newfoundmass

Most of the best mics are XLR. I'd never use a USB mic over an XLR one. Give me a locking XLR with a beefy cord any day of the week. It doesn't bother me at all when using the Panasonic XLR unit. 

Incredible deal
Firesale price on an incredible camera: check
Clients who will pay for the incredible things I could do with this camera: ....hmm gotta work on that

I think its great, I use the XLR module with the S5 all the time for quick sound bites such as a real estate agent doing the intro voice over, modelling interviews, product reviews from YouTube content creators, etc. I almost never need more than one channel, two at the most and all of my higher quality mics are XLR.  I can also shoot long form such as speeches, conferences, etc and the whole setup is still more compact than my C200.
 
I have the MixPre6 and its a PITA, it needs another power source, just remembering how to set it up properly is a PITA since I rarely use it, and now you've got cables everywhere, etc.  I only use the MixPre when I need 32bit float, more than 2 channels, or multiple backup copies of the audio.
 

 
 

Thanks! On the S1H for 400Mbit ALL-I I think V90 is basically a necessity. But I think the 6K HEVC is half the bitrate so I was hoping to cheap out a bit since I only have an S1...

I was more intrigued by the comment they made about it being a complete redesign. I think that is a good sign. I'm sure it'll still be uncomfortable to hold since that's Sony's thing, ha ha, but I'm guessing they realized they needed to increase the size to accommodate the higher end features that just haven't been possible with the standard bodies they've been using. 

What is it that the S-line has that the GH6 won't have?
My impression of what the market wants, apart from PDAF, isn't much beyond the C4K 10-bit 422 unlimited of the GH6.  
In fact, the GH groups/forums that I'm in are so populated with people who just bought a GH5 (and more join every day) that it's hard to get past the newbie questions, and these people are so happy to get a camera with even the GH5 specifications.

@Andrew Reid
If you keep a list of things to poke camera manufacturers about, add 32bit float audio to the lineup. IMO it would be a paradigm shift in “scratch” and on-camera audio to include even a decent float system. Heck, a simplicity-first company like Blackmagic Design could do away with audio controls in float mode entirely, opting only for a headphone volume control (or even auto level monitoring).
I use a 32bit float recorder at work all the time, and I literally don’t have to think about its operation beyond power-up, verification of the mic signal, and hitting the record button.

I'd wait unless you're really in need of doing it sooner. I suspect we'll see prices drop in the next couple months and things will get back to normal as production picks up again. I also suspect we'll see Intel and AMD releasing their answers to the M1 in the next year or so, which should make things very interesting. 

NVIDIA still lists the RTX3070 for $499.00 so if that is the video card you want in your next build, then I would base everything else on obtaining that card for that price. Set up some watch lists and get notified the minute someone gets one in stock for that price. 
Once you have the GPU on hand the rest of the build should be easier (and less costly). That's just what I personally would do. Also, I have to believe that Intel will have an answer to the Apple M1 soon, so if you can wait, I would try to wait and see what their answer is. The M1 seems pretty future proof for now, nothing Intel is producing can compete with it but I am sure they are working on it.

I've been using the T-3/4 with the Metabones since it came out with older L glass (mainly 17-40 F4 and 70-200 F2.8 non-IS). The image quality is fine. If I want to use autofocus, I tend to use my XF 18-55mm f/2.8-4, which is a nice little lens in its own right. If you do get a Fuji, be sure to get the kit with this lens even if you have equivelent EF focal lengths.
I've been a fan of the Fujis overall, and it's nice to grade from F-log, through you do have to mind your white balance, especially in low-light/under exposed situations, or I find, the colors get a bit off. They make fun stills bodies for sure, and the Fuji film simulation J-pegs really are a treat. These cameras are head and shoulders above Canon crop-sensor cameras (I shot extensively with the 70 and 80Ds). 
Your biggest issue will probably grading the 5Ds to match the Fuji. I'm sure it can be done, but in my expience Canon color and Fuji color are both very "good," as in pleasing to look at, but not very similar. If you're shooting with ML in raw, this may be less of a problem than it is starting with a baked-in Canon color profile., even one thats as flat as you can make it in-camera. Since I'm personally moving to a C70 as my A cam, I'm hoping Clog 2 will make cutting in a Fuji B cam easier, especially using Resolve's color managment or a similar tool to bring the images into a neutral color space with less user input.
Between the two Fujis, the size difference isn't really noticeable unless you're holding one after the other. The T4's extra battery life is very nice, but its IBIS isn't amazing and has bitten me in the ass on more than one occasion. For a video workflow, SmallRig's cages are great. The 4k 60p looks great, and even though the T4 does 120p in 1080 I rarely use it. When I first got the T4, I'd have recommended over the T3, now I'm not so sure. Depending on your shooting style, it might make sense to get the 3 and load up on batteries or third party power solutions (V-mount with dummie battery or a NP-F style battery with a USB port if you're going to use an external monitor).
Those are my rambling thoughts. Hope they help.

I had a C70 which has a lovely image and an excellent body concept but something was bothering me with it. I couldn’t put my finger on it, but in my gut, something wasn’t right. 
I also had an A7SIII at the same time, and still do. The gut feeling that overshadowed my positive view of the C70 might have been the A7SIII. That camera is simply a marvel that I love shooting with. Maybe I enjoyed the sheer flexibility of the A7SIII more, hence the demise of the C70. 
I always shoot with 2 bodies. Instead of getting an A7SIII again, I picked up the FX3 as I wanted the XLR’s and the video centric button layout. 
When the FX3 was delivered, I was very surprised at how it felt in the hand. I was surprised at how small the XLR handle unit was. The grip feels really good. I was thinking “wow, Sony have nailed this”. 
At first, the button layout was confusing as I’m used to the A7SIII. It still trumps me now as it has a function where you can lock your shutter, ISO or IRIS and I keep forgetting it does that. So I always have a few sections feeling frustrated when the values aren’t changing, because I’ve forgot they are locked. 😂
The camera is identical to the A7SIII, minus the body design. Everything is the same. 
I use it with the Ninja V which is a powerful combo for this size. It feels amazing handheld without the XLR handle and the Tilta cage but with the XLR handle it does feel a little clunky and unbalanced in the hand. Now when I’m handheld, I don’t use the XLR handle unless I’m recording some audio with a handheld look, which isn’t that often. On a tripod, it’s fine. 
Capturing shots with the FX3 is very liberating. You can do pretty much anything with it without lugging a brick around. Some people like to rig it up but for me, it’s just very unnecessary with a body this size. 
The image itself is fantastic. What I will say is that it won’t perform miracles for you. People have this misconception the FX3 or A7S3 will light an image for you. No, it won’t. Stop being lazy, feed the camera what it needs and it will shine. 
Again, Slog3 won’t perform miracles. It takes practice, patience and resilience. It isn’t the best between 3200 and 12,800 ISO. To shoot at these high values is a bonus but the best image is SLOG3 640 ISO, so to get great results, shoot for that as much as possible. 
The FX3, just like the A7S3, does have superb colour capability. If you don’t WB, or expose correctly or nail your focus, it would look like garbage. It is not forgiving, you can’t be lazy. I can match this very easily to the C70 - I couldn’t do that with previous Sony cameras. 
Using both Alpha cameras together is extremely powerful and liberating. When treated and operated correctly, and not lazily used to perform miracles, the image you can achieve is just fantastic. 
Peoplr saying these cameras are conservative and underwhelming need to re-check their opinions. Sony gave us almost everything in pristine 4k and it delivers. They are unique on the market in terms of feature set, and it shows. 
Most importantly, the FX3 as a step forward in camera concept for cinema application is the right one. It’s exciting to work with and getting great shots isn’t a pain in the arse or a cripple on your back. 
What I would like to see in the next version is the FX3 and A7S3 to merge into one camera offering with: 
- On-sensor ND or similar tech. 
- A thicker image in feel and robustness. Not bothered about 6k or 8k, just even better 4k please. 
- A larger back LCD. 
- A flip up EVF like BMP6k Pro. 
- An improved XLR unit that is more modular when used with accessories. 
- Possibly both an IBIS and non- IBIS version. 
If they deliver the above, that would be near perfect. 
 

Ah yes, MiniDV! The bane of my existence for 12 years! A lot will come down to how you capture it (are you doing a standard firewire capture to DV or are you capturing it via capture card to a different codec?), how well it was filmed (is the exposure and white balance OK?) and what camera was used (a lot of low end camcorders just had horrible, muddy colors unless used in bright, bright lighting). 
You'll want to avoid using one of the cheaper capture cards that will record it to h.264. I've never had good results capturing SD video to that codec and editing it, so I think it's better to capture to DV if you have the ability to. ProRes will also work if you have a way to capture it that way!
If the footage is decent-ish you should be able to do a bit of color correction and get relatively close to what you'd get using a similar modern consumer camera, but you're not gonna be able to get away with heavy grades or anything. The process overall though wasn't radically different to how I worked with HD camcorder footage once I upgraded, so assuming it's decent footage you should be OK doing what you normally would just with tempered expectations. 
If it's not very good footage though you'll have more issues than you would if it were HD. Denoising never really worked that well since it removed way too much detail for a lower resolution image. Maybe that has gotten better thanks to better denoising tools? But muddy and noisy footage is where you'll have your problems; there isn't a ton you can do with that. Even basic color correction is a pain in the ass. 
 

Ah yes, MiniDV! The bane of my existence for 12 years! A lot will come down to how you capture it (are you doing a standard firewire capture to DV or are you capturing it via capture card to a different codec?), how well it was filmed (is the exposure and white balance OK?) and what camera was used (a lot of low end camcorders just had horrible, muddy colors unless used in bright, bright lighting). 
You'll want to avoid using one of the cheaper capture cards that will record it to h.264. I've never had good results capturing SD video to that codec and editing it, so I think it's better to capture to DV if you have the ability to. ProRes will also work if you have a way to capture it that way!
If the footage is decent-ish you should be able to do a bit of color correction and get relatively close to what you'd get using a similar modern consumer camera, but you're not gonna be able to get away with heavy grades or anything. The process overall though wasn't radically different to how I worked with HD camcorder footage once I upgraded, so assuming it's decent footage you should be OK doing what you normally would just with tempered expectations. 
If it's not very good footage though you'll have more issues than you would if it were HD. Denoising never really worked that well since it removed way too much detail for a lower resolution image. Maybe that has gotten better thanks to better denoising tools? But muddy and noisy footage is where you'll have your problems; there isn't a ton you can do with that. Even basic color correction is a pain in the ass. 
 

I couldn't agree more about size and form-factor, and how smaller setups are more fun and, in a way, more spontaneous than larger more serious setups.
This is why, despite owning a BMMCC, I bought an OG BMPCC (the P2K!).  Paired with the 7.5/2 (giving a 22mm FOV) or 14/2.5 (giving a 40mm FOV) and the obligatory IR cut + vND + diffusion filter stack, it's a fun setup that still fits into the "tourist with camera - nothing to see here - move along" category.
Combined with the (much larger) 12-35/2.8 lens gives you great OIS and a 35-100mm FOV.  
Both combinations give a handheld setup that rivals the best cinema cameras that amateurs who haven't inherited could buy, even up until a handful of years ago.
Just for fun, here's a video from the OG BMPCC:
and even a full cine-sized rig is getting smaller and smaller these days if you want to rig it up "properly":

(courtesy of Tommy Do on FB)

I'm not sure that it deserves to be mentioned along side these cameras but the GX85 is really, really underrated, especially for its price on the used market. 
There are a lot of reasons not to get one but boy do I love mine. It doesn't have great auto focus in video and it lacks a mic input, but I find myself grabbing it instead of my G85 and GH5. The stabilization is really good... Not G85 or GH5 good but close. It's great to take into areas where larger cameras aren't allowed and lately I've just enjoyed bringing it with me on trips with the 14mm f2.5 or the 20mm f1.7. For whatever reason I find myself shooting more photos / video for fun, like I did when I first got a video or stills camera. As nice as it is to have a phone that can do decent photos and videos it just isn't the same... I don't get the same joy as I get using the GX85. I really didn't expect to love this camera as much as I have. 

The reason Panasonic needs reliable auto focus is more for marketing purposes than anything. The market has spoken, and it expects Canon or Sony level auto focus and if you don't deliver it most people won't even give it a chance. 
For me personally I don't need it, but I recognize it's important if the system is going to stick around. 

The reason Panasonic needs reliable auto focus is more for marketing purposes than anything. The market has spoken, and it expects Canon or Sony level auto focus and if you don't deliver it most people won't even give it a chance. 
For me personally I don't need it, but I recognize it's important if the system is going to stick around. 

The reason Panasonic needs reliable auto focus is more for marketing purposes than anything. The market has spoken, and it expects Canon or Sony level auto focus and if you don't deliver it most people won't even give it a chance. 
For me personally I don't need it, but I recognize it's important if the system is going to stick around. 

I'm generally pretty hard on YouTubers but Gerald is harmless and doesn't claim to be anything more than someone that enjoys gear, enjoys talking about gear, and enjoys making videos about gear. He's pretty transparent in my view. It's definitely not for everyone but I also don't think people go to him to learn about the actually art of filmmaking. 

It's unlikely to have the same lowlight abilities given how large the sensor needs to be. 
 
It means phase detect, which is what everyone else has now. Dual pixel is what Canon calls their auto focus, but I'm not sure if it's the same thing as phase detect. 

Most of those people don't really "vlog." They mostly just sit in their "studios" and talk to the camera, making all of those things pretty pointless to have.

Gerald released his “What Cameras are Other Youtubers Using” video and 85% of them were using A7SIII in a studio with controlled lighting. Second was A1, and then S5, R5, and RED Monstro.
Maybe 10% of them would use the A7SIII out in the wild where the crazy 12,800 ISO is useful.
Power of hype machine and branding dollars to spend.

I get why they made it the second native ISO, since it is meant for ultra low light situations, but I agree 12,800 is too high for most people. I think most folks that bought the A7siii would've been just as better off waiting for an A7IV. It never made a ton of sense to me for these people, many who never shoot outside their "studio" or in anything other than sunlight, to get a camera meant for low light conditions but that's YouTube these days. 

I'm generally pretty hard on YouTubers but Gerald is harmless and doesn't claim to be anything more than someone that enjoys gear, enjoys talking about gear, and enjoys making videos about gear. He's pretty transparent in my view. It's definitely not for everyone but I also don't think people go to him to learn about the actually art of filmmaking. 

You can ignore them and they won’t earn a cent off your time.
Life is to short to spend it churning the proverbial shit bucket again and again.