DanielVranic

2 hours ago, fuzzynormal said:

An option I've embraced that really keeps things simple is to forgo AF in video production.  

How I shoot is exactly how you say you'd like to shoot.  It keeps it simple and once you train yourself how to be adept at manually focusing you'll find their are numerous techniques that'll carry the day.

Also, there's something wonderfully organic about getting shots that float in and out of focus and then have a human hand pull it sharp.  Now, to be fair, I am extremely short sighted, so it's actually a bit of a camera-operator super power I have.  I can look at a LCD monitor 2 inches from my face and really see what's going on in perfect vision comfort.

When I'm wearing my contact lenses and have to use "readers" eye-glasses to see things close the vision gets more challenging.

Anyway.  Manual focus.  Something to consider anyway.

That is what I am doing for the last few months w the Rokinon DS and what I am trying to avoid doing anymore. I do respect that feel and look and ill be keeping my Rokinon + adapter for those cases, but for 99% of what I do, its the wrong choice.

I really appreciate everyones insight here, extremely valuable to my thought processes.

Something I should bring up - I am no longer doing any type of work that would require 2 bodies and for what I want my "new life" with this camera to be is as rigged-down as absolutely possible. To me; that means no external batteries, no monitors, 1-2 lenses max, rode lavs + rode shotgun and thats about it. Hopefully it would fit in just one backpack.

My commercial days are entirely done, and while I would LOVE to have many bodies for different uses, which is exactly how I USED to live with Canon DSLR's and Blackmagic's or C200's I just do not have the mental bandwidth for it anymore. 

I am grateful for the idea though! I know it's the best way to live, but I need to make some compromises. 

22 hours ago, IronFilm said:

Thanks for giving all the extra details in your post! 

As so often when people ask for a "mid range" option, it's hopelessly vague! As "mid" depends entirely on where your end points are you measuring from? If you're starting at webcam level and ending at handycam level, then you're looking for a very different answer than someone who starts at FX3 and ends at VENICE!

With your context & background I'd say probably a Sony FX6 or Canon C70 or similar is what you're looking for, as they're the cheapest entry level "pro cameras". 

But you also list your budget, so it clearly shows they're well outside your range. 

What to do? Step back to a previous generation and get a secondhand pro camera? That would be my immediate first thoughts, as the likes of a Sony FS7 / Sony PMW-F5 / Canon C200 / RED Scarlet / etc are all very very cheap on ebay. 

However, it seems that AF is a very high priority for yourself, and unfortunately only the latest generation of pro cameras (such as the FX6) have had decent AF. 

So that kills that entire train of thought. 

My immediate next thoughts are to go for one of these: FX30, FX3, or S5mk2.

(Fujfilm XH2S is worth considering too, but in my opinion not as good as those first three I listed. Canon is out of the question, because they've decided to go for a closed system with their lens. Nikon Z9 is very nice, but outside your budget. The Nikon Z6mk2 / Zf is nice too & within your budget, but again it lags behind those three I just listed above. However.... the rumor mill is spinning saying the Z6mk3 is only days away from being announced? Panasonic GH6 & G9mk2 are excellent too, but again I'd say be lagging a bit behind the FX30/FX3/S5mk2, however I guess the GH7 is surely coming out this year? Well, "2024") 

Sony FX30 is my personal top pick out these three, because from my perspective it has phenomenal low light (just compare it against what we had to work with the ARRIs or a RED Dragon or a Sony PMW-F5 etc, the FX30 does very well!), and would make the perfect B Cam for my Sony FS7 in a way that the FX3 is not. Plus the FX30 is the cheapest out of those three! I half suspect however you'd be wanting even "more" out of your low light. Which thus then cuts down the discussion now to just two:

Sony FX3, basically identical to the FX30 but with the drawbacks of higher cost, lack of compatibility with S35 lens, & shallower depth of field (wellll... some might see the forced shallow DoF as a benefit! But if you're wanting the best low light performance and great autofocus, it's a negative). However, you gain better low light performance overall if you really want to push it there. Worth the drawbacks? Not in my personal opinion, but depends on your perspective / priorities, and I think for you the FX3 likely edges out the FX30. 

Panasonic S5mk2, with the release of the mk2 (not just the S5mk2, but the G9mk2 too) then Panasonic finally leaps to the top tier for autofocus performance, on par generally speaking with the best from Sony & Canon. Panasonic also always gives you that polished implementation and reliability that some other brands have struggled with. I'd very much see the Panasonic S5mk2 as comparable to the Sony FX3 but at a much lower price.  However.... the S5mk2 is missing a few little details that only pros would likely care about (such as no timecode support in the S5mk2?? wtf Panasonic!! Guess we need to wait for the S1H mk2, ugh), and much more importantly for some: won't smoothly and effortlessly slot into a bigger production also shooting on Sony. As Sony FX6/FX9 (and even still the FS5/FS7) are very popular at the low/mid budget level. If you were still working professionally, then I'd say it is a slam dunk decision to go for a FX3 (or FX30) because of this, & needing to work with others. But because you're just doing it for yourself, then likely the only downside is the somewhat smaller lens selection for L Mount vs E Mount (but L Mount has been getting better and better with more and more options, so I'd no longer see this as the negative it was a few years ago). And the fact you can get the S5mk2 at wholesale pricing then surely makes the S5mk2 the slam dunk decision to go with for you? 

(very quick edit: I forgot to mention the a7Smk3, as basically once the FX3 I feel that killed any point for the a7S. But anyway, the a7Smk3 is very similar but with the pro features of the FX3 stripped out. You might not care, and happy to just have "a lower priced FX3")

Thanks so much!! in a perfect world i'd find an A7S3 or FX3 w 24-70 on ebay for $3000 and id be satisfied for another 10 years ! 

FX30 is BIG TIME on the radar, but for stills i really don't think it'll cut it. Too much of a compromise in that department 

16 hours ago, MrSMW said:

For most people most of the time at this price point. IMO.

An easier pick than the Zf as it’s more conventional but I am now of the opinion that Z Mount has the best lens options as it has all of it’s own Z line, all of it’s back catalogue F and all of Sony E, these latter two adapted with full AF capability.

The most interesting and least compromised kit at this price point today, is L Mount and Nikon.

The Zf is quite a big jump over the Z6ii when it comes to AF and IBIS and has the processor from the Z8/9.

I hope so because I am currently on that proverbial fence flip-flopping between Z9, Z8, another Zf or a Z6iii.

Ideally for its role, I would like a gripped body…but also a compact as possible body.

Pros and cons for each of the above, but that’s just my own personal dilemma, but pertaining to Daniel, yes, might be worth holding on a while and seeing what the Z6iii might be.

If it turns out to be a re-bodied Zf, then a lot of folks are going to be disappointed. Not because it won’t be a great camera…because that would be, but because folks always want more.

If it has a version of the Sony A7iv 33mp sensor, an updated Z6ii style body and the tech from the Zf, straight to the top of the class, especially if it has an optional battery grip that is better designed than the clunky Z8 option.

Thanks so much everyone!!! 

The Panasonic is absolutely on the radar, the Nikon as well, but a part of me does want to leave that look and feel of a camera to a much more modern solution. Maybe the Z6m3 would be a good idea whenever it comes. 

Something else that was brought up by a coworker- the Sony A7CII- with the AI AF, dedicated video settings and higher bitrate 422 recording. 

However it does appear both the Panasonic and Sony have some serious rolling shutter. The XT4 i have now does have some very visible jelly on quick pans so having that get worse wouldn't be super ideal. 

14 hours ago, kye said:

Welcome back to the world of camera buying - nothing has changed...  it's still a minefield of pros, cons, gotchas, cripple-hammers, etc!

A couple of follow-up questions that I think would help recommendations:

• It sounds like AF is a major focus - do you need continuous AF?  Face detect?  Eye detect?  How shallow a DoF will you be shooting?  What sort of motion are you expecting the AF to be able to follow?  No AF is perfect but some might be better for your needs than others.
• What lenses do you have and what focal lengths do you need / use?  and how fast do they need to be?  Re-using lenses could mean more budget for body and might help get a more premium performance setup.
• What low-light requirements do you have?
• How sensitive will you be to overheating?  Long takes?  Hot conditions?  Cool-down times between shots?
• Budget for whole rig?

Oh sweet haha! 

1. AF is much bigger deal to me than I had ever initially thought it would. I do enjoy the "feel" focusing manually but frankly Im not proficient enough at it to rely on. Continuous, Face, Eye and Subject would all be really nice. Moving closer and farther from frame (like in a doc-style follow shot outdoors) or for face tracking indoors. Usually f2.8 

2. I use a 17-70 f2.8 for most work, along with the Fuji 35mm f2, 23mm f1.4 (Viltrox) Fuji 18-55, and I have access to the 16-55 but dont use it anymore. Speed is key, as I often am shooting at the observatory or in the city. At f2.8 I am usually running ISO3000 or so on the Fuji which is the absolute max I can push it.

3. Low Light improvement over the XT4 is paramount

4. Not very, I will usually only be shooting 3-8min long. takes at the most. however in the humid summers I can imagine that getting hot.

So thanks for the follow up! Definitely priorities are 1. AF Performance 2. Low Light Performance

Hi Yall! Hope everyone's various holidays went well! 

So I have been working on a short form doc about the work I do in astronomy and astrophotography since September, fully shot on the Fujifulm X-T4. This camera has been my personal vacation/family/road trip camera since it came out and for stills it's been such a king. I absolutely love the image that comes off this camera. 

In a past life, Ive worked as a content creator for a few venues in town making commercials and social videos, as well as filming the artists and bands in local studios. We used lots of BMD, Sony, Canon and even Arri one time. The Good old days that have forever cursed me with expensive taste and high standards for IQ.

To the point: Using the XT4 for a documentary shoot so far has been 50/50. 50% of me loves the IQ and the files are robust enough for a good amount of mangling in Resolve. I know it's 10Bit-420 but it does hold up for most things I do nowadays unless I underexposed, which is a me problem and not the camera's fault.

The other 50% is how horrid the AF has performed to date. Seems that with native, 3rd party, and 3rd party adapted lenses I get the same unpredictable AF response with a very large amount of focus hunting and un-usable Face-Eye AF. Really bummed me out for run and gun work, as swapping to manual lenses means a monitor and another item to carry around and power. Im not a pro anymore, so a low-profile setup is really what I am chasing and this XT4 has doubled in volume and mass since filming began, just to accommodate the monitor! 

The final nail was during Christmas I decided I wanted to make a quick little home movie with my family that showed what we did over the holiday weekend. AF struggled in brightly lit rooms, at all focal lengths and lenses. That was it for me. I set the camera down in my office and decided that 2024 was new camera year. Let me be clear- No one watches what I make, it's purely for me but its gotta perform how I expect. Even my old a6000 and a6300 would have done laps around this.

I haven't shopped for a camera body in years (Got the XT4 through a trade) and frankly do not have any idea where to start, but I usually trust tribal knowledge over a retailer so here I am. I see Fuji's new XH2s has gotten a billion "hybrid of the year" awards, but so did my XT4 and I just can't trust Fuji's AF right now. Ive seen a few of Sony's latest offerings, but a bit lost on the differences on a couple models. Canon seems to be behind, purely based on what I read here and on MirrorlessRumors. Panasonic is neat (just became a dealer for Panasonic and can order bodies at dealer cost for myself, so this is VERY neat) but hearing iffy reactions to the AF performance and Andrew's battery issue as well.

So for someone who has a mid-budget (3K including 24-70 zoom lens is hopeful) mid-talent (havent shot pro in 5 years) and is mid-serious (I want my vacation videos looking good, dammit!) I am a bit lost on what the hell to look for!

I seek the tribal knowledge of this forum!

TL:DR Havent camera shopped in 10 years, current camera doesn't cut the mustard for what I now do and don't know where to start for my budget.

Little update!

Thank goodness for Notion! I was able to import all my "interview" questions and responses into a few columns and then organize the shots and B-roll around each "block". It made my ideas and thoughts so organized that I am so excited to start rolling!

My partner leaves for vacation tonight, and she is my interviewer, and camera op for the shots at the observatory and coffee shop so I will hold off most filming until then.

Once again, thanks so much for the insight here. I appreciate it.

I have done alot of work on watching my friends videos, watching travel YT channels and I think I have a good idea of how to frame and shoot this. Outlining of a script has started, and funny enough.. I need to actual still do some REAL astronomy during filming too so I can't forget to actually do a good job with this. 

Me and my partner set up my light and did a short fun walkthrough of my kit with the Rode ME system outside last night. Footage looks OK, but at ISO4000 at 2.8 it was still quite dark. Reviewing the footage, I really dont think Im happy with just how mushy/noisy it is - even on the well exposed areas. 

However... I set the camera to MF for a bit and you entirely right.... Whats worse? Underexposed and noisy, or out of focus? 

Well, out of focus is the worse answer. My partner attempting to follow me, and then me setting it manually and walking around - I was out of focus 80% of the time. Much more un-usable than noise.

Oh! Another thing I wanted to say.

When I quit this end of my career, I QUIT. I sold lots of stuff, but alot of it was simply mothballed and thrown in my basement or studio closet. So when I bring up "oh I found" it's because I am still randomly finding stuff tucked away. Lots of lighting stuff, but it's large and thus unwieldy for a solo-shooter run and gun situation. for my talking head stuff, it'll be perfect, but its bigger than my entire camera kit.

I also found a DJI Ronin RSC2 in this pile! One of my late-stage purchases that never got used. Dilemma is to sell it and profit (buy lenses) or find a use for it. Its very small and can fly my XT4 w cage and zoom lens without issue.

Wish id find some low-light lenses or camera monitors in this pile!!

On 9/29/2023 at 10:24 PM, kye said:

The format of this video is a pretty common one I think.  My understanding of this style is this:

1. Go out and do something, film what you can
2. Review the footage and "find the story"
3. Write and record a "piece to camera" (PTC) shot (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piece_to_camera)
4. Edit the PTC into a coherent story, focusing on the audio
5. Put the shots you recorded from (1) over the top of the PTC to hide your cuts
6. If there are still gaps in the edit or it still doesn't work, record another PTC in-front of the editing desk that explain or clarify, put that into the edit

I see these videos often, including the snippets from the person in the edit.  Sometimes they have recorded a PTC so many times that the whole video is just a patchwork of clips from different times and locations that you're not even sure how it was shot anymore.  Casey Neistat used to film his videos where each sentence or even every few words were recorded in a different location, so during the course of a sentence or two he'd have left his office, gone shopping, and returned home.

Here's a video I saw recently that has this find-it-in-the-edit format:

The above is an example of where the video was very challenging to make, which is why it required such a chaotic process, but it shows that if you are skilled enough in the edit you can pull almost anything together.  

Also, go subscribe to her channel - she's usually much more collected than the above video! 🙂 

Wedding videos often follow a similar pattern in the edit:

1. Find one or two nice things that got recorded (this is normally a speech from the reception, and perhaps if the bride and groom wrote each other letters and they opened their letters from their partner and read them out loud)
2. Edit these into a coherent audio-edit (you literally just ignore the visuals and edit for audio only)
3. Put a montage of great shots from the day over the top, showing just enough footage from the audio so you know who is speaking
4. Put music in the background and in any gaps
5. Done!

I'd also suggest that when you say most other people film vlog style with a phone and you want to take it up a notch, try and do that just by filming with your camera on a tripod, but otherwise try and copy their format at first.

Innovation is an interactive process, and the way they shoot and edit their videos likely has a number of hidden reasons why things are done that way.  Start by replicating their process (with a real camera on a tripod) and see how that goes and what you can improve after you've made a few of them and gotten a feel for it.

The priority is the content and actually uploading, right?  So focus on getting the videos out and then improve them once you get going.  It's always tempting to think you can look in from the sidelines and improve things, but until you've actually done something you don't understand it.  Real innovation comes from having a deep understanding of the process and solving problems, or approaching it in a different way.

Intensely helpful. Cant thank you enough for this guidance.

Had a free night last week while my girlfriend was out of town to test everything, plus it was a clear night! So I was able to be much more realistic in running through settings and talking. It takes a few runs, but actually talking to the camera as if it was a colleague interested in my hobbies. I need to work on diluting some of the more scientific terms down to a more digestible format. Explaining what a "calibration dataset" is is easy for me to explain to a fellow geek, but explaining it to a larger diverse audience will be a disaster. I'll lose them right there, no doubt. Hell, sometimes explaining it to myself I get twisted. 

Second. In doing this dry run (dry as in I have no real astronomical data to collect currently so I pretended ) 

1. I walk around, ALOT when doing the scope work. The shotgun mic was good, but clearly had some drawbacks with me moving around. Something like a Wireless ME from Rode might be good just to clip it on and walk around the area without worrying on audio coverage. Cheap too, my work sells them so I can get a major break on cost.

2. I tripped on my giant ass tripod 54 times. I almost threw it to the Sun!! Something I noticed during load-in, the camera tripod was the same size as my tracking mount tripod... which carries a 100lb sub-arc second accurate device... I dont need something equally large for a 4lb Fuji rig. I LOVED my monopod, but didnt trust it on its own un-attended. Travel video tripod here I come.

3. Low Light. This is major issue #1. I tossed about half of the footage because it was beyond what I would be comfortable releasing. Too dark, and when I pushed it, it was a bit gross looking. Something T1.2 or 1.4 I believe is needed here, along with a small LED battery powered fill light. Good music buddy has a couple PavoTubes and I borrowed one from him today for a test tonight. It can't just be the lens, I need more light too.

4. Major Issue #2. With the audio plug and USB power inserted, the floppy screen on the XT4 is useless. My vision isn't perfect either. The 1/8th and USB plug directly covers the audio meter, AF settings, and nearly half the frame. I owned, and sold, a Shinobi a couple years ago and I really am remembering why I bought it in the first place!! Thankfully, this time around I need something much less fancy. I need to confirm framing, audio level and a DC pass through would be super neat. Daytime performance isn't super critical, as I will be using this at night.

5. Power. It would be super neat to power both my monitor and camera off of the same battery on the monitor. Is that a wise idea? I see a ton of monitors with DC outs, and they do make W235 Dummy batteries.. might be a convenient solution

On 9/28/2023 at 8:05 PM, kye said:

Great stuff, this is exactly what I meant and the kind of learnings you'll get from actually trying things.  Sadly, many online will use endless excuses to avoid actually trying things.

One thing you might struggle with is how much effort you put into the video-making side of things.  It's well known that if you're going to video yourself doing something then it takes twice as long, or more(!), and I hear people regularly saying "Sorry, I didn't film the assembly process because I had a deadline, but here's some finished shots", so it's definitely a compromise.

I'd suggest you crank up the ISO and try to make and edit a test video, as this will show you what kind of light levels you need.  You might find you need an F2 lens at ISO 3200, or you might find you need an F1.4 lens at ISO 25,000.  You might also find that a certain level of noise in the footage is ok.  All of that will require testing, and obviously will inform your equipment choices if you end up having to buy something.  

Also, you might try to make a video without buying new camera/lens and see how that would work.  Maybe you just omit the shots where you're in full darkness?  Maybe you can film shots of you setting things up with a small light on, and then the parts of the video that are in darkness are just a slideshow of your photos with a VoiceOver?  It's worth trying different formats.  What do other people making the same type of video show in their videos?

Ben Horne is a large format stills photographer who makes great YT videos (and spectacular images) and vlogs his trips which often involve him filming bits of the vlog in darkness.  From memory the shots are often: him getting stuff ready from the boot of his car (which is lit by a small light), him walking to the location which is filmed hand-held and lit with a head-lamp, etc.  He's been making those trip vlog videos for many years now so it might be worth watching a few to see how he does it:

https://www.youtube.com/@BenHorne/videos

I think it's really just a matter of trying things and learning and adapting.  The trick is to arrive at a workable setup without having to have gone down too many dead-ends that required huge equipment purchases first.  I've done that - to get to where I am now I have probably spent 10k on things I tried but no longer use or need.  

I am really appreciating these replies!

Something I have noticed in most of the videos being made about this same subject is they are done in very much a vlog or handheld talking format and are often shot on their phones. My aim is to do more of a serious "looking" doc-style shoot. I really like how in some BBC Space documentaries they have an expert or scientist doing a talking head about their entire process and then it intercuts with the actual "doing" of the project.

I am not a fan of this guys personality, but this is almost the exact presentation im trying to emulate.

19 hours ago, kye said:

NASA!!  Wow!  Great stuff!

In terms of documenting what you do, could you perhaps give us some more detail about what you're hoping to do (if you have something specific in mind)?

From a technical point of view the thing that immediately comes to mind is about low-light performance - how much will you be shooting after sunset with lights, and how much would you shoot in the dark?

From a process point of view, I'd suggest the following:

1. If you know what you want the work to look like, then doing some analysis would help.  Make list of the types of shots and setups you'd need, then work out what equipment you'd need for each
2. Just try shooting videos.  
   Don't expect to post the first one, or even the first few - they're just test shoots designed for you to just figure out what equipment is missing, what shots work, what shots don't work, how to edit, what to say, etc etc.  Essentially, just keep trying to make a video and making mistakes until you manage to get things sorted enough to actually finish the video.
3. Post it.  It will probably be rather clumsy but if you go back to the first videos that anyone posts online they always are.  We learn by doing, so just keep making them and keep experimenting and learning and posting 🙂 

Thanks for the support!

I did one single test run last night, of trying to get the B roll but also filmed aspect of everything I do in a single nights astrometry planning.

Big notes.

1. Need a smaller tripod. Found a giant tandem leg tripod w a Manfrotto head on it in a closet and it's way too massive for this project. By a factor of like 3. For my budget, Im thinking the iFootage Gazelle to replace the legs and use the fluid head I found.

2. Low light lens. This one is obvious, but also the most difficult. The 17-70 2.8 is great, but a 24-105 F4 equivalent isn't gunna cut it when I'm filming with zero artificial light, often out in fields or at night in the observatory. Also, I believe I have also dashed my own hopes of using a manual focus cinema lens for this. I just can't see myself having a good time doing that. And im doing all of this... for fun.

3. Audio. In running these tests, the Rode Video Mic Pro R set to +20 and the XT4 set to -20dB was extremely clean, and useable for nearly every shot I threw at it. The only time I felt limited was when we had some kids riding down the road at full volume, which it picked up quite clearly as well! May consider a WirelessGOII for more personal VO things and such. Worries have calmed on the audio side.

4. Video Monitor. Here's my major wrestling point! I love the idea and concept of using a monitor. But my main concerns are bulk, balance, and batteries. Is that worth it? I dont think I can answer that yet. My Tamron NAILED focus during the test runs, but framing was a big concern because there were shots that I genuinely couldn't see the screen to ensure good framing. Where I used to work, we used large bright Atomos monitors, and that sadly isn't in the budget. Shinobi sounds fun, but if something is cheaper I will look at it.

Any thoughts are welcome!

Hello everyone!

I am returning some focus back to videography (and this forum) and I need some guidance.

From 2013 to 2020 I worked as a freelance camera operator and colorist. I often shot on Canon and Sony systems, but would work and color essentially anything thrown at me, shot on whatever, but BMD stuff was common because of the budgets of my locale.

Frankly, I got extremely burned out with the projects and clientele in my area and with this no longer being my 9-5 i decided to end it.

Since this time, I have become an Astrophotographer with a focus on high resolution deep-sky studies and spectroscopy and have really enjoyed it. Beyond being able to share and get many reactions and engagements, I've been lucky enough to travel to different sites to do my studies and imaging. I have been fairly successful (NASA has reposted my work twice!)

Something to add, I do not monetize any of my astronomy work, it's just for the fun of sharing space.

Here comes the point. I really want to start documenting what I do. I've been out of the game for a while and frankly run and gun shooting was never something I ever considered, or had any experience in.

I currently own an XT4 with the Tamron 17-70 2.8, a Tiffen VND and Rode VideoMic Pro that has been my main photo camera rig and I love the quality of the image it puts out.

What should I be considering? Should I stick with AF? What do you for "good enough" audio? Is handheld the move? Should i consider a faster lens at the expense of zoom? Would you get an external monitor? How would you "rig" a small mirrorless beyond a cage? What would you put in your bag?

I will be a pure solo shooter and this rig needs to fit entirely in a laptop bag. My telescopes, mounts and astronomy cameras take up most of the Subaru as it is and this is more of side quest. I have never been a solo shooter, so I am excited but also CLUELESS.

I'm looking for a bit of guidance from someone who's done more run and gun work, as for what I should be avoiding, what I should be really looking at, all of the above.

Has anyone ever used the Sigma 24-70 OS EF-mount with the Fringer adapter?

TBH i would go buy the Sigma 24-70 2.8 EF OS if I knew the AF was going to be smooth. That plus the 18-25 1.8 would cover every usage case I would ever come across.

My experience so far is that it jumps, and doesn't really stick to faces so I 99% of the time use the zone AF, and its OK but still jumps a bit even when whats in the zone is perfectly sharp.

RIght on. I am enjoying my 18-55mm. The OIS is spectacular. Thats what gave me the idea of the T4~ So I could have IBIS on my old Zeiss stuff.

I use the Fringer and 18-35 combo, its alot of fun, but the AF is really jumpy and it hunts even after it finds focus, so for alot of run and gun work it was always stuck in MF mode. 

I was hoping to hear that the issue with Viltrox lenses and jumpy AF was fixed, that is a major bummer! Kinda crosses those off of the list. 

4 hours ago, EphraimP said:

That's a bummer, man. The quality control issues with BM cameras is a major reason I won't go near a Pocket 6k Pro, even though it's go like 80-90 percent of what I want in a mini cine-style body for about half of the C70 or FX6. 

Good to hear to you have a MixPre, though I wouldn't imagine you use it much on music video shoots. The only issue I've had with mine is configuring sound out so I can send it directly to camera. The manual settings are confusing and I've screwed it up in high-pressure settings. So I have it set to basic, but it outputs line-level signal that my T3 can't take. Luckily the T4 can be set to line or mic level, so I can use it with the 4. 

Huge bummer. It still works, just the ports are fried. So if I keep to SD cards we are good! 

My new major focus is glass. My ONE and only Fuji lens is my new 18-55 and tbh I really love it. I plan on getting some kind of mist filter for it, but what I really need is something FAST with good AF. Apparently those two things are hard when searching for native Fuji glass.

Tbh these new Viltrox lenses are looking good. 

4 hours ago, IronFilm said:

You could get these two:
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1469797-REG/deity_microphones_deity_connect_2_4ghz_wireless.html
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1503004-REG/sound_devices_mixpre_3_ii_3_channel.html

I actually have a Mixpre on loan from SD right now. Its so good! 

15 hours ago, EphraimP said:

Because you already have your new gimbal and your handheld setup, practice with the handheld setup and see if you can get acceptable shots. If not, then maybe think about upgrading the camera. Or, if you want a two-camera setup, sell some other gear for the T4, and set that up for handheld/sticks shooting and leave the T3 on the gimbal.

I don't know if you still have your Pocket 4K (if that's the BM camera you had). I'd definitely ditch that for a T4, because it has the IBIS and better autofocus you seem to want. And working with two cameras with the same color science is nice. Even with different brand lenses that handle color differently, I can correct my T3 and 4 very easily. Love that.

My Pocket4K is defective unfortunately, cost more to fix than its worth used. But you are 100% correct. I shouldn't be replacing my XT3 with an XT4. I should be adding it in.

2 hours ago, EphraimP said:

Because they have updated the T3 firmware supposedly to T4 level (I haven't done a side-by-side comparison myself), the only major difference between the two is IBIS. So it really depends on how much you shoot completely handheld, since you are enjoying your gimbal shooting as is. I definitely wouldn't shoot handheld on my T3 with just a monitor and side handle; I feel there is too much shake and micro jitter. On the other hand, that's the main setup I use with my T4 for b-roll and walk and talk interviews.

Ahhh i am definetely struggling with it haha.

I would honestly say I do 50% gimbal work 25/25 sticks and handheld. 

2 minutes ago, DanielVranic said:

Great test! Thanks for letting me know.

So, I had a thought pop up. I could probably get 1100$ish for my XT3 used. Is it worth the upgrade to go to the XT4 for IBIS and the larger battery? 

Also with the same amount of $$$ I could get 2-3 new lights, or an XF lens or two. Also with my new RSC2 I can see my handheld use shrinking a bit. The gimbal is so small yet the footage looks like a dolly shot. 12/10 impressed with that little guy.

Also, in that same price bracket I could entirely build out my audio wireless rig. 

On 3/18/2021 at 8:20 PM, EphraimP said:

So now I have a two hour and ten minute video of the ceiling in my office. I spent a few minutes in the settings after I turned everything on and turned off the recording after the Ninja's batter monitor started giving me the low battery warning. I'm not sure how much longer it would have gone on before cutting out, but we can safely say that the 48.8 Wh battery can power a 1000 nit recording monitor and the XT-4 for 2 hours 15 minutes. 

The T4's battery still had 3 bars left, so I'm guessing that the T3's battery would probably last for the full charge of the NP-F battery. If you really wanted to be sure, I could take my T3 out of its cine rig and pop out its dummy battery for the stock one. Let me know.

Btw, that 2 hours and ten minutes of footage is 400 gigs. So that's about 5 hours of 4K 23.976 footage in ProRes 422 on a 1T drive. Not too bad.

Great test! Thanks for letting me know.

So, I had a thought pop up. I could probably get 1100$ish for my XT3 used. Is it worth the upgrade to go to the XT4 for IBIS and the larger battery? 

Also with the same amount of $$$ I could get 2-3 new lights, or an XF lens or two. Also with my new RSC2 I can see my handheld use shrinking a bit. The gimbal is so small yet the footage looks like a dolly shot. 12/10 impressed with that little guy.

41 minutes ago, EphraimP said:

No worries. I've never timed it out, but running the monitor and camera on the battery, plus having the internal X-T4 batteries usually gets me a few hours of start/stop recording time in the field. I'd guess definitely over an hour and a half straight run time. 

I've got my T4 all charged up in the office now. I'll set it up and do a run time test. Should be good for me to know. I'll post the results later.

Thanks! Ill keep in mind the XT3 has a smaller battery.

1 hour ago, EphraimP said:

You mean power my camera off the monitor battery? I thought I mentioned that earlier. I use these inexpensive Powerextra 48.8Wh batteries that have both USB and a DC outlets on them. On my T4, I've been using a USB to USB C cable to charge the camera. No reason you couldn't do it with your T3, in place of the batter bank. 

I might buy a DC dummy battery for my T4 and start running it that way instead.

Sorry if I missed that earlier! This is great. How long does one last ya?

On 3/17/2021 at 12:43 PM, EphraimP said:

Happy shooting then! I'll be interested in how you like the little handheld rig you set up. I've been doing something a little similar with my T4, but skipping the usb battery and powering my camera off the monitor battery. If you use a smaller monitor battery, your system may balance a little better side to side.

How do you do that? Is that something the XT3 can do as well?