Video Hummus

Yes its pure speculation on my part. The fact that we don’t know why is strange in itself, don’t you think? Olympus is an old player, perhaps they had their finger in the pie and hence had some grandfathered in PDAF use license...who knows. And just to be clear, I’m not giving Panasonic a pass on DfD. I want more reliable autofocus. PDAF would give it to them right now so I am advocating they do that to fix their AF woes and camera sales. Now, if Olympus or JIP could somehow get 10-bit in their camera with their pleasing color science and partner with Panasonic to get good codec and video processing and a proper LOG format then they would have something compelling. They have the lenses. They have PDAF. They have good SooC color. They have the weather sealing and body design. They don’t have good menus (complete shite imo). They have lots of ingredients. Someone just needs to back the pie.

yeah, maybe I’m dense but I’m not sure I see why the Panasonic is better here? The color is pretty consistent up ETTR-6, but so is everybody else. Maybe someone can explain? Is it the fact that it’s only 150Mbps LongGOP and the others are high bitrate ALL-I? Panasonic I think has some of the most sensible and balanced Codec implementations out of all the camera manufactures. They are strong in this area for sure. I think Panasonic needs to go all in and bring the full VariCam V-Log color science to LUMIX. S1H is close but that said it was a “tweaked” color science from the VariCam. They just need to give us the real deal and be done with it. Why segment? They need to do more and more to stand out since all their traditional advantages are now standard features on their competitors. I find it funny Canon finally added 10-bit log and then crippled the fuck out of it with insane bitrates and editing performance. Maybe this will change in the future as hardware gets better but generally this space moves very very slowly because of codec patent prices and negotiations.

Not to mention Leica has said they “don’t have PDAF available to them” which makes me believe Sony has tight restrictions on PDAF patents. And the fact that other, old school camera companies such as Nikon, Fuji, Olympus have it has more to do with weird patent and technology agreements among those companies and perhaps Minolta in the past (or whoever acquired the original patent portfolio for it). Panasonic is a new comer in the camera industry, by a long shot, compared to those companies. And leica is a Germany camera competitor and we all know the Japanese vs German imaging battle that went on for years. Japan won the majority of the market. So I’m more included to believe that Panasonic is in the same boat as Leica and that they “don’t have PDAF available to them” so they built upon contrast based system. I’m not sure there are other ways to do focus except with lasers, or IR, or ultrasonic projection and apparently Panasonic doesn’t like those methods. It’s a mystery and would make a great “industry investigative story” documentary.

I can’t! The fact that every single camera they release people say its great but I want PDAF and Panasonic just ignores their feedback? They have lost tens of millions of dollars because their cameras AF can’t keep up. I don’t believe they are stupid or stubborn anymore. They are pretty responsive to their customers. So I’m more inclined to believe their is some kind of license restriction or something blocking them for paying the money to have PDAF on their sensors. And its not like it isn’t available on the MFT sensors. Olympus had it and they shared a sensor in the latest generation of cameras. Canon designs and manufactures their own sensors I believe. Fuji has some design but they use Sony Semi and their technology in their sensors so it’s not a all Fuji. The whole patented X-Trans layout etc... I honestly think Sony has caught up and is on par with Canon’s DPAF now. Sony definitely has an advantage in lowlight and high ISO focusing as well. If that matters to you. It doesn’t for me, as I don’t film in at midnight lol.

My whole argument was that they don’t have the option to pay the piper so they are stuck with improving what they got!

I don’t think so. I think they’ve invested so much in DfD because they have no other good alternative. DfD doesn’t require any technology licensing from Sony Semi Conductor for on chip phase photosites or any other hardware based thing. It’s purely image processing from ground up. I think with the S5 if you look at direct comparisons to the S1 and S1H they have actually done a remarkable job at reducing the pulsing side effect of a contrast based system. The tracking algorithms are much improved too. So I think it has been a evolution of a “we have no choice” to “with DfD we can make contrast based autofocus workable” to “with new object recognition and 3D object estimation and DfD we might have one of the best systems someday”. There is nothing stoping Panasonic from developing algorithms that mimic what the hardware based PDAF photosites are doing (that is using trigonometry to measure distance from subject) by building a depth map from image data and tracking objects in the space and reducing the need to do the contrast pulse to figure out what direction and how far to focus. I really don’t think Panasonic would ignore the hordes of their users asking for PDAF or something similar for years now.

Ah, thanks! Did a bit more light research. Some gems in the OM lenses from mid 80s. My next film camera I think will be the OM-10. Simple, with just enough features.

They still can dominate the space if they play it right. Release a GH6 like everybody expects. Give it insane specs and decent price and it will be hard to ignore for anybody that has MFT lenses. HFR 6K and 4K modes. Something crazy like 6K120p or internal NDs. If they add PDAF in there then for sure it will be a huge hit. MFT or S35 sensor whatever gets the job done and still has IBIS or IBIS alternative (gyrobased digital stabilization or something better). Competing in the photo department against FF is harder. But I think they should still release a photo centric MFT model that can win over any Olympus refugees and bring new computational photography features and enhancing existing technologies like 8K photo mode, live composite, hi-res handheld and tripod composite photos. They need to do something also to boost DR for MFT sensors to help them compete. Dual Gain ISO has helped with low light performance. Maybe this won’t happen until shrink their organic sensor tech for mirrorless.

?

Ever so slightly bigger body with integrated grip and the Sigma fp would be interesting to me. Also, for the love of god, why are we still getting these 1M/2M Dot LCD screens? Give us bright flip and tilting OLED please!

*turns dial to C1 for 6K60p

I think it’s pretty much a given that the EVA2 (if one is to be built) would be L-mount. They would be stupid to put an EF mount on it again as the L-mount can still take EF glass. I could see them using the 12MP sensor used in the Sony A7SIII perhaps with some tweaks for some extra performance? Who knows. That sensor makes a lot of sense in a EVA2 style camera. My biggest problem with the EVA2 is the existence of a Canon C70. It’s S35 sensor but a much more interesting camera to me. If it has new autofocus, internal NDs, DGO, better audio inputs, in the rumored form factor of a “chunky R5 body”. Very interesting... It also kinda looks like a cinema camera but also doesn’t. Which for me is important because I want a powerful camera that can fly under the radar. That’s why a 6K60p, 4k120p, IBIS, GH6 would be amazing to me. Can get into a lot of places without people thinking you should have a press pass or shooting pass because it looks like you are on a national geo-graphic expedition. ”Oh this...its just my humble family camera for getting the family pictures...for the memories...yes”

I agree sort of. The last 3 releases from them has been stale crackers. I think the GoPro 9, and action cameras like it, are on their last legs. I was surprised DJI entered the market with the product they did. I’m really, really surprised GoPro or DJI didn’t go all in on 360 video as I feel that is the future of the action camera. Maybe the tech isn’t there yet. A new 360 camera would need at least dual 8K sensors for it to come close to replacing what the GoPro 9 offers now.

He was referring to "image quality" in the post I quoted so I assumed what the sensor is capable of.

Has the deal even been finalized?

I'm not sure what they could do that would be game changing? They are stuck with using off the shelf sensors made by Sony and sold to their competition. Their fabled organic sensor technology will take a while before it is even viable in a LUMIX product. They sure as hell won't put it in a LUMIX product first if their aging and declining Cinema VariCam business needs a serious boost. Maybe their cine business is fine, I don't know for sure, but based on how many films and TV shows are filmed on ARRI and RED I would say Panasonics VariCam is kinda an afterthought in that professional industry. The camera industry is like sports teams or car brands where people become identified with the brand in some deep way. But I do think there is this underlining tone of Japanese camera culture that manifests itself in weird product decisions and strategies and cripple hammers and other things. I mean the power that is available in a cellphone compared to what is in a typical 2020 camera...it just doesn't add up.

It’s not surprising is it? Everybody wants full frame look, full frame low light, full frame image quality. Influencers scream it at the top of their lungs. “Great camera...but its not full frame.” So I’m not surprised at all. Sony asks a lot of money for their ASPC cameras. I’m not surprised they are moving their FF into smaller and smaller bodies. I recently picked up a used Pentax K1000 for cheap and bought some film and have really been loving it as an escape from the optimum capture settings mini-game we all play with these digital cameras.

Finally they said it. Can’t be creative with MFT? Shucks...

The DR advantages of some of the latest FF cameras like S1/H/S5 and A7SIII to be exact are quite impressive for the prices.

Every year you own the R5 the recording time reduces by 5 mins until 0 minutes is displayed when you turn it on. This is to protect canon profit margins...er I mean the toshiba power converter thingys wear out because of battery quantum fluxes. Or so I’m told. It protects the camera blowing up in your face and causing blindness.

Is this a Schrödinger’s cat type of puzzle? When does C-Roll cease to be C-roll? Is it when you make the first cut of the footage in a NLE. Or just arranging the clips in a non-chronological order? Those are edits and they are technically changing the reality you captured. I think most of Trout’s work is authentic. It’s home movies with a voiceover and a loose theme and some music. It’s certainly way different than PM’s videos or all the other people out there big money on lights and gear to get a “look”. YouTube is like the stale crackers of content. The airline food for the masses. It’s all heavily seasoned the same but with no real flavor or soul to speak of. I give a pass to the more nerdy tech channels as those are basically a tech blog in video form where they can more easily convey their message with video than picture and words. Gerald Undone for example. Just give us the juicy information without all the fluff B-roll bullshit and talking about your studio space for the 30th time.

If this isn’t proof enough that we don’t want our cameras to get “cloud” anything then I don’t know what is. Imagine your camera phoning home over cellular network everytime you turn it on.

If he scripted talking about flying fishing with his dad its perhaps the best scripted acting sequence in any movie. C-Roll is documentation without an intent. Perhaps his intent was to create something with footage he filmed in the above video. That’s fine. My point is it isn’t taken seriously, it isn’t overproduced and trying to be all Hollywood like so many are trying to do on YouTube these days. But I’m not here to defend my choices of entertainment just sharing. If you don’t like that’s fine.

I think your overthinking it honestly. But each their own. He likes to tell stories about his life and where he grew up with the people he grew up with. I don’t see a lot of sculpting besides the narration and the editing...you have to edit btw unless you are just releasing 5 hours of GoPro footage from it being strapped to you head.

A YouTuber that does this basically full time is Trout & Coffee. He shoots really authentic stuff with his phone, GoPro, and I suspect an old 5DM3 or something (the video quality isn’t great) but his stories are, and that’s the meat of it right there. He doesn’t care about AF loosing focus. Doesn’t care about lack of DR or getting the perfect shot or the most cinematic angles. Doesn’t talk about gear at all. He captures things raw and its honestly my favorite channel because its a total breathe of fresh air from all the overly serious, overly produced, overly shot and edited stuff out there. It has changed my perspective. He shoots what Christian calls “C-Roll” as his style and his choice and makes money doing it with ads on instagram for lots of different brands. Creators allow YouTube to bend their will to its needs. It should be the other way around. If you enjoy vintage things, cabins, nature, good stories, campfires and canoe trips and a bit of Buddhism sprinkling here and there then I would recommend his channel.