Chris Sjolin

On 1/22/2019 at 8:44 AM, androidlad said:

E2's other party tricks: internal ProRes, anamorphic mode, Zlog2 with 14bit readout for even lower noise floor.

One issue here - I've seen this 14 bit mode mentioned before, and I think this is false.

This is the sensor:

https://www.sony-semicon.co.jp/products_en/new_pro/may_2017/imx294cjk_e.html

It only has one 14-bit readout mode, and it's a 4:3 mode that delivers 3704 (H) × 2778 (V) resolution at 24 fps. The Low Noise mode exposed in the latest firmwares is 24, 25, and 30p DCI and UHD 4K. According to Z Cam folks, the 15-stop mode is possible through a "slower readout mode" which causes much worse rolling shutter. My guess would be the CSI-2 readout (MIPI CSI-2 (1.728 Gbps / Lane) Max. 4lane) mentioned.

Not 100% sure on any of those things, unfortunately. Will try to get some confirmation after the Chinese New Year.

On 1/22/2019 at 12:48 PM, TEDD said:

The CAF does in fact work now which is awesome.  And now I can see the camera in the app before it refuses connection.  I actually don't mind the camera I just wish it was shipped for full retail price with a 1.0 version of the firmware and not treating potential buyers as product testers without any warning.  Maybe that's ok for kickstarter gear where you expect some bugs and maybe a missing feature or two, but not something sold through a reputable retailer.

The CAF worked in 0.83, the 0.82 beta, and 0.81. I believe the "live view" CAF did not work until the 0.82 beta, which is also when they added the Human Track mode. I've posted this elsewhere - we're currently at about GH5 v2.0 firmware quality on the AF. There is still a long way to go, but there are some real scenarios in which it is usable. The Olympus 12-100 f4 especially is solid, partially because DoF of f4 is pretty forgiving.

Other bugs I have seen - the beta had a weird issue with AEL. It would seem to get locked frequently when I didn't press the AEL button. Sometimes settings wouldn't take effect immediately, and a restart was required.

I have the Portkeys monitor with LANC control that is now able to Start/Stop, adjust Focus, set Focus point, Zoom, set ISO, Shutter Speed, and Apeture as of 0.84 firmware.

I don't disagree with calling this a "beta" product. I also don't think this company would be able to get to 1.0 nearly as fast if they were trying to do it without community feedback. It's a brave tactic that has (a) gotten some money in their pockets to pay for more development, and (b) started to garner them a following that I don't think any other camera company has.