newfoundmass

Add a bracket to move the hotshoe towards the side maybe?

You should be able to find one for cheap! I stole that idea from @Mattias Burling when I was filming with the OG Pocket!

The Sennheiser is probably better overall, but I use two Tascam TM-2X Stereo XY Condenser Microphones for my pro-wrestling work and I'm happy with them! Aside from the price, I like them because they're compact, which is a real plus when around a wrestling ring and filming through the ring ropes! I've also used a Zoom H1 as a mic hotshoed to my camera before with good results!

I'm still rocking the Rode Micro and am quite happy with it!

I'm not trying to lecture you, so forgive me if it comes off that way, but I don't know that you're getting the point that I was trying to make. How do you think we used to film in a low light situation when running and gunning with cameras that were infinitely worse at it than even a modern M43 camera? As @IronFilm said, the FX30 is miles ahead of what we had available to us back then, but people were still able to run and gun with those cameras in low light situations because we knew how to get around that limitation. Back then though we didn't have the luxury of owning LED pocket lights that cost under $100 and could easily be added to the camera's hot shoe. Is the hassle of carrying a small Aperture light when you need it really worth spending more on a FX3/A7Siii for those low light situations? For some I guess it is? Just seems silly to me.

Advancements in technology are great, but people are becoming slaves to it. Lets say for arguments sake the FX30 has very poor low light performance (it doesn't) but it fits your needs perfectly otherwise. What do you do? Decide to keep looking/wait until the "right" camera comes along, or do you buy it because it's the best overall option and work around it's low light performance by carrying a small light or two? I've been doing video for 25 years, since I was 13 years old. One of the first things I learned was how to adapt and get around limitations. To me that's a big part of what we as videographers and filmmakers do. We are problem solvers! So yeah, when seeing people complain about a camera's lowlight performance because it can't see in the dark or gets grainy at ISO 3200 it makes some of us start asking "what are we doing here?!" There are 100s of affordable little lights that can easily fit into any bag. Grab a few of them and just start shooting!

Yeah, it's yet another example of how spoiled we are. I came from the world of camcorders, so people talking about M43 being terrible in low light made me chuckle.

Being a Sony apologist isn't particularly professional, either. You've argued that the A7siii isn't meant for professionals, even though the very first thing Sony said in it's marketing material was how this camera is for "movie makers." You've then faulted people for not immediately selling their A7siii and buying the FX3, because apparently that's a reasonable thing to expect people to do less than a year after they dropped $3500 on the A7siii. Frankly it's pretty ridiculous for Sony to have released the FX3 in the first place just six or so months after the A7siii, given it was pretty much the same camera in a different body, but that's a debate for another day. And now you're faulting folks, many who use the camera professionally, for feeling burnt because they dare "whine" about features being withheld from their flagship cameras but not entry level ones even though it could be easily done in a firmware update. This is silly. @Andrew Reid you should check to see if his IP address is located at one of Sony's headquarters! 😉

People can repeat that until they're blue in the face but it won't suddenly make it true.

It's kind of gimmicky, but I kinda like the different colors. They're fun.

Yeah JCC has always had decent gear. I'll probably purchase this with the summer coming, if only to shade my pale ass a little (there's a bigger version available!) From the sun!

Is that a real product? Edit: it is, I'll be damned!

I'm not sure it has been confirmed either way. I heard a few say it was 1080p only, but others didn't mention that at all

I took would not be opposed to this. I do hope more of these companies start making L-mount versions now that the system has seen an increase in interest.

There are good and bad things about it, I definitely get why people dread it, but it's the future. Social media is how they get their feet wet and THEN that's when their world opens up to filmmaking and videography. I mean, we're already seeing it happen. People who think my friend is a rare example aren't paying attention. You're still missing the point. No one is saying you buy one camera and that's it. Someone starting their video journey though probably shouldn't have to purchase a whole new camera in a year or two because the camera they spent $2200 on can't record for extended periods or in hot conditions without overheating. At least not in 2023, anyway. People need to stop making excuses for these companies. He's a nice enough dude, but unfortunately he's a Sony shill. I probably wouldn't take what he has to say, re: whether you should buy a camera, very seriously.

Right now I'm shooting with two Lumix S5 bodies and a GH5. I don't intend to "upgrade" anytime soon. Before getting a second S5 I was still using a G85 and GX85! I do miss the GX85 though, it was so nice to have such a tiny camera with good video quality. I might end up getting another one, we'll see. Welcome back! To be honest I wish there were more threads about things that weren't about the latest cameras! Any reason why you use the P4K over the P6K for work?

Times change, as does how people get into video production and videography. You're unable to see things from a perspective that isn't yours @Kisaha. If you're a 21 year old kid (that's how old he was when he got his first paid gig) that is offered $75 to film a theater performance because you happen to own a camera for a YouTube channel you're trying to get off the ground, you're not going to have the experience and knowledge of someone that has been doing it for years and years. You're also probably not going to turn that opportunity down, either, because that's a credit card payment for the camera you put on credit. I was only relaying how his path into videography began, and how he first purchased a camera that was limited and how that impacted his unexpected, but ultimately successful, transition into doing paid work. He now shoots with three A7siii bodies and is doing well for himself. His criticism of the ZV-E1 is pretty valid, because 5 years ago he would've been the target demo for this camera, probably purchased it, and found he'd spent $2200 on a camera that he couldn't use for the work he'd eventually end up doing. As he put it, there's dozens of better options that won't limit a person from following whatever path they end up taking, whether it's being a YouTuber or becoming interested in filmmaking or videography as a job. His perspective was different from mine, and obviously yours, so I figured it was worth sharing.

I'm loving the videos @Andrew Reidhas been posting on YouTube lately. They're cracking me up, because he's saying a lot of the things I'm thinking, but doing it with the British humor and wit that I lack. The Matt Granger one did me in this morning! If you haven't watched them you should! Keep it up, Andrew!

As I said it might not be typical, but I don't think it's one rare case at all. I think quite a few YouTubers end up producing video work for others, whether it's a friend asking to film their kid's recital or a family member asking if they'd film their wedding. Once the ball gets rolling it can lead into something else. Many of us "blue collar videographers" started out as hobbyist and got our first paid gigs because we were known as "the video person" or "the person with the video camera." My first paid work was because as a 13 year old I'd bring my video camera to pro-wrestling shows to film for my own enjoyment and one time I was offered money in exchange for the footage. In many ways the aspiring YouTuber is the modern equivalent of that. To say that it's rare I just don't think is correct.

I was talking to a friend this morning who started out planning to be a YouTuber but ended up doing actual paid work and losing interest in YouTube. He's a Sony user and he gave me a different perspective for why this camera sucks and it is a pretty simple one: given it's limitations it can't grow with you. His first paid jobs were because people knew he did "that YouTube stuff" and they wondered if he could film something for them. He was of course stoked about it, but ended up having a problem: his A7iii was good for his YouTube channel but the 30 minute record limit didn't cut it for the theater productions he was asked to film. Suddenly the camera that he bought because all the YouTubers he wanted to emulate were using it, and that he bought on credit (he was 20 at the time and didn't know better), wasn't the right tool for the job. He was able to get around it when he found out the trick to remove the limit, but he still found it'd overheat sometimes. His parents eventually helped him buy an A7siii once they saw the potential in what he was doing, but it was a costly lesson. Obviously his experience might not be typical, but his point was that if he was just getting started now he'd probably buy this camera but end up regretting it because of it's limitations. People's intentions/priorities change over time. People buying this camera might only intend to use it for YouTube and short takes, but what happens when your co-worker offers to pay you to film their kid's play? Or you're asked to film your cousin's wedding? Anyway, it was an interesting perspective from someone that started out as a YouTuber that I thought I'd share.

No offense to the other posters, but the original poster mentioned taking stills with the camera so Blackmagic isn't a good option.

The S5II with the Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 if you're looking for a zoom lens Or The S5II with Panasonic Lumix S 24mm f/1.8 and the Lumix S 85mm f/1.8 I went with 24 and 85mm because it'll give you a wide shot and a great portrait lens. The Sigma primes are also excellent, and are faster (f/1.4) but the 24 and 85mm would put you over budget.

It's one thing if the hardware can't support it, or if the camera is ancient, but the only reason these new features aren't being added to recent cameras via firmware is because Sony doesn't want to. As you said, they are features you can live without, but that's not really the point. These companies want brand loyalty without giving it back in return.

Unless you're shooting in a log profile or doing lots of color grading 8-bit is fine. I film the majority of my event work in 8-bit because 10-bit just isn't necessary when I don't need to do a ton of corrections. I film in the natural color profile on my Lumix cameras, set my custom white balance, and I'm good to go. 10-bit is great to have for narrative, commercial, and even corporate/interviews where you're going for a certain "look." It is also very good for green screen work. Since getting the Lumix S5 and full v-log I've filmed more in 10 bit. I really like it, but it's just not necessary for a lot of stuff.

I've seen some really good stuff from the S5II, so I think overall it's a very good release. But they do need to fix the issues that are there and let people know that they're working on them. Given their track record I am confident that they will, but I hate how poor their communication can be.