MrSMW

I'm doing an about face after 6 days shooting with the primes and going back to a single zoom. Well kinda... Most of the time, I have been shooting with the right lens for the situation, so the 18 when I want wide (but finding it too wide most of the time), the 50 (which can get a bit tight indoors and not quite long enough out) and the 85 (which is often far too tight outdoors). So I am switching it around and popping the Sigma 28-70mm f2.8 on the S9 as my run & gun combo with the option of the 18mm for those very few times when I need it. The 50 and 85 I have moved over to static duty on one or both of my S5ii's, especially when I don't need the big boy 70-200. The simple reality is I like the purity of zooms plus their ability to gather more light/shoot shallower, but flexibility trumps those qualities. I do however despise variable aperture zooms and anything that really extends. The Sigma has a very short telescoping effect and the 70-200 none. Meanwhile though for candid stills, the Zf with 40mm f2 is a great combo. Pity the AF is not even close to that of the A7RV. Sony AF just flat out rules, no question whereas with Nikon it's a case of overshooting because it asks, "This? This? Or this? Oh you mean this!" in fast paced scenarios. Sony meanwhile winks at you and says, "yep, I already know".

People just have ever decreasing attention spans and in a survey of one, my daughter (20) has to check reviews before even considering ‘watching’ a movie and by ‘watching’, I mean occasionally glancing up from her phone. My wife (more than 20, though may trade her in for a younger model if she gets any older) is beginning to develop the same phone disease. But also yes, everything has to be so literal and woke these days. Or it’s the complete opposite and just OTT violence with casual body counts in the dozens. It’s not that there are not some gems and maybe no less than there ever was, but they are getting drowned in a sea of shit and then lost due to attention spans of the gnats ‘watching’.

From 2023, I enjoyed The Holdovers and Poor Things. In 2024, Dune Part 2. So far from 2025, nada. From the 80’s, how long have you got? Far FAR more good series on Netflix and Apple etc than movie releases these days. Not that every series or even most series are good, but for me, series took over from movies a good few years back.

Or I could just stick with my Zf

Should have known!

I think that is quite a true statement. Of course it depends on your needs, how invested you are in a system, how many lenses etc and despite my intention (as things stand) to switch to Sony or hopefully Nikon next year, I would be doing this despite Lumix having what I think are the best current cameras for my needs. But it’s that term ‘needs’/wants that would allow me to sacrifice some outright video spec for the bigger picture which for me, having done my maths, is a body less than I currently using and whopping 4 less lenses. Less lens swapping…in fact virtually zero lens swapping, cross body alignment with batteries etc and just a lot less faff than the 3 systems I am currently using! But as to just getting the job done, for my needs, based on purely video spec and real world results, nothing else I would rather be using in 2025. 2026 though… Well that one is up to you Nikon. You know what you have to do which is not drop the ball on the ZR and deliver where your rivals in 2025 have so far fallen short… Sony with the FX2 and it’s 💩LCD and Lumix with the continuation, albeit updated S5 body style because I’d prefer something ‘FX30ish’ and I say FX30ish because that actually does have a good LCD. I’ll add to that list Nikon Z6iii for the also boring body style. Canon 🥱

Now I know! So there was the Lunar one that everyone laughed at and they sold maybe 3 and all to ex-astronauts. Or the blind. This one, the Lusso looked quite cool but just 100 units sold in Hong Kong. The best looking of these skin jobs was the Solar, but that turned out to be a hoax. It would be quite cool to see some more custom houses such as this, a bit like Zagatto in the car world, re-skinning more mainstream models to make them a little more interesting… Or just get them involved in the design stage and sack off your former cardboard box ‘design’ team. I’ve always thought there would be a market for putting the more modern gubbins into older ‘retro’ bodies also. I’d like a digital Contax G2.

The Euro deal is significantly better! €1299 is 'only' about £1100.

What is this camera?! Never seen it before…

And a high quality LCD and not the piece of shite they decided to attach to this thing 😏 I get why they added the tilt EVF, even though I have zero personal interest in it, but the LCD quality just makes no sense to me.

Really great focal range for me, but I don’t have any APSC cameras. Interesting though…especially if I do move over to Sony next year because on an FX30 body, that would be a very neat pairing for my needs…

Depends on your preferences but all of the Sigma f2/2.8 primes, all the Lumix f1.8/2.8 primes, various small zooms including the new 24-60, all very good combos. I prefer the Sigma f2’s for stills and for their build and looks, but I went with the Lumix f1.8 primes for mine with the 18, 50 and 85. I’m now questioning the 18 and might trade it for the 24 as it’s just a bit too wide for my needs and taste. The 35 is not quite wide enough and a bit close to the 50. The 50 has been my workhorse the last few jobs and the one I am currently on, but whether I stay with L Mount for video or flip to Sony (or Nikon) 99% sure I will pick up a Sigma 28-45mm f1.8 because that would suit my needs best.

Proof right there. That is the new ad for the FX2 with the tagline, “Would have been the camera of choice had David lived a bit longer than he did”. It will sell 10’s more as a result. (Buy 2, get a free ironing board)

I’m pretty sure his last words were, “I’m gonna buy a Sony FX2”. And if they weren’t, Sony need to put that rumor out there to help boost sales.

So basically they are all cats? The cat with the Leatherman The copy cat The Cat in the Hat The OG Catman The cat with Barbie’s mother Frocat Snapcat And other cats.