus kept at same level in all 3 shots. 
The details are quite muddled suggesting your lossing something here, its almost like you are trying to extract details but not getting enough light, its exactly what this is. 
I read that some people suggested it gives you 1 - 2 stop extra range, but at a sunny day at 160 bitrate you can already pull a few stops out of the shadows anyway with a LOG like settings or not, this RGB boost seems to present no advantages in those shadow details at all in fact there seems to be a loss of details. 

This is interesting and useful.
It shows you how Resolve can render the colour grading up to a certain node, but not beyond it.
So for example, if your node tree started with a Deflicker (great for timelapses), then NR, then a Motion Blur (for fake 180 shutter!) then you could render these three nodes into a cache but then grade normally after these and unless you go back and adjust one of them it wouldn't need to re-render that cache.
I've never heard about this before, so thought it was worth sharing.
 

Alright, didn’t get any answers so I’ll have to find out on my own, just placed my order! I’ll let you all know how it goes.

The Rokkors. See https://www.reduser.net/forum/showthread.php?92246-Minolta-Rokkor-Survival-Guide
There's some good history and detail there.
There are also reviews of individual lenses here: https://phillipreeve.net/blog/lenses/minolta-mcmd/
In terms of value for money, these are hard to beat. They have all the usual problems of old lenses designed for film when you use them on modern digital cameras, but if you want character and incredible colors, it's worth getting a few. I recently got the 55mm f1.7 Rokkor for about $40 on eBay and it's incredible.

Contrast this attitude with smaller Chinese companies like z-cam who have a ceo answering questions on Facebook and improving their cameras based on user suggestions. No usb-c just goes to show how slow and outdated some of these Japanese companies are. 

So to follow up on that whooping 35 minute short film from Sigma, I just found that they'd released a Behind-the-Scenes video highlighting the crew's experience using the FP for the project and what their thoughts on it were!
 
Gotta say, if Sigma continue to listen to the feedback they're getting on this camera and keep that in mind moving forward, I cannot wait to see what Sigma's followup camera to the FP will be like. They've got a monster of a camera on their hands, just iron out some quirks here and there and the next model will be insane.

Man, this new firmware update is MASSIVE. Definitely breaths a ton of new life into the FP and fixes a few of the issues that Caleb mentioned in his video! 
However, I feel it's worth noting that Sigma confirmed in a new interview with one of the sites that can't be linked here that they were ultimately unable to create a proper LOG/flat profile for the FP due to technical limitations... So apparently that's not coming any time soon for the camera. Not the end of the world, as I'd wager most filmmakers buying this camera are investing in it for the various RAW codecs it can provide internally and externally. Hopefully though the next model in the FP lineup fixes that issue and provides a LOG profile at launch. 
In cheerier news though, Sigma just released a whopping 35 minute long narrative short film shot entirely on the FP! Unsurprisingly, it looks pretty great.
 
 

Vintage
 
 

Hey guys,

I wanted to share a film with you that I just finished and released. 
It is also a project I've been very passionate about, as it is the retelling of a true story. A short excerpt out of the life of a good friend of mine.

A while ago a severe fire destroyed many houses inside the neighborhood of San Andres, Manila.
Everything was raised to the ground. My friend took literally his destiny in his own hands and they were able to rebuild the houses just by them and the community.

Everything was shot handheld on the OG Pocket, with the old MFT-Speedbooster and a vintage Nikol 35mm f2 and a very old Nikol 50mm f1.4.
No artificial light, was really like run and gun. I shot all formats, CinemaDNG, ProRes - even LT - depending on how much space was left on the SD card.
This little thing was really a workhorse! The archival footage is from different mobile phones.

I hope you like the film! Enjoy

 
 
 

I got the same impression watching some comparisons. 
I wonder how much of this is simply Blackmagic worrying that they slightly overdid BMPCC6K, which could hurt their Ursa sales. Though, I doubt many people bought brand new Ursas during past two years. 

Welcome to the "I discovered that something that 'everyone knows' is completely wrong by simply trying it out myself" club.
If this was a real club then my rank would be 'Grand General Lord - Class 15 - Special' because the number of times I've spent 30 minutes doing a test and found out everyone online is talking out of their asses about something is beyond counting at this point.
We should make t-shirts.

Driving home yesterday I saw a woman out walking with a bright orange coat and I realised that the scene before me was pretty much how the camera rendered the wedding shot in Italy - everything very low in saturation except a few spots of radical colour that basically don't look real.  I guess that's how the real world actually looks.
It's not how the world looks in most videos, and it's definitely not how we experience the world.
I've had issues before with trying to get my blacks to sit at the right level.  It seems like the difference between crushed and instagram-retro is less than the thickness of a human hair.  Maybe I need to apply a node that boosts the signal by 10x then go through my whole timeline to equalise everything out and then remove the 10X node again.  
I sometimes do that with saturation, having a node that radically saturates the whole timeline and then I can look at all the thumbnails and see any clips that have an obviously different WB, which I can then fix and remove the node again.
I'm committing every sin in the violinist shot.  Underexposing a mixed-lighting scene with an 8-bit camera in log using a codec with a low bitrate.....  in slow-motion.  This specific shot taught me the value of higher bitrates and 10-bit colour.
Unfortunately, this is what real-life actually looks like, but the problem is that it's not how we perceive the real-world, and due to the technical limitations involved I can't get this shot to even remotely how it looked to me at the time.
Yes, that looks more neutral.
The issue is that this isn't remotely how the scene looked in real life.  
My frustration is that I can completely remove all colour issues by simply reducing the saturation to zero, but the target aesthetic of this piece was that it was a happy occasion and Italy is a colourful place.  The grade above simply doesn't match that aesthetic, being closer to a bleach bypass look for a desolate film rather than a colourful look for a happy rom-com.
For context, this trip to Italy was part of my honeymoon!
Thanks for outlining your process, I'll have to replicate it and have a play.
You think that the S1 shot would have been harder to grade?  That surprises me, considering that my GH5 was a breath of fresh air after trying to grade the XC10 footage for a couple of years.  
My experience of watching colour grading videos online with footage from five-figure cine cameras was that you can raise the levels up and up and up and they just scale up but otherwise look completely fine, rather than pulling things up a bit and being presented with awful hues and terrible artefacts.  The GH5 feels exactly the same way in post as that - it just scales up without any drama.  I can understand the a6500 not doing so well though.
I guess I don't want to force a shot that doesn't exist, but it did exist, the camera just failed to capture it even remotely the way that it was, in reality.
I've found the GH5 to be far more forgiving of difficult lighting.  Mind you, had I used the XC10 4K mode then it might have been a different story due to the higher resolution and bitrate of three times more bits per pixel, or 12 times more bits per frame.
Yeah, very Canon.  I really do make life difficult for myself by shooting in the worst possible conditions!
lol, I immediately thought of vodka, but perhaps you should be adding tequila?
Not too sure what the YT upload was at, but the frames I posted above were 720 to be a bit easier to view in the thread.
Here's the CLog still at the original resolution:

The 1080p is pretty soft, and the 1080p50 even more-so.  I exported the PNG above and a TIFF file and swapping back and forth between them shows very little difference.
For reference, here's another CLog shot from the video, PNG at 4K:

This is a very strange one to me. I've seen online tests as well as examples from shoots I've been on of the Pocket 6k having really great dynamic range. Yet Blackmagic claims it has less dynamic range than the Ursa Mini and the same dynamic range as the Pocket 4k. Cinema 5d measured it at 11.9 stops while measuring the Ursa at 12.6. 

I tested the Pocket 6k against the URSA, both at 800 iso and the Pocket had more highlight and shadow information, by a good amount. If the Ursa has 12.6 stops of dynamic range the Pocket 6k has got to have over 13 maybe 13.5. 

I'll probably post the tests if anyone is interested. 

Is there any chance you could get a color checker and record it with both of your cameras at the same time? Note that both cameras need to be properly exposed and white balanced.